deKay

Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U)

Posted on 14/12/2013 Written by deKay

I feel compelled to complete this 100%. Like properly 100%, with all the shards and stuff. So that’s what I’m doing!

I’ve been back to every level and done all the puzzles there, and now I have a million “object” shards. These are very simple, usually wordplay related, puzzles which can be completed anywhere. Like “Cat-Toast Paradox” where you have to create something that fits the two “rules” that cats always land on their feet, and toast always lands butter side down. Create a cat, combine it with some toast, and you get – obviously – a black hole.

I’ve about 200 of these left to get through!

Luigi’s Mansion 2 (3DS): COMPLETED!

Posted on 09/12/2013 Written by deKay

PREVIOUSLY ON LUIGI’S MANSION 2!

Our hero had recovered all but one of the Dark Moon fragments, and had located the final piece – inside a giant portal on the roof of the final mansion. After defeating wave after wave of ghosts as they were ejected from the portal, he was sucked into the purple swirly and was confronted with a boss – several suits of armour followed by one massive suit of armour, who was impossible to defeat. Was this the end of our hero’s adventure? Will the Dark Moon ever be stitched back together? Just how many pairs of pants has Luigi gone through anyway?

AND NOW: THE CONCLUSION!

The giant suit of armour was actually really easy. I just needed to be careful and bide my time. After that, was the real final boss fight with King Boo (which isn’t really a spoiler as it’s obvious he’s the final boss before you even get to the end of the first mansion), which was alarmingly simple. Probably the easiest boss fight in the entire game, in fact, in part due to the many, many hearts thrown at you in the “side scrolling” sections of the battle.

And that’s it! Dark Moon restored, and the valley saved. For now.

Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U): COMPLETED!

Posted on 08/12/2013 Written by deKay

I’ve been waiting for ages for this. 15 months, in fact. After being delayed from the Wii U launch to early 2013, it was then pulled hours after going on sale in the UK for reasons that have never been officially announced. Some people managed to get it in that time, but the rest of us had to wait. And wait. Heck, the follow-up is out soon, it’s been that long.

But finally, it turned up. And, like with Rayman Legends, Zavvi conveniently forgot to charge me.

It’s excellent. I know it’s “just” more Scribblenauts, but it does so much. Firstly, it gets rid of the “rope and a helicopter solves everything” issue from the first game (and to a lesser extent, the second game), but secondly it’s huge. Yes, I know I’ve completed it already, but I’ve only actually done 60 Starites. There are… oooh… 120? More? I don’t know. And many of those are each made up from 10 Starite Shards, so there’s several hundred actual puzzles left to do.

There’s a lot of comedy in the game. Lots of games, films and memes are referenced sideways, in the characters, puzzle names, or actions you have to take to complete a puzzle. Sometimes you create your own comedic moments when things don’t quite go right. Take the screenshot as an example – I accidentally made a “bad hat” (rather than a “bandit hat” – oh yeah, there’s a million adjectives now) which picked up an axe and went on a murdering spree. Awesome.

3D Sonic the Hedgehog (3DS): COMPLETED!

Posted on 07/12/2013 Written by deKay

Um, yeah. So I now own 12 (different) copies of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. And that doesn’t even include the Master System and Game Gear versions – just the Megadrive one, and it’s ports. This is the only one in 3D though.

OK, so it’s not “as 3D” as 3D Space Harrier. This is a gentler, more incidental 3D, with all the layers of fore- and background parallax now on their own 3D plane. You know what? It looks fantastic. Sure, it doesn’t add anything to actually playing the game, but it feels like this was always how Sonic was supposed to be. Gorgeous.

And I’ve completed it. It isn’t hard, and I’ve played it enough times so I’d like to think I wouldn’t find it even slightly tricky, which I didn’t. In fact, I completed it with 27 lives (never losing any) and all 6 Chaos Emeralds collected by the time I finished Spring Yard Zone. Hello ladies.

3D Space Harrier (3DS): COMPLETED!

Posted on 30/11/2013 Written by deKay

This week, the long awaited 3D Classics from Sega finally made it to the 3DS in Europe. Well, two games did, anyway, with more to come. So far, Space Harrier and Super Hang On have been released, and I decided to pick up Space Harrier.

Many, many years ago, I was the champion of Space Harrier at this here arcade in Southport:

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Good times. I’d go there a few times a year and I’d still be at the top of the high score table. Either I was the only person who ever played it, or I was the only one any good at it. I don’t know which but I suspect the former.

Anyway, the 3DS version is the definitive conversion. It’s arcade perfect, even down to simulating the noise the buttons and hydraulics made on the actual arcade cabinet. It’ll even tilt the screen liek the “ride-on” did. And, not only that, but it’s in 3D. Fantastic.

And I’ve completed it already. OK, so I can only get as far as level 12 (of 18) without running out of lives and credits and having to continue from there on a new game, but still – I can reach the end. Level 18 was a disappointing SuckySuck(TM) bit, but the whole game is so immersive and fast moving and great looking with 3D on that it can be forgiven. More of this sort of thing Sega! Oh, wait – 3D Sonic the Hedgehog next week? takemymoney.gif!