Zera

WARNING: There is a puzzle in Zelda: Phantom Hourglass that REQUIRES you to close the DS. I assume this doesn't work with the 2DS, rendering the game unbeatable. I could be wrong though; you'll have to look into it.

I call dibs on Freedom Planet! I love a good platform action game!

1. Favorite game ever, and why? 2. Favorite Treasure game, and why? 3. Zelda or Metroid, and why? 4. Kirby or Klonoa, and why? 5. If you could change the sky's color for a week, what would it be?

I've cleared Main 1 in The Last Ranger. It's a very interesting game... seems like this one's gonna take awhile to complete.

Does that mean... we can never have a Hard mode in Kirby?

I think the problem with TPHD is that the original holds up so well that they simply couldn't improve it enough. But why the heck did they remove sword-wall collisions? TPHD is 7.8/10 for me.

The Completionist has reviewed Star Fox Zero. I skipped most of the video, but if Jirard likes it then so will I.

I hope Zelda Wii U stops being delayed.

I can play SNES games on Wii U, so I don't really need a N3DS. Federation Force looks mediocre, and aside from Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, I can't think of any other reason to get a N3DS. I wouldn't say current consoles are obsolete yet.

Shadowess and Jotari

Is Aquarossa a water level?

Sorry, I somehow forgot this thread was only for 3DS games. Allow me to swap my previous recommendation for a new one. How about... Mighty Flip Champs? It's a puzzle game where you flip through dimensions to win. As someone who S-ranked the entire game, I can tell you there is no game quite like this one. There are some difficulty spikes, but that's all the criticism I have for it.

I have written a review for Art of Balance. Please comment, rate, and subscribe! http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=63225

A Very Balanced Game... Intro: For some game developers, creating fun is as simple as a physics engine, some blocks, and putting those blocks in the right place. Developer Shin'en took this to the literal extreme with Art of Balance, a highly rated WiiWare puzzle game that was ported to the 3DS, and later the Wii U. This review is for the Wii U version. https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/WVW69i26eBQBy8E8lc (By the way, I discovered Art of Balance by driving backwards on a shortcut in Fast Racing Neo, another Shin'en game. Such clever advertising!) Presentation: For this version of Art of Balance, Shin'nen completely revamped the graphics. The realistic and detailed environments are complemented by a catchy soundtrack, and the game has a calm atmosphere that's perfect for puzzle solving. http://images.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/exclusive_shinen_multimedia_bringing_art_of_balance_to_the_wii_u_eshop/large.jpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrwlwzzecq4 Gameplay: The core mechanics of Art of Balance are simple - pick up blocks, position them, rotate them in 45-degree increments, and release them. Your goal in each level is to stack all available blocks on a stone base without letting any touch the bowl of water below. After placing the final block, a 3-second timer starts. If your stack doesn't collapse - or finish collapsing - in that time, you win! Solving levels requires thinking about what order to stack the blocks in and how to stack them, as well as the precision to actually do it. For a game like this, the physics engine is extremely important. Thankfully, the physics are realistic, smooth, and consistent, and most levels have more than one viable solution for the clever stacker. Each level has 4-7 blocks, but you can only select the first 3 from the right side. The shapes and types of unavailable blocks are shown in outlines, so you can plan ahead as necessary. You can place blocks with the control stick, the touchscreen, or a Wii Remote, and all three methods work great. With Wii Remotes, each mode can have up to five players, so this is a good game for families and groups of friends. Arcade mode is the main attraction, with 200 levels spread across 8 worlds (25 per world). Each world has a unique lounge environment and music, and most focus on a specific mechanic. The levels are presented through nonlinear world maps of increasing difficulty. In addition to the standard levels, each world has 3-5 challenge levels with special conditions - a minimum height requirement, a time limit, or an unstable base. http://boo.digitalchumps.com/images/artofbalance/level_selection.jpg World A uses only regular blocks. Also, it's really easy! World B uses weight blocks that break if 3 blocks are placed on top of them. World C uses timer blocks that break after a timer, which is activated by placing a block on top. World D combines blocks from Worlds A-C for tougher challenges. World E uses scale bases, which move up and down depending on the weight on each side World F uses gravity blocks, which reverse gravity when released. World G uses fire blocks, which break if they touch each other. World H combines mechanics from Worlds A-G for tougher challenges. The world selection screen shows the time spent and retries used in each world, and with this I determined that the Arcade mode is roughly five hours long. The only caveat is that without scores, times, or online leaderboards, there’s no replay incentive for this mode. …Which is why, in a stroke of genius, Shi’nen invented Endurance mode – it has all the things I just mentioned. This mode throws the 166 non-challenge levels at you at random, and you solve as many as you can with only three lives to earn a high score, which is sent to an online leaderboard. As you play a level, you earn - - 50 points for every block released. - 100 points for every block broken. After clearing the level, you earn - - 100 points for every life remaining. - 10 points for every second left (out of a minute). These two bonuses are affected by a difficulty multiplier from x1 to x8 for Worlds A to H. Unlike Arcade mode, this mode tests your overall mastery of the game – you can’t just be good at one level, you have to be good at ALL of them. This, in turn, encourages you to go back to Arcade mode to practice the levels that gave you trouble until you can solve them consistently. The scoring system and random levels make Endurance quite addictive, and ironically, much more arcade-like than Arcade mode. There are also 13 Awards, or achievements. 01. Solve 10 levels 02. Solve a level in World B or higher in under 30 seconds 03. Solve all challenges 04. Solve a complete world 05. Solve four worlds 06. Solve 50 levels 07. Solve 100 levels 08. Solve 150 levels 09. Solve 5 levels in a row in Endurance game mode 10. Solve 10 levels in a row in Endurance game mode 11. Solve 20 levels in a row in Endurance game mode 12. Get a score of 100,000 in Endurance game mode 13. Solve all worlds Personally, I don’t count 1-11, as they’re just stepping stones for the last two. Award 12 is by far the hardest to earn – even after stacking thousands of blocks, my best Endurance score is about 60,000. In fact, less than 40 people have over 100,000 points. This award alone drastically increases the length of the game. Tower Tumble is a Jenga-like multiplayer mode. Players take turns stacking blocks, and whoever makes the tower tumble loses the round while everyone else gets a point. This mode is fun because it's the only one where it’s useful to stack badly on purpose. The random block shapes and types, and random base, ensure that no two rounds are exactly the same. Swift Stacker is a split-screen mode where two players or teams try to solve the same puzzle as fast as possible. Whoever solves it first earns a point. You can also play this mode online with friends. There’s also random matchmaking, but you may be waiting HOURS because the servers are barren and devoid of life. I guess that’s the price of playing a game two years after its release. Flaws?: The cursor for moving blocks with the control stick is a bit slow. Without a button or option to increase the cursor speed, you’re better off using the touchscreen or a Wii Remote for Endurance and Swift Stacker. Although block outlines indicate block types, they do NOT indicate fire blocks. I’m not sure if this was an oversight, or if the levels were designed with this in mind, but these are the only levels that don’t give you all the information from the start. The difficulty multiplier for Endurance doesn't always reflect the difficulty. For example, B6.4 is as hard as H2.1, but H2.1 earns four times as many points simply because it's from World H. I also feel the multiplier affects your score slightly too much, so levels from Worlds A and B straddle a fine line between "Yay, free points!" and "Boo, waste of time!". Conclusion: Art of Balance is a surprisingly fun physics-based block-stacking puzzle-game. The production values are top-notch, and the large amount of levels and local multiplayer options make it an great puzzle game to enjoy alone or with friends. For what you get, the price feels just right. Highly recommended, unless you hate puzzle games for some reason. 9/10 (Awesome!) By the way, I should mention that each version of Art of Balance is unique. For your convenience, I took an extra effort to fully break down the features of each game. Art of Balance – WiiWare (Feb 15, 2010) 100 levels Arcade Mode (1-2 players) Swift Stacker (2 players) Cost: $8 Art of Balance TOUCH! – 3DS eShop (Jun 7, 2012) 200 levels Arcade Mode (1 player) Endurance Mode (1 player, system leaderboard) 13 Awards Portability Cost: $7 Art of Balance – Wii U eShop (Oct 9, 2014) 200 levels Arcade Mode (1-5 players) Endurance Mode (1-5 players, online leaderboard) Tower Tumble (2-5 players) Swift Stacker (2-5 players, 2 players online) 13 Awards HD graphics Cost: $9 The Wii U version is the best overall, but if you have no interest in multiplayer OR the online leaderboard for Endurance mode, you may prefer the 3DS version for its portability and cheaper price. There are demos for both as well.

I you like making things explode, you can also get Sin & Punishment (the first one) on Wii U for $12. The controls take time to get used to (even after remapping buttons), but the level design and bosses are excellent.

Reading some of the more negative reviews for The Last Ranger, I am very unsure about getting it. Apparently the game has issues with repetition, and you don't get a timer for the first part of the day, which sounds like something you need.

Get Pushmo, get it nooooow! Every 3DS owner that matters has Pushmo!

BrightBow, are you gonna write a review for it?

1. If you could pass one law, what would it be? 2. Ice cream cake, or cake ice cream? 3. Favorite Sin & Punishment game, and why? 4. Your favorite game by Intelligent Systems? 5. Impressions?

@Elieson: So the game has bad controls and short length? I don't mind length if it's infinitely replayable, but controls HAVE to be good and intuitive.

Thank you for your detailed, informative... uh, nevermind.

1. Favorite game developed by Treasure? 2. What's an Ahri? 3. Do you want to drive 1000 mph? 4. Zelda or Metroid? 5. Kirby or Klonoa?

So, what you're saying is... 49 characters (excluding Miis), 46 stages, 716 trophies, and INFINTE MODES OF FUN was not worth $60? I didn't even bother with the DLC. I got all of the fun without paying the... what is it, $40? I literally can't imagine adding any more DLC characters, unless it was a Sin & Punishment rep, of course. By the way... dreams can draw on all memories, not just the recent ones. You're probably not psychic.

Don't many of these also apply to non-RPGs?

"Intelligent Systems, why don't you shelve FE for now and make a new Advance Wars game?"