To be fair, a lot of the issues with Jagged Alliance's design are simply products of their time. Games were simply more difficult 15 years ago, especially those within the PC strategy genre. Hardcore players practically expected overly complex mechanics and needlessly expansive toolsets, two traits that are maligned today as poor design. The game's visuals were once considered adequate as well, but now come off as some of the worst graphics ever to grace Nintendo's handheld. Had Cypron Studios and Strategy First done more to modernize the ancient design of the game's original release, this review may have been entirely different. As it is, though, Jagged Alliance is faithful to a fault, likely to appeal exclusively to fans of the original with no concern for the broader audience.
Presentation - 4.0
Graphics - 3.0
Sound - 6.0
Gameplay - 5.0
Lasting Appeal - 5.0
Overall -
Get ready to go deep behind enemy lines in Xevious as this intense Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) classic gets revamped in 3D for Nintendo 3DS. This week also sees the release of Jagged Alliance, Game & Watch Gallery and more for Nintendo’s Nintendo DS family of consoles.
Xevious looks alright I guess in 3D.. there's a 3D video on the E-Shop of it.
Thanks, I watched the trailer just now.
Looks good, I'd like to give it a go but £5.40?! That's twice the price it should be.
cmon nintendo, bring out the classics. mario land 2, mega man games and more. PLEEEAAASSSSEEE
these updates are getting worse. I want original games!!!! Virtual Console would be cool if it had more games and better games from more systems. GBA, GBC, GB, Game Gear, and there are so many more that I'm not remembering. Nintendo! Sign some contracts and make some deals to get better software to download. For the summer that's what will save the 3DS untill the holidays.
Jagged Alliance has made a mostly successful transition from the PC to the DS, and fans of the franchise and the turn-based strategy genre will find plenty to enjoy in this adapted game, so long as they can overlook some flaws in the transition and the original product. The storyline is solid enough to carry along the experience from beginning to end, the visuals are acceptable, the audio is pretty good, and the game is generally complex and well structured enough to be entertaining and enjoyable from start to finish.
This Jagged Alliance revamp for the DS is for purists only. Even then, it's hard to imagine diehard loyalists having much patience with the clumsy controls and awkward camera system. A few minutes with this "new" Jagged Alliance is all you need to realize that while you may well be able to go home again, you shouldn't assume that you can do so on a completely different platform.
