Gaming Forums => Nintendo Gaming => Topic started by: leahsdad on December 16, 2011, 06:06:23 AM
Title: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: leahsdad on December 16, 2011, 06:06:23 AM
Thanks, useless Ambassador certificate I downloaded last time! You piece of garbage!
No spotpass, no nothing. Just checked my download history thinking "Nintendo will just dump them out into my eshop download history again" and behold, my expectations were fulfilled.
Go get your GBA games, Ambassadors! Just like last time, you have to go through that "redownload" crap through "Settings/Other" in the eshop. The silver lining here is that you can do "download later," which effectively lines up your downloads for later. When you've added all the games, exit out to home, close up your 3DS, stick it in your cradle, and you're golden.
I'm in California, it's 3AM local now. Out on the east coast, you folks can download your games during breakfast!
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Tanookisuit on December 16, 2011, 07:48:15 AM
Ha! You beat me to it. Downloads commencing.
Yoshi's Island is still amazing. Works great on 3DS. No GBA screen for the icons. Hopefully that will change.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: ejamer on December 16, 2011, 08:34:46 AM
The recent system update really improved the eShop. "Download Later" is a great feature when queuing up a list of games like this, and not having to start from the main menu each time is also a big improvement.
Also, this is an incredible list of games for Nintendo to give away. What will everyone be playing first? (Edit: I'm looking forward to Kirby - a game that I completely missed the first time around.)
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: leahsdad on December 16, 2011, 08:37:39 AM
Okay, I just played through each of them for like a few minutes each, and to be honest, I'm less than thrilled, especially compared to the NES ambassador games. My main 2 gripes are:
1. No save/restore states. At all. I mean, if you exit out of the game, and you start the game up again, then you've basically just reset your game (as opposed to NES ambassadors and Wii VC, where your game is automatically saved and you will come back to where you left off when you start the game again).
Worse, the game will not pause automatically and go into sleep mode if you close your 3DS. There must be a huge technical reason why, because when you touch the bottom screen, it gives you a message in big print telling you as much. I guess you can always pause the game by pressing start and then close the system.
2. These games look bad. I guess the emulation is fine, I haven't played enough to make a good judgement. And the games look a bit blurry, though you can chalk that up to resolution issues. But every single game looks really dark-- like, as if you were playing on the original GBA. I have no idea why this is. I didn't have an SP, but I played (and still often play) GBA games on my DS Lite, and they look bright and awesome. And I'm sure that it's not a settings issue, because there are no settings you can mess with. I have my 3DS with the brightness all the way up. I also tried playing in native resolution, but no dice-- looks 50% smaller, but still no brighter.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: ejamer on December 16, 2011, 08:47:31 AM
I think this might bother me more if the original games weren't designed for a portable system anyway. Don't most of them do a reasonable job of adding save points so that they could be easily played on the GBA?
The lack of a DS-type sleep mode is weird, but many GBA games had a sleep mode programmed in so maybe they didn't want to interfere or compete with that. Maybe there is some other reason.
Quote
2. These games look bad. ... I also tried playing in native resolution, but no dice-- looks 50% smaller, but still no brighter.
Too bad - I was thinking maybe that would help.
Honestly, I'm not too worried or upset though. The quality of the gameplay isn't affected and these are still top-notch games. It's always possible that an update later will improve the situation.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Ceric on December 16, 2011, 09:07:51 AM
I don't know why they wouldn't hook the sleep mode into the 3DS one. Could just give that weird button combo for sleep mode.
It sounds like these games weren't fully ready for Prime time yet.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: UncleBob on December 16, 2011, 09:56:33 AM
I thought the lack of save states and sleep mode was part of the original announcement?
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 16, 2011, 11:04:59 AM
I think it was, but we also get the updated versions too whenever those release, so no worries at this point in time.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: ejamer on December 16, 2011, 11:55:22 AM
I think it was, but we also get the updated versions too whenever those release, so no worries at this point in time.
I didn't think the GBA games were getting updates. I vaguely remember that NES games were, with multiplayer options being the big draw, but can't recall anything about GBA improvements.
Well, if the do update these releases I hope that multiplayer gaming is (eventually) introduced as one of the new features.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: UncleBob on December 16, 2011, 12:07:00 PM
Okay, I'm confused... Sleep Mode doesn't work - but when I closed the system while playing Mario Kart, the screens and sound shut off?
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 16, 2011, 12:27:21 PM
I just came to post about this. I figured it out and it's stupid.
If you just close the system on the menu, it will not download anything. If you select a piece of software that you scheduled to download later and then close the system, it will start downloading ALL of them.
It should just do it automatically, but it doesn't.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: leahsdad on December 16, 2011, 12:39:11 PM
I just came to post about this. I figured it out and it's stupid.
If you just close the system on the menu, it will not download anything. If you select a piece of software that you scheduled to download later and then close the system, it will start downloading ALL of them.
It should just do it automatically, but it doesn't.
Eh, you don't really have to do that. What I did was hit download later for all 10 of them (boy am I glad that that didn't take me out of the download history menu, that was such a pain with the NES games), exit out of the eshop to the home menu, close the eshop application, and then physically close my 3DS.
Uh....now that I've written it out, I realize what I did was not all that much simpler than what you did. Damn Nintendo!
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 16, 2011, 12:44:15 PM
But I did that the first time. It didn't work.
What I posted was how to get it to work since the original approach didn't. it was just one extra step. Click on one of the un-downloaded packages on the main menu, and then close the system.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: delebreaub on December 16, 2011, 01:35:32 PM
I think this might bother me more if the original games weren't designed for a portable system anyway. Don't most of them do a reasonable job of adding save points so that they could be easily played on the GBA?
The lack of a DS-type sleep mode is weird, but many GBA games had a sleep mode programmed in so maybe they didn't want to interfere or compete with that. Maybe there is some other reason.
I was going to say that don't most of them either auto-save or have save points in them, so you don't really need the save state (because why would you continue on if you know you would have to go do something else shortly), but the restore points would have been nice.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Mop it up on December 16, 2011, 09:18:43 PM
I played Mario Kart first to get that terrible game out of the way. I'll probably try F-Zero next since I expect to not like it.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 16, 2011, 09:22:34 PM
Yeah, I quit Mario Kart after 1 race. I haven't played the original SNES game, but the GBA one is easily the worst in the series IMO (I have played all except the SNES one).
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 16, 2011, 09:27:51 PM
Super Circuit is better than Super Mario Kart, if only because it's basically the same thing with a few enhancements and it includes all the tracks from the original. Still, neither one of them is anywhere near as good as any of the non-Mode 7 games in the series.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: nickmitch on December 16, 2011, 09:32:25 PM
Is the "download later" feature new? I like it. Made downloading the games easier.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 16, 2011, 09:46:55 PM
Super Circuit is better than Super Mario Kart, if only because it's basically the same thing with a few enhancements and it includes all the tracks from the original.
I still think Super Mario Kart is better. Why? For starters, the controls feel even more loose in Super Circuit. The new powerslide mechanic makes the SNES tracks even more difficult to navigate, since they were not designed for it. Also, Super Circuit lacks the feather item, making shortcuts that require it unusable.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: UncleBob on December 16, 2011, 11:25:15 PM
Whoever's idea that was deserves a good whipping for not thinking about it sooner.
It was my idea and I thought about it when the NES games came out. If I weren't tired after working in hell all day, I'd go find my post...
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: nickmitch on December 16, 2011, 11:48:59 PM
Not soon enough, Bob.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Mannypon on December 18, 2011, 12:12:09 AM
I finally downloaded all the games and fired a few of them up for kicks. I've played most of them in the past with the exception of a few so I knew what to expect coming into these games. Some quick notes of mine on some of the games though
Mario Kart: This game should've never been included. After playing Mario 3D Kart like crack for the past week, giving this old GBA release a shot turned out to be a disaster. I didn't even get through one lap in a time trial run before I gave up on the slippery controls. I've become so used to hopping around 7's stages that when I attempted to do the same in this version, I was slidding across everything and smashing into walls left and right. Never again I say. WarioWare: My biggest supprise of the bunch. I never really gave this series a shot over the years. I've seen them and heard a lot about them but it just never really caught my attention. Sh*t was I wrong. This game is so addicting, I couldn't put it down during my downtime at work today. It gives off such a strange Earthbound vibe to the whole world and story that I am currently enjoying the hell out of. My fave sections so far are the Ninja girl part (the music was amazing during the raid on the temple, especially for a GBA game) and the Scientist who got a serious case of diarrhea.
This ambassador thing has worked out for Nintendo it seems. Its sold me on Warioware at the least and I'll be the first to purchase all the other sequels when they eventually get released through the VC service. Now I got to go and see if there have been any released on the DS.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Shaymin on December 18, 2011, 01:06:32 AM
There was the tech-demoey-but-still-fun Touched (was basically a launch title) and DIY (2010 release, has more of a make-your-own aspect, makes for good mammary grappling games ALLEGEDLY). Of the two, Touched is closer to the original in concept.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: UncleBob on December 18, 2011, 01:10:49 AM
There was the tech-demoey-but-still-fun Touched (was basically a launch title) and DIY (2010 release, has more of a make-your-own aspect, makes for good mammary grappling games ALLEGEDLY). Of the two, Touched is closer to the original in concept.
There was also Twisted (fun game), Snapped! (download only, don't bother) and Party Games, the multi-player GCN port of the original (worth picking up if you like the original and have people to play it with).
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 18, 2011, 01:13:34 AM
I think Shaymin was specifically mentioning the WarioWare games that can be played on a 3DS.
If you wanted all WarioWare games, don't forget Smooth Moves for Wii and D.I.Y. Showcase for WiiWare.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: UncleBob on December 18, 2011, 01:30:13 AM
I think Shaymin was specifically mentioning the WarioWare games that can be played on a 3DS.
Well, he just said "DS", so I suggested Twisted, in case he still has a DS/DS Lite. It's worth picking up.
Snapped is downloadable on the 3DS via the eShop. Warning him to stay away.
And I just suggested the GCN version since he mentioned he really liked the original... since it's basically the original with multi-player. :D
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 18, 2011, 02:11:51 AM
If Nintendo wanted to, I don't think it would be hard to adapt Twisted for the 3DS' built-in accelerometer, once they start selling GBA games on the eShop (yes, I know they said they have no plans to do that, but you're crazy if you think Nintendo will leave all that easy money on the table for very long). Given their history of unwillingness to make even minor adaptations to be able to release Virtual Console games, though, it doesn't seem likely.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 18, 2011, 02:16:28 AM
I don't feel like looking it up right now (it's 2:15AM here), but didn't Nintendo only say they were not gonna be selling these 10 GBA Ambassador games? I don't think they said they wouldn't sell GBA games in general.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: UncleBob on December 18, 2011, 02:19:17 AM
I don't feel like looking it up right now (it's 2:15AM here), but didn't Nintendo only say they were not gonna be selling these 10 GBA Ambassador games? I don't think they said they wouldn't sell GBA games in general.
I believe they simply said "no plans at this time".
Like how the day before they announced the DS Lite, they said they had "no plans" to announce a DS Revision.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 18, 2011, 02:22:14 AM
LOL, I remember that because it was so funny. In that case it was someone from Nintendo of Europe who said that there was no plans for a DS revision.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 18, 2011, 02:24:02 AM
They said, in typical Nintendo fashion, that they had "no plans" to release GBA games on the eShop. They didn't explicitly say that they would or wouldn't do anything in the future regarding the games, because Nintendo's PR department is much better at deception than they are at most other aspects of interacting with customers and the media.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: UncleBob on December 18, 2011, 02:40:31 AM
They said, in typical Nintendo fashion, that they had "no plans" to release GBA games on the eShop. They didn't explicitly say that they would or wouldn't do anything in the future regarding the games, because Nintendo's PR department is much better at deception than they are at most other aspects of interacting with customers and the media.
I don't know if I'd say deception. I'd say aside from "Hey, that sounds like a good idea to make money." Nintendo probably didn't, at the time, have any real plans outlined to release the GBA titles on the eShop.
Lord knows, if they said something like "eventually" or "later", the internet would be torn asunder from the whining of billions of fanboys crying "they promised...." every day until the day they were released... and probably a few days afterwards.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 18, 2011, 02:47:14 AM
Well fine, going by the literal definition, they didn't have any real plans to do it, but I'm sure there wasn't a doubt in their mind that they fully intended to do it. The statement is worded in a way to make it sound like they weren't going to do it without actually saying it.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Mannypon on December 18, 2011, 01:46:48 PM
Quick question related to the other Warioware releases. Do they also have the crazy story and characters as in the first one? I do enjoy the little games but I don't think I'll really get as much enjoyment out of them without the crazy vibe associated with the environment and story.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on December 18, 2011, 02:04:18 PM
Okay, I'm confused... Sleep Mode doesn't work - but when I closed the system while playing Mario Kart, the screens and sound shut off?
Same thing happens wit BlazBlue CSII for 3DS, if Sleep Mode is not implemented, the game still "runs" normally even though the sound shuts off and the screens shuts off. So the battery drains almost as much as if you're actively playing the title. A Siliconera interview with one of the BB:CSII developers confirmed that Nintendo does not make sleep mode mandatory for software.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on December 18, 2011, 02:07:34 PM
Quick question related to the other Warioware releases. Do they also have the crazy story and characters as in the first one? I do enjoy the little games but I don't think I'll really get as much enjoyment out of them without the crazy vibe associated with the environment and story.
I would say so, but the characters are consistent for the most part with every release so they usually re-appear though sometimes they add or remove some characters per release. You should try Made in Wario, the Wii WarioWare game. WarioWare Touched for the DS is the mediocre game of the series but still enjoyable.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 18, 2011, 02:09:22 PM
Made in Wario is called WarioWare: Smooth Moves outside of Japan, just so you don't get confused Manny.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: MegaByte on December 18, 2011, 02:33:12 PM
A Siliconera interview with one of the BB:CSII developers confirmed that Nintendo does not make sleep mode mandatory for software.
That's a real shame. They spend so much time in the quality check process making sure logos are in their proper place and such, but not that important components are implemented? On the other hand, I'm not sure why the firmware doesn't handle this; it doesn't seem like something that devs should have to worry about anyway.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on December 18, 2011, 05:34:49 PM
A Siliconera interview with one of the BB:CSII developers confirmed that Nintendo does not make sleep mode mandatory for software.
That's a real shame. They spend so much time in the quality check process making sure logos are in their proper place and such, but not that important components are implemented? On the other hand, I'm not sure why the firmware doesn't handle this; it doesn't seem like something that devs should have to worry about anyway.
I think it has to be done on a software level since I believe sleep mode is disabled during online multiplayer.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: MegaByte on December 18, 2011, 07:24:48 PM
That doesn't preclude anything.
Title: Re: GBA. Ambassador Games. Live. In North America. Now.
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on December 18, 2011, 07:30:07 PM
