Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga Review

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(More customer reviews)Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga is perhaps one of the best GBA games we've received this year. Rich color and textures along with new gameplay elements make this a must have for the GBA!The third RPG in the Mario franchise we've seen.Mario and Luigi combines the elements of Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG to create yet another RPG masterpiece.
To start off are the graphics.The graphics presented to us are very well done.Rich colorful environments decorate this game in a way we've never thought possible on the GBA.Mario, Luigi and other characters are visually stunning.The animations in battle are simple, yet fun to look at.You'll no doubt be impressed by the graphics the first time around.
The music and other sound in this game is also quite good.Music from nearly all the Mario games is mixed into the bunch as well as introducing new tunes.The new tunes are quite remarkable, especially for the GBA.While some tunes get a little repetitive and loop around much too quickly, you'll quickly get used to it, as it is a minor flaw.
The story is that a witch named Cackletta from the neighboring Kingdom of Beanbean has stolen Princess Toadstool's beautiful voice and has replaced it with explosives. Each time Toadstool speaks you'll see a lot of symbols pop up in her dialogue box and then come down to the ground with an explosion.When Bowser comes to kidnap the Princess he soon realizes that she would probably ruin his castle.In short, Bowser decides to help Mario and Luigi.
What was even more remarkable are the voices in the game.Mario and Luigi don't scream, grunt, groan and moan for every action they do, but they're voices are still pretty well done.Bowser's voice is also impressive.Voices are very well done on this game so you shouldn't find yourself turning down the volume a whole lot.Mario and Luigi never really say anything; instead you hear them speaking gibberish a lot of the time when they communicate.
The game also presents a lot of moments that'll without a doubt make you laugh.Even the opening cinema and beginning of the game are pretty funny.So you'll find a lot of entertainment with this that I think you'll really love.
The battle system is quite different from your standard Turn-Based RPG as well as on the field.For example, the A-Button controls one character and the B-Button controls another.The start button switches Mario and Luigi around so that the other one leads (so if Mario is leading push start and Luigi steps in front).So they're both on the over world map.If Mario is leading the A-Button Controls him, and the B-button controls Luigi and vice-versa.
What's even more important is that in battle the A-Button ALWAYS controls Mario and the B-Button ALWAYS controls Luigi.This is always true in battle.There are four commands in battle: Solo Attack, Bros. Attack, Items and Run.The Solo Attack allows your character to attack of course.But remember that if it's Luigi you use the B-Button.Much like Super Mario RPG you've got "Timed-Hits".Pressing a button right before the attack connects causes a more powerful hit.Bros. Attacks are different. This is where Mario and Luigi do a duel attack to an enemy.You must execute by entering the right button commands as they appear on screen. If you decide you want to make them harder to pull off you can do them without the aid of button commands and have the speed at which the attack is executed at increased.Of course the harder one you choose the more damage it'll do.
What's also interesting is that you can dodge attacks.When an enemy comes to attack you, press the button that corresponds to that character to dodge the attack.So if an enemy attacks Mario you'd press A.
Mario and Luigi can also use techniques on the field.Luigi can jump on Mario's head and perform a high-jump and Mario can jump on Luigi's for a spin jump.They can also use hammers which they can smash blocks with too.
I've only about one or two cons with the game.One is you only have Mario and Luigi. No one else joins the party.This isn't really a con but for an RPG there are some RPGers who expect more characters to control. The other con however, is that they included the arcade Mario Bros.While this isn't necessarily bad, it's on EVERY Mario game on the GBA!It was nice at first but after the second Mario Advance game it just began to lose my interest.I'm sure many will probably overlook the Original Mario Bros. Game.
However, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga is excellent for the GBA. It's the first original Mario game on the GBA and for that I'm glad.This is without a doubt one of the greatest GBA games we've ever seen before.

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Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga is a strange and funny new epic that takes the brothers on a great new quest!

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Mario Strikers Charged Review

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(More customer reviews)Back in 2005, Nintendo really knew what it was doing by briinging Mario and his whole gang to the wild and outrageous world of sports on the Gamecube. Undoubtingly, the experiments worked beyond expectations. Mario Superstar Baseball, delivered a fun and entertaing home run with baseball madness that was fun & had some excellent minigames. But what really exploded was Super Mario Strikers, a wild and outrageous soccer game that really brought out so many kicks into the game. It really was a delightful treat for gamers everywhere, that a sequel had to be made for a second goal, and it was worth the wait.

Mario Strikers Charged for the Nintendo Wii is the thried Wii title to endure with competing against gamers online through Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection, and the game delivers. The game follows in suit well and brings even more fun that Super Mario Strikers left over. The gameplay includes returning characters Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, as well as a couple of new playable captains like Bowser, and Diddy Kong. You can also even use your Mii's you've created as captains, as you did before from Mario Party 8. The game includes new arenas that really work beautifully with the Mario experience, ranging from the traditional, to arenas where whomps drop down on you. The control here is a bit different here in the game, as you use the nunchuck controls to move your captain and crew, and you use the Wii remote to block, pass and shoot your soccer balls to score.

There also is a new feature added to the game, a mega strike, where you could shoot as many as six goals at a single time at the goal. There are also new offensive tatics from the players. Wario could let out a foul odor to cause your opponents to hold their breath while your in control for the ball, and Mario could turn into a giant with his new moves. The graphics look wonderful and the gameplay is even more addictive than ever before, but the controls here take a bit to get used to, but once you complete the Strikers 101 training, you'll be able to get the gameplay down easily. There are also a few new charactersand trophies that are added to unlock for extra gameplay for exhibition competetions, including Petey Piranha from Super Mario Sunshine, who is making his attempts to score his kicks, but you'd have to unlock certain trophies in the tournaments.

All in all, while there are other great games coming out that have much more hype like Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii, Mario Strikers Charged is worth the wait for sports fans everywhere. If you've loved the Gamecube edition, than you are really going to get your kicks here. I absolutely love the hype of the game, no red cards here, just all goals!!

Graphics: A-

Sound: A-

Control: B+

Fun & Enjoyment: B for solo players; A- for multiplayers

Overall: B+

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Supercharged Characters! - The captains from Super Mario Strikersare back, joined by four new ones, and nowyou can create your own original team by mixing and matching your captain with an all-new cast of sidekicks.All characters have their own sets of special abilities, making each one play completely differently from one another.New captain super-abilities and sidekick skill-shots add a new level of depth to already crazy soccer battles on the most unpredictable and hazard-filled pitches in the Mario universe. Each field features its own set of interactive hazards that alter game play over the course of the game. **Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Game Play! - There are tons of new single-player modes, from tournaments to challenges to tutorials, but the game truly shines in multiplayer.The game features a robust multiplayer mode-up to four players can battle locally, or they can go online in each specific sales territory for one-on-one matches. **Kickin' Wii Controls! - Building on the frantic fun of Super Mario Strikers, this game gets you into action only possible on the Wii.Primary game play controls use both the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers.Use the Nunchuk to control your characters and deploy items. Flick the Wii Remote to perform the defensive "Big Hit" move and flatten foes. To defend against a "Mega Strike" goal attempt, use the Wii Remote to point at the screen and manually defend against multiple balls as they rocket towards the screen!

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Luigi's Mansion Review

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(More customer reviews)Don't be fooled that Luigi's Mansion, a game that is only good, serves as the Nintendo Gamecube's star title. By now, that honor belongs to Super Smash Bros. Melee, and at launch it was held by the likes of Rogue Squadron 2 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. Here to give you the word on Luigi's Mansion is Nintendorks' Eric Denney.
"It's been very difficult to come to a decision on just what to rate Luigi's Mansion. Luigi is the closest thing to a Mario Flagship title that we saw for GameCube launch, and the bar has been set almost impossibly high after Super Mario Bros., Super Mario World, and Super Mario 64. In the end, while still a solid game, Luigi's Mansion doesn't deserve a spot next to the predecessors.
Now that the ugly comparison is out of the way, lets examine the merits and faults of Luigi's Mansion in its own right. What we have in Luigi's Mansion is a fun, solid adventure title with little to no replay value.
While the game concept is hardly fresh (and indeed been nearly beaten to death by Capcom), Nintendo still manages to pull it off with characteristic grace. Using the Poltergust vaccum to suck up the ghosts, and mastering the timing of using the flashlight (or other objects) to make the ghosts vulnerable injects a breath of fresh air into the game. At the same time, it proves to be a good example of how to properly program a game for the GameCube controler. Every button is put to good use, and it isn't hard to believe that the game was designed to make the most out of the controller. It wouldn't surprise me at all if future games in the haunted mansion genre start to pick up on some of the controller ideas in future installments.
Luigi's Mansion is a fun game, but hardly worth the full retail price. You can rent it once, twice, or even thrice and have a great time with it. A rental time, however is about all the time you need for it. I'm no game wizard (in fact, I rather suck at figuring out game puzzles), but I breezed through this game effortlessly. I wouldn't call it easy, but it isn't more than moderately challenging even at its best. Rent it, and you take it back satisfied. But there are just too many great GameCube games out now to spend the full $on Luigi's Mansion."

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Luigi's Mansion is a great adventure game starring the previously-overlooked Mario brother!

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Mario Kart 64 Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok, I am 26 years old.I rented this game so my girlfriend's 16 year old brother would have something to do over Thanksgiving when I visited.We ALL ended up playing this game!It is an incredible amount of fun, andit's reply value is incredibly high.I wish there was better music, but itwould take away from the sound effects, which are definitely very good. This game is a must for all ages, particularly those who like to play gameswith other people.Note, if you want to play a 4 player match, you shouldhave a pretty big TV.

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Mario Kart 64, one of the first games released for the Nintendo 64 platform, is an updated translation of the very popular Super Mario Kart for the Super NES (SNES). And while the game clearly takes full advantage of the graphics power and speed of the N64, a few components that made the original so compelling have been left out of this release. Still, Nintendo's expertise at sucking players into the game world is strongly evident, and Mario Kart 64 offers enough challenges to keep players (especially casual gamers) entertained. Placing a familiar Nintendo personality behind the wheel of a sputtering kart powered by a 50, 100, or 150-cc engine, the game lets players race computerized opponents or up to four other players on a variety of well-designed tracks. Because karts lack the power and speed of race cars, drivers must focus on collecting power-ups and nonlethal weapons rather than negotiating hairpin turns on two wheels. Grabbing and using on-track items is the heart of the game's fun: a strategically-placed banana peel sends the unlucky victim into a spin, nailing an opponent with a turtle shell launches their vehicle skyward, and a rocket provides a quick boost to near-breakneck speeds, if only for a moment.

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Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time Review

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(More customer reviews)The brothers Mario have been reunited again following the fantastic `Superstar Saga' and this time they're joined by their own baby versions. They may be tiny and they may occasionally cry fountains of tears but that doesn't stop them from being formable fighters who can hold their own with their adult counterparts. The hook in `Partners in Time' is the time traveling between the past and present versions of the Toadstool kingdom. The Kingdom of the past has been attacked by aliens, the adult princess has been kidnapped (shock) and the Cobalt Star (the McGuffin of the story) has been broken into various pieces that need to be retrieved.

`Partners in Time' carries on that tradition of legitimately funny scripting set by `Superstar Saga' and most of the play mechanics remain the same. Much like the RPG console versions the handheld games are all about timing. Fights are turn based affairs requiring the player to time out strikes and defends. Players with difficulty getting the rhythm down may find themselves having some difficulties. Each creature type has a slightly different pattern and sometimes multiple attack sequences. It can take some fast reflexes but like most Nintendo games `Partners in Time' is designed to be beaten even by players with modest skills. One of the issues I have is the fact that it can be very difficult to manage all four brothers during combat even after hours of practice. It's actually even harder when the adult and baby version are separated because the adults uses X and Y while the babies use B and A. I found it challenging to get used one set of buttons and suddenly switch to the other especially when you need to switch between adults and babies quickly.

The Mario RPG's have always taken an aesthetic minimalist approach. There are five adjustable character attributes including the enigmatic `Stache'. The brothers can wear one pair of overalls and one badge to help boost stats or give special bonus abilities. Like every RPG made since the dawn of time the brothers will have an ever increasing (and potent) selection of items to choose from as the game progresses. If complexity is your bag the Mario RPG's may disappoint. It's all about simplicity. If anything Partners simplifies the experience even more by creating a more linear experience over `Superstar Saga'. The various collectible bean types have now been eliminated in favor of the generic `bean' so no more bean drinks.

The DS system has been on such a roll of late and `Partners in Time' is just one more five star game in a growing library of great DS games. With this game and Mario Kart Nintendo has really had a great winter season.

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Mario and Luigi: Partners In Time an insane sequel to the classic adventure starring the heroic brothers! In this sequel to Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, the brothers travel back in time to retrieve Princess Peach, only to come face to face with baby versions of themselves, the princess and Bowser. They'll team up with their younger selves for a quest of lunatic proportions!

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Super Mario Bros. 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)Super Mario Bros 2 is my favorite game of the series and the original SMB is a legend.So where does this leave Super Mario Bros 3?This was the last Super Mario game on the old NES and while I might like some of the other games more, this might be the class of the series on the NES.With the strange direction that SMB2 went, this was a trip back to the roots of Mario.This is a true side scrolling game and features many of the same enemies from the original.You still jump, stomp and throw fire to make your way through the game.But there are new features now.First, there is now a world map and you can select which level you want to enter next.Some levels are avoidable, some are not, but you can also do special areas (several mini-games and an area where you get bonus items).You are able to get items throughout the game, and you can use them before levels to be stronger.There are also several different suits that augment your abilities.The most common is the Racoon suit which allows you to kill the enemies by flicking your tail at them, and also giving you the ability to fly for short periods of time. There is also a frog suit (allowing swimming to be easier), a Tanooki suit (much like the raccoon suit, but you can briefly turn to stone to avoid enemies...rare), and I believe there is a Hammer Brothers Suit (but I could be wrong about this one....my memory is a little hazy).This is one of the best games released for the NES and is essential gaming for a Mario fan.

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S&H will be $3.47

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