Toronto Thumbs

REVIEW
Final Fantasy Tactics A2

I was a latecomer to the world that is Square Enix. For the longest time, FFVII was the only game I played, before I discovered the world of Nintendo. But then I got a GBA, and one of the first games I bought for it was Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I was immediately hooked. So when FFTA2 came out for the DS, it seemed like a no brainer.

For those not familiar with the series, the Final Fantasy Tactics games are role playing games with many elements familiar to seasoned RPG gamers. The combat system is a turn-based strategy style reminiscent of more traditional table-top games. Characters not only get stronger by gaining experience in combat, but through the use of the Jobs system, gain more and more abilities that give more options in combat as the game progresses.

FFTA2 feels like a system upgrade in a lot of respects. Just like moving from XP to Vista, (or Panther to Tiger, or Gutsy Gibbon to Hardy Heron, I’m not trying to be exclusive here,) FFTA2 is a noticeable improvement over FFTA. The look and feel got some fine-tuning. Some of the more annoying play elements got rebalanced, replaced or just outright removed. And along with those changes, new classes, new abilities and new styles of gameplay have all been added.

One of the most overarching changes was the acquisition of Loot, which are used to unlock more and more weapons, armour and accessories in the shops. Initially only a very small subset of the weapons and armour are availble, but instead of arbitrarily being awarded a broader selection when the story reaches a certain milestone, as was the case in FFTA, in the sequel you have to try to mix and match loot that will make all sorts of equiment available for purchasing. Loot is given out as rewards for completing missions, and for following the laws laid down by judges.

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Posted in DS, Nintendo, Reviews | 2 Comments »

On Nintendo’s E3 Presentation

Considering the huge negative reaction Nintendo’s keynote presentation received from the enthusiast gaming press, we can only come to the conclusion that the company is holding back heavyweight titles for the Wii for future conferences. Wii Music looks like it could be very interesting but considering the limitations of the current Wii Remote, one has to wonder how precise instruments such as the drums will be. Did anyone else watch the demonstration and think of Hit Stix?

It’s clear to us that this year’s E3 was more for the general press than it was for gamers per se. Both Microsoft and Nintendo featured several titles and features that have mass appeal outside of the niche or traditional, stereotypical gamer. And that’s a good thing unless the companies completely forget about their hardcore fans that helped them through tougher times.

And considering that all three companies have games in development featuring IPs that were popular with gamers in the past, I think it’s safe to say we are not forgotten. A little patience can go a long way - and while you’re waiting, have fun with some classic games.

Posted in Commentary, Nintendo | 4 Comments »

For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow
Happy Birthday, Nintendo

The header image you see is from our April Fool’s eve post where we let our wishful thinking show. Wouldn’t it be great to own a brand-new NES? We think so.

While much of the content in that article was satire, one thing was true. Today is the 25th anniversary (or birthday) of the NES. So play ‘em if you got ‘em and don’t forget to blow on the cartridge contacts for old time’s sake (even though that is actually BAD for the cartridge - so use Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt if you’re going to do this since that’s the most common game.

I find it fitting that on this anniversary of the system that saved home video gaming, Nintendo will be holding their press conference at E3. It’s a press conference that will no doubt be Wii-heavy, what with the announcement yesterday of MotionPlus for Wii, which will give the system’s controller true 1:1 motion recognition.

On this 25th anniversary, Nintendo is once again back on top of the video game world and leading the way in what gaming is all about: fun. Sure, Nintendo and I have had a rocky relationship but there’s no denying that there’s a lot of love between us. So here’s to you, Nintendo - and here’s to another 25 years.

Posted in Nintendo | No Comments »

OVERVIEW: Defend Your Castle

Yesterday Nintendo released a bunch of downloadable games over their WiiWare service. If you have a Wii, you can check it out by opening up your Wii Shop Channel and then navigating to “WiiWare.”

Last night I checked out the various titles available in the catalogue and because of the Wii’s rather limited storage space the only one I had room to download was Defend Your Castle. And I downloaded it accidentally, at that. The title costs 500 Wii Points, which translates to five dollars in the real world.

Once it was downloaded, I gave it a shot. Defend Your Castle is as straightforward a title as you can get for this game. You have a castle and you have to defend it against an onslaught of attackers. Visually, the game is simplistic. The background and castle itself look like cardboard cut-outs against a cork board background. Clouds drift by along the top of the screen and they, too, look like cutouts. Blue yarn is affixed to the top of them, and presumable there is a hidden person behind the scenes acting as puppeteer to them.

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Posted in Download Updates, Nintendo, Overviews, Wii | 1 Comment »

NES Controller is More Than Meets The Eye

See that NES controller? Looks pretty awesome, doesn’t it? Well it’s actually better than you might think. For you see, that’s no ordinary NES controller. It’s a freakin’ coffee table.

Kyle Downes built this mammoth controller out of wood. Not only that, but it’s fully functional as a controller and also a storage unit for - what else? - video games.

I could go on about how amazing this is, but I am truthfully too full of envy at the moment as I look over my shoulder into the living room where I do not have a giant NES controller coffee table. World, you have let me down once again.

Kyle, however, does have one of these. Check out his blog post for more information about and photos of it.

Posted in Awesome, Nintendo | 2 Comments »