Yoshi's Island

I never played Yoshi's Island for the SNES. The sequel to Super Mario World, one of my favorite games for that platform, was largely forgotten in those transitory years that eventually made me pursue PC gaming exclusively. Games at that time had to compete with the likes of Ultima VIII (which I had convinced myself was being ripped off by Blizzard for Diablo), Command and Conquer, and Dark Forces for my attention. But from what I've read, I don't think I was the only one that was distracted. It seems that the crayon-and-markers art style made some gamers avoid this title, when compared to what was capable with Donkey Kong Country only a year before, despite the critical acclaim that followed. Am I only kidding myself, or was Yoshi's Island really that overlooked?

Harmony of Dissonance

The Gameboy Advance saw three Castlevania adventures in as many years after its release: Circle of the Moon (2001), Harmony of Dissonance (2002), and Aria of Sorrow (2003). Aria of Sorrow was my first experience with the remodeled portable Castlevania series, and still remains the finest (excluding last year's fantastic Dawn of Sorrow on the DS, of course). At the time of Harmony of Dissonance's release, the step up in visuals combined with a simpler brand of gameplay made it stand out as a worthy successor to the two-dimensional masterpiece Symphony of the Night. The RPG/Castleroid adventure style it adopted and familiar main character made for an easy comparison; whether it deserved the subsequent praise it received is debatable.

gunstar super heroes

I've decided to share a few words about Gunstar Super Heroes, the recently released follow-up to the Genesis classic, because it has me completely turned around.

My initial skepticism was rightfully deserved, as the wounds of disappointment I sustained while playing Guardian Heroes Advance continue to bleed to this day. That games are still being published for the GBA is a revelation in itself; the fact that an excellent 2D side scrolling shooter has been made available at this point in its lifespan is doubly surprising.

What initially gripped me was the game's speed. Gunstar Super Heroes runs smooth. Actually, forget that - the game runs as smooth as my fondest memories of Gunstar Heroes. It made me remember the days where we convinced ourselves the term "blast processing" actually possessed technical weight. Compared with my experiences with Guardian Heroes Advance - a game that single-handedly made me question the existence of a special hell for gamers - this was reason enough to embrace the game immediately. But.

Similar to Metal Slug Advance, the game is limited by its number of levels. Someone proficient in the 2D side scrolling shooter arts will likely surpass the game's extremely diverse levels within an afternoon. Once you complete the first mission, the four following missions are available to be completed in any order, though it does completely obliterate the game's forgettable storyline. A "final" stage and giant boss battle are encountered at the end of these four missions. Once again Treasure has produced some legitimately challenging bosses, complete with their over-the-top appearances and attacks. In a bid to prolong the game, you're dumped to the menu screen every time you die, forcing you to continue from the beginning of the level. As usual, pattern recognition becomes the only gameplay strategy.

Disappointing was the lack of cooperative multiplayer, which is how I got most of my enjoyment out of the original Gunstar Heroes. The game lets you begin as either Red or Blue, offering a different selection of starting weapons and moves and a slightly different perspective on the same story, but it's no replacement.

I was bothered by the need for Treasure to lead off every level with some kind of "vehicle" or "flying" sequence, where you're on a jet or flying a helicopter over a cityscape replete with skyscrapers. Because each sequence is so different, they require a brief learning period to adapt to the change in controls and environment. Still, when it got down to the actual running and shooting, I was appeased. All the weapon power-ups from the original Gunstar Heroes - including some new ones - are available, and for a few moments it felt like I was playing the same game, familiarity clouding my ability to judge quality. Nevertheless, I remained most impressed with the style of gameplay that was so effortlessly maintained throughout the game.

As the DS continues to gain momentum in the portable gaming market with its many holiday releases, it's heartening to see that simple affairs like Gunstar Super Heroes are still worth pursuing by developers. While I can understand the need to supply games for the GBA given that Nintendo's official position on the DS is that it is not the follow-up to the GBA, the release of Advance Wars: Dual Strike, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Lunar: Dragon Song has shown that traditional 2D titles can offer something more than a pushbutton experience. That being said, a game like Gunstar Super Heroes would almost certainly fail in any context other than the GBA. As the shift towards graphical prowess permeates the handheld market, it becomes harder to determine who plans to sustain this genre.

I found that essence rare

fire emblem: the sacred stones

One of the stranger things about Fire Emblem (GBA) was that your character was outside of the game. Specifically, you were identified as the "tactician", and instead of fielding each battle with an avatar you would be commanding the characters in your party. It was a bit odd during the cutscenes when the characters started talking to you, because it's not like you had a choice as to how the story was directed - a feature that may have made the whole tactician aspect a little more valuable. You didn't even get to pick and choose who got to join the group as the outcome of those scenes was predetermined.

Intelligent Systems has returned this year with another Fire Emblem, entitled The Sacred Stones. Dropping the tactician approach, the game follows the main characters, Prince Ephraim and Princess Eirika, who have been ousted from their homeland by a treacherous neighboring kingdom and must gather an army to take it back. It's your typical adventure story where a ragtag bunch must come together and fight the forces of evil, and there's nothing wrong with that. What I don't like, however, is the lack of any new features. Everything is exactly the same.

You could accuse this of the Golden Sun series as well: after all, The Lost Age was just the same game following the adventures of a different set of characters. Though as an RPG/Adventure, Golden Sun allowed the player to participate in the story as it happened, whereas Fire Emblem is unfortunately limited to telling you the story through cutscenes with talking heads. While the art may be very appealing, the dialogue is as campy as ever and rarely was I surprised about what transpired. This is nothing against the gameplay itself, however, as it remains a highly competent turn based strategy game (and vastly different from the previously mentioned Golden Sun). You're just looking at the same tilesets, character avatars, and battle animations. Since the battles are the core of the game, they should at least appear fresh and interesting. What would have made this outing of Fire Emblem a little more palatable is the inclusion of a map editor, something that Intelligent Systems put into Advance Wars 2.

The storyline, then, should be the one aspect of this game that makes you want to continue playing. For me, though, it wasn't. The enormous cast of characters lends itself well to some interesting situations, and a wide spectrum of personalities that eventually make up your army. You may even grow to love certain characters, playing the game to see what happens to them and ensuring they survive. The permanent death of your characters was one of the best features of the Fire Emblem series, because it made you value each character's contribution to the campaign. Pegasus Knights may be weak, but they are usually the only ones able to rescue another character from immediate danger - an ability that allows you to save your most powerful troops. Despite all this, the big picture is lost amidst the story arcs and flashbacks in some kind of fantasy soap opera, and I began to get agitated waiting for each cutscene to be able to play through the next map.

Fire Emblem is certainly one of the best turn based strategy games I've played, coming close to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance in terms of its addictive qualities. However The Sacred Stones feels more like an expansion, not a sequel. This should be great news for fans of its predecessor, but it doesn't really offer much except more of the same. It makes me wonder why this game was even made, given the DS will be seeing Advance Wars DS this August. Why not just make a version of Fire Emblem for the DS, introducing the use of the touch screen that we've heard so much about? I find it hard to accept that Nintendo is trying to extend the life of the GBA when their latest handheld is capable of so much more. The Sacred Stones may have a different ending, but if getting there requires viewing all-too familiar scenery it hardly makes the voyage worth travelling.

I believe I can see the future

treasure tries it again with Gunstar Super Heroes

I caught some scanned screens from Play magazine from the upcoming "Gunstar Super Heroes" for the GBA. This follows the rumours last month that Sega had trademarked the game's title.

Treasure's involvement was also confirmed in the article, creating a significant amount of buzz for fans of the original Genesis game. However instead of losing control like so many others after hearing the words Sega, Treasure, and Gunstar in the same sentence, let me be straight with you.

Advance Guardian Heroes sucked. In fact, it was the worst game of 2004. It should also be known that Treasure developed Advance Guardian Heroes. Even though Treasure only assisted in the development of Astro Boy: Omega Factor, it was undoubtedly the better game, and one of my favorites from 2004. Omega Factor shared the same visual and gameplay style as Gunstar Heroes, and in hindsight was probably its true successor. My reluctance to accept Gunstar GBA lies in the sprites and backgrounds that are too reminiscent of Advance Guardian Heroes. I'm afraid to get excited because it would be too easy for Treasure to use the same engine that made Advance Guardian Heroes completely unplayable.

I like that classic titles are being retooled for the GBA: Zero Mission and Metal Slug are just a couple of other recent examples. It lends credence to why the GBA remains such a wonderful outlet for 2D gaming. What I don't like is the dependence on a brand that seems to give developers and publishers some kind of license to abuse the unconditional love of the fans that made these titles successful in the first place.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

The first thing I noticed when I started playing The Minish Cap were the graphics. It's easy to be distracted by them when the only other Zelda game available for the GBA was simply a faithful remake of a game that came out 13 years prior. The Minish Cap blends visual elements from the GBA multiplayer adventure The Four Swords, and the storybook charm of The Wind Waker. Though the game will introduce you to a few new magic items, everything about it feels comfortably familiar. You've seen these puzzles before, and the entire meta-concept of searching multiple dungeons to complete a set of trinkets to make things right again is nothing new for the Zelda universe.

The Minish Cap begins with Link and Princess Zelda taking a leisurely walk through Hyrule Town. Events transpire, and once again Zelda is held captive by being turned into stone and it's up to you to rescue her. You might recognize the evil wizard Vaati from previous Zelda adventures, but the Minish Cap is set during Link's younger years and so it is assumed that this is your first encounter with him.

Link's age is actually an important part of the story. See, The Minish or "Picori" are a race of tiny people who used to have an alliance with the residents of Hyrule. Things went sour, and now only children can see them. In fact, it got to the point where everyone thought the Picori were just a fairy tale. But after Zelda's unfortunate curse the King requires the help of the Picori, for only a Minish smith is able to re-forge the Picori blade with the Four Elements and free Zelda from her stony prison. So it's up to Link to enlist the assistance of the Picori, in the process gaining a talking hat that bestows the ability to become small, unlocking an entirely different world.

The first dungeon makes you appreciate this microscopic aspect of Hyrule, because the dungeon's boss is simply a common monster you would find in your normal size. Some of the areas you wander through - such as a forest floor where you walk under leaves, or a mountain top where you're dodging rain droplets further these impressions. Solutions to many of the game's puzzles also require you to shrink yourself, revealing some of its most creatively designed environments.

To further spite those that thought multiple Links running around in The Four Swords (GBA) and Four Swords Adventures was simply a gameplay contrivance, The Minish Cap goes out of its way to enforce the reasoning behind why Link can clone himself to complete particularly challenging pushing or lifting exercises. With each new element you forge into your sword, you will gain the ability to create a ghostly version of yourself to aid you in completing some of the puzzles.

The Minish Cap makes an amusing addition to the Zelda gameplay oeuvre with kinstones: pieces of medallions scattered across the land. As expected, Kinstones are very lucky indeed, and "fusing" them with the game's many NPCs will unlock secret areas where rupees or pieces of heart are held, but mostly just more kinstones. It's actually pretty useless in the game's overall scheme, because it's not like the developers can predict who you'll fuse with or which kinstones you'll uncover. One dungeon requires you to fuse kinstones with guardian rocks to open the entrance - but those can be found within the dungeon area. It's not like they pull a Metroid Prime 2 and make you wander the fucking planet.

The Minish Cap's definitive triumph lies in the presentation. It takes elements of Link's previous adventures and makes the entire concept feel fresh and exciting, to the point where it possesses your waking thoughts. Probably the only valid complaint I've heard is the game's length. By comparison A Link to the Past is epic, and playing only the first third of the re-release of Ocarina of Time on the Gamecube shows no end in sight. Though like Link in the Minish Cap, there's something to be said about a pint sized adventure in such a beautifully rendered world.

let the travel begin

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

It's hard to get a grasp on the storyline in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, because I haven't played Kingdom Hearts. It's intended to bridge the gap between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2, but doesn't do much to bring the player up to speed. Instead, most of the story in the game is focused on Sora retrieving his memories, and finding his friend Riku who I'm assuming was a character in the original game. You meet up with a lot of familiar faces from both the Final Fantasy and Disney universes, but in terms of motivation I felt none; instead my playing was intently focused on Chain of Memories' card-based battle system.

The premise behind Chain of Memories is that you are trying to recover lost memories, taken away by the shadowy figure seen in the opening cutscene. The path to your objective lies in the ominous looking Castle Oblivion, a place where nothing is what it seems, and everything revolves around cards. Each room in the castle, your party members, and every one of your special abilities is represented by a card. I was fascinated by this concept, because the way the rooms are generated is simply using one of the many cards you find on your journey. My mind tried to comprehend the infinite replayability this game would have.

Castle Oblivion is set up as a series of levels, going up. Before each level, you have the option of using one of your "World" cards based on Disney's films such as Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin or Hercules. Square even included Halloween Town from The Nightmare Before Christmas, which was a lot of fun to play. After you've established what will be contained in your current level of the castle, you now have the ability to create the actual rooms of the level. When you reach a doorway, you will use one of your "Map" cards to create the room beyond it. This method is used until you've created an entire floor. The story is picked up with a series of special map cards, with the doors you will use them on being pretty obvious. You will get more "story" map cards after completing each story room, and because the location of each of these special rooms is random, it keeps players from skipping through the level prematurely. This would probably be a stupid tactic anyway given what usually waits for you at the end of each level.

A casual review from a friend told me how great the original Kingdom Hearts was at creating unique worlds based on each of Disney's beloved films. However, while each world in Chain of Memories is clearly inspired by the source material, they look more like a series of tiles with randomized doorways. The castle feels like a patchwork; there is no real flow to each level. The concept seemed sound in theory, but I suppose the unpredictable method by which game content is created is at fault. It would be next to impossible to create a seamless game world when the player is left to make decisions about its arrangement. I can forgive the level design's transgressions when the card system is really intended for combat.

When you start the game, you are given a rudimentary deck containing a few melee moves and a healing spell. You also start with a set number of "Card Points" (read: mana) that put a limit on how many cards in your deck you can have and the potency of each. You can add the cards of spells or passive abilities to your deck gained from killing enemies. You also earn special attacks after killing the game's many "boss" characters, like Hades from Hercules or Jafar from Aladdin. Again, this seemed like a great concept in theory, but when it came time to actually use this system in fast paced combat it became more irritating than novelty.

Like Tales of Symphonia, you see wandering monsters on each map that can be avoided if necessary. Battles consist of Sora or the opposing monster using cards to perform attacks. Cards with higher value will win of course, but a zero card can cause what is called a "Card Break". Card Breaks are important to combat, because as the name implies, they nullify ("break") the attack or series of attacks your opponent was performing and allow you to move in with a spell or powerful combination. After a certain number of cards have been played, you must "shuffle" your deck, which leaves you vulnerable. Depending on how many cards you've put in your deck, you will start to lose cards after each shuffle, though they are restored once combat is finished. Once you've slain all the enemies on screen, who sometimes even respawn a few times, you are awarded with a map card.

Now if combat had been turn based this probably would have been a lot easier, though presumably less of a challenge. When you start fighting the more powerful enemies and boss characters, however, you'll find your deck just doesn't stack up. As a result, combat in Chain of Memories becomes less interesting and more about loading your deck with zero cards, healing spells and high-numbered melee attacks. Real time combat just doesn't suit this method of play, because it allows no flexibility to flip through your deck to find the right cards or card combinations when you're faced with multiple enemies at once. In the more difficult boss battles you may even run out of cards (yes, this does happen).

Another point that made this system frustrating is the way it handled party members. From the beginning of the game, Donald Duck and Goofy are your companions. Though they don't wander the game world with you, they're delegated to cards in your deck. The same goes for people you meet along the way, such as Aladdin or Jack Skellington, each bringing a special attack into the fray. But these cards aren't intrinsically part of your deck, you have to earn them. See, while all the action is going on around you, the cards representing your party members are dropped randomly onto the battlefield. And they don't stick around forever, either - you have to chase after them. Moreover, taking a page right out of my "I Hate Experience Orbs" book with Fable and Advance Guardian Heroes, Chain of Memories makes you run after those as well. Oh, the humanity.

Once you proceed to a new level in Castle Oblivion, the entire preceding level is "erased" and will have to be "built" again with new cards. I guess this is good for people that want to build up their character with experience. Even though the rooms don't differ that much, there's no shortage of enemy encounters. The game does its best to push things forward, though, and I think that players intent on building a high-powered deck, or more than one deck, would gain a lot from going back through the castle and replaying areas.

Once you finish the game, you have the option of replaying as Riku, the friend you're looking for during the game. You also unlock a vs. mode that you can link up and challenge friends to card battles with, and I guess see who's deck is stacked with the most zero cards.

I don't like Disney cartoons. I find them repetitive and uninteresting. Young outcast searches for their place in the world, finds love and/or true friendship, insert Oscar-nominated song, etc. Give me more cartoons like Secret of Nimh and I'd be happy. Anyway, the point is that I wasn't dry-heaving while playing this game; it was actually very amusing to interact with all the characters and Disney-inspired worlds for a while. But the entire game is centralized around Sora's memories. Are the characters real? Are they imagined? Why is Sora forced to do battle with the Heartless again, meeting up with old friends from Final Fantasy that don't even remember that they fought together before? I couldn't help but feel Chain of Memories was meant to be filler; Kingdom Hearts 2 has already been delayed and from the developer's standpoint perhaps they didn't want this GBA title to mess with the storyline. So instead of providing an interesting story to offset the imbalanced combat, you have a game that basically lays a trap door under your feet, giving the story the option of completely turning on you with "Whoops! It was all a dream...". I hate that. The card concept in Chain of Memories feels like the beginning of a new lineage of games to use this feature, and as such I can give it some credit. But considered as an RPG it feels only half-realized, and in the end, falls short of an unreserved recommendation.

like memories they have disappeared

metal slug advance

After Resurrection of the Dark Dragon, Metal Slug Advance was to be the next major event on the Gameboy Advance for me. Its first delay from a summer release gave me the excuse to pick up the thumb-numbingly good Astro Boy: Omega Factor, which I killed time with while travelling around Hong Kong. Also a side scrolling action game, Omega Factor reminded me why 2D platformers aren't dead, and in fact can still feel fresh and interesting while dipping into fond memories of gaming's collective subconcious. Metal Slug Advance is not one of these games.

You can't expect much of a story going into a game like Metal Slug, and so it comes as no surprise that there isn't one in this incarnation. At the beginning of the game you choose from two new characters to the series: Walter or Tyra. Though it makes little difference, unless you've been waiting all these years to play Metal Slug as a woman. Why not make this a co-operative multiplayer affair? Two players blasting away on-screen would certainly lower the difficulty later on, but at that point the game would need at least another five levels.

Still firmly baked in the mold of past efforts, Metal Slug drops you into a series of familiar-feeling levels, gun in hand, and politely asks you to destroy everything in sight. You'll have various power-ups at your disposal - whether found in crates or given out by rescued hostages, as well as the series' namesake, a sturdy tank with a sizable complement of weapons. The difficulty that the series is known for is also here, and though the first two levels lull you into sense of security, it only gets harder from there. What annoyed me the most were the respawning enemies - no matter who you cut down in your path, changing screens will redraw those enemies and you'll have to kill them again. This essentially makes the strategy "run and gun" in the purest sense - you really can't stop without taking damage. One thing I would have liked is the ability to shoot diagonally, like in the Metroid series. While you can run and shoot upwards, it's impossible to shoot at someone on higher ground on the opposite side of a chasm or long drop.

The seemingly random distribution of weapon power-ups echo the feel of whenever you stumbled upon a power-up in Contra; the excitement of getting spray fire knew no bounds. But as soon as you died, you lost it and were reverted back to the basic rifle. Problem is, power-ups in Metal Slug Advance are finite - and you can thank the addition of the health bar for that. Instead of the "one shot death" traditional to Metal Slug, you have hit points. When a weapon power up runs out of ammo, you revert back to the basic pistol regardless of how many hits you've taken. Forcing you to use a power-up until its gone seems wasteful - especially when there are much tougher and bigger enemies that you could be saving them for. CT Special Forces, a game mostly dismissed as a Metal Slug knockoff, has an equally varied arsenal that you can switch between as needed.

Aside from the addition of a health bar for your character, Metal Slug Advance's unique feature is a series of 100 cards found throughout the levels that can enhance your abilities, or in some cases unlock some hidden "dungeon" areas within a level. The catch is that you have to finish each level with them in your possession, because that's the only time your progress will be saved and you can use the benefits of the cards in later levels. Any death and subsequent restart of an area will negate any card-collecting you've done up to that point. As it was with Resurrection of the Dark Dragon, the addition of a card system to a port of an old game achieves minimal results.

The levels certainly appear to be part of the Metal Slug lineage, and since the game takes place on a nondescript tropical island you don't expect much in the way of varied terrain. From beach fronts to ancient underground ruins, though, the game still suprises in some respects. Metal Slug Advance has five levels in total, each increasing in size and difficulty. The levels are in turn broken up into smaller sections, allowing you to continue from those points if you die. It isn't the same as a save point, though - for that you have to finish the entire level. This becomes a problem later in the game when the boss battles become longer and drawn out. I turned my GBA off in frustration after many failed attempts at beating the game's bosses, and for doing that you have to start the entire level over again.

It's probably unfair to call it a rail shooter - I mean it is a side scrolling action game after all. I just felt like I was on a conveyor belt with my thumb constantly pressing the "Fire" button. And with the amount of enemies on-screen at any given time, that's basically the way you've got to play it. You only have to look as far as the "Options" menu - there is a choice to turn on Auto-fire or you'll find yourself repeatedly tapping the fire button. I can't help but contrast this against CT Special Forces, which coaxes you along, but you still feel like you're exploring the levels. There are occasional obstacles that require backtracking, or the scaling of a mountain cliff only to parachute to safety below. Not to mention the inclusion of a few top-down helicopter flying missions reminiscent of Desert Strike. The gameplay felt more varied, instead of the obvious repetition and course memorization that you're subjected to in Metal Slug Advance.

In the fall, SNK Playmore announced it would be taking Metal Slug to 3D on the PS2. Though they aren't the only one - Hip Games revealed that CT Special Forces would be given the same treatment in a behind-the-shoulder 3D action game. While it may seem like a good idea to push these franchises into the third dimension, I've said in the past that this does not always result in a successful game. Why the Gameboy Advance has been delegated the position of holding fast the traditions of 2D gaming is a wonder; I honestly believe that extrapolating the success of Viewtiful Joe should be pursued by other developers.

Like Resurrection of the Dark Dragon, Metal Slug Advance is visually a faithful recreation. Any fan of the series would be hard pressed to argue that. But in terms of new gameplay additions, I wouldn't classify this game as anything other than a cash-in on a well known franchise. The game length is artificial, extended through the difficult, enemy-packed areas and no mid-level saves. And once you're done, the bitter taste of the heart rending boss battles will make you cringe at the thought of picking it up again. Metal Slug Advance's card system may provide some extended play for obsessive completists, but I'm reluctant to recommend it for anyone's holiday playlist.

he slept through half the show

a dark alliance

On a whim I decided to check out Dark Alliance for the Gameboy Advance, more because it was just there than actually wanting to play another game underneath a pile of new releases. I suppose overwhelming frustration surrounding my playthrough of Guardian Heroes Advance made me want to occupy myself with something more palatable on my portable game system, while not breaking the bank. Not to mention that there are only so many clever variations on the word "fuck" you can put in a review. Dark Alliance has recently evolved into a boilerplate for North American developed console action RPGs, and with the first game being cross platform I didn't expect much from its GBA counterpart, like the releases of Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell. In any case, I gave Dark Alliance a fair shake but there's probably some things you should know before tackling this one yourself.

1. Contrary to popular belief, the city of Baldur's Gate is really, really small. Consisting of the Elfsong Tavern, a Weapons/Armour dealer, a cemetery, and, most surprisingly, a shitload of sewers.
2. Barrels in civilized parts of the city cannot be broken. Perhaps this is from some enchantment put on them to keep the city free of debris, or to maintain the integrity of all storage repositories. Step into a dungeon, though, and you can smash barrels until you're blue in the face.
3. You can't carry more than two duplicate items at a time. Don't even try. I guess the vendors are worried about you flooding the market.
4. There will be an unavoidable bug at the end of the first act that prevents you from finishing the game. If you do not complete the quest in a particular fashion, charted by some unknown satanic ritual, you will break your save game and must begin again. Did I mention you get only one save slot?

Along with the faceless, unchanging character models, the indistinguishable monsters, and the completely bland environments that should embarrass the beautifully hand-painted backgrounds of Baldur's Gate, it was reason enough to go back and play Link to the Past again. At least there I can kick some god damned chickens.

I don't remember saying

a shining in the darkness

So here I am in my local EB and this guy is talking to me about the copy of Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon I bring to the counter.

"Have you played the original?"
"Would I be buying this if I hadn't? Look at the fucking cover."
"Yeah, it's pretty hideous isn't it. This is more than just a port, though - some of the battles have been tweaked to make them easier, and there's this new card bonus system..."

I stopped him before he could continue. After all, I've pretty much been waiting for this game since I got my GBA. I figured I would ask him about Four Swords Adventures while I was there, because the price tag seemed a bit steep (I guess from the "free" GBA-GCN link cable included in the box). He had not played, but we got on the subject of the Gamecube. The only thing worse than a non-gamecube owner is a reformed Gamecube owner. "Oh, I sold mine. There aren't any games for it." I'll skip over that and move along to the next part of the conversation, because frankly it made me want to punch him in the face. Like any true game geek, opinions are worn on sleeves, and so he proceeded to give the thumbs down to both Wind Waker and Metroid Prime. Now Wind Waker I can understand to some degree - the makeover wasn't for everyone, and the storyline may have added to the perceived childishness of the title. But Metroid Prime? I asked why (politely of course), stating that I was a devout PC gamer and it made me even question the validity of most FPSes post-1999. The guy claimed it was "unexciting", complained about unwieldy controls, and an overall sense apathy towards the title. Slightly perturbed, I left the store with my new purchase trying to focus on why Shining Force is so fucking awesome.

I can't help but reiterate the disgrace of the cover - I really wasn't kidding. Any new gamers that didn't have the opportunity to play the original will be immediately turned off if they happen to see it while browsing. This deeply troubles me, because these same people might not even look at reviews after this initial visual assault.

The most noticable difference to players of the original game will be the graphics. Back in its day, the Genesis was pretty hot, but they definitely needed an update. The world and battle maps still smack of tilesets, but on the smaller screen the poor quality isn't as noticable. The character portraits have also been redrawn, giving them a distinct anime feel, instead of the saturday morning cartoons of the original. The close-up battle character models were also redone, looking softer and more three-dimensional, kind of like the battles in Golden Sun. A few of the game's battles were tweaked a little, as some may remember them getting excessively hard after only the second chapter. What comes to mind is the battle with the Laser Eye superweapon at the crux of the Runefaust army - I remember having to replay the mission constantly, because no matter how much I strategized as soon as I got near the Eye itself my forces would be annihilated with one blast.

The turn based combat system is elegant in its simplicity: surround your enemies and attack, repeat as required. The menu interface is straightforward to navigate, and it's clear where Camelot's influences were when they designed Golden Sun's. Very little effort was spent detailing the weapons and equipment part of the game; most of the time character skill improvements alone will make all the difference in battle. Every 100 experience points a character earns they level up. However the most experience is gained when killing a monster. Like in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, it becomes apparent very quickly who your strong characters are, as the gap between your seasoned squad and backup characters grows wider. You can upgrade a character's class every 10 levels by Promoting them, which brings with it increased attributes, attack and defense bonuses. I will remember not to promote Zylo, though, as he is much more useful in his untamed state. I learned that the hard way when I first played Shining Force; upon being promoted Zylo gained this really lackluster magic attack that didn't do nearly as much damage.

What some players might find useful is a new card system, that uses cards you can find scattered in dungeons or town buildings. They will either have a specific action or a member of Shining Force on them. This new system is controlled by Mawlock, one of the game's new characters that does not start in the party. Instead, chapter epilogues contain a parallel storyline with Mawlock and Princess Narsha of Runefaust, who eventually join up with the Shining Force halfway through the game. Only then can he actually use the cards that you've been finding up until that time in battle. Each card can either provide Mawlock with a character's ability (using their respective card), create a clone of that character to fight on the battlefield, or give temporary power-ups to a character. In theory this should balance the field later in the game, because most of the end battles are still pretty hard. With that said, I still feel that the new system and characters feel forced into the original game's flow, kind of like seeing the new material in A New Hope: Special Edition.

With all the noise everyone is making about the NES "classics" being re-released on the GBA, Shining Force should recieve as much, if not more, criticism. The game is essentially the same as the original. Which is fine for me, because as soon as I started playing my strategies of the past gently bubbled to the surface, allowing me to get through a good portion of the game before I stopped for the day. I suppose there's a bit of nostalgia at work here as well, as I was able to look past many of the game's faults. Yes it is a remake of a game that was great in its day, but with the new subtitle I expected a bit more, at least enough to justify the cost of the game. I suppose that's Metroid: Zero Mission talking again, but it's true. Nintendo has set the standard.

I couldn't help comparing Shining Force with FFTA, because without Shining Force I doubt the genre would exist in its current form. But when you're faced with the choice of a game that is based on a deep character upgrades system, and combat mechanics that make me want to bathe in their complexity, it's hard to accept Shining Force as analagous. The graphics are dated, the combat is simplistic (I kept trying to approach enemies from behind for better attacks) and the theme music is extremely limited. If you want this game to rekindle fond memories of the Genesis version, by all means get Resurrection of the Dark Dragon because it's a fine port. And anyone who hasn't played Shining Force, but considers themselves a fan of the genre, might be interested in this bit of gaming history. Otherwise, you'd be better off spending your money on Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre. I may have been waiting for Shining Force on the GBA, but I can't say it was worth my own hype.

secret of the atom heart

Treasure seems to be doing quite well for themselves lately. I haven't had the pleasure of playing the highly lauded Ikaruga yet, but I assure you it's been on my "to do" list for some time. And by the end of the year PS2 players will have the latest realization of the classic Gradius series, and two highly anticipated games starring Astro Boy are also on the way. Astro Boy was probably among my generation's first exposures to anime, although I personally remember Spaceketeers more vividly. But that's beside the point. My interest has been piqued by Astro Boy for the Gameboy Advance.

On this side of the Pacific, Astro Boy for the GBA is known as Omega Factor. I saw a few screens from the import, and it definitely looks like a return to the classic Gunstar Heroes for the Genesis. I want to say I hated that game, because in reality I should have: my performance on final exams in my first year of University was heavily compromised from playing it. There was a guy that lived a couple rooms down from me in residence - let's call him "Crazy Nick" - and we concurrently developed a disturbing obsession with this game. There would be almost all-night sessions, where neighbours would watch in awe as we pulvarized the overwhelming number of bubble-shaped soldiers and machines on screen with supernatural precision, yelling fanatically when health meters would get too low. I suppose in hindsight these gaming sessions were unavoidable by curious onlookers - we were pretty fucking noisy.

Then I read that Astro Boy retains a lot of the same feel of Gunstar Heroes: Omega Factor is a 2D side-scrolling actioner with a constant barrage of enemies to fight and even stranger looking bosses. It even pays homage to Gunstar on the first level with a subtly placed sign in the cityscape backdrop. A simple nod to fans, perhaps, but the fact that this spirit is kept alive for the whole game is reassuring. Omega Factor wasn't entirely developed by Treasure, however; most duties were handled by Hitmaker, who you might remember from the runaway success Crazy Taxi. Some of the original members of the team responsible for Gunstar were retained for this project for obvious reasons.

There are a few special moves at Astro Boy's disposal - such as the familiar finger laser and his rocket feet - but the hidden machine guns and arm cannon are what really mess your enemies up. The violence towards your countless adversaries is almost comical at this point: who would suspect a lovable icon like Astro Boy could bring so much destruction to the screen? Like Gunstar, there is also a running upgrades system that allows you to increase Astro Boy's powers, like your life bar and how much damage your special abilities do.

I was never a big fan of "cute" in games - it just reiterates the audience this hobby is technically aimed at. In moments of weakness I even wonder sometimes why I bought the Gamecube and Gameboy Advance, given each system's current bestsellers. If anything I'd much rather see franchises like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh chained to a slab of concrete and dropped in the middle of the Pacific - but these games move units. Despite my inhibitions, I have a good feeling about Astro Boy: Omega Factor. A light-hearted action game with fun a central ingredient, and with Treasure's presences unquestionably felt, I can see myself checking this one out when it's released this Summer.

the boat won't rock without a sing-along

On Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

The Wife purchased Super Mario Bros. 3 for the GBA a couple weekends ago, and I keep meaning to talk about it. It got a lot of good reviews - and deservedly so - because it perfectly recreates the Super Mario 3 experience as seen in Super Mario All-Stars with a few minor improvements. The most notable being the remixing and addition of a few new sounds, like Mario's voice, which we all most definitely could do without. Another thing I noticed is that all the Mario Advance titles - even Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga - contain a separately playable update to the original Mario Brothers, which can be enjoyed by two players if you have the means to link up. It's a small thing, but a nice gesture nonetheless. As Super Mario 3 is hailed by many as being the greatest Mario game ever made (looking back at the hype it's hard to believe anything else) and the best selling video game of all time, I would call this latest manifestation a grand accomplishment. If we're comparing remakes though, Zero Mission still has it beat.

review: Metroid Reloaded

I was left feeling cold by Metroid Fusion, chastising it for being a sneaky remake of Super Metroid that was tweaked out and put into a different package. It's one of the better titles for the GBA, though, so actually investing in that purchase would not be a mistake. This time around I can't use that excuse, because Nintendo has made it clear we are seeing a massive redesign of Samus Aran's first encounter with Metroids. But what players didn't know was the extent of the surprise at the end of the game. And I plan on divulging, so beware of the spoilers interspersed in this review.

Metroid: Zero Mission is a retelling of Samus Aran's mission to planet Zebes, which first appeared as Metroid on the NES in 1986. And as I've noted before, it's very similar to the facelift that the original NES Mario Brothers games underwent for Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES. The same exaggerated, cartoonish styling was transplanted onto Metroid to yield Zero Mission. The visuals are definitely the strong point of this game, followed very closely by the much improved soundtrack. Where Sword of Mana seems like Secret of Mana with a few minor changes, Zero Mission is a completely refreshing take on a classic adventure.

Like any Metroid game, you start with nothing and are driven by an unseen force to acquire new powerups and weapons. The simple formula has been repeated time and again in this series (and others like it), yet gamers never complain. I suppose the simple act of getting and replacing your suit's many upgrades is reward enough. And the moderate level of difficulty lends itself well to marathon sessions where you've obtained about 10 new missile tanks and wonder where the fuck the time has gone.

Some of the weapon and power suit upgrades are actually carry-overs from Metroid sequels, like the Speed Booster from Super Metroid and the "Power Grip" that first appeared in Metroid Fusion, which allows Samus to hang off of ledges. Adding these new abilities provides a different experience from the original, and each of the game's areas were redesigned to suit.

Zero Mission tends to feel more free-form than Fusion, because sequence breaking is a lot easier. You are no longer limited by locked elevator accesses and different "sectors". It essentially starts once you get bombs and can bomb jump your way to unreachable corridors or Power Tanks. After a while it becomes very obvious where you're supposed to go, however, and there is always a way out.

My game clocked in at just under four hours, and this was played over the course of a week or so. Sure there were some challenges, but I think my largest complaint with the game is that it was too easy. When you have the Automap to fall back on, it's very difficult to get lost, and you occasionally get clues as to where to head next. All powerups are revealed in this manner as well (as they were in Fusion) and it's just a matter of blasting your way to them. Unlike the original Metroid, where part of the game was actually remembering where you were (this is where graph paper came in handy). Even Ridley - traditionally one of the hardest bosses - was a pushover. Kraid was the only boss that presented a real challenge. Mother Brain was easy to defeat as long as you had a sufficient missile loadout.

If you're even slightly into this game, by now you've heard about the additional mission that takes place after the destruction of Mother Brain. The "suitless Samus" sequence, while fun for awhile, quickly became annoying due to your lack of a power suit and no real way to defend yourself. I almost felt like I was playing a 32-bit version of Starcraft: Ghost.

Playing through Metroid Prime revealed some interesting information about the origins of Samus' Power Suit and the Chozo civilization, but Zero Mission takes it a step further. At the end of the game, you see a close up of some scribbled graffiti on the mural that you fought previously to gain your fully powered Armour back. It shows a young Samus holding hands with some Chozo elders, which fully canonizes some information about Samus' heritage that was mostly made up of fan speculation and snippets from game instruction manuals. There was also a short animated sequence you saw after destroying Mother Brain where you see the same situation. If you don't mind looking at pictures (unless you can read Japanese), there is a e-manga Shockwave cartoon that goes into a little more detail on this subject. From what I understand, as a child Samus was the survivor of a Space Pirate attack on her home planet that was led by Ridley. She was taken into custody by the Chozo and grew become the fearless bounty hunter we know today. As far as I can tell the comic is officially sanctioned material.

I could easily recommend this game above Metroid Fusion, because Zero Mission truly captures the feel of the only two fully original games in the series: Metroid and Metroid 2: The Return of Samus. Metroid Prime was a departure in many ways, but the more I think about it the more I can compare it to Zero Mission and its quasi-openness and automap directives. If you want a highly addictive side scrolling adventure, you cannot go wrong with Zero Mission - in fact it's impossible. Nintendo could have easily gone the lazy route and just prettied up the graphics on the 1986 classic. But they did more than give the game a comic-like style - they included familiar powers that have been introduced into the series since its debut, as well as added a novel end sequence where you can play as Samus sans power armour. And to be able to unlock the original 8-bit Metroid and two galleries (Fusion and Zero Mission) make this an excellent package. I'd hate to see this series devlove into incestuous remakes, but I think Nintendo had to get Zero Mission out of its system. Another original Metroid game for the GBA and the Gamecube (like Metroid Prime 2 for example) would be a more welcome addition to the series.

those evil-natured robots

review: Metroid Fusion (GBA)

After the GBA:SP came to me in a vision pleading me to buy it, I learned very quickly that it came sans gamepak. So I ultimately had to decide which title would be my first taste of console gaming in a long time. Obviously, I chose Aria of Sorrow, and the rest is history. But I did consider purchasing Metroid Fusion. You see, back when I had my monochromalicious Game Boy, there were three games on that device that made me praise the work of Nintendo's developers: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Super Mario Land 2: The Six Golden Coins, and of course Metroid II: The Return of Samus. I am still in posession of only two out of the three, due to an unfortunate incident involving a former friend's brother who decided to sell my game after I lent it to them. But I'm not bitter or anything. And we're talking about the new Metroid game here. Which happns to kick a lot of ass in its own right.

fusion suit

This site has been up and down over the past couple of days for reasons that should be pretty obvious to anyone that hasn't received a frontal lobotomy recently. Until around 11 pm last night I was without power, without a computer, and without the fucking internet. It's scary how dependent we are on technology. Or rather, it's scary how dependent my livelihood is on technology. The bright side: I got a free day off work (sort of) and my GBA-SP was fully operational.

The better part of my day yesterday was spent recovering my car from the office (as I had run out of gas) and making my way home. I spent some time with Golden Sun during this journey of course, but I'd also like to tell you about another fine title I picked up on the weekend: Metroid Fusion.

I've logged roughly eight hours with it, and I think it's almost as good as Metroid II for Gameboy. The story is pretty engaging, and introduces a new type of alien menace for our heroine to fight: the X. I was a little resistant to the mission-based style of gameplay after the free-form nature of Metroid II, but I'm beginning to appreciate it. The game takes place on a giant research station where you must explore different sectors of the station trying to regain your lost powers. Meanwhile, a clone of Samus infected with X (cleverly dubbed the SA-X) is stalking you, causing havoc within the station. The few encounters you have with SA-X are pretty frightening - especially when she can kick your ass with a few blasts from her arm cannon. The mood and setting of the game can be mysterious and nerve racking (the music is very good), and I'm pretty sure the story will have some sort of twist at the end from hints dropped here and there.

So far the game hasn't really been a challenge except for the bosses. There are some puzzle type areas that simply require you to start randomly blasting walls with bombs or missles. The automap helps in this regard. I should also note that the graphics are very well done, and round out an exceptional gaming experience. Still, after spending a lot of time with this title in the past 32 hours, there is nothing truly extraordinary about the gameplay. Like Aria of Sorrow it's pretty much a straight ahead action game.

mega microreviews

Lucky me, who was the recipient of not one but two titles for the GBA this weekend on account of my being older by one additional year. I have been playing them enough that I can give an initial report, so read on.

Update: For those that are keeping track, the AW2 portion of this entry was rewritten after some additional play this week. There is a whole new dimension of gameplay that I hadn't even come across yet. This game is something else.

WarioWare Inc.: Mega Microgame$

Where to begin. The reviews for this game have been more than favourable. Reading about it definitely caught my interest, but it was nowhere near what I expected. Imagine if you will a hyperactive person who can't sit still for more than five seconds. In most cases, I would want to beat them into submission or stuff them full of ritalin, but WarioWare Inc. is definitely an exception to the rule. The "microgames" are absurd beyond description. I knew they would be short, but there was really no way to prepare for this unique style of game play. You are presented with a game and most of the time have no idea how to play it, and must complete it in five seconds or less. At first I tended to resort to button-mashing, but after a few of the microgames I got used to the concepts (and some of the games are even repeated with a higher difficulty). In all cases the games are extremely addictive and challenging. I like how a lot of old Nintendo games were the basis for some of the microgames, it was a nice touch. Once each tier of microgames is beaten, you have the potential to unlock new "full" games that are simple in concept but still pretty fun to play. Some of these unlockable games are multiplayer, but they don't require a link cable. Instead, they expect each player to operate the L and R buttons on a single GBA. Kind of lame.

The colorful menu screens, goofy looking characters and the subject matter of the microgames clearly aims it at kids (the manual even comes with stickers). But I'm playing this game with the best of them; it is well worth checking out as something you can just pick up and play with no real mental investment. Or a lengthy attention span.

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

Never has a game's intro and menu screen ever got me pumped to play it until this one. I feel like a fucking dork, but that's the honest truth right there. The game just oozes style. The in-game art is very clean and looks great, and although it sports an anime feel it's not annoying to look at. The music is equally amazing and I found myself rocking out a bit during some of the more intense battles. The combat system turn-based and fairly simple; each unit has a movement and attack range. Some of the units have special attributes such as the ability to capture factories (which produce units) or buildings (which provide income). During battles, your CO character (offscreen) provides additional bonuses such as more accurate infantry or tougher tanks. Points also build up during the battle which can be spent to unleash your CO's unique power, such as "hyper repair" which re-supplies and repairs any damaged units on the map. There are no random encounters on the battle map, which lends itself quite well to strategizing. The maps so far are manageable, have clear objectives and control points, and allow you to easily plan out combat to the final round.

There are tons of play options. You can either go through the single-player campaign or pick a map and just play, much like you would do in any PC RTS/TBS. Very impressive. Multiplayer options are also full-featured: they range from head to head or 4-way versus battles, to trading custom-made maps. And you only need one game pak to play. Outstanding!

Does all this mean that I will put Golden Sun on the back burner? Probably not. It's a strong enough game that I feel drawn to it more than the new additions to my collection. I should also note that as soon as I finish Golden Sun my first order of business will be to purchase The Lost Age.

looks just like the sun

Now that Castlevania is finally done, I made a point of quickly filling the GBA void with another game. As much as I loved playing Aria of Sorrow with Julius Belmont, there was just something missing. Besides the fact that you can't use Soul Powers, I mean. It's more along the lines of I've finished the game and want a new one. So, I got Golden Sun.

After playing it tonight, I can say that this is one of the best god damn RPGs ever created. Maybe the best game for the GBA. And I am well aware that I only own two games for this magical platform, so bugger off. Yes, it is that good. Beautiful graphics, good soundtrack, nice balance of puzzles and turn-based combat (a real bonus, in my opinion). Even though the story is kind of a retread, it's still interesting and enjoyable. And much to my surprise the dialogue is not made up of baby talk or poor japanenglish. The combat and magic system is also extremely innovative and fun. In fact, I can easily compare the style of game to something like Shining Force. This was truly a game among games for the Sega Genesis. It's success spawned a whole series of "Shining" games all the way up to the Sega Saturn. Shining Force made me appreciate the fun of turn based strategy. And before you Heroes fanboys get all up in arms, I love those games too, they just didn't let you have a half-wolf in your party.

Whilst I am on this tangent of sorts, I should mention that I stumbled upon a certain game called Shining Soul, which is part of the Great Lineage of Shining Games. It was released for the GBA last year in Japan, and is described as a "Communication RPG" - whatever the fuck that means. From the tidbits that I have read, it sounds like a multiplayer RPG and on par with something like Diablo II. My question of course is, where the fuck do I sign up. According to ebworld, it will hit North American Soil in September. I can hardly contain my body fluids. I mean, after buying a GBA and seeing my favorite series make their home there, it's almost like the platform was invented for my enjoyment alone. Well, except of course for the multiplayer games, and then you're gonna just have to come over here and bring it.

review: castlevania - aria of sorrow (GBA)

Working title: Symphonic Aria of Dissonant Sorrows (A Nocturne)

I honestly think Konami has to start coming up with some more imaginative titles. Every Castlevania game after the critical and commercial success of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night has been similar sounding. Nothing against the games themselves, but the naming scheme is becoming a bit tired. Not to mention of course the Final Fantasy-eque unisexing of the main hero - I mean looking at the box for Aria of Sorrow I could have sworn it was a girl, but apparently that's your character. Yeah, he's supposed to be male. And where do they come up with the names? Honestly...Soma Cruz? I thought I would die laughing. I guess something was lost in the translation. But I am reviewing a game here, not the foibles of Japanese game developers.

The story behind this adventure takes place in 2035, and apparently Dracula's castle is inside a solar eclipse. You mysteriously find yourself at the castle gates after visiting an ancient shrine. Other than that the plot kind of fades into the background. I'll be honest here and say that I skipped most of the dialogue because it was pretty boring and so god awfully scripted. For example:

Very Bad Guy: "I was born on the very day that Dracula was destroyed...So, in short, that means I AM Dracula!"
Soma Cruz: "That can't be right?! You've been so kind and friendly to me!"

...and so on. The game itself is basically just wandering around a giant castle killing monsters and finding new equipment. The RPG elements are pretty hands-off. The more levels you have, the more HP you get and the more damage you do. Traditionally, though, that's the way these games always were and I suppose it's just my PC gaming background that expects a bit more. I'd compare this style of play with something like the Metroid series, as there are areas that are "locked" until you gain certain powers (eg. a platform that is too high until you get the double-jump ability). The castle design is quite good, though, so there isn't much backtracking involved. Save points, as much as I hate them, are well placed and do not prove to be too much of a hassle. The "sleep" feature I appreciated, which allows you to save anywhere, but once you restore from that point the savegame is deleted. It's a great feature that allows you to play at your own pace.

The graphics in this game are excellent. The sprite animations are fluid and the spell/soul power effects blew me away. For example, the soul of the Manticore changes you into this enourmous devil beast, where you can cut across the room leaving bloodshed in your wake. There is also a good variety of powerful and unique weapons and items, and most of them can be found in the Castle's many secret areas. The different sub-levels within the Castle were a bit clichè, but never uninteresting. My favorites were the Clock Tower and of course the Top Floor that leads to the final battle. However, there were only a few things that actually hinted at it being set in the future. Otherwise it looked just like any other Castlevania setting. So much for this being "futuristic". The sounds and music are very well done, and were a joy to listen to in full stereo sound. There are even little voice clips that Soma may utter when he does a particular type of attack or is damaged. They were subtle touches but made the game that much more interesting to play.

The soul powers system, which is unique to this installment of the Castlevania series, is fun. Every time you kill a monster there is a chance you can "steal" their soul, which can then be used for special abilities. This means that every single monster in the game has the potential to give up their soul for a new power. This leads to ultimate replayabiltity. In fact, even though there is no multiplayer you can link up with a friend to trade souls, which is a great idea. I think co-op multiplayer would have been nice, but I guess that's too much to ask.

I finished this game after playing it for roughly 20 hours. My saved game timer actually clocks it in at around 9 hours, but I know there were a few tougher areas that took more than one try to beat (Death was the toughest boss in the game). It was a bit short, and I was a little sad to see it end. Once you beat the game though you can start a new game on the "Hard" setting, or, the developers put Julius Belmont in as a playable character. You can start again and play as him, but you won't get any of Soma's Soul stealing abilities.

I consider myself a pretty big fan of the Castlevania series, and I was extremely pleased with this adventure. I haven't played any of the previous GBA adventures, but I have a feeling they won't really compare. Some people have even called this game the true sequel to Symphony of the Night. Whether you're a fan of the series or not, I'd highly recommend this game to any owner of the GBA. It's fun as hell.

review: game boy advance SP

Gaming has never been a hobby with me; it's been a way of life. In the past, I've always spurned the likes of most consoles. Maybe it was because the hardware depreciates a lot faster than PCs, the limited graphics capabilities, the controllers, or even the games to some point. To this end, I have no idea what possessed me to even think of purchasing the GBA SP. After playing the hell out of it this past weekend though I honestly believe that portable game systems should be a part of every gamer's lifestyle.

Let's start at the beginning. Firstly, the retail package is very small - both in size and in content. All you get are the GBA SP unit itself, and the AC adapter for the rechargeable battery. That's it. The old Game Boy came with headphones, the game link cable, and of course, Tetris. Sure, Tetris was a puzzle game - but at least you could play with your Game Boy right when you got it.

The GBA is a 32-bit system, and as a result the quality of the visuals in most of its current games has increased significantly over its green-and-yellow predecessor. In fact, as I said before, one of the reasons I wanted to get this system was for the re-release of all the SNES games I played and loved in the past. Now that I've been thrust into the world of GBA gaming I see that there are outstanding original titles to be played.

The overall design of the unit is pretty slick. I really like the fact that the screen is protected when not in use; the clamshell design was a great idea. Scratches on the screen are all too common on portable game systems. The screen is as large as the original GBA, and is extremely crisp. The backlight, which was not standard issue with the original release of the GBA, definitely makes a difference here. The fact that it can be turned off to save on power is nice too. Not like power would be an issue, though, since the GBA SP comes with its own built-in rechargeable battery pack. You can get roughly eight to ten hours of real-world gameplay out of one full charge if you have the backlight on the whole time. The entire unit is extremely light and compact, and I can totally see myself tossing this in my pocket for when I'm bored or need a quick fix of gaming.

All is not super lucky fun in GBA land though. Two key items are missing: the headphone jack, and the uplink cable. To make a consumer have to purchase these things separately is a crime, in my opinion. The add-on port is also in a really awkward place behind the screen, which makes plugging in headphones into the adapter little strange. I have to admit the design of the original Game Boy, and even the original GBA for that matter, was better in this respect.

The controls are adequate, but due to the compact size of the unit I can see them being fairly awkward to use if you have large hands. After a couple hours of play I grew accustomed to the controls, but I do have to question the button layout a bit. Why not four buttons near the D-pad similar to the XYAB buttons on the SNES controller? There's enough room, and even though I find the L and R shoulder buttons convenient fighting games would be a lot easier to pick up with two more buttons.

Playing classic Game Boy games on the GBA is pretty much the same as if you played them on a Game Boy Color. By default, they are at the original Game Boy resolution and look fairly clean. If you want you can expand the resolution to fit the new screen size, although it looks like crap. GBA carts are about half of the length of old school Game Boy carts, so the old carts will tend to stick out a bit. Annoying, if nothing else; I appreciate the fact that they are playable at all.

As expected, the GBA SP is pretty expensive because of the backlight and built-in battery pack. If you already own a GBA, though, don't kick yourself. The excellent Afterburner lighting kit is available, and works quite well from what I have read. That's if you don't mind cracking open your GBA and installing it yourself. And since all Game Boy games are compatible with both GBA systems, there really is no compelling reason to get an SP if you already own GBA Classic. However if you're looking for a slick, compact and well-established portable gaming platform, this is definitely the one to buy.