The Year So Far in Games

We're now over half way through 2011! (I know, I can't believe it either. I keep thinknig it's still 2010.) As such, I should probably do a 'half way GOTY' thing on KN, but the 5 year Anniversary prompted enough list-related arguing, so I've decided instead, we'll just deal with this very important issue here, on my little blog thing. No fancy introductions, let's just start: My top 5 games of 2011 so far...

5. One of the titles bellow that I haven't actually played, but intend to soon as I've been somewhat too busy to play every single game that's come out, but know I'll love at least one of them. (My guess is currently Ghost Trick.
 

4. Kirby's Epic Yarn
Those of you who read this blog are probably yet to stumble upon this little nugget: I love platformers. Platformers of any kind tend to take my fancy, be they 2D, 3D or the current industry favourite, 2.5D. Epic Yarn, however, is a completely new sort of look and feel for the genre. The fabricy effects are simply excellent- Charming and also help the game feel completely unique, despite being about the eight trillianth 2D platformer released on Wii lately, just proving that 1995's favourite genre still isn't dead.

3. Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
I've just mentioned my love of jumping on things, however, Advance Wars is another title that has a habit of absorbing me in a way I wouldn't expect to be sucked in. Why am I mentioning this now? Because Ghost Recon on the 3DS may not seem like an ideal 3D showcase, but the turn-based strategy title is verging on being as good as it's Intellegent Systems-developer cousin. The best non-AW strategy game I've played in a long, long time. Possibly ever.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
A marketing teams' dream: It's the game commonly described as the best ever, now redone with visuals to do it justice, on a handheld system for the first time. The constant "96% -Gamesmaster, 1998" and "10/10 -Eurogamer, 1998" we're seeing still stand up today, with familiarity being only of the only things forcing it down into second positon. It's a great game, and the 3D genuinly works to make it feel even better.

1. Portal 2
I just made a post a few days ago telling you all how much I loved Portal 1. Well, lately I've managed to get stuck in with the sequel, and I'd like to confirm that it's still utterly brillaint and geniusly designed, even if I'm not enjoying it quite as much as I did the original, though a lot of that may be because the sheer magic of using the portal gun is begining to wear off. However, making comparisons to one of the best games ever is an unfair thing. Rated against the rest of this years' efforts, they hardly stand up. It's magestic. And going to be reviewed in a few days time, so I don't want to use up too many ways to describe it on this silly little blog.


There we have it. Oh, and keep your eyes on KN for lots of reviews over the next few weeks if you like the way I use words. If you don't, it's a lot better on there because I go back and check them, rather than punch them in and leave it as it is. OK, that's all for today. Bye bye everyone.

Games of the Winter

I'm sat here waiting for the delivery of my brand spanking new PlayStation 3 and decided, since the Royal Mail are so lazy and can't get round us quickly enough to let me enjoy some black box-based goodness , I'll update this blog thing again. Because I'm just such a boring person and can't find anything else to do with my life besides wait for video game systems on which to play games I'll simply dismiss as being 'Meh' before moving on. (Before I finished this blog, the system actually arrived. So I've been playing on it for the past day. This opening no longer applies. But yeah. The rest does.)

So here's my official time filler: My top picks for the Top 5 games due this winter. The games what I do want. It may be biased, but then it's my list, so it's got to be, otherwise it kinda defeats the objective of the whole list. Erm, yeah, let's begin.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
Nintendo/Nintendo 
Those of you who have read any of the collections of words I've put together in the past will have no doubt identified already that I quite like games involving boys wearing outlandish green outfits and sock-like hats going on epic quests. So it'll come as no suprise to you guys that I'm looking forward to the latest game in a franchise that consistantly seems to fit that bill.


Joking aside, Skyward Sword looks set to fill the Zelda-shaped hole that has been in my system since I finished Phantom Hourglass. (Spirit Tracks doesn't count. It felt like a quite good adventure game rather than a proper Zelda title.) The art style is spot-on if you ask me and the more open gameplay seems right up my street. (Link can now fly on a bird! Through the sky! Wherever he wants! All my past praise of Epona no longer applies.)
How my review shall probably close: "A spellbinding piece of digitalised entertainment on a huge scale and arguably the grandest Zelda to date. 96%"

Sonic Generations (PS3, Xbox 360, 3DS)
SEGA/Sonic Team
Another series I happen to be a fan of is Sonic the Hedgehog, which celebrated its' 20th Anniversary yesterday. (Happy Birthday!) However, even as a hardened fan, I have to admit that it can be somewhat... Up and down. The part of me that loves the Blue Blur is doing so off the back of pretty much Sonic 2 alone. Yes, the first 4 2D platformers were good, but once and once only has Sonic hit the true gaming heights so reguarly acheived by his bitter rival, Super Mario. ( See the next post, funnily enough.) However, I honestly believe that he may do it once more in Generations, the first time I've been truely excited about a Sonic game since... Well, pretty much ever. The old/new concept strikes me as a brilliant idea and provided they can get 2D Sonic to feel right, they're onto a winner. Sprinting through Green Hill Zone in 3D is going to BLOW MY MIND.
How my review shall probably close: "Another poentally great game butchered brutally by Sonic Team. It's 18 years since Sonic 2 took the hedgehog to near-gaming perfection, they've now missed their greatest chance to get it again. But I still liked it because I'm a soft, bias Sonic fan. 64%"

Super Mario 3D (3DS)
Nintendo/Nintendo
Not the final title, thankfully, although the purity suggested in the title does bleed through into the final game. This is 2D Mario as a 3D game. That's somewhat of a shame, as the 3D Marios are amongst the best games ever. (Besides Sunshine, which was merely a very good game and gets a lot of unfair stick. I'll go into more detail over my irrationbal love of the GameCube instalment at a later date.)  However, Super Mario World is Sonic 2's real rival to the title of 'Best 2D Platformer Ever' so you can't complain about the source material they're roughly adapting from. The levels are considerably shorter than in other 3D Mario games, fitting the handheld pick-up-and-play idea perfectly. I'm going to be all over it come Christmas time.
How my review shall probably end: "Miyamoto's done it again. An imperial ton of levels delivered in a perfectly diluted form. At last, there's a true reason to own a 3DS. 94%"

Mario Kart 3DS (Take a guess)
Nintendo/Nintendo + Retro Studios
It's the Retro Studios name that gives me any element of doubt over this game. I've loved all their work to date. Setiously, every single game they've ever made has been Mareep Award quality. So why am I so doubtful over their invovlment? After all, they're only handling the tracks. I'm doubtful simply because they are a western developer, influtrating a brilliantly Japanese racing game. While I don't doubt either of the devlopers abilities, the only real question is: Will it blend? I really hope so, but I can't say for sure. I just wanted Mario Kart Wii on a handheld, but I'm in the minority there. I'm sure they'll pull through, and I really hope they do and that gliding and diving are great, but just let me have my reservations about it all. If I didn't think it was going to be brilliant it wouldn't be on this list. I'm really not sure what kind of point I'm trying to make here.
How my review shall probably end: "Nintendo and Retro have proved the doubters wrong with the second-best Mario Kart to date, although I wish Bikes were still in it. 90%"

 Batman: Arkham City (PS3, Xbox 360)
Warner Bros/Rocksteady
I'm actually playing through the original at the moment, so it'll be nice to almost imediatly get a second slice of Bat-action. While I've long been more of a fan of camp, fluffy Batman, I've recently been converted after catching up on The Dark Knight only 8 million years late and as such the really quite enjoying KN's Game of the Year 2009. It is, though, obviously not on a grand enough scale, obviously. Taking down every single villian that Batman's ever had to face (More of less) must take place IN A BIGGER CITY. So Rocksteady have given us that. More places to look at! Yay! This game is obviously now perfect. It also now included Catwoman, who was too busy drinking milk out of a bowl to make the last instalment. I just hope throwing Batrangs will be less awkward.
How my review shall probably end: "Kapow! Biff! '60s Batman has finally been banished to it's grave with a x15 combo and a trophie unlocked. 91%"