Messages

26

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes on the way

« on: March 27, 2010, 04:37:38 PM »

That was such a curve ball.  I don't even remember how I took care of it.

Lance was such a tough fight!

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes on the way

« on: March 26, 2010, 04:50:19 PM »

Heart Scales. Don't know where you get them, though.

I'm heading toward the League. Gonna need to do some serious grinding, though, if I want to rely on my HeartGold team and not my imported Pearl Pokemon.

You can get heart scales in the pokeathalon, and also from breaking rocks.

Elite 4 is pretty crazy, but as long as you know your types, you should only really need to be around 45.  A great way to train for the elite 4 is to fight them over and over.  That or victory road, and the route before hand depending on what type you're training.  Just made it to Kanto myself!

Caught a shiny doduo also!

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes on the way

« on: March 19, 2010, 08:11:23 PM »

I thought the evolutions had different base stats?  Or is that only if you find them in the wild in that form?

29

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes on the way

« on: March 18, 2010, 07:21:40 PM »

It stopped you from evolving something?  That seems a little strange.

A friend of mine bounced a turtwig off me into his Gold game, and it didn't stop us.  It's funny though because he's not in the dex yet.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes on the way

« on: March 18, 2010, 03:48:47 PM »

You can get a Dusk Stone from the pokeathlon dome.  It's available on thursdays, for 2500 points.  You get points by winning the events, but you even get them for losing, so it should only take a bit of time to get enough!

I caught a golden magikarp in the lake of rage, its my first shiny!  I feel cheated...

Does anybody else's pokewalker seem, generous?  I've never thought about how many steps I take in a day, but between walking around my job, and walking around campus I've taken around 14,000 a day.  I've switched to the clip today, to see if I was getting extra steps from it jostling around, but it seems to be acting the same.

team so far is, Poliwhirl, Jolteon, Hypno, and Murkrow.  Also a cyndaquill I want to replace.  I'm also using geodude, farfetch'd, and psyduck as HM guys, rotating them in and out based on the situation.  So far HM use isn't as ridiculous as it was in Pearl.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes on the way

« on: March 13, 2010, 05:43:05 PM »

I've seen GameStops open earlier for Pokemon games, rather than do midnight releases, since more kids than adults are interested in the series.  Find yourself a 24-hour Wal-Mart if you want to get it sooner.

My gamestop is doing this.  Although I'm not sure I'm gonna wake up for it, and fight through the kids to get it.....


What am I saying...of course I am

32

General Gaming / Re: The PATHETIC state of the gaming 'media'

« on: March 10, 2010, 02:57:30 PM »

And you still expect them to change their good enough sound samples?


I think they should worry about other things first.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Other M

« on: March 09, 2010, 10:46:26 PM »

Burned into my retinas for the rest of time....

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General Gaming / Re: The PATHETIC state of the gaming 'media'

« on: March 09, 2010, 10:29:51 PM »

I wouldn't say cruddy, it could be a lot worse.  Nintendo's sample quality is "good enough", just like a lot of other stuff they would consider superfluous...like graphics.  Just how they always get away with "good enough" graphics because of strong art designs, they tend to get away with "good enough" music quality through strength of composition.

35

General Gaming / Re: The PATHETIC state of the gaming 'media'

« on: March 09, 2010, 08:46:54 PM »

MIDI does not imply any sort of actual quality.  It doesn't even imply instruments.  MIDI is a way for enabled instruments and computers to communicate, and sequence tracks together.  It stands for "Musical Instrument Digital Interface", and its nothing more than that, an interface.  So yes, Mario may have used MIDI instruments, and a MIDI interface on a computer to make it's soundtrack.  What the quality is dependent on is the samples used by the MIDI program Nintendo uses.  Use cruddy samples and you have cruddy music.  Use nice samples and you have nice music.

MIDI is really great for video games, because you can build algorithms to change one MIDI file in real time.  So, like in Wind Waker for instance, when you're sailing it plays a song in a major key, however it starts to storm, and the song switches to the relative minor.  The composer only had to track the song once, and then can set up a program that allows the MIDI file to switch keys on the fly.  Or you could build it up to include new tracks depending on certain situations, like "moblin appears, add track 3", or remove tracks "enter cave, remove track 1".  Better yet, you can even tell it to switch what sample bank its using on the fly.  So you build one track, but because of the flexibility of MIDI sequencing it can apply to as many situations as you need it to.

So here's the example.  Link is out in the field, so the game starts playing the overworld music.  It starts raining, so the game is able to switch that same track it has loaded already to the relative minor.  A moblin runs up, on this same track the composer added a horn track, that would add some intensity to the same overworld track.  It stops raining while you fight the moblin so the game switches the same track back to the initial major key.  You kill the moblin and the horns drop out, and it turns to night, where the game adds and subtracts a few instruments as per the composer's arrangement.  So lets say its drops a "cello" track, adds some flutes, and switches the bass drum part to be played on a bassoon.

This whole time the game only had one track loaded, but made minor changes to that one track, depending on the situation.  As opposed to a straight orchestrated track, which can only sound one way forever.


I HOPE they use midi!

tl;dr   MIDI is an interface, not an instrument set read this at your leisure to understand better

36

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Scribblenauts 2 - New and Improved - Fall 2010

« on: March 09, 2010, 08:21:34 PM »

Oh of course, but I think it's a very similiar situation.

Unlike L4D2, I'm actually excited about this on the front end.  I really enjoyed the first one, and would be willing to pay for a much improved sequel.  Which I'm sure we'll get.

at least...I hope we get

37

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Other M

« on: March 09, 2010, 08:14:53 PM »

Not sure how we started talking about the Zelda "timeline" in this thread.

Metroid Timeline!

Metroid/Zero Mission
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime Hunters
Metroid Prime 2
Metroid Prime 3
Metroid 2
Super Metroid
Other M
Metroid Fusion

Where does Metroid Pinball fit into this timeline?

Wasn't pinball a summation of the first prime game?  But, you know, with pinball...

38

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Scribblenauts 2 - New and Improved - Fall 2010

« on: March 09, 2010, 02:31:24 PM »

My friend and his wife both loved the first game in spite of it's flaws and considering how much it sold I'm guessing that a lot of other people felt the same way so even if they don't fix the major issues I'm sure it will be well received.

Though isn't this a bit soon for a sequel? Has it even been a year since the first one came out? Hope it's enough time to make real progress.

That didn't stop Left 4 Dead 2 :/

Probably a better comparison.

Thank you for putting words in my mouth.

Hey dude.....relax.  I'm pretty sure its clear you never said that...

Yea I dug what you were saying, the company makes shovelware.  Spongebob was made as a quick cash in, and 2 felt like a contractual agreement.  They were with THQ, which if you read interviews about Scribblenauts, was very controlling.  That's why they left THQ and went to WB, where they were offered more freedom.  I doubt the team actually cared about Spongebob Drawn to Life..should you expect an improvement?  It was a cash in.

I think this is a closer comparison to Left 4 dead 2.  It's happening in less than a years time frame, and its promising to do much better than the first game which felt like a glorified tech demo.  Just like Left 4 Dead.  I'm hoping for the same improvements.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Scribblenauts 2 - New and Improved - Fall 2010

« on: March 07, 2010, 05:18:29 PM »

I know...It took me awhile to admit that, but I play it now.

Hopefully we see just as much of an improvement out of this.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Scribblenauts 2 - New and Improved - Fall 2010

« on: March 07, 2010, 03:36:50 PM »

My friend and his wife both loved the first game in spite of it's flaws and considering how much it sold I'm guessing that a lot of other people felt the same way so even if they don't fix the major issues I'm sure it will be well received.

Though isn't this a bit soon for a sequel? Has it even been a year since the first one came out? Hope it's enough time to make real progress.

That didn't stop Left 4 Dead 2 :/

Probably a better comparison.

41

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Other M

« on: March 07, 2010, 03:34:31 PM »

I may be wrong about flashbacks...but I read that somewhere, but feel free to correct me.

I like Samus a lot, so I'm worried about how they treat her.  But I think the way that they've been treating her is better than how they used to.  Which is to say, she was simply a reward for beating the game quickly.  There's an attempt at making her into something that has actual character.  Nintendo is attempting to take one of their characters, and give them character.  Which is something they have never really done.  There's a difference between "being a character" and "having character".  Character's are called characters because they usally represent a particular characteristic of the human psyche..  Link is a character, he's a brave hero, and that's it.  Mario is a character, he's brave hero, a clown sometimes, but that's it.  Samus was a character, a "femme fatale", but they are trying to make her more.  Which is good!  It means that Nintendo is NOT okay with doing the same thing over and over.  They are trying new things, which they need to do, lest we end up with another twilight princess.  Which was very good, but also very formulaic.  And god forbid a Nintendo character get SOME development, almost every character they've made is very two dimensional, flat and lifeless.  And well a puppet for the player to use.  WHICH IS ALL WELL AND GOOD, but sometimes they need to try new stuff.  They've got to appeal to different markets, they want to keep expanding.

tl;dr Nintendo makes lifeless charactes, and is trying to inject a character with life.  They are trying something new, which means growth in the company.  They are doing this to try to appeal to different audiences.

This game is in my "hopeful optimism" pile.

And it could never be the worst Metroid game, Hunters already got that one.

42

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Other M

« on: March 07, 2010, 02:17:54 PM »

It's more that we don't want her to be a total anime cliché.

Wasn't she already?  Silent, bad-ass bounty hunter is a pretty big cliché.  She was a female Boba Fett, and now she might get to be more. 

The trailer looked nice, the voice acting wasn't terrible (nothing great, but not "jill sandwich" bad).  Samus is one of my favorite game characters, but I didn't start to get attached until they started to, well, characterize her.  I liked the stealth part of Zero Mission, and the design choices in fusion always felt like decisions to make it more hand held friendly.  As for her sex appeal in SSBB, it was fan service, in a game that's all about fan service.  Was is "distasteful"?  Well yeah, that was the point!

I remember reading ages ago that it would be cool to put Samus in a metropolis, and then build on a feeling of anxiety.  So instead of being totally alone and surrounded by nothing.  You would feel totally alone and lost DESPITE being surrounded by people.  Metroid, to me, has always been about that feeling of isolation, and then the joy of discovery.  Samus' character hes always been second, but I like what they are doing to it.  She's become more than the scantly clad reward at the end of the game!  She's an actual character, and even if its not what you like I'd say its Nintendo's first real attempt at even trying to make their characters have a personality.

Furthermore  the story is flashbacks.  Not everyone started out awesome, it would take some time for the orphan to become the warrior.


All that said, this would make an awesome Captain Falcon game.

43

TalkBack / Re: River City Returns in DS Sports Games

« on: February 19, 2010, 02:13:21 AM »

There was an event on the gameboy release of the game, that if they brought back, it would make me buy the game (twice....).  You and your opponent jumped off a building and fought the whole way down for an umbrella.  Which if you had by a certain mark would allow you to float gracefully down, while your opponent fell to their death.

I hope that, even with the river city name, they keep the translation true to the Kunio serious, as opposed to the butchered American plot.

It seems they are already released, so I need to hunt down more info!

EDIT:
Okay, this is NOT a remake of crash and the boys street challenge.  It's a remake of the japan only "track and field" game.  You ran through obstacle courses and there was a view other events.  It was a racing game almost, and you played mostly like river city ransom.  Also, it's in 3-d which is a first for the series, so that's cool!

Here's a trailer

still looking for soccer info!

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TalkBack / Re: River City Returns in DS Sports Games

« on: February 18, 2010, 11:33:17 AM »

YES!

I love these games!

"Super Sports Challenge" if its anything like crash and the boys street challenge, should be a host of normal track and field style events.  However they all have a twist, or you get to beat the crap outta your opponent.  I remember there was a 100m dash with hurdles, and you ran by mashing buttons.  You could tackle through the hurdles, and pick up the wreckage, and then throw that at your opponent slowing them down.  There was a swimming race, but you could swim to the other side and drag your opponent down and drown them.  There was shopping inbetween, where you could spend money collected in each round to try and buy stuff to better your stats for the next round.

It was a mindless button masher, so I'm way more excited about the soccer game!  And hopefully, the inevitable hockey game, or basketball.

45

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes on the way

« on: February 10, 2010, 05:29:01 PM »

I saw the pre-order boxes for this at work, saw the ridiculous new accessory, and read a little bit about it on my break.

I'm now, for whatever reason really excited about this game!  I played Pearl, but never beat the elite 4.  I hope I don't do the same thing in this one...

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TalkBack / Re: Q-Games Developing 3D Space Tank

« on: January 14, 2010, 11:02:05 AM »

I'm imagining something like battlezone.

But in space and more awesome.

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TalkBack / Re: Q-Games Developing 3D Space Tank

« on: January 13, 2010, 01:06:59 PM »

By name alone this game sounds INCREDIBLE.

Hope it's a DS game!

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: DSi owners' thread

« on: January 13, 2010, 12:01:17 PM »

Trajactile, Boxlife, Digidrive, Mighty Flip Champs are my votes.

Trajactile is like puzzle bobble but with limited missiles, and specific bricks to shoot.

Boxlife is great if you find catharsis in organizing things just so, great for OCD.

Digidrive is a solid puzzle game with neat mechanics, but with a strong element of chance.  Sort of like all the art style games.

Mighty Flip Champs is just a well made puzzle game.  Some trial and error involved, and sometimes you don't even realize how you solved it, but full of those great "AH HA" moments.  PLUS it has a STELLAR soundtrack, and nice character design.

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TalkBack / Re: Tecmo Releases New Monster Rancher DS Trailer

« on: December 17, 2009, 03:18:33 PM »

I wonder if they could incorporate the DSi's ability to not freak out when you remove a cart, and let you use other DS games for monsters?  Or even let you pull songs from the SD card for monsters.  Somehow use the wireless functions to produce monsters from wi-fi signals?

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Monster Finder - 1st Retail DSi only game

« on: December 16, 2009, 04:34:01 PM »

what?

i don't even