Merry Christmas!

It's been a solid Christmas for me. I got an iPad Mini, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Amiibo figures for Villager, Mario, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, and Kirby, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, eShop and PSN gift cards, a Super Scope, and many other amazing presents! 

Hope your Christmas has been great. Happy holidays, whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas! Have a safe one.   

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Review

You have been waiting for this review and here it is. It's my Christmas present to you! Enjoy!

Hoenn's glorious return.

When these were announced back in May, I was glad to see that Game Freak was bringing what we wanted. As time passed by and more information was revealed, I was hyped up for these games. Has it lived up to the hype? For the most part, it has. 

Plot

For the most part, the plot is the same as Ruby and Sapphire. Team Magma, since Omega Ruby was the game I played, wants to conquer their silly goal of evaporating the world using Groudon and its primal reversion. 

New Mega Evolutions and Primal Reversion

I enjoyed many of the new mega evolutions introduced in this game, especially Mega (or very buff) Swampert. Primal Reversion is very unique because unlike Mega Evolutions, they immediately transform. I like the designs and both shiny primal reversions are AMAZING.

Gameplay

The combat engine is the same as it is in X and Y. I love turn-based RPGs: so, I enjoy combat. 

Presentation

Graphically, the game looks great for a 3DS title. The music is, for the most part, remakes or remixes of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald music. It sounds fantastic! Like X and Y, though, there are random framerate drops during combat. It's not a killer: but, it's kind of annoying.

Difficulty

The game offers some challenge to new players and veterans alike. Sometimes though, there were random difficulty spikes. I'm looking at you, Steven.

Verdict

Despite what I disliked, these are solid remakes of Hoenn. I'm currently in the Delta Episode and I'm looking forward to more awesome moments in the game.

Final Score:

9/10

Pokemon OR/AS update.

Remember how I promised a review of OR/AS? Well, once I beat the main story and play some of the Delta Episode, I will post my review. As it stands, all gyms have been conquered after playing for 10 hours (not all in one sitting). Nonetheless, the review is coming. As a bonus, here's my current team:

     

Left to right: Shiny Shell(Wanted to get more use out of him), Finn, Metagross (Event), Carol, Groudon, Fang (HM Slave)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks for the holidays have come! Share this Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Save some money on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday!

Happy Thanksgiving, nonetheless! Have a safe holiday.

Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire: First Impressions

On Friday, November 21, a.k.a Nintendo Day, the remakes of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire were released. I was fortunate enough to get a copy of Omega Ruby. I was fairly hyped for this game. It has lived up for the almost 2 hours I've played of it.
Hoenn's never looked better. The environments look great. The models, while reused, add a great amount of charm to the battles.  The music is very faithful to the original soundtrack. I also liked the redone artwork seen before and after a trainer battle.
The game also has a diverse amount of Pokemon to catch similar to Gen. 5. I would also like to give Game Freak a huge pat on the back for not shiny locking legendaries. That was a great re-welcome after X and Y's awful shiny locking on all legendaries.
There are definitely some annoying Gym battles, like Brawly. But, the vast amount of improvements make these games a warm welcome back to Hoenn.

Review coming eventually.

My thoughts on IGN's Pokemon ORAS review.

Yesterday, IGN's Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire review was posted on YouTube. When they review the main series titles, it is in a fairly positive fashion. But, remake scores have been getting lower. Here are some scores for reference:
Red/Blue: 10
Gold/Silver: 10
Ruby/Sapphire: 9.5
Fire Red/Leaf Green: 9.0
Heart Gold/Soul Silver: 8.5
X/Y: 9.0
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire: 7.8
What were the cons, you may ask? There's too much water and too many HM's.
Why would you complain there's too much water? It's based off an island in Japan. Why would you complain about that? This has grown to be an overnight meme.
I kind of agree there are a lot of HM's. It isn't an overload. But, there are a lot.
I was excited to see this review after they praised X and Y. But, like Destiny, it was over-hyped and underwhelming. The video review is short, weak, and poorly made. It doesn't go over post-game features, new mega evolutions, and doesn't dig into the remade Hoenn.
There is a good reason why the video has so many dislikes. I don't want IGN burned at the stake. But, I want to see an apology by the reviewer herself. IGN needs to get it together.

Minions Movie Trailer

I found this in my subscription box on YouTube. OMG, this looks so cute.

Huge Nintendo VHS haul!

Today, I went to my local Goodwill. For $3, I got all these VHS tapes. There were originally 20 tapes. But, one was a a double of Fighting Tournament and I gave it to a friend who was looking for the tape. Highlights include the N64 Sports TRU promo tape, the sealed copy of The Great Race, and Pokémon: The First Movie!

Announcement + Wishlist

Recently, I started a database through collectorz.com! I've cataloged my whole collection and here is a wish list I made:

Here's the database itself:

http://connect.collectorz.com/users/thomass4/view

World of Nintendo Series 1-1 Figures: What I managed to Get.

Recently, this series of figures has been brought to my attention. They are the World of Nintendo Series 1-1 Figures. These come in 3 variants: 2 inch, 4 inch, and 6 inch. There are six 2 inch figures to collect and I got 3 of those, four 4 inch figures and I only got one of those, and two 6 inch figures and I got none of those.
I found all of these at Target and Toys 'R Us. When I went to Target, the only figures I found were 2 inch Donkey Kong figures. I had better luck at Toys 'R Us. Even there, they only had a few 2 inch figures, a few 4 inch figures, and one 6 inch figure.
These have been selling for more online than in retail, especially the 4 inch Link. I didn't mange to get that one, unfortunately. I got all of these for $24:

The four inch figures above my bedroom door.

The only six inch figure on another wall of my bedroom.

Tomodachi Life for Nintendo 3DS review

A weird yet fun game.

As our first taste of this series in the West, we didn't know what to expect. Many people compared it to Animal Crossing. Both are very different. This is more a mobile app than an actual game. Yet it is a quality title.

Premise

Basically, you are the viewer of an island and its residents. You create Miis of people and watch them interact with them. Watch as the island grows and as your Miis grow as families.

Presentation

The presentation is solid. The graphics and controls are good. The Miis and their apartments are very well-crafted.

Gameplay

This is what the game is all about. You go and check Miis with a problem in their apartment. From there, you can play a little minigame. The minigames are too simplistic for my taste. Have all the weird relationships you want!
Humor

The humor makes it one of the weirdest games I have ever played. When they crack jokes, they are very odd. Take for example the dreams. In what universe would you hail a Virtual Boy or a Cracker? I don't know.

Verdict

This game, even with its odd humor, is still a good game. Please buy Tomodachi Life.

Final Rating: 8/10

A rant on Pokemon Shiny-Locking

With legendary Pokemon. most of the event legendaries are shiny locked. That means even if you try really hard, you will never obtain its shiny form unless you remove the shiny lock through cheating. With event legendaries, it makes sense. But, Generation 5 was the straw that broke the camel's back. A select amount of the legendaries had an extra code to make the shiny chance 0/0. Despite that, the other legendaries excluding event legendaries had obtainable shines.

But, Pokémon X and Y took it in the worst direction: every legendary obtainable in the Kalos region is shiny locked: why? That means no Mewtwo, Legendary Birds, no shiny legendary hunts. To Game Freak, I congratulate you. You've made hunting even more limited.

I hope they remove the shiny lock on legendary Pokémon in ORAS. If they don't listen, get the action replay ready. 

Moral of the story: Shiny locking is annoying and should not be taken to the extremes.

Birthday Presents/Pickups

That joke aside, I turned 15 today! And with that, the presents rolled in! Here is a picture:

Specifics

Wii U: Rayman Legends, Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Starter Pack

PS3: Minecraft: PlayStation3 Edition

DS/3DS: Onix Black DS Lite (owned one as a kid, top screen broke), Fire Emblem: Awakening (Yes!)

Sega Saturn: Sega Saturn NTSC System, Darius Gaiden, Street Fighter: The Movie Game

DVDs: Adventure Time: The Complete Second Season, Regular Show: The Complete First and Second Season

Disney Infinity: Guardians of The Galaxy play set, (I am) Groot figure, Rocket Raccoon Figure, Drax Figure, Captain America Figure

Overall, my birthday's been really good! The celebration's not over yet...

LEGO City: Undercover: Aftershave

This is a new series I'm starting to recollect on games that I beat the story mode on, whatever it may be. I got addicted to LEGO City: Undercover and I beat the story mode. There will be spoilers.

The final battle with Rex Fury in space is pretty cool. It's very well-done and they got very creative with this final mission. The ending, while satisfying, left me begging for more. I wanted more stuff to do after arresting Rex. Maybe, we could arrest more criminals in a sequel. After the credits roll, you are free to explore the city. This is where replayability kicks in.
Did my opinion change? No. There is a chance for a sequel. Please make it possible, Traveler's Tales!

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Demo: My Thoughts

So, Today, the demo for Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS was released. First off, I want to say that launching a demo at a specific time other than midnight is about as annoying as Navi. I had to wait until after school to download the demo for myself. That rant aside, what do I think about this demo? Let's go step through step.

Basics

The demo has only two accessible areas: the tips and the brawl mode. I'll give Nintendo credit; they did show one multiplayer mode; local multiplayer. It's a nice way of showing the 3DS's features. The character roster is only 5 in the demo: Mario, Link (or Lonk, if you will), Pikachu, Villager, and Mega Man. The roster is good, and it shows the cast of characters. There's only one stage: Battlefield.
Gameplay
This is the driving point of the game and it feels great. The gameplay feels really tight and is fun.
Presentation
The presentation is really good. The stages look great for a 3DS game and the models look good. From what we get of the music, it is well done.
Verdict 
Overall, this demo is one great package for absolutely nothing. Now excuse me, I'm going to play some of the demo.

The most accurate Super Mario Bros. on Violin!

So, my dad showed me this.I don't know how he found this, but this is fairly accurate.

Expect some posts next week. It will be an event.

He has evolved!

After getting the Wartortle, I evolved it as soon as I could. He's so beautiful! By the way, for those who wanted to know, it has a a perfect IV in Attack and a really good Speed stat.

Will my luck strike again? The world may never know...

LEGO City: Undercover Review

Chase is going behind the scenes.

When this was released last year, the Wii U needed an exclusive that wasn't Mario. This was the exclusive that got the guts, but didn't get much glory, unfortunately. This game sold somewhat poorly, despite positive reception. This game broke the mold for LEGO games to come, and it does it very well.

Plot
The plot may seem simple, but has a lot to learn. You play as Chase McCain, a rookie cop, who is striving to take down Rex Fury, who recently escaped from prison, while helping many other people. That's the plot in a nutshell.
Presentation
The presentation is solid. The game looks great, and runs solidly. The city you're given to explore is huge!
Humor
I felt like this deserved its own segment. This game is really hilarious, filled to the brim with puns and one liners. I was laughing out loud at parts.
Gameplay
The gameplay is pretty solid! You're given missions and the open world to explore, and it works! My only nitpick with the game is the load times. Oh, boy, are they awful. They can last up to a minute. It was just annoying.
Verdict
If you can deal with load times, this might be perfect for you. It is the definitive LEGO game on Wii U, and a must- buy, even at $45.

Final Rating: 9/10

I found my first shiny Pokemon!

Until last Wednesday, I had never found a shiny Pokemon.  I was messing around in the Friend Safari when I walked into my friend's water safari when this graced my screen:

A random shiny Wartortle! I was going in to train my Rotom when this came!

I was so excited because A: it's my first shiny, and B: Blastoise is my favorite Pokemon! Words can't describe my excitement to get my first shiny Pokemon! I will evolve it soon. Shiny Blastoise looks funny, but I don't give 2 craps! This is my pride and joy of Pokemon X and Y. Period!

Florida Game Hunt: Day 2!

Today in Florida, our first stop in the hunt was Home Field Cards and Games! I went there last year, so it was a breath of fresh air! Here are the pickups!
N64: Disney's Tarzan
Xbox: Yager
Wii: Muramasa: The Demon Blade (finally!)

I'm Holding up Muramasa. So happy to add that game!

Our next stop was Price Busters Movies and Games! They had a decent selection of games,  trading cards, and movies! Here are pickups!

Genesis: Comix Zone

SNES: Stunt Race FX

I'm holding up both of the pickups!

Update in Florida!

This is kind of a sudden, but right now I'm in Florida on a last minute vacation! I will be gone until Saturday, but I will try to post something! In the meantime, here are some pickups and pictures!
N64: Robotron 64
Xbox: Outrun 2
PS3: Fuel
Wii U: LEGO City Undercover (finally!)

This was a wall decal outside of GameStop! I love LBP.

This was a wall decal at one of my stops, Trade N' Save!

To be continued...

Destiny Beta- My Thoughts

Sorry for my hiatus.  I've been really busy in July! In the meantime, I did get the Destiny Beta on PS4! But, I only had it for a day.

I was only available to play it for one day. All I played was the first mission. But, I really liked it. The graphics look nice for the beta. The gameplay is solid and the controls were tight. Now, why was I only able to play it for a day?
Simple: I downloaded the beta on its last days. I realized the beta closed today. That was annoying.

All I can say is what's coming looks great. Bungie, please don't close your betas so soon next time, please?

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July!
Don't forget next week is Cow Appreciation Day!

How to tell if a GBA Game is Fake or Legit

Today, I went to Game Mechanix, a store in my area. I was suspicious about their copy of Pokemon Sapphire. And it was fake. I compared it to my legit copy, and here it is!
Left: Legit, Right: Fake

And here is a video of telling fake GBA games from real ones.

Super Mario Sunshine Reivew

Mario's Needed Vacation.

Super Mario Sunshine is one Mario game that not everyone fell in love with instantly. Despite receiving critical acclaim, the fanbase has a love/hate relationship with this game. I feel like one of the many people who enjoy this game.
Plot
For those who have played any Mario game, the plot is the exact same. Peach is captured and you must rescue her from Bowser Jr.
Presentation
The presentation is, as always, solid. The graphics look good, and the level design is fine. The only part where it stumbles is the bland voice acting. There isn't much in the voice acting. It's a real shame.
Gameplay
This game's new mechanic is FLUDD. FLUDD is a cool item that inspired many of the interesting puzzles, which can vary from fun to frustrating. Other than that, it's standard Mario platforming.
Verdict
Despite its flaws, I had a blast with this game. I say it's worth the $40 the game goes for.

The Score= 9.25/10

Pokemon X and Y Review

Catching Pokemon was never this good.

I have anticipated reviewing this game because I have owned this since day one. I have beaten it and I was satisfied with the game. This will focus more on Pokemon X since that is the version I'm reviewing.
Pokemon X and Y are giant leaps in this RPG series. These games alone made Gen 6 my favorite generation right now. X and Y do so much right and little wrong.
The New Type
The new type this time around is the Fairy type. The type is a very good one. I'm glad they mixed the type with new and old Pokemon. I think they need to experiment with the type more and embrace this type.
Presentation
The presentation is rock solid. The cel-shading looks pretty good for a 3DS title. Though, the cel-shading is only in cutscenes and in battle. But, it still looks fine.
Gameplay/Mega Evolution
The new gameplay mechanic is mega evolution! These can only be used in battle once, so choose wisely. Other than that, not much is new. My highlights for Megas are Mega Absol (because it grows beautiful wings), Ampharos (because it's FABULOUS), Blastoise (because it's a water tank), and Gengar (because it's so badass).
Story
The story itself is pretty one-dimensional. It focuses on your journey and Team Flare's plot to fire off a weapon. The characters are well designed, from Diantha to AZ.
Verdict
Despite some mild frustation, mainly the Elite Four, and the plot, I love this game. Stop reading this review and go get this game.

The Score= 9/10

I need help with my wii remote!

So, I've had this remote for a long time. The remote wouldn't stay on. When I returned to it, the batteries decroded inside it and the decrosion got onto one of the readers. When I told my Dad about the issue, he fixed the decrosion, lickity split! The remote still will not stay on. I don't know where to go with this. Call Nintendo? Get repaired elsewhere? I don't know. I will probably update on the situation soon as soon as I make a move.

Mario Kart 8 Review

The King of Karts returns.
Right off the bat, it's a Mario game- it's great. But, it's one of the best Mario Kart games to date since 64! Mario Kart 8 brings plenty of new ideas to the table along with ideas from the previous ones. And this is another reason why the Wii U should receive more attention.
Gameplay
Mario Kart 8, like previous games before it, brings a new mechanic to the core gameplay. This time, it's the anti-gravity mechanic, like from Crash Nitro Kart. That gives a whole new spin on the gameplay. Other than that, not much else is new, except for the Battle mode. They have a selection of courses instead of battle arenas, which does suck, I admit.
Presentation
Like other Mario games before it, the presentation is solid. The graphics look sharp. While the graphics may not blow you away, like something you'd see on PS4/XBONE, they get the job done. The environments look nice, and they have great amounts of detail.
Character Roster
I like the character roster-except for one glaring omission; Dry Dry Bones. I really enjoyed him in DS and Wii, and replaced him with weird reskins, like the babies and Pink Gold Peach.
Verdict
While the battle mode was ruined, they did so much right. I can't wait for the DLC and more improvements.

Score= 9.25/10