xoliana
Member Since: July 31, 2016Reviews
Sunripe Dark Chocolate-covered Peanuts
These are dark chocolate-covered peanuts from the store Sunripe. They're dairy-free and gluten-free, both things that I have to look for in my food. The size of each piece is quite small. I'd say they're a little bit smaller than a peanut M&M;... +
These are dark chocolate-covered peanuts from the store Sunripe. They're dairy-free and gluten-free, both things that I have to look for in my food.
The size of each piece is quite small. I'd say they're a little bit smaller than a peanut M&M;, though there are of course a few size variations. The chocolate tastes like a good quality chocolate, neither waxy or musty. It's not too sweet or too bitter. I feel like I taste the chocolate much more than the actual peanuts. I don't feel that they're very crunchy or nutty at all, which is a shame, because I really love the taste of chocolate and peanuts together.
The size of the container is fairly good. It's not something you'd go through too quickly, unless you were sharing it with a lot of other people, or if you had a MAJOR sweet tooth! ;) It says on the label that there's a total of .024kg, for a total cost of $5.06. I don't feel that that's terribly priced, though certainly it could be lower.
The nutritional value isn't great, but it's chocolate, so that's to be expected. As long as you only eat a bit at a time, there's nothing wrong with it. I would recommend this for any chocolate lover. I just wish the peanut flavour came through more.
-
Zero Time Dilemma
Zero Time Dilemma is the third game in the Zero Escape series. It was released on the Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita in 2016. This game has full voice acting, with dual English and Japanese options available in the options menu (subtitles... +
Zero Time Dilemma is the third game in the Zero Escape series. It was released on the Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita in 2016. This game has full voice acting, with dual English and Japanese options available in the options menu (subtitles appear on screen when characters talk).
This game takes place in between 999 and Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, which may confuse some. At theend of the second game, once you've played through the real ending(s), it's made fairly clear that some time travel is involved. This is what happens here, as we see Sigma and Phi, as well as Junpei and Akane, before the huge virus outbreak.
Instead of numbers and colours, there are simply three different teams -- Q team, C team, and D team. You will control each time separately, and you'll be piecing together different memory fragments through a flow chart. When you complete a different section or make a different choice, new fragments become available for you to play. Of course, just like with the previous two games, you're going to want to make every different choice to get every ending, which will in turn unlock the real ending.
I was a little bit disappointed with this one, to be honest. I can keep up with the time travel aspect well enough, and the different timelines. My problem with this game is that it tries to wrap up all the loose ends that the previous game created, but it never really does this. Sure, there's one timeline which explains how the virus first becomes a big problem. It's the same timeline that follows through to the second game. I just feel like it was done kind of poorly, and there are too many additional story threads that seem convoluted.
I own this game on the 3DS, and I also found that the game didn't run as smoothly as the other two games. The mouths moved really weirdly, the characters were a bit stiff, and there was a fair bit of lag. I've heard the Vita version is much better, so if you get it, I would recommend you play it on that. I played the second game on the Vita and didn't have any of these issues.
I did really enjoy most of the puzzles, and some of the characters were good, so I would still recommend playing it if you've played the other two.
-
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is the second game in the Zero Escape series. It was released on the Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita in 2012. Unlike the first game, 999, this entry features voice acting, which is available in both English and... +
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is the second game in the Zero Escape series. It was released on the Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita in 2012. Unlike the first game, 999, this entry features voice acting, which is available in both English and Japanese (the subtitles are on screen while the characters speak).
The story takes place some years after 999, with a few familiar faces returning among a cast of new characters.The story opens with Sigma, who wakes up in an elevator after having been drugged by a strange character in a gas mask. A young woman named Phi wakes up next to him, and together they learn that someone named Zero has trapped them inside with the intent to make them play the Nonary Game. They must first escape the elevator before learning the rules.
Much like the last game, everyone has a bracelet attached to their wrist, but this time they're given a number as well as a colour. Each person starts out at 3. The goal is to reach 9 so they can leave through the number 9 door, the only exit in the entire building. To do this, they must play the aforementioned Nonary Game: after eachroom they go into with their respective partners, they must do a vote. Depending on how you vote, you can gain or lose a number of points. If you hit zero, something terrible will happen.
This game is a lot bigger than the first. There are more paths to take and more endings to get. Needless to say, not all of them are happy. This is a game full of twists and turns, some of them violent, as we follow the characters in trying to figure out what's going on. Perhaps they've been quarantined for their own good.
This remains my favourite game in the series. At the time that I played it, I hadn't realized there was a prequel, so this is the first one I played. I think you can play this without having played 999, but I would recommend playing the first game to fill in any gaps.
-
9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (999 for short) is the first game in the Zero Escape series. It was released on the Nintendo DS in 2010. The story of this game starts with a young man named Junpei, who wakes up aboard a ship at sea with no memory of... +
9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (999 for short) is the first game in the Zero Escape series. It was released on the Nintendo DS in 2010.
The story of this game starts with a young man named Junpei, who wakes up aboard a ship at sea with no memory of how he got there. He finds a strange bracelet attached to his wrist and is unable to unlock the door in front of him. As the room quickly begins filling up with water, the gamer takes control of him and we must help him escape the room, where Junpei eventually meets up with a group of strangers who have been put in the exact same predicament.
There are a series of different rooms to escape from. You have different paths that you can go down which lead to multiple endings, and one true ending. Each room has a number, as do all of the bracelets that the characters wear. You have to split up so that your bracelets add up to the number on any given door. You then collect items around the room and put them to various uses, all the while gaining backstory on the other characters, trying to put the pieces together.
One mystery individual is the mastermind behind the whole "game". You won't know who, or why, until much later on. Additionally, some characters end up going mad, and you can experience some truly gory scenes as things get violent. This is by no means a game for kids (it is rated M). This is, however, a really excellent game, with a really engaging mystery.
If you like puzzle games but you're looking for something a bit more mature, and you don't mind reading, this woild be an excellent choice. Just be forewarned that you probably won't get all of the answers you're looking for without continuing on with the other games in the series.
-
Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva
Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva is a 2009 animated film based on the characters of the Nintendo DS game series. Chronologically, it takes place between the games Professor Layton and The Last Specter and Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask... +
Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva is a 2009 animated film based on the characters of the Nintendo DS game series. Chronologically, it takes place between the games Professor Layton and The Last Specter and Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask. It's available in an English audio or in Japanese with English subtitles.
The story follows Professor Hershel Layton along with his assistant, Emmy Altava, and his apprentice, Luke Triton. They are invited to an opera performance, the lyrics of which contain hidden meaning about the lost civilization of Ambrosia. Immediately after the performance is complete, a mysterious stranger informs the audience that they are to take part in a game -- a series of puzzles -- and if they refuse or get the answer wrong, there will be serious consequences.
The animation in this film is lovely, with all of the characters remaining very true to their game counterparts. Additionally, the mystery and puzzle-solving aspects of the series are integrated into the film very well. Even though you don't have a game system in your hands, the film presents each new puzzle in such a way that the audience feels equally involved in trying to find the subsequent answer. It's quite fun to see if you can get there before the characters do.
If you enjoy the game series, I don't see any reason why you wouldn't enjoy this. The spirit remains true and it's neither too childish nor too slow-paced. It's very appropriate for people of all ages, and the story is accessible enough that you could enjoy it without having any knowledge of the games before hand.
The film is unrated and has a running time of 99 minutes.
-
Professor Layton and The Azran Legacy
Professor Layton and The Azran Legacy is the sixth game in the series, and was released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2014. In the chronological timeline, this comes third in the series. This is a mystery game with lots of puzzles to play. The story... +
Professor Layton and The Azran Legacy is the sixth game in the series, and was released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2014. In the chronological timeline, this comes third in the series.
This is a mystery game with lots of puzzles to play. The story follows Professor Hershel Layton, his assistant, Emmy Altava, and his apprentice, Luke Triton. This is a very direct follow-up to Miracle Mask, as the Azran Legacies have fallen into the hands of a mysterious and evil agency called Targent. The Professor and his comrades have revived a young girl named Aurora, who is of Azran descent, and with her help they travel to different continents to retrieve precious eggs which will help them unlock Aurora's memories of the ancient Azran civilization.
This is yet another excellent addition to the series, probably my second favourite overall. The visuals are once again just lovely, but also noteable is the music, which I found to be really outstanding. I really liked Aurora's character and found that I really cared about what happened to her. This made for a very emotionally impacting story when we find out more about her and her past, as well as when her true power is unlocked. The entire game just has this sort of mystical and magical aura to it which I really loved.
There are so many puzzles here, and so many downloadable puzzles as well, that the amount of content is really stellar. It's probably one of the biggest games in the series, and also one of the more difficult, but still manageable. The game never frustrates you or makes you feel stupid, which is especially good for younger gamers or those with a short temper.
I definitely recommend this to all puzzle fans!
-
Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask
Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask is the fifth game in the series, and the first to be released on the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in 2012, and chronologically, it is the second game in the series. This is a mystery game with lots of puzzles... +
Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask is the fifth game in the series, and the first to be released on the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in 2012, and chronologically, it is the second game in the series.
This is a mystery game with lots of puzzles built in. The story delves deeper into the backstory of Professor Hershel Layton, as the game takes place both in the present and the past. His childhood friend, Randall, is the one who got him into archaeology in the first place. Randall was interested in an artifact called the Mask of Chaos, but after he found it, he suffered an unfortunate accident while on a dig with Hershel. In the present day, the Mask has once again reared its head as the current owner has found out it's gone missing, only to find a mysterious stranger donning said mask and terrorizing the city.
This is probably my very favourite game in the series. The foray into 3D is a positive thing, because even if you don't play with the 3D on, the visuals are so beautiful. They've implemented better interactivity for the puzzles as well, but what really stands out is the fact that there are a few different gameplay styles in this title. As a young Hershel, you get to wander around mines and dig things up, utilizing your environment for different puzzles. This was a really nice touch and one which I really enjoyed!
The story for this particular title is also one of my favourites in the entire series. I really enjoyed learning more about the Professor, and I found that there truly was a lot of emotion in this game. It made me feel things that I hadn't really felt during the course of this series. It's nice to see the series grow and evolve.
The puzzles here are definitely much harder than any previous title. Sometimes it takes a few tries, but you'll get it!
-
Professor Layton and The Last Specter
Professor Layton and The Last Specter is the fourth game in the series, which was released in 2011. Chronologically, though, this is actually the first game in the series. This is mystery with different puzzles throughout. The game takes place... +
Professor Layton and The Last Specter is the fourth game in the series, which was released in 2011. Chronologically, though, this is actually the first game in the series.
This is mystery with different puzzles throughout. The game takes place before the first three games and shows how Professor Hershel Layton came to meet young Luke Triton, and additionally, we are introduced to the Professor's assistant Emmy Altava, who is not in the previous titles. The story itself is about a foggy town by the lakeside, which has been experiencing nightly hauntings by a terrifying specter. The Professor and his two comrades go in and investigate the specter, as well as a mysterious group of people calling themselves the Black Ravens.
This feels quite a bit darker and more mature than some of the other titles. That's not to say that it's inappropriate for younger gamers, because it's not really, but everything about it is a bit less cheery and a tad more scary. Even the colour palette is more muted at times. On the whole, though, it's got one of the strongest stories, because it really fleshes out all of the characters who were previously introduced (Luke, in particular).
One of my favourite things about this game is actually the mini-game that comes along with it. It's kind of like a little Animal Crossing-type game, where you live in a little village, and you can take on different jobs and buy different things for your character. So cute! A game within a game.
-
Professor Layton and The Unwound Future
Professor Layton and The Unwound Future is the third game in the series that was released for the Nintendo DS, in 2010. However, chronologically speaking, it is the sixth game in the series. This is a mystery game with different puzzles strewn... +
Professor Layton and The Unwound Future is the third game in the series that was released for the Nintendo DS, in 2010. However, chronologically speaking, it is the sixth game in the series.
This is a mystery game with different puzzles strewn throughout. The story follows Professor Hershel Layton and his apprentice, Luke Triton, as they witness the demonstration of a friend's time machine. Afterwards, they receive a letter from someone claiming to be Luke from the future, who gives them an address to investigate. Another time machine seems to thrust them through space and time, and they find themselves in a weird, alternate version of London.
I'm typically a sucker for any story that has to do with time travel. I just find it very fascinating and exciting! Of course, being that this is a Professor Layton game, you know that there is always more to it than what you see on the surface, but that really only adds to the enjoyment. You never quite know what's going on until you begin investigating and solving those puzzles along the way!
This is another great game for all ages. Some younger kids will no doubt have some difficulty, but you can always offer to help them out, or they can look online.
-
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Professor Layton and The Diabolical Box is the second game in the series on the Nintendo DS, released in 2009. However, chronologically, it is actually the fifth game. This is a mystery game with various puzzles for you to solve. It follows... +
Professor Layton and The Diabolical Box is the second game in the series on the Nintendo DS, released in 2009. However, chronologically, it is actually the fifth game.
This is a mystery game with various puzzles for you to solve. It follows Professor Hershel Layton and his apprentice, Luke Triton, as they travel by train to seek out a box that supposedly kills anyone who opens it. On the way, an incident occurs and they happen upon an odd city that is plunged into darkness and never sees the light of day.
This is one of my favourite games in the series. I really enjoyed the mysterious train ride, and town in this game was so atmospheric and mysterious. The fact that it was always twilight seemed so unique and interesting, and the different characters all seemed to know something, but you don't know what. The gameplay was slightly improved from The Curious Village as well.
If you liked The Curious Village, it's a pretty safe bet that you'll like this. If you enjoy puzzle games, you may as well give this series a shot! Don't be put off by the cover -- it's most definitely not just for kids.
-
Looking for more?
Check out our other review websites:
