If there’s one thing download
services get right, it’s that they offer plenty of bite-sized titles that are a
mix of enjoyable and cheap. While there are tons of games on online
marketplaces that, well… are less than desirable, there are quite a few that
can stand up to retail juggernauts. The featured storefront in this column is
the Nintendo DSiWare and 3DS eShop; launched during the DSi’s introduction in
2009 and reinvented in 2011 to coincide with the 3DS’ release, the store has
since grown to retail titles and digital demos. The following games have proven
that short but sweet experiences are the reason the shop exists, as well as a
very enticing price point that can only be beaten by ever addicting Steam sales
(the titles featured retail for less than ten dollars on the eShop).
Tokyo Crash
Mobs
Ever liked the gameplay of Zuma or Magnetica? How about the Japanese quirkiness of Katamari Damacy? Or maybe you liked the
full motion videos of the 90s? If you answered yes to those questions (and even
if you didn’t), you should check out the bizarre world of Tokyo Crash Mobs. A simple-to-learn puzzler, players are pitted
against the forces of Eastern nature as they roll, throw, and bowl their way
through an incomprehensible storyline and B-movie FMV visuals. For some odd
reason the 3D visuals complement the 90s aesthetic of the cutscenes nicely,
with the story as nonsensical as the setting it’s taking place in; Savannah and
Grace are two seemingly random girls trying to enjoy Japan, but a horde of
“scenesters” (pedestrians with brightly colored jackets, perfect for matching
and destroying) are getting in the way. It’s a match three game and the atmosphere
might turn some people off, but it has enough charm and idiosyncratic
quirkiness to separate it from the hundreds of puzzle games on the service
currently.
Gunman Clive
The three genres I love in games
are RPGs, rhythm games, and platformers. Gunman
Clive (which was also ported to the iOS a while back) is a love letter to
the Mega Man franchise as well as
8-bit platformers in general. A fine Western setting, minimalist plot, and
sharp controls are only the start of this wonderful experience. Armed only with
an upgradeable peashooter, Clive has to traverse the western world to find his
damsel in distress; likewise, the enemies are engaged in shootouts that usually
end in one hit battles, which calls for a surprisingly realistic yet
entertaining experience. Of course, come boss battle time that realism is
thrown out the window with robotic creatures taking over; finding weaknesses in
patterns whilst surviving is crucial to the end levels of the worlds. The
somewhat difficult yet sharp gameplay is what I loved about the NES platformers
of old. The paper sketched visuals look very appropriate for the game, and it
just feels right controlling the game with a 3DS, which I personally believe to
be the best version compared to the mobile game; the two dollar price tag is
just the icing on the cake for this wonderful retro package.
Mad Maestro:
Green Groove
This game surprised me the most
out of the DSiware titles I’ve played; looking at Neko Entertainment’s track
record, I noticed that it hasn’t been great for them (considering they were
responsible for the Charlie’s Angels
video game, it would be an understatement to say that I was wary of whatever
they were concocting next), but with Mad
Maestro: Green Groove, the company has finally redeemed themselves and made
a great rhythm title. The game is a “classical music remixed” type deal, with a
few public domain tracks spliced into gameplay. Players control a quaint pink
bird to strum notes, jump gaps, and attack enemies with the touch screen while
grabbing fruit and keeping in time with the beat. At the end of a given
difficulty level, players will play a musical version of “Simon Says” with the
boss, which is a bit repetitive but still worthwhile. The visuals are sprite
based, which work out well considering the faster pace of later levels; the
gameplay makes Mad Maestro more of a
rhythm-based platformer if anything else. While the DSi game is the only
version offered in North America (due to the fact that the retail European
version was on a very limited print run) only has one world from the original game,
the five dollar price tag makes this title a satisfying purchase. In addition,
I inquired about the future of the game with Neko Entertainment, and they had
replied with a hopeful response (the letter has a few grammatical errors, and I
also suggested that they should get a budget publisher like Crave Entertainment
to publish the game over in North America):
Hello Elisha,
Merci
beaucoup for your sweet feedbacks on Maestro ^^
Yes, we also
loooove this funky indie title (dev/produce with Pastagames)...and a sequel in
3D with new better challenges and universes was prototype on 3DS & Vita
too.
But as
independent studios and after the BIG problem of piracy on the full great
version on cartridge it was already difficult to do the smallest DSi ware
(limited space//sale price) version and the prototypes (we wait after Sony Pub
fund or Nintendo support...but unfortunately haven't in terms of financial Dev
support).
We will love
to have the opportunity to do more on this so cool title! But, should go and
self invest on new indie titles (Faceez;
Puddle; Kung Fu Rabbit; Storm; new ones to come) and platforms (Steam; Wii U;
PSN/XBLA; Leap Motion; Ouya; Tabs/Mobiles....). But there is already a great
new title with Pastagames on is way :)
But, what's
your idea with Crave? They look for retailer DSi title for us?
Br,
Ced
I just wanted to thank Random Havok for letting me guest post. I’m Elisha Deogracias and I’m a Detroit Video
Game Examiner for examiner.com, a web based news site. If you want to check out
any articles, including an Ontamarama DS review I was originally going to post on
this blog, you can check out my Examiner page here. You can also follow me on my Twitter handle, @katamaris4ever. I’m looking forward to seeing updates from
Random Havok and wish you all a great day!
No comments:
Post a Comment