Game of the Week: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)

Yes, Dragon Quest IX  finally reached UK shores today! Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, which was released in Japan in July last year, marks the ninth game in the long-running and extremely popular Dragon Quest series, which was created by Yūji Horii and published by Square Enix, who are best-known for games series such as Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts.

For those of you who are not familiar with any of the previous games in the Dragon Quest series, the plot is fairly simple and involves a Celestrian (or Guardian Angel) who ends up on an observatory above the Earth, which overlooks a village called 'Angel Falls'.

The Celestrian is meant to observe the humans in the village and protect them from harm, but one day there is a accident during a ceremony with the Yggdrasil (or 'Tree of Life'), and the Celestrian falls to Earth. When he regains consciousness, he realizes that he has become human.

This game follows the same basic format as the other games in the series - you can build up your characters skills and abilities (including magic spells and alchemy) by solving various quests and puzzles around 'Angel Falls', and you can also battle monsters and foes with your new skills.

However, Dragon Quest IX is the first game of the series to be developed exclusively for a handheld console, and as such, the new game features some exciting modifications to the overall gameplay.

For example, in all the previous games of the series, battles have been fought using a Random Encounter system, which is standard for many RPGs today, and means that enemies and battles occur at unexpected and random points during the game.

Nevertheless, in a bold move away from its traditional style, Dragon Quest IX makes every enemy location visible on the game map, except when the characters are sailing.

This title is also the first game in the series to feature a co-op multiplayer mode for up to four players, and was specifically designed around the concept of a multiplayer game.

Originally the game was going to feature a real-time battle system, but this was rejected in favour of a more traditional turn-based system instead.

This game is also loaded with customisation options, which includes changing the outfits of all playable characters within the game. This makes it very interactive and increases the game's replay value immensely.


Dragon Quest IX: UK Trailer

Dragon Quest IX  has already proven itself to be a bestseller in the Japanese market -  having over two million pre-order sales prior to its actual release date, and judging by what the game has to offer its fans, Mini Gamers predicts that it will be just as sucessful in the UK. Definitely a game for RPG fans to add to their collection. Overall rating 9/10.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold To Feature Wii-DS Co-op Mode

Warner Bros Interactive have  promised that as well as featuring a general co-op mode, their latest game Batman: The Brave and the Bold (based on the cartoon of the same name) will also feature a special Wii & DS connectivity mode, which means that DS users can choose to team-up with their Wii friends as the irrepressible 'Bat-Mite' (Batman's biggest fan) and help the caped crusader to defeat his foes.

The game has many playable iconic heroes and villains from the Batman universe including Robin, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and Blue Beetle, and will also feature cameo appearances from other DC superheroes such as Aquaman and The Flash.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold allows players to explore the dark alleys of Gotham City and even features interplanetary travel to strange alien planets and exclusive locations. Missions will include fighting foes such as Poison Ivy and Catwoman or  solving puzzles and mysteries.

The game is still in production, so very little is known about its gameplay content at present, but it is destined to become a family favourite. The game is set to debut in the UK in September 2010.

Game Of The Week: Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (DS & PSP)

Lego Harry Potter has arrived! This game allows players to act as the boy-wizard himself, and features many impressive elements from the first four books and films in the Harry Potter series. The game has gained much hype during its production, but the final product is a masterpiece and is definitely another smash for TT Games, who produce the Lego Games series. Please note, that the following is a review of the DS version of Lego Harry Potter only, as the PSP version has not been released yet, although we are sure that it will be just as spectacular.

Players start the game in The Room Of Requirement and move from there into the main story modes. There are many magical skills to learn, including Levitation, Transfiguration (changing one object into another) and Potions. All interactions and spell-casting is controlled by the stylus.

Furthermore, there are 140 different playable characters to choose from. These include Harry's two best pals, Ron and Hermione, as well as a few quirkier characters like Hagrid's faithful Neapolitan Mastiff, Fang. Each character has its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to magic and broom-flying etc, which helps to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.

The most impressive element in Lego Harry Potter is the Game Map. Almost every iconic location from the Harry Potter universe has been included here - shop for wands in Diagon Alley, drink Butter Beers in The Three Broomsticks, meet Centaurs, Spiders and Giants in The Forbidden Forest, and explore Hogwarts until your heart is content. Furthermore, all of the locations are presented in the 3D Lego-style that fans of the series have come to expect.

One of the major pitfalls of other Harry Potter games to date has been how to get players to navigate around such a magnificant universe without getting lost or bored. Lego Harry Potter has simplified this very adequetely, by adding a marker on your locations map, which tells you where to go next. This will also help younger gamers to navigate more easily.

As well as the traditional Story Mode, Lego Harry Potter features some interesting side missions for players to undertake if they wish to do so. Most of which, include some form of puzzle-solving and can often lead players into the more complex and secretive areas of Hogwarts. Of course, there are also the usual Lego Studs to collect along the way. Moreover, the game also features a co-op mode, so you can play alongside your friends and help to defeat the evil Lord Voldermort.

In conclusion, this is a brilliant game that is likely to interest gamers of any age. The main stories are interspersed with hillarious cutscenes and will keep the whole family entertained. This is definitely one game everybody should own. Overall rating: 10/10.   

E3 News: 3DS Finally Revealed!

"Nothing between you and the experience." [Nintendo 3DS Slogan] 

Nintendo's President and CEO, Satoru Iwata demonstrated the lastest console to join the DS family during the Nintendo Press Conference at E3 yesterday. This revolutionary console allows players to play a selection of DS titles in 3D without the need for spectacles or other 3D devices. This is what the first image of the 3DS actually looks like:

 As you can see, The console looks like any other DS system,  although it does feature an analog stick above the D-pad on the left-hand side. It has a 3.5-inch widescreen LCD display, and  There is a 3D depth slider control on the side of the system, allowing players to choose exactly how much of the 3D effect they want. There's also a gyro and motion sensors in the system, and the analog stick is actually a slide pad. There are two camera lenses on the outside of the system, so users can take pictures and view them in 3D.

Furthermore, In an attempt to reduce smudges caused by the Stylus on the new 3D system, (which Nintendo has admitted would reduce the quality of any 3D effects,) only the bottom screen of the console will feature  Nintendo's usual touch-screen technology, whilst the top screen will be specifically for 3D. The system is also capable of displaying 3D Hollywood movies, but they aren't announcing any specific details at the moment.

Iwata also discussed Nintendo's reasons for wanting to produce a console with full 3D capabilities. He said: "When 3D effects are added to gaming, there's a better sense of height, width, and depth in gaming worlds, so it's easier to navigate them."

As for the wireless capabilities of the 3DS, it is good news. Unlike the older forms of DS console, The 3DS can automatically detect Wi-Fi access points and other 3DS systems, and can therefore communicate with them more easily.

Iwata also discussed the types of DS and DSi titles that gamers could expect to appear on the new system. Amongst those mentioned were: DJ Hero, Kingdom Hearts, Resident Evil, Batman, Assassin's Creed, Professor Layton, Ridge Racer, and Metal Gear Solid. There was also some indication that a new sequel to the Nintendogs game, called Nintendogs and Cats may also receive the 3D treatment in the future.

However, it will still be a long wait before gamers can actually take one of these consoles home. The 3DS is due to be released to the public in March 2011, but if the final product is as good as it promises to be, then it is sure to be worth the wait...

E3 2010 Gets Underway in Los Angeles

For those of you who don't already know, E3, (Electronic Entertainment Expo,) is one of the largest annual gaming tradeshows in the world, where the next generation of games and gaming hardware is revealed to the top dogs of the gaming industry, and the 2010 line-up is already proving to be very interesting indeed.

Announcements for the DS are expected to include a reveal of Nintendo's plan for a 3D console

(called the 3DS) and trailers for new games like
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 , My Sims: SkyHeroes, The Sims 3 and the sports title FIFA Soccer 11.

Sony's PSP games trailers are expected to include some notable sequels to pre-existing titles such as: 
God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars,  and a new Michael Jackson video game in which gamers can reportedly play as the 'King of Pop' himself!

Meanwhile,several  rumours are also circulating that Sony's PSP announcements will include plans for a new PSP console called The PSP 2, although I must stress that this is purely conjecture at this stage.

So far, there has been no clear winner at E3 2010, but handheld gamers are sure to hope that either Sony or Nintendo walk away with the best overall line-up this year. Check back with 'Mini Gamers' over the next few days to see exactly what Nintendo and Sony have to offer fans of their handheld consoles...

Rooms: The Main Building (DS)

Rooms: The Main Building is an innovative new title for the DS. Players must help the central character known as 'Mr. X' escape from a mysterious building by completing a set of sliding puzzles. The game, which boasts over 100 levels, was developed by Natsume Inc, a Japanese video games production company whose other well-known titles include the Harvest Moon series.

As the plot goes, poor Mr. X receives a strange gift on his birthday. When he opens the gift he finds himself transported into the world of Rooms. Mr. X can only go home when all of the sliding puzzles have been completed and the mystery of the strange building has finally been solved...

As well as sliding puzzles, the game features some clever twists to keep players entertained. These include  keys, telephones, ladders, magic cupboards and much more, which the player must  utilise in order to solve the game. Furthermore, Rooms also features a 'level editor' mode, so that players can create and play their own sliding puzzles. 

This game looks very interesting on the surface. However, it has one overriding flaw - unlike other sliding puzzles, which allow the player to slide the titles in any direction they choose, Rooms only allows players to move a tile if 'Mr. X' is standing in the square at the time. This soon leads to frustration when trying to solve the puzzle, and turns the art of sliding puzzles into a monotonous chore.

It is a shame that Natsume Inc chose to include such an annoying mechanism in this title, as the actual idea behind the game is so inspired and unique. It is not so much that this is a bad game, it actually has a lot of potential, but be prepared to spend a lot of time scratching your head in frustration when the tiles do not move as you want them to. Overall rating: 4/10

5 Things To Look Forward To...

It could be argued that handheld gaming is undergoing a bit of a 'drought' recently, but don't worry, here are five things that handheld gamers should put in their diaries:

1. 'Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4' on DS and PSP



Yes, the boy-wizard is scheduled to be practising his potions on our handhelds sometime next month, and reports of the new Lego game are certainly promising. As expected, players will be able to control several aspects of Harry's daily life, including his lessons and his first four battles with Voldermort as well as exploring a very detailed Lego version of Hogwarts. All of this will be presented in the bright, humorous style that fans of the series have come to expect.

No doubt this will be a popular game for players of all ages. Not long to wait now!

2. 'Super Scribblenauts' (AKA 'Scribblenauts' the sequel)



The sequel to the ever-popular DS game is back, and this time, Maxwell's world is even more interactive than ever! As well as new challenges and puzzles to explore, the game's dictionary has now been modified to include multiple adjectives so Maxwell can now choose to have 'Rainbow Wings' or 'Robotic Roller skates' for example.

Furthermore, it is clear that Warner has been listening to fans of the original 'Scribblenauts', as Maxwell can now be controlled by the D-pad controls and not just via the stylus - thank goodness for that!

'Super Scribblenauts' is due to be released some time in September this year, and you can rely on 'Mini Gamers' to bring you the review.


3. 'The Sims 3' on DS



The third incarnation of the best-selling PC Game of all time is finally coming to consoles some time in September 2010, and the DS version promises to be a real treat. For the first time, 'The Sims 3' offers handheld gamers the chance to play a game which is closer to its PC counterpart.

Players will be able to control multiple characters as part of a family and will be allowed to give them unique personality traits and decorate their homes in whatever style they wish. Furthermore, as a console exclusive, players unlock all-new Karma Powers. Wield the ultimate control over your Sims giving them wealth, beauty, and love - or take it all away with the click of a button.

It certainly sounds exciting! Hopefully this will be one game that actually manages to live up to the hype! Expect a full review when the game is finally released to the public.

4. 'Everybody's Tennis' on the PSP



Yes, you read that correctly, the team behind the 'Everybody's Golf' games are due to release this sporting title onto the PSP in early July 2010. Now players can get to experience the game of tennis as never seen before.

'Everybody's Tennis' works on the same principle as its predecessor - to make the game of tennis accessible to people of all ages and abilities, so expect bright, colourful graphics and quirky characters.

As with 'Everybody's Golf', characters can be customised using items that are unlocked throughout the game. The overall gameplay is said to be easy for novices to interact with, but the games developers are promising an advanced shot system for more confident gamers. This is definitely a game which should be on every sports-gamer's wishlist.

5.A 3D Gaming Experience

Nintendo have announced plans to create a fully-3D DS console, without the need for wearing those ridiculous spectacles! Furthermore, Nintendo has promised that the new console will be backwards-compatible with older forms of the DS and DSi consoles.

It is difficult to see how this might work, but the 3D DS is set to be unveiled at this year's E3 convention in Los Angeles next month. If you can't wait, the Nintendo DSi already possesses a DSiware title which utilises 3D technology:



This kind of technology in a game console is a handheld gamer's dream! However, there may be a long wait before the console is actually released to the public. Watch this space...