Messages

1251

Nintendo Gaming / RE's exclusitivity status

« on: April 13, 2003, 12:34:01 PM »

Yeah, I saw that rumor.

It said it was based off "internal rumblings" at Capcom about how RE wasn't pushing the GameCube to PS2-level popularity, and so RE wasn't selling as well and making them as much money as it could be.

But the "proof" they offered everywhere I saw it, was that *shock* Nintendo's agreement only went up to RE4, and that it was unveiled that the "Capcom 4" weren't GameCube exclusive.

We've all known that the RE deal only went up to RE4. One of the main reasons it came about was Shinji Mikami's dissatisfaction with the PS2. The PS2 might be dead for a year or two by the time RE4 comes out. But to hear these rumors, it sounds like they're saying that RE5 will be on the PS2 before Christmas. I'm sure Capcom and Mikami will rethink their stance in the next generation, but who says it'll be any different? Has Sony indicated anything about "learning their lesson" from what happened with the PS2? Hardly. I'd expect them to be more arrogant than ever when the PS3 rolls around.

And as for the "Capcom 4" (the "Capcom 5" included RE4), it was said that they're not exclusive. They have no contracts. Capcom just has/had no intention of making them anywhere else. But really, are Sony and Microsoft going to be pressuring Capcom for ports of them? Ever since day 1, it's been somewhat apparent that these games weren't going to be "system sellers", just average games, which are one thing that the GameCube needed more of.

The report said that we won't be getting as many exclusive games from Capcom anymore. But really, how many have we gotten? RE1 (a remake), RE Zero (a delayed N64 exclusive), and RE4 (upcoming). The Capcom 4. Megaman Battle Network. Am I missing any? That doesn't just cover our exclusive stuff. That's all of it.

Now how about the PS2? Devil May Cry (the "fresh" Resident Evil). Devil May Cry 2. Onimusha. Onimusha 2. Maximo. Breath of Fire. (Edit: And I can't forget about Megaman X7, since I mentioned Battle Network on the Cube.) That's just the stuff I can think of, off the top of my head. Wait, Sony's annoyed about not getting Resident Evil too? Well then, let's cast doubt on the RE series by working the "spinoffs" overtime and making RE Online and RE Survivor exclusive to the PS2. And we'll make the ports of RE2 and 3 on the GameCube really expensive while we delay Code Veronica, so it can't hurt the sales of the Players Choice budget version of the game on the PS2.

Seriously, if Capcom is annoyed internally that the GameCube isn't as big as the PS2, or that other developers haven't followed their lead to help make the GameCube as big as the PS2, they really need to look at themselves and the example they've been setting. Capcom's probably our biggest supporter. But they've been promoting the PS2 a lot harder.

If that's their idea of a "revolt" against Sony, it's a testament to how much of a stranglehold Sony has on the industry.  

[Marcus Arillius]

1252

General Chat / do you know or have you met anyone famous??

« on: April 11, 2003, 11:55:02 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Marcus Arillius
I'm kind of related to "Uncle Jesse" from full house, ya know John Stamos.  My cousin married his nephew.  We met him at the wedding.  He was nice.   Well, he doesn't really count as a celebrity, because, well, its full house.  I don't even know why I told you this.  I'm ashamed.

Dude, it's because you're saying it wrong.

You're related to Rebecca Romaijn-Stamos.

1253

TalkBack / Lieberman Talks Videogame Violence... Again

« on: April 10, 2003, 01:24:03 PM »

Thought #1 - Reads headline. "Hmmm. Lieberman is back in videogame news."

Thought #2 - "I hoped that the ratings system had gotten rid of him. Perhaps there's a fault with the ratings system (like stupid retailers selling DOA to 10-year-olds) that needs to be addressed. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt."

Thought #3 - "...uncover some link between social problems and videogames..." "...Grand Theft Auto III..." "...the game links violence with sex and rewards players for degrading and killing women..." "This is sick and indefensible," Oh great. He's being the morality police. Go take on pornography. Or kids in the schoolyard who swear. Don't go sticking obstructive rules onto my quirky-weird Japanese stuff just because of what Rockstar likes doing.

Thought #4 - "...we should know whether this is helping to nurture misogynistic views and behaviors among young boys..." Ooooh. It's back to the children again. Damn that GTA! How did it get away with an "E" rating? It was supposed to get an "M" to stop this kind of thing from happening! Oh wait. It did get an "M". Young boys aren't supposed to be able to play it, anymore than they're supposed to steal into their Dad's Playboy collection.

Though #5 - Go away Lieberman. Go away Leberman. Go away Lieberman. Damnit! How come don't I have telepathic powers! I blame Earthbound! Putting absurd ideas into my head!

1254

General Gaming / Another XBox price cut in the UK

« on: April 10, 2003, 12:05:20 PM »

From Computerandvideogames.com.

After another €50 drop, it's now €199.99 (or £129.99), which is the same as the GameCube's (official) European price.

It's obviously in response to European retailers forcing Nintendo's hand and giving the GameCube it's first price cut since it's launch (it did have one before the launch though), and seeing GameCube sales leap out ahead of even the PS2.

It's really a far cry from the XBox's €480 (£300) launch price. And it comes with free stuff too.

1255

Nintendo Gaming / GameCube oversells PS2 in the UK

« on: April 10, 2003, 02:53:10 AM »

Here's some news.

The XBox is now €199.99 (£129.99) in Europe.

That's the same price as the GameCube's official one. Which is still the same price that the GameCube launched at.


Like we didn't see this one coming. I guess Microsoft couldn't handle the GameCube sales generated by the unofficial price cuts. Being "#2" means a lot to them.

1256

TalkBack / Metroid Prime 2 Poll at Nintendo.com

« on: April 09, 2003, 08:50:58 PM »

A: More GBA-GCN connectivity - I love free stuff. Did anybody not like it that Retro put the original Metroid into Metroid Prime? Did anybody not like being able to play with the Fusion Suit? Extras are a great thing, with a lot of room for innovation. I like it when extras are cleverly hidden, but not almost impossible to find. The GBA is a vital part of good bonus features, IMO. Anything that has to do with Nintendo, from Pokemon cards to the Super Scope, should be able to join in the fun. Tell me you don't want the secret option of using a Super Scope with Metroid Prime 2 after a company like Nyco quietly makes a "SuperCube" adaptor to use old SNES controllers with the GameBoy Player.


B: Return to side scrolling viewpoint - Heck no! Metroid exists in both worlds right now. A "return" to one is an abandonment of the other. Metroid Prime and Fusion were both great, and deserve to continue.

"The poll says side-scrolling adventure, not 2D, funhats. They could very much give the game a 3D feel while keeping it a side-scroller, much like the...er, 2 1/2D of something like Mischief Makers, which is something of which the GBA is most certainly not capable." - NotRimmer

The poll asked if Metroid Prime should return to side-scrolling. Not if the next Metroid Fusion should take advantage of the GameCube's might. I think there's a difference in there. I hope Nintendo does too, or we'll lose something important.


C: Multiplayer - Dangerous idea. Metroid Prime was (and is) already in danger of being "typecast" as a "first person shooter", and if Nintendo and Metroid can't break that image, I'm afraid that the entire first-person medium will be hopelessly typecast. Doing "the natural FPS thing" and adding a multiplayer mode just seems wrong. They have to find another way to innovate.


D: Longer, more challenging adventure - I'm not fond of using extra "challenge" to increase the gameplay. Some people thrive when it gets tough, but others just turn off the power, and end up with a game that's essentially just a fraction of the size. You can easily turn a solid 20-hour game into a great 50-hour game for some people, and a useless 5-hour game for others. That's not a good thing. It's a tradeoff. I guess the better thing to do is give you a difficulty level, but you have to give people a reason to play the hard mode that doesn't take away from the rewards for playing the easy mode. For people who are willing to play without extra rewards, and just have challenge for the sake of challenge, a hard mode is fine, but they should give you the option of the hard mode right from the start. Don't make people spoil the game for themselves by having to breeze through the easy mode first. Longer is good (I like "epic" stuff), but whenever you ask for it you usually get and extra helping of "challenge" too (I mean, just look at this poll question), so I'm leery of asking for it.


If you can't guess, I voted for more GBA/GCN connectivity.

1257

General Chat / do you know or have you met anyone famous??

« on: April 09, 2003, 02:34:00 PM »

I saw Sergio Aragones (artist and co-writer of Groo) at a small comic convention here in Vancouver a couple years ago. He drew me a 3-second sketch of "lil-Groo" which I gave to my sister. The guy's amazing. He really can draw almost anything in a matter of seconds, and apparently gives these personalized sketches to any and every fan he meets. I also bumped into him a bit later in the lineup for the hot dog vendor. I was amazed to learn that he eats hot dogs. I don't know why that amazed me, but it did.

I got an autograph from Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson on Stargate SG-1) when they were filming across the street from my house.

I saw Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang from Smallville) at the same place (it's very popular) signing some autographs, but I didn't stop for one because I was on a form of autopilot and walked right past her. I figure if I wasn't on autopilot I would've forgotten to breath or someting equally embarrassing. I have to get her autograph next time!

Nicole deBoer (Ezri Dax of Star Trek DS9) was presumably filming The Dead Zone in that same spot, but I didn't know anything about The Dead Zone at the time, and didn't go see what they were up to.

1258

Nintendo Gaming / DVD GBA

« on: April 08, 2003, 05:18:42 PM »

The GBA has a maximum cart-size capability of 256 Megabit, which is the same size as Zelda 64, and one step shy of RE2-64's whopping 512 Megabit N64 cart.

256 Megabit is 32 Megabytes. Nowhere near one gig.


Although they don't mention that limitation in the GBA's specs on Nintendo's website anymore (they did since before the GBA launched), so maybe the GBA SP doesn't have that limitation

[Mingesium]

1259

Nintendo Gaming / TRSTS Sales Thread

« on: April 04, 2003, 10:48:53 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Mingesium
I don't have all the numbers, but I saw this in another forum.

(snip)

February Hardware Sales
PS2: 484,000 (+8% over January sales)
XBOX: 197,000 (+20%)
GCN: 164,000 (+103%)
GBA: 282,000 (+6%)

Cumulative Installed Base
PS2: 16,802,000
XBOX: 4,962,000
GCN: 3,828,000
GBA: 12,441,000

Let's do some quick math.

Nintendo just said GameCube hardware sales are up 20% (presumably meaning "March sales" compared to "February sales"), thanks to Zelda.

That would put it's sales at about... 197 thousand for March.

Interesting figure, isn't it?

1260

TalkBack / Nintendo Crushes In March

« on: April 04, 2003, 09:21:15 AM »

Quote
In the same period, sales rates for Nintendo GameCube hardware have jumped 20 percent.

This would be on top of their hardware sales having jumped 110% last month, wouldn't it?

1261

Nintendo Gaming / April Fool's Jokes taken a bit too...

« on: April 03, 2003, 11:30:46 AM »

Working Designs translated their entire website into Arabic, and claimed that it had been "hijacked" by Muslim terrorists, and whenever you tried to do anything, a swirly-eyed militant leader would redirect you to Al-Jazera.com.

I think it was very well done and a number of people thought it was funny, but the general feeling was that WD shouldn't have given any attention or control over their joke to Al-Jazera.com, which was a real website.

People were just visiting their favorite website, getting to enjoy a pretty funny April Fools Day joke, and then getting to see disturbing Iraqi propaganda pictures of little babies bleeding from head wounds.

1262

Nintendo Gaming / Proper Chronology for Metroid / Samus?

« on: April 03, 2003, 11:16:44 AM »

I didn't answer that one because I wasn't sure how to answer it.

Something like that can only be said at some point when she thought the Metroids were all gone for good. Metroid Prime tosses a monkeywrench into it.

Unless she was just talking about SR-388.

Something like "I went to SR-388 and wiped out all the Metroids (on SR-388)."

1263

Nintendo Gaming / Proper Chronology for Metroid / Samus?

« on: April 02, 2003, 10:16:09 PM »

"Going by what you are saying then why would she need to mention Metroid Prime. It doesn't have anything to do with the hatchling whether it takes place before or after Metroid II."

It's the specific wording. She's talking about the Hatchling in that log entry, so she doesn't have to cover everything that's happened to her recently, but she does specifically say that the first place she fought Metroids was Zebes, and the second was SR-388.

Now after Metroid Prime, the first place she fought Metroids was Zebes, and the third was SR-388.


Actually, now that I think about it, if Metroid Prime 2 were to take place right after Metroid Prime, and involve something about Samus contracting some sort of short term amniesia...

1264

Nintendo Gaming / Proper Chronology for Metroid / Samus?

« on: April 02, 2003, 08:16:56 PM »

"Well, guess what if Metroid Prime took place after Metroid II that little opening intro would have still been messed up wouldn't it."

Nope. I mentioned this earlier in the thread. Samus's "log" (for lack of a better word) at the start of Super Metroid wasn't a complete battle record. It was a very short history of her experience with Metroids and the Metroid Hatchling in her posession.

She says she first fought the Metroids on Zebes, and next fought them on SR-388, where she picked up the baby Metroid. She seems to be just talking about the story of the baby Metroid, so she doesn't need to talk about anything that happened after she found it (until she did something noteworthy with it, at Ceres), but the way it was worded eliminated the option of Metroid Prime (unless MP didn't have any Metroids in it, but it did).

The idea that her trip to Ceres was "immediate" only exists in our heads (I used to think it was immediate too), like the stuff we've all imagined about Samus's personality.


"She didn't leave without finishing the job."

The Galactic Federation sent a science ship to SR-388, and they caught a Metroid. The Space Pirates stole it.

After Samus dealt with the Space Pirates, the Feds sent another science vessel to SR-388 and never heard from it again.

The Feds then sent a rescue ship to SR-388, and it was lost too.

Then the Feds sent the military into SR-388, and they were all wiped out.

The Feds decided that Metroids were too dangerous to exist, and asked Samus to exterminate every last one of them.

They didn't ask Samus to escort a science team, or bring back samples, or anything like that. Her mission was to wipe out everything. Any way you cut it, she dropped her mission (which would be her option, as a bounty hunter, not a soldier). Either she switched to the dangerous plan midway-through (against the direct wishes of the Galactic Federation) to make a couple scientists happy, or she spared a life first (and took it into her protection, because she knew the Feds would send someone else to finish the job if she didn't) and made some scientists happy as a secondary afterthought.


"To quote you, "You're making assumptions about her character. Ones I (for one) don't agree with." Your entire post there is about personal opinions that exist only in your head. They weren't stated any where in the games so how does it make your assumptions about her character better than mine. Hell, I wasn't even making assumptions. I was only going by what's in the games."

My assumptions aren't more valid than yours. But you said that there can't be any time between Metroid 2 and Super Metroid, and that my therory on how it could (which dealt with Samus's personality and motivations) was wrong.


"Hahaha... My point was is that you can't put another game between Metroid II and Super Metroid because we know of Samus whereabouts during that time."

Oh, okay. I thought you were using the "How can there be Metroids if they were all killed in Metroid 2?" thing. My bad. You're talking about the time between Metroid 2 and Super Metroid.


"Umm, when did I say that we need Metroid on SR388 to get metroids? NEVER. In fact Metroid Prime addresses that whole idea because the pirates had extra metroids that they had on space ships and stuff. Samus wasn't aware of this till sometime after she landed on Tallon IV.

Yeah. That was what I thought you were getting wrong.


"However it's obvious from Super Metroid that the space pirates no longer had a personal supply of metroids and since SR388 didn't have any that's why they had to steal the hatchling."

Not neccassarily. They could have stolen it because they wanted to keep information about the Metroids (the Space Pirates potentially ultimate weapons) and their possible weaknesses out of Galactic Federation hands.


Here's the basics of what I'm trying to say.

1: Retro made a fantastic game in Metroid Prime, but they made at least one plot hole by putting it exactly where they did in the Metroid timeline (between 1 and 2).

2: Looking carefully at the starting of Super Metroid, I think there could be an opening for at least one adventure between Metroids 1 and 2, but not if they involve Metroids in it.

3: There could be an opening for a game with Metroids between Metroid 2 and 3, but only if they expand the timeframe beyond what most of us have assumed, and make some not-unreasonable clarifications to Samus's motivations and priorities. The adventure can't have anything to do with the Metroid Hatchling Samus got at the end of Metroid 2.

4: I wonder what would happen to the Fusion-Suit Samus of Metroid 4 if she were exposed to Beta rays?

5: Random picture of Manga Samus!

[first]

1265

Nintendo Gaming / Proper Chronology for Metroid / Samus?

« on: April 02, 2003, 02:01:18 PM »

"FLAW: If Samus wiped out all the aliens in Metroid 2... except for that baby... how come she found Metroids in Metroid Prime? That means she discovered the Metroid Prime planet *before* she killed all the Metroids... before Metroid 2."

Space Pirates are capable of space travel. Therefore they are capable of trasporting cargo from one hidden base to another.

The Space Pirates apparently stole one single Metroid from the original SR-388 research team. It multiplied when exposed to Beta rays. Now the Space Pirates had a limitless supply of them. There was no need for them to ever get more of them from SR-388 as long as even one of them survived in Space Pirate hands somewhere. I figure Samus's mission to SR-388 was completely unrelated to the Space Pirates, who probably didn't even care what happened to SR-388.

Look at it this way, Samus wiped out Ridley on Zebes in the original Metroid. So how can the Space Pirates on Tallon IV have a re-built version of him in Metroid Prime?


"I really don't see any argument for putting Metroid Prime after Metroid II and don't understand why people are determined to say that's where it goes."

Nobody's saying that's where it goes. I'm saying that there was a better opening for it there.


"What's the point? It really doesn't matter where it goes actually it's just that it makes more sense and is easier to put it after Metroid not after Metroid II. I mean what the hell is the problem with putting Prime directly after Metroid anyway?"

Super Metroid (which you even said laid out the storyline nice and clearly) says that no encounter between Samus and Metroids can exist between Metroids 1 and 2. "The first time I battled Metroids was on Zebes. The next time was on their homeworld, where I wiped them out."


"The fact of the matter is is that there is no problem with putting it there while there is a problem with putting it after Metroid II or any other game for that matter which is why your guy's argument makes no sense. Hell, you don't even have an argument."

Did you read my earlier posts? Oh well, I'm repeating myself a bit here, so you don't really have to.


Just get over what ever you guys are hung up about and except the FACT that Metroid Prime happens between Metroid and Metroid II.

Quote
Originally posted by: ruby_onix
I'm speculating that Samus could have kept the Hatchling around for a while before turning it over for research. I mean, she did violate her mission objective (and probably didn't get paid) because she let it live.

I have to completely disagree with all of that. First of all whether or not she wouldn't have gotten paid she wouldn't have been irresponsible and just ran around the galaxy with something that is a galactic threat. She would have and did in fact take it immediately to the space station."

You're making assumptions about her character. Ones I (for one) don't agree with. And regardless, her unwritten personality is easier to change than her written logs in Super Metroid.


"Also I doubt she wouldn't have gotten paid. For one thing she didn't fail her mission. It's just that instead of destroying the last Metroid she just packed it up and took it with her. It could still be destroyed at any time. Also I'm sure that she was probably paid even more for bringing back a live test subject. I can't imagine that the scientist were upset over that. Scientist: "Samus we are very upset that you brought us the very last metroid so we could study the thing. Something that as scientist we would absolutely love to do. It's also something no one else could do because it was far to dangerous. Because of this we aren't paying you." Yeah that makes a lot of sense."

She didn't "fail" her mission exactly, but she did abandon it. The Galactic Federation decided that the Metroids were too dangerous to exist, and hired Samus to wipe them out. She killed a bunch of Metroids, then left the planet without finishing the job.

You seem to think she did that because she saw a "containable" Metroid, and compromised her entire mission because she realized it was worth more alive.

I think she couldn't finish her mission because she's not a baby-killer. She realized her mission was wrong. This Metroid thought Samus was it's mother, and she couldn't betray it.

Saving the life of one baby Metroid was an atonement for her genocide, and I think it's possible that it could have taken a while for the Galactic Federation to convince Samus that the Metroid would be safe and well-treated with them, before she handed it over.

And BTW, it wasn't reckless and irresponsible of her to keep it. She's proved a number of times that she's the only one who can handle them. Perhaps she had to wait a few months for them to construct a proper containment facility?


"Finally I doubt Retro ever planned on placing Metroid Prime after Metroid II. From playing Metroid Prime I can tell they are fanatics about the series and would have known from the beginning that trying to squeeze a game between Metroid II and Metroid Prime would not have worked not to mention would have been stupid."

Because the Space Pirates aren't cabable of transporting Metroids through space, so they alway need to get fresh ones from SR-388. I get it now. Wait, if SR-388 is another planet...


"I'm sure that as they were coming up with the story that they planned on making it a sequel to Metroid. Also could you actually explain to all of us why Metroid Prime would have been better if it happened after Metroid II instead of just saying it would."

Because putting it before Metroid 2 made a plot hole. Super Metroid didn't just forget to mention Metroid Prime, they ruled it out. Now people have to either ignore a "flaw" in Super Metroid's story, or one in Metroid Prime's. That cheapens the entire Metroid storyline.

Especially since I can see a better opening for a game after Metroid 2, due to some potential extra time (nobody is saying it is there, but it could have been if Retro wrote it that way), and the fact that the Space Pirates and the planet SR-388 are seperate issues. The Space Pirates don't need to get Metroids from SR-388. They already have them. What, do people think that there will never be any more Metroids in any future Mertoid games? Ever? If the Space Pirates can come back, so can the Metroids.

And it wouldn't have affected Metroid Prime at all to have put it after Metroid 2. All they would need is maybe one Pirate Data note mentioning that "It appears as if the Galactic Federation has cut off the Metroid source at SR-388, so all reasearch teams should be cautious not to exhaust their supplies."  

1266

Nintendo Gaming / Proper Chronology for Metroid / Samus?

« on: April 01, 2003, 02:02:53 PM »

Little baby Metroids are cuter than patriotism.

If they weren't, Samus would have let the player fulfill their duty and eliminate the little bugger the instant they saw him/her/it.  

1267

Nintendo Gaming / Proper Chronology for Metroid / Samus?

« on: April 01, 2003, 12:21:37 PM »

"Odd, I've never seen Super Metroid called Metroid 3, and the only reason Metroid Fusion was called Metroid 4 originally was because it was, at the time, the 4th Metroid game in development. Numbering Metroid games, besides Return of Samus, is like calling Ocarina of Time Zelda 5."

"Don't know about Metroid Fusion, but the second or third screen on Super Metroid's intro. sequence (before you even start the game) actually has the name Metroid 3 on it. So, someone can validly call Super Metroid by the name Metroid 3, althought not many people do."


I think a good analogy for it is Star Wars.

If you look at the cover of The Empire Strikes Back, it doesn't say that it's Episode 5 (or ever Star Wars, for that matter) on the cover, but we all know that it's full name is "Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" and the original movie was "Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope".

It doesn't really matter that the only ones to use the episode numbers on their covers and stuff have been Episodes 1 and 2.


When dealing with continuity, I think it's clearer to make sure that the complete names and numbers are mentioned.

[first]

1268

Nintendo Gaming / Proper Chronology for Metroid / Samus?

« on: April 01, 2003, 11:43:42 AM »

"There was no Norfair or Brinstar on Talon IV."

You're right... I don't know how that got into my head. I think I was drooling over the graphics a bit too much while playing Metroid Prime.


Anyways, I started up Super Metroid earlier, and I think it rules out the possibility of Metroid Prime happening before Metroid 2. But doesn't rule it out from happening after Metroid 2.

It opens with (presumably) Samus saying "The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace."

They don't say when that was said, but that can only be said sometime after Metroid 2, and I don't see how anyone could say that after Metroid Prime. But, on to another point.

Next we get to read some sort of computer log written by Samus, and it says (not an exact quote) "I first fought Metroids on the planet Zebes, where I beat up a bunch of Space Pirates. I next fought them on their homeword, SR-388," (with no mention of Tallon IV) where I wiped them all out except for one larva which decided to follow me around like a confused child."

Now she wouldn't have to mention Metroid Prime at this point, because she introduced the hatchling, which is what she's obviously talking about in this log, not her battle record.

"I brought the Metroid to the Galactic Federation Research Station 'Ceres' so scientists could study it" (note that she doesn't say "immediately" or anything like that) "and hadn't gotten out past the asteriod belt before I heard a distress call from Ceres and turned back."

I'm speculating that Samus could have kept the Hatchling around for a while before turning it over for research. I mean, she did violate her mission objective (and probably didn't get paid) because she let it live. Would there have been something terribly wrong about being able to look inside your ship's windshield during Metroid Prime, and seeing a little Metroid happily bouncing off the walls?

And the presence of Space Pirate-controlled Metroids in a game doesn't mean it must come before the extermination of the Metroids on SR-388, because it's obvious that the extermination of the Space Pirates themselves and their secret Metroid tests was (and probably always will be) incomplete.

I think it's just that Retro put Metroids into Metroid Prime because they wanted to, and some people asked "How can there be Metroids in this game if they were all exterminated in Metroid 2?" and Retro said "I dunno. We can just put Prime before Metroid 2 if that makes you happy."

Metroid Prime's official place seems to be before Metroid 2, but I just think it would have worked better after it.  

[Spoilers for anything you could see in the openings of any of the games]

1269

Nintendo Gaming / Proper Chronology for Metroid / Samus?

« on: April 01, 2003, 12:43:56 AM »

Spoilers for anything you could see in the openings of any of the games


Metroid - A survey team discovers the Metroids, but Space Pirates steal the Metroids for use as bio-weapons, so Samus Aran (a bounty hunter) is brought in to track the Pirates to their base on Zebes, eliminate the base, eliminate the Metroids, and eliminate the Space Pirates (and Mother Brain, their leader).

Metroid 2: The Return of Samus - Samus is sent to the planet SR-388 to wipe out the Metroids. Ends up not killing "the last of the Metroids" a newly-hatched baby that seemed to think Samus was it's mother.

Metroid 3: Super Metroid - Samus gives up her baby/pet Metroid to some scientists for reasearch. The revived/rebuilt/twin-brother/clone Ridley steals the Hatchling, and runs off to a newly-rebuilt base on Zebes. Everything dies (except for a few weird animal-critters who know how to fly their own spaceship), and Samus even blows up the planet Zebes for good measure.

Metroid 4: Metroid Fusion - As a result of the massive ecosystem damage Samus unleashed on SR-388 by wiping out the Metroids, a parasitic form of energy dubbed "X" (which used to be simple food for the energy-absorbing Metroids) is unleashed. It can corrupt the living and re-animate the dead, just for starters. Samus and her semi-organic Power Suit are corrupted, but saved thanks to some of the Hatchling's DNA, and turned into a sort of X-absorbing Metroid/Human/Chozo hybrid.

Metroid Prime - Shoehorned somewhere in-between Metroid and Metroid 3. Space Pirates attack a space station, leading Samus to learn of, and bust up, another Space Pirate base on Tallon IV (which apparently isn't Zebes, even though they share some of the same area names, like Brinstar and Norfair). I think it's technically supposed fit in before Metroid 2, but I don't think it really matters. Samus supposedly learns of the rebuilt Zebes base in this one (I don't remember everything I visor-scanned), but that doesn't explain why she didn't do anything about them until after the Hatchling was kidnapped in Metroid 3, or why anyone thought wiping out the (planet-bound) Metroids on SR-388 would do any good, when she found plenty of evidence in Metroid Prime that the Space Pirates weren't wiped out, and that they still had plenty of Metroid test subjects remaining, presumably at secret bases all over the galaxy. Or why she thought the Hatchling was "the last Metriod". Of course, Samus is a bounty hunter, and does things when she's paid to do them. And she gets her orders from politicians, who aren't always that bright, especially in works of fiction. IMO, that "last Metriod" bit is just a plot hole coming from the shoehorning of this game into the timeline. But it wouldn't be there if Metroid Prime took place after Metroid 2.

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NWR Feedback / What do the blue folders mean?

« on: March 30, 2003, 06:28:09 PM »

Near as I can tell, the blue folders indicate new posts since the last time you saw the main "forums" page, but if you spend half an hour on the boards one day and read some new posts as they arrive, it'll still call them "new" tomorrow because they arrived after your last log-in.

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Nintendo Gaming / GameCube oversells PS2 in the UK

« on: March 26, 2003, 11:59:47 AM »

"According to Computer and Videogames the reason the Gamecube sold so well last week was likely because of stores slashing the price to clear them out. That isn't exactly something to cheer about."

It hasn't stopped Microsoft from doing it on a monthly basis.


"I imagine this won't last long. The stores that slashed prices will likely either keep the prices low and clear out their stock or they'll decide it is profitable and raise the price back up which will kill some of the appeal. Either way the "buzz" will die down. Stores can't sell cheap Cubes forever."

Or Nintendo will realize that they need an official European price drop if they want to compete with companies like Microsoft.


The XBox and the GameCube were 480 Euros (£300) and 250 Euros (£155) respectively at the XBox's launch, weeks before the GameCube's launch.

Then, just days before the GameCube launched, Microsoft slashed a massive 180 Euros off the price of the XBox, making it 300 Euros (£199).

Nintendo responded with a 50 Euro GameCube price cut, and launched at 200 Euros (£129). At launch, the GameCube immediately took over the number 2 spot in Europe, and a lot of people were saying Microsoft was going to have a repeat of their Japanese performance in Europe.

Then Microsoft launched their "two free Sega games" thing in Europe. XBox sales picked up. Microsoft started claiming they had retaken the number 2 spot in Europe.

Nintendo started mucking around with the idea of "bundles" to give you a discount on a game if you buy the system, and maybe one free game, while Microsoft added another two games to their free game giveaway.

Before last Christmas the XBox dropped another 50 Euros, to 250 Euros (£159). For some unknown reason, they has a strong Christmas after that. Now Microsoft started claiming that their European lead was so great that, combined with their American lead, it outweighed their Japanese failure.

Then Dixons decided to sell their GameCubes for £100 (150 Euros), since it wasn't moving much at 200 Euros (£129), and said that they'd stop carrying the GameCube if this didn't generate more sales (which it's been doing).

Then Argos decided that they they'd be left out in the cold if they were still hanging on to the MSRP, so they broke it, and decided to go one further and undercut Dixons with an £80 (120 Euro) price.

(By the way, for a frame of reference, a Euro is worth about as much as an American dollar, and last I checked, a GameCube with Metroid Prime was selling for $150 American over here)

IMO, Nintendo of Europe needs to lower the MSRP to get things back under control. If they had followed Dixon's lead and cut the MSRP by 50 Euro, they wouldn't be having to deal with an 80 Euro price cut from Argos.

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Nintendo Gaming / Metal Gear Solid 3... Gamecube EXCLUSIVE!?

« on: March 24, 2003, 06:46:44 PM »

Maybe someone meant that it's 4 Metal Gear games coming exclusively to the Cube.

(Meaning remakes of Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, and Metal Gear Solid 2.)

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TalkBack / More GameCube Price Cuts in the UK

« on: March 24, 2003, 01:17:02 PM »

Just a note, even though this is the second group to cut the GameCube's price on their own accord in Europe, technically the GameCube hasn't even had one official price cut since it's launch in Europe.

It had a 50 Euro price cut before it's 200 Euro (£129) launch, in response to a major 180 Euro price slashing on the XBox (making it's price 300 Euros, or £199).

P.S. The XBox in Europe has also had it's own 50 Euro price cut before last Christmas (making it 250 Euros, or £159), and has been on the leading edge of the newly-reborn idea of giving away free games with the system.

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TalkBack / Link Soul Calibur 2 Commercial

« on: March 20, 2003, 03:11:45 PM »

Did anyone else notice the "downward thrust" attacks?

Very Zelda 2.

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TalkBack / Industry Giants Behind UGE 2003

« on: March 20, 2003, 01:49:42 PM »

Well, there were only really two "decisions" that could've been affected by this.

1: Staying away from the early PSX. (Although that decision was sort of made for them.)

2: Not giving the Dreamcast a chance. (A lot of companes felt "burned" by Sega's hardware decisions and shyed away from them at one time or another. Just with WD it may have had more to do with knowing the people behind the decisions.)


Anyways, here are some links I found.

Here's an interview with Victor Ireland (the president of Working Designs) where he mentions Arc 1 and "the Stolar regime".

Here's a message board thread where Vic calls Bernie Stolar a hobo.

And here's another thread where he says he has "fewer bad feelings" toward Peter Moore (the Sega president who cancelled the Dreamcast and sold out Shenmue 2 to Microsoft) than he does toward Stolar.


Anyways, I'm not sure how serious it is. I kind of figure that Bernie Stolar is a guy Working Designs loves to hate.