With the release of Pokémon X&Y I could no longer resist the temptation, I just had to buy one. This is a big deal for me considering I haven't bought a handheld since the Gameboy Advance. And believe it or not, the only game I played on the GBA was Pokémon Silver. After seeing Pokémon rendered in 3D for the first time and some impressive attack animations, especially the higher level ones, I was convinced that this is a powerful enough handheld to fulfill my gaming desires. That just wasn't the case with the DS - at least not in my opinion.
So you're probably wondering which games I bought. At first I was planning to pick up Pokémon X and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. To my dismay they didn't have the latter game in stock, so I had to buy The Legend of Zelda: a Link between Worlds. What started off as a (minor) dissapointment quickly became one of my greatest gaming experiences. You see, I wasn't a big fan of the art style at first and preferred the Ocarina of Time 3D style, but seeing the game with my own eyes(with the 3D effect turned on) changed that. The 3D effect on this game is simply amazing, I don't get why so many people discredit the 3D on the 3DS. They should really play this game before they open their mouths. The last Zelda game I played before ALBW was Skyward Sword and while it wasn't a bad game, I found it lacking. Luckily enough ALBW fixed most of the problems I had with Skyward Sword.
And while the overworld of ALBW doesn't really feel like a living breathing world, it is never the less fun to explore every inch of it. It's packed with hidden secrets waiting to be found. Another problem I've had with recent Zelda games is the linearity, this was especially obvious in Skyward Sword. This is solved in ALBW by the introduction of a new character: Ravio. You can rent or buy the equipment that is needed to solve a dungeon or temple from him. If you die, he'll take back the items you rented from him. If you want to keep them you'll have to buy them for a hefty sum of rupees. This basically means you'll be able to explore the game's dungeons and temples in the order you desire. It was a real delight to explore both worlds in search of dungeons and temples. It also means everyone will have a slightly different experience while playing the game. And if you ever want to replay it in Hero Mode(unlocked after you beat the game for the first time) you can change up the order to have a different experience your self.
The main "gimmick"(for lack of a better word) in this game is Link's ability to become a painting on almost any wall imaginable. This translates into some of the most clever puzzle designs seen in the franchise. It adds a new dimension to all the dungeons, instead of just using one item per dungeon, you'll use it in combination with Link's ability. This is definitely one of the better ideas the Zelda developers have come up with in recent years. Much better than that stupid bird from Skyward Sword or Wolf Link.
I had a few minor problems with the game though. Link's ability to transform into a painting could've been used more effectively during boss battles. Don't get me wrong, the boss battles were a lot of fun, but they could've been even better if they used this ability more often. My two favorite bosses were the one from the Thieves' Hideout and the final boss. It's no coincidence that these are the only two bosses in which you had to transform into a painting in order to defeat them. The other problem is the lack of a checkpoint system during boss encounters. It was quite annoying to have to go through all the dialogue again after dying against the final boss. Although this could have been prevented if I used potions during battles, but where's the challenge in that? These are just two very small problems in an otherwise amazing game.
Pokémon X was great too, especially the new Pokémon designs. And all 718 Pokémon looked amazing in 3D and don't get me started on some of the amazing attack animations. The online component is quick and easy to use and will definitely add much replay value to the game. The major problem I had with this game was that it was too easy. Now I haven't played Pokémon Red/Blue since I was a kid, but I felt they were much harder. The caves and main buildings could be real mazes sometimes. Now they were too straight forward and there was a lack of puzzles in this game. Other than that the game was pretty darn good! I like the introduction of Super Training and Pokémon Amie. The character customization was also a welcome addition to the game.
And to my surprise I got a game for free after I registered my 3DS XL and Pokémon X at Club Nintendo. And it wasn't just a crappy game, it was Super Mario 3D World. I have only played World 1 so far, so I can't really give my opinion on the game yet. It was pretty easy though, so I hope the latter worlds of the game will prove more difficult.
I'm also planning on buying The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Mario Kart 7, Resident Evil: Revelations and most likely Super Smash Bros 4 if the online is any good. I'm always open to feedback on those games and if you have any other suggestions feel free to post them in this thread. That's the reason why I wrote all of this anyway. :P
The only annoying thing I've encountered so far is the fact that the game battery charger is too damn short! And the battery life could've been a bit longer as well.
