Toronto Thumbs

Reviews
Pokémon Black and White 2

Despite the release of five iterations (and my ever-increasing age) I am still a fan of Pokémon. The collecting and battling can get a little tiring after a while, but with every new game I’m excited to see what new Pokémon are introduced. Pokémon Black and White especially caught my interest because of its completely new roster of Pokemon. It was like discovering the game all over again. That being said, Pokemon Black and White 2 seems to be just a little different. The only new things in the game come from ancillary features around catching and raising Pokémon.

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Young At the Heart
Best of 3DS

All 3D images are represented here by 2D. Why? Because we are old school, that’s why.

Two days ago, I did something I swore to myself I wouldn’t. I had told myself countless time I was happy, that size didn’t matter, that I’d allowed myself to double-dip too many times before. I wouldn’t fall for it again. But then Nintendo went ahead and unleashed the 3DS LL (XL in Canada) into its home territory. Mere hours after it arrived on store shelves, I was lured -subconsciously, scarily- by its siren call. Less than I year after purchasing my 3DS, I had no plans to upgrade; but as is always the case with the Big N’s inevitable handheld updates, I succumbed almost immediately.

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Posted in 3DS, Byte-Size Reviews, DS, Nintendo | 1 Comment »

Reviews
Pokémon Conquest

Pokémon Conquest is the latest in a long line of spin-offs that Nintendo throws out every now and again to eke more of that sweet nectar from the engorged Pocket Monster teat, knowing damn well that anything bearing the brand on its box will be lapped up by the hordes of kids seeking to indulge their cutesy-bloodlust – as well as by man-children eager to cling to those halcyon days of their youth like handfuls of dust. It’s a tawdry tactic that Nintendo have used to used to prop up garbage like Pokémon Dash and My Pokémon Ranch. But wait, what’s that? Pokémon Conquest is actually a pretty awesome game? I’ll vent my righteous indignation somewhere else then!

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Review
DaGeDar

Do you like playing with balls? If you do, then GameMill Entertainment’s DaGeDar would be right up your alley! Euphemisms aside, DaGeDar is essentially a fun little racing game for the Nintendo DS. With intuitive controls, a decent number of levels and plenty of unlockable “vehicles”, Dagedar is worth the price – if you can find it*.

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Review
Fossil Fighters: Champions

A long time ago, I swore to myself that I would never play “collect-and-battle” games. The likes of Pokemon and Monster Rancher seemed like endless grinding to me, and I thought that those types of games would be a waste of time. Then, I started writing for Thumbs, and playing games I never imagined. Eventually, I ended up playing the very games I promised myself I never would – and I sort-of liked some of them*. Fossil Fighter Champions (developed by Nintendo SPD, Red Entertainment, M2, and Artdink) adds to the “love” side of my love/hate relationship with the genre.

In FFC, you pit your creatures (in this case, called vivosaurs) against other vivosaurs. So far, this is the common denominator among the genre. However, the catch is that you attain new creatures by digging for their bones, cleaning them, and then bringing them back to life. I’m sure this DS title has some of you interested now.

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Review
Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Lately, the days have been getting shorter and the air grows cooler with each passing week. People are starting to wear warmer clothes as they shuffle through the red, yellow and orange piles of dried leaves that are spread across the ground like an autumn blanket. It is that time of the year again, when the latest title in the Professor Layton series sits snugly in the cartridge slot of my DS; somehow, the air doesn’t feel so cold as I unravel the mystery in the intrepid professor’s latest adventure in the strange town of Misthallery.

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Posted in 3DS, DS, DSi, DSi XL, Reviews | 2 Comments »

Review
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2

In my opinion, any RPG-type video game that wishes to present a robust gaming experience had better have a healthy amount of variety to make up for the eventual monotony of the fights. This is usually done with a good story, equipment sets, and “internal” character customization. Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2, from Square Enix, seems to have all three of those going for it – but is that enough to make it a worthwhile endeavor? The answer may surprise you, as there is a fourth element that was a surprise to me!

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