Of all of my video game collections, my 3DS collection took the worst hit during the flooding of Hurricane Harvey. While all games survived, not all cases and artwork did. All told, I am down to cartridge-only for all but one of my Zelda games, several Mario games and a few other gems. I will rebuild, but that section between K-P took heavy casualties.
I spent yesterday taking inventory and storing them in their permanent location, which is about 4 feet off the ground (we took on 3 feet of water). I also moved all of my collector’s items up to the top shelf in the room. See the pictures below!
I can’t believe I’ve never written about Professor Layton before now. This is a puzzle series exclusively on the Nintendo DS and 3DS. There are currently the following games in the series:
Curious Village
Diabolical Box
Unwound Future
Last Sceptre
Miracle Mask
Azran Legacy
There is also a Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright game for the 3DS, but I have not played it yet. I am going to lump all of these games in one post because they are all very similar. The stories change and you get new puzzles in each game. It doesn’t matter, though, as this is a fantastic series and should be played by every puzzle lover. Some of the puzzles are down-right hard and I had to grab a pencil and paper on more than one occasion. They really test different parts of your brain – you’ll get a math question and the next a word puzzle. Fortunately, they allow you hints for coins that you find while working on the regular story. If not for this, I wouldn’t have been able to continue in some spots.
In addition to the puzzles, the stories are compelling and you’ll enjoy following Professor Layton and his various companions throughout the series. You don’t need to play them in order, either. If you are a puzzle lover, (like me!) you need to pick up one of these games! Good luck stopping at just one.
As I haven’t owned a Nintendo console since the SNES, I’ve missed out on the Pikmin series. Pikmin has always looked fun to me, so I was really pleased to hear that it’s coming to the 3DS next year. Since I have no frame of reference, I can’t tell you if it’s going to be good or not compared to previous games, but I can say that I do plan on picking this up so I can finally experience the fun that is Pikmin.
Puzzle games are by far my favorite genre. I hate to brag, but I’m pretty darn good at them. I think the reason that I’m so good at them is because I’ve played them all for so long that patterns start to emerge and the games start to feel similar. That being said, I am not good at this game, and I love it!
Puzzles and Dragons Z/Puzzles and Dragons Super Mario Edition is a wonderful game for the 3DS. The touch screen is perfect for this game. It may look like your standard match-3 game, which is how I tried to play it for the first two hours, but it is certainly not that. You can play it that way, but you will be terrible at this game. Instead of taking one piece and lining it up with two or more of the same kind, you take it and move it anywhere you want on the board, but it shuffles the other pieces around as you do so. This means that, with some careful strategy, you can get huge combo moves. This is so different from normal puzzles games that my brain has had trouble adapting to the concept. I love the new mental challenge, though!
While you play your way through the game, you have to select which “cards” you want to play with as well. I have only played the Mario Edition so far, but I’m assuming it’s the same with the Z side as well. As you play these cards, which are essentially characters, you can level them up. You will constantly be switching cards around, though, because they definitely have advantages and disadvantages toward certain enemies. You can also build up power to play occasional power moves, which you’re going to need.
As I mentioned, there are two different games on this cartridge. One is the traditional Puzzles and Dragons Z (this is the latest in a long series of these games) and the other is a Super Mario Edition. I’ve read that the Z side is actually a bit easier, but I like Mario and I started there first.
If you like puzzle games and you’re tired of being good at them all, pick this one up! It will definitely challenge your noggin.
I was doing a fairly routine “when is Picross 3D 2 coming out” search last night when I found out that it’s out and has been since September 1! It’s been out in Japan for some time now, but because the 3DS is region locked, I could not play it without buying a Japanese 3DS. I love this franchise, but not that much. This game is digital only and available from the Nintendo store. I’m a bit bummed that it’s not a full retail release, but I still get to play the game.
I immediately bought it ($30) and dug in. I didn’t let myself get too wrapped up in it as it was a work night. I ended up going to bed at 2:30 anyway. There are some notable differences from the original. The first is the addition of colors. You no longer need to simply clear all of the blocks that aren’t there. Now you have to mark the ones that are left and determine which color they are. This adds an entirely new level of difficulty and makes the game more fun for me. The other change is the shape of the figure you’re working on. As you can see in the image above, there are now curves and differently sized lines. This might help later on when the puzzles really get tough.
I am thoroughly enjoying it so far and didn’t feel I needed to wait to the end to post about it. I know what I’ll be playing all weekend!
I spent a good chunk of time reorganizing my office. Most of my collection is now in one area. I still have my 360, XBox original and XBone games out in the living room because that’s where those consoles are. I took a few pics. I’m putting close-ups of each section on the gaming gallery page. Here it is!
It’s floor-to-ceiling video games! And some work stuff, too.
Look what was just announced today! Nintendo is bringing Mario Maker to the 3DS. I have considered buying a Wii U just for this game, but now I won’t have to. They are leaving out the online sharing, which is a bit of a bummer, but they are including 100 developer-designed levels. It is set to be released December 2 of this year. I know what I’m asking for for Christmas!
I just got an email from Nintendo stating that a bunch of their best games are on sale for $19.99. This is not a bad list. Here are some of the 3DS highlights:
Luigi’s Mansion – Dark Moon
Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time 3D
Animal Crossing – New Leaf
Nintendogs and Cats
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Mario Party – Island Tour
Yoshi’s New Island
There are also a bunch of Wii U games as well. See their page here:
Super Fun Time Video Gaming Girl! Now Playing... 