3DS EU Release Schedule

We don't normally do news but with so many 3DS games and dates announced we though you might appreciate somewhere where everything was grouped together. Below are the dates we know about for major 3DS releases so far this year. All dates are of course subject to change.

Castlevania: Mirror of Fate 08/03/2013

Monster Hunter Tri 22/03/2013

Fire Emblem 19/04/2013

Luigi's Mansion 2 17/05/2013

Animal Crossing New Leaf 14/06/2013

Code of Princess (Download only)  - Spring

Mario Golf - Summer

Mario and Luigi 4 - Summer

Donkey Kong Returns 3D TBA

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Review (DS)

Following on from the excellent Aria of Sorrow comes the next imaginatively named chapter in the Castlevania story. The title continues the tale of High school student Soma Cruz as he is drawn to a mysterious village to try and stop an evil cult from resurrecting Dracula. The story may not be original but then this Is Castlevania and as the plot has stayed the same since the days of the 8-bit era it would seem a shame to break tradition now.

Aria of Sorrow showed a number of small steps away from the 'classic' Castlevania mould and these departures are continued here. Once again Soma can use any number of weapons to defeat the hordes of beasts rather than being restricted to the vampire slaying whip of the Belmont clan (though a member of the Belmont family is also investigating the village).

Another departure is the gradual change in both music and graphical feel of previous titles. Aria started it with hints of Neo punk overtures. Here the style is integrated a little more into the games structure. This most noticeably with Soma himself being portrayed in a long white coat and looking like a standard Anime hero during cut scenes. The music has also taken on a more Japanese synth feel to it, which, while not unpleasant and expertly composed, does not have the same power to conjure an atmosphere as the elegant chords of something like Castlevania IV.

Dawn of Sorrow may not be classic Castlevania in the strict sense of the word but that does not mean that the game is anything short of remarkable for fans of the series. After calling for Konami to try and make the player feel they are exploring more than simply another castle for the hundredth time we are pleased to see a fresher approach to the game area. For instance, Soma starts out on the outskirts of a village and only a few screens in do we reach the Castle. Even when inside the variety in graphics makes the game world a much more varied place to explore than the last few titles.

Soma himself handles like a dream. There is a certain grace and smoothness about movement in the game- a good thing as enemies do their best to come at you from awkward heights. After three games on the GBA and Symphony of the Night on the Playstation it seems the control system has been refined to near perfection. As classic as it is, Symphony of the Night was a little sluggish and awkward when you needed to react quickly. Soma is far more flexible and agile meaning quick reactions should see you safe from harm.

Making a welcome return from Aria of Sorrow is the Soul capturing ability. Any Enemy Soma kills may release a soul orb that will grant him an extra power. These range from throwing weapons, stat enhancements or the ability to summon monsters and allow the player to find a balance that suits them. The only problem is that collecting souls is all down to chance. This means that while one player may pick up powerful souls early on, someone less lucky may have to struggle through without them.

Boss battles are suitably grand and imaginative affairs. Creatures are huge and foreboding giving a sense of achievement when they bite the dust. They also bring into play the somewhat pointless use of the DS stylus- with players needing to quickly draw a magic seal once the monster has been pounded to the brink of death. Failure to draw the seal in time leads to the boss gaining a small amount of health back and the battle continuing.

Castlevania DS falls is a strange thing. There is very little to pick fault with here and there is certainly nothing you could describe as bad design. However, this is the Fifth version of the non-linear Castlevania series and there really is only so much wandering around a map you can do before you start playing on instinct and memory rather than finding yourself experiencing anything truly new and exhilarating. The game itself is a great title but we can't help wondering how many more times players can be sent around a castle before they start living in a permanent case of De Ja Vu.

Overall Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a stunningly made title; yes it may be 'castles' again. But there is no questioning that this is the best handheld version of the series and arguably the best of the non-linear series (yes arguably even better than Symphony). The Idea as a whole may be heading closer to cliche but once you actually start playing it is nigh on impossible not to feel the Castlevania magic take you over. A must for fans and one of the DS's most accomplished titles.

8/10

Bangai-O Review (DS)

The poor old DS has had a bit of a dry spell of late (in terms of quality titles, anyway). While Nintendo have been focussing on improving the Wii's software library, the handheld has been left to fend for itself amid a sea of rubbish licenses and Nintendogs knockoffs.

Sure, Mario & Sonic at the Olympics has eaten up the time of many a DS owner, but the quick fix gameplay and screen scrubbing left the dedicated players out in the cold. So, with a smile and arms outstretched, we welcome back developer Treasure and new title Bangai-O Spirits.

Originally Bangai-O on the N64 and Dreamcast saw you control a kid in a mecha suit (or two to be more specific). The games had you shoot the place up, collect space fruit and try to stay alive. It was pure gaming nirvana, with a mental story and explosions aplenty. Bangai-O Spirits ditches the story entirely, and concentrates on more explosions. Oh joy!

The game now lets you select whichever level you want (from a choice of 160), you just play to gain a high score and figure out the fastest way to complete them. This stripped down gaming works very well indeed. The option to choose levels works too – if something's too hard for you, just move on and return later. The fact that levels have no real difficulty curve means this option may well be utilised early on. Alternatively, you could just use your brain and force yourself to complete the stage before moving on (go on, be a man).

It's like Treasure created a bunch of levels, threw them in a hat, hurled the hat towards a wall covered in pritt stick and used a fat marker pen to write stage numbers on them while blindfolded. The thing is, it works. One easy stage after another can become stale, and sprinkling a slight difficulty spike into the mix spices things up.

Bangai-O has always been about unleashing hot rocket death and head scratching puzzling, and that balance translates nicely to the DS. Sometimes a level requires little more than shooting everything in sight with little retaliation. On other occasions you'll start a stage with a hundred rockets heading straight for you with no warning. Its here you must make use of your arsenal (such as freezing time to unleash a barrage of rockets). The different weaponry on offer makes for plenty of replay value, offering different ways to conquer a stage.

If you're the most hardcore shooter/puzzler/fruit collecting Treasure fan in the world, the levels on offer won't keep you going forever. Fortunately, Treasure has given one of the best gifts in the form of a level editor. This adds a near infinite lifespan, and hopefully a dedicated community through which to share levels will develop (they can be converted to an mp3 format).

So, with a formula barely changed, a pick up and play mindset, and the tools to prolong the experience, Bangai-O Spirits cannot be recommended enough.

9/10

Kirby Squeak Squad (DS)

Kirby, Nintendos other character makes his second appearance on the DS. Unlike Power Paintbrush this Kirby title returns to the classic platform style games of the retro era with the second screen used as a display for Kirbys items. The story (and we use the term loosely) centres on a nice piece of strawberry shortcake. Kirby sits down enjoy this delight and before he can, it is snatched away by a group of thieving rodents named the Squeak Squad. There is only one thing to do and off Kirby goes across eight worlds to get his cake back.

Previous Kirby releases have never been the most challenging of titles and this one is no exception. As always the joy of a Kirby game comes from the inventive level design and the amount of different skills he can learn throughout the adventure. Through inhaling and then swallowing enemy creatures, Kirby can use different skills. When the enemy drops down to the bottom screen (Kirbys stomach), Kirby will extract whatever skill the enemy possessed. Thankfully any skills or food located throughout the levels (stored in bubbles) can be swallowed and stored for use later in the game. In order to activate the bubbles you have to hit them on the touch screen, which can be awkward amidst a tricky section or boss battle.

As well as the standard task of finding the exit to each level Kirby also has to collect the numerous treasure chests that are hidden throughout the lands. These chests harbour variety in the form of pieces of pictures, secret level keys and spray cans to change Kirbys colour. The chests come in two sizes; small ones just need to be swallowed and carried to the end of the level, while the larger chests initiate a chase sequence where one of the squeak squad will attempt to steal the chest before Kirby can make it to the exit. Should the rodents be successful, the chest is then placed in their hide out where our hero must infiltrate and overcome a mini boss encounter to get it back.

In total there are one hundred and twenty chests, with some of them requiring a fair amount of thought and use of various abilities to reach. The locating of the chests forms an entertaining part of the game, and if any are left after completion it is highly likely you will find yourself returning to find them. Upon collecting all the chests and completing the game two new modes are added. The boss rush mode has Kirby facing off against all eight bosses in a row on one life bar. The second mode is a timed mode that lets you play through the game again with the aim of collecting all the chests as quickly  as possible. Neither is a major addition but both are nice extras none the less.

The various worlds in the game look gorgeous, with each having a unique look. The style of the levels also ties in with the different skills you can use. For instance in the jungle, leaves can be cut down with the sword skill and in the levels filled with lava, platforms can be made by breathing ice onto it and thereby turning it into rock. It is these inventive touches that keep an otherwise familiar game fun and enjoyable from start to finish.

Overall Kirby Squeak Squad is undoubtedly a fun game. Anyone who has played a Kirby title before will not find anything particularly new here but everything is done in a very inventive and fun way. The main game will not put up too much of a challenge for most people but the sheer amount of things to find and skills to use, helps keep things fresh. It may not do anything overly ground breaking but it is hard to see anyone not having a good time with Kirby Squeak Squad and for that we can only commend it.

7/10

Yoshi's Island 2 Review (DS)

One word describes Nintendos decision to outsource one of their most loved franchises to an unproven developer, though whether that word is brave or foolish is hard to say. Artoon has hardly excelled in its previous work which was the universally deried Yoshi's Universal Gravitation. So then this is another chance for the development team to try and prove they are up to the standard that we expect from a Nintendo licence.

Much like the original SNES game the title has Baby Mario being carried around levels by one of a number of different coloured Yoshis. When something hits Yoshi he drops the baby and unless he can pick him up before the timer runs out it will be whisked away to a dark and forbidding castle.The main difference this time around- aside from the two-screen layout- is the ability to choose from a number of different babies to carry around, each with their own unique abilities. Mario can hit M blocks and use invincibility stars, Princess Peach can float, Donkey Kong can climb ropes, Wario carries a magnet for moving metal and Bowser shoots fireballs. Each baby has different effects on the shells Yoshi throws as well.

As great as being able to choose from different characters is, it is often diluted by the fact you normally cannot tell which baby you need until you are long past the character changing post. This is a very poor and lazy piece of game design and unfortunately it's not the only place where it's apparent. Furthermore Wario and Bowser are only available for a very short period of time which seems like a real waste of the characters.

 

When it comes to looking at the level design there is a real divide between the worlds. Worlds One, Two and Three are great fun and show the flair and imagination that we have seen in many a Nintendo title, and just for a minute you think you might be playing another classic. That is of course until you reach World Four.

We have tried to think this through and all we can think of is that either the work experience people were left to finish the last two worlds or Artoon simply could not be bothered to design the thing properly as all of a sudden we are bombarded with poor level design on the most inept scale imaginable. It seems the developers idea of making a game more challenging is to simply throw more and more frustratingly unfair and badly designed sections together. The black book of video game cheap tricks is all here- Enemies appearing out of nowhere? Check, leaps of faith? You bet, and it goes on and on with one lazy piece of game design after another until after a while you just wished you had never played the game at all.

It is such a shame as the first three worlds are very enjoyable and all of the bosses in the game, although being extremely easy, are well thought out and fun to match up against. It really does defy belief that the last two worlds got through any form of playtesting and they seem like badly thought out beta code that an amateur would be embarrassed with. We have come across freeware titles (such as Within a Deep Forest) which have far better level design than this. Worlds four and five may seemingly be designed by blind monkeys but at least they can be finished fairly swiftly once you have memorised where everything is going to jump out at you. So players should be able to finish the game at least - if they can be bothered to, that is.

Another fault is the gap between the top and the bottom screen. Instead of things moving smoothly from top to bottom instantaneously there is an area of dead space between the screens. It may have seemed like a great idea to produce the illusion of one big screen but in reality enemies and vital platforms end up invisible behind the metal holding the two screens together. This is something else that should have never made it past the testing stage.

Overall, Yoshi's Island is neither as good nor as bad as it first appears. The first three worlds certainly are great fun and the boss design and different babies help add some invention. But as soon as you have seen the back of the third world it all becomes a frustrating mess of a game. Nintendo need to think more carefully about what and to whom they outsource. In the end Yoshi's Island DS just comes off as a pale imitation of the mighty original SNES game, which is disappointing in the extreme.

6/10

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime Review (DS)

 

Whatever is a hero to do? Rocket the Slime was quietly gooing about his business when the evil Plob turned up and kidnapped all the residents of Boingburg. Now it's up to Rocket to return everyone and rebuild the town. Yes, this can mean only one thing... it is going to be a very silly game.

Rocket Slime is an adventure game set in the Dragon Quest world, but is not a classic Dragon Quest-style RPG. Apart from the name and the creatures present, there is hardly anything here recognisable from the franchise with not a turn-based battle or random encounter in sight. Rocket Slime is an adventure more in the Zelda mould, but even that comparison is somewhat misleading. Indeed, what we have here is something very rare: a collection of original ideas.

The game is split into three main parts. First, there is the town, which will gradually be rebuilt as Rocket rescues Slimes. Here you can talk to people and save the game along with the usual town-based activities of buying items and upgrading equipment. Then there is the actual adventuring part; after picking a location, you will go off to bounce around and see what you can find. Any Slimes or items found must be put on rafts or carts that run through each level and take things back to the town.

 

Last but not least are the tank battles. After a level or so, Rocket will find a huge slime-shaped tank which he will need in order to fight Plob's machines of destruction. The items you send back to the town invariably end up as some form of ammunition for the tank battle which occurs in real time. Here, Rocket and his crew of three (who can be given different orders) must run around the tank picking up the ammunition that comes out of various chutes, then throw it into one of two cannons.There are lots of different types of ammo, all of which behave differently, and you can even jump into the cannon yourself to try to get inside the opposition tank in order to sabotage it. Once the enemy's tank has lost its hit points, you have to run over and try and smash through the machine's metal heart to destroy it. It is a unique battle system and one that works very well.

Rocket himself has little need to carry around items or weapons and most things he picks up are only useful as ammo for the tank. The only real exception is the slime knight who sits on Rocket's head and can be used to slash at enemies. Without one of these, Rocket must stretch himself out and then spring back like an elastic band to attack monsters. Pretty much anything can be picked up and stuck on a raft or cart; even the monsters themselves can be sent back to town where you can then go and talk to them as they run around. Once enough of one type of monster is caught, a statue of them will be built in the library.

The game is not particularly long, or difficult. Realistically, it will probably take no more than about ten hours to finish the main story and the few side quests that are available (which normally involve finding a certain amount of a particular object). Furthermore, Gamestyle did not actually die until the last level itself, and that was in a tank battle (though admittedly there where a few close calls along the way). This aside, the adventure itself is very enjoyable and each level has something unique and distinctive about it that makes them all fun to play.

What we have here is arguably the first real adventure game on the DS, and a very good one it is as well. You would expect Zelda to have a little more to it when it arrives, but everything Rocket Slime does, it does very well and is one of the most enjoyable titles to arrive for a fair few years. It comes highly recommended and everyone who wants an adventure title with some new ideas should not think twice about picking up a copy. We can only hope that later entries into the series will be as fun and original and also that the tank battle system makes its way into a full fledged Dragon Quest game at the next available opportunity.

8/10

Bomberman Land Touch! 2 Review (DS)

It seems like only yesterday since the last Bomberman title, but here we have Bomberman Land 2 in all its incredibly colourful glory. For some reason our beloved demolition expert seems to have turned into some kind of child aimed character. We can’t quite work out why this has happened, but just from looking at the box you can tell there is going to be some annoyingly twee music and irritating overly excited voices contained within.

Hudson have taken it upon themselves to turn Bomberman into some sort of bizarre party game. This release continues the trend of the previous title by turning the single player mode into a sub par WarioWare carnival. Bomberman wanders around each of the different zones playing various games to earn medals. These can then be used to unlock doors which lead to more games.

While the games themselves are acceptable (if a little on the simple side) and work well with the stylus, it is hard to imagine anyone buying it for a collection of simple mini games. This is Bomberman for crying out loud! Having a single player mode which only on occasion actually wants you to blow something up is bizarre.

It doesn't help that everything is so incredibly easy. The game may now be clearly aimed at kids but unless they are under the age of six they aren't going to get much fun out of it. It just makes us glad they left any form of single player out of the recent Xbox Live Arcade title if this is what we could have ended up with.

Everyone knows that multi-player is really what Bomberman games are about and in that respect it stands up well. You can have eight player local games from one card, or take to the Nintendo Wi-Fi service to battle four players online. There are a ton of maps and play modes to choose from, with all the power ups and hazards we have come to expect over the years.

The game also works a whole lot better in this perspective than the Live Arcade edition. The problem is, this version of DS multi-player Bomberman has been released twice before. This in itself would not be so bad but the multi-player here is not compatible with that in the previous Bomberman Land.

We remember a time when Bomberman didn't really have adventures. Back in the day the single player mode used to consist of walking around a level, blowing up all the enemies and then running to the door before the time ran out. Oh how we long for those days again. This collection comprises of simplistic party games and a multi-player mode that has been available since the 8-bit days. If you have no other way to play Bomberman then by all means pick this up for the online modes, otherwise it is best left on the shelf.

5/10

Bubble Bobble Double Shot Review (DS)

Bubble Bobble is one of the most loved platform games of all time. Ever since it first appeared in the arcades punters have been clamouring to play it. Unfortunately almost every attempt to bring the game to a new audience has met with  somewhat mixed results. Bubble Bobble Double Shot is the latest attempt to make a new generation of gamers fall in love with the brightly coloured dinosaurs.

In this latest adventure Bub and Bob are joined by newcomer Bubu. With the basic idea still being the same as before. The dinosaurs must navigate a double screen level and catch monsters in bubbles. Once trapped, the bubbles can be burst and the creatures will be destroyed leaving behind a bonus. Now players can cycle through the different dinosaurs with the L and R buttons. This feature is essential as certain monsters can only be caught by certain coloured bubbles.

There are one hundred levels in total and every tenth level offers a boss fight. These are slightly different and require one of the dinosaurs to eat a power up, which depending on the colour of the character activates either a fire, water or thunder power. The boss must then be pummelled with the new skill until victory is secured.

Graphically the game is charming and bright and there is no virtual gap between the two screens, so characters and monsters are visible at all times. The monsters aren't the most imaginative of creatures but they are faithful to the games of old. So far it all sounds promising, but alas all is not well. The game has a number of needlessly frustrating problems. First of all the three heroes are cumbersome to control and slow moving. Sometimes you need a fairly precise jump to advance and it can take several attempts to get it right.

Another issue is the stupid game over screen. Once you lose all your lives there is the opportunity to continue by taking part in a short mini-game. The problem is that one of the offerings requires you to pop different bubbles and is not configured to the touch screen properly. Despite hitting bubbles clearly you will more often than not burst one behind it or off to the side. This is a ridiculous oversight that should have been corrected before the game shipped.

Of course the game over screen would not be such an issue if someone had actually thought about designing the levels with an ounce of common sense. Bubble Bobble contains some of the worst level designs we have ever seen, which is an absolute travesty compared to the simple grace of the original. You will spend half your time not being able to reach your destination because the designers thought it would be a great idea to make funny shapes out of things. What is even worse is that often the enemies become stuck in certain places with no way to reach them.

We had high hopes that this title would bring back some of the fun of the original. It was hard to imagine the game could become so frustrating, boring and illogical. Yet someone worked very hard to make sure it did. There is a nice multi-player option which allows up to three people to play in local play (no online either), but would you really want to inflict this on someone else?

You can pick up the NES version of Bubble Bobble on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console for just three-pounds fifty, or the arcade version on Taito Legends or even Bubble Symphony, which features on the Xbox edition of Taito legends 2. These versions of Bubble Bobble are fun, while this is certainly not. If you really must have a Taito classic on your DS then go for New Zealand Story Revolution instead.

5/10

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure Review (DS)

Henry Hatsworth is not the sort of game you would associate with a company like Electronic Arts. Instead of fast cars and high production visuals we have a rather innovative and clever platform-puzzle-game-cross about a well-dressed gentleman looking for a magical golden hat. Henry also has to deal with his rival, Weasleby, who wants the hat for himself.

The innovation comes in the unique way that players must use both screens of the DS. Henry is controlled on the top screen in an enjoyable platform adventure, while at the same time on the bottom screen a simple puzzle game is in operation. It may sound complicated but everything is balanced well.

Any enemies dispatched on the top screen are sent to the bottom screen where they become coloured blocks or power ups. If the enemy blocks on the bottom screen are not dispatched they gradually make their way back to the top screen and attack Henry. While the bottom screen is always moving slowly up, when you actually switch to the puzzle game the top screen freezes. This means, unlike The World Ends With You, only one screen requires your full attention at any one time.

The platform aspect is enjoyable but is pretty standard fare. You move Henry around and dispatch enemies by hitting them with your walking stick or sword. You also have various different projectile weapons such as bombs and boomerangs which can be picked up and gain new powers as the game goes on.

Level design is not massively inspiring with five worlds similar to many other platform games over the years. There are certain exceptions such as levels based in the puzzle world which link the two different types of game cleverly. However, all the levels are executed well and with flair. A decent amount of varied enemies are on show, with problems to overcome. The only real drawback is that some boss fights go on for a little too long and occasionally players can fall foul of slightly spaced out checkpoints.

When it comes to the puzzle part of the game things are straight forward but effective. The aim of using the bottom screen is to match three or more of the same colour to make the blocks disappear. If the line of blocks contains enemies then they are permanently removed. Power up blocks can also be used to give benefits on the top screen such as giving back health of using lightning bolts to shock all the enemies on the screen.

Removing blocks on the bottom screen also fills up a power bar. The bar has two levels, when it is filled once it transforms Henry into his adventurer clothes which give him the use of a sword and extra health. If you manage to fill the bar up a second time you can transform him into an invincible tea powered robot. This is started by the animation of Henry sipping tea and is followed by the robot flying across a British flag.

As you continue through your adventure you pick up coins and gems which can be used to power up our hero. The benefits range from simply giving him more health and special moves to having the power meter fill by having him take or give damage. As you progress, the timing of using the different benefits of the power meter becomes paramount as it can be dangerous to be in the robot form in tight platforming areas or absolutely vital in others.

Overall, Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is a real surprise. The game has come from out of nowhere and is an accomplished title. The platform and puzzle elements mix really well and the game shows an attention to detail that demonstrates a fun and playful attitude from the development team. Gamestyle would be more than happy to see more of this ethos of fun, innovation and enjoyment in other releases. The only real reservation we have is that we can't see many people playing through it again after reaching the end. However, this is a whimsically wonderful adventure at a near budget price and is well worth a look.

7/10

Geometry Wars Galaxies Review (DS)

The announcement of a new Geometry Wars title was met with mixed feelings from Retro 101. The 360's Retro Evolved is something of a masterpiece, and the formula was pretty much perfect as it was. When Sierra told us it would be coming to Wii and DS we were delighted, but also worried the fine balance achieved by Retro would be ruined.

While Retro Evolved is still available, the new mode offers a series of planets which effectively serve as challenges. Each planet offers medals for high scores. Some may seem beyond reach, others insultingly easy, but it's here the differences between the titles are seen in the different level lay outs and change in score multiplier. You're also aided by a customisable drone. As the progress the drone will level up and become more effective at whichever job you have given it.

The major difference to the DS version is the control system. The touch screen is the control of choice here, the face buttons unable to accurately respond to Geometry Wars' demands. Moving with the d pad and using the touch screen to control direction of fire becomes natural after a few minutes play.

Our first play of Retro Evolved yielded a score of over a million points, a score that would be unthinkable for a novice on 360. The main reason is that when the screen becomes filled with enemies, the slowdown is very noticeable. This makes it a game of patience as you circle around the playfield, dodging enemies with ease and watching your score rack up. Leader boards are also flawed as they only show your placing in the world, and the top ten. You can't view friends' scores, so the chances to gloat are lost.

While we're on the subject of connectivity, Galaxies allows you (in fact, actively encourages you) to connect the Wii and DS versions in order to unlock another galaxy. This galaxy offers some challenging levels, but it's unlikely you would want to spend around forty quid to own both versions of the game.

All this negativity suggests we were less than happy with Galaxies’ performance, and to some extent that would be true. It starts well, and the prospect of Geometry Wars on the move is certainly an enticing one, yet it feels as though the game has been forced onto the DS. The slowdown is the only real problem here, but it's a pretty big one. At £20 however, you could do a lot worse for you money. If you don't own a 360 or Wii, this is still worth picking up. There isn't anything else like it on the DS, and there are various multiplayer modes and plenty of gold medals to earn that should keep you playing for a while.

7/10

Written by Dan Gill

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Review (DS)

Another year and another Castlevania title manages to find its way onto the Nintendo DS. Any other series being chucked out at such a rate would no doubt bring a feeling of dread, but each new Castlevania release can almost always be guaranteed to be of a high standard.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia puts players in control of a young woman named Shenoa. She has been charged to retrieve three parts of a super powerful Glyph. These are the new weapons of choice and our heroine can gain new powers by absorbing any left behind by fallen monsters, and work in much the same way as Soma Cruz's ability to use souls. Any combination of Glyphs can be combined to create even more powerful attacks and it all works very well.

The plot is of an excellent standard and has far more twists and turns than we have become accustomed to from the series. The presentation is also absolutely top class with beautiful backgrounds, characters and a stunning intro sequence. The music, as you might expect, is of exceptional quality.

So far so good but Order of Ecclesia has a real shock in store. The first hour is really poor and feels like a lifetime. The structure moves even further away from the idea of having one big castle and lets players explore a world of individual areas. The first environments you come to, are beyond dull and it's a real struggle to keep the enthusiasm to play through them.

Easily the worst of these is a forest area which just goes from left to right and repeats the same three enemies and graphics over and over again. We are all for a return to the side scrolling days of old, but please don't just create a small section and then cut and paste it to make a level. Things do improve massively though and we really urge players to fight their way through to the lighthouse area. Once you beat the boss here everything steps up in pace and the level design is immeasurably better.

Whilst hacking your way around the land, you will need to keep an eye out for local villagers who have been kidnapped. Releasing the villagers is vital as they are shop keepers who sell you different things. The game is difficult enough without having to get through it without armour or healing potions. Difficulty is another thing that players will need to keep in mind. Aside from Circle of the Moon on the GBA this is easily the most will-crushingly difficult Castlevania game on any handheld. Bosses take an age to go down and regular monsters can take you out if you aren't paying attention. This is most noticeable at the start of the game and does level off a bit as you get better weapons.

Retro 101 is not scared of saying that we consider ourselves to be big Castelvania fans, but we really struggled to get through the opening parts of this. It's a shame as once it's cleared the game world and level design improves so much. However, it can't be ignored that the first section of the game feels like it takes a lifetime to get through. This isn't helped by the fact you don't have decent weapons or villagers to sell you items.

Criticisms aside, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia develops into an excellent game. The new combat system works well and the plot is close to a series high. There is also some imagination with the bosses and we really like the continued move towards self contained areas rather than just having one huge castle. The fact you get a bit of both here means it should keep everyone happy.

What it really comes down to is how much of a fan you consider yourself to be. The game is difficult and frustrating to begin with and anyone new to the series may well be put off. Persevere though (and we really would suggest you do), and this is up there with the best in the series.

8/10

Metal Slug 7 Review (DS)

Metal Slug has always had a long and glorious history when it comes to blowing very big things up. The recent Metal Slug Anthology on the Wii and PS2 let many gamers experience the chaotic destruction for the first time. Now we have a brand new title hitting the Nintendo DS. Of course, it hasn't been all roses over the years. Many will feel that the games which followed Metal slug 3 lost their ability to create the adrenaline pumping experience the series was renowned for.

The games chronicle the fight between our elite infiltration squad heroes and the armies of General Morden. After many years of war and with the world slowly recovering, a documentary looking at global refuse problems seems to show a Morden soldier in the background. The team is reassembled and quickly head off to the refuse island to take down Morden's secret hideout.

With a reputation for filling the screen with enemies, rockets and bullets it may seem odd that the new title finds itself on a handheld system. However, many games of its type, such as the awesome Bangai-O Spirits, have thrived on handhelds over the years. Metal Slug also has a handheld pedigree with one GBA and two good Neo Geo Pocket games being released a good few years back.

Despite all this, we still had trepidations when we began to lay waste to the General's army. We are happy to say that most of our fears were completely unfounded. The title may not have the small touches and humour that are so prevalent in the other versions of the series but there is enough here to show this is still a Metal Slug game.

The pace and ferocity of the combat hasn't changed much either. There are still loads of enemies and huge vehicles on the screen and apart from the occasional, very small, piece of slowdown it all runs as smoothly as can be. Everything else seems suitable Metal Slug as well.

The characters and vehicles have the right weightiness to them and all the weapons have the series trademark impact. Sound is also just right with all the samples of soldiers screaming, weapons blasting and muffled calls of "heavy machine gun" we have come to love over the years.

While it does work very hard at trying to recapture the feel of the classic Metal Slug titles there are also a number of new features that have been thrown into the mix. The six playable characters are now more different from each other than ever before with each one having strengths, weaknesses and a unique special attack. The most interesting of these is Clark's Super Argentine Back Breaker; a throw move which can be chained together to achieve massive scores.

Overall, Metal slug 7 marks a steady return to form for the series. The new slugs work well, the level design is decent and most of the bosses are inventive and suitably monstrous. It never quite reaches the heights of the best games in the series, but it’s so far ahead of the bad ones that you wonde how on earth Metal Slug 4 could ever have been created by the talent at SNK. It may not be a game for the feint of heart but fans should love it and anyone who wants a solid run 'n' gun titles to play on the bus can't really go wrong.

7/10