Bit by Bit: April 1-7

Happy Easter to all and to those who do not celebrate this holiday, happy long weekend!  In between work, church, family get togethers and blogging, there will be little time for me to play games.  I only got to playing Xenoblade Chronicles, which I picked up on Thursday, today.  Not that it is a bad thing, I am just a normally busy guy.  With the considerable lack of big games releasing this month, you will see the amount of Launch Stations cut in half.  There will still be one Launch Station a week until things start to pick up again.  Now let us get down to the bests of the week.

Game of the Week
Much like last week, I sunk all my time gaming into Kid Icarus: Uprising.  This week I got sucked into Uprising's amazing story mode.  The constant back-and-forth between Pit and the other characters in the game is extremely entertaining and made me laugh many times through the lengthy story.  The dialogue does an excellent job of breaking the fourth wall and parodying other genres of entertainment such as anime on a regular basis that it will be hard not to crack a smile.  While the story feels much like that from a Saturday morning cartoon, it offers some great twists and turns that will have players glued to their 3DS much like I did.  Even though I completed Uprising, I will be keep coming back to it as I want to play each level on higher intensities, collect more weapons and powers and unlock more achievements.  Kid Icarus: Uprising is among some of my favourite games for the 3DS and deserves the honour of being my Game of the Week for the second week in a row.

Most Anticipated Game of the Week
Funny how Pit has a repeat showing as Game of the Week.  Well our beloved blue hedgehog is back as my Most Anticipated Game of the Week for the second week in a row as well.  This time not for the Sonic 2 HD fan project, but for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II.  With a release date and new trailer, my excitement for Sonic 4: Episode II is at an all-time high.  Sega looks to have created a game that adds to the great groundwork they made in Episode I (yes, I liked Episode I, chill out crazy Sonic fanboys).  I am really looking forward to how the levels optimize using both Sonic and Tails together to overcome unique obstacles.  Also the inclusion of Episode Metal, where you can play as Metal Sonic in four exclusive levels, for those who already own Episode I is amazing.  Cannot wait to play it.  Hopefully it comes to Wii U.

Video of the Week
Speaking of Sonic 4: Episode II, my Video of the Week goes to new trailer Sega just released for the game.  This exciting trailer gives fans such as yours truly a great glimpse at the co-operative action between Sonic and Tails in a new level that looks to be a cross between Oil Ocean from Sonic 2 and Sandopolis from Sonic & Knuckles.  The trailer also reveals Episode Metal, which I explained above.  So sit and enjoy.

Launch Station: Xenoblade Chronicles

It has taken close the two years, but Xenoblade Chronicles has finally reached the shores of North America.  For hardcore Wii owners, Xenoblade has been on the radar for a couple years now.  Released originally in Japan then Europe, Nintendo originally had no plans of bringing Xenoblade to North America as they thought gamers would not buy it.  They were wrong as a whole lot of hardcore Wii gamers banded together to create an online petition known as Operation Rainfall to bring Xenoblade Chronicles along with  The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, three high-caliber Wii RPGs, to North America.  At first, it did not look like Nintendo would ever bring these games over to our shores, but with a little help from Gamestop Nintendo decided to bring Monolith Soft's huge RPG over the pond in exchange to making Xenoblade exclusively available at Gamestop in the US and EB Games in Canada.  With Xenoblade Chronicles on store shelves and Last Story coming this June, it is time for hardcore Wii gamers to put their money where there mouth is and buy Xenoblade Chronicles.  I did.

In the beginning, there were two titans, Mechonis and Bionis, engaged in an eternal battle.  These two titans fought until their lifeless bodies remained.  As time went on, life flourished on Bionis with a race of Human known as Homs while a race of Machines known as Mechon came to inhabit Mechonis.  Much like the titans they live upon, the Homs and Mechons are locked in a seemingly endless war with one another.  After the prologue, you take control of the main protagonist, Shulk.  Shulk lives in Colony 9, which is located at the foot of Bionis.  When Colony 9 is attacked by the Mechon, Shulk obtains the Monado, the legendary energy blade thought to be the sword Bionis used eons ago, in order to fend off the Mechon threat.  The attack on Colony 9 launches Shulk and friends into a grand adventure across the two titans to delve into the conflict between Homs and Mechons and uncover the secrets of the Monado blade.  Unlike most RPGs, Xenoblade Chronicles puts an emphasis on exploration and a real-time battle system than on the story.  Right from the beginning of the game, the majority of the world is open for you to explore, complete side quests, discover secret items and uncover hidden areas.  The scope of Xenoblade's world is comparable to that of a MMORPG.  Xenoblade Chronicles institutes a real-time battle system where the player controls one character while the rest of the party is controlled by the computer.  You are able to switch between characters on the fly and you can manually activate special attacks known as Arts, which replace the RPG trope of magic attacks.  Unlike magic attacks in other games, Arts do not use up a character's mana as there is no such thing in Xenoblade instead they will need to recharge once used.  Arts can be modified out of battle using the Battle Palette.  Xenoblade's battles have a couple of other features such as the Aggro Ring and Vision system.  Each character has an aggro ring.  The bigger the ring around a character, the more enemies will focus their attacks on that one character, which frees other characters up to attack enemies from the side or the rear for more damage.  Finally, the Vision system allows Shulk to see glimpses at enemies' future attacks such as warning Shulk about a fatal attack against a fellow party member.  You can then use this knowledge of the possible future to brace yourself to react to it or prevent it from even happening.

There are so many features in Xenoblade Chronicles that I could fill pages, but I know you guys and gals do not have all day.  Personally, I have been looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles for quite sometime considering how barren the RPG scene has been on the Wii.  For all those who insisted Nintendo to bring Xenoblade over to our shores, like I said in the intro, time to put your money where your mouth is.  If you do not support Xenoblade Chronicles now, Nintendo may not be so inclined to bring games like Xenoblade over to North America in the future.

On the Download: April 1-7

Well it has been two weeks since the last On the Download.  With the surprise release of Ridge Racer Unbounded and about one big downloadable game to be released last week, I decided to not have On the Download this week.  As we move from March to April, it seems to be fewer noteworthy downloadable games to talk about.  While release of downloadable games may be slow, the news keeps flowing.  Super Meat Boy The Game was announced for iOS, Double Dragon Neon was announced for XBLA and PSN and free Extended Cuts of the endings for Mass Effect 3 will be coming as DLC this summer.

More of an application that an actual game, Colors! 3D is a simple yet robust painting app for the 3DS.  Tailored to the 3DS's touch screen, Colors! 3D caters to everyone from the most serious artists to the most aimless of doodlers.  Colors! 3D is your canvas to create whatever your heart desires and view it in eye-popping 3D.  For those with a wireless internet connection, Colors! 3D allows you to share your paintings with other players.  You can even paint together with a friend on the same canvas using the 3DS's local wireless capabilities.  Colors! 3D even offers players an assortment of pictures to colour if you are not feeling creative at the moment.  For 7 dollars, Colors! 3D is the perfect digital sketchbook for aspiring artists or even free-spirited children who just feel like doodling on their 3DS.

Saturday Morning RPG is an episodic role-playing game for the iOS.  You play as Martin "Marty" Hall in a setting truly inspired by the iconic Saturday Morning cartoons from the 1980s.  Marty is an average high school kid who has been given the ability to channel magic through everyday objects.  Marty's powers attract the ire of super villain, the evil Commander Hood.  Marty must thwart Commander Hood and hi minions and save the world multiple times over the course of this episodic game.  At it's core, Saturday Morning RPG is a Japanese RPG (JRPG for short).  Through battling enemies in turn-based encounters, you will build Marty's powers through multiple stand alone episodes.  All the stats you gained, items you have in your inventory and story decisions you have made will carry over from episode to episode.  Saturday Morning RPG looks to be a very unique game for iOS, which anybody who owns an iDevice should check out considering the first episode is free.  If you enjoy it, you can pick up the second episode for 2 dollars.

Hump Day Video: The Definitive 50

Late last month EB Games announced that come April 9th, they will no longer be taking Gamecube games for trade-in.  This announcement has sparked an interest in me to search all local EB Games stores for any of the few Gamecube games I am still looking for (Pikmin 1 & 2, Skies of Acadia Legends and Wario World).  I have searched Cambridge and Kitchener to no avail, but there is still hope some people will trade in their Gamecube games before the deadline.  With all my searches for old Gamecube games, I stumbled upon a great Youtube channel called The Definitive 50.

The Definitive 50 is a Youtube series hosted by Newbs from Splodinator.com that countdowns the top 50 games of a certain console.  The first season was the Definitive 50 Super NES games.  The current season is the Definitive 50 Gamecube games.  Each episode is around two to three minutes in length and has host Newbs explaining each games significance as one of the top games of its console generation.  The short episodes make it easy Youtube show to watch in small chucks and the informative nature of the show makes it a great watch for older gamers and younger gamers just starting out.  If you have any interest in classic games, check the Definitive 50 out.  It might just introduce you to an old Gamecube or SNES that may interest you or remind you a classic game that you forgot about.

The Definitive 50 Gamecube games is still in progress.  Number 21 on the Definitive 50 should be up in the coming days.  Below is Number 22 on the Definitive 50 Gamecube games, Beyond Good & Evil.  If you enjoy this episode, make sure to subscribe to the channel and watch all the other episodes.

Off the Newsstand: Nintendo Power Issue 277

With all that came out this past March, there has been no room for yours truly to look at the latest issues of the various gaming magazines I read.  Also for a good few weeks in March, I was without a magazine to read.  That was until this past week when I received the newest issues for all my subscriptions (Nintendo Power, Game Informer and Electronic Gaming Monthly).  Now I at least have some reading material for the coming weeks.

With Epic Mickey: Power of Two announced earlier in the week, it came as no surprise that the exclusive Nintendo Power teased in Issue 276 was no doubt Mickey's return to the Wii.  Well Epic Mickey: Power of Two was not the only Epic Mickey to be covered in this huge cover story.  Nintendo Power got the first details on Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion for the 3DS, which is the spiritual successor to Castle of Illusions for the Genesis and will release alongside Power of Two this fall.  While nothing too in-depth, this cover story was very enjoyable.  It gave readers a nice look of what these Epic Mickey games will be about when they release later this year.  This cover story had two really good interviews with the creative directors on these games, Warren Spector and Peter Ong, which are both interesting reads.  Like most issues of Nintendo Power, Issue 277 is 96 pages packed with great content.  Apart from the cover story, you got a retrospective look at The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past to celebrate 20 years since its North American release, an extended hand-ons look at Mario Tennis Open with accompanying interview with the game's producer and lead designer, a look back at the Nintendo 3DS's first year and an in-depth profile of Hironobu Takeshita, producer at Capcom and creator of a little Wii gem known as Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure.  Issue 277 also has reviews on two big Nintendo games, Kid Icarus: Uprising for 3DS and Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii.

Another all around solid issue from Nintendo Power.  Nintendo Power has been on a roll as of late and personally I hope it keeps going.  While Nintendo Power does cater more to the big Nintendo fans such as myself, it does provide a great read for anybody who owns a Nintendo system or handheld.

Launch Station: Star Wars Kinect

The Kinect has been a great success for Microsoft.  Capitalizing on the success of the Wii and motion gaming, Microsoft suckered a lot of casual gamers into their motion-sensing camera.  Other than the Dance Central games, Child of Eden and a few other games, there has been next to nothing made for the Kinect that has justified it's over-priced 150 dollar price tag.  Championed by Microsoft as the Kinect's killer app, Star Wars Kinect looks to get Kinect owners to dust off their camera and fulfill motion gaming's ultimate fantasy, swinging a lightsaber with a flick of your wrist.

The main hook of Star Wars Kinect is using your body to control the various characters and vehicles from the Star Wars universe.  You can also use your voice to issue additional commands.  The game mainly takes place during the events of Episodes I through III, but there is one level that takes place during the events of Episode V.  In the game, players will be able to face the infamous Sith Lord, Darth Vader in a one-on-one lightsaber duel.  Star Wars Kinect is broken up into five campaigns.  These campaigns are Jedi Destiny (use your lightsaber and the force to take on the evil forces of the Sith), Rancor Rampage (control a Rancor to destroy various environments), Pod Racing (self explanatory), Galactic Dance Off (a Dance Central rip-off) and Duels of Fate (fight in one-on-one lightsaber duels).

From what I have seen on Star Wars Kinect, it would make any self-respecting Star Wars fan weep.  It is a stupid mini-game collection targeted towards younger kids yet it is rated T for Teen (think about for a few moments).  Since it was initially showed off at E3 2010, it has been the laughing stock of the game industry and some gamers will realize why tomorrow.  I can see younger kids enamored with Star Wars looking past the game's many debaucheries of this legendary universe (just look at the gameplay for the Galactic Dance-Off).  I honestly cannot see any self-respecting gamer playing this game for longer than a minute before quitting in a fit of rage.  At least the only good thing that may come from Star Wars Kinect is that amazing Star Wars Xbox 360, which also releases tomorrow.

Bit by Bit: March 25-31

This week was pretty nice as it was not as busy as the previous months.  Being that the cold reality of early spring has set in, I have not had to work much of my one seasonal job.  That has meant more time to write.  As game releases slow down to almost a crawl, this next week will be interesting.  All I know for sure is that you will see two Launch Stations, one on Star Wars Kinect and one on Xenoblade Chronicles, this coming week.  Before we head right into the week in front of us, let us take a look at the best of the week that was.

Game of the Week
Everyday this past week, there has been one game that I have been playing non-stop.  Making my way through the lengthy single-player mode, playing some online multi-player, collecting tons of weapons, powers and idols and looking at the various achievements I have unlocked.  Yes, Kid Icarus: Uprising has completely sunk it's teeth into me.  It has not left my 3DS since last Sunday.  Also I have barely touched Monter Tale, which I bought with Kid Icarus.  It is a shame because Monster Tale is a good game.  Sorry, Kid Icarus: Uprising has sucked me in thus making it my Game of the Week.  The single-player mode is great.  When you think you have Kid Icarus' single-player beat, Project Sora throws one hell of a curveball that made me smile ear to ear.  This moment could quite possibly go down as one of my favourite gaming moments of 2012.  While the single-player is great, the multi-player is no slouch either.  Nintendo has hit it out of the park yet again with the online multi-player for another first-party 3DS exclusive.  Uprising's multi-player is crazy, but oddly addictive.  You way die a lot when you first start out.  Once you play a few matches, you will start to get the hang of all the fireworks that goes on in Kid Icarus: Uprising's multi-player modes.  The control scheme will take some getting use to, but it is not unplayable like some reviewers have said it is.  Long sessions may cause your fingers to cramp, but I had no huge problems with the controls.  If you own a 3DS and are a huge Nintendo fan, there is no reason for you not to pick up Kid Icarus: Uprising.  It is just that great.

Most Anticipated Game of the Week
Well my Most Anticipated Game from last week turned out to be not what everyone had speculated.  Instead of a Final Fantasy game, Square Enix announced a Japan-only game for the web browser called Crystal Conquest.  Were we ever wrong.  This week I am not going to get excited over wild Internet speculation.  I am excited about a little free independent fan project.  This little independent project is Sonic the Hedgehog 2 HD!!!  Considering that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is my favourite game of all-time (I am a huge Sonic fan if you have not noticed by now), I have been really excited for this project for quite sometime.  The special thing about this week was that the great developers working on this project just released the Alpha for this game.  Just one level long, you can now experience finally experience Sonic 2 in gorgeous HD graphics and see why I am very excited for the final product when it eventually releases.  If you want to download the Alpha, just go to s2hd.com.

Video of the Week
If you have been following Silver Bit for a while now, you know I enjoy everything Screwattack produces.  They have a little show called Death Battle, which pits two or more beloved characters in an all out fight to the death.  There have been some excellent bouts in the past such as Mario vs. Sonic, Goomba vs. Koopa and even Starscream vs. Rainbow Dash.  The newest episode dropped this last week and saw Nintendo's two iconic princesses square off in a very intense fight.  Zelda vs. Peach, watch the video to see who wins this epic confrontation.