Review: Norse By Norsewest

Vikings take on the puzzle genre. Guess who wins?

Overview
Norse By Norsewest
A PSX Puzzle Game

Review
Who would have thought playing as Vikings would be fun? I don't hate 'em, but they don't figure prominently on the gaming world.

Then I stumbled upon a little game called Norse By Norsewest, a puzzle game involving 3 Vikings plus a Wolf and a Dragon. It is a puzzle game in which you try to reach the end of the level with all of the 3 characters given on the beginning of each level, safe and intact. Sounds pretty easy huh?

At first it is. All of the characters have different abilities which are vital to solve each of the levels. Erik can ram through walls, Baleog can reach hard to reach places with his metal hand, Olaf can shrink, Wolf can climb walls, and Scorch can fly and spew flame. Each ability is used in many situations in each level, and I assure you that once you reach the end levels you will die. A lot.

Ah.. The Pirate World. Memories of being hit by a cannon floods back to me.

But you will still play this game. Why? The scripting and voice-overs are funny, like when you repeat a level too much, the music is catchy, especially one in the Pirate world and one in the last world, and the feeling of finally knowing the solution to a puzzle(all by yourself) compares to nothing. All in all, this game is a gem. You can play it on the PSX, or on the PSP(emulation!!!).

If there are some things I would complain it is that this game screams for a checkpoint system. It is very annoying to go over the same puzzles again and again just because you forgot Olaf can fart across the waters and you die over and over again.

All in all this game is very challenging, frustrating, and fun.

All you need in a game.

My score?

8 out of 10.

^_^

>Schizo Prenia

The Ghosts Of The Manor Of Sleep Part 1

I just finished Fatal Frame 3: The Tormented, clocking in at 18 hours and 27 minutes(hey, it even beat my Vandal Hearts playtime!) on normal mode.

Here is what I have to say with the residents of the manor I have come to love staying in(ha-ha).

Female Survivor
-Female Survivor is actually Yoshino, if I am not mistaken. She is also a prisoner of the manor early on. She doesn't really want to talk to you, and sits on the floor. Once the later chapters kick in though, she becomes a ghost herself. Yoshino is not tough to beat, it's the fact that she has 3(so that makes them, what, 4?) ghost thingies that guard her, apparently manifestations of her lover and family. How to defeat her? Don't bother with the Spirited Away rejects(the black ghosts), just pump her full of camera. She deserves it for not speaking with you. Freak.

Yoshino and Co. fail the audition for Spirited Away

Wandering Mother and Daughter

- Wandering mother and daughter can be found on the Hearth room, and this duo is actually the first enemies in this game. I actually feel sorry for them, especially when you defeat them, the daughter raises her hands towards you, like begging for help or something. In battle terms, just pump the mother full of film, and don't bother with the daughter. You must be awfully heartless to shoot her too(killing the mother ghost will get rid of the daughter too). Just save your murderous glee for children on those Priestesses(and I assure you you will love every moment of their pain).

Crawling Woman

- Crawling woman is actually closet woman! Wow! There are many dual personalities on this game. You'll hate this one harder than Yoshino though. First she shows up when you are playing as Miku on a cramped space where you have to crawl(doesn't reading this give you goosebumps yet?),then she'll show up in a more spacey room! It's hard to kill her, so when you see her in any place besides  cramped areas, blast her off.

Stroller Grandma
- A granny with a rusting stroller, Stroller Grandma is one of the hardest, if not, hardest ghost in this mansion. She has this evil laugh to let you know shes gonna show up any second now, and whats worse, you will fight her in a very cramped space! Fatal frames doesn't work on her(at least as I know) and when you walk through her stroller you get damage! Sheesh. Don't go easy on her. In fact, use all your blue film to end her, and quick.