@AlexOlney A triwing or Phillips #00 screwdriver will work on most Nintendo controllers and newer consoles. However, the NES and SNES have security screws on their consoles which I believe you need a special screwdriver for. (Though correct me if I am wrong!)
I'm generally fine with DLC. If I love a game, I'm happy to get MORE of the game. Even day-one DLC doesn't bother me too much if I assume that it was only able to be produced under the expectations that the game would earn more money than the base price alone. If they cut out game content at the last minute simply to make extra money, however, that is irritating.
Free-to-play and microtransactions do concern me somewhat. The free-to-play model is one that, (often, not always) instead of adding game content for extra enjoyability, forces players to pay money to enjoy the base game. Which, in itself makes sense, but tends to disrupt gameplay (pay 1 dollar to unlock the next stage!) Or, the game starts out fun but becomes increasingly less so, giving players the option to pay real money to have the game be as fun as it was initially. Or, worse, takes advantage of the addictive nature of the game which, after multiple microtransactions, eventually becomes more expensive than a regular game and forces you to keep paying to keep playing. In my opinion, this encourages bad game design.
I'm okay with cosmetic microtransactions. To me though I find them unappealing - it's more fun to unlock an outfit in-game than it is to just buy it. I would personally rather pay a flat base price for a game (even if it was more expensive) for the experience of actually playing the game, instead of just buying stuff to put in my game.
Anyways, will be interested to see how Nintendo handles this despite my previous judgments about free-to-play and microtransactions. Maybe they can make it ethical and fun?
I've been playing this since yesterday and it feels a lot like a sequel to A New Beginning. You can collect blueprints and build tools, farm additions, decorations for you and the town, etc. like in the previous title. They've also thrown in the Requests from A Tale of Two Towns, but they are now optional.
It really seems like they took the fun parts from the previous games while cutting out a lot of the tedious stuff, or things that didn't work as well. My only complaint so far is that the bachelors are a little uninteresting. Hoping that changes with time!
I tried the last game and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I only have Link and Zelda amiibos so wouldn't get any of the outfits, (would have loved a Link outfit though haha). Though I don't have a New 3DS anyways so it doesn't matter much.
I had to guess for a lot of the questions, or just put in arbitrary numbers. I tend to be a binge gamer, (will play excessively for one week, then won't play at all or rarely for two weeks). So trying to answer questions like "how many hours do you play a week?" is nearly impossible.
I'm really happy about this! Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game, and I've been hoping for a remake so I could enjoy it again. Looks beautiful! I can't wait
@rjejr I just unlocked the third stage and it is showing up after Lake Hylia. Haven't got to the rest yet so not sure where those appear unfortunately.
@element187 Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that devs can't give away keys for free. I meant that the devs do have to pay for the keys that they give away. So they may be buying the keys from Nintendo and then giving them to reviewers as part of promotion, (which would be included in a Kickstarter's marketing budget). They may have a set amount of "review keys" they can get for free, (I don't know about this) but unless Nintendo has changed their policies recently, I don't believe they can generate as many keys as they would like to give away for whomever they please, as you can with Steam, so there is an extra cost associated with that in order to get backers the copies they pledged for.
I also didn't mean to imply that the actual act of porting to Wii U was more expensive than porting to other consoles, just that it can be as simple as a 1-click export or more time-extensive if the engine doesn't allow for that. This applies to every console. I just meant to say that porting in general is a bit costly as it adds development time, and Wii U in particular tends to be a little pricier on Kickstarter (partly because of the key thing, which is in addition to porting costs).
I don't think most devs are trying to take advantage of desperate players, however. Some of them have simply never developed for consoles either, and may not be willing to take the risk unless they raise a certain amount. If you do think a particular goal is too high, and you have information that can help a dev lower it, then by all means let the dev know That's a great thing about Kickstarter, too.
@OneBagTravel Porting to Wii U can be a bit more expensive than other consoles. You do need to buy the Wii U dev kit, (granted that is only about $3,000). However, another thing to consider is that Nintendo does not allow devs to give away game keys. Unlike Steam or Humble Bundle, which allows devs to generate keys for free to give to their backers, Nintendo charges a percentage for every key distributed. So, depending on the price of the final release and the backer pledge amount, devs could actually lose money on every Wii U backer pledge, (which is also why the Wii U keys tend to given at a higher backer tier, to prevent that from happening). So the high stretch goals may be to compensate this cost as well.
Depending on the engine, it could be simple to port to Wii U or very time-extensive. Also, another thing to keep in mind is that the stretch goal isn't the cost of porting. Aegis Defenders, for example, has a Wii U stretch goal at $150,000. But the last stretch goal before that was $125,000, which is the cost of the game up until that point. So the extra cost to port to Wii U is actually only $25,000. It's just not as high of a priority as the other stretch goals.
For me personally this is fine, since I was only going to play local anyways. Usually it's the other way around (online co-op available instead of local) which is always disappointing to me since I usually only play with my boyfriend.
But I know a lot of people like to play online, so I understand this must be bad news for them
@Findonovan95 Haha I actually loved that game too. My favorite DS game, actually. It was a lot of fun.
I really love Ruto - she looks absolutely gorgeous. I was going to complain a little bit about them covering her up, but then realized this is how she appears in the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time. Either way, I can't wait to play as her!
I already had all of these games I wanted, so I donated my Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D code to Nate Schmold, (the developer of Cosmochoria) since he gives away game codes on his Twitch streams on Fridays sometimes. I think he'll be giving out an Earthbound code too which is awesome ^-^
Cute scans! I'm happy that Pokemon Amie will be included! Also I wonder if those Pikachu forms/outfits will be similar to how you could change your Furfrou's haircut? Maybe they are rewards for winning the contests? ^-^
I hope it is like Furfrou, as I would love to use my dressed-up Pikachu in battle XD
Haha, I actually think she's really cute. I'll definitely play her! I also like that they're including a wide range of character types, as well as bringing in background characters and making them playable. It kind of lets you experience Hyrule from new different perspective, (though I realize this isn't exactly canon, lol).
Though I would be really stoked to see Tingle or Groose!
I actually don't mind the art style, haha. However, I hate free-to-play games, so I probably wouldn't try this unless they changed the model for Wii U.
I don't think they're trying to be subtle at all. If you look up "Stolen Couch Games" on Google, their website meta description is "Castaway Paradise is like Animal Crossing for your tablet and mobile phone! It's free! Play it right now!"
I am interested in both titles. I'm a huge fan of XSeed so Story of Seasons is really appealing to me. However, I'm also a fan of 3D Harvest Moon and I like that Natsume is interested in creating a game that gets back to the things that old fans enjoyed while also bringing in new elements, such as the field customization.
Oh, who am I kidding, I'll probably get both >.> Though I'm worried that this "feud" will diminish the quality of the games. And confuse people.
I don't really need any extra gaming support, (I usually just rest my arms on my leg and that seems to work well for me). Though I actually do like the idea of having a built-in controller compartment. My controllers are all over the place XD But I think I'd be more interested in making my own; this one a little pricey, and I'd like to have something that looks cute and/or gaming related.
I think it's really gorgeous! I think it would be kind of cool to do a 'realistic" Zelda, but I'm also happy with a more traditional approach. My favorite art style for Zelda is the "semi-realistic" type, (Ocarina, Twilight Princess) but I have been surprised before, (Wind Waker) so I am willing to give anything a chance
I enjoyed playing it, but there were a lot of problems. The characters were cute, but after a while I lost all motivation in working the shop. What was I saving my money for? There was nothing to buy. And it was unclear what triggered new events. Was it just random, did I have to earn enough money? Did I just have to be in the right spot at the right time? There was no logical connection between the goal of the game and what actions you as the player chose to take.
I am happy to support Yasuhiro Wada with his new series, though. It is difficult trying to do something different after so many years, and likely without the support he had with Harvest Moon. I would like to see him take this experience and use it to improve upon his next game.
I'm really stoked about Cosmochoria. I'm not a huge fan of shooters, but I gave the demo a try and I was surprised by how much I loved it. Not only is the artwork lovely, but there's a unique sort of strategy involved with deciding which planets to revive, setting up bases, getting lost, getting unlost, and so on. It was really a unique experience that is somehow both zen-like and crazy chaotic at the same time XD
I don't know, it just makes me really happy. Also, the creator is doing a live Twitch stream at the moment if anyone has any questions about the game: http://www.twitch.tv/nateschmold
I'm really happy that Hex Heroes and Twisted Fusion have made it! Hex Heroes was really close, but it pulled through in the end, which is awesome.
I really hope Cosmochoria makes the Wii U stretch goal. It's such an imaginative and strangely addictive little game. You can play a browser version of the demo on their website too:
I'm looking forward to the next Steamworld game, I really loved Steamworld Dig Glad to hear that Image & Form had such a positive experience with the eShop as well!
I played the Cosmochoria demo last night and absolutely loved it I really hope it makes it to the Wii U stretch goal, which I'm happy to see has been lowered to a more reasonable amount.
APEXICON looks like something I would enjoy, (very Puzzle Quest-esque) but I'm donating to a few other projects already, and since APEXICON has reached its goal I may wait until it is officially released.
I've also backed Twisted Fusion and Hex Heroes, (as well as Pixel Noir, though it isn't coming to Nintendo platforms). Hoping they reach their funding goals as well
Thanks for the updates! I'm really happy that Earthlock made its goal, it's definitaly one of my most anticipated Kickstarter games! I'm also backing Hex Heroes and Twisted Fusion, so hoping they make it as well. (And I might back APEXICON as well, but it looks like they'll make it without my help, haha.)
I really wish the Wii U stretch goals were a little more achievable on some of these. I really like the look of Cosmochoria, for example, but the $150k is intense, (especially considering the main goal is only $10k o.O)
@tebunker Thanks for sharing Skullforge as well! I didn't even see that one on Kickstarter. I just backed it too, since I like the genre and Wii U is included in the primary goal
I understand Nintendo's reasoning for not including same-sex relationships, but I think I will still pass on the title. Simple because this is a life simulator, and it seems unfair that I would be able to enjoy the game to its fullest while many others would not.
Thank you for this article! I've backed Earthlock and Twisted Fusion, so it's great to see them get some publicity. And of course, great to bring attention to other games we may have overlooked or missed as well.
Also for you artsy types, both Earthlock and Twisted Fusion are running design contests right now.
@Cosats Canadian law does not allow contests to give out prizes in "games of chance". They do, however, allow prizes to be given out for skill-based contests, (or games of chance that include a skill testing question...) Usually the question is ridiculously easy and sometimes they will even tell you the answer beforehand. It's just a technicality to make it legal.
Edit: Though considering this is a skill-based contest, I have no idea XD
Anyways, I may enter this, (though my weapon-drawing skills aren't fabulous). I'm already entering a Monster Designing Contest for Earthlock and a Costume Contest for Twisted Fusion, (those Kickstarter games) so hopefully I'll have time for this one too!
Oh wow, over 400 comments. I'm probably not saying anything new here, but I thought I'd join in anyways.
As a woman I was never offended by the title. However, I wasn't interested in it personally as I find the remarkably large breasts on the characters to look incredibly silly. They look like they have large jiggly water balloons strapped to their chests. Even if there's some sort of story and even if these characters have some sort of personality, even as a woman I am only going to be looking at their giant jiggly in-your-face breasts. To say that this is a byproduct of my innate inclination to objectify women is a little silly as well, considering that these characters were designed specifically to be objectified.
However, after watching some gameplay videos I'll admit that I was laughing pretty hard. There were half-naked girls squealing while smashing their butts together. There were cut-scenes where the girls' clothes spontaneously and conveniently rip in their butt and cleavage area, (seriously, who designs these outfits? I'd want a refund.) It is clearly pure objectification for the pleasure of the player. I'm pretty sure that no one playing is going to watch one of those cut-scenes and go, "Hey man, did you see that girl's awesome personality?"
With that being said, if taken in a lighthearted tongue-and-cheek sort of way, the game is hilarious. It is absolutely ridiculous and I almost died laughing as I was showing these videos to my boyfriend. I told him that I almost wanted to play it. Is this game clearly and blatantly all about the sexualization and objectification of women? Yes, absolutely. Do I feel oppressed for having seen it? No, not really. This game is funny because it is such an unrealistic portrayal of women and the player recognizes this distinction. Problems with these games arise when given to players who are unable to separate fantasy from reality, but does that mean that they should be disallowed altogether?
Also I wonder if it is Nintendo's job to censor this kind of thing. Games like these exist because there is a demand for it and a market for it. While these kinds of things do reinforce gender stereotypes, I would argue that we are not a society that alters its values based on the media, but that the media is a reflection of our society's values. They make it because it sells. I think we have to take some responsibility here, and acknowledge that what we buy and what we support has an influence on how games are made. The strong female characters that we are seeing in games today are a reflection of a society that wants to see these kinds of women.
(Also I see a lot of people making the point that there is objectification and unrealistic ideals and standards for men in the video game industry as well. However, I don't think this makes it okay to objectify women so much as it implies that we need to work on creating good characters in general, regardless of gender.)
Edit: I didn't vote in the poll because there was no option to state that I do not find the images appealing, and yeah they're a little bit sexist, but still I have somehow remained unoffended.
Comments 216
Re: Pirate Bay Co-Founder Unable To Experience The Joys Of NES Behind Bars
@AlexOlney A triwing or Phillips #00 screwdriver will work on most Nintendo controllers and newer consoles. However, the NES and SNES have security screws on their consoles which I believe you need a special screwdriver for. (Though correct me if I am wrong!)
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Plans for DLC and Microtransactions Point to Changed Priorities
I'm generally fine with DLC. If I love a game, I'm happy to get MORE of the game. Even day-one DLC doesn't bother me too much if I assume that it was only able to be produced under the expectations that the game would earn more money than the base price alone. If they cut out game content at the last minute simply to make extra money, however, that is irritating.
Free-to-play and microtransactions do concern me somewhat. The free-to-play model is one that, (often, not always) instead of adding game content for extra enjoyability, forces players to pay money to enjoy the base game. Which, in itself makes sense, but tends to disrupt gameplay (pay 1 dollar to unlock the next stage!) Or, the game starts out fun but becomes increasingly less so, giving players the option to pay real money to have the game be as fun as it was initially. Or, worse, takes advantage of the addictive nature of the game which, after multiple microtransactions, eventually becomes more expensive than a regular game and forces you to keep paying to keep playing. In my opinion, this encourages bad game design.
I'm okay with cosmetic microtransactions. To me though I find them unappealing - it's more fun to unlock an outfit in-game than it is to just buy it. I would personally rather pay a flat base price for a game (even if it was more expensive) for the experience of actually playing the game, instead of just buying stuff to put in my game.
Anyways, will be interested to see how Nintendo handles this despite my previous judgments about free-to-play and microtransactions. Maybe they can make it ethical and fun?
Re: Review: Story of Seasons (3DS)
I've been playing this since yesterday and it feels a lot like a sequel to A New Beginning. You can collect blueprints and build tools, farm additions, decorations for you and the town, etc. like in the previous title. They've also thrown in the Requests from A Tale of Two Towns, but they are now optional.
It really seems like they took the fun parts from the previous games while cutting out a lot of the tedious stuff, or things that didn't work as well. My only complaint so far is that the bachelors are a little uninteresting. Hoping that changes with time!
Re: Style Savvy Sequel Lets You Accessorize With Your amiibo Figures
I tried the last game and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I only have Link and Zelda amiibos so wouldn't get any of the outfits, (would have loved a Link outfit though haha). Though I don't have a New 3DS anyways so it doesn't matter much.
But I'll probably still get this game >.>
Re: Site News: A New Readership Survey Has Appeared
Done
I had to guess for a lot of the questions, or just put in arbitrary numbers. I tend to be a binge gamer, (will play excessively for one week, then won't play at all or rarely for two weeks). So trying to answer questions like "how many hours do you play a week?" is nearly impossible.
Re: SteamWorld Heist to be Playable At Upcoming US and UK Events
That's awesome, hopefully I'll be able to see them at PAX East!
Though the date for PAX is March 6th-8th, not the 2nd-4th
Re: New 3DS HOME Themes Confirmed for Majora's Mask 3D, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy+
I might have to get the Majora's Mask theme
Re: Image & Form Reveals That Steam Powered Giraffe is Producing the SteamWorld Heist Soundtrack
This is awesome! I saw Steam Powered Giraffe perform in Seattle last September. Great music and very funny performances/personalities.
Definitely excited for this!
Re: The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask Confirmed For Spring 2015 Nintendo 3DS Release
I'm really happy about this! Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game, and I've been hoping for a remake so I could enjoy it again. Looks beautiful! I can't wait
Re: Video: We Tackle the Legendary Hyrule Warriors "Master Quest Pack" DLC
@rjejr I just unlocked the third stage and it is showing up after Lake Hylia. Haven't got to the rest yet so not sure where those appear unfortunately.
Re: Video: We Tackle the Legendary Hyrule Warriors "Master Quest Pack" DLC
I'm really enjoying the Master Quest DLC! It has a lot more content than I was expecting, too. And I'm loving Epona as a weapon!
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 17th October
@element187 Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that devs can't give away keys for free. I meant that the devs do have to pay for the keys that they give away. So they may be buying the keys from Nintendo and then giving them to reviewers as part of promotion, (which would be included in a Kickstarter's marketing budget). They may have a set amount of "review keys" they can get for free, (I don't know about this) but unless Nintendo has changed their policies recently, I don't believe they can generate as many keys as they would like to give away for whomever they please, as you can with Steam, so there is an extra cost associated with that in order to get backers the copies they pledged for.
I also didn't mean to imply that the actual act of porting to Wii U was more expensive than porting to other consoles, just that it can be as simple as a 1-click export or more time-extensive if the engine doesn't allow for that. This applies to every console. I just meant to say that porting in general is a bit costly as it adds development time, and Wii U in particular tends to be a little pricier on Kickstarter (partly because of the key thing, which is in addition to porting costs).
I don't think most devs are trying to take advantage of desperate players, however. Some of them have simply never developed for consoles either, and may not be willing to take the risk unless they raise a certain amount. If you do think a particular goal is too high, and you have information that can help a dev lower it, then by all means let the dev know That's a great thing about Kickstarter, too.
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 17th October
@OneBagTravel Porting to Wii U can be a bit more expensive than other consoles. You do need to buy the Wii U dev kit, (granted that is only about $3,000). However, another thing to consider is that Nintendo does not allow devs to give away game keys. Unlike Steam or Humble Bundle, which allows devs to generate keys for free to give to their backers, Nintendo charges a percentage for every key distributed. So, depending on the price of the final release and the backer pledge amount, devs could actually lose money on every Wii U backer pledge, (which is also why the Wii U keys tend to given at a higher backer tier, to prevent that from happening). So the high stretch goals may be to compensate this cost as well.
Depending on the engine, it could be simple to port to Wii U or very time-extensive. Also, another thing to keep in mind is that the stretch goal isn't the cost of porting. Aegis Defenders, for example, has a Wii U stretch goal at $150,000. But the last stretch goal before that was $125,000, which is the cost of the game up until that point. So the extra cost to port to Wii U is actually only $25,000. It's just not as high of a priority as the other stretch goals.
@Xilef I think this is the NeoGAF discussion about the portable N64: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=909551
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 10th October
Impact Winter looks gorgeous! I'd love to play it on WIi U, as I'm not sure my ancient PC could handle it, haha.
I am also loving the art style of Animal Gods (Reborn)! I might pledge for a WIi U copy for that one - though I'm supposed to be saving money >.>
Re: Mega Camerupt, Mega Gallade, and Mega Sharpedo Revealed for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
I like Mega Camerupt hahaha. Pretty cute.
Re: Feature: Meet The Playable Cast Of Hyrule Warriors
My vote is for Ruto. She's always been one of my favorite Zelda characters so I'm excited to get to play as her ^-^
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 3rd September
I backed Hive Jump ^-^ It also has a demo available (though I think the download's in a backer-only update)
Re: Animal Traits and Unique Features Outlined for Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley
Oh these new breeding mechanics sound really cool! Definitely psyched about this game now!
Also I'm glad I'm not the only person who thought it looked a little bit Minecraft-esque XD
Re: PokéBall Vivillon Available in Short Term North American Distribution
Thank you for the heads up! Poke Ball Vivillon is the very last pattern I need to complete my Vivillon collection
Re: Poll: Is Online Co-Op a Major Miss in Hyrule Warriors, or is Local Multiplayer Enough?
For me personally this is fine, since I was only going to play local anyways. Usually it's the other way around (online co-op available instead of local) which is always disappointing to me since I usually only play with my boyfriend.
But I know a lot of people like to play online, so I understand this must be bad news for them
Re: This Majora's Mask Cake is Legendary
Slow news days are my favorite news days. Because they have cake! Wonderful, terrifying cake.
Re: The Fantasy Life Adventure Begins in Europe on 26th September
Great news for our European friends! I'm really looking forward to this title myself, so you'll have to let us North Americans know how it is
Re: Nintendo Serves Up Over Four Minutes of Awesomely Detailed Hyrule Warriors Footage
Cuccos! So many Cuccos! And the Great Fairy's laugh. I'm actually really excited about this game.
Re: Official Hyrule Warriors Screens Show Ocarina of Time Stages, Sheik, Darunia, Princess Ruto and More
@Findonovan95 Haha I actually loved that game too. My favorite DS game, actually. It was a lot of fun.
I really love Ruto - she looks absolutely gorgeous. I was going to complain a little bit about them covering her up, but then realized this is how she appears in the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time. Either way, I can't wait to play as her!
Re: Nintendo Goes Download-Only With The 2014 Club Nintendo Elite Rewards
I already had all of these games I wanted, so I donated my Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D code to Nate Schmold, (the developer of Cosmochoria) since he gives away game codes on his Twitch streams on Fridays sometimes. I think he'll be giving out an Earthbound code too which is awesome ^-^
Here's a link to his Twitch if people wanna check it out: http://www.twitch.tv/nateschmold
The stream starts at 1pm PST on Friday ^-^
Re: Video: Take a Closer Look At Super-Secret Bases in Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
I am so much more excited about this than a grown woman should be @__@
Re: Retro-Styled 2D Action Adventure, Midora, Hits Funding Target and Will Come to Wii U and 3DS
I really like the art style. It looks inspired by Minish Cap, but to me, it definitely looks like it's their own style and I think it's lovely.
Re: CoroCoro Magazine Shows the Pokédex and More for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Cute scans! I'm happy that Pokemon Amie will be included! Also I wonder if those Pikachu forms/outfits will be similar to how you could change your Furfrou's haircut? Maybe they are rewards for winning the contests? ^-^
I hope it is like Furfrou, as I would love to use my dressed-up Pikachu in battle XD
Re: CoroCoro Magazine Reveals Mega Metagross for Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
I'm happy because I love Metagross, but sad because I don't really like the Mega Evolution design. Ah well XD
Re: Video: Learn How to Pull Off the Newly Discovered Cloud Glitch in Super Mario World
I tried this on the Wii U but all I managed to do was die once and crash the game an innumerable amount of times XD
Re: Video: This Hyrule Warriors Trailer Shows Off Agitha's Peculiar Moves
Haha, I actually think she's really cute. I'll definitely play her! I also like that they're including a wide range of character types, as well as bringing in background characters and making them playable. It kind of lets you experience Hyrule from new different perspective, (though I realize this isn't exactly canon, lol).
Though I would be really stoked to see Tingle or Groose!
Re: Animal Crossing 'Clone', Castaway Paradise, Could Even Come to Wii U
I actually don't mind the art style, haha. However, I hate free-to-play games, so I probably wouldn't try this unless they changed the model for Wii U.
Re: iPad Title Castaway Paradise Does A Pretty Convincing Impression Of Animal Crossing
I don't think they're trying to be subtle at all. If you look up "Stolen Couch Games" on Google, their website meta description is "Castaway Paradise is like Animal Crossing for your tablet and mobile phone! It's free! Play it right now!"
Re: Natsume Announces Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley for a 2014 Release on 3DS
Woah, what is going on here? XD
I am interested in both titles. I'm a huge fan of XSeed so Story of Seasons is really appealing to me. However, I'm also a fan of 3D Harvest Moon and I like that Natsume is interested in creating a game that gets back to the things that old fans enjoyed while also bringing in new elements, such as the field customization.
Oh, who am I kidding, I'll probably get both >.> Though I'm worried that this "feud" will diminish the quality of the games. And confuse people.
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 2nd June
I'm really loving Shiness. The art style and music are fantastic. Though that Wii U goal is looking pretty far off, hmmm.
Re: XSeed Games Localizing Newest Harvest Moon for North American Release
I'm excited about this! Though I'll still be calling it "Harvest Moon" haha.
Re: Weirdness: The GlomTom is a Cushion for Resting Your Arms When Gaming, and Needs Your Money
I don't really need any extra gaming support, (I usually just rest my arms on my leg and that seems to work well for me). Though I actually do like the idea of having a built-in controller compartment. My controllers are all over the place XD But I think I'd be more interested in making my own; this one a little pricey, and I'd like to have something that looks cute and/or gaming related.
Re: XSEED Considering Publishing Forbidden Magna in North America
I also read it as "Forbidden Manga" haha. This looks really cute, though! I'll be looking forward to hearing more about it
Re: Here's a Video of The Temple of Time Made With Unreal Engine 4
I think it's really gorgeous! I think it would be kind of cool to do a 'realistic" Zelda, but I'm also happy with a more traditional approach. My favorite art style for Zelda is the "semi-realistic" type, (Ocarina, Twilight Princess) but I have been surprised before, (Wind Waker) so I am willing to give anything a chance
Re: Review: Hometown Story (3DS)
I enjoyed playing it, but there were a lot of problems. The characters were cute, but after a while I lost all motivation in working the shop. What was I saving my money for? There was nothing to buy. And it was unclear what triggered new events. Was it just random, did I have to earn enough money? Did I just have to be in the right spot at the right time? There was no logical connection between the goal of the game and what actions you as the player chose to take.
I am happy to support Yasuhiro Wada with his new series, though. It is difficult trying to do something different after so many years, and likely without the support he had with Harvest Moon. I would like to see him take this experience and use it to improve upon his next game.
Re: Cosmochoria Confirmed for Wii U Release
I'm really stoked about Cosmochoria. I'm not a huge fan of shooters, but I gave the demo a try and I was surprised by how much I loved it. Not only is the artwork lovely, but there's a unique sort of strategy involved with deciding which planets to revive, setting up bases, getting lost, getting unlost, and so on. It was really a unique experience that is somehow both zen-like and crazy chaotic at the same time XD
I don't know, it just makes me really happy. Also, the creator is doing a live Twitch stream at the moment if anyone has any questions about the game:
http://www.twitch.tv/nateschmold
Also an AMA on reddit if you don't like Twitch streams:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/24ekl3/i_am_nate_schmold_developer_of_cosmochoria_game/
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 27th April
Also Cosmochoria just reached its Wii U stretch goal, (including pledges from Paypal!)
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 27th April
I'm really happy that Hex Heroes and Twisted Fusion have made it! Hex Heroes was really close, but it pulled through in the end, which is awesome.
I really hope Cosmochoria makes the Wii U stretch goal. It's such an imaginative and strangely addictive little game. You can play a browser version of the demo on their website too:
http://www.cosmochoria.com/
Re: The Nintendo eShop Is Like Paradise, Says Image & Form's Brjann Sigurgeirsson
I'm looking forward to the next Steamworld game, I really loved Steamworld Dig Glad to hear that Image & Form had such a positive experience with the eShop as well!
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 20th April
I played the Cosmochoria demo last night and absolutely loved it I really hope it makes it to the Wii U stretch goal, which I'm happy to see has been lowered to a more reasonable amount.
APEXICON looks like something I would enjoy, (very Puzzle Quest-esque) but I'm donating to a few other projects already, and since APEXICON has reached its goal I may wait until it is officially released.
I've also backed Twisted Fusion and Hex Heroes, (as well as Pixel Noir, though it isn't coming to Nintendo platforms). Hoping they reach their funding goals as well
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 13th April
Thanks for the updates! I'm really happy that Earthlock made its goal, it's definitaly one of my most anticipated Kickstarter games! I'm also backing Hex Heroes and Twisted Fusion, so hoping they make it as well. (And I might back APEXICON as well, but it looks like they'll make it without my help, haha.)
I really wish the Wii U stretch goals were a little more achievable on some of these. I really like the look of Cosmochoria, for example, but the $150k is intense, (especially considering the main goal is only $10k o.O)
@tebunker Thanks for sharing Skullforge as well! I didn't even see that one on Kickstarter. I just backed it too, since I like the genre and Wii U is included in the primary goal
Re: Nintendo Provides Some Context to 2013's Tomodachi Life Same-Sex Marriage Controversy
I understand Nintendo's reasoning for not including same-sex relationships, but I think I will still pass on the title. Simple because this is a life simulator, and it seems unfair that I would be able to enjoy the game to its fullest while many others would not.
Re: Feature: Kickstarter's Wii U and 3DS Campaigns - 6th April
Thank you for this article! I've backed Earthlock and Twisted Fusion, so it's great to see them get some publicity. And of course, great to bring attention to other games we may have overlooked or missed as well.
Also for you artsy types, both Earthlock and Twisted Fusion are running design contests right now.
Twisted Fusion has a costume contest: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leuvsion/twisted-fusion-exclusive-for-wii-u/posts/800873
Earthlock has a monster designing contest, (artwork optional): http://www.gamepedia.com/news/255-earthlock-festival-of-magic-conceptual-contest
Re: Capcom is Holding a Weapon Design Contest for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
@Cosats Canadian law does not allow contests to give out prizes in "games of chance". They do, however, allow prizes to be given out for skill-based contests, (or games of chance that include a skill testing question...) Usually the question is ridiculously easy and sometimes they will even tell you the answer beforehand. It's just a technicality to make it legal.
Edit: Though considering this is a skill-based contest, I have no idea XD
Anyways, I may enter this, (though my weapon-drawing skills aren't fabulous). I'm already entering a Monster Designing Contest for Earthlock and a Costume Contest for Twisted Fusion, (those Kickstarter games) so hopefully I'll have time for this one too!
Re: Soapbox: Ignoring The Objectification Of Women In Games Won't Make the Problem Go Away
Oh wow, over 400 comments. I'm probably not saying anything new here, but I thought I'd join in anyways.
As a woman I was never offended by the title. However, I wasn't interested in it personally as I find the remarkably large breasts on the characters to look incredibly silly. They look like they have large jiggly water balloons strapped to their chests. Even if there's some sort of story and even if these characters have some sort of personality, even as a woman I am only going to be looking at their giant jiggly in-your-face breasts. To say that this is a byproduct of my innate inclination to objectify women is a little silly as well, considering that these characters were designed specifically to be objectified.
However, after watching some gameplay videos I'll admit that I was laughing pretty hard. There were half-naked girls squealing while smashing their butts together. There were cut-scenes where the girls' clothes spontaneously and conveniently rip in their butt and cleavage area, (seriously, who designs these outfits? I'd want a refund.) It is clearly pure objectification for the pleasure of the player. I'm pretty sure that no one playing is going to watch one of those cut-scenes and go, "Hey man, did you see that girl's awesome personality?"
With that being said, if taken in a lighthearted tongue-and-cheek sort of way, the game is hilarious. It is absolutely ridiculous and I almost died laughing as I was showing these videos to my boyfriend. I told him that I almost wanted to play it. Is this game clearly and blatantly all about the sexualization and objectification of women? Yes, absolutely. Do I feel oppressed for having seen it? No, not really. This game is funny because it is such an unrealistic portrayal of women and the player recognizes this distinction. Problems with these games arise when given to players who are unable to separate fantasy from reality, but does that mean that they should be disallowed altogether?
Also I wonder if it is Nintendo's job to censor this kind of thing. Games like these exist because there is a demand for it and a market for it. While these kinds of things do reinforce gender stereotypes, I would argue that we are not a society that alters its values based on the media, but that the media is a reflection of our society's values. They make it because it sells. I think we have to take some responsibility here, and acknowledge that what we buy and what we support has an influence on how games are made. The strong female characters that we are seeing in games today are a reflection of a society that wants to see these kinds of women.
(Also I see a lot of people making the point that there is objectification and unrealistic ideals and standards for men in the video game industry as well. However, I don't think this makes it okay to objectify women so much as it implies that we need to work on creating good characters in general, regardless of gender.)
Edit: I didn't vote in the poll because there was no option to state that I do not find the images appealing, and yeah they're a little bit sexist, but still I have somehow remained unoffended.