Bayonetta 2 Demo Impressions

"It's not Christmas without caviar." said Bayonetta, while fighting a detailed behemoth with her good friend Jeanne. Shortly thereafter Jeanne's soul is dragged into the deepest pit of Hell by a abomination of appendages, leaving you to fight a Satanic dragon birthed by a skyscraper. This entire scene would make the creators of even the most absurd anime blush, but this sort of chaos is bread and butter for a man like Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya and his games. The Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe creator received a lot of criticism for choosing to make Bayonetta 2 a Wii U exclusive after the first game was released on PS3 and Xbox 360 - and those criticisms have some validity certainly. But it's not too concerning because Bayonetta 2 feels right at home on Wii U.

All the classic Kamiya staples are present in this short demo alone; insane, high-flying, combo-based combat, monstrous yet beautifully detailed foes to dispatch, appalling dialogue, and of course, an appropriate and tactful perspective on women's sexuality. Kamiya's sensibilities may have made him some enemies, but even his harshest  critics cannot deny his eye for outlandishly entertaining, apocalyptic hack-and-slash action. The Demo looks and plays superbly; the combat is well designed and encourages variety and strategy. The controls are responsively and the visuals are outstanding. Any individual who believes the Wii U to be "underpowered" is invited to give Bayonetta 2 a go.

I highly encourage Wii U owners to try the Demo. And hopefully, when Bayonetta 2 is released October 24th, Kamiya and Platinum games can finally have a hit instead of another sleeper. Well, I'm not going to get my hopes up though.

Wii U Super Mario 3D World Bundle Review

So I finally pulled the trigger and got a Wii U. After missing the Mario Kart Bundle back in May I knew I was going to jump on the next decent one that came along. The New Super Mario Bros. U option wasn't really doing it for me, but SM3DW and Nintendoland included for $300? That's a deal to get behind. I would have definitely liked a free game to download though, like they included with the Mario Kart deal. Times not as desperate for the Wii U it would seem.

Naturally it comes with all the bells and whistles of a new Wii U console - console itself (duh), fancy new tablet controller or "GamePad", Sensor bar for games that require the Wii controllers, and all the doo-dads and accessories (cables, chargers, stands, warranty and Club Nintendo miscellanea). It was a pleasant surprise to find physical copies of Super Mario 3D World and Nintendoland in the box. Download codes seemed like the only possibility. Why not, really? Save some money on the packaging of the two games. But Nintendo decided to do us a solid so good on them.

The console and controller both work very well out of the package and feel quality made. Not so impressive was the software updating that was necessary before it could be used. It took nearly an hour and a half to download all the updates and play some video games. It makes sense that two years of updates would take some time, however.

If you have been holding out on getting Wii U, and it seems like a lot of people are finally coming around, this may be the bundle to finally jump on. If you hesitated back in May, I'd suggest going for this one before they run out too. Or if you really wish to wait, word has it there will be a Smash bundle in December.

Almost forgot to mention, they're giving a $25 gift card at Target if you buy the bundle. So. chop chop.

Super Smash Bros. 3DS Review

The hype for Super Smash Bros. 3DS has been immense. Nintendo knows how to stir up gamers around the world. Everybody and their brother was ready to play when it launched Midnight, October 3rd. If early sales figures are any indication, Sakurai and Nintendo still know how to engage their audience's fascination. But can those titans satisfy the hype? So far, it seems Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is certainly a worthy attempt.

Right off the bat, a pleasant surprise is the graphics. Leading up to the release it seemed like the 3DS version was going to be replete with jaggies and blurry textures - there was apprehension that this version would only be an appetizer for the Wii U version. I'm happy to report that this is not the case. The textures and models are fluid and detailed, while the frame rate more then keeps up with the action onscreen. The controls are responsive as well. In my Demo Impressions there was some concern about adjusting to controlling Smash on 3DS, but after a spell it begins to feel natural. However, the larger screen of the 3DS XL is a huge advantage when compared to the classic 3DS or 2DS.

The gameplay of Smash 3DS is the same gleeful chaos as always. The fighting is fundamentally more solid than Brawl and with better balance. Some of the single player modes have been trimmed (Classic Mode is only 6 stages) or removed (Rest in Peace, Adventure Mode) but the same hectic, wonderful brawling is available in a myriad of forms. Smash Mode, where you beat on classic Nintendo baddies for power-ups then use those power ups in battle against other characters, is a cool new addition. Online Smash Run would have been a worthy addition, though.

               

Of course

Speaking of the Online, the same issues that plagued Brawl continue. Disconnection and Error Codes are a constant problem. When you do get online, unreal lag is often an issue. In 2014, that is unacceptable. After all the trouble with Brawl's Online Mode one would think Sakurai and Nintendo would have all the issues ironed out. Obviously, functional online is just not a concern for them. This might fly for the Japanese audience, for whom online play is not much of a concern, but Super Smash Bros. is a global sensation. A game so popular around the world would be well served by well built online functionality. Local multiplayer, obviously, is excellent and responsive.

The character roster is very interesting - a lot of new mechanics on display, especially from the newcomers. Many characters have moves that "leave things behind" so to speak (Villager's Tree attack, Pac Man's fire hydrant) which is a welcome strategic departure from the mono-a-mono brawling of many of the classic fighters. The balance so far feels very even. The new fighters tend towards being overpowered but that is to be expected. Some of the "clones" are poor choices for Smash though. Was Dark Pit or Lucina really necessary. particularly when Advance Wars, Golden Sun, or Wonderful 101 all lack representation? Or how about Bayonetta, K. Rool., or Takamaru? Anyone of them would have made a unique addition instead of more clones.

Ultimately, you know if you want to play Smash Bros. If you have a 3DS you're probably either out picking up your copy or already playing it. If for some reason you're still on the fence, no need to worry; Super Smash Bros. 3DS is not some ignored step child in the spotlight of the upcoming Wii U version. This is the full fledged mobile Smash Bros that fans have wanted since the first one.