Video Game Sandwich

Well it’s a Saturday afternoon. I’m now a few weeks dry of my 360 and in many ways it’s a blessing, I have mainly been grinding on FFXII for PS2 and WoW (leveling my characters up a bit…. although it’s quite a bore!). But the fun part is- whilst grinding I have been playing a tonne of DS games, Some of them fantastic and others.. well it would probably be best that nothing was mentioned. So here be my three cents….

UP-
Taiko Drum Master/ Taiko no Tatsujin.
My first foray into the world of rhythmic gaming came via a Taiko no Tatsujin coin-op that stood alone in our local arcade. Ever since I have wanted my own machine- alas the wait is (kinda) over.

(…Sure there was a PS2 version in 2004, but no EU release!)

TDM made it onto Japanese DS’s on July 24th and has since been sold out on most import game sites (play asia is backlogged until september!). TDM is also due a PSP release but in all honesty; who would choose buttons over Duel weld DS Stylus’?
TDM itself is a fun, funky, pick up and play game- perfect for those morning visits to the toilet! There are a variety of songs to choose from as well. From the ‘Super Mario Bros.’ theme to ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’. One aspect of the game which I find interesting is the ‘unlockable’ element that has been added to the handheld versions. It seems every game now has some strains of RPG collect-o-mania; complete this song a certain way and you’ll unlock a little gift for your avatar.

….Yeah I made a half Dog- half Fish Drum Master, and dammit I’M PROUD!…

In all TDM offers endless gameplay with 4 difficulties including one automatic setting where a super Drum master schools you in the ways of ‘da riddum’!

Zelda: The Phantom Hour Glass/ Zelda no Densetsu Mugen no Sunadokei
I shall preface this by stating that I am playing the Japanese version and therefore I understand little that is written on screen.

Well it sure is Zelda… Phantom Hourglass as you all know follows the same mold as Link’s first outing on the Gamecube, and from what I have experienced the graphics are pretty darn ace for a DS game!

The only thing I’m really qualified to talk about is the handling and intuitive use of controls. You control Link much the same way in which you would control your character in Animal Crossing Wild World, although Zelda seems to feel better, I feel more in control- less likely to bump into things. The battle system is also very smooth just tap the bad guy to attack him, different swipes of the stylus will deal different blows ect..I have only played the game for about 2 hours so In all honestly if you want a in-depth review, you’re not going to find it here. But to feed the hype monster- I can’t wait for the UK/USA release when I’ll be able to understand what the hell is going on!

DOWN-

Transformers; Decepticons.

Tired plot, characters and gameplay. If I didn’t set myself a goal of at least 7 lines that’s all I would say on this game to be honest! Breif explanation: You play robo-bad-guys ‘Decepticons’. You want to destroy earth, good-robots try and stop you- you have to fight them in the most inane and slow street fights since the first Streetfighter coin-op. And I guess at the end you commit suicide because you realise that; not only did you waste £34 on a terrible game, but also a whole day trying to convince yourself that the purchase was just.

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