GreenDream

GreenDream

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Re: Nintendo Power Magazine Looks Set to Shut Down

GreenDream

First issue: December 1994, Aladdin SNES. Last issue: December 2002, Metroid Fusion. Nintendo Power's events, leader boards, power stamps/store, and contests linked people together around the world, particularly in the USA, at a time when few people had yet to acquire an internet connection. Every 50 issues, subscribers could expect some very special treats!

In the '90s and early '00s, the technology used to print clear images of game screens, then linking them together, was above and beyond any digital photographic print technology used for games at the time. No other source provided these official records of data. For certain upcoming AAA titles, Nintendo gave subscribers VHS tapes detailing the game play (for free). The most elaborate of these tapes was the first one: an insider peek of the Nintendo Treehouse team working with Rare, during Donkey Kong Country 1's development. This was far more interesting than any demo CD's!

The "Epic Center" enlightened me about RPG's, which were (and still are) rarely ever mentioned in the USA. "Pak Watch" was the closest thing that anyone not visiting a dedicated gaming store (at least once a month) had to reliable spreadsheets of release dates and schedules. The articles on the Digipen Institute of Redmond, Washington, near NOA's HQ, gave young readers a look into aspiring rookie game developers' works, inspiring my interest in joining the games industry.

In NP's waning years, I bought a few off the shelf to read about the Veteran Developer Interviews, i.e. Rieko Kodama, who directed the original Phantasy Star series, and Naoto Oshima, who designed Sonic.

Suffice it say, I have many fond memories of Nintendo Power. I can only hope future generations will have something so special to look forward to...

Re: Feature: The Future of GameCube on Wii U

GreenDream

Thankfully, there are plenty of Wii's out in the wild, so we won't need to worry about not being able to play physical Gamecube games 20 years from now. My NES and SNES are both over 20 years old, and still work!

Re: A Very Short Pokémon Black & White 2 Teaser Trailer

GreenDream

@rafaelluik 1. Magnemite SEEMS simplistic in appearance, but the ways they hover using Earth's magnetic field, "evolve" by magnetizing, and were probably created by humans, are all logical.

How those stooges "Klink and Klank" hover is beyond me. (Although the same could be said for many aquatic water types...) Their "evolutions" are just extra pieces bolted on...

2. Again, despite their simplistic appearance, Voltorb have some possible implications as to their origins... an offshoot experiment of pokeballs to be used as sabotage weaponry? A prototype alternative energy source? The first Pokemon to be experimented upon to test the capabilities of pokeball storage, just to usually be abandoned due to their volatile existence?

Foongus and Amoonguss, on the other hand... are just silly. How or why would they have pokeball patterns on their bodies? The given "lure" description is bogus.

3. Grimer and Muk are simple slimes in appearance, but they embody the vile results of industrial pollution and waste, a testament to humanity's wanton destruction of the environment; particularly of watershed habitat ecosystems that our municipal sewers now taint.

Trubbish and Garbodor... one could say they embody the throwaway culture in wasteful industrial societies, such as the USA, of tossing our garbage together into putrid, decomposing heaps. Rather than dutifully recycling metal and plastic scraps, and composting organic material, we toss them in wasteful plastic bags, only to ignore the creation of hulking mountains of filth. These 2 pokemon were born in a similar way as Grimer and Muk... but rather than at least looking simple, they look STUPID!

4. Remoraid is an interesting case in the Pokemon world. It has 2 possible "upgrades" of it's lone existence. In one case, it evolves into...an octopus!? The idea of a spitfire fish becoming a spitfire octopus was a whimsical rendition of Japanese caricatures of little octopi. In the other case, instead of evolving, Remoraid attaches itself to Mantine! They form a symbiotic relationship, uncommon in the Pokemon world.

Eeelektross is an interesting mix of electric and lamprey eel. But... seriously... Tynamo... they didn't need to go with a LITERAL tadpole! Especially with the Poliwhirl line already existing... Then again, 5th gen makes good use of literal creatures. (Tirtouga, anyone?)

Gen 5 has some interesting creatures, but overshadows every previous gen regarding inane and shallow creature designs.

Re: Feature: The Potential of Wii U and Amazon

GreenDream

I would like to see e-book capabilities in the Upad, but I'm not thrilled with the possibilities of DRMadness from any vendor, including Amazon. Still, it would be nice if PDF files could be read or converted onto it, as an alternative to carrying magazines and books around.

Additionally, the Ustylus could be used to highlight, tab, or edit readable files. These functions would be "exact form" on text documents, and "free form" on HTML documents.

Re: Bigger Nintendo 3DS Console Revealed

GreenDream

@Big_Al1 Good point. Mileage varies with individual, so a thumb stylus might not be effective for everyone. I tried using the stand + stylus, hand holding + stylus, and thumb stylus; I found using the thumb stylus to be more intuitive and fluid, and reduced strain.

The DS thumb stylus is definitely less accurate and less precise in practice, while requiring nearly constant readjustment. I attribute that to the cheap 2003 attachment design. If it were updated, using the same materials as the circle pad pro "wrist strap" and the tip of the 3DS stylus, it might be more useful.

Also, adding such an attachment onto a device like the 3DS could be awkward, in contrast to not needing any attachment to other hand touch devices such as the Iphone. The increased length of the 3DS XL would prohibit people with smaller hands from using a thumb stylus, though people with larger hands might be more comfortable than when using the regular 3DS.

Re: Bigger Nintendo 3DS Console Revealed

GreenDream

@Kirk I'm guessing the switch from sleek to rough has something to do with improving use of plastic types. One of the most commonly used types right now is ABS, favored for it's chemical properties. It can be created to have a "glossy" or "matte" appearance in a finished product.

However, it is typically more densely packed when used with a "matte" apperance; i.e. my L-TracX trackball was made using a "high quality" manufacturing process of molding ABS plastic. The casing has a decidedly matte finish, and is quite sturdy. Hopefully, the 3DS XL will apply this same principle.

Also, the top screen of the 3DS is VERY easily damaged. If one does not use the included soft, clear plastic pouch and slip which came with the system, the top screen will inevitably be smudged and scratched by the bottom screen. This was a fundamental physical design flaw; the 3DS XL seems to alleviate this issue.

Re: Bigger Nintendo 3DS Console Revealed

GreenDream

I'm glad that the design engineers ultimately opted to not include a second circle pad. This is yet another good opportunity to create a new and improved thumb stylus attachment, by using the same materials used for the Circle Pad Pro "wrist strap". I can only hope Nintendo will create one, to alleviate the issues created by the circle pad pro and Kid Icarus stand.

I see LOTS of ghosting on the regular 3DS, unavoidably. The glossy top screen does seem to affect this... I'm wondering if the matte top screen will alleviate the ghosting issue.

@Kirk Yep, like you said, Capitalism 101. xD

Re: Reaction: Your Opinions on Nintendo's E3 Conference

GreenDream

@Tsuchinoko According to a magazine interview with one of the producers of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, printed a few years ago, he had the feeling that handhelds were more capable than consoles at providing a gripping, "I want to keep going" experience. He thought that was inexplicable, yet logical.

That might sound strange, but I believe it too. Handhelds do a much better job at allowing the player to be just involved enough to enjoy it, while not fully demanding your attention like a PC or console. I think this "partial immersion" is a more accessible feeling than "total immersion".