The Review Topic

My joke review of Fire Emblem Awakening.

It's awesome. Buy it.

Score: 11/10

@Knuckles Woah. An hour? :O
@Hero That means it is better than OoT.

@Prof Yes, an hour. I know its not perfect, but I typed it on my 3DS touch screen, and revised, and added/removed some stuff.
@True I agree.

And now my initial impressions...
Sonic '06 starts out impressive with great graphics, strong music, and a brand new hedgehog, Silver. The game is the 2nd/3rd to use the Sonic X voice actors, but I only recognized Eggmans voice, and just barely.
I haven't actually gotten to the gameplay yet as I'm lost in the overworld, but some advice from fellow survivors [my real life friends who have survived '06], I'm not too excited to continue either.

From what I've played of both so far, FEA is better.

Keep in mind I've played OoT for like 2 hours.

Remember my Sonic Triple Trouble review up there? I received True Hero's comments from the review, but what were your thoughts?
And please don't criticise me over spelling. I know I had a few mistakes with commas, apostrophes etc. And I wrote that huge review on my 3DS touch screen, so it was a pain in my butt to type.

I really enjoyed it Knuckles. ^.^
If you want criticism, I'd say the first paragraph came out with a lot of information too quickly. I've never played a Sonic, and some of it seemed like only players would know about it. But other than that, it was a wonderful read. :3
9.5/10

Thank you Clay. That means alot.

Yeah. It was a pretty good review, but there are some points in the first couple paragraphs I didn't really get because I don't play many Sonic games.

After thinking about what @Prof_Clayton and @3Dash said, I just realized you guys didn't know what the Spin Dash, Super Peel-Out etc. meant.
Silly me.

Wait, who don't know what the spin dash is? It used to be his signature move before the homing attack came along.

I've played a bit of the original Sonic, a smaller amount on Sonic 2, and about 5 minutes of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Nope, I really don't know that much about Sonic games and stuff in them. Sure, I know the very basics, but that's it.

Happy_Mask wrote:Wait, who don't know what the spin dash is? It used to be his signature move before the homing attack came along.

I know! And now I am having trouble in games like Sonic Rush, only because I am used to the homing attack in Colors DS and Generations 3DS.
But is the Spin Dash gone? I remember it wasn't avaliable in Sonic Generations because Classic Sonic needed the exclusive move, but didn't another game recently didn't have it.... I just forget which.....

Fire Emblem. The series that began in 1990, staying in Japan until 2002 (Save Super Smash Bros Melee, in which Roy and Marth's trophies are labelled "Japan Only"), is now a globally prized franchise, even in the stiff face of its fellow RPGS: Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Paper Mario, Kingdom Hearts- comparing with such series poses magnificent expectations.
Quite fortunately, though, Fire Emblem: Awakening not only lives under the pressure, but manages to set an even higher rubric into the genre.
The game begins with your previously made avatar, coated in a unique, versatile look to your aesthetics, a victim of amnesia, left in an open valley only for life to take its place.
But as life would have it, you [the avatar] would soon be discovered by the Shepherds. Led by Chrom, whom also happens to hold the place of the country's prince, the Shepherds defend their home of Ylisse and its exalted ruler, Emmeryn. She represents the country's peace, evading war at all costs.
However, Plegia, Ylisse's bordering nation, is in acrimony, picking at bad intentions and playing with death, and, to compare to their lethal natures, new threats known as "Risen" have emerged with a thirst for blood that refuses to be quenched, their coordination growing and their strength rising.

As for gameplay, the difficulty is adjusted between, firstly, two modes- Casual play allows units (Characters) to be restored to life after death; on the other hand, Classic is less just and requires more strategy. Awakening is the second game to take in this mechanic (Thanks to @Knuckles for the tip~). Secondly, the overall difficulty may be managed between "Normal", "Hard", and "Lunatic", the latter known for its intensity and unforgiving nature. Playing is tedious work, as is expected from the series, and the weapons a unit has equipped can determine their well being. A map's disposition can also cause an abrupt change is tactics, some places being well to hide while others serve as inequitable traps. Someways through the game, Master and Second Seals are also introduced. The former upgrades a rank to the "Advanced Class", while the second transfers them to another "Base Class", or beginning rank. The latter would be used to provide a variety of weapons to characters.

The characters (above) are well-developed and their looks are suiting to their attitude and unique personalities. Frederick, the royal family's personal guard and Great Knight, is usually into a solemn face to match him attitude, nicknamed "Frederick the Wary". Each character is also paired with a beginning class and weapon, some prideful in their skill (Especially Virion, who, encountered early in the game, is rather vain of his talent as an Archer, along with, well, everything else). Characters can also develop Support Conversations by working with each other in combat, picking up humor, and creating bonds with other units. Characters can develop to the point of marriage with particular others. Conversations are always unique and dependent on whom is talking. Dialogue from... a certain someone (Guess who~) marrying the avatar. "I can't believe you made me lover you! Of course, if you back out, I'll murder you in your sleep."
As for the style, Awakening is very picturesque, the scenery fitting to the chapter and the colors a blending flurry that forces the player to, in the midst of combat, devote a moment of admiration to the visuals. One can easily state that Awakening is yet another demonstration of the 3DS' potential in visuals, and they would be correct.
And what kind of Awakening review would this be without mention of the Audio? Every soundtrack is a reflection of the chapter they are paired to, and are perfect copies at that. After a main character's death, glum music plays in choreography to the despairing dialogue occurring in the bottom screen. At the end of a war, cheerful sounds traverse the field as reward of the accomplishment. If a general scene is in motion, the music will go accordingly.
The storyline is gripping, as well. Excitement will build as you have met a goal, only for a twist to be added on, your happiness plummeting. The game also covers some humor within the Support conversations.
Of course, every game has an issue, even if minor. Enemies are recurrent (Not Bidoof recurrent, but recurrent), and become a pain as the individuality lacks. Even commanders (Each chapter/level has a commander who is considerably stronger than their army) often look similar. Quite significantly, you can always use this little rage to help kill them, though. Use it to your strength.

Conclusion
Overall, Fire Emblem: Awakening is a necessity for anyone caught in the common hunger for RPGs and strategy. It's been on North America's "To-look-forward-to List for 2013" since its announcement, and the hype was well worth it for the marvelous title. Fire Emblem is 40 US dollars, at an average price. Get it at retail or on the 3DS eShop now~

9.5/10

Oh, uh. Sorry for the long review, there was a lot of feedback I had about the game. And for doing Awakening? ._.
Of course, anyone else can review the game. Making that clear now.
I think the next game I'll review will be PM:TTYD. whenever I get the chance.
And I've never played a Sonic game >.>

Wow Panda, that's a good review.
The force is strong with this one~

Great review, Red. The only part I didn't really agree with was how the characters look the same... I mean, that's true, but I don't think it realy matters.

Red Panda, a small correction to your review. A DS remake of Fire Emblem, Heroes of Light and Dark I think or some name similar to that had the causal/classic mode, but it never made it to America or Europe.

Thanks guys
@Dash- Arguable :3 I just found the game had more opportunities to give commanders their own map sprites (Although some, i.e. Aversa, Gangrel do), things like that.
@Knuckles- Oh, thanks for the tip :3 I didn't know you were a Fire Emblem megafan~ I'll edit the post in a sec
By the way, it seems that :-? is out and is in~

RedPanda wrote: :-? is out and is in~

RedPanda wrote:Thanks guys
@Dash- Arguable :3 I just found the game had more opportunities to give commanders their own map sprites (Although some, i.e. Aversa, Gangrel do), things like that.
@Knuckles- Oh, thanks for the tip :3 I didn't know you were a Fire Emblem megafan~ I'll edit the post in a sec
By the way, it seems that :-? is out and is in~

I'm not, I just have a nack for remembing facts like that, and Nintendo Power did a small article on the game when it was first announced in Japan. Note: I read that article over 2 years ago.

@Knuckles - Wow
I think that deserves some
I kinda struggle to memorize things, namely facts. Once something clicks to me, though, it's there for good~

Things just get caught in my memory. Not photographicly, but interesting facts.

For instance, the What game is this thread, I remembered that Muscle March was reviewed in NP, and I double checked my issues to be sure.
Like I said, some things just stick.

@Knuckles Was that the huge RPG main story they had years ago? (The FE one). I remember it was all these RPGs, and most of them flopped, but Fire Emblem was in there. And it was like 20-30 pages long.

@Prof No, I think the massive RPG special was my 3rd issue, and I didn't read my NP's very much back then.
I honestly forget which issue it was, but it would have been the second[?] DS Fire Emblem title.
Also you could customize the avatar, like in awakening.
Hero of Light: Marth
Hero of Dark: Your avatar.

Yay I joined the forums! Anyway, here is my review of The World Ends With You! Sorry its so commercial and long, I've pasted it from a website I used to have which in its prime was actually very successful. Until it died.

Unique. It's a word that's often very underused in video games, COD and Pokemon being the main two culprits for sticking to the same roots. You can see why though, quirky titles can be very experimental and any manner of things could go wrong; no wonder so many games stick to a well established formula. The World Ends With You however, proves that being experimental is sometimes the best recipe for success.

The World Ends With You is far and away the most unusual game we've played over the last decade, and also has one of the best plots in living memory. The game begins when Neku awakes in the bustling Scramble Crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo. Turns out he has amnesia (Well, this is a JRPG) and he eventually finds out he's stuck in a game called the 'Reapers Game', in which you must survive for seven days. Surviving in Shibuya isn't all that simple though. First off, nobody can see or help you other than the other couple of dozen players stuck in the Reapers Game, and secondly, the Noise and Reapers are out to cause havoc. Every day a task appears on your phone, complete it within the set time limit, or face erasure. Tasks are wonderfully built, and often cryptically so.

Neku quickly forms a pact with Shiki, but only because without a partner, you have no chance of surviving. This is where The World Ends With You's weird but brilliant combat system makes it's entrance. You are initially equipped with two pins, each using it's own individual 'Psych'. Each psych requires a different input from the stylus; tapping on enemies uses a thunder pin, swiping across an enemy uses a different pin. If you use your attacks wisely, combos can reach well over 100 hits with ease. Fights almost always take place against Noise, and are usually entirely optional. You can fight against noise by tapping Neku's Telekinesis pin in the bottom right, which allows you to see Noise floating about as well as being able to read Shibuya's Citizen's minds. Occasionally you must fight noise, as missions generally involve reaching a certain place. Reapers stand guard of exits, forcing you to complete a task to pass. Obviously, tasks are not always to defeat Noise, Square Enix have set several interesting tasks, from collecting specific pins to the Reaper Review - a set of questions about Shibuya, of which you must get all three answers right in order to pass.

Customization also plays a huge part in TWEWY. If you know anything about Shibuya, you know that shops are plentiful, and the huge 109 is located right in the center of Shibuya. Square-Enix actually took several pictures of Shibuya, as to make TWEWY's Shibuya as realistic as possible. Everything is in the exact same place as in reality, with 109 making an appearance, but this time as 104. As such, shopping makes a great excuse for customization. Pins, clothes, and food can all be bought from shops. Clothes and pins can both be equipped via the Phone Menu as per usual, with food being digested by fighting several battles against Noise. Pins can also be leveled up, each fight gaining your pins experience, until eventually it becomes mastered.

The audio in TWEWY is also strikingly alike to Tokyo, but also brilliant. The themes are very, very different from the usual songs Square Enix are used to composing. Gone are the melodic beauty's of Final Fantasy, replaced with upbeat, hip-hop songs, good enough to rival Final Fantasy any day. Don't be put off by TWEWY's unique audio, it's surprisingly brilliant, the only problem being Square Enix have used Japanese singers for English songs; you can most likely predict the outcome. Although the vocals are somewhat lost, the tunes are really lovely.

The graphics are unfortunately slightly disappointing, although this is mainly due to the limitations of the DS. The shops and character models are adorable in 2D, but character movement looks unusual, and sometimes the little details do become lost. This is generally made up for though due to the brilliant design of characters, each with their own unique personalities, and lovely colours that pop out of the screen.

As we mentioned earlier, characters are definitely one of TWEWY's biggest strengths. From maths mad Game Master, Sho 'Zetta Slow' Minamimoto, to upbeat and happy Shiki, all characters are brilliantly designed and have their own unique traits. Another of TWEWY's strengths though is to ignore the typical RPG formula, and improve upon it. 'Imprinting', is amazing, however underused it may be. Several missions revolve around the focus of Imprinting, in which you must insert thoughts into people's minds, causing them to perform certain actions. One of the Imprinting missions earlier in the game involves making a forgetful tech obtain a fuse, allowing a stage to be lit, revealing your enemy and therefore allowing you to defeat the Boss. It sounds simple, but it's brilliant. You have to investigate several nooks and cranny's of Shibuya in order to obtain Phrases to Imprint. By reading citizens minds, and in turn solving small puzzles, you can obtain phrases to use, vital to completing your mission.

TWEWY is just lovely in so many ways. Sometimes there are a few hiccups, but those are to be expected in a completely new game. Sometimes actions used to use Psychs are too similar, resulting in using the wrong pin, but these are minor flaws in an otherwise wonderful game. TWEWY reinvents the wheel, and wonderfully so.

Audio - 9/10 At times vocals are lost in the midst of quirky pop tunes, but the music itself is amazing and really portrays the vibrant city of Shibuya with excellency.

Graphics - 9/10 Some fine details are lost, but the presentation is unique, colourful and fun.

Gameplay - 10/10 A quirky idea, but beautifully implemented, along with an awesome story and characters.

Overall - The World Ends With You is an example of how to be original and do it brilliantly, with flawless presentation, graphics and gameplay, this is probably the best game on the DS. 9.5/10