Contributions > Descriptions by ResidentHazard (3555)

The Keep is an old-school style dungeon crawler with new-school ideas and 3DS-focused gameplay.

Players journey into The Keep to seek out and defeat the wizard Watrys, who has grown corrupt and evil due to some energy crystals that aid in magic. In classic dungeon-crawling mode, players journey deeper into the Keep via a first-person perspective as they seek the exit to each level, fight monsters, and trek deeper into the dark caverns. In this adventure, exploration is as important as entering the real-time combat with some brains and forethought. Magic spells and runes are discovered and must be carefully utilized by players to maximize their use and effectiveness. Traps, puzzles, spiders, orcs, spirits, and other dangers await--as well as enslaved children that need to be saved!

The Keep utilizes the top, 3-D screen of the 3DS for all gameplay, and rather than moving forward in "steps" or "turns," movement is smoother and more real-time, though the maps are of a classic, grid-based nature. All actions, except movement and strafing, are performed on the touch-screen. Combat is performed by slowly swiping across a grid on the touch-screen, and magic spells are cast in a similar manner--by swiping in straight lines over the runes in the magic runes grid. However, there are multiple spells, and multiple runes, but only limited space to place them. Setting up magic attacks and spells involves a puzzle-like challenge of placing runes to maximize the limited space available to make the most spells available as possible. Runes also have varying cooldown times, spells may use as few as two runes or as a many as five, and most runes are used in multiple spells.

Players earn experience and level up in traditional RPG manners, e.g., picking up experience through saving children, defeating enemies, and the like--but individual abilities are also improved by using them. For instance, melee attacks improve by using more melee attacks. Weapons and items can be found hidden all around the different levels of the game. Unlike a lot of RPG titles, there is no shop for buying or selling equipment, and all equipment is found or discarded by the player as inventory space is limited. Like a lot of classic games, such as Doom, the number of enemies defeated, children saved, and secrets found is tallied at the end of each level.

Rage of the Gladiator is a single player, first-person combat game based on skill, strategy, and timing along the lines of the classic Nintendo franchise Punch-Out. Instead of a plucky up-and-coming boxer, players enter the shoes (armor) of a deposed prince in the land of Avalance, blamed for the murder of his father, the King. He must fight for his freedom and retribution in a Roman-style arena against a horde of monsters and madmen. The story is told through cutscenes and a first-person narrative.

The game is played in a manner largely identical to Punch-Out with the exception that it is entirely first-person rather than 'over the shoulder' 3rd person as in Punch-Out. Players face off against a single opponent (referred to as a 'boss') at a time over three difficulty levels. These difficulties operate as the different circuits of the aforementioned Nintendo classic, but feature the same line of foes and with an additional character per higher difficulty. The player does not move around the arena, but must carefully monitor and respond to the opponents in order to deliver successful attacks. This involves learning opponent attack patterns, dodging, and attacking successfully. Upon reaching higher levels, players are not simply treated to a 'harder' version of the same opponent as before--enemies tend to feature new attacks and new patterns entirely, which requires the player to modify what they had learned on lower difficulties. Players can dodge or jump over attacks, or hold up a shield which blocks many energy attacks.

The bosses, or enemies, cover a variety of mythical Greco-Roman themes and other fantasy creatures, ranging from an apparent Orc to a Minotaur and a Beholder. Perhaps curiously in a game with overall Greco-Roman themes, the player's "tutor" (also an opponent) is of an East Asian characterization. There are a few other human-like opponents as well. Each character has its own very distinct design and style of fighting, though the same basic concept defines the gameplay throughout--learn the attacks, counter appropriately.

Players earn money and skill points with successful battles, and skill points can be used to increase attack, defense, and magic, to add new combo attacks to their repertoire, or to increase the effectiveness of certain perks--such as increasing the odds of performing a critical hit, or increasing the level magic builds up. Money can be spent on new skill points, new weapons and armor, health, or magic items.

Magic is used in a more generic term, as it is built up through successful fighting and attacks. There are three tiers to the magic/combo meter, wherein higher level combo or magic attacks can be added to the player's arsenal. The magic bar is separated into three segments, each with its own assigned magic or combo attack.

Players are encouraged to replay fights to earn more money and to earn higher clear ratings. Battles are rated from three (best) to one (worst) stars. This stems from the three rounds, or chances, a player has during a battle. Completely defeating an opponent without losing any rounds nets a player more money and a 3-Star rating. Magic and Health potions can be used during battle to either build up the magic/combo attack bar or to heal. A player must successfully defeat an opponent in order to move on to the next battle. Each completed difficulty advances the story.

Monster Shooter is a top-down shooter in the vein of classic action-shooter titles like Smash TV or Total Carnage.

Players take the role of a relatively benign alien who just happens to be pretty versatile with a large assortment of weapons. The alien ends up, by way of general bad luck, stuck on hostile alien worlds where he must, essentially, shoot his way through hordes of alien octopuses to escape. The shooter gameplay is built with an aim assist which allows for faster and smoother gameplay than the much older Smash TV style.

A mild RPG-style experience and perks system backs the basic gameplay in a unique way. Players earn experience quickly, and can add perks to their character, such as increasing the rate of fire of the weapons, making reloads faster, improving health, etc. Unlike a traditional RPG (or similar game), these perks are not permanent and do not carry over after a level is finished. In this way, players can tweak their character every level to what may be specifically beneficial at the time. If a player wants to specify speed for a level, they may. If they want to emphasize health, they may.

Players may earn money by completing levels or by picking up money during gameplay, and this can be used to purchase weapons, weapon upgrades, items, and a few permanent perks. Money is also earned by gaining rank in the game through the completion of various achievement-like Missions. The player is given three of these at a time, and competing each one works toward building ranks. These Missions are typically number-based, i.e. kill 100 of a certain enemy, kill 500 enemies with a certain weapon, use an item 50 times, etc.

There is a variety of weapons including the default SMG, a shotgun, an electric gun, rocket launcher, grenades, mines, etc. The primary game is a story mode with 60 levels, and a survival mode which may be played on any of the three planets. Weapon upgrades carry over to Survival mode.

Kokuga is a slow-moving, free-scrolling top-down shooter where players are placed in control of a futuristic "compact mobile tank" known as Kokuga. The Kokuga is suspended on four "legs" and features a single turret capable of rotating 360 degrees using the shoulder buttons.

Each stage has the player move through destroying other mechanical, tank-like, turret-like, and robotic enemies. Most stages end with massive and varied boss battles. Stages are separated into segments with large gates at the dividers--destroying all enemies before destroying the divider resorts in bonus shield repairs. Destroying the gate without defeating all the enemies in that section merely results in all enemies therein being annihilated.

Kokuga differentiates itself from most other shooters in a variety of ways. Rather than collecting power-ups, players already have 20 "cards" to utilize. Of these 20 attack and support cards, four are randomly displayed on the touch-screen at a time and offer a variety of abilities, from an offensive laser ring around the player, to homing shots, to shield restoration and damage repairs. Players cannot cycle through the cards, and in order to get new ones, at least one current card must be used. In this way, the game offers an unusual strategy element to the shooter gameplay--careful and planned use of power-up cards over simply powering up as much as possible as soon as possible.

Also different is the level set-up. There are three "final" stages at the corners of a triangular grid which make up the final stages. The stages themselves are laid out somewhat like a keyboard labeled with letters A~L, and a player may start at any stage. However, continuing through the game requires a player to select an adjacent stage from the completed first.

A final "game ending" stage can only be played once an adjacent stage has been completed. In this way, players may play for as long or as short as they wish. With games encompassing several stages, or just a couple. This longer game option even allows players to replay a completed stage--but it will automatically be at a higher difficulty. In this way, a player's game could be as short as two stages (a regular and a final) or as long as 37 (all regular three times, and one final).

In a vain similar to the dark, nigh-genocidal story behind titles like Ikaruga, the story here is a bleak melodrama focused on ethnic rivalries and the incomprehensible nature of humans. The similarity is likely due to the game sharing the same director (Hiroshi Iuchi) as Ikaruga. No actual countries are named, rather, they are listed by letters with "Country A" and "Country I." The story is played out in largely text-based cut-scenes with dark background imagery. The text itself carries a militaristic flavor to it, further adding to the melodrama of the story.

The Shin Megami Tensei IV Limited Edition is also the initial release packaging for the North American release of the game. The boxed set includes:

• Shin Megami Tensei IV game card in a normal 3DS keep case.
• Strategy & Design Book.
• Shin Megami Tensei Music Collection CD.

Pre-order copies from various retailers (such as Amazon.com) included DLC which added extra Challenge Quests.

Undead Storm is an action game for the DSi and 3DS and part of the "GO Series" which is made up largely of short, very low-priced budget titles.

Undead Storm is an action game that, as is probably obvious, is about zombies. Following the Left 4 Dead school of zombie gaming, Undead Storm features four available survivors for players to choose from (all of whom play identically) as they blast away at undead hordes. All four characters appear in the stage together and fight as a team. Often, the AI-controlled characters start out injured somewhere in the level, requiring the player(s) to find them and revive them.

The game is played from a slightly-angled top-down view, and operates much like a typical Twin-Stick shooter, with the exception that players manually turn their character with the L or R buttons, and attacks are assigned to different buttons, with a pistol, a special weapon, and a throwable weapon, such as a grenade.

Unlike the aforementioned Left 4 Dead, however, players aren't trying to reach safety. Instead, players merely shoot it out in one of three stages with five waves of zombies each. There are also a few specialized zombies that mostly appear in the form of three different boss characters.

Players have a variety of weapons at their disposal, from the ever-classic shotgun, to a better pistol (the default has infinite ammo), and even a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails. These appears as drops from enemies, along with the occasional health, which when used, affects the team as a whole.

There are also 80 achievements to unlock over the course of the game, and three difficulty levels. "Completing" the game (where a player sees end credits) occurs after playing through all three stages in one sitting with a single character.

Code of Princess is a side-scrolling hack-n-slash RPG from the director of Guardian Heroes. As Tetsuhiko Kikuchi's influence is heavy here, the game is, in some ways, like a spiritual successor to the aforementioned Saturn title.

Code of Princess follows a typically "anime" plot about a princess whose kingdom is being overrun by monsters, and a motley crew of characters that meet and join together to overthrow the evil monsters and the reason the monsters are there. Primary focus is on the character Solange as she wields a massive sword known as the deLuxcalibur, which is a sacred artifact of sorts for her kingdom. She is joined by several other characters, most of whom are playable in the story mode of the game.

Each stage is a fairly straight-forward side-scrolling affair more focused on intense combat than any amount of exploration. Each character uses the same basic controls, but all are played very differently. Many combat moves are performed in a style similar to a fighting game, such as pressing down, towards, and the A or B button. Players may typically move between 2-4 planes of action on the stage moving forward or back in the 3D space, and doing so is often part of the strategy of moving through levels. Typically, a note at the top of the screen will give the current objective for the level or individual wave during the level, such as "defeat all enemies," "defeat the boss" (which makes the other enemies more of a distraction), "save a villager," or even simply to survive for a set period of time.

Since levels and missions tend not be be very long they are very numerous and players will find themselves leveling up frequently. Each level allows the player to assign skill points (generally 5 points) to any of six attributes: Vitality (life), Piety (maximum magic), Attack, Defense, Mind (magic strength), and Speed. Various status effects may affect the player throughout the game as well including burning, shock, stone, dark (draining magic), or poison.

Each main story character not only plays differently, but they level up independently of one another, so that players may choose customize each character differently. For instance, Solange is naturally a bit slow, but fairly powerful, so a player may build on these strengths adding new speed and ramping up her strength even more. The character Ali is already pretty fast, so players may want to customize based on that, while other characters are more magic-based, or various combinations of strength, magic, speed, etc.

Besides the regular story missions, there is a Free Play mode that allows players to replay any story mission without lengthy cut scenes or dialog, and there are Bonus missions which unlock parallel to the Story. Often, they operate as elements to deepen the overall story experience through the gameplay, or simply to add new twists that aren't part of the main story, such as fighting a boss a second time after the boss has, essentially received a "second wind" and called in some support. Bonus Missions also tend to be more challenging, with many of them greatly exceeding the difficulty of the regular story missions, leaving these to be "pro" challenges or challenges for those players willing to replay missions enough to level up several times more.

During combat, players may lock-on to a single enemy, which allows the player to deal heavier damage to said enemy. On top of this, activating a Burst gradually drains the magic meter, but also increases all attacks on every enemy. Combining this with a lock-on allows a player to deal massive damage with every attack. There is also a shop where players may buy better weapons, armor, and the like--though it is fairly small compared to a traditional RPG.

Finally, the game also uses the Nintendo Network for local and online co-op and versus play, complete with leaderboards. This mode also allows players to use more than just the main eight main protagonist characters--practically every single enemy character in the game can be unlocked to be used in this mode, from the simplest soldier characters to massive dragons and even boss characters.

GravBlocks is, on the surface, a traditional match-three style puzzle game in a similar vein to Tetris Attack or Bejeweled. In this sense, players simply switch blocks that are side-by-side either left or right. The main difference is a new focus and gimmick to the gameplay. Rather than building high scores by crafting combos when clearing blocks, GravBlocks focuses on strategic gameplay. The strategy comes in the form of Gravity Blocks in the play area. Players earn a score multiplier by aligning Gravity Blocks to change the gravity of the play area. The left-right block switching mechanic updates relative to gravity. For instance, when gravity is against the left wall of the play space, the switching mechanic feels more like "up-down," but is really still "left-right" per the current gravity. Bomb blocks exist and when used, will clear all of one (or more, if used carefully) color of block from the play space.

Changing gravity can be more challenging than it may seem. The walls of the play area are filled with potential hazards, and if even one block falls into the play area, the Multiplier is reset. Using rare Wild blocks, players can temporarily close hazards so that changing gravity can be performed safely. In this sense, players must be able to both act quickly when switching blocks, and be able to monitor and plan their strategies. In Intermediate and Advanced difficulties, the score multiplier can reach x10.

This formula is then utilized in the game's four different modes. Challenge mode is a "traditional" Tetris-like endeavor, with blocks falling into the play space with gradually increasing numbers falling in. Players may choose from 30 difficulty levels, and the length of each level can be selected from 1 to 5 minutes with a goal of lasting as long as possible and building as big a score as possible. Over the course of the game, more Destruction Hazards gradually open in the walls.

Destruction mode is a race against time. Players are simply tasked with clearing the stage of blocks as quickly as possible--by dropping them into Hazards. No score is kept, only time is recorded. Here, the Wild block, rather than closing all Hazards, will open all the hazards in one wall--which means that a player may change gravity and drop every single block into the open wall of destruction.

Zen mode is identical to Challenge mode, except that players select any of the 30 difficulty levels and play on that level as long as they want. The difficulty never advances in this mode, so it's the place where players can just zone out clearing blocks, or hone their skills.

Puzzle mode uses the same gameplay concepts (except Wild blocks), but uses it to challenge players in a different way. There are 100 puzzles in the game and these feature stacks of blocks that must be cleared in a set number of moves. For instance, the first 40 puzzles can all be solved by making a single move somewhere in the game space. Difficulty gradually advances and the first set of puzzles simply utilize ordinary blocks, then incorporate Gravity blocks, then Bomb blocks, and finally, both Gravity and Bombs are incorporated in the puzzles together.

GravBlocks also features 60 Achievements (unlocking these is key to unlocking additional block and background graphics) and Leaderboards.

This dark edition contains:

• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Enhanced Edition (on 2 discs)
• Soundtrack disc included in the game keep case
• Hardcover art book
• Molded plastic wolf-head box design
• Metal wolf's head necklace in a small box
• Two-sided "old world"-style map
• A sticker sheet with 3 stickers
• 90-page quest handbook
• Making-of DVD in a slim DVD case

Kid Icarus Uprising is the third full game in the Kid Icarus series with a story taking place 25 years after the events of the first game--as well as being released 25 years later.

The story involves the recent uprising of Underworld forces and the return of Medusa, who, as it happens, has waited 25 years for this return. The goddess Palutena has called upon her greatest servant, Pit, to jump into the fray to defend Palutena's honor and to take out all the Underworld forces. Pit flies over a variety of landscapes and environments and into the fray through intense ground missions. Palutena has only enough power to grant Pit the power of flight for five minutes, during which time, Pit must reach his next destination. Afterwards, Pit takes the fight to the ground. The story is told through fully voice-acted dialog during gameplay, with character art appearing on the lower screen.

The basic gameplay is a shooter similar to Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, where players move Pit with the Circle Pad and target enemies with the touch-screen. Firing shots is performed with the L button. There is a lefty mode handled with the Circle Pad Pro, but no dual-analog/Circle Pad option. Each stage is broken up into two segments: An aerial segment with Pit flying to his destination, and a ground segment with Pit venturing towards a goal (typically with a boss) on foot. Basic controls are largely the same for both segments with some exceptions. On foot, players can swing the camera around by swiping the touch-screen, as well as access a variety of Powers. During aerial segments, the camera is automatic and there are two Special Attack icons which are filled during combat.

Players have numerous Powers that can be obtained and used. Powers are organized in a grid, and each power has a geometric shape associated with it. More powerful abilities have larger or more elaborate shapes, and there is an element of Tetris to organizing the Powers in the grid. These Powers run the gamut of inflicting poison damage, recovering health, jumping, effect recovery, alternate weapons (lasers, mines, etc), and several others. Powers are typically discovered through regular gameplay and hidden among the ground-based segments of the stages. Higher difficulties may yield higher quality Powers. Players may save up to four different sets of Powers for solo gameplay.

Like Powers, weapons are also numerous and featured in a wide variety of categories. There are nine types of weapons: Staffs, Bows, Clubs, Orbitars, Blades, Claws, Palms, Cannons, and Arms. While each weapon has both shooting and melee abilities, different weapon types yield different strengths and weaknesses to each ability. Cannons and Orbitars, for instance, are great at long-range combat. Clubs, Claws, and Arms on the other hand are superior melee weapons often with short distances in their shooting range, but yielding immense power in close-quarters. Beyond the standard traits of the styles of weapons, each weapon also has a star rating evaluating their melee and ranged strengths, as well as an overall value giving an idea to how much overall power they yield. There may be numerous types of a single weapon, and beyond category, melee rating, ranged rating, and value--weapons may also carry a variety of unique perks. These perks range from raising total health, to minimizing the effects of certain attacks, to increasing speed. Weapons are earned through online play, purchased, or discovered through regular gameplay hidden in chests or secret areas. And finally, should a player be less than pleased with the weapons they'd obtained, there is always the option to fuse weapons together to create entirely new ones.

The main currency of the game is hearts, which are generally used for purchasing weapons. Hearts are factored into the unique difficulty, referred to as "Intensity," settings of the game, which can be set from 0.0 to 9.9. Players may "bet hearts" prior to starting a stage by setting higher Intensity settings. Completing the stage without failing means players earn bonus hearts at the end. However, each time a player dies, the Intensity drops ten levels, so a level set to 6.6 will drop to 5.6. Higher Intensity settings yield more than just bonus hearts, however. Stages routinely feature closed-off sections with numbers over the gates indicating that they can only be entered with an Intensity setting at least as high as noted. Beyond that, treasures are likely to contain vastly more powerful weapons than lower Intensity levels.

Kid Icarus Uprising has a wealth of unlockables and bonus features including an Idol gallery (essentially a character and item art gallery), a practice mode, a music gallery, a mode compatible with AR Cards released for the game (it ships with six randomly selected cards), and over 200 challenges, or achievements, set up in a manner similar to the challenges in Super Smash Bros Brawl. Up to three AR Cards may be viewed at one time, and if set facing each other, the characters may interact or battle each other. The game also ships with a free stand for the 3DS system to aid in playing games of this nature. The game is also compatible with Street Pass and Spot Pass for trading items such as weapons and gems.

Lastly, Uprising features multiplayer matches for up to six players in both local and online matches, with friends or random players. The multiplayer matches are generally deathmatch-style affairs in either a free-for-all format or team, 3-versus-3 matches. Similar to players saving sets of Powers for solo play, they may also save different sets of weapons and Powers for quick access for multiplayer games. This allows players to set up equipment with various focuses tailored to their gameplay style, or styles, for multiplayer matches.

Mahjong Cub3D is a puzzle game that is both the classic Mahjong (sometimes known as Shanghai) solitaire game, and a new puzzle game based on Mahjong rules and tiles. Mahjong Cub3D features three gameplay modes: Cube Mode, Vs. Mode, and Classic Mode. The game also features detailed records and statistics covering completions rates, the number of times a puzzle is played, and the time it took for completion. Also, along with other typical Mahjong video games, each mode has the option for players to utilize a hint system, but there are limited uses.

Cube Mode is the primary focus of the title, and the mode which most emphasizes the 3-D capabilities of the 3DS. Here, rather than traditional Mahjong tiles, the gameplay pieces are cubes. Like traditional Mahjong, the goal is the same: remove the tiles from the puzzle one pair at a time. As with the classic game, players can only select pieces that aren't "blocked in", either against the face area of the cube or on the sides. The sides of the blocks are annotated with notches on the cubes, and at least one notched side must be open (with no cubes against it) in order for players to select and remove the cube. Players have the ability to zoom the camera in and out of the entire puzzle, and to rotate the 3-D structure in order to find matches. The Mahjong cubes feature traditional patterns on them including chinese characters, numbers of dots or other items, flowers, and the like. When playing any puzzle, players may choose the difficulty, time limit, and whether or not there are hidden tiles, although time limits may only be toggled on completed puzzles.

Vs. Mode is a multiplayer mode based on Cube Mode and works with a single game card and challenges two players against each other. In this mode, there are two gold tiles inside the puzzles, and the first player to remove both of them in their puzzle wins. There are tiles that affect gameplay which launch attacks against the opponent player. Hint tiles temporarily display the best possible next matches, Blind tiles temporarily obscure the faces of the opponent's tiles, and Quake tiles cause the opponent board to shake, disrupting gameplay. During Vs. Mode, the opponent's puzzle is visible in the background, and updated in real-time during gameplay.

Classic Mode is exactly as expected for anyone familiar with Mahjong or Shanghai. Tiles are stacked in a variety of shapes on a 2-D plane, with the same goal as the rest of the game: clear the board by matching open or "free" tiles. Tiles are only considered free when they are open on either the left or right side and have nothing stacked on top of them. The game ends when no more pairs can be selected, but it is only beaten when all the tiles are cleared from the board. As with Cube Mode, players may choose whether or not to have time limits or hidden tiles. Since this mode takes place on a 2-D plane, players have no need to rotate the puzzles, but they can zoom in and out.

Completing puzzles in either Cube or Classic mode unlocks more puzzles in the game. Initially, only three Cube courses are available, and each course contains 20 puzzles, with five more courses eventually available. There are also 20 Classic maps.

This limited edition includes:* Record of Agarest War Zero in a regular keep case

• Soundtrack CD in a basic paper sleeve
• Character data guide book with character stories, stats, art, and a Will Power glossary
• Decorative box with two decks of cards
• One deck features 27 cards of game character portraits
• One deck is a generally standard 52-card, set with character art on the face cards

This collector's edition includes:

• Mass Effect 3 in a metal keep case
• 70-page hardcover art book
• N7 fabric patch with Velcro backing
• 4x6 inch lithograph print of the Normandy
• Code for a download for the soundtrack
• Mass Effect 3: From Ashes DLC: bonus downloadable mission and character
• Single-use online pass to access the multiplayer mode
• Limited edition of Mass Effect: Invasion as a four-issue comic book
• Mechdog companion for the Normandy
• Alternate outfit pack for squadmates
• N7 hoodie for Commander Shepard
• Elite N7 Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, SMG, and Pistol
• Normandy prop for the Xbox 360 user avatar

Other bonus items depend on the retailer.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare is a follow-up to 2010's Alan Wake. Taking place two years after the first game, protagonist Alan Wake has been away from his wife since the events at Cauldron Lake in Washington, and has been presumably on a continued battle against the Taken and Wake's dark half double, Mr. Scratch. While more of the backstory of Alan Wake is revealed in this title (such as information on what he did before he was a famous novelist), the primary focus is a skirmish based around an old Night Springs episode (Alan Wake's version of The Twilight Zone) in the Arizona desert. Alan Wake's nemesis, Mr. Scratch, again fills the role of the antagonist.

Whereas the first game was heavily focused on story and a survival horror atmosphere, this title is more focused on action with story elements taking a secondary role. Story-driven elements such as finding pages of manuscript in the levels and Alan needing to use his abilities to "rewrite" reality are maintained. However, unlike the first game where ammunition was often scarce and players were focused on survival, here, ammunition and weapons are generally plentiful and there is stronger emphasis on fighting and defeating the Taken. The game is built around three areas, a highway motel, an observatory, and a drive-in theater. The large driving segments of the previous title have been removed and the game takes place entirely at night in separate levels.

New to this title is an Arcade mode where the player must face off against several waves of increasing numbers of enemies. While there are streetlights (for health and protection) and supply points in the stages, they take some time to recharge after use and therefore require a bit of strategy on the part of the player. Other weapons, flares, and ammunition lie scattered about the arenas. Stages consist of a variety of designs, many of which do not appear in the regular story of the game. The basic premise of the Arcade mode is simply to "fight till dawn" when the Taken lose all of their powers in the light. Stages last ten minutes and as with any arcade-focused title, building a high score is the other primary goal (besides surviving). Players build a score multiplier by successfully dodging attacks and killing Taken. The multiplier gradually drops when nothing is being killed or dodged, and it resets if Alan Wake is struck by an enemy.

This collector's edition contains:

• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
• Limited Edition McFarlane Toys Prismere Troll figure
• Concept art lithograph signed by Ken Rolston.
• Parchment map of Amalur's Faelands.
• Amalur-themed 7-piece dice set featuring D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, and D20 dice, along with a traditional 6-sided cube.
• Cloth dice bag with the "A" logo stamped onto it.
• Full set of 40 Destiny Cards.
• The soundtrack in a jewel case.
• Bonus DLC: Fate-Touched Weapons Pack (increase XP gained from Fate Shift Kills with these nine weapons).

Only 700 copies were produced, and they were only available in the United States and Canada for sale from the official web site. This set is virtually identical to the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (Signature Edition) without autographs and numbered pieces.

This special edition contains:

• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
• Parchment map of Amalur's Faelands.
• Amalur-themed 7-piece dice set featuring D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, and D20 dice, along with a traditional 6-sided cube.
• Cloth dice bag with the "A" logo stamped onto it.
• Full set of 40 Destiny Cards.
• The soundtrack in a jewel case.
• Bonus DLC: Fate-Touched Weapons Pack (increase XP gained from Fate Shift Kills with these nine weapons).

The special edition was limited to only 2,000 copies with sales limited to the United States and Canada. The set could only be purchased from the official website.

Resident Evil: Revelations marks a return to the survival horror roots of the franchise from the action-centric gameplay of the previous title, Resident Evil 5.

The game takes place before part five in 2005, and after the total destruction of the ultra-modern sea-based city of Terragrigia by terrorists using old Umbrella-style B.O.W.s, or Bio-Organic Weapons. The primary focus of the story is on Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as they hunt for answers on a mysterious luxury cruise ship known as the Queen Zenobia. The story is broken into chapters fitting for a portable title; story-wise, chapters alternate timelines. Jill Valentine works with her new partner Parker Luciani for the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance). Alternate story segments may focus on Chris Redfield and his new partner Jessica Sherawat, or new BSAA members Keith and Quint. Each chapter is intended to gradually wrap together the full narrative.

Exploration in the game is done in third-person 3D, like in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, but with the action-heavy gameplay of those titles replaced by more traditional survival horror of the earlier games in the series. Players are once again exploring an ornate and luxurious environment similar to the mansion of the original game, carefully monitoring ammunition, approaching puzzles, and choosing when to fight and when to flee from an attack. The new mutations also appear in smaller numbers, and in claustrophobic areas.

While exploration of the Queen Zenobia is deeply rooted in the survival horror style, many alternating chapters are much more action-oriented and generally resemble the "shooting gallery" segments of Resident Evil 5. These segments may also include much more classic B.O.W. monsters, such as the infamous Hunters and variations of zombie dogs. Ammunition is much more plentiful, and exploration is downplayed.

New to the series is the Genesis device which allows players to scan their environments for hidden items, such as ammunition or hand-prints, or to scan enemies for "data." Each enemy scanned increases a few percentage points, and scanning to 100% grants the player a new herb. The inventory slot system of previous games is largely removed, and players are given general limitations instead--up to three weapons and five herbs may be carried at once, and weapon lockers allow players to store extra weapons and upgrades. Keys and special items no longer take up any kind of inventory space, and therefore do not need to be monitored.

A weapon upgrade system similar to that found in Mercenaries 3D is also present in the game. Any weapon upgrade may be applied to any weapon, or replaced with any other upgrade. Each weapon has a limit to the total number of upgrades, usually three or four. Upgrades run the gamut of increased firepower, increased fire rate, larger clip size, and special features such as allowing a weapon to fire two bullets with a single trigger pull.

Raid Mode is action-focused, having players face off against and kill waves of enemies. Essentially, it takes the place of the Mercenaries mode found in Resident Evil 4 and , and in the previously released 3DS Mercenaries 3D game. The biggest difference between the new Raid mode and the old Mercenaries mode is the removal of the intense emphasis on strict time limits. Players complete a stage by killing all the monsters and melee-striking an emblem at the end. This mode may be played solo, or cooperatively either in local wireless play or online. Players earn BP which works like experience or money to buy a variety of upgrades for use in Raid mode. BP earned is based on results in both the Raid mode and regular story mode, and when enough of it is earned, it also allows the player to level-up. This mode also utilizes Nintendo 3DS Play Coins for use purchasing some items.

The game is primarily played on the 3D screen of the Nintendo 3DS, and even includes an option to effectively double the depth of the 3D on the system. The touch-screen is used for inventory, item details, and the game's map. Primary and secondary weapons may be selected on the touch-screen, as well as the Genesis device. Weapon upgrades may also be applied or removed on the touch-screen. Some mini-games are also present in the game, such as unscrewing panels from electrical boxes and re-routing the current inside.

A special Mission mode exists that operates like an Achievement system in an Xbox 360 game. Completing the various missions unlocks the multi-player Raid mode and special items and circumstance for Raid mode. The Missions also utilize the Nintendo 3DS's Street Pass functionality, which may unlock other missions should the player's 3DS encounter another with different active Missions. Missions range from earning Achievements through in-game accomplishments to defeating certain enemies. Street Pass missions include defeating powerful foes in the Campaign, obtaining special Raid Mode-only items, and others.

Populous DS is a modern portable version of the classic strategy game. Much like the other, older titles in the series, players assume the role of a god and battle against a demon in a game of strategic management of worshipers and land. The gods of Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Harvest are available for players to choose to play through the game's various challenges and environments. Each god, of course, has their associated demon to topple. As with previous titles in the franchise, players manipulate the land, order around worshipers, and send divine intervention against the opposing demon. A stage is completed when an Armageddon strikes the land causing the gods to fight one another while their worshipers fight below on the ground.

This DS version of the game features touch-screen controls for all aspects of the game, thus simplifying some elements such as raising or lowering landscape. Players simply double-tap houses to eject worshipers to send them off on errands. Both Miracles and Orders can be activated using menu items on the touch-screen, and while holding the L button down, players may also use the stylus to manually move the landscape around. When Miracles are activated, a pre-rendered animation plays on the top screen of the DS. The top screen also shows the "actual" landscape with detailed images of the worshipers, deities, buildings, and so forth, while the bottom screen features basic colored geometry.

The game features a Challenge mode, wherein levels are listed in order with gradually increasing challenge. This mode also houses the lengthy and detailed tutorial for the game, and is where gods are unlocked for regular gameplay later on. There are also various bonuses unlocked by earning medals from mini-games, and an Extra menu with extremely challenging stages. There is also a Free Play mode where players may customize many of the game rules including victory conditions, landscape range, allowed miracles, and god selection. Another mode called Warrior Hunt has players tasked with hunting for warrior characters hidden around a map. Lastly, there is a multiplayer mode for up to four players, which also features a variety of customize-able rules, and another version of Warrior Hunt.

Rapala for Kinect is, as is likely obvious, a fishing game. This game, however, is played in one of the most unconventional manners likely ever seen in the pantheon of fishing games. Motion controls with the Kinect peripheral are the singular input methods for the game.

There are two primary modes in the game, Arcade Fishing and Boat Race Mode. Arcade fishing is generally as it sounds, simply fishing with a focus on catching the largest fish, and certain target fish in the fastest times and hardest of three difficulties (which can be selected as a fish is first caught). Players cast the line, attract a fish and reel the fish in. This, however, is where Rapala for Kinect takes a drastic departure from a typical arcade fishing game. Player physically swing their right arm overhand to cast a line, and scan the level moving left to right with the left arm. Various actions may then be done to attract a fish, such as twisting the torso to either side, moving hands quickly in circular patterns, moving hands up and down, and the like.

When a fish is hooked is when things get interesting. There are three different difficulty settings to choose once a fish has been hooked, and they're selected by the player holding their arms out in the right direction and angle as indicated by onscreen prompts. The easiest mode simply has players "punching" or slapping the fish to reel it in. The medium challenge requires players to hold their arms out at the proper angles to clear onscreen prompts. The hardest difficulty requires players to get their whole body in on it: Players must match five different poses in quick succession to reel in a catch. Poses run the gamut of a sumo position, a military salute, a surfer-themed move called "super cool," a "number 1" pose, and other abstract positions. These must be performed quickly in order to be recognized and to prevent the fish from fighting back and forcing the player to start the process over. The final part of this endeavor may require the player to physically "reel in" the fish by moving their arms to and from their chest in a circular motion. Different kinds of lures are factored into the fishing, and just like real fishing, the lures have their own personalities, and talk in their own voices!

Boat races are performed by players holding both arms straight ahead as if they're holding an actual steering wheel. Steering the boat is performed simply by turning the hands to turn the boat. Players can also lean left or right to further affect the turning. Special items and power-ups are scattered about the races which affect both the boat races and the regular arcade fishing. Boat races may also be performed separately from the main arcade mode.

The game also features an Aquarium where the types of fish caught in the main game up to that point can be viewed, and a Fish Face Creator mode where players may put their own faces on the fish. Fish with player faces will appear occasionally during gameplay for special point bonuses. Player fish also appear in the Aquarium. There is also a multiplayer mode with two players simultaneously, or up to four in a tournament setting. Several unlockable items are also available, the foremost being new fishing areas unlocked through regular gameplay, and new fishing lures.

Mindbuster is a puzzle game with an ultimate goal to complete puzzles in the fewest moves possible. There are two separate individual games in Mindbuster:

The first game is called Rings. In this, players must place circles around points on the screen. The second game is called Lights Out and is similar to the titles Tiger Game.com game of the same name. In it, there are a series of squares onscreen representing lights, and players must put all the lights out. Depending on the light selected using the numeric keypad, it may activate some areas while deactivating others.

Both games follow the same basic rules. The gameplay screen is a 3x3 grid, and each numeric button affects nearby sections. The grid is set up as follows:

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

Selecting 1 activates spaces 1, 2, 4, and 5, and likewise for the other corner points. Selecting 2 or 8 also activates the spaces to the left and right of these points. Selecting 4 or 6 activate the spaces above and below as well. Selecting 5 activates the most spaces in the shape of a + sign. For example, if the gameplay screen has spaces 2, 3, and 6 highlighted and the player selects space 3, spaces 2, 3, and 6 will deactivate but space 5 will activate and so on. The game is won when all target blocks are surrounded in Rings, or when all lights have been deactivated in Lights Out.

Cosmic Hunter is a science fiction shooter set in space, possibly an asteroid field. The player is represented by a single pixel onscreen, and must hunt an enemy character, also represented by a single pixel, through a field of obstacles. The obstacles do not hurt either character, and only impede movement. The game features basic movement and fire controls, however, attacking the enemy character must be done in close proximity--with no more than one pixel between the player character and the enemy. There are two difficulty settings with different maps, and pressing the Skill/Score button at any time will show the number of remaining players' characters.

Though the box contains a note that the game is "For 1 or More Players," there is no distinct 2-player mode, and multiplayer games are presumably played taking turns whenever players choose.

With Connect Four, Milton Bradley transferred their popular tabletop strategy game to their handheld game system. Like the tabletop game, this features a two-player mode, but unlike the tabletop game, there is a one-player mode for players to play against the computer. When playing against the computer, there are two difficulty settings which may be selected with the Skill button.

The game plays as expected, with "pieces" dropped into a 6x7 grid with the with the goal of obtaining four in a row vertically, diagonally, or horizontally. Players use the Control Knob to move the pieces left and right and press the Drop button to drop a piece into place, mimicking the physical way the tabletop game is played (sans the Control Knob of course).

Space Invaders Extreme 2 is the follow-up/remix of the gameplay formula created in the original Space Invaders Extreme, but adding a few new features, some of which make specific use of the dual-screen qualities of the Nintendo DS as this title, unlike the first game, appears only on this system.

Like the first game, Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a hectic modern revision of the classic Space Invaders formula. A single cannon on the bottom of the screen moving left and right fires up against the flying alien invaders filling all areas of the screen. Invaders appear in four colors and a neutral (white) color, with each color dropping a special weapon when four are destroyed in a row. The weapons are identical to the previous game--the blue laser, the green spread shot, the red bomb, and the black shield. The Roulette feature returns, and is now activated by destroying four black enemies and then four green ones. A Roulette UFO will fly by and must be destroyed to activate the Roulette mini-game, which operates the same as the previous title. The signature wild colors, electronic-style music, and energetic animated backgrounds return with new styles and animations. Branching levels of varying difficulty also remain, but not on the Beginner difficulty.

Also like the previous game on the Nintendo DS, where gameplay occurred entirely on the bottom screen, Extreme 2's primary gameplay also occurs on the bottom screen. However now, gameplay will often continue to the upper screen during boss battles and bonus Rounds. Shooting a flashing UFO will cause the upper screen expand as a special event "Round" with various other attacking Invaders. Successfully destroying all of these induces Fever Time, which supercharges the weapon and causes destroyed Invaders to drop yellow blocks worth large amounts of bonus points. Essentially, bonus rounds activate in real-time and in the top screen rather than transitioning to a Bonus Round separate from the main game like the first Space Invaders Extreme.

A major new feature is a BINGO panel which operates like a Bingo game or Tic-Tac-Toe. It is a 3x3 grid of colored boxes, each with another box inside. The outer boxes are colored vertical columns of red, green, and blue, and the inner boxes are horizontal rows of the same colors. Getting three panels lit up in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally activates Super Fever Time. The panels are lit up completing Power-up Features, which involves destroying four enemies of a certain color in a row, then four others in a row of a different color. For instance, one panel will be lit up by destroying four red enemies, then four blue enemies. The first four destroyed light the outer box, the second four, the inner box.

Time Attack Mode and VS Play have also been added to the game. VS Play can be local, over the Wi-Fi connection, with Friends or against anyone, or locally with a single DS card using Download Play. Fever items, Super Features, and Boss encounters remain a part of the gameplay in VS Mode. Both players play against the same Invader formations, in a game of he-who-dies-last-wins. Each player will see their gameplay on the bottom screen, and their opponent's on the top screen. Handicaps can be set for more advanced players.

Nano Assault is the third in the Nanostray series for Nintendo's DS line. Nano Assault takes place in the same fictional "universe" as the Nanostray games, is still built on a shoot-em-up framework, and still uses the Nanostray virus as a focal point to the plot, but differs widely in gameplay style over its DS predecessor. Where the previous titles followed a classic vertical and side-scrolling shmup formula, Nano Assault replaces this with three different shmup set-ups.

The bulk of the game is played in an overhead 360-degree shooter style similar to Geometry Wars where movement is performed with the analog nub and shooting takes place in all directions using the ABXY buttons in place of a second analog control. These stages take place with the microscopic ship of series fame flying over giant cells fighting off infections and viruses (bad guys) and picking up DNA sequences. The primary focus of these stages is to eradicate all enemies and to collect all DNA strands. These are referred to as Twin Shooter, or Ground missions. The Nanite ship fires three bullets per shot in this mode, and can utilize one of four secondary weapons with the R button. The spread of the bullets may be modified with the L button.

The second gameplay style comes in the form of 2.5-D boss battles which take place on a large circular area with a boss character in the center. From the perspective on-screen, the player moves the ship left or right along a 2-D plane and must fire into the background at the boss, or to either side against other attackers or pieces of said boss character. The primary focus of this mode is simply to destroy the boss character. These are a variation of the Twin Shooter missions.

The third perspective is that of a 3rd-Person, behind-the-ship view flying through 3-D corridors within an organic body firing on infections and other things. Enemies move and swirl into the play area in typical shmup forms and patterns. Players are tasked with dodging obstacles as well as destroying enemies and this is the only mode where dodging environmental hazards is really important. The primary focus of this mode is survival culminating in a boss battle. These are the 3D Action Shooter, or Flying missions. In this mode, the Nanite ship fires single shots and may use some but not all of the secondary weapons.

Besides the main Story Mode, there is an Arcade Mode wherein stages completed in Story Mode may be replayed for fun, high scores for Leaderboards, and to complete specific challenges set for each stage. Challenges include completing without dying, completing without using the secondary weapon, or obtaining a set high score. Completing challenges earns Nano Coins which are used to purchase songs for the Jukebox or enemy profiles for the Nanopedia. Finally, there is also a Boss Rush Mode unlocked after completing the game, and this mode also allows for earning Nano Coins. Nintendo 3DS Coins may be converted into Nano Coins.

Plot-wise, the focus of the game is similar to the previous entries, in that players assume the role of a nanite vehicle and travel inside an organic body attempting to thwart the deadly Nanostray virus, and to prevent it from spreading throughout civilization. This includes numerous boss battles, both as stand-alone events and as the climaxes of some stages. The levels are broken up into Cell Clusters, and within each Cell Cluster is a number, usually around 5 or 6, individual Cells, which represent the stages. Overall, there are 32 Cell stages and 10 boss battles.

Block Buster is the original launch title for the Microvision game system, rather like Tetris which came packed in with the original Game Boy upon it's release in 1989. As such, Block Buster came packed in the same box with the Microvision system, and was intended to show off the strengths of the system. Since the Microvision came with a built in rotating paddle controller, Block Buster works specifically with this control input.

Block Buster is, as its core, simply a clone of the classic Atari 2600 game Breakout. Players use the paddle knob to move a paddle left and right along the bottom of the gameplay screen to bounce a ball against blocks at the top with the goal of clearing as many blocks as possible.

There are two speeds selectable with the Speed button, and the Paddle button selects the sizes of the paddle as either "Double" or "Triple." Triple is a paddle three pixels wide. The ball must be served by pressing the Go button. The Go button also navigates through the brief menu system and score screens.

Pushmo is a puzzle game in the vain of titles such as ChuChu Rocket! or Picross 3D in that it features an uncomplicated interface which is flexible enough to be translated into hundreds of different puzzles. Also like ChuChu Rocket and Picross 3-D, Pushmo encourages players to get in on the creativity, and allows for data sharing.

Pushmo is designed around stacks of blocks that are initially flat against the background, but which can and must be pulled forward or pushed back into the background with the goal of building 3-D platforming-based structures to reach a goal, usually placed at the top of a structure. The game can be thought of as a stack of Tetris blocks where players can pull the blocks towards them (the screen) with the goal of creating a 3-D platforming staircase. The blocks can be pulled out up to three levels in depth and the challenge comes from deciphering exactly how to pull and push the blocks in order to create a manageable route to the top.

Besides being able to push and pull the Pushmo blocks, there are also a few modifiers. Switches are present which, when activated, cause all blocks the same color as the switch to be pushed to the maximum depth of three levels. There are also manholes which allow for travel between two locations. Multiple sets of manholes and multiple color switches may be present in a single puzzle. There is also a large reset button on the ground should too many mistakes create a structure that cannot be repaired. For quick mistakes, there is a set amount of time which may be "rewound." For instance, if a player accidentally drops off the top of a Pushmo, but moving up the structure makes climbing it again impossible, the player may hold down the L button to rewind the several seconds which covered the fall. This rewind feature has a limited total use per puzzle.

Storywise, the protagonist is challenged by a trouble-making kid who has collapsed the stacks of Pushmo, and upon doing so, has trapped other children inside the things. The hero, Mallo, is a kindly fellow (somewhat resembling a sumo wrestler in design) and eagerly devotes himself to solving the Pushmo puzzles and freeing the children. Early tutorials are handled by Papa Blox who is the maker of the Pushmo puzzles, the educator offering advice early on, and the narrator giving some clues to the story elements. The main campaign features over 200 puzzles to be solved.

Like ChuChu Rocket and Picross 3-D, players have the ability to craft their own Pushmo with a simple-to-use level builder that allows for puzzles to be drawn with the 3DS stylus. Completed puzzles are saved to the 3DS system's SD card, and once a puzzle has been completed and verified through a play-test, a QR code may be generated for the level and saved as a photo on the SD card to be shared. Sharing puzzles is as simple as copying the picture of the QR code from the SD card to a computer and emailing it or posting it online. The QR codes can then be photographed with the Nintendo 3DS camera and added to the SD card simply by selecting an empty puzzle block in the Pushmo Studio (the editor), and centering the QR code in brackets on the top screen. It does not even need to be photographed, once recognized, it's instantly loaded into the game. The game allows for nearly a hundred downloaded or custom levels, all of which are saved to the SD card. Only personally crafted puzzles may be shared, and players may choose to lock a puzzle so others may use it, but not edit or copy it.