This week's release is so far beyond disappointing (even if only for being the most recent in the series of disappointing releases), I just gotta laugh. How 'bout that VCA lineup, eh Nintendo?
Three recent items that came to mind when I read this: 1.) Nintendo sued Nyko for making a (wireless) nunchuk too similar in design and materials to its own, forcing the withdrawal and redesign of Nyko's product. 2.) Recent article here about the release of the Wii remote's patent art. 3.) IGN 2008 interview with InvenSense, creators of the Motion Plus, wherein the executive interviewed discloses they are working also with other game system vendors to offer enhanced motion sensing controllers. IGN: Is this InvenSense's first partnership with a gaming company?
Virginia: I can't say yes or no to that question. As you might imagine there are other gaming companies that InvenSense is working with. What we're proud about the Nintendo relationship is this will be, I do believe the first to market with our product, the IDG 600. But that is not to say this is an exclusive relationship. The IDG 600 is not a custom product, but it is a product that has been designed with Nintendo's specification in mind.
I actually like that they stylized it a bit rather than attempt to make it photorealistic (a non-starter on the Wii anyway). Even on PS3, sports games look SICK, yeah, but they're never gonna reach that photo-perfection they're aiming for. EA set a realistic target for the Wii, and nailed it dead on. Plus, it comes across as a little less intimidating for would-be newcomers to the genre, myself included.
Beat teaser art said exactly nothing about the game, so I'm not gonna speculate. Cool picture though. As for the game, yeah I'm just gonna go ahead and assume it'll be awesome.
Ever watch the news and before each commercial they say "...And coming up, [insert news item everyone's really waiting to see]," but it doesn't air until the very last segment even after the weather and sports? Well that's what's happening here. They got us all on a hook waiting for the good stuff, and maybe just maybe we'll bite at some of the filler while we're waiting. It's not like we're not gonna buy Smash, Cave Story, etc. whenever they're released, so they might as well monetize the captive audience while they have the chance.
Riiiight, and a site called "naturalnews" wouldn't have any bias in the matter, would it? Regardless, thanks for the link, 'cause it made me click a few more and end up at Wikipedia where I found this little gem:
Food writer Bee Wilson notes: "For a start, his distaste for meat knew no pity of animals. At mealtimes he often boasted - in graphic detail - of a slaughterhouse he had visited in Ukraine. It amused him to spoil carnivorous guests' appetites."
Ummmmm, kinda sounds like what I was getting at in 54 above, ya think?
@feba: To your first point, this is why I said "most" vegetarians that I've encountered - not "all." That said, I don't see activist groups picketing outside Tofu Palace with pitcures of clorophyll-splattered gardening tools attempting to sicken patrons into giving up their personal dietary choices.
To your second point - you are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT that I was reading into the ad on a whole new level I'm preeeeeetty sure they didn't intend. That little extra sumpthin' - intended or otherwise - just took it to a whole new level of hysterical for me, depraved as I am.
Content aside, the fine print is probably the bigger issue as Haruto points out. But the ad has enjoyed relative obscurity so it may have slipped under the radar until now. On the game's official site there was just one user comment about the ad, and that was posted 16 DAYS ago. Here on nintendolife there are ~25 comments (more if you count the edits and retractions ) in little more than an hour, soooooooo... we'll see how long it is before TM's phone starts ringing with cease and desist orders.
Please, feba... get over it. Something's not "moronic" just because you say it is or because you happen to completely MISS THE POINT. Vegetarians tend to have a disdain for those who don't conform to their way. Hitler had disdain for those who didn't conform to his way. Connect the dots, and even you should be able to understand my initial post.
Right quakster, I get it. I just wish it were possible for most vegetarians to just shut the hell up about it when they're tempted to ridicule omnivores for their choice of diet. I completely respect your dietary choices, you haven't said anything to make me think you don't respect mine as well, and that's the way it should be. Unfortunately, it's usually not the case with vegetarians. Anyway - staying on topic, this ad is a success insofar as it already has us all talking about it. I just hope the game is equally demented! That'll be something we can all hopefully enjoy! Cheers, -V
DISCLAIMER: quakster is NOT a vegetarian. In the context of my point herein, ANYone's dietary choices are strictly personal, to be respected, and completely immaterial to the discussion.
...that I'm nowhere near as AWESOME as the person who came up with this. Corbie, are ya sure this wasn't a high-priced campaign after all?
To me there's like a bonus level of funny in this ad which they probably didn't even consider: Most of the vegetarians I've met are militant in their condecension and disdain for meat-eaters (or, "people not in total denial of their anatomy" as I like to call them) and the desire to conform them to their "enlightened" ways - which only makes the directive in this ad, "Don't be like Hitler," soooooo spot on and absolutely HILARIOUS to me! I can't wait to use it on the next one of them who shoots me a dirty look as I bite into a medium-rare porterhouse! Mmmmmm...... steak. Oh yeah, the game... what's it about?
I've never really been one for racing games myself - I mean I like them and all 'cause they're cool, but I always just enjoyed watching my hard core friends play them more. It'll be good to finally have one for the Wii. A "realistic" one, that is - not like Mario Kart. That said, I'll have to keep my expectations in check after seeing the offerings on PS3 and Xbox. I'll definitely be watching out for this one. EDIT: Just went to the official game site, and noticed there's no NA region selectable. What's up with that?
Upon further review... It really does appear to "borrow" some elements from Lost Winds. There's another video on youtube (txu77eVCCHE) that shows gameplay. Check out the icons in the upper left hand corner. The friggin' angled swirly icon in the heart is practically a copy/paste of Enril's from Lost Winds. The gameplay looks pretty simplistic in that video, I hope it gets more chellenging and complex as the game progresses.
One last thing... The soundtrack feels like BSG. Do like.
I see your point too, Omega, but it is a desert after all. My first temptation was to compare its visuals to Lost Winds, but the lush environment of that game gives it the advantage. It seems to be one of the few Lost Winds elements not modeled after in this game, unlike the game play and even the soundtrack, to a degree. I hope the finished product is tightened up somewhat, but either way, I'll be getting this unless the reviewer all but forbids it.
EDIT: One more thing... Anyone else catch the nuance in the quote "Fly, aim and shoot using the new and fullest potential of your Wii Remote" and think "Motion Plus support?" I know it doesn't fit with the projected release dates of either, but why the "new and fullest" part?
I had an interesting discovery last night as I was flipping through my awards. The Tess V. Fair photography award for taking a picture and saving it... Well, the name of the award is an anagram for "first save." The Ian B. Row award for taking a picture with a rainbow in it is an anagram for "rainbow." See where I'm going with this? All the others are anagrams also, which should give players some guidance on what to shoot in order to get the award. I won't spoil them by listing them here. If you want to spoil them yourself, then just figure out the anagrams.
"Trainee," as in someone just learning to hold a crayon, perhaps... Those boxes did NOTHING to lure in shoppers (in the US at least) for a closer look. They probably even prevented a few.
I agree Sean. Re-reading my post, I see I didn't do the best job of connecting my closing thought about VCA releases. (But it was like 3am so I'm cutting myself some slack. )
What I was getting at was "the flood of VCA games" as a solution to the volume disparity between Japan and NA/EU. They have an opportunity to leverage VCA titles to get the balance right - more or less - which is both rapid and inexpensive compared to WiiWare. It's also now significantly more feasable, and convenient for the install base because of the recently enhanced SD support.
I trust they recognize this, as well as the additional exposure the Wii Shop Channel would receive off the buzz of people talking to their friends about "that awesome game we used to play 20 years ago (dating myself to a degree)," which they just downloaded. That familiarity encourages conversation, which in turn breeds awareness of the shop channel, which in turn might translate into more WiiWare customers, which may result in increasing the install base's percentage of WiiWare customers.
In other words, I'm more likely to say to someone, "DUDE, I just played ASTEROIDS on my Wii" than "Dude, I just played Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King on my Wii." The first precludes the need to explain the game at all, they already know and love it, and they will simply say HOW CAN I GET IT. The second might cause eyes to roll and a few cautious glances. Simply put, VCA greatly broadens the target audience and lowers the threshold for a casual mention of the game to another Wii owner who may not be a game enthusiast, potentially converting him to a Wii Shop customer.
Increasing that ratio of Wii owners to Wii Shop customers is surely a key goal for Nintendo's Wii business unit, and will only become more so when system sales plateau. It will be that unit's last opportunity for growth, so they're pacing themselves. Ok, I'm driving the bus. Having read many of your posts, I'm assuming you're a business guy too, so you get my point. -V
Regarding the calls here for increased WiiWare title throughput, Nintendo is probably recognizing an "80-20 rule," or some facsimile thereof, where 80% of the WiiWare business is derived from 20% of their install base. This would yield at least a few observations: 1.) there is no majority demand among Wii owners to increase the release rate; 2.) as console sales increase, the value of 20% increases; and 3.) when market saturation - or the release of the next generation console - is imminent, the only way to capture more WiiWare revenue from the install base will be to increase to >20% the percentage of WiiWare customers, and what better way to do this than to save some high-profile releases for that rainy day. And of course to bundle or or otherwise promote the service within the console sale itself.
Nothing would please me more than to see a flood of VCA games in particular. But trust me, from the timing of the SD fix within the Wii lifecycle, to the phased release of quality titles over the lifespan of the console, Big N knows what it's doing.
Truly one of those games at which the mere thought of you roll your eyes. I certainly did. But I'm happy to share that I've downloaded it, played it, and don't regret a single point I spent on it. Very clever game. I'm thankful that this excellent review and accurate score got me interested enough to try it. A classic case where judging the book for its cover is a big mistake. -V
@ Sean Aaron: LUNAR LANDER! I agree completely. Mostly for nostalgia, to be sure, but it certainly is a true classic, and would take about 1 block of memory.
Others I would enjoy spending time on, if not a pocket's worth of quarters: Defender Dig-Dug Pole Positions 2, then 1 Mortal Kombat Star Wars Gyruss Xevious Zaxxon (I can't believe no one else mentioned it...) Q*Bert Pac- and Mrs. Pac-Man Spy Hunter (Again, no one?)
This is by no means a complete list, just some of the ones I wouldn't think twice about getting. I'm not sure of the likekihood of any of these games making the leap to VCA, but like someone else mentioned: there's always hope, right? -V
I echo the "It's about time" sentiments on here, but greet the update with both enthusiasm and relief. No more cleaning out the fridge, thank God. That said, here's my wishlist: 1.) It would have been nice to have a save file in the system memory of the last state of the SD card so it wouldn't have to read from the SD card each time to retreive and populate the channels.
2.) An "SD Channel" in the main menu would have been more attractive and perhaps effected #1, above.
3.) The start-screen of each app loaded from the SD is automatically by-passed. I would have preferred to click "Start" myself on those screens - even though it's an extra step (this is a game system here, not a productivity machine).
4.) Call me weird, but the UI doesn't seem as elegant as I've come to expect from Nintendo, particularly for the Wii console. The SD icon on the lower left and opening an alternate menu seems a bit... kludgy?
5.) Perhaps clicking to the LEFT of the main menu could have brought up the channels on the SD card...?
But I don't wanna come across like an ingrate. In spite of the above, I let out an audible WOOOO-HOOOOO! when I saw the update, and yet another when I saw support for SDHC. Good job overall, Ninty.
Ren's post is the first I've read that touches on what I've long believed is, essentially, the root of the problem. (YES, there IS a problem.)
Most, if not all, would agree that form and functionality should be complimentary at best, and compatible at least, but never in opposition. But opposition is what we observe between the Wii Menu and the Wii's (in)ability to store a multitude of Channels, WiiWare, and VC games. It's a broken system, and it should be addressed.
Anyone who can't (or won't, for whatever reason) recognize and accept this must believe either or both that 1.) transferring game files between the console's memory and an SD card in order to play them was part of the Wii's design specification (hard to fathom, given the elegance of the Wii Menu), and 2.) the Wii Menu is broken insofar as it offers too many available selection slots (after all, having fewer than you need isn't a problem if the design is to continually swap between the console memory and the SD, right?).
Fact is, yeah, it's a problem. And I seriously hope they fix it in a meaningful way, not one that sucks just a little less than what we're dealing with now. -V
Comments 188
Re: Nintendo Life Exclusive - Bit.Trip Core E3 Trailer
^^^
What about the simultaneous hits in multiple directions?
Re: Nintendo Life Exclusive - Bit.Trip Core E3 Trailer
Watching an expert play it could be as much fun as playing it yourself - if not more. It's mesmerising in the same way those music visualizers are.
Re: Sony Deal Pushes Wii And DS Ghostbusters Further Back into '09
Anyone read Maddox's rant about Sony? Hysterical, and NSFW ...in case you decide to look it up.
Re: Nibris Teases 'E3 2009'
Vapor or otherwise, it looks kinda creepy. And creepy is always good.
Re: NYC Nintendo World Store Hosting Punch-Out!! Bonanza
I've got my excuse... I'll be a mile uptown at the Stadium watching the Yanks play the Twins.
Re: Nintendo Download: Clocks, Calculators, Penguins and Towers (US)
This week's release is so far beyond disappointing (even if only for being the most recent in the series of disappointing releases), I just gotta laugh.
How 'bout that VCA lineup, eh Nintendo?
Re: Sony to Reveal Copycat Motion Controller at E3?
Three recent items that came to mind when I read this: 1.) Nintendo sued Nyko for making a (wireless) nunchuk too similar in design and materials to its own, forcing the withdrawal and redesign of Nyko's product. 2.) Recent article here about the release of the Wii remote's patent art. 3.) IGN 2008 interview with InvenSense, creators of the Motion Plus, wherein the executive interviewed discloses they are working also with other game system vendors to offer enhanced motion sensing controllers.
IGN: Is this InvenSense's first partnership with a gaming company?
Virginia: I can't say yes or no to that question. As you might imagine there are other gaming companies that InvenSense is working with. What we're proud about the Nintendo relationship is this will be, I do believe the first to market with our product, the IDG 600. But that is not to say this is an exclusive relationship. The IDG 600 is not a custom product, but it is a product that has been designed with Nintendo's specification in mind.
Re: Madden NFL 10 Wii to Showcase Stylized Look
I actually like that they stylized it a bit rather than attempt to make it photorealistic (a non-starter on the Wii anyway). Even on PS3, sports games look SICK, yeah, but they're never gonna reach that photo-perfection they're aiming for. EA set a realistic target for the Wii, and nailed it dead on. Plus, it comes across as a little less intimidating for would-be newcomers to the genre, myself included.
Re: Toss Some Tuna in Sega's Wacky World of Sports
Yeah, ummmmmm.... not my Wii.
Re: New Bit.Trip Game Teaser Image
Beat teaser art said exactly nothing about the game, so I'm not gonna speculate. Cool picture though. As for the game, yeah I'm just gonna go ahead and assume it'll be awesome.
Re: Controversial Super Meat Boy Advertisement
I guess in our lingo you could say he was just one of those casual vegetarians, not really hard core. Haaaa!
Re: Nintendo Download: Clubhouse Games, Paper Planes, Platforms and Warring States (US)
Ever watch the news and before each commercial they say "...And coming up, [insert news item everyone's really waiting to see]," but it doesn't air until the very last segment even after the weather and sports? Well that's what's happening here. They got us all on a hook waiting for the good stuff, and maybe just maybe we'll bite at some of the filler while we're waiting. It's not like we're not gonna buy Smash, Cave Story, etc. whenever they're released, so they might as well monetize the captive audience while they have the chance.
[/corporate_cynicism]
Re: Controversial Super Meat Boy Advertisement
Riiiight, and a site called "naturalnews" wouldn't have any bias in the matter, would it? Regardless, thanks for the link, 'cause it made me click a few more and end up at Wikipedia where I found this little gem:
Food writer Bee Wilson notes: "For a start, his distaste for meat knew no pity of animals. At mealtimes he often boasted - in graphic detail - of a slaughterhouse he had visited in Ukraine. It amused him to spoil carnivorous guests' appetites."
Ummmmm, kinda sounds like what I was getting at in 54 above, ya think?
Re: Nintendo Download: Clubhouse Games, Paper Planes, Platforms and Warring States (US)
ZZZZ...zzzz...ZZZZ...zzzz........Z!-ZZ!-ZZZZ...
Wake me up next week.
Re: Interviews: Cocoto Platform Jumper - Neko Entertainment
Sounds decent enough, but I'll still wait for the review.
Re: Controversial Super Meat Boy Advertisement
@feba: To your first point, this is why I said "most" vegetarians that I've encountered - not "all." That said, I don't see activist groups picketing outside Tofu Palace with pitcures of clorophyll-splattered gardening tools attempting to sicken patrons into giving up their personal dietary choices.
To your second point - you are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT that I was reading into the ad on a whole new level I'm preeeeeetty sure they didn't intend. That little extra sumpthin' - intended or otherwise - just took it to a whole new level of hysterical for me, depraved as I am.
Re: Controversial Super Meat Boy Advertisement
Content aside, the fine print is probably the bigger issue as Haruto points out. But the ad has enjoyed relative obscurity so it may have slipped under the radar until now. On the game's official site there was just one user comment about the ad, and that was posted 16 DAYS ago. Here on nintendolife there are ~25 comments (more if you count the edits and retractions ) in little more than an hour, soooooooo... we'll see how long it is before TM's phone starts ringing with cease and desist orders.
Re: Controversial Super Meat Boy Advertisement
Please, feba... get over it. Something's not "moronic" just because you say it is or because you happen to completely MISS THE POINT. Vegetarians tend to have a disdain for those who don't conform to their way. Hitler had disdain for those who didn't conform to his way. Connect the dots, and even you should be able to understand my initial post.
Re: Controversial Super Meat Boy Advertisement
Right quakster, I get it. I just wish it were possible for most vegetarians to just shut the hell up about it when they're tempted to ridicule omnivores for their choice of diet. I completely respect your dietary choices, you haven't said anything to make me think you don't respect mine as well, and that's the way it should be. Unfortunately, it's usually not the case with vegetarians.
Anyway - staying on topic, this ad is a success insofar as it already has us all talking about it. I just hope the game is equally demented! That'll be something we can all hopefully enjoy! Cheers, -V
DISCLAIMER: quakster is NOT a vegetarian. In the context of my point herein, ANYone's dietary choices are strictly personal, to be respected, and completely immaterial to the discussion.
Re: Controversial Super Meat Boy Advertisement
I'm absolutely disgusted....
...that I'm nowhere near as AWESOME as the person who came up with this. Corbie, are ya sure this wasn't a high-priced campaign after all?
To me there's like a bonus level of funny in this ad which they probably didn't even consider: Most of the vegetarians I've met are militant in their condecension and disdain for meat-eaters (or, "people not in total denial of their anatomy" as I like to call them) and the desire to conform them to their "enlightened" ways - which only makes the directive in this ad, "Don't be like Hitler," soooooo spot on and absolutely HILARIOUS to me! I can't wait to use it on the next one of them who shoots me a dirty look as I bite into a medium-rare porterhouse! Mmmmmm...... steak. Oh yeah, the game... what's it about?
Re: Codemasters Announces New Formula One Title for Wii
Just went to the official game site, and noticed there's no NA region selectable. What's up with that?
Re: F1 2009
I've never really been one for racing games myself - I mean I like them and all 'cause they're cool, but I always just enjoyed watching my hard core friends play them more. It'll be good to finally have one for the Wii. A "realistic" one, that is - not like Mario Kart. That said, I'll have to keep my expectations in check after seeing the offerings on PS3 and Xbox. I'll definitely be watching out for this one.
EDIT: Just went to the official game site, and noticed there's no NA region selectable. What's up with that?
Re: Japanese Releases 28 April 2009
Sean, Sean, Sean... Is there reallllllly a decision here? After all, music is the universal language.
Re: Game Play Trailer - Icarian: Kindred Spirits
Upon further review... It really does appear to "borrow" some elements from Lost Winds. There's another video on youtube (txu77eVCCHE) that shows gameplay. Check out the icons in the upper left hand corner. The friggin' angled swirly icon in the heart is practically a copy/paste of Enril's from Lost Winds. The gameplay looks pretty simplistic in that video, I hope it gets more chellenging and complex as the game progresses.
One last thing... The soundtrack feels like BSG. Do like.
Re: Europe Gets Adventure Island: The Beginning On WiiWare Tomorrow
@3 & 20: What does it mean, getting 1200pts from Tetris?
Re: Game Play Trailer - Icarian: Kindred Spirits
^^^ They have deserts of scorching hot instant burning death sand above the clouds? I dunno, dude...
Re: Game Play Trailer - Icarian: Kindred Spirits
I see your point too, Omega, but it is a desert after all.
My first temptation was to compare its visuals to Lost Winds, but the lush environment of that game gives it the advantage. It seems to be one of the few Lost Winds elements not modeled after in this game, unlike the game play and even the soundtrack, to a degree. I hope the finished product is tightened up somewhat, but either way, I'll be getting this unless the reviewer all but forbids it.
EDIT: One more thing... Anyone else catch the nuance in the quote "Fly, aim and shoot using the new and fullest potential of your Wii Remote" and think "Motion Plus support?" I know it doesn't fit with the projected release dates of either, but why the "new and fullest" part?
Re: Game Play Trailer - Icarian: Kindred Spirits
Looks to me like a day-1 download just off the artstyle alone. I'll be watching this one closely.
Re: Review: Bonsai Barber (WiiWare)
I had an interesting discovery last night as I was flipping through my awards. The Tess V. Fair photography award for taking a picture and saving it... Well, the name of the award is an anagram for "first save." The Ian B. Row award for taking a picture with a rainbow in it is an anagram for "rainbow." See where I'm going with this? All the others are anagrams also, which should give players some guidance on what to shoot in order to get the award. I won't spoil them by listing them here. If you want to spoil them yourself, then just figure out the anagrams.
-V
Re: Review: Secret Command (Virtual Console / Master System)
I just hope this comes to the US soon. A quality game with a HUGE nostalgia factor - at least for me & a few of my friends.
Re: Review: Secret Command (Virtual Console / Master System)
"Trainee," as in someone just learning to hold a crayon, perhaps... Those boxes did NOTHING to lure in shoppers (in the US at least) for a closer look. They probably even prevented a few.
Re: Nintendo Download: 21 April 2009 (Japan)
I agree Sean. Re-reading my post, I see I didn't do the best job of connecting my closing thought about VCA releases. (But it was like 3am so I'm cutting myself some slack. )
What I was getting at was "the flood of VCA games" as a solution to the volume disparity between Japan and NA/EU. They have an opportunity to leverage VCA titles to get the balance right - more or less - which is both rapid and inexpensive compared to WiiWare. It's also now significantly more feasable, and convenient for the install base because of the recently enhanced SD support.
I trust they recognize this, as well as the additional exposure the Wii Shop Channel would receive off the buzz of people talking to their friends about "that awesome game we used to play 20 years ago (dating myself to a degree)," which they just downloaded. That familiarity encourages conversation, which in turn breeds awareness of the shop channel, which in turn might translate into more WiiWare customers, which may result in increasing the install base's percentage of WiiWare customers.
In other words, I'm more likely to say to someone, "DUDE, I just played ASTEROIDS on my Wii" than "Dude, I just played Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King on my Wii." The first precludes the need to explain the game at all, they already know and love it, and they will simply say HOW CAN I GET IT. The second might cause eyes to roll and a few cautious glances. Simply put, VCA greatly broadens the target audience and lowers the threshold for a casual mention of the game to another Wii owner who may not be a game enthusiast, potentially converting him to a Wii Shop customer.
Increasing that ratio of Wii owners to Wii Shop customers is surely a key goal for Nintendo's Wii business unit, and will only become more so when system sales plateau. It will be that unit's last opportunity for growth, so they're pacing themselves. Ok, I'm driving the bus. Having read many of your posts, I'm assuming you're a business guy too, so you get my point.
-V
Re: Nintendo Download: 21 April 2009 (Japan)
Regarding the calls here for increased WiiWare title throughput, Nintendo is probably recognizing an "80-20 rule," or some facsimile thereof, where 80% of the WiiWare business is derived from 20% of their install base. This would yield at least a few observations: 1.) there is no majority demand among Wii owners to increase the release rate; 2.) as console sales increase, the value of 20% increases; and 3.) when market saturation - or the release of the next generation console - is imminent, the only way to capture more WiiWare revenue from the install base will be to increase to >20% the percentage of WiiWare customers, and what better way to do this than to save some high-profile releases for that rainy day. And of course to bundle or or otherwise promote the service within the console sale itself.
Nothing would please me more than to see a flood of VCA games in particular. But trust me, from the timing of the SD fix within the Wii lifecycle, to the phased release of quality titles over the lifespan of the console, Big N knows what it's doing.
-V
Re: Review: Bonsai Barber (WiiWare)
Truly one of those games at which the mere thought of you roll your eyes. I certainly did. But I'm happy to share that I've downloaded it, played it, and don't regret a single point I spent on it. Very clever game. I'm thankful that this excellent review and accurate score got me interested enough to try it. A classic case where judging the book for its cover is a big mistake.
-V
Re: Review: Bonsai Barber (WiiWare)
If there were a mode that didn't mandate daily play or else send "hate mail" to the message board, then I'd buy it immediately.
-V
Re: Ten Arcade Games We'd Like To See On The Virtual Console Arcade
@ Sean Aaron: LUNAR LANDER! I agree completely. Mostly for nostalgia, to be sure, but it certainly is a true classic, and would take about 1 block of memory.
Others I would enjoy spending time on, if not a pocket's worth of quarters:
Defender
Dig-Dug
Pole Positions 2, then 1
Mortal Kombat
Star Wars
Gyruss
Xevious
Zaxxon (I can't believe no one else mentioned it...)
Q*Bert
Pac- and Mrs. Pac-Man
Spy Hunter (Again, no one?)
This is by no means a complete list, just some of the ones I wouldn't think twice about getting. I'm not sure of the likekihood of any of these games making the leap to VCA, but like someone else mentioned: there's always hope, right?
-V
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
I echo the "It's about time" sentiments on here, but greet the update with both enthusiasm and relief. No more cleaning out the fridge, thank God. That said, here's my wishlist:
1.) It would have been nice to have a save file in the system memory of the last state of the SD card so it wouldn't have to read from the SD card each time to retreive and populate the channels.
2.) An "SD Channel" in the main menu would have been more attractive and perhaps effected #1, above.
3.) The start-screen of each app loaded from the SD is automatically by-passed. I would have preferred to click "Start" myself on those screens - even though it's an extra step (this is a game system here, not a productivity machine).
4.) Call me weird, but the UI doesn't seem as elegant as I've come to expect from Nintendo, particularly for the Wii console. The SD icon on the lower left and opening an alternate menu seems a bit... kludgy?
5.) Perhaps clicking to the LEFT of the main menu could have brought up the channels on the SD card...?
But I don't wanna come across like an ingrate. In spite of the above, I let out an audible WOOOO-HOOOOO! when I saw the update, and yet another when I saw support for SDHC. Good job overall, Ninty.
-V
Re: Review: Space Invaders Get Even (WiiWare)
Ren's post is the first I've read that touches on what I've long believed is, essentially, the root of the problem. (YES, there IS a problem.)
Most, if not all, would agree that form and functionality should be complimentary at best, and compatible at least, but never in opposition. But opposition is what we observe between the Wii Menu and the Wii's (in)ability to store a multitude of Channels, WiiWare, and VC games. It's a broken system, and it should be addressed.
Anyone who can't (or won't, for whatever reason) recognize and accept this must believe either or both that 1.) transferring game files between the console's memory and an SD card in order to play them was part of the Wii's design specification (hard to fathom, given the elegance of the Wii Menu), and 2.) the Wii Menu is broken insofar as it offers too many available selection slots (after all, having fewer than you need isn't a problem if the design is to continually swap between the console memory and the SD, right?).
Fact is, yeah, it's a problem. And I seriously hope they fix it in a meaningful way, not one that sucks just a little less than what we're dealing with now.
-V