As many of our forum regulars are already aware, I’ve had a somewhat negative view of Nintendo lately. You see, I’m what you could call a traditional gamer, and as such I’m not a huge fan of Nintendo’s blatant pandering to the non-gamer audience at the apparent exclusion of everyone else. I think it’s really cool that they’re bringing new people into the gaming fold – it’s what the industry needs to sustain long-term growth – but when your actions leave your long-time audience all but alienated, I can’t help but get a bitter taste in my mouth. With that said, here are the upcoming Wii and DS games that I’m really excited about. Sadly, Nintendo is only involved in the creation or release of one of them.
NINTENDO DS
Bangai-O Spirits – It’s a Treasure shoot-‘em-up, and as a big fan of shmups I couldn’t be more pleased. This one’s overflowing with typical Treasure craziness, including the ability to change levels as you’re playing them, create and trade your own levels (using audio files, WTF), and an apparently brutal level of difficulty. It’s been a while since Treasure has put anything out, and I can’t wait for this next release from the old-school fast-action masters.
KORG DS-10 – This turns your Nintendo DS into a dead-on replica of the legendary KORG MS-10 synthesizer. I’m no musician so the best I’ll be able to do is bang on this thing and grunt at it like a caveman, but I’m going to pick it up just because the idea is so out there. With this and that Rock Band 2 DrumRocker kit I have on order, I’ll be a one-man non-band!
Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff – I’m a Tecmo nut from way back in the day. One of my favorite video game memories involves a 17-hour Tecmo marathon in which myself and several buddies played an entire season without sleeping. From what I’ve read, this version retains all the old-school sensibilities of past Tecmo Bowl games, but adds online play to bring the franchise up-to-date. This is a title I’ll buy day one.
Retro Game Challenge – Another wild concept that sounds too cool to pass up. I’m so old that I can’t help but be a retro gamer, so anything that pays homage to the games of my youth is bound to end up in my library. Like the KORG DS-10, this is another game I have to buy on concept alone. It’s basically MST3K in video game form.
Rhythm Heaven – I loved Elite Beat Agents, so I’m definitely interested in any quirky rhythm game you can throw at me. This actually looks like a cross between Echochrome, Elite Beat Agents, and WarioWare: Smooth Moves, which is music to my ears.
Peggle – I have a friend who’s a PC gamer and unabashed Peggle addict. I’d heard about Peggle, but it took his urging for me to try it out. As soon as I started to play I was hooked. The game itself is very simple, but the mechanics are what draw you in. It’s incredibly satisfying to put your ball at just the right angle for a big score, and the game’s twisted sense of humor only adds to the experience. I’m not sure if I’d pay $29.99 for Peggle DS, but it’ll find its way into my library at some point.
Racing Gears 2 – I’m a big Orbital Media fan, and I loved what they did with Racing Gears for GBA (they also created Scurge: Hive, an overlooked title that I highly recommend for fans of the old-school Metroid games). For the uninitiated, Racing Gears has you guiding tiny cars around twisting and turning tracks of various terrains. You can outfit your car with better performance gear, as well as equip it with weapons like oil slicks. It’s fast, fun, and deep for a GBA game.
Moon – This is a first-person shooter from the makers of Dementium: The Ward. Moon will use an updated version of that game’s excellent 3D engine, and it’ll be interesting to see what they do with it this time around. Here’s hoping for some online deathmatch, something that I don’t think has been attempted on the DS since Metroid Prime: Hunters.
Dragon Quest IX: Protectors of the Sky –Even though I haven’t played much Dragon Quest throughout my gaming career (I have DQ VII and VIII but haven’t finished either one), I was ecstatic when Square Enix announced this title for the DS. After seeing the stellar work that’s been done so far on the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest DS remakes, I have a feeling that DQ IX is going to set DS benchmarks in terms of graphics, game world size, and adventure length. And it will also sell about a billion copies in Japan.
NINTENDO WII
The Conduit – Why Nintendo isn’t publishing this, I’ll never know. Featuring a slick 3D engine and fully customizable controls, The Conduit looks to prove that you CAN create a completely original, “hardcore” first-person shooter for Nintendo’s system (since Retro doesn’t seem to want to use the Metroid Prime 3 engine to do so). Like Vicarious Visions on the DS, High Voltage is looking like they’re going to position themselves as the one third-party developer that actively seeks to push the Wii hardware to places it’s never been before. Kudos.
MadWorld – Like a video game version of The Running Man, MadWorld places gamers in the shoes of a contestant on the game show Death Watch, in which survival is the only way to win. Created by the same team that brought you Viewtiful Joe and Okami, all that really needs to be said about MadWorld can be summed up by the fact that you can kill enemies by chainsawing them in half - crotch-first. It has vulgarity, it has commentators that drop uncensored F-Bombs, and it only has three colors: black, white, and red. You guess what the red represents.
Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon – This is an RPG from Namco/Bandai that looks really intriguing. It has some gorgeous anime-style graphics and extremely detailed environments to roam around in. You guide a girl named Seto through a ruined world, trying to figure out secrets of the past. It doesn’t look like your typical Namco “Tales of…” RPG, that’s for sure.
So there you have it, my most wanted Wii and DS games. Hopefully Nintendo comes up with something appealing for those of us that aren’t interested in Animal Crossing: City Folk, Wii Music, and Wii Sports Resort. I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Famicom on August 03, 2008, 10:26:55 PM
Agreed on the Wii list, and I'll toss in Wario Land Shake, Tales of Symphonia 2, and De Blob in there for good measure.
If I was a Wii-only owner (and I'm not), I'd have plenty to play throughout the fall.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Stogi on August 03, 2008, 10:34:21 PM
I'd toss in PES 2009, Mushroom Men, WiiSports: Resort and WiiMusic on top of that.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: KDR_11k on August 04, 2008, 02:59:48 AM
"Retro Game Challenge"?
Does Conduit have any publisher yet? I thought they weren't going to pick one until it's done.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on August 04, 2008, 04:14:59 AM
I would have to add Tales of Symphonia sequel, Fatal Frame IV, Wario Land, SPRay (looks promising), and Deadly Creatures to my more traditional list.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: NWR_DrewMG on August 04, 2008, 09:30:39 AM
I'm also on Tecmo Bowl, Day of Release. I wonder, if we modify our teams, if we'll be able to take our modified teams online? I'm planning on reshaping my Tecmo League to mirror NCAA football teams.
Also, Lindy, I'll be happy to lose online sometime with you (lose online is the term I've coined for myself when I play online).
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: NWR_Lindy on August 04, 2008, 11:34:01 AM
I'm also on Tecmo Bowl, Day of Release. I wonder, if we modify our teams, if we'll be able to take our modified teams online? I'm planning on reshaping my Tecmo League to mirror NCAA football teams.
I really hope so. Playing online with the canned rosters would be kind of pointless.
Also, Lindy, I'll be happy to lose online sometime with you (lose online is the term I've coined for myself when I play online).
You're on! Remember, winning and losing will not be up to you and I...it will be up to the Tecmo Gods. Only the Gods can determine whether or not your best running back will inexplicably fumble the ball on your opponent's 2-yard line, only to have one of their untackleable offensive lineman pick the ball up and run for a 98-yard TD with no time left on the clock.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Halbred on August 04, 2008, 07:21:57 PM
I'm all about Fatal Frame 4. That's a series I love. In fact, I've got to hurry up and beat FF3...and maybe play through FF2 again.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on August 04, 2008, 07:24:24 PM
Maybe if you play in the middle of the day with the lights on?
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Halbred on August 04, 2008, 08:11:55 PM
Bah! That's not how one plays Fatal Frame! Lights out, blinds down, evening session, sound up. Surround sound, that is. Personally, I find FF2 a whole lot freakier than FF3.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: DAaaMan64 on August 04, 2008, 08:58:54 PM
Lindy's like Nintendo, went with the mainstream (Nintendo haterz rape train), then realized the extent of backlash and quietly pandered to his audience.
;)
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: KDR_11k on August 05, 2008, 02:54:38 AM
Lindy's like Nintendo, went with the mainstream (Nintendo haterz rape train), then realized the extent of backlash and quietly pandered to his audience.
;)
I'm totally pulling an Iwata.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Bill Aurion on August 06, 2008, 05:43:55 PM
My DS list:
Time Hollow Kirby Super Star Ultra Away: Dungeon Shuffle Rune Factory 2 Soma Bringer Sigma Harmonics Lux Pain Steal Princess Gyakuten Kenji Avalon Code World Destruction A Witch's Tale Chrono Trigger DS Retro Game Challenge
It's pretty amazing how two people can have such large and DIFFERENT (Retro Game Challenge is the sole exception) wish lists for the DS...It truly is the new SNES...
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: BeautifulShy on August 06, 2008, 06:06:23 PM
Hey Bill what is Lux Pain about?
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Bill Aurion on August 06, 2008, 06:34:34 PM
To be honest, I know very little...All I really know is that it's an adventure point-and-click published by Marvelous, and I love adventure point-and-clicks and Marvelous, so that's enough for me! :cool;
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Rize on August 07, 2008, 06:08:46 PM
You can add Dragon Quest IV and especially V and VI remakes (the first legit English copies of the later 2) to the DS list! What a great platform the DS turned out to be.
As for the Wii, I'm honestly not anticipating any Wii games. I will keep an eye on Game Rankings for anything that happens to turn out really good, but for me Nintendo console gaming is all but dead (barring the obligatory Mario/Zelda and hopefully Metroid games that come out now and then and impress me while slightly annoying me with motion controls).
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on August 07, 2008, 06:16:28 PM
good? according to who? game journalists?
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: NWR_Lindy on August 08, 2008, 10:53:29 AM
As for the Wii, I'm honestly not anticipating any Wii games. I will keep an eye on Game Rankings for anything that happens to turn out really good, but for me Nintendo console gaming is all but dead (barring the obligatory Mario/Zelda and hopefully Metroid games that come out now and then and impress me while slightly annoying me with motion controls).
This is exactly where I'm at with the Wii. If you notice, none of those games on my list are coming out until 2009 (maybe Fragile will come out this year, but who knows), so if I'm playing Wii this year I'll be playing back catalog. That sucks.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on August 08, 2008, 11:49:40 AM
So you didn't play the games you buy? Great "investment."
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: NWR_Lindy on August 08, 2008, 12:24:33 PM
So you didn't play the games you buy? Great "investment."
I buy a lot of games across five platforms, so I have a backlog of great games that I'll get to eventually.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Halbred on August 08, 2008, 06:26:45 PM
Hell, I haven't finished a few of my PS2 games. Part of the problem is that I keep replaying games I've already beaten. Hey, I feel like playing Metroid Prime 2 today.
*plays nothing but MP2 until I beat it*
I should've concentrated on beating Fatal Frame 3! ARGH!
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Bill Aurion on August 08, 2008, 06:54:51 PM
I buy a lot of games across five platforms, so I have a backlog of great games that I'll get to eventually.
So, ironically, you are probably the least affected by the "lack" of games coming out soon for Wii, eh? =)
Everything comes full-circle.
That's true, but that's not how it should be. I shouldn't be sitting here saying, "Wow, there's nothing on Wii that interests me until Q1 2009, and even then they're 'wait for the review'-level games."
Oh well, there's always the DS.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Bill Aurion on August 08, 2008, 10:35:29 PM
Well a normal person would probably say "Wow, I'm lucky that there's nothing I want coming out soon so I can finish up what I have. Meanwhile, there are plenty of games that people with different tastes than I will enjoy!"
But nope, I don't really expect that from you... =)
(Seriously, this is Ian Syndrome: expecting a catering to your tastes alone. Tastes are tastes, and if the games coming out don't appeal to you then it really is more your loss than anything else...I want 5 games by the end of the year, and I'm not even including fan favorites like SimCity Creator and Samba De Amigo that I know many will want...)
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Mario on August 08, 2008, 10:39:31 PM
Only buying big budget high review games doesn't sound like any kind of individual taste to me Bill.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: NWR_insanolord on August 08, 2008, 11:02:24 PM
I'm the anti-Lindemann, I have a list of 25 Wii games coming out between now and the end of the year that I am at least somewhat interested in. I should go make a blog post complaining that there are too many good Wii games this year and mock people with different tastes than mine.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Bill Aurion on August 08, 2008, 11:14:11 PM
Well a normal person would probably say "Wow, I'm lucky that there's nothing I want coming out soon so I can finish up what I have."
Um, if you're too busy with your current games, why not just ignore new games coming out until you have capacity again?
That's basically what I said...
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: KDR_11k on August 09, 2008, 02:22:30 PM
No, you said it like it's a good thing when no new games come out when the people who are still so busy can just ignore them and the people who do want new ones can get new ones.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Bill Aurion on August 09, 2008, 02:29:28 PM
But they have the same exact result...
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: KDR_11k on August 09, 2008, 02:52:47 PM
Being happy is not the same as being indifferent. Being happy implies you prefer to have no games come out.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: Bill Aurion on August 09, 2008, 03:19:04 PM
Since when did I say that Silks should be happy that nothing he wants is coming out? "Luck" doesn't have to equal "Happiness"...
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: NWR_Lindy on August 09, 2008, 04:00:09 PM
(Seriously, this is Ian Syndrome: expecting a catering to your tastes alone. Tastes are tastes, and if the games coming out don't appeal to you then it really is more your loss than anything else...
C'mon Bill, this is a ludicrous statement. When I bought my Wii I didn't say, "Boy, I really hope Nintendo caters to somebody else's tastes with this console!"
If you guys have 50 games for Wii that you want to buy between now and Christmas, that's awesome. I don't, and I'm not going to pretend like that pleases me. I'm not asking for much, maybe one game. Instead, I get nothing, but that's fine. I can spend money on other things and have plenty of other games to play.
But the last time I checked, I still have the right to want a steady stream of games that I like to play on the console that I own. I mean, that's what I bought it for.
Title: Re: Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games
Post by: KDR_11k on August 09, 2008, 04:02:08 PM
