Ho Ho Snow

So you might have heard about/experienced this today

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/weather/02/10/winter.weather/index.html?hpt=T1

It's probably going to be hitting two feet by tomorrow, so what better way to spend a snow day than digging out the handhelds!

Finally beat Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story today, and I was impressed almost every moment of the 23 hours it took to take that bad boy to completion. It's crazy how the experience and depth that a handheld title can give, and it actually outclocked my playthrough of Mass Effect (a mere 16 hours).

Most impressive, I'd have to say, are the Bros. Brothers and special attacks. Off the top of my head, I would have to say there are about 15, and each one is well thought out, powerful, and just alot of fun to use. I've been looking for RPG games to shift toward the kind of combat in Mario RPG games because, like it or not, that's where the meat of the gameplay lies. Looking back, you're gonna remember the stories, the set pieces, and the characters five years from now, but the enjoyment of now hinges on the combat. Done away with is the "trading blows" style of typical Japanese RPG's, and attacks can be dodged or countered in accordance with skill instead of luck. If grinding is your style, the fights are actually enjoyable.

It's not perfect though. Some sections hinge too much on stupidly mashing a button, and the repercussions of failure, in traditional turn based fashion, can be devastating. The level design is a bit straightforward, and a bit of it is trial and error. Still the game's sense of humor will put a smile on your face quite a few times, and the writing is simple, yet manages to create some pretty strong personality out of these normally silent characters. I could recommend this at $35, but people who are on the fence might want to wait for a bit of a price drop to try