Noteworthy Games of 2011 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Princess Peach

A staple in most board games that have a Mario theme in them, Princess Peach surprisingly, is a locked character that can be unlocked by beating the Peach's Castle Board in second place or higher in Tour mode. "Fortune Street" is not your usual everyone plays mini-games between turns board game.

Many people have said that "Fortune Street" combines the "Mario Party" franchise with Monopoly. However, Mario characters are not the only playable characters as the very famous "Dragon Quest" franchise characters are also playable.

Many of the boards that you play on are based off Mario and Dragon Quest locales. "Fortune Street" is a game in the series of the "Itadaki Street" franchise famous only in Japan. "Fortune Street" is the first game of the series to be released outside of Japan.

The goal of this game is to amass a net profit of a set goal at the start of the game. One of the main goals of the game is to get promotions which can be obtained by collecting four emblems (diamond, club, spade, and heart) then returning to the bank. Also you will invest some of your money in businesses you can buy and the goal is to get a monopoly to increase your net worth. Once you reach the target goal of your net worth you need to rush back to the bank to win the game.

In addition to these concepts you also can invest in stocks which can help you out and there are empty lots where you can build businesses such as tax offices. You can also buy out your opponent's businesses if you have the right amount of money. You can play with friends over the Wi-fi connection too. Unlockable characters from the "Dragon Quest" franchise are Jessica, Dragonlord, and Patty. Sadly though, "Fortune Street" does have two major flaws. The first one being is that in single-player Tour Mode you can only play as your Mii. If you've been waiting forever to play as Bowser in a board game you'll have to play multiplayer. Also these games, do take quite a long time, usually a few hours, and if you're playing with friends you'll have to play through the whole thing as there's no save function in multiplayer but there's one in single-player mode...strange.

Answer: genius

In the original "StarFox 64" for the Nintendo 64 the missing word was Einstein, but for some reason in the 3DS version they replaced it with genius. Like many games in the early "StarFox" series you play as Fox McCloud and you are trying to stop the evil genius Andross from taking over the Lylat system. You either fly in an Arwing, or pilot a Landmaster Tank, or the Blue Marine through levels to get to Venom, the home base of Andross. Unlike other "StarFox" games though you can choose your own path by fulfilling certain objectives in levels.

In Corneria if you fly under all the arches in the water you go to Sector Y if you don't you go to Meteo. "StarFox 64 3DS" is basically a port from what many consider to be the best game in the "StarFox" franchise "StarFox 64".

The graphics have been updated to make the scenery more detailed than the original and also the 3D effect works really well in this game. Other things have been changed such as Fortuna is now Fichina, which was a translation error in the original and the multiplayer now allows you to see your friend's faces while playing but only over local wireless.

There is no Wi-fi connection in this game. The same voice actors from "StarFox 64" return but they seemed to have lost some of their luster. Unfortunately, some things have not been changed for the better. Koji Kondo the original composer for "StarFox 64" did not head up music this time and the new composer added a lot of brass synths to the music which kind of ruined the nostalgia of the soundtrack.

Answer: Waddle Dee

Did anyone fall for the Waddle Doo trick? Oddly enough, if you play multi-player chances are one of Kirby's enemies is going to be his ally. The main player plays as Kirby, but multiplayer choices are: another Kirby, Meta-Knight, King Dedede, and a spear wielding Waddle Dee. Believe it or not, this game has been in production for a very long time, originally meaning to be a Gamecube game.

However, it shrank into obscurity never thought to be released. "Kirby: Return to Dreamland" follows a gameplay pattern much like "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" as four people can play on one level at the same time. Also new to the series are Ultra Abilities such as Ultra Sword which are greater versions of the normal abilities that can usually take up the whole screen.

These abilities are exclusive only to Kirby. But like many games there are some flaws. The easy difficulty of the game may turn people off but that's a normal concept for the Kirby franchise. Also, if you're playing multiplayer and Player One dies, everyone dies, unlike "Donkey Kong Country Returns" and "New Super Mario Bros. Wii".

Answer: Four

Much like many of the tracks being modified in the Retro Cups in "Mario Kart Wii", the 3DS installment of the franchise does the same thing only leaving four courses untouched except for 3D graphics. The courses that have not been modified to incorporate gliding or underwater driving are Luigi Raceway and Kalimari Desert from the N64, Rainbow Road from the Super Nintendo, and Mushroom Gorge from the Wii. "Mario Kart 7" as it's name suggests is the seventh installment in the "Mario Kart" franchise. Unlike the most recent predecessor, "Mario Kart 7" sticks solely to karts and only has eight people racing at one time. Also, karts are able to be customized with certain parts for body, wheels, and gliders.

These parts can be obtained by collecting a certain number of coins, which can also boost your speed, which hasn't been present in the more recent installments of the series.

The multiplayer online can also be modified with use of Communities, certain groups that may have restrictions, such as 150cc racing with the only item being banana peels.

This is handy as you don't have to be flustered by doing 90 Mirror courses in a row like on "Mario Kart Wii". Although "Mario Kart 7" did get good reviews just like every other game on this list it has flaws, too many for me to list here without this interesting info being opinionated. The biggest flaw in my opinion though is that the AI in this game is even more brutal than it was on in the 150 cc "Mariokart Wii." You can be hit by five different hazards in the expanse of ten seconds in 100cc. That actually happened to me. Also in the later difficulties they're smart enough to use shortcuts. So it's sometimes very difficult to compete with them. The online concept of the game though is where the "Mario Kart" franchise shines and that's still top-notch. The only exception to this is if you're playing with a friend who doesn't have a game card they still have to play as a Shy Guy in a predetermined kart. Also this is the first "Mario Kart" game to release a patch as to where certain cheats cannot be used.

Answer: Banette

"Pokemon Black/White" are the two newest classic-formula games of the "Pokemon" franchise up to the end of 2011. The games take place in the Unova region, which until you beat the main game do not have any of the previous Pokemon from the previous four regions. Exceptions to this include Celebi and the shiny Raikou, Entei, and/or Suicune which were released for Generation IV games.

These Pokemon were able to be transferred as they triggered events relating to Zorua and Zoroark. These games also introduced Triple Battles and Rotation Battles which were more prevalent depending on which version you played. If you played "Pokemon Black" Rotation Battles were more common and if you played "Pokemon White" Triple Battles were more common. These games can also connect to the actual Internet with an area called the Pokemon Dream World. With this Internet game you can explore different areas to find Pokemon that you can't necessarily find in the main game and usually have moves and abilities that are not in the main game. Examples of these are Mareeps that have a Plus ability or a Koffing that knows Dark Pulse.

As of the end of 2011, there were five different Dream Areas in the Dream World and those are: Pleasant Forest, Windswept Sky, Sparkling Sea, Spooky Manor, and Rugged Mountain. Depending on which area you're sent to depends on what kind of Pokemon you'll find. You can also find berries, or items, in sparkling spots and plant them in your garden. You can then exchange these berries for furniture for your house or send them back to your game. You can befriend Pokemon in this area by winning at little mini-games. Then when you reach the end of one of these areas, ten screens, you can offer a berry to the Dream Tree to take a Pokemon you befriended to your game. The Dream World is only allowed to be played for one hour, every 24 hours. The actual game itself follows the same formula of the first game. Try to catch as many Pokemon as you can, train them, earn eight badges and become the Pokemon champion. Also a constant in the series is stopping a bad organization which in this game is Team Plasma. The game also has become more graphically enhanced, mostly evidenced by areas such as the Sky Arrow Bridge and Castellia City. Another addition to the game that greatly expanded possibilities is that TM's (Technical Machines) are no longer only limited to one use as they can be used over and over again. Several Pokemon have been released through the Global Link and the game already. Special Pokemon released through the Global Link are: Banette, Mamoswine, Arceus, Croagunk, and an Eeveeloution if you get to a certain point in a mini-game onthe "Pokemon" website. Pokemon actually released through Mystery Gift in the game are Victini and Mewtwo. Also if you bought a specially marked game in Target stores you could get a Lucario. Also seasons take place in the game depending on what month it is. If it's January, May, September, or December it's spring then summer, autumn, and winter, with each successive month. Different Pokemon and landscapes can change with the seasons. Like if you're battling in the wild in the Winter, expect to be pelted by hail in some areas.

Answer: False

It's pretty close though. What the 3DS version of "Ocarina of Time" did was add some new features such as a Master Quest (another adventure after beating the main game) and a Boss Battle mode which as it sounds lets you battle previous bosses. So ergo, it's not an exact direct port. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D" enhanced the graphics some so the stores don't just look like empty shelves and that character's hands aren't just polygons. Also the 3D looks really good in this game. Gyro controls are also used when you're using first-person items such as the Hookshot or the Fairy Slingshot.

Another thing that's different from the N64 game, and this is just an Easter egg, paintings of Mario and friends can no longer be seen through the windows in the garden where you meet Zelda.

Other than these changes though the game is a port from the N64 version. This game was also part of the whole 25th Anniversary for the "The Legend of Zelda" franchise. Other games that were released are: the Game Boy Color version of "A Link's Awakening" on the 3DS Virtual Console, "Four Swords Adventures" as DSiWare (the Game Boy Advance version), "The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap" for Ambassadors of the 3DS program, and "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" for the Wii. Also if you registered your copy of "Ocarina of Time 3D" with Club Nintendo before a certain time you could get a free CD of the soundtrack. Also with "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" you could get a CD with orchestrated versions of classic Zelda songs.

There aren't too many complaints about "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D." One complaint is that unless you're in a dungeon as Young Link you always start out at Kokiri Forest at your house, which means every time you stop and turn off the game you have to traverse across Hyrule Field again. There are rumors circulating around that "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" will get the same treatment. There's also talk of re-releasing "A Link to the Past" for the SNES and a brand new Zelda being released as well.

Answer: Mallo

"Pushmo" has been referred to as "the game that every 3DS owner must own." Released on the Nintendo 3DS eshop, Pushmo is a puzzle game that is somewhat of a platformer at the same time. Don't let the cutesy graphics and sweet music fool you though as this is a quality game. Pushmos are pieces of playground equipment that children like to play on, but one evil bratty kid has been resetting each one of the structures trapping the kids inside. Our hero, Mallo, of the story pulls and pushes levels of the structures in and out and attempts to climb to the top of the structures to rescue the trapped kids. Parts of the structure can only be pulled out three times, and can only be pushed in if there is adequate room to do so and so that you are not standing on the piece you're trying to push in or pull out. If you mess up there is a reset button at the bottom which has you start the level over.

In later levels devices such as switches and manholes make levels a little more challenging. Some levels are also called "murals" which resemble certain objects such as a strawberry or a triceratops. Mallo's name also closely resembles the first party member Mario acquires in "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars".

The character's name was Mallow who was a prince of Nimbus Land, a place inhabited by cloud beings.

Answer: London Life

"Professor Layton and the Last Specter" is the fourth game in the puzzle/mystery "Professor Layton" franchise. This game is a prequel to the series as the game shows how Layton and Luke met and how Luke became Layton's apprentice. It also introduces a new character, Elena, who is a student that goes to the university that Layton works for, and is Layton's apprentice before Luke registers in that role.

In this game Layton must investigate the complaints of a city in which a giant specter that resides in the city's legend is attacking the city instead of protecting it like the legend says.

This game follows the same formula as the previous games of combining mystery, point and click, and puzzle/brainteaser genres. In addition to the main story game, there is another game called "London Life" which is a real-life simulation game. You create a character and you interact with characters from all four games of the "Professor Layton" series and you make money by performing jobs. You can fish, buy furniture for your house, do tasks for certain people.

It's very similar to a game from the "Animal Crossing" series. Also like in previous games, every week for quite a while, downloadable puzzles were available by the Wi-fi connection.

Answer: Wind

Sort of like Rock, Paper, Scissors each element is strong against one type and weak against another. Fire is weak to Water, Water is weak to Earth, Earth is Weak to Fire. You can usually tell what type an enemy is by their color. Fire enemies are usually red, Water enemies are usually blue, and Earth enemies are usually green. "Monster Tale" is a game that combines elements of "Metroid", a virtual pet and often referring to "Mega Man X." You play as young blue-haired girl named Ellie, travelling through the Monster World with your monster companion Chomp who will evolve into bigger and more powerful forms as it gains experience, which happens by defeating enemies or using items that are dropped into the Pet Sanctuary.

This is where Chomp resides when he's not helping Ellie battle enemies. Chomp can only stay outside of the Pet Sanctuary for a certain time as he loses health as it's outside of the sanctuary.

The "Mega Man X" factor are blaster attacks which Ellie can execute from a band she wears around her wrist and she also can climb walls like Mega Man when she gets a certain upgrade.

The upgrades and the mass-exploration is like "Metroid". While Chomp levels up, Ellie gains more items and abilities when she finds them in the large dungeon of Monster World. Ellie's quest is to beat the five Kid Lords who rule a different section of Monster World with their own unique monster, and these kids serve as the bosses of the game.

Answer: World 5-2

Mario and "The Legend of Zelda" have been appearing in each other's games for quite a while. Two examples are Link sleeping in the Rose Town hotel in "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars" and Mario and friends appearing in the stained glass windows of Hyrule Castle Courtyard in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time".

This level has been come to known as the "Zelda stage" for two main reasons. The first reason is that this stage is played from a bird's eye perspective. This harkens back to the old exploration of dungeons that 8 bit and 16 bit Link used to do. Also there is a hidden room with some unlit torches later in the level, and this is the more prominent Zelda motif. Unlit torch puzzles have been used in Zelda games before and if you use Fire Mario to light the unlit torches the famous short Zelda tune when you solve a puzzle plays. "Super Mario 3D Land" was the first game featuring one of Nintendo's big franchises that wasn't a port.

This game harkened back to the old side-scroller games much like the "New Super Mario Bros." series had did.

But the game does have different dimensions so instead of moving only left and right you can move up and down in certain levels as well. Even before the game was released there was proof that the Raccoon tail power up would make an appearance. This tail became the Tanooki Suit and is one of the new power-ups in the game. Another one is the Boomerang Suit which you can use boomerangs as weapons and to gain certain items. Unlike the game it originally appeared in the Tanooki Suit does not allow you to fly. However, you can still attack with your tail, and with gray leaves you can turn into a statue. The tail however does allow you to slow your descent when you're falling. A lot of enemies have also donned this Tanooki tails such as Thwomps, Bullet Bills, Goombas, and even Bowser himself, even though it's revealed after the boss fight that these are fake incarnations of Bowser. The real Bowser has his own tail. A lot of references in this game are to "Super Mario Bros. 3". You have the Tanooki Suit, but you also have Boom Boom as the main boss in a lot of the fortresses. Like in the "New Super Mario Bros." games there are three Star Coins in these levels which are used to unlock new worlds. After beating the first eight worlds, you are still not done as there are eight special worlds which are a lot more difficult. Also if you beat the castle in World 1, you rescue Luigi from Dry Bowser and can play as Luigi. Also, shortly after this game's release animal orginization PETA launched a campaign against it because they were upset that Mario was wearing the fur of a tanooki, which is a real raccoon-like animal in Japan. They released their own game in where Mario's goal is to kill tanookis. It is weird since they didn't do this campaign when it was first released in "Super Mario Bros. 3" as well as other animal suits such as the Bee Suit and the Frog Suit.