Ducky Reviews! #2:Minish Cap! Now Accepting Requests!

DUCKY REVIEWS


Thanks to my short attention span, I've been unable to fit in with writing a review that 'flows' due to not having sections. Because of this, I've had to resort to a different style, which I hope readers will like, and is shown in the review below. But before that, please feel free to look at my policy and rules...

Ducky Reviews Policy

• All reviews will be set to inform the reader in as much detail as possible in every aspect, but...

•No review will ever contain major spoilers.

•Every review will contain a scoring system that is easy to follow, but in-depth at the same time.

•Every review will receive three scores: One for Veterans of the series or genre, Newcomers to the series, sub-series or genre, and an Average score, found using the median on the Veteran and Newcomer scores.

•All comments made will be read and considered.

• Every game reviewed has had the main story completed and most of the bonus features unlocked/completed.

• Now accepting requests! Just drop me a PM or e-mail (via the MSN address under my avvy) and tell what game you'd like to see reviewed, and it could be featured! Credit will be given, and I'll try and convince Babger to raise your score!

Rules

◊ Constructive Criticism only!

◊ No use on other sites without permission. Copying and/or claiming as your own will not be tolerated.


Key:

VS – Veteran Score
NS – Newcomer Score


Thanks for reading!
Enjoy the Reviews!

What a lovely looking start menu. Don't you agree?

Amidst many of the demands from Nintendo fans at E3 '09, Mario Vs. Donkey Kong wasn't one of them. Yet, a nostalgic smile still managed to creep across the faces of the audience when it was announced. For those who don't know, the MVDK series has already had 2 prequels, which were met to mild acclaim and success. This obviously meant it was surprising when Ninty gave the series a third chance, but how does it fare with the public...?

Plot

Thankfully, Ninty have stuck to what's best in Mario storylines. Simple, to the point, and short so you can get to the gameplay sooner. Basically, Mario's theme park is being re-opened with his lady friend Pauline. Howeeeeever: DK decides to steal her for...no real reason, and Mario sends the clockwork Minis after the kidnap happy ape. Great for the simplicity, but with no real motive behind any of it, and it's the EXACT same thing as the last two games, it's pretty bad, although you won't care much.

VS=[5/10]--------NS=[7/10]


Gameplay

Once again, Nintendo does what it does best: making easy to understand gameplay with a surprising amount of depth. To one person, it could be just tapping the screen and some scenery; to another, it's observing the scenario you're in, strategically altering the environment and ensuring your Mini's safety. And after playing a few levels, you'll soon find out that the latter is a much more fitting description. Simply put, the gameplay has been pretty much perfected, because it seems Nintendo actually listened to the criticisms of it's predecessors!

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Design

Ninty really racked their brains when conjuring up these levels. A lot of these will require maximum head-scratching and creative thinking, which is much more than can be said for March of the Minis (DS). However, the main levels aren't the only design you'll come across, as MMA boasts a full-blown Level Creator, which really lets your imagination run free (Making it much more fun than MotM's half-hearted job), although the limitations on the amount of pieces you can use does become irritating at times. Apart from that small flaw, it's unfaultable.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Controls

Anyone who's played the DSPhat/Lite prequel will feel right at home with the controls, because they're exactly the same. And why's that? Because they work. Perfectly. Scroll around the level with the D-Pad, and use the Stlus to activate your Minis, interact with the scenery or shoot from your cannon during boss fights. In the Level Creator it's a case of drop and drag with the stylus. Simplicity at it's best.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Length

Gentlemen, behold! I give you: The NEVER-ENDING GAME! No, really. As if 100 levels from the main game weren't enough, the Level Creator presents the ability to play an infinite amount of levels, be they your own, a friend's, or those of some stranger on the other side of the world. No prizes for guessing what the score is here.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Difficulty

The main problem with MMA's predecessors were that they lacked any real challenge. Now Nintendo have gone to the other extreme: it's almost too challenging. There are some levels I've deemed physially impossible without the help of a NASA Supercomputer...or a walkthrough, I guess. This will definitely be pleasing for those who breezed throught the prequels, but newcomers will probably be put off.

VS=[9/10]---------NS=[4/10]


Sound

From the moment you boot up the start menu you'll hear nostalgic remixes in your ears. Whether it's the famous SMB 1-1, 1-2, or even Princess Peach's Castle from SM64, there'll be a satisfied smile of recognition across your face, although it won't stay there for long, as some of the game's own music flows out of your speakers, which isn't very memorable. If it had just been remixes from the retro games, it would've been perfect, but alas, it was not meant to be.

VS=[7/10]--------NS=[5/10]


Graphics

Hm, what's that? You think you've seen a game like this before? That's because you have, It was called Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2. That's right, MMA looks exactly the same as it's previous instalment graphically, although it's not necessarily a bad thing. The art style it still cartoony and done to make it look retro and modern at the same time, in my opinion. The cut-scenes really show off this effect, but sadly, there are only about three in the entire game, which is a shame when they look so lovely.

VS=[7/10]--------NS=[8/10]

Multiplayer/Online

One of the game's main selling points was that you can share levels globally over Wi-Fi, and it really is simple to do. Once you've connected, you can choose from Friend's Levels, Most Popular, Newest or Nintendo's Own. There's also a 'Random' option, but I wouldn't bother with it if I were you. As well as that, you can upload your own levels for other to play and give a rating out of 5 (which you can do for other's levels too) which will obviously affect your rank in the 'Most Popular' section. It's a fantastic service, and downloading only takes a couple of seconds, if that.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Replay Value

As if infinite levels weren't enough, there's also reason to come back to previous levels. “What is this reason?” I hear you cry. Well, there's two: High Scores and MINIMARIO. You can get a higher score by completing the level quicker, grabbing more coins, and killing more enemies with Hammer power-up. This gets you a Gold Star, which in turn, unlocks more levels. The MINIMARIO part revolves around collecting a card from each of the nine Levels in every World. These nine cards spell out...err...MINIMARIO, and this also unlocks more levels for your gaming pleasure. As you can see there's plenty of incentive to return to levels to achieve the rewards, although some are ridiculously hard, and will take hundreds of attempts to complete.

VS=[9/10]--------NS=[6/10]



The Verdict





For those unaware from the review, Minis March Again is a game obviously geared more towards the 'hardcore' side of gaming. Hopefully, this applies to everything else that was announced at E3. If it was, then I predict Nintendo's glorious and overdue comeback.



I think Mario's getting a little too James Bondy with all his promiscuous-ness

Good review, duck!

I certainly think your reviewing style is unique, personally I prefer the usual style however it's nice for a change.

Either way you covered everything there is and gave a strong opinion on it.

Good work, keep it up!

Great review it was ace ^_^

An all round nice review, but i don't really like the fact you put it into sections.

Noodle link wrote:An all round nice review, but i don't really like the fact you put it into sections.

I understand where you're coming from, and I respect your point, however, I've tried writing without sections to make it 'flow', and for some reason, it bores me to death. Because of this, I use sections, which I also prefer because making up the 10 sections for this review made me think about what needs to be written about, and what isn't necessary. Also, if a reader only wants to know about a certain aspects of the game, they can simply skip to the relevant section in the review. Obviously, it's your opinion, and I'm not trying to change it, I just want you, and everybody else who complains about in the future, the reasons I choose sections, and why I won't change that aspects of my reviewing style.

Wow, I really like that review Steve O_O

I like the way how it is put into sections as it is alot easier on the eyes and more relaxing. I also love the way how you write it out like you would usually speak in a conversation.

Outstanding review, and I hope to see more like it! kiu!

LeeXD_001 wrote:Wow, I really like that review Steve O_O

I like the way how it is put into sections as it is alot easier on the eyes and more relaxing. I also love the way how you write it out like you would usually speak in a conversation.

Outstanding review, and I hope to see more like it! kiu!

Wow, I really like that comment Lee

Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad you liked the style, and yes, there will be more to come

Also, I'd like to take the moment to say that I'm now taking requests, but if I don't get a valid one by Friday 6:00PM, I'll pick my own

I didn't particularly like the style, and eurgh, do you have to put random numbers after every paragraph? I know they're scores, but they don't really mean anything.

And while the review was somewhat in-depth, it was pretty damn boring, and it was patched together with cheap magazine humour.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but I'd rather not pull any punches.

Nabarl wrote:I didn't particularly like the style, and eurgh, do you have to put random numbers after every paragraph? I know they're scores, but they don't really mean anything.

And while the review was somewhat in-depth, it was pretty damn boring, and it was patched together with cheap magazine humour.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but I'd rather not pull any punches.

The 'random' scores after each section actually accumulate (sp?) to the total score at the bottom of the review, so they do mean something.

Please elaborate on why it was boring, I'm interested to know, as it'll help me improve probably. Also, my sense of humour isn't to everyone's tastes.

I think all of those scores were just arbitrary. I might be sounding a bit cliche here, but it's the writing that really matters. The masterful medium that strings together opinions about the game. We should be encouraging people to put more (and I mean a lot more) focus on that part of the review.

And it the review was boring because what you were actually talking about wasn't very interesting. Sure, it was informative and "easy to read", but if you're going to read a review, you read ALL of it, and treat it as one entity, a piece of art.

Ducky Reviews Presents...

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MINISH CAP (GAMEBOY ADVANCE)

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Capcom
Age Rating: 3+
Player(s):1

In my opinion, the GBA was possibly the worst generation for Nintendo. Not because of the quality, but because of what the 'big' titles actually were: remakes. Super Mario Bros. 2, 3, World, and Yoshi's Island were remade, along with A Link to the Past – Metacritic's highest scoring GBA game - , and the Donkey Kong Country series, to name a few. It's probably harder to think of new games. Metroid Fusion, M&L: SuperStar Saga and Minish Cap spring to mind, but not much else. Should the fresh ideas have actually been noticed more though? Well, here's my review to help you decide...

Plot

Ninty obviously weren't thinking straight during the GBA and GCN years. First, they give Link a Grandmother and sister in Wind Waker, now Minish Cap introduces Link's Grandfather!? It's hard to believe that Link has family, but apparently he does. Anyway, Link gets woken up on the day of the Picori Festival by Zelda inviting him to join her. When they make it to the castle, a mysterious sorcerer named Vaati appears and turns the Princess to stone (makes a change from being kidnapped). Link is told to travel to Minish Forest, where he meets a talking hat called Ezlo, this err...thing allows Link to shrink down to microscopic sizes, and this is where the adventure really begins! The plot is quite interesting, but it won't keep you gripped, and there are much better reasons to keep playing, but it's satisfactory enough, and isn't below standard for Zelda plots.

VS=[7/10]--------NS=[8/10]



In this picture, Link is using one of the most controversial items in a Zelda game: the Cane of Pacci.



Gameplay

For those who don't know the Zelda gameplay by now (all 3 of you), it's basically exploring an overworld to find dungeons which are littered with puzzles to solve and enemies to defeat, usually resulting in finding a new weapon which will help you defeat the boss of the dungeon. Sounds rather dull from that perspective, doesn't it? Well, the thing is, this is some of the best 2D Zelda I have ever played, and I've played every 2D Zelda to date bar the Oracle games. The gameplay has been perfected; Hyrule is vast, vibrant and varied, the enemies are exciting and challenging, the puzzles feel extraordinarily fresh, and the weapons are very inventive. In addition to that, there's a whole new level of gameplay added thanks to the titular hat, which allows to become the size of the Picori, a minute race living secretly among humans. This feature brings with it a lot more depth to the puzzles, and really does make things much more interesting, although it is annoying that you're practically weaponless when Minish size. Veterans of the series will find everything just right, as if it were made for them, and newcomers will find just as much to fall in love with.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Design

Beautiful. Never have I witnessed dungeons as utterly fantastic as this, with everything cleverly placed so that when it becomes clear what you have to do, you'll be grinning with glee. The weapons you acquire are also brilliant. The first one you get is the Gust Jar, which acts like a vacuum cleaner, and opens up hoardes of new possibilities, like acting as a propulsion device for crossing streams on lily pads. Additionally, Capcom have really put effort into designing Hyrule Town. It's bustling with personality, as is every single inhabitant of the town, and what's really interesting is that it changes over the course of the game. At the start of the game, everyone is outside and generally happy, but as the danger of the world becomes slowly apparent to the villagers, they start going in doors, royal guards appear in town, and the place soon becomes quite barren. It means you have to do certain things at certain points in the game, as you might not have another chance. It's like Majora's Mask, except fun!

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Controls

The controls in Minish Cap work perfectly. A and B assign your items, R handles interaction and rolling, Start brings up the various subscreens, L lets you fuse Kinstones (see Length), and the most useless of all is Select. This where you get to talk to Ezlo. Unfortunately. You see, talking to him will give you absolutely no important information. Example: I'm a dungeon, with no clue on how to defeat the boss who's depleting my health worryingly fast. I hit the Select button to see what helpful advice I'll receive, and I get something along the lines of 'Don't talk to me, I'm trying to sleep.' How convenient. Most who know the series quite well won't need Ezlo's 'advice' much, but newcomers probably will need proper advice, and it's a shame they won't find it in-game. You really don't realise how useful Navi was until she's gone.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[8/10]



What Link didn't know, was that fusing Kinstones is the Hylian way of getting married.


Length

Ah yes, you can always count on Zelda games for a lengthy game. Well not this one! With a puny 6 dungeons (compared to ALttP's 12 in the GBA remake), you'll soon find it's over all too quickly, which is a shame, considering how outstandingly fabulous it is while it lasts. Obviously, there's quite a bit of side-questing to be done, but there's no real incentive to do so once you've completed the main objective of the game. There is, however, one particular side-quest that will take you ages to complete, with many rewards to be won from it: Kinstone fusing. You will find Kinstone pieces mainly in Treasure Chests throughout the game, and if you find someone who has a matching piece, you can fuse them together, which will make a new Chest appear, or open a previously sealed passageway etc. Honestly, this is such a rewarding and massive quest that it could potentially double your Game Time.

VS=[7/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Difficulty

You're probably thinking that the Zelda formula has been used so much that all the puzzles and enemies are predictable by now, right? WRONG! Admittedly, this is what I was expecting from the game, but just an hour into it, my fears were stomped into the dirt. As I've said before, the new items add new challenges that break away from the fast-ageing Zelda clichés. I liked the fact the game became progressively harder the further I went, not easier. Not to mention that I think a joyful tear came to my eye when I found out that the final boss wasn't a pushover. It's lovely to finally see a challenging Zelda game, for all right reasons.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[9/10]


Sound

This game is most definitely a treat for the ears. The soundtrack is incredibly atmospheric. The upbeat and chirpy tune of Hyrule Town, the enigmatic music of Minish Woods, and there's even an 'I'm climbing a mountain to save the world' kind of music, as you hike up Mt.Crenel. You'll even recognise some of Ocarina of Time's masterpieces blended in with some other music, like Zelda's Lullaby. My only gripe with the musical score of Minish Cap is that veterans will notice some sounds have been reused. Vaati's laugh, for example, sounds exactly like the Happy Mask Salesman's, despite there being no relation, and it irritates me every time I hear it. Apart from that small flaw, the soundtrack is perfect.

VS=[9/10]--------NS=[10/10]


Graphics

A lot of the time, the GBA is referred to as the 'Portable SNES', but Minish Cap manages to prove the GBA can look a lot better than the SNES. Compare it to ALttP , and you'll see that everything looks crisper, prettier and much more vibrant. The graphics of Minish Cap push the system to it's limitations, and that is something that should definitely be applauded. Clap Clap Clap to you, Capcom.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[10/10]



What you see before you is the first boss. Is he massive, or are you tiny?


Multiplayer/Online

None, unfortunately. Not that it's expected from Zelda, but after seeing Four Swords work so well, it's a shame really. Perhaps a mode where you go in a special 2-4 player-only dungeon? At the same time, however, adding a multiplayer mode to a single-player Zelda may feel tacked on, but we'll never know now...

VS=[3/10]--------NS=[3/10]


Replay Value

Obviously, the previously mentioned side-quests add replay value, but there are two things in particular I've talked about that will make you start the game from the very beginning; Hyrule Town changing and Kinstone Fusion. It's likely that on your first playthrough of the game, you'd have missed some of Kinstone Fusing from the early Hyrule Town which can't be done in late Hyrule Town. Because of this, you'll have to start a new file to fuse every Kinstone in the game, which does have it's rewards. Veterans will be happy to find a reason to play it all again, but newcomers might not be too interested in the idea.

VS=[10/10]--------NS=[7/10]


The Verdict







Everyone's favourite Minish Cap characters. And Zelda.

Thanks for reading!

Well I think...

Nabarl wrote:Well I think...

Oh, what joyful praise might you have for me this time, dear Nabarl?

The only Zelda games i haven't played are Minish cap and the oracle games so i don't know if i should take your advice or not.
Anyway, nice review.

By the way, how did the online section of the review score the game "3/10". Surely if there is no multiplayer mode of the sort, it should get nil points in that area? Is this spiritual reviewing?

Also, I think your final score is a bit flawed... Newcomers SHOULD enjoy it more, because it's a fresh experience; however, some people just don't like Zelda. Not that your random scoring method is efficient, anyway.

@Noodle link:

Look, if you find a copy of the game, it'll be cheap, so just buy it. Don't rely on random numbers. Rely on opinions and general acclaim.

Nabarl wrote:By the way, how did the online section of the review score the game "3/10". Surely if there is no multiplayer mode of the sort, it should get nil points in that area? Is this spiritual reviewing?

Also, I think your final score is a bit flawed... Newcomers SHOULD enjoy it more, because it's a fresh experience; however, some people just don't like Zelda. Not that your random scoring method is efficient, anyway.

@Noodle link:

Look, if you find a copy of the game, it'll be cheap, so just buy it. Don't rely on random numbers. Rely on opinions and general acclaim.

1. Try reading my review properly. I said: "A multiplayer mode may have felt tacked on.", meaning that while we'll never know, it might've been a wise choice to leave out multiplayer.

2. But, having played it, I felt the experience was fresh, despite playing nearly every Zelda game. Also, each section explains the score, so it's not random, it's opinion. Not to mention that most people actually LIKE a having a score in a review.

@Noodle Link: Buy Minish Cap; it'll be well worth your money. Also @Nabarl: I think you'll find that the thought-out score reflects the opinions in the review, so it's not random, as I've mentioned earlier.

Noodle link wrote:The only Zelda games i haven't played are Minish cap and the oracle games so i don't know if i should take your advice or not.
Anyway, nice review.

The Oracle games are great. They're my favourite handheld Zelda games.

Yeah, I did read your review properly, thanks.

1. That doesn't exactly explain it either, and overall the logic of that scoring is flawed. No multiplayer should equal 0. If it's so bad that it pulls down the games quality somewhat, then maybe it should be minus points.

It doesn't matter if it's Zelda or not, the multiplayer might have been good/might not have been good. Don't make assumptions that it might have been cheap/tacked on.

2. Yes, people like have having a score for re-assurance, I can't blame them. Scores are good, but usually just in the big picture where they are compared to there other scores and scores given by other reviews. All that is needed is a single, final score. While I still think the percentage method is a bit arbitrary, it works.

Also, despite the innovation, it was still very familiar. I think that my overall feelings with the game would have amplified if I had never played a Zelda game. I would have found the game's qualities to be new and inspiring, surely tracking down other games in the series - speaking as a Zelda "fan", myself.

3. I wouldn't have guessed, to be honest. Hardly a true reflection.

Nabarl wrote:Yeah, I did read your review properly, thanks.

1. That doesn't exactly explain it either, and overall the logic of that scoring is flawed. No multiplayer should equal 0. If it's so bad that it pulls down the games quality somewhat, then maybe it should be minus points.

It doesn't matter if it's Zelda or not, the multiplayer might have been good/might not have been good. Don't make assumptions that it might have been cheap/tacked on.

2. Yes, people like have having a score for re-assurance, I can't blame them. Scores are good, but usually just in the big picture where they are compared to there other scores and scores given by other reviews. All that is needed is a single, final score. While I still think the percentage method is a bit arbitrary, it works.

Also, despite the innovation, it was still very familiar. I think that my overall feelings with the game would have amplified if I had never played a Zelda game. I would have found the game's qualities to be new and inspiring, surely tracking down other games in the series - speaking as a Zelda "fan", myself.

3. I wouldn't have guessed, to be honest. Hardly a true reflection.

1. How would it being Zelda change my view? I'm hardly biased towards the series. I suppose there's no point trying to explain my logic behind the multiplayer thing if you don't understand it.

2. In my own opinion, simply knowing the score a game gets in a review gives me more incentive to find out why it got that score, and what it's good and bad points were.

And I felt like it was a good kind of familiarity (sp?) ;a lot of Zelda games have had that 'familiar but fresh' feeling, but MC really emanated this vibe more than any other Zelda I have ever played.

3. Really? Maybe you're not reading it right.

1. "Not that it's expected from Zelda", "At the same time, however, adding a multiplayer mode to a single-player Zelda may feel tacked on." Bull. And it's still crazy that your scoring that section "3/10" - as there is no multiplayer. But I guess some people just can't understand.

2. Not really...but that's just my/your opinion.

3. Riiiight.