@Koto: That's a thought, I never finished Radiant Dawn. In fact because of work and the commute I hardly have the time to finish ANYTHING. Maybe someone can post a feature regarding adult gamers who still know what the best games are that suit their tastes, purchase them...yet don't finish them. This won't be the same for Muramasa for me I hope.
I brought it home and played it for three hours straight last night. It's pretty much just a hack-and-slash...but a FUN hack-and-slash. There's quite a bit of control that the player has available no matter what control style you choose. Plus: NO WAGGLE!
I'm rather worried about the future sales numbers. If Muramasa doesn't sell enough copies to pay for development, advertising and distribution I could see a LOT of development shift to the DS, or in the case of a game like this the PSP. I've done my part and preordered (I'm not even getting the scroll) but it would just plain stink if all of this advertising (as well as the random unsolicited tweets, real cute Ignition) come to naught.
It would be like the GTA Chinatown Wars incident, only for the Wii...
I need an extra Wiimote/Nunchuck combo so that my younger sisters could play together. Though the black controllers will look odd when sitting next to the white Wii, the new color is almost too good to pass up. I just need a black Classic Controller to match...
I wish I'd have known beforehand as I live in southern New Jersey, and traveling to NY would only be two-and-a-half hours. Plus, this appears to be on a Saturday and this would have been perfect for me...alas, I don't have the money! Thank God that I preordered though, I don't that I'll get my wall scroll with my game but the game is most important.
Philadelphia PA gets no respect (twenty-five miles away). I mean, the city was the birthplace of the country yet gets treated like the armpit of the Northeast...
Those Block Breaker controls...um...no. Just no. I would lose a ball every time I accidently went out of the sensor bar's range (which was VERY limited). Those controls were a fail for me, but I guess that's just me.
As Bass XO stated, a bad rollout this week can mean a great lineup next week. It's good too, because I only have 400 Points until Thursday night (payday) anyway. I'll just finish up on some WiiWare titles this week.
Although, Darklord looks like a worthy purchase but this time I'm staying away from the additional content. I went a little too crazy in downloads for MLAAK...
I still have the retail version and I agree - the lack of online players is disappointing. There are a few REALLY good Japanese opponents, but few others.
For 500 Points it's not bad for taking it on the go, especially since it leaves the DS cartridge slot free for another title (in my case it would be Suikoden Tierkreis), but better DSiWare games are beginning to appear. One question though: where are the classic Game Boy downloads? Me want Wario Land 2!
I've already fallen for purchasing way too much downloadable content with My Life As A King, and while the overall game experience was enjoyable I no longer had the time to sit down and finish it (building the Library for example). Add to the fact that I'm still embarrassed about purchasing Crystal Defenders R1 and R2 and incensed over the pricing of The After Years packs (I didn't purchase any yet) and I was ready to blow off Darklord. The core game looks good, but there's no way I'm going to purchase additional content (Cave Story and several other games a-comin').
Regarding PictoBits and MFC: That stinks! Ready for brief laugh?
I had downloaded PictoBits last week and forgot about it because I placed it at the leftmost end of my DSi Menu. I was shuffling through my menu three days ago while waiting for my bus and saw the icon and thought "wait a minute, you're not Aquias...PictoBits...what the heck? Wait a minute! I bought that game?" Then I started playing it and almost let the bus race right past me. It's awesome!
Asphalt 4 does deserve to be on the list, it's too bad that A5 is going to appear on the iPhone/iPod touch. And I'm guessing the reason for all of the shovelware is due to the software being cheap ($2.00 USD?) and either the amount of new DSi owners being too old or too young to discern which games are quality and which aren't.
Interesting. It appears to have more action than MLAAK (well, of course it would, as it seems that SE is addressing the many complaints about the original). Looks really entertaining to me.
I hate to tread into semi-forbidden territory and open up a can of worms, but - daughter of the Darklord? How in the world does that work?
FYI - bought the game last night (I love it when I accidentally leave Wii Points in my account!), not the best Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble released, but definitely not the worst - I mean, we can all admit that we've done worse with 600/800 Points. I'll download the actual BAM2 and BAM3 packs on Thursday night when I can add more points to my account, but so far the Saturn versions win on presentation, characters, backgrounds and music. The WiiWare version's presentation is above-average and the gameplay is addictive though.
I bought the game and yes, it is bland. I got a little fun out of it because was what it was, a Breakout-like game, plus I had owned the even more bland Break 'Em All which was one my first DS games back in 2006 and was desperately looking for a better title. Being able to customize the look of the field, the Vaus, the blocks and the music was like putting sugar in a bowl of cereal with expired milk - it wasn't really worth it and it didn't make the overall game any better.
The upcoming Arkanoid Plus for WiiWare should more than make up for it.
I have fond memories of playing the Super Famicom/ Super NES game Arkanoid: D'oh it Again and this is the Taito game that I was waiting for. Hopefully it contains up to one-hundred stages like the SNES game.
This will also make up for the rather bland Arkanoid DS title released last year (square blocks, gap between screens, etc).
The DS version is $19.99 USD over here and has more copies available and contains more or less the same stages (yet suffers from slowdown). The Wii version can be harder to find as previously stated, mainly because Kuju/Sierra found it harder to convince gamers of it's value ($39.99) and printed fewer copies. I purchased it though, but wouldn't have kept it if it didn't have Classic Controller support.
Too bad GW 2 isn't available in some form for the Wii or even WiiWare...
Need to see some gameplay footage before any of us can voice any decent opinion. It IS coming out in 2010 after all. Then again, it is Sega publishing it. Hmm...
I may pick this up when it reaches NA but there's a good reason why I may skip it. I STILL own a fully functional Sega Saturn and packaged versions of Bust-A-Move 2 and Bust-A-Move 3 (Puzzle Bobble 2 & 3) and still play them occasionally. BAM2 in my opinion is the best of the original series due to the music (almost worthy of ripping the tracks into iTunes), the backgrounds, the characters and the gameplay. BAM3 had the near-endless "developer favorites" mode with over 1,000 puzzles, but only one background...
If the backgrounds and the characters pay homage to BAM2 while expanding the gameplay a bit then that's fine; that means I'm one step closer to packing away my Saturn. If not, then all I have to do is put in BAM2 and grab a controller, saving my money for Arkanoid Wii.
KDR_11k's first comment pretty much described my feelings towards the title when I played it on the PS2, which is why I didn't purchase the PSP version when it came out. When I heard that NIS would SOMEHOW cram the game onto a DS cart I had to pick it up no matter how boring the gameplay was - at least this time I would just play couple of maps at a time on the go. I even went several miles out of my way to grab the last sealed copy.
The game suffers from the voice acting that made the PS2 version more enjoyable but the fact that they condensed a PS2 game down to a DS cart was great in itself. One note: pick up Double Jump Publishing's strategy guide if you want to get anywhere.
Mario vs Donkey Kong is good, and I've already collected half of the gold stars. As for the downloads, too many of them were made using the environments of the first floor (no desert maps or magnetic strips yet). It seems that users rushed to create content to be shared (not a bad thing) but once more gamers unlock more construction maps more variety can be added.
The words "about freaking time" can't emphasize how long Camelot and Nintendo were delaying the announcement; I mean, they knew that gamers demanded a third Golden Sun for years. I wasn't very surprised when Fils-Ame finally made the announcement, but that doesn't mean that I'm not excited.
Let's hope that the characters, the story and the continent of Weyard (is that the proper name?) remains just as endearing as the previous games.
Very nice! Rather strange though; I mean Nintendo has long been known for squeezing every last dime out of thier fanbase and we were all expecting MP1 and MP2: Echoes to sell for $39.99 USD each under the New Play Control label. This is a shock.
Preorder this compilation IMMEDIATELY (and not from Gamestop either) if:
*You've never played either of the GC games because of the FPS style. *You want widescreen support and up-res'ed visuals *you want to dodge those metroids in MP1 with better controls (I would lose a TON of health when I panicked as a metroid attached itself) *you want to save space on your shelf
Don't purchase if: *You've unlocked EVERYTHING in all three games *If your Wii has problems reading dual-layer disks (I bought mine in October 2007 and have had no issues when playing other dual-layer games *If your only avenue for preordering is Gamestop (knowing them they'll try to pull a stunt in order to squeeze more money out of the consumer to generate interest like the MP3 issue).
@bb2970: I've purchased Art Style: Aquias for the DSi; it's good for a few minutes of play while cooling down from playing Mario Kart DS on the bus. Art Style: Cubello is my new addiction (just now downloaded it) - so now you have a fellow Art Style fan.
Regarding this week's offerings: SON OF A...I'm trying to save up for a Mac! And Nintendo chose to release Majora's Mask NOW??? And I didn't purchase Ocarina of Time because I played it to death back in 1998 but being a hardcore gamer I HAVE to purchase both!
Crystal Defenders R1 was a really enjoyable "come home from work and play before bed" game; 800 points is steep but I like the game mechanics and I'm a big fan of the FFTA series (136+ hours in Grimoire of the Rift alone) and the maps and game mechanics are more varied so I'll download this after eating dinner and washing the dishes.
One more thing: now I KNOW that I'm not the only man waiting for the ONE N64 game that blew nearly every other game in the library (no, it's not SSB, put your hands down) - the story was awesome, it was the only thing close to a third-party RPG that was created as an N64 exclusive, it was hard as heck but was one of the most enjoyable games of my my life. The game's name:
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber.
Once this game comes out I may never need another Virtual Console game ever again. I'll of course purchase WiiWare games, but I won't have a need for the VC anymore.
I'm rather surprised. I've heard all of the comments such as "it's overpriced" or "no GBA equals no purchase" or "I want to see another Game Boy", but lo and behold - April 5th arrives in North America and here come the naysayers. Though I'm not sure whether the $169.99 USD was worth it, I do find myself taking pictures, sitting the unit on my desk allowing it to play jazz music as I work (which frees up my old work PC's resources) and playing my favorite games in better light settings.
Here's hoping that Nintendo announces more substantial offerings at E3 as well as confirm or deny the rumors of a Virtaul Console-like service for handheld games. I enjoyed Birds & Beans, Real Soccer 2009, Dr. Mario Express and Art Style: Aquias but we already knew about these capabilities - plus there's nothing specific in the way of DSi-related cartridge releases yet. Surprise us, Nintendo.
I just downloaded this (payday) and I'm really enjoying it. I need to learn both control schemes before I go too far into it. One question: how many of you use the touch-screen control setup versus the button configuration?
It's great that games such as World of Goo and Bit.Trip Beat get the recognition that they deserve. I'm surprised that Nintendo was kind enough to include them in yesterday's message to Wii owners and in video form. I have to admit though that I NEVER downloaded WoG ($15.00 USD seemed steep for a title I that I had known little about or was a new IP) but I'm definitely downloading it on pay day (tomorrow night).
Way to go, indie developers. Maybe now PSN and XBLA gamers will take WiiWare and their gaming audience more seriously - maybe developers will do the same.
I'm glad that Gaijin didn't stray far from the core machanic (graphics, game objective) of the formula. I do agree about the long length of the stages upping the difficulty into insane, but it wasn't until I somehow beat BTB's Descent stage that it came to me that it's good for hardcore Wii gamers to get their butts kicked now and then - just like the classic games from the 1980s and 1990s.
Can't wait for the summer. Too bad it's not coming sooner; WiiWare in NA has been lackluster lately...
I was one of the suckers that bought Pokemon Red instead of Pokemon Blue - I wanted Meowth, Butterfree and Vulpix/Ninetails but they were in the BLUE version! What really stunk was that I knew no one else in my age group in which I could trade for those pokemon because I was twenty at that time...
I have to admit that I played so much of the original series (especially Pokemon Yellow) that my zeal ran out by the time Gold and Silver came out. Sadly I gave Pokemon Silver to my sister along with my Game Boy Color to play while I focused on my Playstation RPG collection and going to school. I miss Pokemon Yellow...
I only have the Wii so I'm definitely downloading the WiiWare version. I don't play tower defense games that much but this game looks very interesting. Bones00 clinched it for me when he said that additional waves appear during level retries - and we've all done worse with 800 Points, right?
I've watched the trailers on the Nintendo Channel but it wasn't until Garnet Lee and David Ellis of the Listen Up podcast hyped the game, comparing it to other music-hybrid games like Rez and Lumines as one of thier favorites. It was the word-of-mouth channel of information that caused me to give the title a look.
Despite the difficulty of the Descent stage (those blue beats jumping pell-mell when the rock music starts is what does me in), the game is very enjoyable; the problem is that everyone else in my family is too scared to try it! My infant nephew and neice love the music of the Transition stage, but thier mother freaks out when watching me play, let alone control it herself. My mother (though a fan of classic games from the '70s and '80s herself) wouldn't try out the game. Don't ask me why, except maybe it's the Wii itself that intimidates her.
I think this post will illustrate why the game is selling the way it is. Gamers such as Corbie and myself who are into retro games (Millipede and Crystal Castles on the Atari 2600 are more enjoyable than a lot of the high-budget drivel being released today in my opinion) and who overcome thier fears of experimentation will eat games like Bit.Trip Beat up. The casual gamers in my house are too afraid to play because like Pac-Man if you don't have SOME mid-level gaming skills you're not going to last long. The lack of marketing is an unfortunate third issue - not enough gamers besides the internet or podcast listener crowd knew about the title (though you have explained that advertising would have left you without a budget).
I still play the game every time I have a short break (must...beat...Descent) and I did make a screensaver recently saying "Play Bit.Trip Beat!" at work so that my Wii-owning co-workers could take the hint.
It WOULD have been awesome if the game came out for WiiWare, but the VC have enough classic fighters already (just not as modern) and collection disks are being released for the Wii anyway. I already have the game for PS2 and played it to death, so I'm not going to miss it too much.
Still, why couldn't this game be released as a physical medium for about $19.99 USD if gamers are desperate enough?
@Wiiman192: I remember Pandemonium - I played the Saturn version when it was ported from PC. It boasted the same style of 2D gameplay within 3D environments, which is why I'm interested in this title. Pandemonium was a rather "meh" title and I assume that this one may play and feel the same way. I may or may not have the nerve to pick this up, but like WolfRamHeart says 700 Points can go towards something else - like a TG-16 or NES Virtual Console title.
I've never heard of Cave Story but there was so much buzz all around the 'net that I finally did research and saw the trailers. Even though there's an option to play the game for free on the PC there's a good reason why I will be one of the Wii owners who will gladly give Studio Pixel/Nicalis my money:
1) I can vote with my dollars. These are the kinds that the Wii download service needs, not cheap cash-ins like Crystal Defenders R1 (even though the game looks amusing) or those horrible Gameloft ports, and
2) The game has that Metroid/Zelda/Kid Icarus vibe. It looks dated but that's part of the charm. It would be awesome just to come home from a hard day at work and saving some rabbits and a damsel in distress.
Cave Story, Adventure Island: the Beginning, Explodemon...WiiWare is blowing up!
@thewiirocks re the Internet Channel: maybe, but Nintendo has GOT to update the Wii's Macromedia Flash capabilities from version 6 to at least 9 (Windows & Mac have version 10, correct?). Internet functionality aside, if Wii owners move all of their VC and WW onto the SD card and leave the game saves, a small amount of downloadable content and the basic channels then there should be a ton of space left for the internet or any games we want to play.
I have to rest up for work now (meaning I'll probably be playing Bit.Trip Beat for another hour).
I updated my Wii immediately after I came home from work. After shuffling around all of my Virtual Console and WiiWare titles I now have the following setup:
WiiWare games in section 1, NES and Master System titles in section 2, TurboGrafx 16/Turbo Duo games in section 3, Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive titles in section 4, and Miscellaneous in section 5.
I really like the black background - I admit that it's simple but striking, especially when the background contrasts with the game names themselves. I also loved the "Move" feature which saves time in moving games to the SD and clearing space instead of manually copying the game first to the card, then deleting the game from internal storage. I moved Bit.Trip Beat and Same Game in this manner to clear space.
After about an hour of work I now have over 1,150 blocks of space on the internal memory - which is awesome because the Internet Channel would have been deleted eventually if this didn't come along. The games now have a minor delay in loading into RAM before starting but at least I can play Sin & Punishment, Mario Kart 64, Gradius 2: Gofer's Ambition and even have room for My Life As A King without worrying about having around 50 blocks of space left.
Hello everyone, just joined a few minutes ago using the Internet Channel. Love the community and the site.
Let me start off with WAHOO! I've put a reserve on the DSi but was thinking of withdrawing it until I read this. Like many of you I've owned the Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color and have enjoyed a TON of classic games. I remember the Game Boy and Donkey Kong '94 being my first purchases with my own money when I was a junior in high school, travelling in a blizzard to grab a copy of Kirby's Dream Land 2 in 1995, swearing at the difficulty in Donkey Kong Land's blimp levels and playing Link's Awakening over and over again (the eighth boss was too easy - beating a living fire ball with the Fire Rod?).
This is great news for an old guy like me (I'm hitting thirty-one). I doubt that the GB VC would be available at launch, but I may just purchase the DSi anyway. Thank you Nintendo and thanks to WiiWare World for informing the gaming community.
*And may God bless the poster who confirmed that the DSi can support up to 8 GBs - I just bought an 8 GB SDHC without knowing the DSi's limits. Again, thanks.
Comments 138
Re: Muramasa: The Demon Blade Launch Trailer
@Koto: That's a thought, I never finished Radiant Dawn. In fact because of work and the commute I hardly have the time to finish ANYTHING. Maybe someone can post a feature regarding adult gamers who still know what the best games are that suit their tastes, purchase them...yet don't finish them. This won't be the same for Muramasa for me I hope.
Re: Muramasa: The Demon Blade Launch Trailer
I brought it home and played it for three hours straight last night. It's pretty much just a hack-and-slash...but a FUN hack-and-slash. There's quite a bit of control that the player has available no matter what control style you choose. Plus: NO WAGGLE!
Looking forward to NintendoLife's review.
Re: Muramasa: The Demon Blade Destiny Trailer
I'm rather worried about the future sales numbers. If Muramasa doesn't sell enough copies to pay for development, advertising and distribution I could see a LOT of development shift to the DS, or in the case of a game like this the PSP. I've done my part and preordered (I'm not even getting the scroll) but it would just plain stink if all of this advertising (as well as the random unsolicited tweets, real cute Ignition) come to naught.
It would be like the GTA Chinatown Wars incident, only for the Wii...
Re: New DSi and Wii Remote Colors Announced
I need an extra Wiimote/Nunchuck combo so that my younger sisters could play together. Though the black controllers will look odd when sitting next to the white Wii, the new color is almost too good to pass up. I just need a black Classic Controller to match...
Re: Muramasa: The Demon Blade Exclusive Release Party
I wish I'd have known beforehand as I live in southern New Jersey, and traveling to NY would only be two-and-a-half hours. Plus, this appears to be on a Saturday and this would have been perfect for me...alas, I don't have the money! Thank God that I preordered though, I don't that I'll get my wall scroll with my game but the game is most important.
Philadelphia PA gets no respect (twenty-five miles away). I mean, the city was the birthplace of the country yet gets treated like the armpit of the Northeast...
Re: Arkanoid Plus!
Those Block Breaker controls...um...no. Just no. I would lose a ball every time I accidently went out of the sensor bar's range (which was VERY limited). Those controls were a fail for me, but I guess that's just me.
Re: Nintendo Download: Art, Cards and Crystals Have Gamers Seeing Spots
As Bass XO stated, a bad rollout this week can mean a great lineup next week. It's good too, because I only have 400 Points until Thursday night (payday) anyway. I'll just finish up on some WiiWare titles this week.
Although, Darklord looks like a worthy purchase but this time I'm staying away from the additional content. I went a little too crazy in downloads for MLAAK...
Re: A Little Bit of... Puzzle League
I still have the retail version and I agree - the lack of online players is disappointing. There are a few REALLY good Japanese opponents, but few others.
For 500 Points it's not bad for taking it on the go, especially since it leaves the DS cartridge slot free for another title (in my case it would be Suikoden Tierkreis), but better DSiWare games are beginning to appear. One question though: where are the classic Game Boy downloads? Me want Wario Land 2!
Re: My Life as a Darklord Coming to North America on Monday
I've already fallen for purchasing way too much downloadable content with My Life As A King, and while the overall game experience was enjoyable I no longer had the time to sit down and finish it (building the Library for example). Add to the fact that I'm still embarrassed about purchasing Crystal Defenders R1 and R2 and incensed over the pricing of The After Years packs (I didn't purchase any yet) and I was ready to blow off Darklord. The core game looks good, but there's no way I'm going to purchase additional content (Cave Story and several other games a-comin').
Re: Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (16th July)
Regarding PictoBits and MFC: That stinks! Ready for brief laugh?
I had downloaded PictoBits last week and forgot about it because I placed it at the leftmost end of my DSi Menu. I was shuffling through my menu three days ago while waiting for my bus and saw the icon and thought "wait a minute, you're not Aquias...PictoBits...what the heck? Wait a minute! I bought that game?" Then I started playing it and almost let the bus race right past me. It's awesome!
Asphalt 4 does deserve to be on the list, it's too bad that A5 is going to appear on the iPhone/iPod touch. And I'm guessing the reason for all of the shovelware is due to the software being cheap ($2.00 USD?) and either the amount of new DSi owners being too old or too young to discern which games are quality and which aren't.
Re: Nostalgia Airship Trailer Released
It has that Skies of Arcadia vibe about it. The fact that it's coming to DS is just icing on the cake.
Re: Official Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord Trailer
Interesting. It appears to have more action than MLAAK (well, of course it would, as it seems that SE is addressing the many complaints about the original). Looks really entertaining to me.
I hate to tread into semi-forbidden territory and open up a can of worms, but - daughter of the Darklord? How in the world does that work?
Re: Review: Puzzle Bobble Plus! (WiiWare)
FYI - bought the game last night (I love it when I accidentally leave Wii Points in my account!), not the best Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble released, but definitely not the worst - I mean, we can all admit that we've done worse with 600/800 Points. I'll download the actual BAM2 and BAM3 packs on Thursday night when I can add more points to my account, but so far the Saturn versions win on presentation, characters, backgrounds and music. The WiiWare version's presentation is above-average and the gameplay is addictive though.
Re: Review: Arkanoid DS (DS)
I bought the game and yes, it is bland. I got a little fun out of it because was what it was, a Breakout-like game, plus I had owned the even more bland Break 'Em All which was one my first DS games back in 2006 and was desperately looking for a better title. Being able to customize the look of the field, the Vaus, the blocks and the music was like putting sugar in a bowl of cereal with expired milk - it wasn't really worth it and it didn't make the overall game any better.
The upcoming Arkanoid Plus for WiiWare should more than make up for it.
Re: Arkanoid Plus!
I have fond memories of playing the Super Famicom/ Super NES game Arkanoid: D'oh it Again and this is the Taito game that I was waiting for. Hopefully it contains up to one-hundred stages like the SNES game.
This will also make up for the rather bland Arkanoid DS title released last year (square blocks, gap between screens, etc).
Re: Review: Geometry Wars Galaxies (Wii)
The DS version is $19.99 USD over here and has more copies available and contains more or less the same stages (yet suffers from slowdown). The Wii version can be harder to find as previously stated, mainly because Kuju/Sierra found it harder to convince gamers of it's value ($39.99) and printed fewer copies. I purchased it though, but wouldn't have kept it if it didn't have Classic Controller support.
Too bad GW 2 isn't available in some form for the Wii or even WiiWare...
Re: Brand New Infinite Space Trailer
Need to see some gameplay footage before any of us can voice any decent opinion. It IS coming out in 2010 after all. Then again, it is Sega publishing it. Hmm...
Re: Review: Puzzle Bobble Plus! (WiiWare)
I may pick this up when it reaches NA but there's a good reason why I may skip it. I STILL own a fully functional Sega Saturn and packaged versions of Bust-A-Move 2 and Bust-A-Move 3 (Puzzle Bobble 2 & 3) and still play them occasionally. BAM2 in my opinion is the best of the original series due to the music (almost worthy of ripping the tracks into iTunes), the backgrounds, the characters and the gameplay. BAM3 had the near-endless "developer favorites" mode with over 1,000 puzzles, but only one background...
If the backgrounds and the characters pay homage to BAM2 while expanding the gameplay a bit then that's fine; that means I'm one step closer to packing away my Saturn. If not, then all I have to do is put in BAM2 and grab a controller, saving my money for Arkanoid Wii.
Anyone else feel the same way?
Re: Review: Disgaea DS (DS)
KDR_11k's first comment pretty much described my feelings towards the title when I played it on the PS2, which is why I didn't purchase the PSP version when it came out. When I heard that NIS would SOMEHOW cram the game onto a DS cart I had to pick it up no matter how boring the gameplay was - at least this time I would just play couple of maps at a time on the go. I even went several miles out of my way to grab the last sealed copy.
The game suffers from the voice acting that made the PS2 version more enjoyable but the fact that they condensed a PS2 game down to a DS cart was great in itself. One note: pick up Double Jump Publishing's strategy guide if you want to get anywhere.
Re: Top 20 DSiWare Games in USA (10th June)
Mario vs Donkey Kong is good, and I've already collected half of the gold stars. As for the downloads, too many of them were made using the environments of the first floor (no desert maps or magnetic strips yet). It seems that users rushed to create content to be shared (not a bad thing) but once more gamers unlock more construction maps more variety can be added.
Re: Golden Sun Coming to DS
The words "about freaking time" can't emphasize how long Camelot and Nintendo were delaying the announcement; I mean, they knew that gamers demanded a third Golden Sun for years. I wasn't very surprised when Fils-Ame finally made the announcement, but that doesn't mean that I'm not excited.
Let's hope that the characters, the story and the continent of Weyard (is that the proper name?) remains just as endearing as the previous games.
Re: Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
This will be awesome. I loved the two previous games (no one here has mentioned MvDK for GBA yet...) so I'm definitely getting this on Monday night.
Re: Nintendo Confirms Metroid Prime Trilogy For Wii
Very nice! Rather strange though; I mean Nintendo has long been known for squeezing every last dime out of thier fanbase and we were all expecting MP1 and MP2: Echoes to sell for $39.99 USD each under the New Play Control label. This is a shock.
Preorder this compilation IMMEDIATELY (and not from Gamestop either) if:
*You've never played either of the GC games because of the FPS style.
*You want widescreen support and up-res'ed visuals
*you want to dodge those metroids in MP1 with better controls (I would lose a TON of health when I panicked as a metroid attached itself)
*you want to save space on your shelf
Don't purchase if:
*You've unlocked EVERYTHING in all three games
*If your Wii has problems reading dual-layer disks (I bought mine in October 2007 and have had no issues when playing other dual-layer games
*If your only avenue for preordering is Gamestop (knowing them they'll try to pull a stunt in order to squeeze more money out of the consumer to generate interest like the MP3 issue).
Re: Nintendo Download: Masks, Crystals, Chess and Art (US)
@bb2970: I've purchased Art Style: Aquias for the DSi; it's good for a few minutes of play while cooling down from playing Mario Kart DS on the bus. Art Style: Cubello is my new addiction (just now downloaded it) - so now you have a fellow Art Style fan.
Regarding this week's offerings: SON OF A...I'm trying to save up for a Mac! And Nintendo chose to release Majora's Mask NOW??? And I didn't purchase Ocarina of Time because I played it to death back in 1998 but being a hardcore gamer I HAVE to purchase both!
Crystal Defenders R1 was a really enjoyable "come home from work and play before bed" game; 800 points is steep but I like the game mechanics and I'm a big fan of the FFTA series (136+ hours in Grimoire of the Rift alone) and the maps and game mechanics are more varied so I'll download this after eating dinner and washing the dishes.
One more thing: now I KNOW that I'm not the only man waiting for the ONE N64 game that blew nearly every other game in the library (no, it's not SSB, put your hands down) - the story was awesome, it was the only thing close to a third-party RPG that was created as an N64 exclusive, it was hard as heck but was one of the most enjoyable games of my my life. The game's name:
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber.
Once this game comes out I may never need another Virtual Console game ever again. I'll of course purchase WiiWare games, but I won't have a need for the VC anymore.
Re: Nintendo DS: Over A Million Served In NA During April
I'm rather surprised. I've heard all of the comments such as "it's overpriced" or "no GBA equals no purchase" or "I want to see another Game Boy", but lo and behold - April 5th arrives in North America and here come the naysayers. Though I'm not sure whether the $169.99 USD was worth it, I do find myself taking pictures, sitting the unit on my desk allowing it to play jazz music as I work (which frees up my old work PC's resources) and playing my favorite games in better light settings.
Here's hoping that Nintendo announces more substantial offerings at E3 as well as confirm or deny the rumors of a Virtaul Console-like service for handheld games. I enjoyed Birds & Beans, Real Soccer 2009, Dr. Mario Express and Art Style: Aquias but we already knew about these capabilities - plus there's nothing specific in the way of DSi-related cartridge releases yet. Surprise us, Nintendo.
Re: Review: Real Football 2009 (DSiWare)
I just downloaded this (payday) and I'm really enjoying it. I need to learn both control schemes before I go too far into it. One question: how many of you use the touch-screen control setup versus the button configuration?
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (13th May)
It's great that games such as World of Goo and Bit.Trip Beat get the recognition that they deserve. I'm surprised that Nintendo was kind enough to include them in yesterday's message to Wii owners and in video form. I have to admit though that I NEVER downloaded WoG ($15.00 USD seemed steep for a title I that I had known little about or was a new IP) but I'm definitely downloading it on pay day (tomorrow night).
Way to go, indie developers. Maybe now PSN and XBLA gamers will take WiiWare and their gaming audience more seriously - maybe developers will do the same.
Re: Nintendo Life Exclusive - Bit.Trip Core E3 Trailer
I'm glad that Gaijin didn't stray far from the core machanic (graphics, game objective) of the formula. I do agree about the long length of the stages upping the difficulty into insane, but it wasn't until I somehow beat BTB's Descent stage that it came to me that it's good for hardcore Wii gamers to get their butts kicked now and then - just like the classic games from the 1980s and 1990s.
Can't wait for the summer. Too bad it's not coming sooner; WiiWare in NA has been lackluster lately...
Re: Review: Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy)
I was one of the suckers that bought Pokemon Red instead of Pokemon Blue - I wanted Meowth, Butterfree and Vulpix/Ninetails but they were in the BLUE version! What really stunk was that I knew no one else in my age group in which I could trade for those pokemon because I was twenty at that time...
I have to admit that I played so much of the original series (especially Pokemon Yellow) that my zeal ran out by the time Gold and Silver came out. Sadly I gave Pokemon Silver to my sister along with my Game Boy Color to play while I focused on my Playstation RPG collection and going to school. I miss Pokemon Yellow...
Re: Review: Adventure Island: The Beginning (WiiWare)
It's still decent looking enough to give it a shot. I just want to know when it will come out for the US...
Re: Review: Crystal Defenders R1 (WiiWare)
I only have the Wii so I'm definitely downloading the WiiWare version. I don't play tower defense games that much but this game looks very interesting. Bones00 clinched it for me when he said that additional waves appear during level retries - and we've all done worse with 800 Points, right?
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (29th Apr)
@ the good folks of Gaijin:
I've watched the trailers on the Nintendo Channel but it wasn't until Garnet Lee and David Ellis of the Listen Up podcast hyped the game, comparing it to other music-hybrid games like Rez and Lumines as one of thier favorites. It was the word-of-mouth channel of information that caused me to give the title a look.
Despite the difficulty of the Descent stage (those blue beats jumping pell-mell when the rock music starts is what does me in), the game is very enjoyable; the problem is that everyone else in my family is too scared to try it! My infant nephew and neice love the music of the Transition stage, but thier mother freaks out when watching me play, let alone control it herself. My mother (though a fan of classic games from the '70s and '80s herself) wouldn't try out the game. Don't ask me why, except maybe it's the Wii itself that intimidates her.
I think this post will illustrate why the game is selling the way it is. Gamers such as Corbie and myself who are into retro games (Millipede and Crystal Castles on the Atari 2600 are more enjoyable than a lot of the high-budget drivel being released today in my opinion) and who overcome thier fears of experimentation will eat games like Bit.Trip Beat up. The casual gamers in my house are too afraid to play because like Pac-Man if you don't have SOME mid-level gaming skills you're not going to last long. The lack of marketing is an unfortunate third issue - not enough gamers besides the internet or podcast listener crowd knew about the title (though you have explained that advertising would have left you without a budget).
I still play the game every time I have a short break (must...beat...Descent) and I did make a screensaver recently saying "Play Bit.Trip Beat!" at work so that my Wii-owning co-workers could take the hint.
Keep up the good work!
Re: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 in "Not Coming to Wii" Shocker
It WOULD have been awesome if the game came out for WiiWare, but the VC have enough classic fighters already (just not as modern) and collection disks are being released for the Wii anyway. I already have the game for PS2 and played it to death, so I'm not going to miss it too much.
Still, why couldn't this game be released as a physical medium for about $19.99 USD if gamers are desperate enough?
Re: Review: Cocoto Platform Jumper (WiiWare)
@Wiiman192: I remember Pandemonium - I played the Saturn version when it was ported from PC. It boasted the same style of 2D gameplay within 3D environments, which is why I'm interested in this title. Pandemonium was a rather "meh" title and I assume that this one may play and feel the same way. I may or may not have the nerve to pick this up, but like WolfRamHeart says 700 Points can go towards something else - like a TG-16 or NES Virtual Console title.
Re: Cave Story Development Nearing Completion
I've never heard of Cave Story but there was so much buzz all around the 'net that I finally did research and saw the trailers. Even though there's an option to play the game for free on the PC there's a good reason why I will be one of the Wii owners who will gladly give Studio Pixel/Nicalis my money:
1) I can vote with my dollars. These are the kinds that the Wii download service needs, not cheap cash-ins like Crystal Defenders R1 (even though the game looks amusing) or those horrible Gameloft ports, and
2) The game has that Metroid/Zelda/Kid Icarus vibe. It looks dated but that's part of the charm. It would be awesome just to come home from a hard day at work and saving some rabbits and a damsel in distress.
Cave Story, Adventure Island: the Beginning, Explodemon...WiiWare is blowing up!
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
@thewiirocks re the Internet Channel: maybe, but Nintendo has GOT to update the Wii's Macromedia Flash capabilities from version 6 to at least 9 (Windows & Mac have version 10, correct?). Internet functionality aside, if Wii owners move all of their VC and WW onto the SD card and leave the game saves, a small amount of downloadable content and the basic channels then there should be a ton of space left for the internet or any games we want to play.
I have to rest up for work now (meaning I'll probably be playing Bit.Trip Beat for another hour).
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
I updated my Wii immediately after I came home from work. After shuffling around all of my Virtual Console and WiiWare titles I now have the following setup:
WiiWare games in section 1,
NES and Master System titles in section 2,
TurboGrafx 16/Turbo Duo games in section 3,
Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive titles in section 4, and
Miscellaneous in section 5.
I really like the black background - I admit that it's simple but striking, especially when the background contrasts with the game names themselves. I also loved the "Move" feature which saves time in moving games to the SD and clearing space instead of manually copying the game first to the card, then deleting the game from internal storage. I moved Bit.Trip Beat and Same Game in this manner to clear space.
After about an hour of work I now have over 1,150 blocks of space on the internal memory - which is awesome because the Internet Channel would have been deleted eventually if this didn't come along. The games now have a minor delay in loading into RAM before starting but at least I can play Sin & Punishment, Mario Kart 64, Gradius 2: Gofer's Ambition and even have room for My Life As A King without worrying about having around 50 blocks of space left.
Re: Rejoice! The DSi Gets a Virtual Console After All
Hello everyone, just joined a few minutes ago using the Internet Channel. Love the community and the site.
Let me start off with WAHOO! I've put a reserve on the DSi but was thinking of withdrawing it until I read this. Like many of you I've owned the Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color and have enjoyed a TON of classic games. I remember the Game Boy and Donkey Kong '94 being my first purchases with my own money when I was a junior in high school, travelling in a blizzard to grab a copy of Kirby's Dream Land 2 in 1995, swearing at the difficulty in Donkey Kong Land's blimp levels and playing Link's Awakening over and over again (the eighth boss was too easy - beating a living fire ball with the Fire Rod?).
This is great news for an old guy like me (I'm hitting thirty-one). I doubt that the GB VC would be available at launch, but I may just purchase the DSi anyway. Thank you Nintendo and thanks to WiiWare World for informing the gaming community.
*And may God bless the poster who confirmed that the DSi can support up to 8 GBs - I just bought an 8 GB SDHC without knowing the DSi's limits. Again, thanks.
James