Explodemon! is planned for release in Q4 2009 on the PlayStation®3 via the PlayStation®Network. Subsequent versions will be released on the PC through various online portals, and for the Wii on Nintendo’s WiiWare service.
What part of "the Wii is the best selling console ever" do developers have trouble understanding? Is it the millions of customers waiting to fork over their dollars? The massive install base in all regions? The superior release methodology of the WiiWare service, that gives every game title a chance to shine? Oh, I got it! It's the better royalties, isn't it? Developers just can't stand that WiiWare provides better royalty rates.
Seriously. WiiWare has to wait last for the game? Oscar Mike Golf Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Bravo Bravo Quebec. You'd think a company that could develop a competitive 3D title would be a little smarter than that.
That's awesome news! I can't wait to hear some first impressions on the DSi from our European friends. Not to mention find out if Nintendo corrected the problems that plagued the GCN version of Zelda.
@Corbie - Gate of Thunder? Really? It's a great shmup, but I'd never think of it as better than Ikaruga. At best I'd say it's the pinnacle of the old-style shmups before power-ups started getting played down.
@pHaT-aNt_ - Sorry 'bout that. I write too much Javascript these days. The full code would look something like this:
@Lugia2 - Each VC title is a self contained emualtor + ROM. So there's no concern over what "the emualtor" can do, because there is no single emulator. It's more a question of, "can it be emulated and emulated well"? The answer for most arcade games is, "Yes".
(In case it's not clear, Ikaruga is quite possibly the best shoot'em up ever. IMHO, anyway. Corbie probably disagrees with me on that particular point. But not by too much, I imagine. )
@jangonov - <pedantic>Doesn't it claim that Brenda Song's IQ is over 120 or something? 105 would be easy for most visitors to beat.</pedantic><cynical>Of course, it's a scam ad anyway, so it really doesn't matter what it says.</cynical><evil>Not that anything should stop you from clicking on it. If they want to give money to the website-formerly-known-as-WiiWare-World so you can laugh at their site, more power to 'em! </evil>
I think there's a bug with the stars. It appears to show 10 stars while the score says 8/10. If I stare at it really hard, I think the last two stars are supposed to be lighter colored, but the effect doesn't seem to come through. (Safari 3.1.2; Mac OS X 10.5)
FWIW, my kids love this game. The only problem is that they tend to get into fights and arguments over stealing in-game stuff from each other or beating each other to goals. I ended up having to force them to take a break from the game.
It's extremely competitive and does not enforce any sort of moral code. So keep an eye on your kids if you let them play this one. Despite the graphics and cutesy appearance, it may be too old for them.
Edit: Looks like Firefox works. So it must be an issue with Safari and how you're rendering the stars. Edit2: Bug fixed! Yay!
WTF? What have you done with my beloved WiiWare World and Virtual Console Reviews?!?
Don’t panic.
Don't tell me not to panic! I'm panicking! I'm panicking! huffhuffwheeze I hate this change! Why have you ruined my favourite site?
Sorry you feel that way, but sometimes change has to happen for things to get better.
Stop reading my mind! I don'ts likes it! I don'ts likes it! I'm going to curl up into the fetal position and suck my thumb until I awaken from this bad dream!
There's no telling where that thumb of yours has been.
Stop it!
/me runs off screaming...
(Congrats on the upgrade! Jerks. You've had your fun. Now change it back! Change it back! Arrrggghhh!! )
@tatemon555 - I wouldn't say this is crap. Just old, old, old, old school. As one of the earliest forms of scrolling shooters, it's not got a lot of glitz. But what it lacks in flash, it makes up for in classic arcade charm.
@SmaMan - Unfortunately, I don't think Dragon's Lair is at all feasible. The game was stored on a LaserDisc, containing a significant amount of FMV. If the data was converted to digital format and compressed in a modern format (e.g. H.264) it might be feasible. But otherwise you're looking at more data than the Wii has internal storage.
I was pushing it with my Killer Instinct request, but that one has no other releases. For Dragon's Lair, you might want to consider one of the many re-releases over the years. For example, there are versions for PC, XBox, DVD, and BluRay. So there are more than enough ways to play the game already. Many of which are true to the arcade.
@Adamant - That's still a lot of traveling. I'm glad to know you didn't have to go quite so far, though.
It's too bad you missed the presentations on those items. Thankfully, there's some good info on the 'net. Info on the FB2 Portable can be found here and some great photos of the Axe guitar here. (I'm in those photos, but I'll leave you to figure out which one. )
I don't see any tourney info over on midwestgamingclassic.com, so try asking around AtariAge. Someone over there should be able to point you to the official results.
@Corbie - I can't blame Nintendo. The arcade Mario Kart was pretty, but otherwise fairly generic. Also, it's usually configured to be super-easy, so it ends up being more of a kiddie title for the arcades.
I heard that FZero AX in the arcades was better, but I've never seen a machine.
@Adamant - You flew all the way to the US just for the MGC?!? I knew the show was getting popular, but I never thought anyone would fly internationally for it! I hope you had a good time, and that our country was hospitable to you during your visit?
Did you get to see the production mockup of the portable FB2? It would be incredible if one of those ever came out. Not to mention the portable Genesis announced at the show!
In addition to some of the one's already mentioned, here's my list in no particular order:
Killer Instinct
Sky Soldiers
19xx series
Darius series
San Francisco RUSH
Operation Wolf
Burgertime
Choplifter
Outrun
Radiant Silvergun
Speaking of the 19xx series, I have always been surprised that those games never resulted in a firestorm of controversy over in Japan. I mean, the purpose of the game is to defeat Japan! Always seemed a bit odd to me. (Though they are great games. )
@Drake - One of those RTFM-or-no-game-for-you games, eh? That's awesome. (Especially for an arcade game, where instructions tend to be few and far between.)
Tower of Druaga is a moderately infamous arcade game.
Don't leave us hanging like that! What is it infamous for?!? Was it just that it was widely played yet terrible, or is there more to it? /me waits for juicy story
As the knight Gil (Who is really Gilgamesh)
Just keep repeating to yourself, "Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk". It will make the game better. Trust me. And if your eyes start glazing over, pretend you're on a new adventure by repeating "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra". Nobody knows who those oddballs are or what the point of their adventure was, but it sounds like fun!
@quakster - That much is obvious. The question that raises is, wouldn't they have to re-localize the game? I suppose it's possible they had a UK machine on hand, so they managed both English and the Star Force name from that dump. Either way, it's still an interesting question.
@Sean Aaron - Ah, that makes sense. I thought that calling Super Aleste or Megaforce 2600 "simple" seemed a bit odd.
@ NeoNight - I doubt it. First of all, the WiiWare is still limited by the copy it keeps in main memory. If Nintendo allows the files to get too big, they'll start conflicting with saved games. (Some of which get frighteningly huge! Elebits and Blast Works are two particularly bad offenders that come to mind.) Secondly, a minor increase in the download size isn't going to matter much. It will simply let developers be a bit lazier than before. You'd need a rather massive increase to make a difference. (As Microsoft found out with XBLA.)
Java support is right out. Implementing it would be too complex for the Wii's simple design, and Nintendo and Opera have stated they don't feel like it would add much.
@ Wolfcoyote sez... Nintendo has GOT to update the Wii's Macromedia Flash capabilities from version 6 to at least 9
The Wii actually has version 7, not 6. (6 would really suck.) Of course, version 8 was already out by the time the Internet Channel hit the streets.
Officially, there is no toolkit for which Opera can create a Flash 9 or 10 plugin. (10 being the most recent.) However, Sony was able to obtain Flash 9 for their POS mobile browser, so it's a bit surprising that Nintendo hasn't chased down Adobe and forced them to fork over some code.
Personally, I think Flash support is done for. Nintendo and Opera only added Flash into the Internet Channel so that Youtube would work. (They've said as much.) I don't think Nintendo has any intention of updating it, and I actually feel that they'll remove it in the next console. (Note that the DSi lacks Flash support.) If they want Youtube support, they'll probably go the way of the iPhone and get direct access to MP4s through a custom channel.
That's why the future is (IMHO) Javascript games. Considering the lack of direct access to the Wii Remote from Flash, Javascript is actually a more reliable solution. Check these out for examples of what can be done:
Note that controls adapt themselves to the PC vs. the Wii. You'll get the best experience on the Wii, but you'll see PC controls available if you play them on a PC.
@buffalobob - I found your answer in IGN's article on the topic:
It takes a few seconds, as the data must first be loaded into temporary storage on the Wii's internal flash memory -- the game won't run directly off the SD. That means you'll still need to have enough space cleared for the game, as if you were attempting to copy it over to the Wii's internal memory permanently. So, for example, you can't launch the 287 block Sin & Punishment from your SD if you only have 50 free blocks on the Wii.
@Wolfcoyote Sez... which is awesome because the Internet Channel would have been deleted eventually
You raise an interesting point. A lot of users deleted their Internet Channel due to space constraints. I wonder if the additional space freed up by this move will cause Wii owners to restore the Internet Channel?
@Sean Aaron sez... Mega Force is a different game, though it is also a pretty basic shooter and one I enjoy.
No, it's not. Mega Force was the name given to the North American release of Star Force. You're probably thinking of Super Aleste (aka Space Megaforce) or the Atari 2600 game of the same name.
FWIW, I don't understand why the VC game has the Star Force name. I would presume that the localized version would be the one with the Mega Force name. Corbie, got any thoughts?
@jangonov - You know what this means, right? It means you need to buy another SD card to take advantage of the SDHC support! Just can't win, can you?
@Sean Aaron - Modern Flash memory uses a technique called "wear leveling" to extend the life of the memory. These days, you should have several million writes in store before blocks begin going bad. That's about as long as a regular hard drive.
Now we know what took Nintendo so long. They actually listened and gave us a REAL solution rather than the previously promised "Easy copy". I can't believe they even added SDHC support. (shock) Now THAT is service!
Way to go Nintendo!!!
I look forward to seeing what comes out of this arcade thing as well. The launch games are a little weak, but I imagine they'll get better with time*.
Everyone knows that core gamers have more money than sense!
Kidding aside, I hear what you're saying. However, you are still the exception. I've spent a similar amount on Wii Points as yourself, but my 2GB SD Card has over 7100 blocks available. The reason is that very few games bump up against the upper limits on size.
By owning both GHIV and RB2, you've created a perfect storm to run up your storage costs. All those downloadable songs you've purchased add up. It's as if you bought some of the largest WiiWare games a few dozen times over. Except that at only 200 points a track, you didn't need to spend nearly as much money to do it.
While it may be slightly painful, the solution is still the same. Have a card for RB2, a card for GHIV, and a card for Wii Shop downloads. That will keep everything neat and tidy, and you'll be unlikely to run out of storage anytime soon. Which isn't to say that Nintendo shouldn't fix the problem, but they're probably looking at this pragmatic approach and wondering why customers don't see it the same way.
@jangonov - Congrats on being the first person I've ever met to fill a 2GB card on the Wii!
Of course, it doesn't change Nintendo's rationale much. You're an outlier in Nintendo's market. The exception that proves the rule. I imagine the way Nintendo sees it, you've spent so much money on WiiWare (haven't we all?) that spending $10-$15 on another SD Card isn't going to be an unreasonable burden.
When is 'X' coming out for the Virtual Console? This is the question we get asked more often than any other. To put it bluntly, if it's not included in the Coming Soon list, we have no idea.
@jangonov & others - As far as I've been able to ascertain, the Wii is 100% hardware capable of reading SDHC cards. There have been more than enough reports of people using them, even to full capacity with custom IOSes. (i.e. homebrew stuff)
The problem appears to be a software issue. The Wii doesn't understand file systems formatted to greater than 2GB and/or may not know how to run the controller hardware to make the card operate in SDHC mode. Thus SDHC cards occasionally work if formatted to 2GB or less.
As to why Nintendo doesn't want to solve this problem, I have a few different theories. The first is that Nintendo didn't specify SDHC compatibility to the manufacturers. In result, the manufacturer would have chosen their parts based on price rather than on compatibility with SDHC. It may have happened that SDHC parts are so common at this point that all Wiis are equipped, but there's nothing that guarantees it.
My second theory is that 2GB is a LOT of space for the Wii. I have yet to meet anyone who has managed to fill it. Given that you can't run games off the SD Card anyway, Nintendo has no incentive to do the footwork necessary to solve this problem.
@Chicken Brutus - On a hardware level, the GBC and GB differed in several significant ways. Damned if I can remember the details, but I do know that the color vs. grayscale thing wasn't as automatic as it seemed. Making a dual system cartridge (i.e. the black plastic ones) was no easy task.
That being said, Nintendo tends to lump GB and GBC together when they speak about the GameBoy platform. So my guess is that GBC is included when they say GB and GBA.
The best way to evaluate Onslaught is to decide whether or not you like arcade rail shooters. If you think everything from Operation Wolf to Time Crisis were wastes of time, then you probably won't like Onslaught. If however, you happen to love mindless arcade shooting (like me ), you'll absolutely adoreOnslaught. You won't even notice that it's technically a First Person Shooter.
I have a feeling that Tiki Towers owes its success to World of Goo. How many players end WoG feeling like they want more, then turn to Tiki Towers as a substitute? I know that was partly in my line of reasoning.
"If this game is even half as good as WoG..."
Too bad it isn't. Tiki Towers doesn't really do anything to engage the player. It's all resource management and nothing else. Which makes it feel more like work than play. (Blech.)
@Chicken Brutus - Avoiding the power-up is only half the battle. You have to know precisely which ones to avoid as well. If you miss the double-paddle, you're going to be in a world of hurt.
@SmaMan - There's more than enough bandwidth in even the cheapest cards. The problem appears to be an issue with Nintendo's crypto system more than anything else. Pulling data from the SD Card does a great deal of cryptographic translation and verification that slows things down considerably. That's why the last Wii system update was able to bump the speed of the SD transfers so much. i.e. Because it's a software problem.
@Corbie - That may be true if you have good vision, but I'm afraid I don't. Glasses have the effect of reducing the contrast of vision a bit. In result, certain colors have almost zero contrast. Dark blue on black is one of those cases where the colors become extremely hard to make out.
I remember learning this lesson in first grade when my teacher tried using blue chalk on the blackboard for the first time. It didn't take her long to figure out that those of us with glasses couldn't make out what the board said. The chalk ended up getting put away for blackboard art only.
@CommanderVideo - Thanks for being understanding. BTW, I forgot to add the B&W Pong mode to the Pros list. Using that mode as a fallback when you're failing is one of the neater aspects of the game. If things get too hot and heavy, the simplicity of the mode suddenly makes everything clear again.
Glad to see someone remember that the old Ataris could do serious COLOR
Nice music
The controls are as close as you can get to a paddle with hooking up a paddle.
Unfortunately, I can't say the game really deserves a 9/10. It has a number of significant faults that come off as rather obnoxious.
Dark blue is a low contrast color. It's bad enough for those with 20/20 vision, but it's impossible to see for people with glasses. This is such a significant fault that it nearly makes the game unplayable. Just one of the DNA-like strands can send a player plummeting to failure.
The rumble beat on the Wii Remote appears to be intended to replicate the "jitter" of 2600 paddles. This is a two-fold problem: 1) This isn't an actual paddle. Precision is already difficult without something throwing your aim off. 2) 2600 paddles shouldn't jitter. That's a sign of age, wear, and grime. Most paddles can be made fully functional again by taking them apart and cleaning them.
The paddle to select the menu item is bad enough, but the forced rebound is just plain... um... obnoxious (sorry CommanderVideo )
File size. Oh my kingdom for a smaller file. Even with high quality MP3 or OGG music or samples, I don't see what's driving the size so large. Please consider optimizing the download size in the future.
The "challenge" power-up is difficult to detect. While I know many players would want to pick it up, there are times I'd also like to avoid it as well. It's not that easy to see it coming.
Why is PAUSE mapped to the MINUS button instead of PLUS? That's very confusing.
@CommanderVideo - I'd like to commend you on an excellent attempt at a game. I hope you will take this feedback and make the next game even better. (And maybe even release an update to fix the dark blue. Please? )
@Neomega - Again, that's not what this is going to do. This is going to be used to create new WiiWare games. WiiCade is much closer to what you want, as it is founded on the same types of ideas as Newgrounds. All you need is the Opera browser and one or more Wii Remotes. (I highly recommend at least two. My recent game Coverfire is tons more fun with two remotes instead of one. )
@Neomega - This will not accomplish a NewGrounds for the Wii. That's what sites like WiiCade and WiiPlayable attempt. All this will do is make it possible to develop WiiWare in Flash.
@TwistedVivid - I doubt it. Most likely Nintendo is only distributing these kits to licensed WiiWare developers.
I've worked under the covers on Flash games written by some of the best Flash game designers in the industry. There is NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH this is a good thing.
There's a reason why professional versions of titles are regularly contracted out to third-party game studios. That reason is that a Game Designer may be able to make a kick-arse prototype in Flash, but he tends to lack the technical knowledge to put the capabilities of a good game system to use. Similarly, good Game Designers aren't always good artists, either. (Ever wonder why some of the best Flash games have stick figures? Now you know.)
Add it all up, and you realize that the best games come from a good Game Designer teamed up with crack artists and programmers. THAT is how you get the best results.
Flash is a tool that has improved a lot over the years, but it's still used by Game Designers to express ideas in a rapid, albeit not always ideal form. Even when the necessary technologies are available to them on the Flash platform, they usually don't know how to make the best use of those technologies.
In short, Flash may not increase the amount of "crap" we see on WiiWare, but it will almost certainly drop the overall quality.
@Starwolf_UK - There's a great invention called the "telephone". I'm sure Iwata is well versed in its use.
In any case, the Opera staff have repeatedly made it clear (both in private and to the world at large) that they don't make the decisions on what goes into the web browser. Nintendo does. Opera can beg and plead, but at the end of the day they have almost no say.
My expectation is that the Flash plugin in Wii Opera will NOT get updated. In fact, I also expect that the Flash plugin will get dropped from the browser of the Wii's successor. Nintendo may want to keep Youtube support around, but my spidey senses tell me that they'll go the iPhone route and work out a custom, non-Flash application for those videos.
Oh, and my spidey senses also tell me the Wii's successor will have a MotionPlus built in, a unified sensor bar with camera and microphone, possibly no GameCube support, and a few other surprises.
@fixjuxa - Seriously, give it a rest. Corbie's review was fair and spot on. Regardless of whether or not this is his favorite type of shooter, he was dead on with both his praise and criticism of the title. We could not ask for a better review, no matter what Corbie's biases might be.
I'm not insulted in the slightest. Merely stating my own difficulties and viewpoint. You wouldn't believe how happy I was just to get to level 3 on Soldier Blade. (Doh!)
@raindog469 - In salstadt's defense, he did say that he believed he was probably over on color changes. Still, I think he's pretty close to what's possible with a multisprite kernal. The biggest change he needs to make is to get rid of the backgrounds on objects like the meter and the button. Overlapping objects like that is a lot harder than it looks. I suppose the playfield could be used for the meter, but you'd never get that fine a resolution out of the button.
BTW, have you seen the Ballblazer 2600 experiment? If that isn't one of the most impressive kernals ever, I don't know what is. What's particularly amazing is that the playfield scrolls so smoothly and maintains its checkerboard appearance. If I hadn't run it in an emulator myself, I never would have believed it.
@Corbie - If you do go, look me up. I'll probably be there on Sunday. I'll be the guy with two kids (both boys) in tow. And maybe I'll even convince my wife to go this year.
@Corbie - Says you! I always get to the second level, then die immediately. I don't last long under the onslaught. Technically speaking, no shooter is all that hard once you get the hang of the mechanics and controls. But part of the challenge is always getting those mechanics down pat. Some games allow wider margins of error than others...
@Omega - That's the one I'm talking about. It sounds like you're doing a lot better with Ikaruga than you let on. Being able to beat the game has never been a measure of the quality of shoot'em ups for me (probably because I rarely beat them ), but I suppose everyone has their own viewpoint.
@Objection_Blaster & anthonyb - You'd be amazed how deep the 2600 community gets. I previously wondered what the point was when I first found AtariAge. Mostly it seems to be a case of "because we can", but a lot of it is just the fun of working with a highly limited system. Counting cycles when programming is foreign to most programmers today, but it's a necessity on the 2600. There are few better ways of getting a feel for the history of computing than writing such games. Not to mention the way the alternative trains of thought can help you develop better games on modern systems.
@Corbie - So go get one! The blasted things are common as dirt. If you're located here in the midwest, you can hit the Midwest Gaming Classic Show on the 21st & 22nd and pick yourself up whatever you need. Make sure you take the time to enter the yearly Shoot'Em Up contest.
@ouenben - I took my understanding from the original announcement by Iwata. Unfortunately, I looked into it and it seems that it was just a misunderstanding of what he said. Boo.
Though I have to wonder if he wasn't implying it? Certainly, there seems to be a bit of circumstantial evidence out on the 'net. We'll see if any of it holds up.
@anthonyb - Is there something wrong with the DSi being packed with twice the processor speed and four times the memory? I'll grant that this is the first system in my memory that doesn't have a huge lineup of console-specific games ready to show off its new power. But I think the difference is that the DSi is going to rely more heavily on downloadable games. Iwata has previously stated that he sees download services as a game-changer for the console market. It may very well be that the DSiWare titles are supposed to be the launch lineup.
Is anyone besides me hoping we see a Tower Defense game on DSiWare? That would be freaking awesome!
@ouenben - Last I heard, GBA games are going to be available through the DSi Virtual Console service. You won't be able to play existing cartridges you have, but you should be able to pick up new games. It may even give some of the lesser known titles a second lease on life. (e.g. Toki Tori, Shante, Iridion 2, etc. for a few examples.)
@Draygone sez... if this were like SNES, we'd be seeing massive slowdown.
Actually, there are several parts where the game slows down. Other than to give that "retro-feel", I can't figure out why for the life of me. We're talking about a game console that can push north of a billion texels a second! Slowdown simply shouldn't happen. Adding it in merely for the purpose of being "retro" is just plain annoying.
Harsh. Though I can understand how one might feel playing an 80's remix after coming off a Treasure entry into the series. It would be like giving me Demon Attack right after playing Ikaruga. I'd look at you funny and ask what exactly you were taking when you thought Demon Attack would be a good follow-up.
I do have to say though, Gradius Rebirth does get more fun the more you play it. Also, reconfiguring the controls for autofire helps A LOT. So much so that it should have been the default configuration.
@Omega - Ikaruga is a lot easier for beginners than many other bullet-hell games IMHO. Just remember to switch to the correct color to absorb bullets and you'll do fine. The difficulty does ramp up rather quickly (I still can't beat the boss with the pistons you have to shoot) but the basic gameplay is very approachable once you understand the mechanics.
If you want bullet-hell games that have gone too far, look no further than Mars Matrix. If you can get past the first boss, you're not doing too bad. Outside of bullet-hell games is Border Down; a crazy, over the top, somewhat confusing, yet visually appealing shoot'em up that will test the patience of any player.
Comments 551
Re: Curve Officially Announces Explodemon!
Explodemon! is planned for release in Q4 2009 on the PlayStation®3 via the PlayStation®Network. Subsequent versions will be released on the PC through various online portals, and for the Wii on Nintendo’s WiiWare service.
What part of "the Wii is the best selling console ever" do developers have trouble understanding? Is it the millions of customers waiting to fork over their dollars? The massive install base in all regions? The superior release methodology of the WiiWare service, that gives every game title a chance to shine? Oh, I got it! It's the better royalties, isn't it? Developers just can't stand that WiiWare provides better royalty rates.
Seriously. WiiWare has to wait last for the game? Oscar Mike Golf Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Bravo Bravo Quebec. You'd think a company that could develop a competitive 3D title would be a little smarter than that.
Re: Euro Update: DSiWare Launch Games and Majora's Mask
That's awesome news! I can't wait to hear some first impressions on the DSi from our European friends. Not to mention find out if Nintendo corrected the problems that plagued the GCN version of Zelda.
Re: Explodemon Coming to WiiWare
This looks awesome! Like a spiritual successor to MegaMan. I hope the game turns out to be as good as it looks!
Re: Review: Ikaruga (GCN)
@Corbie - Gate of Thunder? Really? It's a great shmup, but I'd never think of it as better than Ikaruga. At best I'd say it's the pinnacle of the old-style shmups before power-ups started getting played down.
@pHaT-aNt_ - Sorry 'bout that. I write too much Javascript these days. The full code would look something like this:
function Game(name, developer, publisher)
{
this.getName = function() { return name; };
this.getDeveloper = function() { return developer; };
this.getPublisher = function() { return publisher; };
this.getScore = function() {
if(developer == "Treasure") return 10;
else return 7;
};
}
Usage:
var game = new Game("Ikaruga", "Treasure", "Atari");
alert(game.getName()+" has the awesome score of "+game.getScore());
Re: Ten Arcade Games We'd Like To See On The Virtual Console Arcade
@Lugia2 - Each VC title is a self contained emualtor + ROM. So there's no concern over what "the emualtor" can do, because there is no single emulator. It's more a question of, "can it be emulated and emulated well"? The answer for most arcade games is, "Yes".
Re: Review: Ikaruga (GCN)
Corbie, there's a bug in your scoring algorithm. It should be this:
function getScore() {
if(developer == "Treasure") return 10;
else return 7;
}
Please fix this bug as soon as possible. KTHXBYE.
(In case it's not clear, Ikaruga is quite possibly the best shoot'em up ever. IMHO, anyway. Corbie probably disagrees with me on that particular point. But not by too much, I imagine. )
Re: Welcome to the New Look Nintendo Life!
@jangonov - <pedantic>Doesn't it claim that Brenda Song's IQ is over 120 or something? 105 would be easy for most visitors to beat.</pedantic><cynical>Of course, it's a scam ad anyway, so it really doesn't matter what it says.</cynical><evil>Not that anything should stop you from clicking on it. If they want to give money to the website-formerly-known-as-WiiWare-World so you can laugh at their site, more power to 'em! </evil>
Re: Review: Dokapon Kingdom (Wii)
I think there's a bug with the stars. It appears to show 10 stars while the score says 8/10. If I stare at it really hard, I think the last two stars are supposed to be lighter colored, but the effect doesn't seem to come through. (Safari 3.1.2; Mac OS X 10.5)
FWIW, my kids love this game. The only problem is that they tend to get into fights and arguments over stealing in-game stuff from each other or beating each other to goals. I ended up having to force them to take a break from the game.
It's extremely competitive and does not enforce any sort of moral code. So keep an eye on your kids if you let them play this one. Despite the graphics and cutesy appearance, it may be too old for them.
Edit: Looks like Firefox works. So it must be an issue with Safari and how you're rendering the stars.
Edit2: Bug fixed! Yay!
Re: Welcome to the New Look Nintendo Life!
WTF? What have you done with my beloved WiiWare World and Virtual Console Reviews?!?
Don’t panic.
Don't tell me not to panic! I'm panicking! I'm panicking! huff huff wheeze I hate this change! Why have you ruined my favourite site?
Sorry you feel that way, but sometimes change has to happen for things to get better.
Stop reading my mind! I don'ts likes it! I don'ts likes it! I'm going to curl up into the fetal position and suck my thumb until I awaken from this bad dream!
There's no telling where that thumb of yours has been.
Stop it!
/me runs off screaming...
(Congrats on the upgrade! Jerks. You've had your fun. Now change it back! Change it back! Arrrggghhh!! )
Re: Review: Star Force (Arcade)
@tatemon555 - I wouldn't say this is crap. Just old, old, old, old school. As one of the earliest forms of scrolling shooters, it's not got a lot of glitz. But what it lacks in flash, it makes up for in classic arcade charm.
Re: Ten Arcade Games We'd Like To See On The Virtual Console Arcade
@SmaMan - Unfortunately, I don't think Dragon's Lair is at all feasible. The game was stored on a LaserDisc, containing a significant amount of FMV. If the data was converted to digital format and compressed in a modern format (e.g. H.264) it might be feasible. But otherwise you're looking at more data than the Wii has internal storage.
I was pushing it with my Killer Instinct request, but that one has no other releases. For Dragon's Lair, you might want to consider one of the many re-releases over the years. For example, there are versions for PC, XBox, DVD, and BluRay. So there are more than enough ways to play the game already. Many of which are true to the arcade.
Re: Ten Arcade Games We'd Like To See On The Virtual Console Arcade
@Adamant - That's still a lot of traveling. I'm glad to know you didn't have to go quite so far, though.
It's too bad you missed the presentations on those items. Thankfully, there's some good info on the 'net. Info on the FB2 Portable can be found here and some great photos of the Axe guitar here. (I'm in those photos, but I'll leave you to figure out which one. )
I don't see any tourney info over on midwestgamingclassic.com, so try asking around AtariAge. Someone over there should be able to point you to the official results.
Re: Ten Arcade Games We'd Like To See On The Virtual Console Arcade
@Corbie - I can't blame Nintendo. The arcade Mario Kart was pretty, but otherwise fairly generic. Also, it's usually configured to be super-easy, so it ends up being more of a kiddie title for the arcades.
I heard that FZero AX in the arcades was better, but I've never seen a machine.
@Adamant - You flew all the way to the US just for the MGC?!? I knew the show was getting popular, but I never thought anyone would fly internationally for it! I hope you had a good time, and that our country was hospitable to you during your visit?
Did you get to see the production mockup of the portable FB2? It would be incredible if one of those ever came out. Not to mention the portable Genesis announced at the show!
Re: Ten Arcade Games We'd Like To See On The Virtual Console Arcade
In addition to some of the one's already mentioned, here's my list in no particular order:
Speaking of the 19xx series, I have always been surprised that those games never resulted in a firestorm of controversy over in Japan. I mean, the purpose of the game is to defeat Japan! Always seemed a bit odd to me. (Though they are great games. )
Re: Review: The Tower of Druaga (Arcade)
@Drake - One of those RTFM-or-no-game-for-you games, eh? That's awesome. (Especially for an arcade game, where instructions tend to be few and far between.)
Great review, BTW!
Re: Review: The Tower of Druaga (Arcade)
Tower of Druaga is a moderately infamous arcade game.
Don't leave us hanging like that! What is it infamous for?!? Was it just that it was widely played yet terrible, or is there more to it? /me waits for juicy story
As the knight Gil (Who is really Gilgamesh)
Just keep repeating to yourself, "Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk". It will make the game better. Trust me. And if your eyes start glazing over, pretend you're on a new adventure by repeating "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra". Nobody knows who those oddballs are or what the point of their adventure was, but it sounds like fun!
Re: Review: Star Force (Arcade)
@quakster - That much is obvious. The question that raises is, wouldn't they have to re-localize the game? I suppose it's possible they had a UK machine on hand, so they managed both English and the Star Force name from that dump. Either way, it's still an interesting question.
@Sean Aaron - Ah, that makes sense. I thought that calling Super Aleste or Megaforce 2600 "simple" seemed a bit odd.
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
@ NeoNight - I doubt it. First of all, the WiiWare is still limited by the copy it keeps in main memory. If Nintendo allows the files to get too big, they'll start conflicting with saved games. (Some of which get frighteningly huge! Elebits and Blast Works are two particularly bad offenders that come to mind.) Secondly, a minor increase in the download size isn't going to matter much. It will simply let developers be a bit lazier than before. You'd need a rather massive increase to make a difference. (As Microsoft found out with XBLA.)
Java support is right out. Implementing it would be too complex for the Wii's simple design, and Nintendo and Opera have stated they don't feel like it would add much.
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
@ Wolfcoyote sez... Nintendo has GOT to update the Wii's Macromedia Flash capabilities from version 6 to at least 9
The Wii actually has version 7, not 6. (6 would really suck.) Of course, version 8 was already out by the time the Internet Channel hit the streets.
Officially, there is no toolkit for which Opera can create a Flash 9 or 10 plugin. (10 being the most recent.) However, Sony was able to obtain Flash 9 for their POS mobile browser, so it's a bit surprising that Nintendo hasn't chased down Adobe and forced them to fork over some code.
Personally, I think Flash support is done for. Nintendo and Opera only added Flash into the Internet Channel so that Youtube would work. (They've said as much.) I don't think Nintendo has any intention of updating it, and I actually feel that they'll remove it in the next console. (Note that the DSi lacks Flash support.) If they want Youtube support, they'll probably go the way of the iPhone and get direct access to MP4s through a custom channel.
That's why the future is (IMHO) Javascript games. Considering the lack of direct access to the Wii Remote from Flash, Javascript is actually a more reliable solution. Check these out for examples of what can be done:
Note that controls adapt themselves to the PC vs. the Wii. You'll get the best experience on the Wii, but you'll see PC controls available if you play them on a PC.
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
@buffalobob - I found your answer in IGN's article on the topic:
It takes a few seconds, as the data must first be loaded into temporary storage on the Wii's internal flash memory -- the game won't run directly off the SD. That means you'll still need to have enough space cleared for the game, as if you were attempting to copy it over to the Wii's internal memory permanently. So, for example, you can't launch the 287 block Sin & Punishment from your SD if you only have 50 free blocks on the Wii.
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
@Sean Aaron - Glad I could help!
@Wolfcoyote Sez... which is awesome because the Internet Channel would have been deleted eventually
You raise an interesting point. A lot of users deleted their Internet Channel due to space constraints. I wonder if the additional space freed up by this move will cause Wii owners to restore the Internet Channel?
I hope so. That way they can go play this awesome Shoot'em Up! /shameless plug
Re: Review: Star Force (Arcade)
@Sean Aaron sez... Mega Force is a different game, though it is also a pretty basic shooter and one I enjoy.
No, it's not. Mega Force was the name given to the North American release of Star Force. You're probably thinking of Super Aleste (aka Space Megaforce) or the Atari 2600 game of the same name.
FWIW, I don't understand why the VC game has the Star Force name. I would presume that the localized version would be the one with the Mega Force name. Corbie, got any thoughts?
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
@jangonov - You know what this means, right? It means you need to buy another SD card to take advantage of the SDHC support! Just can't win, can you?
@Sean Aaron - Modern Flash memory uses a technique called "wear leveling" to extend the life of the memory. These days, you should have several million writes in store before blocks begin going bad. That's about as long as a regular hard drive.
Re: Star Force
Shouldn't this have been released as Mega Force? The only American version released as Star Force was the NES version, AFAIK.
/me confused
Not that I'm complaining.
Re: Wii Storage Solution Solved - Finally A Use For The SD Card Slot!
Now we know what took Nintendo so long. They actually listened and gave us a REAL solution rather than the previously promised "Easy copy". I can't believe they even added SDHC support. (shock) Now THAT is service!
Way to go Nintendo!!!
I look forward to seeing what comes out of this arcade thing as well. The launch games are a little weak, but I imagine they'll get better with time*.
* More shoot'em ups, please.
Re: Rejoice! The DSi Gets a Virtual Console After All
Everyone knows that core gamers have more money than sense!
Kidding aside, I hear what you're saying. However, you are still the exception. I've spent a similar amount on Wii Points as yourself, but my 2GB SD Card has over 7100 blocks available. The reason is that very few games bump up against the upper limits on size.
By owning both GHIV and RB2, you've created a perfect storm to run up your storage costs. All those downloadable songs you've purchased add up. It's as if you bought some of the largest WiiWare games a few dozen times over. Except that at only 200 points a track, you didn't need to spend nearly as much money to do it.
While it may be slightly painful, the solution is still the same. Have a card for RB2, a card for GHIV, and a card for Wii Shop downloads. That will keep everything neat and tidy, and you'll be unlikely to run out of storage anytime soon. Which isn't to say that Nintendo shouldn't fix the problem, but they're probably looking at this pragmatic approach and wondering why customers don't see it the same way.
Re: Rejoice! The DSi Gets a Virtual Console After All
@jangonov - Congrats on being the first person I've ever met to fill a 2GB card on the Wii!
Of course, it doesn't change Nintendo's rationale much. You're an outlier in Nintendo's market. The exception that proves the rule. I imagine the way Nintendo sees it, you've spent so much money on WiiWare (haven't we all?) that spending $10-$15 on another SD Card isn't going to be an unreasonable burden.
Re: Rejoice! The DSi Gets a Virtual Console After All
@SmaMan sez... this is a great chance for them to give us the game that would later inspire StarFox, "X"!
You need to read the VC Reviews help page. It says right there:
When is 'X' coming out for the Virtual Console?
This is the question we get asked more often than any other. To put it bluntly, if it's not included in the Coming Soon list, we have no idea.
(Sorry, couldn't resist. )
Re: Rejoice! The DSi Gets a Virtual Console After All
@jangonov & others - As far as I've been able to ascertain, the Wii is 100% hardware capable of reading SDHC cards. There have been more than enough reports of people using them, even to full capacity with custom IOSes. (i.e. homebrew stuff)
The problem appears to be a software issue. The Wii doesn't understand file systems formatted to greater than 2GB and/or may not know how to run the controller hardware to make the card operate in SDHC mode. Thus SDHC cards occasionally work if formatted to 2GB or less.
As to why Nintendo doesn't want to solve this problem, I have a few different theories. The first is that Nintendo didn't specify SDHC compatibility to the manufacturers. In result, the manufacturer would have chosen their parts based on price rather than on compatibility with SDHC. It may have happened that SDHC parts are so common at this point that all Wiis are equipped, but there's nothing that guarantees it.
My second theory is that 2GB is a LOT of space for the Wii. I have yet to meet anyone who has managed to fill it. Given that you can't run games off the SD Card anyway, Nintendo has no incentive to do the footwork necessary to solve this problem.
Those are my thoughts, anyway.
Re: Rejoice! The DSi Gets a Virtual Console After All
@Chicken Brutus - On a hardware level, the GBC and GB differed in several significant ways. Damned if I can remember the details, but I do know that the color vs. grayscale thing wasn't as automatic as it seemed. Making a dual system cartridge (i.e. the black plastic ones) was no easy task.
That being said, Nintendo tends to lump GB and GBC together when they speak about the GameBoy platform. So my guess is that GBC is included when they say GB and GBA.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
The best way to evaluate Onslaught is to decide whether or not you like arcade rail shooters. If you think everything from Operation Wolf to Time Crisis were wastes of time, then you probably won't like Onslaught. If however, you happen to love mindless arcade shooting (like me ), you'll absolutely adore Onslaught. You won't even notice that it's technically a First Person Shooter.
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (18th Mar)
@Crazed - Canada. Hockey. Isn't the connection obvious?
Re: Top 20 WiiWare Games in USA (18th Mar)
I have a feeling that Tiki Towers owes its success to World of Goo. How many players end WoG feeling like they want more, then turn to Tiki Towers as a substitute? I know that was partly in my line of reasoning.
"If this game is even half as good as WoG..."
Too bad it isn't. Tiki Towers doesn't really do anything to engage the player. It's all resource management and nothing else. Which makes it feel more like work than play. (Blech.)
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@Chicken Brutus - Avoiding the power-up is only half the battle. You have to know precisely which ones to avoid as well. If you miss the double-paddle, you're going to be in a world of hurt.
@SmaMan - There's more than enough bandwidth in even the cheapest cards. The problem appears to be an issue with Nintendo's crypto system more than anything else. Pulling data from the SD Card does a great deal of cryptographic translation and verification that slows things down considerably. That's why the last Wii system update was able to bump the speed of the SD transfers so much. i.e. Because it's a software problem.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@Corbie - That may be true if you have good vision, but I'm afraid I don't. Glasses have the effect of reducing the contrast of vision a bit. In result, certain colors have almost zero contrast. Dark blue on black is one of those cases where the colors become extremely hard to make out.
I remember learning this lesson in first grade when my teacher tried using blue chalk on the blackboard for the first time. It didn't take her long to figure out that those of us with glasses couldn't make out what the board said. The chalk ended up getting put away for blackboard art only.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
@CommanderVideo - Thanks for being understanding. BTW, I forgot to add the B&W Pong mode to the Pros list. Using that mode as a fallback when you're failing is one of the neater aspects of the game. If things get too hot and heavy, the simplicity of the mode suddenly makes everything clear again.
Re: Review: Bit.Trip: Beat (WiiWare)
Hmm... I just played this.
Pros:
Unfortunately, I can't say the game really deserves a 9/10. It has a number of significant faults that come off as rather obnoxious.
@CommanderVideo - I'd like to commend you on an excellent attempt at a game. I hope you will take this feedback and make the next game even better. (And maybe even release an update to fix the dark blue. Please? )
Re: WiiWare to Support Flash Soon
@Neomega - Again, that's not what this is going to do. This is going to be used to create new WiiWare games. WiiCade is much closer to what you want, as it is founded on the same types of ideas as Newgrounds. All you need is the Opera browser and one or more Wii Remotes. (I highly recommend at least two. My recent game Coverfire is tons more fun with two remotes instead of one. )
Re: WiiWare to Support Flash Soon
@Neomega - This will not accomplish a NewGrounds for the Wii. That's what sites like WiiCade and WiiPlayable attempt. All this will do is make it possible to develop WiiWare in Flash.
@TwistedVivid - I doubt it. Most likely Nintendo is only distributing these kits to licensed WiiWare developers.
Re: WiiWare to Support Flash Soon
I've worked under the covers on Flash games written by some of the best Flash game designers in the industry. There is NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH this is a good thing.
There's a reason why professional versions of titles are regularly contracted out to third-party game studios. That reason is that a Game Designer may be able to make a kick-arse prototype in Flash, but he tends to lack the technical knowledge to put the capabilities of a good game system to use. Similarly, good Game Designers aren't always good artists, either. (Ever wonder why some of the best Flash games have stick figures? Now you know.)
Add it all up, and you realize that the best games come from a good Game Designer teamed up with crack artists and programmers. THAT is how you get the best results.
Flash is a tool that has improved a lot over the years, but it's still used by Game Designers to express ideas in a rapid, albeit not always ideal form. Even when the necessary technologies are available to them on the Flash platform, they usually don't know how to make the best use of those technologies.
In short, Flash may not increase the amount of "crap" we see on WiiWare, but it will almost certainly drop the overall quality.
@Starwolf_UK - There's a great invention called the "telephone". I'm sure Iwata is well versed in its use.
In any case, the Opera staff have repeatedly made it clear (both in private and to the world at large) that they don't make the decisions on what goes into the web browser. Nintendo does. Opera can beg and plead, but at the end of the day they have almost no say.
My expectation is that the Flash plugin in Wii Opera will NOT get updated. In fact, I also expect that the Flash plugin will get dropped from the browser of the Wii's successor. Nintendo may want to keep Youtube support around, but my spidey senses tell me that they'll go the iPhone route and work out a custom, non-Flash application for those videos.
Oh, and my spidey senses also tell me the Wii's successor will have a MotionPlus built in, a unified sensor bar with camera and microphone, possibly no GameCube support, and a few other surprises.
Re: Atari 2600 Version of LIT?
@Omega - It's worse than that. The 2600 has all of 128 bytes of RAM. The rest of the addressable 4K is ROM from the cartridge.
Re: Review: Gradius ReBirth (WiiWare)
@fixjuxa - Seriously, give it a rest. Corbie's review was fair and spot on. Regardless of whether or not this is his favorite type of shooter, he was dead on with both his praise and criticism of the title. We could not ask for a better review, no matter what Corbie's biases might be.
Re: Review: Gradius ReBirth (WiiWare)
I'm not insulted in the slightest. Merely stating my own difficulties and viewpoint. You wouldn't believe how happy I was just to get to level 3 on Soldier Blade. (Doh!)
Re: Atari 2600 Version of LIT?
@raindog469 - In salstadt's defense, he did say that he believed he was probably over on color changes. Still, I think he's pretty close to what's possible with a multisprite kernal. The biggest change he needs to make is to get rid of the backgrounds on objects like the meter and the button. Overlapping objects like that is a lot harder than it looks. I suppose the playfield could be used for the meter, but you'd never get that fine a resolution out of the button.
BTW, have you seen the Ballblazer 2600 experiment? If that isn't one of the most impressive kernals ever, I don't know what is. What's particularly amazing is that the playfield scrolls so smoothly and maintains its checkerboard appearance. If I hadn't run it in an emulator myself, I never would have believed it.
@Corbie - If you do go, look me up. I'll probably be there on Sunday. I'll be the guy with two kids (both boys) in tow. And maybe I'll even convince my wife to go this year.
Re: Review: Gradius ReBirth (WiiWare)
@Corbie - Says you! I always get to the second level, then die immediately. I don't last long under the onslaught. Technically speaking, no shooter is all that hard once you get the hang of the mechanics and controls. But part of the challenge is always getting those mechanics down pat. Some games allow wider margins of error than others...
@Omega - That's the one I'm talking about. It sounds like you're doing a lot better with Ikaruga than you let on. Being able to beat the game has never been a measure of the quality of shoot'em ups for me (probably because I rarely beat them ), but I suppose everyone has their own viewpoint.
@tasthomas - Indeed
Re: Atari 2600 Version of LIT?
@Objection_Blaster & anthonyb - You'd be amazed how deep the 2600 community gets. I previously wondered what the point was when I first found AtariAge. Mostly it seems to be a case of "because we can", but a lot of it is just the fun of working with a highly limited system. Counting cycles when programming is foreign to most programmers today, but it's a necessity on the 2600. There are few better ways of getting a feel for the history of computing than writing such games. Not to mention the way the alternative trains of thought can help you develop better games on modern systems.
@Corbie - So go get one! The blasted things are common as dirt. If you're located here in the midwest, you can hit the Midwest Gaming Classic Show on the 21st & 22nd and pick yourself up whatever you need. Make sure you take the time to enter the yearly Shoot'Em Up contest.
Re: DSiWare: Pre-release Roundup
@ouenben - I took my understanding from the original announcement by Iwata. Unfortunately, I looked into it and it seems that it was just a misunderstanding of what he said. Boo.
Though I have to wonder if he wasn't implying it? Certainly, there seems to be a bit of circumstantial evidence out on the 'net. We'll see if any of it holds up.
@anthonyb - Is there something wrong with the DSi being packed with twice the processor speed and four times the memory? I'll grant that this is the first system in my memory that doesn't have a huge lineup of console-specific games ready to show off its new power. But I think the difference is that the DSi is going to rely more heavily on downloadable games. Iwata has previously stated that he sees download services as a game-changer for the console market. It may very well be that the DSiWare titles are supposed to be the launch lineup.
Is anyone besides me hoping we see a Tower Defense game on DSiWare? That would be freaking awesome!
Re: DSiWare: Pre-release Roundup
@ouenben - Last I heard, GBA games are going to be available through the DSi Virtual Console service. You won't be able to play existing cartridges you have, but you should be able to pick up new games. It may even give some of the lesser known titles a second lease on life. (e.g. Toki Tori, Shante, Iridion 2, etc. for a few examples.)
Re: Review: Gradius ReBirth (WiiWare)
@Draygone sez... if this were like SNES, we'd be seeing massive slowdown.
Actually, there are several parts where the game slows down. Other than to give that "retro-feel", I can't figure out why for the life of me. We're talking about a game console that can push north of a billion texels a second! Slowdown simply shouldn't happen. Adding it in merely for the purpose of being "retro" is just plain annoying.
Re: Review: Gradius ReBirth (WiiWare)
Harsh. Though I can understand how one might feel playing an 80's remix after coming off a Treasure entry into the series. It would be like giving me Demon Attack right after playing Ikaruga. I'd look at you funny and ask what exactly you were taking when you thought Demon Attack would be a good follow-up.
I do have to say though, Gradius Rebirth does get more fun the more you play it. Also, reconfiguring the controls for autofire helps A LOT. So much so that it should have been the default configuration.
@Omega - Ikaruga is a lot easier for beginners than many other bullet-hell games IMHO. Just remember to switch to the correct color to absorb bullets and you'll do fine. The difficulty does ramp up rather quickly (I still can't beat the boss with the pistons you have to shoot) but the basic gameplay is very approachable once you understand the mechanics.
If you want bullet-hell games that have gone too far, look no further than Mars Matrix. If you can get past the first boss, you're not doing too bad. Outside of bullet-hell games is Border Down; a crazy, over the top, somewhat confusing, yet visually appealing shoot'em up that will test the patience of any player.