PixlBit

Hey folks, this will be my last blog before I got to Seattle this weekend for PAX Prime.  Please pray that I have a safe trip there and back.  And next week, be on the lookout for my PAX articles at GamerDad.com!  Speaking of which, here are some game reviews I’ve posted recently at GamerDad.  Please click on and read as many as you can, and maybe even post a comment or two here or there (or at least a Facebook like).  I’d really appreciate it.

Art Academy: Home Studio (Wii U)

We’ll start off with a few educational titles, perfect for back to school.  I really like reviewing educational games and I wish those companies who make them would showcase them more at events like PAX and E3.  Back when I was writing for the newspaper, they used to do things like that.  Anyway, Art Academy on the Wii U teaches you drawing and painting techniques while going over art history and styles.  It’s a lot like the ones on the DS and 3DS, so if you have played those, you know what to expect here.  The good thing is the lessons aren’t EXACTLY the same, so it’s not like you’re playing the same game on the Wii U.  Only problem I have with the game is that you’ll never replace the tactile feeling of actually putting a brush on paper, but the stylus and touch screen do the best they can here.  I wish the Art Academy games got more attention by Nintendo.  I really like them.

Believe it or not, I can actually draw somewhat well myself.  But I’m better at cartoony stuff.  I think I got my artistic talent from my grandmother.  In fact, I dedicated my review to her.  She was a good painter and even won awards at local art shows and painted the mural on the back wall of her church.  Later on she even taught local kids art lessons, and even gave me a few lessons when I came to visit.  I bet she would love the Art Academy game on Wii U.  I know she might’ve had trouble with the DS and 3DS versions because of the small screen, but I bet she would’ve liked the Wii U version better.  Hopefully she can watch me play it while she’s up in Heaven.

Divide By Sheep (iPad)

This is an educational game where you must use math concepts to get the right number of sheep on a raft.  You make them hop across islands and must watch out that there are enough space on the islands for each sheep, and other obstacles like wolves that can eat the sheep.  You can even divide the sheep in two and make the two bloody halves flop around the islands.  But if they make it on the raft, the sheep just gets duct taped together and are good as new.  Because of the more complicated math concepts and blood, this is an educational game best suited for older gamers.

Zoombinis (iPad)

The last educational game is one that was originally on PCs in the 1990’s, but was ported to the iPad.  I had never heard of it, though.  It teaches logic and classification sorting skills as you help little critters with different attributes bypass obstacles on a journey.

Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria (Wii U)

Back in the 16-bit days, I was really into RPGs.  But as the 32-bit era rolled around, I was in college and kind of got out of the RPG loop.  Part of it is my fault, as college and other commitments got in the way.  But I also felt that the more modern RPGs were too long and meandering, and focused more on character and story rather than fun gameplay.  But every now and then I wish I could play the games like I did in high school.  So I was glad to review Dragon Fantasy, an RPG that plays like one of the old 8-bit or 16-bit ones (you can even switch out graphics and music to be more like the NES or SNES).  A few years ago I got to review the sequel, so I’m glad I got to play this as well.  It was originally on the PC, so I don’t know if they added anything on the Wii U.  The cool thing is that if you buy the Wii U or 3DS version, you get the other version for free!  Only problem is the game is missing that hard-to-describe ‘spark’ that made the older RPGs so much fun for me.

Legend of Kay: Anniversary Edition (Wii U)

This was originally a 3-D platformer on the PS2.  I think Capcom published it in the US and I even remember playing it at E3.  I didn’t get to review it, but I did review a DS version that came out five years ago.  And now for the tenth anniversary, they are releasing the original game again on modern consoles.  I don’t know if the game was memorable enough to warrant an anniversary edition, but one thing the game has going for it now is timing.  Back then, it probably got lost in the shuffle with better 3-D platformers on the PS2 like Ratchet & Clank and Okami.  But there aren’t as many colorful 3-D platformers today as there were back then, so if you are itching to play a 3-D platformer from back in the PS2 era, here’s one for you.  Only problem is that it gets pretty hard later on when enemies just start ganging up on you.  I’m surprised DreamWorks hasn’t sued since the game is a lot like Kung-Fu Panda.

Adventure Time Puzzle Quest (iPad)

This is just Puzzle Quest with an Adventure Time skin.  I like Bejeweled clones, but I never really got into the Puzzle Quest games.  And I never really got into the Adventure Time cartoon either.  But it’s a free-to-play game so if you are curious, you don’t have anything to lose by downloading it.  According to the credits, WayForward had something to do with this game.  They’ve been responsible for a lot of the Adventure Time games out there.  I’ve reviewed a lot of them.

Reader Review: Guild of Dungeoneering (PC)

And finally is this review of a unique dungeon game where you use cards to make your dungeon and tell your explorers where to go.  My little brother Jeff saw this at PAX South and really liked it, so I made sure to get him a review code.  Since my brother wrote this review, you’d better read it! :)

And that’s all for now!  Thanks for reading and commenting on my reviews, I really appreciate it.  Again, please pray that I have a safe trip to and from PAX in Seattle, and be on the lookout for my PAX articles later next week!  See you then!  --Cary