Review - Super Mario Run (iOS)

We've been waiting a while for this one, huh?

The Mushroom Kingdom serves,
naturally, as your hub.

The gameplay is familiar territory for fans of Super Mario Bros, with a twist to fit it into the smartphone (specifically touchscreen) realm. It's another endless running game very much along the lines of Rayman Run, but set in the Mushroom Kingdom. The main game sees you work through 6 worlds each of 4 stages in typical Mario style - except you can't stop running. Tapping the screen causes Mario to jump, holding it longer leads to a higher jump. Small enemies are automatically vaulted, and tapping the screen as Mario does so will add flair to the move and increase the coins collected. There are 5 pink coins on each stage and these represent the main replayability - collect them all and their placement changes, and then again so that each stage requires you to get the 5 coins three times for full completion. Each level remembers your highest score - in coins collected - which you can compare to any friends you might add.

The level select screen,
unlocked with a *gulp*
In App Purchase..!

Collecting a Super Mushroom grows you into Super Mario as you'd expect, granting you one extra hit point in case you make a mistake. Dying, however, is not the end - you have a set number of bubbles (usually two) that carry you back a short way in the level to try again when you die, similar to New Super Mario Bros when played multi-player. You will occasionally find extra bubbles in item blocks to further protect you from failure.

Winning an online run is
quite gratifying.

Playing through the main campaign you will also unlock tokens which enable you to access the online competitive mode which sees you run against the ghosts of others to finish a stage with the most coins and in the most style - the winner gains Toads who repopulate their kingdom and unlock decorations and buildings to improve the kingdom. This is quite fun, and it's certainly satisfying to win a run. Matchmaking seems pretty solid with a choice of opponents based on your current placing.

Stages are themed around
familiar Super Mario levels.

This is great fun, and pretty much exactly what you thought it would be - a well-crafted game that goes far beyond most disposable iOS games. Whilst not as fully fleshed-out as its peers on Wii U or 3DS, it certainly carries and condenses all the charm and joy of its big Bros. The price of entry is also considerably lower than for Mario's other games - more so if you already have an iPhone or iPad, but don't own a Nintendo console.

You didn't think Bowser would
miss out on the action,
did you?

Afterthoughts:

This is the first time I recall Apple having allowed a game to sit on the App Store as "coming soon" for several months before release. I'm sure it helped build some hype amongst gamers who have long waited for Nintendo to cease their stubborn ways. Unfortunately I fear we're seeing a downside of Nintendo bringing its IP to other hardware - the game stands at 3 stars on the App Store a day after release, with many 1 star ratings. Reading through the internet, as you do, reveals that a lot of people are displeased at the cost of the game - apparently all smartphone games should cost less than one of whichever currency you use. Super Mario Run costs £7.99, €9.99 or $9.99. It's a fair price for the content on offer - a game that they could easily charge twice as much for on their own platforms, compared to what else is out there.

Unfortunately, Nintendo have a long way to go to shake off a reputation that leads them to consistently "lose" the console race with each new generation. I must say that this reputation is unjust, and Nintendo consistently produce great games to match their hardware, but at least this is a step in the right direction, and sure is a great experience for those that want it, but I fear that Nintendo won't find a new audience on the iPhone outside of the already converted. It's a shame, but it's not easy to sway public opinion when that opinion is negative. Super Mario Run, I feel, is likely to remain a niche product, loved by many, but shunned by most. The cost of entry is clearly a problem for a lot of people, and will place the game amongst the likes of the Final Fantasy series on iOS - games that will be picked up by people that are already fans but ignored by those who are used to paying €0,99 for Angry Birds.

At least I didn't have to pay for it twice to play it on my iPad as well as my iPhone...

Game of the Year 2016

Until 2016 I was very much in the last gen. my gaming PC had suffered a fatal hard drive crash and been passed to a friend two years previously (it was already 9 years old and I was bored of it), and I'd switched from windows gaming to giving my PS3 and Xbox 360 more time. I also bootcamped my MacBook Pro to install Windows 8.1 so I could still play some Left 4 Dead with my old competitive team - macs are, contrary to popular nonsense, alright for gaming with windows installed, as long as you're not looking for high settings on the latest games.

Early this year I finally persuade myself that I wanted a Wii U. I don't know what took so long - Gamecube has long been my favourite console, and I've enjoyed every Nintendo console that's existed (not so much N64 but that's another story). Even Wii had given me much enjoyment, yet I'd put off the Wii U for 3 years.

I didn't regret the purchase, it has some tremendous games. Probably the best 3D Super Mario game, one of the best Mario Karts, and some very nice Zelda remakes (we're still waiting on an original Zelda title though..!)

Then in Summer a friend of mine told me that PS4 was very good. I'd avoided it, and the Xbox One, because I had concerns over the coming switch to downloaded games replacing discs, the crazy privacy concerns with the Xbox One (and Windows 10) and I was just losing interest in newer games on PS3 and 360.

Well, I bought a PS4 on his recommendation. Another great purchase, with so many great games (many of them "remasters") the PlayStation 4 is close to taking Gamecube's spot as my favourite system ever.

I also upgraded my New 3DS to the XL model. Another worthy console, 3DS deserves more love.

So onto my game of the year? Naturally it's going to be on one of those consoles, as I haven't bought any other games from 2016. It's tough though - most games I've purchased have been older, having just bought the consoles, but first some runners up (no Wii U games here - that console's attempts this year were sadly uninspiring).

Dishonored 2 (PS4) - so close to being my pick. Dishonored was a fantastic game, well realised, though terrible on PS3 where I first played it. The remaster on PS4 though matches the PC version in all its beauty - and the sequel builds on everything it was, aesthetically as well as in story and depth of gameplay.

Dark Souls 3 (PS4) - a strong contender. The souls series took me a long time to get into, but completing Dark Souls 1 and 2 are highlights of my gaming past, and the third shows no sign of staleness.

Bioshock The Collection (PS4) - not strictly a 2016 game, but this collection shows how a generation-later re-release should be handled - the three games look better than they did on the previous consoles, and match the PC versions. A great box set.

Skyrim (PS4) - another remaster not strictly from 2016, Skyrim again shows how a remastered game should be handled. PS4 is replete with high quality upgrades to PS3 games, and this one goes an extra step to provide an ultimate experience of the content within - even with the controversy over its high price.

Mario & Luigi Paper Jam Bros (3DS) - the series has perhaps become a little stale by now, however this crossover between Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario is cleverly done, bringing elements of both series together and is all the better for it - certainly stronger than the last two Paper Mario games...

So now, the winner. You might expect it would be a PS4 game - this has been a good year for that console - but as I can only pick from games I've actually owned and played, and as I'm prone to ignoring the calls for what I "should" think, I've gone for a game that has given me such enjoyment, wasted so much time, and had me going back time and again to better my scores.

Rhythm Paradise Megamix (3DS) - a collection of short mini games, most of which come from earlier games on GBA and DS, this cartridge is packed with good humour and fun. Button presses replace the DS's taps and swipes, making it much easier to perform actions in time with the music and increase the pleasure of seeking a perfect score in each round. I consider this an essential purchase, and it is high on my list of all time favourite games.

2016 has been a great year for gaming, and 2017 already seems to have some great titles lined up for us - not to mention Nintendo's new Switch and that new Zelda game we've been patiently waiting for for some now! It's a good time to be a gamer.

First Impressions: The Last Guardian (PS4)

I had a nice surprise this morning to see that The Last Guardian was out - I was sure it was a Friday release, in a couple of days' time. Thanks to my pre-order, I got a very pretty steelbook case which sweetens the deal somewhat.

I've only been able to spend about an hour with it, and have progressed little beyond the intro, but I wanted to be timely for a change and post some initial thoughts based on what I have seen. A full review may follow soon.

So the main thing I was reading online before I played it (Twitter, Metacritic et al) are that it is essentially a PS3 quality game, with PS3-standard graphics and controls, and that the game frequently dips to "20 frames per second". Well, my natural assumption when reading such specific numbers is that these people all read it somewhere and blindly parrot the information in their own reviews. It's become common in recent years to complain about framerates, especially the notion of considering anything less than 60fps to be substandard.

I don't subscribe to this thought. In some games, sure, frame rate can have a strong effect on gameplay - especially in racing or shooting games where twitchy reflexes are a must on higher difficulty levels. More important than the framerate itself in these games, is that it is consistent. In a game such as The Last Guardian though, this is less important. The game is slow, and doesn't rely on fast reflexes and as such the framerate is not the most important thing. I understand the concerns that the PlayStation 4 should be able to keep up with a game like this, and frustrations about poor coding and optimisation, though I have seen no evidence of slowdown as of yet. I've read anyway that PS4 Pro has no problems with it, at least when set at 1080p, and that the patch 1.02 released today for launch goes some way to fixing any issues, which is maybe why I haven't seen any with my non-Pro.

Graphically, the game is superior to anything I ever played on PS3. There are some elements of the graphics engine that is clearly from an earlier time, such as the layers of your companion Trico's feathers that come through each other, and the hazy dithering around the characters, which reminded me of a similar effect in Far Cry 4 on PS4. But overall the image is crisp and clean, and the colours well-chosen. If this had come to PS3, late in its life, I suspect it may not have held up well at all, and would have had some real framerate issues.

The sound design is typical of Team Ico. Minimalist in nature, the music comes and goes with the action and rouses the emotions well.

Otherwise the game feels very much like its predecessors, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. It wears the influence of these games on its sleeve - from rescuing Trico from captivity in the first chapter, to pressing R1 to call him to you, it borrows its core mechanics from Ico. Maybe there's something in the big bird beast being called trICO. I even found myself slightly anxious in sections where I had to leave him behind due to his massive size, just as I did when leaving the girl behind in Ico, even though to this point no one is pursuing him to harm him - I'm sure this will change soon, but I'm busy avoiding spoilers as best I can! The influence of Shadow of the Colossus comes into play with Trico himself - climbing his feathered body to reach high platforms will remind you of the second game from this developer.

Ultimately it's a very enjoyable experience so far, though one that requires you to be immersed. It's not easy to enjoy with distractions around you - and benefits from use of headphones. It's natural that a game with a 9 year development cycle, that was originally planned to release on PS3, will carry over some elements of that age, however don't let this put you off giving it a go, especially if you liked those two games people are complaining this is "too similar to."

RETROspective: Games What I Bought In 2016

What a year.

But let's not get into the political hot mess than was 2016 - this is a gaming blog; let's talk about games.

As of today, there is one more game I'm waiting for this year, and that is The Last Guardian, coming in just 4 days now! As is normal as one year comes to a close, I have been reflecting on the past twelve months. Amongst the awful things happening around the world, my wife and I welcomed our first son into the world, we bought our first house (though we haven't moved in yet!), I started a band and found myself invited to join another and, most importantly for this article, I started the RetroRam blog and Twitter account! I've also bought plenty of games - and systems...

This year I have been slowly rebuilding my retro collection, with a focus on Gameboy and Wii - largely due to the inception of this blog. Before I moved from England to Netherlands two years ago, I sold off my NES, N64, Master System, Mega Drive and Gameboy console and game collections. Much of it I don't miss - emulation is a perfectly suitable option for me these days (better than using the original hardware in most cases) and the space saved from not storing all those cartridges and boxes is valuable. However, there were a few titles that my collection felt incomplete without.

One thing I can't deny, having a look at my video gaming collection, is that I do buy a lot of games. I always knew I did, but before this year my disposable income was such that I would have to trade games back upon completion to fund the continuing hobby. This year I promised myself I would not sell any of my games again except in a dire situation - such as needing the money urgently for my family. I will also sell any games I had no interest in keeping or ever playing again (just today I traded in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Hyrule Warriors, as both are plagued with terrible slow-down on New 3DS, and I don't care for that). I have also traded in games for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 towards their PS4 "Remastered" editions - I don't see the point of keeping both version, unless they're Nintendo games such as Legend of Zelda (I have Twilight Princess on three consoles despite not particularly liking the game).

I am really much more picky in my selections these days, mostly picking up only the games that I'm truly interested in. I also browse sales and pre-owned games, which is a big part of what has enabled me to purchase all these games this year - there are only a handful that I paid even close to full price for. Next year though, I will need to really reduce my gaming spending. I need some expensive equipment for the band I just joined, and our son needs plenty of things that cost plenty of money - and as of January I'll be his full-time carer, a time consuming job for sure.

In 2017, Nintendo's Switch is interesting, and I will pre-order the console early in the year. Zelda is an obvious title for it, as are any and all Super Mario games, Mario Kart, or similar. PS4 has a few interesting titles due next year - Resident Evil 7, The Last of Us 2, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 Remix, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Sonic Mania, Wipeout Omega Collection, Ni No Kuni 2, Gran Turismo Sport, and Prey are all mainstream games that have caught my eye. I will be trying to stick to those titles, and then perhaps not all of them.

Below is a full list of 2016's gaming purchases if you're interested. It doesn't include a few PS3 and 360 games I bought that are boxed away for the house move so I can't tell you right now which they were, nor does it include several, mostly inexpensive, disposable iOS games. I am also a PS Plus member, so I download a few games every month on PS3 and PS4 - though I mostly don't get round to playing them, and they're not listed here.

Consoles:
New 3DS XL
2DS
Wii U
Playstation 4
NES
NES Mini
Gameboy Pocket
Gameboy Color
Gameboy Advance
Gameboy Advance SP
DS Lite
DSi XL

Games
PS4:
Alien Isolation
Amnesia Collection (PSN)
Among The Sleep (PSN)
Ape Escape 2 (PSN)
Axiom Verge (PSN)
Back to the Future
Batman: Arkham Knight
Bioshock Collection
Bloodborne
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PSN)
CounterSpy (PSN)
Dark Souls II
Dark Souls III
Day of the Tentacle Remastered (PSN)
Dead Island Definitive Edition
Deus Ex Mankind Divided
Dishonored Definitive Edition
Dishonored 2
Doom
Dragon Age Inquisition
Dying Light Enhanced Edition
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Enter The Gungeon (PSN)
The Evil Within
Fallout 4
Far Cry 4
Fez (PSN)
Final Fantasy X/X-II HD Remaster
Final Fantasy XV Special Edition
Grand Theft Auto 3 (PSN)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PSN)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PSN)
Grand Theft Auto V
Gravity Rush Remastered
Grim Fandango Remastered (PSN)
Heavy Rain & Beyond Two Souls Collection
Inside (PSN)
Last Guardian
Last of Us Remastered
Life Is Strange (PSN)
Lords of the Fallen
Mega Man Legacy Collection (PSN)
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Metro Redux
Need For Speed Rivals
Outlast (PSN)
PaRappa The Rapper 2 (PSN)
Rainbow Six Siege
Resident Evil Origins Collection
Salt and Sanctuary (PSN)
Shadow Complex Remastered (PSN)
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition
Super Meat Boy! (PSN)
Tearaway Unfolded
Thief (PSN)
Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
Rise of the Tomb Raider 20th Anniversary Celebration
Trackmania Turbo
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Watch Dogs Complete Edition
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Wolfenstein: The New Order

Wii U:
Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures (e-shop)
Bayonetta 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Contra III: The Alien Wars (e-shop)
Donkey Kong 64 (e-shop)
Donkey Kong Country (e-shop)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Game & Wario
Guitar Hero Live
Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (e-shop)
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (e-shop)
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
Mario Kart 64 (e-shop)
Mario Kart 8
NES Remix (e-shop)
NES Remix 2 (e-shop)
New Super Mario Bros U/Luigi U
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
NintendoLand
Paper Mario (e-shop)
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Punch Out (e-shop)
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (e-shop)
Shovel Knight
Solomon's Key (e-shop)
Splatoon
StarFox 64 (e-shop)
StarFox Zero Special Edition
Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario 64 (e-shop)
Super Mario Bros (e-shop)
Super Mario Bros 2 (e-shop)
Super Mario Bros 3 (e-shop)
Super Mario Maker
Super Mario RPG (e-shop)
Super Meat Boy (e-shop)
Yoshi's Woolly World
Zombi U

Wii
Another Code: R - A Journey Into Lost Memories
Ghost Squad
House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return
House of the Dead Overkill
MadWorld
Manhunt 2
Metroid: Other M
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
Sin And Punishment: Successor of the Skies
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Paper Mario
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension

DS/3DS:
1001 Spikes (e-shop)
Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures (e-shop)
Bit.Trip Saga (e-shop)
Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate
Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (e-shop)
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (e-shop)
Earthbound (e-shop)
Fairune (e-shop)
F-Zero (e-shop)
Gunstar Heroes 3D (e-shop)
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (e-shop)
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
Mega Man Legacy Collection (e-shop)
Mega Man VII (e-shop)
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
Mutant Mudds (e-shop)
Noitu Love Devolution (e-shop)
Pacman & Galaga Dimensions
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (e-shop)
Pokemon Omega Ruby
Pokemon Moon
Rayman Origins
Retro City Rampage (e-shop)
Rhythm Paradise Megamix
Shantae: Risky's Revenge (e-shop)
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (e-shop)
Sonic Generations
Sonic The Hedgehog (GameGear) (e-shop)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (GameGear) (e-shop)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 3D (e-shop)
SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt (e-shop)
Streets of Rage 3D (e-shop)
Super Mario Kart (e-shop)
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario World (e-shop)
Super Metroid (e-shop)
Tetris Ultimate (e-shop)
Urban Trial Freestyle (e-shop)
Xenoblade Chronicles X

NES:
Super Mario Bros 3

Gameboy:
Donkey Kong
Duck Tales
F-Zero: GP Legend (GBA)
Lady Sia (GBA)
Mario Golf: Advance Tour (GBA)
Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA)
R-Type DX
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins
Tetris
Tetris DX
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (GBA)
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land 4 (GBA)

Review: Tomb Raider / Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4)

I decided to bundle a review of these two games together, as I finished them both recently, and they are very similar to say the least.

As a reboot of one of gaming's important franchises, a lot rode on the first of these games. Lara Croft is something of an institution, defining 3D action in its infancy in the mid-1990s. The late 00s trilogy of Anniversary, Legend, and Underworld updated Tomb Raider for the 7th generation games systems, but didn't do a lot more than improve the graphics - the gameplay was largely unchanged, albeit with much larger maps. This reboot had to do justice to both the series before it (not that it was all roses...) and to the legend of the lady herself.

Thankfully, it did. Moving away from the block-based puzzling of the past, 2013's Tomb Raider brought the series bang up to date. Smooth animation, gorgeous graphics, sublime sound direction, and a cohesive open world came together to create a thing of beauty. Gone are the clunky puzzle elements of old, replaced by a sizeable adventure. Some puzzling remains, but it is more exploration-based in its presentation, with a metroidvania element whereby new areas are unlocked as you gather improved tools. If I had to describe them in simple terms, they're Uncharted, but with more emphasis on climbing and exploring and less gunplay.

I played both of these games on Xbox 360 before repurchasing them on PlayStation 4. I'd already played each of them twice through, and so when I say they're gorgeous on PS4, you know I'm comparing them to the already very nice looking 360 versions. Rise of the Tomb Raider also comes with the game's DLC and a nice art book as part of the "20th Anniversary Celebration".

In the first game, you find yourself in the shoes of a young Lara Croft as she follows her father's footsteps. A vulnerable girl, she is ill-prepared for things to go wrong in the spectacular way that they do, and yet you as the player will watch as she transforms into the brave explorer we all knew her to be. The sequel starts with a self-assured Lara, fully equipped for what's ahead.

Story telling is performed in the mould set by Half-Life 2 - exposition playing out in-game. Lara often thinks to herself as she uncovers secrets, and you will hear her reciting her journal entries when you stop at a camp fire (the game's checkpoints). Finding hidden documents will lend insight into the backstory too, as they are narrated to you upon opening, and enemies chat amongst themselves as you sneak up on them with your pickaxe raised.

It's the story that is most improved in the sequel - Rise of the Tomb Raider. In the first game there are too many incidents of Lara falling a distance, sustaining injury, yet somehow continuing on to victory. It's a bit forced after the second such instance, labouring the point that she is inexperienced and weak, and the story suffers for it. In the sequel, however, this is reined in and you will enjoy a tighter, longer story, that almost but not quite outstays its welcome.

Post-game you may enjoy going back to seek every last hidden object, aiming for 100% completion. It's quite a pleasure to go back to cleared areas (though don't let your guard down - a handful of enemy soldiers are still hanging around) and see them again, but without the need to press on with the story.

That I've 100% completed these two games three times each (and bought them both twice) should tell you I find them quite enjoyable. The sequel is definitely the better game - its story and mission structure is better laid out, though some of the search quests can go a bit too far into obscurity.

Definitely recommended, especially at the low price the first is now available.

Black Friday Pickups

The very idea of Black Friday sits wrong with me. But whatever, we all enjoy a good sale and, whilst many Black Friday deals have proven to be false over the years, I managed to get a couple of good ones here in Amsterdam.

Dishonored 2 tops the list. €35 on PS4. I've played the intro mission and so far it seems to be very much in the vein of the first. I've selected to play as Corvo for my first run, saving Emily and her different abilities for when I'm more familiar with the levels.

I also picked up Deus Ex Mankind Divided for €20. I haven't played it yet, but if it's anything like Human Revolution I'm looking forward to sinking some hours into it.

Digital downloads are not something I tend towards, except for smaller indie games that aren't available on disc. However I made two exceptions this weekend with PSN sales.

The first was Thief. I remember the first game, some 20 years ago, being quite impressive in its stealthy depth. Sadly this one has fallen into the rut of linear boredom. The characters are flat too. I'll give it some more time, but I'm not excited by it. €5.99 is the only reason I got it, but now I wish I'd bought a burger instead.

Also €5.99 was the full season of Life Is Strange. An adventure title akin to The Walking Dead or any other from Telltale Games, it begins with an interesting premise. Again I'm not far into it so can't comment in depth, but I look forward to playing through it in full.

Offers I noticed but didn't make the most of include a 1TB PS4 with two controllers for €280, Skyrim for €35, and Rise of the Tomb Raider for €30. Great prices, if I didn't already have them!

What about you? What bargains did you pick up for Black Friday 2016? Perhaps you spent some money on Steam's Autumn Sale, or cleared out your local retro gaming shop. Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim Special Edition (PlayStation 4)

107 hours and 27 minutes. That's how long it took me to defeat the dragon Alduin and restore peace to the province of Skyrim. Along the way I became a vampire (whilst a member of the Dawnguard - a collection of soldiers devoted to destroying vampires), a werewolf, I became the leader of The Thieves Guild, a bard, took control of Winterhold College, destroyed numerous dragons and scored myself a good selection of >1% trophies.

I'm sure there's plenty more to do in Skyrim, and the game has the good grace to drop you back into the game after you "complete" it, to enable you to seek out and finish further quests. I don't think I will. I've had my fill, but I know some of you out there will want to go back and find every last piece of action you can, and head for the glory of 100% trophy completion.

I write this review as someone who dabbled with the game at its original release on PC in 2011. I had around 15 hours on that save, and didn't particularly enjoy it - leaving it behind for the faster-paced shooters I favoured at the time. I haven't had a gaming PC for a few years now, preferring to keep a PC for work and separate console for gaming. When the remastered Skyrim came to PS4 a month ago, I was in the UK and took advantage of the weak British Pound to pick it up for close to half price compared to paying Euros back on the mainland.

The initial impact of the graphics cannot be overstated - it is a beautiful world. Sometimes the colour palette can seem bland, a typical wash of browns so common in the last 15 years, but as you explore further you find such diversity in the landscape, from snow-capped mountains to lush forest, and fallen ruins. Heading underground into the many dungeons, you will find yet more variety, exploring stone sewers, natural caves, burrows lined with spider webs, and more. It always looks great, rarely betraying its age (things have improved in five years). Importantly, the land feels cohesive and there are no jarring changes as you cross into new areas, as you might experience in a typical MMO with its distinct zones.

The story and lore are deep and interesting. There will be repetition as you pass chatting soldiers, and your companions can grate after a while as they repeat the same remarks, but you can pick up a lot from overhearing NPCs in the world. There are books strewn throughout Skyrim, and you can read any of them. Some will upgrade your various skills, others serve to grant you insight into the lore that runs through the world. Whether or not you take the time to read them is up to you, there is no need, but if you are interested in a deeper understanding of what is going on, the books are short and only take a minute or two to read. Other books and, more importantly, journals left by NPCs can provide helpful hints to solving the puzzles that block progress through dungeons.

The dungeons themselves are often fun to go through, though they are always linear, and the scenery can get boring after a while. Enemies are varied enough, and some are deadly until you are able to level up sufficiently to face them. The aforementioned puzzles take the form of simple switches and traps, and are never terribly taxing. They reminded me of early Tomb Raider games at times - often sending you searching for a switch hidden behind a wall, or to find some clue of what three symbols must be activated to unlock a door.

As fun as the game is overall, there are a few problems. They tended to annoy me a lot at first, but once I accepted them as part of the experience they disrupted my enjoyment less. Graphical bugs are common, with trees and rocks floating in mid air - particularly on the side of mountains. People standing on steep slopes can slide away from you whilst talking, at one point a courier who was handing me a letter slid away then dropped through the floor to his doom. A different courier then ran towards me to start again, but luckily I'd jumped off the slope before he got to me. On one occasion I got into a fight with three Imperial Soldiers on the road (I don't know what I did to provoke them) and killed them all. As I looted their corpses, they vanished, and I heard them talking behind me, saying "When will we see some action out here?"

Another annoyance occurs when NPCs start a conversation while you are in combat - you will find yourself desperately trying to skip the conversation before you are bludgeoned to death, unable to fight back. One two occasions I was tasked with searching for an NPC, who chose not to spawn.

Besides these flaws, which in a game of this scope are expected and perhaps unavoidable, Skyrim Special Edition is a worthy addition to any collection. I can't see myself playing through the whole game ago (though I have played through Fallout 3 twice so who knows) but I'm sure in a couple of years I'll revisit it to seek out some more quests and associated trophies.

I enjoyed it, and whilst towards the end of my time I was starting to hope for it to end, it never really overstayed its welcome - even after more than one hundred hours.

The price is high for what is essentially just another remaster, but it will soon come down. Locally it is €35 down from €60 for the hideous evil that is Black Friday, and pre-owned it will soon be even cheaper, so you can always wait. It'll be worth it, if you have the time to play.

Review: Nintendo Classic Mini

The Nintendo Classic Mini has landed in Amsterdam!

I received my text from Game Mania confirming it was ready for collection and headed out, expecting bedlam at the shop. Besides someone buying a PS4 and someone else buying some games, the shop was empty. I waited my turn, hearing one of the staff on the phone to a customer, telling them they would order them one, but that they may never receive it! Apparently I was one of only 17 in that shop to receive theirs today. The joy of an early pre-order.

So, the packaging... I was expecting (because I hadn't really thought of it) to receive a box similar in size to that which any modern console comes in. No... it was more like the size of a 3DS XL box. Designed after the NES box of old, and proudly declaring its use of HDMI, the back of the box shows 12 screenshots and a list of the remaining 18 games built into the system.

Yes, 30 built in games. As far as value goes, this is something special for Nintendo. Most NES titles available on their Wii, Wii U or 3DS Virtual Console service cost around €5, and we all know they sell for many times that in physical format - and that's assuming you have a working NES to play them on. €59,99 for 30 great games (and boy is the selection good) is a great price, especially given what we're going to discuss in this article. The selection is also very strong indeed with some of Nintendo's most famous and enduring series catered to. The inclusion of both Zelda games, and all three Super Mario Bros is welcome.

The unit itself is, as you've probably guessed, designed around Nintendo's first console in the West. It is almost exactly as wide as the NES controller and weighs considerably less than my 3DS XL. Like its grandaddy, it keeps input and output options simple. On the back a micro USB port to supply power, and a HDMI port for connection to your TV. On the front two Wii ports to connect either the enclosed NES controller, or a Wii classic controller. A power and a rest button complete the machine.

The box contains the mini NES unit, a replica NES controller with Wii Classic Controller connection, and USB and HDMI cables (no USB power supply). The power requirement is 5 volt, 1 amp power supply - so your iPhone USB adapter will work just fine, as will most smart phone or tablet power supplies - but not a laptop or PC USB port, which will only supply 500mA. The controller is a perfect replica (or reissue?) of the original controllers. They look the same, feel the same in your hand, and in use they feel much the same. If you want to play two player games, you can purchase a second controller for a very cheap €9,99, or use any Wii Classic Controllers you have lying around. The NES mini controller will also work for NES Virtual Console games on Wii and Wii U. I have not been able to test a Wii to something-else adapter to see if other console's controllers work, but I can only assume they would not.

Setup is simple - plug and play. Connect to your TV and a power supply, plug in a controller, and press the dinky little power button. A familiar red LED lights up, and a language selection screen appears in 720p. Language choice has no bearing on the games themselves, only on the system's menu. You will notice that the cables provided with the system are very short. This is fine for me - my gaming TV sits on a stand next to my desk, and I have simply used a longer HDMI cable than the one Nintendo provided so that the unit is on my desk next to me. This is basically a requirement - you will want access to the reset button to access the menu and change games. If you want the authentic experience - getting out of your seat to change games, you could place the NES mini under your TV and use Wii controller extension cables, or Classic Controllers with longer cables.

The menu is clear enough, with the games' box art presented on a horizontal plane. Move left and right to select the game you want to pay and hit A or start. Pressing Select will change the sorting of the titles between various standard options - defaulting to alphabetical. Press up on the menu to access some rudimentary options (no option for 1080p though). You can select the display mode between the default 4:3, Pixel Perfect which allegedly presents the image the developers intended, but looks weird to anyone who's been enjoying the games as they were enjoyed back in the day, and finally a CRT Filter which quite effectively recreates the fuzzy look of a CRT television. I tend towards the 4:3 option with its crisp look. You can also turn on or off a demo mode that will play as a screensaver over the menu, Auto-shutdown (after an hour it will turn off and save your position) and Screen Burn-In Reduction which, like the Wii, dims the screen if you don't press any buttons for a while. Finally you can read relevant legal notices, or see a link (and QR code) to take you to the game manuals online. It's a shame they couldn't include the manuals on the ROM chip, given that the game list is fixed.

Emulation is solid. Nintendo haven't tried to do anything too fancy with it, and there is slow-down and flickery sprites just as there were with the original hardware. The visuals are beautiful, just as you'd expect from a PC-based emulator, and Nintendo have thankfully fixed the strange issue where Virtual Console games on Wii and Wii U look too dark. If only they would also update those systems for those who still want to play retro on them. Sound is good too, though it is in mono as NES didn't support stereo output and the games weren't made for it, but you won't even notice as you enjoy the delights of the 8-bit music library.

The nature of emulation enables save states. Hit reset on the console, and you return to the menu. Hit down and you can save state in one of four slots, allowing you to return to the exact moment you left the game. The method is a little clunky, and it's easy to lose all progress when you accidentally hit A or Start over the game instead of pressing down to access the save menu.

All in all this is a fantastic machine, built with typical Nintendo quality. The controllers are a fantastic recreation of the originals, and to play the games within feels just like using a real NES, without the problem of hideous graphics using an RF lead into a modern, HD TV. The only downside I can think of, and it's not really valid, is the limit of 30 games. This is around the same that Sega tend to put on their various plug n play systems, and more than many others have. If it had a cartridge slot to accept NES cartridges would be a tremendous thing, but we can all dream.

Now, if only someone would take the license from Blaze/@t Games and make a Sega machine to the same standard.

Further reading (open in a new window):
NES Classic Mini Game Manuals

Wii U Might Be The Best Console Ever. Here's Why.

Nintendo's Wii U, seen here with its Gamepad

Wii U is derided as a failure. 13.36 million sales as of September 2016 - Perhaps small compared to sales of Microsoft and Sony's competition, but damn, if I sold 13 million of anything I'd consider that a success.

I was late to the party for Wii U. I still played my Wii, and had a substantial library of PS3 and Xbox 360 games to get through, but in the end I caved when I could get a Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon pack. Bringing home Super Mario 3D World and New Super Mario Bros U also, I was instantly hooked. Gorgeous HD graphics, wonderful music, and of course great gameplay showed me what I'd been missing.

Sure, my PS4 performs better in general, and has a far broader range of available games, and I find the Wii U Gamepad troublesome to use (enough that I don't often pick up games that require its use), but there is a charm to the first-party Nintendo games that you can't find anywhere else.

"Best Console Ever" is quite an accolade though, so how have I come to this conclusion?

SM3DW - one of Mario's greatest adventures

Wii U natively plays Wii U and Wii game discs, using a variety of controllers. The Nintendo eShop contains games from NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance and DS, as well as Turbo Grafx and Sega's early home consoles. The eShop also contains many great Indie games, including Shovel Knight and recently the awesome Super Meat Boy (which was initially pegged as a Wii exclusive, but never made it to that console). These games, and many Wii U games can even be played on the Gamepad's screen if someone else wants to watch TV. The Gamepad even has a Wii Remote Sensor Bar built in, so you can play classic Wii games without hogging the TV.

With an easily applied software mod to the Wii side of the operating system, the console can also be made to run emulators for all of the above consoles, and others including Playstation, with varying success depending on the title. Gamecube games are also possible, and run at full speed, with a piece of software cheekily called Nintendont.

Hori's fantastic Wii U Fight Pad comes
close to the true Gamecube controller

You can use a variety of controllers to play these - from the decent Wii U Pro controller to the Wii Classic controller and various other Classic controller versions, including an official SNES pad and soon official NES pad when the NES mini comes out next week. Original Gamecube controllers also work with the USB adapter. I use a Hori Fightpad, which is shaped as and functions as a Gamecube controller to play Gamecube games this way.

Whilst Wii U may not have the graphical power or the third party support of its 8th gen peers, it has the potential for backwards compatibility of every console back to the beginning of Nintendo, giving it a library of thousands of awesome games. Controller options are vast, and the general aesthetic of Nintendo is, of course, unadulterated fun.

So hey, Wii U, don't worry about the haters - I love you.

My Gaming History (and some thoughts on where gaming is headed)

I've been playing video games for... well, about 30 years. For a long time my experience was with consoles owned by friends. Most people I knew had a Master System or a Commodore 64 during the late 1980s. Later, Megadrives and Amigas became popular.

My first console was a Gameboy back in the early 1990s (it came with Tetris), closely followed by a SNES Super Mario All Stars pack. As a boy at this time in a not-wealthy family I had to make do with the pack in games, saving my pocket money at a rate of £1 a week to buy any new games. We're looking at a rate of one game per year, but I sure got to learn the few games I had to some great depth.

The following generation I left the Nintendo camp temporarily and got a PlayStation. I had a paper round at this point and remember my boss excitedly rambling about the new Sony console and how everyone should have one. It was the first console I ever bought for myself. I never owned a Nintendo 64 (at the time), though I have many happy memories of playing it with friends.

From the sixth generation on I was working full time so with each subsequent generation I basically had everything. My PS2 sat alongside a GameCube, Dreamcast and Xbox. My PS3 sits on top of my Xbox 360, while my Wii sits in the living room under the family TV. Don't even get me started on my (mostly Nintendo) handheld collection.

I decided a few years ago I was sick of consoles and their iterative upgrades every few years. Microsoft really dropped the ball with their ridiculous statements regarding always-on Kinect and blocking of pre-owned games. I foresee a future where digital content (something that makes me very sad) becomes the norm and disc drives are gone. This all conspired to making my decision to leave console gaming and focus on my Steam library. Yeah... somehow I feel different about digital game libraries on PC. I'll write about that another day.

Anyway. One day a couple of months ago I was browsing the local game shop, having saved about a quarter of what I wanted to spend on a decent gaming PC to last some years. I impulse purchased a Wii U. Truth is I've always had a soft spot for Nintendo's first party efforts, and almost without exception enjoy every new version of Super Mario or Legend of Zelda. What could I do then but purchase the only machine (forgetting for now Super Mario Run) that would let me play them?

I fell in love with the Wii U in an instant. Gorgeous graphics, some fantastic games (see my previous entry) and a nice controller in the Pro version reminded me why new console generations are so exciting.

Even as I quickly built my Wii U library I continued to save for my new PC. Then I had an urge to try the PlayStation 4. There was no spark in me for the Xbox One - thanks to Microsoft's dumb ideas in its development and thanks to the fact that PS3 had quickly replaced my 360 when I received it three years after I'd bought the Microsoft beast.

I've had the PS4 for about two months now and I am very glad I bought it. Clearly a step up from its forebear in terms of graphical power, it's also the little flourishes that excite me - such as more realistic character movements and the superb detail in character models and the considerably smoother framerates. Two generations ago you rarely saw a character with separate fingers - GTA San Andreas I'm looking at you!

Now there are limitations with modern consoles and their internal storage. Wii U's mere 32gb of flash storage is tons for save games, but cab quickly fill up if you frequent the E Shop. Nintendo classics are small, but Wii games can easily touch 8gb. It's a good thing the console plays Wii discs then, and that most Wii games are inexpensive and easy to find.

PlayStation 4 comes with a far heftier 512gb hard drive installed (1tb in later models). Unfortunately however the console requires you to install every single game into the hard drive before you can play. For some games this isn't such a problem - many indie games are quite small indeed. However many AAA titles are around the 50gb mark - and that's before game updates and DLC are installed. I'm sure a lot of that is lazy programming - GTA5 after all ran just fine on Xbox 360 from two DVDs (one installed, one used to run the game) and I don't believe the improved textures and extra songs in the PS4 version would use up an extra 35ish gb of space - or simply using numbers to impress people into making a purchase. I found that 7 disc games and 2 downloads (a PS Plus benefit) was enough to give me a full disc warning. Compared those 9 games to the 40+ PS3 discs (most of which of course aren't installed to the HDD), 53 PS3 games and 12 PS1 games installed with space remaining on that console's 500GB drive and you see we have a problem. I've since installed a 2TB drive, which is about half full with my now 22 disc and ~15 downloaded games - why oh why don't Sony offer a bigger drive as an option!?

As for the future... I don't doubt that Microsoft, and maybe their competitors, will try again later to remove the pre-owned market. A big part of my argument against digital content concerns the inability to sell on or lend your content. That and the fact that it can be taken away at any time - but more on that later. I can't say with certainty that I won't buy into the next generation of consoles (I can guarantee I will at some point invest in the Nintendo NX), but as soon as physical media becomes a thing of history, I will not be buying consoles any more.

It does sit a little uncomfortably with me that gaming has become such big business. Whilst there are many great games being made today (Doom, The Last of Us, Witcher for three examples of awesome recent games and series) there are also a lot of games made by men in suits to make money (in the interest of avoiding a flame war I'll refrain from naming any games I feel fall into this camp). The creation and enjoyment of games is a creative process, and unfortunately this has been sullied more and more as years go on. There's plenty still to enjoy if you can find it though - and I am as guilty of promoting this model as anyone else who has bought Super Mario Bros on every Nintendo console on which it's existed to download.

Thankfully I have a library of around 3000 games across many gaming systems from the past 3 decades to keep me occupied in my free time - that and a Steam library of 330 games that I will regain access to if I ever stop buying games for long enough to save for that PC. So if I ever do drop away from new systems in the future, I will be perfectly happy to enjoy what I have.

My Collection Part 1: Wii / Wii U

I've been planning several articles over the past three months of absence, each of which has failed to light my fire. I became a father in June, which has naturally altered my priorities!

Thankfully little mister has progressed to the point he's sleeping a lot longer at night and I'm finding the energy to get writing again. Lucky you, right? ;)

So tonight I'm writing about my Wii collection. I've had my Wii since around launch - after the first wave sold out I waited a few months for new stock and picked one up. My Wii U is about three months old.

Some years ago I sold my entire Wii game collection as I'd lost love for it and needed some cash. I kept my limited edition Skyward Sword and the console but sold the rest.

Without boring you further, here are some highlights of my Wii and Wii U games collection.



Zeldas - collectively three of the greatest games ever made. Wind Waker in HD is one of the most beautiful games of this current generation. It retains the charm of the GameCube version, cleaning it up for modern televisions. Skyward Sword joins it in my list of top Zelda games, notable for being the first game to bring decent motion control to the Wii. Sure, it can at times force that point, but the story is interesting and the gameplay as fun as ever. Twilight Princess originally launched as a GameCube/Wii title. I have the former and now the HD Wii U version. I can take it or leave it personally, I've never agreed that it is such a great game, but I wanted it for my collection.




Marios - What an assortment! There's not a bad game here. New Super Mario Bros U would be the weakest. The series has gone on a bit long now, with titles on DS, 3DS, Wii and Wii U. The map screen is confused and the levels and power ups uninspired. The expansion, New Super Luigi U, changes things up in a very "Lost Levels" way, with Luigi's floaty physics and a tighter time limit. It adds a lot of value to the game, and is perhaps its strongest element. The previous game on Wii though stands as one of the best on that console with tight levels and challenging gameplay. As for the 3D games, we have three fantastic treats here. Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel are amongst the best games EVER and showcase Nintendo at their most inventive. Nintendo of course wrote the rule book on 3D platform controls, and here it shows! The orchestral score sets the mood perfectly and the secondary challenges within levels will cost you a few extra lives. Super Mario 3D World continues the trend for unadulterated fun, with fantastic music and original design with the cat power up surprising with its usefulness. Super Paper Mario brings the series to Wii and makes natural use of the controls. Hold the remote sideways to control Paper Mario and his friends, point at the screen to learn about items and enemies, and press A to flip the game into 3D - with Mario looking along the level, exposing secrets and items along the way. It's not the best Paper Mario game out there, but is an essential part of any collection. Finally we have Super Mario Maker. There was a lot of noise around this game at release. Sadly I haven't been sucked in. The idea of user made levels and an online library is great on the surface - however it ignores that most users are... useless at game design. The art book that came with it is, however, very nice.



Bayonetta 2 - I admit I have yet to start this game. I want to complete the first on Xbox 360 before I move on to this. It was however one of the games that finally encouraged me to buy the Wii U. If it is as good as the first, I'm going to enjoy it.











Captain Toad Treasure Tracker - originally a minigame in Super Mario 3D World, this has been expanded into a fantastic puzzle game. You direct Toad around the levels, navigating obstacles and enemies to collect the three stars and reach the end. Lots of fun, full of Nintendo charm.












House of the Deads - three fantastic lightgun games. Each proves the Wii's proficiency at the genre, providing an arcade perfect experience for games 2 and 3 in the series. Overkill takes the core gameplay and puts it in a Robert Rodriguez film, full of corny one liners and cheesy action sequences. Pure genius.










Metroid Other M - not the best received of the series. I actually quite like it and it's incentive use of the Wii remote. It is a bit troublesome to aim at the screen for missiles, but besides this hiccup the controls are solid, using the wiimote in its sideways orientation. It features your standard Metroid adventuring, opening up powers and weapons as you go. The method of this is somewhat asinine but overall the game is fun.






Resident Evil 4 - I've saved perhaps the most interesting for last. As a game, I'm not as in love with Resident Evil 4 as many claim to be. Sure, it revitalised the genre and its series, but I always preferred the purity of the first two games (Nemesis is a weak point, apart from its Titular antagonist). The reason I mention it in this list is the control scheme. Wii is most known of course for its controller options, and here Capcom have hit gold. Utilising the nunchuck to control your way through the world, and the wiimote as a gun. Aiming at the screen is as natural as it gets, making for improved accuracy and realism. It works perfectly, and as such I name this the ultimate version of this game.



There are other games in my collection, as you'll see in the picture at the start, but these are the ones I felt most inclined to mention. You may have something to say about others - Sin and Punishment is respected in gaming circles, Zombi U was a well-received early Wii U game, and Shovel Knight undoubtedly has some fans, however I simply don't have much to say about them.

So what highlights are there in your collection? What is it about them that you love? What games are missing from my Wii shelf that you feel I should have, and why should I spend my money?

Review: Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins (Gameboy)

I remember the release of Super Mario Land 2. My (then not-yet) Stepfather in the run-up to one of his first Christmases with us asked me what I wanted. Despite being told it was too expensive I was adamant - the only thing I wanted was this game to add to my Gameboy library - which had for some years consisted of... Tetris.

Lo and behold, he surprised me and sated my need for some Mario. Bear in mind that at this point in time I had only ever owned two gaming machines, an Amiga 500+ and a Gameboy, so my experience with Nintendo was limited to visiting the couple of friends I had that owned one. Super Mario Bros and its sequels were staples in the library of everyone that owned the console, and so their legendary status was cemented in my psyche.

This time round there is no princess in distress.
Instead, Mario must reclaim his castle from new
nemesis, Wario.

At the time the game amazed me. It was basically Super Mario Bros 3, but on Gameboy! I've since, of course, been able to enjoy Super Mario World (released in 1990, between SMB3 and SML2) and now recognise that that SNES game also brought many influences to this game.

Rather than saving a princess, this time Mario seeks to reclaim his castle from Wario (in his first appearance!), but first he must defeat the bosses of each world, recovering from them the titular 6 golden coins to break Wario's seal on the castle.

Mario Zone hints at the imagination at play
in this game.

If I had to sum Super Mario Land 2 up in one word, it would be "freedom". After the initial level you are free to explore the map, visiting each world in whichever order you see fit. The variety of stages is massive, with settings atop a tree, in space, in a sunken ship, in a haunted mansion, a giant house, and a toy Mario. The bosses reflect their respective worlds, and convey a similar level of imagination - thought none of them will present a huge challenge. Level design is also strong, and with the screen able to scroll now in any direction there are myriad secrets to find.

One element carried over from Super Mario World is the secret levels and stage completion count shown on the game select screen. Certain levels have a secret exit, found through exploration and sometimes with the help of a power-up. These levels are not essential to completing the game, however completionists will want to seek them all out.

New themed enemies include the hockey-masked
Jason-a-like in Pumpkin Zone.

Some series staples carry over here - goombas and koopas are present and correct. Stomping a koopa allows you to then kick his shell along the ground to wipe out enemies it hits. Bullet Bill makes an appearance, as do piranha plants popping out of pipes. A range of new enemies and obstacles appear, sometimes reflecting the theme of the stages they appear in,

The final stage of the game is far and away my favourite final stage of any Mario game. Split into several sections, and far more difficult than any other stage in the game, with no checkpoints, you finally face off against Wario himself. Not once, not twice, but three times, as he uses each of your available power-ups against you. It's a rewarding experience and closes the game on a strong note.

The carrot is the newest power-up, bestowing
Mario with bunny ears and enabling him to float.

Talking of power-ups: Naturally the game contains series staple the Super Mushroom, serving it's purpose as an extra hit point for Mario. As Super Mario, our hero can also break blocks with his head, and by holding down on the D-pad as you jump he will perform a spin jump that can break blocks beneath his feet. The fire flower also makes an appearance, this time performing as you expect - you can throw up to two fireballs at a time, and they bounce along the floor in the traditional manner (a difference to the game's predecessor). The newest power-up is the carrot. Yes, you read right - the carrot! Collect the carrot and Mario sprouts bunny ears that, by holding the A button mid-air, allow him to float. Besides not granting flight, it's not dissimilar to SMB3's raccoon tail. All of the power-ups can be used to access secret areas - by floating across bigger gaps with the bunny ears, blasting away certain blocks with a fireball, or knocking away blocks as Super Mario.

Finally, you can obtain series stalwart the invincibility star. As you run through your enemies now, you will notice a counter tallying your kills, with every enemy dispatched beyond 5 rewarding you with an extra life. With every 50th enemy defeated, a star will fall from the top of the screen, granting you an additional opportunity to grab some extra lives.

No prize this time. That was a waste of 200 coins!

Coins serve a different purpose here to the norm. Whereas in any other Super Mario game you collect 100 coins to earn an extra life, in Super Mario Land 2 you spend coins in a sub-game, resembling a one-armed bandit of sorts, in the hope of winning extra lives as a prize. You can hold at any time a maximum of 999 coins, and when playing said sub-game you can choose from four options of increasing cost. As the price of a play increases, so do the prizes, with a maximum prize of 99 lives (which is itself the maximum number of extra lives you can carry). Of course, you might win nothing more than a handful of coins back.

Bosses are imaginative. The Three Little Pigs attack
one at a time using different patterns.

This game's music was composed by Kazumi Totaka, who has composed for many Nintendo games including Mario Paint, Yoshi's Story, and Luigi's Mansion, and also provides the voice for Yoshi in the series. The soundtrack is typically jaunty and fun, with recurring themes throughout. Each world has a style of music to match its theme well. Personally, I find it weaker than in the previous title, but it is still strong and stands as one of the best Gameboy soundtrack, but it is not amongst the best in a Super Mario game.

As mentioned in my previous reviews of Tetris and Super Mario Land, this game has a custom palette when played on Gameboy Color. The backgrounds are primarily blue, and Mario red. It looks good enough, but I tend to prefer to play with the standard grey palette. There are some minor issues with rough edges that become apparent when viewed with the expanded palette that are enough that I prefer not to use it, but of course your mileage may vary.

6 Golden Coins have been collected, the door to
Wario's Castle stands open, and Mario prepares
for the final challenge.

The impressive graphics, large sprites and open level design come at a price - slow down. Whilst Super Mario Land suffered from occasional slow down in its busiest moments, this sequel suffers from it frequently. It's never quite game-breaking, but can be annoying at times. This is truly the Gameboy hardware being pushed to (and beyond) its very limits. The controls are tight, though they feel sometimes a little grid-based, Mario not reacting to input as smoothly as you might expect having played others of his games.

Wario sits on Mario's throne.

Despite these gripes, this remains an essential game. Given the choice between this and it's predecessor as a Desert Island game, I'd select the first Land, but this sequel would be a close second choice. It's a shame that Nintendo hasn't seen fit to continue the series in any real way. From the next game Wario takes over the reigns, and subsequently the Super Mario Land title is lost. The closest we have to it now is Super Mario 3D Land on 3DS, which does a similar job of shrinking the full console's "World" game down to a handheld "Land", though this is a fully 3D Mario title - whereas for a 2D platforming fix we are left with the similar, but not the same, New Super Mario Bros.


Available on 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console if you don't have access to the original hardware. Screenshots for this review were taken using Openemu on OSX, but for the purposes of review the game was played on the original hardware.

Review: Tetris (Gameboy)

Often celebrated for being amongst the biggest-selling games of all time, it should be noted that Tetris was a pack-in game for the Gameboy in Europe and the U.S. from launch, which naturally helped it towards that goal. Its influence is still felt today; the mobile (iOS, Android etc.) version has sold over 400 million copies, far eclipsing even this Gameboy version's impressive sales figures. Incidentally, a Gameboy with Tetris was the first ever console I owned back when I was a mere nine years old, so it holds a special place for me. It would be a couple of years before I got a second game for the system, so this one had plenty of hours sunk into it.

Perfectly capturing Nintendo's late-1980s ethos of pick up and play, Tetris can be played for minutes or hours at a time. Like the best puzzle games it is simple to learn, and has game modes to cater to short or long gaming sessions.

On beginning a game of Tetris you first select for 1- or 2-players, the latter made possible using the Gameboy Link Cable that connects two consoles - each player must have a copy of the game, so it's handy that so many people got it with their console! I used to play against my sister a lot back in the day, and she taught me a trick to speed up the credits screen before the game loads by hammering the A and B buttons!

The only thing greater than A-Type is... R-Type.

Assuming you have selected 1-player, you can choose from A-Type or B-Type game modes. A-Type is your standard, never-ending game of Tetris, where you continue until you fail. B-Type offers a variation on the idea, requiring you to remove 25 lines from play to complete the stage. 

You begin by selecting an initial game speed from 0 to 9 then the game starts with an empty playing field of 10x18 spaces and your playing pieces (known as Tetrominos and made of four blocks in various configurations) start to drop from the top of the screen. You manoeuvre the Tetrominos into place by moving them left and right with the D-pad , and rotating them clockwise or anti-clockwise with the A and B buttons. Holding the D-pad down will cause your current piece to drop faster.

Throughout you must attempt to build a wall, whilst avoiding gaps in it. As you create a full horizontal line of pieces, you score points, the line disappears, and the wall drops down a respective number of spaces. With each 10th line you go up one level and the game speed increases. Your starting level can be selected between levels 0 to 9, though if you select any level other than 0 the speed will not increase until you reach a number of lines equivalent to the next level.

Beating B-Type at level 9 rewards you with a Russian
Dance. On High 5 you get to meet the full troupe.

B-Type varies slightly, in that you can additionally select a "high" level from 0 to 5. This places random blocks to the playing field, increasing the difficulty of completing lines. Your selected speed remains constant throughout this game mode.

Setting the game to 5 High adds random blocks to make
your game harder.

Though the game starts off sedately, the pace soon picks up. By the time you reach level 20 (if you do!), the pieces drop almost instantly. My record, incidentally, is 211 lines.

In all game types, game over is achieved by building your wall above the top of the playing field. The release of tension achieved when you successfully reduce the game to a manageable state from a near-death situation is second only to the joy of achieving a "Tetris" - four lines cleared at once. This is only possible in one way - you must build a perfect wall of 4-blocks height and drop in a "long" piece (4x1 blocks). The wait for this piece to come into play can be stressful as you continue to try and place the other pieces in the meantime.

About to score a Tetris with the second block from
the right!

Besides the playing field, the screen shows your score, current level, line count, and a window showing the next piece to come into play. You can turn this off with a press of SELECT if you want an extra challenge, but in faster levels this extra strategic advantage can be all that keeps you playing.

There are three options for background music in Tetris (besides OFF), and it's a good bet that even non-gamers will be aware of at least the main "A-Type" musical theme, based on a Russian folk song called Korobeiniki. The amazing chiptune version of  Korobeiniki was adapted to the Gameboy by Hirokazu Tanaka - who also created the soundtrack for Super Mario Land amongst other Nintendo games. Original composition B-Type and C-Type, a rendition of a piece by Bach, are also great soundtracks to your wall-building sessions.

Like the Super Mario Land theme, A-Type Tetris was remixed in 1992, this time by Doctor Spin - a pseudonym used for this sole purpose by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nigel Wright, famous for their musical stage productions. It peaked at number 6 in the UK Music Chart at the time. These were dark days in the UK music mainstream...

Beat B-Type on level 9 at 5 high, and you blast off!

Tetris is another game that included a custom colour palette when played on the Gameboy Color, as seen in these screenshots. On the classic console it would, of course, play in the standard 4 shades of green.

We should all be grateful that Nintendo chose this as a pack-in game. The classic Gameboy version has itself been outclassed on a number of occasions in the past 27 years - most notably by its Gameboy Color "DX" counterpart, and the near-perfect Nintendo DS sequel - but this remains a bona fide classic that played no small part in proving that video games were not just for children. Besides, no other version has come close to the wonderful music found here.

"Congratulations!", in a retro game, spelled correctly.
Who'da thunk it?

Screenshots for this review were taken using Openemu on OSX, but for the purposes of review the game was played on the original hardware.