Final Fantasy IV. It’s been 17 years since it was first introduced to gamers. A lot has changed since then and the game itself has been re-released a number of times. So will the latest release of IV be anything new for gamers to buy again? Well, yes. What? Did you think I’d drag out this question till the end of the review? This fantasy of a review starts now.
Now if you had played any of the incarnations of Final Fantasy IV then you know what’s in store for you and you already bought this game. For those that haven’t experienced this fantasy yet, then you’ll be very much delighted. Things are intact.
The story is the same. Crystals, Knights, Airships, and Moons. Cecil is taken on a winding adventure that changes his life for good. While a couple of things were added to the story from the original, it doesn’t do anything to change it. While not the most scattered story in Final Fantasy, IV’s story helps carry you along the whole way. You’ll be taken from setting to setting, fighting your battles, meeting and making new friends, and it will be easy to follow. Sidequests are around, but not too far to deter you from the main story.
The script has been updated to fit the royal setting the game is in. Along with the script being updated is the voice acting. Oh wait, there wasn’t voice acting before. Voice acting has been added. While there isn’t a ton of voice acting that is now littered in current and future Final Fantasy games, your characters talk during the more crucial parts of the story.
Along with things added are the updated graphics. Taking a cue from the 3D design of Final Fantasy III, IV now has a third dimension. Characters and monsters are vastly more detailed than their ancestral sprites and they benefit in almost every aspect. Characters are more emotional and memorable (also in thanks to spoken dialogue) and monsters and bosses can seem more intimidating.
Maps and environments also get the 3D makeover. All dungeons and towns stay true to their forms with maybe a few hidden passages taking a few extra steps to reach to fool veteran players. Final Fantasy IV wasn’t the largest world of fantasy made, but that just means there is less to re-recreate.
Augments act to give your party new abilities whether they are found or left behind by departing party people. This can add a great sense of strategy as you can have characters bump up their powers.
And since this is a DS game, there are touch screen functions. If your want, you can make your party run and or fly all over the world by pointing where you want them to go. Other than that, the rest of the touch screen play time is on mini-games to help power up a new summon character for Rydia, Whyt. Whyt does also come with some multiplayer function allowing other owners of this title to have their Whyts battle it out. Well…Rydia never needed to use Whyt in the past and she really doesn’t need to use Whyt now. There is very little to not like about this latest version of Final Fantasy IV. From a great story with memorable characters to upgraded features for this generation of games, it’s hard to find something to dislike. The tougher curve of difficulty will have you playing longer and the New Game + option will have you playing longer even longer. More play, more love, more fantasy, more IV.
Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People (SBCG4AP): Episode 1 Homestar Ruiner (Nintendo WiiWare)
Rated “T” For “Teen”
Do you own a Wii? Do you have an internet connection? Are you attractive? Then does Telltale Games have a game for you. Presenting “Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People: Episode 1 Homestar Ruiner.”
If you’re familiar with the internet entertainer provided by homestarrunner.com, then you probably have become familiar with one it’s most cool characters with boxing gloves, Strong Bad. His awesomeness has earned him his own game in which he is the muscular star of. And what kind of genre is worthy enough for Strong Bad to be in? Why a point-and-click adventure, of course. Who else is there to bring awesomeness to a rather underappreciated genre than the man of strong and bad?
Control Strong Bad as he is on his quest to beat the snot out of Homestar. Controls are as simple as the genre is worded out. Just point at the screen and click to make Strong Bad interact with anything and almost everything. Point and click to make Strong Bad talk to everyone. This in it self serves as hours of fun just to hear Strong Bad be himself and spout out 1-liners, 2-liners, and bigger-number-liners. It would be highly recommended to do so to make you seem cool.
Now just clicking and pointing is not all that is required to play through the game. You must exercise your sexy brain to solve and or cause problems for Strong Bad to achieve victory in his schemes. Remember, you will be playing as Strong Bad so you have to mold your brain to be as punch-tastic as he is in finding out how to cause trouble for Homestar and other familiar characters.
Almost everyone in the Strong Bad/Homestar universe is here in one form or another whether it be in the main game or side games you can indulge yourself in. You can play with Strong Bad’s Videlectrix gaming system with the ever so popular Snake Boxer 5 and even find the instruction manual to learn the secret code to make the boxing of snakes more snaky and boxing-y than before. Or maybe you want to create adventures for the girls of wonder, Teen Girl Squad.
Let’s not forget about the world of Strong Bad. It’s full of locations and computers talked about when Strong Bad used to mainly answer your emails. Visit Bubs’ Concession Stand for all your concession stand needs (in the game). Walk with the pink rainbow over to Marzipan’s and bother her some. Or enjoy your freedom with no one in the land of Strongbadia.
If you’re a fan of Strong Bad then you will definitely love this game without a doubt. From the characters, to the world you’re wrapped up, to the trouble you purposefully cause…you should like this game. While this downloadable will last you a good 3 hours or so, the time you spend laughing due to well written material might make the game last another 3 hours. And if you’re not a fan of Strong Bad…well, you’re probably not attractive and aren’t cool enough to play this game. Strong Bad wouldn’t want you to play his game anyways if you do not meet the game title’s requirements. With 5 more episodes coming soon, you have time to get plastic surgery and get liposuction to remove the crap from your head to become attractive enough to play.
The Wild West is brought to you in software form on your Wii by means of Wild West Guns. It's exactly what it sounds like it does; the Wild West on the Wii.
So what does the Wild West bring for you? They bring guns. They bring things to shoot with those guns. They bring the option to play with a "pardner" to bring law to the town. They bring six stages (clever because the menu shows them as barrels in a six-shooter). They bring...unlimited ammo (now the six-shooter thing doesn't seem as clever). They bring rehashed stages. They bring...no ending.
Hmm. Makes you want to get a real gun and shoot either your TV, your Wii, your Wiimote, Gameloft, Nintendo, and yourself. And yes, that's 6 things to shoot with our six-shooter cleverness.
It's not that this is a horrible game. It functions properly like any other classic arcade light gun game. It works. There's just not much more in terms of variety. Once you shoot one sombrero, you don't care to really shoot more as they come faster. Once you save a bunny from a vulture, you want to see the vulture eventually get one. Once you shoot a Mexican strapped with explosives, you feel a little dirty for doing it.
So you get to shoot at targets, balloons, animals/varmints, and the other people with guns that are shooting back at you. And your unlimited six-shooter that never has to be reloaded just gives you a shiny badge to shoot and ask questions later. If you didn't score enough points to unlock the next chamber of the barrel, then you just try again at no penalty other than maybe a cramped trigger finger. Although this will make those that aren't the greatest sharpshooters feel good as they can shoot-till-killed.
For 1000 Wii Points, you're probably better off having more fun shooting any other type of gun whether it be BB, paint, or otherwise. It takes maybe 30 minutes to finish everything and probably quicker if you're a great sheriff.
There is very little to not like about this latest version of Final Fantasy IV. From a great story with memorable characters to upgraded features for this generation of games, it’s hard to find something to dislike. The tougher curve of difficulty will have you playing longer and the New Game + option will have you playing longer even longer. More play, more love, more fantasy, more IV.
