@JPF997 I've supported previous (outsourced) Sega remakes like Panzer Dragoon and House of the Dead, and I'm looking forward to these as well, although not with the same enthusiasm I have for their RPGs, which I consider every bit on par with...in some ways better than...their counterparts from Square Enix and Nintendo (Fire Emblem).
Of course everything is going to come down to the quality and how true each game stays to the spirits of the originals. Many of the people responsible for so many of Sega's all-time greatest games are long gone from the company now, which no doubt is why even Sonic fans tend to complain about uneven quality anymore. They have a LOT to prove and a lot of damaged goodwill with some of their old school fans to restore. They aren't going to accomplish that with a bunch of middling games with classic titles slapped on them; they need to show the same love, creativity, variety, and passion that Sega was known for during their heyday.
But yes, I plan to give them a fair chance and vote with my wallet. I may be vocal with my criticisms and requests, but when given an opportunity I do put my money where my mouth is.
If Sega is truly serious about this (and that's a big "if" given how we've seen 2 to 3 Sonic announcements per year lately while most of the rest of their IPs haven't been touched in 2 to 3 DECADES), then here's my personal list of franchises and compilations I hope to see:
1) Shining Force Even a remaster of the EPIC SF III would finally address the blatant injustice Sega did to Western gamers by only giving us the first of its three interlocking Scenarios, leaving us with one-third of one of the best storyline in any SRPG.
2) Skies of Arcadia
3) Dragon Force
4) A comprehensive collection of Sega's Arcade coin-ops from the early 1980s through the Model 2 and 3 eras.
5) LandStalker
6) Panzer Dragoon Saga (the entire North American market only got 3000 copies of one of the most ambitious RPGs of its era.
7) Phantasy Star (offline, Algol system, turn-based, story-driven)
8) Valkyria Chronicles We haven't waited nearly as long since VC 4 as others here, but it's still one of the greatest and most lore-rich tactical SRPG series ever made.
It's way past time we saw these franchises again from Sega; I just hope they're all handled competently. But still none of their iconic JRPG IPs (Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, etc.) to be seen; hopefully they're A) included in the "...and more" description, and B) we won't have to wait ANOTHER two or three decades to play them.
1) Arcade Coin-op Compilation
2) New installment or remaster of one of Sega's classic RPG franchises (Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, Phantasy Star, Dragon Force, Valkyria Chronicles)
3) New Saturn or Dreamcast Mini Console
What we'll very probably get:
1) Yet another Sonic announcement
2) Yet another Yakuza announcement
I'd love to see the original Star Wars coin-op or its port for the Atari 5200 along with 5200 Vanguard and Pole Position (yes, I realize they're all licensed and/or third-party, but still). And a major DLC featuring Activision (including Pitfall 2: Lost Caverns) and Imagic (Dragonfire) would be more than welcome as well.
And hey, while I'm at it I may as well mention 2600 Ms. Pac-Man; my dad (who passed away last year) was crippled by polio from childhood and had limited use of one hand and none in the other, but Ms. Pac-Man was the one game he could manage to play by holding the joystick between his legs since it only required moving the stick. The Atari 2600 was my entry into the videogame hobby, and Ms. Pac-Man was pretty much the only game I was able to enjoy sharing with him. Yes, I know AtGames has the license currently, but it would be awesome if they would share it to help contribute to this compilation.
Let's put it this way: given how many remakes and ports of Wii U and other legacy titles have been released on the Switch, who in their right mind would be okay with Nintendo NOT including full backwards compatibility with the "Switch 2"? Current displays only have so many HDMI ports and room around/underneath them for additional consoles, after all, so being able to access "everything" in one place that's tied to your user account instead of a single piece of hardware carries immense value for the consumer. Or are you really okay with being asked to fork out yet again for them (or have them locked behind some subscription bottomless pit)? Nintendo's games may tend to be "family/gamer friendly" but their business practices tend to be anything but.
It would be a nice bookend to MK8 if Nintendo announced one final "extra" wave of tracks and allowed users to vote on which ones got in. Two Cups, 8 tracks...it would be enough to squeeze the rest of most folks' favorites (like Airship Fortress and Dino Dino Jungle) in.
Likewise the ability to create custom Cups for local multi-player; that was one of my biggest hopes for the Pass that sadly got overlooked.
Of course it won't happen, I'm just saying it would be nice.
Define "Irony": TimeSplitters is probably the one IP that would have been actually profitable for them to develop and release. A LOT of gamers still remember this series fondly and would jump at the chance to play a new iteration.
Aside from Ninja Hideaway and maybe one or two others (that actually fit Mario Kart from a thematic standpoint), I would happily trade every single Tour track for more of the far more deserving classics like Dino Dino Jungle, Wario Colosseum, Airship Fortress, even another Bowser's Castle or two. From the get-go the Tour tracks were WAY overrepresented and it really was a constant, glaring weak spot amidst an otherwise incredible DLC pass. I'm sure cross-promoting a concurrent MK game on mobiles was a big reason for Nintendo's priorities, but as always the business and revenue angle tends to be at odds with what most gamers would actually prefer to see.
Nintendo also missed a big opportunity by not adding a custom Cup Creator for local multi-player matches; 96 tracks would make for endless and epic combinations for parties.
Overall the Booster Course Pass is great and adds a ton of value and replayability to MK8 Deluxe. That said, I personally feel that MK Tour tracks were WAY overrepresented and most of them thematically didn't fit in with the "regular" ones. I realize that there were always going to be some favorites that didn't make the cut, but I hate that deserving tracks like Dino Dino Jungle got shelved in favor of those, honestly.
Another feature that would have been greatly appreciated would have been a custom Cup builder for local multi-player matches; with 96 tracks to choose from it would have made for some truly epic parties with family and friends.
In terms of game announcements, there were several added to my "to pick up at some point" wish list but nothing that screamed "preorder" or "Day One". Very, very Mario-centric which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just maybe a tad oversaturated for a single Direct. The F-Zero 99 announcement honestly felt like Nintendo was trolling its fan base when a REAL, new F-Zero game announcement didn't follow, and the "99" moniker locked behind a subscription model is a kiss of death anyway. Some of the RPGs and tactical games look promising.
But aside from that, kind of a "meh" Direct for me personally; not horrible but not great, either. I might've rated it higher had F-Zero 99 NOT been announced because frankly the disappointment of it not being accompanied by a new, current-gen iteration I could look forward to buying (and keeping) really brought the whole thing down for me.
When this trailer first came up I was like, " Oh man, they're FINALLY about to announce a new F-Zero!!!!" Then, as the "F-Zero 99" title and theme was revealed, I thought, "That's okay, this is just a lead-in before they show the REAL new F-Zero game everyone's been waiting for immediately after". Then the "Only for SO subscribers" came up, and the trailer ended...and then no new F-Zero announcement.
So basically Nintendo just trolled the entire F-Zero fanbase here. Sorry guys, I've got WAY too many current great games to play to bother with a retconned SNES title that's locked behind a subscription to boot (and which will almost certainly disappear later anyway like the previous "99" games). Let me know when you have an actual, new F-Zero to play...or don't even bother anymore.
A beat 'em up like this works much better for the likes of TMNT than G.I. JOE, largely because the cast size of the former lends itself perfectly to 4-player co-op but also because the latter is a military-themed IP famous not just for its (dozens of) characters but also so many iconic vehicles across land, sea, and air. The ugly truth behind why most G.I. JOE (and Transformers) games don't find success is that they're not tailored for a "mainstream" genre like beat 'em ups or third-person shooters; the casts are far too large and their scope simply exceeds what a game featuring a relative handful of the "most popular" characters can satisfactorily portray.
So what would the "perfect" fit for G.I. JOE and Transformers look like? Consider Sega's Valkyria Chronicles and its hybrid turn-based/real-time SRPG engine, gorgeous cel-shaded animation and destructible environments, excellent storyline, and dozens of characters where even the secondary ones have ample opportunity to shine. VC's fan service even includes a full, exhaustive reference in "book" form that includes character bios, weapon and vehicle specs, and zoomable/rotatable 3D models for all.
Imagine such a game with the G.I. JOE or Transformers license, where players could board a M.O.B.A.T., H.A.V.O.C., Skystriker, or Dragonfly copter to support the rest of their team on the battlefield, or send the Dinobots to try and destroy Devastator. Perhaps there could even be a multiplayer mode where players could choose either JOE or Cobra (or Autobots or Decepticons) and test their strategic mettle. Such a game could revolutionize SRPGs and expand their appeal far beyond the "medieval fantasy" tropes like Fire Emblem.
Of course it sounds awesome, and if implemented correctly with genuine passion fir the source material, it would be. But the real question is whether any developer would take such a chance in an industry that's become so risk-averse and "safe".
Gameplay looks bland (though not much to go on), but the song is cool, at least.
Now give us a hybrid turn-based SRPG in the vein of Valkyria Chronicles complete with animation like that in this trailer, a fantastic, meaty storyline, and fan service like VC's exhaustive character bios and vehicle specs, and you'd have a G.I. JOE (or Transformers) game I would be ALL OVER. Any developers out there listening???
All Sega makes anymore is pretty much Sonic; the same goes for Atlus and Persona. Show me Skies of Arcadia, Shining Force, an Arcade compilation, even 3D Dot Game Heroes and you'll have my immediate interest. But after this long I'm not exactly holding my breath. Their track record is to play it safe and trot out the same couple of tired franchises (or retreads of said franchises) ad nauseam.
This is 100 percent on Nintendo for allowing this to happen with the eShop. Just an endless glut of trash that has no business even being there, and by now it makes the Wii's "mountain of shovelware" look like an anthill. And locking their own legacy games behind a subscription paywall instead of offering them for actual sale as they did with the Virtual Console shows it is all about priorities, namely $$$ and control. I love their games, but Nintendo has grown increasingly difficult to like as a company, especially in recent years.
It's confusing to read articles like this complaining about Nintendo's approval process given the glut of absolute trash "games" on the eShop. Nintendo's "Seal of Quality" is LONG gone.
Disappointing, but any veteran of Kickstarters is familiar with the drill. As previous posters have said, there are plenty of games to play during the wait.
I swear, Sonic is all Sega even cares or talks about anymore. I know some folks here have taken issue with my posts criticizing them for that (some citing various, mostly outsourced-to-third-parties or Kickstarter projects as evidence that Sega still makes games other than Sonic or Yakuza), but look no further than the headlines here at Nintendo Life; the sheer number of Sonic-related news, headlines, and announcements runs circles around most Nintendo IPs and probably gives even Mario and Zelda a run for their money.
So, just a couple of honest, simple questions. First, is anyone else here even the least bit sick and tired of yet more Sonic talk out of Sega, especially when A) they're sitting on a MOUNTAIN of other, incredible and varied IPs for years or even decades now that many of us would readily pay to see again, and B) when most of the Sonic games they've been punching out have been of middling quality and/or been remakes, reboots, or compilations of the same games they figure you'll buy anyway? Second, how many of you would support other Sega IPs if given another opportunity, say like Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, or a comprehensive Arcade compilation?
Maybe those questions are moot anyway, and the reason is actually quite simple: Sega is so obsessed with "playing it safe" that they've grown completely out of touch with ALL their consumers despite the token surveys they send out every year to try and maintain the farce that they ever listen or care.
You would think that 48 tracks would be enough for everyone to get all of our favorites, but here we are. While I admit that most of my personal Wish List of tracks has been added or announced for the Booster Course Pass, I've also had a gnawing feeling of running out of chances with others like Dino Dino Jungle. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it also feels like some of the Bowser courses from across the history of the franchise have also been slighted thus far; I recall them being some of the best and most challenging.
The single biggest culprit for this has without question been the gross over-representation of MK Tour tracks in the Pass. While I acknowledge that some of them (like Ninja Hideaway) have fit in with the overall MK theme, the Tour tracks in general just haven't done it for me; being based on real-life cities, most just don't have the creativity or the feel of what we've come to expect from Mario Kart. One Tour track for each Wave I could live with, but two or even three each time has been overkill, and it's really cut down on the actual number of legacy tracks most of us were likely hoping to get when the Pass was first announced.
Since Nintendo has doubled the available number of tracks to 96, once the final Wave releases it would be great fan service to include a mode where players can create Cups of their own from scratch using the entire selection. It would make for awesome customization for those living room parties with family and friends, racing on a bunch of favorite tracks back-to-back. Overall the Booster Course Pass has still been a great value and doubled the overall number of tracks as well as increased an already burgeoning roster of characters, but I have a feeling that when the final Wave is revealed a lot of folks will feel some disappointment that a favorite track (or more than one) didn't make the cut. But who knows, maybe Nintendo will pleasantly surprise us with the last wave in some way.
I hope Dino Dino Jungle makes the cut on the final wave; the Tour tracks are WAY over represented and have cut deeply into the actual number of tracks that genuinely feel like they fit the series and theme. It's also been both surprising and disappointing how absent the Bowser tracks from across the series have been; some of those are among the most memorable in all of Mario Kart.
@Ruler-Of-All-Evil Samba de Amigo is more than welcome. It's also one game. Only took them 20 years since the original. 25 since Shining Force III, 20 since Skies of Arcadia. The list goes on (and is a LONG one). And how many Sonic games, sequels, spin-offs, and compilations have been released or announced over that same period? And how many of those have been of middling quality because Sega knew they could phone it in and fans would buy up their "most popular/profitable/best-selling" franchise anyway?
Sega used to be arguably the most prolific and innovative videogame publisher in the industry, and they made a ton of incredible games across pretty much every genre, games that made them a household name before Sonic even existed. Their own corporate mismanagement caused their eventual collapse and cessation from making consoles. When it was announced that they were going third-party, many gamers, myself included, were eager to see all the same originality, innovation, and variety we had been accustomed to on all platforms. Instead we got inundated with Sonic and obligatory Genesis compilations each generation by a company that had circled the wagons and decided to "play it safe".
If I come across as harsh in my criticisms of Sega, it's because I remember what they used to be capable of and believe that, with a proper kick in the pants, they could be again. Maybe I don't matter as a single consumer but I do vote with my wallet and support non-Sonic releases in the hope that just maybe Sega might give more of their legacy IPs another chance, especially their incredible RPGs. And that support includes the likes of Panzer Dragoon Remastered, House of the Dead Remake, and yes, Samba de Amigo.
We both want Sega to succeed as a company; the difference is that Sonic fans can count on another installment of their blue mascot with the certainty of the Sun rising in the east. Gamers like me who want to see other legacy franchises can't afford to be subtle or silent, especially as years of unanswered requests have turned into decades.
@Ruler-Of-All-Evil 1) Yakuza and Puyo Puyo are among the very few IPs that Sega bothers to continue releasing anymore out of dozens upon dozens of legacy IPs ranging from obscure to iconic. 2) Genesis compilations are a dime a dozen and are on pretty much every platform. Where are the Saturn, Dreamcast, Arcade Coin-op, and other compilations? Where are any NEW iterations of so many of those games, Genesis or otherwise? 3) Anime and films in no way count as games, and besides, Shenmue 3 required a Kickstarter to even exist because Sega wouldn't do the honors thrmselves. Ditto the remakes of titles like Panzer Dragoon and House of the Dead or the new Streets of Rage 4; all tossed off onto third-parties to varying results.
Do you have an answer as to why Sega sent out surveys at the beginning of each of the past two years asking what legacy IPs consumers wanted to see, only to double down on Sonic, Sonic, Sonic afterward (Origins, Frontiers, Superstars, Sonic movies, etc.)?
Yeah. I thought so. But see my original post for the obvious answer; those surveys are just empty lip service to fans of other Sega franchises because Sonic is "more profitable/popular".
Unfortunately much of the videogame industry thinks the same way, some to a downright myopic degree. Like Sega, who cannot be bothered to remaster or release sequels to almost the entirety of their vast catalog of legacy IPs, especially their great RPGs like Shining Force and Skies of Arcadia, but instead constantly churns out more Sonic titles because it's their most popular franchise (to diminishing returns in terms of quality and fan satisfaction).
Nobody wins when only the "most popular/profitable/best-selling" franchises get constant support and hype from publishers. In fact that very thing played a huge role in the demise of E3, because so much annual attention was on Call of Battlefield: Madden's Creed and the countless dark, post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested, and/or kill count-obsessed games that looked and played like everything else; such presentations were losing gamers like me long before the advent of Directs and online announcements. Nintendo needs more than just Mario and Zelda to anchor their consoles (although to their credit they do a much, MUCH better job at that than either Sony or Microsoft's first-party efforts). The "supporting casts" of first-party games that help fill out personal libraries beyond just the "system sellers" are every bit as important because they actually drive variety, creativity, and originality. We need them...including a new F-Zero. There's more than enough room for more than one first-party racing game on Nintendo platforms.
That's all well and good, but unless it includes backwards-compatibility it won't mean much, just the same frustrating routine of Nintendo regurgitating yet another generation of ports they'll require consumers to pay all over again for.
Kingdom Battle was the surprise success that it was because it was clearly a project driven by genuine passion. This sequel was a massive disappointment specifically because it phoned in its effort. The battle maps could typically be beaten in a single round and most lacked the creativity and depth of the original, the humor fell flat, character abilities were so unbalanced that I rarely used anyone outside of Luigi (range, oversight), Peach (shield), and Rabbid Peach (healer), and the upgrade pathing for everyone was pretty much impossible to fully complete. But perhaps the biggest letdown was the shift in focus away from Mario and his friends to the Rabbids and their "universe"; their presence in the game felt more like tacked-on brand recognition than the genuine, lovingly crafted fan service of Kingdom Battle. Huge missed opportunity as well that Ubisoft didn't explore other Nintendo "worlds" such as Zelda and Metroid.
Overall Sparks of Hope isn't a bad game, but sadly it's a lot more mediocre than it could have been.
It could be worse, Sonic fans; you could be a fan of Shining Force (25+ years), Skies of Arcadia (20 years), old school Phantasy Star (30 years), Dragon Force 25+ years), or any of Sega's other amazing franchises that they've completely ignored for years or decades. At least they keep churning out more iterations of their little blue cash cow for you to keep buying; most of the rest of their catalog will probably never even get another chance.
This game had so much potential to build on the surprise success of the first, but sadly it underwhelmed on every front. The worlds just weren't as inspired and the battle maps, especially the non-story maps, were pure filler that could typically be beaten in a single turn. Character balancing was also a huge problem when you could own any map just by trotting Luigi (long range, overwatch), Peach (Shield), and Rabbid Peach (healing) out there every time. Lastly, the shift in focus toward the Rabbids and Ubisoft properties was truly a missed opportunity given what might have been had this adventure involved say, the likes of Link or Samus and their respective "universes". Oh, and the humor that worked so well in Kingdom Battle fell absolutely flat here; I found myself skipping the long-winded "points of interest" this time around.
As for the DLC, it's been months (and months) since the game's release, and most players, myself included, have long since moved on to other games. In short, Ubisoft waited WAY too long to release these "waves"; as someone who bought the Season Pass based on the expectations the first game's experience seemed to promise, it's too little, too late by now. It's a real shame that their handling of this entry may well end up making it the last one for this collaboration.
Surprise, surprise, another game from Sega and it's another Sonic. It's all they care about anymore. I'm sure it will be a serviceable cash cow for them as always, but not one penny will be coming from me until they start giving more of their legacy IPs (particularly their classic RPGs like Shining Force and Skies of Arcadia) another genuine chance (meaning not farming them out to third-parties for mediocre ports).
Ugh, another cheap-looking rip-off posing as an "homage". Too bad it's probably the closest fans will ever get to actually seeing another release or remaster of Skies of Arcadia thanks to Sega's attitude toward their own JRPG IPs.
We desperately need Hamster to get permission to port Sega and Midway's old coin-ops while the Switch is still around (Sega sure doesn't seem to care about doing it themselves). Nintendo doesn't have an exactly spotless history when it comes to backwards compatibility on new hardware, and the Switch's wealth of Arcade classics and schmups alone make it worth holding onto if eShop purchases don't carry forward; Sega and Midway would really round out those categories.
I'm not leaving a score for now, but I am really enjoying the game overall. I do miss the simplicity of just being able to have fire/bomb/etc. arrows as opposed to having to scroll over and fuse some attachment EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. especially in combat situations. And after the 15th time or so, the sign guy and the Koroks who "want to reach their friends" cross the line into tedium.
It's a great game, but like BotW, the more I see of it the more things about it I wish were different or at least optional (adding Fuse actually only adds more micromanagement to the breakable weapons that were already annoying, and the game's emphasis on "experimentation" often doesn't give you choices for something simpler). In other words, it's not perfect.
I wouldn't bother with Sonic, Yakuza, or Monkey Ball when they're on sale now; what makes Sega think they can trot out the same tired, middling-quality franchises while ignoring the vast majority of their enormous catalog of IPs for the past 2 to 3 decades and actually expect people to pay more? I would consider $70 for a new Skies of Arcadia or proper, SRPG Shining Force to help support franchises I care about seeing again, but Sega's done very little on consoles outside of the mainstream Valkyria Chronicles games in the past 20 years that reflects the quality they were once renowned for where I'm personally concerned, let alone anything that justifies talking about a price hike.
I've completed 19 Shrines in total so far and explored a swath from Rito Village to Hateno Village. Just taking my time and enjoying it for the most part.
I've been quickly reminded of how annoying (and seemingly constant) the rain is whenever you find yourself in an area with a lot of verticality. Sometimes it just feels a bit cheap.
I do have one major personal criticism of TotK thus far: playing around with the Fuse mechanic is novel for the first hour or two, but then it hits you that not only are ALL weapons weaker and quicker to break now (a thinly veiled "incentive" for players to constantly go into their menu to pair them with stuff), but adding elemental properties to, say, arrows, requires repeatedly scrolling over to the desired fruit or whatever for EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE, typically in the middle of combat where the last thing you want is to be fiddling with menus (this has also gotten me killed more than once, which I consider a real problem from a design standpoint). I suspect that after a few days when the initial buzz has worn off and players have had time to reexamine TotK more objectively, this will likely be the game's biggest criticism. In some ways it actually managed to make the breakable weapons from BotW worse by adding a new layer of tedious and intrusive micromanagement to them.
Very glad to have this finally confirmed. And I hope the rewards hiding within those dungeons are worthwhile (being PERMANENT would be a start). I don't know whether Link's Fuse abilities leave any room for classic items like the Hookshot or Water Boots, but it would be awesome fan service if Nintendo could find a way to sneak them in with a practical purpose.
Great ad on multiple levels. The escapism from the man's seemingly dreary routine, the experimentation with the game's Fuse mechanics and combat, the exclamation of satisfaction over beating a tough enemy, culminating in the man smiling as he takes in the beauty of his bus commute.
@JohnnyMind Actually, despite how it might seem from my description, Daisenryaku isn't just accessible to newcomers, but INSANELY addictive. I had a group of coworkers I introduced the PS2 version of DSVII (shorthand for Daisenryaku VII) to. Over time that group grew to include about 8 people, and by the time each new player had played/watched a round or two, they had the basic mechanics down. Of course the nuances went far deeper, and we were still discovering new stuff more than a year (and thousands of hours, often 10-plus hours at a stretch) later. And every single one of those guys ended up buying their own copy (keep in mind this was a bargain bin title you can still find used under $10, and I had a brand-spanking new Playstation 3 sitting there untouched due to everyone's obsession with this gem).
I'm not saying this or any type of game will be everyone's cup of tea, but the group we had came from a pretty wide range of taste in genres and experience. As you said, it's about giving games and genres like this a fair chance; occasionally you can be very pleasantly surprised.
I love AW but it had been several years since I'd played one of its installments. While this compilation should definitely suffice as an introduction to the military turn-based tactics genre for new players, it still leaves some things to be desired when comparing to deeper, more real word-reflecting franchises like SystemSoft Beta's Daisenryaku (Grand Strategy). Here are some issues with AW that I hope Nintendo may address in potential future installments:
1) AW's grid-based mechanics are outdated. There's a certain aesthetic appeal to a map being divided into little squares, but it absolutely kills AW's movement options for units. Hexes are by far superior in terms of tactical utility. Also, AW restricts each square to containing only a single unit, so aircraft can easily be contained or blocked simply by placing several land units in a line. In contrast, Daisenryaku allows six altitude "levels" (High Air, Mid Air, Low Air, Ground/Bridge, Sea Surface, and Undersea), so multiple units actually can occupy a single hex and aircraft aren't blocked by ground units.
2) Rock/Paper/Scissors. In AW, Tank = Tank, and basically who wins a fight between the same type of unit depends on who the attacker is. Also, certain units are effective against other types just because they belong to a certain group (example: Anti-Air versus all aircraft). But Daisenryaku includes over 400-1400 real word unit types, each with algorithms that accurately reflect their actual abilities and vulnerabilities. A squadron of M1 Abrams is going to wipe the floor against older T-72s but be more evenly matched against German Leopards or Israeli Merkavas, and while AA units like Russia's 2K22 Tunguska might be effective against helicopters, they can't reach targets and High Air (that requires missile systems like the Patriot or S-300) and can easily receive serious damage from return fire themselves.
3) Yes, it's a videogame, but CO Powers are absurd. Seriously, why ever use Max? Sure he may have some extra punch in melee combat, but his Artillery and Rockets are effectively neutered by taking a -1 hit to their respective ranges. Even in the context of a videogame, that makes zero sense for individual unit types to be penalized below their baseline capabilities.
A far better option is Daisenryaku's RPG-like leveling system where each individual unit gains experience from battles, starting at Level E and, if it survives (which requires careful maintenance and pulling it off the front lines for repairs), progresses through D, C, B. A, and finally S. At higher levels some units can completely wipe out full compliments of enemy units in a single volley, and it greatly raises the stakes in multiplayer as human opponents will try their best to take out your leveled-up units before they can do too much damage.
Overall AW is a great series and well worth the investment, but as I said, it's just a toe-dip in a potential ocean of depth when it comes to this genre. Here's hoping Nintendo (or some third-party localization companies) will see sales success for AW: Reboot Camp and bring us more of this genre to enjoy, especially with multiplayer features. Overall I gave AW: Reboot Camp a 7 here; it's a fine game, but there's room for improvement. Nintendo, I hope you're listening.
DISCLAIMER: Images taken from Daisenryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics Exceed for PS2/XBox and Daiseryaku Exceed 2 for PS3
I'm thankful we got another chance to revisit these games and in so doing show our tangible support ($$$) for potential future entries (both the AW franchise and the modern combined arms warfare turn-based tactics genre as a whole). So my thanks in turn go out to Wayforward; I'm not going look a gift horse in the mouth here. This genre is SORELY underrepresented on consoles outside of swords and sorcery fantasy (although speaking of which, right about NOW would be an outstanding time for Sega to release a Shining Force III remaster; it's only been a QUARTER CENTURY now, guys!).
@Cashews I agree regarding TBS games being readily available on the PC, but I was referring specifically to consoles in this case. And most of those to date have centered around WWII, including the Paradox titles.
Just saying that modern warfare turn-based strategy games are about as rare as hens' teeth. Gotta support any we can get if we want the chance to see more come to consoles.
@Joker1234 I can't upvote that post enough. There are many game franchises that may never get another chance, but in this case we're literally talking about an entire subgenre (military turn-based tactics). So if you have any interest, let alone love, for AW and these types of games, please vote with your wallet and support this! And please DON'T wait for it to go on sale; corporations don't count sale prices as being reflective of serious and profitable consumer interest.
I'm stoked to finally be getting this remake, especially to help introduce a new generation of gamers to the military turn-based genre. The article hit most of the bullet points, but I strongly encourage everyone NOT to overlook the multi-player here; I believe it will be this game's greatest hidden gem. Learning the nuances of combined arms tactics (land, sea, and air) and employing them against other human players can get incredibly addictive.
That isn't to say AW is without its limitations. First off, many of the campaign battles are actually glorified puzzles with very specific solutions, so much that I recall single moves determining whether a mission succeeded or had to be completely started over from scratch (I suspect this may be a big part of why Nintendo included a rewind function here; it's NEVER fun to have to repeat several minutes' worth of gameplay...let alone over and over again...to achieve a singular task).
The other big weakness with AW is its rock/paper/scissors approach to units. Tank = Tank here regardless of faction or appearance. Helicopters destroy Tanks. Fighters destroy Helicopters (but unlike their real-world counterparts cannot be outfitted with ATG (Air To Ground) missiles. Subs destroy Battleships but are vulnerable to Destroyers. It's very basic stuff but it still requires players to send out waves of properly balanced forces in order to be prepared for all contingencies.
I posted about this before, but if this game what's your appetite for more of the same concept with more depth and realism (and you have a functioning Playstation 2 or PC emulator), Daisenryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics Exceed is your ticket. Over 400 units (including unlock able ones by completing both the campaign and individual missions such as the Zumwalt-class, the FB-22, and the Lun) across 8 real-world nations (USA, Russia, China, Japan, Germany, France, UK, and Israel), a fully featured map editor and multi-player up to 4 players in any combination of human, AI, teams, or individually. Unlike AW, Daisenryaku (Grand Strategy) has algorithms that reflect the real-world capabilities of specific units, so a squadron of M1 Abrams tanks will wipe the floor with older T-72s but be more evenly matched against German Leopards or Israeli Merkavas. And as units engage in skirmishes they gain experience and level up to increase their effectiveness, meaning it's crucial to pull injured units off the front lines for repairs to prevent them from being lost. My friends and I played thousands of hours in that game and we were still finding new tricks more than a year after we started. I can't recommend it enough if AW leaves you with that specific "itch" for deep turn-based tactical combat.
Comments 1,281
Re: Sega Plans To Revive Even "More" Legacy Franchises
@JPF997 I've supported previous (outsourced) Sega remakes like Panzer Dragoon and House of the Dead, and I'm looking forward to these as well, although not with the same enthusiasm I have for their RPGs, which I consider every bit on par with...in some ways better than...their counterparts from Square Enix and Nintendo (Fire Emblem).
Of course everything is going to come down to the quality and how true each game stays to the spirits of the originals. Many of the people responsible for so many of Sega's all-time greatest games are long gone from the company now, which no doubt is why even Sonic fans tend to complain about uneven quality anymore. They have a LOT to prove and a lot of damaged goodwill with some of their old school fans to restore. They aren't going to accomplish that with a bunch of middling games with classic titles slapped on them; they need to show the same love, creativity, variety, and passion that Sega was known for during their heyday.
But yes, I plan to give them a fair chance and vote with my wallet. I may be vocal with my criticisms and requests, but when given an opportunity I do put my money where my mouth is.
Re: Sega Plans To Revive Even "More" Legacy Franchises
If Sega is truly serious about this (and that's a big "if" given how we've seen 2 to 3 Sonic announcements per year lately while most of the rest of their IPs haven't been touched in 2 to 3 DECADES), then here's my personal list of franchises and compilations I hope to see:
1) Shining Force Even a remaster of the EPIC SF III would finally address the blatant injustice Sega did to Western gamers by only giving us the first of its three interlocking Scenarios, leaving us with one-third of one of the best storyline in any SRPG.
2) Skies of Arcadia
3) Dragon Force
4) A comprehensive collection of Sega's Arcade coin-ops from the early 1980s through the Model 2 and 3 eras.
5) LandStalker
6) Panzer Dragoon Saga (the entire North American market only got 3000 copies of one of the most ambitious RPGs of its era.
7) Phantasy Star (offline, Algol system, turn-based, story-driven)
8) Valkyria Chronicles We haven't waited nearly as long since VC 4 as others here, but it's still one of the greatest and most lore-rich tactical SRPG series ever made.
Re: Sega Announces New Games In Development For Classic Franchises
It's way past time we saw these franchises again from Sega; I just hope they're all handled competently. But still none of their iconic JRPG IPs (Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, etc.) to be seen; hopefully they're A) included in the "...and more" description, and B) we won't have to wait ANOTHER two or three decades to play them.
Re: Soapbox: 20 Years Later, Why Do We Still Not Have A New Sonic Battle?
20 years later, why don't we have another Skies of Arcadia?
25 years later, why don't we have another (proper SRPG...that ISN'T on mobiles) Shining Force?
30 years later, why don't we have another Algol-based, offline Phantasy Star?
20-40 years later, why no Sega Arcade compilation(s)?
25 years later, where is Shinobi? Dragon Force? Thunder Force? Albert Odyssey or Magic Knight RayEarth?
Why can't Sega even be bothered to give us a remaster or remake of any of the above?
You stand on your soapbox, I'll stand on mine. Odds are, since yours is Sonic-related it's almost assured you'll get your wheel greased before I do.
Re: Sega Appears To Be Teasing A Game Awards Surprise
What many of us would love to see:
1) Arcade Coin-op Compilation
2) New installment or remaster of one of Sega's classic RPG franchises (Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, Phantasy Star, Dragon Force, Valkyria Chronicles)
3) New Saturn or Dreamcast Mini Console
What we'll very probably get:
1) Yet another Sonic announcement
2) Yet another Yakuza announcement
Re: Sega Appears To Be Teasing A Game Awards Surprise
Given Sega's history over the past two decades, it'll be anything except what (non-Sonic or Yakuza) fans have been begging for.
Re: 'Atari 50' Is Getting More Games Via Free Updates, 12 Dropping Next Week
I'd love to see the original Star Wars coin-op or its port for the Atari 5200 along with 5200 Vanguard and Pole Position (yes, I realize they're all licensed and/or third-party, but still). And a major DLC featuring Activision (including Pitfall 2: Lost Caverns) and Imagic (Dragonfire) would be more than welcome as well.
And hey, while I'm at it I may as well mention 2600 Ms. Pac-Man; my dad (who passed away last year) was crippled by polio from childhood and had limited use of one hand and none in the other, but Ms. Pac-Man was the one game he could manage to play by holding the joystick between his legs since it only required moving the stick. The Atari 2600 was my entry into the videogame hobby, and Ms. Pac-Man was pretty much the only game I was able to enjoy sharing with him. Yes, I know AtGames has the license currently, but it would be awesome if they would share it to help contribute to this compilation.
Re: Talking Point: If 'Switch 2' Is Backwards Compatible, What Will You Do With Your Switch?
Let's put it this way: given how many remakes and ports of Wii U and other legacy titles have been released on the Switch, who in their right mind would be okay with Nintendo NOT including full backwards compatibility with the "Switch 2"? Current displays only have so many HDMI ports and room around/underneath them for additional consoles, after all, so being able to access "everything" in one place that's tied to your user account instead of a single piece of hardware carries immense value for the consumer. Or are you really okay with being asked to fork out yet again for them (or have them locked behind some subscription bottomless pit)? Nintendo's games may tend to be "family/gamer friendly" but their business practices tend to be anything but.
Re: Review: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 6 - Takes The Chequered Flag With A Safe Final Lap
It would be a nice bookend to MK8 if Nintendo announced one final "extra" wave of tracks and allowed users to vote on which ones got in. Two Cups, 8 tracks...it would be enough to squeeze the rest of most folks' favorites (like Airship Fortress and Dino Dino Jungle) in.
Likewise the ability to create custom Cups for local multi-player; that was one of my biggest hopes for the Pass that sadly got overlooked.
Of course it won't happen, I'm just saying it would be nice.
Re: Embracer May Soon Be Closing 'Timesplitters' Studio Free Radical Design
Define "Irony": TimeSplitters is probably the one IP that would have been actually profitable for them to develop and release. A LOT of gamers still remember this series fondly and would jump at the chance to play a new iteration.
Re: Surprise! Nintendo Is Officially Working On A Live-Action Legend Of Zelda Movie
As with the Mario movie, I personally couldn't care less.
Re: Talking Point: Which Old Track Do You Wish Had Made It Into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?
Aside from Ninja Hideaway and maybe one or two others (that actually fit Mario Kart from a thematic standpoint), I would happily trade every single Tour track for more of the far more deserving classics like Dino Dino Jungle, Wario Colosseum, Airship Fortress, even another Bowser's Castle or two. From the get-go the Tour tracks were WAY overrepresented and it really was a constant, glaring weak spot amidst an otherwise incredible DLC pass. I'm sure cross-promoting a concurrent MK game on mobiles was a big reason for Nintendo's priorities, but as always the business and revenue angle tends to be at odds with what most gamers would actually prefer to see.
Nintendo also missed a big opportunity by not adding a custom Cup Creator for local multi-player matches; 96 tracks would make for endless and epic combinations for parties.
Re: Sega's First Super Game Making Steady Progress, Still Targeting 2026 Release
Probably just another Sonic game or Yakuza project.
Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 6 Speeds Onto Switch Next Week
Overall the Booster Course Pass is great and adds a ton of value and replayability to MK8 Deluxe. That said, I personally feel that MK Tour tracks were WAY overrepresented and most of them thematically didn't fit in with the "regular" ones. I realize that there were always going to be some favorites that didn't make the cut, but I hate that deserving tracks like Dino Dino Jungle got shelved in favor of those, honestly.
Another feature that would have been greatly appreciated would have been a custom Cup builder for local multi-player matches; with 96 tracks to choose from it would have made for some truly epic parties with family and friends.
Re: Soapbox: 'Switch 2' Doesn't Really Need Backwards Compatibility
I don't know if I've ever disagreed with the premise of an article more than this one.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think Of The Nintendo Direct, Then?
In terms of game announcements, there were several added to my "to pick up at some point" wish list but nothing that screamed "preorder" or "Day One". Very, very Mario-centric which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just maybe a tad oversaturated for a single Direct. The F-Zero 99 announcement honestly felt like Nintendo was trolling its fan base when a REAL, new F-Zero game announcement didn't follow, and the "99" moniker locked behind a subscription model is a kiss of death anyway. Some of the RPGs and tactical games look promising.
But aside from that, kind of a "meh" Direct for me personally; not horrible but not great, either. I might've rated it higher had F-Zero 99 NOT been announced because frankly the disappointment of it not being accompanied by a new, current-gen iteration I could look forward to buying (and keeping) really brought the whole thing down for me.
Re: F-ZERO 99 Turns The Classic Racer Into A 99-Player Battle Royale, On NSO Today
When this trailer first came up I was like, " Oh man, they're FINALLY about to announce a new F-Zero!!!!" Then, as the "F-Zero 99" title and theme was revealed, I thought, "That's okay, this is just a lead-in before they show the REAL new F-Zero game everyone's been waiting for immediately after". Then the "Only for SO subscribers" came up, and the trailer ended...and then no new F-Zero announcement.
So basically Nintendo just trolled the entire F-Zero fanbase here. Sorry guys, I've got WAY too many current great games to play to bother with a retconned SNES title that's locked behind a subscription to boot (and which will almost certainly disappear later anyway like the previous "99" games). Let me know when you have an actual, new F-Zero to play...or don't even bother anymore.
Re: G.I. Joe Gets The Streets Of Rage Treatment In Brand New Arcade-Style Brawler
A beat 'em up like this works much better for the likes of TMNT than G.I. JOE, largely because the cast size of the former lends itself perfectly to 4-player co-op but also because the latter is a military-themed IP famous not just for its (dozens of) characters but also so many iconic vehicles across land, sea, and air. The ugly truth behind why most G.I. JOE (and Transformers) games don't find success is that they're not tailored for a "mainstream" genre like beat 'em ups or third-person shooters; the casts are far too large and their scope simply exceeds what a game featuring a relative handful of the "most popular" characters can satisfactorily portray.
So what would the "perfect" fit for G.I. JOE and Transformers look like? Consider Sega's Valkyria Chronicles and its hybrid turn-based/real-time SRPG engine, gorgeous cel-shaded animation and destructible environments, excellent storyline, and dozens of characters where even the secondary ones have ample opportunity to shine. VC's fan service even includes a full, exhaustive reference in "book" form that includes character bios, weapon and vehicle specs, and zoomable/rotatable 3D models for all.
Imagine such a game with the G.I. JOE or Transformers license, where players could board a M.O.B.A.T., H.A.V.O.C., Skystriker, or Dragonfly copter to support the rest of their team on the battlefield, or send the Dinobots to try and destroy Devastator. Perhaps there could even be a multiplayer mode where players could choose either JOE or Cobra (or Autobots or Decepticons) and test their strategic mettle. Such a game could revolutionize SRPGs and expand their appeal far beyond the "medieval fantasy" tropes like Fire Emblem.
Of course it sounds awesome, and if implemented correctly with genuine passion fir the source material, it would be. But the real question is whether any developer would take such a chance in an industry that's become so risk-averse and "safe".
Re: G.I. Joe Gets The Streets Of Rage Treatment In Brand New Arcade-Style Brawler
Gameplay looks bland (though not much to go on), but the song is cool, at least.
Now give us a hybrid turn-based SRPG in the vein of Valkyria Chronicles complete with animation like that in this trailer, a fantastic, meaty storyline, and fan service like VC's exhaustive character bios and vehicle specs, and you'd have a G.I. JOE (or Transformers) game I would be ALL OVER. Any developers out there listening???
Re: Sega & Atlus Airing Special Broadcast At The Tokyo Game Show Next Month
All Sega makes anymore is pretty much Sonic; the same goes for Atlus and Persona. Show me Skies of Arcadia, Shining Force, an Arcade compilation, even 3D Dot Game Heroes and you'll have my immediate interest. But after this long I'm not exactly holding my breath. Their track record is to play it safe and trot out the same couple of tired franchises (or retreads of said franchises) ad nauseam.
Re: Charles Martinet Will No Longer Be The Voice Of Mario
Thanks for the great memories over the years, Mr. Martinet.
Re: Feature: The Rise Of 'Scam Games' And 'Keyword Bingo' Firms Flooding Switch eShop
This is 100 percent on Nintendo for allowing this to happen with the eShop. Just an endless glut of trash that has no business even being there, and by now it makes the Wii's "mountain of shovelware" look like an anthill. And locking their own legacy games behind a subscription paywall instead of offering them for actual sale as they did with the Virtual Console shows it is all about priorities, namely $$$ and control. I love their games, but Nintendo has grown increasingly difficult to like as a company, especially in recent years.
Re: It's "More Difficult Than Ever" To Collaborate With Nintendo, Claims Picross Developer Jupiter
@judaspete No worries, just a misunderstanding on my part. Still, the problem with so many terrible eShop games is a legitimate concern.
Re: It's "More Difficult Than Ever" To Collaborate With Nintendo, Claims Picross Developer Jupiter
It's confusing to read articles like this complaining about Nintendo's approval process given the glut of absolute trash "games" on the eShop. Nintendo's "Seal of Quality" is LONG gone.
Re: Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Delayed To 2024
Disappointing, but any veteran of Kickstarters is familiar with the drill. As previous posters have said, there are plenty of games to play during the wait.
Re: Sega President Teases Possible Sonic "Reboots And Remakes"
I swear, Sonic is all Sega even cares or talks about anymore. I know some folks here have taken issue with my posts criticizing them for that (some citing various, mostly outsourced-to-third-parties or Kickstarter projects as evidence that Sega still makes games other than Sonic or Yakuza), but look no further than the headlines here at Nintendo Life; the sheer number of Sonic-related news, headlines, and announcements runs circles around most Nintendo IPs and probably gives even Mario and Zelda a run for their money.
So, just a couple of honest, simple questions. First, is anyone else here even the least bit sick and tired of yet more Sonic talk out of Sega, especially when A) they're sitting on a MOUNTAIN of other, incredible and varied IPs for years or even decades now that many of us would readily pay to see again, and B) when most of the Sonic games they've been punching out have been of middling quality and/or been remakes, reboots, or compilations of the same games they figure you'll buy anyway? Second, how many of you would support other Sega IPs if given another opportunity, say like Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, or a comprehensive Arcade compilation?
Maybe those questions are moot anyway, and the reason is actually quite simple: Sega is so obsessed with "playing it safe" that they've grown completely out of touch with ALL their consumers despite the token surveys they send out every year to try and maintain the farce that they ever listen or care.
Re: Poll: What Course Are You Most Excited About In The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wave 5 DLC?
You would think that 48 tracks would be enough for everyone to get all of our favorites, but here we are. While I admit that most of my personal Wish List of tracks has been added or announced for the Booster Course Pass, I've also had a gnawing feeling of running out of chances with others like Dino Dino Jungle. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it also feels like some of the Bowser courses from across the history of the franchise have also been slighted thus far; I recall them being some of the best and most challenging.
The single biggest culprit for this has without question been the gross over-representation of MK Tour tracks in the Pass. While I acknowledge that some of them (like Ninja Hideaway) have fit in with the overall MK theme, the Tour tracks in general just haven't done it for me; being based on real-life cities, most just don't have the creativity or the feel of what we've come to expect from Mario Kart. One Tour track for each Wave I could live with, but two or even three each time has been overkill, and it's really cut down on the actual number of legacy tracks most of us were likely hoping to get when the Pass was first announced.
Since Nintendo has doubled the available number of tracks to 96, once the final Wave releases it would be great fan service to include a mode where players can create Cups of their own from scratch using the entire selection. It would make for awesome customization for those living room parties with family and friends, racing on a bunch of favorite tracks back-to-back.
Overall the Booster Course Pass has still been a great value and doubled the overall number of tracks as well as increased an already burgeoning roster of characters, but I have a feeling that when the final Wave is revealed a lot of folks will feel some disappointment that a favorite track (or more than one) didn't make the cut. But who knows, maybe Nintendo will pleasantly surprise us with the last wave in some way.
Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 5 Arrives Next Week
I hope Dino Dino Jungle makes the cut on the final wave; the Tour tracks are WAY over represented and have cut deeply into the actual number of tracks that genuinely feel like they fit the series and theme. It's also been both surprising and disappointing how absent the Bowser tracks from across the series have been; some of those are among the most memorable in all of Mario Kart.
Re: Takaya Imamura: F-Zero Hasn't Been Revived Because Mario Kart Is Nintendo's "Most Popular Racing Game"
@Ruler-Of-All-Evil Samba de Amigo is more than welcome. It's also one game. Only took them 20 years since the original. 25 since Shining Force III, 20 since Skies of Arcadia. The list goes on (and is a LONG one). And how many Sonic games, sequels, spin-offs, and compilations have been released or announced over that same period? And how many of those have been of middling quality because Sega knew they could phone it in and fans would buy up their "most popular/profitable/best-selling" franchise anyway?
Sega used to be arguably the most prolific and innovative videogame publisher in the industry, and they made a ton of incredible games across pretty much every genre, games that made them a household name before Sonic even existed. Their own corporate mismanagement caused their eventual collapse and cessation from making consoles. When it was announced that they were going third-party, many gamers, myself included, were eager to see all the same originality, innovation, and variety we had been accustomed to on all platforms. Instead we got inundated with Sonic and obligatory Genesis compilations each generation by a company that had circled the wagons and decided to "play it safe".
If I come across as harsh in my criticisms of Sega, it's because I remember what they used to be capable of and believe that, with a proper kick in the pants, they could be again. Maybe I don't matter as a single consumer but I do vote with my wallet and support non-Sonic releases in the hope that just maybe Sega might give more of their legacy IPs another chance, especially their incredible RPGs. And that support includes the likes of Panzer Dragoon Remastered, House of the Dead Remake, and yes, Samba de Amigo.
We both want Sega to succeed as a company; the difference is that Sonic fans can count on another installment of their blue mascot with the certainty of the Sun rising in the east. Gamers like me who want to see other legacy franchises can't afford to be subtle or silent, especially as years of unanswered requests have turned into decades.
Re: Takaya Imamura: F-Zero Hasn't Been Revived Because Mario Kart Is Nintendo's "Most Popular Racing Game"
@Ruler-Of-All-Evil 1) Yakuza and Puyo Puyo are among the very few IPs that Sega bothers to continue releasing anymore out of dozens upon dozens of legacy IPs ranging from obscure to iconic. 2) Genesis compilations are a dime a dozen and are on pretty much every platform. Where are the Saturn, Dreamcast, Arcade Coin-op, and other compilations? Where are any NEW iterations of so many of those games, Genesis or otherwise? 3) Anime and films in no way count as games, and besides, Shenmue 3 required a Kickstarter to even exist because Sega wouldn't do the honors thrmselves. Ditto the remakes of titles like Panzer Dragoon and House of the Dead or the new Streets of Rage 4; all tossed off onto third-parties to varying results.
Do you have an answer as to why Sega sent out surveys at the beginning of each of the past two years asking what legacy IPs consumers wanted to see, only to double down on Sonic, Sonic, Sonic afterward (Origins, Frontiers, Superstars, Sonic movies, etc.)?
Yeah. I thought so. But see my original post for the obvious answer; those surveys are just empty lip service to fans of other Sega franchises because Sonic is "more profitable/popular".
Re: Takaya Imamura: F-Zero Hasn't Been Revived Because Mario Kart Is Nintendo's "Most Popular Racing Game"
Unfortunately much of the videogame industry thinks the same way, some to a downright myopic degree. Like Sega, who cannot be bothered to remaster or release sequels to almost the entirety of their vast catalog of legacy IPs, especially their great RPGs like Shining Force and Skies of Arcadia, but instead constantly churns out more Sonic titles because it's their most popular franchise (to diminishing returns in terms of quality and fan satisfaction).
Nobody wins when only the "most popular/profitable/best-selling" franchises get constant support and hype from publishers. In fact that very thing played a huge role in the demise of E3, because so much annual attention was on Call of Battlefield: Madden's Creed and the countless dark, post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested, and/or kill count-obsessed games that looked and played like everything else; such presentations were losing gamers like me long before the advent of Directs and online announcements. Nintendo needs more than just Mario and Zelda to anchor their consoles (although to their credit they do a much, MUCH better job at that than either Sony or Microsoft's first-party efforts). The "supporting casts" of first-party games that help fill out personal libraries beyond just the "system sellers" are every bit as important because they actually drive variety, creativity, and originality. We need them...including a new F-Zero. There's more than enough room for more than one first-party racing game on Nintendo platforms.
Re: Shuntaro Furukawa: Switch Successor Will Utilise The 'Nintendo Account' System
That's all well and good, but unless it includes backwards-compatibility it won't mean much, just the same frustrating routine of Nintendo regurgitating yet another generation of ports they'll require consumers to pay all over again for.
Re: Review: Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope: The Last Spark Hunter - Fun But Safe DLC Lacks Spark
Kingdom Battle was the surprise success that it was because it was clearly a project driven by genuine passion. This sequel was a massive disappointment specifically because it phoned in its effort. The battle maps could typically be beaten in a single round and most lacked the creativity and depth of the original, the humor fell flat, character abilities were so unbalanced that I rarely used anyone outside of Luigi (range, oversight), Peach (shield), and Rabbid Peach (healer), and the upgrade pathing for everyone was pretty much impossible to fully complete. But perhaps the biggest letdown was the shift in focus away from Mario and his friends to the Rabbids and their "universe"; their presence in the game felt more like tacked-on brand recognition than the genuine, lovingly crafted fan service of Kingdom Battle. Huge missed opportunity as well that Ubisoft didn't explore other Nintendo "worlds" such as Zelda and Metroid.
Overall Sparks of Hope isn't a bad game, but sadly it's a lot more mediocre than it could have been.
Re: Sonic Fans Are Already Really Mad About Sonic Origins Plus
It could be worse, Sonic fans; you could be a fan of Shining Force (25+ years), Skies of Arcadia (20 years), old school Phantasy Star (30 years), Dragon Force 25+ years), or any of Sega's other amazing franchises that they've completely ignored for years or decades. At least they keep churning out more iterations of their little blue cash cow for you to keep buying; most of the rest of their catalog will probably never even get another chance.
Re: Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope Final DLC "Coming Later In 2023", Here's A Teaser
This game had so much potential to build on the surprise success of the first, but sadly it underwhelmed on every front. The worlds just weren't as inspired and the battle maps, especially the non-story maps, were pure filler that could typically be beaten in a single turn. Character balancing was also a huge problem when you could own any map just by trotting Luigi (long range, overwatch), Peach (Shield), and Rabbid Peach (healing) out there every time. Lastly, the shift in focus toward the Rabbids and Ubisoft properties was truly a missed opportunity given what might have been had this adventure involved say, the likes of Link or Samus and their respective "universes". Oh, and the humor that worked so well in Kingdom Battle fell absolutely flat here; I found myself skipping the long-winded "points of interest" this time around.
As for the DLC, it's been months (and months) since the game's release, and most players, myself included, have long since moved on to other games. In short, Ubisoft waited WAY too long to release these "waves"; as someone who bought the Season Pass based on the expectations the first game's experience seemed to promise, it's too little, too late by now. It's a real shame that their handling of this entry may well end up making it the last one for this collaboration.
Re: Sonic Superstars Sees The Return Of Classic-Style Sonic With New Visuals
Surprise, surprise, another game from Sega and it's another Sonic. It's all they care about anymore. I'm sure it will be a serviceable cash cow for them as always, but not one penny will be coming from me until they start giving more of their legacy IPs (particularly their classic RPGs like Shining Force and Skies of Arcadia) another genuine chance (meaning not farming them out to third-parties for mediocre ports).
Re: 'Sky Oceans: Wings For Hire' Is A Skies Of Arcadia-Inspired JRPG Coming To Switch
Ugh, another cheap-looking rip-off posing as an "homage". Too bad it's probably the closest fans will ever get to actually seeing another release or remaster of Skies of Arcadia thanks to Sega's attitude toward their own JRPG IPs.
Re: Tetris The Absolute Grandmaster 2 Plus Slots Into Hamster's Arcade Archives Next Month
We desperately need Hamster to get permission to port Sega and Midway's old coin-ops while the Switch is still around (Sega sure doesn't seem to care about doing it themselves). Nintendo doesn't have an exactly spotless history when it comes to backwards compatibility on new hardware, and the Switch's wealth of Arcade classics and schmups alone make it worth holding onto if eShop purchases don't carry forward; Sega and Midway would really round out those categories.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
I'm not leaving a score for now, but I am really enjoying the game overall. I do miss the simplicity of just being able to have fire/bomb/etc. arrows as opposed to having to scroll over and fuse some attachment EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. especially in combat situations. And after the 15th time or so, the sign guy and the Koroks who "want to reach their friends" cross the line into tedium.
It's a great game, but like BotW, the more I see of it the more things about it I wish were different or at least optional (adding Fuse actually only adds more micromanagement to the breakable weapons that were already annoying, and the game's emphasis on "experimentation" often doesn't give you choices for something simpler). In other words, it's not perfect.
Re: Sega Looks Set To Raise Its Game Prices Up To $70
I wouldn't bother with Sonic, Yakuza, or Monkey Ball when they're on sale now; what makes Sega think they can trot out the same tired, middling-quality franchises while ignoring the vast majority of their enormous catalog of IPs for the past 2 to 3 decades and actually expect people to pay more? I would consider $70 for a new Skies of Arcadia or proper, SRPG Shining Force to help support franchises I care about seeing again, but Sega's done very little on consoles outside of the mainstream Valkyria Chronicles games in the past 20 years that reflects the quality they were once renowned for where I'm personally concerned, let alone anything that justifies talking about a price hike.
Re: Feature: 7 Things From Zelda: TOTK's First Hours That Had Us Grinning Like Mad
I've completed 19 Shrines in total so far and explored a swath from Rito Village to Hateno Village. Just taking my time and enjoying it for the most part.
I've been quickly reminded of how annoying (and seemingly constant) the rain is whenever you find yourself in an area with a lot of verticality. Sometimes it just feels a bit cheap.
I do have one major personal criticism of TotK thus far: playing around with the Fuse mechanic is novel for the first hour or two, but then it hits you that not only are ALL weapons weaker and quicker to break now (a thinly veiled "incentive" for players to constantly go into their menu to pair them with stuff), but adding elemental properties to, say, arrows, requires repeatedly scrolling over to the desired fruit or whatever for EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE, typically in the middle of combat where the last thing you want is to be fiddling with menus (this has also gotten me killed more than once, which I consider a real problem from a design standpoint). I suspect that after a few days when the initial buzz has worn off and players have had time to reexamine TotK more objectively, this will likely be the game's biggest criticism. In some ways it actually managed to make the breakable weapons from BotW worse by adding a new layer of tedious and intrusive micromanagement to them.
Re: Zelda Devs Confirm The Return Of Fan-Favourite Feature In TOTK
Very glad to have this finally confirmed. And I hope the rewards hiding within those dungeons are worthwhile (being PERMANENT would be a start). I don't know whether Link's Fuse abilities leave any room for classic items like the Hookshot or Water Boots, but it would be awesome fan service if Nintendo could find a way to sneak them in with a practical purpose.
Re: Zelda Boss Wanted Certain Tears Of The Kingdom Areas In BOTW, Prevented By Wii U's Limitations
Just the latest in a long line of examples for why cross-gen games typically hold things back for the sake of the less powerful hardware.
Re: Nintendo's Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom TV Ad Might Be Its Best One Ever
Great ad on multiple levels. The escapism from the man's seemingly dreary routine, the experimentation with the game's Fuse mechanics and combat, the exclamation of satisfaction over beating a tough enemy, culminating in the man smiling as he takes in the beauty of his bus commute.
This is how you market a game.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp?
@JohnnyMind Actually, despite how it might seem from my description, Daisenryaku isn't just accessible to newcomers, but INSANELY addictive. I had a group of coworkers I introduced the PS2 version of DSVII (shorthand for Daisenryaku VII) to. Over time that group grew to include about 8 people, and by the time each new player had played/watched a round or two, they had the basic mechanics down. Of course the nuances went far deeper, and we were still discovering new stuff more than a year (and thousands of hours, often 10-plus hours at a stretch) later. And every single one of those guys ended up buying their own copy (keep in mind this was a bargain bin title you can still find used under $10, and I had a brand-spanking new Playstation 3 sitting there untouched due to everyone's obsession with this gem).
I'm not saying this or any type of game will be everyone's cup of tea, but the group we had came from a pretty wide range of taste in genres and experience. As you said, it's about giving games and genres like this a fair chance; occasionally you can be very pleasantly surprised.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp?
I love AW but it had been several years since I'd played one of its installments. While this compilation should definitely suffice as an introduction to the military turn-based tactics genre for new players, it still leaves some things to be desired when comparing to deeper, more real word-reflecting franchises like SystemSoft Beta's Daisenryaku (Grand Strategy). Here are some issues with AW that I hope Nintendo may address in potential future installments:
https://www.ss-beta.co.jp/products/dsexceed2/image/gallery/ss/gallery_20.jpg
1) AW's grid-based mechanics are outdated. There's a certain aesthetic appeal to a map being divided into little squares, but it absolutely kills AW's movement options for units. Hexes are by far superior in terms of tactical utility. Also, AW restricts each square to containing only a single unit, so aircraft can easily be contained or blocked simply by placing several land units in a line. In contrast, Daisenryaku allows six altitude "levels" (High Air, Mid Air, Low Air, Ground/Bridge, Sea Surface, and Undersea), so multiple units actually can occupy a single hex and aircraft aren't blocked by ground units.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/4/4/1/251441.jpg
2) Rock/Paper/Scissors. In AW, Tank = Tank, and basically who wins a fight between the same type of unit depends on who the attacker is. Also, certain units are effective against other types just because they belong to a certain group (example: Anti-Air versus all aircraft). But Daisenryaku includes over 400-1400 real word unit types, each with algorithms that accurately reflect their actual abilities and vulnerabilities. A squadron of M1 Abrams is going to wipe the floor against older T-72s but be more evenly matched against German Leopards or Israeli Merkavas, and while AA units like Russia's 2K22 Tunguska might be effective against helicopters, they can't reach targets and High Air (that requires missile systems like the Patriot or S-300) and can easily receive serious damage from return fire themselves.
3) Yes, it's a videogame, but CO Powers are absurd. Seriously, why ever use Max? Sure he may have some extra punch in melee combat, but his Artillery and Rockets are effectively neutered by taking a -1 hit to their respective ranges. Even in the context of a videogame, that makes zero sense for individual unit types to be penalized below their baseline capabilities.
https://www.ss-beta.co.jp/products/dsexceed2/image/gallery/ss/gallery_08.jpg
A far better option is Daisenryaku's RPG-like leveling system where each individual unit gains experience from battles, starting at Level E and, if it survives (which requires careful maintenance and pulling it off the front lines for repairs), progresses through D, C, B. A, and finally S. At higher levels some units can completely wipe out full compliments of enemy units in a single volley, and it greatly raises the stakes in multiplayer as human opponents will try their best to take out your leveled-up units before they can do too much damage.
https://www.ss-beta.co.jp/products/dsexceed2/image/gallery/ss/gallery_02.jpg
Overall AW is a great series and well worth the investment, but as I said, it's just a toe-dip in a potential ocean of depth when it comes to this genre. Here's hoping Nintendo (or some third-party localization companies) will see sales success for AW: Reboot Camp and bring us more of this genre to enjoy, especially with multiplayer features. Overall I gave AW: Reboot Camp a 7 here; it's a fine game, but there's room for improvement. Nintendo, I hope you're listening.
DISCLAIMER: Images taken from Daisenryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics Exceed for PS2/XBox and Daiseryaku Exceed 2 for PS3
Re: Advance Wars Switch Dev Thanks Fans For Positive Reception, Calls Release A "Life Dream"
I'm thankful we got another chance to revisit these games and in so doing show our tangible support ($$$) for potential future entries (both the AW franchise and the modern combined arms warfare turn-based tactics genre as a whole). So my thanks in turn go out to Wayforward; I'm not going look a gift horse in the mouth here. This genre is SORELY underrepresented on consoles outside of swords and sorcery fantasy (although speaking of which, right about NOW would be an outstanding time for Sega to release a Shining Force III remaster; it's only been a QUARTER CENTURY now, guys!).
Re: Review: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - A Pair Of Strategy Gems Delightfully Reimagined
@Cashews I agree regarding TBS games being readily available on the PC, but I was referring specifically to consoles in this case. And most of those to date have centered around WWII, including the Paradox titles.
Just saying that modern warfare turn-based strategy games are about as rare as hens' teeth. Gotta support any we can get if we want the chance to see more come to consoles.
Re: Review: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - A Pair Of Strategy Gems Delightfully Reimagined
@Joker1234 I can't upvote that post enough. There are many game franchises that may never get another chance, but in this case we're literally talking about an entire subgenre (military turn-based tactics). So if you have any interest, let alone love, for AW and these types of games, please vote with your wallet and support this! And please DON'T wait for it to go on sale; corporations don't count sale prices as being reflective of serious and profitable consumer interest.
Re: Review: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - A Pair Of Strategy Gems Delightfully Reimagined
I'm stoked to finally be getting this remake, especially to help introduce a new generation of gamers to the military turn-based genre. The article hit most of the bullet points, but I strongly encourage everyone NOT to overlook the multi-player here; I believe it will be this game's greatest hidden gem. Learning the nuances of combined arms tactics (land, sea, and air) and employing them against other human players can get incredibly addictive.
That isn't to say AW is without its limitations. First off, many of the campaign battles are actually glorified puzzles with very specific solutions, so much that I recall single moves determining whether a mission succeeded or had to be completely started over from scratch (I suspect this may be a big part of why Nintendo included a rewind function here; it's NEVER fun to have to repeat several minutes' worth of gameplay...let alone over and over again...to achieve a singular task).
The other big weakness with AW is its rock/paper/scissors approach to units. Tank = Tank here regardless of faction or appearance. Helicopters destroy Tanks. Fighters destroy Helicopters (but unlike their real-world counterparts cannot be outfitted with ATG (Air To Ground) missiles. Subs destroy Battleships but are vulnerable to Destroyers. It's very basic stuff but it still requires players to send out waves of properly balanced forces in order to be prepared for all contingencies.
I posted about this before, but if this game what's your appetite for more of the same concept with more depth and realism (and you have a functioning Playstation 2 or PC emulator), Daisenryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics Exceed is your ticket. Over 400 units (including unlock able ones by completing both the campaign and individual missions such as the Zumwalt-class, the FB-22, and the Lun) across 8 real-world nations (USA, Russia, China, Japan, Germany, France, UK, and Israel), a fully featured map editor and multi-player up to 4 players in any combination of human, AI, teams, or individually. Unlike AW, Daisenryaku (Grand Strategy) has algorithms that reflect the real-world capabilities of specific units, so a squadron of M1 Abrams tanks will wipe the floor with older T-72s but be more evenly matched against German Leopards or Israeli Merkavas. And as units engage in skirmishes they gain experience and level up to increase their effectiveness, meaning it's crucial to pull injured units off the front lines for repairs to prevent them from being lost. My friends and I played thousands of hours in that game and we were still finding new tricks more than a year after we started. I can't recommend it enough if AW leaves you with that specific "itch" for deep turn-based tactical combat.