Messages

176

TalkBack / Re: New Game from Monolith Soft Revealed

« on: January 23, 2013, 03:17:25 PM »

Whoa!   That's a day one preorder for me.   It does indeed look like a direct sequel to Xenoblade, though with the way that game ended, you could very easily have a direct sequel that doesn't require any knowledge of the first game, except for characters saying stuff like "Remember when all that stuff from the first game happened?"

The mecha aren't completely out of left field, either.   There were mechs/mecha/walking tanks in Xenoblade, just piloted by NPC's or "townspeople" in Colony 9 (the first town at the very beginning of the game).   There was even a sidequest where you had to fetch a part to fix one that had crashed.

On top of that, the end of the game had some Machina walking around the remains of Colony 9 "improving" their technology.  I think it was Otharon who said to Vanea "Wow, your Machina technology is much more advanced than ours"

177

TalkBack / Re: Wii U Virtual Console Listing Found in Source Code on Nintendo UK's Website

« on: January 22, 2013, 10:34:14 PM »

I'm hoping that they will announce games that can be played on both 3DS and Wii/Wii U will be "purchase once and play across platforms".  My NES games on my Wii should be playable on my 3DS... I feel cheated a little.  Not a lot... but a little.

Uh, I think you're at the wrong website, buddy.   This is a NINTENDO-focused site.   The Sony-focused site is over THERE, in that corner, with the Japanese executives muttering "We were the top of the world, once...please come back!"

I think if Nintendo were in as bad as Sony was, then we might see that.   But that is not the case, right now at least.

178

TalkBack / Re: Resident Evil: Revelations Receiving Wii U Release

« on: January 22, 2013, 06:45:15 PM »

Well, I loved Mercenaries 3D when it came out, put a good 20 hours into it, but once Revelations came out, kinda became pointless, unless you REALLY want to play those RE4 and RE5 maps again.   Revelations Raid mode just does it so much better.

I notice the announcement doesn't mention dual stick analog support.  Hmmm....

179

TalkBack / Re: The Cave Up For Purchase on Wii U eShop

« on: January 22, 2013, 04:16:21 PM »

Wow...is this the first time the eshop is priced the same as Steam?   Because it's 14.99 there too.  Not bad at all.

180

TalkBack / Re: Fire Emblem: Awakening Impressions

« on: January 22, 2013, 04:14:02 PM »

I was always afraid of the Fire Emblem series permanent death and high difficulty. Reading about all the options in Awakening makes me want to jump right in to it.

Eh...I think the "permanent death" and "high difficulty" aspects are a little overblown in Fire Emblem games.   It's not as if losing guys equals an inability to complete the game, or making the game way too hard.   Far from it.   I mean, you can't just sent your troops to certain slaughter---  if you lose like 10 or 15 guys in a single battle, then you probably can't finish the game.   But you can definitely lose something like 1 or 2 guys per battle--- those are "acceptable losses."  Whenever I finish a Fire Emblem game, I always have like 15 guys left over who I can't use in the final battle, just because there's usually a cap on how many guys you can field.

And the games themselves are not that difficult-- definitely easier, strategy-wise, than something like Advance Wars.   

People get on about how hard the game is and how hard perma-death makes the game, because of the emotional component.  It's kind of...well, heartbreaking to lose guys.   It's worse than something like X-Com, because in that game your soldiers have names but are pretty much generic.  In Fire Emblem games, your guys have names, histories, relationships....you sort of start to like them.   So you try really, really hard to not lose any of your soldiers, and trying to do THAT is really difficult.

So don't get intimidated by the series' reputation.  Not nearly as punishing as people make it out to be, as long as you don't mind characters that you like dying and being lost to you forever.   

181

TalkBack / Re: Interview - ZombiU's Florent Sacré and Guillaume Brunier

« on: January 16, 2013, 03:19:57 PM »

Eh, I think we should multiplayer, and especially co-op, would have yielded less-than-desirable results.    One of the many reasons this game is so scary and nerve-wracking is because you're alone, and there is no one to help you.   If you were playing this game with someone else, either in online co-op or local, you would really lose that.  Same with a multiplayer versus, a la "someone plays the zombie."   Might sound cool, but I don't think it really pans out too well. 

182

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Ninendo Force Magazine

« on: January 12, 2013, 01:41:55 AM »

Despite the cost (the official Nintendo Force website has a promo code, HPSD, to bring down the cost of the magazine.  With shipping, it brought it down to $16 and change), I went ahead and purchased the issue, along with the free digital version.  I plopped the digital version into my Ipad 4, and while my kids were falling asleep, I just perused the first issue, reading a few of the articles.

In one word:   AMAZING.

As I opened up the pdf, the first thing that pops at me is how professional this was done, as in, completely professional.   The articles which I read fully (the one Lucas wrote on Restore points, the FE Awakening review) were excellent.    And make no mistake, this issue is LONG.   Probably twice as long as any issue of Game Informer or Nintendo Power.

And about that.  Nintendo Power.   The fact that this magazine is called Nintendo Force, just how apt the use of a synonym of "power" is, didn't hit me until today.   This magazine is not a love letter to Nintendo.  It's a love letter to Nintendo Power, the magazine.   I've subscribed to NP for the last 4 years, and I've got a pretty good visual memory, so I'm immediately struck by how inspired the format and layout of Nintendo Force is to that of recent Nintendo Power.   I don't want to use the word "aped" because there are a lot of  improvements and changes made to the basis of modern Nintendo Power's layout and visual vocabulary.  Maybe not so much in, say, the downloadable reviews (which are pretty faithful to the NP style) but the reviews section is much improved--- NP had a horrible of habit of de-emphasizing art in favor of text, and mostly limiting art to standard screenshots.   NF blows out the art, giving it a lot of emphasis and doing that magazine  thing of letting art and text bleed and encroach into each other's conventional spaces, reminding you that, at least for now, the web can't do this. 

Oh, and as someone who loves retro games like I love the honeyz, thanks for the retro section.  Awesome.

It boggles my mind how much work obviously went into this.   Make no mistake, this magazine looks better than any video game magazine out there (granted, there are only 5 of them left out there). 

183

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Fire Emblem Awakening in North America -- Preorder Bonus

« on: January 12, 2013, 12:09:20 AM »

Um, GameStop frequently gives out art books for pre-orders and has for many years. I gout a nice artbook for Tales of Symphonia back in 2004. And pre-order exclusives are common in this industry. What's really annoying is some developers will giver different pre-order bonuses to different retailers for the same game effectively making consumers pick what bonus they want.

And it makes perfect sense for everyone, if you want the artbook then you need to get it at GameStop. It harms no one.

Of course you're right about games that are NOT published by NOA.   I'm used to that.  But aside from Xenoblade, this is the first exclusive anything that NOA has done with Gamestop.

What's weird is that I had no idea there was a Gamestop exclusive at all--  it's not advertised anywhere, except for the product listing on Gamestop and NOA's official FE Awakening webpage (and who the hell would look at that?)

184

TalkBack / Re: Limited Edition Fire Emblem: Awakening 3DS Hardware Bundle Headed to North America

« on: January 11, 2013, 11:59:31 PM »

Yet not an XL?....

185

Nintendo Gaming / Fire Emblem Awakening in North America -- Preorder Bonus

« on: January 11, 2013, 01:47:40 PM »

So I was just doing a random google search on Fire Emblem Awakening (because I wanted to know more about the free DLC) and I found NOA's official page for the game's release, which also mentioned an art book being given out as a preorder bonus.

My question, to any who can answer:  while Gamestop's product listing mentions the art book, Amazon does not.  Am I to take it, then, that NOA and Gamestop are now "besties" and the preorder bonus is exclusive?   Argh.  This is getting super annoying now.  First Xenoblade.  Now this.   

And yes, I know that I'm going to flip through the artbook once and never, ever look at it again.   I still want it.   It makes no sense, I know.

186

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Xenoblade Chronicles.Confirmed for North America April 6th 2012

« on: January 10, 2013, 12:08:42 AM »

Well, granted, these things are there from pretty much the beginning of the game.  You can do them, if you want.   It's just not worth your time to.    If you want, you can spend 2 or 3 hours crafting level 1 gem canisters into level 2 gems-- it's just kind of a waste of time to do so, when you'll start collecting level 2 gems just as random loot drops fairly early in the game.   You can probably chain like-colored arts to multiply chain damage (max 500%) as soon as you have Reyn and Sharla--it's just fairly unnecessary since Buster will cream a lot of those early Mechon.  And do you really need to know whose auras stack, and how many you can stack at one time?  Probably not.  But you can, especially after you get Melia and Dunban, who have the good auras.

187

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Xenoblade Chronicles.Confirmed for North America April 6th 2012

« on: January 09, 2013, 07:48:51 PM »

it's actually pretty simple. It builds up as the game progresses, and the first creatures you can battle are pretty simple wild monsters that are easy to find and don't really pose a threat as they don't attack you unless you attack them first. Basically, the game does a really good job of weening you in to the battle system, the tutorials are short but very well informed so even if something new is thrown at you in the middle of a battle, you'd have a good enough understanding of it it to proceed, and if not you can just go back and re-read the tutorial instead of it being lost forever.

Oh man.   Actually, the battle system is CRAZY complicated.   Really.   And while you're right about the weening part, I would say that if you don't fully understand all the intricacies of the battle system by about....oh, when you start fighting Level 70 bosses, then you will really struggle with the game.   I sure did.

But then again, by the time you get to that point of the game, you've played long enough to understand the basics of the battle system, so when you start reading some of the better FAQS out there (I highly recommend Zero Kid's excellent and SPOILER-free Arts Guide, it is essential reading)  you will have a much easier time understanding the terminology.   

Once again, don't let that scare you!   There were so many things that I didn't really understand by Level 70 (tension, what the color-coding on arts means, skill links, how to craft gems for higher ranks, etc.).   But once I got to a point in the game where I needed to know in order to progress, it was super easy to pick up.

188

General Gaming / Re: Valve Aims for One Console Future!? GDC Reveal of the "Steam Box"!?

« on: January 09, 2013, 07:31:33 PM »

Hmmm... I'm wondering if I could get this for a cheaper price needing assembly.  My son is 5 and I'm thinking its time for him to build his first computer.

5?  That seems kind of young.  My daughter is 6, going on 7 soon, and I don't think she's ready, though she watches with a lot of curiosity.   I don't think I put together my first system until I was in high school, and I burned through mobo and processor because I was an idiot and didn't set the dip switches right. 

Yup, remember when everything had to be set up with dipswitches?   You kids and your "setting voltages through the bios."   You're just spoiled.

189

General Gaming / Re: PlayStation 2 Game Recommendations

« on: January 09, 2013, 07:25:55 PM »

INTERVENTION!

Listen to me (or read the following words) very carefully, if you want to not waste time on an incredibly crappy game:

DON'T PLAY STAR OCEAN TIL THE END OF TIME

I can't believe no one else in this thread has remarked on this.   For some stupid reason, I played this to the end.  The horrifying, soul-crushing end which will make you want to bash your head into the nearest wall.

The art is mediocre and uninspired, as in, it looks like Evolution (remember that game?)  It's too long.   The combat system is simplistic and boring.  The cutscenes are bad and look really cheap.    But worst of all, this is how that stupid game ends:

   Everything you played was not real.  You were in a goddamn computer simulation! 

Everything else on your list is fine.  Well, except Quake 3, don't even bother. 

190

General Gaming / Re: What is your most recent gaming purchase?

« on: January 04, 2013, 07:55:59 PM »

Oh, I forgot the reason I looked up this thread:

Steam Sale, still ongoing:

Sega Genesis and Mega Drive Classics Packs 1 through 5
Broken Sword 1, 2
Darksiders 1, 2
Sine Mora
To The Moon
Wizorb
Jet Set Radio
Quantum Conundrum


Of these purchases, I have very low expectations for Quantum, especially since I didn't like Portal 2 too much. 

191

General Gaming / Re: What is your most recent gaming purchase?

« on: January 04, 2013, 07:50:04 PM »

Hmmph... What's that in the bargain bin?  Shinobi and Nano Assault for $10 (per game)?  Sold.

Not enough people sing the praises of Shinobi.   So, so so good.   Nano Assault is an OBVIOUSLY good game, but Shinobi.....when you put 20 hours into what would otherwise be a 4 hour action game, you know that that game is superb.   

192

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Street Pass!

« on: January 04, 2013, 07:43:11 PM »

Today went through Austin, Atlanta, and Orlando airports and not a single Streetpass... This is depressing, not one streetpass since I got my XL.

Really, in Orlando?  I'd imagine tourists and their snotty teenagers would have been good for a few, at least.   Just went to Disneyland two weeks ago for the Christmas parade, got 15 streetpasses in 5 hours.   But then again, I went to Sea World the next weekend, and didn't get squat.

193

Nintendo Gaming / Re: 3DS Hacking

« on: January 04, 2013, 07:39:41 PM »

Okay, everyone's upset about the $8 price difference.  But then again, we're talking about the IPHONE, which would quite possibly be the worst way to play Mutant Mudds.  I've had the game since launch, and I STILL haven't beaten it because it's just too darn hard.   Who the hell is going to look at both versions and say "Oh, well, I'll save 8 bucks and buy the version of the game that has a VASTLY inferior control interface."

Now, if we were talking about a different game..like, let's say...Art of Balance Touch.  Or Shinen's mini-golf game.  I could imagine IOS versions of that which would be only somewhat inferior.   I might pass on the 3DS versions of those because of the price difference.  But then again, I LOVE 3D, I crank that sucker all the time.

But Mutant Mudds?  Seriously, if MM2 is simultaneously released on 3DS and IOS, and let's say on IOS it's free, then I would still pay 9 dollars for the 3DS version.

If you want to talk about horribly unbalanced price platforms, let's talk about Steam vs. IOS.  Hmm...pay $19 for FF Dimensions or....buy four 9-month old AAA games for the same price.  Or like 6 indie games that look WAY better. 

I think Jools is overreacting and wrongly reacting, though.   The 3DS is pretty darn secure and patchable, so I wouldn't worry too much about whether it will be cracked or...how long that crack would even be operable.

194

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Downloads - December 27, 2012

« on: December 27, 2012, 05:58:43 PM »

Anyone else mystified by why VC is still being released on the Wii?   1 month after Wii U launch?

195

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo TVii to Launch in North America December 20

« on: December 19, 2012, 04:30:44 PM »

Without Netflix for me its a what the point.  Wii U has a really uphill battle to win over my PS3 to be my Media box which is a shame.

You can still use Netflix on the Wii U through its own app, so it's not a big deal that it will be a few weeks before being integrated into Nintendo TVii.

Problem being I can also watch Netflix on a dedicated app on pretty much any other device.  Until it's fused with other services in Early 2013 (hopefully January), Wii U isn't the clear front-runner as my go-to TV-Helper.

This.

In my current setup I have 5 devices (including TV) that I can watch Netflix on using the TV Screen.  That's not counting the Laptop, 2 Smartphones,  and 3DS.  So effectively in my living room I can be watching 7 different shows on Netflix at any given point, Laptop, 2 Smartphones,  3DS, TV, and Gamepad.  What makes the WiiU different and Better.  At the moment it doesn't match the quality of the PS3 version of Netflix.  Doesn't match the pure features as  a media device as the PS3.  The Value add feature of TVii would be the only good reason then to use the Wii U version.

I'm in the same boat, BUT have you done a real side-by-side comparison?  I've compared Netflix on Wii, Wii U, PC, 3DS, Ipad, Ipod, and AppleTV, and the Wii U and/or PC are BY FAR the best.   The streaming and browsing speed on Wii U and PC are nearly the same, which is incredible since the Wii U is in Wifi.   I don't know how that happens.

And while the Ipad/AppleTV combination is the most comparable to the Gamepad/WiiU Netflix experience, you can't browse on the Ipad's screen, and you can't switch between Ipad display and AppleTV display at all.  And of course, using your Ipad to control your AppleTV is HORRENDOUSLY SLOW and misses inputs, because the Ipad connects to your AppleTV via Wifi.  The Ipad does not have an IR blaster.  I don't know how the Gamepad communicates with the Wii U (Bluetooth, maybe, or RF?).  But those who've used it know that it is super fast.

I'm also curious:  does anyone here actually own and regularly use a DVR?  Why?   In the age of Hulu and Netflix, I can't imagine any reason other than sports to use a DVR.  It's the most ridiculous relic of the VCR age that we have.  20th century technology to make up for the greedy little hands of the TV networks and cable companies, who must know that the writing is on the wall.   

196

TalkBack / Re: Mega Man 1 to 6 Coming to North American 3DS eShop

« on: December 17, 2012, 12:52:15 PM »

Looks like VC is alive on the 3DS.   Which is good and all.  Anyone wonder why it's seemingly dead on Wii U?  Because I just find "Wii Mode" repulsive.

197

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Trine 2 - Role Call!

« on: December 15, 2012, 10:01:56 AM »

I've had it, played a few levels when ZombiU gets too tense.  Graphically, it is beautiful, and there seems to be some good level design going on.   I'm not as cool with some of the balancing between characters--  there is some combat in the game, but it seems that in most normal situations, you MUST use the fat guy, because the thief and the wizard can't fight.  Which is a shame, because it would be more fun if you had some more options with all the characters.

The other criticism I would have is that it's $20 for the Wii U version, and a whole lot less on Steam.  Now, I don't really see what the benefit of playing this on the game pad is.   Having done so,  I rarely find myself taking advantage of gamepad abilities (the touch screen) and I just use default controls that are identical to what you would see on Steam.

198

TalkBack / Re: Unchained Blades Arriving on 3DS eShop Early Next Year

« on: December 15, 2012, 12:14:03 AM »

I know this has been out in Japan for awhile..anyone play this yet?   How is it?  I've been very excited about this, it gives me a very "Etrian Odyssey" kind of vibe.  Is that wrong?

199

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Zombi U, I'm warming up to it

« on: December 12, 2012, 03:05:34 PM »

Actually, what you said about Dead Space is wrong. Many times I run into a room that has that stuff in it, and I usually have to kill enemies first, or (like in the first Dead Space) I got butt raped by a Necromorph immiediately after I was done with a workbench. Or in the second one where I get repeatedly attacked in elelvators that are supposed to be safe.


I just don't find it as atmospheric and scary. I didn't call ZombiU repetitive, by the way.

Hmm...about Dead Space, I wonder if you played on a harder difficulty than I did...I played on the default.   You're right about rooms that had stuff and inventory machines that had to be cleared out first, but I remembered feeling pretty safe in those rooms after they had been cleared.   Workbenches were sometimes in larger rooms or hallways (I remember one in the first Dead Space with large generators in the middle) where the workbench was in one side of the room, and there were necromorphs at the other end, or up on another level on the other end.  But I don't remember them coming up to me right after I finished with a workbench, or while I was at it.

Oh, and sorry, with the repetitive comment, I don't think anyone in this thread actually called ZombiU (in particular, the cricket bat) repetitive.  I was just throwing that out as a general response to what seems like the main criticism that negative reviews (like on IGN) have of ZombiU.

It seems like maybe when I call ZombiU "scary," it might be a poor choice of words.  It's just that I seem to have this very intense absence of safety when I'm playing the game.   It's definitely not atmospheric or creepy in quite the same way that the Dead Spaces are, with the Unitarian stuff and people going bonkers in that sort of "Event Horizon" kind of way.  In fact, the central kind of horror in Dead Space seems to owe a lot to Event Horizon, more than Alien, in the sort of shock you get from this highly technologically developed and advanced world being torn to pieces by this....unknowable and unquantifiable force.

200

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii U gets little 3rd party love.

« on: December 12, 2012, 01:03:10 PM »

Damnit!   We're not getting South Park Stick of Truth!   I really wanted that game.  Okay, time to ebay my Wii U now!

And no Crysis!   The friggin game where you can drive around for 20 minutes without seeing a single enemy?  That sucks.  I love playing FPS's where you spend most of the time not actually shooting.   

And no Splinter Cell.  Damn, because the ending of Splinter Cell Conviction was just SO GOOD and SO SATISFYING.  I love games where you never see the main antagonist except in cutscenes, and the main antagonist is defeated not by you, but by your sidekick.  In a friggin FMV cutscene!