Review: Mother 3

Available On: Game Boy Advance (only available in Japan currently or as an emulation for USA)

Story: This game features a cast of colorful characters. I don't want to give away too much but to sum it up without any spoilers, the Pig Mask Army invades your home of Tazmily Village and sets into motion one of the greatest stories I have had the chances of playing in a game. The one thing to remember about this game is that the story style is similar to Dragon Quest IV, meaning it features chapters instead of one long continuous story. Mother 3 also features some social commentaries such as greed.

Game Play: This game is an RPG, but with some very different twists from your classic RPGs like Final Fantasy. Some of the unique features to Mother 3 are in the battle system. While battling, music notes will float above your enemy, and if you can hit the button at the proper time, then you will be able to deal multiple hits in a single turn. One thing to remember is that each enemy has a different tune, so memorizing one enemy's tune will not help against the other enemies. My favorite feature of the battle system is the rolling HP meter. It is similar to a Rolodex of numbers, and as you are dealt damage it will lower, depending on how much damage you are dealt. If you get attacked and it deals "Mortal Damage" then your character will become unconscious. One unique thing about this is that if you finish the battle before the meter hits zero, then you will stay conscious. This feature has only been in one other game, that being Earthbound, which is the prequel to Mother 3. One other neat feature are enemies doing funny things during battle, like "So and So gazed off" instead of attacking you.

Look: The characters are based on clay models, but the cartoon-like look of this game fits the theme and style perfectly. The modern setting of the game is a change from traditional medieval setting of most RPGs.

Sound: From the whimsical soundtrack to the crazy sound effects, the audio for this game is spot on.

Replay Value: This story has enough replay value for me to go through it again, for other gamers they may want to go back through it to talk to all the villagers or to collect all the items.

Pros: There are so many pros for this game that it would take a while to list everything great about it.

Cons: The only thing I did not like about this game is how hard it is to learn the tunes of your enemies. Some gamers may not like the level grinding this game requires to beat some of the bosses they will encounter.

Overall: From the game's amazing story and unique game play, to the spot on soundtrack, this is how a game should be made. This game is the best RPG, if not the best game you will play for the Game Boy Advance, hands down.

Score: A+

Review: Chibi-Robo Zip-Lash

Available On: Nintendo 3DS

Story: Aliens have invaded Earth, stealing resources along with everyone's favorite snacks, and it's up to Chibi-Robo and his partner Telly to save the day.

Game Play: This plays like your standard Platformer game where you control Chibi-Robo and use your cord to lash at enemies or to propel yourself around the area.

Look: This game has the look that Chibi-Robo fans have grown to love from previous games. The easiest way to describe it to someone who hasn't played the series before is a tiny robot in our normal size world.

Sound: I liked the sound effects used in the game, but I met the music was OK at best. A better soundtrack would of really helped with the games final presentation.

Replay Value: Earlier levels have hidden items and areas that are only accessible by features you unlock later in the game. 

Pros: I did like using Chibi-Robo's cable to wipe enemies and to zip around the levels.

Cons: My biggest pet peeve with this game is the stage select screen. Its a rotating wheel. While you can get chances to increase your odds of getting a different stage, I hate this feature. Why not just have the traditional way of having a level order or a map that you can move around to choose your level order.

Overall: While it is fun whipping your enemies and zipping around the levels, I feel this game is not that great as a physical release. I have enjoyed previous Chibi-Robo games but this one seemed to fall short for me. The only reason I am now happy I got the game is because I really wanted the Chibi-Robo Amiibo figure and its only available bundled with the game.

Score: C-