Messages

51

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Official "Virtual Console Mondays" Thread

« on: April 15, 2007, 05:11:15 PM »

Can you  save in SF64??!?!??!  (on the VC.)

I don't think I can play it in one sitting.  And I don't see a save option.  And the VC doesn't save the state of this game (and maybe all N64 games.)

52

TalkBack / RE: Internet Channel is Live

« on: April 11, 2007, 04:53:28 PM »

IT seems better.  The scrolling is faster and yet a bit sensitive between low and high speed which takes some getting used to.  I actually prefer the way NIntendo set up scrolling in the News channel though.  

The Wii is pretty decent for reading, but not writing.  

53

TalkBack / RE: Nintendo Leads February Hardware Sales

« on: March 15, 2007, 12:56:08 PM »

Yeah Nintendo on top.  Who would have thought this a couple years ago?  

 

54

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Wii third party game debate heats up.

« on: March 13, 2007, 12:47:50 PM »

Eh it's' just that we're in the launch window still and we're just getting mostly Ps2 ports with Wii controls from 3rd parties with a handful of originals.  Most all these games feel rushed.  This hasn't been different than on other systems.  

The real 3rd party stuff will start to hit later this year and especially 2k8.  By that time we'll see some developers with a 2nd go around designed for the wiimote and the Wii and we'll start to see the potential being satisfied.

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TalkBack / RE: REVIEWS: Wii Play

« on: March 06, 2007, 10:56:24 AM »

Well worth $10 bucks.  Sure it's 9 'tech demos,' but hey back in the day tech demos were full blown games and $50 a piece.

These games are the equivalent of going to an arcade and playing skeeball or mini-basketball.  Fun stuff that you won't play day and night for 2 weeks, but something you'll break out every now and then and have fun with.  With other people the fun is increased 10x because trying to get more goals, hook more fish, kill more thanks, shoot more targets, etc will always be fun.

AFter playing Sonic you really appreciate the nice controls  here and the nice clean presentation.

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TalkBack / RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings

« on: March 06, 2007, 10:44:49 AM »

Yeah it's not that the game is hard.  IT's just frustrating  because of  poor game design.   There's alot of unnecesary repetition because the game doesn't play fair with the player.    And the game doesn't seem very consistent either.  The game often feels awkward and it often plays itself.  

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TalkBack / RE: REVIEWS: Sonic and the Secret Rings

« on: March 06, 2007, 04:02:25 AM »

I rented this game and I agree with the review.  A total exercise in frustration is how I would sum up the first half of the game.  I won't be playing the 2nd half.

The 'Levitated Ruin' world which is maybe halfway had me saying enough is enough.    It has these strong winds in it and I must have been blown back 30 times and it seemed like it was unavoidable.  And when I mean blown back I mean you're watching Sonic move backward slowly for 5 seconds while you just sit there pulling your hair out.  And the other half of the level is Sonic moving along paths of light and that part is pretty much on autopilot.  Actually alot of the game is on autopilot.  

It's just a very poor design. The graphics are good, but I think that makes the frustration you feel all the worse.

Yeah and the jumping?  It sucks.  The quick jumping is ok.  You can just tap the button and Sonic jumps.  It still doesn't feel great, and it's barely passable.

But alot of the time you have to jump high and to do that you have to hold down the jump button for a second and you don't jump until you release it.  It just kills any sense of speed or excitement.  And this is different from your Mario game where you jump right away no matter what, but the longer you hold it down the farther you jump.  I'm puzzled as to why they didn't go that route??!??!

Other hair pulling examples is one level that has you going around in circles looking for some eggs or something.  YOu find 1 or 2, but not the others.  Well there's a certain point in the level that you're just supposed to jump off on instead of jumping and dashing and at that point is the 'gateway' to the other half of the level.   I don't think it's supposed to be secret.  It's just a terrible design.  You can't control the camera so it's pretty hard to spot.  Also the game design plants a 'bumper' at that spot that lights up with a red target indicating you're supposed to dash which really makes it hard to find this 'gateway.'

I could go on about the terrible ring system and skill points and experience and the tedious button pressing in between missions or the random unlocking of missions and worlds.  That part of the game should have been thrown out.  No reason for  it.  It's an idea that wasn't working and they should have dropped it.  

Eh stay away.  Sadi-masochists only.  I imagine if you put up with alot of early pain you get squeeze some reward out of the game.  But imo then you're only supporting more of these games in the long run.  It's not that the game is well-done, but hard like say Ninja GAiden.  But that it's not well-done and so you're constantly not sure what you're supposed to do or where you're supposed to go or how the controls work or if they work and that leads to frustration and hair pulling.  

I will say 2 good things about it.  The dashing motion control mechanisms feels great except on the wind blowing level and jumping in a winged pot and flying upwards with motion controls also feels great.  

Still please rent first.  

58

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Thought: Improve some games with packaged "sensor bars"

« on: March 02, 2007, 03:50:34 PM »

I don't think Wii Golf uses the sensor bar.   And honestly it works fine for me.  ONce in awhile it flubs up, but not often enough to bug me.

59

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Another Perrin Kaplan Interview

« on: February 21, 2007, 03:29:43 PM »

Yeah the rollout part is half bs.   I agree that you don't want to overwhelm consumers, but what about everyone who buys a Wii after today?  Aren't they going to be overwhelmed because they are getting all the channels at once and all the VC games at once?


They hold back because not everything is ready at once and because they want to trickle out things to keep it feeling new and keep up the hype.   They are doing it with VC games.  They are doing it with channels.  They are doing it with 1st party Wii games.    

60

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Is Miyamoto Past His Prime?

« on: February 19, 2007, 09:35:34 AM »

Of course he's past his prime.  

61

Nintendo Gaming / RE: WiiPlay

« on: February 17, 2007, 02:00:17 PM »

I would give it a 9 easy.  But I factor in price too.  It's $10.  

The SP game ain't going to have you playing it for too long, but it's also one of those games that imo you pull out for a quick fix occasionally.  MP will always remain fun because of the timeless core gameplay in most of the games.  

OH did I say it's $10.  

62

TalkBack / RE: Virtual Console Mondays: February 12

« on: February 13, 2007, 01:39:51 PM »

The VC will be big for casual gamers.  

There's a good amount of easy to get into games like hockey or baseball or Donkey Kong etc.  Games to goof around on.   That's why I like the VC.  Stuff like Super Mario World and Kirby are fun and easy to get into and offer a bit of a challenge and they're convenient.

Plus you forget best of all - price.  Yeah some games are overpriced at $5, but it's still only $5.   I've bought 5 VC games so far and still haven't spent as much as a new Wii game costs.  So there's alot of gaming value there.  The great thing is many of these games are new to me except a few NES ones.

btw I got Kirby.  I didn't realize the DS version was so much like it.  Kirby is a fun one.  

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NWR Forums Discord / RE: Trial version of Internet Channel no longer free

« on: February 13, 2007, 03:54:25 AM »

Well the trial version on mine is only 700 points.  


But what that number you're seeing on the bottom of the screen really means is how many WiiPoints you have left, not the cost of the trial version.    

[Smash_Brother]

64

TalkBack / RE: EDITORIALS: The State of Nintendo Online

« on: February 11, 2007, 09:24:49 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

Quote
Originally posted by: trip1eX  Yeah, but be careful what you wish for.

How's that?

I don't see how an online mode could hamper the existing gameplay experience of the main game. It didn't in MK: DS, why would it on the Wii?

It's just that everyone is bitching about no online for the Wii yet and in doing so many seem to be putting online play on a pedestal.  LIke it would be so much better if we just had online play.  And like online play is this holy grail.  

Eh I think many are just setting themselves up for more disappointment.  

When online comes, folks will bitch what Nintendo didn't do, then folks will bitch about all the crappy online implentations on a per game basis, then bitch about patches/fixes that are needed and next you'll get tired of playing cheating, exploiting, smack-talking strangers.

Last your left  playing with a couple friends.  You'll find out soon you can't agree on the same game to get and when you do you won't be able to get together at the same time.  And if you ever do get together you'll have to type in all these odd codes and then you'll find out that lag kills the game anyway.  




All I'm saying is that online play is a mixed bag.  Everyone raves about Xbox Live, but have you played strangers on that service?  I quickly learned that what sounds so great on paper (standardized voip) is in practice something I could completely do without.  I was totally turned off from Xbox Live after a month or two of playing a bunch of punks.

To be fair, you can keep a lengthy acquaintence list though and you can overcome that.    Still that's a pain and really I don't want to chat with folks in games much.  Plus too many talk too much and you can't hear the sound effects or anything else.  IT's over-rated.  Hell I game to get away from people.  

Don't get me wrong I play online.  I love playing Battlefield 2 online on the pc.  

But most games I don't get into enough to continue the experience online.  

[Smash_Brother]

65

TalkBack / RE:EDITORIALS: The State of Nintendo Online

« on: February 11, 2007, 04:02:20 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
I've said it before: the reason I want to see Nintendo consoles online is because the prospect of Nintendo games with online features excites me far beyond your standard FPS/racing/sports fare.

Mario Kart, despite its failings, was still a lot of fun online. Same with Animal Crossing. Now, if we could get an online Battalion Wars, Fire Emblem, Wario Ware, SSBB, Mario Strikers, Pikmin vs. mode, etc., I think it's safe to say these games would be absolutely awesome.

The real reason to have an online mode in these games is to allow players to ALWAYS have some competent human opponents, even when their friends aren't around or they kick the piss out of their friends at that particular game. Online modes increase the replay value drastically, THAT'S the real reason to include an online mode: it's the biggest favor you can do your customers and if it uses friend codes, it doesn't cost much in the way of online services to do.

How many Wii games are sitting on your shelf right now which you'd be playing on a regular basis if you could ALWAYS have a skilled opponent to compete against?

How many GAMECUBE games are sitting on your shelf under the same pretense?

Yeah, but be careful what you wish for.  

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TalkBack / RE: EDITORIALS: The State of Nintendo Online

« on: February 10, 2007, 09:25:54 AM »

Am I the only that doesn't care about online with the Wii?

I guess I have a pc though and don't really expect much from Nintendo.  

Also I guess I picture all the quitters, bad online implementations, typical online lag and the cheaters and .... well it be mostly regulated to playing with a friend or two and not very often at that.  We'll see.

67

TalkBack / RE: REVIEWS: Wii Play

« on: February 09, 2007, 03:04:32 AM »

Somehow I think I'll enjoy it more than the 4.5 score indicates.    

 Nintendo should let you load these games into flash memory.

68

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Something that bugs me (about games on the Wii)

« on: February 07, 2007, 12:39:00 PM »

I just want 3rd parties to make some Wii exclusives to fill in the gaps that Nintendo leaves.  

That means online fps games, and western rpgs and stuff like that.  

I think the so-so Wii games will be ports with Wii controls.  And well I could without most of those.

69

TalkBack / RE: SPECIALS: Nintendo World Report's Greatest GameCube Games

« on: February 02, 2007, 10:38:13 AM »

Mostly great list overall and a very solid organized writeup.  

Games I would have put on the list:

Chibi-Robo

Jungle Beat

and maybe Burnout 2.  



 

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TalkBack / RE: SPECIALS: Nintendo World Report's Greatest GameCube Games

« on: January 30, 2007, 05:34:40 PM »

Rouge?  Eh I thought that game was dumb.  It had some good parts, but I remember it being a bit confusing at to what the hell you're supposed to do.  I played this before I got a 'Cube though.

Eternal Darkness?  Fun at first, but got old quick as the novelties wore off.  

animal crossing?  Nice concept, but just not my type of game.  I tried to play it for awhile, but I felt like a fool.  I can go in the kitchen and cook dinner or do laundry  and kill two birds with one stone - aka I can get work done and do the types of things that are in this game.  

Zelda:4 swords?  Practically speaking this game didn't quite hit the mark.  You guys putting this game on the list is the same type of mentality Nintendo had in releasing it.   Wishful thinking.   Oh and they should have sold this game for $20 to start with.

Super Mario Sunshine.  Never played SM64.  To  me this game just put a smile on your face.  The colors, the sytle, the controls,... It felt so relaxing.  And yeah the music on those abstract levels was killer and those levels were a blast.  Quite  a few throwaway levels, but overall just pure bliss.  I liked the dialouge alot too.  Good writing imo.

Pikmin - IN many ways I like it better than 2.  I think the challenge with the timer does it for me.  2 is good too though for the mp stuff especially.  The dungeons or caves not as good.  Another just pure enjoyable title.

Super Paper mario.  Fun one and good description there somewhere about it's strength being it's simplicity.  Personally I get turned off by games that think that they are more fun if they throw another 1000 spells, weapons and items into the mix.   To me you can't make that many items distinct in a game.  They all blur together.  I appreciated the this rpg and I appreciated that there was some skill to the battles which kept you on your toes.    

71

Nintendo Gaming / RE: FPS programmers lazy?

« on: January 29, 2007, 04:56:53 AM »

Monkey Wars has the best fps controls so far and it's 1 of 50 mini-games in Super Monkey Ball.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Wario Ware: Smooth Moves

« on: January 16, 2007, 03:03:04 PM »

Yeah got my copy today too.  So far it rocks.  

73

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Wiimote battery life?

« on: January 10, 2007, 03:25:14 AM »

The wiimotes eat batteries like no tomorrow.  I turned off rumble in hopes it would help and bought some extra rechargeables.  

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General Gaming / RE: Sony getting hit Hard lately

« on: January 08, 2007, 10:36:26 AM »

YEah i think you have to wait and see what happens once some games start to come out for it.   Not just that but BluRay movies too.  

Right now it's not attractive because of lack of games and any appeal Hi-Def DVDs will have is in its infancy.



 

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TalkBack / RE: REVIEWS: Rayman Raving Rabbids

« on: December 30, 2006, 12:23:36 PM »

I didn't find the game too interesting.  For all the funny rabbit stuff the gameplay is fairly pedestrian.  And yeah alot of games use the same mechanics.  I think I counted at least 6 games that have shaking the nunchuk and pointing the remote.