@CanisWolfred I don't think that you're judging some of these games fairly. It was the nineties, lots of RPGs still hold up by today's standards, but it's tough for platformers and racing games to do so.
First of all Super Mario World. I literally don't know anybody who struggled through the first six levels, that includes my four year old cousin and a young six year old me (not to offend, I just don't understand where you're coming from). I found the controls to be as good as any other Mario game. And it introduced so much into the Mario series - tons of neat World-Map changing secrets, ghost houses, cage climbing, and (I saved best for last) YOSHI! For me, it's up there with Mario Galaxy and Mario 64 as the best Mario games. Also the music is really catchy.
Also, this was the SNES, obviously Star Fox wasn't as good as it was on the Nintendo 64, but it STARTED THE SERIES. Yeah, the graphics aren't too pretty by today's standard, but they were PHENOMINAL back then, and I'd say that Star Fox is worth playing for the Nostalgia alone. You couldn't exactly call it a "bad game".
Honestly though, the comment I understand the least is your one about Super Mario Kart. You basically damned the entire series. This is, to me, unfathomable. It basically invented the Kart genre, which, I'm guessing, you dislike because it isn't as focused on the racing itself as, say, F-Zero. On a personal basis, I'd take Mario Kart over F-Zero any day. Don't get me wrong, I love F-Zero, and think that it's a fantastic series, but Mario Kart has more charm, is a less stressful experience, and honestly, I'm far better at it than F-Zero. And Mario Kart isn't only about the items - there is still a lot of strategy involved. The drift - boost gameplay can be learned quickly, but it takes a LONG time to master it. The person with the best items doesn't always win, contrary to popular belief. If you are truly good at Mario Kart, items rarely play a large factor in the end. I win 80% of the time when I play MK7 online. With my friends, that moves up to 90% of the time. Obviously, skill IS a MAJOR factor. And no, I don't use cheap tricks like Snaking, I just know when to boost, how to avoid items, and am good at drifting. Honestly, Mario Kart is my favourite racing series, and, from my (biased) perspective, I can't see what isn't to like.
Certainly looks interesting. I like that Ubisoft is actually taking the time to add Gamepad functionality that will actually make a difference in their games. I'm not a huge fan of Splinter Cell games (I play them once in a while) but I might check this one out. Hopefully the additional features that the Wii U version has will make it the definitive version.
@WaveBoy @Fusion14 You guys... disliked... Mario Kart 64? THE Mario Kart 64 that etertained me throughout my childhood likely more than any other game? The Mario Kart 64 with awesome music (Rainbow Road) epic track design (Bowser's Castle) and far superior controls to the SNES version (it was the first Mario Kart with an analog stick for the love of Miyamoto)? I still play it today with friends, and even by myself if I'm lonely and in need of a nostalgia boost. I need to stop checking this topic, all it's doing is making me weep for the future of the human race. WEEP.
@CanisWolfred "I hated most of the other games you guys listed, though..." ... How? How could one even possibly hate such greats as Super Mario World, SMW2: Yoshi's Island, the DK Country games, and for the love of Miyamoto, SUPER METROID, the game that many consider the best in the series? How is it possible to hate Starfox or F-Zero? Or the first Mario Kart? What is happening? ERROR! ERROR! DOES NOT COMPUTE!
@Tech101 The idea is that Mutant Mudds is a throwback to 8 and 16 bit games of yonder. Some might consider it bland, boring, and repetitive, but those same people would likely consider a majority of NES and SNES games the same thing. And you move along about as fast as most video game characters from the 80's and 90's. Yes, it's simplistic, but it's meant to be, and some fantastic level design more than makes up for it. I suppose it's all a matter of nostalgia. I probably would have bought the game just for it's amazing chiptune music even if I disliked the gameplay.
This game is looking pretty sweet. I'm going to get the console version for sure, but I think I'll wait to see some footage of the game in action and perhaps some more information before I make up my mind to get Blackgate.
Don't get me wrong, I find this hilarious, but I can't justify the waste of taxpayer money. On one hand, it's pretty funny, but on the other, it scared the crap out of some poor people.
I've heard a lot about Earthbound from friends and obviously from Super Smash Bros., and have always wanted an opportunity to play it (I'm not ashamed to say that it remains one of the few games that I've ever tried to emulate, but I found out that there is an anti-pirating lock on the game that makes it much harder and makes the last boss have infinite health, so I stopped playing). A virtual console release will likely raise the awareness of Earthbound (although it was already raised substantially by Smash Bros.) in the west, so it would be neat to see an all new Earthbound game with modern graphics. I'm not saying it will ever happen, just that I believe it would be more likely now that they've finally released Earthbound in the west.
Well written review. I didn't really give it a close look when I saw it originally, but I'll be sure to take a closer look now.
@Tech101 You didn't like Mutant Mudds? What's not to like? Yeah, it's hard, but that's all a part of the allure. The music of MM is simply fantastic, the graphics are delightfully retro, the stage design is (as I already mentioned) challenging, yet still very well done and never feels too cheap. I simply adore Mutant Mudds, and I don't think it's fair to judge it as 'worse' than this game simply on the basis of a video.
I've played a couple FE games, and I've enjoyed all of them. However, the fact that characters die permanently didn't add to my experience - it just made me reset a whole bunch of times to the point of intense frustration, or occasionally, I'd yell "SCREW IT" and just let the character die. I was very happy that Awakening included a casual mode, and I immediately chose it. I generally being stressed out by games, so casual mode made Awakening a much more enjoyable game (for me, at least).
@Five-seveN That's slightly less absurd than hearing somebody say that they "Hated that film". I just don't see what isn't to like... unless you dislike animation in general.
@Whirlpool My thoughts exactly after reading @Ralax 's comment.
@Five-seveN I'm sorry, but I just refuse to accept that. Unless it's tied to the irrational fear of fish that stems from a traumatic childhood accident at Marine Land, one CANNOT DISLIKE FINDING NEMO.
From what I understand, Injustice: Gods Among Us has a very deep storyline with lots of character development. This is a major plus for me, and one of the many reasons that I am buying it tomorrow when it releases. Sorry Capcom, old chum, but Netherrealm beat you to the punch.
I remember finding the DS version in the bargain bin for five bucks quite a few years ago when I was still a kid. I actually remember having a pretty fun time with it. I believe that I spent a lot of time on the aquarium thing.
@Raylax HOW COULD YOU DISLIKE FINDING NEMO? I mean, it's a movie LITERALLY ANYONE can enjoy. The animation has Pixar's usual godly quality, the musical score was fantastic, the plot was decent for a family movie, and the voice acting was exceptional. What's not to like?
I'm not sure why a lot of people are so worried about this - It's clear that Rocksteady is still involved to an extent and wouldn't let the series get wrecked. Personally, I'm extremely excited.
I wish Nintendo would release a new Clubhouse Games for 3DS... But I guess it's unlikely with all of these mediocre clones giving the genre a bad name...
Arkham City: Armoured Edition was one of the most fantastic games I've ever played. I have high hopes for this one as well, and am sure that WB Montreal will do an adequate job, at least.
Honestly, I'm not really upset at Ubisoft, however, a lot of good first party games will have come out by then and I'm not sure I'll have the money (or time, for that matter) to buy and play Origins. I suppose I'll buy it eventually, but probably only if I see it on sale and I've finished most of the other Wii U games that I will be playing.
WarioWare is an exceptional series, I'd say it actually used to be my favourite Nintendo IP as a kid. I will be getting this, no questions asked... well, I mean, unless it turns out to be terrible somehow, which I doubt.
@TheEmerlLad Evee was first gen and so was Mew and Mewtwo. I'm not sure what you mean by your comment about revealing pokemon corresponding to gen order.
Anywho... SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY POKEMON COMPANY!
@SirQuincealot Okay, let's look at it from a different viewpoint. Novels are considered art. The part of a novel that makes it "art" are the themes explored. The same goes for movies. A major aspect of art is exploring themes. Many video games do an absolutely excellent job of exploring themes - especially RPGs. These themes are often as potent as themes explored in movies, novels, short stories, et cetera. The thing is, a video game involves writing a story like many other forms of art. So, maybe one can argue that the interactive segments of a video game aren't art, but professional writers write stories for video games, just like professional writers write screenplays or novels, and the writers of these games include themes and take their work very seriously. The point I'm trying to make can be outlined in the following syllogism. Good Themes indicate Art, Video Games often use Good Themes, Ergo, some Video Games are Art.
As for the idea of something "changing you", I can honestly say that video games have changed me more than movies or novels. After finishing games like Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Dragon Quest IX, I couldn't help but think differently about things.
@ClassicSonicFan Oh, wait, you forgot to mention Mario and the Black Knight and Mario Unleashed, where Mario turns into a werewolf... Oh wait? I distinctly remember another beloved video game hero (cough cough blue blur) getting dragged through that mess...
He was a great critic and will forever be missed. I didn't always agree with him, but regardless, I enjoyed reading his reviews and he was clearly a very educated gentleman who was a genius in his field.
@SirQuincealot
The definition of art: "The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture,...: 'the art of the Renaissance' "
Let's look at this, shall we? "Expression or application of human creative skill and imagination". Do people apply their creative skills and imagination to games? Yes, I think it is quite obvious that they do. "Typically in a visual form". Can you see video games? Then they are visual. Video games are, by the standard definition, art. That much is unquestionable.
But you claim art must provoke an emotional response as well. I don't know about you, but to me, not every piece of art I look at provokes an emotional response. A lot of time, I see a painting or listen to music and can't help but let out a resounding "meh". Other times, I feel a connection and the piece of art deeply affects me. Personally, I've played many video games that have released an emotional response. When I finished Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, I felt joy - which was what the creators wanted me to feel. At the end of Dragon Quest IX, I felt a burst of emotions (a little happy, but a little sad too). At the end of Batman: Arkham City, I was quite sad and a little shocked, which is what the creators said was their intention to make the gamers feel. You can't tell me that a video game has never triggered an honest emotional response from you - and if you can, perhaps you just aren't playing the right games.
Also, the point that "video games give you too many choices" isn't correct either. First of all, art isn't one sided. The point isn't to "see the artists intention", it's to interpret the art and discover how it applies to you. Therefore, art itself has choices within it. Furthermore, often the most emotional triggering part of a game is it's story. Many games have the player play through a set story that has set plot points and a set ending - the only choice is what buttons you press in order to defeat enemies and overcome challenges. So even if it was true that art cannot involve choice (which I disagree with anyways), many games are like movies with set interactive elements - if you consider movies art, you have to consider video games art.
@Five-seveN You liked the Old Clockworks boss best? I just beat Old Clockworks yesterday (I'm still working on the fourth Mansion) and I was almost underwhelmed with the boss... I mean (SPOILERS ALERT FOR ANYBODY WHO IS STILL PLAYING THROUGH THE GAME), it was just twelve waves of random enemies that you have to fight with a time limit on a giant clock. I mean, it was better than that stupid staircase, but I thought it paled in comparison to the awesome giant spider in the first mansion - I feel like that one was much harder and more satisfying once you figured it out.
@Five-seveN ... I have to disagree with you about Sacred Stones. To begin with, although there is quite a bit of text, that is to be expected with this genre, and the text itself is well written and wholly worth reading - it really adds to the game. Furthermore, the game is certainly not slow, you're thrown into battle after the first few opening cutscenes. And then you battle... and battle... and battle some more... And the battles have excellent graphics and involve a lot of strategy. If you find the battle animations slow, there is a button that will speed them up. I STRONGLY, STRONGLY suggest you give Sacred Stones another chance. It was the game that made me love the Fire Emblem series.
The first one was waaaaay too stressful for my little old heart to handle, I will only purchase the second if they include an easy mode (I'm almost certain that the first one didn't have an easy mode).
I was used to getting my Nintendo news from Nintendo Power, so the day I got my final issue... I cried for a while, then went on the computer for a suitable replacement. Nintendo Life was the only site I would even consider after scouring the web for hours. Thanks NL.
@DarkKirby Like @Chriiis , I played through the two original games with what Pokemon was given to me (MY FAVOURITE STARTER OF ALL TIME CHARMANDER) although I suppose if I had gotten a Pokemon that I dislike, I would have cheated.
And, @CanisWolfred , just because a plot might feel like it's similar to a Saturday morning cartoon doesn't mean that the plot is bad. I mean, it's no masterpiece, but the plot of this game isn't bad either. Sure, I've grown quite annoyed with hearing "Let's give it our all!" and usually 'bad' Pokemon have a predictable change of heart, but that is to be expected, as it IS a Pokemon game. I mean, you don't want Pokemon dealing with issues like suicide or alchoholism, do you? It's a family friendly game, and the story really wasn't half bad. It was well written, and the characters all have a lot of personality. Disliking a story simply because it's too light or family friendly is a narrow view - you have to take everything into account. I guess the reason I'm saying all of this is because my teacher last semester used to give me low 80's on all of my creative writing work simply because what I wrote was "too Disney". I was used to getting perfect on all poetry and short stories (ESPECIALLY short stories), so I was decidedly distraught. When I finally asked him what was "too Disney", he said I should avoid happy endings and insert more mature themes into my work. One night, I went home, and wrote the most mature story I could possibly write. I threw in everything I could think of - drugs, prostitution, abortion, death, and much more. I even had a character who was a sex offender. I handed it in and got a hundred percent. When I got it back, however, I didn't feel proud of myself. You see, I wrote it out of frustration, not enthusiasm. The characters were weak, the themes almost non-existant, and it was riddled with more swearing than one would care to hear in a lifetime. It was crap. Terrible garbage. I wouldn't have wiped my behind with the writing on those pages. But I still got a perfect mark. I guess it was an experiment. I KNEW it was bad when I handed it in. My teacher wasn't looking for a GOOD story, just one with a negative ending... what he considers a MATURE story. But really, my stories that my teacher considered 'Disney' because they had a good ending and didn't deal with anything too, er, vulgar, had far more character development and far better exploration of themes than my 'mature' story, so really, the more 'mature' stories were the ones he considered 'Disney'. My point is, don't judge a story by it's subject matter. You can't write off a game because it's story is light. I'm sorry for writing this block of text, but I just had to interject my opinion.
P.S. If you're curious to what books I'VE been reading recently, John Irving's Cider House Rules, Jumper by Steven Gould, Bag of Bones and the Mist by Stephen King, and I reread Tolkien's fantastic Lord of the Rings saga.
@Haywired I'll try to outline why I personally find Miiverse much more entertaining than other social networking sites. Hopefully I can help change your opinion. 1. Nintendo Charm: I think that Nintendo puts a little bit of personality in everything they do. The colours are fitting, the sound effects add to a calm atmosphere, and Miiverse as a whole has that Nintendo charm that is impossible to replicate. 2. Game Help: I recognize that anybody can go on a walkthrough on the computer, but, personally, I find going on walkthroughs to be an unpleasant experience. I mean, you have to look at the table of contents and figure out where you are in the game in correlation to it. It's possible that you won't find the specific part you are at, so will have to carefully sift through earlier pages in order to find the area you are stuck at, which is time consuming and tedious. You might accidentally read ahead, and spoil a part of the game. Heck, sometimes even the table of contents have spoilers on them in walkthroughs (for example, I remember one walkthrough had "Fight with [insert secret last boss name here]" for the final chapter, which spoiled the game for me). And if you ask on the internet, it often takes a while to get a reply, plus, the replies are generally not very accurate (and that might be because your question isn't accurate). Miiverse solves these problems by giving you a screenshot function to pinpoint where you are in the game for other plays. Furthermore, it sorts through who has the game and who doesn't, so random trolls can't answer your question wrongly like they can on the internet because you'll know if they have the game or not. 3. Nintendo Fans Only: If you have Miiverse, you have to have bought a Wii U. Period. Plain and simple. I strongly dislike people on the internet that constantly trash Nintendo for no reason (looking at you, Sony fanboys), even on pro Nintendo sites (the kind of people who haven't owned a Nintendo console since N64 but create accounts on Nintendo discussion sites anyways just to piss people off). Miiverse prevents (or at least lowers the likeliness exponentially) of random losers posting stuff like "NINTENDO SUCKS SONY RULES!!!" on a pro Nintendo community.
Gunman Clive was just such an excellent game. The graphics and 3D effect were great, the controls worked perfectly, the gameplay was very strong, and the music... simply beautiful. And people spend two dollars on a drink sometimes...
I was really looking forward to this game, but I had a LOT of trouble on the demo. I mean, I'm usually pretty good at rhythm games (Elite Beat Agents, Rythym Heaven, et cetera) but I was pretty pathetic when it came HarmoKnight. I had no trouble timing the jumps, but I found that hitting things was incredibly difficult. I mean, I tried and tried and tried, but I just couldn't perfectly hit things. I also sucked at using the D-Pad during the boss battle...
Did anybody else have issues with hitting objects specifically? Because I'm seriously losing faith in my rhythmic capabilities...
I've got a lot of homework to do (a case study for law and an essay outline on Othello for English) but I'm confident I'll have plenty of time to play some games this weekend. Well, on Wii U, I'll probably finish up Harely Quinn's Revenge on Batman Arkham Asylum: Armoured Edition, play some Zombi U, and maybe finally get around to beating New Super Mario Bros. U. For 3DS, I just bough Mutant Mudds a few days ago, so I'll be playing that for sure. Perhaps I'll also try to beat Sakura Samurai (died on the final boss) and Wario Land II. Come Sunday, ALL DAY LUIGI'S MANSION: DARK MOON AND POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON GATES TO INFINITY. So. Excited. Can't. Breathe.
Comments 311
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life's Staff Favourites - Super NES
@CanisWolfred I don't think that you're judging some of these games fairly. It was the nineties, lots of RPGs still hold up by today's standards, but it's tough for platformers and racing games to do so.
First of all Super Mario World. I literally don't know anybody who struggled through the first six levels, that includes my four year old cousin and a young six year old me (not to offend, I just don't understand where you're coming from). I found the controls to be as good as any other Mario game. And it introduced so much into the Mario series - tons of neat World-Map changing secrets, ghost houses, cage climbing, and (I saved best for last) YOSHI! For me, it's up there with Mario Galaxy and Mario 64 as the best Mario games. Also the music is really catchy.
Also, this was the SNES, obviously Star Fox wasn't as good as it was on the Nintendo 64, but it STARTED THE SERIES. Yeah, the graphics aren't too pretty by today's standard, but they were PHENOMINAL back then, and I'd say that Star Fox is worth playing for the Nostalgia alone. You couldn't exactly call it a "bad game".
Honestly though, the comment I understand the least is your one about Super Mario Kart. You basically damned the entire series. This is, to me, unfathomable. It basically invented the Kart genre, which, I'm guessing, you dislike because it isn't as focused on the racing itself as, say, F-Zero. On a personal basis, I'd take Mario Kart over F-Zero any day. Don't get me wrong, I love F-Zero, and think that it's a fantastic series, but Mario Kart has more charm, is a less stressful experience, and honestly, I'm far better at it than F-Zero. And Mario Kart isn't only about the items - there is still a lot of strategy involved. The drift - boost gameplay can be learned quickly, but it takes a LONG time to master it. The person with the best items doesn't always win, contrary to popular belief. If you are truly good at Mario Kart, items rarely play a large factor in the end. I win 80% of the time when I play MK7 online. With my friends, that moves up to 90% of the time. Obviously, skill IS a MAJOR factor. And no, I don't use cheap tricks like Snaking, I just know when to boost, how to avoid items, and am good at drifting. Honestly, Mario Kart is my favourite racing series, and, from my (biased) perspective, I can't see what isn't to like.
Re: Video: Covert Splinter Cell Blacklist Wii U GamePad Features Revealed
Certainly looks interesting. I like that Ubisoft is actually taking the time to add Gamepad functionality that will actually make a difference in their games. I'm not a huge fan of Splinter Cell games (I play them once in a while) but I might check this one out. Hopefully the additional features that the Wii U version has will make it the definitive version.
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life's Staff Favourites - Super NES
@WaveBoy @Fusion14 You guys... disliked... Mario Kart 64? THE Mario Kart 64 that etertained me throughout my childhood likely more than any other game? The Mario Kart 64 with awesome music (Rainbow Road) epic track design (Bowser's Castle) and far superior controls to the SNES version (it was the first Mario Kart with an analog stick for the love of Miyamoto)? I still play it today with friends, and even by myself if I'm lonely and in need of a nostalgia boost. I need to stop checking this topic, all it's doing is making me weep for the future of the human race. WEEP.
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life's Staff Favourites - Super NES
@CanisWolfred
"I hated most of the other games you guys listed, though..."
... How?
How could one even possibly hate such greats as Super Mario World, SMW2: Yoshi's Island, the DK Country games, and for the love of Miyamoto, SUPER METROID, the game that many consider the best in the series? How is it possible to hate Starfox or F-Zero? Or the first Mario Kart? What is happening? ERROR! ERROR! DOES NOT COMPUTE!
Re: Review: Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo (3DS eShop)
@Tech101 The idea is that Mutant Mudds is a throwback to 8 and 16 bit games of yonder. Some might consider it bland, boring, and repetitive, but those same people would likely consider a majority of NES and SNES games the same thing. And you move along about as fast as most video game characters from the 80's and 90's. Yes, it's simplistic, but it's meant to be, and some fantastic level design more than makes up for it. I suppose it's all a matter of nostalgia. I probably would have bought the game just for it's amazing chiptune music even if I disliked the gameplay.
Re: Armature Reveals More Details For Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
This game is looking pretty sweet. I'm going to get the console version for sure, but I think I'll wait to see some footage of the game in action and perhaps some more information before I make up my mind to get Blackgate.
Re: "Suspicious" Box Poses Question for Arizona Police
Don't get me wrong, I find this hilarious, but I can't justify the waste of taxpayer money. On one hand, it's pretty funny, but on the other, it scared the crap out of some poor people.
Re: EarthBound Delay May Not Have Been Caused By Music Licensing Issues After All
I've heard a lot about Earthbound from friends and obviously from Super Smash Bros., and have always wanted an opportunity to play it (I'm not ashamed to say that it remains one of the few games that I've ever tried to emulate, but I found out that there is an anti-pirating lock on the game that makes it much harder and makes the last boss have infinite health, so I stopped playing).
A virtual console release will likely raise the awareness of Earthbound (although it was already raised substantially by Smash Bros.) in the west, so it would be neat to see an all new Earthbound game with modern graphics. I'm not saying it will ever happen, just that I believe it would be more likely now that they've finally released Earthbound in the west.
Re: Review: Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo (3DS eShop)
Well written review. I didn't really give it a close look when I saw it originally, but I'll be sure to take a closer look now.
@Tech101 You didn't like Mutant Mudds? What's not to like? Yeah, it's hard, but that's all a part of the allure. The music of MM is simply fantastic, the graphics are delightfully retro, the stage design is (as I already mentioned) challenging, yet still very well done and never feels too cheap. I simply adore Mutant Mudds, and I don't think it's fair to judge it as 'worse' than this game simply on the basis of a video.
Re: Kung Fu Rabbit Skillfully Sneaking Its Way Onto The North American Wii U eShop In May
Personally, I'm just not interested. From what I've seen, it looks almost like a flash game.
Re: Neko Entertainment To Release Another Cocoto Game in Europe
Never heard of him, don't care to hear about him again.
Re: Talking Point: Fire Emblem: Awakening - The Big Casual Mode Debate
I've played a couple FE games, and I've enjoyed all of them. However, the fact that characters die permanently didn't add to my experience - it just made me reset a whole bunch of times to the point of intense frustration, or occasionally, I'd yell "SCREW IT" and just let the character die. I was very happy that Awakening included a casual mode, and I immediately chose it. I generally being stressed out by games, so casual mode made Awakening a much more enjoyable game (for me, at least).
Re: Review: Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue (3DS)
@Five-seveN That's slightly less absurd than hearing somebody say that they "Hated that film". I just don't see what isn't to like... unless you dislike animation in general.
Re: Review: Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue (3DS)
@Whirlpool My thoughts exactly after reading @Ralax 's comment.
@Five-seveN I'm sorry, but I just refuse to accept that. Unless it's tied to the irrational fear of fish that stems from a traumatic childhood accident at Marine Land, one CANNOT DISLIKE FINDING NEMO.
Re: Capcom Looking To Provide "Better Single Player Content" In Fighters
From what I understand, Injustice: Gods Among Us has a very deep storyline with lots of character development. This is a major plus for me, and one of the many reasons that I am buying it tomorrow when it releases. Sorry Capcom, old chum, but Netherrealm beat you to the punch.
Re: First-Person Puzzler QUBE Is Coming To The Wii U eShop
@HeatBombastic Dude, the UK and Canadian spelling is Colour, not Color.
Re: Injustice: Gods Among Us Release Pushed Back To 26th April In The UK
@KaiserGX Ah, I forgot about the eShop. I pre-ordered the physical copy, so I have no choice but to grab it tomorrow. Well, have fun.
Re: Rumour: Crash City Mayhem Set To Speed Across North America Next Month?
Meh. Looks mediocre.
Re: Injustice: Gods Among Us Release Pushed Back To 26th April In The UK
@KaiserGX You get to play TONIGHT? I thought the NA release date was the 16th! I have to wait until tomorrow...
Re: Review: Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue (3DS)
I remember finding the DS version in the bargain bin for five bucks quite a few years ago when I was still a kid. I actually remember having a pretty fun time with it. I believe that I spent a lot of time on the aquarium thing.
@Raylax HOW COULD YOU DISLIKE FINDING NEMO? I mean, it's a movie LITERALLY ANYONE can enjoy. The animation has Pixar's usual godly quality, the musical score was fantastic, the plot was decent for a family movie, and the voice acting was exceptional. What's not to like?
Re: WB Montreal Looking To "Add Value" To Batman: Arkham Origins
I'm not sure why a lot of people are so worried about this - It's clear that Rocksteady is still involved to an extent and wouldn't let the series get wrecked. Personally, I'm extremely excited.
Re: Video: The New Super Mario Busters - Featuring Sonic - Go Into Action
It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I love both Ghostbusters and everything Nintendo, so this was a life changing experience for me...
Re: Buddy & Me Wii U eShop Version Added As Kickstarter Stretch Goal
The at style looks nice, but I've always found that the endless runner genre only holds my attention for a few hours before becoming a snore-fest.
Re: NetherRealm Had A Tough Time Building The Roster For Injustice: Gods Among Us
@KaiserGX You can NEVER have enough Batman. NEVER EVER EVER EVER.
Re: This Injustice: Gods Among Us Infographic Makes a Pitch for the Ultimate Superhero and Villain
Oh man, I can't wait until Tuesday, INJUSTICE HERE I COME!
Re: Review: 50 Classic Games 3D (3DS)
I wish Nintendo would release a new Clubhouse Games for 3DS... But I guess it's unlikely with all of these mediocre clones giving the genre a bad name...
Re: Rocksteady Confident in Batman: Arkham Origins Developer
Arkham City: Armoured Edition was one of the most fantastic games I've ever played. I have high hopes for this one as well, and am sure that WB Montreal will do an adequate job, at least.
Re: Rayman Creator Michel Ancel "Wasn't Shocked" By Backlash To Legends Delay
Honestly, I'm not really upset at Ubisoft, however, a lot of good first party games will have come out by then and I'm not sure I'll have the money (or time, for that matter) to buy and play Origins. I suppose I'll buy it eventually, but probably only if I see it on sale and I've finished most of the other Wii U games that I will be playing.
Re: GameFly Slaps June 30th Release Date On Game & Wario In North America
WarioWare is an exceptional series, I'd say it actually used to be my favourite Nintendo IP as a kid. I will be getting this, no questions asked... well, I mean, unless it turns out to be terrible somehow, which I doubt.
Re: The Pokémon Company Describes 2013 as a "Key Year" for the Franchise
@TheEmerlLad Evee was first gen and so was Mew and Mewtwo. I'm not sure what you mean by your comment about revealing pokemon corresponding to gen order.
Anywho... SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY POKEMON COMPANY!
Re: Shigeru Miyamoto Admits He Could Keep Working for "A Long Time"
The day that Lord Miyamoto retires or passes is the day I stop playing video games forever.
Re: Batman: Arkham Origins Confirmed for Wii U
OH YEAH! I'm extremely excited for this... OCTOBER HERE WE COME!
Re: Video: This Animal Crossing: New Leaf Trailer Shows You Around
Is anybody else a little put off that the new KK spot is a nightclub? Does that mean all of the music will be trashy club beats?
Re: Video Gaming's Unexpected Critic Passes Away After Battle With Cancer
@SirQuincealot Okay, let's look at it from a different viewpoint. Novels are considered art. The part of a novel that makes it "art" are the themes explored. The same goes for movies. A major aspect of art is exploring themes.
Many video games do an absolutely excellent job of exploring themes - especially RPGs. These themes are often as potent as themes explored in movies, novels, short stories, et cetera. The thing is, a video game involves writing a story like many other forms of art. So, maybe one can argue that the interactive segments of a video game aren't art, but professional writers write stories for video games, just like professional writers write screenplays or novels, and the writers of these games include themes and take their work very seriously. The point I'm trying to make can be outlined in the following syllogism.
Good Themes indicate Art,
Video Games often use Good Themes,
Ergo, some Video Games are Art.
As for the idea of something "changing you", I can honestly say that video games have changed me more than movies or novels. After finishing games like Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Dragon Quest IX, I couldn't help but think differently about things.
Re: Nintendo Set To Host Mysterious 3DS Event In A Couple Of Weeks
@ClassicSonicFan Oh, wait, you forgot to mention Mario and the Black Knight and Mario Unleashed, where Mario turns into a werewolf... Oh wait? I distinctly remember another beloved video game hero (cough cough blue blur) getting dragged through that mess...
Re: Video Gaming's Unexpected Critic Passes Away After Battle With Cancer
He was a great critic and will forever be missed. I didn't always agree with him, but regardless, I enjoyed reading his reviews and he was clearly a very educated gentleman who was a genius in his field.
@SirQuincealot
The definition of art:
"The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture,...: 'the art of the Renaissance' "
Let's look at this, shall we? "Expression or application of human creative skill and imagination". Do people apply their creative skills and imagination to games? Yes, I think it is quite obvious that they do. "Typically in a visual form". Can you see video games? Then they are visual. Video games are, by the standard definition, art. That much is unquestionable.
But you claim art must provoke an emotional response as well. I don't know about you, but to me, not every piece of art I look at provokes an emotional response. A lot of time, I see a painting or listen to music and can't help but let out a resounding "meh". Other times, I feel a connection and the piece of art deeply affects me. Personally, I've played many video games that have released an emotional response. When I finished Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, I felt joy - which was what the creators wanted me to feel. At the end of Dragon Quest IX, I felt a burst of emotions (a little happy, but a little sad too). At the end of Batman: Arkham City, I was quite sad and a little shocked, which is what the creators said was their intention to make the gamers feel. You can't tell me that a video game has never triggered an honest emotional response from you - and if you can, perhaps you just aren't playing the right games.
Also, the point that "video games give you too many choices" isn't correct either. First of all, art isn't one sided. The point isn't to "see the artists intention", it's to interpret the art and discover how it applies to you. Therefore, art itself has choices within it. Furthermore, often the most emotional triggering part of a game is it's story. Many games have the player play through a set story that has set plot points and a set ending - the only choice is what buttons you press in order to defeat enemies and overcome challenges. So even if it was true that art cannot involve choice (which I disagree with anyways), many games are like movies with set interactive elements - if you consider movies art, you have to consider video games art.
Please consider my arguments.
Re: Translated 1997 Interview with Miyamoto and Itoi Reveals Nintendo 64 Insights
I would have bought the 64DD in a flash if they had released it in North America...
Re: Luigi's Mansion 2 Spooks Its Way Into UK Top Ten
@Five-seveN You liked the Old Clockworks boss best? I just beat Old Clockworks yesterday (I'm still working on the fourth Mansion) and I was almost underwhelmed with the boss... I mean (SPOILERS ALERT FOR ANYBODY WHO IS STILL PLAYING THROUGH THE GAME), it was just twelve waves of random enemies that you have to fight with a time limit on a giant clock. I mean, it was better than that stupid staircase, but I thought it paled in comparison to the awesome giant spider in the first mansion - I feel like that one was much harder and more satisfying once you figured it out.
Re: Video: Nintendo UK Unleashes a Series of Fire Emblem: Awakening Tasters
@Five-seveN ... I have to disagree with you about Sacred Stones. To begin with, although there is quite a bit of text, that is to be expected with this genre, and the text itself is well written and wholly worth reading - it really adds to the game. Furthermore, the game is certainly not slow, you're thrown into battle after the first few opening cutscenes. And then you battle... and battle... and battle some more... And the battles have excellent graphics and involve a lot of strategy. If you find the battle animations slow, there is a button that will speed them up. I STRONGLY, STRONGLY suggest you give Sacred Stones another chance. It was the game that made me love the Fire Emblem series.
Re: Deus Ex: Human Revolution Developer Hopes The Game Will Boost Wii U Sales
I've never played the original, but I've heard some good things. However, it's ridiculous to assume that it'll be a "system seller"...
Re: Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger Gets Japanese Release Date
The first one was waaaaay too stressful for my little old heart to handle, I will only purchase the second if they include an easy mode (I'm almost certain that the first one didn't have an easy mode).
Re: Surprise Discounts Hit the 3DS eShop in North America
Wow! Only one word comes to mind right now!
MEH.
Re: New "Luigi Code" To Provide a Fresh Take on Virtual Console Classics
Real cute NL. Real freaking cute.
Re: Site News: Happy "Nintendo Life" Anniversary!
I was used to getting my Nintendo news from Nintendo Power, so the day I got my final issue... I cried for a while, then went on the computer for a suitable replacement. Nintendo Life was the only site I would even consider after scouring the web for hours. Thanks NL.
Re: Review: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (3DS)
@DarkKirby Like @Chriiis , I played through the two original games with what Pokemon was given to me (MY FAVOURITE STARTER OF ALL TIME CHARMANDER) although I suppose if I had gotten a Pokemon that I dislike, I would have cheated.
And, @CanisWolfred , just because a plot might feel like it's similar to a Saturday morning cartoon doesn't mean that the plot is bad. I mean, it's no masterpiece, but the plot of this game isn't bad either. Sure, I've grown quite annoyed with hearing "Let's give it our all!" and usually 'bad' Pokemon have a predictable change of heart, but that is to be expected, as it IS a Pokemon game. I mean, you don't want Pokemon dealing with issues like suicide or alchoholism, do you? It's a family friendly game, and the story really wasn't half bad. It was well written, and the characters all have a lot of personality. Disliking a story simply because it's too light or family friendly is a narrow view - you have to take everything into account.
I guess the reason I'm saying all of this is because my teacher last semester used to give me low 80's on all of my creative writing work simply because what I wrote was "too Disney". I was used to getting perfect on all poetry and short stories (ESPECIALLY short stories), so I was decidedly distraught. When I finally asked him what was "too Disney", he said I should avoid happy endings and insert more mature themes into my work. One night, I went home, and wrote the most mature story I could possibly write. I threw in everything I could think of - drugs, prostitution, abortion, death, and much more. I even had a character who was a sex offender. I handed it in and got a hundred percent. When I got it back, however, I didn't feel proud of myself. You see, I wrote it out of frustration, not enthusiasm. The characters were weak, the themes almost non-existant, and it was riddled with more swearing than one would care to hear in a lifetime. It was crap. Terrible garbage. I wouldn't have wiped my behind with the writing on those pages. But I still got a perfect mark. I guess it was an experiment. I KNEW it was bad when I handed it in. My teacher wasn't looking for a GOOD story, just one with a negative ending... what he considers a MATURE story. But really, my stories that my teacher considered 'Disney' because they had a good ending and didn't deal with anything too, er, vulgar, had far more character development and far better exploration of themes than my 'mature' story, so really, the more 'mature' stories were the ones he considered 'Disney'.
My point is, don't judge a story by it's subject matter. You can't write off a game because it's story is light. I'm sorry for writing this block of text, but I just had to interject my opinion.
P.S. If you're curious to what books I'VE been reading recently, John Irving's Cider House Rules, Jumper by Steven Gould, Bag of Bones and the Mist by Stephen King, and I reread Tolkien's fantastic Lord of the Rings saga.
Re: Talking Point: Going Mobile Will Give Miiverse a New Lease of Life
@Haywired I'll try to outline why I personally find Miiverse much more entertaining than other social networking sites. Hopefully I can help change your opinion.
1. Nintendo Charm: I think that Nintendo puts a little bit of personality in everything they do. The colours are fitting, the sound effects add to a calm atmosphere, and Miiverse as a whole has that Nintendo charm that is impossible to replicate.
2. Game Help: I recognize that anybody can go on a walkthrough on the computer, but, personally, I find going on walkthroughs to be an unpleasant experience. I mean, you have to look at the table of contents and figure out where you are in the game in correlation to it. It's possible that you won't find the specific part you are at, so will have to carefully sift through earlier pages in order to find the area you are stuck at, which is time consuming and tedious. You might accidentally read ahead, and spoil a part of the game. Heck, sometimes even the table of contents have spoilers on them in walkthroughs (for example, I remember one walkthrough had "Fight with [insert secret last boss name here]" for the final chapter, which spoiled the game for me). And if you ask on the internet, it often takes a while to get a reply, plus, the replies are generally not very accurate (and that might be because your question isn't accurate). Miiverse solves these problems by giving you a screenshot function to pinpoint where you are in the game for other plays. Furthermore, it sorts through who has the game and who doesn't, so random trolls can't answer your question wrongly like they can on the internet because you'll know if they have the game or not.
3. Nintendo Fans Only: If you have Miiverse, you have to have bought a Wii U. Period. Plain and simple. I strongly dislike people on the internet that constantly trash Nintendo for no reason (looking at you, Sony fanboys), even on pro Nintendo sites (the kind of people who haven't owned a Nintendo console since N64 but create accounts on Nintendo discussion sites anyways just to piss people off). Miiverse prevents (or at least lowers the likeliness exponentially) of random losers posting stuff like "NINTENDO SUCKS SONY RULES!!!" on a pro Nintendo community.
I hope I helped change your opinion.
Re: Gunman Clive eShop Sales Surpass Combined Totals on iOS and Android
Gunman Clive was just such an excellent game. The graphics and 3D effect were great, the controls worked perfectly, the gameplay was very strong, and the music... simply beautiful. And people spend two dollars on a drink sometimes...
Re: Review: HarmoKnight (3DS eShop)
I was really looking forward to this game, but I had a LOT of trouble on the demo. I mean, I'm usually pretty good at rhythm games (Elite Beat Agents, Rythym Heaven, et cetera) but I was pretty pathetic when it came HarmoKnight. I had no trouble timing the jumps, but I found that hitting things was incredibly difficult. I mean, I tried and tried and tried, but I just couldn't perfectly hit things. I also sucked at using the D-Pad during the boss battle...
Did anybody else have issues with hitting objects specifically? Because I'm seriously losing faith in my rhythmic capabilities...
Re: Turtle Tale Is Running And Jumping To The 3DS eShop
@Garo Yeah, I thought the exact same thing. Everything just screamed "FLASH GAME" to me when I saw the screenshots.
Re: Talking Point: What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Ten
I've got a lot of homework to do (a case study for law and an essay outline on Othello for English) but I'm confident I'll have plenty of time to play some games this weekend.
Well, on Wii U, I'll probably finish up Harely Quinn's Revenge on Batman Arkham Asylum: Armoured Edition, play some Zombi U, and maybe finally get around to beating New Super Mario Bros. U.
For 3DS, I just bough Mutant Mudds a few days ago, so I'll be playing that for sure. Perhaps I'll also try to beat Sakura Samurai (died on the final boss) and Wario Land II.
Come Sunday, ALL DAY LUIGI'S MANSION: DARK MOON AND POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON GATES TO INFINITY. So. Excited. Can't. Breathe.