I think I suddenly changed my mind about Blazing Lazers (and Soldier Blade, which I'm starting to appreciate more now). Call it an epiphany, but I have this to say about BL: once you get the right power-ups (and in this game, there definitely are RIGHT and WRONG power-ups) it's the easiest shooter ever. Get your hands on a shield and beam 3 and there's pretty much no stopping you. However, if you should be unfortunate enough to lose your power-ups, it becomes the most insanely hard shooter ever. Especially near the end--oh well, "I just lost one ship," right? WRONG. You'll be shooting peas with thirty to forty deadly objects and dots and trying to weave between them, hating yourself for losing your power-ups, with a checkpoint RIGHT in the middle of the chaos. Good luck!
What I like about BL, still, is the (rather inexplicable) variety of settings. Ancient Egypt with missiles coming out of pyramids? Wha (?) . . . AWESOME! And it's still fun to play around with, but man, enough time with it and you discover some incredibly unbalanced gameplay. Personally, though, I know enough times getting to the end with Shield and beam 3 intact . . . and NOT dying during that stage and I'm sure to see the end. Maybe someday . . . 4/10
I don't want to take away from Skies of Arcadia. It's a great game, gorgeous and immersive (reminding me of PDS somewhat). The SP system can be seen as basically shared MP in any other game's definition, except that it is recharged by turns and a "focus" command in addition to items. Both of those things DO sound familiar to me . . . can't place it in as many games as I should be able to. The ability to switch elements of the weapons was cool, though. Switching weapons mid-combat . . . I think FFX did that, for one, but indeed, experimenting with weapon elements was a very cool idea.
You might enjoy the Suikoden games a lot. Looks familiar, plays really different. Suikoden 2 is HARD to come by which is a shame (to me, having the single most impactful story in a game). Grandia(s) is another one that's been raved about as having "the best battle system ever," and it's just a highly enjoyable (and mostly light) adventure story too.
I missed a few important 16-bit RPGs, for sure--Earthbound, Lufia 2, Terranigma, Soul Blazer on the SNES, and Shining Force 2 on the Genesis most notably--but my deviant opinion is that RPGs saw their most inspired developments in the 32-bit era.
@Corbie Yeah, there's so many aspects to RPGs that any one thing can go right or wrong to make or break it to different people. Paper Mario usually had me bored to pieces with its simple, simple, simple . . . everything. And unlike PM2, didn't do ANYTHING meaningful with the Paper gimmick. But, I wonder, I went in with the wrong (and sky-high, thanks to SMRPG) expectations. A lot of people dissed Final Fantasy VIII while I was absolutely loving it. What's more, they're huge time investments . . . and you never know when you've wasted your time on one or passed up one you would have really liked. Oh, the sleepless nights! (Suikoden was awesome, and I was barely interested before I got it).
I have some explaining to do: R-Type is hard. Unreasonably hard, in fact--many (if not most) arcade games/conversions have the fragile hero who can take one or a few hits and then it's "INSERT COIN" time. R-Type has huge bosses and numerous enemies that actually move in such ways indicating that they really, REALLY are out to get your super-unpopular ship. R-Type's stages are short, which, in this case, is a mercy.
What makes R-Type such a big deal? The Force. This nutty concoction truly makes R-Type a really special exercise in multi-tasking, and it's designed appropriately for it. Your ship can become pretty powerful rather quickly, and there are always a ton of enemies around to soak up your firepower.
So far I've made it to level 4 in this one! No, really, I was more invested in some other shooters before, I've only just started to try and tackle R-Type. It's a real purist's experience, and (so far) the design is arguably good enough to call it a classic not to be forgotten.
Nintendo could do something very easily that could make the VC more appealing to people out there who consider it overpriced, and it's exactly the same thing PSN did with PlayStation downloads: make them downloadable to a DS memory expansion pack (like, through the GBA slot) like I've seen pirates already do. That would easily resurrect interest in the VC. Sony's offers that with the PSP without charging anything at all extra for it. I mean, five bucks can get you a PlayStation download on your PS3 AND your PSP at once.
Westerners' attitudes toward "old" or "dated" games can be annoying (compared to the Japanese), to say the least. I'm still severely underwhelmed by "next-gen" to be happy to hear anything about a new batch of consoles now. The entire industry (not counting those game devices like "Pong") isn't even thirty years old, but "oh no, this game reminds me of something that came out TEN WHOLE YEARS AGO". Please.
But really, those who do appreciate old-school have been jerked around so much by Nintendo, it's no surprise to me that Nintendo might be losing interest in a market that (probably) is losing enthusiasm about them. I remember Treasure saying "they could probably release a thousand games tomorrow if they wanted to" on a link someone gave.
I don't think it's "dead." It's still well-worth Nintendo's time to put emulations out for download at some frequency or another, at least with its first-party property.
"The only other one released this DECADE would have to be Skies of Arcadia Legends"
Interesting. I thought Skies was good, if kinda slower than it needed to be (like, since you give your whole party commands before a turn, why can't they act all at once like in Suikoden?) I couldn't observe I anything about it that hadn't been done even when it originally released, 2000. Some elements are clearly borrowed from Panzer Dragoon Saga also, like the ship battles, and fully-rotatable camera in towns. The floating Islands concept didn't make it too terribly different in all practicality than just sea-faring, really, and that was done in an old anime called "Castle in the Sky." Crew collecting? Again, Suikoden. To be sure, it was all done VERY well, but I can barely think of anything about it being all that original.
It's disappointing to find out that so many of the new projects aren't turning out so hot, like Infinite Undiscovery, Tales of Symphonia 2, or The Last Remnant. Contrary to my expectation, I'm actually enjoying Crisis Core a lot.
"other than FFs, DQs, and Kingdom Heart what quality game(s) has square enix released recently(past 3-4 years)"
That really narrows it down! Off the top of my head . . . um, Valkyrie Profile 2, The World Ends with You, Star Ocean: First Departure, Rocket Slime (a spin-off of the DQ series but not related) . . . some of the Chocobo dungeon games were pretty decent, I hear (again, spin-off to FF but not part of it). I could probably think of more if I did some research or had a better memory, and I'm sure people have varying opinions about what I just listed.
Again, I feel Square suffered from losing Sakaguchi-san, and his work (Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey) was also good but could have been better with some of Squenix's people helping out. To me, it's like seeing part of Final Fantasy VI-IX go one way and the other part go the other way.
Squenix puts out some quality titles, IMO. I think the worst thing Square ever did was lose Sakaguchi to go form "Mistwalker." I get the feeling of one missing the other a lot.
As much as I like Kefka, I'm astounded that I've never heard anybody point out his similarities to "The Joker." Gets a laugh (a famous, digitized one) out of killing people and destroying things and everything, a clown with white skin and green hair . . .
I've heard people here and there talk about Lufia 2 being great. I touched on an emulation briefly and nothing really came of it. Likewise for Terranigma. O.O I really need to do something about this . . .
#1 Final Fantasy VII--I just love the controversy surrounding this game, like how some people whine (one of those whining about whiners ironies) about the main character, and yet he's pretty much the most well-remembered protagonist in RPG history even ten years after it came out, as evidenced by the popularity of its recent spin-offs. I remember how naysayers thought everybody would forget about this game after the hype and technology wore off. They didn't--ten years later they even bought a ridiculous shooter called "Dirge of Cerberus" just because it had a little something to do with FFVII. For all the nitpicks (some arguably deserved), the sheer sincerity and ambitiousness of FFVII keeps me from second-guessing my favorite RPG. Final Fantasy VI Chrono Trigger Panzer Dragoon Saga--Sega's best RPG hands-down (so sad, hardly anybody got to play this) Xenogears
And then . . .
Suikoden 2 Final Fantasy VIII Final Fantasy X Dragon Quest VIII Vagrant Story: Matsuno's masterpiece, IMO
Otherwise, I actually do think the best RPGs on the VC are Super Mario RPG and Ys: Book I & II by a fair margin. Phantasy Star is mostly awesome but a little more spotty, especially the battle system, to which I say "good riddance," not sorry they didn't show up ever again (is anybody?). And the overall gameplay (dungeons and exploration) can feel drawn out and sometimes even plodding . . . but that's the worst of it--they're otherwise excellent, unique, not to be missed.
"feel free to be as pithy and condescending as you'd like to be. We can take it."
<cracks knuckles>
Game of the year features are always fun. Most of the games I download are new to me--sort of "new-old" experiences--so it's kind of strange to see comparisons to what I got around to in their times to a couple of imports.
I visited PSIV briefly, lately, and man, the translation--in all of its cheesy, grammatically-challenged glory of the time--manages to be endearing. And how could you not get hooked in the prologue that beings "Somewhere in space . . ." (man, does that narrow-down the general location)? Really, the story is excellent, especially with all the ties to the previous games, quite possibly the best example of a continuous storyline across multiple RPGs. Yet again, the battle system is rather disposable, but good "dungeon" designs.
I'm kind of surprised to find out that somebody out there likes Super Mario RPG even more than I do! The best game on the Virtual Console? That's saying an awful lot. The other four I would somewhat consider underdogs, and seeing Star Parodier here is giving me a tiny push toward getting it (the only one of the five I don't have).
My Mega Man "bias" is through the roof (though in my mind, I think I can make strong cases for them), as MM2 is pretty much my favorite game ever, with 1 and 3 not too terribly far behind. But as for the downloads that were new experiences to me this year (without trying to strain my brain to compare them with decade-old ones):
(1) Ys Book I & II (by about a mile) (2) Lords of Thunder (3) DoReMi Fantasy (4) Bio Miracle (5) Mega Turrican (strangely, I enjoy this more than Super Turrican)
Old ones:
(1) Mega Man 2 (2) Mega Man 3 (3) Super Mario RPG (4) Mega Man (5) Phantasy Star 2
Having stuck out Majora's Mask and gotten EVERY sidequest in it, I can totally understand where the "love it" and the "hate it" comes from. I kind of went back and forth as I went through it myself.
Hudson is such a low-profile developer now, I'm sure they, of all people, have all the motivation in the world to make money off of their old property somehow, even if they backlash at the VC for reasons that aren't hard to guess at. I mean, Nintendo's almost their only hope, without the budget to make a non-download Xbox360 or PS3 game. I'm sure they'd stick with the retro market.
My fav Smash Bros. game is Melee, which got so many things JUST right. I think it had the right amount of unlockables without becoming obsessive (especially with the "coin launcher" in Brawl. Have mercy.). Brawl: had a lot of ultimately boring stage designs with hyperactive backgrounds (example: the Star Fox stage), while others were a little TOO interactive, and items were severely overpowered. I think it was actually designed by GameArts, interestingly enough, with a lot of the developers coming from outside Nintendo. I like all the chances they took with Brawl, actually, since it was pretty much the only thing left to do after so squarely hitting the nail on the head with Melee.
But anyway, I'm looking forward to checking out the original.
Check out the onomatopoeia on the box art! Or is it . . . ? What does "biff" mean?
WOW, I checked out the Genesis Ultimate Collection. I had the PS2 collection before (Shadow Dancer IS on that one, but not "Revenge of Shinobi" for some stupid reason), so my redundant downloads are only six (thank goodness it wasn't more than that . . . I was about to download Shining Force 2).
First the Neo Geo, with collections, now Sega. What's safe to download anymore?
Retro Studios (American developer) did the Prime games, and Japan is practically allergic to first-person action. The first Prime was incredible and (in my opinion) under-appreciated, but treating it like a sub-series after the original was strange to me . . . the "trilogy" is supposed to be done, now.
Suikoden is one of the most streamlined RPGs I remember playing. Incredibly fun, and always had a tight sense of direction. Suikoden 2 got rather aimless at some points but had a WAY more meaningful story. Both are unique among traditional RPGs for being war epics. Your mute dude ends up being the commander of an army, and a lot of the characters you recruit (out of 108) have various purposes around your base rather than just fighting in battles. It LOOKS like a dusty 16-bit RPG, but it definitely isn't.
I sure wouldn't mind someone attempting to do a third-person 3D Metroid, now. I think it would be kind of cool with the Wii-remote, moving Samus around and maybe being able to blast anywhere like you could with star bits in Super Mario Galaxy . . .
That, AND a new 2D Metroid, of course.
The most awesome thing about a 2-D missile . . . the guy it's being fired at wouldn't be able to see it coming at him! XD (only everyone on the side)
Suikoden is awesome! A non-missable RPG. Suikoden 2 isn't quite as tight, but has my personal favorite story in a video game.
The PSOne's library is my personal favorite of any console. RPG heaven: Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, Xenogears, Chrono Cross, Lunar, Grandia. Also Resident Evil 2, Vagrant Story, Castlevania: SotN, Metal Gear Solid, Crash Bandicoot, Tekken 3, FFTactics, Mega Man 8, X4, Legends, the first Tomb Raider, Gran Turismo 1 and 2. Good times.
Someone else questioned the comment about Shining Force 2 being on a collection . . . I likewise don't know what collection that is (if there is one, I wouldn't mind being informed).
Also, why would Hudson "give up" on the VC? Thankfully they got the shooters out before realizing they (probably) weren't too popular, but shouldn't they give Rondo of Blood a go and watch the downloads go crazy before giving up? Sheesh.
Finally, as someone who is as hardcore a fan of Metroid possible from the very beginning. . . <gets out a big sword and chases Metroid Prime-haters> I thought that game had pretty much the best level design in a 3-D game . . . ever. It's sequels came out way too fast, for sure, but the original I can hardly find fault with (except that ridiculous, B-sci-fi soundtrack).
"I might try it out if I can get over my distaste for all Genesis audio."
No kidding. It's not the most primitive audio chip ever made, but somehow that "tinny" sound just gets everywhere and you KNOW when you're hearing a Genesis game. Sometimes it's not so bad, but of all the really memorable game tunes I've heard, relatively few are from the Genesis.
I realized I'm only half way through SoM on my old SNES cart (unbelievable). O_o
Well, good for Europe. What other Mana games are really worth playing, anyway? I guess Secret of Mana is considered the best, and word of the rest of the series is kinda spotty.
I wonder if the reason for fewer releases is all those people who say "I'm running out of space on my Wii!" and Nintendo knows that those people actually avoid downloading more games because of space limitations. I mean, if people just fill up their flash memory and then hold off on downloading new games because of that, well, that could be a considerable factor (I found out that this applies to a lot of people).
. . . Yeah the genre here is glorified "hack 'n slash", along the lines of something like Gauntlet, I think. Lite story, almost no puzzles, and equipment upgrades are just more money/new equipment rinse-repeat. You gain levels, but (as I recall) not with having to spend too much thought about how you're doing it, or too much grinding.
Hm. Maybe the pause-save feature would help. Having to play this game in one sitting is too much, to me. Difficulty aside, I just wanted to move on with life after hours of trying to crack the last level.
<tips hat> Yes indeed. The squeaky wheel gets the oil!
That would be great. Nintendo's problem, as far as the gamers, is this: almost nobody is convinced they couldn't be doing better. Even business strategies change when the supplier is thusly informed about the feelings of the consumers.
It may be a drop in the bucket, but like Betagam7 said, if you have time to complain here . . .
I sure admire Hudson for not just trying to make lightning strike in the same place twice with this follow-up to Gate of Thunder.
Okay, honestly . . . no pun intended. Really. I totally didn't see that coming. <runs>
In fact, it has less in common with Gate of Thunder than most other shooters (in the sub-genre) do, on the surface. But like GoT, its level scripting is fantastically memorable; enemy encounters and environment hazards are inspired and have great timing, giving the whole game a great poetic flow to it that will stick with you after you play it. The shop, of course, makes the game stand out simply because it marks one of the few things in this sub-genre (forced-scrolling shooter) where there are multiple, but equally-effective strategies--I mean, rather than just "how many ships did I lose THIS playthrough?" there are more things that can distinguish people's experiences with it.
What a great change of pace, with these two games. I prefer Gate of Thunder, but how I feel like I--the player--am not the only sucker doing the work when I'm playing at it is a really nice thing. They really decided to make the "Thunder" games feel like a dramatic experience as well as a game.
You have to wonder what Nintendo is spending its unprecedented profits on right about now. I'd like to think that maybe it's R&D for their next console, but maybe it's their own private army? In which case, raiding Nintendo is ill-advised . . .
My condolences to people holding out for something in particular and not getting it, only to see the drip-drops get even smaller and more inexplicable (to cause wonder what to base one's hopes on).
I mostly agree, Simon's Quest was a great experiment that didn't quite make it. I'd stick it more in the "adventure" genre, myself. I still like it a lot for what worked, and wish they'd give the formula another attempt, especially in 3D.
. . . but the best non-Metroidvania? I'm leaning toward Castlevania IV. And I have played them all (except Bloodlines!). Then maybe Castlevania 3 and then Rondo of Blood.
You are incredibly fun to play, you're good looking, you sound good . . . and you are too damn hard.
It wouldn't be so bad if the continues weren't limited. The fun-factor is through the roof, and it's full of clever, memorable, even epic moments of action. Of course, high difficulty makes flaws stick out, like the overhead sections are kind of questionable. But there's no question about the fact that it's incredibly tight game design--great control.
Okay, some more sentiments:
This game is full of something I personally dread seeing in action games: Level memorization. There is just plain no way somebody could ever beat this game on the first try; foreknowledge required. BUT: the game is very enjoyable to start with a very nicely-balanced easy mode. Then, once you know how the game is (it's actually really short, just six stages) normal starts adding layers of challenge onto the ones you've already done. And hard mode is absolutely nuts . . . I haven't yet beaten without periodically stocking up on lives at certain enemy-respawn points (i.e. cheating).
Six levels . . . two of which are overhead stages that are severely unlikeable, really. But this game has "moments" that are pretty hard to beat, like an outrageous sequence involving hopping between missiles while blasting a flying target. Enjoyed the right way (use the difficulty settings--they were done with care in this case) Contra 3 is an action masterpiece in its own right. 9/10
This game isn't bad at all. In some ways I liked how the Master system's versions did things like no Tails tag-along and not losing ALL your rings regardless of whether you had 1 or 300 (one of the things I found overwhelmingly stupid about the other Sonic games).
I actually beat this game on Capcom Classics Collection for the Xbox. I discovered that for Xbox, and all the old consoles this series released for (NES, Genesis, etc.), these games represent the PERFECT way to fry your systems from all the attempts you'll be making at beating (especially) the last stages from leaving it on so long. I took five hours to beat this piece of junk. My grievances about this and the sequel are better expressed on my Ghouls 'n Ghosts comment.
2/5--a little better since it's more possible to actually see the end than with the sequel.
This and DKC . . . high on technology, low on creative gameplay. Really low. Especially this one. And Sonic Gems is actually GC only. And believe me, you want Sonic CD, the best Sonic ever by far and one of the best Genesis/CD ever.
^the GBA remake really doesn't do the original justice.
It isn't a remake. It's a sequel. The levels, enemies, moves, weapons, and the story (such as they are in these kinds of games) are all different. And I'm surprised. I played Gunstar Super Heroes and kind of liked it better than the Genesis game, thanks to all the movement options--you can run-and-gun, shoot in all directions from one spot, shoot in one direction while moving backwards . . . they all come in handy, and you can do any of these at any time, unlike the Genesis GH.
Nope. It's the most playable game in the series. Pretty smooth ride. And it's also going to be WAY more meaningful if you've completed PS1, 2, and maybe 3 (which is kind of a sidestory). It sort of plays off a certain story thread that goes through the other games and completes it--definitely a "sequel".
I was holding out hope that Nintendo getting back on top would mean more taking chances, and games that didn't skimp on production values. I knew it was coming, but I'm not happy to hear about the "Wii 2" already.
I played Forgotten Worlds on Capcom Classics Collection with a friend and had some good fun with it . . . I think we actually beat it, and the ending has the most hilarious mistranslation ever.
I have a question for shooter nuts: is there ever a reason in these games to take your finger off the fire button (except in the case of busting open an item container)?
^ Wow, I'm impressed! Don't you just love all those RPG-style games that have some challenge like that that takes more time to do/perfect than the entire rest of the game? As much as I loved Castlevania: Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, that's what collecting souls was like (harder and more time consuming than finishing the game by far) and some of SotN's secrets.
I remembered that. I wondered if that was a real glitch or something Capcom hid. That was one of the fun things about playing an NES: having fun with glitches! I say they should figure out how to reproduce those shenanigans with games like Mega Man 9 and NES-style new games. Who's with me?
Yeah, I noticed this on the "coming soon" list as a really odd duck. I'm sure Earthworm Jim's humor aged better than this.
I'm kind of surprised so many people want Conker's Bad Fur Day--a game I'm not sure I'm proud to say I played all the way through (and again, dated, juvenile humor). Should I lighten up a little?
um . . . TOO the SD card? I guess that helps after the first time you download it. Isn't copying it FROM the SD card something that will happen more often? I guess that would be a harder thing to fix through firmware update.
Oh, about piracy. I'm not really offended personally, but it is true: If it weren't for people who buy games legitimately, there wouldn't be games to pirate (like, what if everybody decided to pirate games? Oops). So yes, they are effectively paying for people who steal software. Really, what goes around comes around.
"PC emulator to see if it sucks, I won't complain about that."
Yeah, that and stuff not out yet. Someone said it's technically illegal, but I used to like back-ups because of the extra options emulators usually have (like quicksaves and replays). With all the consoles that have come out over the years, I was excited for the Wii's potential to be an all-in-one console.
The Mega Man series was one of the first that I started with on the NES, and it kind of became the standard for me. I eventually realized that everything about it--the level design (and level select), the play control, the platforming, the shooting--Capcom nailed the bulls-eye so well that after these games, I'm really hard to impress. The debate rages on about this versus MM2, and I lean toward MM2 because of its better weapon design; in fact, Mega Man 3's arsenal is one of the most questionable in the whole series! Top Man's weapon was one of the most impractical ever; Shadow Man's was a lamer version of MM2's Metal Blade; Spark Man's froze enemies but didn't allow you switch to a weapon that could destroy like Ice Man's in the original . . .
On the other hand, having four of the stages remixed was something else, and not repeated later (challenging, with two bosses per stage, and strange to be playing MM3 stages with MM2 bosses). And Rush Jet didn't propel forward automatically.
Comments 386
Re: Blazing Lazers
Okay . . . I have to revise my statement.
I think I suddenly changed my mind about Blazing Lazers (and Soldier Blade, which I'm starting to appreciate more now). Call it an epiphany, but I have this to say about BL: once you get the right power-ups (and in this game, there definitely are RIGHT and WRONG power-ups) it's the easiest shooter ever. Get your hands on a shield and beam 3 and there's pretty much no stopping you. However, if you should be unfortunate enough to lose your power-ups, it becomes the most insanely hard shooter ever. Especially near the end--oh well, "I just lost one ship," right? WRONG. You'll be shooting peas with thirty to forty deadly objects and dots and trying to weave between them, hating yourself for losing your power-ups, with a checkpoint RIGHT in the middle of the chaos. Good luck!
What I like about BL, still, is the (rather inexplicable) variety of settings. Ancient Egypt with missiles coming out of pyramids? Wha (?) . . . AWESOME! And it's still fun to play around with, but man, enough time with it and you discover some incredibly unbalanced gameplay. Personally, though, I know enough times getting to the end with Shield and beam 3 intact . . . and NOT dying during that stage and I'm sure to see the end. Maybe someday . . .
4/10
Re: Virtual Console Reviews - Best of 2008
@Stuffgamer1
I don't want to take away from Skies of Arcadia. It's a great game, gorgeous and immersive (reminding me of PDS somewhat). The SP system can be seen as basically shared MP in any other game's definition, except that it is recharged by turns and a "focus" command in addition to items. Both of those things DO sound familiar to me . . . can't place it in as many games as I should be able to. The ability to switch elements of the weapons was cool, though. Switching weapons mid-combat . . . I think FFX did that, for one, but indeed, experimenting with weapon elements was a very cool idea.
You might enjoy the Suikoden games a lot. Looks familiar, plays really different. Suikoden 2 is HARD to come by which is a shame (to me, having the single most impactful story in a game). Grandia(s) is another one that's been raved about as having "the best battle system ever," and it's just a highly enjoyable (and mostly light) adventure story too.
I missed a few important 16-bit RPGs, for sure--Earthbound, Lufia 2, Terranigma, Soul Blazer on the SNES, and Shining Force 2 on the Genesis most notably--but my deviant opinion is that RPGs saw their most inspired developments in the 32-bit era.
@Corbie
Yeah, there's so many aspects to RPGs that any one thing can go right or wrong to make or break it to different people. Paper Mario usually had me bored to pieces with its simple, simple, simple . . . everything. And unlike PM2, didn't do ANYTHING meaningful with the Paper gimmick. But, I wonder, I went in with the wrong (and sky-high, thanks to SMRPG) expectations. A lot of people dissed Final Fantasy VIII while I was absolutely loving it. What's more, they're huge time investments . . . and you never know when you've wasted your time on one or passed up one you would have really liked. Oh, the sleepless nights! (Suikoden was awesome, and I was barely interested before I got it).
Re: R-Type
R-Type, the classic.
I have some explaining to do: R-Type is hard. Unreasonably hard, in fact--many (if not most) arcade games/conversions have the fragile hero who can take one or a few hits and then it's "INSERT COIN" time. R-Type has huge bosses and numerous enemies that actually move in such ways indicating that they really, REALLY are out to get your super-unpopular ship. R-Type's stages are short, which, in this case, is a mercy.
What makes R-Type such a big deal? The Force. This nutty concoction truly makes R-Type a really special exercise in multi-tasking, and it's designed appropriately for it. Your ship can become pretty powerful rather quickly, and there are always a ton of enemies around to soak up your firepower.
So far I've made it to level 4 in this one! No, really, I was more invested in some other shooters before, I've only just started to try and tackle R-Type. It's a real purist's experience, and (so far) the design is arguably good enough to call it a classic not to be forgotten.
Re: Talking Point: Is the Virtual Console On The Slide?
Nintendo could do something very easily that could make the VC more appealing to people out there who consider it overpriced, and it's exactly the same thing PSN did with PlayStation downloads: make them downloadable to a DS memory expansion pack (like, through the GBA slot) like I've seen pirates already do. That would easily resurrect interest in the VC. Sony's offers that with the PSP without charging anything at all extra for it. I mean, five bucks can get you a PlayStation download on your PS3 AND your PSP at once.
Westerners' attitudes toward "old" or "dated" games can be annoying (compared to the Japanese), to say the least. I'm still severely underwhelmed by "next-gen" to be happy to hear anything about a new batch of consoles now. The entire industry (not counting those game devices like "Pong") isn't even thirty years old, but "oh no, this game reminds me of something that came out TEN WHOLE YEARS AGO". Please.
But really, those who do appreciate old-school have been jerked around so much by Nintendo, it's no surprise to me that Nintendo might be losing interest in a market that (probably) is losing enthusiasm about them. I remember Treasure saying "they could probably release a thousand games tomorrow if they wanted to" on a link someone gave.
I don't think it's "dead." It's still well-worth Nintendo's time to put emulations out for download at some frequency or another, at least with its first-party property.
Re: Virtual Console Reviews - Best of 2008
"The only other one released this DECADE would have to be Skies of Arcadia Legends"
Interesting. I thought Skies was good, if kinda slower than it needed to be (like, since you give your whole party commands before a turn, why can't they act all at once like in Suikoden?) I couldn't observe I anything about it that hadn't been done even when it originally released, 2000. Some elements are clearly borrowed from Panzer Dragoon Saga also, like the ship battles, and fully-rotatable camera in towns. The floating Islands concept didn't make it too terribly different in all practicality than just sea-faring, really, and that was done in an old anime called "Castle in the Sky." Crew collecting? Again, Suikoden. To be sure, it was all done VERY well, but I can barely think of anything about it being all that original.
It's disappointing to find out that so many of the new projects aren't turning out so hot, like Infinite Undiscovery, Tales of Symphonia 2, or The Last Remnant. Contrary to my expectation, I'm actually enjoying Crisis Core a lot.
Re: Virtual Console Reviews - Best of 2008
"other than FFs, DQs, and Kingdom Heart what quality game(s) has square enix released recently(past 3-4 years)"
That really narrows it down! Off the top of my head . . . um, Valkyrie Profile 2, The World Ends with You, Star Ocean: First Departure, Rocket Slime (a spin-off of the DQ series but not related) . . . some of the Chocobo dungeon games were pretty decent, I hear (again, spin-off to FF but not part of it). I could probably think of more if I did some research or had a better memory, and I'm sure people have varying opinions about what I just listed.
Again, I feel Square suffered from losing Sakaguchi-san, and his work (Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey) was also good but could have been better with some of Squenix's people helping out. To me, it's like seeing part of Final Fantasy VI-IX go one way and the other part go the other way.
Re: Virtual Console Reviews - Best of 2008
Squenix puts out some quality titles, IMO. I think the worst thing Square ever did was lose Sakaguchi to go form "Mistwalker." I get the feeling of one missing the other a lot.
Re: Virtual Console Reviews - Best of 2008
As much as I like Kefka, I'm astounded that I've never heard anybody point out his similarities to "The Joker." Gets a laugh (a famous, digitized one) out of killing people and destroying things and everything, a clown with white skin and green hair . . .
Nice to see appreciation for DWVII here, too.
Re: Virtual Console Reviews - Best of 2008
@Corbie
I've heard people here and there talk about Lufia 2 being great. I touched on an emulation briefly and nothing really came of it. Likewise for Terranigma. O.O I really need to do something about this . . .
Re: Virtual Console Reviews - Best of 2008
RPGs:
#1 Final Fantasy VII--I just love the controversy surrounding this game, like how some people whine (one of those whining about whiners ironies) about the main character, and yet he's pretty much the most well-remembered protagonist in RPG history even ten years after it came out, as evidenced by the popularity of its recent spin-offs. I remember how naysayers thought everybody would forget about this game after the hype and technology wore off. They didn't--ten years later they even bought a ridiculous shooter called "Dirge of Cerberus" just because it had a little something to do with FFVII. For all the nitpicks (some arguably deserved), the sheer sincerity and ambitiousness of FFVII keeps me from second-guessing my favorite RPG.
Final Fantasy VI
Chrono Trigger
Panzer Dragoon Saga--Sega's best RPG hands-down (so sad, hardly anybody got to play this)
Xenogears
And then . . .
Suikoden 2
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy X
Dragon Quest VIII
Vagrant Story: Matsuno's masterpiece, IMO
Otherwise, I actually do think the best RPGs on the VC are Super Mario RPG and Ys: Book I & II by a fair margin. Phantasy Star is mostly awesome but a little more spotty, especially the battle system, to which I say "good riddance," not sorry they didn't show up ever again (is anybody?). And the overall gameplay (dungeons and exploration) can feel drawn out and sometimes even plodding . . . but that's the worst of it--they're otherwise excellent, unique, not to be missed.
Re: Virtual Console Reviews - Best of 2008
"feel free to be as pithy and condescending as you'd like to be. We can take it."
<cracks knuckles>
Game of the year features are always fun. Most of the games I download are new to me--sort of "new-old" experiences--so it's kind of strange to see comparisons to what I got around to in their times to a couple of imports.
I visited PSIV briefly, lately, and man, the translation--in all of its cheesy, grammatically-challenged glory of the time--manages to be endearing. And how could you not get hooked in the prologue that beings "Somewhere in space . . ." (man, does that narrow-down the general location)? Really, the story is excellent, especially with all the ties to the previous games, quite possibly the best example of a continuous storyline across multiple RPGs. Yet again, the battle system is rather disposable, but good "dungeon" designs.
I'm kind of surprised to find out that somebody out there likes Super Mario RPG even more than I do! The best game on the Virtual Console? That's saying an awful lot. The other four I would somewhat consider underdogs, and seeing Star Parodier here is giving me a tiny push toward getting it (the only one of the five I don't have).
My Mega Man "bias" is through the roof (though in my mind, I think I can make strong cases for them), as MM2 is pretty much my favorite game ever, with 1 and 3 not too terribly far behind. But as for the downloads that were new experiences to me this year (without trying to strain my brain to compare them with decade-old ones):
(1) Ys Book I & II (by about a mile)
(2) Lords of Thunder
(3) DoReMi Fantasy
(4) Bio Miracle
(5) Mega Turrican (strangely, I enjoy this more than Super Turrican)
Old ones:
(1) Mega Man 2
(2) Mega Man 3
(3) Super Mario RPG
(4) Mega Man
(5) Phantasy Star 2
Re: Japanese Virtual Console list - January 2009
Having stuck out Majora's Mask and gotten EVERY sidequest in it, I can totally understand where the "love it" and the "hate it" comes from. I kind of went back and forth as I went through it myself.
Re: Japanese Virtual Console list - January 2009
@Betagam7
Hudson is such a low-profile developer now, I'm sure they, of all people, have all the motivation in the world to make money off of their old property somehow, even if they backlash at the VC for reasons that aren't hard to guess at. I mean, Nintendo's almost their only hope, without the budget to make a non-download Xbox360 or PS3 game. I'm sure they'd stick with the retro market.
Re: Japanese Virtual Console list - January 2009
My fav Smash Bros. game is Melee, which got so many things JUST right. I think it had the right amount of unlockables without becoming obsessive (especially with the "coin launcher" in Brawl. Have mercy.). Brawl: had a lot of ultimately boring stage designs with hyperactive backgrounds (example: the Star Fox stage), while others were a little TOO interactive, and items were severely overpowered. I think it was actually designed by GameArts, interestingly enough, with a lot of the developers coming from outside Nintendo. I like all the chances they took with Brawl, actually, since it was pretty much the only thing left to do after so squarely hitting the nail on the head with Melee.
But anyway, I'm looking forward to checking out the original.
Check out the onomatopoeia on the box art! Or is it . . . ? What does "biff" mean?
Re: USA VC Update: Phantasy Star IV
WOW, I checked out the Genesis Ultimate Collection. I had the PS2 collection before (Shadow Dancer IS on that one, but not "Revenge of Shinobi" for some stupid reason), so my redundant downloads are only six (thank goodness it wasn't more than that . . . I was about to download Shining Force 2).
First the Neo Geo, with collections, now Sega. What's safe to download anymore?
Re: USA VC Update: Phantasy Star IV
@Sharecrow
Retro Studios (American developer) did the Prime games, and Japan is practically allergic to first-person action. The first Prime was incredible and (in my opinion) under-appreciated, but treating it like a sub-series after the original was strange to me . . . the "trilogy" is supposed to be done, now.
Re: USA VC Update: Phantasy Star IV
Suikoden is one of the most streamlined RPGs I remember playing. Incredibly fun, and always had a tight sense of direction. Suikoden 2 got rather aimless at some points but had a WAY more meaningful story. Both are unique among traditional RPGs for being war epics. Your mute dude ends up being the commander of an army, and a lot of the characters you recruit (out of 108) have various purposes around your base rather than just fighting in battles. It LOOKS like a dusty 16-bit RPG, but it definitely isn't.
Re: USA VC Update: Phantasy Star IV
I sure wouldn't mind someone attempting to do a third-person 3D Metroid, now. I think it would be kind of cool with the Wii-remote, moving Samus around and maybe being able to blast anywhere like you could with star bits in Super Mario Galaxy . . .
That, AND a new 2D Metroid, of course.
The most awesome thing about a 2-D missile . . . the guy it's being fired at wouldn't be able to see it coming at him! XD (only everyone on the side)
Re: USA VC Update: Phantasy Star IV
@ Stuffgamer1
Suikoden is awesome! A non-missable RPG. Suikoden 2 isn't quite as tight, but has my personal favorite story in a video game.
The PSOne's library is my personal favorite of any console. RPG heaven: Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, Xenogears, Chrono Cross, Lunar, Grandia. Also Resident Evil 2, Vagrant Story, Castlevania: SotN, Metal Gear Solid, Crash Bandicoot, Tekken 3, FFTactics, Mega Man 8, X4, Legends, the first Tomb Raider, Gran Turismo 1 and 2. Good times.
Re: USA VC Update: Phantasy Star IV
Someone else questioned the comment about Shining Force 2 being on a collection . . . I likewise don't know what collection that is (if there is one, I wouldn't mind being informed).
Also, why would Hudson "give up" on the VC? Thankfully they got the shooters out before realizing they (probably) weren't too popular, but shouldn't they give Rondo of Blood a go and watch the downloads go crazy before giving up? Sheesh.
Finally, as someone who is as hardcore a fan of Metroid possible from the very beginning. . . <gets out a big sword and chases Metroid Prime-haters> I thought that game had pretty much the best level design in a 3-D game . . . ever. It's sequels came out way too fast, for sure, but the original I can hardly find fault with (except that ridiculous, B-sci-fi soundtrack).
Re: Phantasy Star IV
"I might try it out if I can get over my distaste for all Genesis audio."
No kidding. It's not the most primitive audio chip ever made, but somehow that "tinny" sound just gets everywhere and you KNOW when you're hearing a Genesis game. Sometimes it's not so bad, but of all the really memorable game tunes I've heard, relatively few are from the Genesis.
Re: Bonanza Bros
What a goofy game . . . but fairly unique.
Wow, ten comments!!!!
Re: Mana From Heaven For RPG Fans On Boxing Day In Europe
I realized I'm only half way through SoM on my old SNES cart (unbelievable). O_o
Well, good for Europe. What other Mana games are really worth playing, anyway? I guess Secret of Mana is considered the best, and word of the rest of the series is kinda spotty.
Re: USA VC Update: Enduro Racer
I wonder if the reason for fewer releases is all those people who say "I'm running out of space on my Wii!" and Nintendo knows that those people actually avoid downloading more games because of space limitations. I mean, if people just fill up their flash memory and then hold off on downloading new games because of that, well, that could be a considerable factor (I found out that this applies to a lot of people).
(I got my 2-gig SD card for $20 like a year ago.)
Re: Secret of Mana
. . . Yeah the genre here is glorified "hack 'n slash", along the lines of something like Gauntlet, I think. Lite story, almost no puzzles, and equipment upgrades are just more money/new equipment rinse-repeat. You gain levels, but (as I recall) not with having to spend too much thought about how you're doing it, or too much grinding.
Re: Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Hm. Maybe the pause-save feature would help. Having to play this game in one sitting is too much, to me. Difficulty aside, I just wanted to move on with life after hours of trying to crack the last level.
Re: USA VC Update: Enduro Racer
@Betagam7
<tips hat> Yes indeed. The squeaky wheel gets the oil!
That would be great. Nintendo's problem, as far as the gamers, is this: almost nobody is convinced they couldn't be doing better. Even business strategies change when the supplier is thusly informed about the feelings of the consumers.
It may be a drop in the bucket, but like Betagam7 said, if you have time to complain here . . .
Re: Lords of Thunder
5/5--awesome
I sure admire Hudson for not just trying to make lightning strike in the same place twice with this follow-up to Gate of Thunder.
Okay, honestly . . . no pun intended. Really. I totally didn't see that coming. <runs>
In fact, it has less in common with Gate of Thunder than most other shooters (in the sub-genre) do, on the surface. But like GoT, its level scripting is fantastically memorable; enemy encounters and environment hazards are inspired and have great timing, giving the whole game a great poetic flow to it that will stick with you after you play it. The shop, of course, makes the game stand out simply because it marks one of the few things in this sub-genre (forced-scrolling shooter) where there are multiple, but equally-effective strategies--I mean, rather than just "how many ships did I lose THIS playthrough?" there are more things that can distinguish people's experiences with it.
What a great change of pace, with these two games. I prefer Gate of Thunder, but how I feel like I--the player--am not the only sucker doing the work when I'm playing at it is a really nice thing. They really decided to make the "Thunder" games feel like a dramatic experience as well as a game.
Re: USA VC Update: Enduro Racer
You have to wonder what Nintendo is spending its unprecedented profits on right about now. I'd like to think that maybe it's R&D for their next console, but maybe it's their own private army? In which case, raiding Nintendo is ill-advised . . .
My condolences to people holding out for something in particular and not getting it, only to see the drip-drops get even smaller and more inexplicable (to cause wonder what to base one's hopes on).
Re: EU VC Update: Last Ninja 3, Impossible Mission II and Boogerman
@ Adamant
I mostly agree, Simon's Quest was a great experiment that didn't quite make it. I'd stick it more in the "adventure" genre, myself. I still like it a lot for what worked, and wish they'd give the formula another attempt, especially in 3D.
. . . but the best non-Metroidvania? I'm leaning toward Castlevania IV. And I have played them all (except Bloodlines!). Then maybe Castlevania 3 and then Rondo of Blood.
Re: USA VC Update: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Master System)
@Virus
I think there should be message-board mediators or something. I'm sure it would pay great.
But a comment above was totally right. VC and Wiiware are different markets, although I know they were trying to push people into getting interested.
Re: USA VC Update: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Master System)
Isn't it just because of Wiiware? I mean, haven't they been consistent about releasing three downloads (between Wiiware and the VC) per week?
Re: Contra III: The Alien Wars
Dear Contra:
You are incredibly fun to play, you're good looking, you sound good . . . and you are too damn hard.
It wouldn't be so bad if the continues weren't limited. The fun-factor is through the roof, and it's full of clever, memorable, even epic moments of action. Of course, high difficulty makes flaws stick out, like the overhead sections are kind of questionable. But there's no question about the fact that it's incredibly tight game design--great control.
Okay, some more sentiments:
This game is full of something I personally dread seeing in action games: Level memorization. There is just plain no way somebody could ever beat this game on the first try; foreknowledge required. BUT: the game is very enjoyable to start with a very nicely-balanced easy mode. Then, once you know how the game is (it's actually really short, just six stages) normal starts adding layers of challenge onto the ones you've already done. And hard mode is absolutely nuts . . . I haven't yet beaten without periodically stocking up on lives at certain enemy-respawn points (i.e. cheating).
Six levels . . . two of which are overhead stages that are severely unlikeable, really. But this game has "moments" that are pretty hard to beat, like an outrageous sequence involving hopping between missiles while blasting a flying target. Enjoyed the right way (use the difficulty settings--they were done with care in this case) Contra 3 is an action masterpiece in its own right. 9/10
Re: USA VC Update: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Master System)
This game isn't bad at all. In some ways I liked how the Master system's versions did things like no Tails tag-along and not losing ALL your rings regardless of whether you had 1 or 300 (one of the things I found overwhelmingly stupid about the other Sonic games).
Re: Ghosts 'n Goblins
I actually beat this game on Capcom Classics Collection for the Xbox. I discovered that for Xbox, and all the old consoles this series released for (NES, Genesis, etc.), these games represent the PERFECT way to fry your systems from all the attempts you'll be making at beating (especially) the last stages from leaving it on so long. I took five hours to beat this piece of junk. My grievances about this and the sequel are better expressed on my Ghouls 'n Ghosts comment.
2/5--a little better since it's more possible to actually see the end than with the sequel.
Re: Vectorman
This and DKC . . . high on technology, low on creative gameplay. Really low. Especially this one. And Sonic Gems is actually GC only. And believe me, you want Sonic CD, the best Sonic ever by far and one of the best Genesis/CD ever.
Re: Gunstar Heroes
^the GBA remake really doesn't do the original justice.
It isn't a remake. It's a sequel. The levels, enemies, moves, weapons, and the story (such as they are in these kinds of games) are all different. And I'm surprised. I played Gunstar Super Heroes and kind of liked it better than the Genesis game, thanks to all the movement options--you can run-and-gun, shoot in all directions from one spot, shoot in one direction while moving backwards . . . they all come in handy, and you can do any of these at any time, unlike the Genesis GH.
Re: Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
"Is this as brutal as 2 was?"
Nope. It's the most playable game in the series. Pretty smooth ride. And it's also going to be WAY more meaningful if you've completed PS1, 2, and maybe 3 (which is kind of a sidestory). It sort of plays off a certain story thread that goes through the other games and completes it--definitely a "sequel".
Re: USA VC Update: Boogerman
@ STEADY MOBBIN 22
I was holding out hope that Nintendo getting back on top would mean more taking chances, and games that didn't skimp on production values. I knew it was coming, but I'm not happy to hear about the "Wii 2" already.
Re: EU VC Update: Metal Slug 2, Forgotten Worlds and Space Invaders
I played Forgotten Worlds on Capcom Classics Collection with a friend and had some good fun with it . . . I think we actually beat it, and the ending has the most hilarious mistranslation ever.
Re: Life Force
I have a question for shooter nuts: is there ever a reason in these games to take your finger off the fire button (except in the case of busting open an item container)?
Re: Hori Announces New Classic Controller For Japan
^ Wow, I'm impressed! Don't you just love all those RPG-style games that have some challenge like that that takes more time to do/perfect than the entire rest of the game? As much as I loved Castlevania: Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, that's what collecting souls was like (harder and more time consuming than finishing the game by far) and some of SotN's secrets.
Re: Mega Man 3
I remembered that. I wondered if that was a real glitch or something Capcom hid. That was one of the fun things about playing an NES: having fun with glitches! I say they should figure out how to reproduce those shenanigans with games like Mega Man 9 and NES-style new games. Who's with me?
Re: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
Castlevania III: another AWESOME game in the great series. I've played almost all of 'em (except Curse of Darkness, Bloodlines, and the latest one)
Re: Blazing Lazers
@Eltigro
I agree with your observation about Blazing Lazers' control versus Soldier Blade's.
Re: USA VC Update: Boogerman
Yeah, I noticed this on the "coming soon" list as a really odd duck. I'm sure Earthworm Jim's humor aged better than this.
I'm kind of surprised so many people want Conker's Bad Fur Day--a game I'm not sure I'm proud to say I played all the way through (and again, dated, juvenile humor). Should I lighten up a little?
Re: Hori Announces New Classic Controller For Japan
The first thing that comes to mind is, is there not already a GC controller out there with auto-fire buttons? Somehow, I seem to remember some . . .
And with that you'd be able to use it for GC games, also. I just love the Wii.
It makes me wonder if there actually is anyone out there who got SMRPG's 100-jump reward legitimately. XD
Re: Breath of Fire II
Dragon Quarter WAS awesome.
Re: Wii Firmware Update Makes Transferring to SD Faster
um . . . TOO the SD card? I guess that helps after the first time you download it. Isn't copying it FROM the SD card something that will happen more often? I guess that would be a harder thing to fix through firmware update.
Oh, about piracy. I'm not really offended personally, but it is true: If it weren't for people who buy games legitimately, there wouldn't be games to pirate (like, what if everybody decided to pirate games? Oops). So yes, they are effectively paying for people who steal software. Really, what goes around comes around.
"PC emulator to see if it sucks, I won't complain about that."
Yeah, that and stuff not out yet. Someone said it's technically illegal, but I used to like back-ups because of the extra options emulators usually have (like quicksaves and replays). With all the consoles that have come out over the years, I was excited for the Wii's potential to be an all-in-one console.
Re: Mega Man 3
The Mega Man series was one of the first that I started with on the NES, and it kind of became the standard for me. I eventually realized that everything about it--the level design (and level select), the play control, the platforming, the shooting--Capcom nailed the bulls-eye so well that after these games, I'm really hard to impress. The debate rages on about this versus MM2, and I lean toward MM2 because of its better weapon design; in fact, Mega Man 3's arsenal is one of the most questionable in the whole series! Top Man's weapon was one of the most impractical ever; Shadow Man's was a lamer version of MM2's Metal Blade; Spark Man's froze enemies but didn't allow you switch to a weapon that could destroy like Ice Man's in the original . . .
On the other hand, having four of the stages remixed was something else, and not repeated later (challenging, with two bosses per stage, and strange to be playing MM3 stages with MM2 bosses). And Rush Jet didn't propel forward automatically.