Instead of doing two separate reviews, I'm condensing my thoughts on two games into one blog, hence the name DOUBLE SHOT. This time, since it's Thanksgiving week, I'll be doing a couple of 3DS games, since a lot of you guys might be on the road to see relatives. I'll try not to ramble too much. So, without further ado, here's the first game.
Pokémon Y
I know, this game has been out for over a month now, but it's still worth talking about. It's the first handheld fully 3D Pokémon game, and it is probably the best one yet. The models for all the Pokémon look fantastic, and the animations for moves give fights a Pokémon Stadium feel to them. Gone are the days of four houses and a Pokémon Center to signify a town or city, as many towns and cities have tons more going on in them, my personal favorite being Luminose City. Another big thing is the ability to customize your character, whether it be skin color, hair, or clothes. A great new feature if you're into that kind of thing. Pokémon Amie can also be put on that "Interesting Niche" list, because who doesn't wanna hang out with their Pokémon, am I right?
Battles have been turned up a notch as well. With Mega Evolutions and the new Fairy type this is probably the biggest thing to happen to battling since Gold and Silver with the introduction to the Steel types, Dark types, Special Attack and Special Defense. With the introduction to Super Training, leveling up your Pokémon's EV stats are a breeze. The AI trainers aren't that impressive, but then again, they aren't where the challenge lies. The real challenge is taking on your friends and strangers in your bid to become the Pokémon Master.
Game Freak really took great strides in the multiplayer aspect of Pokémon, as things like Battle Spot, Multi Battles, and Wonder Trade are all tons of fun to do. Not only can you interact with your friends with you have registered on your 3DS, you can interact with THOUSANDS of trainers across the globe easily.
This is what Pokémon was meant to be. It has something for everyone. It's a great jumping on point for beginners, and it leaves a whole bunch of things for more hardcore players. Also Pangoro is the best new Pokémon. Learn it.
A Link Between Worlds
Oh man, this game. My 3DS game of the year was gonna be a tie between Animal Crossing New Leaf (don't even get me started on that one) and Pokémon Y, but A Link Between Worlds just blows them out of the water. I was naturally excited for ALBW being an A Link to the Past alumni, and Nintendo did an amazing job with this sequel to one of my favorite games ever.
Link is an apprentice for a blacksmith, and it's clear when we first meet him that he's not cut out for that kind of life. Without giving too much away, the world pretty much agrees with him and soon he is called to arms, whether he likes it or not. The story itself can be surprising at times, and is definitely one of the best ones in the Zelda series. If you beat it, Nintendo also gives you a Hero Mode (which is basically hard mode) if you have the chops.
Every single dungeon in this game is great, and some are possibly the best ones in the series, or certainly stands among them. None of the puzzles I found ever hit the tedious level, and always seemed to hit at least around the "BRILLIANT!" level. The wall merging mechanic is also used enough to not make it be tedious. If you ever had a problem with the Zelda games being too linear, this one is for you. You can take on the dungeons in ANY order you want to, thanks to the ability to simply rent all the weapons instead of finding them in dungeons. They all cost enough to rent not to seem overly expensive, but pricy enough for it to be unwise going into dungeons armed to the teeth.
Not all the best parts happen in the dungeons, though. The over world itself is colorful and bursting with personality (the orchestrated remaster of the original soundtrack certainly helps), and Lorule gives you the feeling that this could be the fate of Hyrule at any moment. There's enough to do in the world, like collecting heart pieces, Maiamai children, and of course tempering your sword, to keep you busy for a while.
Long story short, A Link Between Worlds is a fantastic game that is a must play for any gamer in general.