Messages

2101

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Your First REV downloads

« on: December 02, 2005, 06:06:50 AM »

The idea of different price points per generation is commonly thrown around, but yeah, you're right, whatever price a NES RPG like Final Fantasy is, you'd wonder if it ought to be the same price or considerably more than an early NES game like the three-stage NES Donkey Kong.

Prices per generation just seem like a good idea because games are typically more elaborate each generation, so it makes sense to the consumer, and cost more to make originally, so it makes sense to the developer.  But it's an assumption more based on graphics than gameplay.  If you had a long NES RPG and a short Super NES arcade-style game, which should be worth more?  Which would be more fair to charge more for?

But if games end up being priced differently based on gameplay, who makes these decisions?  Even if it's strictly by genre, you'd have to be sure what the genres are, and what to do about multi-genre games or games that defy genre.  (I insist that The Legend Of Zelda games are adventure games and not RPGs...no one ever calls StarTropics an RPG and they're very similar...but many people disagree with me and insist on sticking Zelda with the more turn-based or stats/numbers-heavy RPGs.)

Even if you could get a general pricing plan that works, either by console or genre, there's bound to be somebody who'll disagree with the prices of particular games.

2102

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Your First REV downloads

« on: December 02, 2005, 03:53:32 AM »

I think having NES downloads alone will get a lot of people over 20 years old excited because of the nostalgia, which is a demographic that supposedly isn't very keen on Nintendo.  (This is why I say Nintendo and Sega should work out a deal!)  If people at West Edmonton Mall keep selling those knock-off Genesis- and N64-controller plug-into-your-TV-and-play things that are loaded with NES ROMs, which I'm sure isn't official or even legal, then there's certainly more than a possibility for a market that includes a bigger, official, legal, and more convenient system of acquiring old games.  

2103

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Your First REV downloads

« on: December 01, 2005, 04:55:26 PM »

They could offer game credits a number of ways - subscribing or resubscribing to Nintendo Power, registering products, promotional tours, perhaps getting some back after a certain number of purchased downloads, etc.  Basically giving them away everywhere their presence is.

Now, I get the feeling Nintendo's not going to have everything available for download right from the start.  They'll probably have a few games from each series/genre to start with.  Over time, they could release more games, even if they had them ready all along.  It would maintain interest in the download service.  I think they should have a good selection at the start, but good games could cause a clamour if they were deliberately held back.

"All right!  The Legend Of Zelda comes out next week!"
"You mean Twilight Princess?"
"No! The original! I'm going to stay up all night to download it right at midnight!"

2104

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Rev to feature 12GB custom discs?

« on: December 01, 2005, 04:49:16 PM »

I'd like Nintendo to adopt the 1 TB discs...I forgot where I read about them but since they're practically a generation above HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, Nintendo wouldn't have to worry about piracy if it really became a standard several years down the road.

Not that anyone would NEED a whole terabyte, but I'd like for people to not make excuses about Nintendo's format never holding as much as the competition.  With a full terabyte, you could easily laugh at a measley 50-100 GB or whatever it is that Blu-Ray will be.

Yeah, I know it's unlikely.  Probably unnecessary and too costly to be worth it.  But it would still be nice.

2105

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Your First REV downloads

« on: December 01, 2005, 08:48:49 AM »

It would be nice to download Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.  Unfortunately I never got a Game Boy until Pokémon (I got a Super Game Boy just to play Link's Awakening)...so I'm a huge Nintendo fan but have to hang my head in shame at missing most games of the original handheld.  To be able to download GB/GBC games to the DS through the Revolution would complete the DS's backwards-compatibility and have even more of the Nintendo library making moolah.

And I still say they should get some kind of deal with Sega to get their games on there if Sega never plans to return to hardware.  Monopoly on all old games = WIN.  Anyone over the age of 20, even if they were in the Sega camp, would have to buy a Revolution now if they need any sense of nostalgia.  At least get the Genesis library...

And then what about foreign games?  Hmmm?  At least European ones that wouldn't require translation.

But it's probably a sure thing that you'll be able to play something like the original NES Super Mario Bros. (which everyone has played umpteen times already) and extremely unlikely to download an obscure, foreign language Neo-Geo Pocket Color game (made by some nearly-unknown, now-bankrupt developer) to the DS, even if they technically could.

2106

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Your First REV downloads

« on: November 30, 2005, 08:05:08 AM »

I've been holding off on playing any old Nintendo games in any form ever since I heard about the download service so that I can still have them to play on the Revolution.

I'll probably buy my whole game library again.  Ooooh, Nintendo is making me pay twice for my games - and willingly!  Smart.  Most of my games from the Super NES and up are the exclusive first-party games, though my NES probably won't last forever so hopefully the games I have for it will be included.  While big companies like Konami are likely to be on board, if any are, (so I won't miss out on buying Contra), I fear for other NES games I once owned from smaller/gone/absorbed/where-are-they-now companies (like my beloved Blaster Master from Sunsoft).

But more importantly, I'll be buying the games I feel I should have but don't.

Being the Nintendo fan that I am, I will probably get all the Mario games (I never did own All-Stars), the Metroid games (why did I sell Super Metroid?  WHY?), and all the Zelda games (I never did own Zelda II and Majora's Mask until the Collector's Edition Disc...and now I question why I'm buying them again)...

Therefore, some games I'd be buying just for the sake of having them, more for the sake than replaying them the umpteenth time.  Nintendo games have often been remade already (the main Mario games have all been remade except for Sunshine, all Zelda games are playable on the GameCube in some fashion...) so I wonder if the games I would actually be playing for the first time would actually be a small percentage of what I'm buying.

I really hope they don't charge too much...I'd be such a collector and much more so since it'll probably be very convenient.  Even at the impossibly low price of a dollar per NES game you'd see me willingly put down $700 for the whole official North American NES game collection...  I'd be happy, but I'd be broke.

2107

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Revolution details to be revealed May 9

« on: November 29, 2005, 08:47:33 AM »

I think the thing is, casual gamers are different than us.  "Us" as in people who are longtime gamers, the Internet regulars, the kind of people who know details within half a day of them being released.  There's a clear distinction when you consider that the Xbox 360 is considered one of the "hot gifts" this Christmas season, but it seems like every poll on GameFAQs regarding "do you have an Xbox/Xbox 360?" or "Are you considering getting an Xbox 360?" always seem to end in 50% saying they aren't interested in it at all.  The GameCube may be behind the Xbox in sales but looking at polls like that on general gaming web sites you wouldn't think so.  On certain questions the GameCube can be really close to the PS2, even.  Web-savvy, hardcore gamers =/= general populace, unfortunately.

Anyway, I think my point was, every bit more info that's released eventually drips down to some of the general populace, but it truly doesn't hit until the marketing begins.  I'd bet there are quite a few people who are looking forward to the PS3 who aren't even aware a MGS4 trailer even exists, for instance.

But for those at-least-slightly-web-savvy gamers who are at least aware of gaming news info on the web, it is easier to point to a MGS4 trailer and get an idea of what is there.  Even if you've never played previous MG games you know what it is.  If someone had never played a SSB game, they couldn't have much excitement about the next one before any visual confirmation of the game exists.  Plus, a screenshot or trailer is more memorable than a tiny snippet of info to someone who isn't a major fan.  If Nintendo's going to try and create more fans, just a bit of info isn't enough.  Confirmation that a new SSB is in the works really only keeps the SSB fans intrigued, you need at least a trailer to get non-fans to even notice it.

2108

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Pantent for Virtual Console Interface

« on: November 28, 2005, 06:39:25 PM »

If this is for real, I like being able to select games by franchise.

(However, if Kuppa is supposed to be Bowser (as in, a badly spelled "(King) Koopa"), I can't imagine him being in a whole lot of games if you were to select him.  He's never been a main character, and he's not selectable in most Mario spin-offs, even.  Plus, since the "virtual console" only goes up to the N64, that leaves...what?  Two Mario Kart games and Mario Tennis?)

Let's just hope they get the franchises listed properly, unlike some dates of games in SSBM trophy info.  Is Donkey Kong Jr. a Mario game or just a Donkey Kong game?  Is Paper Mario a separate series as Super Mario RPG?  Is Yoshi's Island a Yoshi or a Super Mario game, or both?  Is Yoshi's Story the sequel to Yoshi's Island but not a Mario game, then?  Is Dr. Mario a Mario game?  Is Dr. Mario 64 a Mario game but also a Wario game since it supposedly has Wario Land bosses?  And did Wario even have a game that would be featured here if the Game Boy games likely aren't and there's no Wario World (since that was for the GCN)?  Oh, I guess there's Wario's Woods...

(Questions...and I haven't even scratched the surface, I bet.  There's questions about the games themselves, like Super NES remakes of certain NES games, foreign games that are well-known like the real Super Mario Bros. 2, obscure games from any region...etc....)

Details aside, it's probably still going to be pretty cool.  

2109

Nintendo Gaming / RE:OMG Mario Kart Icon fun

« on: November 28, 2005, 09:23:43 AM »

I was going to mention Animal Crossing.  There must be some programs for that.  At 32 x 32, aren't they also the same as Windows icons?  (*is too lazy to look*)  So if not for the limited palette, there might be easier ways to translate your pictures, as if cropping to a square and then resizing to 32 x 32 and then blowing it up again without alteration in nearly any image program wasn't simple enough.

(I remember that Animal Crossing site!  Wow, they still have the 16 icons that I originally made for my own web site!  Good times...)

2110

General Gaming / RE:Xbox360 Concepts

« on: November 24, 2005, 10:03:10 AM »

It looks like there were two handled designs.  It might've meant that they considered keeping the handle after one handled design was scrapped.  But that's just assuming that they were from the same design group...

The Xbox 360 doesn't look so ugly compared to its design concepts...a slab...a building block for the wall of a padded room...a couple armored briefcases...is that a lunchbox?  Sheesh.  That last one looks almost exactly like this ugly monitor stand I used to have.

2111

Nintendo Gaming / RE:How much more is there to the Revolution that we don't know?

« on: November 24, 2005, 09:43:54 AM »

Let's hope that the Revolution does shake it up then.

Shake-shake!  Shake-shake!

(Oooh, a Mischief Makers sequel on the Revolution would be pretty hot!)

2112

General Gaming / CNN.com's front page right now - Xbox 360 and GameCube

« on: November 24, 2005, 08:48:59 AM »

There are two stories related to gaming on the front page of CNN.com right now:
"Microsoft reports Xbox 360 faults" & "Slow GameCube sales"

I understand the topical nature of the first story on the Xbox 360 but what is the point of the scond story about the GameCube, which isn't really all that surprising?  If anything, it's further hurting Nintendo as we go into the Christmas season.  The last time I heard about Nintendo on CNN.com was the story that The Legend Of Zelda: Twlight Princess was delayed.

Grrr.

2113

Nintendo Gaming / RE:How much more is there to the Revolution that we don't know?

« on: November 24, 2005, 08:32:48 AM »

I wonder if Nintendo needed to be innovative if the competition hadn't come along (namely the PlayStation, which we all know was an ill-bred spawn from their own attempt to counter the Sega CD, had that actually been any good).  And my guess is not.  At least not more than they needed to keep people interested in gaming at all.  If not for their position in the market, they likely wouldn't have gone for the gutsy Revolution, and every Nintendo console would simply have been a more powerful one.  So in that sense the market has made Nintendo what it is today.

2114

General Gaming / RE:The End of Console Gaming?

« on: November 24, 2005, 07:49:37 AM »

My computer can output to a TV, and I've got a widescreen one, so that's always my argument against owning an Xbox, of which its best games (or at least nearly all of the highly-hyped ones) come to the PC.  I'm always like, why wouldn't I just get the PC version instead of buying this redundant console?

People seem to think of PCs and consoles as being two different markets, which I've resisted as much as I could because for me, personally, there is no distinction.  Sure, I tend to like the kinds of games more typically seen on consoles, but if they're also available for the PC, I enjoy them just as much on my monitor (when I'm not hooked up to the TV).

One thought that I had about a possible end of console gaming is the price of the hardware for the manufacturers.  If, for example, Microsoft really does lose a lot of money on their Xboxes, but they make money on selling the software, if the innards of the Xbox are similar enough to a PC's, why not just sell Xbox emulators (cheaper than making a dedicated console) and continue to sell Xbox discs?

The distinction is there, between a PC and console market, but is it just about the whole living room space thing?  If computers move more into the living room, then why?  Sure, there's still a difference between a $200-$400 console with minimal installation or a $600-$700 video card that requires you to gut up your computer, but if the manufacturers want to stop losing money on hardware, they could push this inegration and then the Xbox 720 might be an emulator.

Possibly unlikely, but I think the reason why Microsoft and Sony throw money into the black holes of making loss-inducing hardware is that they have enough revenue from other sources to support it, and if they can to the point of pushing out all competitors, then they'll have a monopoly and can charge exorbitant amounts of money on games to make it all back.  Yeah, right...

EDIT: No, I didn't really read this topic too thoroughly and I'm sure many would think this idea was silly.  Just a thought I had.  I'm sure for certain manufacturers like Infinium Labs, whose Phantom (does it even exist?) seems too much like a PC that it should just be a DVD-ROM for your computer for a game-selection interface.  Which sounds pretty lame but that's what I was getting from the little I saw of that thing anyway.

2115

Nintendo Gaming / Bypassing firewalls like ZoneAlarm

« on: November 24, 2005, 07:08:52 AM »

I got my Wi-Fi USB Connector in the mail yesterday!  Which was sweet because I'm Canadian and thought I heard they were only just shipping them today...I guess I got my order in fast enough...but anyway...

I got it to work, but only when I turned off ZoneAlarm, the firewall that I use.  I want to be safe and even though there is some firewall thing with the router that I have anyway, it'd be nice if it could work with ZoneAlarm on as well.

I tried making ZoneAlarm allow access to the program, but it doesn't work just by doing that.  I'm guessing there's more I must change, or else I'll just have to keep ZoneAlarm off all the time I go online with the DS...  

2116

TalkBack / RE:Super Princess Peach review

« on: November 24, 2005, 06:34:07 AM »

Quote
Pros:
Good ol' fashioned 2D Mario gameplay

SOLD!

Okay, well, I'm insecure.  I play Mario and Pokémon to death, which is enough to bother all my friends, so if I ever do get this, I'm probably not going to play it in a public place.

However, it IS 2D Mario gameplay...when's New Super Mario Bros. supposed to come out again?  >_<

(Pro666's avatar images have actually gotten me...um...interested in Daisy more.  I thought HI I'M DAISY from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! was cute but man...)  

2117

Nintendo Gaming / RE:3rd Party Support Already Starting to Look Up

« on: November 24, 2005, 05:22:54 AM »

I really like that third-party developers are SAYING that they like the Revolution, but I really hope that they (or at least the good ones) do something with it.  (And they better be different from each other, I can only want to play so many FPS and first-person fishing and cooking games.)

Like, before the GameCube came out, I remember a former Square(-Enix) employee (boy, there are a lot of them), saying that the GameCube was the "second coming" of the Super NES.  Coming from a (former) Square employee, you'd think he meant that we could've expected a lot of good RPGs for the GameCube.  There were some good ones, yes, but certainly not many or even close.  You could probably count them on one hand...

Talk is cheap.  We want games.  Good, unique, exclusive games.

2118

Nintendo Gaming / How much more is there to the Revolution that we don't know?

« on: November 23, 2005, 08:48:57 AM »

I was reading the latest IGN Nintendo Minute (#20) where someone asks if there is more to know about the Revolution.  George Harrison says there are a lot more details about its capabilities and gameplay still to be revealed.

What if the controller, revolutionary in itself, isn't the only new thing?  We haven't seen the attachments other than the analogue stick, so maybe there's something major there.

I remember rumblings about an online service rivalling Xbox Live's, but I would see that more as doing what others are already doing.  Unless it's, like, multiple times better.  Not having experienced Xbox Live myself, I don't really know, but I guess it'd sound good if it was at least comparable.

What could it be?  Is it truly revolutionary?  If there really is more to it, it's kind of sad to see the speculation having stopped once the controller was revealed in September.

Though at the same time, it might not be much at all.  They would probably save further innovations for a later Nintendo console so that the Xbox 720 and PS4 won't have an edge in that department even if they copy the one-handed remote controller.

2119

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Kid Icarus

« on: November 23, 2005, 04:53:31 AM »

It's a good article.  Reaffirms my hopes for the Revolution.  Probably won't make a difference to the average casual gamer until Nintendo reveals some definite games with videos and screenshots and begins their actual marketing.  If that doesn't come soon, they may give in to the marketing efforts of the now-released Xbox 360 and eventually-released-but-probably-bigger-budget-in-marketing PS3.

Though the article didn't say anything surprising, other than the mention of Kid Icarus.  I suppose you could download the NES game onto it, but it didn't sound like what he meant.

However, I also think that Kid Icarus is getting a bit overhyped for something we're not sure is ever going to get another game.  I liked StarTropics more and no one ever talks about that.

2120

Nintendo Gaming / RE:3rd Party Support Already Starting to Look Up

« on: November 22, 2005, 08:23:32 AM »

It should be possible.  If they can fit force feedback in a GBA Game Pak, they should be able to fit it in the analog stick attachment if they really wanted to.  Shouldn't they?

Oh, but I guess it would have to draw power from somewhere, though.  I suppose a reason not to include force feedback is it would either require more batteries (making it bulkier) or it would have to draw energy from the main remote unit, which might not be efficient or something.

You know, I have no idea...

2121

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Official DS Sales Thread

« on: November 22, 2005, 08:10:57 AM »

Well, it's Mario Kart.  I don't like racing games but even I like Mario Kart.  And it's always been a great multi-player game.  The amount of people online with it may be surprising, but if any game was ever going to get it that high, it's really no surprise that it's Mario Kart.

Then there's Animal Crossing: Wild World, a game that is appropriate for social interaction.  The DS is going to pull people online since it's free and easy.  So many already have if Mario Kart is any indication, and Animal Crossing and hopefully later games will maintain that momentum.  Metroid Prime: Hunters will get those with trigger fingers excited, hopefully, and then if the Revolution uses the same or similar system, wow.  Looks like Sony's going to appear behind in the online department now.

And with the PSP's lack of exciting games (IMO), the DS will probably continue to outsell the PSP for a while.

All I ever hear about the PSP (at least on the Internet) is how people want to emulate Super NES games (or put pornographic videos) on there.  It's not very exciting as a gaming system just looking at its own library of games.

[Ian Sane]

2122

TalkBack / RE:Nearly Half of Mario Kart DS Owners Try Wi-Fi

« on: November 22, 2005, 07:27:26 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I just checked it out on Nintendo's Canadian online store and it says "The USB Connector is currently on back order and will begin shipping on November 24, 2005."

Aw, man, seriously?  I'm Canadian and I was thinking it would have to be in the mail today!    It's still two days until they even SHIP them.  *whine whine whine*  So that's why I'M not online.

More time to practice until I do, I'm sure I'd only have lots of losses if I was online right now...  

2123

TalkBack / RE:Nearly Half of Mario Kart DS Owners Try Wi-Fi

« on: November 22, 2005, 07:07:13 AM »

Nearly half?  That is impressive.  Isn't it?

I bet it'd be even higher than that if the Wi-Fi USB Connector was included with the game, or at least available in stores!

I was on the fence about buying Mario Kart DS (I enjoyed the other Mario Kart games but I suck at racing, especially competitively) but I finally did on Sunday.  However, despite ordering the Wi-Fi USB Connector the first day it was available on Nintendo's web site, I still haven't received it yet.    And no, I don't have a wireless router.

2124

TalkBack / RE:Kids Love Mario's GC Games

« on: November 22, 2005, 03:42:58 AM »

Good thing that in his literally dozen games this year or coming soon, that they include a new platformer, New Super Mario Bros. and another RPG, Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time.  I don't mind him playing sports and having parties all the time, but he's best in adventuring mode.

At least Mario's well-suited for spinoffs.  Even though I'd really like Tetra's Trackers to have come in some form in the North American release of Four Swords Adventures, I'm not so sure that Link could or should be doing other things.  Same goes for Samus.  But then again I haven't played Metroid Prime Pinball yet, which sounds better than it initially did...

Anyway, about Nintendo whoring out Mario...was it Nintendo's idea or EA's to include him (and Luigi and Peach) in NBA Street v3 and SSX: On Tour?  (And why not Daisy if they had to do it?)  Somehow I doubt they made them sell tons better than they would have, at least not in "Link-in-Soul Calibur II" proportions.

2125

TalkBack / RE:Kids Love Mario's GC Games

« on: November 21, 2005, 10:05:51 AM »

It begs the question: what was first?

Or did I miss it?

The nearby Blockbuster Video STILL doesn't have Mario Superstar Baseball, even after my constant pestering to them to get it.  They better get Super Mario Strikers...

And of course Mario is going to flood someone's lists.  He has like a dozen games this year.