Archive for February, 2009

Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

This game was originally made for the Wii by Konami. It is rebuilt for the DS in a more satisfying, fun and significant manner. The Konami game comes with a design that is kid-friendly though bordering a little on the silly and bubbly nature.

Zero, at the onset of the game charges into a bus invented by Kai’s dad accidentally and sends it to the other universe. Bus has to be powered with special items such as Omega elebits by Kai in order to be brought back. Excitement is added to the game in the form of other universes where they find themselves in with each leap into time and space.

Each area visited by Zero and Kai are self sufficient with their own puzzles and maps. The unique adventure offered in each universe keeps the interest going and players can enjoy hours of solid gameplay. The game includes many puzzles, but they are much different and more engaging than brainteaser puzzles found in games like Big Brain Academy. The core of the game consists of Elebits, which are tiny beings that resemble rodents. In every world, you collect these creatures which are full of bubbling energy. As you go around tapping objects such as rocks and trees, these creatures fall on the ground and all you have to do is to tap them to gain their energy. Try to catch more number of elebits in a single scoop for maximum energy.

With this energy collected, you can now activate elevators and doors. You can also use abilities of the Omega elebits which include breathing fire, shattering boulders, shooting ice, uncovering holes that are hidden, attract metal spheres that are huge with the help of the magnets, etc. With quite an easy adventure setting, this game is especially exciting and entertaining for children on their favourite DS. And though originally intended for Wii consoles, the Nintendo DS adaptation has been a complete success.

 

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FutureU: The Prep Game for the SAT

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

Get your life back to shape by taking help with your SAT preparations, because after all, you either do well here or you just spend the rest of your life miserably whiling away your time.

Just as in actual SAT, the FutureU from Aspyr comes in different sections including Math, Writing and Reading. Reading, as with the other segments comes in two modes namely the Prediction mode and the Glyph mode. FutureU doesn’t just make you smarter, like with Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, it actually helps prepare you for a real life important test. Glyph mode requires you to various suffixes and prefixes with pictures on the side. With the help of this you are required to connect and construct words. This is quite a relaxing and enjoyable exercise.

In the Predictions Mode, you are given sentences in which two words are missing. You require certain skills of analyzing in order to fill in the missing words. Answers to these questions can be found in multiple choice formats.

Writer Wrong and the Ante up Grade are the two modes in the Writing section. Ante Up Grade gives you a part of the sentence and you have to match this by choosing one phrase from three different choices. Writer Wrong mode gives you a set of sentences which have to be analyzed for errors. After identifying the error, you are given options from where the correct phrase has to be chosen.

In the Grid Swap mode in the Math section, there is a grid filled with numbers that are scrambled and four questions are put forward. After working out the solution to the problems, answer has to be arranged on the grid. Connection mode in the Math section poses two problems out of which you are required to choose one. You must then choose the right answer from the list of multiple choice questions.

On the whole, this is a game which is a good and affordable SAT prep program in spite of certain user interface problems that will likely help you to improve your scores.

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Theresia for the DS keeps you on Edge

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Theresia by Aksys is a fantastic graphic playing experience that keeps you on the edge. This exciting game on the Nintendo DS provides great fun and excitement for those who love adventure games. Tales are skilfully intertwined with various interesting characters. Players are taken through intriguing puzzles which are designed to provide maximum entertainment.

There are two situations in this adventure horror game. Protagonist wakes up in a situation not remembering who they are. There is a mysterious place which has to be explored in order to find clues and piece them together to discover who they are. Both adults and kids enjoy playing this game as it is quite mature in handling. Themes used are quite serious including atonement ad genocide. Stories are filled with grief and misery skilfully narrated in a tone that is welcoming. Situations are relieved to a certain extent with good humour.

There are various puzzles with multiple solutions. As you go about the game, you are not encouraged to explore. On the contrary you have to go around rooms searching for various items. Interesting traps spring up in some of the most ordinary things around. Too many traps will find you right at the beginning of the game.

Similar to the Orcs & Elves, hallways have to be explored with caution moving forward step by step. Controls however are a bit difficult in certain situations where there is a need to go back to the previous room. Rooms are well illustrated and graphics are excellent. Good sound tracks take players right to the middle of action creating a sense of foreboding and creepiness effectively.

 

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Master of the Monster Lair from Atlus

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Master of the Monster Lair is a very interesting game. This game is developed and published by Atlus. It is a turn based role-playing game but within a short span of time it has found a place among the favourites of kids. In this game, a player is placed into the shoes of a young boy who builds a dungeon to save the town from the hands of monsters. He builds this dungeon to attract them so that he can bring them down.

To reach the next level all you have to do is to defeat the video game boss. On defeating the boss you can gain access to the next level. The first task entrusts the players to build rooms for the beasts, so that they can attract them and start the quest.

The players should also collect the trophies needed to cross the level and this aspect makes the game more interesting. In the middle of the game, goblins might come and scare you, so be ready to tackle them. In the middle of the game, you may come into contact with a Mimic Slime. This Mimic Slime has the ability to repeat the attacks of monsters that you encounter. They are of great use during these circumstances and will produce counter attacks to scare the monsters.

Build a strategy to make the level yours and employ it at the right time and this will ensure your victory. As far as the graphics are concerned, this game follows the typical cute/anime-like Japanese animation found in other Atlus games, such as Luminous Arc. Perhaps the best part of Master of the Monster Lair from Atlus is collecting trophies, which requires a great deal of skill. So enjoy playing Master of Monster Lair.

 

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Lord of the Rings: Conquest Review

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Electronic Arts and Pandemic joined together to develop the Lord of the Rings: Conquest portable game for the DS Lite. This portable version of the game based on the extra successful Lord of the Rings films gives an option to players for choosing either the good or the evil to fight the battle of glory. Apart from this, players can also choose their character from a variety of warriors available. The types of warriors include fighters, archers, mages and so on. There are numerous numbers of attacks available which makes the game interesting and thrilling. If you feel uncomfortable with the fighter warrior you chose, you can switch over to an archer or a mage or any other warrior class available. In the battlefield, you will be joined by your allies who will maintain the action of the game.

There are many maps, each of which will give you different objectives to complete. For example, in the mines of Moria you are entrusted with the task of rescuing soldiers who were imprisoned by the enemies. The multiplayer mode in Lord of the Rings - Conquest allows for up to as many as four players with whom you can play both co-op type and versus rounds. Players are also awarded points after completion of certain tasks.

Lord of the Rings: Conquest is an exciting game. The review of this game is incomplete, without mention of the display of the game. This game comes with a high quality display and gives users a feeling of watching the Lord of the Rings movie. Playing an Ent or Cave troll in this game is great fun. So enjoy playing Lord of the Rings: Conquest.

 

 

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