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Have you ever revisited a game that when it came out originally, you really didn’t connect with? Only to find that on a second playthrough you discovered it was the greatest thing ever? Well that happened recently with me and Henry Hatsworth on the NDS. When my wife went into labour recently, being the rational human being she is, she begged for every bit of pain killing drug that was legally permissible in the People’s Republic of Canada. Nubane, an epidural, hell even some Gravol was thrown into the mix to keep her from puking as well as to assist in keeping her unconscious for the better part of twelve hours. Essentially, my wife had enough drugs in her to drop a Clydesdale.
So it was that I found myself sitting in a delivery room with nothing to do but play handheld games on my DS or my iPhone. I was in heaven. The nurses periodically would bring snacks or juice for my drugged-out wife, which I would promptly consume as quickly as possible, and I would immerse myself in the colour-matching action platforming goodness of Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure. Not since Final Fantasy III on the NDS also have I so completely lost myself in a simple grinding mechanic. Matching colours and power ups for my Special and Puzzle Meters and the simple button mashing combat just clicked for me where before it came across as just frustrating and shallow. Read more →
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