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1
TalkBack / REVIEWS: My Spanish Coach
« on: August 01, 2008, 03:21:52 AM »
Awesome for students of the Spanish language.  For gamers?  Not so much.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=16514

 Learning tools that better your knowledge of the world, electronic or not, aren’t even part of the video game genre; still, packaging them in the form of a DS game isn’t a bad thing. If you’re studying Spanish, My Spanish Coach will likely be invaluable to your endeavor.    


This game is a language learning tool - a coach – so expecting anything more than coaching would be silly. As soon as you turn on the game, the aura is that of “you're here to learn”. You’re immediately treated to a generic Spanish-styled song that doesn't change throughout the game, although it is not at all unpleasant.  However, there are no awesome graphics or animations; instead, you're subject to dull colors and a female Spanish coach who I call “Sensei No-Name” (yes, I do understand that this is a Spanish game, not Japanese, but she could at least introduce herself).    


Once formalities are taken care of (such as your name and gender), you’re plunged straight into a barrage of multiple-choice questions in which you’re presented with an English word and you must pick its Spanish equivalent. The purpose of this exercise is to check your personal level of experience with the Spanish language. My Spanish Coach has successfully taught me a bit of Spanish, evidenced by my improvement on scoring this test.  The first time I took the test, I managed to answer a couple of basic multiple-choice questions. I took it again recently while preparing for this review, and I managed to answer more than half with ease.    


My Spanish Coach’s format is basically multiple-choice questions plus a few very boring (if not extremely effective) mini-games (but we're here to learn, not have fun, right?).  The game has been constructed extremely well, starting you off with numbers, moving on to the days of the week, and then teaching you about feminine and masculine words in a very easy-to-understand manner.    


After the multiple-choice questions, you partake in the mini-games. One is entitled Hit-a-Word. Oh yes, it's Whack-a-Mole with words - how could you go wrong?  Another is word search and you can pretty much figure out what that is.  The majority of these games exhibit the same type of unimaginative boringness, but we wouldn't want to get distracted from the task of learning, now would we?    


The biggest problem I have with My Spanish Coach is that it takes ages to unlock new lessons and mini-games. You must learn all the words perfectly. Some are easier to remember than others, so when you successfully 'learn' a word a certain amount of times (by finding it in multiple-choice or a mini-game) the 'perfected' bar next to that word gets filled up a little after each session. It's actually a good thing to have this, so you can see what words you're not picking up on as much as others and kick your brain to remember it next time. That being said, sticking to a single lesson on numbers or days of the week for three or more sessions is more than a little frustrating and boring.    


Despite these drawbacks, the game does all it can to help you achieve your goals. One of the coolest features is “Sensei No-Name's” voice in all its clear and coherent glory pronouncing the words very nicely, and the ability to record your voice so that you can compare your pronunciation to hers. The most awesome feature, however, is the Spanish dictionary.  Find a particularly useful phrase? Tell the game to remember it. I would imagine this game would be invaluable when traveling.    


My Spanish Coach isn’t a game, it’s a learning tool, and it feels like one.  It is slightly fun for a while, but once the novelty of a Spanish-speaking DS wears off it starts to feel more like a class than a game.  However, if you are learning Spanish or wish to learn Spanish, I can’t think of a better tool to have in your hip pocket.

Pros:
       

  • An awesome tool for learning Spanish
  •  
  • The Spanish voice is very clear and coherent
  •  
  • Spanish Travel Dictionary is very useful


  •        Cons:
           
  • Boring and unimaginative mini-games
  •  
  • Taking the lessons over and over again is frustrating
  •  
  • Not very motivating


  •                Graphics:  6.0
           My Spanish Coach doesn't go anywhere it doesn't need to, but it isn't really that nice to look at.  It could easily have been done on the GBA.

                   Sound:  8.5
           A great Spanish voice, and the ability to record your voice for comparison is a big help.  It’s a crucial element than makes this game a good learning tool.

                   Control: 10.0
           When all this game needs you to do is tap, how could it fail?

                          Gameplay:  6.5
           Once you get into the Spanish lessons, My Spanish Coach is pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, it gets boring quickly due to its dull mini-games.

     


           Lastability:  7.5
           Having a handled electronic Spanish dictionary for travel is an awesome thing. That being said, this game doesn't really give you much incentive to play its learning aspect, but it does take an awful long time to unlock those mini-games.  That’s probably not a good thing, though.

     


           Final:  7.0
           One more time: My Spanish Coach is a learning tool, not a game.  It’s perfect for Spanish students, but gamers will find it incredibly boring.      


    2
    TalkBack / PREVIEWS: Professor Layton and the Curious Village
    « on: February 06, 2008, 06:07:07 PM »
    Curiosity has a name, and its name is Professor Layton.
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=15240

     There is a treasure hidden somewhere in the village of St. Mystere, and only Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke can find it. How do they go about finding it though, when the village’s inhabitants speak in riddles, brainteasers, and puzzles? The only way to discover the truth is to put their heads together and start solving.    


    The family of the late Baron Augustus Reinfold has attempted to find the treasure after it is stated in his will that he has hidden it in the village of St. Mystere. Unable to find it, they look to puzzle expert Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke for help.  Upon their arrival, the death of another in the Reinfold family occurs. With the two mysteries to be solved, Professor Layton must solve over 130 puzzles, many of which are new for the North American release.    


    Puzzles vary greatly throughout the game.  For example, one is a sliding game in which a ball is up on the top of the screen, and in less than 12 moves, you must move different size squares in order to move the ball to the bottom of the screen and win the game. Another is a little more complicated, where you must get three wolves and three chicks across a river.  If there are more wolves than chicks on one side of a river, the wolves get hungry. All of these games use the stylus and are designed for players of all skill levels.    


    The puzzles also consist of riddles, mazes and in addition, new puzzles are available weekly from Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for half a year. The moment you start to believe this is an ordinary puzzle game, Layton has the promise of a strong story with eccentric, funny characters, and all animation scenes fully voice acted. The characters are hand-drawn with a style that will appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike.    


    This game will be released in North America on the 11th of February.


    3
    TalkBack / REVIEWS: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008
    « on: December 06, 2007, 07:24:56 PM »
    Far from a slobberknocker.
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14944

     I have been playing wrestling games since WCW vs nWo Revenge on the N64. This was before I started watching WWE in 2000. So when I purchased WWF No Mercy for N64, which was based on the same grappling engine from Revenge, it was far from disappointing. I am one of those wrestling game fans who still consider WWF No Mercy to be the best wrestling games of all time. The number of features in No Mercy and the grappling system itself are what made the game great. And there is something very special when, after seven years, I still turn on my N64 and play No Mercy with a big smile on my face. When WWE Day of Reckoning was released, I waited, with a big smile on my face, for the next Day of Reckoning and the rise again of my created wrestler, KC Freak, to dominate the WWE once more. That’s when it was announced that THQ would not be making a new Day of Reckoning game exclusive to the Wii. Instead, they would create an alternative, Wii-friendly version of Smackdown! Vs Raw 2008.    


    Waiting for a wrestling song and the intro to kick in and crank it up, just like WWE shows at my parents' place, the game disappointingly cut straight to the menu screen with no intro to set the adrenaline pumping for my first match. That would be the first of my disappointments with this game. When WWE games arrive at my home, the following match takes place – Triple H vs The Undertaker. It quickly became apparent that the graphics are up to standards of a Playstation 2 game. The graphics on the PS2 WWE games push the limit; they’re great, no doubt. But to see them on a Wii made me shudder, expecting something a lot better. The crowd, although finally having escaped from doing the same animation in sync, still look like very bad N64 models.    


    Waving the Wii Remote, HHH began smacking the Undertaker around with a number of strikes and combos. HHH knocked Taker down with a huge clothesline and waited for him to rise. Taker rose with his signature corpse-rising pose, and as the Wii Remote was swung again, this time HHH was a distance away and that resulted in a high knee to the skull. Taker sat up again as HHH started punching again, this time, shoving Taker into the nearby ring ropes. Again, waving the Wii Remote, HHH clotheslined Taker outside the ring. This all done by simply swinging the Remote; everything changes based on HHH’s distance from Taker and where they are in the ring itself, which makes for fluid gameplay. This game makes everything so simple and easy to do that a child could easily master the controls within a few minutes. Of course, there are a couple more things you can discover by playing the game more and more. Pressing the C button had HHH raising his arms in a recognizable pose. Performing the "suck it" DX taunt with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, HHH mimicked my movements. Very amusing, and it even recovered some stamina. When Taker returned to the ring, he was obviously not amused, because he pummeled HHH for a couple of minutes, draining the health bar. He tried to strike more, but it did not help, as the health bar turned yellow. Taker grabbed HHH by his arm and headed towards the turnbuckle. This is what is referred to as a favorite move, which can be activated by pressing A and B when your opponent's health bar is yellow. In Taker's case, it was obvious what was coming. Taker walked the top rope and then came crashing down on HHH’s head with an elbow. Now, the health bar was red, and that couldn’t be good. Taker dragged his thumb across his throat and the end was here. HHH rose only to be met with a Tombstone Piledriver as the ref counted one, two, and three.    


    Obviously, not having yet grasped the mechanics that led to my burial at the hands of the Undertaker, I learned the following in the second match. While holding A and wiggling the Wii Remote, a light grapple move, like an armdrag or a simple slam is performed. Holding B and waving the Wii Remote, however, will go into a tough grapple move. In the middle of the move, waving the Wii Remote in a certain way, can perform the next stage of the move. For example, in a front face lock, jolting the Wii Remote downwards, will perform a DDT. Wave it to the right, however, and the wrestler will perform a swinging neckbreaker. It’s those funny Wii Remote style attacks that make this game unique and fun compared to other systems. For example, once you have your opponent in the corner, you can lay into him with some knife edge chops, Flair style. If a short chop with your Wii Remote is performed, Flair will do a light, quick chop. However, rear back the Wii Remote farther and swing harder, and the wrestler will do a harder, longer chop. It’s all very interesting, for sure.    


    After HHH vs Taker, it was time for vengeance. Looking for another match type, it is apparent that this game has the least number of match types of any wrestling game out there, ever. There is single match, tag match, triple threat match, hardcore match, and KO match. Where is the cage match? Hell in a cell match? Casket match, royal rumble, parking lot brawl, three on three tag, battle royal, table match, or even a fatal four way? Considering that the majority of these match types are on the different console versions of the game, there is simply no excuse. Even No Mercy had a cage match and a ladder match, which is beyond mind boggling. Wrestling styles are also missing from the Wii version. The main advertised feature of the other versions of this game is the fact that all wrestlers would have two of eight styles: hardcore, dirty, technical, submission, showman, and others. Those styles would give a wrestler different abilities. Unfortunately, they are nowhere to be found in this game, so a lot of these abilities are lost. I was playing as Randy Orton and was still able to grab the referee and shove him into my opponent which was relieving. It was also relieving when chair moves, such as a conchairto, could be performed. These are moves that were supposed to be exclusive to the particular wrestlers with the right styles.    


    Create-a-Wrestler mode is also nothing special. It doesn't take long to see that it is much more limited that usual. The physical attributes for making a wrestler aren't too bad. The game has a large selection of clothes, and you can change the mass of any body part to suit your needs. It’s when the move selection comes into play that it becomes a disappointment once more. You can't select move by move, but rather a move set. To be honest, selecting moves one by one does get tedious, and the change was almost welcome. Getting to pick things like your taunt and signature move and the entrance setup is still there.  However, not being able to select what moves to perform is quite underwhelming. Why not incorporate the SD card into the entrance music selection? That was cause for some more annoyance. Never fear, however, for the game has a good array of about fifteen original tracks to select from all different genres, from rap to hardcore. Unlike Day of Reckoning or Smackdown! vs. Raw 2007, however, entrance moves are limited to a wrestler's movement, with no extra customization to lighting, camera, animation/movement, or pyro. I was disappointed once more, but now it was time for KC Freak to journey through his career in Main Event mode.    


    Main Event mode is Wii’s half assed alternative to the other consoles' WWE 24/7 mode.  You select a wrestler and receive challenges for matches via a mobile phone. Then, accept or deny a challenge, or even make a challenge to an opponent. Win matches to gain popularity and training points. Popularity gets your wrestler title matches and helps him climb that proverbial ladder of success, while training points help him train and build up his stats. There’s also rest, which recovers health, so your wrestler doesn’t go in less that 100% in his next match. However, that may have him skipping a match, which lowers his popularity. He can also chat up to divas (which is really pointless, because all they seem to do is replace the woman who massages him) and ask someone to be his tag partner as he jumps on the tag team champs. This mode, although fun for most of the time, eventually gets boring, and you can only play it in short bursts until you either want to play a single match with a different wrestler or simply turn off the game itself. Or you can jump into tournament mode, probably my favorite mode of the whole game. Tournament mode has matches like king of the ring and beat the clock sprint, in which the wrestler who gets the fastest win out of them all wins. It is also available in multiplayer, so that’s always fun and a welcome new addition.    


    Smackdown! Vs Raw 2008 is a good game with no frills. It follows the Wii’s motto of everyone can play, and multiplayer is just too much fun. But with this many features missing from the Wii version while all the other versions have so many different match types and wrestling styles, what were THQ thinking? I was pleasantly surprised at a few points of this game, and everything is up to date, which is something that’s good to see out of a wrestling game. Everything looks good and sounds how it should. It is just a very big pity that they didn’t decide to put a little more time into this game to have it on par with the rest of the console versions. Perhaps a few missing things could be overlooked, but when blatant wrestling staples such as a fatal four way are missing, the game seems too rushed and too limited. They should have stuck with Day of Reckoning and left it at that.

    Pros:
           

  • Unique and fun game with exclusive Wii controls
  •  
  • Solid wrestling game


  •        Cons:
           
  • Too many match types, features, and wrestling styles missing
  •  
  • Former generation graphics
  •  
  • Feels rushed and incomplete


  •                Graphics:  7.0
           Although the graphics seem to be from the PS2, THQ always put a lot of time into the wrestling models. It’s sad to see that graphics for the Wii version still have not excelled to what they could be.

                   Sound:  8.0
           Awesome music and sound really captures the atmosphere of the WWE world. It would have been cool, however, to be able to import music.

                   Control:  8.5
           It is very easy to perform whatever move you wish and when you want to perform it. It’s all done by wiggling the Wii Remote, however, so it does get a little tiring. Stuff like jumping from the top rope, ring dives, and anything else is a matter of getting into position and swinging the Wii Remote. It’s so simple.

                          Gameplay:  8.0
           This game is, in a word – fun. Simple, yet sometimes shallow, this is a good ol’ wrestling game that is easy to pick up and play.

     


           Lastability:  7.0
           Wrestling games are fun to play over and over again, simply because the match combinations are endless and no match is the same. Also, the multiplayer fun aspect is always there. This game doesn’t have a lot to it, though, and Main Event mode is shallow.

     


           Final:  6.5
           Smackdown! Vs Raw 2008 for Wii is a huge disappointment. Smackdown! is a great series, and there really is no excuse for it to remove so many features, especially simple ones like wrestler styles and match types like the cage match or the fatal four way. But aside from all that, it is still a decent wrestling game, and if you’re a fan like me, it is worth a look. Just don’t go in there with a lot of expectation.      


    4
    TalkBack / Wii Fastest Selling Console Ever in Australia
    « on: November 24, 2007, 03:12:22 PM »
    Nintendo's system reaches 200k in record time.
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14858

     The Wii is now the fastest selling console in Australia, reaching 200,000 sales just a couple weeks south of the one year anniversary of its release, according to Nintendo Australia.  The Australian Wii launch took place in December 2006.    


    The title of "fastest selling console ever" is a true one, as the Wii has sold at a pace faster than that of any console or handheld, including the Nintendo DS or Xbox 360.  Microsoft pushed 100k 360s in seven months to set the previous mark.    


    The Wii has sold 32,101 units in the past month.  It continues as the most successful console in Australia.    


    Steven Rodriguez contributed to this report.


    5
    TalkBack / RE: REVIEWS: Naruto: Path of the Ninja
    « on: November 16, 2007, 05:59:00 PM »
    Ahh! Really? I never knew that... ^_^;; Still. It encourages you to use the stylus. But it's good to know there's an alternative .. and still, I would suggest tapping A + B would become just as much of an unwanted chore.. either way, thanks for correcting us.. shows what I know

    6
    TalkBack / REVIEWS: Naruto: Path of the Ninja
    « on: November 15, 2007, 08:45:35 PM »
    Naruto! RPG Style! Believe it! (Yeah, I did steal that off the back of the case.)
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14819

     A long while back, I imported Naruto RPG 2 for the DS. I was very impressed with the game; the fact that I couldn’t understand a lick of Japanese didn’t seem to detract from my experience, and at the time was a good thing. I did not want to spoil the story, seeing as though I was reading the manga at the time. But, believe it or not, I got to a point in that game where I didn’t know what to do… because, you know… I can’t read Japanese. So I put it down and ended up selling it recently, and it was awfully good timing – for I received this game, which is the exact same format. I just had no clue at what point of the story this one kicked in from or whether it looked and played the same. All in all it was quite under whelming.    


    You turn on Path of Ninja and the title screen looks all right, but then you start up a new game and bam, you’re in Game Boy Color world. Considering this is Naruto, which is a pretty basic, solid but simple, colorful anime as far as its art style is concerned, it works to a point. But everything looks like it comes from the realms of a really well done GBC game, or a GBA game at best. This is an RPG, so there are a lot of moves to be animated and a lot of characters to be done. Compare it to a game like, say, Pokemon, an anime-style RPG game with hundreds of Pokemon and an insane amount of moves, and Naruto DS simply doesn’t look good. Then your team of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke get chucked into a battle, and the graphics improve somewhat, but it still seems like a GBA game. Sometimes you get those games that aren’t impressive with the actual graphics themselves, but when you see the animations and they flow so well and they’re so varied, it works very well. Unfortunately, this game isn’t one of those cases. It's just too solid and stiff. That being said, the environments and characters look how they should, and as a handheld RPG it is passable, but you can’t help but squint somewhat and feel disappointed at the graphics.    


    The story is that of series one and starts the action off where the gang is going to survival training with their sensei, Kakashi. The dialogue is all from the show. So, you’re either going to be like "Haha, yay, it's like the show!" or like me, "Come on, come on… I know what's gonna happen…" Things are slightly different, but its all the same predictable stuff from the show, which it must keep true to for sure, but a there’s a limit. It’s like the writers of this game had no ideas on how to freshen up the stories told in the Naruto domain and simply stuck with the script from the show. All the characters from the show are roaming around, and most join your party. You can also go and buy them ramen noodles if you wish, which increases your teamwork and stats. Buy them one they do not like, however, and it has the opposite effect.    


    The battle system is your generic RPG style, and a well done one at that. Attack, Defend, Item and Flee are your battle options. What is cool about this game is that you can set up a formation. The setup is a three by four grid, on which you can move around. You can set this up prior to battle, and you can also change around when you want. Since Sakura is a bit weak in the defense department, you can keep her back, but if you need some extra power, you can send her forward. The closer you are to your enemies, the more damage you inflict, but (wait for it) the more damage you take when attacked. Jutsu (ninja techniques) are fun to earn and perform, and they all come from the series, giving you a smile when you recognize them. They’re all here too, like Naruto’s clone jutsu or everyone’s favorite, the sexy no jutsu. As you go through the story, more ninjas join your party like Neji and Rock Lee, all complete with their own unique jutsu. I give the game props for the amount of moves and how accurate they are. Even how it implements stuff like sexy no jutsu has to make you smile. The battles do get a bit repetitive, however, as certain jutsu require you to rub the screen or do a combo, and the better you do it, the more effective the jutsu is. After a while, you kind of sigh and wish you didn’t have to do it again. Certain things like combos are interesting. For example, after activating Sakura’s inner Sakura (basically, her inner voice that gives her strength), and you use Naruto’s (wait for it again) fart jutsu, you will do a combo attack that results in Sakura bashing Naruto into the enemies in frustration. There is also the system of lightning, fire, water, etc. that more or less follows "Pokemon" weakness and strength rules. These battles are usually of the random appearing sort and are neither hard nor easy. What’s good about this game is that it requires skill to beat the enemy, but the difficulty is not extreme. It is quite genuinely fun for a long time, if you overlook stuff like the rubbing no jutsu.    


    The sound and music need to be mentioned. The sound design is very good and varied, and it feels like you’re watching a episode of Naruto… if you were watching permanently from the ceiling. Sounds of "cha!" and the little voices-overs taken from the series are great and are what sets the game apart from that GBC/GBA realm. The sounds in battle are a little unimaginative, especially when using the attack commands, which all sound a bit like someone’s trying to quickly drink from a empty cup. Aside from that, the sound effects are all in place and amusing.      


    Naruto DS overall is a decent RPG game that keeps true to its series. The graphics and overall presentation let it down, and the story is kind of dull, since it more or less borrows the whole script from the show. The battle system is good but seems to be grasping at straws with the whole "rub the screen please" jutsu. It does not possess many flaws simply because the simplicity of the game leaves no room for any. Naruto DS is for fans of the series and for RPG fans, but is not to be looked at as anything remotely special at all. It is a simple, fun RPG wrapped in a Naruto franchise label.

    Pros:
           

  • A vast array or characters and jutsu
  •  
  • A decent RPG in length and mechanics


  •        Cons:
           
  • Graphics are from the past generation
  •  
  • Repetitive and unimaginative touch screen controls


  •                Graphics:  5.0
           The graphics are colorful but overly simple and dull in style. It really cannot be compared to anything other than a very good GBC game. Even the animations are quite static.

                   Sound:  7.5
           Sound is probably the best feature of this game. The sound bites from the characters and the other varied sounds manage to give this game a bit of life. From the get-go, Naruto yelling out "Naruto! Clash of Ninja!" makes you smile. As mentioned before though, some sound effects are generic.

                   Control:  7.5
           Turn-based RPG’s -- if the controls didn’t work in them, there’d be a problem. Well, unfortunately there is a bit of a problem. One more time, the rubbing jutsu, while cute at first, becomes a chore. The game could’ve done without that. Besides that, everything works and navigates well.

                          Gameplay:  6.5
           The battles are fun, exploring is fun, and playing through episodes of Naruto is fun… all for a time. It plays well, but it just doesn’t have any depth to it.

     


           Lastability:  7.0
           It's a lengthy RPG. There are plenty of things to do, people to meet, and stuff to buy. What may have been a short, dull, three man march to a boring, half-assed franchise RPG is actually a decently sized game.

     


           Final:  6.5
           Simplicity in life is the key to happiness, or in this game's case, the key to keeping it safe. This game is just so simple, in its graphics, style and mechanics, that there cannot be any technical or graphical flaws to mention. Unfortunately, sometimes you must jump into the deep end and try something different. This game just doesn’t have the depth and is extremely linear. That being said, it is a good RPG with a lot of characters and techniques to earn, all wrapped in one of Japan’s/America’s favorite animes.      


    7
    TalkBack / RE: Aussies Get Manaphy
    « on: October 31, 2007, 08:19:28 PM »
    Hehehe. More than likely.. ^_^

    8
    TalkBack / RE:Aussies Get Manaphy
    « on: October 31, 2007, 06:25:19 PM »
    Oh yeah.. I completely forgot/don't care ^_^
    Still. To give you a Pokemon for free without buying a freaking game is a change.
    Thats what I consider to be real event Pokemon, not "Ohh buy this game and we'll give you a Pokemon" :P

    9
    TalkBack / Aussies Get Manaphy
    « on: October 31, 2007, 05:05:52 PM »
    Finally, an event Pokémon!
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14719

     It has been revealed that for the first time in a very long time, Australians can now receive an event Pokémon, Manaphy, when they visit JB HiFi between the 7th and 13th of November using the Mystery Gift function.    


    The Aussie Manaphy has a Red Scarf, and Cherish Ball and its moves are Heart Swap, Water Pulse, Whirlpool and Acid Armor and interestingly enough, cannot be chucked onto the Global Trading Station and also, you can only receive one per game card.    


    Event Pokémon in Australia are few and far between, so maybe this will be first in a decent line of event Pokémon for Australia.


    10
    TalkBack / REVIEWS: Heroes of Mana
    « on: October 23, 2007, 06:40:11 PM »
    I believe I had ordered an RPG?
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=14662

     I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Mana series ever since they appeared on recent consoles. These past games have been different compared to Heroes of Mana. In Sword of Mana, for example, there were no parties - you were a sole person on a quest home, fighting for yourself. That has been altered with this new DS game, as the main character is now part of an army, which you control with the stylus. Rather intriguing? I’d hope so.    


    Mini anime movies seem to be popular now in these recent DS games. A decent quality FMV opens up the game and leaves you with a smile. It gives the characters a sense of identity and movement they may not have had otherwise, seeing as this game is quite… well, I’ll get to that later. The main character's name is Roget. He is a member of the Pedan Army on a reconnaissance mission to Ferolia, because the state of Peda is concerned that Ferolia may be planning an attack. You travel on an airship called the Nightswan with various familiar stereotypes from fantasy stories or role playing games – Yurchael, the stern captain who is somewhat mysterious, Germière, the fiery female, Qucas, loveable rebel and others… including D’Kelli - this game's Slippy/Genis (if that’s lost on you, lets just say the word "annoying" for lack of a better term). It quickly becomes apparent that there is a lot more than meets the eye with the mission, as the Nightswan is shot down without warning, leaving them to discover that Roget and his fellow crew have been betrayed by Peda. So, the mission begins to stop Peda from world domination.    


    The first thing Yurchael gets Roget to do is find resources to help them out. There are two – Gaia, which is stone for building and Treant, which is food for troop building, so think a simple Age of Empires. And, yes – it is at this point, where you build a mini base and army in the Nightswan, that you discover - this is no RPG, this my friends, is an RTS.    


    I knew at the time of writing the preview that this game was an RTS, that you would build an army and lead it to victory in a series of missions. However, I knew that it would be a Mana game at its heart, and it would have some RPG elements. Well, the RPG elements are central to the items you win after every battle that upgrade stats. Stats include HP, attack power, attack rate, and attack range, all of which can be upgraded. That is the only RPG element in the game. I actually debated with my housemate as to whether or not this is an RPG more than an RTS, which sounds absolutely one-sided from what I’ve just discussed, but this game feels an awful lot to me like an RPG wrapped in RTS. The creatures that appear, mostly the little gatherer units, and also the aesthetic look of the world and leader characters in dialogue scenes, make it feel just like a Mana game. Actually, there is one more element from a Mana game I will touch on shortly, but if you’re looking for an RPG, this isn’t the game to grab. If you want a spin-off of a spin-off in Heroes of Mana as an RTS, this game delivers in that regard.    


    Although I haven’t played an RTS since AOE2, I like them for short periods of time but prefer RPGs and other genres. With that in mind, let me carry on gameplay from when we last left off – gathering. You discover Gaia/stone and Treant/foods, but leader units, such as Roget, are not suited to gather. So instead, you build buildings in the Nightswan. The fact that you build stuff in an air carrier is actually pretty interesting, for if your base comes under attack, you can lift off to keep safe and move to another area. After you build the first building, which is a gatherer base, you can build (wait for it) gatherers! They start off as Rabites from the Mana series - they gather your food and stone and haul them back to the Nightswan to build attacking units.    


    Ground, heavy, flying and missile – these are the four types of units in this game. Now, some may remember the weak/strong system from the Mana series. One weapon is stronger than another, yet is weaker to another. The system is pretty simple, and it exists in this game as well, not as weapons, but unit types. Ground units do double damage to missile units yet half damage to heavy units, which do double damage to ground units, and so on.  This system is negated in quite a few circumstances. Your leader units are very strong and, with the help of any unit, can basically dismantle the majority of the groups you encounter, especially if the number is lower than yours. I find myself building a mix of a couple units and yelling "Charge!" before really assessing what kind of unit I am attacking, with good success. However, there is a ranking system in which my average is C or B with a couple of A's and S's, so perhaps a more sound strategy may be deployed by another player for a better rank. The best function of this game, at least as a beginner until you learn better ways to utilize units, is the "select units in this area" function, in which the game pauses briefly while you draw a circle/blob around the multiple units you want. After learning more about the game and how it plays, you are able to select what unit you want instantly, despite the decently sized maps. Navigating the map and discovering what icons to select does take a bit of getting used to, but it does becomes second nature and works surprisingly well. There have only been a few occasions where I have been frustrated with the controls, but what I’m more concerned about is the AI. Sometimes, a unit will automatically attack when an enemy walks by – which is what you would want. Unfortunately, there are other times when your ally unit seems oblivious to the enemy unit walking past… or even directly prior to the enemy attacking your unit. That gets annoying, and it happens just enough to mention it here.    


    At first look, this game looks something along the lines of an old RPG... It’s very vibrant, and displayed in 3D for the first time in the Mana series. It reminds me a lot of early PlayStation Breath of Fire games in its style; the camera movement in cut-scenes especially, but also the domain. You may prefer a crisp 2D style such as Children of Mana, which worked very well, because the 3D graphics make the characters look very similar to one another from the distance.  Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura did the music for this game, which is very, very good. Personally, music is something I don’t really pay attention to when I’m playing a game, except maybe perhaps on some subliminal level, but it is very good and reflects the fantasy world very well.    


    Somewhat amusingly, this game is Wi-Fi compatible and, once again, I have made a false assumption as to what this game planned to deliver. I assumed that I would be able to battle people over Wi-Fi, but alas, that is only reserved for a one-on–one, multi-card mode. Multiplayer is a nice addition, but Wi-Fi battles would be nicer and would help the lastability after the story mode has run dry. Instead, online is simply used to compare rank on bonus maps you gather throughout the game. It is a bit of a disappointment.    


    This game is the next part of the Mana series, unusually combined with real time strategy mechanics. For the most part, it executed well as both a Mana series game and also an RTS. To have this style of game on a handheld like the DS is unexplored territory and is quite remarkable. However, those looking for an RPG are left out in the dark. The Mana series is a spin-off of the Final Fantasy series, but this game seems like a spin-off of the Mana series also. A phrase I use a lot in real life is "it delivers what it promises," and this game certainly does that and then some. It may not be quite what I wanted (a Mana RPG), but for what it is (a spin-off RTS), it is very good.

    Pros:
           

  • A great RTS, especially for a handheld
  •  
  • The music! It has a great composer
  •  
  • Controls remarkably well


  •        Cons:
           
  • Characters sometimes cannot be differentiated
  •  
  • Some AI problems
  •  
  • No Wi-Fi multiplayer


  •                Graphics:  7.0
           The 3D environments are a nice change from the 2D style of the previous games in the Mana series. The graphics are very nice on the eyes and remind me of games of the past, and the style works. The characters and graphics that appear in dialogue sequences and even the field sprites are simply taken from the Mana series, which helps to relate this seemingly different game back to the series.

                   Sound:  8.0
           To get a good composer and advertise it is a good start to assume safely that the music in this game is quite remarkable. The music can be happy and bubbly, then suddenly change to an ominous moan at a darker point in the story, and both sound unique and great.

                   Control:  8.0
           This game has so much going on at one time and so many units to control, if it wasn’t pulled off well, it could be very frustrating to say the least. The learning time on these controls takes a while, and understandably so. But after putting time into it, what you want of your units can be executed as second nature. There are points where it does get glitchy and the stylus seems to not register, but those points are few and far between.

                          Gameplay:  7.5
           For an RTS on a handheld, this game is very well done. Other than a few minor frustrations mentioned, such as AI, there is not much that would stop you having a ball, especially after learning the little quirks of the game.

     


           Lastability:  7.0
           After the story mode, there is not much else to do but to play your bonus maps, compare scores on Wi-Fi, and hunt down another soul who owns this game and face them in multiplayer. The story mode is epic, however, and it will take a while to get through. So, for those who like a long, single-player, old school game, this one will keep you busy.

     


           Final:  7.5
           Square Enix has tried its hand at an RTS and succeeded. I would prefer an RPG, but if the Mana series and RTS games appeal to you, this is your dream come true! Just don’t expect to jump on Wi-Fi to battle.      


    11
    Nintendo Gaming / RE:Current WWII Shooters Are Unethical
    « on: September 15, 2007, 05:44:02 PM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: UERD
    Quote

    Graphic violence at least leaves an impression of the consequences, whereas some "less graphic" violence makes it seem like people just disappear when they get shot.


    But if you go from 'Saving Private Ryan' graphic to 'Starship Troopers: The Movie' graphic, you lose the 'war is bad' aspect and people begin complaining about gratuitous violence. After all, we can probably have a complete debate over whether the violence of the Normandy landing in a WWII film is morally or qualitatively different from the depiction of a giant alien bug ripping apart a human soldier.

    Quote

    I said that 1st person shooters are politically incorrect and un-ethical.
    That is not a typo.
    Going around, killing people for fun in a video game is now socially accepted.
    Is it good or bad? Well, what do you beleive? I honestly don't care


    If you think they are un-ethical, wouldn't that mean you care?



    Ethics (arguably) is an idea developed and relative to our ideology, that’s why I mentioned it and Jonny will probably hate me for it because he didn't ask anything about ideology.. ^__^;;

    Once more, it is my "job" to understand and even question our ideologies (by comparing them, ie. Communism to Western ideology)
    as well as others.. ^__^
    I would consider 1st person shooter games to be un-ethical and "politically incorrect" - I'm an extremely politically incorrect person.
    I LOVE games, such as 007 Golden Eye and even though it's a 3rd person shooter - RE4
    The sentence before "I honestly don't care" is "Well, what do you believe?" ^__^
    what I was trying to say was I'd like to know what you guys all think, because I've rambled all too much!

    And lol @ teacher
    I've only started this subject for the last month and a half hah
    It's basically the sole reason I haven't been doing any reviews or posting much news.. study's a killer.. >__<

    12
    Nintendo Gaming / RE:Current WWII Shooters Are Unethical
    « on: September 15, 2007, 04:37:56 AM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: Shift Key
    Quote

    What gives these people the right to write these texts?

    History is written by the victor.
    Not sure who that quote is attributed to but it goes a long way to explain why WWII has a lot of text regarding the Allied events when compared to the Axis events. Sure, we know bits and pieces about the rise of Nazism and Fascism and accounts from concentration camps, but in terms of military events and operations we do not have the same level of detail. This is possibly due to, when Berlin fell, the remaining soldiers destroyed texts relevant to the operations of the Axis in Europe in order to avoid future repercussions (war crimes, etc).

    Quote

    The ideologies that the former member of the Soviet Union who still believes that Communism is the direction this world should take would be somewhat disconcerting to an American.. Or even an Australian, such as me.

    You're scared of an ideology or the people who believe in the ideology? Don't confuse the two, because an ideology is harmless until someone believes in it.

    Pro Tip #1: communism is the ideology. Communism represents the organisation based on the ideology of communism. There's a huge difference in capitalisation.


    The Communist Party - where its always a party!

    Pro Tip #2: Communism isn't something that is lurking in the shadows these days. You can spot the Communist governments based on current affairs, such as China, North Korea, Cuba and a couple of other nations. There may be Communist organisations in most countries (yes, there is in Australia) but while these are in the minority then you have little to be afraid of.

    Quote

    Our western ideology may suggest, that it is indeed ethical to kill Nazis. That is what we did. And that is what they did back. How deep would you like to go.. did our bodies disappear? No... but, why would that matter...

    What Jonny is asking is whether games have an obligation to impart more information about war in order to give the player a better perspective on the historical events. I'm not sure how "ethics" got in there because ethics are subjective, but I do see merit in video games about war containing more relevat information about the events (there are a number of possible methods of doing this rather than a straight narrative).

    But where do you draw the line? Turning a game into a history lesson is not the way to boost sales. And if game developers were interested in being ethical in terms of respect for historical events, then you wouldn't see war video games being pumped out at such a constant rate. Simple as that.

    Quote

    After ALL this crap I've spun, what I'm trying to say is - yes, I may pretty much agree that 1st person shooters are politically incorrect and unethical. But unfortunately, perhaps our past and ideologies have forged an unethical society.

    Wait, all first person shooters? Lets focus on the games that cover historical events. Leave the futuristic shooters to future generations to abhor.

    Quote

    Take for example the Spartan War with the 300 Spartans that fought to the bitter end. Shouldn't their war with the Persians be given the same respect as WWII? Both were fought around sacrificing themselves to protect their homeland. Yeah there isn't a clear cut historical account, but hardly anyone doubts that the accounts of their sacrifice was legitimate and was also brutal.

    What is different is that the accounts of the Spartan War have been passed through many more generations than the WWII stories. So while the account of the 300 Spartans is almost mythical today (save for a couple of movies and a monument), the accounts from World War II are more current and more detailed. So perhaps the problem isn't respect but making use of the information available in order to illustrate the story. The accounts of the 300 Spartans requires much more creative license in order to fill the "gaps of knowledge" when compared to the D-Day landings.

    Anyway, I started talking politics so I'm starting to smell the end of this thread. It was fun.





    History is written by the victor, huh?

    The texts are destroyed.. ok.. well thats my point. :P
    My point was - that it would be safe to assume many texts from that era are gone.
    So we research. But "we" are westerners.
    And "we" westerners write these texts.
    I agree somewhat. You are right that the victor - ie, westerners would have gathered up numbers for casualties and what-have-you.. but,

    I answered my own question.
    Being the victor does not give you the right to information or to write it.
    People write all the time.
    Letters from Iwo Jima is a prime example.

    Western ideology is afraid of an alternative ideology. ie - Communism.
    Why?
    Because it counters eachother.
    Simple.

    It does not matter what or who beleives in it.

    Little to be afraid of for they are the minority?
    Well, in the era of the Cold War the ideological threat was very, very real.

    Do I myself fear Communism and alternative ideologies?
    No.. if I did I would freak out in Culture, Identities and Texts 101.
    It is my job to tear these ideologies appart and understand them, so lookout

    I said that 1st person shooters are politically incorrect and un-ethical.
    That is not a typo.
    Going around, killing people for fun in a video game is now socially accepted.
    Is it good or bad? Well, what do you beleive? I honestly don't care and the terms good and bad are funny. ^___^


    I would definately agree that we have probably gone far away from simply asking "Should war games be more realistic?"
    I just wanted to go deeper is all.... ^___^


    If you guys would like to look at my assignment when it is done, which is about the Cold War and Ideology, let me know.
    I'm sure I can be of enlightenment.  

    13
    Nintendo Gaming / RE: Current WWII Shooters Are Unethical
    « on: September 14, 2007, 05:20:28 AM »
    Ohhh... Jonny. ^__^

    What you are doing here, is opening up a scary prospect for us all.. Pandora's box is so pretty. ^__^

    These games are what I refer to as "texts".
    Audiovisual texts.

    There are hundreds and hundreds of texts, audio visual and otherwise that represent or/and are based on WWII and other wars.
    The only people, on this earth who have a right to discuss whether or not these texts are accurate or unethical (ie. Was Conker from Bad Fur Day indeed in that real life battle? Hehehe) are the real life veterans themselves.
    It's hard to do isn't it? So, we have other texts that tell us what happened to refer to – diachronic texts.

    Historical texts.

    However.... these texts.... maybe written by, say..
    An American....
    Or maybe, a former member of the Soviet Union....

    What gives these people the right to write these texts? The fact that they have done the research... however... which one would be more well received by say.. an American audience; the one written by the American, yes? The ideologies that the former member of the Soviet Union who still believes that Communism is the direction this world should take would be somewhat disconcerting to an American.. Or even an Australian, such as me.

    Information is so important.
    These texts are so important.

    These games are made for a western dominated society.
    We can kill Nazis. And laugh. But why, exactly why do we laugh?
    We laugh, and have fun, because of our history.. out past.
    Our western ideology may suggest, that it is indeed ethical to kill Nazis. That is what we did. And that is what they did back. How deep would you like to go.. did our bodies disappear? No... but, why would that matter...

    As a (struggling) academic, it is my job to rip apart all these texts.
    It is also my job to try and decide whether or not; video games are good, well-structured texts or/and narratives.
    If I think of it on the surface.. you could pretty much assume that, no, video games probably don't have well structured narratives and representations of ideologies and culture...
    ...until you look at a game like Metal Gear Solid 3, which is extremely cinematic.

    Dramatic movies should be viewed in a serious light.

    When we watched Apocalypse Now in Culture and Texts, it was pretty damn scary.
    The same scenario portrayed in Conkers Bad Fur Day? It's humorous... we need to ask ourselves, why?

    After ALL this crap I've spun, what I'm trying to say is - yes, I may pretty much agree that 1st person shooters are politically incorrect and unethical. But unfortunately, perhaps our past and ideologies have forged an unethical society.

    14
    TalkBack / Guitar Hero DS to use a New Peripheral
    « on: September 12, 2007, 08:42:49 PM »
    The stylus is out of the question for Guitar Hero DS.
     http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14381

     We will "Absolutely love it." says Vicarious Visions    


    At this year’s Austin Game Developers conference a few details have been announced by Vicarious Visions design manager, Adrian Earle, on Guitar Hero DS.    


    The most important of which is the fact that Guitar Hero DS will not use a stylus and will in fact use a new peripheral.    


    The design has not yet been finalized, but sources were told that we would “absolutely love it."    


    Adrian also said that the graphical style of Guitar Hero DS would be consistent with the rest of the series.


    15
    NWR Forums Discord / RE:ATTENTION_ALL_LURKERS!!!! FREE BEER INSIDE!!!!
    « on: August 31, 2007, 02:09:49 AM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: BlackNMild2k1
    Quote

    Originally posted by: Case
    Quote

    Originally posted by: BlackNMild2k1
    You have been doing quite an amazing job of hiding yourself I must say.
    What would it take for the staff to be more active on their own forums?

    p.s. You should probably change your title to something more fitting a staff member. Just cause you don't post often doesn't mean that you can't atleast be recognized when you do.



    Hehehe. Although I'm a super duper staff member, on this forum I'm still a noob and all my attempts to find a way and change my title has failed... care to help out? :P Haha


    I'm sure someone would tell you, but them since you would be the mod "noob", we would have to resurrect the "pick your own title" and "change the title of the person above you" threads. And I don't think you would really want to be responsible for that madness.




    Hehehe. Touche. I'm not that bothered by it. I like to keep a low profile anyways. I usually "MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF" otherwise, y'know ^___^!
    Ohh. But if you want me to change my name to "Staff Noobis" you can tell me

    16
    TalkBack / RE:Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 67
    « on: August 30, 2007, 09:57:32 PM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
    All I have to say is that the gameboy micro is awesome!  Not sure about the Mario difficulty thing, because Sunshine wasn't considered an easy Mario game by any means, heck it is perhaps the hardest Mario game.



    I have to agree. However, I would never buy one unless it was $70 AU or under. One time there was a sale for minis for $50 bucks AU!! O_O
    I was soo pissed I didn't have any money at the time T_T Gameboy Micro imo are pretty cool. Problem is, I don't play many GBA games anymore, except my Japanese vers. of Fire Pro Wrestling or the Fire Emblem series... ^__^

    Sunshine seemed pretty difficult. But I only played it for a bit. My housemate Matthew loved it.

    17
    NWR Forums Discord / RE:ATTENTION_ALL_LURKERS!!!! FREE BEER INSIDE!!!!
    « on: August 30, 2007, 09:53:36 PM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: Shift Key
    Quote

    Originally posted by: Case
    Hehehe. I don't need beer. I live in Australia - Land Of Beers.


    I'll bet you don't know cat piss from good beer. I'm throwing down the gauntlet on this sucka.



    Hehehe, as a matter of fact, our best beer is made from cat piss! At least it tastes like it... o_o;
    Hehe, nice try but I hate beer usually unless I have a reeeal craving for it.
    I was wondering where that gauntlet came from though... o_O stop throwin' down!


    18
    NWR Forums Discord / RE:ATTENTION_ALL_LURKERS!!!! FREE BEER INSIDE!!!!
    « on: August 30, 2007, 08:05:20 PM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: 18 Days
    Case would you please stop making a fool of yourself


    Why, I would Rab but I'm afraid it's in my nature... ^__^

    19
    TalkBack / RE: Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 67
    « on: August 30, 2007, 07:52:40 PM »
    Hehehe..
    "Who DOESN'T look up Peaches dress!? O_o"
    "Wanna look up Dixie Kongs skirt? :P"
    "None of the Kongs wear any pants!"
    "I think Trixy Kong does... and Candy Kong had a two peice bathing suit! ^_^"
    "..."
    "..."
    "So... any chance of naked Samus? o_o"

    Ohhh yes. One of these days I wanna hop on this podcast and talk about video game character underwares and nekedness.
    It'll be a special feature story! ^__^ We'll start with Peach in the shower and that creepy PC...

    20
    NWR Forums Discord / RE:ATTENTION_ALL_LURKERS!!!! FREE BEER INSIDE!!!!
    « on: August 30, 2007, 07:42:08 PM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: ShyGuy
    Case, it's up to you to double the site traffic. Get to it.


    *salutes*

    YES SIR!! ^__^

    *runs outside screaming "DUB DUB DUB DOT, NINTENDOWORLDREPORT DOT COM!!, DUB DUB DUB DOT, NINTENDOWORLDREPORT DOT COM!!"*



    *edit*
    Well. Yeah. That was great. They've arrested me now. You had better bail me out, Shyguy. It was your idea.. and they don't even beleive me.
    "Shyguy said to do it!"
    "And where is this "Shyguy :P"
    "On the Interwebs..! T_T He's there for the lulz!!"

    I have to be in court on Monday now. Thanks..  

    21
    Nintendo Gaming / RE: Luminous Arc (FF Tactics fans click here)
    « on: August 30, 2007, 07:24:39 PM »
    You know what was the FUNNEST thing about FF:TA? Multiplayer!! ^__^
    Seriously, if you're lucky enough to have a gameboy player on your Gamecube, grab some mates, alocate characters and have a ball! Thats how me and my mate beat it. ^__^

    As far as this game is concerned I'm soo tempted to grab it tonight and I just may. Review by Casey if it is! How lucky are you guys!

    22
    NWR Forums Discord / RE:ATTENTION_ALL_LURKERS!!!! FREE BEER INSIDE!!!!
    « on: August 30, 2007, 07:11:09 PM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: BlackNMild2k1
    You have been doing quite an amazing job of hiding yourself I must say.
    What would it take for the staff to be more active on their own forums?

    p.s. You should probably change your title to something more fitting a staff member. Just cause you don't post often doesn't mean that you can't atleast be recognized when you do.



    Hehehe. Although I'm a super duper staff member, on this forum I'm still a noob and all my attempts to find a way and change my title has failed... care to help out? :P Haha

    23
    NWR Forums Discord / RE:ATTENTION_ALL_LURKERS!!!! FREE BEER INSIDE!!!!
    « on: August 30, 2007, 06:37:18 PM »
    Quote

    Originally posted by: thatguy
    You don't count.  You're staff.  We try to hide you anyway.


    Ohh come now. That be cruel. You don't even need to try and hide me away, I can hide myself pretty well ^__^


    24
    NWR Forums Discord / RE: ATTENTION_ALL_LURKERS!!!! FREE BEER INSIDE!!!!
    « on: August 29, 2007, 04:06:06 AM »
    Hehehe. I don't need beer. I live in Australia - Land Of Beers. But, if you have more beer... I do not want(!), I only drink beer when there is no other available alcamaholics liquids.

    *lurks*

    Hmmm... lurking... mmm.... hehehehehehehe.... O_O

    25
    TalkBack / RE: REVIEWS: Transformers: The Game
    « on: August 06, 2007, 02:48:47 AM »
    Ugh. I get soo disapointed sometimes with these kind of games and I don't even know why I should expect anything more these days. Honestly people, I want you guys to try and name one movie turned game that is good. I honestly, cannot think of one... ^_^; (there probably are a few, I just can't think of any and I I'm curious as to what people think. )

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