Messages

26

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Other M

« on: June 18, 2009, 10:45:39 AM »

There might be select boss battles that are completely handled in first-person 3-D. I imagine in those cases there could be either a cutscene or a "WARNING, WARNING" kinda thing where the camera transitions into Samus' helmet.

But wasn't there also a clip in the trailer that showed Samus running toward the screen (in 3rd-person, of course) as a boss chased after her? I suppose that's another way bosses could be handled - that is, with the camera focused on the boss while also allowing Samus to be seen.

27

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Stop making core games for the Wii!

« on: June 18, 2009, 10:39:59 AM »

With the classic controller and sideways-Wiimote setups, Nintendo is allowing plenty of flexibility in game design (and also a means of covering their posteriors in case the Wiimote failed). I imagine they not only want the Wii to be accessible to as wide a range of potential customers as possible, but also to as many game developers as possible. I can't say a variety of options seems to be a bad thing.

I agree that releases in the "previous gen games + waggle" style need to decrease in favor of games with more complex motion controls. Ningurl's post with Mario throwing a turtle shell has some great examples of this, and I think (hope) Motion Plus is what will get developers to that more complex motion-controlled kind of game.

It sounds like the advent of quality in-game physics engines will play a crucial role in this, too. Again, Ningurl's turtle shell post shows just how necessary it will be for accurate physics to be in place for more in-depth motion controls to be truly fun. I know Brawl used a physics engine, but what else on the Wii has? Though I am wondering if Wii's processing power can handle competent enough physics, I also ask that question because I simply don't know the answer. (Though, I suppose if the physics-reliant Half-Life 2 could make it to X-Box, something at least that complex should be fine on Wii.)

28

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Cursed Mountain

« on: June 18, 2009, 09:51:15 AM »

I'm impressed by some of those screens. While the Destructoid writer will play it for sure, it's still too bad that Shattered Memories is on the horizon. Hopefully this game still has a chance for reasonable success - that is, if it can muster some good scares and has worthwhile gameplay. I'm looking forward to finding out.

29

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Other M

« on: June 18, 2009, 09:43:32 AM »

Could Other M possibly do what Star Fox 64 did and have the gameplay open up into full 3D movement for boss fights?

I think the trailer already reveals hints of 3-D boss fights. It's definitely going to be interesting to see what the devs do with 2.5-D.

30

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Other M

« on: June 17, 2009, 06:31:23 PM »

I'm most interested in Metroid: Other M game because of how it appears to have 2-D gameplay.

When was the last time 2.5D was thrown around for a game?

A 2.5D Metroid has a lot of potential to both harken back to the classic Metroid formula, but also to expand it in new and exciting directions while still being in a similar vein to said classics.

Klonoa just came out and is 2.5-D, though it is a remake of a game from the 90s. At any rate, it did some interesting things with the added half-D, particularly branching paths that depend on depth (as opposed to just height and width like regular 2-D).

31

General Gaming / Re: Microsoft, Sony, and 3rd parties E3 2009 Conferences

« on: June 17, 2009, 09:37:33 AM »

We think that Sony's just started experimenting with this stuff, and Nintendo's already at least 2 years ahead of them, therefore the conference has beyond of them.


________________
education software

Yeah, seriously, the conference has way beyond of them. I have anticipation for interesting discourses being come from this posts.

32

Nintendo Gaming / Re: New Wii Zelda

« on: June 16, 2009, 10:32:14 AM »

Further quotes of interest from the Wired interview that IGN referenced (and BlackNMild2k1 posted elsewhere):

“The goal at this point is that we would make Wii MotionPlus required in order to play Zelda,” he said.

It’s reasonable to assume that Zelda’s use of MotionPlus might depend on how many of the devices Nintendo sells between now and the game’s far-off release date. But Miyamoto says that’s not actually the case.

“The bigger hurdle for us is not really whether people have a Wii MotionPlus or don’t have it, it’s whether or not the experience is one where people will think they want to have a Wii Motion Plus in order to experience it,” he said.

Miyamoto went on to say that the game is still in a rougher state of development, which is why Nintendo declined to show any of it at E3.

“The development of Zelda has been focused strictly on the gameplay structure at this point. We haven’t devoted much in the way of efforts to things like graphical representation, and story, and those types of production elements,” he said.

So much for my suspicions (hopes) about a living painting for the game world. Also, it looks like Ms. Pointy-head-sword-girl is mostly a gameplay mechanic at this point. Hmm...

The article concludes with Miyamoto guessing that the game will need to wait until 2011 for release to avoid previously unveiled "heavy hitters" Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M in 2010, though I'd expect the development hiccups and readjustments that seem inherent in a project like Zelda would push the game's release to 2011 anyway.

33

TalkBack / Re: Shigeru Miyamoto's E3 Roundtable Megaton thread; NEW ZELDA!!!!!!

« on: June 16, 2009, 10:21:09 AM »

feel free to transfer over what you feel is relevant to the conversation in that thread.
quote away...

Thanks!

34

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Virtual Console Mondays Thread

« on: June 16, 2009, 10:11:50 AM »

so you can use wii pointer in space harrier ??

That would be neat (and very Sin and Punishment 2-ish), but no, you cannot use the pointer.

35

General Gaming / Re: The Last Guardian

« on: June 15, 2009, 12:21:32 PM »

Nice.

Okay, all this talk has me getting a new avatar.  Woo!

Nice. I might join you as June, i.e. Reggie month, comes to an end...

36

TalkBack / Re: Shigeru Miyamoto's E3 Roundtable Megaton thread; NEW ZELDA!!!!!!

« on: June 15, 2009, 12:15:37 PM »

Has this been posted?

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/06/zelda-wii-motionplus/

Speaking exclusively to Wired.com, however, he said that he’s pushing the game’s developers to create a Zelda experience that requires the extra features.

“The goal at this point is that we would make Wii MotionPlus required in order to play Zelda,” he said.

It’s reasonable to assume that Zelda’s use of MotionPlus might depend on how many of the devices Nintendo sells between now and the game’s far-off release date. But Miyamoto says that’s not actually the case.

“The bigger hurdle for us is not really whether people have a Wii MotionPlus or don’t have it, it’s whether or not the experience is one where people will think they want to have a Wii Motion Plus in order to experience it,” he said.

more of the interview at the link above.

But it looks like Zelda Wii will most likely require M+, so hopefully that means that Nintendo will start bundling it in with the system.

Nice find. You should post this over in the new Zelda thread, too - especially for the quotes you pulled from it in a later post from this thread.

37

General Gaming / Re: The Last Guardian

« on: June 15, 2009, 12:11:05 PM »

That would pretty much blow my mind. 

And yeah, I'm guessing that the engine needed to compensate for objects as large as the colossi needs a lot of horsepower, which would be the root cause of the framerate issues.

I also had some control issues in SotC, I thought it was a bit clumsy at at times.  None of this broke the experience for me, it just wasn't present in Ico, which is why I was a bit disappointed.

Yeah, I was surprised by the amount of complexity and videogame-iness that was in SotC compared to ICO. Like you said, the controls were simple in ICO and the game felt very atmospheric and "pure." SotC added a lot of complexity with on-foot controls, Argo controls, and climbing/fighting colossi controls. Plus, there was the added time attack mode that I mentioned before (with unlockable items depending on how many you cleared). It felt much more gamey than its predecessor.

I love ICO, but I think when it comes down to it, I enjoyed SotC more. While it traded in some of ICO's simplicity and atmosphere, it overall felt like a more substantial and complete title to me (especially with its story and plot connection to ICO). To someone who hasn't played either of them, though, I'd recommend the more inviting ICO first.

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General Gaming / Re: The Last Guardian

« on: June 15, 2009, 11:54:25 AM »

Yep, frame rate.  That's always been one of my biggest pet peeves.  I'll take a lower poly count over low frame rate every time.  What confuses me is that there are so many other games on PS2 that don't have that problem whatsoever - take God of War for instance.

Maybe it's Argo's fault? I'm not sure what happened with SotC. It had a long development cycle, I believe. It doesn't strike me as being a title that was rushed for release. Perhaps the team just couldn't get the game to run any smoother with everything they had going on at once (AI; gigantic animations; lots of textures; probably some blooming effects, if I remember correctly; etc.).

What I don't expect but would be really fantastic is if Team ICO hid an optimized version of SotC in The Last Guardian. Considering Ueda said that previous game's systems were rebuilt for PS3, I imagine it would be a lot more work than a simple port.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Virtual Console Mondays Thread

« on: June 15, 2009, 11:40:27 AM »

Finally on the VC we have Space Harrier on the VCA, It costs 800 points.

?!?! Finally!

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General Gaming / Re: The Last Guardian

« on: June 15, 2009, 11:37:48 AM »

I need to replay SotC sometime soon, I've only played it once.  I remember being kind of frustrated with the limitations of the PS2 at the time.

I imagine you're mostly referencing the frame rate. For some reason, it just didn't bother me that much. I think Perfect Dark was worse, but I was fine with it, too, mostly. I guess being exposed to it a lot when I was a kid playing SNES and Genesis games helped with that?

Anyway, replaying SotC is a lot of fun, both for the awesome battles and that the story has a new extra layer of depth. I think you can unlock a challenging time attack mode, too, though I don't remember the exact requirements.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Let's Tap

« on: June 15, 2009, 10:17:46 AM »

Wicked. I shall soon add this game to my growing backlog.

42

General Gaming / Re: The Last Guardian

« on: June 15, 2009, 10:14:40 AM »

There was no connection between SotC and Ico until the very final shot of the ending, so...

You're right, and I think I remember reading somewhere that the connection to ICO wasn't planned until later in SotC's development. But once you've seen that final shot, you can find other connections with earlier elements in SotC's story (especially its whole end sequence). You have to work your imagination and, thus, there are few clear-cut connections beyond that final shot. But having to use your imagination, especially in a game like SotC (and ICO) is part of why I find Team ICO's games so memorable.

Guardian and MGS4 are two big reasons I want a PS3. Other than Rare stuff, most of the HD games I want are on both systems.

I agree. When and if Sony decreases the PS3's price, I may just get one, myself.

43

General Gaming / Re: The Last Guardian

« on: June 12, 2009, 09:53:00 AM »

Here's a link to an interview from IGN, which gives several interesting tidbits:

-The game's Japanese title is "Hito Kui no Oowashi Toriko" ("Toriko" can also be transcribed as "Trico"), or "The Giant Man-Eating Eagle Toriko."

-The idea of having a giant "eagle" companion has been at the center of the game's development from the beginning. It started as a means of putting a relationship like Wander and Argo's (from SotC) at the game's forefront.

-The eagle's animations are taken from dogs and cats, of course, but also monkeys and ducks. The creature was designed to look both natural and odd, but not too cute.

-The player won't have direct control over the eagle, but will be able to influence its behavior. An example given in the article is that the player can throw a barrel to a certain spot where s/he wants the hungry eagle to go.

-The AI of ICO and "collision schemes" of SotC have been rebuilt for the PS3. This is the first game from Team ICO to use a physics engine. This is illustrated in the trailer when the eagle eats a barrel thrown into its mouth; those are not canned animations, apparently.

-This last point wasn't actually addressed in the interview, but it's something I've noticed so far. There doesn't yet appear to be a direct connection between The Last Guardian and Team ICO's previous games. It's certainly possible, but aside from the game being introduced at Sony's conference as a part of a trilogy (and the lead boy looking similar to Ico), there's no real evidence supporting it.

44

Nintendo Gaming / Re: New Wii Zelda

« on: June 12, 2009, 09:14:07 AM »

might wanna fix your post before you go putting down peoples clearly stupid ideas

"Clearly stupid"? Buh? Hey I'm telling you, The Legend of DanceDance: Link's Dancewakening is going to be the shot in the arm that the series has been in need of for years.

45

General Gaming / Re: Sony's secret weapon is PS3 Slim... Jim?

« on: June 11, 2009, 09:32:11 AM »

I may just have to hunt down one of the old ones that has full PS2 backwards ciompatibility.

Hey, that's not a bad idea. Maybe by the time the Slim comes out (well, "if," technically), those older PS2-compatible models will be cheaper.

If anything they will become more expensive since PS2 owners would probably prefer to get rid of their PS2 system if they choose to get a PS3 but would want to keep their games.

Dang, you're probably right.

Well, what if I put my fingers in my ears and go, "LA LA LA LA LA LA LA"?

Wait, dang, I just read this using my eyes. Um...

Dang.

46

TalkBack / Re: PREVIEWS: Astro Boy: The Video Game

« on: June 11, 2009, 09:25:08 AM »

Arcadey side-scroller, eh? I'll be keeping an eye out for this one come October.

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General Chat / Re: Good News Everyone!

« on: June 10, 2009, 03:28:55 PM »

Wow, this is good news!

48

General Gaming / Re: Sony's secret weapon is PS3 Slim... Jim?

« on: June 10, 2009, 02:43:30 PM »

I may just have to hunt down one of the old ones that has full PS2 backwards ciompatibility.

Hey, that's not a bad idea. Maybe by the time the Slim comes out (well, "if," technically), those older PS2-compatible models will be cheaper.

49

General Gaming / Re: Sony's secret weapon is PS3 Slim... Jim?

« on: June 10, 2009, 02:36:27 PM »

PS3 Slim will be backwards compatible with most PS3 games!

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories confirmed for Wii!

« on: June 10, 2009, 02:24:25 PM »

Actually, on that subject there is one "reimagining" I'd like to see for this series, and it's something that was actually proposed by a character in Silent Hill 3: at one point in that game, your main character starts getting self-righteous with one of the more enigmatic characters in the game.  In response, he suddenly starts lecturing you on hypocrasy, asking how Heather can be so self-righteous considering all the brutal things she's done to so many "people" in the game.  Heather, shocked, asks him if he's talking about the monsters.  He just grinningly replies..."they look like monsters to you?"  Sadly, that idea gets dropped immediately after he asks it, but I always felt that was a fascinating idea for the series: that what you see as monsters in the game are actually other wanderers/lost souls just like you, and that Silent Hill alters your perception of them for its own twisted ends.

Now THAT would be an awesome idea for a Silent Hill game.

I really like that idea. I'm surprised none of the SH games have used it yet.