Messages

7001

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

« on: January 09, 2012, 07:48:49 PM »

Use the Beetle to cut down any beehive. When it lands, it breaks and you can just pick it up. Also, I was well over half-way through the game before I realized that you can catch the bees with the net. I didn't really use potions.

7002

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii U

« on: January 09, 2012, 02:23:41 PM »

Seriously. Some people are acting like Reggie is out to spite fans. He's employed by Nintendo to make sound business decisions. Reggie made the right call and it wasn't even a difficult one. Those games, as great as they may be, are small potatoes. They're a much harder sell to a Western market. GameStop saw some potential in a limited exclusive release if Xenoblade. Reggie could have nixed that deal but obviously, transferring a bulk of the risk onto GameStop proved to be beneficial to Nintendo.

7003

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii U

« on: January 09, 2012, 08:58:28 AM »

/facepalm

7004

TalkBack / Re: Pokémon Gray Hinted at by New Movie?

« on: January 05, 2012, 03:52:42 PM »

There are 15 Pokemon movies? Jesus... The last time I watched any of the anime series Ash was still walking around with Misty and Brock and he hadn't defeated all of the gym leaders yet.

7005

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Motion plus (issues)

« on: January 05, 2012, 08:15:41 AM »

I had a weird controller issue. Every so often, the character on screen would move on his own as if I was holding the analog stick sharply to the left or right. I noticed this mainly with Skyward Sword though I believe it also happened in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Lost in Shadow. I don't remember if this was a problem with Donkey Kong Country Returns. I just had to unplug the nunchuck them plug it back in again. I never had that problem with a regular Wii Remote, only the Remote Plus. I don't think the controller or nunchuck was busted since it would work fine again once I unplugged/plugged the nunchuck.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: January 03, 2012, 09:48:35 AM »

I was under the impression that Retro Studios, like Nintendo, used their own engines. I don't know for sure or even care but that was what I always thought.

Even though i'd love to see something new from Retrp Studios, I'd be pretty happy if they were working on a new 2D Mario for the Wii U launch. I absolutely loved Super Mario 3D Land and EAD Tokyo should certainly keep making Mario games but if puting Mario im the hands of Retro Studios is what it takes to launch with Mario, I'd fully support that decision.

7007

General Chat / Re: Wrestling discussion

« on: January 03, 2012, 09:27:13 AM »

Jericho's return is getting mixed reactions from the internetz. I'm a huge Jericho fan and while I'm disappointed that he didn't cut a killer promo, I liked the way it was handled. That was the best live audience trolling since Norm Macdonald "roasted" Bob Saget. Jericho's debut in 1999 and return in 2007 were basically the same thing. Last night's comeback was a parody of those and every other major return of a superstar who grabs a mic and talks for 10 minutes. I thought it was a nice twist on the formula. I was hoping the "It Begins" clips were for someone else and Jericho would be a surprise entrant at the Royal Rumble but there's no way he could come back as a heel that way so smart move on WWE's part.

Jericho is probably being set up to face CM Punk (with the whole Best in the World thing) so I predict Jericho winning the Royal Rumble so he can get a title shot at Wrestlemania. I can't decide who I'd want to win that match. I'm leaning toward Punk keeping the title because Jericho is the bigger name and Punk losing does more damage to his character. I don't think people are convinced that he should be a top superstar (I think he should and is) which is another reason why Jericho not cutting a promo was a good idea. If Jericho interrupted Punk, I think the high of a major superstar return would overshadow and trump storyline plans. Even if Jericho tried to be a heel, he'd probably end up getting a bigger pop and leaving as a face which would totally suck for Punk. I think Punk needs more time to be a top guy. They'll eventually have their pipe bomb sparring soon enough but I'm glad they held off.

I was hoping for Undertaker vs. Jericho at Wrestlemania since I wanted Undertaker to face someone different (Jericho would absolutely HAVE to lose, that's not debatable) and I really don't want to see Taker vs. HHH again. So, unless WWE has Jericho wrestle 2 matches on a single PPV again, I think we're getting Punk vs. Jericho for the WWE title and Taker vs. HHH.

7008

Nintendo Gaming / Re: 3DS Analogue stick/Circle pad

« on: December 31, 2011, 09:57:44 PM »

That's what she said. :p

Steve Carell owns that's what she said. He owns it!

7009

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: December 30, 2011, 11:08:37 AM »

I kind of got the impression that Disney made Warren Spector change the story because early interviews with Spector made it sound like Oswald was supposed to be much more antagonistic than he ended up being, like he was supposed to have a broader curve to being Mickey's ally. That's troubling if true because people who don't know anything about game design and possibly storytelling are interfering in and affecting the development process. In that case, the original vision is ruined no matter what console the game lands on.

Also, I'm not especially excited about a Wii U app store, mostly because I don't use apps often and can do much more on my MacBook Pro if necessary. It's not a bad idea if Nintendo goes all in but personally, I can take it or leave it.

7010

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Super Mario 3D Land

« on: December 30, 2011, 10:45:58 AM »

Yeah, you have to beat every level again with Luigi but you don't need to get the Star Medals again if you got them as Mario since they're silhouettes (transparent/outlines, whatever). I'm not sure if getting the Gold Flag at the end of all of he levels with either or both Mario and Luigi is necessary. I did it just in case and it wasn't that hard. I only had to replay a few levels, like the one where you have to shoot yourself onto the flagpole from a cannon. If you have the Tanooki Suit, you can speed run most of the levels.

7011

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

« on: December 27, 2011, 02:46:32 PM »

And as I explained earlier, I didn't hate the game until I thought it was nearly over. Maybe that's the part you find issue with and if so, my only recourse is "because I felt like it" which is pretty much why anyone does anything. Have you ever watched the rest of a movie you found fair at best, especially when everyone told it was awesome? Has the rest of that movie ever been terrible? The same principle applies here. I've done that before; not every time but I have done that and I don't think it's completely out of the ordinary. Now, if I were to replay the game beginning to end, knowing I how I felt the first time, I could understand your confusion and I'd have no one to blame but myself. However, that's not the case.

Additinally, I understand cutting my losses and quitting and I have in the past, but I knew I was close to finishing Skyward Sword and I wanted to see the end of the game. You're making it seem like all I do is engage in activities I find disdainful which is simply not true. I spent over a month conpleting Skyward Sword. Playing videogames is no where near what I spent the majority of my time doing. I didn't even hate the game initially. If I booted up Skyward Sword and hated every second of those first few hours, yeah, I'd shut it down. The game isn't without its positives but as a whole, the cons outweigh the pros. The end of the game had a lot to do with it.

7012

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

« on: December 27, 2011, 08:47:26 AM »

Get outside and live.

...as posted on an Internet message board. Pot meet kettle.

I started actually hating the game around the middle of the Song of the Hero section of the game which was around 35-40 hours in. I didn't know how much I had left but I got that far so I wanted to see it through. Had I absolutely known that there was 10-15 hours left, I probably would have let it go. I expected maybe 5 hours and for the tadpole thing to not be anywhere near as annoying.

See, you and Uncle Bob are judging me based on my hindsight opinion of the game. I didn't hate every second of the game as if it was torture. I got to that breaking point with mixed feelings (admittedly leaning towards unfavorable), hoping the game would get better which it didn't. It got exponentially worse. I thought there would be a payoff and I was wrong. My bad. There was no way for me to have known that without playing the game. Despite some bright spots, I hated the game as a whole. Major plot-holes, excessively irritating segments and a rudimentary end game sealed my unfavorable collective opinion of Skyward Sword. What I find ironic about all of this is if I said I hated the game but didn't finish it, someone else would have admonished me for "not giving the game a chance." It's pretty much lose-lose if you dislike something that other people like.

7013

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

« on: December 26, 2011, 11:44:41 AM »

I ignore Adrok's opinion completely because he says he hated a game that he completed.  I don't finish most of the games I like and stop playing those I'm not interested in.  When somebody can play 50 hours of a game, finish it and say they hated it just tells me that they have a completely different persective than me.

I'll typically stop playing games I hate. For example, I stopped playing Spirit Tracks probably half-way through. The difference is that I paid $25 for Spirit Tracks used and $70 for Skyward Sword new. I wanted to get my money's worth and it wasn't worth losing roughly half its value by trading it for credit. Maybe I can sell it on ebay in a few years.

7014

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

« on: December 25, 2011, 11:45:52 PM »

I look back on my favorite game in the series, A Link to the Past, and it's nothing like the Zelda games today.

I'd love to see Retro Studios do a one-off reboot of Zelda and give them free reign to change whatever they wanted. I always wanted to see a steampunk Zelda [...]

And the internet says Zelda fans are hard to please...

Hence, "one-off reboot." Should Nintendo attempt a steampunk Zelda, I'd rather they do so outside of the existing canon so they're not shackled by the rules of series.

To be fair, mine carts have been around since the Oracle games and the Mogma Mitts are renamed Mole Mitts from the Minish Cap - which simply replace the shovel... first found in Link to the Past...

I was being fair. I didn't say mine carts were okay in Seasons/Ages and not okay in Skyward Sword. Roller-coaster like mine cart rails (who would build that?) and crawling around underground tunnels are silly. They felt out of place. The first 3 Zelda games are very similar in tone though A Link to the Past is a more sophisticated game. Link's Awakening was a bit more lighthearted with the meta humor and cameos though I attribute those things to the surreal, dream-like quality of the game. These days, when the series tries to be lighthearted, it comes off as silly. When the series tries to be serious, it comes off as melodramatic. It doesn't have the same balance that it once had.

7015

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

« on: December 25, 2011, 03:17:25 PM »

I finally finished the game not too long ago, making Skyward Sword the second game I've beaten on Christmas Day. Metroid Prime was the first. My opinions of each game couldn't be more different.

I hated Skyward Sword.

Plot-wise, there are some odd choices and plot-holes. Why didn't old Impa just destroy the second Gate of Time once Demise was defeated in the present? Then, there are no more things that can happen. Link would have defeated Ghirahim if he even bothered to show up after his master's defeat. That's just poor storytelling. It gets worse. The Triforce can grant ANY wish. Why doesn't anyone use the Triforce to destroy Demise's hatred, preventing it from being reborn? Seems like a major oversight seeing as Link and Zelda are standing right in front of the Triforce at the end. That would negate the entire series.

On top of that, this game shouldn't even exist. From what I understand, despite no explanation for his existence, The Demon King, Demise, emerged from the earth to seize the Triforce. Hylia saves the humans (and no one else) by raising Skyloft above the clouds then returns to the surface to defeat and seal away Demise (as The Imprisioned). Here's the part I don't understand: Instead of giving up her immortality to keep Demise sealed away, why doesn't Hylia just use her divine powers to drop a floating island/The Sky Keep onto Demise herself? Seems a lot easier than setting up a super-elaborate chain of events of guiding Link to reforging the Master Sword (her own sword) and collecting the Triforce while also having her reborn human form (Zelda) reawaken her memories just to do something she could do herself and right away. Or if the wish-granting power of the Triforce is needed, why didn't Hylia just use the Triforce to wish for the destruction of Demise? Hylia gives up her power to keep Demise sealed when she could keep her power and destroy Demise. What the WHAT?!

Summary
There were parts that were enjoyable but as a whole, it's not. I'm a supporter of the existence of motion controls. I just don't particularly like them in Zelda. Nintendo could have evolved the gameplay with traditional controls; they just didn't. Aiming was fun but it was fun 5 years ago in Twilight Princess. Everything else that uses motion controls either lacked precision or could have been done just as well with traditional controls.

I finished the game in roughly 50 hours, including completing every Gratitude Crystal side-quest and getting all of the heart pieces besides the 3 you earn by completing mini-games. I estimate that it would have taken roughly half as long just going through the game normally. That's still too long considering the game is filled with mandatory boring/annoying parts. Take those out and Skyward Sword is a shorter but much better game.

A lot of the bosses look like Muppet rejects. They didn't look like they fit this game let alone the rest of the series.

The Lanayru Sand Sea was one of those coolest things I've ever seen in a videogame.

We talked about the series jumping the shark in another thread recently (or was it earlier in this one?). I definitely feel like it has. I look back on my favorite game in the series, A Link to the Past, and it's nothing like the Zelda games today. The series doesn't make sense any more. Mine carts? Mole mitts? How are these part of the same franchise?

I'd love to see Retro Studios do a one-off reboot of Zelda and give them free reign to change whatever they wanted. I always wanted to see a steampunk Zelda and considering what Retro Studios did with Elysia in Metroid Prime, I think they could pull it off. If Nintendo wants to put robots and trains and mine carts into the game, the entire world has to reflect that.

7016

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

« on: December 23, 2011, 08:36:54 AM »

I was wondering why everyone was complaining about the musical notes part and then I got to it and said, "Oh..." The Song of the Hero stretch of the game has been especially awful.

I don't have too much further to go. I believe there's one more Silent Realm. I'm trying to get the fancy shield from the Thunder Dragon. I had to quit after the 5th round because I forgot how to beat Koloktos and lost most of my hearts in that round. I should be able to get the shield tonight. I know where 3 of the last 4 heart pieces are but since I'm never going to beat Fun Fun Island, I'm not too concerned. The Thunder Dragon has 1 and the mine kart mini-game has the other that I know of. The last one might be in a Goddess Cube since I completed all the Gratitude Crystal quests. I may only have a like 1 or 2 Goodess Cubes left to find.

Fledge was a total dick with the last pumpkins in the Pumpkin Pull mini-game. I scored 580 three different times. He takes so long to throw them then throws really far and/or high as time is winding down.

7017

TalkBack / Re: Official Legend of Zelda Timeline Revealed?

« on: December 22, 2011, 01:27:14 PM »

+1 insanolord (again)

I always got the impression that there was no timeline until fans demanded that the games be fit into one. Nintendo is choosing to care more about the game they're currently making instead of how it fits into those that came before. I feel like that gives them a certain amount of freedom not afforded with strictly adhering to chronology. The games can be understood independently of a timeline. It only gets muddled when one tries to package the series as a whole. I never questioned why people liked talking about the timeline. Obviously, people like to talk about things they enjoy. I don't understand why fans get so mad about it.

The individual plots of the games bother me more than overall arc of the series. None of those stories are especially strong. I'm more lenient on the early games due to tehnological limitations. In 2011, there's no reason Nintendo should be having this much trouble telling an engaging story. I'd even go back to 2003 with The Wind Waker (or 2002 for those of you who like to use the Japanese release dates). This is just my personal opinion. The games can exist outside of a timeline. Zelda wouldn't be the first or only franchise to do this. However, the plots within the each game moving foward need to be better. That affects the experience more than fitting the games into a timeline.

7018

TalkBack / Re: Official Legend of Zelda Timeline Revealed?

« on: December 22, 2011, 09:12:33 AM »

The series doesn't need a timeline. I'm not really sure why people are so passionate about it. Before Nintendo started planning loose story connections, they were just making games. The worst thing they did was try to put it all together. If Nintendo really cares about the plots of these games, they should just reboot the series or boot some games from the canon.

I'm okay aknowledging that an official timeline exist but ignoring that it does for my own sanity. If the 3-way timeline split is to be believed, A Link to the Past has to be at the end of one of them due to the whole "The Master Sword Sleeps Again... Forever" line. This supposed timeline doesn't reflect that at all. Does Link even use The Master Sword to defeat Ganon in the original? I don't think he does (it's the "Magical Sword" or something) which supposedly can't happen so there's that. Nothing gained. There are too many issues and no discernable payoff with any timeline in a series that didn't adhere to one until several installments in.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

« on: December 22, 2011, 08:29:45 AM »

I usually end up giving up on some of the final heart pieces and random other end game chores. I completed Ocarina of Time completely (all heart pieces, Poes etc) back in August for the first time. Finishing the 3D Edition was probably like my 7th or 8th play through.

I typically don't trade games after I complete them even though I should. I rarely replay games and Skyward Sword is most likely not on that list. I've traded in games I later wanted to replay and so I just don't trade them anymore just in case.

Anyway, I think I'm in the final stretch of the game. I just beat Levias. There are a couple of quests and mini-games left which I'll get to later. The game is packed with things to do; I just didn't really enjoy myself. I don't really get why the gaming media is so in love with it. To each his own, I guess. For the next inatallment, I'm hoping for the Zelda series version of Super Mario 3D Land: a game that takes the best elements of past games and perfectly combines them into an amazing experience. The Zelda team has tried but I don't think they've cracked it yet.

7020

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Games That Retro Studios Should Be Developing for the Wii U

« on: December 20, 2011, 08:17:54 AM »

If Nintendo gets 3rd parties on board, I don't see why they can't make the claim that they're reaching out to all gamers. Nintendo doesn't have to own an IP in every genre to claim mass appeal. They need 3rd parties to support their console with titles in those genres.

7021

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: December 16, 2011, 09:51:34 PM »

8 months apart.

In Japan. It was closer to 5 months (June 11 to November 19) in the US which was what I was referring to since I specifically mentioned buying a DS Lite and Wii in 2006. I did buy them about 6 months apart because I bought DS Lite the day it launched and I was on the Wii waiting list at Gamecrazy for 2-3 weeks.

7022

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: December 16, 2011, 06:06:04 PM »

Wii and DS Lite launched 6 months apart. I think the concern is releasing a 3DS revision and Wii U within 2-3 months of each other or even sooner. I can see that being a problem. I certainly couldn't take the financial hit by getting both within such a short period of time. I probably couldn't pull that off in 6 months but that's far more likely. Back in 2006, I bought both DS Lite and Wii but I don't live my parents anymore so...

7023

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: December 16, 2011, 02:33:38 PM »

Not really, and they could make money by selling them (assuming a 3DS redesign would change it in such a way that the CPP couldn't fit it).

It's not much of a revision if it's the same size.

I think it's more likely that Nintendo builds the right circle pad in and never/rarely uses it themselves. This isn't even about streamlining the process for consumers. It's so much less of a hassle for Nintendo. They don't need the extra materials, assembly lines, shipping, marketing, shelf space etc.

And why stop at 3 circle pads? There should be at least 5 or 6.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: December 16, 2011, 02:11:49 PM »

Making a Circle Pad add-on specifically for the revision would cost Nintendo even more.

7025

Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: December 16, 2011, 01:54:50 PM »

DS Lite was released about a year and a half after DS launched. I wouldn't be surprised if the same happened with 3DS especially with all of the handheld's shortcomings though Nintendo may not want to launch a 3DS revision at the same time as Wii U.

And the inevitable 3DS revision will absolutely have the right circle pad.