Review: Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (3DS Virtual Console)

Back when I was a young ‘un, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 was, if not my favourite platformer, my favourite game overall. It’s still a damned fine game.

It's a GTA kind of weekend

Rockstar Games made a few announcements today about Grand Theft Auto IV on PSN and the iOS titles bearing the name. If you don't have the latter already, now's the time to buy.

Fun & Games in NYC: Toy Fair 2012

This year's International Toy Fair was absolutely laden with action figures, statues, and collectibles based on some of the biggest games and franchises on the market. Take a trip with us through the land of all things plastic and sculpted.

Hardware Review: PlayStation Vita

After two months of waiting, the PlayStation Vita finally escapes the boundaries of Japan. Given the current sales situation in that region, some have questioned whether or not Sony’s latest handheld is even worth picking up. We could honestly just answer that with a resounding “yes”, but let’s indulge and take the portable for a spin anyway.

The Hardware

Included with the handheld are the basics: the owner’s manual, augmented reality cards, a charger, and of course, the big kahuna itself. What’s missing from the package? Unfortunately, proprietary memory cards. Post-launch, storage will be sold separately from the system and is mandatory for the majority of games; even retail copies won’t boot without a card. In other words, you really need memory to do anything of consequence with the Vita, and you’ll need as much of it as possible if you’re planning to join us in the digital era.  

The Vita itself is quite the behemoth in size; a stark contrast to many of the miniature devices of today. That’s not a detriment, by the way– the glorious OLED screen alone entirely justifies the console’s bulk. I did manage to squeeze it into my pants pocket, but I would not recommend this due to potential system damage (more on that later).

Each button on the system is of the clicking variety, though thankfully this does not affect gameplay in a negative way as I initially feared. The directional pad in particular is now a full “pad” rather than four arrows placed near each other with space between them. There are reports of squeakiness occurring, but this is relatively uncommon from the sounds of it (your mileage may vary).

Vita's rear touch panel

The dual analog sticks, however, will be more controversial than the clicky buttons. These miniature sticks are noticeably flimsier than those on, say, a Dualshock 3, but did you truly not expect that? Once you adjust to the slightly slippery pads, they’re as good as any and grant plenty of possibilities for gaming. The only real downside is that they protrude and could be damaged if the system is put in your pocket.  

Also on show are the two touch pads. Both pads are capacitive (think iPhone rather than 3DS) with multi-touch support. I personally found it rather difficult to utilise the rear pad, but as with the analog sticks, it’s just a learning curve.

When you’re not playing, you’ll have to take good care of your Vita. Thankfully the system’s not too needy.  It lacks as many crevices as a 3DS, so there won’t be too much opportunity for dirt build-up and rendering the rest fairly easy to clean. The touchscreens, however, will require a bit more maintenance. Putting down the Vita on a surface is often a questionable decision, since the surface easily gathers fingerprints and scuffs. Buy yourself a case or save cash by carrying around the system in the sleeve it comes wrapped in.

Last of all, don't be worried about the battery life. It will last you between three and five hours depending on your usage, but if this isn't enough for you, you still have options. Since you're probably getting a case with the system, you might want to invest in a cheap external charger or the bulkier and more expensive power grip if you don't feel content. While yes, there is a cost, you have plenty of options to work with and the console on its own will probably suffice. 

The Software

Setting up the system is quick and easy for the most part. Find the power button and you’ll be guided through a few steps to get your new console going.  It’s all self-explanatory, aside from one strange quirk I assume will be addressed (the system asks you to login to your PlayStation Network account, but you need to update the system to do this, so you’re forced to make a temporary account regardless of whether or not you have one).  

The new menu screen

When you’re all set up, you can feast your eyes on the brand spanking new home menu. The new interface ditches the classic XMB for a new setup comparable to iOS with a Sony twist. The home screen is entirely controlled by the front touch screen, with applications separated into rows. You can rearrange them to your heart’s content and swap pages with a simple slide of the screen. Especially great is that you can assign a wallpaper to each individual page rather than a universal one, so you’ve got plenty of room to show your creativity. If the theme music grinds your gears, there’s an option to turn it off.

The comparisons iOS don’t stop there. A bar at the top displays whether Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on, the system’s battery life, and the time. Heck, when your system goes into sleep mode, you need to slide the screen to unlock it and can even set a 4-digit pass code to function in the exact same way as Apple’s devices.

In terms of built-in software, there’s plenty to do. Welcome Park does an admirable job of teaching players how to utilize all the Vita’s features, from the camera and microphone to the rear touch-panel. If you’ve got Internet access or the 3G version, you can browse the PlayStation Store and connect to the network to view all your trophies. You can also get social with friends by chatting them up or using the new “Near” feature to find out what people around you are playing. Last are the self-explanatory multimedia options for playing music, snapping photos, recording videos, and browsing the Internet. Simply put, there’s a lot to do outside of gaming with this machine.

Multitasking is arguably one of the most impressive features of the Vita. Whilst playing a game, you can have tons of applications running in the background and switch to them with a mere tap of the PlayStation button. For the sake of testing, I tried opening as many things as possible and managed to get up to five apps running simultaneously during a game...with custom music playing in the background, no less. The only drawback is the lack of a browser in-game, but if this is rectified, the Vita will be the jack of all trades.

The Games and Store

We don’t focus on the retail aspect of things at Digitally Downloaded, but it’s worth noting that game cases include much less information in the manuals than games on other systems. In the case of several launch titles, that is to say none at all. You pay for box art, a cartridge, and maybe an online pass. So long as you’re not an avid collector, this is indisputably better since developers now have no excuse not to provide a colourful and informative virtual instruction booklet. Hot Shots Golf’s (aka Everybody’s Golf) well-formatted manual in particular is a shining example of what we should be expecting as instruction booklets continue to shift over to the digital era.

The PlayStation Store

How is the PlayStation Store with regards to games? Outside of the highly respectable PSP library, it’s less than enticing. PlayStation One support is entirely absent and the majority of my Minis were incompatible with the Vita. Minis and PlayStation Portable games suffer from being stretched a bit, but I still found a few to be particularly attractive in spite of this.

Keep in that the above criticism of the current library will be rendered useless when future updates hit the scene to increase compatibility. In the future, Vita is going to be a very digital system, perhaps even more so than even the PSP Go.  Virtually the entire retail library will be available for download for a cheaper price. This also erases the issue of having to drag a bunch of tiny cartridges around with you. On that note, both Vita cartridges and memory cards are very small, so you'd best take care of them.

The launch line-up has more than enough quality games to hold its own, with more heavy hitters not far off. From the get-go, you can download Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Rayman Origins, Wipeout, Hot Shots Golf, and several others of note. You should be able to find a game with some appeal, whether it be upcoming, currently available, or a classic game on the PSN.

I should remark that you can purchase a system warrantee from the PlayStation Network itself. This is a brilliant move on Sony’s part as it drops retailers from the equation and allows you to custom-tailor your warrantee. For example, you can choose to get accident protection instead of the standard system failure deal. You’re only given 30 days to buy a plan, but that’s more than enough time to decide (and 30 more days than most game shops would give you).

Even by removing potential from the equation, the Vita may still be the most impressive handheld I’ve used yet. Budget-oriented gamers will want to wait before taking the plunge, but the keyword there is “wait” - not miss out. Virtually every complaint I have about the handheld is disposable or will improve with time. 

-Clark A

It's a House Party at Xbox Live's place

Finally, the Xbox Live House Party kicks off this week with the release of the demented platformer/human blaster, Warp. There's also some very nice Arkham City sales and a little demo for something called Mass Effect 3.

Opinion: Assassin's Creed III concerns me greatly

I can’t say I was exactly surprised to see the announcement that Assassin’s Creed III would hit shelves this year. Ubisoft has clearly decided that a yearly release schedule suits the franchise best, and it’s running with that.

Remedy releases the American Nightmare diary pt. 3

Lots of Alan Wake news today as we speed towards the release of the second game in the series of supernatural shenanigans by developer Remedy.

PSN update brings on the Vita

Although the actual launch of the Playstation Vita isn't until next week in the US, the early adopter First Edition Bundle is already in the hands of the pre-orderers- and the PSN is loaded for it.

Mr.Scratch lives it up in American Nightmare

Say what you want about the devilish Mr.Scratch from the upcoming XBLA exclusive Alan Wake spin-off, but he knows how to have a good time.

Snake Eater demo sneaks onto 3DS eShop

Metal Gear Solid 3:Snake Eater 3D was arguably the best 'last gen' episode of the espionage action series. The Cold War epic is about to go portable with a 3D remake, but 3DS owners can get a 'sneak' peak right now.

Review: Blue Lion (iPhone)

There's not a lot to say about Blue Lion really. Based on the board game of the same name, the game takes place in the famous Paris museum The Louvre, where a famous diamond exhibition is currently taking place and among them is the Blue Lion, a diamond of unique purity and colour and as such, has become a target of jewel thieves worldwide. Unlike the diamond it's named after however, this is not one game which sparkles above all others.

Review: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Special Editions + DLC (Xbox 360)

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Special Editions is an oddity. Here’s a truth about video games: nine out of ten games based on game shows are crap shovelware. Anyone who has played a video game version of Deal or No Deal or The Price is Right would know that.

Australia to finally get an R18+ rating... hopefully

It looks like Australia is finally going to grow up and join the rest of the world, with the Australian Government introducing a bill to parliament to introduce a R18+ age category for video games.

Looking back: Dragon Age: Origins and why I still prefer it to Skyrim

Forget Dragon Age 2. As disappointing as that game was, it in no way reflects how brilliant, and how important the original Dragon Age: Origins is. In fact, the critical panning that Dragon Age 2 was hit with becomes a massive double tragedy if it puts BioWare and EA off taking some chances with Dragon Age 3, because I would happily argue that Dragon Age: Origins is the best RPG of this generation, and it deserves a “proper” sequel.

Review: End Night (iPad)

I’ve mentioned a couple of times in past articles that I don’t like some of the directions modern horror games are going, such as Resident Evil 5. Action heavy, there is little of the tension and even desperation that the atmosphere of a low powered survival horror game can bring.

Screenshots: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2

Sonic's latest 2D platformer has been announced and expected for quite a while, but fans have had to bide the time waiting for actual gameplay by viewing Sega's enemy concept art. Thanks to updated information on the Xbox Live Marketplace, you can now see what the game will look like.

Screenshots indicate the inclusion of Tails' airplane, Metal Sonic as a boss, Christmas avalanches, classic special stages, and an uncanny variety in stage concepts. You can view the complete batch over at the game's official page on the Xbox website.

Expect to see the completed game at some point this year, but no firm date has been announced. It does look like development is taking off, though.

Click to expand

3DS eShop off to an $11.1 million start

The first indication of how financially successful the Nintendo eShop may be has emerged, with analysts, FADE LLC, publishing what it estimates is the first year's worth of sales for the platform.

Is retailer, GAME, going, going, gone?

GAME is one of the biggest game retailers in the world, and will be an instantly recognisable name for UK and Australian gamers.

Review: Virus Wars (iPhone)

It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time where we didn’t have iPhones and iPads. In fact, way back when, we didn’t even have the Game Boy.

Retro Review: Kirby's Block Ball (3DS Virtual Console)

Take breakout. Add Kirby. You have Kirby’s Block Ball. Now for the review: It’s better than Alleyway, but not worth buying.

Digitally Downloaded poll results #8: Will you buy a Wii U at launch?

Perhaps not is the answer. Perhaps reflecting how disappointed "core" gamers were with the Nintendo Wii, there appears to be some skepticism out there amongst our readers on whether Nintendo can deliver this time around.

Nintendo UK Download: Snake demo edition

A very, very thin week of content this week for Nintendo's fans in the UK and Europe, but at least some what is there is awesome.

Review: Jukebeat (iPhone)

Bemani aren't the most well known of players in the music game genre in the west. Acting as Konami's official music game division, they've developed a number of big titles such as the Dance Dance Revolution series. Sadly, most of their other titles have remained Japan-exclusive with the odd exceptions, one such exception being Jukebeat. Starting life in Japanese arcades back in 2007 as Jubeat, Konami took the decision to bring the series to the West as a free iOS game last year and it proves to be an odd but rather enjoyable title.

Review: Shank 2 (PS3)

EA's Shank returns to go toe to toe with a crooked South American regime in a bloody slice'em up fight through the jungle. Does the sequel manage to carve out a niche for itself, or is it just more of the same?

Nintendo completes interesting acquisition; Mobiclip

Interesting bit of news here: Mobiclip, the middleware development company whose clients include such high profile businesses such as Al Jazeera (which uses the technology to stream to mobile phones), has formally been acquired by Nintendo.

Review: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning; the most disappointing game ever (PC)

Without a doubt, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the most disappointing game I’ve ever played. As you’ll see from the score below, it’s not a bad game by any means. It’s just that it is the dictionary definition of disappointing.