Reading through some of your comments here, it does seem like you're acting in good faith and not just trashing the games and the collection outright. That said, your response to me still leaves a lot to be desired.
Your conclusion and the last paragraph in it implied that this collection is only for those who were stuck playing Bubsy as kids because their parents weren't savvy enough to realize it was a terrible game. That's not only insulting, it's simply untrue. Also, if you meant that in jest, it didn't come across that way given the tone of the rest of your article.
That's probably why your comment about western developers rubbed me the wrong way too. I love Mario and Sonic, and I'm not going to pretend other Japanese companies like Capcom and Konami didn't also have excellent pedigrees when it came to platformers. But we're talking about 20 years worth of games, and dismissing western-developed ones is incredibly narrow-minded. (You're also ignoring all of the terrible stuff that came out of Japan.)
Is Pitfall not a good game? What about Jumpman and Miner 2049er? Wasn't Prince of Persia and Another World ground-breaking for their time? Did you forget about Crash, Spyro, and Tomb Raider too? There were also licensed games that were well received. (Alien 3 comes to mind.)
Lastly, the Bubsy games weren't developed by just one team, so it's not as simple as a group of people being (comically) inept at their jobs and somehow lucking into success. Moreover, every bad game has a story behind its development. For instance, Fractured Furry Tales started off as a port of Encounters, but the devs wanted to try to make an original game instead. I'm genuinely curious if the collection addresses any of this, and your review didn't answer that for me.
I'll be honest. I don't have any particular nostalgia for Bubsy, but I was excited for this release. (I still am really. I pre-ordered a physical copy.) I didn't expect the collection to get a great score, but I didn't expect this either.
My main takeaways are:
a.) You don't like Bubsy. b.) You don't think this collection should exist. c.) You think Japanese game developers are superior to Western ones.
Thank you both for bringing this to my attention and explaining the situation! I had planned on buying Pizza Tower as soon as it hit Switch, but I had no idea about any of this, and I can't in good conscience support the game or its developers. And that sucks. :/
I might actually buy this if they a) fix the janky collision (unlikely) or b) not force you to restart the entire level when you (inevitably) fall to your death. Sonic Heroes was the game that finally broke me and made me swear off the 3D titles altogether.
I'm hoping this has something to do with why the multi-player mode is missing from Turok 3. I'm also hoping Nightdive will do a physical release containing all four games. (Ideally, not a limited one either.)
For me, the most exciting thing about Atari's return to form isn't that they're leveraging their old software. It's that they're producing new games, re-issuing old ones, and creating new accessories for old hardware. They're also investing in companies that are all about game preservation and homebrew development. They're obviously trying to make money, yes, but they're also doing more to keep retro-gaming alive than Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft are.
Yeah. : It sucks because West of Loathing is a great game, but you can't really separate the art from the artist when he's so intrinsically tied to the project (and the company).
@Ulysses
I almost broke down and bought Skyrim myself. I keep holding out hope that I'll find a physical version of the game for around the same price. That and I already own the game on multiple platforms. I hope you enjoy it though!
Wow, thank you! I really appreciate you taking the time to investigate the matter yourself. West of Loathing is probably in my top 100 list of favorite games, but I was so crushed (and felt so dirty) after reading that whole account. And I feel like people should know.
West of Loathing may indeed be a great game but the game's director and founder of Asymmetric, Zack Johnson, physically and emotionally abused his ex-wife and fellow Asymmetric employee. The dude also remained good friends with his ex-wife's rapist, Randy Mack, a former player of the main game in the Loathing series, Kingdom of Loathing.
Edit: Also, just to be clear, Zach Johnson is still very much running the company so any sales for this game or its sequel, Shadows of Loathing, are very much going into his pockets.
Creating a "DX" version of Kirby's Dream Land 2 may not have been financially viable at the time, but it's definitely something Nintendo or Hal could have done in the 28 years since. It's also something they should probably do in the future. It adds value and gives these old games a new life.
@D_Munk
Kirby's Dream Land 2 pre-dates the Game Boy Color by three years so that's why it lacks an enhanced color palette. That said, it does support the Super Game Boy, which released the year prior, but that's still not comparable to what the author of this rom hack has achieved.
Privacy is a legitimate concern. I would also understand if a person simply doesn't want their name attached to a project. That said, I feel like this choice should be left up to the individual and not the company they work for.
As for large and/or on-going software projects, I think the right thing to do would be to credit everyone involved in the launch of a major release. Each release would have its own set of credits, and these can be archived somewhere for posterity. You could even have fun with it and show off some aspect of your software.
Compensation is a given. Crediting people for their work should also be. It benefits everyone, and there is no downside. I don't agree with Microsoft's approach. I would love to be able to see who worked on what. The same goes for any other tech company or product.
Everybody should be credited for their work. You shouldn't have to maintain a list of contacts for others to verify you worked on something. It should be present in the product documentation itself.
Everybody should be credited for their work regardless of how much they contributed, whether it was directly or indirectly, or how many times the game has been ported / remastered. I enjoy watching the credits. It gives me a sense of scale, and I try to look for the names of people I know.
I could chalk it up to poor and/or lazy design if that was the only issue. It's not.
Samus reflects on her time as a cadet and equates maturing into a woman with becoming submissive to Adam. That's all kinds of wrong.
There's also Samus's weird obsession with the baby Metroid. It's entirely possible that Samus longs to become a mother, but she spends most of her time alone, and no other game has ever mentioned or hinted at this. It just comes across as kind of sexist, honestly.
Lastly, the way the game handles PTSD comes across as disingenuous. It's entirely reasonable to assume Samus suffers from PTSD due to her encounter with Ridley as child. But what was it about Other M's encounter that makes it different from past encounters? Why did Samus not comment on that? I feel like this whole scenario was designed to make Samus appear weak, and that's gross.
Metroid: Other M is sexist trash, and it tries to normalize an abusive relationship. You can like the gameplay all you want but that still doesn't make the game any less problematic.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here but if Nintendo actually wants to turn Wishlist items into sales, then maybe they should actually try discounting their software? ($10 off a $60 MSRP does not count .) Also, the Switch is 4 years old now, and we still don't have a "Nintendo Select" or budget line of titles. Arms should not cost $60. 1-2 Switch should not cost $50 either. I'm not saying they're not well-made or innovative. I'm just saying they're not worth that price point to me.
Whew, two less things I have to do then! Congrats, Dopply!
That said, I'd still love to see official remakes and/or ports of the CD-I games. There's also no reason why the events and characters from the CD-I games can't be folded into canon. There's already multiple time-lines, heroes, and lands.
Thank you for letting me know, and I'm sorry for the late reply! I'm glad we can still romance the Harvest Goddess but it's a shame the NPC relationships were dropped. I would have loved to see more LGBTQ representation or even new pairings of the existing couples. As it stands now, the remake's kind of hard sell for me, especially with the new art style and UI.
I'm really hoping the Hammer power-up is in every game style and that the SMB style borrows a page from SMB: Special. I'm also hoping the lack of a Mystery Mushroom means we're getting the Wing power-up instead.
I was once tasked with killing every NPC in a particular game I worked on. The game featured decapitations, dismemberment, all kinds of viscera. I recall feeling physically ill after the first day. I can only imagine what the artist felt like having to reference IRL photos and videos for countless hours. I know it was bad enough that warning signs were put up on the guy's cubicle for everyone else.
The use of official artwork on an unlicensed product is definitely problematic. And cloning NFC cards can be problematic. You don't want some random stranger gaining access to your hotel room for instance. That said, I see amiibo as accessories, and I am 100% okay with unlicensed / imitation accessories.
Counterfeit amiibo cards are filling a niche that Nintendo could and should capitalize on.
There are 65 distinct amiibo figurines for Smash 4. That number will likely jump to 80 or more for Smash Ultimate. There is no good reason why we can't purchase a character card for a dollar a piece. I'll even settle for $6 blind packs a la Animal Crossing. I mean, we can buy amiibo cards for Mario Sports Superstars. Are you really going to try and argue that amiibo cards for a flagship series like Super Smash Bros. won't to sell? Ha!
Here's another tactic Nintendo could use. Create an amiibo-like device that allows players to purchase the characters they want digitally. An Omniibo if you will. This allows Nintendo to protect their amiibo technology, and it also provides a legal means for players to acquire the functionality they want at a fraction of the cost. Really, this method makes even more business sense for Nintendo because they can set the price of the device to offset manufacturing costs, and then it's pure profit from there on out.
That or you know, people will keep spending $15 - $20 on sets of counterfeit amiibo cards, and Nintendo won't see a dime of it. Just like with all of those Mother 3 reproduction carts that have the English fan translation applied. >.>
And again, even if you don't believe Yasha sexually harassed his employees, he conducted himself in a completely unprofessional manner while representing Nintendo. He should have been fired. Nintendo employees have been fired for a lot less. See Alison Rapp and Chris Pranger.
Edit:
Lastly, it's very hard to actually prove a harassment claim. If there is no physical evidence, all you have is one person's word against the other's. What you should do is look for patterns of abuse. Have multiple people come forward with claims regarding this employee? Yes. Does this employee exhibit other problematic behavior? Yes. Can this person use their position as leverage against their accusers? Yes. That's far too many yesses for my comfort.
And this is exactly why the Me Too movement exists. People don't just make up harassment claims. The intense scrutiny that follows is de-humanizing and you run the very real risk of retaliation.
I suspect the working conditions at NoR are not going to improve. The hostility will just become more subtle. Maybe fewer female employees will be hired. Maybe those that spoke out or are suspected of speaking out will stop receiving merit raises. Maybe they'll be turned down each time they apply for a new position in an effort to make them quit.
Regardless of whether or not you believe the harassment claims, the way Yasha conducted himself while representing Nintendo was absolutely unacceptable. Any employee with a lesser status would have been let go.
If you're in the minority, I'm right there with you. I'm not going to pretend that the system wasn't without its faults but I think a lot of people dismiss the Virtual Boy and its games without ever having experienced either.
Also, in regards to your vision, I think anybody that stares at a TV or a computer monitor long enough will eventually become near-sighted. My vision was much better when I actively played the Virtual Boy than it is now.
Most of those 22 titles were very good. In fact, I can name at least 7 that were worth playing and that accounts for half of the games released in North America.
Edit:
Mario Tennis, Mario Clash, Wario Land, Panic Bomber, Red Alarm, Teleroboxer, and Jack Bros are the 7 that come to mind. I've also heard good things about Nester's Funky Bowling, V-Tetris, and Waterworld.
I don't understand why Nintendo doesn't just re-release their Virtual Boy games on the 3DS. Nintendo could tout them as an example of Virtual Console support, and it'd suit their desire to extend the shelf life of their handheld line.
As for things I'd like to see Nintendo do in 2019:
1.) Remakes or enhanced ports of Super Mario Bros Special, Punch Ball Mario Bros, and Donkey Kong 3: The Great Counterattack
2.) A new Super Mario Maker which includes support for more games in the series as well as more enemies and power-ups
3.) A Western release for Mother 3
4.) I would love to see several Satellaview games re-worked to be stand-alone titles. Super Mario USA: Power Challenge and Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets come to mind.
5.) A new Game & Watch compilation that includes Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Circus, and Donkey Kong Hockey
6.) Virtual Console for Virtual Boy games with black and white sprites, re-worked controls, and optional 3D. (I say re-worked controls because some games made use of both d-pads.)
7.) Remakes or enhanced ports of all of Nintendo's CD-I games. (Yes, I really want this.)
8.) A tongue-in-cheek, spiritual sequel to Mario is Missing! and Mario's Time Machine starring Waluigi. It could developed by AlphaDream. (This is a joke but it sounds kind of brilliant.)
9.) A Color TV-Game Mini or some kind of compilation release.
The Virtual Boy is an easy target, and while certain criticisms are justified, I find there's always at least one or two of them that are misinformed.
The Virtual Boy's catalog was not "largely poor." Mario Tennis, Mario Clash, Wario Land, Red Alarm, Teleroboxer, Panic Bomber, and Jack Bros are all worth playing. Considering only 14 games were actually released for the platform, that's half of its library. I can't think of any other gaming device that can claim the same statistic.
Also, eyestrain is a legitimate criticism of the console but claiming it causes brain damage is misleading. Furthermore, the problem wouldn't be limited to the Virtual Boy. It'd apply to any immersive headset, including modern VR sets.
We honestly do not know what the long-term effects of virtual reality are. We suspect they're not good. There was a 2014 study that showed rats exhibiting reduced neural activity while exposed to VR. We have no idea how this translates to humans or what degree of exposure is required before there is irreversible damage.
I also recall reading articles stating that 3D films and games can be detrimental to a child's developing vision. Again though, this is not something solely attributable to the Virtual Boy. The 3DS would be just as culpable.
Very true! I didn't mean to imply that people couldn't down-vote you just that they shouldn't. I also didn't want to see your comments removed because I feel like they are adding to the conversation.
I'm guessing it's the same person that keeps down-voting you, and anyone who agrees with you, but thank you for continuing to post! I will keep liking your comments to cancel the other person's opinion out.
Also, to the person that keeps down-voting, no one is saying all police are bad. But when gross abuses of power happen nearly every week, with little to no consequence for the offenders, it naturally leads to a certain amount of cynicism.
I am grateful that the officers that responded to the noise complaint did so with impartiality and grace. That's how law enforcement is supposed to work. But we must also remember that this is not the first time the police have been called on these folks and I doubt it will be the last, sadly. It won't always be the same officers that respond. Some officer with some preconceived notion in his head could mistake frustration or a hesitancy to comply as aggression and wind up escalating the situation.
Just to kind of drive the point home: A woman was recently arrested for sitting on a floor. She was sitting on the floor because she was tired, needed to obtain a daycare voucher for her 1-year-old son, and all of the seats in the waiting room were full. The police were needlessly called after she refused to stand and wait. Rather than mediate, the police officers that responded decided to forcefully remove the child and arrest the mom. One officer also threatened the gathering crowd with a stun-gun.
Thankfully, someone filmed this blatant abuse of power and the woman has since been freed. The local police union's response to the whole ordeal was that the officers were faced with an "impossible situation" and essentially blamed the victim for being non-compliant. This is why people don't trust the police. And this is just one of several incidents this week.
They do, actually! There's a guy on Talk Amongst Yourselves that's put out a series of fascinating articles called Warped Pipes. He's gone through all of the early Mario titles, including Game & Watch stuff, and has finally reached Super Mario Bros.
I think excluding their less illustrious catalog is also a mistake. Very few people would pay for a stand-alone version of Super Mario Bros Special or Hotel Mario. But paying $20 a year to have access to all of the PC 88 and/or CD-I games is an absolute steal! It's also probably the only way Nintendo will actually make money on those titles.
As a side note, the Internet Archive recently launched their Commodore 64 emulator along with 10,000+ programs. You might even recognize some Nintendo titles there. (We'll see how long that lasts.)
What's sad is that Nintendo Switch Online is pretty much the perfect platform to revive all of those Satellaview games. Nintendo could even rotate the games out if they really wanted to.
I would have voted for a change in form factor but your example implies that a smaller version should exist. The Joy-Cons are small enough as it is. I want larger Joy-Cons. I am sick of having to buy peripherals for nearly every portable system I own to avoid hand cramps.
Some companies are overly paranoid about retaliation. My last employer wouldn't even allow me into the lobby. I had to stand outside and wait for an HR rep to come out just to answer a question that they could have answered over the phone if they actually made that number available to employees.
The broken store page sounds like it's absolutely Nintendo's fault, and it likely impacted Cosmic Star Heroine's sales to some degree.
Also, what recourse does Zeboyd Games have other than going to the press? They've already tried, unsuccessfully, to resolve the issue with the Nintendo, and I doubt they have enough capital to afford to take Nintendo to court.
It's also not like Zeboyd is some new developer. They've been around since 2009. Cosmic Star Heroine is their 5th RPG. I'd be a bit miffed at how the whole situation was handled too.
I never used the "archiving" card in my previous post but yes, understanding how the underlying hardware and software work would further the cause of software and hardware preservation. I don't see that as a bad thing.
You may think it's ridiculous to compare generic medication to homebrew software but the people behind both of those things share the same drive to understand how something works. I'd even go as far as saying it is human nature to want to understand how something works.
Is piracy an outcome of reverse-engineering the Switch's operating system and making the knowledge public? Yes, but there are so many other positive outcomes that we cannot possibly foresee.
For instance, I think the Switch would make an amazing office presentation device. You could work on the slides in tablet mode and then pop it into the dock during meetings. The Joycon can be easily detached and used to advance slides too.
This is the kind of thing that reverse-engineering would enable me and other curious minds to do.
This back and forth on the morality of reverse-engineering is so tiring so I am just going to list several reasons why it's important. The reasons are listed in increasing importance.
Without reverse-engineering:
...you wouldn't be able to play Mother 3 in English.
...you wouldn't know how to IV train your Pokemon.
The art style has this weird, pre-made asset vibe to it but I'm kind of digging it. The purposefully limited animation and ridiculous power-ups also help. Kind of makes me wish we'd get another Battletoads or Clay Fighter.
Comments 81
Re: Review: Bubsy In: The Purrfect Collection (Switch) - Limited Run Cleans Out The Kitty Litter
@Tom-Massey
Reading through some of your comments here, it does seem like you're acting in good faith and not just trashing the games and the collection outright. That said, your response to me still leaves a lot to be desired.
Your conclusion and the last paragraph in it implied that this collection is only for those who were stuck playing Bubsy as kids because their parents weren't savvy enough to realize it was a terrible game. That's not only insulting, it's simply untrue. Also, if you meant that in jest, it didn't come across that way given the tone of the rest of your article.
That's probably why your comment about western developers rubbed me the wrong way too. I love Mario and Sonic, and I'm not going to pretend other Japanese companies like Capcom and Konami didn't also have excellent pedigrees when it came to platformers. But we're talking about 20 years worth of games, and dismissing western-developed ones is incredibly narrow-minded. (You're also ignoring all of the terrible stuff that came out of Japan.)
Is Pitfall not a good game? What about Jumpman and Miner 2049er? Wasn't Prince of Persia and Another World ground-breaking for their time? Did you forget about Crash, Spyro, and Tomb Raider too? There were also licensed games that were well received. (Alien 3 comes to mind.)
Lastly, the Bubsy games weren't developed by just one team, so it's not as simple as a group of people being (comically) inept at their jobs and somehow lucking into success. Moreover, every bad game has a story behind its development. For instance, Fractured Furry Tales started off as a port of Encounters, but the devs wanted to try to make an original game instead. I'm genuinely curious if the collection addresses any of this, and your review didn't answer that for me.
Re: Review: Bubsy In: The Purrfect Collection (Switch) - Limited Run Cleans Out The Kitty Litter
@Tom-Massey
I'll be honest. I don't have any particular nostalgia for Bubsy, but I was excited for this release. (I still am really. I pre-ordered a physical copy.) I didn't expect the collection to get a great score, but I didn't expect this either.
My main takeaways are:
a.) You don't like Bubsy.
b.) You don't think this collection should exist.
c.) You think Japanese game developers are superior to Western ones.
Am I wrong?
Re: 20 Years After Its Demise, Publisher 'Acclaim' Is Being Resurrected
@Olliemar28
I'm confused. Did someone buy the rights for Acclaim from Collectorvision? They've been publishing games under the Acclaim label.
Re: Pizza Tower Finally Dashes Onto Switch Today
@LadyCharlie @N00BiSH
Thank you both for bringing this to my attention and explaining the situation! I had planned on buying Pizza Tower as soon as it hit Switch, but I had no idea about any of this, and I can't in good conscience support the game or its developers. And that sucks. :/
Re: More Sonic Game Rumours Surface Online After 'Sonic Toys Party' Leaks
I might actually buy this if they a) fix the janky collision (unlikely) or b) not force you to restart the entire level when you (inevitably) fall to your death. Sonic Heroes was the game that finally broke me and made me swear off the 3D titles altogether.
Re: Poll: Do You Want To See 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder 2'?
I would like the following:
1.) Remakes or remasters of Punch-Ball Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. Special, and Donkey Kong 3: The Great Counterattack.
2.) A Game & Watch collection that includes all of the Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Punch-Out!! releases.
3.) English localizations for Wrecking Crew '98, all of the Satellaview games, and / or Mother 3.
4.) Super Mario Bros. Wonder 2
And frankly, all these things should be do-able for Nintendo.
Re: Review: Turok 3: Shadow Of Oblivion (Switch) - A Quality Restoration Missing Its Multiplayer
@ActionPanther
I'm hoping this has something to do with why the multi-player mode is missing from Turok 3. I'm also hoping Nightdive will do a physical release containing all four games. (Ideally, not a limited one either.)
Re: Atari Reiterates Firm's Focus On Retro, Isn't Looking To Compete With Nintendo
For me, the most exciting thing about Atari's return to form isn't that they're leveraging their old software. It's that they're producing new games, re-issuing old ones, and creating new accessories for old hardware. They're also investing in companies that are all about game preservation and homebrew development. They're obviously trying to make money, yes, but they're also doing more to keep retro-gaming alive than Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft are.
Re: Best Switch Games In Nintendo's Hyper Max eShop Sale (North America)
@KnightofNi_
Yeah. : It sucks because West of Loathing is a great game, but you can't really separate the art from the artist when he's so intrinsically tied to the project (and the company).
@Ulysses
I almost broke down and bought Skyrim myself. I keep holding out hope that I'll find a physical version of the game for around the same price. That and I already own the game on multiple platforms. I hope you enjoy it though!
Re: Best Switch Games In Nintendo's Hyper Max eShop Sale (North America)
@dartmonkey
Wow, thank you! I really appreciate you taking the time to investigate the matter yourself. West of Loathing is probably in my top 100 list of favorite games, but I was so crushed (and felt so dirty) after reading that whole account. And I feel like people should know.
Re: Best Switch Games In Nintendo's Hyper Max eShop Sale (North America)
@dartmonkey
West of Loathing may indeed be a great game but the game's director and founder of Asymmetric, Zack Johnson, physically and emotionally abused his ex-wife and fellow Asymmetric employee. The dude also remained good friends with his ex-wife's rapist, Randy Mack, a former player of the main game in the Loathing series, Kingdom of Loathing.
Source: http://forums.kingdomofloathing.com/vb/showthread.php?t=240165
Edit: Also, just to be clear, Zach Johnson is still very much running the company so any sales for this game or its sequel, Shadows of Loathing, are very much going into his pockets.
Re: This Kirby's Dream Land 2 ROM Hack Adds Colour To The Game Boy Classic
@Serpenterror
Creating a "DX" version of Kirby's Dream Land 2 may not have been financially viable at the time, but it's definitely something Nintendo or Hal could have done in the 28 years since. It's also something they should probably do in the future. It adds value and gives these old games a new life.
@D_Munk
Kirby's Dream Land 2 pre-dates the Game Boy Color by three years so that's why it lacks an enhanced color palette. That said, it does support the Super Game Boy, which released the year prior, but that's still not comparable to what the author of this rom hack has achieved.
Re: IGDA Updates 'Game Crediting Policies' In Hopes Of Improving Industry Standards
@sanderev
Privacy is a legitimate concern. I would also understand if a person simply doesn't want their name attached to a project. That said, I feel like this choice should be left up to the individual and not the company they work for.
As for large and/or on-going software projects, I think the right thing to do would be to credit everyone involved in the launch of a major release. Each release would have its own set of credits, and these can be archived somewhere for posterity. You could even have fun with it and show off some aspect of your software.
Re: IGDA Updates 'Game Crediting Policies' In Hopes Of Improving Industry Standards
@sanderev
Compensation is a given. Crediting people for their work should also be. It benefits everyone, and there is no downside. I don't agree with Microsoft's approach. I would love to be able to see who worked on what. The same goes for any other tech company or product.
Re: IGDA Updates 'Game Crediting Policies' In Hopes Of Improving Industry Standards
@sanderev
Everybody should be credited for their work. You shouldn't have to maintain a list of contacts for others to verify you worked on something. It should be present in the product documentation itself.
Re: Metroid Prime Engineer "Let Down" By Exclusion Of Original Credits In Remaster
Everybody should be credited for their work regardless of how much they contributed, whether it was directly or indirectly, or how many times the game has been ported / remastered. I enjoy watching the credits. It gives me a sense of scale, and I try to look for the names of people I know.
Re: Random: Forget Dread, It's All About Metroid: Other M On Twitter Right Now
@Devlind
I could chalk it up to poor and/or lazy design if that was the only issue. It's not.
Samus reflects on her time as a cadet and equates maturing into a woman with becoming submissive to Adam. That's all kinds of wrong.
There's also Samus's weird obsession with the baby Metroid. It's entirely possible that Samus longs to become a mother, but she spends most of her time alone, and no other game has ever mentioned or hinted at this. It just comes across as kind of sexist, honestly.
Lastly, the way the game handles PTSD comes across as disingenuous. It's entirely reasonable to assume Samus suffers from PTSD due to her encounter with Ridley as child. But what was it about Other M's encounter that makes it different from past encounters? Why did Samus not comment on that? I feel like this whole scenario was designed to make Samus appear weak, and that's gross.
Re: Random: Forget Dread, It's All About Metroid: Other M On Twitter Right Now
@Devlind
The whole Pyrosphere thing. Samus has the Varia Suit but Adam decides to make her suffer and risk dying by not "authorizing" it.
Re: Random: Forget Dread, It's All About Metroid: Other M On Twitter Right Now
Metroid: Other M is sexist trash, and it tries to normalize an abusive relationship. You can like the gameplay all you want but that still doesn't make the game any less problematic.
Re: Dev Explains Why Nintendo Made Mario's Anniversary Games Limited-Time
I know I'm preaching to the choir here but if Nintendo actually wants to turn Wishlist items into sales, then maybe they should actually try discounting their software? ($10 off a $60 MSRP does not count .) Also, the Switch is 4 years old now, and we still don't have a "Nintendo Select" or budget line of titles. Arms should not cost $60. 1-2 Switch should not cost $50 either. I'm not saying they're not well-made or innovative. I'm just saying they're not worth that price point to me.
Re: Random: Amateur Dev Releases Reimagined Remakes Of The 1993 Zelda CD-i Games
Whew, two less things I have to do then! Congrats, Dopply!
That said, I'd still love to see official remakes and/or ports of the CD-I games. There's also no reason why the events and characters from the CD-I games can't be folded into canon. There's already multiple time-lines, heroes, and lands.
Re: Review: Story of Seasons: Friends Of Mineral Town - Will Fill That Post-Animal Crossing Hole In Your Life
@Eel
Thank you for letting me know, and I'm sorry for the late reply! I'm glad we can still romance the Harvest Goddess but it's a shame the NPC relationships were dropped. I would have loved to see more LGBTQ representation or even new pairings of the existing couples. As it stands now, the remake's kind of hard sell for me, especially with the new art style and UI.
Re: Review: Story of Seasons: Friends Of Mineral Town - Will Fill That Post-Animal Crossing Hole In Your Life
Three questions:
1.) Can you still marry the Harvest Goddess?
You could do this in the original GBA game but it required that you also play through the terrible Gamecube game.
2.) Do people still couple up as time passes?
I actually really enjoyed this mechanic.
3.) Related to #2, are there any interesting same-sex pair ups of existing characters?
Edit: 1 and 3 may actually convince me to re-purchase this game.
Re: Video: 10 Things We Still Don't Know For Certain About Super Mario Maker 2
I'm really hoping the Hammer power-up is in every game style and that the SMB style borrows a page from SMB: Special. I'm also hoping the lack of a Mystery Mushroom means we're getting the Wing power-up instead.
Re: One Mortal Kombat 11 Developer Had To See A Therapist After Violent Dreams
I was once tasked with killing every NPC in a particular game I worked on. The game featured decapitations, dismemberment, all kinds of viscera. I recall feeling physically ill after the first day. I can only imagine what the artist felt like having to reference IRL photos and videos for countless hours. I know it was bad enough that warning signs were put up on the guy's cubicle for everyone else.
Re: Random: Taiwanese Police Seize 6,850 Fake amiibo Cards From One Man
I have mixed feelings on this as well.
The use of official artwork on an unlicensed product is definitely problematic. And cloning NFC cards can be problematic. You don't want some random stranger gaining access to your hotel room for instance. That said, I see amiibo as accessories, and I am 100% okay with unlicensed / imitation accessories.
Counterfeit amiibo cards are filling a niche that Nintendo could and should capitalize on.
There are 65 distinct amiibo figurines for Smash 4. That number will likely jump to 80 or more for Smash Ultimate. There is no good reason why we can't purchase a character card for a dollar a piece. I'll even settle for $6 blind packs a la Animal Crossing. I mean, we can buy amiibo cards for Mario Sports Superstars. Are you really going to try and argue that amiibo cards for a flagship series like Super Smash Bros. won't to sell? Ha!
Here's another tactic Nintendo could use. Create an amiibo-like device that allows players to purchase the characters they want digitally. An Omniibo if you will. This allows Nintendo to protect their amiibo technology, and it also provides a legal means for players to acquire the functionality they want at a fraction of the cost. Really, this method makes even more business sense for Nintendo because they can set the price of the device to offset manufacturing costs, and then it's pure profit from there on out.
That or you know, people will keep spending $15 - $20 on sets of counterfeit amiibo cards, and Nintendo won't see a dime of it. Just like with all of those Mother 3 reproduction carts that have the English fan translation applied. >.>
Re: Nintendo Readying One Unannounced Switch Title “Fans Would Be Delighted To Know" About
Super Mario Run for Switch. (Which honestly, I'd love to see.)
Re: Nintendo Issues Official Statement Regarding The Allegations Made Against Nintendo Russia CEO Yasha Haddaji
@Wolfgabe @MiniSara
I disagree given what I know about sexual assault. The vast majority of sexual assault claims are legitimate. (See here: https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Overview_False-Reporting.pdf.) I don't think it's a stretch to assume the same is true when it comes to harassment.
And again, even if you don't believe Yasha sexually harassed his employees, he conducted himself in a completely unprofessional manner while representing Nintendo. He should have been fired. Nintendo employees have been fired for a lot less. See Alison Rapp and Chris Pranger.
Edit:
Lastly, it's very hard to actually prove a harassment claim. If there is no physical evidence, all you have is one person's word against the other's. What you should do is look for patterns of abuse. Have multiple people come forward with claims regarding this employee? Yes. Does this employee exhibit other problematic behavior? Yes. Can this person use their position as leverage against their accusers? Yes. That's far too many yesses for my comfort.
Re: Nintendo Issues Official Statement Regarding The Allegations Made Against Nintendo Russia CEO Yasha Haddaji
And this is exactly why the Me Too movement exists. People don't just make up harassment claims. The intense scrutiny that follows is de-humanizing and you run the very real risk of retaliation.
I suspect the working conditions at NoR are not going to improve. The hostility will just become more subtle. Maybe fewer female employees will be hired. Maybe those that spoke out or are suspected of speaking out will stop receiving merit raises. Maybe they'll be turned down each time they apply for a new position in an effort to make them quit.
Regardless of whether or not you believe the harassment claims, the way Yasha conducted himself while representing Nintendo was absolutely unacceptable. Any employee with a lesser status would have been let go.
Re: Video: 11 Things Nintendo Needs To Do in 2019
@Gravitron
If you're in the minority, I'm right there with you. I'm not going to pretend that the system wasn't without its faults but I think a lot of people dismiss the Virtual Boy and its games without ever having experienced either.
Also, in regards to your vision, I think anybody that stares at a TV or a computer monitor long enough will eventually become near-sighted. My vision was much better when I actively played the Virtual Boy than it is now.
Re: Video: 11 Things Nintendo Needs To Do in 2019
@JackEatsSparrows
Most of those 22 titles were very good. In fact, I can name at least 7 that were worth playing and that accounts for half of the games released in North America.
Edit:
Mario Tennis, Mario Clash, Wario Land, Panic Bomber, Red Alarm, Teleroboxer, and Jack Bros are the 7 that come to mind. I've also heard good things about Nester's Funky Bowling, V-Tetris, and Waterworld.
Re: Video: 11 Things Nintendo Needs To Do in 2019
@Gravitron
I don't understand why Nintendo doesn't just re-release their Virtual Boy games on the 3DS. Nintendo could tout them as an example of Virtual Console support, and it'd suit their desire to extend the shelf life of their handheld line.
As for things I'd like to see Nintendo do in 2019:
1.) Remakes or enhanced ports of Super Mario Bros Special, Punch Ball Mario Bros, and Donkey Kong 3: The Great Counterattack
2.) A new Super Mario Maker which includes support for more games in the series as well as more enemies and power-ups
3.) A Western release for Mother 3
4.) I would love to see several Satellaview games re-worked to be stand-alone titles. Super Mario USA: Power Challenge and Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets come to mind.
5.) A new Game & Watch compilation that includes Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Circus, and Donkey Kong Hockey
6.) Virtual Console for Virtual Boy games with black and white sprites, re-worked controls, and optional 3D. (I say re-worked controls because some games made use of both d-pads.)
7.) Remakes or enhanced ports of all of Nintendo's CD-I games. (Yes, I really want this.)
8.) A tongue-in-cheek, spiritual sequel to Mario is Missing! and Mario's Time Machine starring Waluigi. It could developed by AlphaDream. (This is a joke but it sounds kind of brilliant.)
9.) A Color TV-Game Mini or some kind of compilation release.
Re: Guide: Every Nintendo Console Ranked From Worst To Best
The Virtual Boy is an easy target, and while certain criticisms are justified, I find there's always at least one or two of them that are misinformed.
The Virtual Boy's catalog was not "largely poor." Mario Tennis, Mario Clash, Wario Land, Red Alarm, Teleroboxer, Panic Bomber, and Jack Bros are all worth playing. Considering only 14 games were actually released for the platform, that's half of its library. I can't think of any other gaming device that can claim the same statistic.
Also, eyestrain is a legitimate criticism of the console but claiming it causes brain damage is misleading. Furthermore, the problem wouldn't be limited to the Virtual Boy. It'd apply to any immersive headset, including modern VR sets.
We honestly do not know what the long-term effects of virtual reality are. We suspect they're not good. There was a 2014 study that showed rats exhibiting reduced neural activity while exposed to VR. We have no idea how this translates to humans or what degree of exposure is required before there is irreversible damage.
I also recall reading articles stating that 3D films and games can be detrimental to a child's developing vision. Again though, this is not something solely attributable to the Virtual Boy. The 3DS would be just as culpable.
Re: Random: Police Respond To Noise Complaint And End Up Playing Smash Bros. Ultimate
@Heavyarms55
Very true! I didn't mean to imply that people couldn't down-vote you just that they shouldn't. I also didn't want to see your comments removed because I feel like they are adding to the conversation.
Re: Random: Police Respond To Noise Complaint And End Up Playing Smash Bros. Ultimate
@Heavyarms55
I'm guessing it's the same person that keeps down-voting you, and anyone who agrees with you, but thank you for continuing to post! I will keep liking your comments to cancel the other person's opinion out.
Also, to the person that keeps down-voting, no one is saying all police are bad. But when gross abuses of power happen nearly every week, with little to no consequence for the offenders, it naturally leads to a certain amount of cynicism.
I am grateful that the officers that responded to the noise complaint did so with impartiality and grace. That's how law enforcement is supposed to work. But we must also remember that this is not the first time the police have been called on these folks and I doubt it will be the last, sadly. It won't always be the same officers that respond. Some officer with some preconceived notion in his head could mistake frustration or a hesitancy to comply as aggression and wind up escalating the situation.
Just to kind of drive the point home: A woman was recently arrested for sitting on a floor. She was sitting on the floor because she was tired, needed to obtain a daycare voucher for her 1-year-old son, and all of the seats in the waiting room were full. The police were needlessly called after she refused to stand and wait. Rather than mediate, the police officers that responded decided to forcefully remove the child and arrest the mom. One officer also threatened the gathering crowd with a stun-gun.
Thankfully, someone filmed this blatant abuse of power and the woman has since been freed. The local police union's response to the whole ordeal was that the officers were faced with an "impossible situation" and essentially blamed the victim for being non-compliant. This is why people don't trust the police. And this is just one of several incidents this week.
Re: Eiji Aonuma Wants Players To Decide How Breath Of The Wild Connects To Existing Zelda Timeline
@Crono1973
They do, actually! There's a guy on Talk Amongst Yourselves that's put out a series of fascinating articles called Warped Pipes. He's gone through all of the early Mario titles, including Game & Watch stuff, and has finally reached Super Mario Bros.
https://tay.kinja.com/tag/warped-pipes
Re: SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Might Be The Best Version We've Ever Had
@StuTwo
Do you have a link where I can read more on the Brazil-only version you're referring to?
Re: Soapbox: Nintendo's Maddening Stance On Retro Gaming Is Driving Me To Piracy
@Damo
I think excluding their less illustrious catalog is also a mistake. Very few people would pay for a stand-alone version of Super Mario Bros Special or Hotel Mario. But paying $20 a year to have access to all of the PC 88 and/or CD-I games is an absolute steal! It's also probably the only way Nintendo will actually make money on those titles.
As a side note, the Internet Archive recently launched their Commodore 64 emulator along with 10,000+ programs. You might even recognize some Nintendo titles there. (We'll see how long that lasts.)
Re: Soapbox: Nintendo's Maddening Stance On Retro Gaming Is Driving Me To Piracy
@Leej07
What's sad is that Nintendo Switch Online is pretty much the perfect platform to revive all of those Satellaview games. Nintendo could even rotate the games out if they really wanted to.
Re: Feature: What Do You Want From A New Nintendo Switch?
I would have voted for a change in form factor but your example implies that a smaller version should exist. The Joy-Cons are small enough as it is. I want larger Joy-Cons. I am sick of having to buy peripherals for nearly every portable system I own to avoid hand cramps.
Re: Random: Fans Ask For A Philips CD-i Classic, Philips Says "We Will Try Our Best"
Philips, my boy!
Re: Former Telltale Employee Takes Legal Action Following Mass Layoffs
@whanvee
Some companies are overly paranoid about retaliation. My last employer wouldn't even allow me into the lobby. I had to stand outside and wait for an HR rep to come out just to answer a question that they could have answered over the phone if they actually made that number available to employees.
Re: Soapbox: We Like To Grumble, But Nintendo Switch Online Is Actually A Very Generous Offer
@FoxyGlen I don't want to be "that guy" but the original Xbox was the first console to have a premium online multiplayer service. Not the Xbox 360.
Also, the PS3 does not require a premium service to play online. That's only the PS4.
Re: Cosmic Star Heroine Dev Explains Its "Frustrating" Experience Working With Nintendo
The broken store page sounds like it's absolutely Nintendo's fault, and it likely impacted Cosmic Star Heroine's sales to some degree.
Also, what recourse does Zeboyd Games have other than going to the press? They've already tried, unsuccessfully, to resolve the issue with the Nintendo, and I doubt they have enough capital to afford to take Nintendo to court.
It's also not like Zeboyd is some new developer. They've been around since 2009. Cosmic Star Heroine is their 5th RPG. I'd be a bit miffed at how the whole situation was handled too.
Re: Hacker Praises Nintendo's Switch Security Efforts, But Says Console Is "Completely Compromised"
@Galenmereth
I never used the "archiving" card in my previous post but yes, understanding how the underlying hardware and software work would further the cause of software and hardware preservation. I don't see that as a bad thing.
You may think it's ridiculous to compare generic medication to homebrew software but the people behind both of those things share the same drive to understand how something works. I'd even go as far as saying it is human nature to want to understand how something works.
Is piracy an outcome of reverse-engineering the Switch's operating system and making the knowledge public? Yes, but there are so many other positive outcomes that we cannot possibly foresee.
For instance, I think the Switch would make an amazing office presentation device. You could work on the slides in tablet mode and then pop it into the dock during meetings. The Joycon can be easily detached and used to advance slides too.
This is the kind of thing that reverse-engineering would enable me and other curious minds to do.
Re: Hacker Praises Nintendo's Switch Security Efforts, But Says Console Is "Completely Compromised"
This back and forth on the morality of reverse-engineering is so tiring so I am just going to list several reasons why it's important. The reasons are listed in increasing importance.
Without reverse-engineering:
...you wouldn't be able to play Mother 3 in English.
...you wouldn't know how to IV train your Pokemon.
...there would be no Virtual Console.
...there would be no ports.
...there would be no industry standards.
...there would be no safety standards.
...there would be no generic medication.
...there would be no generic anything.
...there would be no doctors.
...there would be no humans.
Re: Team17 Is Bringing Raging Justice To Switch This Year
The art style has this weird, pre-made asset vibe to it but I'm kind of digging it. The purposefully limited animation and ridiculous power-ups also help. Kind of makes me wish we'd get another Battletoads or Clay Fighter.
Re: LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Adds Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 DLC
@antster1983
I AM GROOT
"He says, 'Thank you, alternate-universe Groot!'"
Re: LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Adds Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 DLC
@antster1983
I AM GROOT
"He says he logged in just to 'heart' your comment."
I AM GROOT
"He also wants to know how you did that 'bold' thing with his voice."
Re: Details Emerge on Mega Man 11 Difficulty Options, a Weapon Wheel and More
Here's hoping we'll get to play as the robot masters a la the horribly underrated Mega Man: Powered Up.