Messages

14601

General Chat / Buying a new TV

« on: March 03, 2003, 06:34:49 AM »

Okay I got the TV on the weekend.  I went with the Toshiba that Mike suggested.  My friend has a 24" Toshiba flat screen and he loves it and Consumer Report had the 27AF42 ranked at the top of their conventional TV list.  It also was the cheapest 27" at the store (aside from some Sorny and Panaphonics no-name brand stuff) oddly enough.

So far I'm very impressed with both the picture quality and sound.  I've got both my DVD player and Cube hooked up with S-Video and they just look amazing (I'll be ordering the GC component cable soon).  My only complaint is that with some games the graphics actually look worse because the detail is greater making the flaws look more noticable.

One problem though is that the TV (and the stand I bought with it) take up too much space in my room and now I have no place for my games and DVDs so I'm going to have to do some massive reorganizing.  I'd post pics but I don't have a digital camera or a scanner.

The best thing is it came in a really big box which I plan on turning into a transmorgamifier.

14602

TalkBack / Miyamoto D.I.C.E. Roundtable Highlights

« on: February 28, 2003, 12:26:27 PM »

"When asked about online plans for this year, Miyamoto responded in a way that made it seem like it wasn't to be this year."

I don't like the way that sounds.  Online plans should have been in place last year.  A year from now is way too late.  Network games are cool and all but are a really lame replacement for online.  BOTH types of games should be available.

"Kirby's Air Ride is being developed by HAL, which is no big surprise. The game is a fast-paced racing game in the same vein as Mario Kart, with power-ups, booster arrows, shortcuts."

If it's like Mario Kart it seems like kind of a useless title to make, particularly when the "real" Mario Kart isn't even out yet.  Maybe they're greatly changing the Mario Kart design and Kirby is designed to be the more traditional title.

14603

General Chat / Penny Arcade

« on: February 28, 2003, 12:07:02 PM »

I don't see any problems with today's comic.  PA makes comics about current gaming news events.  This analysis is news so they're going to make a comic on it.  I think that fact that Tycho is bugging Gabe about it (in the comic) shows that they're not bought out by MS or whatever.  If they were being paid off then they probably wouldn't have one of the characters trying to defend the Cube.  And besides they were making Gamecube jokes back when they were always slagging the Xbox.  It's not a new scenario or anything.

"First they said the Xbox was failing, now it's Nintendo, after that it will be the Xbox again, and then after that maybe more Nintendo." - Tycho's commentary for the comic.

Anyone bought out by Microsoft certainly wouldn't say that the Xbox would be failing again (or would even mention any previous failing).

If Microsoft really was paying them off do you think they would even cover the other systems anymore?  Or mention Zelda and Metroid in the context of being great games?

14604

General Chat / Buying a new TV

« on: February 28, 2003, 09:38:39 AM »

I've been thinking about buying a new TV.  My current TV is a few years old and only has one A/V input which is a big pain in the ass as I have to constantly swap the cables for my videogame consoles and my DVD player.  I've been doing some research and have some idea about stuff like S-Video and Component Video and whatnot but most sources of information are pretty techinical and don't tell me really simple stuff like what types of video hookup there are and which ones are better than others.  There seems to be a reasonable amount of tech nuts on this forum so I figure I might as well ask for any personal experiences with certain brands, models, etc and what features are worth looking out for.

Anyway my price range is around $750 Canadian which is probably around $500 in American funds (though I can go a few hundred higher).  My absolute requirements are that's it's flat screen, around 27", and can support at least S-Video.  The only stuff of consequence that I'm hooking up to it right now is my Gamecube and DVD player (which is a Toshiba and is Progressive Scan capable).  I can't afford anything really fancy like HDTV or anything.  I also don't have any sort of fancy audio setup so for the immediate future the TV's speakers have to suffice.  I'm not restricted by any dimension requirements for an entertainment centre or anything.  If the TV doesn't fit on the stand I'm currently using I'll buy a new stand.

I also am not too familiar with what sort of cables are needed for what particularly with the Gamecube.  I'd rather not have to order cables from Nintendo's website so if anybody has any third party cables to recommend that would be appreciated.

Thanks.

14605

TalkBack / Metal Gear Solid on GameCube - CONFIRMED

« on: February 28, 2003, 06:25:26 AM »

Is this exclusive?  Gaming-Age reported yesterday that MGS was being remade for all three consoles.

Either way I'm happy that Konami is at least giving the Cube some attention.  You can talk about the lower userbase all you want but Konami basically wrote the Cube off before it was released yet supported the Xbox.  Now they have an excuse to not support the Cube but they didn't really initially.

Anyway this is obviously Konami's way of testing the Gamecube market.  A remake is less of a risk to make then a brand new game so it's probably the most likely scenario.  This game HAS to sell well if we want any decent Konami support.  I'm not saying buy the game if you don't like it (I sure wouldn't) but don't sit on the fence either.  If you're interested in MGS buy it the day it comes out.

Hopefully it's not a port of MGS2.  That game's gotten such a bad rap lately a Gamecube version would be doomed to fail.

14606

TalkBack / AIAS Winners from D.I.C.E.!

« on: February 28, 2003, 06:12:34 AM »

"I'm quite confused how Splinter Cell would win Console Game of the Year but yet not get nominated for Overall Game of the Year."

Same here.  Any sort of logic would dictate any console game that was nominated for overall game of the year is "better" than any console game that wasn't.  I guess Splinter Cell should have been nominated for overall game.  Personally I'm just happy that Vice City didn't win.  It still seems pretty odd for a game to be nominated for ten awards and only win one.  Of course ever since SSX won game of the year I've questioned the merit of the awards anyway.

Interesting coincedence: two years in a row the widely considered game of the year lost out to a hyped up Xbox title.  If Zelda loses to Halo 2 conspiracy theories are going to start coming up.

14607

Nintendo Gaming / EGM rate Zelda!!!

« on: February 27, 2003, 09:58:11 AM »

No game is every going to be "perfect".  No matter what SOMEONE will not like it.  Therefore a 10 score shouldn't be seen as a perfect score but rather just the highest score a game can achieve.  A 10 doesn't mean a perfect game; it means a really really good game that's one of the best ever made.

Notice this "highest score means it's perfect" thing only comes up with videogames?  If a critic gives a movie five stars no one says the movie is perfect.  It's just a really great movie worthy of the highest praise.  Book reviews and music reviews are the same thing.  You never read a review in a newspaper where a movie critic gives a movie ****3/4 and say they would have given it ***** but "no film is perfect".

Wind Waker isn't a perfect game but it's probably still worthy of a perfect score.  Vice City and Halo aren't perfect games either but their perfect score doesn't mean that.  If EGM gives a game all tens it means that they are giving it the highest recommendation they can give.  That's it.

I do think Vice City is a little overrated though.  If Nintendo released a sequel that cookie cutter without fixing some of the major flaws (like aiming) they would have been murdered by critics.  Not fairly (why does Nintendo have to always be original but EA can release the same sports game every year?) but they still would have.

14608

Nintendo Gaming / Pokemon Advance - Older Pokemon unlockable via the E-Reader??!?

« on: February 27, 2003, 06:25:40 AM »

Damn Nintendo bastards always after my money.    Now I have to buy an e-Reader.  IGN Pocket mentionned that the game comes with a coupon for $10 off the e-Reader's price.  I'm buying both games (one for my brother) and I only need one e-Reader so I'm wondering if I can use both coupons and get $20 off.  I PAID for two games so it's not very fair if the coupon is "one per purchase".

Unlocking Pokemon seems like a sure thing except for one issue.  Is the e-Reader available in Japan?  Animal Forest+ didn't have it and Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire has been out in Japan for months and I've never heard of any e-Reader support until now.  If the e-Reader is an American only thing it seems unlikely that it would be required to unlock certain Pokemon  because the Japanese market can't use it.  More likely the e-Reader is only for bonuses like extra items or battles.

I figure the Gamecube Pokemon game is more likely the key to all the "missing" Pokemon.  Afterall it pushes the GC/GBA connectivity which Nintendo hypes up as their big edge over the competition.

14609

Nintendo Gaming / Question about Gameboy Player...

« on: February 26, 2003, 01:37:37 PM »

"You should just need the cable, and simply plug the player into the gamecube through the controller ports. So you can do everything you can with a GBA -- they're the same. Except you need a controller and the ability to plug it into the wall, and a telly."

And after you do this how the hell do you turn on your Gamecube and GB Player at the same time?  The console is only going to work as one or the other.

14610

Nintendo Gaming / New Zelda for GBA Announced

« on: February 26, 2003, 01:34:18 PM »

"You mean a re-release right? Who is risck? That would be cool if that's true because the GBA was my first Game Boy so I never got a chance to play Link's Awakening. At least not on a handheld anyway."

What do you mean you never got a chance?  The GBA is backwards compatible.  Link's Awakening DX can still be found new in most stores.

If Nintendo re-releases this title they are officially the laziest bastards in the world.  Link's Awakening is a f*cking Gameboy game and was later ported to the GBC.  Everybody who owns a GBA can already play it.  What's next?  Ports of the Oracle games and Pokemon Red/Blue?

14611

Nintendo Gaming / GBA vs GBA SP

« on: February 26, 2003, 01:02:24 PM »

I would get an SP.  The GBA screen is just ridiculously hard to see.  Even with a light source you have to angle the system just right to see everything clearly.  If you don't care about specific graphic details and just want to see enough to play it's alright but I tend to get frustrated when I can't see everything clearly.  What good are the graphics if I can't see them in any sort of detail?

The only reason I don't have an SP is because I already have a GBA and I don't feel like plopping down a hundred bucks for new hardware so soon after the GBA's release especially to fix a problem that Nintendo was well aware of ahead of time and could have "fixed" the first time around.  If I didn't have a GBA (and the GB Player wasn't coming out) I would have bought an SP for sure.

The extra money is well worth it.  If you buy a regular GBA you'll be cursing its sh!tty screen within the first ten minutes of playing it.

14612

Nintendo Gaming / new gamcube controller.

« on: February 26, 2003, 12:42:52 PM »

Personally I love the Gamecube controller.  The only games it isn't that good for are PS2 ports but I hate the PS2 controller so I'm glad that Nintendo didn't just copy them (which would be kind of ironic considering the original PSX controller was a rip off of the SNES controller in the first place).  For games designed for the Gamecube it works perfectly.  With any game with crappy controls I blame the developer because it's their responsibility to design the controls around the controller instead of the other way around.  The D-pad is kind of crappy but developers shouldn't be making 3D games with d-pad controls anymore.  It's their own fault for not keeping with the times.

Anyway the FPS friendly controller you're suggesting is such a minor change that it doesn't seem worth it.  Odds are most people don't have any problems with the C-stick.  The most common complaints have to do with the small D-pad or PS2 owners who can't cope with a (*gasp*) ergonomic controller.

14613

Nintendo Gaming / Offical 2002 Game Of The Year Nominees

« on: February 26, 2003, 10:04:25 AM »

"If that happens Nintendo should start another Metroid marketing blitz and double Metroid sales. Who wouldnt want to buy the 10awards GOTY!!!!"

I completely agree.  I seriously think that Halo and GTA3 would not have been nearly as big if it weren't for post-awards advertisments with "Game of the Year" plastered all over.  Both games are still selling.  A new Metroid Prime commercial with "Game of the Year" written all over it (and a good amount of game footage to show off the graphics) could greatly boost sales.  Plus it's now available for FREE with a Gamecube puchase.  The Xbox Sega bundle certainly sold Xboxes.  Think how well a "Game of the Year" Gamecube bundle will sell.

Of course knowing Nintendo they'll probably just put a "Game of the Year" logo on the box and do nothing else.

14614

Nintendo Gaming / Modern GameCube games Need Difficulty Settings

« on: February 26, 2003, 06:43:51 AM »

"With Zelda I'd change the number of initial hearts (as I said in the first post)... depending upon if you are a Zelda God (1 heart) or a Child (10 hearts)"

Ten hearts?  In most Zelda games I beat the game with like 15 hearts tops.  Ten hearts would make it WAY too easy.  I much prefer the idea of having two quests (like Ocarina/Master Quest) with rearranged dungeons.  The difficulty is still greater and the player doesn't have to play through the exact same game.

14615

TalkBack / Network Play in Pikmin 2?

« on: February 25, 2003, 07:59:45 PM »

Here's something worth mentioning.  In the third picture (the one with a close up of both guys) it appears as if the red Pikmin are following Olimar and the blue ones are following the other guy.  That makes perfect sense if the theory about two different human players is true.  But the HUD data shows Olimar's face and shows a BLUE Pikmin.  If only the red ones are following him (which from the pic it looks like that's the case) and both characters are played by different human players then the Pikmin in Olimar's HUD would be red.  I'm not sure what that means but it's worth noting.

As for any networking capabilities I really hope the game is online.  LAN support is cool but is considerably more inconvenient for me than online play.  I only have one Gamecube so I can't play LAN with my brother.  But I could very easily play online with some of my friends.  Pikmin isn't the type of game that I want to wait until people are over to play and hook up an extra TV for.  Online support would make it much more enjoyable and convenient.

14616

TalkBack / THQ needs your help to help shape WrestleMania XIX

« on: February 25, 2003, 07:40:54 PM »

The fact that THQ can't figure out how to fix this game on their own when every fan and reviewer has been screaming "make it like No Mercy" since X8 was released isn't a good sign.  They don't have to put out this feedback form.  The solution is already obvious.

Still it's good that they are at least acknowledging something is wrong.  A feedback form is better than nothing.  Still I didn't really like the way the form was presented.  First of all I have never played Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth and considering it's a PS2 game and the feedback is for a Gamecube game I shouldn't be expected to have.  I essentially lied and based any of my opinions on Smackdown on reviews I read.  I didn't want to have to do this just to give them some feedback.

It seems to me that THQ is merely going to try to improve the X8 design.  This isn't a solution.  What they have to do is start over from scratch with a new system based on the No Mercy design with some new stuff thrown in and stupid crap like the sh!tty No Mercy ladder and cage matches redesigned.  Unfortunately they will never do this because they have to keep a "one WWE game a year" schedule and they couldn't possibly pull off a complete overhaul in time.  Regardless of how much new stuff they add they will remain handicapped by restrictions in WM X8's general design.  I doubt we'll get another truly great THQ wrestling game until the next console's are out and THQ has to start over again.

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again: the only way that THQ will ever truly clean up their act is if someone releases an amazing original wrestling game (without any sort of license to restrict creativity or impose release deadlines) that smokes THQ's efforts in every way and sells huge based on the gameplay alone.  Without any sort of wrestling game alternative THQ will never do more than "good enough" because they know they don't have to do any better.

14617

Nintendo Gaming / Question regarding Moblins

« on: February 25, 2003, 12:28:35 PM »

"my favorite art depiction of the Moblin is the one from The Legend of Zelda manual.  It looks so evil and wicked. Not to mention it has a very horrifying nightmarish quality to it. Of course most of the enemies were portrayed that way in that manual."

I totally agree.  Anyone who says that Wind Waker's design is more "loyal" to the traditional Zelda design then Ocarina of Time needs to look at the original game's manual.  Every enemy looks incredibly freaky.  Link is the only character in the manual that looks cartoony.  If a future 3D Zelda game had enemies that looked like they do in the Zelda manual the game would probably get a teen rating.

I guess the combination theory makes sense.  One arguement against that is that in Link's Awakening there are two different Moblin sprites: one that looks more like a bulldog and one that looks more like a pig.

Personally I can't stand the Wind Waker Moblin design.  They're supposed to be elite warriors of Ganon.  In Wind Waker they don't look even slightly intimidating or scary (judging by any footage I've seen that is).

14618

TalkBack / Capcom to Deliver a New GBA Zelda

« on: February 25, 2003, 11:29:33 AM »

"Unless they release the same version of Four Swords, which wouldn't be smart, although everyone would buy it just because it's a new Zelda game."

Considering Nintendo has been super lazy with their Super Mario Advance multiplayer it wouldn't surprise me at all if they reused The Four Swords.  Personally I wouldn't mind as I have no plans in buying the GBA version of A Link to the Past (because I have the SNES game) and I would like a chance to play Four Swords.  Though I'd feel sorry for anyone who already owned A Link to the Past and bought the GBA version just for the Four Swords.

14619

Nintendo Gaming / Question regarding Moblins

« on: February 25, 2003, 11:06:34 AM »

In most Zelda games and their manuals Moblins are decribed for the most part as bulldog warriors and that's how they appear in most games.  However I've noticed that in some Zelda games (the Gameboy titles specifically) Moblins appear both as bulldogs and as pig warriors.  The Great Moblin in Oracle of Seasons looks like a pig for example.  The idea of pig warriors in theory makes more sense as warriors of Ganon they would be like "mini-Ganons".  In the manual for the first Zelda game on the NES the picture of the Moblin looks a lot like a pig but is decribed as a bulldog (check out a scan here)

So what I'm wondering is were Moblins initially designed to be pigs and NOA messed up and thought they were bulldogs and as a result they've appeared as both since?  Or are there for whatever reason two types of Moblins: bulldogs and pigs?

14620

TalkBack / Analysts Recommend Nintendo Turn Third-Party

« on: February 25, 2003, 10:20:05 AM »

"Does anyone else think it's ironic that they said 'The number of users of advanced games consoles soared by 128 percent', when the advanced games consoles all have 128-bit graphics?"

Considering that's not irony no I don't.

14621

Nintendo Gaming / Modern GameCube games Need Difficulty Settings

« on: February 25, 2003, 10:17:34 AM »

I think a big reason why difficulty settings aren't as common as they used to be is because games are just so much longer now and it would take too much effort for designers to make mutliple versions of the game.  When a game is just a side scroller and has only ten levels it's pretty easy to just add more enemies and have less powerups, etc.  However when you have a huge full 3D world where enemies have more complex AI and all sorts of factors can come into play it's not so easy to make different difficulty settings.  Plus difficulty settings make more sense in a no-save beat-in-one-sitting game.  In something like Zelda where it can take weeks to beat the game it's more frustrating for the user to have started their save on a difficulty that is either too easy or too hard for them and they have to start all over from the beginning.

As for those who complain that games are too easy today you have to keep in mind that the general design of games has changed.  Games today are designed for the player to have fun and get the most out of.  Back in "the day" when arcade games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders were the big titles games were designed to get as many quarters out of the player as possible.  That's a huge change in game design philosophy which is why games aren't as hard as they used to be.  Plus let's not forget that NES and SNES games were often pretty short so the games had to be hard or the player would beat them in two hours and have no incentive to play again.  With games all having save features and lasting 20 hours there's no need to jack the difficulty up in order to extent game length.  

14622

TalkBack / Analysts Recommend Nintendo Turn Third-Party

« on: February 25, 2003, 09:07:49 AM »

Okay so a news item about how Nintendo is making more money than anyone was just posted on the site and analysts are recommending that Nintendo go third party.  Does anyone else think that doesn't make much sense?  If Nintendo is making good money with what they're doing why change it?  Sega went third party because they were in a money pit.  That's not the case with Nintendo.

Plus ignoring the GBA makes this whole "analysis" completely useless because it doesn't represent reality.  If Nintendo only relied on the Gamecube then they would be in trouble but they don't so the situation is completely different.

"GameCube's sales are expected to fall by 4 percent in 2003, while XBox sales will rise by 12 percent."

What is this based on?  What hot selling title is coming to Xbox to make it's sales rise so much?  The problem with these analysts is that they don't know anything about games.  A major title (Final Fantasy VII, Sonic the Hedgehog, Donkey Kong Country) can change console sales considerably.  If sales trends were all that made a difference then surely the N64 would have been top dog because it's sales were huge during it's first year.

14623

Nintendo Gaming / Miyamoto confirms new Zelda title for GBA

« on: February 25, 2003, 07:04:05 AM »

"I'm still worried they are going to try to throw in some cutesy characters like Ricky or Dimitri. I don't know about the rest of you but I didn't exactly care for some of the over the top cute and silly characters those two games have."

I totally agree.  Unlike Nintendo Capcom tends to group their games as either mature (RE, Devil May Cry) or "kiddy" (Mega Man).  The idea of a game with cartoony graphics that is designed for all ages and can be played by kids and adults is actually a really foreign concept to most developers except Nintendo.  I have a feeling that Capcom regards Zelda as a series for kids and therefore designs everything with that in mind.  You would never see Link riding in the pouch of a kangaroo with boxing gloves in a EAD Zelda game.

Did anyone find it really dumb that Link could ride a DODONGO in the Oracle games?  What's next?  Link makes friends with Moblins?

One thing I'm wondering is what Link will look like in this new game.  In the Oracle games they just used the sprite from Link's Awakening.  Are they going to design a brand new sprite?  Hopefully they won't just use the Four Swords' sprites.  As cool as I think Wind Waker looks I don't want "super cartoony Link" to become the standard.

14624

Nintendo Gaming / More E3 News Here!!!!!!

« on: February 24, 2003, 01:52:28 PM »

"Also, it is very likely that Nintendo will show Wind Waker, last E3 they displayed quite a few games that were already launched."

They did?  I know they showed some released games in a video but I don't recall them having any playable.  Anyone who actually went to E3 last year able to confirm whether or not Nintendo had playable versions of already released games?

"And, yeah, the comment about the 'new Zelda' (notice the quotes) being shown at E3 is nearly nothing, why would Nintendo chance losing thousands of possible gamers from Wind Waker who are hoping this new Zelda comes soon."

Why would showing off a new Zelda lose "thousands" of sales?  Zelda games aren't like Madden where the next game makes the old one obsolete.  The average Zelda fan will buy BOTH games as both games are completely different.  Now if Nintendo showed off Wind Waker: Director's Cut then I can see it affecting sales.  Besides by the time E3 comes around Wind Waker will have been out for nearly two months and by then all the really hardcore fans will have bought it already.  Anyone who really cares about the new look enough to sit on the fence in regards to purchasing likely will never buy the game anyway.

Think about it this way.  If Square showed off two Final Fantasy games for PS2 at the same time (let's say XII and XIII) that are to be released months apart do you think anybody would not buy XII because XIII is being released so soon after?  Not likely because both games are different and most fans will be interested in both.

14625

Nintendo Gaming / Miyamoto confirms new Zelda title for GBA

« on: February 24, 2003, 01:38:34 PM »

"The game is developed by Capcom, who did the Oracle games as well as the SNES port A Link to the Past and the multiplayer game Four Swords."

If this is true it's being developed by Capcom which seems pretty likely considering their recent relationship with Nintendo and the Zelda franchise.  Still I found the Oracle games to lack the extra bit of "soul" that Zelda games need.  They felt more like they were going through the motions with the Oracle games which resulted in games that were generally pretty good but lacked the magic of the other Zelda games.  I would much prefer it if EAD was working on a new GBA Zelda.  Capcom is a good developer but likely won't do much more than "A Link to the Past 2".  EAD would change the way we think of 2D adventure games.

Still a new GBA Zelda is pretty damn good.  Let's get a new Mario too please.