Will the third time be the charm for me and Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin 3DS titles?

Full disclosure: I've owned a copy of the first Taiko no Tatsujin 3DS game--subtitle: Chibi Dragon to Fushigina Orb--for some time now and have yet to even open it.

I bring that up because the bulk of the remainder of this post will focus on how I'm awfully intrigued by the just-announced third Taiko no Tatsujin 3DS title and I'll probably buy it even though I've completely ignored its predecessor so far.

This third Taiko no Tatsujin 3DS release's subtitle is Dokodon! Mystery Adventure, by the way.

Here's what else is known about this handheld rhythm game at the moment: it's set to hit the streets--and 3DS eShop--of Japan on June 16, its cart will include over 70 songs and it'll offer players an RPG mode (like pretty much every other portable Taiko title).

Oh, wait, I nearly forgot: Dokodon! Mystery Adventure also will feature tunes from Ace Attorney, Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Monster Hunter X.

Now all I need for the folks at Bandai Namco to do is reveal the game's box art--which you just know is going to be brilliant (or at least brilliantly cute and colorful, much like that of Taiko no Tatsujin DS).

Oh, who am I kidding? Even if its cover illustration is a complete turd I'll very likely pick up a copy as soon as AmiAmi or Amazon Japan starts allowing pre-orders.

I don't suppose any of you are in the same Don-chan-loving boat?

(Via famitsu.com and neogaf.com)

Let's take a moment to bask in the beauty and brilliance that is Kirby: Triple Deluxe's trailer

I know what some of you are thinking: How about we bask in the brilliance that is Super Mario 3D World's latest trailer?

Well, yes, I think that would be a worthy endeavor, too, but everyone and his or her mother (OK, maybe that's pushing it) already are raving about the shiny new Super Mario 3D World trailer that was included in yesterday's trio of Nintendo Direct broadcasts, so I thought I'd focus on the trailer that was shown for the upcoming 3DS game that's currently known as Kirby: Triple Deluxe instead.

Here's the trailer, in case any of you have yet to see it:



I'm sure some will say Kirby: Triple Deluxe looks a bit too similar to Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which hit the Wii back in 2011, and I can't disagree with those statements. That said, I really liked the look of that Kirby release, so if Triple Deluxe (or whatever it winds up being called) resembles it graphically in the end, I'm more than OK with that.

At the moment, though, I do think this trailer showcases some subtle differences to the look and feel of Return to Dream Land that should even appeal to folks who got their fill of that particular kind of Kirby adventure. Case in point: this title's softer, more textured backdrops, which seem to exist somewhere between those found in Return to Dream Land and the ones that appeared in Kirby's Epic Yarn.

And then there's Kirby's ability to leap between background layers. Sure, it's been done many times before (hello, Donkey Kong Country Returns), but I've always liked that particular platforming mechanic, so I'm guessing it'll be a fun addition to Triple Deluxe, too.

Anyway, hopefully I'm not alone in looking forward to the 2014 release of this 3DS game?

Five things I love about Kirby's Return to Dream Land (thus far)

You may remember how I mentioned in this recent post that I've already "beaten" Kirby's Return to Dream Land. I've hardly experienced all it has to offer, though, as I haven't found each and every "Energy Sphere" (this game's take on the star coins that populate the New Super Mario Bros. series) and I've barely spent any time in its "extra mode."

Still, I've played enough of this rather precious Wii platformer to know that I completely love the stuffing out of it--with the five following aspects being chiefly responsible for said love:

1. The graphics--I know some people have complained about the graphics in this game. Specifcally, they've called them "GameCube graphics." Those people are stupid. Even if these were GameCube-level graphics, they'd be wonderful ones, in my opinion, and as such gamers certainly shouldn't complain about them. Well, unless they're stupid.

2. The locales--Honestly, the settings in this game are the best I've experienced in a Wii platformer thus far. They're all bright and colorful, as I suppose should be expected of a Kirby game, but what I didn't expect was all of the little (and sometimes big) details. The background on one late-in-the-game level--which finds Kirby strolling through a cloud-based stage while a neighboring planet spins in the distance--especially blew me away.

3. The abilities--In particular, I'm completely obsessed with the stone one. It is unfathomably fun to jump into the air and turn Kirby into a statue, or a stone fist, or a boulder that then squashes an unsuspecting enemy. (Sliding down a hill and bowling over baddies is a blast, too.) Yeah, I'm evil like that. Also mighty impressive: All of the super abilities that are made available to Kirby throughout the game--each of which are more enjoyable than they have any right to be.

My five favorite games of 2011

While reading through the following list, please keep in mind that I've yet to play a number of games that are sure to take up space on similar lists that appear on other blogs and sites--games like Batman: Arkham City, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Mario Kart 7 and Uncharted 3.

Really, though, my lack of experience with the aforementioned games shouldn't matter much to those looking to add a few interesting, exciting or fun titles to their collections, since I'm not presenting the games below as "the best of 2011." Rather, I'm presenting them as the ones that provided me with the most enjoyment this past year.

1. Cladun x2 (PSP)--I know I have yet to write about this game as much as I wrote about its predecessor, but don't take that to mean I liked it less. On the contrary, I prefer Cladun x2 to the original Cladun in pretty much every way--and that's saying something, because I really enjoyed the first one. My favorite aspects of this sequel, though, are its insane customization options and its wider variety of, well, everything--characters, enemies, locales and weapons. If you own a PSP and you're at all into dungeon crawlers or roguelikes, this game is for you.

2. Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii)--A blogger pal of mine recently said via Twitter that this game "is everything that is right about video games." I was skeptical of that comment until I actually obtained and played the game myself. Now I see why he said that, as Kirby's Return to Dream Land is pure joy from start to finish. Yes, it's fairly easy--just like nearly every other Kirby game that came before it--but that's not really the point. What is the point is that everything about it is fun--from the music to the graphics to the gameplay. I especially love obtaining and using Kirby's super abilities, which, in general, allow the little pink puff to wreak havoc on an entire screen's worth of enemies at once.

3. LaserCat (Xbox 360)--I've been sitting on a half-finished "somewhat gay review" of this XBLIG title ever since I beat it earlier in the year. That's a crying shame because I absolutely adored every minute I spent playing it. As for why that is: Well, it kind of reminds me of Metroid without any enemies and with a collect-a-bunch-of-keys-to-save-your-friend element thrown in for good measure. That's a rather simplistic description of this deliciously Day-Glo game, of course, but what else can you expect from a write-up that's just 100 words in length?

4. Sugar Shooter (PC)-- Admittedly, this came out in 2010, but it was at the very end of 2010 (Dec. 20, to be exact). Also, I only got my hands on it a few months ago. So, I'm including it here. What else can I say about this download-only, Windows-based game (unless you decide to spring for the boxed Japanese version) that I haven't said in previous posts? Not much, other than if you like shoot 'em ups and you aren't squeamish about seeing a bunch of manga-styled bears stripping and, er, sexin' it up, you're sure to get your money's worth out of Sugar Shooter.

5. Wizorb (Mac, PC, Xbox 360)--I spent a long time looking forward to playing this Tribute Games release and you know what? It was well worth the wait--especially given its $3 price tag. So much goodness is packed into this Breakout-meets-Zelda game that I feel bad that the guys at Tribute earned so little for all their effort. Really, I would have paid $40 for this had it been released for the Genesis back in the day. (Actually, I'd pay that now if it were released on cartridge and came with a full-color manual and box.) You don't have to love brick-breakers to find this appealing, by the way--all you have to do is love having fun.

Honorable mention: Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (PS3, Xbox 360). Why didn't this downloadable game make the cut? As much as I love all of the options that were added to the original Pac-Man CE, I much prefer the first release's gameplay to that found in this buffed-up sequel.

See also: Past 'favorite games of the year' posts

For the first game of Christmas, the UPS man brought to me ...

... Kirby's Return to Dream Land!

Full disclosure: I actually received this game as a birthday gift. Of course, I mentioned in yesterday's post that all of the games included in this series were acquired between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I guess there's no reason for me to apologize.

Anyway, its packaging is pretty spiffy, don't you think?



I've already beaten the game's main campaign, by the way, although that isn't really much of an accomplishment given its overall lack of difficulty. Of course, Kirby games generally aren't about presenting players with overtly challenging enemies and levels, are they?

No, Kirby games are all about having fun--or at least they are in my experience--and I certainly had a blast playing through this one. (My favorite part: Obtaining and using Kirby's screen-filling super abilities.)

Have any of you played Kirby's Return to Dream Land yet? If so, what did you think of it?

See also: 'The 12 Games of Christmas'

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Kirby's Return to Dream Land edition)

Sorry for barraging you with "Which Box Art is Better?" posts lately. I usually try to limit them to one per week, but I've been itching to push the "publish" button on this one since the box art for Kirby's Return to Dream Land was revealed back in August.

Why didn't I publish it back then? Because the brass at Nintendo of Japan decided to hold off on revealing the cover art for the Japanese version of the game--which is called Hoshi no Kirby Wii, or Kirby of the Stars Wii)--until yesterday, that's why.

Speaking of which, here is the radiant piece of art that will grace the cover of each copy of Hoshi no Kirby Wii when the game hits store shelves throughout Japan on Oct. 27:

The box art created for the European version of the game--called Kirby's Adventure Wii--is basically identical to what you see above, by the way. Well, except for the logo. (FYI: It will be released on Nov. 25.)

As for the art that will appear on the cover of Kirby's Return to Dream Land--which will hit the streets of North America on Oct. 24--here you go:

Although I can't help but roll my eyes at the "angry Kirby" that serves as the focus of the North American box art, I'd be lying if I said I didn't still prefer that cover option to its European and Japanese counterparts.

I'd love to say it's because of Kirby's big, er, "sword," but in reality it's because there's more movement to the North American box art.

As always, though, that's just my opinion on the matter. What's yours?

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts

How do you make Kirby's Epic Yarn more beautiful than it already is?

By adeptly playing one of this precious platformer's signature tunes on a pair of pianos, that's how.



The "Butter Building Theme" played in the clip above was transcribed and arranged by Gary Swerdlow, by the way. Listen more of his work on his YouTube channel. Don't expect to hear any more Kirby's Epic Yarn tunes, though--this is the only one he's done (thus far).

Speaking of Kirby, did you know that little pink puff's latest portable title, Kirby Mass Attack, is now available for purchase? Pick up a copy of it here. Also, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, for Wii, will hit store shelves soon, too. (On Oct. 24, to be exact.) Pre-order it here.

(Via gonintendo.com)