Comments 3,675

Re: Review: Super Destronaut (Wii U eShop)

Sean_Aaron

There is something oddly compelling about Space Invaders. If the classic game from the SNES VC was out for the Wii U I might not be interested, but those neon colours are quite enticing and remind me of Exidy arcade games...bring it to Europe!

Re: Dot Arcade Lights Up the North American Wii U eShop on 26th March

Sean_Aaron

I think the presentation is hardly "cheap" as some have said. They seem to be capturing the glow of the LEDs very well - a cheaper look would simply be using flat dots - something like a flash game. It takes more than a simple concept to pull off a quality retro experience: you also need a quality presentation.

These are also people from a noteworthy development house, so I don't think they're out to scam people with a crappy time-waster. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, but then as someone in my mid-forties I'm likely right in the target market. Hopefully they'll bring it to Europe regardless of performance in NA.

Re: Exclusive: Affordable Space Adventures Pricing Confirmed, Aims to Retain Value Of Wii U Exclusive

Sean_Aaron

I don't understand why the assumption is that an indie title should automatically be cheaper than a major retail release. People forget that in the cartridge era there was no differentiator: they were all games you could play on the console.

If this title provides an equivalent experience to a so-called triple-A title then I think it should command the same price. Inflated budgets aren't justification for inflated prices and arguably an indie title of quality is going to require a lot more sacrifice from its developers - these people have to eat too, ya know!

Re: Reaction: The Nintendo 'NX', and Why We Think a Unified Platform is the Future

Sean_Aaron

If they're showing it off next year I'd expect an early 2017 launch for handheld; late 2017 launch for console version (if applicable). Depending on how much of the farm is being bet on the latter we may well see parallel game launches on Wii U as a hedge - hold stuff back to maintain interest; if no one boards the NX train say the home version is a premium add-on and keep supporting Wii U until software and hardware sales drop off.

Honestly there's nothing to stop them continuing to support Wii U for longer than other platforms because of the strong eShop - you could well have it coasting along for years after a new console launch with eShop support only, even if they stop selling the kit.

Re: Reaction: The Nintendo 'NX', and Why We Think a Unified Platform is the Future

Sean_Aaron

The idea of a single scalable platform makes more sense to me than a portable you can hook up to your TV - I just don't think Nintendo could deliver something like that and still have a mass-market price point.

Regardless of what it ends up being, unless it's got backwards compatibility I simply cannot see coming along for this ride. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface with my Wii U; there's no way I'm buying a new console in the next couple of years. I just have other priorities. I had hoped Nintendo was going to make their move to platform status with Wii U, but it looks like they might be a generation late for me. I'm not ready to say goodbye until there's hard facts, but it does feel like I might be sticking with the current generation and sitting out the next one or two as I did with the PS2/Gamecube era.

Re: Nintendo Share Value Spikes Following DeNA and NX Announcements

Sean_Aaron

Of course it went up. If Nintendo announced tomorrow they were dumping their hardware division and making games for Playstation and XBOX it would go even higher. People who invest in stocks care about moves they think will be more profitable; right now there's probably a lot of people out there thinking Nintendo should give up on console dev because R&D is a significant investment in cash they could be paying out as dividends instead.

I think it remains to be seen whether this is a good move or not, but a share price spike isn't anything more than gamblers rejoicing at what they think is a sure bet - doesn't mean it's the best choice for Nintendo.

Re: Iwata: We Are Challenging Ourselves To Redefine What "Nintendo Platforms" Mean

Sean_Aaron

It's hard to see this as anything other than hedging their bets. I think it's a wise admission on their part that they cannot predict the future and therefore betting the farm on their handheld or console business surviving into the future is a mistake. If they can create a common interface across devices then they can keep their dedicated hardware relevant as some kind of niche commodity. It just allows them to move resources where they see the most demand.

Re: Review: Sky Kid (Wii U eShop / NES)

Sean_Aaron

@KeeperBvK Well look at these comments. This game has been reviewed multiple times on different platforms by different reviewers on the same site. I'm sure if you read each review you'll be able to tell what the reviewers think about the game and deduce from what they have to say about it why they feel the way they do and see if your own feelings generally line up. If you're only looking at scores however you would rightly say "what's going on here?"

Scores are not reviews; at a glance they tell you practically nothing about a game. You need context for it to mean anything. This is why Metacritic is the worst thing to happen to media criticism ever. There are already enough problems with game reviews being mainly about non-subjective things like graphics and gameplay without scoring making the content practically irrelevant.

Re: Review: Sky Kid (Wii U eShop / NES)

Sean_Aaron

That looks like quite a good port. I'm sure I have the arcade version on my Japanese Wii, but I do like the convenience of the Wii U seeing as most of my Nintendo console VC stuff is there. Roll on the euro release!

Re: Video: Here’s How amiibo Will Work in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Sean_Aaron

I have pre-ordered a Toad amiibo from GAME (please don't get cancelled) for this purpose and because the Toads are my daughter's favourite Mario characters. Anything it does in a game is bonus and the mini-game isn't a must-have feature. Unlike the Smash series I can see the Mario series of figures having a longer lifespan as they'll no doubt be used in future games.

Re: Scram Kitty Developer Praises the Wii U and Mentions New Project

Sean_Aaron

I do need to pick it up again, but I also was frustrated by chasing the cat that runs away and some of the jumping required.

It's hard to say what else I'd like to see. Often the most interesting games are ones you wouldn't have thought of and I think that's the mark of a really good designer. Just make a good game that's fun to play!

Re: Satoru Iwata Highlights the Crisis and Opportunity With Digital Content, Defends Slow and Steady Approach

Sean_Aaron

@aaronsullivan This is why they need to own the platform. He's right, if Nintendo was to move to a software-only business the company as it currently exists would cease to be: you need look no further than Sega to know that anything new would face a mountain of opposition because they couldn't absorb failures and their quality would likely degrade in the effort to do cross-platform ports.

Re: Former Sega of America CEO Talks Out on the Company's Mistakes and Shares Thoughts on Nintendo's Hardware Future

Sean_Aaron

I cannot see the harm to Nintendo in releasing iOS/Android versions of their older games (I'm thinking NES/Gameboy here). If cannibalising sales is a concern then mirror the price in the eShop. It only needs to be a handful of titles: Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Metroid and slap in ads for the latest series entries. It doesn't matter if they sell well or not, it is just marketing.

Re: Sonic and Mega Man amiibo Available Again from Nintendo UK Store, But Reports of Cancelled Shulk Pre-Orders Also Surface

Sean_Aaron

Wow, if the official Nintendo store isn't fulfilling pre-orders then they've truly blown it. I think I'm done with amiibos at this point, I mean I've got eight of the things and I'm not interested in putting in the effort for more smash ones. I only hope there aren't similar problems with the Super Mario line. It's possible for scarcity to actually kill the appetite for something you know? Might be able to get these for a steal in six months once the hoarders realise demand crashed...

Re: Splatoon Developers Give a Splash of Information on Its Beginnings and Design

Sean_Aaron

What strikes me most about these interviews is the focus given to design and not just putting in the usual controls you'd expect to find in similar games. Jumping is something I've often been confused by in 3D action games because they're not platformers and very rarely have jumping between two points as a feature so often you have it instead spammed as an evasion move.

It's really superfluous in the run-and gun games, so although it might at first glance sound odd that the characters couldn't jump originally it does make sense from a design perspective - this is a game after all. I think a lot of developers forget that, but then if you are creating endless cookie-cutter sequels I can see how you would stop looking at things from a fresh perspective. It is this quality that sets Nintendo above others.

Re: Review: Blaster Master (Wii U eShop / NES)

Sean_Aaron

I thought I owned this on my old European Wii, but it turns out it was the WiiWare update which is oddly not as compelling as the original. Not much excites me in the update for this upcoming Thursday so I might have to download this baby!

Re: Nintendo's Wii U TVii Service is Formally Cancelled in Europe

Sean_Aaron

I can't say I saw the point. BBC iPlayer is coming this year and we have Crunchy Roll and Netflix and Youtube channels, etc. so I think the non-gaming entertainment is covered, though bringing the Nintendo Anime channel to Wii U seems like an obvious thing to do.

And yes, please do remove the button for it and let us customise the buttons!

Re: Eiji Aonuma Admits That Remakes Such as Majora's Mask 3D Can Be a Painful Process

Sean_Aaron

@Einherjar There are already examples of games released on 3DS and Wii U which suggests that Nintendo is able to do this without having to tweak a lot. And the question isn't why should they, but why shouldn't they? Obviously they're trying to drive 3DS sales, but eventually I should think the remakes would be more sensible to flog than the originals in the Virtual Console if for no other reason than an excuse to charge more for them!

Re: Ubisoft's Unreleased and Finished Wii U Game Has Apparently Been Identified

Sean_Aaron

No, I don't think it would be worth releasing that. I still think if Rayman Legends had been released when it was originally planned it would have sold massively on Wii U given the game drought that was on. Instead they waited until Super Mario 3D World released and by then, well not many people had any reason to care. Watch Dogs initially looked like it might have something going on, but ultimately I have to say that Ubisoft is no more a loss than EA was - I'd much rather see Papers Please on the Wii U than yet another Assassin's Creed game.

Re: Rodea The Sky Soldier Looks Set To Spread Its Wings For A Western Release

Sean_Aaron

@Quorthon: Well I mean feature them heavily. It really turned me off of Wonderful 101, I just hate them. If you want to show me a movie in the middle of a game, just show it; I'm not doing timed button presses to watch it and pretend like I'm playing a game. It's not hard to find others, but Bayonetta (also Platinum - they seem to really like them) would be another that springs to mind. Ninja Gaiden 3 and Resident Evil 4 had them, but they were mercifully brief so far less egregious.

Re: Another Wii U GameCube Controller Adapter Battles For Your Smash Bros. Loyalty

Sean_Aaron

Count me among the "not paying over the odds" crowd. £19.99 seems fair for a specialised adapter like this. I agree CCPro and Pro Controller are good options, but if you lack sufficient Pro Controller numbers, the nice thing about this is you don't need remotes to use the GameCube controllers, so I could have 8-player smash without investing in more Remotes or Pro Controllers or bring it over to my partner's place where they only have one Classic Controller and no Pro Controllers.

Bottom line: it's nice to have options and who knows? It might be supported by Gamecube VC games someday. Now I hope Nintendo is getting another wave of them ready soon!

Re: YouTube Stars Aren't Happy With Nintendo's Revenue-Sharing 'Creators Program'

Sean_Aaron

I can't see why content creators aren't all taking a cut. It's free advertising I suppose, but arguably it's also spoiling the game for others. I think the biggest problem for these YouTube "stars" is that what they're doing is unsolicited - they don't ask for permission, they make videos with game content front-and-centre and get revenue for it. If I tried putting an entire feature film on the Internet with my reaction in a corner of the screen there is no way in hell I could hide behind "fair use."

Nintendo has every right to issue takedown notices and get a royalty cut in this circumstance.

Re: The Hyrule Warriors Majora's Mask Pack DLC is Live in Europe, and Looks Glorious

Sean_Aaron

I'm still playing the main game so I'm not able to use Adventure Mode yet, but I'm surprised I can't see the new characters. Previous packs downloaded and installed automatically, but this time all I saw when I started the game was the new version additions - are th version upgrade and DLC two different things? Is it possible only one installed and I need to manually install the other or are these unlocks only available after I complete the main game?

Oh and yes I did confirm I bought the season pass - Majora's Mask update shows as purchased in the eShop.