Game and Watch Gallery 3 Game by Nintendo Reviewed by The Avardancer (Philip Wesley) Size: 8 megabits Save: Battery Released: 1999 Works with: All Game Boy units. **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: Here you go. Just for kicks.. I'll explain something about the Game and Watch Games. Look! A Timeline of the Game Boy series! Just for you! 1992 = Game Boy Gallery is released in Japan and Europe, ONLY. The game features Vermin, Cement Factory, Ball, Flagman, and Fire. It features updated versions of the older games.. only in the graphics. No stars, no gallery, no save, and.. it stunk. It truly stunk. 1994 = Game And Watch Gallery is released, it contains Fire, Octopus, Oil Panic, and Manhole. It has a gallery, if you earn stars, that displays older titles. It has Super Game Boy Color.. and it saves your scores. It also had the old versions of the games, and altered "modern" versions with Mario and his good friends/enemies. Very cool. It was chock full of information and was very well done. 1998 = Game And Watch Gallery 2 is released as a LAUNCH title, alongside Tetris, for the Game Boy Color. It features excellent color, excellent hidden items/features, that museum of Game and Watch games, and an unprecedented FIVE games. The games are Helmet, Vermin, Parachute, Donkey Kong, and Ball. The game rocked, it had lots to do, it saved your game, it had tons of nice things. Very cool. 1999 = Game And Watch Gallery 3 is released, and I review it. **************************************************************************** Gameplay Descripion: Here's the deal. Here is what the game features. FIVE readily accessed games: Egg, Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Greenhouse, and Turtle Bridge. SIX hidden games: Spitball Sparky, Judge, Flagman, Lion, Reversed Fire, and Donkey Kong 2. LOTS of hidden extras, a huge museum that can be hooked up to the older games to allow you to upload your previously finished musuems, a Sound Test, an in depth instruction booklet, and more. Let us go into the basics. You can play any of the first five games in either MODERN or CLASSIC modes. The MODERN mode is different from the CLASSIC mode. The CLASSIC Mode is the original Game and Watch game. The MODERN, is a rather enchanced version with better graphics, and more variety. The MODERN mode is also a bit more.. forgiving. There are two difficulty levels for the CLASSIC and three for MODERN. Now.. I will go into the games.. in-depth. Egg: Egg is a reflex game; it's fast paced.. in MODERN. The MODERN mode with Yoshi and those cookies is great fast fun. It's all very good. Very frantic and well.. easy. You move Yoshi around to eat the cookies. The CLASSIC mode is.. well.. I don't like it. It has a Wolf in a Henhouse catching eggs. Hence the name EGG. But it isn't much fun. It is a shame that the CLASSIC mode is... dull. But hey! The MODERN mode is awesome! Greenhouse: A fast frantic time of "shoot the bugs". It has some "depth" in the MODERN mode; which makes it a little more hectic. But I liked the CLASSIC mode of Greenhouse better than the MODERN. I played it until my fingers hurt. It's just that fun! Donkey Kong Jr.: It's a cool game. You nab the key (OR Keys in CLASSIC) and get to the top to free DK from Mario. Nifty. The MODERN Version is similar to the NES version; but prettier. The CLASSIC version is harder than the MODERN one; but.. it's not my style. I like it.. it's not as devastatingly simple and addictive as some of these games. Mario Bros.: Mario and Luigi run a factory that makes.. cakes.. I guess. It has a slight learning curve; because you control both characters at once. I must say, though. You get used to it quickly. And after that.. both modes are very fun and challenging. It's not mindless.. like most of the games. It's a pretty cool game. Turtle Bridge: In CLASSIC.. it's rather dull; and in MODERN... it pretty fast and challenging.. I like it; but I'm really bad at it. Sigh. Good game. Good challenge. You get the idea. The other games are hidden. You see.. by itsself; the series wouldn't be as cool as it is. You gain a STAR for every 200 points in the game. Those STARS open up new games, new secrets, and more. The "GALLERY" section contains many neat secrets to drive you onward. There is also a MUSEUM where you can view any of the older titles MUSEUMS and open up new exhibits. The MUSEUM is a place to view a picture of other Game and Watch games that were released back in the 1980's. Very cool. You can also import your older completed MUSEUMS to this version. Not bad. Liked: Lots of excellent time waster games; with hidden depth and strategy. Hated: Some of the games are.. dismal; but it's not really a relevant issue. **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: First off.. let's look at the games Super Game Boy enchancements. You'll note that a few of the backgrounds are carry overs from Game and Watch Gallery 2. Not bad. There are a lot of the borders this time as well. For the classic mode; you'll be treated to a border that looks like the old unit did. What a good idea. The game doesn't blur much on the older Game Boy units. On the Game Boy Color.. it is bright and colorful. Some of the Modern games use that excellent "SNES Quality" graphic style we have come to expect from Nintendo. Easy to see sprites and the little details in the animation make it a treat to see; but you'll be too busy playing it to notice the graphics. Liked: Rather pretty graphics and great color usage. Hated: But you will too busy playing it to admire the graphics. **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: Simple Beeps and Blips for the classic games; and some rather nice "Classic Rock" style music in the Modern games. Not bad at all; but like the first games.. it isn't anything memorable. It is neither annoying, nor intrusive. It's good enough to make me take notice. I like a lot of the songs... and when you gain the Sound test.. you can mess around with the speed of the music. That's a very nice idea. The music is pretty cool and worth leaving on. Liked: Good music! NAw.. great music! Hated: It's.. not exactly going to stick in your head.. well.. most of it won't. **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: The Reward Focused game play and easy to learn Play Control make this an excellent game. It's a GAMERS game. Just mindless fun that deserves to be played. It's all about putting you into the "ZONE". What is the "ZONE"? It's that point in a game; where you are so concentrated that you forget where you are; and who is around you. It's that moment of intense focus; where all that matters is catching that next cookie or passing that package. The hidden items.. like Two-Player JUDGE; or the incredibably tough Flagman, and the other awesome games are just the iceing on the cake. Liked: It's immaculate.. perfectly designed. Hated: It could.. I suppose.. get repetitive; but that's.. the point. **************************************************************************** Improve: Just don't worry about improveing the formula.. just get me a sequel with "The Legend of Zelda", and some more games.. :) RIYL: Value.. retro games, pure game play. **************************************************************************** Final Words: It's a Gamers Idea of Game Play Heaven. Pure and unapologetic. Lately, a lot of games get more and more complex; but that makes them... not much fun. Here is a simple collection of games that define us all. Some of them are *very* politically incorrect. For example: JUDGE. The idea of JUDGE is to wait for two numbers to flash. If your number is higher or equal to your opponents.. hit him on the head with a hammer. If it is lower.. get out of the way. How wrong is that? Or how about... keeping Lions in a cage, or useing Bug Spray, or stealing eggs? Lots of nice stuff that is both fun and wrong. My favorite one of all time is FIRE. And it is hidden in here.. and it's.. "reversed". (There is an explanation for this too.) Very cool game. The idea of FIRE is to bounce people off of a stretcher and into an Ambulance. It's fun.. and twisted. Just like a good game should be. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: ***** Graphics: ***** Sound/Music: ***** Play Control/Game Design: ***** Personal Opinion: ***** Total: 25 out of 25 Final Score: 100% **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: Well.. about every five stars you get something neat; but I won't spoil it for you. :)