Nintendo DS Game Review: Final Fantasy 3

 Final Fantasy III was released initially only in Japan in 1990.  It wasn't brought to America until a 3D type remake in 2006 came for Nintendo DS.  Over the course of the game, you go through what you missed when the game was originally released in 1990.  What does the DS game do well? What doesn't it do well? All that and more below!

Positives:

1. Presentation- Of course this was going to be a major step-up from the Famicom of 1990, but it was nice to see how well this game was presented on the Nintendo DS.  The map, the cutscenes, the pause screen, battle graphics all are well done with still some sort of a retro feel. It's a good feel for the people to see a remade game that was originally done in 1990.

2. Music- The soundtrack is honestly well done.  It goes from FF2 where there wasn't a ton to write home about to a really good soundtrack in FF3.  I liked the boss themes, final boss team, overworld theme, and really most areas themes.  The only one that would have needed work is the battle theme in my opinion but overall it was a well done soundtrack.

3. Straight Forward Story- Sometimes this works for the game, after the lackadaisical FF2 story as well, to go back to a more basic story like they did in FF3.  It's about the crystals again, but this time you also have save light from darkness (Sounds like Kingdom Hearts eh?) so it was more straight forward and not as boring as FF2.

Negatives:

1. Massive Difficulty Spike on Last Boss- Okay I understand very well that this game was going to have a difficulty spike with the last boss, but this difficulty spike is honestly ridiculous.  It took several tries and I would recommend a level well over 60 to beat this boss, but I finally beat it.  For a game that is honestly pretty easy most of the way, it's odd that there is that massive spike for one boss. 

2. No Major Character Growth- Yes there is some, but there isn't a major story where character growth was a thing.  It is something that they start emphasizing in games going forward but I feel that they could have done this with FF3 in some way.  This game just falls short in that.  And in honesty it's disappointing.

3. Straight Forward Story.. but- There isn't much substance to it? It just is a story of go to this place and do that thing, no real flare or drama to it.  In FF4, 5 and 6 there is always some sort of twist involved with this sort of thing, but with FF3 it is just go to the place, beat the boss, crystal and boom.  This lends itself to be boring though straight forward.

Neutral:

1. Mail System on DS- I get that they wanted to put this in here. It's a side quest where there aren't many of those in this game and it does lead to having a job class that puts the others to shame but it also just feels you have to do everything to do everything and hope like heck you have enough luck to reach an enemy to progress the mail process to other characters.  When I looked at the requirements for this, I was almost thinking holy moly to it.  It's not something I am for or against by the way, if you like this, great but if not I don't blame you.

Rating:

Overall FF3 is a better game than that of FF2. It just offers more than the previous game but I can't put it much higher than FF1 just due to it being so mundane of a game with no major character growth. Overall, it's an above average game that is miles better than FF2.  Personally I would rate it at a 6.5 out of 10.  Below is where I rate Final Fantasy games (1-15 with the exception of 11-14 as I haven't played/completed them) after completion of those games.

1. FF VI

2. FF X

3. FF IX

4. FF V

5. FF VII

6. FF XV

7. FF IV

8. FF VIII

9. FF3

9. FF I

10. FF II

Switch Game Review: Kirby Star Allies

 Kirby is a long-standing game series dating back to the earliest days of Nintendo on the NES and Game Boy.  The game has grown since then through all formats and even a sport game (Kirby's Dream Course, which I reviewed and will be below) but has focused on its main thing of platforming and Kirby's multiple forms through the game.  Kirby Star Allies is no different from the others, but does feature some new twists and areas.  With what Nintendo did right on Kirby Star Allies and what they struggled with, let's see below!

Positives: 

1. Platforming- Something Star Allies does well is the ability to be good with platforming so Nintendo hit this absolutely great.  It's something that warrants credit and makes it good for the gamer to just game as much as possible.

2. Music/Graphics- Yeah this is easy for both for Nintendo, however the classic Kirby Music is here and sounding great, and the newer Kirby music is great sounding too.  Either way, you won't go wrong with it.

3. New World- I actually quite liked the new worlds that Star Allies brought to Nintendo and I thought it was well done for a new twist to Kirby.  they were well designed and well made.  It made for a bit of a challenge to go through and wasn't a guarantee to get done without a challenge.  So I commend Nintendo on that ability to do well with.

4. Kirby- Still great and ability to change forms and be able to have friends is always a good thing.  This has been a staple for a while but it is something that is sorely needed in many parts of the game so I also like that this works out best. 

Negatives:

1. Easy difficulty- This game was far too easy to be honest.  Minus one part that I will elude to in a bit, the game was easy to get lives, easy to progress, easy to survive and I honestly was like.. where is the challenge to this? It probably has been a lot of the same for other Kirby games but I felt a bit let down by how easy it was.

2. Next to Last Boss Difficulty Spike- So I mentioned that the game was super easy but the next to last boss of the game seemed to take that difficulty and smash it times an infinite amount.  I don't quite understand how a game is that easy but then goes to a bizarre massive difference in difficulty with one boss but then back to honestly pretty normal again.  That was the other major downside to this game.

Neutral:

1. Ability to 100 percent this game- It seems relatively easy to 100 percent this game if you wanted.  I didn't have a significant reason to want to or not, but if you are one of those people that need to do this sort of thing it's honestly relatively easy to do.

Overall Rating:

In all honesty, despite the game being easy and that one boss' difficulty spike, I still can recommend the game Kirby Star Allies to the normal gamer.  There is still a lot of nostalgic Kirby stuff to work for the retro person but for the new gamer, it works as well.  Overall it's a good, but not great game.  The easy difficulty and the random high spike on one boss does downgrade it.  However, it does grade as an 8 out of 10.

Kirby's Dream Course Review: https://mywideworldofblogging.blogspot.com/2018/06/snes-game-review-kirbys-dream-course.html 

Switch Game Review: Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory

 Kingdom Hearts. That already is going to illicit many an opinion from the fan base and non-fan base in every way.  This isn't about that, but do discuss on the social media platforms however you will.  Today however we will be talking about Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.  This is different from pretty much every KH game, whereas this is a rhythm based game.  A massive difference is that as opposed to the fighting games of KH past, present and future.  However, it doesn't present Sora as a narrator, but rather Kairi.  What is good about KH: Melody of Memory and what is something that needed improving? All of that and more below!

Positives:

1. All the Music, all the worlds- All the music and all the worlds make for one heck of a nostalgia trip, if nothing else.  Personally I liked going through some of them that I haven't played (Chain of Memories, Coded, Birth By Sleep namely) and those that I had played before just for nostalgia sake. So overall I thought that was a good mix.

2. Rhythm Base- The rhythm style of this game is one I didn't think I would enjoy but you have to give the people credit on this game, they made rhythm based style games fun for me.  I think it was just trying to get that challenge done and trying to be perfect but also knowing so much was going on in the level that you strove to be perfect or be excellent.  It was enticing to me for that reason. 

3. Different teams- You can be Sora, Donald, Goofy.  You can be Ventus, Aqua, and Terra.  It really just depends overall.  You can be the additional characters from other worlds with you.  It all works, so I like that they implemented this from previous games and included it in this game as well.  

4. Graphics- This part I credit on the Switch's great technology for handheld essentially devices.  They did a terrific job with this as well.  Square is typically amazing with it so I can't really mark it exceptionally positive but it is one nonetheless.

Negatives:

1. What does this add to the Story?- I asked myself this throughout and even with the narration, there just isn't any depth to this game other than it is rhythm based and it goes through the music of past games.  That's fine and all but it makes it a cash grab (which I bought at a retro game store so it really didn't go to Square) so I would hope future games are not essentially cash grabs for the sake of "We just want a game for KH."

2. Kairi Narrating- Oh boy, here comes a lot of stuff. First I don't dislike Kairi, and second, this squarely has to do with Square.  Kairi narrating does nothing to this game for me. Outside of the very end of the game, there is no role for her.  The role that's been given to her up to this point is essentially the Damsel in Distress, much like Princess Peach, while trying to instill that she has a more important role, which is... I'm not sure what. Does she deserve better? Absolutely.  Will she get that? Probably not given the standard of which Square has gone with Kairi to this point.  As we know going to KH3, she has the ability to wield a keyblade, but her being an important character still is eluding to the KH Fandom.  At some point Square has to understand what her role honestly is (and no, I am not counting ReMind DLC to this foray.)

Rating:

Overall, I appreciate how good the rhythm based feel of KH: Melody of Memory and how it was a good feeling of nostalgia and brought forward the music of the games past and present.  However it does have some significant flaws, such as not adding much to the story and essentially forcing Kairi into finally having as minute a role as possible. However, this game still is pretty alright despite the flaws.  I gave it an 8 prior and I still feel an 8 is warranted.  It's not great, but it's a solid rhythm game that is good.