Games I want on the 3DS eShop service T-Z (Part 4)

Today marks the conclusion of this four part Game Boy feature. In this final stretch there are a few difficult letters to sift through, but there is something worth playing for every letter of the alphabet. I hope you’ve enjoyed looking over this feature and if you’re just joining me now, you can catch up on the first three parts by clicking here. Let’s wrap things up by starting with arguably the best puzzle game in the history of video games.

T

Tetris

 

One of the most addictive puzzle games to ever exist, Tetris was a pack in game with the original Game Boy. It would be safe to say that almost everyone whom purchased a Game Boy is familiar with this game. It plays identical to the traditional Tetris game. For those who aren’t familiar you stack and fit together falling blocks that take on different shapes. The objective is to clear as many lines as you can before stacking them too high and ending the game. Tetris has a very simple premise, but is harder to master as the levels grow with intensity as you continue to stack. Tetris on the Game Boy featured simplistic graphics, which is fine considering the game, and three choices of music. I prefer choice B. It is considered by many gamers to be the best iteration of Tetris ever released and a great way to consume time on the road. Many would be sure to fall in love all over again if this ever sees a re-release.

U

Ultima: Runes of Virtue

 

 

Ultima: Runes of Virtue is a fun action RPG that still plays great today. Ultima lets you choose between one of four different classes to play. Classes include a Bard, Swordsman, Mage and A Ranger. Each class plays a little differently than the other with some favoring close combat and others ranged. It is easy to pick up and play and looks good for Game Boy game of 1991. Fans of the action RPG genre will definitely want to check out this game.

V

Vegas Stakes

 

I remember wanting to play this game when I was younger, but didn’t really rediscover it until recently. Vegas Stakes is what you think it will be, a casino type game in which you gamble to win the big prize. It offers five casino activities that include; Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps and Slots. Overall, Vegas Stakes is actually a great little game. It looks great and sounds great, but also adds a little variety to the mix. It puts you in Vegas and lets you interact with the other gamblers around the casino. Granted they always approach you, it is still neat to interact with the other customers. One incident I encountered involved a man asking me if I remembered him, of course I said no, but he got pissed and left. It was quite entertaining and would be a lot of fun to play again.

W 

Wave Race

One of the only racing games on this list, Wave Race is a good racer. It would inspire the later Nintendo 64 classic. In Wave Race you have to beat your opponent by being the first to cross the finish line, but you have to do this while staying inside the track. These markers are slightly outside the track and you will recognize them as black squares that give you a happy face when passed correctly. Wave Race is a decent looking game on the Game Boy and offers up a nice challenge. While it isn’t the best racing game, it is nice to go back and look at a game that would later become a N64 hit.

X

X-Men: Mutant Wars

 

At first glance this game doesn’t seem very fun, but it isn’t actually too bad if you’re playing as Wolverine. You can play as the Wolverine himself, Iceman, Cyclops, Gambit and Storm. Wolverine has the most moves and evasion tactics which make him the best character to use, however, if you lose all of your energy as Wolverine you automatically switch to the next X-Men in line. You can switch between X-Men by pressing Select in combination with a direction, but I highly recommend Wolverine. You can also use each mutant before getting a game over. Regardless of some tiny issues, the game looks great for a Game Boy game. This game is your standard 2-d scrolling beat ‘em up that controls easily, but is a little repetitive. It actually offers the most fun during the boss battles. 

Y

Yoshi’s Cookie

It was between Yoshi and Yoshi’s Cookie for this spot, but it had to go to the latter. Yoshi’s Cookie is much more enjoyable and offers better gameplay, in my opinion. The puzzle element of the game is much more engaging than in Yoshi. Mario and Yoshi work together to clear each board of cookies. Cookies take on many different shapes and can be maneuvered left or right and up or down. The objective as stated earlier is to clear each board, but it is done by matching up the different cookies. It also features a really cool soundtrack that I felt was missing from Yoshi. All though this isn’t related to the gameplay, I did run into a website that teaches you how to make the cookies from this game. It is a neat little inspired tidbit that makes this game even sweeter.

Z

Zoop

Yet another puzzle game makes the list. This game is just as addictive as Tetris or Yoshi’s Cookie. The objective here is to ensure that none of the blocks reach the center of the board. This is done by launching a brick towards the accumulating blocks to clear them from the game. It sounds easy, but it can get quite hectic as you have to ensure you match each brick up to its respective design. Your brick will change each time it hits a design that doesn’t match up, but that can be used as a strategy to clear some blocks that may be approaching the center. This strategy will keep you on your toes and that makes the game a blast to play. Game Boy has been known to offer games with mass appeal and this game is the perfect example of how to design a fun puzzle game.

Well that's every letter accounted for. It was an interesting and fun article to write. If you liked it share with your friends and spread the word!