Okay, this is gonna be a journal mainly for dAGamers, so I thought I'd put all the non-dAGamers stuff here. Anyway, that includes three new things to look forward too, if not four. They are:

- coloured version of my ultra cool pic ^TM!
- Donkey Kong vs King Kong picture (DK wins! w00t!)
- pictures of a model of a Pirhana Plant from Mario that I made
- and scans of a picture of flowers I am planning to draw

Listening to: er... the opening one in The Emperor's New Groove
Reading: Edge #153 does that count?

Anyway, here are the reviews I said I'd make for dAGamers:

Mario vs. Donkey Kong – GBA

I bought this to entertain myself on the trip back home from a holiday to Switzerland, and simply enough, it fulfilled the job.
Basically, you play as Mario, trying to gather back all the Mini-Mario toys Donkey Kong has stolen when he realised his local shop had sold out. The game is originally split into six worlds, each with eight levels. The first six consist of two parts each; the first being a task to collect a key and bring it to a door and the second being to free the Mini-Mario toy. The seventh level gets you to gather these Mini-Mario’s into a toy box, and the eighth level is a boss battle, where your health at the start depends on your previous success in the previous level.
The game starts with a bit of nostalgia, a few girders and oil cans here and there, but manages to successfully branch off into new areas, without them feeling forced. But unfortunately, six worlds isn’t a lot. It may sound so, but I could complete the first three or so in a few hours, although some of the later boss battles require a lot of skill, and may give you a few Game Overs.
Overall, the game is interesting. Simply said, it’s a puzzle game in a platformer’s shoes. Don’t be fooled, Mario’s complex jumps and handstands do nothing to hide a very enjoyable, and sometimes even addictive, puzzle game.
My only annoyance would be in the instruction manual, where at the slightest hint of something they give away the whole idea two lines underneath, dampening a possible greater experience of exploration and puzzle solving.

Graphics: 7/10
Mario is very well animated, and the levels, their backgrounds and the opening and ending movies seem to be some of the best I’ve seen on the GBA.

Sound: 6/10
The tunes may not be as catchy as the original Super Mario Bros. theme tune, which also gets pepped up on the Title and Select File screens, but they are very well done none-the-less.

Gameplay: 8/10
One of the best puzzlers I’ve played. I’m sure some of you will argue with this, but I give Mario vs. Donkey Kong this rating because of the originality and creativity of the game.

Value: 6/10
Despite the extra levels, a decent gamer should wiz through the first few worlds in a few hours. Some replay value is added through the availability to unlock even more levels when you beat the high-scores in the first six worlds.

Overall: 67.5%
It may not seem like it, but I would highly recommend this game. It is an original idea that has been given full attention, if not suffering from a longevity crisis.


Kirby Canvas Curve – DS

I imported this game for my holiday, but unfortunately it didn’t come on time. I can tell you now, it was worth the wait.
I haven’t played much, but from what I have completed I can say that Kirby Canvas Curve is a well constructed game. The main tagline is that you use the stylus to guide Kirby on lines of paint around courses, defeating enemies and using Kirby’s well known ability to copy them to give you extra help. The animation is well done, and the abilities are original and fun to use. And yet, there’s still more charm to be had.
The game is split into eight worlds. Each world has three courses, and at the end of the first two courses in each world there is ‘The Jump Game’. Here you are required to build Kirby’s speed up and jump as far as possible. Not only is it fun to set new records, but at the end of the mini-game there is a very quite black and white animation of five dancing Kirbies, with accompanying music to match.
At the end of the final course, there is a boss battle. In an original and unique manner, you choose one of three bosses to battle, each requiring you to use the touch screen in a different manner. At the end of these battles, the animation I mentioned before is also played, and after you’ve defeated each boss twice, they become available as mini-games.
But wait! There’s more! For an extra bit of replay value each course hides three medals, which in turn can be traded in to unlock extra goodies. And on top of that, there are two more different ways to play the levels. Time Trial asks you to complete a stage in as fast a time as possible and Line Trial challenges you with limited amount of paint to draw lines with.
Kirby Canvas Curve is really packed to the limit, and all of it charming you along the way. The way the start screen letters and file numbers jiggle up and down, the way you touch panels in the Medal Swap screen to break them up and reveal the goodies underneath, the way you move a wheel to find the world you play in, and the way differently expressed Kirbies are placed in-between them, all of Kirby Canvas Curve is a charming adventure, full of details I am even finding now, none of them feeling forced.
All in all, as I’m sure you would have picked up by now, Kirby Canvas Curve is a truly great game. A modern classic, but in a different way. It may not rock the gaming world, but it should set very high standards for every DS game to come. Peeling away its layers to judge it by seems like a crime.

Graphics: 9/10
Kirby is well animated, and the backgrounds compliment the style of the game perfectly. The whole package is very well presented.

Sound: 8/10
The tunes are very well done, with the out-of-level ones being very relaxing indeed. Unfortunately, nothing will keep you humming the songs away.

Gameplay: 8/10
Saying the very least, Kirby Canvas Curve is a very innovative game. Everything in it will want you to play more.

Value: 8/10
A very entertaining game to boost. Kirby Canvas Curve feels like very penny spent was put towards a part of the game

Overall: 82.5%
I must admit, despite me singing praises about this game, it still cannot reach my Number 1 spot. My main concern is that it may lack the story to keep the game going, and even now it’s more of a game that charms you when you play it, but doesn’t really give you that overwhelming feeling that you must.