Who else thinks Mario and Sonic should quit with the Olympic warm ups and think its about time they release a proper 2D/3D crossover game? Bowser and Eggman team up and only Mario & Sonic can stop them!
Well that's a shame. I thought the first game was one of the Wii's better mini-game collections (the first Raving Rabbids is probably my personal favorite) and Nintendo Life loved the second game (which I still need to pick up). Oh well.
Who else thinks Mario and Sonic should quit with the Olympic warm ups and think its about time they release a proper 2D/3D crossover game? Bowser and Eggman team up and only Mario & Sonic can stop them!
Honestly I'm guessing NoA would want to see how Xenoblade does in the US before considering releases for Last Story or Pandora's Tower. I don't expect they announce anything until May so they can see Xenoblade's first month sales which means we'd be looking at a late summer/fall release IF they decide to localize any of the other games.
I'm honestly not surprised. Skyward Sword is really the only Nintendo-published game this year to even have a chance at the top 10 list and going up against multi-platform blockbusters like Call of Duty, Skyrim, and Battlefield certainly wouldn't help any. The 3DS doesn't have the install base to push Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 into the top 10 and as great as Kirby is its definitely not a title that sells in the same leage as a top 10.
I'm not too optimistic about 2012 either since Nintendo hasn't announced anything really worthwhile outside of Xenoblade, which the UK already got and I don't see selling the millions needed to crack the top 10 anyway. All I can think of for 2012 at the moment is Mario Party and Rhythm Heaven and those are barely mildly interesting. I'm not really expecting major from Nintendo till the Wii-U and unless the Wii U sees the same rabid sales as the Wii did, I doubt any exclusive Wii U game will have a crack at the top 10.
I'm really glad the game's getting a sequel, I just hope its basically the same [good] game on all platforms seeing how the Wii tends to get the short end of the stick in most multiplatform situations.
Great news for me! I absolutely loved the motion controls in this game. lol some people mentioned it was weird going back to Twilight Princess after playing Skyward Sword but I tried playing Ocarina of Time 3D after Skyward Sword and that was a strange experience to say the least.
I'm all for more Zelda (more games in general even) with motion controls as refined as Zelda's. Hell I'd love to see Nintendo re-release Twilight Princess with Skyward Sword type contols.
@Incognito_D yeah, Yoshi's Island is a completely different game. Its actually considered a sequel to SMW2: Yoshi's Island and include baby Luigi, Peach, Wario, DK, and Bowser.
As for the Virtual Console, all I want is Castlevania: Bloodlines and Legacy of Darkness and I'll be set, but no, I am left wanting!
I don't really mind about the Wii U getting this year's games ported next year so long as developers take advantage of it. If Arkham City on the Wii U is a Game of the Year version with all the DLC plus some Wii U features, I'll gladly buy it (I have it pre-ordered on Amazon for $50 since I'm all but certain Wii U games will cost more once the price is finally revealed). Same for many of the other ports. Make them Game of the Year Editions with the DLC included and I'd still be willing to pick them up.
damn, I was hoping this would release before thanksgiving so I could trade my current system for the Zelda-themed one and do the system transfer right at the counter.
For fun I think I'll toss up a list without any first party Nintendo titles. in no particular order: GCN BloodRayne Second Sight Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast James Bond: Everything or Nothing Batman: Vengeance SoulCalibur II Killer 7 Tales of Symphonia Summoner: A Goddess Reborn Resident Evil 4
Wii: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces World of Goo Bit.Trip Complete Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King Final Fatnasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers Little King's Story Sakura Wars: So Long My Love Dead Space Extraction Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Considering EA has been in the business a long time and has experience both with traditional games and casual games, I'll take their prediction over PopCap's any day.
You know, people were complaining a lot about many of the possible Wii U games being ports of games released first on the 360 and PS3.
If you ask me, the Wii U is in a great position to launch with GotY versions of the big blockbusters coming out this year. Arkham City has seen a lot of DLC that could be bundled in a Wii U release along with Skyrim and its inevitable expansions.
I'm not really worried about ports since its normal to see ported games on the last gen system on the next and really any games from this year to hit the Wii U during its launch window wouldn't have taken any longer then a few of the 360 to PS3 ports.
As for Ninja Gaiden 3, I haven't played the series since Ninja Gaiden Black but it does seem to be a series most people core gamers enjoy and can help flip the perception of the Wii U from a continuation of the Wii to something gamers as a whole can find interesting.
We didn't get a video game concert this past Comic-Con (we've had Video Games Live and a couple Final Fantasy concerts before) and this would certainly do nicely!
While I certainly think WiiWare's file size limit should be raised, I'm really sick of developers announcing games LONG after the service's limitations being well known and then acting like it was some giant roadblock that snuck up on them.
It happened with Super Meat Boy. They knew the restrictions going in but figured they'd be given an exemption from the restrictions and they weren't. Developing a game under the assumption that you'll be exempted from the console requirements is just silly.
Just for the record, Castlevania 64 was initially well received and currently holds a 78 on Metacritic.
In their original review for the game 12 years ago, IGN's review said "The good news is that almost everything else remained intact, making the N64 Castlevania a great first step into the third dimension. It's not as good as Symphony of the Night, but it's certainly one of the top third person action games on the N64."
Much of the Castlevania 64 hate came later, probably a combination of the change over to the Metroidvania-style, the fact that the N64 was losing its console war against the Playstation (which hosted the most popular game in the series), and Igarashi's attitude toward the game among other things.
(sorry all the recent Castlevania articles have left me with Castlevania on the brain)
Except that VGChartz has long been recognized as an inaccurate source for sales figures since their numbers are based on an extrapolation of a tiny fraction of the marketplace. VGChartz bases its numbers on maybe 2-3% of the market wheras more reputable sources like NPD cover as much as 65%.
In addition to the numbers mentioned in the articles above, VGChartz numbers still vary greatly as can be seen in in their Best Selling games of 2010 list VGchartz 2010 Top 10 compared to NPD's NPD 2010 Top 10
Even removing the games that VGChartz Tracked that NPD didnt, like Wii Sports, and the multiplatforms, to make examination easier, VGChartz still doesn't hold up. According to VGChartz, NSMBW outsold Halo Reach, directly contradicting NPD, universally recognized as the more accurate and reputable of the two. Kinect Adventures appears on the VGChartz list but is completely absent from NPD's. Mario Galaxy 2 beats out Just Dance 2 on VGChartz list but is also absent from NPD's.
Expanding our view to some multiplatform games, Red Dead Redemption on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 ranks 5th on the NPD above Wii Fit Plus, however their combined VGChartz numbers (3,836,319 units) would put it below WiiFit Plus on VGChartz's graph. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood totalled 3,068,672 units on the PS3 and 360 combined on VGChartz list. This would put the game between Wii Fit Plus and Just Dance 2 in their top 10 however, it ranks beneath Just Dance 2 on NPD's list.
Furthermore, looking at Resident Evil 5's first month numbers, VGChartz reported 1.01 million sold on the 360 vs 938k reported by NPD. NPD reported 585k sold on the PS3 in its first month where VGChartz reported 645k.
Finally, internal figures like the ones Capcom posted tend to be very accurate, considering they're the ones producing and selling the games to retailers. Few, if any reputable news outlets report using VGChartz's figures yet they will report when Capcom announces their figures. In addition, if Capcom had sold as many copies of Resident Evil 5 as VGChartz reports, nearly 40% more copies than they've reported, don't you think Capcom would be announcing those figures instead?
If you have a 360 it was made available as a download for $10. In addition it has been released on disc for the 360 as part of Konami Classics vol 1, which runs for about $15 and also includes Super Contra and Frogger.
The original Playstation version has been added to PSN and the game was also included as part of Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP.
If you only have a PS2, the game was re-released as a Greatest Hits title which drove the prices down slightly. Looking on Amazon its available on the marketplace for as low as about $20, there's a buy-it-now on ebay for $30 (free shippng), and there are quite a few listings on Half.com for under $30
Symphony of the Night for the Playstation was the first "Metroidvania" game in the series. Afterward came Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow for the GBA. On the DS followed Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia. In addition there's the multiplayer Harmony of Despair for the 360 and PS3. So that's 8 games by my count. The PS2 games, Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness (also on the XBox) had many elements in common with the Metroidvania games but different enough that I don't think they should be counted.
I'm not a fan of that style of gameplay so I hold many games in the series in much lower regard than most.
@Altrix To be fair, the Gamecube had a tiny fraction of the market compared to the PS2. In addition, they announced the PS2 version and the fact that it would have a ton of bonus content before the Gamecube version was released. And really, the game was already 3 years old when it was re-released for the Wii so selling 2 million copies seems more like an accomplishment than a failure.
In addition, I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers from since Capcom's internal figures as of June 30th, 2011 (http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/business/million.html) show the GCN version selling 1.6 Million and the PS2 version selling 2.2 milliion worldwide, a far narrower gap made all the more impressive by the immense difference in install bases of both consoles. And finally it shows the Wii version at 1.9 million copies worldwide, which puts it within a stone's throw of the PS2 version's massive sales, despite it being released three years later.
In addition, The Playsation/Playstation 2/Playstation 3 have altogether 9 Resident Evil games on Capcom's Million sellers list, while Nintendo systems (Gamecube and Wii) have five titles on Capcom's list despite the fact that the series didn't appear on a Nintendo console until six years and five games had already been released on the Playstation with Resident Evil Zero (Resident Evil Gaiden, the handheld game did appear on the Game Boy Color the year before that). And by the way, Resident Evil 5 has only sold 5.6 million units on the PS3 and 360 combined, not the 7 million you mention.
If anything the real numbers show that Resident Evil does incredibly well on Nintendo's system. Well enough to nearly overcome incredible gaps in system install bases. There is most certainly a future for Resident games on Nintendo platforms; not just proper numbered titles but also its fantastic spin-offs like Umbrella and Darkside Chronicles.
I'm not sure its right to call the two Chronicles games non-narrative. Unnumbered, sure but the two Chronicles games are basically all narrative as they basically boil down the series' story into something that might actually work. After all the retelling of RE2 is about as close as you can get to the canonical record of events for the game since the canon adopts events from all 4 RE2 playthroughs.
In addition, the Chronicles games add on their own bits of story like Leon and Krauser's relationship pre-RE 4, Chris and Jill's activities pre-RE5, Wesker's escape from the mansion, and Ada's escape from Raccoon City.
I loved Dead Space Extraction myself, probably moreso than the original Dead Space where you play a glorified errand boy. My problem with Extraction was that it didn't feel like a complete $50 package. The main campaign was short (I'll get back to that in a bit), the unlocks weren't anything special, just short segment of the campaign repurposed for score attack and a motion comic released with the original Dead Space and freely available on XBL. They could've at least included the Dead Space Extraction comic that was released shortly before the game.
Personally, I think the main campaign is fine in its length; they shouldn't pad that out but they could've done what Resident Evil did in Umbrella and Darkside Chronicles and have bonus levels that show things from a different character's point of view, which seems to be one of the main attractions of the Dead Space franchise anyways. You briefly meet several characters in the campaign whom you could follow for a few levels.
For example, you can follow the two security officers that went to secure the shuttle station and died in the subsequent crash, you could follow Vincent and her team and reenact a few scenes from Dead Space Downfall, or play some time as the doctor you meet at the patched-together barricade (I might've gotten some of the details wrong since its been a while since I've played the game but my point remains valid).
If you meant to point out that EA pledged support for the Wii U while I spoke mostly about the Wii, that was intentional. I meant to highlight that EA's support shouldn't immediately be seen as a ringing endorsement as it could just as easily be said that they pledged key franchises to the Wii but that doesn't mean the games the Wii got were what players where wanting or expecting. Sometimes it worked out okay with the Wii game being as good or better than the HD equivalent as was the case with Goldeneye and Bloodstone, or sometimes the experience was different but still a quality, engaging experience like Dead Space Extraction, but more often it felt like the Wii game was made with far less care and attention than their equivalents, as was often the case with Madden, the first Rock Band, and several Need for Speed games.
It could be said EA already has key franchises on the Wii since FIFA and Madden have been on the system for years and Dead Space was on the console in the form of Dead Space Extraction which then then gave away for the PS3. There was a Medal of Honor, SSX, Skate, Need for Speed. Harry Potter, Rock Band, James Bond, Sims, Spore, and I'm sure there were a few more.
I personally liked that the Wii had a few unique entries in some of these series like SSX Blur and Dead Space Extraction and I hope Wii U still gets those kinds of games but it'd also be nice to get some of those other franchises that haven't been seen on Nintendo's systems.
I really loved the unofficial post-Dreamcast Nintendo/Sega team-up. Sonic Mega Collection, Sonic Gems Collection, Sonic Adventure DX, and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle meant the Gamecube had most of the Sonic games were on Nintendo's console. From a veteran of the Genesis/SNES days this was a HUGE deal. Afterwards Sonic games tended doing well on Nintendo systems with games like Mario & Sonic, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Sonic Colors...The absence of a Wii verion of Sonic Generations really only makes sense because the Wii is winding down.
While I don't see Nintendo ever releasing a monthly free game what I would like to see would be Nintendo's "special event" free games, but make those special events more regular. Xbox has their Summer of Arcade every year. Not a sale per se but it provides great promotion to some lesser known games and is often accompanied by a promotion. Xbox Live also has their Deal of the Week which, while often forgettable, usually means 50% discounts on whatever they're oftering.
Nintendo just needs to make their shops more dynamic. Regular promotions and sales on new and old titles could go along way to changing the idea that the games are just put on the shop and forgotten.
One of my favorite shooter experiences this gen, from a purely control point of view was Medal of Honor Heroes 2. I personally loved how most weqpons had theirnown motion controls like manually cocking the shotgun, turning a virtual dial to set you scope's zoom, putting the remote on your shoulder for the rocket launcher, turning cranks to aim artillery, etc. I really wish more shooters on the Wii had taken up similar control schemes or at least had it as an alternative. In addition, I really liked Red Steel's ability to toss or roll grenades.
The Wii Remote is full of so much potential its a shame so much of it went unexplored. As its still a standard contoller for the Wii U there is a small chance that the next gen will be better to the controller.
I really wish Nintendo would release a video playing app in the vein of the Music and Image viewers on the 3DS. Most of my 3DS channels are filled with trailers that I'm sure could be organized much better.
I'm also glad to see a few people saying they enjoyed Castlevania 64/Legaxy of Darkness. I find it difficult to find a game treated more unfairly than that. When it was released it recieved plenty of great reviews and then the public opinion turned on it and suddenly its the black sheep of the series. Igarashi's attitude toward the game certainly didn't help (it was the only console Castlevania he removed from the main series).
Personally, Legacy of Darkness is my favorite Castlevania game. I'm a fan of pre-Igarashi Castlevania and despite the game being in 3D, I find it has much in common with the classic games before Igarashi took over the series.
Legacy of Darkness has some amazing setpieces. Fighting your way out of a sinking ship, wandering through the Villa and hedge maze, standing on the face of the clocktower, and the moody rise up the stairs to the castle keep. Truly an amazing game!
You know, no one else will agree with me but I really enjoyed Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage. I never finished it though since I was using a crappy third party memory card and lost about 30 hours of progress.
I remember when THQ used to make RPGs. While not many enjoyed Aidyn, It was interesting to watch THQ's rpgs evolve from Quest 64 to Aidyn to Summoner and finally the sublime Summoner 2/Goddess Reborn. I really miss the Summoner series but I don't hope THQ brings it back lest they go the way of Red Faction andcompletely change the premise.
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Re: Vote Now for Xenoblade Chronicles' Reversible Cover
Hopefully Nintendo takes the top 2 and makes the cover art reversible.
Re: Mario & Sonic London Olympics Sprints to 2m Sales
Who else thinks Mario and Sonic should quit with the Olympic warm ups and think its about time they release a proper 2D/3D crossover game? Bowser and Eggman team up and only Mario & Sonic can stop them!
Re: Review: Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii)
Well that's a shame. I thought the first game was one of the Wii's better mini-game collections (the first Raving Rabbids is probably my personal favorite) and Nintendo Life loved the second game (which I still need to pick up). Oh well.
Who else thinks Mario and Sonic should quit with the Olympic warm ups and think its about time they release a proper 2D/3D crossover game? Bowser and Eggman team up and only Mario & Sonic can stop them!
Re: The Last Story Limited Edition Officially Confirmed
Honestly I'm guessing NoA would want to see how Xenoblade does in the US before considering releases for Last Story or Pandora's Tower. I don't expect they announce anything until May so they can see Xenoblade's first month sales which means we'd be looking at a late summer/fall release IF they decide to localize any of the other games.
Re: UK's Best-Selling Games of 2011 Revealed
I'm honestly not surprised. Skyward Sword is really the only Nintendo-published game this year to even have a chance at the top 10 list and going up against multi-platform blockbusters like Call of Duty, Skyrim, and Battlefield certainly wouldn't help any. The 3DS doesn't have the install base to push Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 into the top 10 and as great as Kirby is its definitely not a title that sells in the same leage as a top 10.
I'm not too optimistic about 2012 either since Nintendo hasn't announced anything really worthwhile outside of Xenoblade, which the UK already got and I don't see selling the millions needed to crack the top 10 anyway. All I can think of for 2012 at the moment is Mario Party and Rhythm Heaven and those are barely mildly interesting. I'm not really expecting major from Nintendo till the Wii-U and unless the Wii U sees the same rabid sales as the Wii did, I doubt any exclusive Wii U game will have a crack at the top 10.
Re: North America Infiltrated by Metal Gear Solid 3D on 21st February
If they'd bundle it with Sons of Liberty 3D and Twin Snakes 3D you'd have a Metal Gear Solid Trilogy that I'll buy day one!
Re: Disney Newsletter Accidentally Outs Epic Mickey 2
I'm really glad the game's getting a sequel, I just hope its basically the same [good] game on all platforms seeing how the Wii tends to get the short end of the stick in most multiplatform situations.
Re: Sonic 4: Episode II Revealed, No Nintendo Formats Mentioned
give me a disc release with all the episodes ala Sam & Max, Bit.Trip, or Back to the Future and I'll be fine
Re: Out Now: Nintendo 3DS Ambassador GBA Games
Damn, NoA seems really behind the curve as of late.
Re: Nintendo Has These Wii Games Planned for Early 2012
oh, that's Nintendo Europe's list.
I got all excited when I read "The Last Story" and kinda sad when I didn't see "Xenoblade" then I saw "Europe" and now I'm doubly sad
Re: Aonuma: "Future Zelda Games Will Use Motion Controls"
Great news for me! I absolutely loved the motion controls in this game. lol some people mentioned it was weird going back to Twilight Princess after playing Skyward Sword but I tried playing Ocarina of Time 3D after Skyward Sword and that was a strange experience to say the least.
I'm all for more Zelda (more games in general even) with motion controls as refined as Zelda's. Hell I'd love to see Nintendo re-release Twilight Princess with Skyward Sword type contols.
Re: Nintendo America Posts Xenoblade Art on Facebook
well, I know what I'm doing after I get out of class
"would you like to pre-order any upcoming games"
"OMGXENOBLADECHRONICLESPLSKTHNX!"
Re: Aonuma: Wii U Zelda Will Challenge Series Conventions
@Bigdog dude, just grow a third and fourth arm. Problem solved
Re: Reggie: Virtual Console on Wii Isn't Dead
@Incognito_D yeah, Yoshi's Island is a completely different game. Its actually considered a sequel to SMW2: Yoshi's Island and include baby Luigi, Peach, Wario, DK, and Bowser.
As for the Virtual Console, all I want is Castlevania: Bloodlines and Legacy of Darkness and I'll be set, but no, I am left wanting!
Re: Vigil Games Talks Darksiders II for Wii U
I don't really mind about the Wii U getting this year's games ported next year so long as developers take advantage of it. If Arkham City on the Wii U is a Game of the Year version with all the DLC plus some Wii U features, I'll gladly buy it (I have it pre-ordered on Amazon for $50 since I'm all but certain Wii U games will cost more once the price is finally revealed). Same for many of the other ports. Make them Game of the Year Editions with the DLC included and I'd still be willing to pick them up.
Re: Rumour: 3DS Video Update Lands on 30th November
damn, I was hoping this would release before thanksgiving so I could trade my current system for the Zelda-themed one and do the system transfer right at the counter.
Re: Feature: The Best Games on GameCube and Wii
For fun I think I'll toss up a list without any first party Nintendo titles.
in no particular order:
GCN
BloodRayne
Second Sight
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
James Bond: Everything or Nothing
Batman: Vengeance
SoulCalibur II
Killer 7
Tales of Symphonia
Summoner: A Goddess Reborn
Resident Evil 4
Wii:
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces
World of Goo
Bit.Trip Complete
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fatnasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers
Little King's Story
Sakura Wars: So Long My Love
Dead Space Extraction
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Re: Nintendo Can Recover From Loss, says EA Vice President
Considering EA has been in the business a long time and has experience both with traditional games and casual games, I'll take their prediction over PopCap's any day.
Re: Wii U's First Launch Title Announced Already
You know, people were complaining a lot about many of the possible Wii U games being ports of games released first on the 360 and PS3.
If you ask me, the Wii U is in a great position to launch with GotY versions of the big blockbusters coming out this year. Arkham City has seen a lot of DLC that could be bundled in a Wii U release along with Skyrim and its inevitable expansions.
I'm not really worried about ports since its normal to see ported games on the last gen system on the next and really any games from this year to hit the Wii U during its launch window wouldn't have taken any longer then a few of the 360 to PS3 ports.
As for Ninja Gaiden 3, I haven't played the series since Ninja Gaiden Black but it does seem to be a series most people core gamers enjoy and can help flip the perception of the Wii U from a continuation of the Wii to something gamers as a whole can find interesting.
Re: Hideki Konno Talks Mario Kart Wii U Ideas
Six players per console! Two players on Wii U controllers, playing on their own screens, and four more players split screen on the tv.
Just you wait!
Re: Zelda Concert Tour Kicks Off in Dallas on 10th January
Come on San Diego!
We didn't get a video game concert this past Comic-Con (we've had Video Games Live and a couple Final Fantasy concerts before) and this would certainly do nicely!
Re: Giana Sisters DS Sneaks Into North America
They should totally be in the next Smash Brothers
Re: Review: Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D (3DS)
for everyone waiting for a price drop, the game is on Amazon's Buy 2 get one free list along with much of the 3DS' library
Amazon Buy 2 get 1 Free
Re: Machinarium Finally, Officially Cancelled
While I certainly think WiiWare's file size limit should be raised, I'm really sick of developers announcing games LONG after the service's limitations being well known and then acting like it was some giant roadblock that snuck up on them.
It happened with Super Meat Boy. They knew the restrictions going in but figured they'd be given an exemption from the restrictions and they weren't. Developing a game under the assumption that you'll be exempted from the console requirements is just silly.
Re: Feature: Fun and Frights on Nintendo - Part 1
Just for the record, Castlevania 64 was initially well received and currently holds a 78 on Metacritic.
In their original review for the game 12 years ago, IGN's review said "The good news is that almost everything else remained intact, making the N64 Castlevania a great first step into the third dimension. It's not as good as Symphony of the Night, but it's certainly one of the top third person action games on the N64."
Much of the Castlevania 64 hate came later, probably a combination of the change over to the Metroidvania-style, the fact that the N64 was losing its console war against the Playstation (which hosted the most popular game in the series), and Igarashi's attitude toward the game among other things.
(sorry all the recent Castlevania articles have left me with Castlevania on the brain)
Re: Feature: Castlevania - The Terrifying Ten
While I'm not a fan of the metroidvania games, I do admit seeing all the parallax layers actually separated into 3D planes would look awesome!
Re: Feature: A Guide to Hunting Dracula
But the logo! Classic vampire killing demands the classic logo!
You know, now that I think about it, the logo is a pretty good separator between classic and modern Castlevania.
Re: Feature: Resident Evil's Nintendo History
Except that VGChartz has long been recognized as an inaccurate source for sales figures since their numbers are based on an extrapolation of a tiny fraction of the marketplace. VGChartz bases its numbers on maybe 2-3% of the market wheras more reputable sources like NPD cover as much as 65%.
What VGChartz does and doesn't do for the industry
Why we don't reference VGChartz numbers
In addition to the numbers mentioned in the articles above, VGChartz numbers still vary greatly as can be seen in in their Best Selling games of 2010 list VGchartz 2010 Top 10 compared to NPD's NPD 2010 Top 10
Even removing the games that VGChartz Tracked that NPD didnt, like Wii Sports, and the multiplatforms, to make examination easier, VGChartz still doesn't hold up. According to VGChartz, NSMBW outsold Halo Reach, directly contradicting NPD, universally recognized as the more accurate and reputable of the two. Kinect Adventures appears on the VGChartz list but is completely absent from NPD's. Mario Galaxy 2 beats out Just Dance 2 on VGChartz list but is also absent from NPD's.
Expanding our view to some multiplatform games, Red Dead Redemption on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 ranks 5th on the NPD above Wii Fit Plus, however their combined VGChartz numbers (3,836,319 units) would put it below WiiFit Plus on VGChartz's graph. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood totalled 3,068,672 units on the PS3 and 360 combined on VGChartz list. This would put the game between Wii Fit Plus and Just Dance 2 in their top 10 however, it ranks beneath Just Dance 2 on NPD's list.
Furthermore, looking at Resident Evil 5's first month numbers, VGChartz reported 1.01 million sold on the 360 vs 938k reported by NPD. NPD reported 585k sold on the PS3 in its first month where VGChartz reported 645k.
Finally, internal figures like the ones Capcom posted tend to be very accurate, considering they're the ones producing and selling the games to retailers. Few, if any reputable news outlets report using VGChartz's figures yet they will report when Capcom announces their figures. In addition, if Capcom had sold as many copies of Resident Evil 5 as VGChartz reports, nearly 40% more copies than they've reported, don't you think Capcom would be announcing those figures instead?
Re: Feature: Castlevania - The Terrifying Ten
If you have a 360 it was made available as a download for $10. In addition it has been released on disc for the 360 as part of Konami Classics vol 1, which runs for about $15 and also includes Super Contra and Frogger.
The original Playstation version has been added to PSN and the game was also included as part of Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP.
If you only have a PS2, the game was re-released as a Greatest Hits title which drove the prices down slightly. Looking on Amazon its available on the marketplace for as low as about $20, there's a buy-it-now on ebay for $30 (free shippng), and there are quite a few listings on Half.com for under $30
Re: Feature: Castlevania - The Terrifying Ten
@bauckster
Symphony of the Night for the Playstation was the first "Metroidvania" game in the series. Afterward came Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow for the GBA. On the DS followed Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia. In addition there's the multiplayer Harmony of Despair for the 360 and PS3. So that's 8 games by my count. The PS2 games, Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness (also on the XBox) had many elements in common with the Metroidvania games but different enough that I don't think they should be counted.
I'm not a fan of that style of gameplay so I hold many games in the series in much lower regard than most.
Re: Feature: Castlevania - The Terrifying Ten
The classic (i.e. anything lacking Igarashi) Castlevania games are some of my favorite games. My top 5 list looks a little like this:
1. Legacy of Darkness/64
2. Super Castlevania IV
3. Rondo of Blood
4. Dracula's Curse
5. Circle of the Moon
My least favorites:
Judgement (by a LOOOOONG shot)
Legend
Lament of Innocence
Re: Review: X-Men: Destiny (Wii)
And to think nine years ago they were making Eternal Darkness...
Re: Double Dragon II Coming to Save Wii Virtual Console
For the love of god, give me Castlevania: Bloodlines! I never owned a Genesis and isn't that what the whole virtual console was supposed to be for?
I weep!
Re: Feature: Resident Evil's Nintendo History
@Altrix To be fair, the Gamecube had a tiny fraction of the market compared to the PS2. In addition, they announced the PS2 version and the fact that it would have a ton of bonus content before the Gamecube version was released. And really, the game was already 3 years old when it was re-released for the Wii so selling 2 million copies seems more like an accomplishment than a failure.
In addition, I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers from since Capcom's internal figures as of June 30th, 2011 (http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/business/million.html) show the GCN version selling 1.6 Million and the PS2 version selling 2.2 milliion worldwide, a far narrower gap made all the more impressive by the immense difference in install bases of both consoles. And finally it shows the Wii version at 1.9 million copies worldwide, which puts it within a stone's throw of the PS2 version's massive sales, despite it being released three years later.
In addition, The Playsation/Playstation 2/Playstation 3 have altogether 9 Resident Evil games on Capcom's Million sellers list, while Nintendo systems (Gamecube and Wii) have five titles on Capcom's list despite the fact that the series didn't appear on a Nintendo console until six years and five games had already been released on the Playstation with Resident Evil Zero (Resident Evil Gaiden, the handheld game did appear on the Game Boy Color the year before that). And by the way, Resident Evil 5 has only sold 5.6 million units on the PS3 and 360 combined, not the 7 million you mention.
If anything the real numbers show that Resident Evil does incredibly well on Nintendo's system. Well enough to nearly overcome incredible gaps in system install bases. There is most certainly a future for Resident games on Nintendo platforms; not just proper numbered titles but also its fantastic spin-offs like Umbrella and Darkside Chronicles.
Re: Feature: Resident Evil's Nintendo History
I'm not sure its right to call the two Chronicles games non-narrative. Unnumbered, sure but the two Chronicles games are basically all narrative as they basically boil down the series' story into something that might actually work. After all the retelling of RE2 is about as close as you can get to the canonical record of events for the game since the canon adopts events from all 4 RE2 playthroughs.
In addition, the Chronicles games add on their own bits of story like Leon and Krauser's relationship pre-RE 4, Chris and Jill's activities pre-RE5, Wesker's escape from the mansion, and Ada's escape from Raccoon City.
Re: EA Pledges "Key Franchises" to Wii U
I loved Dead Space Extraction myself, probably moreso than the original Dead Space where you play a glorified errand boy. My problem with Extraction was that it didn't feel like a complete $50 package. The main campaign was short (I'll get back to that in a bit), the unlocks weren't anything special, just short segment of the campaign repurposed for score attack and a motion comic released with the original Dead Space and freely available on XBL. They could've at least included the Dead Space Extraction comic that was released shortly before the game.
Personally, I think the main campaign is fine in its length; they shouldn't pad that out but they could've done what Resident Evil did in Umbrella and Darkside Chronicles and have bonus levels that show things from a different character's point of view, which seems to be one of the main attractions of the Dead Space franchise anyways. You briefly meet several characters in the campaign whom you could follow for a few levels.
For example, you can follow the two security officers that went to secure the shuttle station and died in the subsequent crash, you could follow Vincent and her team and reenact a few scenes from Dead Space Downfall, or play some time as the doctor you meet at the patched-together barricade (I might've gotten some of the details wrong since its been a while since I've played the game but my point remains valid).
Re: EA Pledges "Key Franchises" to Wii U
If you meant to point out that EA pledged support for the Wii U while I spoke mostly about the Wii, that was intentional. I meant to highlight that EA's support shouldn't immediately be seen as a ringing endorsement as it could just as easily be said that they pledged key franchises to the Wii but that doesn't mean the games the Wii got were what players where wanting or expecting. Sometimes it worked out okay with the Wii game being as good or better than the HD equivalent as was the case with Goldeneye and Bloodstone, or sometimes the experience was different but still a quality, engaging experience like Dead Space Extraction, but more often it felt like the Wii game was made with far less care and attention than their equivalents, as was often the case with Madden, the first Rock Band, and several Need for Speed games.
Re: EA Pledges "Key Franchises" to Wii U
It could be said EA already has key franchises on the Wii since FIFA and Madden have been on the system for years and Dead Space was on the console in the form of Dead Space Extraction which then then gave away for the PS3. There was a Medal of Honor, SSX, Skate, Need for Speed. Harry Potter, Rock Band, James Bond, Sims, Spore, and I'm sure there were a few more.
I personally liked that the Wii had a few unique entries in some of these series like SSX Blur and Dead Space Extraction and I hope Wii U still gets those kinds of games but it'd also be nice to get some of those other franchises that haven't been seen on Nintendo's systems.
Re: Review: Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube)
I really loved the unofficial post-Dreamcast Nintendo/Sega team-up. Sonic Mega Collection, Sonic Gems Collection, Sonic Adventure DX, and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle meant the Gamecube had most of the Sonic games were on Nintendo's console. From a veteran of the Genesis/SNES days this was a HUGE deal. Afterwards Sonic games tended doing well on Nintendo systems with games like Mario & Sonic, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Sonic Colors...The absence of a Wii verion of Sonic Generations really only makes sense because the Wii is winding down.
Re: Talking Point: Should Nintendo Regularly Offer Free Games for Download?
While I don't see Nintendo ever releasing a monthly free game what I would like to see would be Nintendo's "special event" free games, but make those special events more regular. Xbox has their Summer of Arcade every year. Not a sale per se but it provides great promotion to some lesser known games and is often accompanied by a promotion. Xbox Live also has their Deal of the Week which, while often forgettable, usually means 50% discounts on whatever they're oftering.
Nintendo just needs to make their shops more dynamic. Regular promotions and sales on new and old titles could go along way to changing the idea that the games are just put on the shop and forgotten.
Re: Ubisoft: "Nobody Proved Wii Does FPS Controls Better"
One of my favorite shooter experiences this gen, from a purely control point of view was Medal of Honor Heroes 2. I personally loved how most weqpons had theirnown motion controls like manually cocking the shotgun, turning a virtual dial to set you scope's zoom, putting the remote on your shoulder for the rocket launcher, turning cranks to aim artillery, etc. I really wish more shooters on the Wii had taken up similar control schemes or at least had it as an alternative. In addition, I really liked Red Steel's ability to toss or roll grenades.
The Wii Remote is full of so much potential its a shame so much of it went unexplored. As its still a standard contoller for the Wii U there is a small chance that the next gen will be better to the controller.
Re: 3DS Trailers Allow You to Receive SpotPass Notifications
I really wish Nintendo would release a video playing app in the vein of the Music and Image viewers on the 3DS. Most of my 3DS channels are filled with trailers that I'm sure could be organized much better.
Re: Talking Point: The Most Memorable Nintendo 64 Games
I'm also glad to see a few people saying they enjoyed Castlevania 64/Legaxy of Darkness. I find it difficult to find a game treated more unfairly than that. When it was released it recieved plenty of great reviews and then the public opinion turned on it and suddenly its the black sheep of the series. Igarashi's attitude toward the game certainly didn't help (it was the only console Castlevania he removed from the main series).
Personally, Legacy of Darkness is my favorite Castlevania game. I'm a fan of pre-Igarashi Castlevania and despite the game being in 3D, I find it has much in common with the classic games before Igarashi took over the series.
Legacy of Darkness has some amazing setpieces. Fighting your way out of a sinking ship, wandering through the Villa and hedge maze, standing on the face of the clocktower, and the moody rise up the stairs to the castle keep. Truly an amazing game!
Re: Talking Point: The Most Memorable Nintendo 64 Games
You know, no one else will agree with me but I really enjoyed Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage. I never finished it though since I was using a crappy third party memory card and lost about 30 hours of progress.
I remember when THQ used to make RPGs. While not many enjoyed Aidyn, It was interesting to watch THQ's rpgs evolve from Quest 64 to Aidyn to Summoner and finally the sublime Summoner 2/Goddess Reborn. I really miss the Summoner series but I don't hope THQ brings it back lest they go the way of Red Faction andcompletely change the premise.
Re: Monster Hunter 4 to Burn Up Your 3DS
I'll care when this has been confirmed for a US release.
Re: Kid Icarus: Uprising Suffers Worldwide Delay
man, I remember when this was expected to be a launch game. So now its expected about a year after launch, if not later.
Re: Review: Trenches Generals (WiiWare)
@TwillightPrince
You're thinking of this guy, right?
Re: Hear the Roar of More Monster Hunter 3G Shots and Details
@24 Well considering many of Capcom's decisions in the last 2 years, I wouldn't put too much faith in their "sanity."
Me? I've made the decision not to get excited by anything announced by or for Nintendo until a US release is confirmed.
Re: Expect New Product Announcements at 3DS Conference
I'm not interested until I know its coming stateside.
I got burned with Xenosaga, Pandora's Tower, and Last Story
Re: Telltale Bringing Back to the Future Wii to Retail
Very Nice! I'd love it if StrongBad made it to retail. I only ever got around to buying the first episode but I really liked it.