Couch & Controller – Nov. 8

Reviewer|November 8, 2012

So, the big release of 2012, the one everybody has been waiting for, has finally come.  That’s right, “Harvest Moon:  A New Beginning” was released for the 3DS.  Also, I heard 343 Studios released something called “Halo 4.”  It’s supposed to be a big deal.  Heh… whatever.  Without further ado, here’s what awaits your couch and controller this weekend.

LittleBigPlanet Karting

I guess someone finally figured out what the strength of the surprise hit “LittleBigPlanet” really was.  The creation and sharing of tracks seems like a natural extension of the original concept.  Could this be the game that finally unseats the “Mario Kart” series as king of the kart racers?

No.  The real negative with “LittleBigPlanet Karting” is that it is 2010’s “ModNation Racers” with a LittleBigPlanet theme.  “ModNation Racers” didn’t unseat Mario Kart, and neither will this.  After playing for a while, you begin to understand why neither “LittleBigPlanet” nor “ModNation Racers” had the mass market success of their Nintendo counterparts.

 

Halo 4

This game could have been just the title screen and it would have sold out on day one.  There’s a reason people play Halo games, and 343 Studios has not messed with the Halo formula.  New tweaks to allow more customization, and a wider variety of game modes will be welcome additions for any Halo fan.

However, the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach may be a concern for some gamers.  There isn’t any major innovation that separates “Halo 4” from any of the other games in the series.  As far as the continuing saga of Master Chief and GlaDOS, er, excuse me, Cortana goes, all I can say is, if you’re playing a Halo game for the storyline, you’re playing it wrong. 

“Halo 4” is a worthy entry in the Halo series.  If you’re a Halo player, this has everything you want.  But, this isn’t going to make anyone a convert.


Harvest Moon: A New Begginning

“Farmville on steroids” is probably an accurate way to describe the Harvest Moon series, despite the fact that Harvest Moon games have been around since 1996.  There is plenty of obsessive crop tending, collecting, competing and relationship mini-games to go around in this edition, as well.

Running down the list of new features added to “Harvest Moon:  A New Beginning” reveals some real surprises.  For the first time ever, yaks are available to keep on the farm.  I know I was waiting for the day somebody finally added yaks to Harvest Moon.  And, apparently to lure in the American market, your pets will become overweight if not cared for properly.  Yaks and fat pets!  What’s not to love?