Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning returns (XBox360) – Day One

As I’m sure many people were, I was very excited for the latest Final Fantasy game to be released; Lightning Returns is the third and final part of the Final Fantasy XIII story, and sees yet another overhaul of game mechanics and layout as the titular heroine ushers in the End of Days.

Pulse is fucked, put bluntly. Back in 2010’s first instalment, the gang defeated one of artifical moon Cocoon’s supernatural supervisors, the fal’Cie Barthandelus. He planned to destroy Pulse by killing the fal’Cie Orphan that kept Cocoon afloat. However Orphan is awoken and merges with Barthandelus, and is subsequently killed by the group. Members Fang & Vanille give their lives by transforming into a crystal pillar that supports a now-plummeting Cocoon, saving both worlds.

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Nintendo 3DS Mii Plaza – Streetpass games

I’ve been enjoying a bit of a renaissance with my Nintendo 3DS lately. I mean you know I’ve been playing Animal Crossing practically every day since its June release, but that had the effort of barging out practically any other game. Pokemon X&Y broke the spell for a while, but soon Animal Crossing overwhelmed it again, Highlander-style (“there can be only one”).

But with interest in Animal Crossing starting to wane, I’ve been ploughing through several other games that have been sitting on my 3DS desktop for ages. Mostly those 3DS Ambassador games – how the hell do you play Kirby & The Magic Mirror? Linear platforms please! I’ve just got through a shoddy port of Super Mario Bros 3 from the NES too, that game is rock hard… I still have Super Mario Bros 2 though, weird game.

Games have come and gone, but there has been one constant for the nearly 3 years since I got my original 3DS: Streetpass. As with the Nintendo Wii, you can create a cartoonish likeness for yourself – a Mii – for your console. Making use of the short-range WiFi capacity of the console, you can keep your 3DS on standby when you go out, and any other 3DS it encounters it will talk to. The stranger’s Mii will visit your plaza and vice versa, allowing them to participate in mini-games in the Mii Plaza.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Out with the old, in with the new

New Year has hit my town, and as I’m about to reach the 7 month anniversary of my town, I wonder how much there really is left to accomplish. I had a similar moment of doubt at the end of summer during my quest to get a scorpion, but really I am ticking off a lot of boxes now. But let’s get back to that.

Review: Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (Nintendo 3DS)

Definitely worth the wait, I was using the build up to New Year’s Eve to finish some loose ends on my 3DS desktop. Pullblox, I cast you out! This delayed gratification ended up making my new eShop purchases all the sweeter, particularly kitschy Japanese RPG “Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale”. I’m not sure RPG quite explains how it all works though so don’t be put off by that. Maybe an interactive Manga is closer to the mark.

You control a little boy, Sohta, recently moved to the idyllic Tokyo suburb of Fuji no Hana in 1970’s Japan. His light-hearted interactions with his oddball parents & neighbours set the tone for an adorably sweet investigation into a string of bizarre events in the town.

Every Friday evening, a giant monster – a Kaiju, did you see “Pacific Rim”? – appears outside the town, leaving deep footprints along the countryside. How is the local TV station involved, currently trying to make a success of their tokusatsu show (a popular genre of monsters vs heroes show)? Where does mysterious gentleman Frank fit into it?

Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Let it snow

As the nights draw in for the Winter, Animal Crossing is still a hotbed of seasonal activity. Aside from the monthly fishing tourney, snow has covered the village enabling you to create living snowmen who give you all manner of seasonal swag before they melt. But the villagers only have one thing on their mind, the even-more-materialistic-than-Christmas festival of “Toy Day”.