Dark Cloud
Reviews
Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2)
Why didn't this awesome game come out for any other of today's consoles?
The Good
I'm not really much of a Disney fan but I really enjoy this game. The graphics are really nice (as usual), and the soundtrack is very good, in fact, I actually have the Simple and Clean song and the cool battle music stuck in my head as I type this review up. The battle setup is nothing like any of the Final Fantasy games, but it's still fun. I also found it odd but strangely fun that you could go to the worlds of classic Disney movies and have the hero of the world actually join you (if you replace Goofy or Donald with that character anyway) and fight the Heartless creatures and even fight the villain/s of that world. I'd tell you how enjoyable everything else is, but that would literally take forever and you'd probably fall asleep before I finished, I really, really, like this game.
The Bad
This is tough. Actually, I really hated the camera angles in Kingdom Hearts. It's very tough to remember which buttons control them. That about wraps it up.
The Bottom Line
Final Fantasy/Disney fans will really find Kingdom Hearts a very enjoyable experience. Go out and buy it if you really like Final Fantasy and/or Disney or at the very least, rent it. It's a major shame though, that this game hasn't (and probably won't) come out for GameCube or XBox.
By Dark Cloud on January 6, 2004
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (GameCube)
Another fighting game that has reached my top favorite list
The Good
Most of this game is what I intend to call VERY SUPER COOL!! You can play as many classic monsters such as Godzilla 90's, King Ghidora and many others (I'd rather not spoil the others to you). You also get to fight on various cities such as Los Angeles, San Fransisco and lots of others (again, I'd rather not spoil the others to you). The opening cutscenes of the game when you turn it on, and the Adventure mode are a must-see for all Godzilla fans out there. And the fighting is the absolute fun part of the Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee experience (duh). I also really think the graphics for this game were really cool and real looking, and the sounds and roars the monsters make are really good for the Godzilla fan's ears.
The Bad
The controls. The controls will take quite a long time to get used to, especially those button combinations. When I first played this game, I didn't know what the hell I was doing and I always mistaken the R (jump) button for the guard button (Y button). The controls will suck until you get used to them (which will likely take you quite a while).
The Bottom Line
Overall, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is a very fun gaming experience, especially to those who are fans of Godzilla and the movies. So if you find this at the rental store or pretty much anywhere, don't hesitate to pick it up.
By Dark Cloud on January 5, 2004
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords (Game Boy Advance)
Lovely port of the SNES version that is perfect for any Zelda fan's library.
The Good
I've experienced the fun that the SNES version throws your way as a kid and got this version for my birthday years later and I have to say that pretty much everything is good. If you played the SNES version of LttP, you pretty much know exactly what to expect this time around, but there were a lot of changes which I'm proud they added, such as being able to kill enemies with the Lamp when you're too lazy to use your sword, and being able to break pots and jars when you get a stronger sword when lifting and throwing isn't fast enough. The graphics haven't changed and they're pretty nice to look at. The dungeons and bosses and enemies were also pretty decent and the puzzles and challenge were a nice gaming experience. The music that plays in this game (especially the Zelda theme music that plays in the Light World overworld) is a worthwhile listen.
Since I don't have more than one Game Boy Advance or the connect cable (or whatever you want to call it), I don't have an opinion about the Four Swords.
The Bad
This game is so great, I can't think of a single thing I didn't like. But Link's constant yelling and screaming (taken directly from Ocarina of Time) when he swings his sword, falls down a pit, etc. can get annoying after a while.
The Bottom Line
OVERALL RATING: 10/10 This is yet another port of a popular Nintendo game that I recommend to all Zelda fans.
By Dark Cloud on December 31, 2003
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube)
A popular Dreamcast title returns to GCN as Sonic Adventure 2 BATTLE!
The Good
Basically, I liked the whole fact that you could play as either the heroes or the villains, and the graphics were mighty impressive as well as the cutscenes. The way the stages were designed and the challenge they give you was pretty darn cool (I could spend literally an hour on the later Knux/Rouge hunting stages). Bosses were cool, and I even liked a lot of the music featured in the game (believe it or not, I'm actually dancing to the City Escape theme right now). And Chao raising can be pretty fun.
The Bad
Tails' English voice acting sucks! Why? Because they used a three-year old kid to do his voice. Every time I hear that god-awful voice I just wish that I could reach my TV remote so I could hit the Mute button, seriously. I was also a bit disappointed to find out that both Hero and Dark stories were both so short. Aside from that, this game is so darn addictive, that I can't find anything else dislikable about SA2B.
The Bottom Line
Sonic fans of all ages, here's what to do: 1: Go to your local store. 2: Pick up this game (no matter how much it costs). 3: Play and have some of the best fun ever. I'll say it once more in case you don't know already: This game's addictive as hell and Sonic fans must go get it now. End of review.
By Dark Cloud on December 26, 2003
Metroid Prime (GameCube)
Metroid Prime...the FPS that just plain rules!
The Good
Metroid Prime's graphics were probably the best I've ever seen in any FPS (right next to Unreal Tournament's), because they looked so real! And I like the gameplay quite a lot, and I just love the music that plays at the title screen, and Metroid fans will think the enemies and bosses were done great! If there was ever a contest to see which Metroid game was the best, this would definitely be it!
The Bad
I'm getting a headache just trying to think of something that's dislikable about this game. The only thing about this game that annoyed me so far are the awkward controls that can take beginners quite a while to get used to.
The Bottom Line
If you're new to first person shooters or want to reduce the risk of returning the game for a refund, I suggest you rent this and then buy it. But if you're a die-hard Metroid fan and are skilled at first person shooters, then rush to the nearest store and get it now!
By Dark Cloud on December 24, 2003
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (GameCube)
1, 2, 3, 4, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES!!!
The Good
I got TMNT for my GameCube as an early Christmas present, and OH, MY GOD I was SO impressed!!! The graphics ARE SO FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!! THE GAMEPLAY ROCKS!!! I also found it cool that the moment you turn on the game, you get treated to the new cartoon theme music! And some cutscenes look like they were taken directly from the show!!! The VS. Mode is FUN with a capital F!! Need I say it again, this game is SO F-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-N!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Bad
Are ya kiddin'? NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Bottom Line
Fans of TMNT of all ages: FOR THE SAKE OF PETE, GO TO YOUR LOCAL STORE AND BUY THIS ULTRA FUN AND ADDICTIVE GAME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This game DEFINITELY gets a 10 out of 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Dark Cloud on December 23, 2003
Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
A must-have for all fans of Mario!
The Good
Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of my all-time favorite Mario games for any Nintendo console. The graphics are sweet for an NES game, the music and the sound effects are pretty nice and are good for every Mario fan's ears, the gameplay is really exactly the same as Super Mario Bros. 1's except you can run faster and can even fly if you gain enough speed and have picked up a Super Leaf. And most of the enemies and bosses and items are done really nicely.
The Bad
Some of the enemies (example: Hammer Bros. and Lakitu) are annoying as hell. And the fact that one of my favorite items is RARE is pretty disappointing.
The Bottom Line
If you happen to go shopping on the internet, and you see this game, I recommend you buy it if you're a fan of Mario, because it's one of the best games ever.
By Dark Cloud on December 18, 2003
Star Fox Adventures (GameCube)
A fabulous Zelda-like Star Fox RPG!
The Good
In case you're all wondering, SFA is an RPG similar to the 3D Zelda games. I'm gonna let y'all know how good this game is now.
Graphics (10/10):
Whoever did the graphics in SFA deserves to be rich. The graphics are the most impressive I've seen in a Zelda-like RPG. The sky effects are impressive, and the day and night times look quite realistic. And I like the way they make the hair on Fox look so real. Check out the way some of the environment and enemies look, these to me just show one what our 'Cubes can do.
Music/Sound/Voices (9/10):
Some of the music featured in Star Fox Adventures is pretty neat, especially the Arwing music and the racing music. Most of the voices in this game are nothing to complain about. I like Fox's voice and General Scales' voice and the WarpStone has a nice Scottish accent.
Gameplay/Control (10/10):
If you've played Ocarina of Time, you pretty much know already what the gameplay and control is like. This stuff is very similar to OoT except there are a couple of changes, you open up the inventory with the C Stick and you attack with A and put the staff away with B and the rolling is now done with X and you can assign an item or an upgrade to Y. I like the control, and fans of Star Fox, Zelda and RPGs should too. And the gameplay is awesome.
Oh, and I should mention that the Arwing missions are pretty fun too. You're flying around in the Arwing to reach a certain part of the planet while flying through gold rings to open the forcefield.
Replay Value (9/10):
This game has a lot of replay value in it. I never got bored with this game for months. Actually, there's not that much in it, but it's still good nonetheless. I could go back and find the cheat tokens after I beat the game the first time and that's about it. But this game is so much fun that you could actually start a new game and play again.
The Bad
Arwing missions are sparse, and Tricky's constant "Ah, come on Fox! I'm hungry!" and "Where are we going?" can get moderately annoying after some time.
The Bottom Line
Overall: 10/10
I highly recommend this to Nintendo/Star Fox fan's everywhere. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
By Dark Cloud on December 18, 2003
Super Smash Bros.: Melee (GameCube)
Nintendo's BEST-EVER multi-player fighting game!
The Good
Super Smash Bros. Melee is a game that I MUST add to my list of favorite games! Just about everything from the characters (as well as the secret ones but I don't wish to spoil them to you) to the stages to the 1P Mode to the VS Mode, the trophies, the music, the amazing graphics, the sound effects, to the gameplay.
It's great having loads of moves and attacks, as well as the fact that you can send your foes flying to oblivion. My favorite things about SSBM are some of the levels (including Brinstar, Mushroom Kingdom [from Super Mario Bros. 1], and a lot of the secret stages, but again, I don't want to spoil them to you), and some of my favorite characters to use are Mario, Captain Falcon, Link and Fox. And the
multi-player battles, YOU GOTTA LOVE THEM!!!
The Bad
Very few things about SSBM annoy me. It would have been cool if they added some more levels and characters (which includes but is not limited to, Wario, and a stage from Luigi's Mansion). I also thought unlocking some of the secrets and passing some event matches was obscenely difficult. I love challenges, yes, but some of these were sooooooo frustrating.
The Bottom Line
NO Nintendo fan can say their collection of Nintendo games is complete WITHOUT this game! I was not the least bit disappointed when I bought this and neither will you. GO FOR IT!!!
By Dark Cloud on December 17, 2003
Wario World (GameCube)
Wario's debut on the GCN is very rich in gold, jewels, and FUN!
The Good
The graphics in Wario World are so cool and I like SOME (but not all) the music, and the fact that you can piledrive the bad guys into the ground and swing them a bazillion times before throwing them out of the level is awesome, I could do this for hours and not get tired. And some of Wario's lines are pretty funny. And most of the enemies and a lot of the bosses are pretty goofy looking. It's also neat that Wario can suck coins into his mouth.
The Bad
It's tough to find something dislikable in this kind of game, except this game is pretty short. That's about it.
The Bottom Line
Are you a fan of Wario? Do you like games where you can beat the snot out of your enemies? Do you like getting gold coins and jewels and treasures? Then this is the game for you.
By Dark Cloud on December 14, 2003
Kirby's Adventure (NES)
In my opinion, this is another NES game that TOTALLY RULES!
The Good
I must say that everything I have found on this 10 year old cartridge was about as good as Yoshi (NES). I love everything from the levels to the music and gameplay and the way they did the enemies and bosses. And the bonus mini-games were really fun to play.
The Bad
THE GAME WAS WAAAAAAAY TOO FREAKING EASY!!! I swear I could start a brand new game and I could beat this game in less than an hour and a half with ease and RARELY lose a life.
The Bottom Line
You want to have some major fun while playing on the NES? This is DEFINITELY a game to include on your shopping list. Just give this game a try, you WON'T be sorry, trust me.
By Dark Cloud on December 13, 2003
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube)
The #1 Zelda game ever released for a Nintendo console!!
The Good
The graphics rock! They make this game a virtual cartoon. Also the dungeons, the over world, as well as the explosions looked awesome! Love those graphics! The gameplay was very nice. The sword moves were cool, and the rolling attack was also nice, because I could use it to move to certain areas quickly and I could roll into a wall and cause jars to fall off of some shelves. The music is also kind of nice, and the fact that you can turn the camera with the C stick is really awesome.
The Bad
Most of this game was just EASY. I only had one or two deaths on my first play-through of this game.
The Bottom Line
Next time you go and look for a new GameCube game, whatever you do, do NOT pass this game by! The moment you get it in your sight, BUY IT!!! Five stars for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker!
By Dark Cloud on December 6, 2003
Yoshi (NES)
My ALL-time favorite NES game!
The Good
EVERYTHING! The puzzles, the difficulty, the music, the 2 Player Mode, everything! Me and my family can play this game for HOURS! Need I say more? THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST NES GAMES ON OUR ENTIRE PLANET!!!
The Bad
Well, I have played pretty much 100% of the ENTIRE game cartridge without finding a SINGLE SOLITARY part of this game I didn't like. No, seriously, I don't know one thing about Yoshi that even got close to my disliking,
The Bottom Line
If you have an NES that still works and are looking for a new game to buy for it, I urge you to buy this one. It's that great!
By Dark Cloud on November 30, 2003
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Master Quest (GameCube)
A great N64 classic returns to GameCube!
The Good
Ocarina of Time: I was surprised when I first put this disc into my GameCube. Gameplay was good, the graphics were not too bad either, the dungeons were cool because they were challenging, and the sound effects and music were pretty catchy :).
Master Quest: This gave me quite a challenge, and I really enjoyed going through hours of hard figuring out how to solve the dungeons' puzzles.
The Bad
I was pretty disappointed that the last few bosses were so easy to defeat. I also think they should have made the bosses harder in the Master Quest.
The Bottom Line
I recommend buying this game if you don't already own it. It's good fun(especially Master Quest). And be sure to watch some of the demos since they're pretty entertaining
By Dark Cloud on November 26, 2003
Luigi's Mansion (GameCube)
Who'd have thought Luigi has to rescue Mario from a haunted mansion?
The Good
This game's graphics were quite nice, and the music was cool and creepy(that's to be expected in games like this). I also had a huge laugh at some of Luigi's lines. The rest of my family had quite a laugh and loved to occasionally quote Luigi's lines. I also liked the bosses as well as the challenge they gave me. The storyline also suits this game quite well, but it might have been better if Luigi had to save Peach instead of Mario.
The Bad
I was annoyed by the camera, and a lot of the puzzles are just too easy to solve, it would probably only take people about 5 minutes to figure them out. I was also irritated that the game was 4 to 5 hours long.
The Bottom Line
Luigi's Mansion is cool. To me, it's Nintendo's way of apologizing that Mario was hogging the spotlight for years. On a scale of 1 to 10, this is a nice way of bringing Luigi back to the Mario series.
By Dark Cloud on November 19, 2003
Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)
The BEST Mario game to come out for GameCube!
The Good
What did I like about Super Mario Sunshine? Pretty much everything.
Graphics: LOVED them!
Music: Catchy music. Not bad at all.
Gameplay: Awesome Gameplay!
Plot/Storyline: It's cool.
I loved nearly everything about Super Mario Sunshine.
The Bad
What I DIDN'T like about this game. That's a tough question.
I think the only thing I hated about Super Mario Sunshine are some of the voices. Peach's voice REALLY annoyed me.
The Bottom Line
This is probably the best Mario game ever made (next to Super Mario Bros. 3)! You MUST buy this game if you love Mario! I give this game a 10 out of 10!
By Dark Cloud on November 19, 2003