Kingdom Hearts for the PS2

Kingdom Hearts was released in the year 2002 by SquareSoft (Later to be called Square Enix). Only for the Playstation 2, Kingdom Hearts started the well-known series involuing Final Fantasy characters with Disney characters. Later, Square Enix created a moble phone version of this game in the year 2005.

FUN: This game is very entertaining. The characters, the dialoge, and humor, will make you smile or on your toes. Its never boring, but will sometimes annoy you (Like, when you are attacking an enemy and you fall of a cliff. Then, you have to go through the same path as before, fight the same battles again, just to get back where you were before). With the odd mix of different characters, there are little to no dull moments throughout the whole game. FUN - 2.


REPLAY: No replay value... I believe. REPLAY - 0.

STORY: Sora, Riku, and Kairi lives in a small place called Destiny Islands. There, the three friends decided to try to raft to other places to see what and who is out there. Suddenly, a strong and dark storm appears to destroy their plans. When Sora reach where the raft was, he saw Riku for only a brief second before a huge shadow appeared. Just before Sora thought he was a goner, a mysterious-sized key appeared in his hand. Using this oddly-sized key, Sora managed to defeat the shadow. However, along with the shadow being destroyed, so was Sora's homeland. When Sora awoke, he found himself in a new town. After wandering around, meeting new people, along with some he already knew, he meets Donald Duck and Goofy. They told him that they were looking for him, because he has the power of the Keyblade, the power that can save the many worlds in trouble. With his two new friends, Sora goes from world to world, helping people while looking for his own two friends that disappeared when the Islands did. STORY - 2.

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: This whole game is original. Even though they use Disney and Final Fantasy charaters, each character has a part in the game that is different from their own game. DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL - 1.5.

DIFFICULTY: Kingdom Hearts has a odd way to balance difficulty in each world. However, if you run into some trouble (Even on the Beginner difficulty level), you can easily grind for EXP and Munny (Money in Kingdom Hearts) and spam your spells to protect or heal yourself. DIFFICULTY - 2.

TOTAL - 7.5.

And that's the score for Kingdom Hearts! Thanks again for reading my blogs! Remember to check out my latest blog where I rate games that aren't in '1,001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die' book and is not a Nintendo game. Until next time, Nintendo Rater.

Paper Mario for the N64

Paper Mario was created for the Nintendo 64 in the year 2000. From the developers of Intelligent Systems, this game is the first of the 'Paper Mario' Series. 'Paper Mario' is one of Series where the gameplay is a RPG (Role-Playing Game). From 'Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars,' Nintendo wanted to try again with Mario being a RPG type game. From 3D to paper-like graphics (Still in a some-what 3D format), the 'Paper Mario' Series became a big hit for Nintendo, Mario, and RPG fans alike. Paper Mario is also for the Virtual Console for the Nintendo Wii.

FUN: This whole game is nothing but a blast to play. From the paper humor to the different partners' abilities, its non-stop entertaining. Even though there is no voice acting in this game, the dialoge is just so fun to read. On top of playing as Mario, in this game, you get to play as Princess Peach as you search her castle for clues on where Mario needs to go. FUN - 2.

REPLAY: I'm afraid that this game doesn't really have any replay value. In fact, the game will continually show the 'The End' screen until you restart your system. After you restart the game and click on the file that you just beat the game with, you find out that you are just where you last saved the game before you beat the game. REPLAY - 0.

STORY: It all starts out as a typical day in the Mushroom Kingdom. Princess Peach invites the Mario Bros. to a party she is throwing in the castle. Once Mario and Luigi entered the castle, Mario leaves Luigi to mingle with the guest as he went upstairs to find Peach. When Mario found Peach, they decided to take a break from the party and relax together. Suddenly, Peach's castle gets lifted up from the ground by another castle. Once in the dark, stary sky, Peach and Mario finds out that Bowser is behind the whole thing. On top of that, he stole the Star Rod from Star Haven and captured the Seven Star Spirits in cards. After Bowser shoots Mario out of the castle to his falling doom, Mario finds out that its up to him to rescue the Star Spirits and get back the Star Rod from Bowser. STORY - 2.

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: Like I said before, this game is the first of the Series. True... its not the first RPG Mario ever had (Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars) nor is it the first for Mario having one or two partners helping him battle the bad guys, however this game started the whole paper-like graphics we now know and love (Or at least most of us do). On top of that, Mario helps himself in battle by equiping Badges that give him a new battle move or just gives him some better power or defence. The Badges also allow the player to switch unwanted Badges for more helpful ones by using BP (Badges Points). DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL - 1.

DIFFICULTY: Paper Mario is not a very difficult game if you just strategize. Think carefully on what partner you are going to use and what moves and Badges you want Mario to use. If you do that, you will beat the game with very few problems. DIFFICULTY - 2.

TOTAL - 7.

There you have it! The score for Paper Mario by Nintendo Rater. Around November 11th of this year, the Nintendo 3DS will release 'Paper Mario: Sticker Star.' Sticker Star will go back to the old Paper RPGs that we love from the first two games and not 'Super Paper Mario' for the Wii. I have already pre-order the game. After I play it, I might post it on my Nintendo Rater Blog. So, keep an eye out for it. Until next time, Thanks for reading my posts! Nintendo Rater.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Ages for the GBC

Upon the new era for handheld video games, Nintendo started thinking of new ways to advance the techology of gaming. From the success of Pokemon Red and Blue, for the GameBoy, and their trading through link cables, Nintendo, with the help from Capcom, they created a Legend of Zelda set of games with that trade feature included. Seasons and Ages, a set of games that makes it impossible to get a 100% completion without using both games and trading between them, was the first and only set of Zelda games (Meaning that the two games are two halves of one whole game). Seasons & Ages were both released in 2001 for only the GameBoy Color, at the exact same day. If Nintendo didn't release them at the same time, the trade feature would not have any use (Just like the Pokemon games).

FUN: Let's face it... Zelda games are always fun and entertaining. When it comes to Seasons & Ages, two different stories, both with different bosses, characters, maps, dungeons, and overall completely different games, are not fully complete and satisfying unless you play both and trade between them. Both games feel like they are complete games, until you beat the game once. There you find out that you can connect the two games via passwords you get when you beat each game the first time around. FUN - 1.5.

REPLAY: For once, there are games from the Zelda Series that actually have some replay value. Seasons & Ages have a New Game + feature that only works if you or a friend had already beaten one of the two games. When you beat Seasons or Ages for the first time, you are given a password that you have to give to someone who has beaten the other game. For example, if I just defeated Seasons and recieved the password, I would need to give the password to someone who just defeated Ages and visa versa. When you type the password from the partner game into yours, you will earn you the New Game + feature. That feature will give you new items and a special dungeon. The game may be the same exact game you just beat, but certain items (Like your sword, shield, bomb bag, seed bag, etc.) that you could only level up to level 2, now can be upgraded up to level 3. A level 3 shield equals the Mirror Shield in Ocarina of Time or maybe Link's Awakening. The shield will reflex certain attacks. The Special Dungeons are the most difficult dungeon in the two games. If memory serves me correctly, at the end of those dungeons will give you something really powerful. REPLAY - 1.

STORY: Like I said before, the two games have completely different stories. In Seasons, Link meets Din, the Goddess of Power, having fun dancing and feasting. Suddenly, Onix, General of Darkness, blows Din away using a tornado, causing the Seasons to go crazy, thus sinking the Temple of Seasons underground to some sort of lava world with creatures that look like the Jawas that collected the robots in their big tank-like sandroller on the planet Tatooine in Star Wars: A New Hope. It's up to Link to get the Rod of Seasons, all the powers of the four Seasons, and the eight Essences of Seasons, in order to save Din from Onix. In Ages, Link meets Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, playing her harp and singing songs to people and animals. Suddenly, Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, captures Nayru inside the shadows of darkness, causing the Flow of Time to go crazy, thus making random Time Portals. It's up to Link to find the Harp of Ages, get all three Songs of Time, and Essences of Time, in order to save Nayru from Veran. STORY - 2.

DIFFERNCE/ORIGINAL: Everything in Seasons & Ages are very similar to Link's Awakening. The main difference with these two games is the fact that the two games are connected. To be exact, they are two half of one whole. Like I said before, you need both games to get 100% completion. Along with the New Game + using the two games' passwords, you can trade Rings anytime to the other game. To new items are the Rings, many types of Seeds, Rod of Seasons, and the Harp of Ages. DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL - 2.

DIFFICULTY: Two Words... Very Balanced. DIFFICULTY - 2.

TOTAL - 8.5.

There you have it, The Legend of Zelda: Seasons & Ages, my first rating of two games. Thanks again and keep reading my posts. Nintendo Rater.

Beyond Good & Evil

Beyond Good & Evil was released for the PC, Gamecube, Playstation 2, and XBOX in the year 2003. Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 re-released the game as a HD version years later. Beyond Good & Evil was made by our good friends from Unisoft and Michel Ancel, the creator of the game Rayman.

FUN: Beyond Good & Evil is entertaining from beginning to end. Even though most of the game involves sneaking from room to room with a few one-hit kill lasers, there are ways to get through each area without much sneaking. Each area has a small place where you can hide when you are caught by the guard's line of vision or just trying to get a stealth attack. Driving the hovercraft is a blast and so is listening to the dialog. All voiced. FUN - 2

REPLAY: Similar to the Zelda Series and many others... no reply value. REPLAY - 0.

STORY: Jade, a green lipstick wearer, is a journalist in a city called, Hyllis. Lately, aliens called DomZ have been attacking the city like crazy with no signs of letting up. The Alpha Sections should be doing something, but it seems people are going missing when the Alpha Sections arrive to help. After an attack on the lighthouse where Jade lives and takes care of the orphans, Jade gets a mission as a test to become a reporter for the IRIS Network. With her camera in hand and her pig friend name Pey'j (Uncle Pey'j to her), Jade tries to figure out the truth behind the DomZ and the Alpha Sections. STORY - 2.

DIFFENCE/ORIGINAL: Beyond Good & Evil is one of the few unique games that not many players know about. The fact that most of the game is sneaking around and taking pictures of proof. Unlike the basic stealth games (Like Metal Gear Solid and the Forsaken Fortress in Wind Waker), you don't have to really sneak. I figured out a loophole and killed a guard or more, ran and hid, and repeated the process. Once all the guards are dead and gone, nothing can alert the systems to bring more guards (If they were that smart. The guards go back to their posts even after they just saw their partner get killed by you) and to activate the one-hit kill lasers. Another original idea was the fact that you get paid to take pictures of each type of species and each time you finish a roll of film, you get a pearl which is needed for the Black Market that sells you hovercraft parts. DIFFENCE/ORIGINAL - 2.

DIFFICULTY: This game is not all that difficult. There are parts in the game where you are bombarded by a ton of enemies in a small space. There are also parts in the game where you have to think of a strategy instead of going head on into the area. But, like I said before, even the most novice sneakers (Which I am) can get through this game with little to no problems. DIFFICULTY - 2.

TOTAL - 8.

There you go. Great score for a game that was not well known during its time. Unisoft still is mentioning that Beyond Good & Evil 2 is still a working progress, but will be released. Signs are pointing towards the game being a Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 game. However, some people still think that is just a rumor. Until next time... thanks for reading my blog! Nintendo Rater.