The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS): COMPLETED!

  / / Leave a comment

Yeah Hilda. You tell me a gooood story. I’m all ears. And not just because I’m an elf thing. Aha. That’s it then – final dungeon done, final final dungeon done, end boss beaten. What a fantastic game. It’s just so perfect in almost every single way, and somehow manages to improve on the Zelda formula by getting rid of most of the linearity, by upping the pacing, and by making it somehow feel both very different and exactly the same as …

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

  / Leave a comment

And then there was one. One! Just one Sage left! And not only that, but I’ve upgraded my sword using a couple of Master Ores, and I managed to find the Blue Mail (which was in the Swamp Palace, even though some people on MiiVerse told me it was in the Ice Ruins – pfff, idiots). On top of that I’m also most of the way through the final remaining dungeon (bar, I presume, Lorule Castle), which happens to be the Dark …

Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

  / Leave a comment

After a mammoth effort this weekend, I get all the stars, stamps and flags from the rest of the remaining levels. It wasn’t hard, it just took a fair while as most of the levels had at least something left to collect. My reward? World Crown. I was slightly disappointed to find there were just three levels on this world, but as you can see – one of them is pretty much a monster. Look at all them stars!

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

  / Leave a comment

More not-actually-aimless wandering led to the accidental discovery of Turtle Rock, and the completion of it. The actual dungeon was very small, but involved several “layers” on each of the two floors and was actually quite complicated. It was pretty easy though, brain-twisty puzzles aside, and the boss was easily seen off. After that, I set about looking for entrances to other dungeons, finding my way to the Dark Palace (which had a rubbish stealth section before it – mercifully, …

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

  / Leave a comment

This is slow going. Not that slow going is a problem, and it’s actually mostly my “fault” as I keep getting sidetracked looking for treasure and stuff – only to be disappointed that I don’t have the Titan’s Mitt to pick up big rocks. Well, sorted that by getting the mitt from the Desert Palace. Now (I think!) I can reach everywhere, as I’ve all the weapons too. But I’m ahead of myself. Before the Desert Palace (which, like in …

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

  / Leave a comment

And still the game goes on. I found out that the reason I didn’t have a Gold Shovel yet is because I simply haven’t bought enough fertiliser. So I’ve been buying fertiliser. But what to do with all my fertiliser? Send it to Agent S, of course! That girl (yes, it surprised me too) loves fertiliser. Probably. Then my transvestitism was unkindly brought up when the less tolerant than expected Lopez questioned why I was wearing a lady’s hat. Because …

Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

  / Leave a comment

That picture there is all the flags, stars and stamps for all of the worlds from 1-8. Or 1-Bowser, if you’re using Nintendo’s eclectic numbering system. Surprisingly, although the hardest level up until then when playing normally and for the first run through, was Grumblump Inferno (the one with the blocks you have to stand on as they roll over lava), and I’d failed to get anything but a finish on it, this time I found it incredibly easy and …

Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

  / Leave a comment

The post-game mop-up continues apace. I’ve played through all of Star, Mushroom and Flower worlds (although not collected everything in each level), finishing at Boss Blitz. It’s not that the level is especially hard, because it isn’t. In fact, most of the bosses in this – which technically classifies as a SuckySuck(TM) Bit – are the same as earlier in the game. The main issue is beating them in the time allowed. Actually, the main issues is beating the Hisstocrats …

Things I’ve Played Recently

  / / / / 2 Comments

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS) Glorious. Oh, you want more? Erm, really glorious? It’s the best Zelda game since Minish Cap. Mainly because it’s the only Zelda games since Minish Cap, sure, but still. Yes, yes, I know there was Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass and those Wii ones and stuff, but they’re not proper Zelda games. Don’t argue. Nintendo have taken the essence of a proper Zelda game, reused the game world from A Link To …

3D Streets of Rage (3DS): COMPLETED!

  / / Leave a comment

This is not what I expected one of my first completed games of 2014 to be, what with having got A Link Between Worlds and Duck Tales recently. Something made me want to buy and start playing this yesterday (perhaps because I’d just finished Steamworld Dig), and I finished it today. It’s the same game as it ever was, although you’ll notice I opted for the Japanese version (mainly because I’ve never played it). It made little difference bar the …

The 2013 Gaming Expenditure Horror

  Leave a comment

It’s that time again, where I perform an autopsy on my games spending over the last 12 months. Some real changes this year as well. Let’s have a look at how the total compares: 2010 – £590.32 2011 – £888.22 2012 – £834.48 2013 – £342.82 So, a massive 58.9% decrease in spending. That’s a lot. However, there’s a reason for much, but not all, of that – in 2011 I bought a 3DS (and a PS3), and in 2012 …

SteamWorld Dig (3DS): COMPLETED!

  / / 1 comment

First game of 2014 to be completed! Woo! I was a big fan of the 360 indie game Miner Dig Deep, and many years ago loved Diggers on the Acorn and Amiga, and it was my enjoyment of those two games that made me want SteamWorld Dig. The stars aligned and I was given some eShop credit just as this was on offer, and so I snapped it up. I’m glad I did. It’s very much in the same vein …

Attack of the Friday Monsters (3DS): COMPLETED!

  / / 2 Comments

This is another one of those “Guild” games – short, experimental titles that were originally in a compilation in Japan, but were released in the UK as separate digital only games. I’d been interested in getting it for a while as people had said it was a fun little story in a slightly bizarre setting, and I’m a fan of strange and obscure Japanese games. However, when it came out I had lots of other games to play and no …

Super Mario 3D World (Wii U): COMPLETED!

  / / Leave a comment

By completed, I of course mean I have beaten Bowser. Like New Super Mario Bros U, from around this time last year, that’s only the first half of the game. The post-game mop-up of stars, flags and stamps will continue for a long time, I’m sure. Apparently, it took me just under 5 hours to get this far. That’s shorter than NSMBU by some way. It certainly felt shorter, and was certainly easier. Yes, I found a warp (by accident) …

Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara (Wii U): COMPLETED

  / / 1 comment

Firstly, it seems this is just half of the “Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara” game on the Wii U eShop. It’s a conversion of the 90’s coin-op, and is the sequel to D&D: Tower of Doom, which is also included in the package but isn’t selected by default and isn’t actually obvious that it’s there at all. At some point I’ll be playing that. The main reason, aside from it being on offer this week, for getting D&D:COM at …