CORBIE'S GAME BLOG

May is definitely the month to own a Nintendo DS with the upcoming release of New Super Mario Bros. Not only is it probably the most anticipated title this year, it's also one of the most anticipated titles in the last decade, if the truth be known. Super Mario Bros. fans have been clamoring for a new 2-D Super Mario Bros. game since Super Mario World was released for the Super NES system back in 1991. Although Nintendo did release a Super Mario World sequel with Yoshi's Island, many Super Mario Bros. purists were quick to dismiss the game as more of a spin-off than an actual Super Mario Bros. game. But whether you consider Yoshi's Island a true Super Mario Bros. game or not, there's no denying that New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS has been a very long time coming.

From the first moment we saw screenshots of New Super Mario Bros. there was no denying that the game was going to deliver the classic Super Mario Bros. experience. Everything from the familiar red bricks, to the pipe-spewing piranha plants, New Super Mario Bros. was exactly what the title implied. A new game, but one with all of the familiar sights, sounds, and gameplay we've all grown to love over the past 20+ years. Even many of the newer screenshots reaffirm that not only does the game closely resemble the first Super Mario Bros. game, but also shares many of the visual traits of other SMB games in the series, including the much-loved desert theme of Super Mario Bros. 3. Now that we know the game is truly a chip off the old block, what new stuff can we expect from it.

Nintendo has made it clear that although the game contains many of the familiar elements of past Super Mario Bros. titles, they wanted to somehow bring Super Mario Bros. into the 21st century, not to mention make use of the extra graphical prowess of the DS. Now, Mario can not only grow a tad larger in size, he can grow to the height of the entire screen, dwarfing everything around him, including his enemies. By the same token, he can also shrink in size in order to reach hidden or secret areas in each level. Couple these two new moves, with 8 all-new levels to explore, and what you have is a new Mario adventure that should have fans of the series grinning from ear to ear. You can pick up New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS on May 15th!

I've got to admit, I'm always skeptical when a game company decides to upgrade their exisiting system so soon after the original was released. That being said, after reading numerous comments regarding how much better a design and how much brighter and clearer the screens were on the new DS Lite system, I found myself ordering one from Play-Asia despite having already made up my mind that I wasn't going to upgrade so soon after buying the original DS system. I have always disliked the design of the original DS, only tolerating it because I loved the DS games so much. The original design is clunky, heavy, and doesn't have a very bright LCD screen unless you're staring at it head on. This has always made seeing both screens at one time difficult simply because they are always at different angles due to the slight tilt of the top screen. But I'm happy to reveal that the new DS Lite has addressed all of these issues, along with a few others, and is now a system worthy of the games it plays. In fact, you're going to find that you see all of your old games in a whole new light. Or Lite I should say.

So what exactly are the improvements over the original DS, and are these upgrades impressive enough to warrant buying a new DS system. I can't go any further into this review without first mentioning the LCD screens on the DS Lite. If ever a name so aptly described the product, it's the "Lite" in DS Lite. Not only are the screens on the DS Lite extremely brighter than those found on the original DS, they're also a lot clearer. Putting the original DS next to the DS Lite on even the medium brightness setting is like putting the original GBA next to the GBA SP. It's really that big of a difference. This remedies the old problem of not being able to get both DS screens directly bright on the original DS. You won't have any trouble viewing both of the screens on the DS Lite, and if you're feeling a little brave, you can even crank the brightness to the highest setting and burn the corneas out of your eyeballs just for fun. Even on the lowest brightness setting, the DS Lite is still brighter than the original DS. So if you're looking for a good reason to trade in your DS for a DS Lite, the screens alone make it well worth it.

Another big improvement over the original DS is the size and weight of the unit. Not only is the DS Lite smaller and thinner than the DS, it's also lighter. This will make it especially more comfortable during those marathon DS gaming sessions as the system won't fatigue your hands as much. The system also sports a much boxier look, but with nicely rounded edges. To top off the physical makeover, Nintendo also took a page out of Apple's book and decided to go with a more "glossy" look putting a nice layer of clear, shiny plastic over the regular-colored plastic of the system. These cosmetic changes may seem superficial, but they go a long way towards giving the DS a nice modern look to it. And what a beauty it is.

The d-pad and action buttons on the system have a softer and less "clicky" feel to them, which makes them a bit more responsive to the touch. The d-pad is also a llittle smaller which answers some of the complaints regarding the original DS d-pad being too large. One of the few complaints I have about the system is the "Start" and "Select" buttons. They're in a much better location on the DS Lite, but they're very small and have to be pressed down with a little more force than most people will be used to. It's a very minor problem, but one worth mentioning amongst all the heaping praise. Nintendo also answered the call for a larger stylus, as the stylus that comes with the DS Lite is a bit fatter and longer. While you won't notice a huge difference right at first, the more you time you use it, the more you come to appreciate its' slightly larger size. Although many of these improvements are focused towards improving the playing experience, they also make the DS Lite a much sleeker and more attractive system to boot.

Okay we've seen all the improvements to the DS and its' functionality, but what about the GBA function. Well luckily the reduction in size doesn't affect the GBA function of the DS much. The system still has the standard GBA game slot, only now the GBA game cart will protrude out of the slot about 1/2 an inch. This may sound annoying, but it really doesn't affect the way you hold the system or play the GBA games at all. And given the insanely crisp LCD screen, you're GBA games have never looked so good. Nintendo has even been gracious and included a GBA slot cover that matches the color of your DS Lite system for those times when you're not playing a GBA game and want to mantain the sleek look of your DS Lite.

Even with all of the improvements we've seen so far, Nintendo still thought to put a better battery in the DS Lite as to keep that nuclear-powered backlight from draining the battery too fast. Nintendo even claims that on the highest brightness setting, yes the one visible from space, your DS Lite will still last as long as the battery life on the original DS. Just think how long it will last if you use a slightly lower brightness setting. The bottom line is, if you want to get the fullest, most enjoyable DS gaming experience, you really need to pick up a DS Lite. There are just so many improvements over the original, that it's pretty much a no-brainer. I can promise you, one look at those two brilliant LCD screens, and you'll have your original DS on ebay so fast your head will spin. The DS Lite is basically what the original DS should have been. (RATING: 9.5/10)

After having the lead on Nintendo through a good portion of the 16-bit console race, not to mention launching the 3-D polygon gaming revolution full force with their Virtua Fighter arcade game, it seemed inevitable that Sega was on their way to the top of the video game world. The only thing standing in their way was newcomer Sony and their Playstation system. This would prove to be a rather insurmountable dilema given the fact that not only was Sony's Playstation console a more powerful 3-D polygon cruncher, but Sony also managed to lock up a huge assortment of third party game support which propelled the Playstation to great heights and pretty much buried Sega's Saturn system. It didn't help matters that Sega pulled a sneaky and launched the Saturn in the US over a month before it's announced release date, and at a whopping $400 price tag. All of these things coupled together spelled a quick doom for the Saturn system in the US. This is one of the main reasons why so many gamers out there don't know much about the Sega Saturn, but I'm here to change that, as the Saturn is actually a terrific game system to own and sports some absolutely outstanding games, many of which few casual gamers know about. Below are five great reasons to own a Sega Saturn system.

1. RADIANT SILVERGUN - The shooter by which all others are judged. The king of all things shmup! This game is reason in and of itself to own a Sega Saturn, but you're going to have to have it modded to play import games or purchase an import Saturn from Japan in order to play this shooting wonder. You're also going to have to take out a sizeable loan to purchase it as it generally goes for in excess of $200 on ebay, and that's IF you can find someone willing to part with it. With Radiant Silvergun, Treasure created an absolute masterpiece of a vertical space shooter and one that's about as flashy visually as you'll ever see. The game is a tad on the difficult side, but it's so much fun to play, most players won't mind. If you have the means and can appreciate a great shoot em' up, look no further than Radiant Silvergun.

2. PANZER DRAGOON SAGA - At a whopping FOUR discs, Panzer Dragoon Saga easily takes the prize as the biggest Sega Saturn game created. It's also one of the most epic and in-depth RPGs you'll likely encounter on any system to date. Sporting the type of grand-scale storyline normally reserved for the Final Fantasy series, Sega created a visually artistic RPG experience based on their popular Panzer Dragoon series of shooters that no role-playing game fan should miss. As with Radiant Silvergun, this one had a small printing due to the fact that it appeared so late in the Sega Saturn's life cycle, but it's worth the money if you can manage to track down a copy on the net. Yet another excellent reason to own a Sega Saturn.

3. SEXY PARODIUS - Another import-only title for the Saturn, but one just as worthy of an import as Radiant Silvergun is. Created originally as a parody of their Gradius series of shooters, Parodius has, over the years, taken on a life of its' own and become quite popular among Japanese gamers and shooter enthusiasts across the globe. Sexy Parodius is probably the best of the Parodius series, mainly because it's so over-the-top silly, especially with all of the sexual innuendo going on visually throughout the many levels of the game. Toss in a soundtrack that's as out-of-this-world as the game itself, and what you have is a shooting experience unlike any other. This game can only be played on a modded or import Saturn system, but as you're seeing, many of the best Saturn games were only available in Japan and make the mod or cost of importing a Saturn, well worth the time and trouble.

4. ALBERT ODYSSEY - Thanks to Working Designs, the Saturn actually got several great Japanese RPGs localized for the US audience, and Albert Odyssey stands out as the best of the bunch. It's nothing terribly original, but it is an extremely solid turn-based RPG that has an engaging story and some really flashy magical spells that you and your party can show off during battle. The game is a little reminiscent of Chrono Trigger in the way that each new area in the game has a very distinct look and feel to it, so you never really see much of the same area twice throughout the game. This tends to make the game seem a lot bigger than it actually is. Great character designs, a beautifully orchestrated RPG soundtrack that's one of the best non-Square soundtracks I've ever heard, and a simple yet functional turn-based combat system all come together to form one of the most enjoyable RPG experiences available on the Saturn. A true diamond in the rough.

5. NIGHTS - Now here's a game that's most likely unlike anything you've ever played before. And this held especially true back when this game was first released for the Saturn. It even came with its' own special analog controller (back when analog controllers weren't an everyday occurence) and had a free-flying type of gameplay that really made it stand out from the crowd. Although your character was on a track of sorts, the game gave the player the feeling of free flying, and took the collecting and exploration of a traditional platformer and set part of the experience high in the sky. The combination of land and sky exploration really made the game a lot of fun to play. The game was so good that many fans are still clamoring to this day for Sega to release an updated version of the original or a sequel, but so far these efforts have proven futile. If you own a Saturn, you should definitely own this game, and you can pick it up off the net for about $10. Worth every penny.

Well there you have it. Five reasons to own a Sega Saturn system and I ought to know. I have two of them, one US model and one Japanese White Saturn. There are a lot of other great Saturn games, both import and domestic, but I'll leave the rest up to you to decide which ones you want to grab for yourself. Above all enjoy!

I guess if Square-Enix can capitalize on the success and popularity of Disney, so can someone else. In a surprising move, Q Entertainment has struck a deal with the animation giant to use the Disney theme in an upcoming DS remake of their popular puzzler "Meteos." Now I'm still trying to come to grips with exactly how this is going to work, but for us fans of Meteos, at least it might be something to tide us over until they can get a true Meteos sequel ready to go. I guess I'm just a little dissapointed that the announcement wasn't for a Meteos sequel like the Lumines sequel they announced for the PSP. Hopefully the developers will add at least a new twist or two to the remake instead of just laying some goofy Mickey Mouse backgrounds over the game we've already played to death. Here's hoping!

Someone once said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s true, then Kao Challengers is one of the most flattering games you’ll likely find. It borrows from just about every popular platforming title created over the past 15 years. From the “running into the screen from a wild animal” levels of the Crash Bandicoot titles, to the Raymanesque presentation, Kao certainly isn’t going to win any awards for originality. That being said, Kao Challengers does come out for a system that’s currently starving for quality platforming titles, and although the game does feel a little familiar at times, the game’s control is refined and tight enough to make it very playable and enjoyable for those who like their difficulty toned down a bit. Kao Challengers may not revolutionize the platforming genre, but what it does do is give platforming fans something to sink their teeth into and reiterates the age-old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Check out the full, in-depth review coming soon on Mobile Tech Review. (www.MobileTechReview.com)

Although many US gamers have no idea who Stafi the little star is, those who do know are well aware what a terrific platforming series it's become. Nintendo has now released the 4th game in the series onto Japanese DS fans and so far the reviews are pretty solid. No news on whether or not the Big 'N is planning on bringing this game to the US, but in the meantime, if you're looking for a fun platformer and aren't afraid of a little Japanese text, give Legend of Stafi 4 a try. It's fairly import-friendly! Visit the Play-Asia link in the "Links" section to import this colorful DS title.