Comments 918

Re: Talking Point: The New Nintendo 3DS is Yet to Have a Real Chance to Revive the Portable Family

ejamer

I want a New 3DS (probably XL, although it would be nice to have an option).

There just isn't enough justification to buy yet. My old 3DS is still working fine, and the price of a New 3DS is $230 CAD... which seems like a lot of scratch for hardware improvements that developers don't use or require.

The improved 3D is a big selling point for me. The speed boost is a nice bonus, even if it's something that isn't a visible improvement in most cases. And having a second analog nub built in would be awesome. But that's still not worth $230.

One day I'll grab one. But not until there is a reason to do so.

Re: Wii Street U Service Being Discontinued In March, Leaving eShop This Month

ejamer

Wow, this is sad news.

Many people didn't use the app, but (unlike TVii) it worked, and worked extremely well. Yes, it's essentially just a fancy Google Maps interface... but that's still really cool. Being able to virtually visit remote locations from the comfort of your couch was awesome

We happily spent a few hours with the app, and used it (infrequently) on an ongoing basis. I'm sad to hear it's shutting down!

Re: Video: Collecting Every Wii Game Is Difficult, But This Guy Did It Anyway

ejamer

Wii has a great library. There are plenty of great, underrated games that can found for just a few bucks plus a handful of high profile releases that have slowly crept up in price.

My collection sits at 189 retail games (actually closer to 200 if you include my kid's games) and it covers all this high points that really appealed to me. I'm not interested in collecting everything, but pretty cool to see that this guy managed to do it!

Re: Nintendo Removes Infamous Drugging Scene From Western Localisation Of Fire Emblem Fates

ejamer

"But as a man living in the US, I've gathered that the entire scene involves a male character drugging a female character to force her to fall in love with them."

The problem, as I see it, is that what you've gathered and what actually happens probably isn't the same thing.

The intent of changing her perspective doesn't appear to be sexual (or emotional) in nature. And the whole "gay cure" angle sounds like reaching at best, since conversations afterwards would indicate that she's bi with an active preference for women and making an exception for one character.

Whether my impressions (based on online posts instead of actually playing the game) are accurate is uncertain. In fact, both of us are forming ideas based on second-hand knowledge that is incomplete and might be incorrect. So it's tough to make any definitive judgement...

Re: Nintendo Removes Infamous Drugging Scene From Western Localisation Of Fire Emblem Fates

ejamer

Haven't played the game or done research beyond reading this article, but seems like cutting it is unnecessary.

This could be done in a positive way (maybe it's not; again, only have what is said here to judge) with characters coming to terms with sexuality being a spectrum instead of a discrete pair of options. The character obviously is never "cured" or suddenly a straight heterosexual, based on dialog in the game. The only thing that really seems controversial is that you can't use the powder on any character in the game to temporarily change their perception and have an opportunity to build relationships.

Then again, it could have come across badly if poorly written or misinterpreted or used as a rallying point for bigots, so maybe just removing the scene is best. It's certainly easier to just avoid any kind of complex issue that might prompt thought and discussion. So good job Nintendo, for keeping us all safe and secure from having to confront different ideas or values!

Re: Zack & Wiki and Super Mario Advance 4 Look Set for Nintendo Download Update in North America

ejamer

Zack and Wiki is great, but the motion controls aren't perfect and will throw some people off. (It's also got a bit too much sudden death trial-and-error going on for my liking... but makes up for that with the charm and great animation.)

As others have said, you can almost certainly pay less by buying a used retail copy of this Wii gem though. Plus, if you don't like the game you can re-sell to get most of your money back. So even though I recommend the game highly, I'm less excited about recommending the digital release.

(Wish we would get Xenoblade released over here - that's a great game where it makes a lot of sense to offer digital distribution because retail copies cost much more.)

Re: Editorial: Nintendo and Virtual Reality Aren't a Good Fit in 2016

ejamer

VR is at least a decade away from being viable for the general public.

It's fair to be excited, and the end potential is pretty cool. But the reality, right now and right here, is that VR isn't even worth talking about from a mass market gaming standpoint.

But hey, when has reality ever stopped people from throwing money at stuff that isn't really worthwhile?

Re: Minecraft: Story Mode Hits The Wii U eShop This Week

ejamer

Not at all interested in this series, although I rather like the stories that TellTale games tend to provide. Wolf Among Us, or Game of Thrones, or even the rumored Walking Dead ports would all be interesting though.

That said, TellTale games are also notorious for running extremely poorly, regardless of what system they are on. Hopefully people don't have high expectations for a late port to the least powerful home console.

Re: Feature: Exciting Wii U and 3DS Games to Play in the First Quarter of 2016

ejamer

Ugh... In North America the lineup is looking pretty bad.

A real shame that the Fire Emblem Fates special edition sold out in under an hour, since that was the only way I was interested in the game. Without that, the only game on the list I've even mildly interested in is Final Fantasy Explorers.

Thanks goodness for a healthy backlog!

Re: Review: Terraria (3DS)

ejamer

I've been kind of looking for a reason to justify buying a New 3DS eventually. Frankly, if developers start making games that are either exclusive to, or significantly better on, that console I consider it a good thing.

Also, I think assuming that a 3DS should be able to run a game just because the graphics are simple is kind of silly. The complexity of game isn't always in the graphics... and sandbox-type games like Terreria and MineCraft are perfect examples of that.

Re: Xenoblade Chronicles X Voice Actress Is In Favour Of Lin's Western Costume Change

ejamer

This quote misses the point, and an article highlighting it feels like click-bait at this point in time.

People (at least, the sensible majority) aren't upset the costumes for child were modified to be more modest - very few had problems with that specific change. What gets people upset are the multitude of other changes that Nintendo makes, across multiple games, which aren't really necessary or beneficial. Those decisions build up until people start to be skeptical about any change and the "C" word starts getting thrown around.

Localization needs to keep the target audience and desired response in mind, something Nintendo is very inconsistent with in games they release.

("Remove any passing reference to religion!" "Make sure you don't show any underwear - even when it made sense for the story of an M-rated releases!" "Bayonetta? Meh, I'm sure there is nothing objectionable in this one...")

Re: Review: Minecraft: Wii U Edition (Wii U eShop)

ejamer

@BarryDunne

Um... thanks? But that doesn't answer my question at all.
Are Wii controllers (in any form) supported for local multiplayer, or would it require me to buy expensive new controllers?

I don't care about limited touch interface, voice chat, USB keyboard support, or 8-players online. I do care about knowing exactly what controllers are/aren't supported and what the cost/value of local multiplayer is - but that information isn't clearly stated anywhere that I can find.

No meaningful gamepad support, very limited controller support, higher price than any console competitor, later release and lagging behind (by an unknown amount of time) for updates... this port is sounding less and less appealing all the time.

Re: Review: Minecraft: Wii U Edition (Wii U eShop)

ejamer

Could anyone please clarify some details about local multiplayer?

I've seen a couple of comments in different reviews that always make it sound like support for the Wii U Pro Controller is a nice bonus... but it seems to me as if that's the absolute minimum possible. Is there support for Wii controllers (stand-alone or with Classic Controller attached) for local multiplayer? How many people can play locally, and is there really any value in doing that?

Re: Accusations of Plagiarism Directed at Popular Super Mario Maker Level Creator

ejamer

Q: Who cares?
A: People who work hard to come up with good ideas, hoping to get lots of stars to unlock options and have more attention brought to their efforts.

You might not care because it didn't require and thought or effort on your part. It's a dirty move by one of the "most popular" uploaders, and an easy showcase for the problems with how the rating system is used within the game.

That said, it's also not a big deal - totally worth pointing out and letting people know, but not important enough to get truly upset about.

Re: Review: SteamWorld Heist (3DS eShop)

ejamer

"... Image & Form has created an amazing game that could easily be a $29.99 3DS retail release."

Here's the trick (for me, at least):
A $30 retail release is worth maybe $10 as a digital only release, because once digital it can't be loaned, traded, sold. The idea of "buying" digital is a farce, because you don't own anything except a limited license to use the software.

If the game was available retail at a higher price point, I'd happily buy it that way. Of course, that's unlikely to be a real possibility for such a small developer.

I'm sure the game is excellent and worth buying. But $20+ CAD for digital content is a very hard sell for me. Others won't have that barrier - thank goodness, because Image & Form deserve to see success when they release great games.

Re: Minecraft on Wii U Won't Feature Inventory Management on the GamePad Screen

ejamer

Which would be worse: no inventory management on Gamepad, or no off-screen play? Ideally, it should have both options available... but this news isn't as horrible as some suggest.

It seems like people are keen to judge the port before it's released or all details are available. Wait for a week or so and see. Maybe there will be some nice surprises, maybe not. Don't get all worked up either way until we actually know for certain.

Re: Minecraft Finally Digs Its Way Onto the Wii U eShop on 17th December

ejamer

Disappointed in the price. Not sure how much "value" the six free add-on packs actually provide - maybe pricing isn't as bad as it seems - but also expecting it to be even more expensive than the listed price in Canada. Hard sell when every other console version costs $20.

Disappointed in the timing, because this should have happened at (or at least close to) launch if Nintendo wanted it to be a big deal. Instead anyone who wants Minecraft has almost certainly found a way to play already since it's available on almost any non-Nintendo device.

However, still glad it's happening and am likely to buy. We were going to get Minecraft for Christmas for my daughter - previously planned to get the Vita version and play on PSTV, but would much rather have it on our Wii U. As long as the port isn't flawed (fingers crossed) we'll be enjoying it on the TV over the holidays.

Re: Review: Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)

ejamer

Score almost doesn't matter to me - this is a game that plays to all of my "wants" in an RPG and looks like a fantastic (if maybe a bit safe) follow-up to one of my favorite games of all time. Can't wait to experience this gem.

Re: Review: Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (Wii U)

ejamer

@TeeJay
Or the game just isn't for you. You don't have to be a jerk about it.

(FWIW, games isn't really for me either and looks pretty disappointing. However, I have two young kids and we already own a bunch of Amiibo cards because our family really likes the Animal Crossing seris. So despite being disappointing as a game, this might be an ok "family" purchase.)

The one things that I really question about this game is the value. It looks and sounds like it should have been a free download to add value to the (massively successful) Amiibo market. Instead it's pretty expensive because they packed in extra figures. It's like they saw how well Animal Crossing cards sell without any useful application and figured they could double-dip.

Re: Nintendo of America Confirms Its Black Friday eShop Cyber Deals

ejamer

Meh. There are a few good deals for digital exclusive games, but it's always disappointing how often "big eShop sales" for games with retail releases ended up being months (or years) later and not as cheap.

I thought one of the big pushes for going digital was supposed to be super competitive pricing since the game companies get a higher margin. Guess not. (Or maybe more accurately, I guess games are so expensive to develop now that better margins doesn't result in lower pricing.)

Six games look possibly interesting to me. I'll probably buy one or two during the sale.

Re: Rumour: A Class in Bravely Second is Supposedly Being Censored for the Western Release

ejamer

@YorkshireNed
Thanks for posting the good (and very relevant) link!

Understanding why the native american costume could offend people, and how it's an important cultural icon that unfortunately gets used in inappropriate ways, is really important and it's a shame that more people don't take the time to understand why it's an issue.

I know not everyone will agree about what should/shouldn't be allowed in a fantasy-based, video game setting. After all, this isn't real. Personally, I'm pretty lenient in that regard... However, it's pretty clear why the change was made in this case, and (whether individuals here like it or not) it's an understandable choice.

Re: Review: Typoman (Wii U eShop)

ejamer

Liked the concept a lot, but (from the demo) controls and platforming were bad enough to put me off the game entirely.

Limbo was a weak game hiding behind nice art. It's a shame that the critical success it received kicked off so much style-over-substance indie development. (Not saying there isn't substance in Typoman - because the game has good ideas. It just doesn't have the level of polish required to make it "good".)

Re: You Can't Alter The Chest Size Of Female Characters In The Western Version Of Xenoblade Chronicles X

ejamer

The slider bar allowed you to adjust the chest size of your personal avatar. Sizes were never ridiculous (at least, going by "video game" scale), so it was just another in the list of customization options available.

Is it a big deal to have it removed? Nope - at least not for me.

Did the slider make sense within the context of the game? Yeah.
Oddly, now the avatar's bust size never changes even though the overall size of that character (and the size of any other individual feature) can vary.

So if it's not a big deal, was reasonable within the context of the game, and was in a T-rated game (which means the audience aren't kids anyway), then why was it removed? Why spend the time and effort to change this?

What bugs me is how arbitrary Nintendo's decisions are during localization. If they are making changes, make sure there is a reason for the change. Treat your audience appropriately based on the ESRB age rating assigned. Sounds easier than it actually is of course.

Re: Review: Stella Glow (3DS)

ejamer

The nice thing is that, being an Atlus game, you know it will go on sale.
But it when your budget allows - either physical or digital. Just do buy it eventually.

Re: Fire Emblem Fates Releases In North America On 19th February, Special Triple Edition Also Confirmed

ejamer

So happy that NoA is releasing the special edition - definitely the option I'm buying (as long as stock issues aren't an issue).

Is the full game "worth" that much? Probably not. I agree that Xenoblade look like a better value if you are trying to measure such things. But NoA are releasing a game I want, in a format that I hoped for but didn't really expect to see. My budget allows it, so that's good enough for me!

Re: Super Mario Maker Web Portal Arriving in December

ejamer

I agree with A01 that it would be nice to see this integrated directly into the game... but this is still a huge step forward for the game. Discovery has always been the biggest problem with this game - and while the improved portal won't be perfect it will be the best option available so far!

Re: Free Origin Story and 'Remaster' Update Coming to Affordable Space Adventures

ejamer

Really? Short of options? This discussion is done, because you have officially been drinking the Nintendo Fanboy kool-aid if you think there aren't a TON of options available (including retail) for less than $20 - and enough quality digital games under $10 to keep you busy for years.

Edit: Added the qualifiers "retail" when talking under $20 (which is the price of ASV with sale price) and $10 for digital.

Re: Free Origin Story and 'Remaster' Update Coming to Affordable Space Adventures

ejamer

@vonseux: Nonsense. It has a lot to do with the real world - notably that it's real money coming from my real wallet, for entertainment that is competing against other very real and very inexpensive options.

Paint it however you want - you are free to hold different opinions - but there are good arguments for why digital content is worth less to some people and your rhetoric doesn't change that. Especially for someone like myself who isn't a newcomer and has an extensive backlog of great games waiting to be played.

I'm not trashing Affordable Space Adventures. The game looks great and reviews have convinced me it's worth trying. It's just not worth $20 for me. (FYI: Canadian price is $25; assumed price after the upcoming discount will be $20. There are many great retails games available for Wii U, Wii, 3DS, and DS for that price point - comparing only to brand new $60 retail releases is foolish, doubly so when Affordable Space Adventures is already 6 months old.)