Genre: Role Playing Game / Tactics
Platform: Nintendo DS, Playstation
Credits: 2003 Square Enix Co. Ltd. Screenshots and images courtesy of Amazon.Com and Squaresoft

Cover Description:
Front Mission focuses on the conflict over Huffman Island, located in the neutral zone between two superpowers known as the Oceania Cooperative Union (O.C.U.) and the Unified Continental States (U.C.S.). Tensions between the O.C.U. and the U.C.S. spark the First Huffman Conflict in 2070, a two-year war ending with a ceasefire agreement that divides the island into two territories. After many years of relative peace, the sudden destruction of a U.C.S. military factory triggers the Second Huffman Conflict in 2090. Experience the war from the perspective of Royd Clive, the leader of the O.C.U. mercenary outfit “Canyon Crows”, or Kevin Greenfield, the commanding officer of the U.C.S. Special Forces squad “Black Hounds.” Battle through missions against wanzers, tanks, attack helicopters, and giant mobile weapon platforms, and unravel the true motives behind the war over Huffman Island.

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I could not remember a recent time that I had enjoyed a game this much. I thought I had become too old for video games, but as it turns out, I just love old school games more than the soul-less ones available in the market today. Front Mission for the Nintendo DS, alternatively titled Front Mission: The First, is actually a port from the PSX game, which also happens to be a remake of the very first Front Mission released for the SNES. It wasn’t as if the game was remade from scratch. Square, at that time, took a decade-old game, revived, repackaged and added a whole new wing to it. While Front Mission retained most of its original gameplay, artwork and animation, it offered a different side to the original story.

The very first release solely consisted of Royd’s campaign. Royd is a mercenary working to expand the O.C.U. territory. Kevin’s campaign, which focuses on the U.C.S.’s viewpoint, is an add-on. As of this writing, I had already finished Royd’s path and I am halfway through Kevin’s.

Now that I have explained its origins, I suppose I have already painted an opening towards expectations. FM1, looks-wise, is no way near the sophistication of later installations. This is a twelve-year-old game we’re talking about, so you’d see slow animations, isometric 3D, and highly simplistic terrains. The cover artwork is vintage Yoshitaka Amano but the insides are as regular as 2D avatars can get.

And yet I’ve become addicted.

While the plot tends to get absurd sometimes (I ended up laughing about what happened to the Royd’s girlfriend instead of sympathizing), one can’t really say that it lacks originality. The characters are relatable, even if the two protagonists are total sweethearts. They’re tough fighters, but they’re made of absolute mush. There’s not much characterization to delve into, but that’s typical of an early 90s video game. You’ll actually see a huge difference when you play Kevin’s storyline, though. His team mates are much more…talkative. And supportive. This is because there are additional options to your menu when you play Kevin. Instead of just hanging out at bars, like in Royd’s path, you also get to hang out with your team in the barracks. I was also surprised to see 3DCG FMVs in Kevin’s story. You don’t see that in Royd’s. Probably because Kevin’s didn’t come out until the 2003 remake and newer technology had been used.

The gameplay may not be as complex as Front Mission 3’s, since this is older, but it was riveting. I could not put it down. Despite my qualms about rifles being wrongly categorized as short-ranged weapons, I didn’t really care. Shotguns were my favorite in FM3 but rifles and machine guns in FM1 rock! To give you an idea as to how simple Front Mission battle system goes, I’d like to ask: Have you ever played Final Fantasy Tactics? Well, it’s nearly the same thing, except this one’s sci-fi and that one’s fantasy. There are no linking systems ala Front Mission 4. This is a simple turn-based tactics game where you gang up on your enemies till they all blow up. Your strategies would, however, depend on how well you customize your wanzers, how you balance your team, and how well your individual pilots specialize in much needed skills.

The difficulty settings between the two campaigns are as stark as night and day. Royd’s is manageable enough, with equal parts easy, equal parts normal, and equal parts difficult. Kevin’s, on the other hand, is really for more veteran players. I was already on the 9th mission when I realized that my Christmas/New Year vacation will be over soon and that I won’t be able to see the end of Kevin’s journey if I didn’t restart on Easy Mode (0.5x). That 9th mission was taking too long to accomplish as the enemy wanzers were twice as strong, twice as buff, outnumbered my team, and can shoot my limbs off in one round. If I were to go on a slowly-but-surely pace, my break would be up before I knew it. Switching to Easy Mode cut my time in half. My only complaint is that it’s so ridiculously easy, I could cry. (I wanted “Easy”, not “God” mode!) Nevertheless, I find this to be a very minor problem, since I had officially finished the game anyway and just wanted to see what the other side had to say.

Another minor complaint is the New Game+. It takes you back to the campaign you originally chose, without asking you if you want to try the other one. It would’ve been nicer to have some of the newer wanzer parts on Kevin’s game instead of having to select 0.5x Mode. New Game+ on Royd, even using the hardest difficulty level, is just plain cheesy.

Would I recommend it? If you’re Asian, I’d give you a resounding YES. I noticed that Front Mission titles don’t appeal to people outside of Japan or of Asia. Americans and Europeans are more into Advanced Wars. I’d say that I don’t want to compare. I love Front Mission. ‘Nuff said.

PLAYER STATUS:
DIFFICULTY: Extremely Easy - Extremely Difficult
COMPLETION TIME: 34:59 hours (Royd Campaign) 10:05 (Kevin Campaign)
HIGHEST LEVEL ACHIEVED: 34 Royd Campaign, 24 Kevin Campaign
RATINGS: Gameplay 9; Battle 9; Story 8; Visuals 8; Characters 9; Sounds 7; Replay Value 10

GENRE: Action, Side-scrolling, Platform
PLATFORM: Nintendo DS
CREDITS: 2006 Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., Screenshots courtesy of Amazon.com

Amazon.com Product Description:
Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin brings back the award winning action exploration gameplay that has held fans captive for 2 decades! Take control of two heroes, Jonathan Morris, a vampire killer and his close friend Charlotte Orlean, a girl with tremendous magical ability. Amidst the chaos of World War II, two mysterious sisters emerge working to resurrect Dracula and David and Charlotte are all that stand in their way.

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I think I mentioned before that the only other Castlevania I’ve ever played was the first one, with Simon Belmont as its protagonist. This was 2 decades ago — if I’m counting correctly — and I was a kid back then. Looking at that game now, I wonder how I survived the torturous clunkiness of old school side-scrollers. I remember that there were no save points in Simon Belmont’s adventures…

Years and several consoles later, I had enjoyed watching my siblings play other Castlevania installments like Symphony of the Night and all of the 3D PS2 titles. I just couldn’t get myself to touch any of them because they seemed more complicated. On top of that, I have had a traumatic experience with horror-themed games. I had nightmares about Medusa soon after I finished the first Castlevania!

So I keep away.

Until Portrait of Ruin. Of course, as I grew older, I realized that my hands aren’t as dexterous as they used to be. They start to hurt after some time. Nevertheless, seeing two people cooperate while hunting Dracula’s minions made it seem less…scary. Or maybe “lonely” was the word I was looking for. I mean, hello, if I were to go and hunt beasties and zombies, I’m going to bring a companion with me!

Story-wise, Portrait of Ruin deviates from the usual Belmont saga. Jonathan Morris, grandson of Quincy Morris (if you’ve read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, you’d know him), inherits the renowned Belmont whip — the Vampire Killer. He is, however, unable to wield it effectively at first. He is accompanied by a magic-user named Charlotte Aulin and together they discover the secrets of both the Vampire Killer and Dracula’s Castle.

The battle system is quite similar to what I’ve seen Alucard do in Symphony of the Night. You can use familiars and skills. The only difference is that you can do team play with Jonathan and Charlotte. You can switch between Jonathan and Charlotte, with one supporting the other, depending on your style. You can also use both at the same time. Jonathan is the brawn that dishes out physical attacks, while Charlotte is the brain that handles magical properties. These two even share conversations that show how smart Charlotte is and how much of a jock Jonathan can be.

I have to admit, though, that when it comes to two-man puzzles, I let my friend Nicco accomplish them. The rest of the gameplay can get pretty addictive, with sub quests that will keep you occupied for hours on end. I must warn you that you may feel exhausted after a while, especially if you’re one of those who want a perfect game. Despite that, I have to say that it’s worth it.

The music is lovely. Yes, it’s midi, but it’s very similar to Symphony of the Night when it comes to memorability. I played Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow right after this but the sounds just didn’t compare. I found myself humming Portrait of Ruin’s background music weeks after I’ve defeated it.

As for the audiovisuals, I’m not complaining. The 2D sprites aren’t half bad. The artwork for the portraits and the intro are beautiful.

My only gripe would have to be the fact that Jonathan and Charlotte have not transcended stereotypes. I really do want to use Charlotte, but she’s just too weak for quick killings. You can’t rely on her magic either as that consumes MP and would take a bit of time to cast. She really is just there for support.

Still, this didn’t really affect my enjoyment. Most of the characters inside this game can be comical, which is far from what I’ve witnessed in most Castlevania scenarios. There’s always some heavy drama and angst in Castlevania, but this is probably one of the few (counting Dawn of Sorrow) that inject light-hearted lines in many character dialogues.

PLAYER STATUS:
DIFFICULTY: Moderate - Difficult
COMPLETION TIME: 15-30 hours
HIGHEST LEVEL ACHIEVED: 56
RATINGS: Gameplay 10; Battle 10; Story 9; Visuals 8; Characters 9; Sounds 8; Replay Value 9

Genre: Role Playing Game
Platform: Nintendo DS
Credits: 2006 Square Enix USA, Screenshots with permission from RPGFan.

Amazon.com Product Description:
The only Final Fantasy that was never localized in the United States, Final Fantasy III has been reborn, incorporating the latest in portable gaming technology. Using the features of the Nintendo DS to their fullest, Final Fantasy III features graphics that have been reworked and remodelled in 3D, while maintaining the mythical Final Fantasy look and feel. This is the fans’ chance to complete the circle. The legend of Final Fantasy III is reborn.

• The missing link in the evolution of FINAL FANTASY is unveiled.
• A dynamic job-changing system brings a nearly infinite number of party.
• The touch screen interface takes full advantage of the DS capabilities.

Skysenshi’s Description:
The balance between light and darkness begins to shift and it’s up to the four Warriors of Light to restore its position. They must set off on a journey to find the crystals of Water, Wind, Fire and Earth in order to succeed in a battle of epic proportions.

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As my review title suggests, the first thing I noticed upon loading this game is how well-balanced it was. There are equal parts difficult and equal parts easy, with no mind-numbing amounts of level-up grinding to think of. When I’m experiencing a bit of difficulty conquering a dungeon or a boss, I immediately switch jobs and change strategies to make the pain a bit more bearable. What keeps it from being a mass of ennui, as I have observed, is that you have some sort of a transition phase when switching jobs. This simply means that there are a few battles you have to face before you can actually fit your new role like a glove.

I must be confusing you, as I immediately rambled on about job switches and battles. For those who aren’t familiar with any of the Final Fantasy classics, “jobs” are basically classifications that your character can fit into. In this installation, there are sword bearers like the Knight, Ninja, Warrior; magic users like the White Mage, Black Mage, Red Mage and so on and so forth. Your four characters — Luneth, Refia, Arc and Ingus — are pretty basic. They don’t really have a field of specialization unless you choose to make them specialize in something. So if you want all four of your characters to be ninjas, by all means, you may do so.

There’s not much to be said about its story — which had been rehashed by a number of other role-playing games over the decade — but Final Fantasy III is actually the first of the series to introduce the switching job system as well as the lovable Moogles. There are little things I do appreciate. Like how, story-wise, there aren’t any clear cut blacks and whites. (You’ll see what I mean near the conclusion.) Or how Refia has more HP (life) than everyone else, making it more realistic. (We all know that women live longer than men in real life.) Or how challenging the boss battles are. You don’t just fire away with your heaviest spells and punches; you actually have to stop and think.

Minor annoyances include the fact that the only time you can save is when you’re in the World Map. This could’ve been outweighed by the shortness of the regular dungeon maps. The problem is, the last four dungeons are very long and equipped with continuous, arduous boss fights.

Another annoying factor is the WIFI-only weapons that happen to be the most powerful in the game. You get these items through sub quests that are only available online. So if you don’t really have access to WIFI, you miss out on a lot of side stories and great gear. It’s a good thing that this doesn’t have much of an impact on the gameplay balance or I would’ve been thoroughly disappointed.

All in all, I find Final Fantasy III to be a satisfying way to pass the time. The music is nice, the characters are cute, and everything else — besides my minor complaints — seems to be in order. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone addicted to the Final Fantasy series.

PLAYER STATUS:
DIFFICULTY: Moderate - Difficult
COMPLETION TIME: 40 hours
HIGHEST LEVEL ACHIEVED: 70
RATINGS: Gameplay 10; Battle 10; Story 8; Visuals 7; Characters 8; Sounds 9; Replay Value 9

GENRE: Digital Novel, Mystery, Strategy, Role-Playing
PLATFORM: Nintendo DS
CREDITS: 2005 Capcom Co., Ltd.

Description (from the Apollo Justice Official Website):
Meet Phoenix Wright, the rookie defense lawyer new to the scene with the wildest cross-examination skills in town! Take on five intriguing cases to reveal dramatic, stunning, and even comical court proceedings. Use both the dual touch sensitive screens to investigate the crime scenes, question witnesses and present shocking evidence.

“Objection!” …It’s outrageous fun!

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My Nintendo DS was a gift from my boyfriend. So were most of the games he puts in it. When I saw that I had 4 Phoenix Wright games installed, I asked him what it was. His response made me go, “No thanks!!!”

Phoenix Wright’s gameplay is very similar to a bishoujo game’s. In short: it’s a digital novel. I normally find digital novels boring as hell, most especially if they’re not of the erotic kind. Now, you can probably imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I found myself hooked. The only time I can bring myself to put it down is if I had to do something extremely important. No digital novel has ever carried me to that level of addiction, with the sole exception of Knights of Xentar. But Phoenix Wright took me beyond even that.

At first I had difficulty swallowing the premise. You’re playing Phoenix Wright, a defense lawyer, who not only snoops around crime scenes but also implicates the real murderers in court. Having uncles for lawyers, I was aghast to see Wright lift evidence directly from his investigations and go above the normal protocols. I end up frequently asking my boyfriend, “Can he do that???” or exclaim, “He’s searching illegally!!!”

Not only that, his court battles can get ridiculous sometimes, with logic being too linear. It’s like solving an Analytic Geometry problem that only accepts solutions from a teacher’s answer key. For instance, I’m seeing another angle in a particular case but the game only wants me to go with its pre-programmed angles.

I also have issues with running around crime scenes like a headless chicken if I happen to miss examining something, if I don’t know where to go next, or if I have to go over a testimony/location twice just to trigger an event. When that happens, the game becomes my cure for insomnia.

Heh. For all my complaints about Phoenix Wright, I can’t deny that it is addictive. You don’t select from mindless, luck-based choices like what most bishoujo games are wont to offer. You’re actually out to look for the truth in every case and it means searching every nook and cranny for it. Of course, you’re following a logical trail while you’re at it. The court record hands you a gamut of clues, puzzle pieces, and evidence to throw against your opponents both in court and during your investigations. My favorite part is dismantling witness testimonies by pointing out contradictions.

To make things a little bit more complicated, a couple of your allies — ace attorney and mentor Mia Fey and her sister Maya Fey — are involved in supernatural activities. You’d think solving cases would be easy with spirit mediums involved, but you know you need to back your cases up with tangible items. Furthermore, the main prosecutor, Sephiroth look-alike Miles Edgeworth, will do everything in his corner to pin you down. Even tamper with evidence. All these make Phoenix Wright a gargantuan battle of wits amidst a collection of crazy incidents. It’s up to you to sort out the mess and fumble your way through. Believe me, you’ll be doing that a lot. Wright has the tendency to bluff and come out with the most outlandish theories that will inadvertently make sense.

Take note that this is the version that’s been ported to the DS. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was first released for the Game Boy Advance as Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten (逆転裁判 蘇る逆転). The original contained only four cases. A fifth case was added for the DS and it allows you to make use of the mic for fingerprint dusting. Luminol fluids and other forensic tools are introduced as well. Gameplay-wise, I really loved solving the fifth case. Story-wise, I think it should be stricken from canon as it opens up major plot holes in the series.

PLAYER STATUS:
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
COMPLETION TIME: 20 hours
HIGHEST LEVEL ACHIEVED: N.A.
RATINGS: Gameplay 10; Battle N.A.; Story 8; Visuals 10; Characters 10; Sounds 8; Replay Value 7

GENRE: Digital Novel, Mystery, Strategy, Role-Playing
PLATFORM: Nintendo DS
CREDITS: 2006 Capcom Co., Ltd.

Description (from the Apollo Justice Official Website):
With six months experience and five victories under his belt, the name Phoenix Wright is synonymous with “success”. But with newspaper headlines screaming “Ghost Commits Perfect Murder” and “Flying Phantom at the Big Top”, Phoenix’s new cases already seem unsolvable. And if that weren’t enough, there’s a ruthless new D.A. in town.

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Nothing much has changed with Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney: Justice for All. Like the first Ace Attorney game, Justice for All was originally released for the Game Boy Advance and it was known as 逆転裁判 2. Unlike the first installation, however, this game does not have any of the fancy investigative methods applied in the last case of the previous one.

Basically, what’s left in this game is your mind-boggling visual novel. You still run around crime scenes and dissect testimonies in court. Two things have been added, though:

1. You can now present profiles.
2. Behold, the Magatama!

The Magatama is a spiritual artifact that allows you to see Psyche-Locks. At first, I was aghast. I mean, locks to your heart? How much sillier can one get? Only the Magatama handler can see the Psyche-Locks, which would indicate that the person you’re interrogating is hiding something. Now, besides running around and picking up clues to present in court, you sometimes have to use these clues to unlock fully zipped lips. When you manage to do so, your life bar gets replenished and you’d be free to fumble your way through your case again.

I must say that the Psyche-Locks make the game a tad harder. Sometimes, the simplest piece of evidence would stare at you in the face while you look for more dramatic angles. It gets frustrating, but when you figure out how effortless the solution should’ve been, you could end up slapping your forehead and exclaiming, “Gah! Why didn’t I think of that sooner!”

What I neglected to mention in my review of this game’s predecessor is how well-developed its characters are. With Justice for All, it gets better. You not only delve deeper into the lives of the mystical Fey Family, you also get to develop a more complex relationship with your prosecutors and the utterly clueless, but lovable, detective Gumshoe. If Miles Edgeworth discovered what it means to be a prosecutor in the first game, it’s Phoenix Wright’s turn to discover what it means to be a defense attorney in this new adventure.

Unfortunately, there are no new cases for the DS port of Justice for All. I would’ve loved to use luminol fluids and aluminum dust again. I’d also appreciate an option to make the message text go faster. It’s torture for us speed readers to have to wait till the text finishes typing itself out.

PLAYER STATUS:
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
COMPLETION TIME: 20 hours
HIGHEST LEVEL ACHIEVED: N.A.
RATINGS: Gameplay 9; Battle N.A.; Story 9; Visuals 10; Characters 10; Sounds 8; Replay Value 7