Kyerannosaur Pot Luck: Sonic, Mickey, Nintendo Land, & Scribblenauts

I've bit into a few games recently that had less distinct tastes from others I've found. Not too surprising, really, since not every game is going to get flavor right or even be trying to present a flavor at all. In light of this, I offer up a Pot Luck. Here's a blast of quick impressions from games I've crunched that didn't have enough to really crunch about.

Keep in mind this doesn't mean the games all tasted bad; this doesn't mean the games didn't have a taste -- these games just don't qualify as a full meal (kinda like a composgnathus). On with the multi-crunchinating!

Sonic Generations
Tastes like FANSERVICE!

This game tastes like it falls somewhere between nostalgic fanservice baked up with old (read: not fresh) ingredients. It's full of remixed levels from previous Sonic games, each presented in 2D and 3D varieties for classic Sonic and modern Sonic. The idea is cool and the nostalgia is great -- seeing Chemical Plant Zone remade in 3D is very cool. The remixed tunes are also fantastic! Yet the gameplay and controls didn't hold up for me. Steering modern Sonic along his high-speed routes felt like steering a barge or a Y-Wing, instead of being a nimble, agile, quick bipedal mammal. The requirement to complete challenge modes in levels is also a big momentum killer, which ultimately prevented me from exploring more of the game's content. The first boss felt like an older Sonic boss fight and was decently designed. The game had good level design, hearkening back to the beloved Sonics of yore, but lacked the polish or controls to properly enjoy what was available.

This title was developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega; prior to this post I played for about 2 hours on the PlayStation 3.

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Tastes RAW!

Being drafted from the design ideas and presentation of the classic Castle of Illusion, I was excited for Power of Illusion. Unfortunately, I enjoyed nothing that I bit into. Within my short experience, I encountered a number of design dilemmas that left a bad taste in my mouth:

• Tutorials are presented after the taught action is necessary. The game contains a number of pop-up tutorial panels, seemingly one for each of the game's mechanics. However, these are presented after the actions are necessary. For instance, a pop-up panel explains how to jump on an enemy to defeat it (which, by the way, is not implemented intuitively, as I'll explain) after the first enemy is met and must be jumped over. The same goes for super-bouncing and many other mechanics throughout the first level.
• Why do I need to press 'Jump' twice for a jump attack? Mickey can jump on enemies to defeat them, à la Super Mario Bros. However, the jump action itself is not enough. Instead, players must press the 'Jump' button a second time, while in mid-air, to turn the "jump" into a "pounce" else take damage from the collision. This is unintuitive, an unnecessary obfuscation, and causes many problems with enemy encounters and level design.
• Writing is poor. These are established, recognizable, generally well-known and beloved Disney characters. They each have their own mannerisms and language. This game fails to account for that and the text comes off as overly simplified and poorly explanatory.
• Enemies on every ledge. I played at least two levels in a row which had ever ledge marked with an enemy. Anytime that I needed to jump near the peek of my jump (which requires holding the 'Jump' button) to reach a higher platform, an enemy would be waiting on the platform -- and I could only attack by double-pressing the 'Jump' button (as explained above). This is flat-out annoying.

Beyond these issues, everything played and looked like a rudimentary platformer.

This title was developed by DreamRift and published by Disney Interactive Studios; prior to this post I played for about 2 hours on the Nintendo 3DS.

Nintendo Land

Tastes like NEAPOLITAN!

Nintendo Land is explicitly the "let's try Wii U" game. It's a showcase of the Wii U GamePad's potential; it's also a showcase of how much fun asymmetric gameplay can really be. Here's a quick rundown:

• Luigi's Ghost Mansion: One player snickers to himself while tracking down his friends who are all shouting every time their Wii Remote vibrates.
• Mario Chase: One player runs like a madman while the her friends scream code names to track her down and catch her within the 2-minute time limit.
• Animal Crossing Sweet Day: Players scurry about to scoop up as much candy as possible while their friend mercilessly hunts them down with two watch dogs.
• Team Attractions: Players battle together through a series of challenges in games modeled well after The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Pikmin.
• Solo Attractions: This is everything else the GamePad can do. Practice now while developers plan on including some form of these mini-games in future releases.

All in all, the variety keeps this surprisingly fun. It's not a full-course meal, but more like a package of ice cream to pull out at the next social gathering.

This title was developed and published by Nintendo; prior to this post I played for about 5 hours on the Wii U.

Scribblenauts Unlimited

Tastes like CREATIVITY!

The Scribblenauts IP is built on creativity and sandbox experiences. The puzzles are there not so much for directing the experience but for encouraging more creative thought. It's very much like a coloring book, in that you take your drawing utensils and create something vibrant, expressive, and fun. These works aren't judged but simply enjoyed. 

This title was developed by 5th Cell and published by WB Games; prior to this post I played for about 1 hour on the Wii U.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Batman: Arkham City

Tastes like THE BATMAN!

After being nominated for many awards last year, including Game of the Year from multiple venues, I'm sure most of everyone is aware that Batman: Arkham City is a really, really good game. It's gorgeous, meticulously built, excellently polished, and nearly flawlessly executed. But it's not the Kyerannosaur's job to tell you how "good" or "bad" a game is (hint: this one is "good"); it's the Kyerannosaur's job to crunch and decide how the game tastes, and crunching Arkham City tastes perfectly like the Batman should taste.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Journey

Tastes like...EMOTION!

Journey is unlike any game I have played before. It doesn't have a genre, or follow tropes, or meet design expectations. In the same way "The Artist" defied the rules of what a 21st century movie is, Journey defies modern game design. Just as "Fantasia" captivated its audience by making a symphony an animation, Journey turns emotions into a video game.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Tastes like...PAPER!

In a good way! Nintendo is really good about polish, presentation, and character, and the latest Paper Mario installment is no exception. The game is also a strange blending of genres, not quite following any rules, so I'm just going to say it tastes like a well-baked 'sticker adventure.'

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is all about the stickers. I feel like Intelligent Systems has taken the "everything is paper" meme even further this time -- impressively further.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Assassin's Creed III

Tastes like AMBITION!

I want to give a big round of applause to Ubisoft for the Assassin's Creed series. These guys seemingly set out to craft a series of games that spans an entire console generation. This has been more than a trilogy. This has been a carefully built legacy, to which we will look back upon and say this was their mark on a generation of game development and game design. For that, let's give a big hip-hip-hooroar! to Ubisoft. Well done, guys.

Assassin's Creed 3 is the culmination of this franchise, the capstone of a generation, and the wrap-up of a six-year series. It's sporting an upgraded engine and all the refinements from five iterations of engineering and design. The visuals are leaps above the earlier installments, the animations fantastic, the set-pieces and locales meticulously reconstructed and rendered, and everything runs smoother and better. The scope of the story and the game play goes well beyond its predecessors and the multiplayer continues to grow and evolve. Yet, with all of this, the game leaves something of a bitter taste in my mouth.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Pokémon White Version 2

Tastes like...POKÉMON!

Okay, so maybe that's a cyclical definition, but really, is there any other way to describe a new Pokémon game? What was the iPhone 4S like? Well, it's like an iPhone 4, but better. I can't think of a better descriptor: Pokémon defined their own flavor in 1996 (1998 here in the US) and they've stuck to it like McDonald's has stuck to their fries.

And since I've been playing Pokémon since I got Blue Version back in the summer of 1999, I can't very well say this qualifies as a "first impression." I can, however, describe my reactions to some of the changed ingredients and say that White Version 2 tastes the best out of the series.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure

Tastes like DISPARITY!

Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure breaks out of the standard rhythm game mold. It seemingly aims to take the rhythm game fun players are so used to and inject it into the frame of a mystery/adventure game. The idea is sound -- like mixing peanut butter and bananas on a croissant -- but creates too conflicting tastes in my mouth.

Kyerannosaur Roars: Credits in Games

Caution: The following post contains minor spoilers for various games, particularly Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. Continue at your own discretion.

Beating (or completing) a game is a big deal: viewing the ending cinematic, watching the credits, reflecting on the adventure, basking in challenges overcome, gaining achievements. The credits sequence, in most games, is naturally an end goal of the player. Generally, games will feature clips or content from the game, calling forth fond memories for the hours you have sunk into this title. Since the final boss fight is typically a big push of adrenaline, the ending sequence gives the player a chance to sit back and enjoy. In short, this is the closing ceremony, a celebration of the player's accomplishments.

It seems this notion either isn't shared among all developers, or that some forget it entirely. From most recent experience, I will take Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance as Exhibit A.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Gungnir

Tastes like CLUTTER!

Gungnir is a Japanese tactics-RPG, and I like tactics-RPGs, so if I start to sound a little harsh understand that it's not because I disliked the game. Gungnir tasted fine and would make for a great meal. That being said, I came across a series of nitpicks that all point back to one thing: you're trying to tell me too much.

Gungnir has a lot of beautifully rendered art, a detailed story, an intricately designed user interface, and deep, thoughtful mechanics. These are all great things; all these things craft a great game. Yet, I feel Gungnir goes a little overboard with the presentation, like using a bit too much salt on your steak and drowning out the other seasonings. Everything is detailed-oriented, so much so that I could get lost in the details. This is at its worst in the user interface where text is tiny and floods the screen. Options and information are everywhere. This is generally great, particularly for a tactics game, until it becomes too much to handle -- there's too much information here that's not immediately relevant. The screen ends up looking cluttered so it's tough to find the information that you need. There's data noise happening.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Tastes like VANILLA!

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (hereafter referred to as Amalur, because that name is longer than a seismosaur's neck) is an RPG. It's an RPG player's RPG, and it tries to be a really good one. It tries to stand up and say, "I'm awesome! I've got the most and I do the best!" It's like a giant, juicy, fresh cut steak that was cooked without seasoning. It's bland.

When talking about my play time with a fellow dino, I described Amalur as "RPG of RPG: The Reckoning" because that's what it looks and feels like. I started the game and watched a cinematic about some great evil force that once went to war with a prosperous kingdom and was finally defeated but may be immortal (or something like that; honestly, I didn't catch all the details). It felt like The Lord of the Rings and the struggle against Sauron. Then I created a character, picked a class, and a build, and customized my appearance, because that's what you do in RPGs. Oh, and pick a deity to follow, too, because that'll affect your abilities later.

Kyrannosaur Crunches Child of Eden

Tastes like IMMERSION!

Child of Eden is an arcade game. Fundamentally, that's all it is; mechanically, it's not much more than a rail shooter or sh'mup. And then it's a symphony; it's Euro pop or trance. Then it's a light show synchronized to that symphony. And suddenly you're inside of it, controlling the light show. Only you're not controlling a light show, you're actually saving a beautiful girl trapped inside the Internet!

Kyerannosaur Crunches Borderlands 2

Tastes like BADASSERY!

I adored the first Borderlands. The IP has a distinct flavor, a distinct style, that nothing else has emulated yet. It satisfies a craving that nothing else quite can. It tastes like Diablo made from different meat, giving you a difference in the core flavor: a humor and action style that comes from a different team and a different genre.

Borderlands 2 does perfectly what I feel every primal action game should do: make the player feel awesome. Through art, writing, mechanics, enemy design, and even their marketing campaign, the game tells you you're a badass and no one should mess with you -- or face the consequences. You're here to rock faces and claim loot. You are the alpha predator (something I can relate to).

Kyerannosaur Crunches The Last Story

Tastes like EXPERIMENTATION!

Playing The Last Story feels like catching the JRPG genre in puberty. From my taste-test, the game doesn't seem to quite know where it fits. Is it traditional or new age? Is it last gen or current gen? It's as though Mistwalker knew the classic JRPG equation needed to change but wasn't quite sure of all the ways to change it. Evolution is happening, but this game came out somewhere in the middle of that.

For this reason, I went through a lot of mixed feelings during my crunching, and actually spent a fair bit of time confused. Let's enumerate.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy

Tastes like FANSERVICE!

I want to get something very important out of the way before I say anything else: fanservice is not a bad thing. It is not a derogatory statement and it does not mean that your production is void of all things that are good and pure and lovely and tasteful. Super Smash Bros. is fanservice. Every new Pokémon release is fanservice. Actually, just about everything that Nintendo, and Square Enix, and Capcom, and Kojima Productions, and almost every other major studio does includes fanservice. We clear? Good. On with the crunchinating.

Kyerannosaur Crunches Rayman: Origins

Tastes like PERSONALITY!

The Rayman team has always been good about creating character in (and for) their games. I mean, they came up with a character with no arms, legs, or neck and made him fun and wacky. Better yet, they built mechanics around his design, such as being able to throw his hands for long-range combat. Rayman: Origins is no exception to the rule. In fact, it may set a new standard.

From the get-go, Origins blasts you with colorful whimsy: here's a bunch of funky looking characters, zonked out on a tree branch, making music with their snoring and munching. Beautiful. Catchy. Fun. Oh, I'm sorry, did you not want whimsy and child-like euphoric fun-times? Wrong game. You're out of luck here.