Life on Yoshi’s Island

Yoshi’s Island DSThat’s right, I’m featuring another DS game- kind of hard to tear me away from my favorite handheld. It’s Yoshi’s Island DS, which I started playing two days ago, and have become hooked on.

At first, I didn’t expect too much from this game. Sure, I’m a hardcore Mario-fan, but I was too enamored with New Super Mario Bros. to pay it much attention. Surely, I believed, an island populated by the Yoshis couldn’t be as much fun as the Mushroom Kingdom? Well, I was wrong. It’s a LOT of fun.

Yoshi’s Island DS is a side-scrolling platformer much like Super Mario Bros., but you control the Yoshis, who in turn carry around Baby Mario, Baby Princess Peach, Baby DK (that’s Donkey Kong!), Baby Wario, and Baby Bowser as they try to save Baby Luigi from the evil Kamek.

What I love love love about this game is that each of the babies have their own “special powers”- Baby Mario, for example, is the only one who can hit “M” blocks, only Peach can fly with her little pink umbrella, and so on. You can switch babies by visiting a “stork stop” (this is too cute), and Yoshi can also turn into special “vehicles”- like a helicopter to fly the skies.

The graphics are gloriously cute, as is the music. In fact, the whole game just screams cute- which, for a kawaii-loving girl like me, adds to its charm.

Buy it from Walmart.com:

What I’m Playing: January 2008

This is the first in what I hope will be a regular feature here at CyberGirlAsia: a list of games I’m currently playing. The idea is, of course, to get you to post a comment listing the games you’re currently playing.

Games I’m playing right now- January 2008. Reviews to follow!
Sherlock Holmes: Awakened (PC)
Hellgate: London (PC)
The Simpsons Game (PS2)
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS) - My Review
Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)

So, yes, I’m still playing more games on my DS than any other platform… but, as I can actually take the thing to bed with me, are you really surprised?

I’m curious about what games you are playing right now- post it in the comments, please!

Welcoming 2008 from Hotel Dusk

Hotel Dusk KyleIt was one of those games that I heard great things about, bought, started, then set aside for months. I was too busy feeding my New Super Mario Bros. addiction, after all.

This New Year’s Eve, however, I partied much too much, and found myself in bed with a cold, a bad cough, no voice, and not enough energy to time my little Mario’s jumps. I decided to give Hotel Dusk: Room 215 another chance… and, boy, I’m glad I did.

In this detective-type game, you are Kyle Hyde, an ex-New York cop with a Past. Yes, that’s a past with a capital P. Kyle is now a salesman, checking into the run-down Hotel Dusk. The whole game takes place on one night in December 1979, with a cast of characters full of secrets of their own. From the Amazon description:

“Hotel Dusk uses branching storylines to tell its tale, giving you many options for how to go about solving the mystery. Should you strong-arm a suspicious stranger in the hallway? Be friendly to the hotel maid? Pretend to be interested in the manager’s rambling stories? It’s all up to you, but choose wisely. One false step could get you thrown out of the hotel and forever seal the mystery of what happened on that dark Christmas eve so many years ago.”

Hotel Dusk MilaNeedless to say, I am no longer sick in bed, but I haven’t stopped playing Hotel Dusk. This, with it’s a-ha “Take on Me”-esque art, its crazy characters, and its plot and subplot twists and turns, is why I haven’t been blogging. Even as I work, I’m haunted by questions about the story: the girl in the picture to the left, for example, is freaky as hell. She doesn’t speak, just nods and stares at bad paintings on the hotel walls. Who is she?

I’ve just gotten to Chapter 5, and loving every moment of it. If you got a DS this Christmas, go and buy this game. You won’t regret it:

Buy from Amazon (USA): Hotel Dusk: Room 215

Buy from Play Asia (for Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, and other Asian countries): Hotel Dusk or the original Japanese version, Wish Room.

Nintendo DS Shop

If you’re planning to buy Nintendo DS consoles, games, or accessories this Christmas, check out our sister site’s new Nintendo DS resource blog, Find Nintendo DS.

I was especially excited to see their Nintendo DS Bundles page, which lists the latest Limited Edition DS consoles (Gold Zelda, Metallic Rose Nintendogs, etc.) and provides eBay listings for the best discounts as well. Visit Find Nintendo DS »

Rock Band Game Guide

Rock Band Game GuideIt took the world by storm: a game that made you play, and feel, like a Rock Star!

The Rock Band Official Game Guide (from Prima) is a stocking stuffer that any Rock Band game addict will love.

Get it at Play-Asia or Amazon.

Nintendo DS Game Cheats (Free!)

Nintendo DS CheatsHere it is! Download this Nintendo DS Game Cheats ebook for free.

Nintendo DS Cheats

You’re welcome, and good gaming to you!

  

Direct2Drive