Rate the last game you played

Batman: Arkham Origins - PC - 6.5/10

To be honest, I was worried about this one from the start. Unlike the last two games, which were developed by RockSteady, the helm for Arkham Origins was taken Warner Bros. Interactive who only published the last two games. And while Arkham Origins is by no means a bad game, it does feel like Warner Bros. just wanted to take advantage of the success from before.

As it takes place during Batman's first year, it's obviously a younger Batman. Troy Baker has now been replaced by Roger Craig Smith who actually does a rather decent Batman voice. He doesn't hold a candle to Troy Baker and he sometimes sounds a little Christian Bale-ish but he does his job nicely. Troy Baker however has replaced Mark Hamill to voice The Joker and, while I think Mark Hamill is the perfect fit for him, Troy Baker comes incredibly close. So close that I almost can't tell the difference between the two. Almost. That is range if ever I heard it.

Gameplay wise, if you've played Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, you know what to expect. Stealth still works well, the freeflow combat remains (though it feels a tad butchered to me), Riddler Challenges return and the open world is still very... well, open. Too open. The open world is actually Gotham City itself and it's disturbingly empty outside of thugs, SWAT officers and Batman himself. The excuse the developers pile on is that a weather warning is in effect and citizens are advised to stay indoors... I don't think civilians would really do that, let alone all at once.

Overall, I actually feel Arkham Origins kind of takes a step backwards on this one. It's by no means a terrible game; the Dark Knight certainly has much worse titles under his Utility Belt. I do feel the Boss Fights are a definite step-up from the first game, even though I don't feel they're anything more than a test of Batman's own endurance. It might serve as a good starter if you want to get into the Arkham series and play them in chronological order (you'd save the best one for last if you did) but if a fourth game is made, it'll be better off with RockSteady again.

EDIT: My bad. It was Kevin Conroy who voiced Batman before. Don't know where I got Troy Baker from. But it's still Troy Baker voicing The Joker in Origins.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies - 3DS - 9.5/10


Easily the absolute best entry the series has to offer. The AA series has always shown that you don't need to be jumping platforms, shooting guns or driving fast cars to experience an amazing game and Dual Destinies can further attest to that. The writing is brilliant, the characters are lovable (no matter what side of the law they're on) and trying to prove your defendant is not guilty really pulls you into the case at hand. The fact that many characters from past games show up now and then such as Apollo Justice and even a brief interlude from Klavier Gavin is also a plus. And if you haven't played previous games, they explain who they are anyway to get you up to speed. If you want to start getting into the Ace Attorney series, Dual Destinies is a fantastic way to start off. True, it involves a lot of reading and a lot of paying attention to every detail and if that doesn't seem like your kind of thing, I at least encourage you to try out the demo first before you pass... well, judgment.

Now all they need to do is announce the Professor Layton crossover being localised and I'm set for life.

Eh, it's been a while. I'll give ratings to games I've played over the last few months, while only giving them short reviews:

Super Mario 3D World - Wii U - 8/10

The Galaxy games are better in my opinion, but get some buddies over and you can make it a great time.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - 9/10

My favourite game in the series. The sailing and naval battles from AC3 are reworked to make an exciting time and the stuff on-land is great too. My only problem is that there are too many missions based on tailing your target. I also love the music, particularly the sea shanties you can collect and have your crew sing.

Mario & Sonic Sochi 2014 - Wii U - 6.5/10

Finally being able to play online is great, even if it's only four events. But I have to be honest, the novelty of seeing these two franchises in the same game is wearing thin. There is a sense of charm in this one, though eg. there are certain characters in the events with pairs that have specific winning animations depending on the two characters. If you're curious, take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qVsx0LcWbA

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. - 3DS - 7/10

Believe it or not this is my first foray into the Mario & Luigi RPGs. The battles aren't particularly exciting but there is a sense of timing and strategy that works well for non-RPG enthusiasts such as myself.

The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 3DS - 8.5/10

This has taken the number three spot in my Holy Triforce (which is a Zelda fan's top three games in the series). It takes every little problem I had with Link To The Past and reworks them into something brilliant. It's advertised as a sequel, but I honestly think of it more as not quite a sequel, but a re-imagining. I had an absolute blast with this one.

Sonic Lost World - Wii U - 6/10

It's definitely not a terrible game, but the tubular level design isn't something I fully support. It can make for interesting alternate pathways, which I like, but there are a lot of moments where I'm not pressing any buttons and the game is making Sonic go forward for me. That's the thing I hated the most about Sonic 4: Episode 1. I also don't like The Deadly Six aside from Zazz. 

Phew. Caught up.

Just realised I missed one from last time. Let me fix that.

BioShock Infinite - PC - 8.5/10


Considering it's my only experience with the series, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The story is incredibly engaging with a good bond between Booker and Elizabeth that extends throughout the game. The ending is rather confusing at first before you figure it all out. I won't spoil why, but there's a good reason why there are a lot of videos of people filming their reactions. The floating city of Columbia really draws you in, too. As for the game itself, you don't need a good amount of experience with FPS games to enjoy it. Booker's ability to use vigors such as Fire, Lightning and even flesh-eating crows provide some elements of strategy, though it really depends on preferences in the end. Elizabeth's ability to tear through holes between dimensions is very helpful, both in combat and exploration. This is an adventure I highly recommend to anyone.

And now for something completely different more recent.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Wii U - 8.5/10


What DKC Returns set a standard for, Tropical Freeze expands upon. The inclusion of Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong are welcome and finding hidden trinkets and completing tough stages feels rewarding. Just about every character model looks flawless, especially DK himself with all that fur texture. I'm not a huge fan of the return of swimming segments but it's not a deal-breaker and for the most part, they don't outstay their welcome. Also, every loading screen makes me worried that my console's about to crash. Regardless of such, Tropical Freeze does a lot of things right and I can happily put this alongside Rayman Legends as the examples of how to do a modern platformer.

Goat Simulator - PC - 8/10

Words alone can't fully justify a purchase for this. It's an absolutely stupid game and that's why it's so enjoyable.

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - 3DS - 8/10

Just a formality, but it's worth mentioning I have never played any game in the Layton series. That's not to say the series doesn't interest me or that I don't know what to entirely expect, I just haven't played them. But I digress...

That was definitely worth the near four-year wait since the game was announced. Both Layton and Mr. Wright play off each other beautifully, even if it's a while before the two officially meet. Luke Triton and Maya Fey (whose appearance is rather confusing from a timeline perspective) are also great support characters playing their parts well. Uncovering the mystery behind Labyrinthia is full of twists, turns and secrets and keeps you guessing as to what's really the truth... although, it's a little anti-climactic, leaves a few unanswered questions and some of it feels like they were padding the game out, but I won't spoil why. The story definitely has problems, but it's an overall touching and heart-felt story and leaves you with a sense of satisfaction.

From what I can gather, though, out of the two franchises, the game seems to lean more in favour of Ace Attorney rather than Prof. Layton. That's not entirely a bad thing, I happily welcome more AA fans, but as a Layton newbie, it doesn't give me much of a reason to give the Layton series a spin. That said, the Layton segments and influences are welcome additions. The 70 puzzles (which, from what I've heard, is about half or so in a standard Layton game) are, for the most part, challenging, yet not headache-inducing. There were times when I was forced to use Layton's Hint Coins to unlock all four hints for a puzzle (and in one case, that still wasn't enough), but solving them does feel rewarding.

As for Layton's influence on Mr. Wright's side, they play out surprisingly naturally. Layton's Hint Coins can be used during trials, which essentially narrows down the choices as to what evidence to present or when exactly to press the witness. You also lose Picarats (which I assume is the Layton equivalent to a final score) for every time you're penalised for presenting the wrong evidence.

Also, the trials take on a new feature of their own. Aside from the introductory trial, every trial in the game is a "Witch Trial" which at certain points, has multiple witnesses taking the stand at once. This offers a new way to move the trial in your favour as certain witnesses can have a statement that causes another witness to remember what could be a vital clue. It's a neat system and I wouldn't have any objections (heh) if that feature returned. Trials, however, feel a little... simplified. Not to the point where every trial is a breeze, but I couldn't help but feel they were heavily hinting at what the answer is. However, I can forgive this. It's likely to cater to Layton fans who have never tried an Ace Attorney game and since I genuinely enjoyed Laytons influences handed to a Layton newbie like myself, despite the apparent losses, then I have no right to complain in this instance.

To end my ramblings, I think I can safely say this may be the finest crossover in video game history. While it's by no means perfect, if you're a fan of either series, I absolutely recommend the game. If you've played neither series, not even just one game, I recommend you do that before playing this. Any series will do, in my humble opinion. It might not have turned me into a Layton fanatic, but I can definitely see why the series has a huge following and besides, your experience may differ from mine. I'm sorry I dragged out this rating, but there were just so many things to talk about. I guess when a game can cause one to go to great lengths to talk about everything it offers, it shows the impact it leaves in the end. If you read this entire thing, you have both my thanks and, if necessary, my condolences...

"HOLD IT!"

Wha? Oh, right. Also, dat mid-credits cameo appearance. EEEEE!

Watch_Dogs - PC - 9/10

Everything I was hoping for and more. Hacking and manipulating the environment feels both satisfying and rewarding. It's ultimately up to you as to how you get from Point A to Point B. You can either distract the guards by setting off a car alarm or a nearby lift or anything around them (in some cases, distracting them with a phony text message) so you can sneak by, hack into faulty wiring panels to explode near them, or simply go in there guns blazing. This also holds true in high-speed pursuits as you take down enemy vehicles with a well-timed traffic light hack, or raising blacking posts just before they pass them. You can even hack into road signs, though this is purely for entertainment value ("One does not simply hack into a sign"). I also love how Ubisoft has given a personality for every citizen you pass by as they all have a little tidbit you can learn. Favourite food, their occupation, the fact they like soap operas, I even passed by a woman who apparently regularly attends furry conventions. Everyone has a quirk, and peeking into their lives is a bit of a guilty pleasure. Add to this that the story itself is engaging and you've got a real winner. Though, I'd recommend getting the console version if you can. The PC version isn't bad, but I can't fully experience its online modes very well and it seems I'm not the only one. It also forces you to get a Uplay account in order to play, something I wish I had known sooner. Minor gripes aside though, Watch_Dogs was worth the six-month delay.

Mario Kart 8 - Wii U - 9/10

Also worth its delay. This might honestly be my new favourite game in the series. True, the character roster could be better (though I'm certain they'll be future DLC characters), Battle Mode is entirely forgettable and not all the Retro Tracks are a hit (Melody Motorway is the exact same as before), but I love anti-gravity, I love the music, it's graphics are gorgeous and Mario Kart TV, while it could use some tweaking, is a definite plus. I'm pretty sure Wii U sales will hit the roof after this one.

Pokémon X/Y - 3DS - 8/10

The graphics are amazing! The game play is brilliant as well as the easter eggs! But, it is a bit difficult and it is a challenge for newbies.

South Park: The Stick Of Truth - PC - 8/10

Despite being on and off with the South Park series as of late, I really like this game, but I can't recommend it if you don't like South Park at all. The combat is very similar to Paper Mario with you pressing buttons in time to increase damage or block attacks. I also like how you can manipulate certain environments to get rid of enemies outside of fights. The story is not engaging in the slightest, but if you were expecting that then you clearly don't know what South Park is. It is pretty funny, though. It's incredibly self-aware and it constantly makes fun of video game tropes like how the hero is a mute. And of course there are constant throwbacks to the series as a whole. However, that also goes back to my argument that if you're not a South Park fan, then you probably won't be interested, even if you do like the Paper Mario-esque combat mechanics. If you are a South Park fan - hardcore or casual - then I recommend you give it a go, even if you've never played an RPG.

Mario Golf: World Tour - 3DS - 5.5/10

Yeah, a little late to the party on this one. Other games that I was more interested in plus real life stuff took over.

I got this game based on recommendations from others, but while it is a structually fine game... there's not a lot of replayability which compared to Mario Kart 8 and its addictive online play, is kind of a problem. I found a lot of replayability in Toadstool Tour but World Tour doesn't really do that for me.

The Castle Club mode where you play as your Mii trying to be the top golfer is fun and the later tournaments do give off that "one more try" feeling that I love oh so much. Problem is, aside from unlocking courses for regular play, you don't really get anything out of it. Yeah, you can purchase outfits for your Mii but I only really play as him in Castle Club mode itself.

On the subject of courses, the standard courses are what you'd normally expect where the terrain is your challenge. You then have the wackier courses which... aren't really anything special. I do get a guilty pleasure out of the cannon pipes in Peach Gardens and I get a kick out of the "Tiny-Huge Island" vibes that Wiggler Park gives off... but that's about it. Yoshi Lake is nothing special, Bowser's Castle is kind of disappointing and Cheep Cheep Lagoon - while an interesting concept - is just frustrating. Who thought it was a good idea to put underwater physics in a golf game? Even the DLC courses aren't anything special. Two of the them are remastered courses from Mario Golf 64 (though the remastered music that comes with them is easy on the ears) and the rest are only interesting on a graphical level. In fact, the DLC as a whole has become a regrettable purchase. The only DLC character I've really used that much is Rosalina who really should have been playable from the beginning. Getting all three packs also gets you Gold Mario, who ironically, is the worst character in the game, unless you really want to grind for coins.

Challenge Mode can provide some fun. It's mandatory for unlocking characters and turning characters into Star Players. You can also unlock herder challenges when you complete enough of them, but completing the harder challenges provides nothing but bragging rights. There are also weekly online tournaments where you can unlock some exclusive gear simply for competing, but I don't think you get anything for winning, other than - once again - bragging rights.

I can't help but feel disappointed by World Tour. Sure, I wasn't expecting it to be better than Mario Kart 8, but while it is packed with content, some of the content doesn't provide enough of an incentive that makes it worth it. If you do eventually plan on getting this game, here's two pieces of advice: wait for a big price drop and avoid the DLC no matter how tempting it may seem. Keep in mind that I don't think it's a terrible game. There is fun to be had out of it, but only so much before it seems more like a chore.

StarlightSonic wrote:

Batman: The Arkham Series - PS3 - 10/10

Now that I've had the good pleasure of playing this fantastic series, I'm just gonna lump them all together here. Simply put; they're all wonderful titles with compelling stories. Not once during the main story of each did I get distracted with the side missions. I was far too invested in what was going on. Which of course leaves plenty of life in the games with the extra stuff to do after the story is done.

Asylum is a great introduction to the series, it feels very tight and really gives the sensation you're trapped on Arkham. The villains are entertaining, none moreso than the Joker. Mark Hamill is the best Joker, no question. What also stood out to me was the Scarecrow segments-- an interesting look into Bruce's psyche as well as a unique boss.

City is by far the best. The environment feels very alive and nothing beats gliding around the city and dropping down on some thugs. The Joker is equally entertaining here, but the rest of the villains are sorta put to the side. Playing as Catwoman and Robin in addition to the Bat is great fun. The end of the game is very emotional and chilling, particularly if you wait until a certain little song plays in the credits.

I was sceptical about Origins after hearing it was terrible compared to the others, but I found it to be very good, even despite the fact that Rocksteady didn't make it and it's obviously leeching off the success of the other two. The new voices are slightly off-putting at first after being so used to the first ones, but they do a good job. I was honestly surprised at good the Joker sounded and it's mildly amusing to know Sonic and Batman share a voice actor. The only thing that bothered me was the plot hole regarding where Joker and Harley met. In Asylum it says that met in Arkham, but in Origins it's Blackgate.


The combat and gameplay in every game is responsive and fun to use. The combat becoming particularly enjoyable once you've mastered it. The side quests keep you busy, particularly the Riddler's immense one in City. And that's not even going into the DLC.

All in all, I loved these games. Can't wait for Arkham Knight. I gotta get a PS4 somehow.

Great series, isn't it? Like I said, Origins isn't bad by any means, but it just didn't leave a lasting impression on me like the first two games did. And yeah, I need to get a PS4 for Arkham Knight as well.

Hyrule Warriors - Wii U - 7.5/10

When I first heard that The Legend of Zelda was getting a hack-and-slash game, I honestly didn't know what to think at first. Combat was never the biggest focus of any Zelda game no matter what Egoraptor says but there's two facts that alleviated my fears:

1. It's a non-canon spin-off.
2. It's a game developed by Koei-Tecmo who based this off the Dynasty Warriors games.

The whole game is a love letter to fans of the series, and it really shows. During the story, our heroes are actually forced to open up portals to bring in more heroes from other dimensions: Darunia and Ruto from Ocarina of Time, Midna and Agitha (of all people) from Twilight Princess and Fi from Skyward Sword (sadly, no Wind Waker representation). The story even pokes fun at Zelda tropes, like how Link is a mute ("Not much of a talker, eh?"), item collection ("Link, don't you usually have a bow? Did you forget to take it with you?") and even takes a jab at the timeline's ridiculousness.

Gameplay-wise, if you've played a DW game before, you'll immediately get comfortable. It's a bit of a multi-task game, as you have to keep an eye out for any allies that may be in trouble, captured bases that may be about to be taken over or bosses that have appeared. That said, however, the game isn't really that difficult. Even in the harder difficulties, it isn't too troubling. Boss combat are more interactive than anything else. Use item on boss, whittle health down and use super move. True, that can be said about just about every Zelda game, but with a bigger focus on combat rather than puzzle solving, it seems more apparent here. However, I was having fun. Dynasty Warriors games aren't that hard either. It's merely a series where just mindlessly hacking away at enemies is the name of the game, so if that's your kind of thing, Hyrule Warriors will let you right in. The multiple playable characters also help in this aspect. With the exception of Darunia (his fighting style is a bit slow for my liking), every character brings unique moves to the table, and even the villains get their time in the spotlight (it almost makes up for Lord Ghirahim not being playable in Smash Bros... almost).

Adventure Mode is also an interesting distraction. You explore a map that perfectly replicates the original Legend of Zelda game for the NES. Each section of the map is a challenge with pre-set rules such as "Defeat 1,000 enemies" or "Defeat King Dodongo" among many others. This mode is required to unlock four characters and is a genuinely good time. You can also find secrets around the map, advantageous if you know the original game back and forth... I don't since I actually don't think the original game has aged very well, but if you're also in my position, you can get hint cards to reveal these secrets for you.

For the presentation side of things, Hyrule Warriors does look nice, but there's nothing mind-blowingly gorgeous. With a lot going on at once, draw-distance is almost non-existent as enemies and trees often just fade into the scene as you move forward. It's even worse in co-op. Much like Sonic Lost World's co-op mode, the game's visuals take a minor dive and sometimes even look like they belong on the Wii. The character designs are awesome, though. Link's blue scarf looks great; so great that the European Limited Edition actually comes with a real scarf you can wear. My favourite part of the presentation, though, is easily the music. While they're mostly borrowed themes from other games, it's probably the only acceptable time you'll hear rock remixes of Zelda tunes in an actual game. I seriously recommend you find the soundtrack if you can, particularly Twilight Field and Skyloft.

Hyrule Warriors is a great little tribute to The Legend of Zelda series. It's got problems and not everyone will enjoy it, but if you're a fellow Zelda fan, the love shines brightly. It might even quench your thirst for a new game before next year's official new entry in the series.

Okay, I've given it enough time to simmer so let's chow down. This is gonna be a long one:

Super Smash Bros. - 3DS - 8/10

... it's Smash Bros. You already know it's going to be fun, but this is definitely a very ambitious title. You can tell this pushes the handheld to its limits. The character models look great and even though it can sometimes be difficult to tell where you are in a huge brawl on a small screen, it's truly a wonder that such a game could work so well on a handheld to begin with. Aside from the Pokemon and Assist Trophies, everything moves at a comfortable 60fps, and nowhere showed a traced of slowdown.

This is coupled with great stage design. The stages exclusive to the 3DS version look phenomenal, even plain looking stages like Golden Plains and Balloon Fight have their own charms about them. However, a small number of the stages are pulled from both Brawl and Melee and while I'm happy to see the return of WarioWare and Brinstar, it was very distracting. That said, some of the returning stages have seen an update in presentation. The rain that falls from the sky in Distant Planet looks great in 3D and WarioWare and Flat Zone 2 feel very comfortable on a handheld. The new stages are, for the most, excellently done. There are some stages that we know are in the Wii U version as well and it's easy to see why. Boxing Ring makes for great combat (even though most of it in my experience is spent outside of the ring itself), Wily Castle keeps you on your toes, Gaur Plain from Xenoblade Chronicles looks beautiful despite Metal Face's absence (maybe he appears in the Wii U version) and Battlefield and Final Destination are pretty much what you would expect. The 3DS exclusive stages are also great; some of them even take advantage of the fact that each player has their own system. Pac-Maze, for example, has a power pellet appear when the player is "eaten" 100 dots scattered around the level and it will only work for that player. Golden Plains from New Super Mario Bros. 2 is loaded with coins which will turn the player gold is 100 are collected and there's even a little counter in the corner to help the player keep track of it all. And of course if you don't like stage gimmicks, every stage has a Final Destination version that you can freely turn on, should you so wish

Modes that are exclusive to the 3DS are... kinda disappointing, honestly. Smash Run isn't much to write home about. You and three opponents run around a giant environment for five minutes defeating random enemies from various games and collecting power-ups to improve stats like speed, defence, jump height and many others before going into battle together. Here's the kicker, though: the challenge afterwards is completely random. It might be a straight-up match or it could be a race to the finish or seeing who can go the highest in a tower before time runs out. What makes this disappointing is that the game doesn't tell you what the challenge will be. You could be placed into a race after you collected barely any speed stats. Street Smash isn't that fun of a mode either. You're just little bumpers hitting other bumpers of a top-down-view stage and that's it. You don't even get much for it.

But let's get into the real meat of any fighting game, the fighters and multiplayer. I will say, this roster is just amazing. This is a case of Nintendo going all out with their resources. The new characters are a perfect fit for Smash and even returning veterans have gotten their own improvements here and there. I'm sure everyone's heard of the unlockable characters by now, so spoilers are abound for this: some unlockables are straight up clones. Dr. Mario returns from Melee and Dark Pit and Lucina are clones of Pit and Marth. True, they all have their own little differences and to be honest, I don't think it's as bad as a lot of fans have said, but it is distracting. The custom moves aren't really something I use myself, but they're there if you feel like a character isn't to your liking, though unlocking them can be a real pain.

The controls are very different from the Gamecube Master Race, but trust me when I say that you will get used to it. I've gotten the muscle memory down to a tee at this point. Local Multiplayer is almost note-for-note perfect. True, some wireless interferences can corrupt your play time, put get your friends in the right environment and it's a great time. Online multiplayer is a huge improvement over Brawl, though still has kinks to iron out. I had almost no problems playing with friends, even ones from other countries, but playing against others was 50-50 for me. As with all online games, your mileage may vary, but here's hoping the Wii U version will have everything worked out by release.

At the end of it all, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is an impressive feat. This may be the most jam-packed handheld game I've ever played and it definitely will keep you soothed until the Wii U version, assuming you have the console to begin with. It has its issues and the modes exclusive to it are kinda lame, but if you're a Smash Bros. fan, there's enough here to keep you happy. Plus, it's Super Smash Bros. on the go. What's not to like about that, right?

Bayonetta 2 - Wii U - 9.5/10

A very strong contender for my personal game of the year. While the original was a great game in of itself, the sequel does everything even better. Pulling off combos still feels satisfying, the addition of Umbra Climax is a great way to turn fights in your favour, the music is still amazing, the story is much easier to follow than the first, the Nintendo themed costumes are both humorous and practical... this is how you do a sequel.

Plus the Limited Edition comes with a Wii U port of the original game. Find that at a decent price and you're good to go.

Yeah, I might as well get the games I've been playing out of the way.

Shovel Knight - Wii U - 10/10

Pure platforming perfection. While it's a homage to many classic NES games like Mega Man, Ducktales and Zelda II, it also does enough to stand on its own merits. For an 8-Bit game, the story is surprisingly engaging. While its core story is "Hero saves love interest" (it's never really established whether or not they were always together), Shovel Knight's drive for saving Shield Knight draws into the player as well. At the end of some of the levels, you're pulled into a dream sequence where Shield Knight is falling from the sky and your objective is to simply catch her. Not only that, the determination for saving her pays off in the final battle. Why? I'm not spoiling it.

Story aside, the game itself is really fun too. If you've played NES platformers, you know what you're getting into. The game heavily rewards the explorative types who go out of their way to find secrets. It keeps you on your toes, the bosses are imaginative, the dialogue is witty and the game is certainly challenging, but by no means does it punish you. Shovel Knight might just be my favourite game of the year and its European release was worth the delay.

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Super Smash Bros. - Wii U - 9/10

Pretty much what SFG said, combined with my some of my thoughts of the 3DS game. While Smash Tour is kinda meh, just about everything else makes it the definitive Smash Bros. experience to me, as much as I love Brawl and Melee.

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Ace Attorney Trilogy - 3DS - 10/10

An inexpensive method to playing the original trilogy, even if I already did many years ago. If you have yet the experience the fantastic story of this series, I highly encourage you to play this version, assuming you have enough system memory to download it. Who knows, if it gets enough love, they may release Ace Attorney: Investigations 1 and 2 (the second one never got a release outside of Japan sadly). The redrawn sprites look beautiful in this version too.

Pokemon Alpha Sapphire - 3DS - 8/10

When Generation 3 of Pokemon originally released, it was at an unfortunate time. Not only did I lack a GBA, I was also at an age where I considered myself too old for Pokemon. I did play a little of a friend's copy of Emerald, but not enough to get a real impression of it. It wasn't until HeartGold and SoulSilver came out that I got back into the series (I have yet to play Gen. 4, for the record). But while I'm unable to make a full comparison of how faithful it is to the original, I can still say that OR/AS does enough to stand on its own merits. Like X and Y, it's still fairly easy, though I wouldn't say it's as easy. I also found Team Aqua so enjoyable that they might be my favourite evil team in the series, even if it is the start of the "Team who are evil, but believe they aren't" trope that Pokemon has unfortunately adopted over time.

I mentioned back in my rating for Gen 6 that I didn't find Mega Evolution very enthralling. I don't know what's happened between then and now, but I found myself using a lot more, especially on Blaziken and Absol (would have used Mega Gardevoir as well if I knew where the stone was... ah well). The post-game Delta episode was great too, and Zinnia is a good reason for that. She might just be one of the more fleshed out characters in the series and that's something I certainly appreciate.

Like I said, I don't know how faithful these remakes are, but I can definitely say you don't need to have played the original Gen 3 in order to enjoy them.

And because I know someone reading this might be expecting it, here you go:

Spoiler:

(I don't agree with this, I just love this meme so much)