3DS Review: "Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D"

Since it was first revealed, the 3DS has often been said to be powerful enough to effectively serve as a portable Wii.  In theory, the console is able to play games that are just as large, just as detailed, and just as good as Nintendo's now previous-gen home console.  As of yet, that promise has largely gone unrealized.  As per the norm, 3DS iterations of home console games tend to still be simpler, more basic adaptations of their home console cousins with less detailed graphics, less features, and a much smaller scope.  Some games purpose-made for the system, like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, provide console-quality experiences, but even they still usually feel smaller and more limited in design.

Well fortunately, Donkey Kong Country Returns, one of the finest games ever released for the Wii, has returned once more as Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and at last delivers a full-blown Wii-quality experience on the 3DS.  With very few exceptions, nothing has been compromised in the jump to the handheld.  The same brilliant, beautiful, and incredibly challenging platformer that you loved on the Wii is exactly as you remember it on the 3DS, with a handful of new features thrown in to boot.  If that's all you needed to hear, you can stop reading right now and go buy it.

For the uninitiated, Donkey Kong Country Returns and its 3DS port are much like the New Super Mario Bros series in that they revive the same sort of side-scrolling platforming action popularized in Rare's mega-popular Donkey Kong Country series for the SNES.  Now in the hands of Retro Studios (and Monster Games for the 3DS version) DKC Returns isn't just content to revisit the past as the New Super series does.  It does have all the old school throwbacks one would hope for, but brings a substantial amount of new content to the table as well.

Donkey Kong, as a character, is incredibly fun to play as.  It's obvious that a great deal of time was put into making sure he played just right.  DK is agile, and the levels reward you for attempting daring acrobatics, but he's also heavy.  It does make DK seem very powerful, but you need to make your jumps count, or DK will drop like a rock into a pit.   Bust open special barrels and DK's little buddy Diddy Kong will hop on to DK's back.  In addition to providing some extra health, Diddy has a jet-pack that allows DK to hang in the air a bit longer after jumping.  A second player can even hop in and play as Diddy independently, should they have their own console and a copy of the game.

I really can't stress enough how good DK feels to control.  In fact, he's even easier to control in the 3DS version than he was in the original Wii version, as the waggle-based moves, such as rolling, have been reassigned to buttons.  And, thankfully, the developers resisted adding any stupid new gimmicks, so you won't have to put up with any blowing into the mic nonsense or anything like that.  It's just straight-forward traditional controls.  The circle pad is perfectly adequate for the precision movements required, but the game also offers an alternate control scheme using the d-pad should you prefer to use it.

The level designs are masterful.  This game makes heavy use of large set-pieces and nearly every one of them is memorable.  From giant octopus attacks, crumbling ruins, rolling spiky boulders, swarms of killer insects, and sunset levels that render everything as silhouettes, almost every single level has some sort of gimmick to call its own.  You really never know what you're going to run into in any given level, ensuring that the game feels fresh all the way through.  The only real fault that could be leveled at DKC Returns' level selection is that it is perhaps a bit too saturated with mine-cart levels.  Though a staple of the series, having them sprinkled throughout the game and having an entire world devoted to them feels like a bit much.  As a whole, though, DKC Returns boasts one of the most rock-solid collections of levels ever to be found in a side-scrolling platformer.

Of course, if you played the Wii version, you already know that.  DKC Returns 3D is largely a straight port of the original game.  There are a few new elements introduced here and there, however.  Most notably is "New Mode."  In this mode, DK and Diddy are both awarded an extra heart of health, and Cranky has a few new items in his store, like a balloon that saves you from falling into a pit and a DK barrel that you can use to bring out Diddy whenever you'd like.  Given that the original game's level of challenge bordered on being a little too frustrating at times, New Mode is a welcome way to take the edge off. 

Don't get me wrong, DKC Returns 3D still offers up a considerable challenge, especially if you're trying to track down all of the collectable K-O-N-G letters and puzzle pieces.  You will die a lot.  But New Mode is perfect for those who found the level of difficulty in the Wii version a touch too daunting but did not want to resort to letting the Super Guide beat the levels for them.  That said, Albino DK is still waiting in the wings, ready to hop in should you fail too many times on a single level.  And, if you're a purist, the game does offer up an "Original Mode" which lets you play through the game exactly as it was on the Wii as well.  DKC Returns 3D also features a handful of new levels to entice those who already mastered the Wii version. But, given that they are locked away at the end of the game, veteran players will have to slog through a lot of familiar territory before seeing anything new.

Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii was, in my opinion, second only to the Mario Galaxy games when it comes to graphics.  The game was gorgeous.  In fact, if you'll recall, I compared New Super Mario Bros. U to it in my review of that game and found that, despite running on much more powerful hardware, NSMBU couldn't surpass how good looking DK was on weaker hardware.  When the 3DS version of DKC Returns was announced, I assumed the graphics would have to be downgraded considerably to get the game running smoothly on the handheld. 

I'm pleased to report, however, that the visuals appear to be virtually identical to the Wii original.  If there were any compromises that had to made to recreate the graphics on the 3DS I certainly haven't noticed them.  This is about as good as any game has ever looked on the 3DS.  Every level has tons of detail, and given how much the levels focus on featuring multiple layers of scenery and having interaction between the foreground and background, the added depth of the stereoscopic 3D really suits DK well.  This is a gorgeous game. 

Admittedly, the game's framerate is not quite as silky smooth as the Wii original, but unless you're comparing them side-by-side, you'll probably never notice.  Monster Games did an incredible job maintaining the visual brilliance of the original on the 3DS, and the result is the best looking game for the system thus far.  The sounds and music are also perfectly preserved from the home console original, which is good, as the game's soundtrack offers up a nice mixture of familiar tunes from the SNES original and a substantial amount of new compositions as well.

Donkey Kong Country Returns was already a great game on the Wii, but it's even better on the 3DS.  Being able to play it anywhere makes tracking down all the game's collectables a much more manageable task, and New Mode offers up a great way to experience the game in a slightly less aggravating form without having to tone down the challenging nature of the level design.  Admittedly, if you've already played the Wii version to death, there's not a whole lot of compelling reasons to return to Donkey Kong Country Returns again unless you just want to have the game on the go.  But for those who never experienced the home console original, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is an absolute must-buy and one of the only 3DS games to truly deliver an uncompromised home console experience on the handheld.  It's as good as side-scrolling platforming gets and you won't find a better looking game for the 3DS around.

Now then, Nintendo, how about Kirby's Return to Dreamland 3D next please?

3DS Review: "LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins"

LEGO has long had a strong presence in the realm of video games.  Starting with LEGO Star Wars in 2005, the company hit upon a simple but effective formula that has banked them obscene amounts of money for ever since:  Make a basic platformer with lots of stuff to destroy and collect, add a well known license, throw in some tongue-in-cheek humor, and voilà.  A surefire hit for all ages.

But there was a time when LEGO games did not revolve around popular film licenses, and did not just consist of collecting little studs, looking for red bricks, unlocking characters and the like.  Back in the late 90s through the early 2000s, LEGO actually created a remarkably diverse collection of software.  Based on a variety of their original themes, LEGO games from this era covered all sorts of genres, from kart racing to chess to train simulations.

By far the most significant of LEGO's various franchises from this time was the LEGO Island series.  Consisting of three games released in 1997, 2001, and 2002, the LEGO Island series was primarily based the on the various "city" themed sets and put you in the role of Pepper Roni, a pizza delivery boy, who was tasked with stopping the dastardly deeds of notorious criminal The Brickster and his minions.  Though the gameplay varied between the titles, all three games provided an open world to explore, missions to complete, and all sorts of goodies to collect.

Now, over a decade later, LEGO has come full circle.  LEGO City Undercover is primarily based on the various "city" themed sets and puts you in the role of Chase McCain, a police officer and detective, who is tasked with stopping the dastardly deeds of notorious criminal Rex Fury and minions.  The game provides a huge open world to explore, missions to complete, and all sorts of goodies to collect.

Of course, open world games are all the rage these days.  LEGO City is unique, however, in that it caters to a family audience.  All the trappings of a game like Grand Theft Auto are present and accounted for here but, thanks to the LEGO branding, are presented in a non-threatening kid appropriate way.  It means you get all the fun of having a sandbox to play around in with none of the less desirable content so often associated with the genre.  Really, it's a brilliant move on LEGO's part given how virtually no other games are trying to do the same thing right now.

Today I'm looking at The Chase Begins for the 3DS, a prequel to the storyline told in the Wii U LEGO City game.  As of right now, I haven't played the Wii U game, so my impressions of this game are based solely on this game alone, as I can't compare it directly to it's home console counterpart.

And my impressions are quite good!  The basic gameplay mechanics are carried over from the various licensed LEGO games of the past few years.  Silver, gold, and blue studs are still the collectable of choice, and grabbing up as many as you can is still as compelling as it's ever been.  In keeping with tradition, nearly any object in the world constructed out of LEGOs can be destroyed, revealing plastic pieces to collect.  Chase is the only character to play as, but his various disguises provide him with moves similar to the various character types in previous LEGO games, such the ability to use grappling hooks or interact with certain objects.  The game also includes some basic combat, as always, which is fun but extremely easy, causing it to get a bit tedious after a while.

The open world gameplay makes things feel quite distinct from previous LEGO games, however.  LEGO City is yours to explore, though a series of missions is present to keep the story moving.  It's not a very compelling narrative, and it ends on a very unsatisfying cliff hanger to set up the events of the Wii U game, but the story is mostly a means to an end here.  The story-based missions take under eight hours to complete, but constitute only about a quarter of the content The Chase Begins has to offer.  Playing the missions opens up more of the world to explore, and as you do, you're free to ignore the missions and do whatever you please.  If you'd like to keep the plot moving you can.  Or, if you'd like to go punch some flowers for a half hour to rack up some studs, you can do that too.

This is a game that really caters to players who like to goof off in a game's world and simply see what they can do and where they can go.  The city is positively riddled with nooks and crannies to explore, and while some of these locations don't lead to much in particular, most do have some kind of collectable tucked away inside to reward players for poking around.  The LEGO games have long relied on this sort of collect-athon mentality, but it's much more compelling in the context of having a huge world to explore at any time.  Players are also free to hop into any vehicle they come across, and careening around town in various cars adds a whole new spin on seeing what the world has to offer.

So, indeed, for those who like to explore game worlds and collect lots of goodies, The Chase Begins is portable bliss.  There are, however, a few unfortunate technical issues that pop up thanks to the handheld nature of the game.  TT Fusion did a phenomenal job packing in the same gigantic city to explore that is offered in the Wii U game, but it's very clear that the 3DS is struggling to handle it at times.  Draw distance for characters and vehicles is a bit screwy, often causing them to fade in and out of existence while they're right in front of you.  Additionally, the whole city is covered with a dense fog.  Since your viewing distance is often obscured by buildings and trees and such, this isn't a huge issue.  That said, when up in a high place or a particularly open area, it can look a little odd to observe nothing but blue fog out in front of you.  The world is also divided up into several areas, and crossing from one into another means a lengthy load time, up to a minute long.  (Again reminiscent of the LEGO Island series, particularly the second installment...)

Sounds and music are also a little bit odd.  The game features some incredibly funny and clever writing, but with voice acting being limited only to key story moments, the humor does seem rather subdued at times.  Sound effects are pretty solid, but music is strangely scarce.  Driving vehicles, combat, and certain missions are accompanied by score, but the rest of the game is largely silent.  A little ambient music would have gone a long way here.

So, in the end, LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins does have its shortcomings.  It tries to be a full-fledged console style sandbox game but, thanks to some technical limitations, it isn't always able to fully succeed in that goal.  The missions tend to be pretty simplistic and the combat gets old fast.  That being said, the world is still extremely fun to play around in and there's plenty of hours of content to enjoy here.  The story is pretty flimsy, but it clocks in at a length that would acceptable for a full handheld experience, and it's only the tip of the ice berg here.  If you're a handheld gamer looking for an exploration heavy home console style experience, The Chase Begins will scratch that itch nicely.  It has some rough edges that may irritate some, but the underlying experience is great fun.

Now, how about we bring back LEGO Island proper next time?  I'd like to see what Pepper and company has been up to all these years.  Please?

3DS Review: "Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon"

Luigi is the most overrated underrated character ever.  Seriously, all I ever hear about him is how neglected he is.  How Luigi never gets any love and all that.  Are kidding me?  Luigi gets all the love!  You know who is really neglected?  Mario.  Luigi is always stealing his brother's thunder!  Luigi is everyone's favorite character.  Every person ever prefers playing as Luigi over Mario.  Since New Super Mario Bros, it has almost become a tradition for Luigi to be your reward for completing a main series Mario game.  He always steals the show in the RPGs.  Seriously, I have never seen a "neglected" character receive so much love.

That said, it is pretty uncommon for Luigi to take star billing all for himself.  Outside of everyone's favorite obscure edutainment title Mario is Missing, Luigi has only ever had one game to call his own.  That game was Luigi's Mansion for the Nintendo GameCube.  The 2001 launch title saw Luigi entering a decrepit old mansion and vacuuming up ghosts in search of his brother who was, as it happens, missing again.  The quirky little adventure wasn't all that scary, but it was memorable, and served as a very unique introduction to the GameCube and paved the way for numerous other games that challenged the normal conventions of Nintendo's beloved franchises.  The GCN era featured many games that offered distinct takes on Nintendo tradition, such as Super Mario Sunshine and Zelda: Wind Waker.  And, right from the beginning, Luigi was there leading the pack.

It didn't last.  These days, the Mario series has come down with a bad case of what I call "New Super-itis," resulting in nearly all Mario series games having no unique identity and having the same plastic visuals.  Now, twelve years later, Luigi is at it again, once again providing a breath of fresh air.  A spooky, hilarious, and thoroughly enjoyable breath of fresh air.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the Nintendo 3DS shows absolutely no symptoms of "New Super-itis" and instead has an identity all of its own.  The basic mechanics are still largely similar to the original game.  Luigi, armed with a ghost-capturing vacuum cleaner called the "Poltergust 5000," creeps his way around various dark and dusty locals looking for ghosts, sucking up treasure, and solving some basic puzzles.  Like the original game, Luigi is unable to jump, so the focus is more on exploration rather than on platforming.  It's a slower, more deliberate style of gameplay compared to the traditional Mario romp.

Though the basic gameplay is much like the original, Dark Moon takes the formula of the GameCube original and mixes it up considerably.  Luigi's ghost vacuuming mechanics are similar to the original, though Luigi must now stun ghosts with a strobe light before sucking them up.  While the original game utilized two analog sticks for the controls, Dark Moon gets by with just one.  It takes a little getting used to, since you can't adjust Luigi's aim independently from his movement, but the controls are expertly designed to work within the limitations.  Once you get used to the changes, you'll be sweeping up ghoulies like it's second-nature.

Dark Moon also places a strong emphasis on examining your surroundings.  Ghost fights are actually fairly sporadic, so most of the game revolves around exploring your environment and doing some light puzzle solving to proceed to the next area.  Now, I use the term "puzzle" lightly.  The complexity never really exceeds looking around a room for a new button to press.  What keeps the game from getting monotonous is the fact that you never really know what will happen when you do press said button.  Secret panels will slide into place, extra rooms will open up, and all sorts of outlandish events may occur as you work your way through each mansion.  A lot of the game effectively boils down to activating a series of incredibly complex Rube Goldberg machines, often with unexpected results.  The sense of discovery in Dark Moon is immensely satisfying, as you never really know what is going to happen next.

Money is also stuffed into every nook and cranny of the game's five mansions, further encouraging you to mess around with every object you come across.  The more cash you stash, the more you can upgrade your Poltergust.  In addition to the traditional coins, you'll also find extra valuable dollar bills and gold bars.  Health-restoring hearts, Golden dog bones that revive you should you lose all your health, secret shiny gems, and all sorts of other collectables are tucked away in the creepy corridors you'll be exploring, so it definitely pays to poke around any suspicious looking areas you may find.  A new game mechanic, called the Dark Light Device, lets you scan rooms for secret clues and invisible objects.  In addition to helping you gather even more goodies and solving puzzles, the Dark Light Device is also used to help sniff out those dastardly Boos, who are once again hidden all around each mansion.  And, once again, they all have terrible puns for names.

Unfortunately, despite the emphasis on exploration, the game's structure often gets in the way of your sleuthing.  Though the original game was broken up into four sections, you were pretty much free to explore any part of the mansion whenever you pleased as they opened up.  This time around, the game adopts a mission based structure for exploring each of the game's five mansions.  In one mission you might be searching for a specific item.  Then in the next you'll be taking the item to a specific room.  Then you'll explore an area you unlocked with the item.  Then you'll fight a boss, and so on. 

Between each mission, Luigi is whisked away to the ghost-proof bunker of Professor E. Gadd, before returning to the mansion for the next task.  Though E. Gadd's dialogue is absolutely hysterical, and a highlight of the game, the mission structure does often break the pacing and the sense of exploration.  You may find yourself wanting to backtrack to a previous area your missed, or explore a new area you've just uncovered, only to be pulled out of the mansion for some silly dialogue, and then plopped back down in an entirely different starting location, with the area you wanted to explore now inaccessible.  The later missions have longer and more open-ended goals, which alleviates this issue considerably.  However, for the first two-thirds of the game the mission structure can feel a little restrictive.

Visually, Dark Moon is a sight to behold.  It uses a stylized, angular sort of visual style not unlike that of Paper Mario Sticker Star.  At first the visuals might appear a bit disappointing, as they lack the intricate details and moody atmospheric impact of the GameCube original's.  However, the visuals are still among the finest on the 3DS, and each mansion has a strong sense of place, making every location feel distinct from one another.  It's a simpler and brighter overall look than the first game, but there are still some incredibly good looking set pieces sprinkled throughout, and it's hard to fault the game for having such a strong style of its own.  The bland, plastic visuals of other recent Mario games are nowhere to be found here!

The sound design is more of a mixed bag.  The music tends to sound rather generic and flat.  While the original game made excellent use of dynamic music to craft an eery atmosphere, Dark Moon's soundtrack sounds more like a Scooby-Doo cartoon.  It's not bad, but it's also not very memorable and falls short of the first game's spectacularly spooky soundtrack.

On the other side of the coin, there's not a bad word that can be said about the voice work and sound effects.  Luigi mumbles incoherently all throughout the adventure, and he's hilarious to listen to.  A ton of personality is conveyed through his various yelps and grunts, making Luigi out to be a very lovable, if not the most courageous hero.  The mansions have a lot of life to them, as well.  All the machines and gadgets you'll be interacting with make all sorts of grinding, creaking, and rattling sounds.  Similarly, there are lots of spooky ambient effects, like howling wind and ghostly laughter.  The sound design is incredibly rich, and some of the best moments come when the music cuts away to let the sound effects establish the tone.

Dark Moon also contains a handful of multiplayer modes, though I have not personally had a chance to try them.  I rather doubt they are worth the price of admission alone, as the single player campaign is really the reason to play Dark Moon.  That said, I'm sure they provide a nice icing to an already excellent cake.  More ways to play is never a bad thing!

In the end, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is a very easy to game to recommend.  It's not without some faults, but they never really get in the way of the fun.  The gameplay is incredibly creative and the adventure is hilarious and captivating, if not particularly scary.  The mission structure does present some pacing issues, but once things ramp up toward the end of the game, Dark Moon hits its stride.  And, perhaps most significantly, Dark Moon at last revives the experimental nature and originality that has long been absent from the Mario series.  If you're looking for an expertly crafted and incredibly creative little adventure, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon should fit the bill.  Even with its shortcomings, it's a must-play.

My Thoughts on the 4/17/13 Nintendo Direct

Nintendo announced some real whoppers yesterday, so I thought I'd take a look at what was shown and share my thoughts about a few of the announcements.  Yes, I'm still operating under the delusion that anyone would actually care about what I think.  At least it's better than only posting Dragons reviews for months on end...

Yoshi's Island 3DS:

I love Yoshi.  He's one of my favorite Mario characters.  I always find that Mario games are better when Yoshi is along for the ride and it's an extra special treat when Yoshi gets top billing, so I was pleased to see this announcement.  Visually, it does look good...though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that, for the most part, it still looks exactly like the original Yoshi's Island.  Same kind of levels, same level gimmicks, and so on.  And they're STILL using those same voice clips from Yoshi's Story, sixteen years later.  After Yoshi's Island DS pretty thoroughly revisited everything from the original, maybe it's time to try and break away a little more for this one?  And am I the only one who thinks Yoshi's feet look a little too big?

I digress.  More Yoshi is never a bad thing, but after some of his more mediocre outings on the GBA and DS, I'm not certain this game is going to do much better.  For now, Yarn Yoshi still has me much more excited.  At the very least, though, it's nice to see the Yoshi art style getting mixed up again.

Mario Party 3DS:

I'm glad it's getting made, as Mario Party 9 did a good job of breathing new life into the series.  Looks like this game is going to continue the trend of mixing things up by not only not repeating the Mario Party 9 formula, but also not reverting to the old formula either.  The fact that each board will be dramatically different from each other is intriguing, given how previous games in the series have dabbled with that concept.  I'm sure it'll be a big hit, though I'd be more enthusiastic if I actually knew anybody else with a 3DS to play with.  Mario Party's no fun alone, and I assume that won't change.

Legend of Zelda 3DS:

In the interest of full disclosure I feel I should admit that I really don't like A Link to the Past.  I've tried to play it many times but, similarly to Ocarina of Time, while I can easily see why it's so beloved I just don't find it that enjoyable.  That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Link's Awakening and Minish Cap, which both owe much of their existence to A Link to the Past, so another game in that style is okay by me!  The new trailer makes it look like this game will be great fun, and I really like the look of Link and the other characters.  It's been a long time since I was legitimately excited about a new Zelda game, but this definitely looks like one to watch!

DK Country Returns 3D Has New Modes and New Levels:

I really enjoyed DKC Returns on the Wii, though I did find it a little irritatingly frustrating at times.  (Rocket-barrel-bat-chase-level, I'm mostly looking in your direction.)  I'm glad to see they're easing up on the frustration factor a bit, as that should really make the game more fun.  I'm also glad to see that there will be a handful of new levels for old veterans to look forward too.  I'm still not entirely sure why they decided that, out of the whole Wii library, this was the one that should get a 3DS port, but it does look to be shaping up to be the definitive version!  And I'm impressed that the graphics don't appear to have been downgraded and appear to be pretty much unchanged from the Wii.  I'm looking forward to playing through DK again on the go!

More info on Mario Golf: World Tour and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team:

Mario & Luigi is certainly looking good.  The new visual style is very appealing and the game looks to be building on the foundation of the previous games nicely.  I prefer Paper Mario, but I really enjoyed Bowser's Inside Story, so I have high hopes for this one as well.

As for Mario Golf?  IT'S ABOUT TIME!  The last Mario Golf game was on the Game Boy Advance, for crying out loud!  How the heck did this series never show up on the Wii?  After the 3DS got a Mario Tennis game, I was really hoping that meant Golf was on the way.  Thank goodness I was right!  The new online modes sound promising, and visually it's an extremely bright and colorful game.  I know Mario Tennis was a little light on content, but Mario Golf: World Tour looks to be a fine successor to Toadstool Tour and Advance Tour.  This is one of my most anticipated releases!

Other Thoughts:

Even though Mario games are really my cup of tea, I was also glad to see some games announced that were previously thought to be Japanese exclusive, like Bravely Default.  It's nice to see that Nintendo fans probably won't have to be resorting to another Operation Rainfall in the near future.

I was also extremely glad to see how graphically diverse all the Mario games on show were, for the most part.  Mario Golf still looks to have a touch of New Super-itis to an extent, as does Mario Party, but it looks like the days of all Mario games having the same boring plastic look may soon be behind us!  And it looks like the 3DS will have some very strong additions to its library this year!  Zelda and Mario Golf, especially, looks very promising!

App Review: Sonic Dash

I'm surprised it took this long.  Sonic the Hedgehog has long had a strong presence on iOS devices.  Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, and Sonic CD have all had ports to iOS, with shiny new versions of the former two games on the way.  Sonic Spinball has made an appearance, as has Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing, as well as both episodes of Sonic 4.  Sonic has even had his very own game designed just for mobile devices, Sonic Jump.

At the same time, endless runner games have become one of the most popular iOS genres, outside of chucking projectiles at precariously place towers.  Endless runners task you with zipping along down a path and trying to survive as long as you can without bonking into something in your way.  Games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers remain exceedingly popular.  That so many endless runners are free no doubt contributes to their immense popularity.

What with Sonic strutting his stuff on iOS all the time these days, it was a match made in heaven to bring the two together, and the result is Sonic Dash.

What began as a three dollar app with some heavy-handed in-app purchases has now become the delightful little freemium game I'm reviewing today.  In-app purchases are still lurking around, but I'll get to them in a bit.  The main goal of Sonic Dash is, of course, to run like the dickens.  Sonic sprints his way through Seaside Hill, complete with all the crumbly ruins and checkerboard hills one would expect to see.  As Sonic motors his way along there are many obstacles to avoid, Badniks to defeat, and rings to collect.  Pretty standard fare for these types of games.

There are three lanes that Sonic can run along, and changing lanes is as simple as swiping your finger back and forth.  By swiping up on the screen Sonic will jump, and swiping down causes him to roll into a ball.  At times, some context-sensitive situations will prompt you to swipe or tap in certain ways to make Sonic do some acrobatic tricks on his way to the next bit of level.  Once you fill up your dash meter, you can make Sonic boost along in auto-pilot for a while, taking out anything in your path. 

 If all this sounds familiar, it should.  Sonic Dash basically takes the quick step portions of Sonic Unleashed, Colors, and Generations and adapts them to the endless runner formula.  The end product is a game that doesn't break a lot of new ground as an endless runner, but should feel very familiar to fans of the blue hedgehog.  The controls are largely adequate, though when things start to get hectic it sometimes feels like the swipe controls have a little trouble keeping up.  From time to time you will lose to obstacle placement that feels unfair, but the game is largely well balanced and quick reflexes will serve you well.

Like most games of this variety there are lots of little purchases one can make in-game should they choose to do so.  Sonic has lots of upgrades that can be purchased, and to do so you'll need rings.  Regular old golden rings are collected pretty rapidly while playing normally, so you likely won't have any problems collecting what you need to unlock what you want.  That said, the option is there to fork over some real cash to increase your ring stash.

Much less common are Red Star Rings, which are dished out more sparingly, and are required to unlock the more desirable goodies, such as extra characters.  Thankfully, courtesy of a few recent updates, Red Star Rings are reasonably attainable just by playing the game regularly.  Daily Missions and special challenges not only provide goals to work for on a regular basis, but also hand out rings and unlockables for your troubles.

So, in the end, the in-app purchases aren't a huge pain here.  If you want to pay up and progress faster, the option is prominently presented to you on a regular basis.  But, unlike a lot of other freemium games, there really isn't anything stopping you from just playing the game and unlocking everything that way.  You can have plenty of fun without spending a penny in Sonic Dash.

One way in which Sonic Dash definitely does not disappoint is in the audio and visual department.  This is a very good looking game, with extremely detailed models and some lovely scenery to enjoy as you play.  Most everything is derived from Sonic Generations, and is put to good effect!  The music is very fitting as well, offering up a fast-paced techno remix of the Seaside Hill theme from Sonic Heroes.  Given that Seaside Hill is one of my favorite pieces of music from any Sonic game, it's always a treat to hear it return!  The game plays very smoothly on a shiny new current generation iPhone, but even on my out-dated old third generation iPod Touch, the game still runs smoothly enough to be perfectly playable, even if the visuals take a big hit for it.  Your mileage may vary, but since it doesn't cost anything to download, there's not risk in giving it a try.

In the end, what you want to put into Sonic Dash is what you will get out of it.  If you're looking for an enjoyable little time killer that captures the same spirit as the last few main series Sonic games, Sonic Dash will be perfect for you.  If you want to hurry up and unlock everything and see everything the game has to over, you might need to pay up a little to do so.  However, even with its flaws, Sonic Dash is still a great experience for Sonic fans and fans of endless runners alike.  There's plenty of fun to be had here!

Sonic Dash is available for iOS here.  An Android version is in the works, but is not yet available.

Movie Review: Oz The Great and Powerful

Disney just loves their tent poles.  Their live action films that can make tons of money if handled just right.  It has become a grand tradition for the company to take a well known property, such as a theme park ride or a beloved story, and create big budget blockbuster films out of them.  It's kind of what they do now.  Those movies are also usually not so great.

But every now and then, you catch lightning in a bottle and end up with something like Pirates of the Caribbean, a film that is loathed by critics but loved by audiences.  And when that success hits, it hits big.  Such was the case with 2010's Alice in Wonderland, which ended up making just over a billion dollars.  Success like that is hard to ignore so it's only natural that Disney would try to apply a similar formula to another classic tale and try to get the same result.

The result?  Oz The Great and Powerful, a prequel to classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and, to a lesser degree, the book it was based on.  Not to be confused with the musical Wicked, this film tells a very different back story of how the stage was set for Dorothy's adventures in the land of Oz.  Oscar Diggs, known better by his stage name of Oz, is a circus magician and con man.  He knows he's not the most upstanding individual in Kansas, but he dreams of one day achieving greatness rivaling or even surpassing his idols Harry Houdini and Thomas Edison.  One tornado later, Oz finds himself in a whimsical and widescreen world like he's never seen before.  This land is also known as Oz, and according to a witch named Theodora, they've been waiting for a mystical wizard to appear and save the day.  Before he knows it, Oscar is caught up in an adventure much bigger than he bargained for...

Oz's origin story is surprisingly clever.  Not only does it provide a back story for many of our favorite characters, such as the Wizard, Glinda, and the Wicked Witch, but it also mirrors the original story in many ways, both in terms of plot structure and even visuals at times.  Despite telling a rather different tale than the original film, many of the same plot devices are employed here, creating a strong sense of continuity.  Despite the fact that Disney does not own the original Wizard of Oz, and therefore had to avoid direct references for copyright reasons, there are many nods to the 1939 film scattered throughout Oz The Great and Powerful, some subtle and some surprisingly overt.

However, Oz does have it's fair share of new ideas and characters to meet.  Oscar picks up a pair of traveling companions during his adventures.  First, there's Finley, a flying monkey bellhop who ends up owing Oscar a life debt.  Voiced by Zach Braff, Finley's brand of humor will likely come off as love it/hate it to most viewers though, for what it's worth, I found him to be pretty entertaining.

Also along for the ride is China Girl, a young china doll voiced by Joey King.  China Girl proves to be one of the more memorable characters in the film, switching between sweet and fragile in one scene to fierce and determined the next.  While Finley is mostly reduced to comic relief, China Girl's character develops throughout the film, making her a standout among the cast.  As the obvious parallels for the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, both Finley and China Girl hold their own nicely.  Several other characters join the mix later in the film as well, and also provide some clues to the origins of characters like the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.

And, indeed, Oz does serve as a fine prequel to the original film.  If there is one major fault I noticed, it's that the plot twists and developments do tend to happen rather abruptly.  Oz takes a while to get going, but once the plot does kick into gear, it suddenly makes a beeline for the climax, which is a little jarring.  Outside of Oscar's journey to become the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, character arcs for the familiar Oz characters are also rather underdeveloped.  A few major plot twists happen rather suddenly and with little explanation.  The movie assumes familiarity with these characters' personalities and motives and doesn't always explain things clearly. It gets away with it for the most part but the pacing suffers at times.

Oz does manage to impress from a visual standpoint.  The Land of Oz presented here is massive, colorful, beautiful, whimsical, but also a little dark and threatening at times.  The visual effects are largely top notch throughout the film.  There were a few more jump scares and flashy 3D sequences than I would prefer, but not too many.  There are a few obvious moments where objects or characters are thrown at the screen just for the sake of the 3D effect, but it never feels too gimmicky.  The score, composed by Danny Elfman, fits the world of Oz perfectly, and is a treat to listen to throughout the movie.

In the film, Oscar struggles between wanting to be a good man or a great one.  Oz The Great and Powerful may not be a great film, but it most certainly is a good film.  It's exactly what one would hope for from a origin story to the 1939 film, and it also tells a compelling narrative of its own.  And, in my opinion, it's a much better origin story than Wicked, as it connects much more closely to The Wizard of Oz.  The characters are likable and fun, the villains are wicked and scary, and the visuals and audio never disappoint.  It's probably not going to be Disney's next Pirates or Caribbean nor will it achieve the same classic status as its 1939 sequel, but Oz The Great and Powerful is still definitely worth a look.

App Review: Toy Story Smash It!

One of the most successful iOS games of all time is Angry Birds.  Everyone has played it and knows the formula.  You catapult little birds at precarious towers of blocks.  The more destruction you cause the more points you get but, ultimately, the real goal is to knock all of the evil pigs to the ground in order to defeat them.  Along the way you encounter various new power ups and level gimmicks but he basics stay the same.

It's a simple premise that works well...and it has also been done before in a number of other games.  One noteworthy example is the Boom Blox series released several years ago for the Nintendo Wii.  Boom Blox plays much like Angry Birds, but in three dimensions.  Somewhat like playing a reverse game of Jenga, the whole point of Boom Blox was to lob various projectiles at carefully constructed towers to send them toppling to the ground.  A key strategy to make use of was the fact that hitting blocks from certain angles could cause them to careen into other blocks, creating a chain reaction of destruction and bringing the whole structure down in one shot.  It was crazy fun.

"But, wait," you say! "Why are you talking about Boom Blox?  I thought this was a review for Toy Story: Smash It!  What is wrong with you, Frisch?"

Well you see, dear reader, Toy Story: Smash It! clearly represents Disney's attempt to grab a slice of the Angry Birds pie.  But in trying to put their own spin on the Angry Birds formula they ended up creating a game that should remind you more than a little of Boom Blox.  But that is hardly a bad thing!

The Birds formula is in full force here:  Little green aliens are placed about on precariously perched piles of blocks and it's Buzz Lightyear's job to chuck projectiles at the towers to bring all the little aliens tumbling down.  Simply taking out all of the aliens is enough to clear the level, but if you want to achieve a coveted three-star rank you have to do it in as few shots as possible, often only one, while also snagging the golden point blocks that are scattered about the stages.  In addition to your basic Pixar star balls, you also have other projectiles such as inflatable balloons or propeller-powered shots that can zoom forward in a straight line and plow through whatever is in their path.  This should all sound relatively familiar to veterans of Angry Birds.

Where the Boom Blox comparison comes in is that, like Boom Blox, Toy Story Smash It! is played in 3D, which gives an entirely different feel to the Angry Birds style of gameplay.  You can position Buzz anywhere you like within a semi-circular area in front of the puzzle, allowing you to get all sorts of different angles on the task at hand.  Some require you to simply use brute force to send the blocks toppling, but most require clever timing to get the top score.

Nearly every puzzle can be completely beaten with one shot if you find just the right place to throw it and at just the right time.  A lot of the solutions are pretty obvious, but even if you know what to do, it may still take a few tries to get the timing just right.  When you do nail it, however, watching the entire puzzle come crashing down and the point counter soar is extremely satisfying.  The touch controls are a breeze to use.  Simply slide your finger on screen to create a targeting reticule, position it where you want it, and then release to launch.  It's as easy as that.  The physics engine works beautifully and the blocks behave just how you would expect them to.

Toy Story: Smash It! also delivers on the audio and visual side as well.  Graphically, it's one of the finest looking iOS games I've played.  The characters are all smooth and detailed and look just like their movie counterparts.  The whole game takes place in Andy's room but cardboard scenery is used to give each level it's own distinct feel.  As the various sets of levels each have their own loose storyline attached to them, the scenery varies quite a bit from level to level.  The sounds and music are excellent as well.  Familiar Toy Story music plays in the background, and the characters all have a variety of voice clips.  I personally found it particularly amusing that the aliens will sometimes compliment you on defeating them.  Overall, the graphics and audio really make this game feel just like a Toy Story game should.

In the end, my only real complaint is that the game is rather brief.  Though the difficulty of the puzzles does ramp up eventually, you'll breeze through the first half of the levels in no time.  With only 60 puzzles to play, you'll be able to see most if not all that Toy Story: Smash It! has to offer in a single play session.  For the completionists out there, achievements add some extra incentives to shoot for besides high scores.  Fortunately, a tantalizing "Coming Soon" option on the level select screen promises that more puzzles are on the way.

Toy Story: Smash It! is one of the most polished and enjoyable iOS games I have ever played.  It's not too terribly challenging and it's a bit on the brief side, but you're sure to enjoy every minute of it while it lasts.  For only a dollar, and with the promise of new levels in the future, it's easy to recommend!  Fans of Angry Birds, Toy Story, and Boom Blox alike will all find plenty to enjoy!

Where to Buy:

Toy Story: Smash It! for iOS

Toy Story: Smash It! for Android