Topics

1

Nintendo Gaming / Nintendo Ads are so...

« on: September 01, 2008, 03:09:27 PM »

Good.  I don't know if it is because I pay less attention to everything nowadays (tv and videogames), but it seems to me that Nintendo commercials got much better.  Back in the GCN days, I was close hurting myself and others because it seemed like Nintendo would essentially sabatoge the success of their first and second party games by the dumbest ad campaigns. 
I had the tv on and saw the one for Mario Super sluggers and it was solid.  I chuckled.  With the wii it is given but there is a spike in Nintendo specific commercials too. Has anybody else noticed the difference?  Did Nintendo hire people with working brains or did they just increase the advertising budget? I think it is nice that even the proudest of companies learns.

2

Nintendo Gaming / EB Games Wii Pre-order

« on: November 07, 2006, 02:28:31 AM »

So I got this email from EB Games today that they will be giving gamers an opportunity to pre-order the Wii online on November 9th.  I can't link to my email so if this letter from the EB Games editor breaks any rules let me know.

And so here Wii are. Less than two weeks and counting until the most innovative product the video game industry has seen hits the streets.

This Thursday evening (CST), November 9, your opportunity to get in on the excitement arrives when our Wii bundle becomes available for pre-order online at EBgames.com. You'll get the best games, accessories and more in one convenient package delivered right to your door - all for under $699 plus tax and handling!

Quantities are extremely limited and there will be a limit of 1 Wii bundle per household, limited to US delivery only. Ordering a bundle does not guarantee shipment at launch and orders will be shipped on a first-come, first-serve basis. The bundle will be removed from the site as soon as we have reached our expected quota.

I am trying to find out what the heck is in the bundle for them to use the $699 mark.  I played hide and seek on the site for a bit and just found basic $249.99 info on the Wii.  I really heartily dislike EB with a passion, but I don't plan to be in the US on launch day so I'm looking into other options.  An FYI for those doing the same.

3

Nintendo Gaming / IGN games of the year awards are out

« on: December 20, 2005, 07:18:15 AM »

They're out and I have to say I agree with most of it.  Might comment more later.
EDIT: They decided the best of [insert genre here] games.  I thought it was intersting because it was dominated by Nintendo and Capcom - and I want to say Capcom took more awards.  What does this say for Nintendo software?  Not anything necessarily b/c it was the year of RE4, but I want conflict!
DK JB is starting to finally come down in price so I might get to it soon.  

4

General Gaming / Xbox360 Concepts

« on: November 24, 2005, 09:47:43 AM »

http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/24/technology/xbox_loss.reut/index.htm

I just thought people who keep giving the GCN crap for having a handle might want to check out the handled model of the xbox 360.

5

Nintendo Gaming / Wifi Commercial

« on: November 09, 2005, 07:22:59 PM »

I didn't see a thread, so post you opinions of Nintendo's wifi commercial.

I personally thought it was a great commercial.  It was one of those commecials where you have no idea what is going on until the end but it does a really great job of keeping interest (by way of ninjas ).  I haven't done anything with the DS online, but it looks like Nintendo has finally come to play.

6

General Chat / 24 season 4

« on: January 10, 2005, 04:59:19 PM »

This series just owns me.  It is practically my religion.  Pretty much discuss episodes here.  Also if you missed any episodes (I think this is legal if not mods just take the link out):

Portal for 24 and other tv goodness

I've missed two hours already!  But man already I'm impressed with Kiefer S.'s performance and his interrogation methods.  Jack is the man!

7

General Gaming / Konami full of BS

« on: November 08, 2004, 03:39:27 PM »

Konami has stated that the reason it did not support Silicon Knight's remake of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes was because it would draw attention away from their upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid 3.  MGS:TTS launched in March and MGS3 is scheduled to lauched in December, nearly a year away.  As if that wasn't ridiculous enough, Konami has proved themselves to be hypocrites by scheduling the release of both MGS3 and the PSP's Metal Gear: Acid for December 16th.  2004.  The same day.

Konami: Anything to Screw Nintendo

8

General Gaming / PS2 fan boys worse?

« on: November 02, 2004, 11:06:18 AM »

Wow, curious as to what the PS2 channel at IGN had to say about the RE4 situation, I stumbled across a mailbag laced with large concentrations of fanboyism.  Apparently Killzone, a potential Halo killer, was reviewed at a 7.5 and PS2 owners are losing their f*ing minds.  For some reason this was a huge pick-me-up psychologically for me.  PS2 fanboys are terrible possibly the worst of them all.  I think I like the casual gamer more...
So check it out and if this topic doesn't spark discussion don't lose any sleep about closing it.
November 1st
http://ps2.ign.com/mail.html

9

Nintendo Gaming / Pokemon "Ideal"?

« on: September 04, 2004, 05:18:34 AM »

Head over to IGN and read the 6 page article on Pokemon Snapped, an editor's opinion on how Pokemon should be taken online.
Firstlt, it should be noted that Cory Faller, the writer, admits he has little experience with Pokemon.
I think some of the ideas are refreshing, but personally, most of them would ruin what makes Pokemon, Pokemon.  People have been clamoring for real time battles forever, but there is no way to adapt that to Pokemon.  The game is about strategy.  A game where higher level Pokemon easily evade a lower level Pokemon's attacks, destroys the satisfying feeling of taking out Pokemon 10 levels higher than you because you have a good knowledge of stats and weaknesses.  Also the idea that Pokemon should be able to attack in between special attacks, would give the advantage to Pokemon with high attack, unless it was carried out like in Skies of Arcadia.
Faller does have some great ideas, though.  He seems to borrow from the mechanics of Tales alot.  He proposes that their should be several paths of moves sets per pokemon and that moves should be learned by the frequency of using lower level techs.
I'd like to here what you guys think.

10

Nintendo Gaming / Acclaim Inches from Bankrupcy

« on: August 27, 2004, 09:51:18 AM »

We all knew it was coming and I for one rejoice at Acclaim's misfortune. 65 million in the red and according to IGN, branches of Acclaim in Austin, Texas and Manchester, UK have closed.  Their branch in NY is expected to close as well.
Well let's holp up a candle and remember classics such as errr...
NBA Jam?
It must be Nintendo's fault.

[Gameplay: 5]

11

Reader Reviews / P.N. 03

« on: June 04, 2004, 12:13:42 PM »

I found this title at Best Buy for 10 USD ages ago and I know why.

Gameplay: 5

Everybody probably knows you play as Vanessa S. and she has a really nice body.  Now that I have the positives out of the way ...

The gameplay is the same thing over and over again.  You try to blast enemies in quick sucession to get points, to afford to buy suits, so that you can be better at blasting enemies.  Worse yet is this game is based on enemy memorization, so you are conditioned to dodge attacks at specific times depending on the enemy.  Therefore you are literally blasting the same kinds of enemy and dodging at the same times.

Game Design: 3

This game looks so damn sweet and Vanessa's moves are so cool, but it is style with no substance.  Throughout 15 levels, there are probably 15 different rooms and 7 different types of enemies.  Rooms are repeated and enemies take more damage to increase difficulty instead of being different.  Capcom even has the balls to repeat the same damn boss designs.

Controls: 6

Controls are easy to use except for the energy blasts.  Capcom maps your special moves to the d-pad which works ok for the first moves, but later moves, which require 3 directions, don't work as well.
This game has so much potential because of how fast Vanessa is.  And if Vanessa could shoot in the *&%#$ AIR, the game would immediately improve.

Lastibility: 1

If you can overcome the stale gameplay, there is really nothing more to do.  The unlocked 'hard' difficulty repels you from replaying.

Overall: 4

Pretty dissappointing.  I do have to say though, that the final boss fight was one of the best I've fought.  

[Gameplay: 9]

12

Reader Reviews / Gladius

« on: June 04, 2004, 11:21:28 AM »

Being the cheap person that I am, when I found Gladius new for 13 USD, I could not refuse.  What suprised me about this game is, it is secretly an RPG, yet it is never mentioned when talking about the GCN's RPG drought.  Gladius is a strategic RPG where you pick from two main characters and you attempt to build a school of gladiators (of course there is a more epic story that unfolds though ).  Players compete in turn based matches where they face other schools, tribes or attackers.

Gameplay: 9

There are many rules of battle and this is where gamers who will enjoy the game and those who won't will be divided.  There are many factors that can influence a battle.  The arenas in which gladiators fight offer height advantages which alter the amount of damage dealt.  Some character class relationships work in rock, paper, scissors fashion.  Attacking from the sides or behind your opponent also increases damage.  Therefore strategy is a large part of the game.
Attacking in this game begins with a standard swing meter- a short counter warns you the cursor will begin moving, then you attempt to hit a sweet spot that will deliver critical damage.  However as you progress in the game, and have your school grow, different kinds of meters appear, changing the way you attack.
This said, Gladius is battle after battle.  New battle rules, different character classes, leveling up, upgradeable weapons and magic all help to alleviate this problem, however.

Controls: 10

The controls are really simple because Gladius is turn based.  It is the rules that require an effort to pick up.  However, throughout the whole game you have Usus, your mentor who guides you in the beginning of the game and gives advice on the loading screen throughout the game.

Visuals and Sound: 8

The graphics are pretty good but not overwhelming impressive.  The storytelling in the game is done through sequences of cinema and pretty sweet drawn images.
I don't have a home theater or anything, but the sound has never offended me or been detrimental to my gaming experience.  Voice acting is really good in this game.  And characters sometimes offer one-liners during battle which can be pretty funny or pretty lame.

Lastability: (8+)
I've clocked 26 hours into this game and I'm not even half way through, so it should last you a while but since I haven't beaten the game, I don't know what LA has to offer when the game is finished.
There is also a deathmatch style multiplayer mode if you have a sibling or friend who has a school on the same or on a different memory card.  This mode is pretty fun and gets more so at higher levels.
And there is a co-op mode as well.  Extra players can take control of a gladiator from player one's school in any battle during the game.  Nice addition but meh.

Overall: 8.5
Dang good game- very well put together and fun to play. Load times are an issue though.  If I bought the game for 50 USD (standard game price) I would be satisfied but for 13 USD, it was a steal.  I highly recommend it if you find it in a bargain bin.

13

Nintendo Gaming / Silicon Knights and Nintendo break up

« on: April 13, 2004, 09:30:29 AM »

IGN reports and gets confirmation with Denis Dyack and a Nintendo spokesperson that SK is no longer a Nintendo 2nd party.  The company is free to make games for anyone.
While Dyack says that he hopes to continue making games for the Gamecube, I find this news incredibly unsettling.  Silicon Knights knows how to develop a high quality, aural and visual experience better than Nintendo can (or better than what Nintendo is putting out anyway).  Big loss.

[Not a poll]

14

Nintendo Gaming / Ads for Online Gaming

« on: March 06, 2004, 08:10:29 PM »

I get my online gameboy advance and gamecube newsletters every so often and under a screenshot and description for two Nintendo first party titles, there will be a third screenshot.  That screenshot in fine print says 'this is a paid advertisement" and is third party title.  This system of sponsoring has been around for ages in the TV, sports, movie and online industry, hell even PGC is sponsored similarly.  So I was wondering why Nintendo couldn't implement this for online gaming.
Nintendo says that they want to make a profit and that people aren't ready to pay for online services yet.  I understand that they want to make a profit but I disagree that people aren't ready to pay yet... because I don't think people (as a whole) will EVER be ready to pay.  Many people can't pay if they know they are being charged directly.  So here's my plan:
Nintendo should bring what ever console online and advertise to people it is free* to play.
People will get online but before entering the game setting will be show a series of *shudder* unskipable trailers of videogames (in the best scenerio), movies and commercials (in the worst case).  How ever many it takes Nintendo to break even or make a profit.  For dialup users this could be modified to be a series of flash ads or something.  They might even try spacing out the advertising so broadband users are hit more heavily due to their faster connection.  As a broadband user, I don't mind taking a couple for the team.
For those who can't stand the ads, there could be a premium plan to get out of watching the ads, hopefully $ 5-10 a month so I could afford it.
Certain games could even contain cookies that will allow more or less mature advertising.  ESRB and federal governments would love that!

That way people couldn't complain that they were paying for online and Nintendo could make a profit.  Having your cake and eating it too.  I think it would suck but it could work.  What do you guys think? Not a poll

P.S.  I not good at T3H CoMPUT3Rs so I don't know if this is technically possible or any of the complications, but it seems sound in theory (at 2:00 AM )

15

General Chat / Anime - Abenobashi

« on: February 13, 2004, 03:27:01 PM »

Recently I've been watching Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (a must see for huge anime fans) and I got to the fifth episode (the dinosaur one - Extinction!).  Sadly I didn't get most of the references to the anime so I wasn't laughing as hard as the previous three episodes.  Does anyone know where a good deal of the parodies for that episode come from?
Thanks much,
odifiend

16

Nintendo Gaming / Darker Zelda

« on: January 11, 2004, 02:08:26 PM »

I am of the opinion that Miyamoto and his apprentice, whatever his name is... Anumora?, took the Zelda series in the lighter, cel-shaded direction partly because the previous Zeldas, OoT and MM, were becoming more and more dark.  These dark themed Zelda's were pushing the series toward the Teen rating which would destroy Miyamoto's vision for the series, of a video game for all ages.  Along with the darker themes, there were the darker images of Redeads and Skulltulas which would probably haunt many kids.
Darker themed Zeldas were so awesome, so,I think, a spinoff game(s) should be made with those themes in mind.  There is little chance that Nintendo would let Link draw blood or walk through skull covered caverns.  But guess who could get the ok?  That's right our favorite Gerudo, Gannondorf.  This is one awesome character completely untapped by Nintendo.  He is entirely badass in his leather, armor and cape.  Other than @ SW 2k, he has never used his wicked sword (had it in SSBM but never used).  The guy is a mage, he could bring all sorts of new magic to the Zelda series (I like Link's sword spin but it has been done to death).  He could acquire all these items of power (cape, rings, triforce, maybe justify those earrings to us ), build and break alliances. So many possibilities...  

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Nintendo Gaming / Launch Order (Revisted)

« on: January 08, 2004, 03:19:08 PM »

Many think that Nintendo must launch first to gain a lead similar to that of the PS2.  For a while I thought this too.  However Nintendo's new philosophy is more innovative games, simpler gameplay and stories, and no fancy graphics.  This philosophy has come out of the mouths of both Nintendo President, Iwata, and Nintendo figure head, Miyamoto.  This philosophy worries me a A LOT.  Citing the philosophy, both Miyamoto and Iwata have said there is no need for specs to be further increased and while I agree that we are approaching that point in technology, we are not there yet.
Also stacked against Nintendo is their horrible reputation with the casual gamer.  Unless NIN has some universally appealing, dazzling launch title, most people are going to wait for their PS3 or Xbox2 to come out anyways.  Therefore the week or month extra on the competition is not going to be much benefit.  Not to say Nintendo won't come up with a dazzling launch title. <<Crosses fingers>>
So, what do you guys think, will the N5's specs be much better than the GCN's?  Will Nintendo have the sense to ignore their philosophy enough to keep up with competitors?  And go on pick a number between 1 and 3.

18

Nintendo Gaming / Player's Choice or the like

« on: January 04, 2004, 12:08:25 PM »

I haven't sifted through the GBA section as extensively as others so I don't know if this has already been covered, but it seems that GBA games unless they are absolute crap never lower in price.  Why isn't there a greatest hits/ player's choice line up on the GBA?
P.S. I'm not so naive to miss "the more money angle" but nintendo offers a line up for GCN so why not the more popular GBA.