Homer's Handheld Reviews

[Homer]

Circuit City is holding a clearance sale on a LOT of games. Yes, select games are only $8.96! Helluva deal, you betcha. I picked up three new games for the DS today (woulda picked up more if Circuit City could have organised their shelves better ).

 

Anyways, here are my reviews...

 

Burnout Legends (Nintendo DS version)

 

After hearing good things about the PSP version, I expected the DS version to be good, with less features. Needless to say, this was watered down enough to fill the seven seas. Of course, the DS doesn't have the graphical horsepower of the PSP. Then, the DS doesn't have the best sound card in the world.

 

Well, I only played this game for a few minutes and it put me off racing games for a while. The graphics, good lord, the cars are just fugly, and the collision specs are awful. And were the crashes eye candy like we expect from a Burnout game? Nope, not on this version. The soundtrack isn't the mix of Punk and Techno like in the PSP version, instead its some generic midi tunes. Oh well, thank god I picked this up for $9 instead of its marked price of $39.99.

 

Although, at least it will keep me preoccupied...

 

RATING: 3/10

 

Pac-N-Roll

 

As if Pac-Man hasn't done a good game on the DS lately. Pac-N-Roll relies on the touch screen heavily for its controls (much like Kirby: Canvas Curse). The world is a 3D isometric world (much like Sonic 3D Blast, but a hell of a lot better). The game has decent sized levels and great controls. Like in most 3D games, the camera can be a pain. This game is a heck of a lot of fun and addicting. I should have also bought Pac-Pix, but eh... The music, still midi tunes, but a lot more tolerable...

 

RATING: 9/10

 

Dr. Mario/Puzzle League

 

The GBA these days has little releases coming that would wow people. But, good deals come now, and there are 2-games-in-1 cartridges coming out. Nintendo released this one last year that features two of their puzzle games.

 

Dr. Mario was Miyamoto's take on the puzzle game genre inspired by Tetris. In this game, you are fighting three viruses (Red, Blue, and Yellow). In order to kill off these viruses, you have to cure them using pills of their color. An easily addicting and great puzzle game.

 

Puzzle League is basically Pokemon Puzzle League, minus the Pokemon. I guess when Nintendo brought this game over to America in 2000, they had to slap the name "Pokemon" on it to sell a million of them. Well, this version, thankfully, doesn't have trainers and Pikachus all over it. Its a puzzle game that is similar to Bejeweled. Line up three or more shapes to clear them. A very basic puzzle game really.

 

I enjoyed both games on the cartridge and if you like puzzlers, pick this one up, as its a good deal as well!

 

RATING: 8.5/10

[crispy]

yeah I heard some bad BAD things about the DS version of Burnout, and it didn't have to be that bad, if they would have put just a bit of effort into the game it could have been good

 

the PSP version is pretty good, and is the version i bought

 

Nice reviews, and a good idea, BTW

[Homer]

^Then again, its EA. Usually, they rush ports and such. From what I have heard, Criterion didn't develop this version.

 

Maybe with a little more time, they could have worked out the kinks with the collision specs and polished the graphics up a little bit... Oh well, EA has harsh deadlines anyways. Also, (sorry this seems fanboyish) they killed SEGA because they wouldn't support the Dreamcast...