Mega Man Zero Collection contains four Game Boy Advance games, predictably titled Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Zero 2, Mega Man Zero 3, and Mega Man Zero 4. The first game takes place 100 years after the events of the aforementioned Mega Man X game. X is now in charge of a city called Neo Arcadia, where humans and reploids (robots) live together in harmony. All of a sudden, the Neo Arcadian government starts deactivating reploids against their will, with no clear reason why. Zero, who is in suspended animation in an ancient laboratory, is discovered and awakened by a human scientist named Ciel. It turns out that Ciel is helping a resistance group of reploids who are fighting for their right to live. Zero agrees to help them, and thus begins a story that spans across all four games.

I have to say, I don't like his chances here...

The games in this collection all follow the same basic formula. Each one is a 2D platformer, divided into stages where you kill enemies, collect items, and face a boss at some point during the stage. As well as running and jumping, Zero has the ability to dash, cling to walls, and use a primary or secondary weapon which can be assigned in the pause menu. Weapons will level up if you use them enough, adding extra power and/or extra combos and attacks. Some of these weapons provide other unique abilities, such as the Chain Rod (Zero 2) which can be used as a grappling hook, or the Zero Knuckle (Zero 4) which can steal weapons from enemies.

Each game features special items called Cyber Elves, which are used to upgrade Zero’s abilities. Some of them provide permanent upgrades, while others provide abilities that only last for a limited time or until the end of the stage. Some Cyber Elves aren’t fully grown and must be fed a certain amount of E-Crystals before they can be used. Later games in the series provide other ways of upgrading Zero, but Cyber Elves are the only upgrade system present in all four games.

These games have a different structure to classic Mega Man games. You can still choose from more than one stage at a time, but they aren’t all unlocked from the beginning. Also, each boss doesn’t give you a weapon which is strong against a certain other boss and so on. The only advantage you get over a boss in this game is the upgrades and Cyber Elves you choose to equip. In a way, this is a good thing because it means there is no ideal order to complete the stages in, and you can take any path through the game without being disadvantaged. It also means that the boss fights are much harder, because you can’t get a free kill just for having the correct weapon equipped.

Can't say I like his chances here either

The most noticeable thing about this game is that it’s HARD. Like other Mega Man games, the Zero Collection is a super-challenging, old-school kind of platform game. It’s the kind of game that requires quick thinking, quicker reflexes, and plenty of trial and error. Enemies will respawn if you backtrack, and bosses have patterns that need to be memorised. It can get frustrating, but they’ve managed to strike a great balance between frustration and fun. You may have been beaten by that same boss 10 times in a row, but it’s damn-near impossible to resist coming back for an 11th go.

If you don’t like this kind of unforgiving gameplay, the developers have included a special ‘Easy Scenario’. This is a mode where you can play through all four games sequentially, but you start off with all the upgrades. This is a really good addition because it means that less skilled or less patient gamers can still experience the story, while those gamers who want to play the original, un-edited versions still have that option. Along with the easy mode, a ‘gallery’ where you can unlock extra content from all four games has been added. It’s not a significant addition, but it’s there for those who want it.

For the people who already own the games on GBA, is there any reason to upgrade? That depends on what you’re looking for. The DS collection allows you to map controls to the Y and X buttons, so if you prefer that classic SNES configuration where B is to jump and Y is to attack, you can now use that configuration for these games. However, while the controls have been upgraded, the graphics have not. The aspect ratio has not been changed to take advantage of the DS’s larger screen, which means that each game is surrounded by a black border. This does not affect the gameplay, but it does mean that the GBA versions of the games, when played on a DS or DS Lite, will look identical to the DS versions. But of course, if you missed out on any of the games in the series, thought they were too hard, or just want to play them on a DSi, then this game is worth getting because it solves all those problems.

Overall, Mega Man Zero Collection is one of the best platform/action games on the DS. It’s loaded with fun, challenging, old-school gameplay, yet it caters to gamers of all skill levels. If you’re a fan of Mega Man or you just like 2D platform games in general, this is an essential purchase.

By Mark Vellios

Graphics: A-

The characters and enemies look very good, but the environments are where this game truly shines.

Sound: A-

Excellent soundtrack and really good sound effects.

Gameplay: A-

Fun, addictive, and sometimes frustrating. Easy Scenario means that anyone can play.

Overall: A-

Mega Man Zero Collection provides some of the best platforming action on the DS.

Taz’s luck has carried over to the world of videogames, because despite his limitations as a character, he has had starring and supporting roles in a long list of games. The latest one is Galactic Taz Ball, a Nintendo DS game where Taz battles another popular Looney Tunes character- Marvin the Martian.

The story is that Marvin and his army of Martians are abducting Earth’s landscapes, starting with Australia. This explains why the game takes place on floating platforms. Taz wakes up one day and sees a giant chicken leg in the distance, so he goes after it, completely unaware of what’s happening around him. This explains why he’s… uh… making his way through the stages. Look, the story in this game is not important and is treated accordingly. What is important is that you play as Taz, spin like a tornado and destroy stuff!

Taz can explore some of Tasmanias lush rainforests.

The other game mode, the Underworld, consists of side-scrolling stages which are entirely touch screen controlled. You touch Taz to make him start walking, and touch him again to make him stop. You draw a horizontal line to make Taz turn in that direction, and you manipulate various obstacles such as springs, fans and conveyor belts with the stylus. These stages add some variety to the game, and accurate touch screen controls ensure that they’re a fun and worthy addition.

I have a feeling that giant X is trying to tell me something...

Seeing as it’s based on a kid’s cartoon, Galactic Taz Ball is a fairly simple game aimed at kids. However, it is also a very unique game, with enough content and variety to appeal to gamers of any age. It looks like Taz has gotten lucky one more time, because while many games based on kid’s shows are cheap cash-ins with poor gameplay, Taz’s game has gone to a developer who actually cares.

By Mark Vellios

Graphics: B-

Clear, colourful graphics which retain the spirit of Looney Tunes.

Sound: B-

Music is very good, but sound effects vary in quality.

Gameplay: B-

Touch screen controls work well, resulting in fun gameplay. ‘Time attack mode’ and hidden items add replay value.

Overall: B-

A very solid game, aimed at kids but fun for anyone.

You may have seen 3D games on the DS before, but I doubt you’ve ever seen anything quite as good as the graphics in C.O.P. The game world is a fairly accurate, 3D re-creation of New York City, and for a game attempting detail and realism, nothing has been compromised. The textures are very good, the frame rate is smooth, and the draw distance has been pushed right back. The streets are crowded with cars, the sidewalks are crowded with people, and the skyline is crowded with skyscrapers. There are missions, side-missions, and extras to search for and collect, and for longtime DS owners it is nothing short of jaw-dropping.

A nice, romantic sunset shooting.

Unfortunately, there are many other issues that do affect the gameplay. The controls, for one thing, are awful. They require you to use all of the buttons as well as the touch screen, and as usual it feels really clumsy when you have to switch between the two control methods. The touch screen is used to aim when a weapon is drawn, and aiming is as un-intuitive as you could possibly get. The main problem is that the crosshair moves far too slowly (if you cross the entire screen with your stylus, you’ll barely exceed 90°) and there’s no option to change the sensitivity. The cars are also a pain to control, with poor steering and awful, glitchy physics.

A fine example of an upstanding police officer obeying traffic laws

The game’s menus are handled through a device called the 3C, and it’s an absolutely terrible addition that hurts the game even further. It strives to make everything as complicated and time-consuming as possible, so something as simple as setting a GPS marker to your next mission is a chore that takes forever. Some missions require you to enter PIN numbers for various reasons, and you have to write these manually like in Brain Training. This doesn’t add anything to the game, and it simply means that an already lengthy process will take even longer to complete. It honestly feels like the developers just threw in a bunch of features for the sake of showing off, rather than for the sake of gameplay.

C.O.P: The Recruit has amazing technology, there’s no doubt about that. However, that technology just doesn’t result in a good game. It’s boring, clunky, incredibly frustrating, and at times feels almost unplayable. In the end, maybe it’s true that you can’t create a truly 3D open world on the DS- or at the very least, one with decent controls and fun gameplay.

By Mark Vellios

Graphics: A+

A huge open world with no fog, no slowdown, and loads of detail.

Sound: B-

Not much variety in tunes, but definitely catchy.

Gameplay: E-

Awful controls, boring missions, and convoluted menus. It just isn’t fun to play.

Overall: E+

On a technical level, it’s a benchmark for the DS. On a gameplay level, it won’t hold your interest for more than five minutes.

If you’ve ever played a Pokémon game before you can skip this paragraph, but for those few people who haven’t then you should probably read on. Pokémon are creatures found all over the Pokémon world that can be caught and kept in small capsules known as Pokéballs. These ‘Pocket Monsters’ can be used to battle other trainers’ Pokémon or capture wild Pokémon. Man, that’s a lot of Pokémon. Anyway, the battles play out in a turn-based format, with you instructing your Pokémon on what moves to use. You receive your first Pokémon from the local professor (in this case, Professor Elm) and then you are released into the Pokémon world to wreak Poké-havoc on everybody else. Well, not entirely. Your real task is to capture all the Pokémon so you can become the Pokémon Master and at the same time also become the Pokémon League Champion. In order to fulfil the professor’s second requirement, you must travel around the Pokémon world; defeat the eight Gym leaders and eventually, the Elite Four and then you’ll become the Pokémon League Champion. After this you can basically just spend your life visiting the new areas of the game (which are unlocked after defeating the Elite Four) and capturing and training Pokémon until your cartridge explodes.

The foundation of every Pokémon game, a part of what makes them so addictive, is the surprisingly deep battle system. Each Pokémon has a type, and certain type attacks do extra damage against certain type Pokémon, while other kinds of attacks do half damage against certain type Pokémon. For example; water attacks do double damage against fire Pokémon, but only half damage against grass Pokémon. Each Pokémon can only know four different moves, which is where a lot of the strategy comes from. Each move is of a certain type, so you might have to decide between a stronger move of a type you might already have a move of, or a weaker move of a type you might not have a move of. Other things that come into consideration are the attack and special attack stats of your Pokémon, whether the move is physical or special, and the attack bonus you get if the move you use is the same type as your Pokémon. All this is played out in a turn-based format, with the Pokémon with the highest speed stat attacking first. This is the basis of the entire game, the solution to most things in the Pokémon world is a battle, and it’s really what makes the game so addictive and enjoyable. If not for the strong battle system, the game would easily fall on its own face. If not for this tried and true formula, perfected over the course of over a decade, the franchise would have failed.

A travelling hobo walks his pet dog.

Certainly, the graphics would do nothing to redeem it. The weak overworld 3D engine, carried on from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, does its job adequately, but not particularly well. It certainly isn’t horrible, but there have been worse DS games with much better graphics. The battle graphics leave a little something to be desired, too. Battles look much the same as in the original Game Boy Pokémon games, just in colour and with more detail in the sprites, though this may be on purpose. There are some nice effects for certain moves, but this really isn’t a game for visual buffs.

On the other hand, the BGM, while still sounding like it belongs on a Game Boy, is extremely catchy, in a retro, stick-in-your-head kind of way. Most of it is remixed from the original tunes, and as such are very nostalgic in certain areas. Though I, personally, never played the original Gold or Silver, the tunes from Red and Blue are still present in the Kanto region, all still as memorable as they were in their original context. One large complaint I have about the sound is the various growls and rumblings each Pokémon makes as they enter a battle. They’re still the old 8-bit style sounds from the GameBoy, even with the Pokémon from the more recent generations. Would it really be that hard, Nintendo, to include one voice clip of each Pokémon saying their name, like they do in the anime? Actually, since there is 493 of the suckers now, it might be a challenge to fit one for each into the tiny DS cartridge.

Gyms attract some unsavoury types. Check out shades behind the pillar.

Also included in the HeartGold and SoulSilver packages is the Pokéwalker, a pedometer that tracks the steps you take each day, and gives you ‘watts,’ the currency used by the gadget, which let you catch Pokémon while not technically in the game. It’s a fun distraction, and a worthwhile extra if you want to catch some rare Pokémon you can’t find in game, but it is just an extra, and, as such, is in no way a requirement to complete the game. Like in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, you can import Pokémon from your GBA games to use in HeartGold and SoulSilver, provided you have an original DS or a DS Lite. This is also not a requirement, but it’s still a very cool extra.

Really, in the end, if you’ve ever played a Pokémon game before, you’ll know exactly what to expect from HeartGold and SoulSilver, and you’ll know whether you’ll enjoy it or not. If you have never played one, this is definitely a good choice to start. While it is only a remake, it is a remake of what is, arguably, the best game in the series, and, in my opinion, it has inherited that title for itself. There’s at least 40 hours to waste here, and that’s just in finishing the main story, so it’s definitely value for money. The Pokéwalker is an awesome extra, which may end up swaying some people who are on the fence about the game, but make no mistake, Pokémon is a great game, and I doubt you’ll ever regret it if you do buy it.

By Ben Hauser

Graphics: B-

The visuals are adequate, and not really much more, even though they should be.

Sound: A-

Classic retro tunes remixed coupled with crappy 8-bit growls.

Gameplay: A

Pokémon has been and will (probably) always be an addictive and brilliant experience.

Overall: A-

Looking for over 40 hours of adventure with addictive game play and some cool extras? You’ll find exactly that here.

Sumo Digital were the developers behind the DS version of this game, and you can tell right from the beginning they’ve really done their homework. Just about everything within this game is borrowed from the king of kart, Mario Kart. But, like they say, imitation is the biggest form of flattery. In-game kart mechanics, online options, character statistics and much more are all borrowed from Nintendo’s well-established kart series, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sumo Digital, unlike the many other game development teams, has been smart enough to realise that Nintendo’s kart racing series uses a tried and tested formula that should be acknowledged and embraced in order to be successful.

It becomes obvious that Sumo has drawn inspiration from the Mario Kart series as early as the first menu screen, because the first two options presented to you are the core elements of any decent kart racing game: single player and multiplayer. After this, you’ll no doubt be able to sigh with relief and search through the options on offer within these two modes. Single player mode allows players to select from Grand Prix, single race, time trial and mission mode. Grand Prix has three difficulties: easy, medium and hard, and let’s you play through a number of cups. Single race lets you play as any unlocked character on any unlocked course. Time trial is a race against the clock and Mission Mode is basically the same as Mario Kart DS’s version, giving you tasks like collecting rings or racing against a number of opponents. The multiplayer component of the game also gives players some safe and standard options. There is single card, multi-card and an online mode, the last of which allows players to verse a bunch of random people, friends or view the worldwide leader boards to see who has the best lap time for each track.

When one of these modes has been selected, you then choose a character from the SEGA cast (eg. Tails, Shenmue or Alex Kidd) and pick one of the 24 themed tracks to race on. Each character has unique stats, but the differences aren’t that noticeable unless you’re a hardcore kart racing player. The controls are spot on and Sumo Digital has nailed the power sliding and turbo technique. As for the tracks, in comparison to a game like Mario Kart or even Diddy Kong Racing DS, All-Stars Racing will no doubt leave players with mixed feelings. Some tracks (like the Sonic or Super Monkey Ball ones) feel really well designed whereas others (like the Billy Hatcher circuits) could have used with a bit more effort. The distinctive feature of each of these tracks is that they have multiple paths from start to finish. Besides this, most of the stuff Sumo Digital has done with All-Stars’ characters and tracks has all been done before in games like… (drum roll) Mario Kart. Question mark boxes have been replaced with Sonic-themed item capsules, boosting mushrooms are now Sonic boots and drift boosts are now drift turbos.

What's Sonic doing in Bowser's Castle?

Outside of the standard material, Sumo Digital has included a few different features within All-Stars. For starters, there is the license system. Over the course of the game your license is upgraded as you complete cups in the Grand Prix mode, beat ghosts in time trial and win races online. This nice little feature keeps players motivated and also even rewards them with credit, allowing them to purchase new characters, tracks and music. So rather than just unlocking things randomly, All-Stars gives players the ability to purchase what they want, when they want. Besides the license feature, during races each character is able to receive their own unique power-up which may or may not become available to them depending on their position in the race. For example, AiAi from Super Monkey Ball will get in his ball and roll around to speed up, and Ulala from Space Channel 5 has the ability to distract all her opponents from the race with some cool tunes.

In terms of visuals, this game looks quite impressive. The majority of third-party developers never seem to be able to get much power out of the DS, but Sumo Digital has done a reasonably good job. The tracks are all nice and colourful and the character models look just like their console version counter-parts. The sound is equally as pleasing. Players will hear classic lines of dialogue from characters, noises from well-known items, and catchy tunes from all of SEGA’s game series.

Oh no, it's that nightmare where I get chased by giant bananas.

As good as Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing is, unfortunately, it falls short in a few areas. For starters (as far as this reviewer could tell), playing the Grand Prix mode on different difficulties doesn’t do anything. If you play through each cup on easy once, you unlock them on all of the harder difficulties as well. About the only thing you get out of playing the Grand Prix mode on a higher setting is more credit. The multiplayer modes also have a few letdowns as well. The single pack mode only allows 2 racers to verse each another and the connection is closed after every single race, meaning if you want to play more than one race you’ll have to get your mate to download the game from you again. There are no options for a set of races, which is disappointing, because Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing DS are quite generous in this area. The other multiplayer problem is in relation to the online section of the game. For some reason, only a few tracks are available to play on, and the one with the most votes is raced on. Apart from this, the options in this game aren’t quite as extensive as Mario Kart and as a result it just falls short.

Overall, Sumo Digital has done a good job on Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Sure, the title isn’t as polished as Mario Kart DS or even Diddy Kong Racing DS, but it will no doubt capture many players’ hearts because it features a brilliant line-up of SEGA characters, tracks and music. This title is highly recommended to SEGA fans and anyone else out there who is looking for a new kart racing game on the DS.

By Liam Doolan

Graphics: B+

Good enough to remind fans why they love SEGA so much.

Sound: B+

There are plenty of classic sounds and tunes from many SEGA titles within this game.

Gameplay: B+

The collection of characters and tracks within this game will satisfy any SEGA fan and will no doubt entertain any DS gamer who enjoys kart racing games. The only real let down is the lack of options on offer, especially in the multiplayer section of the game.

Overall: B+

Sumo Digital has done what many thought was impossible: created a good Mario Kart clone.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is the latest entry in the toon Zelda series. In this game, the events are set exactly 100 years after The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Link is a rail engineer. Yes, that’s right, a rail engineer. He is a fully-qualified rail engineer – how cool is that? Anyway, on the same day Link is to be awarded the title of rail engineer, the spirit tracks (the mystical train tracks in this new Zelda world) begin to disappear. Chaos then breaks loose, and in a blink of an eye Chancellor Cole and Byrne (Staven), the new villains of the game, dislodge Zelda’s spirit from her body to free the Demon King, Malladus. From here on, it is up to Link and Zelda’s spirit to restore the spirit tracks, recover Zelda’s body and bring back peace to the land of Hyrule.

Unlike the mediocre storyline in Spirit Tracks, the gameplay in the title is actually bearable. Okay, so ‘bearable’ may be exaggerating things a little, but the gameplay in this new Zelda title is honestly much better than the weak storyline and relatively forgettable characters. Anyway, Spirit Tracks runs on the exact same engine as Phantom Hourglass, so as expected, this new DS Zelda title plays and feels exactly like the previous one. Gamers who were lucky enough to experience Phantom Hourglass will feel right at home with Spirit Tracks. Apart from the new storyline, locations and characters, about the only other noticeable thing about Spirit Tracks is that the whole game is more refined than its predecessor. The layout of the menus are better, Link’s roll is easier to execute, the HUB world is arguably more fun and the Spirit Tower (previously known as the Temple of the Ocean King in Phantom Hourglass) sections of the game are far less frustrating this time round thanks to the addition of Princess Zelda.

Man, those spiders are going to make some exotic roadkill.

Disappointingly, however, there are a few problems with the gameplay. Besides the obvious (*cough* the train *cough*), there is Link’s new musical instrument, the Spirit Flute. At times it can often become a hassle and major distraction from the main quest. The blowing in general throughout the game can become quite irritating as well. During his adventure, Link acquires a weapon which requires the player to repeatedly blow into the mic to function it, and frankly, this just becomes a pain in the neck (literally) when the player has to constantly move their head in towards the DS to get a weapon to work properly. Besides the sections of the game that require players to have a healthy set of lungs, the gameplay in Spirit Tracks is mainly spot on from start to finish. Some could argue that this title has recycled a few ideas from the previous Zelda games, which might seem lazy, but others might interpret this as nostalgic.

The RSPCA does not condone Link's treatment of animals.

In the sound and visuals department, Spirit Tracks is essentially the same as Phantom Hourglass. There are still handy 2D maps, stunning cel-shaded graphics and many impressive cut scenes. The visuals haven’t aged one bit, and unlike the many other DS games out on the market, Spirit Tracks is actually pushing the DS’s visual capabilities. On the sound front, the musical scores are magnificent; there are many catchy tunes within the game and also plenty of traditional sounds. Zelda fans and regular players are sure to be pleased with both the sound and graphics in Spirit Tracks.

As mentioned earlier in this review, Spirit Tracks is basically just Phantom Hourglass 2.0. There are new characters to meet, locations to visit and things to do, but at the end of the day it is still running on the same engine as Phantom Hourglass, meaning that the gameplay, visuals and sound are pretty much unchanged. None of these is a bad thing, however, as it is a more polished Zelda DS experience overall. Of course, there are a few minor downsides such as the weak storyline, forgettable characters and regular blowing sections, but asides from these The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks truly is an improvement on Phantom Hourglass and a worthy addition to any DS owner’s collection.

By Liam Doolan

Graphics: A

The visuals in this title are outstanding. Even though they are the exactly the same as the ones that featured in Phantom Hourglass, they still look great by today’s standards. This is also one of the few recently released games to make proper use of the DS’s visual capabilities.

Sound: A

The musical scores and sounds are superb.

Gameplay: A-

Besides the blowing sections, the gameplay in Spirit Tracks is excellent. It is like a Phantom Hourglass 2.0. The game is more refined overall than its predecessor.

Overall: A-

The majority of the gameplay is fantastic, but at the end of the day this game has to be rated as a whole, and considering that this is a Zelda title with a mundane storyline, forgettable characters (none as memorable as Linebeck) and a few other annoying problems, it cannot be awarded the perfect score.

For the unacquainted, Kingdom Hearts is a series that began on the PS2 and is the lovechild of the Disney and Square Enix universes. It is an action RPG that has become rather prominent in the gaming sphere over the past few years, currently containing Kingdom Hearts & Kingdom Hearts 2 for the PS2, and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a spin-off on the GBA. 358/2 Days is another spin-off title, this time following the story of Roxas and his days spent within the ranks of Organization XIII (days which occur between the stories of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2). You may remember Roxas from the tutorial in Kingdom Hearts 2, and his story was quite rudely cut short and left incomplete due to Sora stealing the game’s main focus. This game aims to flesh out his story, and explain why Roxas is the only one that can create Kingdom Hearts because of the infamous Keyblade he wields. To delve any further into the story would spoil it completely, but rest assured a lot of answers that went unanswered in KH2 will be revealed.

And when I said earlier that the game is pretty much on par with the PS2, we all know that a DS cartridge simply can’t hold enough information to create the free roaming worlds that the PS2 delivers, and because of that, the game is mission based. After every mission you ‘Return to Castle’ (RTC) to talk to the boss to receive the details of your next mission. This works rather well as you can play the game in shorter bursts, which suits the handheld format perfectly. Missions range from killing x amount of enemies, reconnaissance (walking around a new world and finding all points of interest) and destroying bosses. The graphics do however get a little jaggy at times, but overall the presentation is extremely polished.

Even plants are enemies in KH 358/2 Days.

The controls handle mostly like the PS2 equivalents, but not having a joystick can lead to cramps in some of the more long-winded battles. It also makes running around in a less-rigid way near impossible, due to the d-pad only having four directions. This of course isn’t Kingdom Hearts’ fault, rather the technical limitations of the DS. The controls also perfectly navigate through the part-menu, part-action command scheme, which has made a welcome comeback.

Something that is a first for the series so far is the ability to play multiplayer with up to 3 other people (Multi-card Play). It’s awesome that you can choose any Organisation XIII member to play as, but unfortunately you can’t actually progress with the members in the main story.

Always trying to be the funny one...

I think the main thing that exists right throughout this game is nostalgia, and it’s what makes it so great. That’s why I think non-Kingdom Hearts fans are going to find it hard to really get into this one, as it’s impossible for nostalgia to exist if you’re totally new to a series. I recommend starting at the beginning with Kingdom Hearts, or somehow filling in the story gaps, otherwise you’ll more than likely find the game’s story unbearable due to its relatively slow pace.

It’s not particularly suited to newcomers to the series, but if you’re a Kingdom Hearts fan it’s a given purchase (no doubt you’ve probably gone out and bought it already). For people new to the KH universe, go back and fill in what you’ve missed while you still can, and I can guarantee you’ll be glad you did. Probably won’t be for everyone, but a brilliant DS game nonetheless.

By Matthew Williams

Graphics: A-

A few jaggies here and there, but an extremely polished display on the whole.

Sound: A

The Kingdom Hearts soundtrack we all know and love, almost identical to past games. Sound effects are all the same too (menu sounds, etc).

Gameplay: A

Seamless execution, hard to fault.

Overall: A

A welcome addition to the KH story and franchise that does the series proud. Bring on Kingdom Hearts 3!

The actual gameplay of Scribblenauts consists of travelling between varying loosely themed worlds which contain multiple puzzles. The puzzles play out in small 2D world that you must solve in order to collect the ‘starite’ at the end of the level. For the most of part they’re pretty interesting, varied and keep the player gripped, but the novelty does start to lose its appeal after a while. Luckily there is a level creator which brings enough replay value to validate a long term purchase.

The controls however leave a lot to be desired. Frustrating levels start becoming more and more frequent from World 2 onwards, due to the levels gradually increasing in difficulty. Maxwell’s controls go on to make them extremely difficult puzzles when they shouldn’t be, as often you’ll see him voluntarily walk into shark-infested waters or run straight off a ledge, resulting in a restart of the level. Tapping the touch screen allows you to select and move summoned objects, but it also makes Maxwell move around. To any straight-thinking person, a problem instantly arises, because of course if you miss tapping directly on an object it will send Maxwell running, often frivolously to his imminent doom. The development team somehow missed this factor, and instead made the d-pad solely control the camera. However problems are also rife with the camera in Scribblenauts, as the level view camera moves with Maxwell, but in very jerky and quick motions, rather than smoothly. It also centres back on him after a few seconds, (if you’ve manually moved the camera elsewhere) so if you’re trying to solve something in a different area of the puzzle, tough luck, because the camera wants to be focused on Maxwell rather than what you want to do. The collision detection with some items also isn’t up to scratch, so if the whole control scheme was taken back to the drawing board in the development stage the game could have improved itself substantially.

Maxwell's monocle was definitely necessary for completing this puzzle, honest! The hat on the raptor however...

In saying all that, and even with its flaws, Scribblenauts is just plain fun. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve lost just typing in completely random and often obscure things to watch Maxwell hold it in his hands with pride while beating a rat with it. Or how many puzzles I’ve resorted to taking to the skies riding a pterodactyl with a meat cleaver in my hand wearing a bikini to get to that elusive starite. Either way, I guarantee you will enjoy Scribblenauts, as it’s a great puzzle game that attacks the genre from a brand new direction and pulls it off with style.

By Aaron Dark (Rambo)

Graphics: B

Nothing to write home about, stylistic, hand drawn feel that works, which is often more than I can say about other DS games.

Sound: C+

Not much variety in tunes, but definitely catchy.

Gameplay: A

If you can get past the controls, you’re in for a treat.

Overall: A

A great game that is a showcase for a new and exciting idea, and is only the start of what will hopefully appear and be improved upon in games of the future.

Much like Frodo, I did not ask for this burden, and now that it’s over I can safely say that I didn’t enjoy this burden either. But dammit, this isn’t about me, this is about you, the readers, who have a right to know if these landmark Aussie releases are worth your money.

To make things easier, I will cover the two games separately, starting with…

AFL MASCOT MANOR

Seeing as I’m from Western Australia, AFL was the logical choice to start off with. I also think the fact that there hasn’t been a decent AFL game for over a decade played a part in my decision, since I was eager to discover if the sport had finally been done justice.

The game begins with the story of Toby, a young kid who loves football, discovering the OuterWorld where the mascots live. You, one of 16 AFL mascots (the Gold Coast one must have been away on business at the time) who inhabit the Manor, have to take him on an adventure to win his support or team spirit or something. Um… yeah. Not the most inspiring stuff ever, but what the hey.

The game revolves around 16 themed worlds, each containing three stages. Once you pick your mascot, who comes with a special ability, you must complete your own world before unlocking all the others. At the end of each world is a boss fight in the form of whichever mascot lives there, and once you defeat him you can unlock their special ability for your own use, as well as play against their team in an AFL match.

Playing this game truly is hell.

With all the explanations out of the way, I selected Rick ‘The Rock’ Eagle and began my extremely underwhelming adventure into the OuterWorld. The graphics aren’t too bad as far as cartoony 3D goes, but the stage design leaves a lot to be desired. Each stage is extremely simple and linear- think Crash Bandicoot on PS1, but shorter- although some stages have one or two branching paths. Through these dull stages, you must practice dull platforming and engage in dull combat, wrapped up in terrible animations and awful controls that make it more frustrating than fun. What, you were expecting something else?

As well as being dull, the combat seems to have zero variety between characters. I played as a few different mascots and they all had the same move- a punch. And it’s the same damn punch every time. Each character also has a special move, which looks nice but doesn’t add much to combat. The names are pretty hilarious though, with Captain Carlton’s ‘Lygon Street Limbo’ being a personal favourite.

Each stage involves collecting stuff like money and health powerups, which appear when you kill enemies or destroy signs. I’m not sure why the AFL thought a game where you swing your fists at every solid surface would be a good way to promote the game to young kids, but whatever. Running through the stages is pretty frustrating because your character moves and turns like he’s stuck in treacle, leading to extra frustration. I also should mention the other great evil that attacks you relentlessly throughout the stages- the sound. While the sound effects’ only crime is being too basic, the music is truly diabolical, especially since it goes for less than a minute before being repeated on a loop. Some stages have bearable music, but the one on Rock’s stages was the most grating and annoying song I’ve heard in a game in a really long time! It didn’t take long before I turned the volume right down.

Too bad you can't steal Karmichael Hunt cards off the NRL game.

After suffering through a couple of worlds, it was time to play some AFL, hooray! The AFL in this game is seven-a-side, with fixed rosters that you can improve by collecting the corresponding player cards in the main game. The team selection is extremely strange, and I was surprised to see Ashley Hansen contesting the center bounces, especially when there was a perfectly good ruckman (Dean Cox) playing up forward! As for the gameplay, it’s too simplified and too easy for its own good, but on the plus side, handballing seems to be more effective than it was in AFL Challenge on the PSP (made by the same developer). And of course, kicking goals, no matter how easy or ridiculous (kicking the ball over your head from 40m out anyone?), is always good for a laugh.

There is one small twist in the AFL game- when you reach quarter-time, the teams change direction but the formation doesn’t! This act of extreme laziness meant that I had Darren Glass, a full-back whose goal tally hasn’t hit double digits yet, playing as the main forward! Fortunately, since I had collected his card during the platforming section, he ended up being a brilliant forward, kicking goals from all over the place and dominating opponents on the ground and through the air. Then again, he probably would have done that without the card, because I don’t think the stats make much difference.

So overall, AFL Mascot Manor sucks. The platforming sucks and the AFL game sucks. Can its rival do any better?

NRL MASCOT MANIA

NRL Mascot Mania follows the same format as the AFL game, but this time you’re not trying to win the support of some punk kid who isn’t worth a damn. This time, you’re fighting for the respect of Roo, the mascot of the Australian national team! Now we’re talking! Roo is someone who you want to impress, someone who matters, and to top it all off, the prologue claims that ‘last year you fought badly, and the other mascots mocked your team’! Ooooh, them’s fightin’ words!

But which team should I pick? Unfortunately, I’ve only been able to attend one NRL match in my life- the Rabbitohs vs Storm match that was played in Perth in 2009. After narrowing it down to those two, I chose the Storm as my surrogate team because, let’s face it, the Rabbitohs suck. I mean, what kind of rugby team doesn’t even have cheerleaders? Besides, the Storm have Greg Inglis and Billy Slater, two players who I was looking forward to unleashing on hapless opposition teams as I often do in Rugby League 2: World Cup Edition.

And there’s an interesting side-note to consider. While AFL games have been a parade of inaccurate, unplayable garbage since the rather enjoyable AFL 98, rugby league actually has been well represented in the world of videogames. The aforementioned RL2:WCE for PS2 is one of the most fun sports games I’ve ever played. So, will NRL’s superior videogame quality carry over to this game?

Even the mascots felt like taking a holiday away from the game.

When I started playing as Boom (the Storm mascot) I noticed that his world was playing the same damn music that already drove me nuts in Rock’s world! Argh! I also noticed that the games were essentially identical, right down to most of the stages being recycled to the point of confusion. I mean, I understand why St Kilda’s mascot (a saint) would have a stage called ‘Pearly Gates’, but what does that have to do with the Storm? There are a few worlds that are unique to certain games, but I doubt they’d make enough of a difference to influence a purchase.

But here’s the interesting thing: the NRL game does have a few little things that make it better. While every AFL mascot seems to have the exact same punch, the NRL ones vary it up a bit. Boom shoots lightning at the ground in front of him, the Cronulla Shark mascot kicks enemies with his tail, and the Parramatta Eels mascot bites enemies. It all has the same affect on enemies, not to mention the same sound effect, but it adds some semblance of variety that the AFL game lacked. And on that note, the design of the NRL mascots is far more imaginative than the AFL ones. Boom hops around on a single lightning bolt as opposed to having legs, the Shark walks on his tail, and the Eel crawls on his belly. While it doesn’t make a lick of difference to the gameplay, it’s a darn sight more interesting than having 16 bipedal characters who all have an identical running animation.

You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn!

To the NRL mini-game, and lo and behold, it’s actually better than the AFL one! Okay, it’s still garbage and over-simplified, but the fundamentals aren’t too bad. As in the other game, this is seven-a-side action, with three on the left, three on the right, and one in the middle. And just like in the AFL game, the formation refuses to swap when the teams change sides, so your left winger in the first half becomes your right winger in the second half. There are tons of issues that detract from the game- conversions are automatic cut scenes with no skill required from the player and no chance of missing, drop goals need to be aimed but there’s no arrow showing what direction you’re aiming, there’s only one kick so forget about bombs and grubbers, there’s no running moves like sidesteps and shoulder barges to add depth, and so on. However, if you play the game normally, the simple run-and-pass game is surprisingly fun and occasionally challenging!

The big problem with this mini-game is that it’s too easy to break, because if you have a player with a normal card, there’s a really cheap strategy that you can exploit. All you have to do is run until you’re about to get tackled, kick the ball right over the defence, sprint onto it, and recover it for massive gain or a try. The reason why this works is because getting player cards boosts that player’s stats, particularly their speed and tacklebreaking, which means that they can outrun the entire defence and shrug tackles when running onto the loose ball. It works well enough with a normal card, but my oh my, wait until you unlock the rare cards. After getting the rare card for Greg Inglis, I used this strategy to pummel the Dragons 115-6! And no, that’s not a typo.

WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

In this unique battle of the codes, there are no real winners because both games are terrible. But if I had to choose one over the other, the trophy goes to NRL Mascot Mania. While the games are mostly identical, NRL has more interesting and varied mascots as well as a better sporting mini-game, but that doesn’t mean you should consider buying the game. If you are an NRL fan, you should be playing Rugby League 2: World Cup Edition for PS2, because it’s fun, challenging and deep. As for long-suffering AFL fans, AFL Mascot Manor is pretty much a new low for AFL games, so you may as well forget it exists and look ahead to 2010, when the new AFL game for PS3 arrives to once again build up our hopes before cruelly dashing them. Oh, and don’t even bother with AFL Challenge on PSP, because it’s from the same company who made Mascot Manor and it’s just as bad, if not worse. But I digress. In closing, these games are definitely aimed at kids, but they’re not very well-made so don’t be surprised if your kids don’t like them either.

By Mr_M

Graphics: D+

The framerate is smooth and some of the worlds look fairly decent. Graphics are PS1-grade 3D, with jagged edges and basic textures.

Sound: E-

Barely adequate sound effects and horrible music.

Gameplay: E-

Dull levels, dodgy controls and boring combat. The AFL/NRL mini-games are fun for a short while, but too simple and easy for their own good.

Overall: E-

This is strictly a kid’s game, and not even a good one at that.

LEGO Battles is a Real Time Strategy (RTS) game which allows you to play as one of three factions, all based off real LEGO franchises. There’s Castle, represented by the latest Castle line which is still available in stores, Pirates, represented by the latest Pirates line plus a few classic pirate sets and some Islanders thrown in for good measure, and Space, represented by the Mars Mission franchise and the latest Space Police sets. Each faction has a good and evil campaign, and each campaign contains those hilarious 3D cutscenes that are synonymous with LEGO games. As usual, they contain various noises and grunts in place of real words (it’s quite hilarious seeing a pirate who’s only dialogue is ‘Arrr’. In fact, you wonder why it didn’t happened sooner), but the characters are so expressive that they tell the story better than words could. That’s all well and good, but great presentation will only go so far. So how does it play?

The best way to describe the gameplay system is ‘Starcraft for beginners’, and it really is amazing how similar the games are. You start off with a command center which builds drones that can build structures and gather resources (the only resource in this game being LEGO bricks, of course). You need to build certain structures to increase the number of units you can build. You build mines over openings in the ground to gather resources from there. You can set rally points for your barracks (but to be fair, most RTS games have that option). And finally, there is a limit to the amount of units you can select at a time, but unlike Starcraft this game only lets you select 9 at a time instead of 12.

LEGO District 9: Out in December!

It all seems pretty solid, but the main oversight of LEGO Battles is that it only lets you create one squad at a time. Whereas most PC games allow you to assign nine or ten squads to the number keys for extra strategic flexibility, LEGO Battles only gives you the one. This will be frustrating for hardcore RTS veterans, but it’s not hard to work around if you’re committed to the game. This is mainly because the units are surprisingly smart and quite capable of fending for themselves, and it is possible to leave groups of units alone while you pay attention to your main squad, which cuts out a lot of possible frustration. Another plus is that the pathfinding is surprisingly good. Sure, units will usually stop moving completely if they run into a wall or another unit twice, but if you watch them as they move you’ll notice that they navigate narrow paths and obstacles really well. Just remember to regularly give move orders when navigating narrow paths and you should be fine.

There are a few other flaws that prevent this game from being a classic. For a start, there are some quirks with the controls, like having to touch an enemy or structure in the bottom left corner to attack it, that take a bit of getting used to but don’t ruin the game completely. The game is also prone to slowdown during big battles, which is pretty frustrating, and the lack of online play is really disappointing. But the biggest flaw of the game is the difficulty because, just like all the other LEGO games, if you play this with the aim of merely completing the stages it’s really short and easy. Fortunately, there are studs and minikits to collect and extra stuff to unlock, so if you’re a completist it seems much longer and deeper.

LEGO Merlin: With John Hurt as the Dragon!

The game is full of easter eggs and little touches that will appeal to any LEGO fan. Aside from the obvious fact that all of the units are based on real LEGO sets that are/were available to buy, it’s a real thrill seeing mounted knights riding those classic LEGO horses, or pirate ships firing LEGO cannonballs instead of real ones, and so on. Also, during the first space cutscene, the camera panned across the Mars landscape and I spotted the corpse of a BlackTron minifigure. Its little touches like this that adds greatly to the appeal, and it’s clear that Traveller’s Tales have as much love and respect for this franchise as they did for all the other franchises that got the LEGO treatment.

The thing about LEGO Battles is that most of the fun comes from playing as those great LEGO units, and it’s a shame that the game doesn’t play to that strength and really delve deeper into LEGO’s back catalogue. In my opinion, they should make a sequel for PC (or even DSi) where you can download unit packs from older LEGO sets. Imagine what it would be like to roll across the land with giant Spyrius robots, or torpedo battleships with AquaShark submarines. The potential for crazy match-ups is staggering, and I hope LEGO takes advantage of it in future.

Overall, much like all of the other LEGO games developed by Traveller’s Tales, LEGO Battles is a fundamentally solid, well-presented game that is really easy, almost to a fault, in order to appeal to kids and casual gamers. Hardcore RTS veterans will beat this game in their sleep, but younger players or RTS beginners will find a lot to like. It’s not perfect, but it’s a fun, solid game and a great foundation for a possible new franchise. UFOs in the next game please!

By Mr_M

Graphics: B+

Colourful art style and great 3D cutscenes.

Sound: B-

Not much variety, but the sound is clear, the music is decent, and each unit makes a distinctive sound.

Gameplay: C+

The difficulty is aimed squarely at kids and casual gamers, but the core game is solid and could appeal to anyone. Just like all the other LEGO games.

Overall: C+

A fun game with great presentation that suffers from a lack of challenge. Still, seeing a LEGO game about a LEGO franchise that isn’t Bionicle is very encouraging.