Greak: Memories of Azur vs New Super Mario Bros
Greak: Memories of Azur
Greak: Memories of Azur is a gorgeous action-adventure game featuring a young boy in search of his sister in a world engulfed in turmoil, no thanks to the bloodthirsty Uglars. Playing as the boy Greak, you’ll venture across various regions in Azur, exploring every inch of it for hidden stashes, completing quests, and battling enemies along the way.The game starts off like a relatively regular action platformer, where you’ll get to jump, swing your sword around, and solve relatively simple puzzles by switching characters once you manage to reunite him with his sister. This part is actually pretty similar to the gameplay in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, a favorite of mine.
In fact, you’ll get to control both characters at the same time, which is interesting, though it does complicate things a bit during combat especially considering that the sister is a magic user and deals damage from afar while the brother is a sword-wielder and does best dealing damage from a much closer range.
In a way, Greak: Memories of Azur also feels a bit like a Metroidvania in the sense that the game hides secret chests and rare flowers in places that you, if you don’t pay too much attention, might miss. Even if you spotted the items, you will still need to figure out a way to get to them, which usually involves some creative and sometimes very precise jumping. Expect to get frustrated… a lot!
The gorgeous hand-drawn art in Greak is definitely one of the highlights of the game as well. The out-of-focus background in the distance matches well with the stuff at the front too.
In a nutshell, not only is Greak: Memories of Azur a gorgeous action-adventure game with a heartwarming story about a brother trying to reunite with his sister in a world embroiled in war and infested with dangerous creatures, it also comes with a fun gameplay that's perfectly "midcore". So, if you're into story-driven platformers, you'll want to check out this one!
New Super Mario Bros
New Super Mario Bros is an excellent "comeback game" for a classic that had been around for more than 20 years. Available for the Nintendo DS, New Super Mario Bros boasts of having brilliant 3D graphics, and a next-level gameplay that adds to and improves on everything you've loved in the older version. There are new power-ups, moves, worlds, levels, as well as secrets to find. There is also 2 multiplayer modes in this game, Mario vs. Luigi and Minigames. Mario vs. Luigi will see you racing against your brother to collect stars while Minigames offers you a wide range of fun relaxing mini-games that you can play solo or play with up to 4 other players in the Minigames tournament.With so many new features to offer, New Super Mario Bros has definitely one-upped its predecessor by more than a mile. If you've enjoyed playing Super Mario Bros, you'll want to get this game as well.