Topic: Episode 491: Apocalypse Direct

[NWR_Lindy]

The Four Horsemen themselves dissect the latest 3DS Nintendo Direct.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/43361/episode-491-apocalypse-direct

Conquest, Famine, Pestilence, Death. Lindemann, Veillette, Jones, Leahy. These and more parallels are drawn in this week's episode, in which the RFN riders are harbingers of doom tasked with the delivery of their thoughts on today's 3DS-focused Nintendo Direct. We keep it short and sweet, discussing Super Mario Maker for 3DS, Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World, Pikmin, and everything else announced. We also take an intriguing look at what was shown in the Japanese version of the event, which fans of horse racing and baseball will surely find to be a...revelation.

In between death knells we find the time to announce the games for our next RetroActive, which are:

1. Bully: Scholarship Edition (Wii)
2. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (NGC)
3. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (NDS)
4. Scarface: The World is Yours (Wii)
5. Lego City Undercover (Wii U)
6. Retro City Rampage

Vote now! Polling closes Sept 15, at 9 PM Eastern. We won't try to sway you in any direction, but remember this RFN motto: First you get the money, then you get the eBay account, then you get the ZX Spectrum.

As always, if you have questions or comments, you can send them to our mailbag.

[TOPHATANT123]

Nice and early this week.

[Sidescroller64]

I unironically and legitimately wish True Crime: Streets of LA was a candidate for RetroActive. I really did like that game back on the day, cut GameCube content and dreamy dragons and all.

[Fatty The Hutt]

I tried, I really did try really hard to play Scarface. It just has too many issues to be fun.
I would like to give Bully another try. Im a vote for that one.

[Enner]

That hot Direct fire!

[ejamer]

The show was a good listen.

Gui is dead on about gaming being overpriced in Canada right now - our weak dollar has been aggressively compensated for in exchange rates, and less supply means we don't get nearly as many deals as you find in the US either. (Oh how I miss the days of Canadian Target - the last retailer that actually tried to sell games using price cuts.)  The final kicker is many eBay sellers are now charging $15 USD or more for cross-border shipping, although I have no idea how that's justified since you can ship a game for under $5.

Ok, it's not that dire.  This week Best Buy has Hyrule Warriors 3DS on sale for $30... so there are good prices to be found.


Question about retroactive:
Why not the Wii version of Scarface, which (from all accounts I've read) is essentially the same game but better?  If it wins, that's how I'll be playing.

[Lemonade]

It wasnt discussed on the show, so I think it must have not been in the American Direct. The European Direct had this great trailer for the NES mini
https://youtu.be/7UW18Nnzwoo

[Crimm]

Oh hell! Thanks for the catch. It is the Wii version we're going to play. This is what happens when you record, edit, and publish in one night.

[ejamer]

Oh hell! Thanks for the catch. It is the Wii version we're going to play. This is what happens when you record, edit, and publish in one night.

Thinking further, I'm not even sure if there was a GameCube version of that game... 

[azeke]

It's too late, but i think 2 Batman games on Wii u shoud have been there.

[pureval]

Wow. For once I actually own 5 of the 6 games. Maybe I can actually take part in my first Retroactive. One of my suggestions made the voting too, even though it is losing. Watch the one game I don't own will win.

[ClexYoshi]

so, uh... I hate Retro City Rampage? and that makes me actually want to talk about how much I dislike it.

[Lemonade]

I got Retro City Rampage on the 3DS with that recent humble bundle. I played it for a while, but didnt like it very much.

[Crimm]

Being honest, there's not much risk of it winning.

[NeoStar9X]

I hope Lego City wins. I love that game and I don't think I ever heard anyone on the podcast talked about it in any detail. It's honestly one of my top 10 Wii U games quite easily and very high on my game of of the generation list if I were to make one. It hits all the right notes at the right amounts.

[Lemonade]

Yes, I would say Lego City on the Wii U is easily the best Lego game. I want it to win too.

[ClexYoshi]

I hope Lego City wins. I love that game and I don't think I ever heard anyone on the podcast talked about it in any detail. It's honestly one of my top 10 Wii U games quite easily and very high on my game of of the generation list if I were to make one. It hits all the right notes at the right amounts.

I believe Gui did, and even put it in his... 20...13? game of the year list? I could be talking out my ass here, but I believe that was the case.

[Jonnyboy117]

It's probably best to avoid the Batman games on Wii U, since Lindy is in the credits for at least one of them. (He worked at WB Games at the time and of course never discussed their products on RFN.)

[Lemonade]

I could be talking out my ass here, but I believe that was the case.

It was talked about on the show, just not for every long.

[lolmonade]

Conversely, the reason why I DON'T want Lego City: Undercover is because to me, the retroactives are the best opportunity to spur discussion about games that have had enough time passed to where it's a good revisit (I can remember Gui talking about the game on RFN too, ClexYoshi), an "underrated gem", or a game that's flawed enough to provide good fodder for a critical look.


I mean, I'm sure there'll be something worthwhile to discuss about the game, and it's at least readily available for cheap, but I would have been more interested to discuss with others Hulk: Ultimate Destruction or GTA: Chinatown Wars, which seem like games that not many here have already played and likely have some flaws that would give the game and discussion of more character.  Even Bully would have been good opportunity to play through and compare/contrast a Rockstar Game that at face value appeared to be "GTA School".

[Fatty The Hutt]

wait, Lemonade and lolmonade are not the same person? 

[lolmonade]

wait, Lemonade and lolmonade are not the same person? 

No, Lemonade is an imposter, I'm OG.

[ejamer]

... but I would have been more interested to discuss with others Hulk: Ultimate Destruction ...

As someone who is a huge fan of the game, I don't want Ultimate Destruction to win the poll. Everyone should play it if given the chance because the controls are solid and it "just feels right" for a superhero game that empowers you with (mostly) smooth movement and incredible strength... but I really don't feel like there is a lot of good discussion to come out of that game. 


The combo system is pretty deep, so maybe you could do a deep dive on playing strategy - but that's not really podcast fodder. Maybe you'd compare it to other superhero games, or try to dissect the movement controls and verticality that make it feel so good when playing?


It really is a great game, just not one I have a lot to say about.

[lolmonade]

... but I would have been more interested to discuss with others Hulk: Ultimate Destruction ...

As someone who is a huge fan of the game, I don't want Ultimate Destruction to win the poll. Everyone should play it if given the chance because the controls are solid and it "just feels right" for a superhero game that empowers you with (mostly) smooth movement and incredible strength... but I really don't feel like there is a lot of good discussion to come out of that game. 


The combo system is pretty deep, so maybe you could do a deep dive on playing strategy - but that's not really podcast fodder. Maybe you'd compare it to other superhero games, or try to dissect the movement controls and verticality that make it feel so good when playing?


It really is a great game, just not one I have a lot to say about.

Good to know.  I've been on the hunt for a cheap Gamecube, i'll make sure and pick it up then with it when I stumble upon one.  Thanks!

[Oedo]

Telethon hype! Last year was my first year listening and it was a lot of fun. Looking forward to it again this year.

I agree with Greg on what we can take away from this Direct as it relates to the NX and 3DS. They announced enough new stuff that it's clear that the 3DS will continue to have some level of support from Nintendo in 2017, but it's also clear that Nintendo is devoting most of its internal resources to the NX. I don't know if anyone explicitly mentioned this on the show, but, given the nature of the new games announced, I also think this Direct further strengthened the argument that the NX will likely replace the 3DS as the next Nintendo handheld in some capacity. There was more 2017 stuff announced than I was expecting, but it all seems like supporting software rather than something that can carry a system.