Review: Nancy Drew - Legend of the Crystal Skull

Cup O' Joe Reviews; Nancy Drew Legend of the Crystal Skull PC
My Rating: Cappuccino (4)

Now THIS is what I'm talking about...

In my last review about Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor, I mentioned that I was upset about the plot of Nancy Drew games. How they seem to get dry and boring. How the characters start to lose their thrill.

Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull takes my thoughts and turns them around.

I definitely have to say that of all the Nancy Drew games, this one definitely is up there with being one of my all time favorites.

Below is my review for the game:

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 This Game Doesn't Get Enough Credit, May 19, 2012
It's been a while since I've finished Legend of the Crystal Skull, but whenever I hear about the series, this game always comes to mind. Rather it's the fact that this is one of the only games in the Nancy Drew series that actually involve being in a morbid place such as a cemetery, or the fact that the central plot of the game revolves around a murder, this game is probably the only game in the Nancy Drew series that comes close to solving a murder mystery. And it's really, really fun!

Plot:
Throughout Legend of the Crystal Skull, Nancy is basically going to visit a guy's house because Ned requests that she should check up on him after the death of his grandfather, I believe. Right from the beginning of the game, Nancy is greeted by a monster, something that not many Nancy Drew games usually have at the beginning (or at all for that matter) in their games. Nancy faints and soon finds herself succumbing to the house's eccentric owners, walking through endless intertwining paths of cemeteries, discovering mysterious eyeballs, and even encountering a rather keen lizard. The central plot of the game essentially revolves around Nancy's desire to find out who exactly was the monster that she encountered, which eventually leads her to the discovery of the existence of the Crystal Skull, a mysterious artifact that can give the individual who has it in their possession immortality...except if the individual was murdered. Nancy soon realizes that the monster she encountered may have some connection to the skull and the mystery begins...Overall, the central plot of the game was very fun and constantly kept me interested as I played.

Gameplay:
The puzzles in the game weren't too difficult, yet not too easy either. I did really like how each of the puzzles in the game were all different in their own way and each had a different approach to actually solving the puzzle. Nancy also has the ability to call Bess and switch characters, but there really wasn't too much gameplay involved on Bess's part, which turned out to be disappointing. I also didn't like how the game doesn't really involve too many puzzles that involve manipulating characters or utilizing a character to complete a puzzle. Most adventure games nowadays involve characters having to manipulate characters in certain ways to solve puzzles, which I find very creative. (For example: Monkey Island and Agatha Christine games.) While these gameplay issues can be annoying, the gameplay was still solid nonetheless.

Music:
The Soundtrack in Legend of the Crystal Skull was on par with the Nancy Drew game series. My favorite song would probably have to be the one that plays when Nancy walks through the cemetery. To be honest, this song should really be the trademark of the game, it's that good. The songs in this game made the tone and overall feel somewhat somber and yet mysterious, especially when playing as Nancy. When playing as Bess, the soundtrack became whimsical and relaxing which was fine, but some of the songs didn't feel like they belonged in a game that supposed to be about a mystery, not a vacation to New Orleans. In conclusion, the music was good and really set the suspenseful tone for the game.

Conclusion:
A lot of the Nancy Drew games that come out usually don't have too many changes except for a change in scenery, new puzzles and items, or characters. Never are there any changes in gameplay or graphics, which I found to be a disappointment. The graphics were very nice and definitely portrayed the suspenseful and spooky theme to the series, but everything always feels the same. HeR needs to incorporate new gameplay mechanics to the series.
Overall, Legend of the Crystal Skull was a really, really fun game that had plenty of good fun solving puzzles, exploring many mysterious locations, eccentric suspects that were memorable, and a conclusion that will make you coming back for more long after the game is completed.

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So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the review!

Review: Nancy Drew - The Curse of Blackmoor Manor for PC

Cup O' Joe Reviews: Nancy Drew - The Curse of Blackmoor Manor
My Rating: Cafe Late (3)

A Few Parrot Cakes too Short

If there's one Nancy Drew game that tends to be a fan favorite among the ND community, The Curse of Blackmoor Manor seems to come to mind. Taking place in an English Manor filled with secret passageways, broken puzzles, ghosts, eerie dreams, witches in strange costumes, werewolves, and more, this is probably the weirdest Nancy Drew game to date. But is it all real? Or is something more sinister at work?

Overall, this Nancy Drew game was good, but not great. If there's one thing that tends to be missing from ALL the Nancy Drew games, it's the motivation and passion in solving a mystery in the first place. Honestly, if I could get hired to write ONE game for the company, I would totally change so many things.

That aside, below is my overwhelmingly good review for Nancy Drew: Curse of  Blackmoor Manor.

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 Probably, if not, the BEST Nancy Drew Game Ever Created!, May 19, 2012

From mysterious halls to darkened legends, Nancy Drew, The Curse of Blackmoor Manor is filled with tons of spookiness, fun, and ultimately a mystery that no adventure gamer should ever miss in their lifetime. Continue reading and find out why!

(Note: I'm not going to specify any specifics because I haven't played this game in a while and I don't want to spoil it for other players who haven't played the game yet.)

The Story: 5 out of 5
If there's one thing that really made The Curse of Blackmoor Manor shine, it was the storyline. Who wouldn't want to get invited to an old victorian mansion of the 14th century? Most especially with a "beastifying" curse that holds it bound to spookiness!
Basically in this game, Nancy is invited to the manor to find out why one of her friends, Linda, has suddenly inexplicably fallen ill, rendering her bedridden until she can get better. Locked away in her bedroom behind a series of bed curtains, Nancy can only see her hairy and eerie hands, and slowly she realizes that there are "doors that should never be opened...".
The cast of characters in CUR are quite intricate, if not amazingly well interwoven into the overall story. There's Linda, which is the bedridden victim to the manor's curse, Mrs. Drake, the Great Aunt who has a fanaticism for planting, the typical rebel teenager Jane and her strict and mysterious tutor Ethel, and lastly there's the awkward, yet indignant scholar Nigel who roams the Penvellyn library. Oh and don't forget Lulu, the mysterious caged bird that loves to speak her mind and offer a variety of hints.
Overall, I think what made the cast so special was the fact that each of the characters played an immense role in solving the mystery of the game. The intense drama between Linda and Jane really added a layer of depth into the game, and it was especially interesting to be in the middle of the Penvellyn's family problems. Nigel and Ethel also proved to be very suspicious, most especially Ethel. (If you know what I mean...) I won't spoil too much, but for those of you that haven't played the game, keep a close eye on Ethel, you're in for a surprise! Mrs. Drake was also a very interesting character to interact with, especially when it came to learning more about the manor's history. Lastly, Lulu was also very humorous and she added a layer of comedy to a mansion so dreary.

Gameplay: 5 out of 5
Roaming the walls of the Penvellyn Manor was very intriguing. Each and every room had something eerie or odd, and there was NEVER any moments where there wasn't "enough" to snoop. From the many halls and rooms, to the grand foyer and passages, it almost felt like there was never an end to the new discoveries!
The puzzles in the game were also very clever and quite difficult, even on the Junior Detective difficulty. I often found myself stuck on one puzzle for days, trying to figure out how to solve it. I'd think about it, even draw it out! There's no doubt, this Nancy Drew game will have you scrounging for a pad of paper and a pen/pencil almost instantly.
One of the things that I also liked about the game was that, bit by bit, the Manor would slowly open it's pages to you. In the beginning of the game, the Manor is this dark and dreary place filled with unsolved puzzles, broken fountains, and pillars whose pieces must be found. As Nancy discovers all the secrets behind all these puzzles, the Manor slowly transformed into this world of intrigue and wonder. Puzzles that seemed forgotten and broken could now be solved (the fountain), rooms that were thought to be completely destroyed are completely accessible with enough mental power. Secrets that were thought to be hidden forever can be explored and discovered!
Another thing that made the game really fun was the spook factor. I don't think there was ever a time when I didn't feel scared in this game. From the ghosts and nightmares, to the secret passageways and rituals, this game will have your adrenaline running and your hands cold with fear.
What's a mystery without some comic relief? Throughout the game, Nancy would also be able to order food from the local pub and get it sent to her room, play cards with an incredibly disturbing dummy, and bake food for the starving Lulu.
Overall, the gameplay in Curse of Blackmoor Manor was truly amazing. It always thought provoking, eerie, and most importantly fun!

Music Soundtrack: 5 out of 5
If there's another thing that rocks in this game, it would most definitely be the soundtrack. From the violin themes of "Memoirs", to the wizardy theme of "Fairy", each of the game's songs offered a very unique tone to it. To this day, I still listen to the songs that were composed in this game. I highly commend the soundtrack artist for their hard work into making this game so real, sound effects and soundtrack!

Ending: 4 out of 5
If there's one thing that really could go wrong with this game, it would probably be the ending. (Note: This is spoiler free, and I will try not to interject any spoilers as much as I can!)
Throughout the whole game, there was this constant tension that was really building, almost bubbling over to the point of insanity. The great plot of the game really went downhill at the end.
It wasn't bad by any means, it was just disappointing. It was almost as if the writers of the game had a great idea, but then didn't really put it all together in the end. Almost as if they just slapped together a "decent" ending to cover all the loose holes. (No pun intended.)
Overall, the ending was good, but it most definitely could have been SO much better! I was really hoping for something that involved the referenced "monster", but the loose ends regarding the curse were never really fulfilled, and it left the player feeling a little lost and disappointed. Like I mentioned, it wasn't bad, but could have been much, much better.

Conclusion:5 out of 5
Overall, Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor is a game not to miss. The characters are all wonderful, the puzzles are cleverly designed and ingenious, and the plot line will keep you guessing until the very last few minutes. Although the ending wasn't the best in my book, I would still say that this is probably one of the best Nancy Drew games ever developed. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend that you play this game if you haven't played it yet. What are you waiting for? Dare to play?

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Once again, I definitely think I was being a bit "rose colored glasses" nostalgic back when I reviewed this Nancy Drew game. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun game, but the mystery elements and thrills were not there. The culprit in the end just didn't make sense. 

Thanks for reading!

Cup O' Joe Review: Nancy Drew - Tomb of the Lost Queen

Cup O' Joe Reviews: Nancy Drew - Tomb of the Lost Queen for PC/Mac
My Rating: Regular Coffee (2)

Is it a Tomb Better Left Unexplored?

One of my favorite PC games growing up were the Nancy Drew games. I remember going to my childhood best friend's house, and watching him and his cousins all sit in front of the computer together, playing the game. It was fun solving puzzles, interrogating suspects, and experiencing the thrill of catching a culprit red-handed!

Over the years, Her Interactive, the company that produces the Nancy Drew games, still continues to make them to this day. The Nancy Drew games are a huge part of my childhood and even my adult life. If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't be as open to adventure or puzzle solving games.

Another issue that I tend to see nowadays is that a lot of people don't like to read text in games. Tons of text that the developers purposely put into the game to help the player and immerse them into the experience is skipped entirely. Why? Because of laziness. That's why. Let's just get into the action, the killing, the fun!

Nancy Drew games proved that you could still have fun and not be killing something or constantly have your thumbs being stimulated. Why not stimulate your brain?

Below is my Amazon review for Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen. It's not my favorite Nancy Drew game, mostly because of the game's attempt to try and be something that it's not. I feel like HeR was having a good time with Nancy being in Egypt that it strayed away from the true mystery. The tomb was also not very fun to be in at all either.

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 Tomb Worth Exploring?, May 19, 2012

Note: This review may contain MINOR spoilers such as references to puzzles or characters. Reader discretion is advised.

From centuries old Egyptian curses, to a secret and lost tomb filled with mystery, Nancy Drew's latest adventure, Tomb of the Lost Queen, is most definitely worth a glance. HerInteractive is emphasizing this game as a new trademark to their series, mostly because it boasts a new user interface, and an improved screen resolution. So is the game worth a buy?

Storyline: 4 out of 5
The Good-
+The game's story was very exciting and much better than Trail of the Twister, (which has a similar story), in my opinion. One could most definitely tell that HeR improved as far as character development when playing through this game.

+Each of the characters in the game were very memorable and unique in their own way. Abdullah and Lilly were very interesting to talk to because they often had plenty to say about Egyptian factoids. Jimila and Dylan were also very humorous and interesting to interrogate, and I often couldn't wait to see what they had to say about various factors regarding the sabotaged accidents. It was also very interesting to see that Professor Hotchkiss is back, and it was very intriguing to give her periodic phone calls throughout the game. Professor Boyle was also a good phone a friend, but I found his voice to be somewhat monotone throughout each call which almost made it seem like he wasn't enthused about the tomb.

+Each of the characters in the game all really had secrets to hide, and I often found it very fun to interrogate them and see what they had to say. It made the game really fun to play, and I never felt bored.

+The characters in this game actually move around! Surprising, right!? Throughout the game, Nancy will have to manipulate and even lie to various characters to make them move to other locations while she does her snooping. Very clever, HeR!

+Usually, whenever cutscenes happen in a Nancy Drew game, it means that it's the end of the game and that the culprit is revealing themselves to Nancy. It is most DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE IN THIS GAME!! There are tons of moments in this game where there are cutscenes that make the player question if the game is finally over. (I had my doubts, of course!) I found the cutscenes to be really fun and very surprising. I'm really glad that HeR is also making the game more cinematic, since this game contained plenty of intriguing cutscenes to view. (Nancy's Prince of Persia moves, for example)

The Bad-

-Like most Nancy Drew games, this one doesn't really stray too far from the series as far as a plot line goes. Many of the usual plot points have been recycled here: a lost treasure, a mysterious curse, a string of sabotaged accidents, you name it. In my opinion, the so called CURSE, was added in as a last minute idea. I never really felt like a supernatural force was dooming everyone. And it didn't help that Nancy kept dismissing it as someone sabotaging the camp, since it took away from the idea that the curse may actually exist, which would spruce up the story's plot.

-The beginning of the game felt like something was missing. The opening introduction of Nancy's story regarding the missing team was cool, but then it suddenly jumps straight into the sandstorm and Professor Boyle getting attacked. What happened to getting introduced to the characters first?! Or at least getting settled into the camp for that matter. I really didn't feel bad (or any emotional tie) that Professor Boyle got attacked, and it really didn't make sense to just jump into the game that fast. The introduction wasn't bad, but it really could have been improved immensely. After all, the introduction is what makes the player WANT to know what happens next!

Gameplay: 4 out of 5
The Good-

+The new user interface in this game is FANTASTIC. HeR hit a home run with the new inventory screen and task list. It fits the game quite nicely and it just feels so natural to use.

+Nancy's cellphone was a great addition to the user interface, and I'm glad that HeR is emphasizing Nancy's move into this generation with the upgraded technology. I also like that although Nancy's camera didn't have any use in the game for tasks, it served as a great way to keep note of important murals as well as important books that we couldn't take with us. I just wish that her phone had a mini-game or something to pass the time when bored. (I purchased the game at retail and not pre order, and I really don't think it's fair to purchase a game with features that were taken out just for the people that "pre-ordered"!

+While there's only two major places to go in the game, they are extremely in depth, most notably the tomb. At the beginning of the game, the tomb comes across as a disappointment, mostly because it feels so small. But as the game gets in about the middle, the tomb opens up into this HUGE maze of places to explore and plenty of mysterious puzzles to solve.

+The puzzles in the game are challenging, brain teasing, and fun! Some of them were pretty difficult, but nothing too impossible. The only one that really annoyed me the most was the tomb of Nefetari's children. Thank God for the Hint Hotline!

+The Hint Hot line is honestly, a godsend. Once Nancy has toyed with a puzzle for too long, the Hint Hotline actually shows the solution to the puzzle, which really made the game more fun, since the player doesn't have to seek an outside source for help. (Note: I didn't use any outside sources to beat the game)

+This game was surprisingly longer than other titles in the series. I would estimate approx 6-8 hours of gameplay here, and that's just Junior detective.

+The game at some points, has a glyph translating puzzle that players have to solve. Thankfully, HeR added a "quick translate" button, which really made the game much more enjoyable. After all, if Nancy can instantly translate some glyphs, why not all of them? Note: There's a glitch in the translating puzzle where the "F" button doesn't allow you to solve the puzzle in junior detective. In order to fix this, HeR has released a patch to solve the problem that you can download from their site. It doesn't hinder the gameplay by any means, mostly because players can just click on the "Quick Translate" button to skip the puzzle. Some people say that they'd rather solve the puzzle, but in my opinion, there's far more challenging puzzles to worry about than the translating ones.

The Bad-

-The game features that Nancy has to choose her options carefully as far as dialogue goes, but there really isn't any parts in the game that make that a factor. I was kind of disappointed and was really hoping for those kind of puzzles. However, I did notice that the dialogue is drastically different if Nancy chooses different responses during conversations, which I thought was cool.

-The game is littered with pictures of random people, yet they really don't serve any purpose in the game. I understand that HeR wants to put cameos of real life people in their games, but at least incorporate them in ways that make sense. Randomly placing pictures in Nancy's chest or putting them in the site grid book was unnecessary. (Unless HeR photoshopped a suspect into the picture, perhaps?)

-This is probably not going to happen until 5 years from now, but in my opinion, the point and click game play is getting old. Nancy Drew games need to be more 3D like, Myst 3: Exile, for example. Even if the game was a panorama, that would be an amazing graphical update. The user interface is great, but imagine Nancy Drew games where Nancy can look at the ceiling or at the floor seamlessly with the drag of a mouse.

Soundtrack: 4 out of 5
The Good:

+The soundtrack in TMB was very memorable and fun to listen to. Each of the songs had a mysterious tone to them, and none of them sounded like I was on "vacation" to Egypt, like some of the other Nancy Drew games had. Although I never really felt "scared" in this game, the music was very chilling to listen to sometimes.

+The sound effects in the game were very realistic and interesting to listen to. Some of them sounded like rehashed sounds from past Nancy Drew games, but I didn't mind it too much. I really liked how random rocks would fall in the tomb when Nancy was trying to solve a puzzle.
'The Bad:'
Nancy's options for ringtones/call tones all sound terrible! I miss George's Jazzy one from Alibi in Ashes, or even the Italian dance music from Captive Curse. Nancy also doesn't get phone calls from other players in the game anyways, but I still think it would've been nice to have those.

The voice overs for the suspects was very cool to listen to, although I found it kind of awkward sometimes that suspects would randomly be friendly to Nancy when saying goodbye after yelling at her or clamming up to Nancy's questioning. In my opinion, this could easily be fixed if HeR made it so that the suspect dismissed Nancy without giving her the option to say goodbye. Then perhaps, it wouldn't be so awkward.

Conclusion: 4 out of 5
Tomb of the Lost Queen is mostly definitely a huge overhaul in the series as far as quality goes. The gameplay was spot on, the graphic updates and new user interface is beautiful, and the ending tied loose ends very nicely. Unfortunately, it was ultimately the beginning of the game as well as a few random gameplay quirks that rendered the game one point off my scale. Let's hope Nancy Drew's next game can fix the story introductory problems like this one! With that said, I can proudly say that new novice players will have a good time with this game as well as veterans alike.

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Sometimes I feel like if I were the one writing the mysteries for these Nancy Drew games, I could probably write a better mystery than what the game gave us. I know that HeR wants to base their games off the Nancy Drew books, but come on.

Also, the E rating that they want to preserve is ridiculous. If grade school children are being taught to read the Clue books, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, (each having death and murder as themes) then a mystery game like Nancy Drew should have a motive like that as well.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed my review. Stay tuned for more! :) 

Review: Final Fantasy 13 for PS3

Cup O' Joe Reviews: Final Fantasy 13 for PS3
My Rating: Cafe Latte (3)

I'm Not Crying! My Eyes are just Sweating!

Back in 2011, I was one happy gamer. After saving all my hard earned money from working various jobs, I finally had just enough to buy a PlayStation 3 with Final Fantasy 13. Needless to say, I was hooked. I know that the game itself had a lot of backlash for being so "linear", not having towns to explore, and not completely giving you all the features until "50%" of the game was through, but I still loved every moment of it.

I was one of those people that went through the entries and read the backstory of the game's world. I cried for a lot of cut scenes and even the game's very emotional ending. I would spend my school days thinking about Lightning's plights and even play the battle theme in my car on the way to work.
Final Fantasy 13 for me was an escape from my stressful life.

Below is my review for Final Fantasy 13:

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 An Adventure You Won't Want to Miss!!, September 18, 2011

Final Fantasy XIII for the PS3 is one of the best games I've ever played since buying the system. It's filled with beautiful graphics, spot on gameplay, believable and vivid protagonists, and a rather long adventure that will keep you playing for hours on end. (Note; This is spoiler free!)
Pros:
-The Soundtrack in this game, is by far, some of the best I've ever heard in video game music. I'm a musician myself and I gotta say, if I died and went to heaven, this is the kind of music that you'd only hear angels sing. If your a musician, you should consider getting the game just for the soundtrack itself! A lot of the songs in the game are also very catchy to the point that I find myself humming or whistling the tunes throughout the day. If you really want to get an idea of the soundtrack, look for Lightning's Theme on youtube, you will be blown away!
-If you like games like Kingdom Hearts, or you've played other Final Fantasy games like FFX or FFX-2, then you'll probably like this game a lot. The characters in the game are so believable with their graphics and voice-acting, I forget that I'm actually playing a game sometimes. The game has tons of cut-scenes, which really enrich the storyline and it constantly adds all kinds of fun or crazy twists. My only gripe with cutscenes, are that I wish they were more interactive like Heavy Rain. It's fun to watch characters in battles do cool things, but it would be even better to execute commands so that you actually feel like you've contributed to the cutscene.
-Battles in this game are really really fun. They're basically a revamped version of a quick time battle. When walking on the map in the game, enemies don't appear randomly, they're actually already on the map and you have the choice if you want to fight them or not. I think this is a great idea since the players can focus more on the beautiful environments and micro-managing their attributes with ease without walking two steps and entering a battle.
When battles are started, players have to wait for an attack bar to go up. Once it's up, the character will attack. You can only control one character in battle, and if that specific character gets knocked out, you lose the battle. You also have two allies that help you in battle, healing you if your health is low or helping you kill enemies. In battles, you can't physically move your character; instead, you select an attack option and you watch it play out. One of the things that I liked about battles was that using potions don't affect one character, they fill the health of all three characters! It's extremely helpful, especially when enemies give devastating physical attacks on all three of your characters! It just really saves time! Characters can also "stagger" enemies by attacking them enough times, which makes them do more physical damage even when using the most basic attacks. If battles get tough, players can also use Eidoons, which are basically "summons" that can do really heavy damage on foes. Overall, battles are really fun in this game. I actually found myself wanting to go into any battle I could because they were so much fun.
-Developing characters have a new system called a "crystalarium". After winning battles, you'll earn something called crystogen points, which you can spend in the crystalarium for new abilities, increased health or magic, and also attack techniques such as Libra, which analyzes enemies to help you figure out their weaknesses. Overall, developing characters is really user-friendly and very easy to use.
-The game's story involves a lot of switching between protagonists since at some point they do split up. One of the things I really liked was the fact that the characters that you did not play as during one segment still gain experience points when you were not using them. So if you played as one character for one scene, and now you're in a completely new scene as a different character, that new character gets the experience points that you worked your butt off for in battles. It was really helpful, since most of the time the game centered on a group of characters for a while, and to switch back to them with an abundance of experience points was just awesome.
-Throughout the game, I've never felt "underprepared" for battles. Sometimes I would get stuck on certain bosses, but I never got stuck to the point that I had to back off and grind for more experience points. I found this to actually be a really nice advantage since the story in this game is very heavy and engrossing and adding a boss battle that made the player underprepared after putting hours into the game, would be unfair.
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Cons:
-This game is extremely linear. A lot of the maps involve just walking in one direction, with the occasional shortcut that leads to a treasure. The linear factor isn't really a bad thing, it does save time compared to other FF games that take way too long just to figure out where to go, but these maps could have been spanned out a lot better.
EDIT: I have completed the game and once you reach about halfway in the game you'll end up in Gran Pulse, which is a huge and open, free explorable world. Although there isn't any towns in Gran Pulse, the linear factor here is completely gone, which I found to be a refreshing twist!
-There's no explorable towns in this game. I mean, the characters do come across quite a few towns, but because they are fugitives throughout the entire game, town exploration is minimized to none at all. So instead of walking around and looking for stores, players simply shop for items at save points.
EDIT: Since there's no towns, players can also shop for various weapons, upgrades, and different items at save points as well, which is a huge advantage.
-You can't save anytime in this game. I mean there is a ton of save points at every corner, but it would've been nice if I could be given the option to save wherever I wanted to, or even quick save like some of the remastered FF games have.
-If you have more than three characters in your party, you can't switch them out during battles like you could in FFX. These characters simply remain in the pause menu to indicate that they're in your party. It's a shame too, considering how I really wanted some of these characters to fight with me in battles.
EDIT: Once you hit Gran Pulse, you actually can switch your character battle team around in the game. It's a little disappointing that we finally get that option halfway through the game, but better to have it than not at all!!
-When you're in battles, there's an option called "Auto battle" which allows you to choose the best possible actions that you can choose. While it is extremely helpful, I it would be nice to have the ability to turn that off, or have it removed by the user's choice. That way, fans that have been playing the games for a while can focus more on micro-managing rather than completely relying on the auto attack command.
-Whenever I played the game, I always felt like I never had enough money to spend on cool items such as accessories or weapons. Battles don't exactly give you too much money, and treasure chests just have other weapons or accessories. So whenever you come across a save point that has a new shop in it, you really don't feel excited or curious about it since you have no money!

Overall-
Final Fantasy 13 is an epic game. It has an engrossing storyline that extremely in-depth, it has a really fun and simplistic battle system that really keeps you coming back for more, it has characters that are believable and make you sympathize with them, and it has beautiful environments that transform your living room into the world of Cocoon. It's definitely not like any of the older games; it is something that tries to be new and fresh for young and experienced gamers alike, and it definitely achieves it!

Post Game Summary:
Since I've written this review, it's been a few months and I was actually halfway through the game. I can now gladly say that I have completed Final Fantasy 13. It was truly and amazing experience. From the intro cutscene that feels like a movie, to the final hand sweating boss battle at the very end, this game was most definitely worth my time and money. I will not spoil the ending, but I must say, it is truly deep among any of the Final Fantasy games I've ever played and it's truly something you can only achieve by actually spending the time through this game from start to finish. Just listening to the ending song "My Hands" was really emotional and to this day I still think about the game. I can't wait to start playing Final Fantasy 13-2!! I highly recommend this game to anyone; rpg fans or new ones alike.

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One of the symbolic things that I find to be very interesting about the Final Fantasy games is their uncanny way of showing religion in different forms. The gods in the game were the antagonists, pitting humans against their own family members. I feel like this really is a testament to how our modern religions are. Always claiming to be the one true religion. Born and raised Roman Catholic, I do feel like my religion condemns more than it accepts. 

As I grow older, I do feel that diversity is very important in our world. And we should always be very accepting of the differences that we do not share with others. It is such a repugnant thing when the lives of people are at stake due to the teachings of a destructive religion.

Think about what you put out into the world, stop being so cruel to others, and accept others for their differences. 

Final Fantasy 13 really showed me that kind of message and I definitely took it and ran with it.

Thanks for reading my review!

Review: The Sims 2 for Game Boy Advance

Cup O' Joe Reviews: The Sims 2 for Game Boy Advance
My Rating: Cafe Latte (4)

A Reality Show Gone Wild!

Back in the year 2011, I picked up "The Sims 2" for Game Boy Advance. Having previously played "The Sims 2: DS" 5 years prior, I was expecting the same story of your Sims being stranded in Strangetown.

This time around, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new story line, the same retro graphics from the two other sims GBA installments (Bustin' Out and Urbz: Sims in the City), and honestly a much better and more fulfilling game experience than the DS version ever was.

Below is my Amazon review of The Sims 2:

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 Lights, Cameras, Action!, June 8, 2011

In 2003, The Sims Bustin' Out hit the market for all console systems. All the platform consoles got counterparts of the PC version, while the portable version of the GBA got a new and more refreshing type of game. The game was different in its console and PC counterparts since it involved direct control of the sim, a direct storyline that involved completing goals in a free and open world, and a variety of other changes that completely revamped the series. With its creative plot devices, non-linear gameplay, and just the idea of on the go Sims, the game received a high reception among gamers of all ages. This game just couldn't be topped.
In 2004, EA blessed gamers with the game sequel that one thought couldn't be topped: The Urbz: Sims in the City for all consoles, including GBA and the just released Nintendo DS. The game included all the same features of Bustin' Out for GBA, most of them redesigned and a lot better. The story was really in depth and humorous, the graphics were really good for the GBA's capabilities, and the gameplay simply rocked the world's of GBA players on the go. This game just couldn't be topped...Ever.
In 2005, EA had released the final game of this epic trilogy of a series. Did it live up to its potential? Find out now...
Imagine being on the set of a reality TV series and being the star of your own show. That in a nutshell, is the Sims 2 for the GBA. The game centers on where the Urbz for the GBA and DS left off at, bringing over all the favorite characters from the previous games, and even introducing new and wacky characters mentioned but never actually shown in past games. The game does in fact have a change in setting as well. No more are you at the leisure of Minipolis, now it's the mysterious and erie desert of StrangeTown. Daddy Bigbucks, the evil enemy from the Urbz, is back and has hired you to star in his new television reality series. Apparently, you're the only one in town that has been given this knowledge and it's up to you to make sure that no one gets wind of the show.
As the game intertwines the player into this crazy plot, one of the first changes is that the game no longer has this open non-linear world. Although this may come across as a negative, it's actually somewhat a positive as well. Whenever you finish an episode of the series, you are taken to your studio where you can see the ratings of your show and choose the next episode to play. For each episode that you film, you get reviewed by the Goth family and based off how good you did at plot devices, hidden wants, and aspirations, you achieve rating points to spend on all kinds of cool features like social options, new items, or even additional episodes to add to your season queue. There really isn't a limit for as to how many times you can play an episode so, in reality, the game does have that open ended factor to it. Each episode is very intriguing featuring all kinds of wacky plot twists, mysteries, and humorous moments.
A lot of the gameplay throughout these episodes hasn't changed much compared to Urbz or Bustin Out. The social system has been redesigned again to fit the PC version, and I actually thought it was refreshing. Basically, you engage into this "minigame" where you can choose between several social options. Depending on what option you choose gives the person a positive or negative reaction. Once you get a set amount of positive reactions from the sim, your relation levels up. Relationship leveling is crucial to the game's plot since it helps you to achieve higher ratings, and it interconnects with your aspiration wants which unlocks you all kinds of new rewards.
Another major change was the implication of a green sanity meter instead of a needs tab. The green meter basically measures your health and sanity and allows you to keep conversations going with people as well as interacting with the environment. Although it does make a big change from the 2 other games, I really liked it. It gives the player less time to worry about needs, and more time to focus on the intricate and ingeniously created plot.
The game in a nutshell has a variety of changes, and for the most part, I think they are for the better. Jobs no longer have to be "unlocked", all the locations are open from the start of the game, players have the ability to use items like a water gun...just to name a few.
So the question remains: Does this game live up to the potential of it's predecessors? In my opinion, I think the game is awesome. Although the Sims 2 doesn't follow the same formula of it's past counterparts, the game is built so intricately vast and filled with so many features that they soon become noticeably different, to expected. This game, in my opinion, is probably the BEST portable sims game of all the portable "sims 2" games. This game should've been ported to the DS instead of the trashy hotel version, and don't even get me started with the PSP version. This game truly lived to the potential of the theme of sims games, and it deserves more praise than it received. I highly, highly, highly, recommend this game and all the games in this GBA series to all sims fans.

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So there you have it. The Sims 2 for GBA! Like I said before, this game definitely surprised me. I found it to be a fitting end to a great 3 game Sims GBA series. If you've never played the Sims games for the Gameboy Advance before, I highly recommend picking them up and starting with "The Sims Bustin' Out" and make your way up to this game. I really wish EA or Maxis could go back to their roots, check out these games again, and remaster them. They would be appealing to a lot of fans.

Thanks for reading my review!

Review: The Sims 2 for Nintendo DS

Cup O' Joe Reviews: The Sims 2 for Nintendo DS
My Rating: Caffe Late (3)

Really a Game for Everyone?

Back in the year 2006, I was in 6th grade. Amazon was a pretty unique place for me because of the "Kids Review" system. I wasn't allowed to do any online shopping yet, but with my own account, I could write reviews for games that I had. The review below was my account of "The Sims 2 DS".

I apologize in advanced for my 6th grade grammar or spelling errors. I wanted to preserve any history to the review itself. I am also pretty happy that over 13 people thought my review was helpful...

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5.0 out of 5 starsA Great Game for Everyone

A Kid's Review on February 18, 2006

To me, Sims 2 is probbaly a great game to play for everyone because of the following...

1. Storyline 4/5 stars

The storyline in this game is that your car breaks down and you end up in the desert, in a small town called Strangetown. Then after a while, you end up owning and living in a hotel! While your at the hotel, you can check people in, check them out, build rooms, clean rooms, add touches to them, make your own music, paint in the gallery and sell paintings up to 1000 simolines (money), workout, save people from goons, aliens, and robots, meet bigfoot, talk to people in different ways, and much much more!!!

2. Gameplay 5/5 stars

Control- In the new Sims 2, you DON'T use a cruiser and click what you want to do. You have direct control over him/her.

And when you want to eat or sleep or something, you can either press A or you can press the command that pops up on the touch screen which is pretty cool. When your picking up or moving stuff, it's like the consel versions except you moving the furinture on blueprints that automaticly go into the room. And the rest of the stuff like painting or making music, you can use on the touch screen. (And this game is based on a real time clock.)

3. Needs 2/5 stars

Well I was kind disapointed with the needs because instead of needs, you have something called a sainty meter. The sainty meter is a meter that represents your needs but in a different way. It's also used in conversations (see no 4.) And like usual you still have to fill it up so you don't have a nervous breakdown and aliens abduct you.

The reason I was disapointed was because of the needs. Like in the previous games, you could buy stuff to support your needs and make your house look cool and stuff but when you play sims 2, your needs always stay up and there really isn't alot to buy because there is only one shop and only 1 new item comes in every week.

4. Socials 4/5 stars

When your talking to people in Sims 2, its kind of like a game and not the build relationship thing like in the previous. When you talk to people, they'll either be happy,sad,angry,romantic, or drunk. And in each conversation there are 3 different things to do or talk about.

When I said it was a game i meant that you have to match the social with the person so their sainty meter can go down. If you get it wrong, then yours goes down. Once you bring there's down then the conversation is over and you can carry on what you were doing. You can also press B to get out of one.

5. Graphics- 5/5 stars

In the Sims 2, the graphics are a lot better then I thought it would be! It's not like the GBA version where you walk up down left or right. In this one the Graphics are like the consels where you walk forward, backword , left and right.

6. Sound 5/5 stars

The songs in this game are songs that you want to hear alot or ones you want to get in the mood for. Not to mention that you can also create your own ring tone or song on the keybord.

7.Overall 4/5 stars

Overall this game is alot of fun for everyone and I reccomend this game for first or great sim fans!!!

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I find it really funny reading a review from when I was 12-13 years old. It gives me a lot of nostalgia and also motivates me to continue writing. The Sims 2 DS was actually a pretty decent game. I picked it up recently and I do have to say that Maxis (or EA) could have put more into the game as far as content goes. After all, they repeated a lot of the Hotel's areas. In hindsight, I did like the GBA version a lot better.

Anyway, thanks for reading my first review ever from 10 years ago! 

Grab a Cup O' Joe!

Hello and Welcome to Cup O' Joe's Blog!

As you could probably guess from the title, I'm Joe and I'm here to talk about my favorite hobby: playing video games.

Ever since the day of my third birthday, when I opened my Nintendo 64, it was inevitable that I would be a gamer to this day.

Fast forward 20 years later and here I am, ready to share my thoughts on my wondrous backlog of video games.

Before you go and check out my blog, here's a little Q & A that I put together.

Q: So what is Cup O' Joe's Blog?

A: I've made the decision that my blog is going to be primarily focused on video game reviews. I have a ton of games on my backlog that I need to get finished. I figured having a blog would be a good motivation for me to finish them so I can voice my opinion.

Q: What kinds of games are you going to review? 

A: My favorite console is anything Nintendo related, so I will probably be focused more on that. However, I also have Sony systems and a Steam backlog, so I plan to review games there as well. My favorite genre of games is Adventure/Puzzle, so expect to see a lot of those kinds of games too.

Q: Will you post any media/videos/audio of your reviews?

A: For now, I will just be writing blog posts of my reviews. In the future, I might consider a YouTube channel of my game reviews, but I will have to do more research.

Q: Are you getting paid to write reviews?

A: Nope. This is just for fun! 

Q: Will you take game recommendations?

A: YES! If you have a game recommendation, feel free to let me know! I'm always curious to play new and different kinds of games.

Q: How does your review system work?

A: Well, it wouldn't be nice of me to have a review system that did not co-relate with my blog theme! My review system is based on coffee drinks as well as the 0-5 scale. Of course I'm biased on my favorite coffee drinks.
Regular Coffee (0-1): What could be worse than a cup of regular coffee that's not only a bad roast, but burnt, sitting out for hours? A bad game.
Cafe Latte (2-3): A decent cup of coffee with a whole lot of milk. A game that has potential but falls flat in a lot of ways.
Cappuccino (4-5): A strong, foamy, espresso with lots of flavor! A game that exceeds my expectations.

Thanks for reading and enjoy! :)