Messages

1

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Ridge Racer?

« on: January 20, 2004, 02:07:00 PM »

Not only am I a huge Ridge Racer fan, but I'm also a big Namco fan in general.

It almost killed me when I was told not to buy any games before Christmas. R: Racing came out and I let everyone within shouting distance know that it was the game at the top of my list.

I did get it for Christmas and it wasn't long before I was playing it. It took very little time to complete the main mode. It's FAR too easy. I then turned to the other modes......and found them to be such a breeze that by the next day I was bored with the game. Trade-in fodder to say the least. I'm glad I didn't pay for it with my own money. Easily what I'd call one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

The aliasing in the game hurts. REALLY bad flickering everywhere. No excuses for that. I'd hate to see it on a PS2. Shame on Namco.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:gamecube gameboy player

« on: January 20, 2004, 01:55:32 PM »

The greatest thing IMO about the Gameboy Player is the number of RPGs that it brought to the "GameCube library". I've been playing so many of them that I still haven't even started Golden Sun 2 or Shining Soul yet....and I bought those months ago.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:What are the extra ports on the bottom of the GCN?

« on: January 20, 2004, 01:48:39 PM »

It's just there to give you something to ponder over while you wait for Crystal Chronicles to arrive.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Is Animal crossing for everyone?

« on: January 20, 2004, 01:46:17 PM »

LOL

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Is Animal crossing for everyone?

« on: January 20, 2004, 01:41:36 PM »

Animal Crossing is one of those games where you get exactly as much OUT of it as you put INTO it. The game is addictive, especially if you're a "collecting" type of person in RL.

The characters are memorable.....especially when they lie to your face, insult you or are pissed off, there's TONS to do and the coolest reason to turn it on every day is to see what changes happened in the world while you were gone.

Alas, after a while it does get tedious, but hey, for $30 it's awesome while it lasts....and you get a free memory card in with the deal!!!

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Gamecubes Graphics

« on: January 20, 2004, 01:31:10 PM »

If you took an informal poll, most people would agree that the PS2 is the weakest system. Sure.......check out Jak n Daxter or FF10. Not so weak after all.

There are game developers out there that can't do jack with the most powerful hardware and then there are developers that can work magic with less powerful hardware. It all comes down to the skill of the individual developer.

I like the PS2 answer "graphics don't matter". To a certain point, okay, but how many times have I heard THAT over the years? I've played a lot of video games and while I appreciate a good story as much as the next guy, even after playing 12 hours a day every day, I'm still a graphics whore.

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General Gaming / RE:N64 worse than GC...but better?

« on: January 18, 2004, 02:02:29 AM »

I think that the thing that makes the N64 amazing for me, is all of those games by Rare. They blew every other N64 developer away. The launch of a game by Rare was an event. Opening the box and starting the game was something to be savored. Those opening cutscenes made you go "wow" every time.

I got so caught up in multi consoles at the time that I still haven't finished Conker, now that I think about it. I still have to go fight the poo boss. Actually.....I haven't played Banjo Tooie yet, either. Time to hunt for a copy with box and instruction book.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Mario Kart Discussion (TALK ABOUT MARIO KART HERE)

« on: January 18, 2004, 01:39:20 AM »

*hands thread a blankie, a teddy and a soother*

Games get old fast. Talk to any retailer about all of the dated games on their walls and how they can't get rid of them. And unlike other retail businesses, you can't send unsold product back to the supplier for credit. Time to unsticky it for sure.

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General Gaming / RE:N64 worse than GC...but better?

« on: January 17, 2004, 04:02:22 PM »

My favorite system of all time IS the N64. It was such a fun system. I collect all of the various peripherals and limited edition consoles and their boxes. My Pokemon Pikachu console started to give up the ghost this afternoon. Time to perform some surgery.

I just bought a mint complete copy of Diddy Kong Racing this afternoon. I never did beat Wiz Pig on his rocket the first time I owned it. This time he's going down! I just turned the console off after playing a few hours of the original Quake 64. It's still fun.

There was so much that I liked about the 64 from the get-go. Indestructible cartridge format, a console with no moving parts, 4 controller ports, a comfortable controller and the freakiest texturing around. All soft and smooth with square edges everywhere. It was a mutant at 64 bits. The expansion pak was a Godsend. From the moment I went to a friend's house on launch day and saw Mario running around in 3-d, I was hooked.

Nicest thing? You can get used games and memory cards everywhere for next to nothing. One gamer's old crap is another gamer's treasure. Next on my list is another copy of Goldeneye. The 64 collection grows.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:A collection of Evidence on Gamecube's success

« on: January 17, 2004, 03:26:29 PM »

I used to work with all 3 systems. I played Cube, XboX and PS2 every day since their launches and got to know all 3 consoles VERY well. I was playing a PS2 before half of you guys even saw your first picture of one.

When I decided that it was time to leave the industry, guess which system I just couldn't bear to part with? My Cube.

Wanna know why? The Cube...IMO....has THE biggest variety of TYPES of games. The other two consoles tended to be a bit "niched". The XboX was largely a "shooter" system seconded by some killer racers. The PS2 started to go all "hoodlum-ish" with some fine rpgs backing it up. The Cube didn't have much of any particular genre....but it had a bit of everything....and those killer first party titles, which are pretty hard to ignore. When I worked, I played whatever new game on the appropriate system. When I played a game "for me" it was usually a Cube game. (9 times out of 10 it was PSO....lol)

Once again...IMO...but a fairly experienced one, I can tell you that all 3 consoles are strong successes, each in their own way with their own strengths and weaknesses. Gamers who are fortunate enough to own all 3 consoles don't bother worrying whether their choice of system is a good one. If you only own one system, stop worrying. Stop worrying about the sales charts. Whatever you chose to buy, it's a good one.  

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Gettin' Cube...finally! (Official "What game should I get?" Thread)

« on: January 17, 2004, 02:53:03 PM »

Need For Speed Underground is one of those rare games that come along where you just CAN'T stop playing it.........and all the while you play it you're calling it a ripoff, unfair, waste of money, pile of crap and want to take it back for a refund.

The game gets DARNED hard.....and that's on easy with an experienced race-gamer. I know that it sold huge, but I'll wager that it sits on MOST gamer's shelves unfinished. It's a b*tch, plain and simple. I finished it in one sitting, since I'm a tuner fan in RL.....but the game wasn't fun, it was a chore, and I'll never touch it ever again.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:A collection of Evidence on Gamecube's success

« on: January 16, 2004, 07:37:36 PM »

And the funny thing is.....that it shouldn't matter whether the Cube is or isn't a success to anyone but the beancounters at Nintendo. Many people bought them and like them. Just the fact that there are people that are passionate enough about the Cube to post on forums like these is proof that it is a success.

Don't worry about the console war crap and who's outselling who. It'll just drag you down or make you worried. Enjoy your Cube for the reasons that you like it.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Gettin' Cube...finally! (Official "What game should I get?" Thread)

« on: January 16, 2004, 07:22:01 PM »

WilliamMom......Nintendo Power magazine is a great way to keep up with what's going on each month. It's 100% Nintendo content, unlike other magazines. You can buy it anywhere that carries a good selection. They feature tips and strategy, hints and codes and previews of upcoming games.

Try the game Wario World. For family fun try either Mario Golf or Beach Spikers Volleyball (don't worry about the cover art, there's nothing suggestive in the game....and it's VERY easy to play. One button). There's also Luigi's Mansion or Mickey's Magical Mirror. The others have mentioned Animal Crossing and Pikmin. It's incredible.

Skies Of Arcadia. One of my personal favorites. But your kids are younger. It's more for an experienced gamer. As far as the RTS stuff (Real Time Strategy) like what Age Of Empires is, you won't find any of that sort of game on the Cube. It would be nice, but not the right market.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Gettin' Cube...finally! (Official "What game should I get?" Thread)

« on: January 16, 2004, 03:39:14 AM »

Hey Mario....what does Res Evil have on Playstation that GameCube doesn't?

History.

The reason that I recommended playing the PSX version FIRST is so that he could experience what freaked the gaming community out "back in the day". To get an understanding of WHY the game was so huge. Graphics ain't everything....but what this game showed on a 32-bit system was revolutionary.

After that...yep, grab the Cube version and freak over the opening CG and insane lighting effects. It's fun to compare where we were and how far we've come. Cube RE is still probably the best damned lighting I've seen in a next gen console game.

Rogue Ops......the games have a reputation of not really being that "buttoned up". They're okay as a weekend boredom rental.....but you might not want to spend the bux to buy them IMO.

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TalkBack / RE:More on 2003 Sales

« on: January 16, 2004, 03:21:11 AM »

One thing that you can't forget. Video gaming may be your own hobby or recreational pastime, but it's also big business. If you were a game developer you'd want to put your product where it will do the numbers. With it's massive install base, you can't blame 'em for going PS2 first. It's an old system, it's overpriced......but it still sells huge.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:OFFICIAL Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes Discussion

« on: January 14, 2004, 04:06:23 PM »

Yep....that's sorta what I'm saying. I was too harsh on it and would really like to finish it. You'll never hear me argue that it isn't a great game. A bazillion gamers can't be wrong. You work in this industry and you get picky and overly critical, trust me. Silly, really.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Gettin' Cube...finally! (Official "What game should I get?" Thread)

« on: January 14, 2004, 03:58:06 PM »

I should also add that if you want to do them "in order" then you would play the newer Zero game first.

Don't ruin it for yourself. Play the Playstation version and see what caused all of the hype. It's phenomenal.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Gettin' Cube...finally! (Official "What game should I get?" Thread)

« on: January 14, 2004, 03:53:07 PM »

For absolute SURE do the first one first. What I recommend, if possible, is to find the original and play it on a Playstation. You'll get to experience the version that made survival-horror addicts out of thousands of gamers. It's one of the most influentially important games in gaming history.

After that, buy the remake for your Cube.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Final Fantasy CC publisher?

« on: January 13, 2004, 10:46:28 PM »

If you go to any Walmart they'll most likely have 50 million copies. Stores like Best Buy and EB simply don't order enough, that's why they're always "sold out". They err on the side of "sell-through quantity" which is nice and safe for them. Nintendo will press more than enough copies to meet the demand.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Unplug ur GCN while not using?

« on: January 13, 2004, 10:35:15 PM »

Lightning storms used to eat N64 power paks really good. There were rural customers that used to get me to order paks on a regular basis.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Zelda Bonus Disc....?

« on: January 13, 2004, 10:24:38 PM »

Took mine closer to 3 weeks to get here....but it eventually DID. It's free...whatd'you want? Express overnight delivery?

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:OFFICIAL Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes Discussion

« on: January 13, 2004, 10:18:19 PM »

I hope you can invert it. Down to look down and up to look up is pretty weird to me. I won't play a game if it's configured to only that control, I don't care how good it is.

I've never been a real Metal Gear fan since playing the first PSX game. I LOVED the game and couldn't stop playing it. I thought it was facinating.....until half way through. Here you've got this ultra cool guy named Snake, makes James Bond look like a weenie. You spend the first half of the game sneaking around trying not to be seen or heard. Incredible fun. Then he walks into a warehouse......there's this chick with a rifle up on a catwalk with a bead drawn on him....and what does hero boy do? All of a sudden his brains go out the window as he lies out in the open on the floor and tries to pick HER off with a scope. I thought to myself "what the hell? This totally wrecks the believability of the character. He wouldn't put himself in that position. What crap."

I took the disc out of the machine and never played again.

I'm thinking that despite that stupid part of the game, I'd like to finish what I started just to see how it all turned out. Maybe they'll have a code where I can level-skip that scene. ;p

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Gettin' Cube...finally! (Official "What game should I get?" Thread)

« on: January 13, 2004, 09:53:17 PM »

Well, Butcher.........you're in luck because the Cube's library is full of those types of games.

Lessee.......I recommend (at the very top of the list) PN03. Wanna see a hot babe in a thong bikini blasting the crap out of security robots at a shut-down space facility? I knew you would.

Wario World. Wanna see a fat guy in a yellow suit beat the crap out of monsters in order to get his fortune back?

Mario Golf. Play the front or back nine of your favorite course. If you've got time play the whole course. This game is SO tightly buttoned up, it's perfect. This is great proof that when Nintendo's on....they're ON.

Any sports game, if you're into sports, 'cos you can just play a single game.

I'm also gonna mention Baldur's Gate. A mindless dungeon crawler. Just kill things. Lots of things.

Racing games are good. Do a time trial or work on a few races. Not time consuming unless you want them to be. Auto Modellista.

Soul Caliber. You can work on this fighter at your own pace.

There's craploads of quick games. Do the PN03.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Game Cube ???

« on: January 13, 2004, 03:37:29 AM »

RABicle......time to do some normal, simple maintenance to your Cube. Here's what you do.

Get a few q-tips and a bottle of isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Whenever you have a "sticky button" problem, be it the console or controller, it's often caused by sweat in the case of a controller or grime in the case of the console shell. Either way the solution is the same.

For your eject and reset buttons: DON'T take the console apart. It voids warranties and there's no need to do it. Dip a q-tip in rubbing alcohol and swab the recess around the button with it. Let it sit a few seconds. Press the button a few times. Repeat. Still sticking? Take the blade of a thin knife and oh-so-GENTLY pry the button EQUALLY around it's outside. Repeat with the alcohol. After a few tries, depending on severity of gungy buildup, it should work.

New Cube owner? The correct way to remove a disc is to grab the outer edge with your thumb and third finger and, pressing the center hub with your index finger, lift the disc away. Small hands? Use the index finger of your other hand to press the hub.

Sounds dumb to mention it, I know, but like Shifty said....when the Cube was first launched I got more calls concerning that than anything.

"Thankyou for calling Nintendo. Have a great day!" (lol)

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Gamecube errors :(

« on: January 13, 2004, 02:51:58 AM »

You also have to remember....these machines don't last forever, especially if all you do is game in your spare time.

I'm on my 3rd PS2, heading onto my 3rd XboX, 2nd GBA, and 2nd Cube.......in just two years. It's not as bad as it sounds......I worked in the industry up until last year and played 70+ hours per week. My new systems will last much longer.

Incidentally, I've found the Cube (actually any Nintendo hardware) to be the toughest and most durable.