@66 (thewiirocks): Some of the most inaccurate statements I've ever heard.
Firstly, the supposed 'power increase' to switch from 852x480 widescreen to 720 HD is 125%, a whole 100% less than you claim.
Secondly, it's only the pixel fill rate that needs to be increased to accommodate the higher resolution which is probably the least expensive aspect of video graphics processing, the current scaling tech would probably handle texture interpolation fine. So I'm afraid your point about it being a lot more expensive to incorporate HD is simply not true.
In addition, you all seem to forge that Nintendo are a bunch of money grabbing SOBs - yes they DIDN'T integrate HD to cut costs, but there really was is no reason to think Nintendo couldn't have recouped the costs by other means. Frankly its one of a multitude of dumb oversights that Nintendo have made with the Wii and just like the rest it's as annoying as hell but livable and consider this: I've heard it'll cost Nintendo no more than $85 to produce a Wii by the end of the year and they're still pumping them out at full retail - I somehow think that Nintendo would have had no problem at all in recouping the cost of implementing HD by now.
@darknyth: Have you actually seen how many different TV connectors you can buy the the Wii already? Composite, SCART and Component - and that's all just so people can enjoy slightly better visual definition. I'm current running on Component because quite frankly both SCART and Composite suck in comparison.
Why not just offer two options: SCART and HD and avoid composite (ugh) and component altogether - it would avoid having to deal with multiple tiny connections for older people who tend to suffer more with bad finger joints. Just being sensible.
I've always looked for better visual fidelity on TVs, whether it's replacing the N64's RF with SCART and Gamecube's composite with RGB SCART.
For everyone spouting nonsense about graphics only being eye candy, I guess you either have really bad eyesight or don't own a HD LCD television. Without a doubt the extra resolution sets the bar that much higher for HD users who are tired of fiddling with their TV's sharpness and constrast settings to get each game looking good.
Wii SD visuals are either horribly jagged or look like vaseline-o-vision depending on sharpness settings and to get the equivalent 720p image, I ain't forking out a couple of hundred quid for a decent hardware upscaler considering I can buy a much more powerful console for the same money.
It's about time Nintendo offered people a free trade-in to get the Wii properly HD compatible, that way for those who don't care it won't cost a penny but others such as myself will be that little bit happier. At least that'd be one thing fixed for Nintendo's considerably flawed 'current-gen' home console.
@Wiiloveit: You do realise that your assumption about Alex's coverage of the controls is based on entirely your own interpretation of the review rather than solid fact and you're now forcing your sermon down people's throats. I never came away with the impression that certain control schemes were specific to a particular era and the review never stated that as a fact at all.
Before you start mouthing off about review inaccuracies consider what you're spouting too - as far as I'm concerned your opion is far from gospel when you start making up accusations based on rather dubious summisations.
As far as the bonus modes goes, I really don't care, but fair dues for pointing out another pointless mode anyway. I'm sure completing it will get listed in some book like "The Top 100 Greatest Gaming Achievements to Aim for Before I Die" and will feature prominently alongside such classics objectives as "Count how many times a Wii remote can be thrown at a wall before it breaks". "How far can I throw my Gamecube" and "Count how many DS(i)s I can pick up on the London Underground" Top quality achievements like that.
I have to say I've found these comments to be more entertaining and certainly longer lasting than the game. On top of that the whole package is free and has great replay value. Researching comments and seeing what a total creep out Bplus' forums were with DEMON and Wiiloveits comments was the highlight of my day today.
Overall score for the comments on this review: 10/10
@KDR_11k: He's right, but that's probably because Bplus got their asses handed to them after the Plattchen debacle. Hopefully they'll take their approach to gaming in a different direction now - like leaving it alone altogether. Three strikes guys.
@Doogle: I wouldn't worry, I never did put much stake in Wiiloveit's comments. I've been on their website, reviews are not exactly its shining force. The score actually sounds quite reasonable after reading reviews from some other websites - I'm sure Wiiloveits site will give it something in the order of 24/30 for no reason other than they feel it needs defending.
All in all though I'd say this is Bplus' best game yet. Crap-tastic. At least it only lasts an hour, not that it'd tout it's 'replayability' to my friends. I like to keep at least a little self respect.
Unlike Plattchen and Niki, I won't be buying this game, despite the lower price point. I've already been burned by those two 'stellar' releases. It's a shame but developers really shouldn't float out sub-standard software that wouldn't even pass-muster as freeware/open source.
I'll stick with Shinobi III - the gameplay in Revenge looks considerably more wooden and dated when compared to its sequel.
I've never been a big Final Fight fan, but I might give FF2 a go. Phantasy Star is probably the worst series of RPGs I've ever encountered (with the exception of Online) so I won't be bothering with the original.
At least there's still Twinbee, Bomberman and Kirby (and hopefully LiT) to look forward to next month and I hope TV Show King 2 is A LOT better than the half-arsed original. Mahjong might be good too as long as it's not another in a long line of patience games in which case it's a no-go.
@KnucklesSonic8: The bots aren't too bright on Normal difficulty level, I haven't played at a harder difficulty as I've moved onto on-line matches. Just don't get cornered as two people with bazookas will take you down real quick unless you have a shield (raincoat)
Spot on with what I was expecting. Nice review - hopefully I'll start to see some western players online now. It seems like most PAL gamers are too good for this type of thing because I only ever see Japanese players online, selecting regional matches is a pointless waste of time.
I can't believe people actually wanted to finish this game. I barely got past getting the first three pieces of armor for Midna before I felt like I was in Dullsville. I loved Ocarina and Wind Waker (as well as Link to the Past) but this was without doubt one of the dullest Zelda games I've ever played. I'd say one of the best facets of the game was the fact that you could get the Homebrew Channel installed using it. Now there's freely exploitable methods even that doesn't work in its favor anymore.
8/10 makes sense for the majority - I wouldn't have put it past 7 simply because it's so uninspired.
How's about doing a regular feature for Corbie: Seven of the Best
Each week Corbie goes through seven games from one of the major platforms (DS, WiiWare, etc) and can fine-grain further (shmups, platformers). Maybe even do a Seven of the Best to Come or 'Seven of the Rest: The Best Games That Won't Arrive on VC'
Maybe even 'Seven of the Worst Comments' at least then I'll get a mention - five times
I reckon we'll get Lit towards then end of July, likewise for Cave Story and I reckon they'll be single releases (or run alongside Hanabi)
Bonsai Barber could come at us anytime, likewise for Squibs Arcade and Spaceball Revolution so I can see them coming out as multi releases alongside either Colorz, Overturn or Robocalypse.
I do agree with you on there being at least one game left over before July ends though - I doubt it'll be Bonzai Barber, Overturn or Robocalypse as they're featured prominently in some Nintendo UK articles and I think I've seen some other solid content relating to Cave Story too (other than just a listing) I reckon LiT will be a cert for arriving before the deadline so I expect Spaceball: Revolution to arrive late. No big loss really.
Heh, now there's a first! I deleted my last post - I wonder what deviant act caused me to do that?! Must mark that down as one of the (most insensitive comments I've ever heard) pinnacles of my online social activites.
Anyway, enough about small minds, I actually like the sound of this game but because it's got no online I doubt I'll get it. I don't know anyone who's enough into this type of thing to play locally.
Good luck with your first WiiWare release though Luc and I hope you do get the rights back to Eternity's Child, which I still rate it as one of my most wanted WiiWare titles!
If you want a more hardcore FPS then I suggest you wait for The Conduit, but using Water Warfare's toned down approach to violence is no excuse not purchase or enjoy the game.
I can never get around the concept 'mature' gamers have about needing buckets of blood and gore in a FPS. Don't get me wrong - I loved Perfect Dark, Goldeneye, Turok 1&2 and the Timesplitters series and even the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty series but I've never approached them for their violence (well, maybe with Turok is the exception)
I think Hudson have made a brave attempt to do something clever with the genre and by all accounts it sounds like a really good game (and for the money a must buy) There's no shame in taking on something different - if you are ashamed then you're not a mature as you make out to be.
@Dazza: Awesome.
Just checked out the gameplay video on WiiFolder. Looks like using a sniper rifle is still as satisfying as ever and the area shown was really well designed - not too big but with plenty of cover and some nice (large-ish) open spaces. The speed of movement is good and turning / aiming looks to be very responsive (I imagine the turning settings will be adjustable like in Onslaught) Up against eight players, the action looked very fast paced with very little time between encounters. Will definitely be getting this.
Ugh ... I'm away for another two nights so I'm still stuck on level 10 until Thursday. Can't wait to get back to the grindstone and finish this baby off - most intrigued by the 'certainly different' final boss and the extra level.
This may be the first definate 1,500 point purchase I've had since FFCC:MLaaK. I'm sort of glad there aren't any branching routes - why would the game need dead ends if they're not going to be of determental effect to the gameplay (other than just being annoying)?
Can't wait. Check out WiiFolder if you want to see a good video-based hands on of the multiplayer, they're also putting up videos of Water Warfare later today too.
I'd say that this is a fine example of where quantity preempts quality but Family Mini Golf at least looked interesting. Hopefully the review will be out before it arrives in Europe (I'm hoping for Lit this week - or even better Pokemon Scramble) Hopefully the rest of the WiiWare/VC lineup can be avoided.
I've never been a big fan of his and I think Transformers wouldn't have been any worse without him (or his character for that matter) I also agree with Machu on his opinion of the butchering of Transformers. The rest of his films seem to have been fairly well received (except his early stuff - Monkey Business and The Christmas Path) but overall I'd say he's a largely forgettable actor and tends to ride on films that are recognised for better reason.
No doubt his PR gurus were sniggering their asses off at his comments but hey, if the guy doesn't like Wii that's fine. Maybe he broke his hand when he realized that yet again people are just so much more interested in every other aspect of a film rather than him.
It's good - very good - but not perfect which is why I agree with the 9/10 score. Level 9 grated a bit due to the rather tedious pacing and I'm glad the aesthetics have changed now I'm on Level 10, but I haven't lost interest yet, which is an achievement considering my usual disdain for WiiWare titles.
I've estimated around 5 hours of game play - way longer than LostWinds (which took me all of 3 hours from start to finish) - and this game definitely has much better environmental set pieces that are definitely the bread and butter of this game. I do feel that some elements of the game are a little 'throwaway' - particularly the rather dull (though well animated) enemies.
I can see where you're coming from with the replay-ability too Drake although I'd say this game's puzzles will fair considerably better than LostWinds.
Not only have my initial fears about this game been proven wrong but I'm truly impressed with this review which offers top quality feedback to the point where I agree (almost) wholeheartedly on every point made. Not that I'd expect anything less - keep it up fella!
Great, just what I've always wanted to do with a games console - stare at blurry ass, low resolution pictures. Sounds like fun, and guess what: If I had to choose between this and Dragon Master - I'd choose death.
The video's music alone is enough to send most people into a psychopathic frenzy - how old do they think we are, three? Scratch that - judging by some of the 'features' (god I hope they can be turned off) I'd say that's an affirmative.
Innovative my arse - that's like writing the word 'quality' in the review of a Bplus game. Will this game require the N64's memory expansion pack to experience high-res graphics and a slower frame rate?
Not this week I won't. I'm getting Super Monkey Ball 2 for just over a fiver and Lord of the Rings: The Third Age for three quid from Ebay. Now that's £8 well spent. Going to see how much I can get Super Smash Bros. Melee for too, as I'm after the best game in the series after playing the second best on VC.
Yes, it's a wonderful parody of how a franchise plays exactly the same despite the different (and dubious representation of some) generations.
No! I'ts Bplus and man does that game look repetitive and ugly as hell.- the 8-bit and 16-bit sections are about as good as it gets. The 64-bit and 128-bit visuals are plain laughable but I expected nothing less.
Hopefully this game will skip a generation - or twelve - and come out when I'm dead
Super Smash Bros was one of my favorite N64 games, Melee was probably one of the most played games on my Gamecube. Brawl however, is a monstrosity that emulates the one good thing about Brawl (the fighting mechanics) and throws in a WHOLE bunch of garbage no-one really wants and fails to do the one thing everyone wanted right, which is on-line play. Anyone who rates Brawl over Melee has issues - serious issues.
For once, I'll be buying new VC and WiiWare this week.
Why can't all devs make games that look this good on Wii? It's not like they haven't had six years to prepare.
This is an insta-buy for me along with Super Mario Bros. Wii, Red Steel 2, Sin and P:unishment 2, FF: Crystal Bearers, Need for Speed: Nitro, Silent Hill, Dead Space, Rabbids and the new Metroid. Can't wait - 2010 can't come soon enough for me to get my hands on the complete set!
Looking at IGN's curtain snapshots, you can bring out what looks like Super Mario Bros Wii with a strong contrast filter applied - the other image appears to be a platformer.so I'm going with a 2/2.5D platformer.
But the real question (other than to appease everyone whose brain is stuck back in the 90's) is WHY? Unless of course it's a WiiWare title - after all, Nintendo did drop something about expecting games that we wouldn't usually see on the service. Maybe Super Mario Bros Wii is Nintendo's first attempt to push a large scale (i.e. bigger than 344 blocks excluding DLC) title for the service. How cool would that be?! It would certainly attract a lot more people to make use of the service too.
I totally agree with the score and review for this game. There is no way in hell that this game is worth anything over 6/10 - I rate it 5/10 personally for the shabby controls, cheap 2/3 frame animations and the overall feeling that it's an early 90's tech demo with the basics of a game tacked on.
@Atlantis1982: Yes, I think most people realize that HVS are pushing their Quantum3 engine in a whole range of mediocre games. As for this 'milestone' (or whatever crap HVS want to paint this time) achievement in Wii gaming, I'll pass. At least they're consistent in being able to provide a range of solid if truly unspectacular titles.
Sixth through ninety-ninth! I love Umbrella Chronicles and this looks infinitely more polished. Will also be getting Darkside Chronicles when it arrives.
Agree with Hardy83 about Overkill too except I wouldn't consider the script writer to be any older than 11.
Man this game has one of the most inconsistent control scheme ever, plus the arcade mode is so repetitive is gets tired real quick. I also found that there's simply too much going on on-screen - why should I have to keep jumping over/on crabs and hedgehogs when there's barely enough time to catch the fish to complete a stage anyway? The sharks and /bombs alone I could live with - maybe adding other obstacles later to make the game difficult would have been sensible but it seems the whole kitchen sink is thrown at you before you've barely got to know the game.
In all honesty, I haven't tried (and have been largely put off) the other modes yet, but unless they're any good I have a feeling I've just flushed another 800 points down the toilet.
No doubt this'll be another 7/10 'classic' but I'm opting for a more sensible 4/10 simply because - just like Plattchen - the developers have tried to hard and failed, making what could have been a great little game into a chore.
Nothing of interest on WiiWare this week which is probably the good thing considering how much I've bought over the past few weeks. Might buy Orbient seeing as it's been rated favorably on the forums as well as reviews.
I can't believe they really want this game to be retail. What RRP are they looking for - £10? Might as well be on WiiWare or forget about it imo. The Virtual Console has more advanced looking stuff than this and whilst I appreciate the homage to SuperFX an'all I doubt the average Joe on the street will give this game a second look until it's in the bargain bin at £1.99 a pop. Maybe that's the retro homage they're really looking towards?
I presume they mean pivoting the Wiimote with your thumb and forefinger rather than twisting which sounds more time consuming and uncomfortable. Ultimately - whilst the idea sounds vaguely interesting - both control schemes are so diverse that surely they would work against each other and players would tend to use on scheme or the other negating the whole point.
I'm sorry, but my stance on Bplus remains the same: Yes their games are different (read 'bad') enough to attract (the wrong kind of) attention and it seems the logic behind each consecutive title just gets more and more bizarre. I feel for these guys, I really do and I hope one day the developers get a bit of luck, but whilst they're under Bplus' wing (which seems to encourage random acts of lunacy) I doubt it. Surely there are greener pastures for these guys?
Oh and by the way, Bplus, I might be a grumpy miserable old git but I really don't appreciate any publisher using curse words in their promotions (Bit Boy) - it's immature, shallow and offensive and shouldn't see the light of day outside of your offices. I know it's been censored here but I caught it yesterday and it sure as hell wasn't then.
Oh and Bernd: Toki Tori was a remake and other than implementing IR pointer functionality (which was better replaced by more traditional control schemes) it barely had anything new to offer other than a handful of new levels and message board spamming. Like the original it IS a very good game though, but not for being innovative.
Oh dear lord. I can only pray an Oliphant crushes the hell out of the dev team before this comes to store shelves - or at least that someone will pull a Tom Bombadil and just make this terrible threat to all that is good disappear
I bought this and played it for a few hours and finally got bored with it on the final stage. Simply put - there's no consistency in the difficulty level as the player progrsses. Most people will waltz through the game using brute force (failing to get perfect on one or two random stages) within a few hours only to come up against the brick wall that is the final stage. Suddenly everything that the player has achieved seems pointless because everything they've done before goes against them. Not particularly a good 'tutorial game' if you ask me.
Yes, returning to the completed stages does add replay-ability with the extra waves but quite frankly outside of going back to get a perfect score and to rank somewhere on the somewhat pointless online leader-board, I doubt anyone will bother. I agree with SKTTR on the fast-forward button and the worthless elemental beasts too.
It's obvious Square have every intention of cashing in on this game. Usually I have no problems with their money-grabbing antics because most of their games have a good deal of polish - sadly the same can't be said about R1 which is not only short but really ugly with its blurry unmemorable visual style and less than spectacular audio.
Ultimately, I can only hope that R2 is somewhat better as this game is certainly not worth 800 of anyone's points - half that, yes. In fact, if the game play weren't solid enough I'd say the same for the score but I'm plumping for a less harsh 5/10. Square's first really disappointing WiiWare title.
Comments 377
Re: Official Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord Trailer
Looks like the video's been removed again!
Re: Super Mario Galaxy Shines in 720p
@66 (thewiirocks): Some of the most inaccurate statements I've ever heard.
Firstly, the supposed 'power increase' to switch from 852x480 widescreen to 720 HD is 125%, a whole 100% less than you claim.
Secondly, it's only the pixel fill rate that needs to be increased to accommodate the higher resolution which is probably the least expensive aspect of video graphics processing, the current scaling tech would probably handle texture interpolation fine. So I'm afraid your point about it being a lot more expensive to incorporate HD is simply not true.
In addition, you all seem to forge that Nintendo are a bunch of money grabbing SOBs - yes they DIDN'T integrate HD to cut costs, but there really was is no reason to think Nintendo couldn't have recouped the costs by other means. Frankly its one of a multitude of dumb oversights that Nintendo have made with the Wii and just like the rest it's as annoying as hell but livable and consider this: I've heard it'll cost Nintendo no more than $85 to produce a Wii by the end of the year and they're still pumping them out at full retail - I somehow think that Nintendo would have had no problem at all in recouping the cost of implementing HD by now.
Re: Super Mario Galaxy Shines in 720p
@darknyth: Have you actually seen how many different TV connectors you can buy the the Wii already? Composite, SCART and Component - and that's all just so people can enjoy slightly better visual definition. I'm current running on Component because quite frankly both SCART and Composite suck in comparison.
Why not just offer two options: SCART and HD and avoid composite (ugh) and component altogether - it would avoid having to deal with multiple tiny connections for older people who tend to suffer more with bad finger joints. Just being sensible.
I've always looked for better visual fidelity on TVs, whether it's replacing the N64's RF with SCART and Gamecube's composite with RGB SCART.
Re: Super Mario Galaxy Shines in 720p
For everyone spouting nonsense about graphics only being eye candy, I guess you either have really bad eyesight or don't own a HD LCD television. Without a doubt the extra resolution sets the bar that much higher for HD users who are tired of fiddling with their TV's sharpness and constrast settings to get each game looking good.
Wii SD visuals are either horribly jagged or look like vaseline-o-vision depending on sharpness settings and to get the equivalent 720p image, I ain't forking out a couple of hundred quid for a decent hardware upscaler considering I can buy a much more powerful console for the same money.
It's about time Nintendo offered people a free trade-in to get the Wii properly HD compatible, that way for those who don't care it won't cost a penny but others such as myself will be that little bit happier. At least that'd be one thing fixed for Nintendo's considerably flawed 'current-gen' home console.
Re: Review: Bit Boy!! (WiiWare)
@Wiiloveit: You do realise that your assumption about Alex's coverage of the controls is based on entirely your own interpretation of the review rather than solid fact and you're now forcing your sermon down people's throats. I never came away with the impression that certain control schemes were specific to a particular era and the review never stated that as a fact at all.
Before you start mouthing off about review inaccuracies consider what you're spouting too - as far as I'm concerned your opion is far from gospel when you start making up accusations based on rather dubious summisations.
As far as the bonus modes goes, I really don't care, but fair dues for pointing out another pointless mode anyway. I'm sure completing it will get listed in some book like "The Top 100 Greatest Gaming Achievements to Aim for Before I Die" and will feature prominently alongside such classics objectives as "Count how many times a Wii remote can be thrown at a wall before it breaks". "How far can I throw my Gamecube" and "Count how many DS(i)s I can pick up on the London Underground" Top quality achievements like that.
Re: Review: Bit Boy!! (WiiWare)
I have to say I've found these comments to be more entertaining and certainly longer lasting than the game. On top of that the whole package is free and has great replay value. Researching comments and seeing what a total creep out Bplus' forums were with DEMON and Wiiloveits comments was the highlight of my day today.
Overall score for the comments on this review: 10/10
Re: Review: Bit Boy!! (WiiWare)
Me? Lower myself to destroying Bplus? Not even worth my effort.
I like your Bit Boy promotion by the way. Next stop: the world.
Re: Review: Bit Boy!! (WiiWare)
@KDR_11k: He's right, but that's probably because Bplus got their asses handed to them after the Plattchen debacle. Hopefully they'll take their approach to gaming in a different direction now - like leaving it alone altogether. Three strikes guys.
Re: Review: Bit Boy!! (WiiWare)
@Doogle: I wouldn't worry, I never did put much stake in Wiiloveit's comments. I've been on their website, reviews are not exactly its shining force. The score actually sounds quite reasonable after reading reviews from some other websites - I'm sure Wiiloveits site will give it something in the order of 24/30 for no reason other than they feel it needs defending.
All in all though I'd say this is Bplus' best game yet. Crap-tastic. At least it only lasts an hour, not that it'd tout it's 'replayability' to my friends. I like to keep at least a little self respect.
Unlike Plattchen and Niki, I won't be buying this game, despite the lower price point. I've already been burned by those two 'stellar' releases. It's a shame but developers really shouldn't float out sub-standard software that wouldn't even pass-muster as freeware/open source.
Re: The OFLC Rates More Capcom and Sega Classics for Virtual Console
I'll stick with Shinobi III - the gameplay in Revenge looks considerably more wooden and dated when compared to its sequel.
I've never been a big Final Fight fan, but I might give FF2 a go. Phantasy Star is probably the worst series of RPGs I've ever encountered (with the exception of Online) so I won't be bothering with the original.
At least there's still Twinbee, Bomberman and Kirby (and hopefully LiT) to look forward to next month and I hope TV Show King 2 is A LOT better than the half-arsed original. Mahjong might be good too as long as it's not another in a long line of patience games in which case it's a no-go.
Re: 5 Spots Party Coming to Europe July 10th
I'm almost as excited about this as I am about Bit Boy. Yay for great updates.
Re: Review: Water Warfare (WiiWare)
@Chicken Brutus: No lag problems so far.
Re: Review: Water Warfare (WiiWare)
@KnucklesSonic8: The bots aren't too bright on Normal difficulty level, I haven't played at a harder difficulty as I've moved onto on-line matches. Just don't get cornered as two people with bazookas will take you down real quick unless you have a shield (raincoat)
Re: Review: Water Warfare (WiiWare)
Spot on with what I was expecting. Nice review - hopefully I'll start to see some western players online now. It seems like most PAL gamers are too good for this type of thing because I only ever see Japanese players online, selecting regional matches is a pointless waste of time.
Re: Review: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
I can't believe people actually wanted to finish this game. I barely got past getting the first three pieces of armor for Midna before I felt like I was in Dullsville. I loved Ocarina and Wind Waker (as well as Link to the Past) but this was without doubt one of the dullest Zelda games I've ever played. I'd say one of the best facets of the game was the fact that you could get the Homebrew Channel installed using it. Now there's freely exploitable methods even that doesn't work in its favor anymore.
8/10 makes sense for the majority - I wouldn't have put it past 7 simply because it's so uninspired.
Re: Podcast: Episode 5 - June's Download Round-up!
How's about doing a regular feature for Corbie: Seven of the Best
Each week Corbie goes through seven games from one of the major platforms (DS, WiiWare, etc) and can fine-grain further (shmups, platformers). Maybe even do a Seven of the Best to Come or 'Seven of the Rest: The Best Games That Won't Arrive on VC'
Maybe even 'Seven of the Worst Comments' at least then I'll get a mention - five times
Re: Nintendo Download: Puzzle Bobble, Water Warfare, SimEarth, Altered Beast and More Sudoku (EU)
I reckon we'll get Lit towards then end of July, likewise for Cave Story and I reckon they'll be single releases (or run alongside Hanabi)
Bonsai Barber could come at us anytime, likewise for Squibs Arcade and Spaceball Revolution so I can see them coming out as multi releases alongside either Colorz, Overturn or Robocalypse.
I do agree with you on there being at least one game left over before July ends though - I doubt it'll be Bonzai Barber, Overturn or Robocalypse as they're featured prominently in some Nintendo UK articles and I think I've seen some other solid content relating to Cave Story too (other than just a listing) I reckon LiT will be a cert for arriving before the deadline so I expect Spaceball: Revolution to arrive late. No big loss really.
Re: The Hanabi Festival Returns to Europe Next Month
Err... so unless Bomberman arrives that's just one for me this time (Kirby's Dream Land 3)
Pulseman looks horrible - slow, jerky and not at all fun.
Re: Mecho Wars Confirmed for WiiWare and DSiWare
Heh, now there's a first! I deleted my last post - I wonder what deviant act caused me to do that?! Must mark that down as one of the (most insensitive comments I've ever heard) pinnacles of my online social activites.
Anyway, enough about small minds, I actually like the sound of this game but because it's got no online I doubt I'll get it. I don't know anyone who's enough into this type of thing to play locally.
Good luck with your first WiiWare release though Luc and I hope you do get the rights back to Eternity's Child, which I still rate it as one of my most wanted WiiWare titles!
Re: First Impressions: Water Warfare
@Djungelurban: I noticed that too. I think they meant this year - well spotted though.
Re: First Impressions: Water Warfare
If you want a more hardcore FPS then I suggest you wait for The Conduit, but using Water Warfare's toned down approach to violence is no excuse not purchase or enjoy the game.
I can never get around the concept 'mature' gamers have about needing buckets of blood and gore in a FPS. Don't get me wrong - I loved Perfect Dark, Goldeneye, Turok 1&2 and the Timesplitters series and even the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty series but I've never approached them for their violence (well, maybe with Turok is the exception)
I think Hudson have made a brave attempt to do something clever with the genre and by all accounts it sounds like a really good game (and for the money a must buy) There's no shame in taking on something different - if you are ashamed then you're not a mature as you make out to be.
@Dazza: Awesome.
Just checked out the gameplay video on WiiFolder. Looks like using a sniper rifle is still as satisfying as ever and the area shown was really well designed - not too big but with plenty of cover and some nice (large-ish) open spaces. The speed of movement is good and turning / aiming looks to be very responsive (I imagine the turning settings will be adjustable like in Onslaught) Up against eight players, the action looked very fast paced with very little time between encounters. Will definitely be getting this.
Re: Review: Icarian: Kindred Spirits (WiiWare)
Ugh ... I'm away for another two nights so I'm still stuck on level 10 until Thursday. Can't wait to get back to the grindstone and finish this baby off - most intrigued by the 'certainly different' final boss and the extra level.
Re: First Impressions: Melee! Pokemon Scramble
This may be the first definate 1,500 point purchase I've had since FFCC:MLaaK. I'm sort of glad there aren't any branching routes - why would the game need dead ends if they're not going to be of determental effect to the gameplay (other than just being annoying)?
Can't wait. Check out WiiFolder if you want to see a good video-based hands on of the multiplayer, they're also putting up videos of Water Warfare later today too.
http://wiifolder.com/2009/06/the-fold-melee-pokemon-scramble/
Re: Nintendo Download: Drill Sergeants, Puzzles, Golf, Art Styles and Planets (US)
I'd say that this is a fine example of where quantity preempts quality but Family Mini Golf at least looked interesting. Hopefully the review will be out before it arrives in Europe (I'm hoping for Lit this week - or even better Pokemon Scramble) Hopefully the rest of the WiiWare/VC lineup can be avoided.
Re: Shia LaBeouf Disses the Wii
I've never been a big fan of his and I think Transformers wouldn't have been any worse without him (or his character for that matter) I also agree with Machu on his opinion of the butchering of Transformers. The rest of his films seem to have been fairly well received (except his early stuff - Monkey Business and The Christmas Path) but overall I'd say he's a largely forgettable actor and tends to ride on films that are recognised for better reason.
No doubt his PR gurus were sniggering their asses off at his comments but hey, if the guy doesn't like Wii that's fine. Maybe he broke his hand when he realized that yet again people are just so much more interested in every other aspect of a film rather than him.
Re: Review: Icarian: Kindred Spirits (WiiWare)
It's good - very good - but not perfect which is why I agree with the 9/10 score. Level 9 grated a bit due to the rather tedious pacing and I'm glad the aesthetics have changed now I'm on Level 10, but I haven't lost interest yet, which is an achievement considering my usual disdain for WiiWare titles.
I've estimated around 5 hours of game play - way longer than LostWinds (which took me all of 3 hours from start to finish) - and this game definitely has much better environmental set pieces that are definitely the bread and butter of this game. I do feel that some elements of the game are a little 'throwaway' - particularly the rather dull (though well animated) enemies.
I can see where you're coming from with the replay-ability too Drake although I'd say this game's puzzles will fair considerably better than LostWinds.
Not only have my initial fears about this game been proven wrong but I'm truly impressed with this review which offers top quality feedback to the point where I agree (almost) wholeheartedly on every point made. Not that I'd expect anything less - keep it up fella!
Re: Factor 5 Being Sued By Ex-Employees
Bit old news isn't it?
Re: Nintendo Download: Icarian, Let's Catch and Brain Training (EU)
Oh well, there's always next week.
Re: 5 Spots Party Coming to WiiWare
Great, just what I've always wanted to do with a games console - stare at blurry ass, low resolution pictures. Sounds like fun, and guess what: If I had to choose between this and Dragon Master - I'd choose death.
The video's music alone is enough to send most people into a psychopathic frenzy - how old do they think we are, three? Scratch that - judging by some of the 'features' (god I hope they can be turned off) I'd say that's an affirmative.
Re: Dragon Master Gameplay Video
Innovative my arse - that's like writing the word 'quality' in the review of a Bplus game.
Will this game require the N64's memory expansion pack to experience high-res graphics and a slower frame rate?
Re: Icarian: Kindred Spirits flies onto WiiWare this Friday
What's your source for the hands on? Can't find one anywhere.
Re: Icarian: Kindred Spirits flies onto WiiWare this Friday
Not this week I won't. I'm getting Super Monkey Ball 2 for just over a fiver and Lord of the Rings: The Third Age for three quid from Ebay. Now that's £8 well spent. Going to see how much I can get Super Smash Bros. Melee for too, as I'm after the best game in the series after playing the second best on VC.
Re: Dragon Master Spell Caster - Game Overview
So this is on VC right? Oh dear.
Re: Official Bit Boy!! Game Play Trailer
Yes, it's a wonderful parody of how a franchise plays exactly the same despite the different (and dubious representation of some) generations.
No! I'ts Bplus and man does that game look repetitive and ugly as hell.- the 8-bit and 16-bit sections are about as good as it gets. The 64-bit and 128-bit visuals are plain laughable but I expected nothing less.
Hopefully this game will skip a generation - or twelve - and come out when I'm dead
Re: Super Smash Bros. Available on VC This Friday
Super Smash Bros was one of my favorite N64 games, Melee was probably one of the most played games on my Gamecube. Brawl however, is a monstrosity that emulates the one good thing about Brawl (the fighting mechanics) and throws in a WHOLE bunch of garbage no-one really wants and fails to do the one thing everyone wanted right, which is on-line play. Anyone who rates Brawl over Melee has issues - serious issues.
For once, I'll be buying new VC and WiiWare this week.
Re: Miyamoto: Mario Galaxy 2 Is All-New, Baby
Why can't all devs make games that look this good on Wii? It's not like they haven't had six years to prepare.
This is an insta-buy for me along with Super Mario Bros. Wii, Red Steel 2, Sin and P:unishment 2, FF: Crystal Bearers, Need for Speed: Nitro, Silent Hill, Dead Space, Rabbids and the new Metroid. Can't wait - 2010 can't come soon enough for me to get my hands on the complete set!
Re: E3: New Wii Mario Game In The Works?
Looking at IGN's curtain snapshots, you can bring out what looks like Super Mario Bros Wii with a strong contrast filter applied - the other image appears to be a platformer.so I'm going with a 2/2.5D platformer.
But the real question (other than to appease everyone whose brain is stuck back in the 90's) is WHY? Unless of course it's a WiiWare title - after all, Nintendo did drop something about expecting games that we wouldn't usually see on the service. Maybe Super Mario Bros Wii is Nintendo's first attempt to push a large scale (i.e. bigger than 344 blocks excluding DLC) title for the service. How cool would that be?! It would certainly attract a lot more people to make use of the service too.
Re: Bplus Announces Bit Boy!!
I think you're all nuts
Re: Review: Fish'em All (WiiWare)
I totally agree with the score and review for this game. There is no way in hell that this game is worth anything over 6/10 - I rate it 5/10 personally for the shabby controls, cheap 2/3 frame animations and the overall feeling that it's an early 90's tech demo with the basics of a game tacked on.
Re: First Footage Of The Grinder Unleashed
@Atlantis1982: Yes, I think most people realize that HVS are pushing their Quantum3 engine in a whole range of mediocre games. As for this 'milestone' (or whatever crap HVS want to paint this time) achievement in Wii gaming, I'll pass. At least they're consistent in being able to provide a range of solid if truly unspectacular titles.
Re: Oh, So That's The E3 Dead Space: Extraction Demo
Sixth through ninety-ninth! I love Umbrella Chronicles and this looks infinitely more polished. Will also be getting Darkside Chronicles when it arrives.
Agree with Hardy83 about Overkill too except I wouldn't consider the script writer to be any older than 11.
Re: Fish'em All
Man this game has one of the most inconsistent control scheme ever, plus the arcade mode is so repetitive is gets tired real quick. I also found that there's simply too much going on on-screen - why should I have to keep jumping over/on crabs and hedgehogs when there's barely enough time to catch the fish to complete a stage anyway? The sharks and /bombs alone I could live with - maybe adding other obstacles later to make the game difficult would have been sensible but it seems the whole kitchen sink is thrown at you before you've barely got to know the game.
In all honesty, I haven't tried (and have been largely put off) the other modes yet, but unless they're any good I have a feeling I've just flushed another 800 points down the toilet.
No doubt this'll be another 7/10 'classic' but I'm opting for a more sensible 4/10 simply because - just like Plattchen - the developers have tried to hard and failed, making what could have been a great little game into a chore.
Re: Interviews: Fish'em All! - Abylight
Initially I wasn't too fussed about this one but the videos have convinced me otherwise. Nice work Abylight!
Re: High Voltage Unveils Gladiator A.D.
I wonder if Maria Whittaker make a cameo appearance? Oh those solid colour bikini top censorship memories....
Re: Nintendo Fandom Downcast At Revelation That Miyamoto Is "Not God"
Oh well, just as long as he doesn't mess about with my Juniper bushes - they're all I've bloody got! XD
Re: Nintendo Download: Crystal Defenders R2, Penguins & Friends, PiCOPiCT and Pop Superstar
Nothing of interest on WiiWare this week which is probably the good thing considering how much I've bought over the past few weeks. Might buy Orbient seeing as it's been rated favorably on the forums as well as reviews.
Re: Interviews: Vektor Tank - Bplus
^ I was referring to the s word at the bottom of the promotion for Bit Boy - and I don't mean 'see'. Cheeky bugger
Re: Interviews: Vektor Tank - Bplus
I can't believe they really want this game to be retail. What RRP are they looking for - £10? Might as well be on WiiWare or forget about it imo.
The Virtual Console has more advanced looking stuff than this and whilst I appreciate the homage to SuperFX an'all I doubt the average Joe on the street will give this game a second look until it's in the bargain bin at £1.99 a pop. Maybe that's the retro homage they're really looking towards?
I presume they mean pivoting the Wiimote with your thumb and forefinger rather than twisting which sounds more time consuming and uncomfortable. Ultimately - whilst the idea sounds vaguely interesting - both control schemes are so diverse that surely they would work against each other and players would tend to use on scheme or the other negating the whole point.
I'm sorry, but my stance on Bplus remains the same: Yes their games are different (read 'bad') enough to attract (the wrong kind of) attention and it seems the logic behind each consecutive title just gets more and more bizarre. I feel for these guys, I really do and I hope one day the developers get a bit of luck, but whilst they're under Bplus' wing (which seems to encourage random acts of lunacy) I doubt it. Surely there are greener pastures for these guys?
Oh and by the way, Bplus, I might be a grumpy miserable old git but I really don't appreciate any publisher using curse words in their promotions (Bit Boy) - it's immature, shallow and offensive and shouldn't see the light of day outside of your offices. I know it's been censored here but I caught it yesterday and it sure as hell wasn't then.
Oh and Bernd: Toki Tori was a remake and other than implementing IR pointer functionality (which was better replaced by more traditional control schemes) it barely had anything new to offer other than a handful of new levels and message board spamming. Like the original it IS a very good game though, but not for being innovative.
Re: New Lord of the Rings Game is, You Know, For Kids
Oh dear lord. I can only pray an Oliphant crushes the hell out of the dev team before this comes to store shelves - or at least that someone will pull a Tom Bombadil and just make this terrible threat to all that is good disappear
Re: Review: Crystal Defenders R1 (WiiWare)
I bought this and played it for a few hours and finally got bored with it on the final stage. Simply put - there's no consistency in the difficulty level as the player progrsses. Most people will waltz through the game using brute force (failing to get perfect on one or two random stages) within a few hours only to come up against the brick wall that is the final stage. Suddenly everything that the player has achieved seems pointless because everything they've done before goes against them. Not particularly a good 'tutorial game' if you ask me.
Yes, returning to the completed stages does add replay-ability with the extra waves but quite frankly outside of going back to get a perfect score and to rank somewhere on the somewhat pointless online leader-board, I doubt anyone will bother. I agree with SKTTR on the fast-forward button and the worthless elemental beasts too.
It's obvious Square have every intention of cashing in on this game. Usually I have no problems with their money-grabbing antics because most of their games have a good deal of polish - sadly the same can't be said about R1 which is not only short but really ugly with its blurry unmemorable visual style and less than spectacular audio.
Ultimately, I can only hope that R2 is somewhat better as this game is certainly not worth 800 of anyone's points - half that, yes. In fact, if the game play weren't solid enough I'd say the same for the score but I'm plumping for a less harsh 5/10. Square's first really disappointing WiiWare title.