Micro game reviews!
Game reviews in 100 words or less.
(Over time I will add more games to this page, at which point it will show up again in the Atom feed.)
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (Nintendo DS) *
Like the previous 4 games in the series, you gather clues, interrogate people, and solve mysteries. This time, you assume the role of prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, and most (all) of the cases are handled outside of the courtroom. New is the "Logic" element that lets you link facts together, in order to figure out what happened or what to do next. Many of the old characters return (especially the more annoying ones :-). If you liked the other games, you will like this one too.
Picross 3D (Nintendo DS) *
Like the original Picross, but in 3D! :) For each puzzle, you get a block consisting of many small blocks, with numbers on the side of the rows indicating how many blocks inside it must be kept. By combining these clues logically, you can figure out which blocks have to go and which ones stay, gradually revealing the 3D image within. Solved puzzles become part of your collection. There's a time limit to solve each puzzle, which is usually more than enough; you get bonuses for solving it quickly or without mistakes. Very addictive!
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis (Playstation 2) *
An RPG, cleverly disguised to fit in a school setting. Instead of quests you get assignments that you need to complete (and will be graded on). The core of the game is alchemy, which is used to make and upgrade weapons and other items. Materials can be found in the outside world, in the school shops, or retrieved from monsters after battle. The game is backed by a long and complex story, which changes depending on the choices you make.
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana (Playstation 2) *
Another RPG, apparently a kind of "spiritual predecessor" to Mana Khemia. Not bad, and its mana system is interesting. You extract different types of mana from various objects. Using alchemy, you can create new objects (and by changing the "recipe" you can make new and unexpected things). I stopped playing it because I found the power level of the enemies too unstable; it starts out really easy, then at some point suddenly gets really difficult. Then again, I am a sucky player, so who knows.
Crimson Gem Saga (PSP) *
Another RPG. Gets good reviews, but I found it quite run-of-the-mill, although the storyline was mildly interesting. Still, I stopped playing after a few days, because it's basically just the same old grind: have many battles, level up your characters, collect money, buy better weapons, repeat. Most RPGs suffer from this, but CSG didn't really have anything to make up for it, to keep my interest.
Touch Detective (Nintendo DS) *
I love this quirky little game. It's basically a point & click adventure (or the touch screen equivalent of it), with simple controls. The characters are adorable and quite odd. :) So are the situations they get into, and the cases that the Touch Detective must solve (like, stopping dreams from disappearing, or rescuing a snow fairy). An often-heard criticism is that sometimes it's complete unobvious what to do next, so definitely keep a walkthrough handy.