3DS Ambassador GBA Games Part One

I was one of the suckers who pre-ordered the 3DS based merely on the potential of newest Nintendo handheld - technology-wise and the game that had been announced.  The launch titles were not very good however (mine came with a 3D port of Rayman 2), and sales (bar release-weekend surges) mirrored this.
Early August saw Nintendo take pretty drastic action to boost sales of the flagging console, as they cut the 3DS' price by almost a third.  Needless to say, early adopters were not pleased!  At this point Nintendo could have shrugged off the screaming hordes of their faithful fans claiming "It's business", but instead announced the 3DS Ambassador program, proving once again they are in a class above their gaming rivals.
The program meant anyone that had registered their 3DS in the eShop by the end of August would receive 20(!) free games - 10 NES and 10 GBA.  I downloaded my NES games in early September and was a little underwhelmed; the titles were pretty predictable and consisted of games the majority of gamers will have owned or at least played at one time or another.
The list of GBA games (released last Friday) however, is superb!  I was tingling with excitement while downloading them, and just knew i would have to review them. So here is Part One of my breakdown of the 3DS Ambassador GBA games!



The fulll list of the 10 Gameboy Advance games are as follows:

• WarioWare, Inc. Minigame Mania
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong
• F-Zero Maximum Velocity
• Metroid Fusion
• Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• Super Mario Advance 3 : Yoshi's Island
• Kirby and The Amazing Mirror
• Wario Land 4
• Mario Kart Super Circuit

I will be tackling the first 5 of that list today, and the other 5 will come tomorrow.

WarioWare, Inc. Minigame Mania

There was a real buzz about this game when it came out, for its shake-up of the format of videogames. There are no 'levels' per se, and the game consists of stages containing dozens of mini puzzles.  I think this game is fantastic; once in a stage there is no breathing space and you have to be at your highest concentration levels for the 5 minutes or so it takes to complete one. You have around 5 seconds to complete each task, during which you must identify what must be done and carry our the appropriate actions - easier said than done!  Occasionally i found myself very confused at to what i was supposed to do and thought the 5-second-rule was a tad harsh - but that's the nature of the game, quick thinking and acting or you lose!  Things are made easier by the very simple controls, as just the d-pad/analogue stick and the A-button are required, but sometimes it is difficult to know which of them you need to use.  Overall, a very nice game, and a welcome inclusion in the Ambassador program.

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong

I wasn't aware of this game at all despite it having spawned a sequel on the DS, but nevertheless i found it to be quite enjoyable.  It is a puzzle-platforming game where you need to collect Mini-Marios to help you defeat Donkey Kong. The puzzles are always very simple and the platforming is just enough of a challenge to keep you entertained - the hi-score stars system especially reeled me in, tempting me to play the same levels again to beat the set score.  I played the first stage and a bit, and thought it was ok - nothing groundbreaking or particularly fantastic, but it is a very solid Mario platform game that should keep you entertained for hours.

F-ZERO: Maximum Velocity

If, like me, you hate the randomness of the Mario Kart games, and wish that skill was all that mattered to win a race, then this game is a godsend.  This is a pretty brutal game, it doesn't forgive you for anything - you will be knocked out of a race if you aren't near the front; your shield is the only thing between you and an explodey end; and some insta-kill parts of races don't care how well you're doing and will beat you down if you don't do as you're supposed to.  Despite the difficulty, this is a fantastic game that rewards practice and effort. It is a bit of a tease to keep the multiplayer selections in the main menu, while the actual multiplayer functionality doesn't work, but maybe one firmware update or another will allow you to play against your friends.

Metroid Fusion

I must confess that i have been reasonably negligent to the Metroid series - i am aware that it is one of the most lauded of game series, but i've just never gotten around to playing them (i've had the Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii for about a year without ever having played it...).  But playing this game is going to change that!  This is a superbly made game with an interesting story - you explore a space that has become overrun by parasites who can take the form of and control its host creature.  The explanation for Samus' de-powered state at the beginning is somewhat contrived, but definitely makes sense in the context of the story and allows for a development of character and abilities.  Playing and completing this game will be high on my priorities over the Christmas break.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

I don't know much about this series, other than the fact it has quite a devout following.  I went into it expecting a turn-based RPG, but I was pleasantly surprised to find unit and tactics based combat similar to Advance Wars and thought it was great!  The tips and hints can be a bit intrusive/disruptive, so i'm kind of regretting selecting the beginner mode with the tutorials, as i feel i could have worked most things out by myself.  I'm only an hour or so into the game at the moment, but the story has me gripped enough with the lore of the world and betrayal-most-foul, that i want to get back into it quickly.  Overall, this is an interesting game that stands out from the rest of the Ambassador games in a good way.

Come back tomorrow when i will post my thoughts/breakdown of the remaining five titles!

Edit: Part Two can now be found here

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