Stunt Car Racer was incredible, much better than what this seems to be.. Graphics are ok, but gameplay seems flat... just another arcade racer with no realism and no need to think what you're doing...
The way you had to hit the jumps in Stunt Car Racer at the right speed to fall at the correct spot (too slow and you ended up between ramps, slowing you down. Too fast and you fell hard on the road damaging your card) really added another dimension to that game. I was hooked on the Amiga, but recently even tried the ZX Spectrum game and it's amazing what they accomplished in such a small machine...
While the Flying game in Wii Sports Resort is pretty fun, I too would like a different control scheme that mimics a flying joystick. It'd be great if you could use the balance board for rudder control although I'm not sure if this is game is aiming for realism or more arcade...
The M+ should at least be optional for those that have it, for a better experience (in fact every game with motion controls should at least have the option of using M+ now)
I was hooked on Rygar on the Arcade as a kid and then played the ZX Spectrum version to death (never made it too far though...) so i'll be gatting that one
Are the levels for the arcade version of Salomon's Key different than the ones in the NES version?
This one is the one I like best from the two games. The analog controls are excellent and Core is just too hard for me... Not that I have finished BEAT either (I've yet to finish the second level), but when it gets a little crazy in Core my mind just goes blank and I just can't hit any dots...
"I want to know where is the next F-ZERO for the wii? Its been a while nintendo, and dont let someone else do it this time, fair enough sega did a good job at it, but i think the next installment should be handled back inhouse."
Agree!!! My favorite F-Zero is still the one for N64...
If they want indie developers they should lower the cost of entry. Right now indie developers are making homebrew apps which is free. Nintendo should really take the chance to try and bring those developers, not shut them out.
As an example, Apple started including developer tools free with their system releases when they switched to OS X. iPhone developer tools are also free as are those for the Android mobile platform. That's really the way to go if you want people to develop for your system...
The DX version was my first Zelda game and my introduction to consoles. Still is one of my favorite games, and I also think it was much better than the Oracle games.
I'll be getting this one once it comes to Europe. It reminds me a lot of the old Final Assault game I used to play in the 80's. BTW I wish they'd release that one on the c64's VC service...
My only gripe is that when you're turning and then let go, the car doesn't go straight in the direction it's pointing, but turns a bit to the opposite direction. It's hard at first, but I guess you get used to it...
I think the app is useful enough. This is the sort of stuff that comes free with any handheld computer such as the Palm, and I've used it on mine a lot.
I agree with features suggested above, and syncing would be great too, although I don't count on it....
Why don't they make a new G&W gallery game? It would be awesome in the DS. The GBA and GB games were great, but a new one that actually takes advantage of the two screens both for the classic and modern versions of the games would be excellent...
still... I'd get these if they're released here....
It's not upscaled, but rendered at a higher resolution. You can upscale with any HD television, but the image won't look as good. That's why it's nice to know that Wii games can be rendered at a higher resolution. It probably means Nintendo was thinking about releasing a HD Wii all along and all the games wll be compatible with the higher resolution.
Looks nice. It seems Nintendo left the posibility of HD open and Wii games will be able to to take advantage of it when Nintendo releases the expected Wii HD. The fact that old games will look better will be a good selling point...
I won't be getting this one... I did enjoy Plattchen but what I've read and seen about this game doesn't really interest me... I think there's more to Retro gaming than simple graphics, and my favorite retro games have little to do with mazes (never was a big pacman fan). I loved Bit Trip Beat and am really looking forward to the upcoming Bit Trip Core, which for the same price, seem to be much more polished, although ultimately it's the gameplay...
Even if this is nothing like the Elite & Frontier games, I'm very much looking forward to it. There are not many sci-fi games with good storylines around
One of the aspects I like the most of Zelda is the openness and exploration. Windwaker did this very well, even though the dungeons are always encountered linearly...
Well... if they reinvent the franchise (remember Windwaker on the GC) everyone complains. If they keep with the same formula, everyone complains... I guess they'd better do whatever they want because it won't really matter...
I enjoyed all the recently released Zelda games, and I'm looking forward to this new one (and the one on DS). I'm sure they'll be great games...
The Wii has sold so well that hopefully we can see a situation like in the DS where even titles that don't appeal to the majority of the user base will still be profitable. That would encourage the same kind of experimentation from developers to release interesting games that appeal to a smaller part of the wii owners, while still making a profit...
heh, I remember this text adventure that had some really strange noises on the ZX Spectrum. After a while we realized it was actually speech! It sounded crappy but it was pretty amazing for the time anyway...
Today's update is pretty good. I think I'll want to get Water Warfare eventually, the others I don't know... But I want Mario March of the Minis on the DSiWare!!!
I'd love it if it'd be similar to Elite/frontier, but from what I read from people that have played it it seems more like a classical RPG with a somewhat linear story line. You also don't pilot your ship in real time like in those games... But I don't know how open it is, or if there is trading...
Anyway, even if it's not like Elite/Frontier, it does seem to be a very good game with lots of customization and a nice SF story...
Using buttons to control the shot is what makes this game a total failure for me. If I'm playing with the M+, I want my motions to control the shots. Isn't that the whole point of the M+?
As it seems this one is the only bundled game, I think I'll wait until Wii Sport Resort comes out to get my M+ and then I may tray Tiger Woods or VT, but from what I've read TW is really the best of the three...
@Corbie: What you say sounds reasonable enough, and I'm not saying you should change what you are But it'd be nice if the person who reviews a game is the kind of person likely to enjoy that kind of game. Just as a shoot'em up hater will not write a very useful review of that type of game, someone that doesn't enjoy playing and understanding music won't really give a very informative review of Wii Music.
To keep up another example I cited before, I recently tried to research Wii Ski & Snowboard because I love skiing in real life and that title had slipped past me until I saw it by chance on a shop about a week ago. No review I read managed to convey the way the controls work when you invert them and the sense of realism the game manages to convey to someone that at least knows the basics of skiing. In the end I risked the purchase to discover that by myself, and while the game is not perfect, there's nothing quite like it on the market right now and I'm sure skiing fans will enjoy it a lot. I can see why the first game was so successful despite the bad reviews...
That's just an example, but there are many others. If people are not paying attention to reviews is not only because they don't know better, but because they don't "connect" with the way games are reviewed.
I think contacting with other people to write reviews of games that fall out of the scope of traditional gaming could really make a difference and be much more helpful overall...
@Corbie: I'm not sure if "core" is the right word, but there's people that have traditionally played games and people that haven't. There are games tailored for people that have been playing for years, and games that are aimed at people that want to "play" with other skills. Reviews are usually written thinking of the first group.
Wii Music is a great example of the latter and even though it was hyped, in all the demos I saw, I never expected more than what the game turned out to be after release. Just, what were people expecting anyway? I can see small complains like the small library, etc... and expect it will get better on following iterations (downloadable songs and some sort of customization of the chords to create songs yourself would be amazing additions).
Well, the 3rd parties are not doing that bad either. Boom Blox has sold at least 1m copies and that sems like a pretty good figure (btw, I did see advertisements for it on TV last year). Wii Ski sold about 1.5m (if the numbers I found are right).
The thing is, a large part of they Wii buying population doesn't read the reviews, and (most importantly) reviews are written with the "core" audience in mind. The "core" gamer isn't about to spend more than 5 minutes playing a balance board game, and the reviews of Wii Ski (and its sequel) got are pretty revealing. I've played the sequel and it is one of the most fun games I've played in a long time. Quite realistic (if you tweek the controls) and very open ended, but very challenging too, with lots of stuff to do and to discover. I wonder if any of the people that said the game lacks depth and challenge actually completed any of the harder challenges, especially the mountain slalom ones using the balance board.
That's a good example the reviews being plain wrong, because they're written by core gamers for core gamers. Another good example is Wii Music. An excellent game that really lets you experiment with music and which people are using to create original songs. But you've got to be interested in music beyond the mere Guitar Hero "arcade" experience. This is another game that got bad reviews because is not "core" oriented but still has sold at least 2.5m copies.
As skills needed to play and appreciate a game become more varied and go away from the "gamepad" hardcore philosophy, review sites and magazines are going to have to adapt, getting people that are more open to the new experience and connect more with the people that are actually buying the games...
I'm not sure, I think I'll wait for the review, although I probably will enjoy it. The developers are from the same part of the city of Madrid I used to live in until recently, Vallecas, so I'm hoping it's a great game and they do very well with it
Not all fans... I still think Rare is one of the most overrated gaming companies... Their games using nintendo characters were pretty bad gameplay-wise (especially Donkey Kong 64 and Star Fox Adventure) even if the graphics were pretty amazing... I don't really miss them much...
I loved this game on the N64. I played it to death, and then the sequel and then the sequel for the Wii. This is the kind of series in which there is a basic formula and each instance just improves on it. I don't own this game anymore, nor Melee (my kids broke the disc) but I don't miss them much because I have brawl...
That said, I'd be tempted to buy this game if it wasn't for the seemingly bad controls with the classic controller... Is it so bad? I remember loving the way the controls worked originally and I was a bit disappointed they seemed to have been "dumbed down" on the sequels... (but it's been quite a while...)
I've had my eye on this one for a while, but right now I'm still playing through Final Fantasy Tactics A2 and loving it, so I'll probably wait until I finish that (and with luck, the price will have come down by then...)
I just bought this and I'm enjoying it a lot. It does have some flaws, but overall it's pretty amazing. About the lack of depth, as Carlos27 said, there are many other challenges like races, trick runs, half pipe, and the delivery game is fun (and not easy at all), trying to find someone on the mountain with just a small image of where they are. There are also some secret paths and the mountain is totally open terrain, so it'll take some time to discover all the possible paths.
BTW, when I go skiing, I don't need extra "content", just going up and down the slopes is enough and lots of fun. This game is as closest as I've seen any game replicate that feeling, right down to the crappy sound systems the skiing resors have
And one other thing. The controls are configured by default so that you turn left when you lean left and right when you lean right (no doubt so people that haven't done any skiing can play the game from the start), but the game gives the chance to invert them and then they really become much more realistic, as when you ski you must put your weight on the foot outside of the direction you want to turn, so to turn left, you switch your weight to the right and viceversa. Also, you don't really have to lean to the sides, just slightly lifting your foot works fine, so you have a lot of control and it does feel very much like real skiing.
And last, I read a lot of complains that the game doesn't detect your forward-backward motion, but then, that wouldn't add a lot to the game because when you ski you ALWAYS lean forward (meaning you're weight must always be on the front of your skis). You never lean backwards unless you want to crash badly. So I guess the game could simulate that too, but then people would probably complain that it's too hard and tiring to maintain the correct skiing posture for so long
And about the whole casual/hardcore thing, this game is perfect for just everyone, just like real skiing. You can go easy, just going down trying not to fall on the easier slopes, or you can go on the harder ones and believe me, you'll need some practice before you can do those without falling, and then go to the slalom challenges and try not to miss any gate (with the balance board if possible). Last, try to go to the slope with all the crazy rails and go down the whole path without falling from the rails... The game does have its serious challenges, if you bother looking for them!
Wario Ware DIY and Zelda are the ones I'm looking forward the most. For anyone considering Picross 3D I'd recommend you import it now. The language barrier is almost nonexistent (I know zero japanese and can play the game fine, even having submitted puzzles to the contest).
Also, consider this: When Picross DS was released in Europe, Nintendo only released two puzzle packs online, even though there were at least 10 for the original. The japanese version of Picross 3D has already 13 packs of puzzles for download. How many will make it on the European version???
I'm really looking forward to Metroid Projetc M, and I agree, it seems more like a full 3D game... has there been any confirmation about it being 2.5??
BTW, I'm sure many games have been in development for more than 4 years... Frontier: Elite II which took more than 5 years until it was released in 1993, comes to mind...
a new "cool" franchise for the "real" gamers out there.But who are those "real" gamers anyway?
I enjoyed Phantom Hourglass and found it easy enough, but not too easy. Is it easier than Link to the Past? Yeah, but also because modern Zelda games offer nicer features like being able to go directly to the Boss in dungeon levels after you lose a fight against them (unlike in A Link to the Past). I call this better design.
Anyway, Zelda games weren't that hard to begin with. My girlfriend (not a gamer by any standards) finished Link's Awakening with no problems back when it was re-released for the GBC, mainly because she really enjoyed it and just made the effort. Phantom Hourglass is not much easier than that game (if anything) and some parts were actually hard (like the final fight) just not hard in a frustrating way.
Frankly, I've played videogames since the ZX Spectrum days and will say that I'm sick of unfinishable games. I want the game to be hard enough to present a challenge, but if I have to play through the last boss fight for weeks to finish the game, then I'll just move on...
Nintendo knows how to make games with different layers of difficulty, like the Warioland game for the Wii. Finishing the game is not that hard, but completing all the tasks for all the levels is almost impossible. That way everyone is happy because the game can be fun even if you're not that good at platform games.
It's like a game like Contra compared to Megaman. I can't finish more than 1-2 levels of Contra, but I managed to finish Megaman 2 and I'm on my way to finishing MM9. Megaman has a reputation for being super hard, but it really isn't because it gives you tools to make the game easier (extra lives, energy tanks,etc...). Also each level is an individual challenge. A "real" hardcore gamer might be able to finish the game with one live. Good for them. I can just play the game and have fun also, actually archiving something (instead of just getting stuck after 2 levels and never seeing what the game has to offer).
Comments 270
Re: Stunt Cars Gameplay Trailer
Stunt Car Racer was incredible, much better than what this seems to be.. Graphics are ok, but gameplay seems flat... just another arcade racer with no realism and no need to think what you're doing...
The way you had to hit the jumps in Stunt Car Racer at the right speed to fall at the correct spot (too slow and you ended up between ramps, slowing you down. Too fast and you fell hard on the road damaging your card) really added another dimension to that game. I was hooked on the Amiga, but recently even tried the ZX Spectrum game and it's amazing what they accomplished in such a small machine...
Re: Nintendo of Europe Announce WiiWare and DSiWare Plans for 2009
Well... I'm glad that list is incomplete. I'm really looking forward to Rock'n'Roll Climber...
Re: No More Heroes 2 Gets A Control Shake-Up
My interest in this game just dropped to zero... way to go... I hope they don't complain if it sells poorly...
Re: Legendo Takes to the Skies with Pearl Harbor Trilogy
While the Flying game in Wii Sports Resort is pretty fun, I too would like a different control scheme that mimics a flying joystick. It'd be great if you could use the balance board for rudder control although I'm not sure if this is game is aiming for realism or more arcade...
The M+ should at least be optional for those that have it, for a better experience (in fact every game with motion controls should at least have the option of using M+ now)
Re: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks dated
Weird. The GAME shops in Spain are advertising this as a Oct 1 release...
Re: Interviews: LostWinds 2 - Frontier's David Braben
The interview was great, but you forgot to ask him about Elite4!!
Now, a wii release for Elite4 would be something amazing
Re: Nintendo Download: Rygar, Solomon's Key, Spaceball and Solitaire (EU)
@Adamant: Thanks! I spent all my points, but will consider it in the future...
BTW, Rygar is quite hard, but thankfully you have an unlimited supply of coins in this version
Re: Nintendo Download: Rygar, Solomon's Key, Spaceball and Solitaire (EU)
BTW, when is Rock'n'Roll Climber coming to Europe? I'm really looking forward to playing it!
Re: Nintendo Download: Rygar, Solomon's Key, Spaceball and Solitaire (EU)
I was hooked on Rygar on the Arcade as a kid and then played the ZX Spectrum version to death (never made it too far though...) so i'll be gatting that one
Are the levels for the arcade version of Salomon's Key different than the ones in the NES version?
Re: Features: Looking Back At BIT.TRIP BEAT, Pt. 2
This one is the one I like best from the two games. The analog controls are excellent and Core is just too hard for me... Not that I have finished BEAT either (I've yet to finish the second level), but when it gets a little crazy in Core my mind just goes blank and I just can't hit any dots...
Re: Bethesda To Publish Wii Racing Game
"I want to know where is the next F-ZERO for the wii?
Its been a while nintendo, and dont let someone else do it this time, fair enough sega did a good job at it, but i think the next installment should be handled back inhouse."
Agree!!! My favorite F-Zero is still the one for N64...
Re: Review: Arkanoid Plus! (WiiWare)
A shame about the control system... I'm not interested if it's got no analog controls...
Re: Nintendo Wants To Spark Indie DSiWare Development
If they want indie developers they should lower the cost of entry. Right now indie developers are making homebrew apps which is free. Nintendo should really take the chance to try and bring those developers, not shut them out.
As an example, Apple started including developer tools free with their system releases when they switched to OS X. iPhone developer tools are also free as are those for the Android mobile platform. That's really the way to go if you want people to develop for your system...
Re: Review: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Game Boy)
Great review.
The DX version was my first Zelda game and my introduction to consoles. Still is one of my favorite games, and I also think it was much better than the Oracle games.
Re: Review: Rock N' Roll Climber (WiiWare)
I'll be getting this one once it comes to Europe. It reminds me a lot of the old Final Assault game I used to play in the 80's. BTW I wish they'd release that one on the c64's VC service...
Re: Review: Driift Mania (WiiWare)
My only gripe is that when you're turning and then let go, the car doesn't go straight in the direction it's pointing, but turns a bit to the opposite direction. It's hard at first, but I guess you get used to it...
Re: First Video of myNotebook
I think the app is useful enough. This is the sort of stuff that comes free with any handheld computer such as the Palm, and I've used it on mine a lot.
I agree with features suggested above, and syncing would be great too, although I don't count on it....
Re: Animal Crossing CD Album Coming Soon
Are these the same "recordings" featured in the game or new ones? BTW, don't complain so much, we haven't gotten the Game&Watch collections yet...
Re: Game & Watch Games to be Released on DSiWare
Why don't they make a new G&W gallery game? It would be awesome in the DS. The GBA and GB games were great, but a new one that actually takes advantage of the two screens both for the classic and modern versions of the games would be excellent...
still... I'd get these if they're released here....
Re: Review: Bit.Trip Core (WiiWare)
This seems to be a rhythm game at heart, and a very good one btw... I'm getting this as soon as it's released in Europe
Re: Super Mario Galaxy Shines in 720p
It's not upscaled, but rendered at a higher resolution. You can upscale with any HD television, but the image won't look as good. That's why it's nice to know that Wii games can be rendered at a higher resolution. It probably means Nintendo was thinking about releasing a HD Wii all along and all the games wll be compatible with the higher resolution.
Re: Super Mario Galaxy Shines in 720p
Looks nice. It seems Nintendo left the posibility of HD open and Wii games will be able to to take advantage of it when Nintendo releases the expected Wii HD. The fact that old games will look better will be a good selling point...
Re: Review: Bit Boy!! (WiiWare)
I won't be getting this one... I did enjoy Plattchen but what I've read and seen about this game doesn't really interest me... I think there's more to Retro gaming than simple graphics, and my favorite retro games have little to do with mazes (never was a big pacman fan). I loved Bit Trip Beat and am really looking forward to the upcoming Bit Trip Core, which for the same price, seem to be much more polished, although ultimately it's the gameplay...
Re: Interviews: BIT.TRIP CORE - Gaijin Games
Hopefully this will come to Europe soon. I think I'll enjoy it a lot!
Re: Western Release Date For Infinite Space Confirmed
Even if this is nothing like the Elite & Frontier games, I'm very much looking forward to it. There are not many sci-fi games with good storylines around
Re: New Wii Zelda Won't Be Radically Different, Says Miyamoto
One of the aspects I like the most of Zelda is the openness and exploration. Windwaker did this very well, even though the dungeons are always encountered linearly...
Re: New Wii Zelda Won't Be Radically Different, Says Miyamoto
Well... if they reinvent the franchise (remember Windwaker on the GC) everyone complains. If they keep with the same formula, everyone complains... I guess they'd better do whatever they want because it won't really matter...
I enjoyed all the recently released Zelda games, and I'm looking forward to this new one (and the one on DS). I'm sure they'll be great games...
Re: Review: Mario Kart DS (DS)
I agree. This is the best MK game, closely followed by the Wii version.
Re: Sega Not Giving Up On Mature Wii Titles Just Yet
The Wii has sold so well that hopefully we can see a situation like in the DS where even titles that don't appeal to the majority of the user base will still be profitable. That would encourage the same kind of experimentation from developers to release interesting games that appeal to a smaller part of the wii owners, while still making a profit...
Re: Nintendo Download: Puzzle Bobble, Water Warfare, SimEarth, Altered Beast and More Sudoku (EU)
heh, I remember this text adventure that had some really strange noises on the ZX Spectrum. After a while we realized it was actually speech! It sounded crappy but it was pretty amazing for the time anyway...
Today's update is pretty good. I think I'll want to get Water Warfare eventually, the others I don't know... But I want Mario March of the Minis on the DSiWare!!!
Re: Infinite Space
I'd love it if it'd be similar to Elite/frontier, but from what I read from people that have played it it seems more like a classical RPG with a somewhat linear story line. You also don't pilot your ship in real time like in those games... But I don't know how open it is, or if there is trading...
Anyway, even if it's not like Elite/Frontier, it does seem to be a very good game with lots of customization and a nice SF story...
Re: Review: Grand Slam Tennis (Wii)
Using buttons to control the shot is what makes this game a total failure for me. If I'm playing with the M+, I want my motions to control the shots. Isn't that the whole point of the M+?
As it seems this one is the only bundled game, I think I'll wait until Wii Sport Resort comes out to get my M+ and then I may tray Tiger Woods or VT, but from what I've read TW is really the best of the three...
Re: Frontier Boss: Wii Reviewers Are The Problem
Speaking of Frontier, where is ELITE 4???!!!!!
Re: Wii Is "Fool's Gold"
@Corbie: What you say sounds reasonable enough, and I'm not saying you should change what you are But it'd be nice if the person who reviews a game is the kind of person likely to enjoy that kind of game. Just as a shoot'em up hater will not write a very useful review of that type of game, someone that doesn't enjoy playing and understanding music won't really give a very informative review of Wii Music.
To keep up another example I cited before, I recently tried to research Wii Ski & Snowboard because I love skiing in real life and that title had slipped past me until I saw it by chance on a shop about a week ago. No review I read managed to convey the way the controls work when you invert them and the sense of realism the game manages to convey to someone that at least knows the basics of skiing. In the end I risked the purchase to discover that by myself, and while the game is not perfect, there's nothing quite like it on the market right now and I'm sure skiing fans will enjoy it a lot. I can see why the first game was so successful despite the bad reviews...
That's just an example, but there are many others. If people are not paying attention to reviews is not only because they don't know better, but because they don't "connect" with the way games are reviewed.
I think contacting with other people to write reviews of games that fall out of the scope of traditional gaming could really make a difference and be much more helpful overall...
Re: Wii Is "Fool's Gold"
@Corbie: I'm not sure if "core" is the right word, but there's people that have traditionally played games and people that haven't. There are games tailored for people that have been playing for years, and games that are aimed at people that want to "play" with other skills. Reviews are usually written thinking of the first group.
Wii Music is a great example of the latter and even though it was hyped, in all the demos I saw, I never expected more than what the game turned out to be after release. Just, what were people expecting anyway? I can see small complains like the small library, etc... and expect it will get better on following iterations (downloadable songs and some sort of customization of the chords to create songs yourself would be amazing additions).
Re: Wii Is "Fool's Gold"
Well, the 3rd parties are not doing that bad either. Boom Blox has sold at least 1m copies and that sems like a pretty good figure (btw, I did see advertisements for it on TV last year). Wii Ski sold about 1.5m (if the numbers I found are right).
The thing is, a large part of they Wii buying population doesn't read the reviews, and (most importantly) reviews are written with the "core" audience in mind. The "core" gamer isn't about to spend more than 5 minutes playing a balance board game, and the reviews of Wii Ski (and its sequel) got are pretty revealing. I've played the sequel and it is one of the most fun games I've played in a long time. Quite realistic (if you tweek the controls) and very open ended, but very challenging too, with lots of stuff to do and to discover. I wonder if any of the people that said the game lacks depth and challenge actually completed any of the harder challenges, especially the mountain slalom ones using the balance board.
That's a good example the reviews being plain wrong, because they're written by core gamers for core gamers. Another good example is Wii Music. An excellent game that really lets you experiment with music and which people are using to create original songs. But you've got to be interested in music beyond the mere Guitar Hero "arcade" experience. This is another game that got bad reviews because is not "core" oriented but still has sold at least 2.5m copies.
As skills needed to play and appreciate a game become more varied and go away from the "gamepad" hardcore philosophy, review sites and magazines are going to have to adapt, getting people that are more open to the new experience and connect more with the people that are actually buying the games...
Re: Icarian: Kindred Spirits flies onto WiiWare this Friday
I'm not sure, I think I'll wait for the review, although I probably will enjoy it. The developers are from the same part of the city of Madrid I used to live in until recently, Vallecas, so I'm hoping it's a great game and they do very well with it
Re: Molyneux: Nintendo Made Rare Too Secretive
Not all fans... I still think Rare is one of the most overrated gaming companies... Their games using nintendo characters were pretty bad gameplay-wise (especially Donkey Kong 64 and Star Fox Adventure) even if the graphics were pretty amazing... I don't really miss them much...
Re: First Impressions: WarioWare: D.I.Y.
I'm really looking forward to this game. Just the creative possibilities are incredible
Re: Review: Super Smash Bros. (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
I loved this game on the N64. I played it to death, and then the sequel and then the sequel for the Wii. This is the kind of series in which there is a basic formula and each instance just improves on it. I don't own this game anymore, nor Melee (my kids broke the disc) but I don't miss them much because I have brawl...
That said, I'd be tempted to buy this game if it wasn't for the seemingly bad controls with the classic controller... Is it so bad? I remember loving the way the controls worked originally and I was a bit disappointed they seemed to have been "dumbed down" on the sequels... (but it's been quite a while...)
Re: Review: Disgaea DS (DS)
I've had my eye on this one for a while, but right now I'm still playing through Final Fantasy Tactics A2 and loving it, so I'll probably wait until I finish that (and with luck, the price will have come down by then...)
Re: Review: We Ski & Snowboard (Wii)
I just bought this and I'm enjoying it a lot. It does have some flaws, but overall it's pretty amazing. About the lack of depth, as Carlos27 said, there are many other challenges like races, trick runs, half pipe, and the delivery game is fun (and not easy at all), trying to find someone on the mountain with just a small image of where they are. There are also some secret paths and the mountain is totally open terrain, so it'll take some time to discover all the possible paths.
BTW, when I go skiing, I don't need extra "content", just going up and down the slopes is enough and lots of fun. This game is as closest as I've seen any game replicate that feeling, right down to the crappy sound systems the skiing resors have
And one other thing. The controls are configured by default so that you turn left when you lean left and right when you lean right (no doubt so people that haven't done any skiing can play the game from the start), but the game gives the chance to invert them and then they really become much more realistic, as when you ski you must put your weight on the foot outside of the direction you want to turn, so to turn left, you switch your weight to the right and viceversa. Also, you don't really have to lean to the sides, just slightly lifting your foot works fine, so you have a lot of control and it does feel very much like real skiing.
And last, I read a lot of complains that the game doesn't detect your forward-backward motion, but then, that wouldn't add a lot to the game because when you ski you ALWAYS lean forward (meaning you're weight must always be on the front of your skis). You never lean backwards unless you want to crash badly. So I guess the game could simulate that too, but then people would probably complain that it's too hard and tiring to maintain the correct skiing posture for so long
And about the whole casual/hardcore thing, this game is perfect for just everyone, just like real skiing. You can go easy, just going down trying not to fall on the easier slopes, or you can go on the harder ones and believe me, you'll need some practice before you can do those without falling, and then go to the slalom challenges and try not to miss any gate (with the balance board if possible). Last, try to go to the slope with all the crazy rails and go down the whole path without falling from the rails... The game does have its serious challenges, if you bother looking for them!
Re: Upcoming DS titles get dates.
Wario Ware DIY and Zelda are the ones I'm looking forward the most. For anyone considering Picross 3D I'd recommend you import it now. The language barrier is almost nonexistent (I know zero japanese and can play the game fine, even having submitted puzzles to the contest).
Also, consider this: When Picross DS was released in Europe, Nintendo only released two puzzle packs online, even though there were at least 10 for the original. The japanese version of Picross 3D has already 13 packs of puzzles for download. How many will make it on the European version???
Don't wait. It's not worth it...
Re: More Than One Metroid In The Pipeline?
I'm really looking forward to Metroid Projetc M, and I agree, it seems more like a full 3D game... has there been any confirmation about it being 2.5??
BTW, I'm sure many games have been in development for more than 4 years... Frontier: Elite II which took more than 5 years until it was released in 1993, comes to mind...
Re: Interviews: Vektor Tank - Bplus
Vector Tank doesn't look bad, but it's its gameplay I'm interested in. Anyway, I hope they finally release it as a Wiiware game...
Re: Ragnarok Online DS slashes its way out of Japan
random dungeons.... is this a roguelike?
Re: NSFW: Zelda, Peach and Samus Shed Clothing In The Name Of Art
Not that bad... anyway, it doesn't really look as they took it very seriously either...
Re: Rampant Speculation: IGN Teases New 'Hardcore' Title
@Kelvin: Took the words right out of my mouth
Re: Infinite Space Gameplay Trailer
Nice! This looks like a must buy for fans of Elite and Frontier! although combat doesn't appear to be a simulation...
Re: Zelda: Spirit Tracks To Appeal To a Wider Age Group?
a new "cool" franchise for the "real" gamers out there.But who are those "real" gamers anyway?
I enjoyed Phantom Hourglass and found it easy enough, but not too easy. Is it easier than Link to the Past? Yeah, but also because modern Zelda games offer nicer features like being able to go directly to the Boss in dungeon levels after you lose a fight against them (unlike in A Link to the Past). I call this better design.
Anyway, Zelda games weren't that hard to begin with. My girlfriend (not a gamer by any standards) finished Link's Awakening with no problems back when it was re-released for the GBC, mainly because she really enjoyed it and just made the effort. Phantom Hourglass is not much easier than that game (if anything) and some parts were actually hard (like the final fight) just not hard in a frustrating way.
Frankly, I've played videogames since the ZX Spectrum days and will say that I'm sick of unfinishable games. I want the game to be hard enough to present a challenge, but if I have to play through the last boss fight for weeks to finish the game, then I'll just move on...
Nintendo knows how to make games with different layers of difficulty, like the Warioland game for the Wii. Finishing the game is not that hard, but completing all the tasks for all the levels is almost impossible. That way everyone is happy because the game can be fun even if you're not that good at platform games.
It's like a game like Contra compared to Megaman. I can't finish more than 1-2 levels of Contra, but I managed to finish Megaman 2 and I'm on my way to finishing MM9. Megaman has a reputation for being super hard, but it really isn't because it gives you tools to make the game easier (extra lives, energy tanks,etc...). Also each level is an individual challenge. A "real" hardcore gamer might be able to finish the game with one live. Good for them. I can just play the game and have fun also, actually archiving something (instead of just getting stuck after 2 levels and never seeing what the game has to offer).