Topic: Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 166

[Jonnyboy117]

We just can't do a short show anymore.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/podcastArt.cfm?artid=20167

 Episode 166: James Unbound    

 Download in AAC Format        Subscribe to AAC Feed    

Download in MP3 Format        Subscribe to MP3 Feed    

Subscribe via iTunes (Please rate and review, too!)    

Even when we stick to weekly segments, plan to go quickly, and even stop after two letters, we still can't make a short podcast. It's really because the four of us have developed so much chemistry in our nearly two years of doing RFN together. And honestly, it's not a real problem... unless one of us needs to be somewhere after recording!    

The show notes were simple for this episode, but our playful conversation took us down many unexpected paths. New Business is a bit light on Nintendo content this week; Greg finally got Mario & Luigi 3, and Jonny has an update on FF4: The After Years, but we spend a lot of time on Uncharted 2, Secret of Monkey Island, and yes, more GRAW 2 from James (along with some explanation of why he's playing it). Amidst these planned titles, we also revisited our favorite punching bag of 2008, Grand Theft Auto 4.    

Listener Mail starts with a BIG letter that launches us into a major discussion of used game sales and how they affect the industry. We also cover the support and future of Nintendo's Wii Classic Controller, before having to end the show a bit early. Thanks for all the awesome questions -- we'll catch up eventually!    

We're always looking for great Listener Mail to read and discuss on the show, so please send your questions or comments! (We really love seeing your praise and feedback regarding the show itself; however, in the interest of time, we may edit your letter to be read on the podcast.)      Credits:    

This podcast was edited by Greg Leahy.    

Music for this episode of Radio Free Nintendo is used with permission from Jason Ricci & New Blood. You can purchase their newest album, Done with the Devil, directly from the record label, Amazon.com, or iTunes, or call your local record store and ask for it!    

Additional music for this episode of Radio Free Nintendo is copyrighted to Nintendo, and is included under fair use protection.  

[NWR_Karl]

I've always thought of Jonny as being the Michael Bluth of the group. Lindy's the alcoholic mother, James is GOB, and rounding out the group, Greg is that lawyer who's "all business."

[KDR_11k]

Heh, Saints Row 2... I got that together with GRAW2, 5€ each. Still need to play more of GRAW2. SR2 runs like **** on the PC though. If you want to go back to a good Tom Clancy game I'd suggest HAWX, it's a fun flight action game.

As for demos, the somewhat recent demos I see on the Nintendo Channel here are Nintendo Presents: Style Boutique, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Go Go Cosmo Cops (some really weird grappling hook climbing game by Namco) and Battle of Giants: Dragons.

[Halbred]

I would hazard to guess that Johnny nor anyone else was fully aware of my gift for drawing increasingly disturbing dicks and dick monsters. Also, I would argue that James curses like a sailor in person. I shared a room with the man. ;-)

[adadad]

I've always thought of Jonny as being the Michael Bluth of the group. Lindy's the alcoholic mother, James is GOB, and rounding out the group, Greg is that lawyer who's "all business."

Ha ha! I agree with all of them except in my eyes Greg is more like Buster - mostly reticent but with the odd outburst of unexpected profanity or quirkiness out of nowhere!

[NWR_Lindy]

Greg is typically docile until you start talking about Brett Favre, a Bills loss, or 80s action movies.

[broodwars]

Lindy, you severely underestimate just how much the real game of Uncharted is like the demo.  I'm replaying the game now, and I'm finding it just as aggravating a game as when I originally played it.  Just room after room of guys capable of killing you in 2-3 shots, all ganging up on you at least 6-8:1.  And then you toss in the Snipers carrying Sniper Rifles, Grenade Launchers, and Desert Eagles in the second half of the game as well to make it a constant game of Trial & Error as you try to find the one path to take out all the guys in the area before they reach you and annihilate you.

Besides the removal of the vast majority of those "goon arenas" as I call them, I think the single biggest change that Uncharted 2 did was make stealth not only a viable option but a preferred one.  You could maybe stealth kill 3 goons in the entire game, because as soon as you got within 5 feet of any of them the alarm would sound off an the goon arena would begin.  In Uncharted 2, there are whole sections of the game where if you don't want to get into a huge firefight, all you have to do is watch the enemy patterns and systematically kill them with stealth kills.  If you get them all, you just avoided a huge shootout, and even if you fail to get them all the number of reinforcements is not dramatically greater than the force you started with in that room.  There's also a problem with the AI in Uncharted 1: the moment any enemy sees you, every enemy in that area knows exactly where you are at all times until you've killed them all.  From that point onward, the goons will be on one side and you will be on the other, and you will never successfully flank them.  In Uncharted 2, the AI is designed so that once you're "seen", the AI will know where you are for a while but will eventually have to look for you if you're out of sight too long.  This allows you to flank them just as they can flank you, as the AI no longer knows where you currently are.  The pacing is just dramatically better in this respect. 

Whereas in Uncharted 1 I'm finding myself repeatedly pulling back to cover further and further from the enemies to try to draw them out and take them down one at at time where it's safer, in Uncharted 2 I was continually pressing forward to closer cover to take them out easier.  It's all in enemy placement and level design, something where Uncharted 1 is weak.

[Plugabugz]

RFN is 99% chemistry and 1% actual talking about stuff. THAT is why its so good to listen to.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Why when talking about Hockey games did you guys not mention NHL2k10? It is supposedly a high quality hockey game that makes good use of motion plus?

Also I disagree about Saints Row 2, I thought it was a great change of pace with its zany nature not to mention fully customizable hero (or in my case heroine). Also I enjoy the GRAW series.

[Jonnyboy117]

There's a hockey game with MotionPlus support? I didn't even know about it.

[GoldenPhoenix]

There's a hockey game with MotionPlus support? I didn't even know about it.

Sure is. It got a pretty quiet release but everything I heard is that it is fully featured with pretty good motion plus support.

[NWR_Lindy]

GP, is your avatar from From Dusk Till Dawn?  I just saw that for the first time last weekend.  Awful movie, but I come on here the next day and you randomly have the vampire that Salma Hayek turns into.

No way I'm playing any hockey game other than NHL 10.  NHL 09 was awesome.  I'm always skeptical of motion control for hockey games because you it's going to be some contrived gimmicky setup that feels like you're playing ring hockey.

[NWR_Karl]

Awful movie? Sir, YOU are an awful movie. From Dusk Till Dawn is a classic.

[Crimm]

NHL2K10 slipped my mind.  I took the letter at face value, that there simply wasn't one.  I'm used to the EA Hegemony on a sport franchise.

True nuff - NHL2K10

I stand by my previous statement that I'd take a Tecmo Bowl Kickoff style upgrade to the old style 2D Isometric hockey engine that powered the EA games back in the early 90s.  Upgrade the graphics, add some basic franchise functionality (trades plz, maybe drafts), add a mini-game or two ("Whack-A-City" - You know Ontario cannot support another hockey franchise.  Nobody else seems to, get it.  Show them!  CFL, yes.  NHL, no.).

Online play - Nice-to-have feature
Leader boards - Strongly Needed feature
Canadian Voice Changer for Online Play voice chat - Required Feature (even if the game isn't online).
Gary Bettman Sim - NO!  You apparently can't get fired and lose this game.  Do not include!
Fantasy Hockey Tools (for real games) - If you play fantasy NHL you have a problem.  I will not allow my dream game to indulge your issues...I wonder if I need to renew my Center Ice subscription
UHL Development League - Any league where owners pay their players to fight is a step in the right direction.  Make it DLC

[NWR_Lindy]

From Dusk Till Dawn is garbage.  And James, I'm too tired to respond to your statements in full, but let me state unequivocally that you are an ignorant, ignorant man.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

I own the movie Jonny discusses in this episode. Easily worth the $10 I paid.

[NWR_insanolord]

NHL 2K10 intrigues me because I believe it controls a bit like Pro Evo on Wii with pointer-controlled passing. But for once Lindy's right, NHL 10 on the HD consoles is the only way to go. It's mostly the same as 09 (though the fighting is much better and the board play is pretty cool), which is good because 09 was pretty much perfect. Lindy, did you get it for the 360? If so I should say I'm going to play you and then not do it again this year.

[Crimm]

And James, I'm too tired to respond to your statements in full, but let me state unequivocally that you are an ignorant, ignorant man.

It's not my fault you don't know a good (or bad) game when you see it?
We should play Conduit again sometime, I enjoy losing the match before it even begins!

[D_Average]

For some reason, listening to this show while playing Williams Pinball doubles my score.

[broodwars]

For some reason, listening to this show while playing Williams Pinball doubles my score.

You might remember from (I think it was) 103, but Greg is the Pinball Wizard.     Guess some of that rubbed off on you.

[Halbred]

Dusk 'Till Dawn is trash. I went in expecting something worthwhile, but it's a low-budget fragfest with zombies and vampires. I just don't care.

Salma Hayek is the Most Beautiful Woman On the Planet, but even she can't save this pile.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Dusk 'Till Dawn is trash. I went in expecting something worthwhile, but it's a low-budget fragfest with zombies and vampires. I just don't care.

Salma Hayek is the Most Beautiful Woman On the Planet, but even she can't save this pile.

Halbred, proving over and over he has an awful taste in movies!

[NWR_Lindy]

NHL 2K10 intrigues me because I believe it controls a bit like Pro Evo on Wii with pointer-controlled passing. But for once Lindy's right, NHL 10 on the HD consoles is the only way to go. It's mostly the same as 09 (though the fighting is much better and the board play is pretty cool), which is good because 09 was pretty much perfect. Lindy, did you get it for the 360? If so I should say I'm going to play you and then not do it again this year.

I didn't get it, no.  I think I'll wait for a price drop on it, since I have a buddy that wants to play but hasn't bought it yet either.  Hmmm, maybe I should add it to my Giftmas List.

[Jonnyboy117]

I love From Dusk Til Dawn. You get to see Tarantino killed TWICE. Also, it was the first time I saw boobies in a movie. True story.

The movie is basically Planet Terror but much better. (Both directed by Robert Rodriguez.)

[Crimm]

I can't wait till I report on what I've been playing this week. It is going to be good times. Yet another genre 180.