Downcast

Endgame Review: Nintendogs + cats

2011-12-01T16:59:00.001-08:00

I got this coupon in the mail for a discount on a used game, and they didn’t have much used games in store so I grabbed a copy of Nintendogs +cats. Seriously, though. That was my choice. My reasoning was that I wanted a game I could pick up and put down at random intervals, mainly so I could play at work. My daughter had the original game a few years back and I found playing with the puppies

How Nintendo can take back the smartphone's market share.

2011-09-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

I keep finding articles all over the internet about how the Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation Vita will be utter failures simply because people already have gaming-capable smartphones in their pockets. Of course I have written about this more than once, and to summarize, I simply don’t think it’s true. "I think it's very similar between cell phone cameras and professional digital cameras [

Open letter to Nintendo regarding the 3DS

2011-08-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Nintendo: It has been almost 6 months since the Nintendo 3DS was released and even though I am very happy with my system, it seems the public perception is different. And even though you went as far as to announce a price drop on a system that is nowhere near obsolescence to change that notion... Well, I worry. Let me tell you why. If I had it my way I'd buy every console and every game

Outdated Review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

2011-07-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

When the time came to write the review for Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, I asked myself: "Self, what do Downcast readers expect from this Outdated Review™?" To which I answered "what readers?" So I'll just post a slightly amusing anecdote accompanied with my impressions on the game. We're talking about a game that was first released in 1998. I'm going to spare you gameplay-specific

Hey! Listen! Leave Navi alone!

2011-06-21T19:24:00.001-07:00

"Fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!" - The Deku TreeWhen I first saw The Legend of Zelda, one of the things that most impressed me was Navi. You see, I believed they had changed the way games would be made that day. They had figured a way to make a "living, breathing" cursor that helped you navigate a 3D world. It wasn't a dumb arrow, a blinking highlight

Outdated Review: 3D Classics: Exitebike

2011-06-11T09:12:00.001-07:00

If you own a 3DS and you're reading this before July 7th 2011, forget about this stupid blog and go download the game! It's free until then. If you don't, well, run and buy a 3DS! This game is really neat!You've probably heard or even played the original so I'm not going to bore you with a 26 year old review (talk about outdated!) If you haven't, well, Google it, goshdarnit! Thousands of reviews

Endgame Review: Face Raiders

2011-04-30T07:58:00.001-07:00

In case you're wondering "What is this? An endgame review? But there was no review to begin with!" I suppose you're right, though I did mention it on the review for the console. I decided it to do an endgame review now because I did beat the game, I have nothing else to do, and because I felt like I owed you a follow up on that article I wrote about Nintendo's pack-in games. On that post, I

Revenge of the (hardcore) Nerds

2011-04-25T15:44:00.001-07:00

Fueled by the criticism on the recently unveiled "Project Café", random internet trolling and the fact that I have absolutely nothing to do at work today, I've decided to revisit the hardcore VS casual subject. Last time I did it I analyzed what made a game hardcore, and took a very "why can't we be friends?" approach. This time around it's personal (read: random internet trolling); I'm going to

Open drunken letter to Square-Enix

2011-04-25T15:33:00.001-07:00

In order to make this blog post more amusing, let's all pretend I was drunk when I wrote it. If possible, use a slurred voice when reading it in your head. I apologize in advance for the lack of typos.Dear Square-Enix:Enough with the old school remakes already! Geez! We get it, guys; these games are classics, cool. Yeah, yeah, they're profitable, all right. But seriously, man, like, the first

Review: SUPER Street Fighter IV 3D Edition

2011-04-18T19:10:00.001-07:00

Let's take this outside!I still can't believe I've been able to play all these wonderful games on a new system this soon! Two weeks after I acquired my 3DS with Ridge Racer 3D, my wife got me a copy of Super Street Fighter IV 3D edition! Just like RR, I had been wanting to play this game for a long time, and hadn't got a change until now.My most recent Street Fighter experience was Street Fighter

Review: Ridge Racer 3D

2011-04-11T19:31:00.001-07:00

Man. I'm so pumped! I'm playing launch games! How cool is that? I haven't felt like this since the PlayStation (one)!I remember I got that console at launch with… some stupid XTREME sports title… but luckily, back in the day, the game store had a "no questions asked" warranty, so I beat the game in a week and returned it for being crappy. I exchanged it for Ridge Racer and later got Battle Arena

Do not adjust your computer!

2011-04-09T18:22:00.001-07:00

What you're seeing is normal. I posted three (well, four, counting this) articles today! My computer had been at the shop so I kept writing at work and uploaded everything when it came back. Enjoy!

Facebook killed the video game star

2011-04-09T17:48:00.001-07:00

Hoo boy. It seems like the topic of "hardcore" versus "casual" gaming and social network games has been brought back from the dead. Didn't I already end this conflict with my Undeniable Logic™? Geez! Looks like someone hasn't been reading my blog!For those of you that have been living under a rock (and for the hyperlink impaired), it all started when Nintendo's CEO, Satoru Iwata included a strong

How I'd make Nintendo VS Capcom work

2011-04-09T17:38:00.001-07:00

I've read a couple stories lately about the concept of a Nintendo VS Capcom being brought up in interviews with Nintendo and Capcom executives.Most fans worry about how the endless cast of characters would be balanced. I'll share my Ideas because I'm bored to death at work.Art StyleThe game definitely needs to be sprite-based. The art style needs to be cartoony, with a 16 bit feel, preferably

My 3DS

2011-04-09T17:33:00.001-07:00

In classic Downcast fashion, I'm posting this waaaay late. You see, I DID get the 3DS on 3/27 at 12:00 AM EASTERN, but I thought I'd really get to know it before I made my judgment. Besides, I was having too much fun to be writing for this pointless little blog.First issue I want to get out of the way is the 3D effect. Here are the facts:It's very impressive. In my launch title of choice, Ridge

Seriously?

2011-03-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

This is some serious bullshit! Why didn't Downcast get a pre-launch 3DS? Pretty much every other gaming site got one! Even Tiny Cartridge got one!Here at Downcast we are SERIOUS about video game journalism. We have committed countless minutes to seriously hyping the 3DS and being total absolute fanboys about it. And by we I mean I.I can guarantee at least one sale has come from our hyping (mine

Review: Dance Central

2011-03-07T14:36:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had the chance to try (for a few hours) another one of Kinect's flagship titles, Dance Central. Now, I've already about written my opinion on this whole Kinect business, and before I go on, I'll say my opinion remains unchanged; Kinect is stupid.Now that I've made myself clear, let me tell you, Dance Central was LOTS of fun, and I hate dancing. If I had the money, I'd buy this game (

Killer Apps

2011-03-02T17:46:00.001-08:00

Compared with our past products, we have largely enriched the pre-installed software for Nintendo 3DS. As we were internally discussing how we could overcome the hurdle that the 3D viewing of Nintendo 3DS without a need for special glasses can be only appreciated through the users' actual hands–on experience, we made the decision to allocate some of our own development resources to the

My 3DS Wishlist

2011-02-03T19:15:00.001-08:00

I'm aware I already wrote a list of things I wanted for the 3DS, but now that the console has been announced for the US, and all the features and launch games have been explained, I figured I'd revisit my list.New mediaI didn't notice any efforts from Nintendo to share the 3D pictures (and video) taken with non 3DS owners. I want to be able to put these 3D pictures on Facebook so my friends can

私には、3DSをしたいと私は、今すぐ欲しい！

2011-01-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

'Nuff said!

Hype: Chocobo's Crystal Tower

2010-12-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

Ever since my computer broke and I'm forced to browse the web using either the DSi or Wii browsers I've been pruning my daily online routine. At one point I seriously considered quitting Facebook altogether, until I found out that Square-Enix is bringing their most popular franchise, Final Fantasy, into the world of social gaming. Chocobo's Crystal Tower (CCT) and Knights of the Crystals (KotC)

Diskinect

2010-11-30T17:51:00.000-08:00

As a professional video game journalist, I like to keep my promise of "the hottest trends in videogames as soon as they become available to me" to my loyal readers. This time, though, I went a little out of my way to get you the scoop on the latest in video-game technology. Yes, I WENT to Best Buy and gave the Kinect on display a try. I even took a small focus group (my kids) with me.Just in case

Hype: The Last Story

2010-11-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

Hey, guys, have you heard about Mistwalker Studios' The Last Story? Well, I'll tell you about it anyway!The other day I was browsing through my RSS reader and found a story about The Last Story. The writer advised the readers to keep an eye out for this game. I quickly realized why; this was the next great Final Fantasy.If you're anything like me (or most hardcore Final Fantasy fans) you may feel

Paper Rock Scissors (Lizard Spock)

2010-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Good morning, class. Today we will be discussing the ancient "paper, rock, scissors" mechanic and how it is applied to video games. Please leave any questions for the end of the lecture when you will be able to post your comments. The essence of his mechanic is choosing a "weapon" from a limited selection. Ideally, when there is odd amount of weapons each has a "stronger" and a "weaker"

Review: Crystal Defenders R2

2010-11-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

I love it when a plan comes together. I think this is the main reason I wanted to be a computer programmer. There are very few things as satisfying as having an algorithm always return the expected result.This is probably why I fell in love with Final Fantasy XII. The gambit system was designed to help minimize micromanagement so the player could concentrate on the overall strategy of the battle.