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Messages - ejamer

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4676
Interesting to see RE4 as the only third-party title on the list.
 
That fact alone was almost enough to make me vote for it -- especially after reading about the lengthy development cycle and how the original game designs were scrapped and reworked multiple times.  Throw in tremendous replay value, multiple releases, cross-platform appeal, along with graphics/gameplay that still hold up today and it's a strong candidate for game of the Decade.  It also revitalized a brand that was languishing and declining in popularity.
 
But despite being a great game, it didn't get my vote.   ;)

4677
TalkBack / Re: Wii Remote Holder Unboxing
« on: February 12, 2010, 02:57:15 PM »
For what it's worth, the Hanafuda cards are pretty awesome.  Totally not useful for most people, but still a decent product that I haven't seen anywhere else.
 
My wife also likes her Animal Crossing deck of cards, although it's hard to compare these items to the awesome stuff that Japan has gotten.
 
 
I'm still dreaming that Nintendo will put some game soundtracks up eventually. I'd love to get CDs for Super Mario Galaxy or Wario Land Shake It.  Maybe the next Zelda game too, if it gets special attention to the background music.
 
What would others like to see?

4678
Nintendo Gaming / Re: What If the Wii had an External Hard Drive?
« on: February 12, 2010, 10:56:37 AM »
Sony really has the best system in place for all this stuff. ...

Agreed - especially because they had it planned this way from Day 1.  It would be nice to see something similar emulated (ie: blatantly copied) by other consoles in the future.

4679
Nintendo Gaming / Re: Sky Crawlers
« on: February 12, 2010, 10:51:17 AM »
That was partially answered here: http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/specialArt.cfm?artid=19928

And answered very well.  Thanks for pointing out the link!
 
One thing that I found interesting was this quote:
 
KB: Absolutely not. When we first started evaluating Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, we just loved the gameplay. Most of us knew nothing about the anime movie and once we just tried the actual controls where you hold the Nunchuk in your right hand like a flight stick, we just knew that was a game that most American gamers could relate to.
 
Many professional (North American) reviews I've that read pointed to controls as a "weak link" for this game, recommending using the Classic Controller instead.  It's interesting to see that contrast in opinions.
 
Guess there are no real questions from me then.  :)

4680
TalkBack / Re: Wii Remote Holder Unboxing
« on: February 12, 2010, 08:36:47 AM »
I've looked at this holder a couple of times, but never had enough information to make a strong decision.  Thanks for the unboxing - answers a lot of questions.

4681
Nintendo Gaming / Re: What If the Wii had an External Hard Drive?
« on: February 12, 2010, 08:14:16 AM »
Although unsure if SD card transfer speeds are really fast enough, I would much rather just use cheap and easily available (ie: non-proprietary) SD cards for my external storage whenever possible.  It does seem to work very well for the WiiWare/Virtual Console/DLC content currently available.
 
As for having a Wii with a Hard Drive, I don't really see any benefits as things stand right now.  It makes more sense for the next system with some different design chioces being made right out of the gate.

4682
Nintendo Gaming / Re: Sky Crawlers
« on: February 11, 2010, 10:24:12 PM »
If anybody wants XSEED to answer questions about this game's localization, post them here by tomorrow.

I'm curious why they chose to localize this game. More specifically: did the anime movie have any influence over the decision and effect on localization, or was that not really related to the decision to bring it out here? Also, what did the movie have any effect on the localization process?

4683
Nintendo Gaming / Re: The 3rd Party Wall of Shame
« on: February 11, 2010, 03:21:39 PM »
Sometimes it seems like people online fail to distinguish between trolling for comments and generating discussion.  Post (or page) count isn't what makes a thread successful - the ideas and subsequent discussion generated are!
 
That said, it can be harder to generate discussion without a little bit of controversy sometimes... but does it ever get tiring to read these negative (and often ridiculous) threads in every Wii forum online.  Is it only like this for Nintendo, or do Sony/Microsoft gaming forums have the same issues?
The only reason this thread comes off as negative, is because it's pointing out the negativity of 3rd parties. If you were to go to a Sony/MS forum I'm sure most of the Wii discussion is on how the Wii doesn't have any games, how the Wii is a gimmick, how the wiimote sucks, how Nintendo allows only their games to sell on Wii, etc. etc.

...

Eh, don't mind me.  I found the tone of the thread quite hostile, and make a point of applauding anytime somebody calls out how negative internet fanboys can sound.  Maybe I'm just an old codger who would rather look at gaming (a hobby I retreat to for enjoyment and escapism) through rose-colored glasses and celebrate the best parts instead of beating down the worst.
 
-- snip --
Cutting some stuff that really isn't relevant
-- snip --

Oh, and my question about MS/Sony forums were whether they were so overwhelmingly negative towards their own consoles.
 
Do Sony fanboys gripe about the lack of games and terrible ports?  Are MS forums always abuzz about hardware issues and limited exposure to other genres?  Somehow I imagined they take more time talking about all the exciting games coming out instead - and Wii has no lack of great games scheduled for 2010!  Maybe I need to seek out those threads instead and leave this topic for people who prefer to talk about what is wrong with Wii.
 
Nothing wrong with disagreeing, maybe we'll find common ground in other threads instead.
 :)

4684
TalkBack / Re: Mario Pirate Settles For 1.5 Million
« on: February 11, 2010, 02:53:04 PM »
It's interesting to see all the chatter on different boards about this case.
 
The only thing that bugs me about the entire situation is the feigned innocence - a couple of interviews seemed to indicate that he only uploaded the game due to peer pressure to prove he bought the game early, but common sense and online evidence clearly suggest that he knew exactly what he was doing by uploading the game.
 
Is the punishment too severe?  Not really, and obviously the guy agrees since he accepted the settlement.  Avoiding any jailtime and having to suffer through a few years of bankruptcy really isn't that bad... never being convicted of anything also works in his favor.  The guy was already living at home and (judging from his father's comments) not accomplishing much, so this might be the kick he needs to smarten up.
 
Are the conspiracy theories that Nintendo is using him as an example for publicity but not intending to punish him at all reasonable?  Partly.  The suggestion that a gag order on settlement details is to hide the fact that he's getting away without penalty in exchange for saying the "right" things to media outlets is silly, but Nintendo obviously knows that they aren't going to see that $1.5 million.  Making an example of this guy is all they can hope for in this situation... but that doesn't mean they will be so forgiving to just forget and move on.
 
As to dicussions about whether copyright infringement on this level deserves the penalty received, I have no opinion to share.  Obviously what he did was wrong and he knew it.  He's now paying the penalty.  Hopefully he'll be able to make better decisions in the future.

4685
TalkBack / Re: WayForward Speaks On Blob Development
« on: February 11, 2010, 02:14:39 PM »
I like reading these post-mortems.  You get an interesting view into how games are made, and sometimes it becomes easier to sympathize with any perceived shortcomings too (coming from a professional environment where deadlines occasionally dictate results).
 
My favorite quote from the entire article:
"Subsequent games using these animation techniques are going much more smoothly."
 
The animation and art style was wonderfully refreshing for A Boy and his Blob, and knowing that more games are in progress with the same animation techniques is great news.  Anyone who hasn't seen or played it yet should at least rent the game once to see how good it looks!

4686
Nintendo Gaming / Re: The 3rd Party Wall of Shame
« on: February 11, 2010, 01:44:43 PM »
Quote from: ejamer
.....
we don't have an animated laughing .gif that I can post 10x in a row do we?

Thanks.  Speaking of not understanding what a post is about, it's great to see that my fears of Wii boards being overrun by silly negativity were completely unfounded.
 
Edit: Note to self, don't bother responding in the future.  The "PhD in Penis Fencing" tagline proudly displayed by some users should tell you what to expect for conversation.
 ::)

4687
Podcast Discussion / Re: Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 182
« on: February 11, 2010, 01:35:28 PM »
This might be an odd question... but are there any plans for an entire podcast or special episode that splices together all of the Game of the Decade pieces?  Or maybe break them out and post them as separate audio reviews after finishing the whole series?
 
These retro-reviews have been a great addition to the podcast, and have provided great commentary.  If nothing official happens, then maybe I'll just need to dig through the shows and extract them manually.
:)

4688
One big downer: where are my metroids!? I loved seeing them in the original, but now they're AWOL. 
There were Metroids in the original game? Where?

I exaggerate. But look in Area 1, in the water portions. Sure, they might just be giant jellyfish. Buuuuuut...




AWESOME.  To me, they were always jellyfish before.  From this day forward, they are tributes to Metroid.  ;)

4689
Podcast Discussion / Re: Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 182
« on: February 11, 2010, 11:43:30 AM »

For what it's worth, you have my (ambivalent) support on this one. I enjoy some roguelikes, and I thought Baroque itself was solid. It did have too many limitations for me to endorse it completely though: the lack of blocking and the simplisitic combos in particular kind of stuck in my craw. Being able to save on each floor did makes things much easier though.

In any case, I'm curious to hear if you're looking forward to Shiren 3.

My much-better-than-expected experience with Baroque convinced me to buy Chocobo's Dungeon (which I've just started playing) and has placed Shiren firmly on my watch list.
 
I look forward to trying Shiren eventually, although have enough backlog that it might take a little while to get there.  The early review comments I've heard are mostly favorable, and it sounds like the developers really tried to make it more accessible and easier for players to get started.

4690
Nintendo Gaming / Re: The 3rd Party Wall of Shame
« on: February 11, 2010, 11:39:57 AM »
Overall, this thread is a success.

No Deg, this thread is an outright failure.  The only thing it has served to do is, once again, start a massive argument - not debate, argument - which drags down the forums as a whole and generates nothing but negative feelings.

That deserves a standing ovation.
 
Sometimes it seems like people online fail to distinguish between trolling for comments and generating discussion.  Post (or page) count isn't what makes a thread successful - the ideas and subsequent discussion generated are!
 
That said, it can be harder to generate discussion without a little bit of controversy sometimes... but does it ever get tiring to read these negative (and often ridiculous) threads in every Wii forum online.  Is it only like this for Nintendo, or do Sony/Microsoft gaming forums have the same issues?
 
---
 
Anyway, on a sidenote I think UncleBob also has an interesting comment up above:
 
"Any game that is quickly and easily ported to the PS2 and PSP isn't a 'best effort' by any developer."
 
On one hand, I agree.  The Wii is clearly a more powerful system, and it also has many unique elements.  In my mind, a best effort game should try to take advantage of those elements whenever it clearly makes sense to do so.  However, saying that games should be difficult or impossible to port a game to another system to be worth playing is a huge leap from that statement.
 
Even though Little King's Story is a great game, I still feel like it's missing out by not using pointer controls to improve the experience.  The game could easily be ported to other systems, and suggesting that it's not a best effort is difficult when you consider the overall quality of the title.  Most importantly, this game is downright fun to play.
 
Silent Hill is example of a game that did get ported (with notable downgrades) to other system, but remains totally worth playing and clearly best on Wii.  Heck, Mega Man 10 will be worth playing and it could be easily and instantly ported to the NES.  Obviously the ability to create ports isn't an automatic statement about the quality of a game.
 
So while I appreciate it when developers find ways to make their games unique and more immersive on Wii, I don't think a game needs to take advantage of those unique features to count as a "best effort" or be considered "worth playing".

4691
Podcast Discussion / Re: Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 182
« on: February 09, 2010, 04:37:12 PM »
Yeah, so it's a Roguelike. Probably not going to get played by any member of this podcast.

...or anyone else that doesn't enjoy niche games and have a masochistic streak.
 
Sure, standing up for Baroque is a lost cause - but those are always the best ones.
 ;D

4692
TalkBack / Re: Report Suggests Wii Development Lagging Behind
« on: February 09, 2010, 04:34:11 PM »
It's not easy to sell games on Wii.
 
The market is crowded, and mostly with junk developed by 3rd parties.  Trying to make your game pop and be something people want to buy takes real effort and effective advertising.  It also requires that development studios be creative, making sure people can clearly understand the concept and goals of the game.
 
Wii owners are not a predictable and easily identifiable demographic.  You can't just take an existing game or genre, combine violence with some T&A action for young males, polish the graphics until they shine, and instantly release a top seller on Wii.  (However, Bayonetta seems to be doing fine on PS3/360.)
 
There is serious competition from first-party titles.  Nintendo releases quite a few games, and most of them are proven keepers.  People know Nintendo games are good, make a point of buying them, and keep/play them longer than the average PS3/360 gamer does first-party titles on those consoles.  Nintendo is playing for keeps and big money, so if you aren't ready to bring the A-game then it might be better to stay home.
 
Controls and programming are unique, and may require more tweaking depending on what type of game you are creating.  I have heard rumors that Nintendo's system documentation isn't as good as it should be, which might explain why some developers have issues here (or when using other system-specific features).

 
So with all those factors in mind, do I have sympathy for developers who aren't turning a quick profit on Wii?  Enh... a little bit.  Sometimes.  Mostly they've created their own problems though, and retail failures can often be directly attributed to developer (or publisher) decisions.

4693
Podcast Discussion / Re: Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 182
« on: February 09, 2010, 04:00:35 PM »
Ouch... no love for Baroque this time around, which is especially painful seeing as how you guys apparently didn't put much (or any) time into playing.  But hey, who needs to play a game to judge it fairly!
 :Q
 
 
Kidding aside, I don't know who the forum fanboy was that stood up for Baroque previously, but am willing to take his side.  Having spent a lot of time with the game over the past couple of weeks, my impressions went something like this:
 
First hour --> Wow, this is pretty terrible.  Gonna toss it faster than asparagus at fat camp.
...
Third hour --> Hmm... I kinda get it, but still don't understand what's happening here.  So frustrating to die, too!
...
Sixth hour --> More pieces coming together.  Better hold onto this game for a while before trading it in.
...
Tenth hour --> Ah!  Finally making some real progress.  Shouldn't have made that decision though, it didn't help at all.  Better make another run down to the bottom, using my ever-improving skills.
...
Fifteenth hour -->  Wow, this game is a keeper!
 
Obviously the big problem is why would you keep playing a game that is painfully difficult to start?  I don't have any good answer for that question, and understand that not everyone will enjoy Baroque because of the steep learning curve.  However, I can't think of any Wii game that has been more rewarding as you continue playing it.
 
 
One of the loudest complaints about Baroque is having to start over repeatedly and losing all your progress.  This isn't exactly true though... dying does mean you lose your items, but it's far from starting over.
 
The most valuable asset held over between each new life is knowledge: understanding more about how the game world works and how you can bend that to your advantage.  For most people this learning won't stop for as long as they continue playing, because there are so many mysteries, interactions, combos, and special effects to uncover.
 
Beyond that, there are also ways to affect the outside game world based on your actions within the dungeon, either by bringing out items for later use or advancing the plot by performing certain actions.  Once you are good enough, you should never have to start off without a few favorite items - not that you would need them to survive any longer though, as your experience and knowledge should be enough to guide you safely through the tower.
 
 
Is it worth pushing through the initial confusion to play this game?  No, at least not for everyone.  But there is a definite market for the game.  Baroque might appeal to anyone who is looking for a game that:
 
- doesn't spoon feed them, and isn't afraid to be balls hard some of the time
- requires both time AND thought to master
- offers short bursts of RPG action, since each dungeon session is essentially a stand-alone adventure in an ongoing story
- improves the longer they play, instead of getting stale* at the 6-hour mark
- provides a real mystery to uncover and puzzle over, but with a less obtuse timeline than Killer 7
 
 
*Ok, Baroque is repetitive almost immediately too.  The difference is depth - I honestly feel that there is more to discover about interactions and events in Baroque's game world than most other games.  You'll be doing similar things, but with different purposes and (hopefully) better results as you learn more about the game.
 
 
PS - If you actually read this mini-novel wall of text, thanks for your time.   ;)

4694
I'm torn about this idea. 
 
I really want to hear about Blaster Master: Overdrive and find out if the game is worth buying so soon after having recently downloaded the NES version... but I also want to avoid spoilers or too much information about the game so I can "figure it out" myself if it is worth buying.  Tough line to straddle.
 
Either way, I'll probably force myself to finish the NES original before buying the new WiiWare version.

4695
TalkBack / Re: Ubisoft Announces Raving Rabbids 4
« on: January 21, 2010, 11:57:27 AM »
It's funny to read ignorant comments from spiteful gamers.
 
Ubisoft offered some very solid games for Wii over the past year.  Dawn of Discovery was an incredible game, but nobody bought it because of lack of effective advertising and cover art that failed to distinguish it from the heaps of shovelware.  Rabbids Go Home was awesome, but I'm sure that enough Rabbids games have been sold that convincing consumers to pick it instead of something more recognizable (ie: Mario) was doomed from the start.  TMNT Smash Up was decent, but didn't take full advantage of the license and was quickly punished by review scores and gamer sales.  Shuan White was a solid title, just like Press Your Luck, Broken Sword, and Tenchu - but of which sold well.
 
No serious games?  Try again.  Some were remakes or sequels or ports... but they were all worth playing.
 
 
That said, I feel that withdrawing support and focusing on annual sequels of popular franchises and low cost development options is a bad approach for Ubisoft to take.  There should be better ways to learn from mistakes than "playing it safe" and offering more of the same junk.  But what do I know?

4696
Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive #9: Geist (Special Edition)
« on: November 23, 2009, 03:33:49 PM »
Ha!  Finally finished the game this weekend.  It wasn't really a long game, but I never felt the urge to sit down and play without really forcing myself to.

So the big question is: would I recommend that others play the game?  Short answer is NO.  (And to whoever picked the game from NWR, thanks a ton for the pain and suffering you've caused!)


Problems?  Geist's got 'em.  Controls never felt good when moving and shooting, which is odd when FPS combat ends up being the main focus of the game.  Puzzles were few and far between (and totally linear when you did get to them).  Key objects to use or possess were sometimes hidden or obscured, making it tough to know what you need to do next in a couple of cases.  Several cases of getting "stuck" on level geometry and being forced to restart levels because there was no way to move or escape.  Taking entire levels without needing to use your poltergeist abilities - which should be the entire focus and selling point for the game.  The final boss was just so disappointing because the only real challenge was fighting your own controls.  A storyline that desperately needed a second cut.  And was anyone else sick of loading time between levels and reloads by the end of this game?  Maybe it's just me, but everytime I died it seemed better to just shut the system down than wait a full minute (usually fuming) before getting to play again - a stark reminder why I preferred N64 over PS1.

Again, I probably wouldn't care as much if the game didn't have some real merit too.  Geist has a great premise and it's obvious that the development team had some interesting goals... but for whatever, they just didn't deliver on the promise at the end of the day.

What did I like about the game?  The penultimate boss battle against Volks and his demonic wheelchair was well done.  The animal possession and "scare" puzzles were both interesting.  The ability to play affect time by possessing/dispossessing hosts was also great, as were the unique abilities and attributes new host would offer.

Geist had so much possibility as an action/adventure/puzzle title... it's really a shame that they fell into the FPS trap instead, because that is probably the worst part of the game.

4697
TalkBack / Re: Three's a Magic Number: The Wii Turns Three Talkback Thread
« on: November 09, 2009, 12:24:37 PM »
Klonoa was released this year, and represents another good retro/2D title on Wii as a full-disc title.


There are some interesting trends with Wii over the past year - some positive and some painful for gamers:
  • WiiWare is blossoming with some great games available, but weak advertising and a customer base who aren't taking advantage of online functionality means that people are missing the boat.
  • Although we saw a wave of more serious games, some of them sold under expectation making it anyone's guess if we will see a second wave next year.*
  • Other gaming platforms conceded that motion controls have become the defacto standard instead of a fad, and jumped onto the bandwagon with heavily-hyped peripheral announcements.
  • The boundaries between exercise and game continue to blur, with Ubisoft and EA and Nintendo all releasing successful games for that niche.
  • Piracy has become a much more visible and vocal topic for Wii.
  • The high-water mark seems to have been met for sales, as Wii turns the corner into the next stage of it's lifecycle and name recognition alone doesn't push numbers.  (Interesting for the future when stock prices are dipping, critics are jumping ship, and even Nintendo representatives are saying that the system isn't in a healthy place right now...)


----

*Why won't people pay for good games on Wii?  I have a few guesses... but no proof.

My ideas:
  • Games have been devalued with quick price drops and cheap downloadable games both making it silly to pay $50 for a new title.
  • Piracy is an easy and popular option among the gamers who would normally be the target of these titles.
  • Also there are reputation and bias issues with the Wii from both retailers and gamers.  In one example, Muramasa isn't even going to be carried by major retailers in the UK because they'd rather target casual gamers instead.  In another example, PS3/360 gamers can often be seen online whining about Wii exclusives and trying to get them ported to other systems instead of buying and playing it on the Wii.

4698
Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive #9: Geist (Special Edition)
« on: October 07, 2009, 11:09:50 AM »
... That being said, the game kinda reminds me of Mirror's Edge where I really tried to avoid combat when I could.   ...

(Note: Only at the second boss so far, so not very deep in the game.)

I agree that combat just doesn't feel very smooth or interesting, and it's much better to avoid fighting whenever possible - at least initially.  But you can't avoid fighting forever.  Luckily, combat improved the further I got into the game as I began to mix fighting and possession in more interesting ways.

Initially I would possess a body and then play "normally" for as long as possible until being forced to jump into something else.  But that didn't take advantage of the unique gameplay for Geist and led to a disappointingly "ordinary" FPS experience.

Over time I've gotten more used to jumping in and out of bodies to help with combat - first by scouting out an area to see what's ahead, and later taking advantage of inanimate objects (grenades, explosive boxes, gun turrets) during busy combat moments.  Both the first and second bosses

I'm hoping the game will find more reasons to spend time in your incorporeal form as it continues, and place less and less focus on normal FPS action... so far it really hasn't lived up to it's potential, but has offered flashes of brilliance.

4699
Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive #9: Geist (Special Edition)
« on: October 01, 2009, 01:15:55 PM »
Geist is a game that I've wanted to try for a long time - the concept of possession to progress is great- but have never settled down to play because of reported issues with polish and gameplay.  This RetroActive playthrough is just the boot needed to actually buy and play the game!

----

About an hour in after starting last night, and my initial impressions are that Geist has great ideas but also some problems in implementation.

The initial FPS section felt awkward -- was my preference against dual-analogs just showing through? -- but after switching to an incorporeal body everything felt much smoother and gameplay was more puzzle-like.  The change of pace was enjoyable, and the broad goal (escape from the containment area) forced me to explore and experiment instead of simply leading me by the hand through each step of the escape.  If the rest of the game follows these lines and includes some creative or unusual puzzles, then Geist should be very enjoyable.

----

Have other people started playing?  And how far should we play through during this week?  The fewer spoilers posted the more enjoyable the game will be, so I'm hoping not to read too much until getting into the game.

4700
Podcast Discussion / Re: Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 156
« on: August 04, 2009, 01:30:00 PM »
Great show as usual!  Content is top-notch, editing is consistently good, and the technical extras that you provide (including pictures, chapter breaks, and additional text) are always appreciated.

While glowing compliments like these don't offer much discussion, hopefully they do make your hard work with the show more rewarding.

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