@DarthKirby You are absolutely correct. I remember getting it on launch day and thinking it was a great Zelda game. I thought it was a great sequel and a natural evolution. Back then, no one thought about whether a game fit the property's mould or not. It was just a nee game in the series with famiar characters and great gameplay - everything we would expect from Zelda.
Personally, I think this is a great idea. Either developers mentioned in the article would do the game great justice. Though, if I were king of the world, I'd give the nod to the Wonderboy team.
Its funny. Last year (or so-ago) in the middle of the mini console shortage outcry, I made a comment about Nintendo's core mission statement being that of not so much manufacturing consoles or publishing games but of "producing smiles". And at the current rate they were going, they were producing more "frowns" than "smiles" and that they needed to check their roadmap. They had gone off track.
"Stunning sprite art: Forget out-of-place modern art: Aggelos boasts superlative character designs and animations while remaining proudly, and faithfully, 16-bit through and through."
Wow! It's almost like they made this game just for me! LOL!
@bilboa I hear you. For me, I'll gladly take the vastly superior ergonomic feel of initiating firing by pressing a direction and simply allowing the thumbstick to go neutral to stip firing over the slight increase in accuracy of aiming then pressing a fire button. The issue I see is that you cant tell how accurate your aiming is unless you fire anyway. And holding the direction perfectly during a pause in firing is unlikely anyway. So I'll take ergonomics over an accurate hand cramp anyday! But you're right. To each their own. But an option is not too much to ask at all Should be automatic!
@Francema I'd support that statement too - if Nintendo had a re fund policy like STEAM. But they don't. I have bought a large number of indies (I don't make my argument without an objective effort to see the other side) and I'd say, easily 90% are steaming heaps that I'll never touch again for many reasons each. Which is why i'll continue to back games that at the very least have qualities that I value and that I can see from a screenshot or video - qualities that I believe move the medium forward. Not a certainty of backward movement. 8.5bit is a lazy excuse for not seeking out the financial backing and talent to move the medium forward and most definitely backward progression. Even $7.99 is too much for an unknown experience to have faith on the fact that there may be something else that is rewarding other than the graphics. I want both for my $$.. and I don't like to encourage the development or sale of anything that doesn't move us forward. Just my .02. We have to be careful of how we set the stage for the future in these days where everyone gets a trophy... Rewarding mediocrity can set a dangerous prescedent for the health of our future.
@Francema Yup! You know, I remember growing up with each generation of hardware, starting with the 2600, but really starting with the NES, always being so eager, excited and (dare I say HUNGRY) to see how much better the next console on the horizon will look and play. What's this Sega Genesis thing coming up? OMG! That looks incredible! Huh? SNES is next? How much better will that look? N64? $650 NEO GEO?! HOLY CRAP!
I think we've lost that magic. Its there still but the drastic jumps in fidelity aren't the leaps and bounds that they used to be. And with the popularity of cheap indie games, I feel like a huge step backwards is being made. Maybe because a lot of gamers today haven't grown up with that sense of constant evolution and advancement and demand for "more bits, more colors!". Everything back then was trying to catch up with the fidelity of the arcades. Now that arcades are no longer the golden ring for us to reach for...
But seeing games like this and the work of Wayforward and (of course) Nintendo and other major 3rd parties does bring a bit of that "looking towards the horizon" thrill back to this salty heart! Good work and keep it coming!
THIS is what we should be supporting with our gaming dollars! This level of polish and quality in both gameplay and presentation is what helps push the industry forward. Supporting mediocracy with our dollars gets us a load of games with graphics and gameplay that cant hold a candle to games made 30 years ago. Supporting games like this, sends the message that this is the bar. I want more games like this!
@GraveLordXD Oh trust me, I don't need anyone to tell me not to buy. My concern is the market's willingness to support mediocre presentation and the impact it has on the budgets that major development studios have to develop outstanding games. It seems to me that AAA title production in general, across all console lines, have dropped in the last decade. Yes, flagship titles are coming through from Ninetendo. But what of the other proven 3rd parties? It would be interesting to see the production of major 3rd party companies today as compared to a decade or even 15 years ago.
BTW, a couple of the games you mentioned actually had SNES+ graphics - Owl Boy was one of them. It was pretty good. For me at least, anything less (and there is a LOT) is not moving the industry forward. Our collective acceptance of that is stunting the advancement in the arena of visual presentation. Of all the titles you mentioned, nothing new has been introduced. Nothing new, with the extra added bonus of bad graphics.
@Alucard83 Most definitely! That's what I was going for. So yeah... should have been 30 years! Very very sad that we are paying for content that looks like this today at ANY level.
@dres This doesn't matter to me. As a consumer, I spend money. And I spend money on quality. Making games is a business. Crying for small studios when they don't get a "fair shake" is similar to the concept of "everyone gets a trophy" that is turning our kids into complacent piles of mush. I have no responsibility for spoon feeding small 1 to 2 man operations.
It would be even a BIGGER blast to play games with great gameplay AND great presentation. We shouldn't settle for anything less. To do so is to take us back 30 years and say it's OK.
Graphics suck. It amazes me that indie devs can't manage to do better than what we was done literally 25 years ago. And the worst part is that consumers consume it.
Wayforward's level of graphical quality in their Shantea and DS Contra series should be the minimal bar in 2018. Minimal.
My first thought was that this is too far a departure from their current business model to be true. I am a 3-Switch household and am really irritated that I had to create 2 new accounts and several copies of some games just to play digital content across them.
However, this could be just the value proposition they are looking for to get all segments of their consumer base to adopt the new online service. Its not free. So there has to be good reason for people of all play types to buy in. Not everyone cares to play online. Or to voice chat. But a lot of people do care about playing across multiple devices and cloud saves as well.
Hmmmm... not saying this isn't true but my BS senses are tingling.
1. This looks absolutely nothing like the Neo Geo console. Not even the joystick area / colors are right.
2. That screen is way too small to have an ergonomically sensible knobbie joystick. The joystick should be a thumbstick if this were the case
3. Manufacturing a custom 3.5" screen in the quantities they are likely going to make (ie. Very low compared to a DS or 3DS) would push the BOM (bill of materials) cost plus acceptable margin of this over $100. This is not a standard, off-the-shelf LCD size.
4. There is no Baseball Stars 2. This list looks like someone's personal fav list. Missing a couple of mainstays to make it an official offering.
@bilboa yeah, but you really won't know if your aim is true until you fire. So just point in a direction and shoot a short burst.
This dev has done many twin stick games. I'm guessing that most of the games I'm thinking of in my head that have this aweful control mechanic were made by them. I should go and check. Just give me the controls from Smash TV, Total Carnage or Robotron and I'll play for hours!!
I don't know which of these games (devs) started the recent fad of requiring the player to press a button to fire the main weapon in a twin stick shooter but it needs to stop. This seems to be common place over just the last two years or so...
The whole beauty of playing a twin stick shooter is simply pointing in the direction you want to fire and your avatar fires in that direction. If you don't want to fire, you let go of the d-pad or thumbstick and it returns to the neutral position and the firong stops. Does anyone playtest these games for ergonomics? It is unnecessary and serves no purpose. I even feel that wrenching down on the thumbstick so my index finger can claw it's way to hold the button down will ruin the thumb stick over time.
Devs, please stop and learn from your predecessors. Or at least put an option for auto fire in the setup screen.
Sorry... these are not artwork. They are peripherals with a retro design. With either and engineering or manufacturing defect no less. Unless that is part of the art (much sarcasm there)
Why does everyone feel the need to throw around the "form of art" buzz phrase around when it comes to our hobby? Just because something is way overpriced and kind of cool does not mean that the "work of art" moniker needs to be applied. It only serves to diminish works that are truly artful. Yes, art is in the eye of the beholder... but purely objectively speaking, this sure as heck ain't it.
Not sure why a dev would instantly hand-cuff their game by requiring co-op. It's nice that it reached it's goal but 197 backers is hardly a representation of the market it will be serving. Unless it has online features to support the mandatory co-op, it's DOA. Seems like a rookie move..
I was 19 when I saw the Sega Genesis playing Altered Beast and Tommy Lasorda baseball behind a glass case the first day they put it on display. I had played games in the Atari 2600 era as a child. But mostly played NES games as a teenager. So this was the first time I saw that "step up" in graphics, speed, colors and fidelity that a next gen console gifted us with. It was at that visit that I saw the future of games and had such a thrill inside for things to come. That day, I went from simply playing video games (a lot) to being a Gamer. I will always have that memory and I will always have Toys R Us to thank for it.
I'm thinking of picking one of these up. But only because I feel that I detect a slight delay in input controls when playing my SNES Mini. Is that in my head or is this something other people truly experienced? Even with the wired controller that the SNES Mini comes with.
And if so, does this Super nt truly fix that problem? Can anyone attest? @Roadrunner343, is there a noticeable differemce in response time?
I agree with all these comments having to do with the art and animation. I'm not a fan of this new style of animation either. Im also not really a fan of the thematic art style either but the detail does look very good. If devs want to know what great "hand drawn 2D" games look like, look no further than Rayman, Shantae and the new Wonderboy. These games are made with painstaking attention to detail in creating hundreds of frames of animation across their sprite library. As opposed to tweening and manipilating a single sprite. Others above describe it perfectly as "Puppet" animation. No sir, I don't like it.
@NickFalk I agree with you 100%. If there is a danger, it will come from Nintendo stifling the creative process with a stranglehold on how Mario is handled. Combine quirky Japanese humor with the iron grip they have on their IP and you may have a significant conflict in style with a Western studio looking to make a Western-style animated film. I don't have any problem at all with Illumination at the helm.
Not sure any kind of objective discussion about a positive outlook on ANYTHING can be accomplished by consulting with someone called, "I Hate Everything". Not even worth my time watching it to see if first impressions are wrong. I tend to steer clear of negativity.
I also can't for the life of me understand the saltiness towards Illumination. If you have a problem with the DM franchise and their other works, then maybe you just don't like this kind of animated film. I can't see how those films and their characters are any worse than other franchises from other studios making similar style films like Disney, Dreamworks, Pixar, etc...
Leave the salt for the table boys. Click-bate that I'm not happy to see in my beloved nintendolife.com
@aaronsullivan yup! My 7 year old goes to a STEAM school. This comes out right before his birthday. He's gonna love it! I can already see him decoratong the remote control car like an XWING and his younger brother like Lightning McQueen. LOL!
@IceClimbers Its been out there for a while. One of the first I can remember is Fatal Labrynth for the Genesis and Game Gear. They just seem to have become more popular with the emergence of indie developers.
@MisterMan You arent the dev, you dont know if its a cop out. Budget and talent determine the course of game development which, in turn MAY determine what style of game is created. This why I said it SEEMS like. And it SEEMS like there are a lot of roguelikes being created recently. Neither of us knows the situation to say definitively yes or no. I was making an observation which may or may not end up being true.
Its a very small complaint but one that kinda ruins the experience for me... Twin Stick shooters should NOT require the player to press a fire button. Very simply, when you press a direction with the right stick, it fires. When you let the stick relax to neutral position, its stops. Having to claw the right shoulder button while steering with your right thumb feels uncomfortable to me and also makes me feel like I'm wrenching down on the thimb stick too much. This requirement to press a firebutton on twin stick shooters is a recent one that I wish they would abandon.
Also, really wishing these indie devs would take a little more interest in better graphics. Getting tired of 8.5 Bit graphics. We are 20 years removed from these graphics. Granted, there are a hell of a lot more sprites on screen but that is the result of current platform and processing tech and doesnt require the same talent needed to create beautiful imagery. Let's stop the laziness (or cheapness) and take a page from the devs of beautiful games like Shantae, Wonderboy, Rayman now even Capcom with Megaman 11 and start advancing the experiences of our beloved hobbie instead of being happy with the mediocracy of 20 year old tech. Just my .02...
@readyletsgo Not a fan of rogue-likes either. Seems like a cop out for making a fully fleshed out game with a beginning, middle and end together with meaningful character development.
I love the art direction. Rich, colorful pallet, soft shading. Its hard to tell the modeling is 3D. This type of 2.5D has come a long way. And, to me, the top graphical layer actually looks to blend in better with the background becaise of all the intermediary layers of parallax than even the typical 2D game. I don't see the disconnect.
I'm getting tired of retro 8Bit and especially the lazy 8.5Bit art direction passing as "retro" coming from so many Indies. Which is why whenever artistic efforts like Wonderboy and Shantae come around, I snap them up!
The art here looks great to me. Very refreshing and happy Capcom didn't cop out with another 8Bit cookie cutter release.
Wow! This and Star Wars The Last Jedi on the same day? Winning!
New graphics look great. New modes and content. Much more than we could hope for a port that most of us have never been able to play. Great job Sqenix!
Having played about 7 hours in, I'd opine that this is a very good game. Not a great game and definitely not a game I would call the greatest.
For whatever reason, I'm finding just a tad bit more struggle with camera and controls in tight spots. Not quite as tight as the Galaxy games. Maybe its playing the game with the joycons. Honestly the control IS very good. But just seems a tad off and enough to knock it out of a perfect score.
Also, for me, there is too much empty space between nodes within the worlds. There's a little bit of town and a couple of small adventure areas in the distance and a larger adventure area also in the distance. I had originally feared this from initial screens and videos. Was hoping maybe it would end up more filled in for final release or other worlds might be different. But not so. For me, this kind of layout takes me out of the fantasy. It reminds me that its a game with this section plopped here and that section plopped there with a bunch of nothing in between. I would rather have an overworld map like SMW or the 3D world games where it shows the entire world close together in a master planned tightly packed bundle of fantasy fun!
Lastly, I gave the New Donk City art scheme a good go. Tried to be subjective. But I just hate it. For me this just doesnt belong in a Mario game. Again, it zaps me right out of the universe.
Just my opinion. Though I do feel there is a lot of fan service in these 10/10 reviews all over the place. 8.0, maybe 8.5 tops for me.
Actually is a smart move. 1 min gives players enough to get them interested and even hooked based on a small taste. I find that a lot of demos probably give too much time with the game for the player to either loose interest or confirm that the game isn't for them. Especially if you have an unpolished game, this is a good way to place focus only on the strongest part of the game.
I'm gonna throw something out there to the group from out of left field... For those wanting examples of how a publisher should treat a license like Star Wars, take your games off the screen and onto your table. Table top gaming publisher Fantasy Flight Games has enjoyed a successful licensing releationship for Star Wars for many years. They consistently produce very high quality games with fun and engaging mechanics that embrace the license very well. Even incorporating Legacy themes and characters. Some of my favorite FFG games (that I own and play consistently): Imperial Assault: tile based miniatures dungeon crawl with campaign mechanics X-wing: Tactical space combat miniatures Armada: Strategic space combat miniatures Rebellion: strategic conquest where Rebels and Imperials have completely different win conditions and play styles Star Wars LCG: Customizable card game Destiny (CCG): Collectible Card Game w/ dice
Seriously, I re-discovered table gaming about 5 years ago (since I had stopped playing as a teenager) and it is an incredibly fun companion to video gaming. There is something exhilarating about playing with physical components (dice, tiles, tokens, figures, etc.) and experiencing multiplayer the socially "healthy" way by sitting at the table and playing with your allies and enemies face to face! I strongly encourage any video gamer to go out to their local hobby gaming store and check out all the cool things gaming has to offer thay is off the screen. You may find a really good gaming fix for your Star Wars itch in ways you've never expected!
@JaxonH I concur. And most of that has to do, typically, with releasing within the year (less than 12 months of sales opportunity) and, mostly, supply issues serving as the constraint to unfettered console sales. Most every system launch is faced with limited supply.
I was 39 in line out of 45 at Walmart launch. They had to turn away probably 15 people. Very, very happy to have snagged one!
Its very interesting to note that it seems that Walmart received a lower distribution than Target, Best Buy and TRU. I would imagine that Walmart would typically receive the same amount, if not more - especially compared to Target who smaller in regional distribution and size. I mentioned a couple of months before that Nintendo (NOA) has ways of discourage retailers from not following their marketing plans. Walmart was the only NA to offer pre-sales before the rest of NA retailers. I would not be surprised at all if their allotment reflected this indiscretion (no, I don't nelieve their going live early with pre-orders was a mistake).
Anyway, the good news for all gamers is that it appears (just from this small sample group here at Nintendolife) that the majority of early adopters were able to get their units day one. That means that future shipments should be free for more casual shoppers. Looks like Reggie is making good!
@Al_Godoy So glad to have you with us. You hit the nail on the head. The most important thing is to have the opportunity to be with us to complain, cry and rejoice over the most trivial things in life. You WILL get your SNES mini eventually. And when you sit down and play it, it will be sweeter than any of us could experience because you have a renewed appreciation for these small things. And you helped your fellow countrymen first. Job well done! I can't wait for you to get yours and enjoy!
So, this was my first experience and my last with Thinkgeek. I placed an order at 2AM PST last night, paid for it via PayPal and got an email this morning stating that they cancelled my order - they oversold. I bought this one for my kids (I got one just for Daddy at Walmart earlier that night) so it's not a big deal. But I feel so sorry for those folks who bought one early AM and passed on lining up at TRU, Best Buy, etc. in the morning thinking that they had secured one. And their cocky messages only make the matter worse. I guarantee if I ever get my hands on one of their warehouse monkeys, I'll choke it out!
Actually, I bet most NA consumers prefer the SF style. I would have much preferred to get the PAL version but I'm lucky enough to have scored #39 of 45 at Walmart last night. So no complaints here!
On a side note, my buddy was one of those guys who imported a Super Famicom before the SNES released in NA and I always coveted it! Nintendolife, would be cool to do a poll of NA users which they prefer!
Comments 548
Re: Inti Creates CEO Takuya Aizu Wants To Develop A Remake Of Zelda II
@DarthKirby You are absolutely correct. I remember getting it on launch day and thinking it was a great Zelda game. I thought it was a great sequel and a natural evolution. Back then, no one thought about whether a game fit the property's mould or not. It was just a nee game in the series with famiar characters and great gameplay - everything we would expect from Zelda.
Personally, I think this is a great idea. Either developers mentioned in the article would do the game great justice. Though, if I were king of the world, I'd give the nod to the Wonderboy team.
Re: Nintendo's New President Wants To Put More People In Touch With Mario, Link And Samus
Its funny. Last year (or so-ago) in the middle of the mini console shortage outcry, I made a comment about Nintendo's core mission statement being that of not so much manufacturing consoles or publishing games but of "producing smiles". And at the current rate they were going, they were producing more "frowns" than "smiles" and that they needed to check their roadmap. They had gone off track.
Hey... a man can wonder! LOL
Re: Aggelos Is A New Retro-Styled 2D Action-Adventure Coming To Switch This Year
"Stunning sprite art: Forget out-of-place modern art: Aggelos boasts superlative character designs and animations while remaining proudly, and faithfully, 16-bit through and through."
Wow! It's almost like they made this game just for me! LOL!
YES PLEASE!
Re: Tsk, Sonic's Become A "Juvenile Delinquent" In His Upcoming Hollywood Movie
Not for my kids. They don't need any help getting derailed these days. As for me, not even vaguely interested.
Good job Sega!
Re: Review: Tesla Vs Lovecraft (Switch eShop)
@bilboa I hear you. For me, I'll gladly take the vastly superior ergonomic feel of initiating firing by pressing a direction and simply allowing the thumbstick to go neutral to stip firing over the slight increase in accuracy of aiming then pressing a fire button. The issue I see is that you cant tell how accurate your aiming is unless you fire anyway. And holding the direction perfectly during a pause in firing is unlikely anyway. So I'll take ergonomics over an accurate hand cramp anyday! But you're right. To each their own. But an option is not too much to ask at all Should be automatic!
Re: Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom Gets Shown Off In Brand New E3 Trailer
@Francema I'd support that statement too - if Nintendo had a re fund policy like STEAM. But they don't. I have bought a large number of indies (I don't make my argument without an objective effort to see the other side) and I'd say, easily 90% are steaming heaps that I'll never touch again for many reasons each. Which is why i'll continue to back games that at the very least have qualities that I value and that I can see from a screenshot or video - qualities that I believe move the medium forward. Not a certainty of backward movement. 8.5bit is a lazy excuse for not seeking out the financial backing and talent to move the medium forward and most definitely backward progression. Even $7.99 is too much for an unknown experience to have faith on the fact that there may be something else that is rewarding other than the graphics. I want both for my $$.. and I don't like to encourage the development or sale of anything that doesn't move us forward. Just my .02. We have to be careful of how we set the stage for the future in these days where everyone gets a trophy... Rewarding mediocrity can set a dangerous prescedent for the health of our future.
Re: Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom Gets Shown Off In Brand New E3 Trailer
@Francema Yup! You know, I remember growing up with each generation of hardware, starting with the 2600, but really starting with the NES, always being so eager, excited and (dare I say HUNGRY) to see how much better the next console on the horizon will look and play. What's this Sega Genesis thing coming up? OMG! That looks incredible! Huh? SNES is next? How much better will that look? N64? $650 NEO GEO?! HOLY CRAP!
I think we've lost that magic. Its there still but the drastic jumps in fidelity aren't the leaps and bounds that they used to be. And with the popularity of cheap indie games, I feel like a huge step backwards is being made. Maybe because a lot of gamers today haven't grown up with that sense of constant evolution and advancement and demand for "more bits, more colors!". Everything back then was trying to catch up with the fidelity of the arcades. Now that arcades are no longer the golden ring for us to reach for...
But seeing games like this and the work of Wayforward and (of course) Nintendo and other major 3rd parties does bring a bit of that "looking towards the horizon" thrill back to this salty heart! Good work and keep it coming!
Re: Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom Gets Shown Off In Brand New E3 Trailer
THIS is what we should be supporting with our gaming dollars! This level of polish and quality in both gameplay and presentation is what helps push the industry forward. Supporting mediocracy with our dollars gets us a load of games with graphics and gameplay that cant hold a candle to games made 30 years ago. Supporting games like this, sends the message that this is the bar. I want more games like this!
Re: Zelda-Inspired Action RPG Songbringer Brings Top-Down Adventure To Switch Next Week
@GraveLordXD Oh trust me, I don't need anyone to tell me not to buy. My concern is the market's willingness to support mediocre presentation and the impact it has on the budgets that major development studios have to develop outstanding games. It seems to me that AAA title production in general, across all console lines, have dropped in the last decade. Yes, flagship titles are coming through from Ninetendo. But what of the other proven 3rd parties? It would be interesting to see the production of major 3rd party companies today as compared to a decade or even 15 years ago.
BTW, a couple of the games you mentioned actually had SNES+ graphics - Owl Boy was one of them. It was pretty good. For me at least, anything less (and there is a LOT) is not moving the industry forward. Our collective acceptance of that is stunting the advancement in the arena of visual presentation. Of all the titles you mentioned, nothing new has been introduced. Nothing new, with the extra added bonus of bad graphics.
Re: Zelda-Inspired Action RPG Songbringer Brings Top-Down Adventure To Switch Next Week
@Alucard83 Most definitely! That's what I was going for. So yeah... should have been 30 years! Very very sad that we are paying for content that looks like this today at ANY level.
Re: Zelda-Inspired Action RPG Songbringer Brings Top-Down Adventure To Switch Next Week
@dres This doesn't matter to me. As a consumer, I spend money. And I spend money on quality. Making games is a business. Crying for small studios when they don't get a "fair shake" is similar to the concept of "everyone gets a trophy" that is turning our kids into complacent piles of mush. I have no responsibility for spoon feeding small 1 to 2 man operations.
It would be even a BIGGER blast to play games with great gameplay AND great presentation. We shouldn't settle for anything less. To do so is to take us back 30 years and say it's OK.
Re: Zelda-Inspired Action RPG Songbringer Brings Top-Down Adventure To Switch Next Week
Graphics suck. It amazes me that indie devs can't manage to do better than what we was done literally 25 years ago. And the worst part is that consumers consume it.
Wayforward's level of graphical quality in their Shantea and DS Contra series should be the minimal bar in 2018. Minimal.
Re: You'll Be Able To Use Your Nintendo Account On Multiple Nintendo Switch Consoles
My first thought was that this is too far a departure from their current business model to be true. I am a 3-Switch household and am really irritated that I had to create 2 new accounts and several copies of some games just to play digital content across them.
However, this could be just the value proposition they are looking for to get all segments of their consumer base to adopt the new online service. Its not free. So there has to be good reason for people of all play types to buy in. Not everyone cares to play online. Or to voice chat. But a lot of people do care about playing across multiple devices and cloud saves as well.
Could be true!!
Re: Rumour: The SNK Neo Geo Mini Is A Tiny Arcade Cabinet With 40 Built-In Games
Hmmmm... not saying this isn't true but my BS senses are tingling.
1. This looks absolutely nothing like the Neo Geo console. Not even the joystick area / colors are right.
2. That screen is way too small to have an ergonomically sensible knobbie joystick. The joystick should be a thumbstick if this were the case
3. Manufacturing a custom 3.5" screen in the quantities they are likely going to make (ie. Very low compared to a DS or 3DS) would push the BOM (bill of materials) cost plus acceptable margin of this over $100. This is not a standard, off-the-shelf LCD size.
4. There is no Baseball Stars 2. This list looks like someone's personal fav list. Missing a couple of mainstays to make it an official offering.
Just my .02.
Re: '80s-Inspired Racer BAFL - Brakes Are For Losers Will Speed Onto Switch This Month
Looks cool!
Re: Review: Tesla Vs Lovecraft (Switch eShop)
@bilboa yeah, but you really won't know if your aim is true until you fire. So just point in a direction and shoot a short burst.
This dev has done many twin stick games. I'm guessing that most of the games I'm thinking of in my head that have this aweful control mechanic were made by them. I should go and check. Just give me the controls from Smash TV, Total Carnage or Robotron and I'll play for hours!!
Re: Review: Tesla Vs Lovecraft (Switch eShop)
@bondi_surfer. LOL! When did we turn into our dads?? At least we're gaming still as opposed to collecting stamps!
Re: Review: Tesla Vs Lovecraft (Switch eShop)
I don't know which of these games (devs) started the recent fad of requiring the player to press a button to fire the main weapon in a twin stick shooter but it needs to stop. This seems to be common place over just the last two years or so...
The whole beauty of playing a twin stick shooter is simply pointing in the direction you want to fire and your avatar fires in that direction. If you don't want to fire, you let go of the d-pad or thumbstick and it returns to the neutral position and the firong stops. Does anyone playtest these games for ergonomics? It is unnecessary and serves no purpose. I even feel that wrenching down on the thumbstick so my index finger can claw it's way to hold the button down will ruin the thumb stick over time.
Devs, please stop and learn from your predecessors. Or at least put an option for auto fire in the setup screen.
Re: Hardware Review: Retro-Styled Switch Controllers from ColorWare
Sorry... these are not artwork. They are peripherals with a retro design. With either and engineering or manufacturing defect no less. Unless that is part of the art (much sarcasm there)
Why does everyone feel the need to throw around the "form of art" buzz phrase around when it comes to our hobby? Just because something is way overpriced and kind of cool does not mean that the "work of art" moniker needs to be applied. It only serves to diminish works that are truly artful. Yes, art is in the eye of the beholder... but purely objectively speaking, this sure as heck ain't it.
Re: Co-Op Action RPG The Seashore Is Headed To Nintendo Switch
Not sure why a dev would instantly hand-cuff their game by requiring co-op. It's nice that it reached it's goal but 197 backers is hardly a representation of the market it will be serving. Unless it has online features to support the mandatory co-op, it's DOA. Seems like a rookie move..
Re: Feature: Remembering Toys R Us, The '90s Gamer's Paradise
I was 19 when I saw the Sega Genesis playing Altered Beast and Tommy Lasorda baseball behind a glass case the first day they put it on display. I had played games in the Atari 2600 era as a child. But mostly played NES games as a teenager. So this was the first time I saw that "step up" in graphics, speed, colors and fidelity that a next gen console gifted us with. It was at that visit that I saw the future of games and had such a thrill inside for things to come. That day, I went from simply playing video games (a lot) to being a Gamer. I will always have that memory and I will always have Toys R Us to thank for it.
Re: Analogue's Super Nt Gets Its First Jailbroken Firmware
I'm thinking of picking one of these up. But only because I feel that I detect a slight delay in input controls when playing my SNES Mini. Is that in my head or is this something other people truly experienced? Even with the wired controller that the SNES Mini comes with.
And if so, does this Super nt truly fix that problem? Can anyone attest? @Roadrunner343, is there a noticeable differemce in response time?
Re: Hand-Illustrated Survival RPG 'Smoke And Sacrifice' Coming To Switch Soon
I agree with all these comments having to do with the art and animation. I'm not a fan of this new style of animation either. Im also not really a fan of the thematic art style either but the detail does look very good. If devs want to know what great "hand drawn 2D" games look like, look no further than Rayman, Shantae and the new Wonderboy. These games are made with painstaking attention to detail in creating hundreds of frames of animation across their sprite library. As opposed to tweening and manipilating a single sprite. Others above describe it perfectly as "Puppet" animation. No sir, I don't like it.
Re: Random: Check Out This Awesome Fan-Made Super Smash Bros. Board Game
Very nicely done!
Re: Soapbox: The Super Mario Movie Might Not Be All That Great
@NickFalk I agree with you 100%. If there is a danger, it will come from Nintendo stifling the creative process with a stranglehold on how Mario is handled. Combine quirky Japanese humor with the iron grip they have on their IP and you may have a significant conflict in style with a Western studio looking to make a Western-style animated film. I don't have any problem at all with Illumination at the helm.
Re: Soapbox: The Super Mario Movie Might Not Be All That Great
Not sure any kind of objective discussion about a positive outlook on ANYTHING can be accomplished by consulting with someone called, "I Hate Everything". Not even worth my time watching it to see if first impressions are wrong. I tend to steer clear of negativity.
I also can't for the life of me understand the saltiness towards Illumination. If you have a problem with the DM franchise and their other works, then maybe you just don't like this kind of animated film. I can't see how those films and their characters are any worse than other franchises from other studios making similar style films like Disney, Dreamworks, Pixar, etc...
Leave the salt for the table boys. Click-bate that I'm not happy to see in my beloved nintendolife.com
Re: Nintendo Announces Labo, A Range Of Interactive DIY Toys For Switch
@aaronsullivan yup! My 7 year old goes to a STEAM school. This comes out right before his birthday. He's gonna love it! I can already see him decoratong the remote control car like an XWING and his younger brother like Lightning McQueen. LOL!
Re: Nintendo Announces Labo, A Range Of Interactive DIY Toys For Switch
@aaronsullivan STEAM even! Don't forget the "A" for art.
Re: Review: Enter The Gungeon (Switch eShop)
@IceClimbers Its been out there for a while. One of the first I can remember is Fatal Labrynth for the Genesis and Game Gear. They just seem to have become more popular with the emergence of indie developers.
Re: Review: Enter The Gungeon (Switch eShop)
@MisterMan You arent the dev, you dont know if its a cop out. Budget and talent determine the course of game development which, in turn MAY determine what style of game is created. This why I said it SEEMS like. And it SEEMS like there are a lot of roguelikes being created recently. Neither of us knows the situation to say definitively yes or no. I was making an observation which may or may not end up being true.
Re: Review: Enter The Gungeon (Switch eShop)
Its a very small complaint but one that kinda ruins the experience for me... Twin Stick shooters should NOT require the player to press a fire button. Very simply, when you press a direction with the right stick, it fires. When you let the stick relax to neutral position, its stops. Having to claw the right shoulder button while steering with your right thumb feels uncomfortable to me and also makes me feel like I'm wrenching down on the thimb stick too much. This requirement to press a firebutton on twin stick shooters is a recent one that I wish they would abandon.
Also, really wishing these indie devs would take a little more interest in better graphics. Getting tired of 8.5 Bit graphics. We are 20 years removed from these graphics. Granted, there are a hell of a lot more sprites on screen but that is the result of current platform and processing tech and doesnt require the same talent needed to create beautiful imagery. Let's stop the laziness (or cheapness) and take a page from the devs of beautiful games like Shantae, Wonderboy, Rayman now even Capcom with Megaman 11 and start advancing the experiences of our beloved hobbie instead of being happy with the mediocracy of 20 year old tech. Just my .02...
Re: Review: Enter The Gungeon (Switch eShop)
@readyletsgo Not a fan of rogue-likes either. Seems like a cop out for making a fully fleshed out game with a beginning, middle and end together with meaningful character development.
Re: Video: Mega Man 11’s Art Director Explains the New Look
I love the art direction. Rich, colorful pallet, soft shading. Its hard to tell the modeling is 3D. This type of 2.5D has come a long way. And, to me, the top graphical layer actually looks to blend in better with the background becaise of all the intermediary layers of parallax than even the typical 2D game. I don't see the disconnect.
I'm getting tired of retro 8Bit and especially the lazy 8.5Bit art direction passing as "retro" coming from so many Indies. Which is why whenever artistic efforts like Wonderboy and Shantae come around, I snap them up!
The art here looks great to me. Very refreshing and happy Capcom didn't cop out with another 8Bit cookie cutter release.
Re: Square Enix Is Bringing Romancing SaGa 2 To Switch Next Week
Wow! This and Star Wars The Last Jedi on the same day? Winning!
New graphics look great. New modes and content. Much more than we could hope for a port that most of us have never been able to play. Great job Sqenix!
Re: Review: Portal Knights (Switch eShop)
@dxrx @SomeWriter13 Reminds me of the classic from RATT, "Nobody Rides For Free" m/ m/
Re: Review: Portal Knights (Switch eShop)
@SomeWriter13 Bah!!! I figured. Thanks for the reply mate!
Re: Review: Portal Knights (Switch eShop)
@SomeWriter13 Does each player need their own copy of the game on their Switch?
Re: The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker Will, Erm, Infect Switch Next Spring
Wow! A UFO reference in the subtitle! Color me impressed Nintendolife!
Re: Anniversary: It's Been 10 Years Since Super Mario Galaxy Landed On The Wii
Yes.
Re: Random: Did Reggie Just Accidentally Reveal Switch's Next Big Game Announcement?
It would be silly for anyone to think a DK game is NOT in the works...
Re: Camelot Software Boss Is Keen To Make Shining Force IV A Reality
@NintendoFan4Lyf Me too!
Insta-buy for me!
Re: Nintendo Gamers Prefer Using Switch As A Handheld Rather Than Docked
Mine is played mostly handheld.
Re: Super Mario Odyssey Is The Best Rated Game Of All Time
Having played about 7 hours in, I'd opine that this is a very good game. Not a great game and definitely not a game I would call the greatest.
For whatever reason, I'm finding just a tad bit more struggle with camera and controls in tight spots. Not quite as tight as the Galaxy games. Maybe its playing the game with the joycons. Honestly the control IS very good. But just seems a tad off and enough to knock it out of a perfect score.
Also, for me, there is too much empty space between nodes within the worlds. There's a little bit of town and a couple of small adventure areas in the distance and a larger adventure area also in the distance. I had originally feared this from initial screens and videos. Was hoping maybe it would end up more filled in for final release or other worlds might be different. But not so. For me, this kind of layout takes me out of the fantasy. It reminds me that its a game with this section plopped here and that section plopped there with a bunch of nothing in between. I would rather have an overworld map like SMW or the 3D world games where it shows the entire world close together in a master planned tightly packed bundle of fantasy fun!
Lastly, I gave the New Donk City art scheme a good go. Tried to be subjective. But I just hate it. For me this just doesnt belong in a Mario game. Again, it zaps me right out of the universe.
Just my opinion. Though I do feel there is a lot of fan service in these 10/10 reviews all over the place. 8.0, maybe 8.5 tops for me.
Re: There's a Sonic Forces Demo on the Japanese eShop, But It Has a Strange Limitation
Actually is a smart move. 1 min gives players enough to get them interested and even hooked based on a small taste. I find that a lot of demos probably give too much time with the game for the player to either loose interest or confirm that the game isn't for them. Especially if you have an unpolished game, this is a good way to place focus only on the strongest part of the game.
Re: EA Won't Entirely Rule Out Star Wars Battlefront II Coming To Switch
I'm gonna throw something out there to the group from out of left field... For those wanting examples of how a publisher should treat a license like Star Wars, take your games off the screen and onto your table. Table top gaming publisher Fantasy Flight Games has enjoyed a successful licensing releationship for Star Wars for many years. They consistently produce very high quality games with fun and engaging mechanics that embrace the license very well. Even incorporating Legacy themes and characters. Some of my favorite FFG games (that I own and play consistently):
Imperial Assault: tile based miniatures dungeon crawl with campaign mechanics
X-wing: Tactical space combat miniatures
Armada: Strategic space combat miniatures
Rebellion: strategic conquest where Rebels and Imperials have completely different win conditions and play styles
Star Wars LCG: Customizable card game
Destiny (CCG): Collectible Card Game w/ dice
Seriously, I re-discovered table gaming about 5 years ago (since I had stopped playing as a teenager) and it is an incredibly fun companion to video gaming. There is something exhilarating about playing with physical components (dice, tiles, tokens, figures, etc.) and experiencing multiplayer the socially "healthy" way by sitting at the table and playing with your allies and enemies face to face! I strongly encourage any video gamer to go out to their local hobby gaming store and check out all the cool things gaming has to offer thay is off the screen. You may find a really good gaming fix for your Star Wars itch in ways you've never expected!
Re: EA Won't Entirely Rule Out Star Wars Battlefront II Coming To Switch
@JaxonH I concur. And most of that has to do, typically, with releasing within the year (less than 12 months of sales opportunity) and, mostly, supply issues serving as the constraint to unfettered console sales. Most every system launch is faced with limited supply.
Re: Poll: A Retro Quest - Were You Able to Buy a Super NES Classic Edition / SNES Mini?
I was 39 in line out of 45 at Walmart launch. They had to turn away probably 15 people. Very, very happy to have snagged one!
Its very interesting to note that it seems that Walmart received a lower distribution than Target, Best Buy and TRU. I would imagine that Walmart would typically receive the same amount, if not more - especially compared to Target who smaller in regional distribution and size. I mentioned a couple of months before that Nintendo (NOA) has ways of discourage retailers from not following their marketing plans. Walmart was the only NA to offer pre-sales before the rest of NA retailers. I would not be surprised at all if their allotment reflected this indiscretion (no, I don't nelieve their going live early with pre-orders was a mistake).
Anyway, the good news for all gamers is that it appears (just from this small sample group here at Nintendolife) that the majority of early adopters were able to get their units day one. That means that future shipments should be free for more casual shoppers. Looks like Reggie is making good!
Re: Poll: A Retro Quest - Were You Able to Buy a Super NES Classic Edition / SNES Mini?
@Al_Godoy
So glad to have you with us. You hit the nail on the head. The most important thing is to have the opportunity to be with us to complain, cry and rejoice over the most trivial things in life. You WILL get your SNES mini eventually. And when you sit down and play it, it will be sweeter than any of us could experience because you have a renewed appreciation for these small things. And you helped your fellow countrymen first. Job well done! I can't wait for you to get yours and enjoy!
Re: ThinkGeek Confirms That It'll Have Launch Day SNES Classic Stock in the US
So, this was my first experience and my last with Thinkgeek. I placed an order at 2AM PST last night, paid for it via PayPal and got an email this morning stating that they cancelled my order - they oversold. I bought this one for my kids (I got one just for Daddy at Walmart earlier that night) so it's not a big deal. But I feel so sorry for those folks who bought one early AM and passed on lining up at TRU, Best Buy, etc. in the morning thinking that they had secured one. And their cocky messages only make the matter worse. I guarantee if I ever get my hands on one of their warehouse monkeys, I'll choke it out!
Re: Gallery: The North American SNES Classic Mini Is Boxy, But Good
Actually, I bet most NA consumers prefer the SF style. I would have much preferred to get the PAL version but I'm lucky enough to have scored #39 of 45 at Walmart last night. So no complaints here!
On a side note, my buddy was one of those guys who imported a Super Famicom before the SNES released in NA and I always coveted it! Nintendolife, would be cool to do a poll of NA users which they prefer!