Final Fantasy Gaiden: 4 Warriors of Light
Nostalgia is a funny thing, the way that it tampers with reality, our memories and associated feelings. It’s the reason why hearing a word like ‘Mother’ may, for some, result in an impulse purchase on eBay rather than a long neglected letter home. Or why receiving a video game for Christmas, even as I’m pushing thirty and there exists a long list of more “practical”...
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
It’s time for the triumphant return of your favorite cast of court room characters. The latest addition in the Ace Attorney games allows you to play as series favorite prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. Branching off from the typical structure of the previous games (investigation and courtroom segments), Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth plays similarly, but allows players...
Last Window
To point out that games are designed to be played seems self-explanatory to a degree (hopefully) forgoing any necessity for the comment. Created as an interactive form of narrative, the player’s participation largely defines the experience, creates it, really. However, I’ve taken a different stance with Last Window: Mayonaka no Yakusoku (Promise in the Dead of Night), the successor...
Sands of Destruction
Sands of Destruction has quite the pedigree featuring the talents from RPG classics like Xenogears and Chrono Trigger but can it hope to stand tall among the already stellar DS RPG line-up? One of the strongest points in Sands of Destruction is the original story concept. You are Kerie, a youth from a small village who has recently awakened his destructive power he never wanted. This has caught the...
Glory of Heracles
With the wide array of RPGs on the Nintendo DS, role-playing fans have several options when looking for a game. Many of these titles have unique gameplay while others take a more traditional approach, reminiscent of retro RPGs. Adding to the ever-growing collection is Glory of Heracles, a series already extremely popular in Japan. The title is very much a hybrid of newer and...
What’s In A Mascot?
It’s interesting, when you look at the three big companies, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony, only one of them has a definitive mascot. Mario is arguably the most recognizable name in video gaming, along side Link/The Legend of Zelda, yet another Nintendo franchise. The brand loyalty and instant recognition of these names is what really drives home Nintendo’s sales. People feel comfortable...
2010: Looking Back at a Decade of Games
While most sites compile a Game of the Year feature, we here at LevelFortyTwo decided to take things to the next level (pardon Michael's pun). Each one of our writers, and some committed community members have contributed what they believe is their game of the decade. Staff members have also included a list of three runners up and on the third page you will find each person's disappointment...
Love Plus: Shades of Realism
How do you define what is real in a videogame? The general consensus is, especially among developers like Peter Molyneux, the more detailed, the more interactive, the better. That can be debated. Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2 is one of the more realistic depictions of a human being I have ever seen. The way she talks, moves, and looks is distinctly human, and this comes from her character. If an actor...
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks has been a long time coming. Its been a good two years since the last game in the series which, incidentally, also on the Nintendo DS in the form of Phantom Hourglass. Spirit Tracks is quite simply an improvement in every area. Spirit Tracks picks up a good hundred years after Phantom Hourglass. Shortly after the credits roll in the...
LevelFortyTwo’s Holiday Gift Guide
Welcome to the LevelFortyTwo.com Holiday Gift Guide! All of us on staff have been hard at work preparing these blurbs that we think you will enjoy over the holidays. Each section is broken up into personality types, so for example, if you know someone who likes First Person Shooters, check out the Gun Nut category. Those sly enough may have also noticed there are exactly 42 games on this list. We...
