Gamer Nerd News Ahead...

So...here's the obligatory "here's what I think" post after my Christmas games have been broken in.

First, Kirby's Epic Yarn: It's freaking adorable. The cute factor makes me want to throw up a little, but in a good way. The challenge of getting through the levels isn't there. I mean, really, I haven't found a way to die. I'm fairly certain you can't die. You just lose some beads, which is where the challenge comes in. You're awarded a medal for every level based on how completely you raped the world of its beads and treasures. Three treasures. Thousands of beads. The beads can buy you decor for your little Kirby pad and the treasures can help with furnishing rooms in an up-and-coming apartment complex. I'll be perfectly honest with you, this is what keeps me going. I'm a whore for "collect this and then do this with it" sorts of things. Not fetch-quests, but collecting. Getting a gold medal hasn't been super hard just yet, but I think the challenge will ramp up by the end of the game. It's a nice break from the ass-kicking I'm getting playing the next game on this list.

Donkey Kong Country Returns: Holy. Shit. It's the kind of game that makes you want to buy an extra controller. For the two player co-op? No, not for that. Just so you can bash one of them to bits when you get to the end of a stage for the fourth time and the same damn crab kills you randomly because you still can't get the concept of roll and THEN jump. It's not the game. It's you. And that's why I haven't rage quit. I get a liiiiiitle further every time I die, and that's enough to keep me coming back. That's not to say I haven't raised my arm and shook my fist at the television more than once. It's a great little game, and collecting the KONG letters and the puzzle pieces is going to keep me playing these levels for a long time. Oh, and keep your eyes peeled when you play it. There's some really great fan-service stuff in it.

And lastly, I got Disney Epic Mickey (the title annoys me; I think it should read "Disney's"). For the most part, it's been a really fun game with some small issues. I'm starting to find the dark, drab, overall blah of most of the scenery a little tiring. Granted, in this world, there's a reason everything's sort of ugly. But I still have started finding it a little...draining. Maybe that's intentional. What isn't intentional is the damn camera! I think I've cursed the camera system in this game more often than I have cursed at myself for fucking up in Donkey Kong...It just...doesn't listen. Doesn't make sense. Doesn't WORK! I find myself pausing for a moment to readjust the camera, and sometimes that moment is REALLY important, like, say, when you're on a sinking boat trying to find the next one to jump on. If there were a penalty for dying besides starting a room over, I'd be pissed off. I do love the pain/thinner dichotomy, though. IT's a system that works really well. Playstyle really does matter. If you use more paint and do good, you're rewarded differently than if you use thinner and make mischief. There's two ways to do almost anything in this game. Sometimes you don't really even know you've made a choice until you see the consequences and go, "Whoops..." I find that immensely satisfying, which is why the shoddy camera system doesn't have me shelving this one...yet.

I'd suggest you play all three, honestly. They're kind of wonderful in different ways. My favorite, though? Donkey Kong Country Returns. I'm not surprised, though.

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