Dracula III: Path of the Dragon [iTouch Game Review]

Dracula III: Path of the Dragon [iTouch Game Review]

By: Des Manttari

Editor-in-Chief,

Phoenix Genesis

June 12, 2010.

Available: iTunes App Store

From: Chillingo

Platform: iPhone & iTouch

Genre: Horror / Point & Click Game

Sold in 3 installments

[Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3]

PART 1

This was one of those purchases where I had only 99 cents left on my iTunes card and I took a chance. Now I am glad I did. First, this game is 338 MB which equates to lots of really nice cinematic cutscenes that enhance the story. The graphics and music blend perfectly to set the mood of Transylvania circa 1920. I never felt as scared since I had played the first Silent Hill game on PSOne. Although it would have been nice to have an option to play my own music.

Adding to the overall mood is a diverse group of eclectic characters to interact with and who drive the story forward. The story itself is well-written and engaging. You play as a young priest, Father Arno Moriani, who is sent to Transylvania in September 1920 to investigate the possibility of canonizing a now deceased nurse. However, without giving anything away, possibilities of murder, intrigue, and of course (as the title suggests) Dracula are thrown into the fray. Somehow, you feel that you can trust no one, even yourself.

Not only do you interact with the characters, but there is puzzle solving via both an inventory of items as well as documents you pick up along the way that help to understand events. Two really appreciated features of the game is the ability to replay (via "load game") character scenes from the past as well as the option to permanently or temporarily turn hints on and off. The temporarily hints was the best as I could play through without feeling guided, but turn it on in the end to see if I missed any crucial items I needed to acquire.

Although basically a point and touch, the controls are very fluid and the animations and transitions are nicely done. The fact that I couldn't stop playing once I started is a testament unto itself of the quality of this game. Sadly, the game ended all too soon (about 3 hours) with many questions unanswered. Yet, the game went out in style with some sweet teaser cinematics that have me on the seat of my pants for the second of the three installments. Prepare to go down the Path of the Dragon.

Overall, this game nears perfection, especially for the iPhone / iTouch platform. Although not as detailed as the original PC version, it is nice to be able to play this on a mobile platform.

PART 2

Story-wise and puzzle-wise, this part was as satisfying as the first one. However, clocking in at only an hour and a half of gameplay, it was way too short. Additionally, Chillingo doubled the price to $1.99. Twice as much money for half as much gameplay didn't sit too well with me. Still, the story and characters are engaging enough that I am committed to playing through to the end.

PART 3

At last, Chillingo kept true to their word and released the final installment at $1.99. Although a bit longer and scarier than Part II, I found this portion of the game not as straightforward as the other two parts. Twice, I was completely stumped as to how to proceed in the game. If it wasn't for the nice players who posted answers to my struggles in the comment section of the game in the iTunes store, I would have probably abandoned the game for good. Also, I was only able to solve the final puzzle by the seat of my pants luck. It would have been nice to have at least one alternative ending. For those who have finished the game, you know what I'm hinting at!

In its totality, Dracula III: Path of the Dragon was one of the best gaming experiences I've had on my 64BG iPod Touch. I am hoping that the iTunes App store along with Chillingo releases more games of this genre and quality.

Overall score: 8.5/10.

(c) 2010: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

E3 2009 and E3 2010 Square-Enix Lineup

E3 2009 & E3 2010 Square-Enix Lineup

By: Des Manttari
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

June 11, 2010.

Sometimes it's more fun to look back into the video game industry's past and our impressions of it than to look to the future. With Another E3 Expo right around the corner, you can read my comments from last year's presentation by Square-Enix and then compare it with their upcoming lineup of games found in their 2010 PRESS RELEASE. In the meantime, let's take a trip back to a year ago on June 5, 2009 to the Square-Enix 2009 Video Game Lineup...


Those who remember Square-Enix as the company known as Squaresoft have very little not to praise. Whether it be the “Final Fantasy”, “Kingdom Hearts”, or “Front Mission” franchises, “Chrono Trigger”, “Chrono Cross”, or other games here and there, know that Square has always given itself 100 percent to the gaming experience. Now that Square has taken on Enix’s “Dragon Quest” franchise and hence changed its name to Square-Enix, the future looks promising. There was a time after Square’s less than appealing foray into 3D animation with “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within”, that Square struggled financially and the fans wondered whether the word “final” meant that the company could not move into the future. But, as E3 once again attempted to regain its former glory, so did Square-Enix.

Although the gaming company did take up quite a bit of floor space at the E3 show, complete with playable demos of various games, a massive movie screen of trailers, and a nice exhibition of gaming figurines, both past and present, it was obvious to all Square-Enix fans that the highly anticipated “Final Fantasy XIII” was sorely missing both any real new cinematic footage or playable demos. Also, not allowing attendees to capture any video footage for the first two days of the show did not go over well with many fans and media representatives. Additionally, diehard fans felt cheated that “Final Fantasy XIII” will not be exclusive to PlayStation 3 when it comes out next year. The game will also debut on Xbox 360 Live while some other new Square-Enix titles are exclusive to Xbox 360, making some feel that Square-Enix may be spreading itself out a bit too thin.

For what I’ve gathered from the all-too brief “Final Fantasy XIII” trailer, we can expect a lot of the same staple Final Fantasy roleplaying elements with magic, swordplay, and the familiar summoned Eidolons (guardian forces). As usual, we are thrown into a fantasy world with an interesting cast of characters. Absent was any sort of interesting villain though. In previous Final Fantasy installments, there was always a good-looking young Caucasian male that drove the story forward, whether it was Cloud Strife from FFVII, Squall Lionheart from FFVIII, Zidane Tribal from FFIX, or Tidus from FFX. Now, it looks like the female heroine Lightning takes the limelight. I find that the supporting African American character is a double-edged sword though. It is nice to see a bit of ethnic diversity, yet, on the other hand, I tentatively wait to see how this character fits seamlessly into the overall cityworld of Cocoon and outerworld of Pulse.

The worlds do look very detailed and lush and I hope that the game will support true 1080p high definition. Hopefully, the soundtrack will live up to previous Final Fantasy games. “Final Fantasy XIII” promises a seamless transition between real-time battles and in-game cinematics and I expect the mechanics to be much along the line of Square-Enix’s PS2 game, “Final Fantasy XII”. Given the fact that this is the first Final Fantasy game for the PS3, I expect the game to be a console seller for those interested in a solid role-playing fantasy adventure.

There was simply no mention of the “Final Fantasy XIII Versus” game, so it is questionable if this game is going forward or has been thrown on the backburner. “Dissidia: Final Fantasy” offers fans of the series some portable battles on their Sony PSP handheld with all their favorite characters, but doesn’t offer much more. Owners of the Nintendo DS will be able to continue the Kingdom Hearts story on the go with “Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days”, but rather than focus on Sora, Roxas takes the reigns as the main character. The game looks promising for a simple handheld experience.

Square has not forgotten its Nintendo origins. Although “Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles” seems like a forgotten memory on the GameCube, a loose sequel with some so-so playable footage was available for their new Nintendo Wii game “Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers”. There is the typical blond Caucasian male character, flying space ships, and fantasy elements. There was simply not enough available to get too excited about this game.

Jumping on the military bandwagon, Square-Enix debuted a few games for the Xbox 360 Live and PC such as “Supreme Commander 2”, “Order Of War”, and “0 Day Attack On Earth”. These games look visually appealing, but I really didn’t see too much in innovative and refreshing gameplay that would make me rush out to buy an XBox. Square-Enix continues to milk its Final Fantasy series with “Final Fantasy IV: The After Years”. Originally a mobile phone game in Japan, it now comes out for WiiWare. For those wishing to take a stroll down the 16-bit memory lane era of gaming, it looks like a nice simple RPG experience.

Lastly, Square-Enix combines a Resident Evil type experience with some fantasy elements in its upcoming action adventure game “Nier” for both owners of the PS3 and XBox 360. Players control Nier in his quest to find a cure for his daughter who is infected with the Black Scrawl virus. Expect battles through a plague-ridden world with “unrecognizable creatures.” The visuals look very impressive, but there is not enough on the game to really get excited just yet. At this point, it would be safer to run out and buy “Resident Evil 5” for the PS3 if one wishes to immerse oneself in an outstanding action adventure horror genre driven game. Since Square-Enix is known for story, there still may be hope for Nier.

Absent in Square-Enix’s 2009 lineup was any mention of a new Dragon Quest games, leaving one to wonder if Square has finally abandoned this franchise for the time being or if the latest Dragon Quest games for the Nintendo DS suffice. There was also a brief trailer for Final Fantasy XIV over at the Sony booth at E3. Of course it looked simply spectacular, yet although it promises to be exclusive to PS3, the fact that it is an online game dampened my spirits a bit. Given the fact that there was no playable footage of “Final Fantasy XIII”, don’t be surprised if the 2010 launch date is pushed back a year and the only thing available at next year’s E3 is a playable demo of the game. In the meantime, you can pick up some “Final Fantasy XIII” Play Arts figures to keep you entertained. Additionally, Square has completely re-mastered its 3D animated movie “Final Fantasy: Adventure Children” in high definition, adding additional footage and an exclusive preview of “Final Fantasy XIII”.

(c) 2010: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Learning Well with “My French Coach” by UBISOFT

Learning Well with “My French Coach” by UBISOFT

By: Dolores "Lolly" Hernandez
Staff Writer
Phoenix Genesis

June 11, 2010.

I never imagined being able to retain so many words in French in so little time. Well, I have found the best tool for learning a foreign language, and in my case, for learning French. It is extremely easy to use. It’s called “My French Coach,” made by UBISOFT for the NINTENDO DS.

There are eight varieties to choose from in this collection of methods of learning a language:

1) Multiple Choice, in which one chooses the right word English word that matches the French word.

2) Hit-a-Word; this is my favorite. This is where on feels like a second-grader knowing that one is actually dealing with sophisticated words. In this one, little gophers stick their heads out and wait for you to hit them with your Nintendo DS pen. Below each gopher is the right word or the wrong word. You are asked to recognize the French word equivalent to the English word you are asked to find. This is a lot of fun!

3) There is also Word Search, for people like me, who love to find words in word puzzles!

4) Flash Cards: hear a French word and pick the right English meaning, that simple!

5) Memory Choice: Pick from a spread of a deck of cards the matching names and translate them.

6) Bridge Builder: put the pieces together of a bridge by putting together parts to a sentence. If you fail, your bridge collapses, and you try again. Trial after trial you will naturally remember how the sentence goes in the right order because as soon as a bridge collapses, you are shown the right order of the sentence.

7) Spellstastic: This was the most challenging of the game choices for me, as you are presented with a word, and you then must spell each one letter until you get the right word. It should be easy, but that depends on your spelling abilities as time passes.

8) Fill-in The Blanks: You are presented a verb, which you must type in the right conjugation for the personal pronoun specified. For example, “Abandonner” is given to you as the verb, and the pronoun, “je” is also given, you must then type on the typewriter on the screen, “Abandonne,” which is the right conjugation for the pronoun “je.” If you don’t know, then below the typewriter is the conjugation for the entire verb, and you get to click and view the entire conjugation and get back to your game.

The graduation categories go from Kindergarten all the way to High School. I started in Kindergarten and have worked my way to the later part of the 4th grade. I’m very happy to have learned so many words, and to be familiarized with the right pronunciation.

Let me also mention the Dictionary tool and the Learning tool. The Dictionary is great! It is a list of English words from A-Z and when you click on these, you hear the right translation, and you see both the English and French words on the screen. This is very useful. The Learning tool contains 50 French geographical places and important dates useful in your future French civilization class and for your future trip to France. You will know the Arc of Honor and you will remember why Joan of Arc is important in France. You will know the most important time periods in French history.

This is the most complete game out there for any serious French student! Also, Ubisoft makes a companion My Spanish Coach game for the Nintendo DS which is equally as impressive.

Overall score: 10 out of 10!

(c) 2010: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

E3 Expo 2009 Sneakpeek Video

E3 Expo 2009 Sneakpeek Video

By: Des Manttari
Editor-In-Chief
Phoenix Genesis

June 10, 2010

I can't wait for this year's E3. Enjoy the quick video I threw together from June 1, 2009.



(c) 2010: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

E3 2009 Photos Added To Our New Flickr Account

E3 2009 Photos Added To Our New Flickr Account

By: Des Manttari
Editor-In-Chief
Phoenix Genesis

June 10, 2010

We have just opened a new Flickr account. You can access it HERE or to your right in the Phoenix Genesis Portal sidebar. We are excited to finally have a chance to show the setup of last year's E3 2009 Expo (June 1, 2009) at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We hope you will find them informative when compared to our upcoming E3 2010 show setup photos that we will eagerly take next week. We also encourage you to check out our photos on Facebook HERE. If you're not yet on Facebook, we hope you join us soon. Also, to keep abreast of our latest news, you can subscribe to our Twitter account HERE.

(c) 2010: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

E3 2009: Overall Impressions

E3 2009: Overall Impressions

By: Des Manttari
Editor-In-Chief
Phoenix Genesis

June 8, 2010

For the first time in 3 years, The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) trade show returned to its former glory at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown LA. Given the fact that we’re in an economic recession, the show was fairly impressive. It was a chance to reunite with old friends while meeting some new ones. Familiar franchises such as God of War, Final Fantasy, Silent Hill, Ratchet and Clank, and Uncharted took gaming to a whole new level thanks to the new high definition era of blu-ray technology while many new games made their debut. Fun family entertainment mingled with hard-core intense adult games, so there was a little bit of something for everyone. Overall, the show was a success and I look forward to the next year of gaming.

Back in 2006, the Nintendo Wii made a breakthrough with its interactive controller. Now, three years later, Sony and Microsoft are pushing the envelope of how we play games even farther. Sony has boldly claimed that their new controller will make the PlayStation 3 the “ultimate sandbox” while Microsoft wishes to eliminate the controller all together by making the gamer the ultimate controller. However, in the race to provide more and more advanced technology, gaming in general seems to have fallen farther behind.

First and foremost, Microsoft is forgetting what the gaming experience means to a great many of us. By making gaming more physically challenging, I feel they have forgotten that some people are either unable or unwilling to make this transition. What about those with physical disabilities who cannot jump, twist, run, jump, and do other physically demanding activities? What about people who live in smaller apartments and do not have the floor space? What about people who work physically demanding jobs and want to simply relax on their bed or couch and just have a nice quiet gaming experience?

Having said that, I feel that Nintendo offers the perfect balance to the overall gaming experience. There is the Nintendo DS Lite and new Dsi for gamers on the go, the Nintendo Wii Fit for those who like to sweat during gameplay and the Nintendo Wii next gen console for those who can sit but also play with a controller that is not so limited in its movement. I think the current wireless motion censored PS3 controller offers a nice balance to gameplay as well. I find the new Sony PSPGo a “no-go” as Sony has specifically aimed their handheld at the male 18-to-28-age range market, leaving out a wide audience of both females and older gamers. Nintendo again hits the mark, complete with huge images of older gamers enjoying the wide range of Nintendo gaming platforms.

Although gaming has taken technological leaps and bounds over the last decade, becoming both more realistic and more complicated, there is something missing in gameplay. So many of today’s games are becoming nothing more than well-crafted killing simulations and gone are many of the original gaming mascots such as Crash Bandicoot, Sly Cooper, and Spyro the Dragon. Where are the games such as Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon for the younger gamers? Where are the immersive memorable stories of the past? Although Square-Enix promises us a good old fantasy role-playing game with the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII, there was no playable footage and not enough information from the trailer to ascertain if this next installment will live up to previous games from its franchise. Mini-Ninjas, Lego’s Harry Potter, Where The Wild Things Are, and Nintendo’s DS Zelda offers a relief from some of the violence, but overall as a company, I give the highest recognition to Natsume for not only coming out with more Harvest Moon animal and farming sims, but for their new PS3 game, Afrika.

In their National Geographic approved game, Natsume allows the player to go on a photographic safari, taking photos that can be sold to buy upgraded camera equipment that will allow the player to take even more professional photos. There are a variety of animals that live and act in their natural African environment while providing the player with numerous opportunities to hone their skills as a professional photographer. I think that more video game companies should consider offering innovative non-violent family entertainment such as this.

So, keep coming back to Phoenix Genesis as we try to give you more in-depth coverage of E3 2009 with articles, photographs, and video footage. We look forward to the next decade of gaming and hope that you come along on our amazing journey.

(c) 2010: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Review

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

By: Des Manttari
Editor-In-Chief
Phoenix Genesis

June 8, 2010


Game developer Naughty Dog has always produced a top-notch franchise for owners of Sony PlayStation consoles. Those who played the original PlayStation enjoyed the Crash Bandicoot platformer franchise. Who didn’t enjoy the orange quirky marsupial named Crash as he made his way through interesting levels. Then PlayStation 2 came out with the Jax and Daxter franchise. Taking a whole new direction with the launch of the PlayStation 3, Naughty Dog scrapped their lovable mascots for something a bit more adult with their launch title, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

Not forgetting their platformer roots, Uncharted has its fair share of platforming activities with climbing, jumping and leaping. This time though, instead of a colorful cartoon character, the player’s avatar is the motion captured character Nate Drake, the alleged direct descent of historical figure Sir Francis Drake. Although the player controls Drake, there are chances throughout the game for Drake to be accompanied by both a female and male sidekick.

There are now cinematic cutscenes and a nice simple adventure story to give a more realistic and interesting feel to the game. The story begins with Drake on a boat with his female companion, a news reporter, as he opens the empty coffin of his ancestor. Sir Francis Drake’s journal offers clues to the lost golden idol, El Dorado, which Drake covets. Along the way to El Dorado, Drake has an opportunity to do a little Lara Croft puzzle solving and treasure collecting, but the road to El Dorado has many unexpected surprises along the way. Sometimes, we get more than we ask for and the journey is the true reward, not the prize at the end. This is the case with Uncharted, not only making it a truly satisfying experience, but one ripe for a sequel.

There are 20 or so levels to this game, so gameplay length is satisfying. The levels themselves are immense and rich in detail and exploration value. There are tombs to raid, a U-Boat to explore, huge cliffs with raging waters to navigate, and castle walls to scale. Birds fly off and leaves rustle, giving a very real feel to the environment models. The music and sound effects perfectly fit the colorful and detailed environments. Not only is there a definite Tomb Raider feel to the game, the PlayStation 2 masterpiece Ico comes to mind in some of the environments. For those who enjoy the ABC television show Lost, the mysteries that unfold in this virtual island will delight the player.

In addition to the platformer and exploration aspects of the game, there are a few puzzles to solve. However, there could have been a bit more puzzle solving to add diversity to the game. Hopefully, we’ll see an improvement in this area of gameplay in the upcoming sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, slated for this fall. Running at 720p, the game looked simply spectacular in high definition and the sequel has jumped a few notches its its eye candy appeal.

No tomb raiding game is complete without enemies that attempt to thwart the hero at every turn of the race to El Dorado. Not only are their modern day pirates to fight off, but Resident Evil type creatures that debut later in the game. There are a plethora of weapons at Drake’s disposal, but the amount of ammunition and types of weapons vary throughout the game. At most, Drake can carry about 3 grenades and 2 different weapons. I tried to find a balance with a pistol or 9mm gun mixed with a semi-automatic weapon such as an AK-47 or a scoped weapon or shotgun. Depending on the situation and approach, different weapons have varying effectiveness. There is also hand-to-hand combat, useful in tight situations or when you run out of ammo.

The artificial intelligence is very well programmed in the game. Enemies will let each other and you know when you have run out of ammo, so be forewarned. Although ammo is plentiful, it is wise to conserve it at some points in the game. During certain levels, simply using the run-and-gun approach is not the smartest move as there are often hidden traps, explosive barrels, or cliffs that Drake can fall off. Rushing headlong into battle can lead to an ambush or make Drake a victim of sniper fire. I found that sometimes it was better to fall back at a safe distance and let the enemy come to him.

Travel is not limited to foot throughout the entirety of the game. There are several levels of river travel via a speedboat and one level with a well-armed jeep that added a bit of diversity and challenge to the game. Depending on the player’s expertise with these types of game, Naughty Dog offers several levels of gameplay from easy to normal to hard. Given the fact that this game has definite replay value, why not try playing at each setting?

Finally, Naughty Dog has added loads of bonus goodies to the game. There are different costumes and characters that can be unlocked as well as making of documentaries, motion capture scenes, and rewards for various types of gameplay. For example, rewards are given for accomplishing a certain amount of headshots with different weapons.

For those purchasing a PlayStation 3 160GB hard drive console, the game comes as part of the package. For the 80GB model, it does not, but you can pick the game up used for a bargain basement price. Given the fact that Uncharted 2 will probably be your next investment, I highly suggest picking this game up to familiarize yourself with this franchise. Overall, given that there was a bit too much gunplay and not enough puzzle solving, I give the game an 8.5 out of 10.

(c) 2010: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

Feel free to link or print this; just include the SAVE SMC URL: http://savesmc.blogspot.com/