Tales of the Abyss (Namco Bandai, 3DS)
Score: 8, 8, 7, 8
- 60 hours clear time
- 100 hours for those who explore
- reduced load times
- touch screen adds some convenient features, for battle special moves and cooking shortcuts
- 3DS version is based off the US PS2 version
"It's always nice to play a portable RPG with all of this voice work. It's well-made and doesn't feel old, but there also hasn't been much added to it, although touch-screen skill selection on the bottom screen is nice. The story unfolds in epic fashion, and the large number of skits adds depth to the tale. However, some of the text displays are pretty small, including the status screen. The delay in changing viewpoints on the field map is also annoying."
Flower Shop Story (Nippon Columbia, DS)
Score: 7, 6, 7, 6
- 10 hours to clear
- 14 hours with everything
- game gives the feeling of being in a flower shop
- child-friendly mini games
- rough controls
GoldenEye 007
Score: 9, 9, 8, 8
"The graphics are a bit rough, but the movie-like action scenes and settings are a lot of fun to watch. While it's a remake, the story and gameplay has been remixed so it doesn't feel particularly old. The smartphone gimmick is also nice. It takes time to get used to controlling the game with the Wii remote, but it does add to the you-are-there feeling. You can also fine-tune autoaim and other aspects of the difficulty, which lets even beginners get in on the action."