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Topics - Rhoq

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Nintendo Gaming / Wii This Summer? Today show just reported it!

« on: May 09, 2006, 02:33:47 AM »

I was watching NBC's Today a few minutes ago as I always do while getting ready for work. They did a small piece on the PlayStation 3/Next-Gen game consoles. I know that the press usually gets information prior to Nintendo press conference, or at least that's been the case in the past. Though it was briefly mentioned (the PS3 was the focus of the report), they reported that the Wii would be in stores "this summer". They then showed the dude from G4 (don't remember his name but he hosts "Attack of the Show" and mentioned that he thinks this will be a "three horse race" and nobody had expected that (which I interpret as he thinks Nintendo will be a huge factor this generation).

Since it was reported as speculation, I wonder if press received information from Nintendo and NBC was reporting a confirmed time frame?

Nintendo Gaming / Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll - First Impressions

« on: February 23, 2006, 07:12:38 AM »

Well, yesterday afternoon, I picked-up the new Monkey Ball game for the DS: Super Monkey Ball Touch & Roll

While I haven't had a chance to check-out any of the mini-games or multi-player features, I have played a few practice rounds and played through to the first bonus level on the main game.

Graphics: While not quite as sharp as what we've seen on the GameCube, I imagine this is what Super Monkey Ball would have looked like on the N64. Obviously the character models aren't as detailed as their console counterparts, but the track & level designs look very nice and the bright colors used really make this a very "pretty" game. Overall, not bad at all. I've seen some people on-line complain about the Monkey Balls looking pixilated during a close-up. Perhaps they were seeing that on pre-release builds? I haven't noticed anything of the sort.

Music: Calypso-type of music to keep with an "island" theme. Not overly impressive, but it could have been a lot better. Basic MIDI soundtrack.

Control: Here is where it's gets a bit interesting. You can use either the D-pad or touch screen to control your Monkey Ball. From what I have read, the D-pad control option is only available during the practice and main game modes. Wireless multi-player and mini-games apparently require you to use the touchscreen because the D-pad is used to cycle through items in these modes.

Anyways, I have found the D-pad to be pretty useless. Since it lacks the 360 degree "analog" control that 3D games require, using the D-pad just doesn't feel "tight" enough. At first, the touch screen seems to be completely unusable. No matter what you try to do, your Monkey Ball just rolls all over the place in every direction, except the one you want to go (LOL). It takes a few minutes to get aquainted with the touch screen. At first I tried using the stylus (as recommended by SEGA), but I just wasn't having much luck. Next I tried using my finger, still didn't fare too well. As a last resort, I tried using the "thumb strap". No luck with that either. I took a deep breath, and tried the stylus once again. This time, I figured out what I was doing wrong and was able to control my Monkey Ball rather well. Surpringly, using the stylus feels pretty comfortable.

Once you get over the initial frustration of learning how to properly control your Monkey Ball with the touchscreen, the game is as fun as ever!

Nintendo Gaming / Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble!

« on: December 10, 2005, 02:25:50 AM »

I know that between the Mario Kart & Animal Crossing madness, Viewtiful Joe kind of fell through the proverbial cracks and got lost in the shuffle. I picked up the new VJ game for the DS last night and so far I think it's pretty good. The graphics don't look bad at all (but definitely not as good as the GameCube) and the gameplay is very close to the console experience.

The only true problem I have with the DS game is that Capcom threw in some touch screen stuff (during the cut-scenes where you have use the touch screen to move a film slide away to view the next slide and continue with the story) just for the sake of using the touch screen. Cut scenes feature no voice-over work, so you'll be reading a lot of text. The familiar VJ soundtrack and voice samples during the game are all there (Henshin A Go-Go, Baby!)

The new "scratch" VFX power isn't bad, but it feels a bit forced into the game. Tthe other new touch screen VFX powers, "split" and "slide" work very well and are highly intuitive. Overall I'd recommend this to Viewtiful Joe fans. His first DS outing is quite solid.

DS owners that don't like to touch their screens without the stylus or thumbstrap, beware. VJ:DT pretty much requires you to smudge your screen up in order to use the new VFX powers.

General Gaming / The XBox 360 has finally arrived!!!Am I the only one disappointed with the XBox 360?

« on: November 22, 2005, 03:11:27 AM »

Am I the only one disappointed with the XBox 360? After all of the hoopla and fanfare subsides, I think everyone that camped out overnight to invest $400 in the XBox 1.5 will realize that they just wasted their money on a machine which appears to have failed to deliver what had been promised.

I hadn't really seen any screenshots or video of XBox 360 games, because I just didn't care to. I figured now that the release was finally upon us, I would check it out to see if it really was the gaming world's "second coming".

I watched a bit of G4's "Countdown to XBox 360" show last night. At midnight, when the first 360s were sold - they began showing reviews of the launch titles. G4 was gracious enough to point out, during it's review of Madden NFL 2006, that even though the game looks good, it comes nowhere near what those next-gen renders looked like that EA had released a year or two ago. As a matter of fact - every XBox 360 game they showed was unimpressive, looking no more different than what the original XBox and Nintendo GameCube are already capable of. The only game that truly looks remarkable is Project Gotham Racing 3.

There are 2 games this generation which look as good as what the 360 is delivering: the GameCube version of Resident Evil 4 and the X-Box/GameCube versions of Fight Night: Round 2. Don't believe the hype, the 360 is not delivering the future, only an alernate take on the present.

Nintendo Gaming / Older Gamers (DS Related)

« on: August 30, 2005, 04:50:21 AM »

I'm 29 years old. I'll be 30 in January of 2006.

Anyways, I have grown up with Nintendo and have always owned a Nintendo console since the NES days.

Even though Nintendo has a less than favorable image to some people - and I have done more than my share of bitching about it here at PGC, I actually believe that mature (25+) gamers seem to prefer Nintendo. While it's true that many of the hugely popular 3rd party titles on the PS2 and X-Box are not available for the GameCube, the library still manages to offer such a wide variety that it has more of a mass appeal to the slightly older gamers, like myself. While it would be nice to see more M-Rated games on the 'Cube, I think we also know that a great gaming experience doesn't always mean profanity, violence and murder.

Anyways - I'm not sure if any of you guys visit the Home Theater Forum, but it is probably the largest Home Theater/DVD community on the web. If you are a home theater/DVD enthusist and have never visited the HTF, check it out. I think you find it very informative.

Anyways - in the HTF's Video Game Software forum on their message board, there is a Nintendogs thread. Generally, people seems to love it. One post in particular caught my attention. I'd like to share it with you.

The following quote comes from Robert A. Fowkes an administrator of the Home Theater Forum. He is 63 years old.

Quote
Originally posted by: Robert A. Fowkes @ Home Theater Forum
Here's a over-60 gamer having a blast with my Miniature Pinscher from the Lab,etc. version of Nintendogs. This is an extremely inventive use of a handheld. Highly recommended as a respite from the usual fare.

[soapbox]

Incidently, I went with a PSP when it first came out and still use it (Lumines Rocks and the PSP keeps getting better and more functional) but I picked up a DS after the price drop (and a 10% discount from Gamespot/EB). I have to say that even though the PSP is technically superior in graphics and other functions I really am glad I decided to get a DS as well.

In this veteran gamer's opinion, the DS is just more fun! Nintendogs is different, Meteos is as addictive as Lumines (no surprise here because of its roots) and SuperMario64 DS brings back memories and a few new twists. And I haven't even gotten into Advance Wars Dual Strike yet with lots more to come. If your wallet permits it, there is a place for both systems (PSP and DS) in your hands.

[/soapbox]

Reader Reviews / Advance Wars: Dual Strike

« on: August 25, 2005, 04:43:39 AM »

On October 7, 2004 Nintendo announced that their popular Advance Wars series was coming to the Nintendo DS and when I read the news, it was at the moment I made the decision to buy a DS. I was sold. That same day, I went to GameStop and pre-ordered a DS with $50 down and another $5 for Super Mario 64 DS.

I got my Nintendo DS the day it was launched (November 21, 2004). At first I enjoyed it and I thought that games such as Sega’s Feel The Magic helped the system live up to Nintendo’s claims of introducing new and innovative ways to play games. Then there was nothing…An extremely limited number of games were released for the fledging new system over a period of nearly 6 months. By this time, the novelty of the DS had worn thin for me, and I had lost interest shortly after purchasing Pac-Pix and Polarium.

Now it seems that the DS has finally hit it’s stride. The game library is growing on a daily basis and the touch screen & built-in microphone are proving to be more than just a gimmick. Just a few days ago, the very game that got me excited enough to buy a Nintendo DS in the first place was released…Advance Wars: Dual Strike. Was it worth the wait? Hell yes!

Fans of the “Advance Wars” series need to know only one thing: Dual Strike makes owning a DS worth every penny. It is that good. Everything that made you first love the series to begin with is all here, and then some. The addition of using the touch screen to make all of your moves just sweetens the experience. As a matter of fact, it is entirely possible to play the game without ever pressing any of the system’s face buttons. Best of all, the touch screen gameplay feels 110% natural to the series and makes it even more intuitive than it already was. Intelligent Systems has set the standard for how a game such as this should play on the DS, I hope other developers take note. It really couldn’t be any more perfect.

For the people that have never had the pleasure of ever playing an “Advance Wars” game, you really don’t know what you’re missing. Unless you are not a fan of turn-based strategy games, there is just no excuse for never giving the series a try.

While the graphics aren’t really any more impressive than what the GBA games have offered, there are some subtle visual enhancements. Most notable are the background animations during the pre/post battle sequences. Other than that though, the graphics are more or less the same as it’s GBA counterparts – but believe me, this is no way a “GBA+” title. “Advance Wars” has always focused more on it’s solid gameplay rather than it’s graphical presentation. The DS iteration, continues that tradition. It’s as colorful as ever, with a slightly more “anime” look this time around.

Audio for Dual Strike, is a step up from it’s GBA brethren. Replacing the SNES quality tunes, we now have full MIDI tracks which range from the classic “Advance Wars” soundtrack to some “Euro” style house tracks. It’s not the greatest game music in the world, but it does give you a decent idea of just what the DS can do in the audio department.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike is the first of many high profile titles which will be released on the Nintendo DS between now and the end of the year. The system’s library really seemed to explode overnight going from a dismal number of gimmicky titles released during the “launch” period to 2 or 3 new quality games per week.

If you’ve got the extra cash and want an immersive gaming experience which is enhanced greatly by the DS’ touch screen controls, then Advance Wars: Dual Strike is a definite “must-own” title.

------

Presentation – 10
It’s the “Advance Wars” you know and love.

Graphics – 9
The series has never been about how it’s visuals look, but even with that said it has always been colorful and pretty. It gets the job done and looks great doing it. The characters seem have a more “anime” style to them this time around.

Audio – 8
It sounds nice, but I have a feeling the DS is capable of doing better.

Gameplay – 10
Solid as a rock. It plays just like the “Advance Wars” you are used to. Even though the touch-screen adds an entirely new dimension to how you play this game, it feels like it was a natural progression for this series.

Lastability – 10
I don’t know about you, but I could play “Advance Wars” forever!

Overall Score (not an average) – 10 out of 10

MUST-OWN

Nintendo Gaming / Flipper Critters

« on: August 01, 2005, 05:34:32 PM »

IGN's DS channel has a preview for a new upcoming pinball game titled "Flipper Critters". Ordinarily I wouldn't care about a pinball game, but...

It Sure Is Pretty.

This game is being developed by Zen Studios who were working on the Super Pac-Man Pinball DS title, until Namco decided to cancel it a few months ago. Never thought I'd be excited about a pinball game.

Nintendo Gaming / Official 'Nintendogs' Release Date?

« on: May 18, 2005, 09:51:29 AM »

I was just browsing the NOA website and came across what appears to the US release date for Nintendogs. August 22, 2005.

LINK

Nintendo Gaming / Is 'Toys "R" Us' Phasing Out GameCube?

« on: April 23, 2005, 07:15:24 PM »

Tonight a friend and I stopped into a local Toys "R" Us (Franklin Mills Mall - Philadelphia, PA) to look at the new Star Wars toys (Yeah, we're in out late 20s- so what, LOL)

Anyways - I made my over to the video game section. The very first thing I saw was a display of "Player's Choice" and other budget priced GameCube titles for $14.99 - It appeared that any GameCube game currently retailing for $19.99 was on sale for $14.99. To be fair, I also noticed a few PS2 "Greatest Hits" and XBox "Platinum Hits" mixed in for the same $14.99 price - BUT the selection of titles definitely focused on the 'Cube. At first I thought that was great - until I hit the GameCube isle.

I would estimate that a good 75% of the 40 or so different GameCube titles they had available were severely marked down. I'm talking clearance prices. Recent releases which currently retail for $39.99 and $49.99 were marked down to $19.99, the "Player's Choice" and budget titles were marked down to $14.99 and $9.99. Only 7 or 8 of the games were selling at their full $49.99 price tag. Unfortunately, I either already owned the games or wasn't interested in what was available (a lot of kid's stuff).

I ended up buying Viewtiful Joe 2 for $19.99, but it looks like it was recently reduced to $19.99 by Capcom since GameStop appears to be selling it at that price now, too.

General Gaming / Microsoft to unveil next X-Box on May12, 2005...

« on: April 11, 2005, 08:18:41 AM »

Microsoft will be unveiling the successor to the current X-Box prior to E3. This event will occur on May 12, 2005 during a special on MTV.

Read the full article on MSNBC.

Nintendo Gaming / Disturbing conversation overhead at a Game Stop...

« on: November 12, 2004, 01:50:34 PM »

Alright, I was on my way home from work this evening and decided to stop into the Game Stop a few blocks away from my house. I was really looking for a DS kiosk - which they did'nt have. Anyways. I was browsing through the GameCube software contemplating a purchase of Mario Power Tennis when the I overheard the following conversation between 2 of the store's 3 employees (all appeard to "kids" - under 18, by-the-way):

Game Stop employee #1 - What good games are out for the GameCube?
Game Stop employee #2 - GameCube? (laughs) - Man, the GameCube sucks.
Game Stop employee #1 - Oh, well I just bought one for Resident Evil 4. If Nintendo didn't have Resident Evil, I probably wouldn'y have bought a GameCube.
Game Stop employee #2 - You wasted your money. Resident Evil 4 is coming out for the PS2, too.
Game Stop employee #1 - Yeah, I know - but it will be so much better on the GameCube.
Game Stop employee #2 - (laughs some more) Dude - PS2 will have in 6 months to a year after the GameCube gets it. It will be the same game - plus it will have on-line. Nintendo has disappointed me. The GameCube could have been great but they let it fall apart.

At that point I was disgusted enough by what I had just heard, that I left the store without buying anything. I can only image what they would if someone stopped in there looking to buy a GameCube.

Yes, I know these are Game Stop employees I'm talking about here, but still - certain conversations should be had away from customers.

Nintendo Gaming / Pool Paradise "Exclusive" To GameCube?

« on: July 16, 2004, 08:33:34 AM »

I know there probably isn't much interest in this game, but I bought it the other day. I had actually been looking forward to having a Pool sim and this seemed to be the only choice. The attractive MSRP of $19.99 also helped. Anyways, the “Only For” logo appears in the upper left of the box cover but I believe it was also released for the PS2 on the same day that the GameCube version came out. I also believe X-Box & PC ports are due later this year. Why would they slap the “Only For” onto the game if it’s not?

Nintendo Gaming / The Urbz

« on: July 16, 2004, 08:15:32 AM »

Am I the only disappointed with the screen shots from The Urbs DS

Graphically, it doesn't look any different than the GBA version. I know this game isn't a good title to guage the system's graphics capabilities, but I would expect it to look closer the GameCube version than the GBA version.

Please don't mistake this for an NDS-bashing thread. It's not. I still plan to own on launch day!

Nintendo Gaming / Zoonami officially annouces their first tiitle...

« on: April 23, 2004, 10:03:04 AM »

Over at IGN, there is a news story about Zoonami. They have officially announced their first game...and it is multi-platform. The name of the title is: Funkydilla and it is a "music-based, action game". Quite the opposite of what had been rumored.

Anyways, they (IGN) expect more information to become available at E3 next month.

Nintendo Gaming / Where did UbiSoft go wrong with "Beyond Good & Evil"?

« on: January 06, 2004, 05:14:02 AM »

IGN has posted an article regarding Beyond Good & Evil doing poorly in sales on all 3 consoles. As a result, UbiSoft has decided to reduce the price to $19.99.

They also mention that EB Games has stopped carrying the GameCube version due to lackluster sales, but will continue to sell the PS2 and X-Box versions of the game.

Here is my question…How can a 2003 Game Of The Year contender be doing this badly? I could have sworn that I read somewhere that BG&E was selling fairly well on the ‘Cube and the X-Box, but poorly on the PS2. Every review I have read has been overwhelmingly positive. With the exception of the game being roughly 10 hours long, I have not seen any other complaints worth mentioning.

If BG&E is not selling, I think UbiSoft might to be blame. They are a great company and have been really turning out some impressive titles recently, but they need to advertise Beyond Good & Evil. I have seen commercials for the “Tom Clany’s” series of games. I have seen commercials for “Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time”. I have even seen “Rayman” commercials. Where are the advertisements for BG&E? How are the non-internet/non-magazine reading people really supposed to know about this game, without some sort advertising campaign?

I bought BG&E a day or two after it’s GameCube release last month. It quickly became my favorite game of this generation and quite possibly of all time. A game this beautiful and well designed needs to find it’s way into the home of every console owner that’s interested in owning it.

It’s a shame that it has been sent to the bargain bin in a matter of weeks following it’s release. Maybe now, the $19.99 price tag will help to generate some sort of interest in the game. I paid $39.99 for it a few weeks ago and I believe it was worth every penny. At 19.99, it truly is a steal.

Nintendo Gaming / The Suffering...Canceled

« on: October 28, 2003, 11:35:45 AM »

I was really looking forward to Midway's The Suffering, but IGN is reporting that the GameCube version is now canceled. This comes just a few days after they posted an update on this game, with new screenshots from the GameCube build. It's still being released on PS2 and X-Box - do you think there is any chance that Midway might reconsider this decision and release the game for the 'Cube later on?

Nintendo Gaming / Has anyone had a problem with WMXIX?

« on: October 13, 2003, 04:14:44 AM »

I was bored yesterday evening and decided to throw in WrestleMania XIX and check-out some of the match types that I never bothered to explore (Hell In A Cell and Cage).

So I was playing a Hell In A Cell match when about 5 minutes into the match, the game froze on me and and there was a high-pitched buzz coming out from the speakers. The reset button the GameCube was unresponsive and I had to turn the power off. When I turned it back on, the game booted-up without a problem.

I didn'y hear any weird noises coming from the GameCube but the buzzing noise from the speakers was loud enough to cover-up any noises emitting from the console. I shut it off before getting a good listen to the console itself.

This is the first problem I have ever experienced with my GameCube. Has anyone else experienced similar problems?

Was this caused by the game (I know it's buggy as hell, so I thought it might have been the game disc) or was this a malfunctioning 'Cube?

Nintendo Gaming / GameCube on "The Man Show"

« on: September 29, 2003, 03:34:41 AM »

Don't ask why, but I was watching the new Man Show (with those 2 new lame hosts) last night, during one of thier segments - they stood in front of a Ninendo GameCude kiosk, similar to what alot of stores have for demos. On the screen it looked like they were showing in game movies of Burnout 2: Point Of Impact

Just thought I'd share.

Nintendo Gaming / Question RE: Simpsons Hit & Run

« on: September 15, 2003, 08:27:51 AM »

If this game is going to be available on all 3 consoles, why does the box art for the GameCube version have the exclusice "Only For" marker in the top left corner of the cover? Does the GameCube build have extra features not included on the PS2or X-Box versions that would warrant an "Only For"?

Nintendo Gaming / Next-Gen Game Boy in 2004?

« on: September 14, 2003, 12:24:38 PM »

NinGC.com is reporting the possibility of the next generation GameBoy to launch at sometime in 2004. They posted the following quote from Nintendo of Europe's official magazine...

Development sources have told NOM UK that they're expecting to take delivery of development kits for the Game Boy Advance's successor before Christmas. The technology is all but finalised, so this gives developers time to ready titles for a predicted 2004 launch.

If Nintendo Europe is reporting this, would the same be true for us here in the US?

Nintendo Gaming / GameCube goes on-line?

« on: September 10, 2003, 09:19:04 AM »

Story at IGN.com

Apparently Nintendo entered into a deal with AOL to become GameCube on-line's preferred ISP. AOL/Time Warner will advertise Nintendo products and send software kits to developers that want to make on-line games for the cube. Nintendo said that even with the announcement of this deal, it does not mean that they have changed their position on on-line gaming.

My question is: What the hell happened with GameSpy? I thought they were working with Nintendo to bring the 'Cube on-line?

Nintendo Gaming / P.N. 03 Bonus Disc?

« on: August 05, 2003, 09:53:59 AM »

Story available on NinGC.com - Click Here for details.

------

After looking at those pictures, it appears that the demo disc is from Europe. Does anyone know if it will be available with US pre-orders as well?

Nintendo Gaming / WWE Wrestlemania XIX Box Cover

« on: July 31, 2003, 08:49:37 AM »

WrestleMania XIX Box Cover - Amazon.com

Nintendo Gaming / Resident Evil: Code Veronica X - Delayed?

« on: July 31, 2003, 06:54:17 AM »

Most sites have the release date for Resident Evil: Code Veronica X listed as September 9, 2003.

I was just browsing Capcom's website and they have it available for pre-order. According to info on their website, it will not be available until "October 2003".

Nintendo Gaming / Rally Championship

« on: July 30, 2003, 05:20:04 AM »

I have a weakness when it comes to racing games. It’s somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Right now the GameCube seems to lack decent racers – aside from the 2 Burnout games, WaveRace and F-Zero there really aren’t any other racing games worth mentioning.

I noticed that Rally Championship came out this week. I really haven’t heard much about it, other than what IGN has reported about it over the last 2 weeks. At $19.99 it’s very tempting, but at the same time I have to wonder what’s wrong with the game that it’s being sold for $19.99 – Afterall, you get what you pay for.

IGN had some rather nice things to say about the game, but in the end they only gave it a rating of 7.0

Has anyone had a chance to check this game out yet? If so, what is your opinion?