BOLDSTATE

My review of Chrono Trigger for the DS is up at Game Positive+. You’ll notice that I pretty much fall in line with the popular opinion: Chrono Trigger is a great game.

You’ll also notice that I offered a small bit of criticism here and there regarding the execution of the game’s plot and characters as well as the way the game deals with the tradition of random battles. I’d like to elaborate upon those complaints a bit here as I’m sure most people are already well aware of what Chrono Trigger does well. Spoilers ahead.

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There is an overwhelming amount of praise for Gunstar Heroes across the internet, but I’m not quite sure why. I succumbed to the hype one boring night sometime last year and downloaded the game for a mere eight bucks on the Wii’s Virtual Console. I thought the game was pretty terrible and only touched it once or twice more after that night.

A few hours ago, I was browsing through a thread of recommended VC games and saw more unanimous support for Gunstar Heroes. Naturally, I rushed to my Wii, re-downloaded the game, and played through it so I could have its poor gameplay fresh in mind as I type this scathing post on a beloved shooter.

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If my sarcasm failed in my last post, let it be known that 2008 was a horrible year for the Wii (critically, of course). Thankfully, there are a few glimmers of hope for 2009. Games like Mad World and Little King’s Story have me excited, and I’m even looking forward to Wii Sports Resort and Punch Out!! despite Nintendo abusing my trust last year.

You’ll notice I didn’t mention The Conduit, the first-person shooter that seems to have most Wii-owners drooling. That’s because I’m not expecting much from High Voltage Software despite its good intentions.

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5)Wii Fit

Because everyone hates it when they know how and why their exercise routines actually benefit them, Wii Fit bypasses going in-depth to elaborate upon things as trivial as your health. Instead, it focuses on improving your balance, something you’ll need after purchasing the game leaves your fat wallet empty.

4) Wii Music

Because everyone loves improvising on “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” with incredibly generalized motions for pseudo-instruments like black belts and cheerleaders, Wii Music allows you to play along with your favorite public domain songs without any prior musical knowledge. That’s because Wii Music doesn’t bother actually teaching you anything about music, and instead focuses on wacky waving motions that are fun for minutes on end.

3) Animal Crossing: City Folk

Because everyone loved Animal Crossing: Wild World so much, Animal Crossing: City Folk lets you relive the same exact experience all over again. If you thought real-life chores were fun, you haven’t seen anything yet! Once you’ve accumulated a large fortune from hours of beach combing for sea shells, you can decorate your house will all sorts of fancy furniture that you can sit on or look at.

2) Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Because Fox has always been a fan favorite in the Super Smash Bros. series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl features both Falco and Wolf, both modeled after Fox, all characters who almost exclusively act within their space vehicles. Also new to the series is an incredible online that allows you to play against other players across the world. A neat feature unique to Brawl‘s online multiplayer is an incredibly significant slow down in gameplay that lets you know just how far away your opponents are.

1) EarthBound (VC)

Because Nintendo absolutely loves giving their longtime fans exactly what they want, EarthBound was released for the Virtual Console after topping Nintendo Power’s most wanted list so many months in a row that they had to change up their format so other games could get a chance. Several updates were added for the VC release including translated versions of both MOTHER and MOTHER 3 along with a million dollars being transferred into the bank accounts of anyone who downloads the game. The game has only been available on the VC for a few days now but it’s already the most downloaded title for the service, melting servers and faces and ice cubes and, and, and…

Wait! This isn’t right…

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 I love New Years; that wonderful feeling of a fresh start filled with limitless potential. Big things are coming to BOLDSTATE in 2009, but for now, I leave you with my anthem for the year.