A few days ago Capcom so awesomely released Lost In Nightmares, an expanded chapter and the latest in the line of DLC for Resident Evil 5 across both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles simultaneously.
Lost In Nightmares takes you back through the past of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, when they were on assignment with the BSAA to track down Albert Wesker who had previously defected from S.T.A.R.S, and contrived a plan of his own to manipulate the Umbrella Corporation.
Set in an eerily nostalgic Spencer Mansion(just another one, not the original), you are tasked with...well nostalgia.If It's one thing that I'll credit Capcom for, It's that they really know how to take you back to the past. Lost In Nightmares is definitely a treat for anyone who stepped into the shoes of our two protagonists in the first Resident Evil title. The whole layout and placement of objects is quite uncanny(creepy), and allows to to relive those feelings of anxiety and claustrophobia. Even the characters themselves are thrown back to the events of the first mansion, and are saying pretty much everything you're thinking. The Spencer "Estate" contains a fair amount of classic RE puzzle solving(cranks and levers ^_^), as well as some minor back-tracking, and a new play-mate(abomination)for you to contend with(and it is SUCH a joy the first time you meet)as well. Capcom has also graciously put in a nice little easter egg for all It's fans(nostalgic and newcomers alike)by enabling the classic "fixed camera mode," a matter which is achieved by participating in a certain "door checking event(giant happy grin)."
So how does this expanded chapter add up? Is it worth 400 microsoft points(roughy $5 USD), I'd say yes on the grounds that it delivers much in such a short amount of time(very short). During your first run of the game it should take about 1-2 hours at maximum to complete, given that you're trying to get a feel for your surroundings. Once you've gotten yourself acquainted, subsequent/follow-up play-throughs should clock in at just about 30-40 minutes tops. Granted that this is all from the perspective of a solo game(with the A.I. controlled 2nd player being a bit less stupid than before...thank goodness), in co-op(local/xbox live)you should be able to accomplish everything much quicker and more efficiently. In fact I believe that Capcom's intention was for two human analogs to run the gauntlet together as "partners."
Lost In Nightmares is a short, but oh so sweet flash-back expansion. It bolsters some nice fluff to the already complex story-line of the entire franchise, and surprisingly has much replay value. Because of how long the chapter isn't and that It's just so damn fun, you can pick up a controller and pop this right onto the TV like it were any classic NES title(although oddly enough, Nintendo being the only system this particular game isn't on...burn!), a feat that is rarely seen these days in the realm of video games...damn you Capcom, for being so brilliantly nostalgic!
Alright Nintendo, you got me and I'll admit to it. As some of you may know, the latest in the Mario franchise: New Super Mario Bros Wii debuted on Sunday(which is a really strange day for a game release in my opinion, but we're not here to talk about that).
New Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo Wii is an extremely fun game, and a worthy addition to the somewhat recently diluted Mario franchise(this is looking at you Super Mario Galaxy). Originally thought of as a port of the DS game, many fans didn't seem too excited to see this at E3 '09. I also had my doubts because of the heavy focus on multiplayer, which in most Mario titles are but this game specifically has 4 players(Mario, Luigi, and two Toad characters) simultaneously playing at the same time. I believed that at the time I dubbed it Mario: Four Swords(parodying the Zelda: Four Swords Adventure title), which to me didn't seem like it was in the wrong at all, I mean when you give 4 people(friends hopefully)the opportunity to work together one of two things inevitably happen: 1)everyone starts the game all happy and nice, but then it eventually degenrates into fighting amongst yourselves for the coins(any type of currency), or power-ups, and no one want to cooperate because not everyone is of the same skill level. 2)Everyone ends up having a good time regardless of what happens. In most cases the former happens more often than the latter, usually ending friendships too. In this particular case however I was wrong, after having obtained a copy of it for myself I must say that NSMBW(New Super Mario Bros Wii)is probably the most fun/entertaining gaming experience I've had in a while! I would go so far as to say that It's encouraged that everyone plays this one with friends because it would be too boring alone. My roommates and I took it for a test run and we've just reached the start of the 4th world(after many ridiculous deaths and much laughter at one another).
NSMBW is very heavily influenced by Super Mario Bros 3(probably the best and most awesome Mario entry for the NES)with It's world structure which if you remember is much like a game board. A few things that return are the mushroom houses, and simple control scheme which involves using the Wiimote horizontally like a classic NES controller(D-Pad and two button interface). Yoshi, makes a return and is treated much like It's Super Mario World counter-part. Your main antagonists in NSMBW are none other than the Koopa Kids whom haven't been seen(at least by me)since SMB3, and Baby Bowser. Level structure also brings back a feeling of nostalgia by recreating specific themes and types of gameplay from many of the classic Mario titles. Some new things added into the mix are a bunch of new power-ups(which I don't know the official name of so we just made some names up off the top of our heads): Freezie Flower, Propeller Suit, and Penguin Suit! Music which is usually a driving force behind the Mario games seems somewhat bland this time around(I've only heard about 4 songs so far), It appears to just be there for background since you won't be paying much attention to it anyway.
If I'd have to make an estimate, NSMBW would be around 7-10 hours of gameplay with a ridiculous amount of replay value. With 8 worlds to explore, each carrying their own little secrets you'll be playing this one for a very long time. It caters to the gamers who crave the feeling of nostalgia, and for newcomers who just want to dive into the fun of a classic Mario game with a fresh spin on it!
