Golden Sun Dark Dawn

I got Golden Sun last Friday and already I've beaten (what I assumed to be) a pretty major boss. (I won't go into too much detail because my boyfriend has been for years for the new Golden Sun game to come out and doesn't want any spoilers) Naturally I couldn't wait for the day to be over so I could start on the game. Unlike other DS games I've played, I've only used walkthroughs when I was good and stuck, like I am now. The walkthrough I'm using at the moment is one from IGN.
So far, the game is ok. The battle style is very similar to that of Dragon Quest IX. Some things I like about Dark Dawn:

• Characters' item bags have a higher limit than DQ9. This is also a bad thing, as anyone who is currently playing the game will find out.
• There are no designated save points. The game menu has already taken care of it.
• Psynergy Points only require the use of restore potions in emergencies.
• The integration of puzzles into the storyline.

One thing I think the makers of Dark Dawn could have done was allow the player to design their own character.

All in all, good game.

Me and my iPod Touch

I recently purchased an iPod Touch from DSE on George St. I partly wanted to have a decent MP3 player for a change and partly wanted to not stick out like a sore thumb in the office with my Nokia E71. My favourite aspect of the iPod Touch is the variety of applications available. Top app? iXpenseIt. As for my least favourite aspect.... lemme see.... I can't really think of any.

 Sorry about the dodgy image quality.

Dragon Quest 9: Review

This image was sourced from Kotaku. No copyright infringement intended.

URL: http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/05/dqbox.jpg

This is my first non-Pokemon RPG I brought for my DS. I was getting pretty bored of the games I already had, so I thought it was high time I got something new. I settled on Dragon Quest 9 after seeing the ad on TV and then seeing it being advertised in JB Hi Fi for $59.
The game itself is quite good. It does afford plenty of opportunities for levelling up (and accruing a mighty fortune in gold coins) and the enemies themselves aren't that bad. (Justin can't stop going on about the Sanguinis) The only problem I have with the game is the saving mechanism. As opposed to Pokemon's (almost) ad-hoc style of saving, DQ9 forces the player to head for the nearest church and make a confession to the priest (yes, insert Monty Python joke here). The quick save is only temporary; if one's team fell to an enemy, one could not soft-restart the game with quick save.