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.