tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82649343342887842722024-03-13T03:19:04.708-07:00Thoughts of ThoughtfulnessCharliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-42438845678308912002013-07-16T03:03:00.001-07:002013-07-16T03:31:22.912-07:00Zelda: The Open World Is Not Enough<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As a Zelda fantard, I think it's
important that every Zelda game be in the running for Game of All
Time. Oftentimes, on Zelda forums, blogs, and such, people discuss
what could make Zelda better. There's notion that the “Zelda
formula” is getting a bit stale. I would agree. Some say the series
would fare better as an open world game. I would agree with that as
well. However, that's not all that's necessary. That would merely
improve Zelda into a good game. As the opening sentence might imply,
I don't think that's good enough.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My cousin has this game called Far Cry
3. I've spent a good bit of time over at his house of late, and I've
been playing the hell out of that game. It's really good. Anyway, I
found myself wondering, “Why can't Zelda have an overworld like this?”
However, as I traversed through the campaign, I realized that Zelda
would still suffer from many of the same problems if it were like
FarCry 3. Far Cry 3's main storyline is completely linear, just as
Zelda's is. There are things you can do such as skin animals or
liberate enemy bases which makes you feel as if you have a good
degree of freedom, but the freedom in that game is linear slavery
when compared to freedom offered by LoZ or even ALttP and OoT.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the older Zelda games, the
recommended dungeon orders were optional. For example, in LoZ,
“Level-1” is referred to as such, but you don't necessarily have
to complete Level-1 first. You can do Level-3 first if you want.
Items from Levels 3 and 4 are required for Levels 5-8, but you can
basically go wherever the sam hell you want. The only place you can't
go is Level-9 (the last level where Princess Zelda is being held).
LoZ puts the free in free roaming.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anyway, imagine if Zelda had an open
world like FarCry 3's where the entire map is accessible from the
start, but the dungeons still need to be completed in a set order. The only benefit is being able to do the sidequests early
(much like how you can liberate bases early in FarCry 3). And really:
What's the freakin' point of that in Zelda? You can play Bombchu Bowling from
the start of the game? That's nice and all, but it's quite a step
down from being able to clear the last dungeon first.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Zelda shouldn't settle for being a mere
good open world game. It could be so much more if Nintendo only
wanted it to be. Modern Zelda could be immortal – a part of the
conscience of gamers everywhere – as LoZ, ALttP, and OoT are. And
yet, not only do they avoid providing alternate dungeon orders, they
continually close off entire portions of the map until much later in
the game.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But maybe that will change with Zelda
U.</div>
Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-11154947751724967562013-06-04T22:12:00.002-07:002013-06-05T14:13:09.258-07:0015 Super Mario Bros. Challenges<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I love the original Super Mario Bros. for NES. I don't think there's a Mario game I've played as much as that one. There's something great about its simplicity. Anyway, I was thinking about what it would be like if Super Mario Bros. for NES had something akin to the Achievements/Trophies found in 360/PS3 games. If you'd like, consider this an unofficial list of challenges you can try out in SMB:
</div>
<br />
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>It's-a-Me: </b>Clear every
level in the first quest.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Deja Vu:</b> Clear every level
in the second quest.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Cheater: </b>Perform the
“Infinite Lives” Trick</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Speed Run: </b>Beat the game by
visiting no more than three Worlds.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Wild Gunman:</b> Kill every
King Koopa with fireballs.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Lost At Sea: </b>Visit
“Minus World.”</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Core:</b> Beat the game without
continuing.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Hardcore: </b>Beat the game
without dying.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Plumber Without A Gun:</b>
Beat the game without picking up any Magic Mushrooms or Fire
Flowers.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Pacifist:</b>
Beat every level without killing a single enemy.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Serial Killer: </b>Kill every reachable enemy in every level (i.e. excluding unreachable Bullet
Bills).</div>
</li>
<li><b>1-up'd:</b> Get an extra life by knocking Koopa Shell into a line of enemies.</li>
<li><b>Ascended Glitch: </b>Jump over the flagpole.</li>
<li><b>Over 5000: </b>Get 5000 points on every flagpole in the game.</li>
<li><b>Top That: </b>Score a million points.</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm having a hard time thinking about anything too different you could do in SMB. It is a pretty straightforward game after all, and perhaps that's it's greatest strength. If you can think of something better, mention it below.<br />
<br />
Also, I think it's fine to use the continue code on some of these. For example, there's no need to start over from 1-1 if you accidentally hit an enemy on 8-3 while trying to do #10<i>. </i>Although, I'd view the situation differently on #8. But it really doesn't matter, just so long as you're having fun. ;)</div>
Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-50558591643835023132013-05-18T19:42:00.002-07:002013-05-18T19:46:33.490-07:00Nintendo's Worst Enemy Is Nintendo<br />
<br />
<br />
In looking back at the games I bought for SNES when it was a modern console, it's clear that I bought a lot of games that were developed and/or published by Nintendo. Many of those games are the classics that I remember the SNES fondly for, such as Donkey Kong Countries 1-3, A Link to the Past, Yoshi's Island, etc.<br />
<br />
I also bought a decent bit of third party games. I couldn't get enough of the stuff from Konami. Axelay, Castlevania IV, and Zombies Ate My Neighbors are some of my favorite SNES games (Axelay is top ten material, in fact.). In addition to Konami, there were RPGs from Square, sports games from EA and Iquana, and... my memory isn't what it used to be, but I definitely had good bit of third party games for it. :P<br />
<br />
However, in doing this looking back, I realize that Nintendo and its second party Rareware are the height of the SNES show. The IPs involved with Nintendo's games are iconic. Super Mario World's levels are more memorable to me than the levels from Super Castlevania IV, even though both games are on an equal footing, fun-wise.<br />
<br />
I and some unknown number other people would buy a Nintendo console purely to play Nintendo's games. And if a tight budget got in the way, forcing me to choose between say, Konami games and Nintendo games, I would choose Nintendo games every time. (Unless Konami ever pumps out Axelay 2. You've got me then, Konami! Axelay freakin' rules!).<br />
<br />
I don't think I'm as averse to third-party games as some Nintendo fans, but I think it's somewhat of a problem with their fanbase. In reading other people's comments about the Wii U, they all say, “Wait until the new Mario and the new Zelda come out! It'll sell then.” Those games just might Wii Us, but will third parties start bringing games to the Wii U then? Nintendo is providing Wii U owners with all of the games that those gamers want: Mario and Zelda.<br />
<br />
Nintendo's third party support problem goes back to the N64 (You could argue that the SNES had less third party support than the NES, but that's because Nintendo had an illegal monopoly.). The change to the disc format pushed most third parties to the PSX. Some of them never came back. And those that did were greeted with Nintendo fans that stuck by Nintendo because Nintendo's games are all they were ever interested in to begin with! Did these Wii owners support what few third party games the thing had? Consider Black Ops Wii. There definitely people who bought the game, but it was nothing when compared to the 360/PS3 crowds. If popular third party franchise such as Call of Duty struggles on Nintendo's platforms, what hope is there for lesser known third-party games?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-5917749942914681322013-04-01T03:23:00.002-07:002013-04-01T03:24:04.361-07:00Banjo Kazooie Composer Dreams of Making Banjo 3 For Wii-UDuring a Youtube show called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t70l-9n1rCQ">Game Grumps</a>, Grant Kirkhope, the composer for classic Rare games such as Banjo Kazooie and Perfect Dark, mentioned that he dreams of reuniting former Rare employees under a new company and obtaining the rights to Banjo Kazooie. Here's the specific quote, which I first saw on <a href="http://gengame.net/2013/03/banjo-kazooie-composer-says-old-rare-team-should-reunite-bring-banjo-threeie-to-wii-u/">GenGame</a>:
<br><br>
<i>"I keep wishing that all the ex-Rare staffers would just get together and form a company, and go to Nintendo and say ‘give us the money. We’ll make you Banjo 3 for the Wii U’ or whatever…Just make Banjo 3 like it should have been made back then and it would be great, and it would be great on Wii U, and all the ex-Rare guys would be together again all happy and kissing each other… I just keep thinking we should just give it a try."</i>
<br><br>
For whatever reason, this hypothetical endeavor reminds me of the legal battle between Nintendo and Atari over Tetris. Atari got the license to make Tetris for computers and assumed that video game consoles were included in their license. Nintendo, however, managed to get a second license exclusively for video game consoles, and a lengthy series of lawsuits between Atari and Nintendo ensued.
<br><br>
Anyway, what I'm getting to is that the people from those days at Nintendo were really crafty. They knew that Tetris was an awesome game, and they went to great and expensive lengths to obtain the Tetris license. The payoff was the massive success of the GameBoy (which had Tetris as a pack-in game).
<br><br>
I can't help but think that if you put the people who obtained the Tetris license in this situation, they would see the profits that "neo-Rare" could bring in with a popular Rare IP. The IP itself is just needed to catch people's attention, but after that, they could potentially make some new games exclusively for Nintendo consoles.
<br><br>
Having said all of that, "neo-Rare" doesn't exist yet, as far as I know anyway. But who knows what the future holds? Perhaps Grant Kirkhope's comments will reach far and wide, entering the eyes and ears of all former Rare employees. One can only hope.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-37549322503868969532013-03-26T16:57:00.000-07:002013-03-26T16:57:12.655-07:00Super Mario World vs. New Super Mario Bros. WiiNew Super Mario Bros. Wii was a pretty sweet video game. Plumbers tripping on Magic Mushrooms is something that everyone should experience. I really like it. I'm of a mixed mind whether prefer it to my other favorite Mario game, Super Mario World, or not. I decided to make a comparison.
<br><br>
<b> Good Level Design, Thy Name is NSMB-Wii</b>
<br><br>
In terms of level design, I think it holds its own well against any of the classic games. Some of the scenarios are downright challenging to get past. I was impressed that Nintendo would make a game this hard for their casual gaming device called the Wii. However, when I say "hard," I only mean it in the sense that some levels will might take eight or ten of your lives on the first attempt. If you have any Mario skill whatsoever, you probably won't get a Game Over in this game. Extra lives are everywhere, and you can stock up on them without really trying to. Basically, I'm saying that I beat the game with 99 lives, yet still think that it's a pretty challenging game.
<br><br>
Why is it challenging? Things popping out of lava, thirty or forty fireballs chasing you back across the levels, jumps that require absolute precision, and all sorts of arduous scenarios that just never existed in Super Mario World. It's almost like playing those classic Mario games is a prerequisite. To me, NSMB-Wii plays like a version of The Lost Levels that has been packed with thousands of extra lives... and made a little bit easier. Nothing in this game is as hard as 7-3 of The Lost Levels. Damn those catapult springs!
<br><br>
<b>Overworld Devolution: NSMB-Wii's Failure</b>
<br><br>
There's no denying it. The pack-in game for Super Nintendo had a more impressive overworld than a comparable mid-life Wii game. In Super Mario World, there are numerous alternate exits. Only a few were really hard to find, which made it accessible enough for most players to try and find them all. In NSMB-Wii, there are secret exits. However, the map only gives you a vague suggestion of where they are. Also, I haven't counted them out, but I would wager that far more secret exits exist in Super Mario World than in this game. NSMB-Wii's overworld wasn't bad by any means, but it didn't quite live up the still-impressive feat that was the SMW overworld.
<br><br>
When I was finding NSMB-Wii's Star Coins to beat the levels in Star World (or World-9), I was hoping there would be a Special Zone after beating all of the levels in Star World. Well, there wasn't, and that was a letdown. It actually wasn't a big big deal as the game was still really good, but, the Special Zone is legendary in its difficulty -- right up there with the Lost Levels, in fact! I know that Mario and hardcore aren't often mentioned in the same sentence, but you've gotta be pretty hardcore to clear SMW's Special Zone levels. But anyway.
<br><br>
<b>Star Coins: NSMB-Wii's Improvement</b>
<br><br>
After beating Bowser NSMB-Wii, I thought, "Yeah that was pretty good. The bosses were a step backward to Super Mario Bros. 3, but I liked it." Then I got to collecting the Star Coins to unlock levels in Star World. At this point it hit me: This game is like Super Mario 64 in 2D. As someone who has issues with the slow pace 3D Mario, I was pretty excited. "Finally, they've put this find the stars stuff into a game style that I enjoy!"
<br><br>
You can actually try to collect all of the Dragon Coins in Super Mario World. I went back and did it a few months ago. It was a lot of fun, and I'd recommend it. However, there's no system in place to keep track of whether you've obtained all the Dragon Coins in a given level. Also, not all of the levels have four Dragon Coins. Some have five, and a few have three (Chocolate Secret, and one other... I forget which). I do believe I obtained all of the Dragon Coins, but I can't be sure. :P
<br><br>
So, NSMB-Wii did something that was quite unique for a 2D Mario game. Whether the other NSMB games did, I don't know. I would to play them find out if I had a (3)DS. This "find the coins in the level stuff" also occurred in the Donkey Kong Country games with DK-Coins, Bear Coins, and whatever else was in there.
<br><br>
<b>Multiplayer: Pick Your Flavor</b>
<br><br>
Super Mario World plays like Super Mario Bros. 3, alternating whenever a play beats a level or dies. NSMB-Wii doesn't do that. It does something that's, to me, far more annoying: You need to play these levels with everyone on the screen at the same time. I'm Mario God in one player (like most people, I imagine), but 2-players is quite hard due to each player going for the same platforms. 3-players is unruly. 4-players is impossible, man. Everyone wants to go their own way. While I think that the co-op mode is a good feature, they should have included old school alternating Mario to appease people who actually want to finish the game with more than one player.
<br><br>
<b>Music: SMW owns it</b>
<br><br>
This is just my opinion, but I don't think that the music in NSMB-Wii is all that great. There are good themes here and there, but the main little motif is as mediocre as it gets. Other pieces sound good, but they're just too ambient for a game that's focused on rhythm, running, and jumping. Compare it with the Donut Plains 1 music, the Vanilla Dome, and the Valley of Bowser. NSMB-Wii's music seems like it's at its best when it's paying homage to previous games in the series (a-la SMW's Castle Theme. The Hammer Bros. theme from SMB3. etc.). I suppose nostalgia affects my opinion here, but I stand by it. ;)
<br><br>
<b>Final Verdict: Doesn't Matter</b>
<br><br>
Is it a better game than SMW? For the most part, no. SMW's overworld and Music were better, to me. but it was still pretty damn good. Collecting the Star Coins was just fun. If I had $400 to just throw away, I would get a Wii-U and the 2D Mario game for that. Just keep making 2D Mario games, Nintendo! It's not creative and definitely not innovative, but they tend to rule. In my opinion, NSMB-Wii beats the hell out of SUper Mario Galaxy, but I may have a minority opinion on that. :(
<br><br>
Well, that concludes a pointless comparison of two games with very similar gameplay. I hope you enjoyed. I thought it was a fine time-waster.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-14043121620566423382013-03-22T08:19:00.001-07:002013-03-22T08:19:32.328-07:00A Link to the Past and Non-Linear ProgressionI read something that made me die a little on the inside. I'm paraphrasing here: "A Link to the Past is the source of modern linear Zelda. How you can like that and not like the equally linear Twilight Princess? They're the same thing."
<br><br>
This is a common perception about my favorite Zelda game, one that is completely wrong. A Link to the Past creates the appearance of a linear game -- insofar as it numbers the dungeons via the map -- but the order is completely up for grabs after the Palace of Darkness. After completing that first dungeon of the Dark World, it's possible to complete Skull Woods, Thieves' Hideout, and... that water one (Level-2) in any order. I never could remember its name. And if I'm not mistaken, the order of the Ice Prison and Misery Mire can be swapped up.
<br><br>
Ok, so it's a common habit to play a game through once and never touch it again these days. I can understand how younger gamers might think that if they just beat ALttP once. However, it baffles me to see that some players of the original Legend of Zelda really regard ALttP as a linear game. I'll grant that it muffles the absolute freedom given in LoZ, but its Dark World portion is still a pretty great continuation of LoZ's non-linear scheme.
<br><br>
Anyway, I think it's sad to see ALttP regarded as such by anyone, because I believe that its formula achieved the best of both worlds. Its Light World portion was quite segmented to allow for the storyline to develop. After Zelda's capture, the game switches to non-linear traditional LoZ-esque gameplay. ALttP has a Storyline AND Exploration, which to hear Zelda fans tell it, are two things which cannot exist within the same game.
<br><br>
Ocarina of Time continued ALttP's tradition of allowing alternate dungeon orders in the "second half" of the game. But alas, OoT had fewer dungeons, so it wasn't quite as apparent. After OoT, it was abandoned entirely in favor of the type of segmented gameplay found in Link's Awakening. That's the real prototype for linear Zelda.
<br><br>
The alternate orders are what makes a good Zelda game great to me. Good Zelda games like Skyward Sword would be better if I could come back to them a second time and do something differently. ;) Series director Eiji Aonuma recently spoke about returning non-linear progression to the Zelda series. I'm hopeful that this is the case.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-42341745290254191212013-03-16T14:25:00.000-07:002013-03-16T14:25:23.101-07:00Why Smartphones Won't Kill Game ConsolesIf you follow gaming news, that's the primary headline to carry away. "Angry Birds is pretty much on the same level with Farcry 3 in terms of quality, development costs, and everything. It won't be long before phones eat 100% of game consoles' market share." Ok, so I'm just beating up a straw man there, but you get my point. Apparently the readily available supply of games and newer business models will eventually kill Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. I have my doubts for a couple of reasons. Behold!
<br><br>
<b>A Bigger Screen</b>
One of my friends came over with her kid one day. He brought his 3DS and Ocarina of Time 3D. I've heard worse reasons to turn on Ocarina of Time 64. I just wanted to show him what the game originally looked like, but one of his comments surprised me, "I think your version of Ocarina of Time is better. It's bigger."
<br><br>
Obviously, Ocarina of TIme 3D has substantially better graphics than Ocarina of Time 64. However, he -- a kid who grew up during the smartphone age -- preferred the console version to the handheld version (which is, in my opinion, quite comparable to a smartphone game. Probably better since it's Zelda.). As long as smartphones aim to be small portable devices, they'll never be able to duplicate the same kind of experience that a game console can.
<br><br>
<b>A Dedicated Device</b>
Phones are limited by the fact that they are phones. I find playing most console games via phone hard to imagine. The adequate control schemes just aren't there. There are a good many people that prefer console games to computer games for this same reason, and the PC is far more well disposed to give you a good experience than some phone.
<br><br>
Smartphones will destroy game consoles? BS.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-90561300192041167732013-03-16T01:56:00.002-07:002013-03-16T01:56:53.859-07:00Wii-U Should Have Been Virtual Boy 2So, Nintendo's having a tad of trouble selling their new game console, the Wii-U. IGN has a post about it <a href="http://n4g.com/news/1208760/2013-wii-u-sales-look-dismal"> here.</a>I like Nintendo, and I don't want see their console fail. In the worst case scenario, it could lead to the dreaded Nintendocalypse in which we have to buy Nintendo games on PS4. :P
<br><br>
So the thing had a crappy launch title lineup. Most of the games were games that were already available on PS3 and Xbox 360. The Wii-U exclusive ZombiU is apparently terrible, and that puts an awful lot of pressure on Super Mario Bros. U.
<br><br>
Anyway, so there aren't a lot of compelling reasons for "hardcore" gamers or even Nintendo fans to get the thing as of yet. A Zelda or a Super Smash Bros. game would help 'em a little, I'm sure. But where are the casual gamers who bought the Wii in the first place? Why didn't they flock to this device? I have a theory. Behold!
<br><br>
Back in 2005 or whenever, what was the main draw of the Wii? Motion controls. When you bought the launch title Twilight Princess with your new Wii, you expected to be able to swing your sword and make Link do as much on screen. While Twilight Princess didn't meet that hope -- and it took six years to get a Zelda game that would -- the Wii's main crowd of gamers did get what they wanted. You swing the remote and it hits a tennis ball. It was pretty cool, almost as if you were really swinging a tennis racket.
<br><br>
What would be the next logical step from the motion-controlled Wii? I don't really know whether it's financially feasible or not, but I would think virtual reality. Where the Wii got people moving, the Wii-U should have gotten people into the game.
<br><br>
Googling reveals that most virtual reality helmets are prohibitively expensive. However, a company as large as Nintendo probably could strip the stuff down and economize it. Playing console games via tablet is a nice idea, but it would have been badass if could have fed that same stream into some VR goggles. And hey: It could have still had assymetrical multiplayer.
Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-69507204830001299742013-03-15T09:39:00.001-07:002013-03-15T09:40:18.588-07:00FC-Twin Light Gun ReviewYesterday, I posted a review of the FC-Twin Light Gun. As I did not have my television configured probably to get accurate shots out of the gun, I was less than pleased. The same setup allowed for accuracy out of my NES Zapper, so I thought,"Surely those would work for the FC-Twin Light Gun as well, right? ... right?"
<br><br>
Well, the answer to that question is a definitive no. To get an accurate shot out of the FC-Twin Light Gun, I had to lower my CRT TV's brightness settings down to zero. Of, course, this makes the games look a little darker than they should, but the gun is quite functional. So, in light of that, I feel obligated to re-review the FC-Twin Light Gun.
<br><br>
<b>Build Quality:</b>
<br><br>
I dwelled on it a little more than I should have because the gun wouldn't always fire correctly, but the truth is still that this gun is made of what feels like pretty cheap plastic. It's a very lightweight gun -- which is nice for these types of games -- but it doesn't give me a lot of confidence that this gun will work ten years down the road.
<br><br>
The trigger, in particular, feels flimsy. It's quite the step down in quality from the NES Zapper.
<br><br>
<b>Functionality:</b>
<br><br>
With your television properly configured, the gun will work just as well as the NES Zapper. I was able to get as far as I normally could in Hogan's Alley and actually a little further in Duck Hunt. The lightweight nature of the gun really does help with accuracy.
<br><br>
One game that I had trouble with was Operation Wolf. With same low-brightness settings, I could not get the game to register a single shot. This is (I assume) because Operation Wolf registers your hit differently. To get it to work, you need to raise the brightness. Despite my best efforts, it was hard to get a completely accurate shot out of that game. However, I honestly think it has more to do with the way Operation Wolf works than the FC-Twin Light Gun itself, as I've always had the same trouble out of the NES Zapper.
<br><br>
<b> To Buy or Not To Buy</b>
<br><br>
Since it seems to work (albeit with different brightness/contrast settings than you would get out of your NES), I would recommend it. I prefer the way the way Duck Hunt's brightness looks via NES, but not enough to actually hook up my NES and play Duck Hunt own it. Provided the durability holds up, the FC-Twin Light Gun is just as good as the NES Zapper. And that's saying something.
Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-7580872665165849472013-03-14T08:14:00.000-07:002013-03-14T08:16:11.072-07:00A Review of The FC-Twin As I said in my previous post on SNES game prices, I recently got an FC-Twin. There's a decent bit of information on this Famiclone from Google, but more never hurts.
Well, for starters, the FC-Twin is shaped to resemble a remodeled Super Nintendo (that would be the small one). It looks pretty nice, although I wish it was bigger like the original Super Nintendo. The FC-Twin feels quite light when you pick up, which is something I don't like in a game console. Pick up a NES, SNES, N64, GCN, Wii, or (I suspect) a Wii-U. You know you're holding a good device because it has a certain amount of weight to it. The FC-Twin's lightweight design doesn't give me that same assurance. But to be fair, it hasn't broken or anything yet. ;)
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The device itself is used to play Nintendo and Super Nintendo games. For the most part, it seems like the FC-Twin can play whatever game you decide to throw at it. The performance is significantly better than many cloned Nintendo consoles I've seen on Youtube. When it works, it seems to do everything close to perfectly. The sound and video are quite good for most games. I've played the hell of Super Mario Bros. 1 on NES and I noticed one really insignificant difference.
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However, problems WILL emerge with compatibility. Be careful, as there are contradictory lists on which games work and which games do not. To the best of my knowledge, I have a later revision of the FC-Twin. Tengen Gauntlet works in the sense that it will load, but the horrendous graphical glitches make it unplayable. I had to hook my NES back up to play it. Problems probably exist for other Tengen games as well. These problems more than likely extend to any unlicensed game which uses a different mapper than what the FC-Twin has been designed to handle.
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Another bad thing is that it only uses SNES controllers. I like SNES controllers, so that doesn't really bother me too much. However, what does bother me is the lack of NES Zapper support. The FC-Twin does not come with a light gun, although Yobo (FC-Twin's manufacturer) makes one that you can purchase. My local game store didn't have it, so I had to order it online. It was thirteen bucks plus shipping, although there were some eBay auctions that had it cheaper than that. After it gets here and I've had a chance to test it out on my three or four Zapper games, I'll post a review of it on this blog.
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But despite those problems, the FC-Twin can still a pretty worthwhile device. My NES works after going through the standard clean up procedures. You know, you have to clean the game with rubbing alcohol, put it in, adjust the cart's position ten or twenty times, and if you're lucky, you'll hit that sweet spot where the game will work perfectly for hours. In stark contrast, the FC-Twin works immediately when the game is compatible. And that is pretty freakin' sweet.
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I long for a Famiclone with sturdy build quality and 100% compatibility. I'm sure the day will come, but until then, the FC-Twin is not a bad choice. It definitely cannot replace the original hardware, but it can make for a good companion for your original hardware. NES is nearly thirty years old, and it needs a second younger console to take some of its workload off it!
Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-36930902082720085732013-03-10T16:30:00.001-07:002013-03-10T16:31:54.308-07:00The Surging Price of SNES GamesDisgruntled with the prices and general quality of modern gaming, I decided to get all retro and rebuild my SNES game collection. Boy, I was in for a rude awakening. Have you seen the prices of SNES games lately? For the core games, they're outrageous. Check out this Amazon listing of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Super-Castlevania-IV-Pc/dp/B000HFGKN4/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1362928915&sr=1-1&keywords=super+castlevania+4">Castlevania IV</a>. thirty-four dollars for a used copy, and that's without the box and manual. I do recall buying that game from a Wal-Mart bargain bin for twenty dollars. Wtf?
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That's just one example. A Link to the Past will run you up to thirty. Donkey Kong Country games will go for just as much. The pack-in game Super Mario World is a somewhat overpriced at eleven dollars. Pretty much any game you remember fondly will run you cost you far more than it's actually worth.
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I ask again: Wtf? These games were the best-selling titles for the SNES. There are millions of them in circulation. We're paying -- or rather, not paying -- the fanboy tax. I know full well that there are Zelda fans that would pay $200 dollars for a loose cartridge of A Link to the Past with a ripped label. Why? Who knows what motivates the deranged minds of the fanboy element? I leave that to the Sigmund Freuds and Carl Jungs of the world.
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I've been searching the web for some sort of answer to this apparent surge in SNES game pricing. Different explanations have been presented:
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<b>Nostalgia Increases Demand:</b> That's definitely part of it. As I said, nostalgia motivated me to look into rebuilding a SNES collection. However, I know my old game economics, and that these things simply aren't worth the asking price. That brings me to my next point:
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<b>Not-So-Savvy Consumers:</b> The prices should fall if people aren't willing to pay these rates. However, people are willing to pay these rates. Maybe it's the thrill of buying it now, but you should be able to find the same game at a flea market or yard sale for substantially less. I'm talking five to ten dollars tops. That's assuming you can't find Castlevania IV for less than $34 at a used game store, and I -- HOPE -- that you can.
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<b>Hipsters:</b> Related to above. Do people really collect retro games to be trendy? Uh, apparently so. The core SNES games are apparently seeing more demand than they might normally due to additional consumers.
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<b>New Hardware:</b> I didn't mention it, but when I tried to boot up my SNES, I realized that the fabled Black Screen of Death had finally come to claim it. Research revealed that fixing it may well cost as much as a new (used) SNES, so I decided to try out an FC-Twin. It's a Famiclone that plays NES and SNES games. Compatibility is not 100%, but it's pretty good, all things considered. Audio emulation is pretty spot-on, which is apparently uncommon for Famiclones, but I digress. The point is that this newer, cheaper, hardware is making it possible for those who are not nostalgic blowhards like me to make use of the cartridges. I've seen Youtube videos of little kids talking about the Legend of Zelda being "a great FC-Twin game." Heh! Well, at least they're playing the classics. ;)
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In looking at it all, it's clear that there's quite a bit of demand for SNES games out there. More than you would expect from a twenty-two year or game console. That's for sure. However, I really do believe that the amount of cartridges printed for these games more than exceeds the amount of cartridges needed for everyone to have one... atat a price less that forty dollars!
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But I really want to play some SNES games that I haven't played before, anyway. Not to be too hipster-ish, but I'm going to find some cool SNES platformer that neither one of us have ever heard of. :PCharliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-69897284396958273132012-12-08T20:56:00.000-08:002012-12-08T20:57:36.556-08:00Twilight Princess Vs. Skyward SwordSomeone mentioned how the Zelda games appear to be getting easier and easier. That led my mind down this track. Which is better: Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword? They're both fairly easy, provided you're accustomed to the core mechanics of how to play Zelda. I'd say Skyward Sword is significantly harder in terms of combat, but both games hold your hand the entire way through. To TP's credit, Midna's character does make that handholding a little more bearable.
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<b>Twilight Princess: Pros and Cons</b>
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Pros:
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<i>1) Standard Zelda Quest:</i> The storyline and world of Twilight Princess fits right in with what you'd expect from a Zelda game. It's Hyrule, you are Link, and evil monsters are giving everyone a hard time. Some evil wizard seems to be causing these afflictions, but in the end, you learn that Ganon is really the cause of everything.
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<i>2) Simpler Control Scheme:</i> Some mind find faults with the swordplay, but Wiimote IR aiming is pretty sweet. You don't need to recalibrate it, or worry that a change in sitting position might affect your shot.
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<i>3) Great Graphics:</i> At the time of release, Twilight Princess' graphics were great. That's what we (or at least I) have been wanting since playing ALttP as a youngster. It makes Zelda look more hardcore than the lackluster quest actually was.
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<i>4) "Epic" Moments:</i> Link is not a youngster trying to attain knighthood in Twilight Princess. He's a Legendary Hero that's been waiting for an opportunity to shine. No one else can save Hyrule, as only those Hyruleans with a piece of the Triforce can enter the Twilight. The people are all counting on him. Colin actually builds up Link's level of heroism at times, and even gives Link opportunities to look more legendary than he did before (i.e. When King Bulbin captures him). Link also engages in various sword battles against enemies which look quite intimidating.The darknut battles are some of the finest moments in Zelda, and the Ganondorf fight is pretty good too.
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<i>5) One of the Best Guides:</i> Midna is right up there with Tetra and the King of the Red Lions from TWW. Fi is, in fact, a major step down from any Zelda guide -- even Navi!
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Cons
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<i>1) Tear Drops. Oh Goddesses, the Tear Drops!:</i> Before each of the first three dungeons, you have to collect these Tears of Light to revive the spirits of each Province of Hyrule. It is boring, and it takes forever. Why thought it back in SS, I have no idea.
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<i>2) A to Z Quest:</i> Most of the games do have obligatory prescribed dungeon orders, so it's not a major fault. My main beef is with Midna telling me I can't leave the Twilight! That's an artificial barrier, and it sucks.
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<i>3) Handholding/Predictability:</i> Maybe it's because I and most other players that find fault with TP have played too many Zelda games. I don't know. But actually figuring out what to do in TP was just too easy. The sidequest may appear unrelated to the main quest, but with Zelda logic in tow, you know that this is going to open up the way to another dungeon.
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<i>4) Easiness:</i> Twilight Princess was a cakewalk, in terms of both combat and puzzles.
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<b>Skyward Sword: Pros and Cons</b>
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Pros:
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<i>1) Nice Swordplay:</i> I liked the way the sword worked in this game. The actual swordplay wasn't 1:1, but the non-strike movement was. I imagine it became apparent that a more fun game could be produced if Link strikes in basic directions.
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<i>2) Some Fresh Music:</i> Much of SS was orchestrated, in fact. I'm all about the Faron Woods theme! It kind of reminds me of the intro to Fires At Midnight by Blackmore's Night (the first few seconds, but nothing else. ;) ).
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<i>3) Reuse of Items:</i> If TP's cons were any indication, I don't like SS' linearity. However, at least SS made good use of the linear path. In the later dungeons, the earlier items are necessary. In the last dungeon, every item is needed,
if I'm not mistaken. It's a pretty cool idea.
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<i>4) Fleshed Out Characters:</i> Characters not at all related to the main quest have their lives fleshed out. With the exception of Majora's Mask, I can't think of another game where this has occurred.
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<i>5) Some Great Bosses:</i> The boss of the Ancient Cistern was pretty hardcore. On Hero Mode, I hard some serious problems keeping up with him. Demise wasn't as cool as Ganon, although he sort of was Ganon... I guess. I suppose the fanon is still out on that. Anyway, I was getting to the fact that the cinematics of the battle with Demise were flat out awesome.
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<i>6) Excellent Dungeons:</i> Nice graphics, interesting puzzles, some good enemies. I'm a fan of the Stalfos Knights, and it's good to see them back for another game. Their SS form was good. Not as good as OoT's in terms of look, but the swordplay was right up there with the N64 controller.
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Cons:
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<i>1) Fi: FI FI FI.</i> Worst Con Ever. I've rambled about it before and I'm not doing it again.
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<i>2) Linear Path:</i> Not as bad as TP's due to item reuse, but still. I don't like how the world is actually unavailable. There's not even the hope of being able to get to Lanayru before Faron. :(
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<i>3) The Sky:</i> It takes forever to get anywhere in the sky. There's no warp system to get around up there either. They should have added in Sky-Rolling on button A.
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<i>4) A premise different from other Zeldas, but not a very good one:</i> The Wind Waker was different from other Zelda games, but still very cool. If you can't go on a swordwielding medieval journey through a fantasy world, can't you at least be a pirate? Being a skyman is not something that I'd really like to do. :P
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I would say that despite its many problems, Skyward Sword is a better game than Twilight Princess. It makes the same mistakes, but improves upon those mistakes in many areas. But that's just my opinion.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-55732213069832557342012-11-12T13:29:00.001-08:002012-11-12T13:35:05.487-08:00My Top 20 N64 GamesI spent much a lot of last couple of weeks playing random N64 games with one of my friends. We really enjoyed it. It got me to thinking, and after I think, I tend to ramble! What do I think are the best N64 games? Hmm... it's like I'm kid in a retro gaming candy store, or perhaps just a kid in a retro gaming store. Keep in mind that this list is just off the top of my head. I'm probably forgetting a few games that I think are worthy of being on here.
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<b>20: WCW vs. NWO Revenge</b>
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I remember getting this for Christmas a decade or so ago. It's pretty sweet. It's a sequel to World Tour, which kind of sucks in comparison. The simple control scheme is what makes Revenge so much fun. It's pretty fun on single player, but you could spend days playing it on multiplayer. Also, the game has some knowledge of wrestling rivalries as they were at the time, and allied wrestlers will run in and help their buddies if they're losing too badly.
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<b>19: Doom 64</b>
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I love the way N64 FPS games conduct themselves. There's no online mode, so the campaigns are seldom linear. People would boo that stuff back in the day. From what I understand, Doom 64 is actually not the same game as the original Doom on PC. It's a sort of side story game that's made by Midway. Whatever the case, I like the way you have to explore the corridors and how enemies will pop up whenever you find something.
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<b>18: Snowboarder Kids</b>
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I don't have as much experience with this game as I'd like to, but I rented it several times back in the day. It's kind of like a kart racing game, except that it's on snowboards. I only recall that I really enjoyed it.
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<b>17: Gex 64 </b>
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Gex is a one-liner delivering lizard. What's not like about that? I like all of the Gex games for N64 and PS1.
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<b>16: NFL Blitz </b>
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It's one of those games that's fun to play with friends. It's a shame that Midway couldn't get the NFL license for several of the later entries.
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<b>15: Starfox 64</b>
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Starfox is pretty nifty. The controls are nice and loose. I think Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is a much better game, but that's not to say Starfox is bad.
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<b>14: BattleTanx: Global Assault</b>
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Finally, you can blow up a buildings with tanks!
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<b>13: Mario 64</b>
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I have a confession: Aside from Gex, this is the only 3D platformer for N64 that I like (unless you could Zelda). I'm not big on Banjo Kazooie, and I hate Donkey Kong 64, so...
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<b>12: Wrestlemania 2000</b>
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This game is much better than the very-good WCW vs. NWO: Revenge. From what little I've played of No Mercy, I can safely say that I think it sucks when compared to this game. This has a Create-A-Wrestler mode, the ability to create little factions comparable to DX or whoever, a story mode, theme music for every wrestler, and is all around a fantastic game.
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<b>11: Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon</b>
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It's kind of like Zelda meets Mario 64. I'm always eager for games that are sort of like Zelda. I like the other N64 Goemon game too, but not as much.
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<b> 10: Duke Nukem 64 </b>
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Like Doom 64, it's fairly non-linear. But Duke Nukem 64 has humor, and also a nice multiplayer mode.
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<b> 9: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron</b>
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I'm a big fan of the movies. In some ways, I think of Rogue Squadron as a sort of sequel to Starfox 64. It's like not-on-rails version of that game, with better graphics, better sound, and generally better everything. It could have used a multiplayer mode, though.
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<b> 8: Mario Golf</b>
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There are lots of unlockables in Mario Golf. You could spend a good bit of time just unlocking all of the courses and characters. The multiplayer is what's so fun about Mario Golf, though. I'm told you can actually create your own golfer if you have a GBC, a transfer pak, and Mario Golf for GBC, but that's a lot to hunt down. Heh.
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<b>7: Pokemon Stadium</b>
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Speaking of transfer paks, here's the only game I ever used that thing on. Pokemon Stadium is another good multiplayer game. Of course you can battle your Pokemon via Gameboys and Link Cables, but it's much more fun to do it in 3D. The graphics on this game are in 3D, it has commentary, and you can also play Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow from the transfer pak (with the games running four times as fast!).
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<b>6: Pokemon Puzzle League</b>
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I forgot how much I liked Pokemon when I was a kid. This game is basically Tetris Attack, but it uses the license of the Pokemon cartoon. There's lots of soundbytes, good midi renditions of the cartoon's music, and so forth. I honestly think that Tetris Attack is more fun in this form.
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<b>5: Goldeneye</b>
I prefer Perfect Dark, but I like the Golden Gun mode.
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<b>4: Majora's Mask</b><br><br>
Majora's Mask is a really impressive game, mostly due to its sidequests. There are many of them. Termina's society is far more realistic than Skylofts. Given that 12 years have passed in-between these games, that's kind of sad. <br><br>
<b>3: Diddy Kong Racing</b>
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The game that led to this list. The actual game is fantastic, but it's better when you use cheat codes. You can actually unlock co-op campaign. How badass is that?<br><br>
<b>2: Perfect Dark</b><br><br>
It's the perfection of the already-near-perfect Goldeneye. The campaign mode is intense, has heavily non-linear progression through the levels, there are a variety of guns (all of which have dual firing modes). There's a Combat Simulator mode with bots that you can play against. There are Challenges that can be completed by yourself or with friends. Perfect Dark is better than many newer console FPS games that I've played, and that's taking into account their online modes.
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<b>1: Ocarina of Time</b><br><br>
What could be better than Ocarina of Time? Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time are both phenomenal for their own reasons. I like OoT more because of the actual quest, though.
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There you have it, gentlemen. Sounds about right. 10-1 are all pretty close. Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-71222863369526608462012-08-05T22:35:00.001-07:002012-08-05T22:40:25.520-07:00(Rumor) Nintendo is Buying Rare Back<a href="http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/comments/rumor-nintendo-attempting-to-negotiate-its-way-into-ownership-of-banjo-and">Check this out.</a> It's a rumor which briefly raises the hopes and dreams of countless Rareware fans. If you believe the anonymous email (and alas, you probably shouldn't), Nintendo is currently in the process of attempting to purchase Rare and its various Intellectual Properties.
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It goes on to say that Retro Studios is already developing a Banjo Kazooie game. That strikes me as a tad odd. It would be unusual for them to develop a game that they don't even own. Heck, it would be copyright infringment! The only way I can rationalize that is that Retro Studios is making a generic 3D platformer on which they will tack Banjo and Kazooie in the event that the purchase is successful. To me, that seems rather unlikely.
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But as the initial publisher of the rumor Zelda Informer did, I'm inclined to humor the speculation. With the Wii-U coming up, Nintendo is trying to target the 'hardcore' gamer types. Producing types of games Rare used to make would do just that. Hypothetical games like Killer Instinct 3 (which need not be developed by Rare if Nintendo owns the whole thing) and Perfect Dark 2 would do wonders for their effort to regain their traditional market. I would buy a Wii-U to play a new entry into the Perfect Dark franchise or even some of Rare's more off the wall games like BlastCorps.
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Of course, the people who made Rare great are no longer there. If it's happening (and it's not), the move is just to gain those Rare game IPs which aren't doing anything for Microsoft right now. If Microsoft would just have Rare try and make a few traditional Rareware games, this rumor wouldn't have any traction.
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At any rate, a google search for "nintendo buying rare back" revealed this petition. A noble endeavor, even if it will probably never happen. Sign it if you're so inclined.
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<a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/petitions/f42f5ved/signatures">http://www.petitiononline.com/petitions/f42f5ved/signatures</a>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-48446193098529456342012-07-05T01:35:00.002-07:002012-07-05T01:38:05.327-07:00The Top Five Things I Hate About Skyward SwordSkyward Sword has some redeeming elements... just not many. Anyway, one my friend's kids was playing SS, and he said to me, "This game sucks. There's too much text, Fi is annoying, and how anyone could possibly think this is better than Ocarina of Time 3D is beyond me." with OoT 3D being the only other Zelda game he'd ever played.
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I'd thought that maybe I was just being a nostalgic blowhard by thinking it sucks when compared to previous Zeldas, but if a youngster who didn't grow up in the N64 era thinks so... well maybe I wasn't. Without a further ado, I'd like to rant about the top five things that bother me about Skyward Sword. Now of course, in contests like these, readers might be able to think of literally hundreds of things worth mention that suck about SS, but one would have to write a book to list everything wrong with this game.
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<b>5: Unnecessary Reminders</b>
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The first time you find a green, red, or orange Rupee, the game will notify you of its value. This is fine. Now, reset your Wii, then and find another Rupee. The game will notify you again. Why!? This is not only condescending, but flat out unnecessary. The amount of Rupees is shown on-screen, and anyone first grader can do the math. Really: If I was able to out Rupee values playing ALttP when I was five, kids today should be able to do it, too. Perhaps Nintendo (understandably) doesn't have any faith in our education system.
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That's inexcusable, but it gets worse. How would like to have Skyward Sword notify you about what kind of bug you catch every time you turn your Wii on? And what about crafting materials? Would you like routinely hear about those? Well, no worries my friend. They've got you covered with unnecessary notifications.
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And it gets worse: Fi is an unnecessary notification system that's built into the storyline. Like all Zelda games, this game has a heart meter that beeps when you're dying. However, it also Fi to explain to you that your hearts are low. A second beep will start when you have less than three hearts, that beep being Fi wanting to talk to you. She'll also talk to you when your batteries or low. I won't even touch on how she patronizes you at every turn.
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<b>4: Lazy Man's Collision Detection</b>
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Beedle's Airshop is a shop that floats above Skyloft. To get Beedle to lower a rope for you to climb up, you need to ring his bell. But how? Well, you need the slingshot for that. Can you throw a pot at the bell? No. Tell me why a pot could not hit a bell? Give me one good reason! If you throw a pot at the bell, it would go right through. You could also try using a Skyward Strike on the bell, which also go right through. You could even successfully jump off a cliff and unsuccessfully strike the thing with your sword.
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The unnecessary notifications are annoying, but this is just poor design. It even continues into the regular gameplay. Why can't you shoot something with a bow that can be shot with a slingshot? Because Hylia is kind of lazy when it comes designing her civilizations? That's all I can figure.
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<b>3: It's the text, stupid.</b>
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The first problem: There is too much text in this game. The second (and worst) problem: There is no text speed option. I don't support the idea of voiceacting in Zelda, but the lack of text speed in this game makes a compelling case for it. Final Fantasy 1 had a text speed modifier in the options. For a text-based game made in 2011 not have this is just... worse than magical can-only-be-hit-three-things bells.
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To make matters worse, the text is unskippable on a new file. Twilight Princess, to its credit, allowed you to skip cutscenes all day long. But in SKyward Sword, you need to play Hero Mode to be able to skip cutscenes. What if someone wants to play the regular mode with heart spawns, but doesn't want to sit through the three hour intro?
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<b>2: An A to Z Journey</b>
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It seems like I wrote an entry about this. I'm certain I complained about it on ZU or somewhere, if not. Skyward Sword is the most painfully linear Zelda game ever made. It's worse than Twilight Princess in this area, and that's saying something! Gone is the excitement of open-world exploration. It's replaced with storyline. You can't go to a later dungeon because you'd see a cutscene at the wrong time. And when story is, at best, B-movie material, it all seems very -- what's the word? -- sucky.
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<b>1: Fi. Fuck Fi!</b>
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Fi makes bad things in SS worse. The game would be so much better if Fi had been left out, or at least replaced with someone more interesting. Midna was a good guide that contributed to the story. Navi was at least helpful and not overly intrusive. Fi just constantly notifies you of things, and spits out probabilities in a manner that would make the cast of Quantum Leap shout, "STFU Ziggy! We're not retarded!" How many times in this game does a character tell you something, after which Fi tells you the same thing again? How many times does she explain dowsing to you? How many times does she abruptly stop you to state the obvious?
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Really, fuck Fi!
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It's good to have this off my chest. </rant>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-10652284131317712222012-02-20T19:33:00.001-08:002012-02-24T17:15:09.822-08:00Goldeneye Vs. Black Ops Vs. The Conduit (Wii)The battle of the ages! Yeah, so these games have been out for a while, but the retro gamer in me says that a title must be so old before I'm willing to consider it. Hehe.. in all seriousness, I've had Black Ops for a while and have enjoyed its online mode, and recently got around to getting The Conduit and Goldeneye because the price drop allowed me to do so with little expense. And now, I want to ramble about them.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Storytelling/Single-Player Campaign:</span><br /><br /> Oh, kids these days! The lot of you probably don't even know who Pierce Brosnan is any more than I know who Sean Connery is! Goldeneye follows the exploits of James Bond, the Hero of British Secret Agents, on his quest to save England from the dark lord Alec Trevelyan. It was an awesome movie, and a pretty fine N64 game. This Wii game is the same (albeit with updated technology and a few twists for variety), although Pierce Brosnan has been replaced by some gentleman named Daniel Craig. So, kids, tell me: Who the hell is this guy standing where Pierce Brosnan should be? Well.. whoever he is, he sneaks around killing Russians and uses stealth to avoid battles.<br /><br /> The Conduit isn't based on a movie, but it's got Kevin friggin' Sorbo (from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) doing voice-acting. With all due respect to Mr. Brosnan, Hercules would annihilate James Bond. Bond would start shooting his PK7 (or P99 in this Wii version) and Herc would just keep coming. He has the power of a god, and a sidekick that's a pretty good fighter by human standards. Unfortunately, Kevin Sorbo isn't Herc in this specific instance. He's a member of the resistance against a shadow government called The Trust, which is trying to take over the world via alien invasion or something. His character is named Prometheus, which is probably a subtle nod to Mr. Sorbo's eternal association with Greek mythology. The narration by this good actor really makes the single player campaign feel like a gem (much as Daniel Craig's voice-acting does in Goldeneye).<br /><br /> Black Ops' story is told through a series of flashbacks. Alex Mason did some stuff in the 60s and he wants you to hear about it. Well, he doesn't want you to hear about it, but the dude torturing him does. He tried to kill Castro, but failed and got sent to a Russian prison. But he broke out, then JFK wanted him to kill more commies. There's a shocking plot twist at the end which is quite surprising, but Black Ops' storyline isn't exactly up there with either the The Conduit or Goldeneye. I'd say Goldeneye is the best in terms of story, followed by The Conduit, then Black Ops is significantly behind.<br /><br /> When it comes to actually playing the single-player campaigns, I'd say Goldeneye is the best... if you play it right. Every difficulty mode except 007 Classic makes for a shameless Call of Duty clone, which the world could do without. On 007 Classic Mode, you pretty much have to play this game like you're a secret agent. Blasting through like Mason or Reznov will get you killed.. much as it would in real life if you tried to gun down an entire army. You have to watch your health and even your ammo to an extent. When coupled with the fact that this mode makes you accomplish all the objectives, the experience feels truly awesome.<br /><br /> The Conduit has some elements that aren't exactly miles away from what I've described in Goldeneye. You use your All Seeing Eye device to accomplish objectives and find secret areas. None of that is really all that great. The best thing about The Conduit is that it reminds me of another game: Gauntlet. It's not enough to kill the bad guys; you need to kill the objects that are spawning bad guys. Killing spawn spots is awesome to the max, yo! I also like the fact that the health regeneration isn't as overt as it is in CoD.<br /><br /> Black Ops has an annoying single player campaign. You could shoot six thousand NVA soldiers in some places and they'll just keep spawning. The developers want you to use your skills to advance and take position from the enemy, but that sucks! (on Veteran anyway. It's too easy to do on the lower difficulties, and it's nearly impossible on Veteran.) Like in Goldeneye and The Conduit, there are objectives, but those objectives primarily consist of getting to the end of the level.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Graphics:</span><br /><br /> Black Ops Wii really impresses me by just how good it looks. It's not in the same ballpark with the other platforms' versions, but the fact remains that not many Wii games that look as good as this one does. It's a pleasure to look at, and Goldeneye actually looks sort of bad when compared to it. The Conduit doesn't really strike me as real per se, and I certainly hope that's not what they were going for. It looks like a comic book world, to me, and the graphics are very easy on the eyes. I'd rather look at The Conduit than either of those other two. <br /><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Online/Multiplayer Modes:</span><br /><br /> I haven't played The Conduit's online mode yet, so I can't speak about it just yet. I'm sure it's pretty ok. Haha.<br /><br /> Fuck you, Activision! Why do I have to go to a PS3 owning friend's house to play Black Ops map packs? And why doesn't this game have a local multiplayer? Because Wii sucks, you say? Ah, right. I forgot about that. Outside of those two little things, Black Ops' online mode is awesome. There is so much depth to the combat, and there are any number of ways to play this game.<br /><br /> Goldeneye has a local multiplayer, which I'm sure means a lot to anyone who plays these sorts of games with friends. (My brother seems to like this game, but doesn't really want to play the multiplayer with me.. likely because he knows I'd destroy him. heh). However, there are problems. The framerate can get pretty low at points, particularly on the Outpost level. Secondly,I haven't counted them, but I'd wager that Goldeneye has fewer customization options than Black Ops. Finally, it takes entirely too long to level up in Goldeneye (which lets you get access to better weapons that the level 56 people are using to obliterate you).<br /><br /> In summation, I think Goldeneye has a better single-player and Black Ops has a better multiplayer. The Conduit is also good, mostly because of spawn destruction and the fact that Kevin Sorbo is god. Thank you for your time. :)Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-3498142813988121532011-11-20T16:43:00.001-08:002011-11-20T16:53:27.515-08:00Speculation on Skyward Sword Recalibration IssuesNote the first word there: Speculation. I'm still waiting on Skyward Sword to arrive in the mail, and meanwhile, I hear these complaints about people having to recalibrate every thirty minutes or so. And on the other hand, I've heard from folks who played SS the whole way through and only had to calibrate the Remote at startup.<br /><br />My totally uninformed theory is this: Some players.. well, a lot of folks, are playing SS incorrectly. I know that the standard Wii Remote games aren't immediately intuitive. For example, instead of wildly moving your arm around as your first instinct might have you do, you usually just need to move your wrist. I know that I had problems playing some games until I figured out how to use the Wii Remote right. For a "casual" console, the Wii can often be quite hard to play occasionally.<br /><br />I find some evidence for my speculation in this video. Note how the player makes subtle wrist movements, which work just like standard Wii Remote usage, except with far more accuracy:<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4tGyGY3bI2s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />(video from <a href="http://www.zeldainformer.com">Zelda Informer's</a> Youtube Channel).Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-11739430758765985502011-11-10T01:57:00.001-08:002011-11-11T18:40:53.005-08:00Skyward Sword: Robots?The world is not exploding.<br /><br />Ocarina of Time was an awesome game, and it still is an awesome game. I've moved on from Neutopia to playing a 3 heart run of OoT in my spare time. Ganon's Tower (on the N64 version) looks like total shit running up the stairway now, but aside from that, it's held up pretty well, you know. The remake helped us Zelda nerds solve the mystery of TP-Ganondorf's ears, but I don't think it was all that necessary, honestly.<br /><br />I digressed from the subject on Ocarina of Time because of the influence Ocarina of Time had on the canon. Most of its storyline was present in A Link to the Past (albeit mistranslated in a few spots), but Ocarina of Time brought A Link to the Past's manual into the game. We were able to see the creation of Hyrule by the Goddesses pictured in that manual. We were able to see inside of the Temple of Light and observe a building Nintendo modeled with Sacred Geometry in mind. And the themes of Ocarina of Time were very mystical, as the game's text continually referred to the prophecies of Zelda, and the ancient legends regarding a Hero that would come. All of these things gave a very magical feel to Hyrule. One that A Link to the Past gave as well, but there's a difference.<br /><br />A Link to the Past talked at length about the ancient civilization of the Hylia. Sahasralah talked about the "Great War Against Evil" that took place generations ago and how all of the knights of the Hylia were wiped out. Ocarina of Time, as best I can recall, doesn't mention that ancient civilization that often. This has caused some to think that maybe Ocarina of Time's civilization was that civilization, but the text of Old Woman causes me to disagree. She was clearly referring to a civilization along the lines of how Atlantis is depicted in the movies (as a great civilization with powerful technology). The point I'm trying to get at here is that Ocarina of Time's magic may well be supplanted by the technology implied in A Link to the Past. Time will tell.<br /><br />Even though when I first played Alttp, I'd thought that the advanced civilzation she was talking about was pretty cool. But, having said that, I'm not 100% on wanting to see it, especially if it involves adding robots into Hyrule's PAST. I would have preferred A Link to the Future. <br /><br />But the good news is that Skyward Sword looks like it's going to be a pretty decent game, and at least the robots don't look like robots. I guess I'll get the bundle since I need a Wii Remote Plus. Ack.. friggin' add ons these companies want you to buy. *grumbles*Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-65463762370680904352011-11-08T23:30:00.000-08:002011-11-10T03:15:44.400-08:00Neutopia Vs. Zelda (Or Much Ado About Nothing)So, I finished up Neutopia a moment ago and wanted to ramble about it. First, I'll say that it's pretty friggin' sweet no matter how you look at it. Some negative things have been said about Neutopia and its relationship to Zelda. Well, as with most Zelda related topics, I'll rant an opinion about it here.<br /><br />If we're comparing Neutopia to the original Legend of Zelda, Neutopia is a better game in a few ways. But it also loses a few steps here and there by virtue of its not being a complete clone.<br /><br />Firstly, these bosses are more reminiscent of A Link to the Past than they are LoZ. And I'm sure there's an almost unanimous consensus of Zelda players would agree that LttP has better bosses than LoZ. You can't just manhandle a boss with a single bomb: You have to fight them all with your sword or with the rod. This is something they could have employed in the original Zelda game, but they simply opted not to. <br /><br />Secondly, (and this is just through the merits of superior hardware): Neutopia has more and better music. Most of it's pretty fitting, although that dungeon theme gets tiresome after a while.<br /><br />Of course the graphics are better, but 8-bit Hyrule has its charms. Finally, I would add that the text LoZ might have had if translation ability and game space allowed is in Neutopia. "BURN THE TREE AT THE DEAD END." has been replaced with something along the lines of "Your fire rod can burn down trees. Try it out in various places to find secrets." Since I played LoZ first.. I had to figure that shit out the hard way (and by the hard way, I mean look up the location of a dungeon, at which point I found out that candles burn trees. doh!).<br /><br />One area that Neutopia sort of loses completely to LoZ in is the way the original Zelda game was conducted. It's a very unique game that hasn't been followed up on (at least by another Zelda game). There is no help in Zelda. They don't tell you what to do. They just say, "Hey! Ganon kidnapped Zelda. Go find some triangles!" And that's it. Who knows which way to go? In fact, there are numerous ways you could go. You could play Level-2 first if you were so inclined. You don't have to get all of the items. You don't even have to get the sword until it's time to fight Ganon.<br /><br />Oh yeah, LoZ has a Second Quest. Can't forget that. But in fairness to Neutopia, I'd submit that the bad collision detection and infinitely more challenging bosses make some parts of Neutopia as hard as Quest 2 of Zelda. So it's almost equal, but LoZ wins by a nose for having more content.<br /><br />A more interesting comparison would be Neutopia and A Link to the Past. A Link to the Past was made later, <span style="font-style:italic;">and</span> they're very similar. One has to wonder if Neutopia had a little influence on Zelda too. <br /><br />But anyway, I think that the flack that Neutopia gets for being a clone is mostly unmerited. Nintendo doesn't have a monopoly on a damsel in distress stories. Medieval Europe has that. Nor does it have a monopoly on collecting mystical items to save a given land. The hero myths that preceded Zelda have that. But Neutopia should have came up with some new items aside from the few that they did. You burn down trees and you bomb walls in the center of the room. Those mechanics are just blatant copying.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-56422883224953400942011-10-27T22:06:00.001-07:002011-10-27T22:29:20.675-07:00Some Thoughts on Nintendo's Hard TimesCheck it out: Nintendo has <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/27/editorial-nintendos-creeping-doom-how-the-company-came-to-m/">lost nearly a billion dollars</a>. Startling, eh? Well, I'm no economist, but I have my theories on what brought them here. Of course there are the exchange rates which probably account for the bulk of it, but I think there's something more pressing. <br /><br />Nintendo largely abandoned their traditional market with the Wii. It was the first time they'd released a console with <b>indisputably</b> inferior hardware. Sure, long before the N64 had employed inferior cartridges, and the GameCube suffered from a similar small disc size, but with the Wii, there wasn't any real comparison at all. The only improvement were some gimmicky motion controls that no one really wanted.. except their new market. They ate that shit up and Nintendo made billions. <br /><br />But, one day, Nintendo decides to sell a 3DS, a handheld system. Call me a madman, but I don't see Wii Sports players taking time out of their lunchbreak to play Metroid 3D or whatever. The market that might have bought this system is looking elsewhere because Nintendo they thought Nintendo would probably release (and in fact did release) a bunch of demoesque crap for it. But, lo and behold, their new market didn't come through and buy the system. Imagine that!<br /><br />So, basically, I think the Wii retroactively bit them in the ass. They made a lot of money, then they lost a lot money. Of course, Nintendo isn't totally to blame. They haven't really dominated the 'hardcore' market since the days of the SNES, and I guess they wanted to look elsewhere. But all they really had to do was release a system comparable to the 360/PS3. That la di da "Nintendo is for children" garble Sega spewed up years ago would have fallen by the wayside if Black Ops had looked better on Wii than it had other consoles.<br /><br />And what's worse is that we're probably going to see this continue with the Wii-U. My fear is that the casual market will eventually abandon them too, and we'll live in world without games like Mario and Zelda. That would suck.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-23754297450828888762011-10-25T01:52:00.000-07:002011-10-25T02:02:54.155-07:00Skyward Sword's Lack of a Left-Handed Option<span style="font-style:italic;">You raised my hopes then dashed quite expertly, sir! Bravo!</span> -- Tinny Tim, Futurama.<br /><br />Of course, as readers of my blog might note, I follow these Zelda issues rather closely, and I recall hearing that the game would not have a left handed option. As a person who does almost everything with my left hand, I found that to sort of suck, of course. But I toughed it out and tried to start holding that Wii Remote in my right hand to prepare for it. I rather like Zelda, of course, and don't want to miss a console title just because of some hand preference issue.<br /><br />But then, there was hope! IGN made a video saying that the game would indeed have a left handed option. This appeared to resolve a much more trivial issue of mine.. that Link is now right handed. The only reason it matters to me is that, when I see the sword in his right hand, he looks sort of odd to me. It was particularly evident in Wii Twilight Princess, but that might have been because the title in question reminded me of Ocarina of Time.<br /><br />Anyway, before I started trying to play Wii games right handed and become halfway decent at it, I'd hold the remote in my left hand and the nunchuk in my right. Like playing the guitar right handed, it took a decent degree of effort on my part. I certainly would understand if someone didn't buy Skyward Sword because of the issue in question. <br /><br />However, there is good news. Initial testimonials from E3 seem to indicate that the game can be played pretty well with the Wii Remote in your left hand. That's good news, but there's one rather large issue with doing that: The game won't look right. This was a large issue for me the first time I played Twilight Princess (using my left hand for sword swinging). The actions on screen didn't match what I was doing, and I was very aware of the fact that I was using some gimmicky tacked-on motion controls. Will Skyward Sword be the same? Well.. with vastly improved controls, I should the think the lack of realism for left handed Wii Remote users will be infinitely worse!<br /><br />So, anyway, I'll be playing it right handed, but there are people who can't do that or just won't want to take the time to learn to do it. I understand that, and *grumble grumble* Link is.. was.. a left handed hero! Don't give me that sprite mirroring garble, either! Lefty is lefty is lefty! :PCharliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-75347150622298654202011-09-27T08:15:00.000-07:002011-09-27T08:25:59.972-07:00On Fanboys and Greedy CorporationsThe Wii-U will not have GameCube title support. But, low and behold, you can buy those same games again to play on your Wii-U. Convenient, eh? That's bullshit. But you know what's more bullshit than that?:<br /><br />Ad hominem-ed actual response to my pointing it out:<br />"OMFG You troll! Nintendo is totally right about omitting that kind of functionality and replacing it with an overpriced abortion of a controller. To say otherwise is to cause pain to my rectum! Stop it now!"<br /><br />Nintendo is right that I own a DVD player, a GameCube, and a Wii. So, I don't really need them to include the backward compatability. But having said that: It would be nice. Why must I keep my Wii hooked up because it has more functionality than the damned new console I just bought from them? <br /><br />I hope someone from Nintendo reads this. I'm seriously reluctant to buy it just because it's going to take up so much space next to all of the other crap that's hooked up to my television.<br /><br />I still remember when Nintendo promised that the N64 would be backward compatible will all previous consoles. Looking back on it, that was extremely unrealistic, if only due to cartridge sizes (they could probably do it, but it would look pretty bulky I'm sure). But now, in the era of discs, I would think that backward compatibility would much easier. And I somehow doubt that the software engineers at Nintendo are incapable of this feat. The reason it's not happening is cheapness, not the difficulty involved. (as some diehard Nintendo defenders would have you believe.)<br /><br />But, well.. that was a fun rant. Enjoy!Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-86632016946615764482011-09-10T19:42:00.000-07:002011-09-10T19:56:27.566-07:00GC Graphics vs. Wii (Or A Matter of Substance)I haven't really looked up the system specs or any such, but I've played a few GameCube games and a good many Wii games. I missed the GC when it was still a modern console, so I occasionally like to pick up some of the better games for it and play them on my Wii. They're all pretty cheap now, which is just fantastic, especially when you get the point I'm about to.<br /><br />The Wii is probably capable of delivering better graphics than its predecessor, but there's a matter of style to be concerned with here. Nintendo was still courting those so-called "hardcore" gamers with the GameCube. Graphics were a high priority, and this is why the GameCube was designed to deliver better graphics than the PS2. <br /><br />But with Wii, do they really even care? Is it important for Wii Music to be groundbreaking? From the outset, Nintendo had opted to abandon their traditional market. Too many folks had bought PS2s and Xboxes, and I think they thought the ship was going downhill. It's unfortunate, especially since their new plan involved implementing crappy motion controls. <br /><br />If you compare Wii titles to GameCube titles, the difference is almost always breathtaking. Compare GameCube titles like Zelda: The Wind Waker or Resident Evil 4 to some of the casual games like Mario and Sonic at the Olympics or Wii Play Motion. The difference is that developers are not trying as hard with graphics.<br /><br />Even with some of the "hardcore" Wii games like Black Ops, the graphics seem to have been done sort of hastily. It certainly doesn't look as good as some of the comparable GameCube titles to it.<br /><br />Maybe, with the Wii-U, we'll see a return to the graphical quality Nintendo was known for for so long. Here's hoping.Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-3974466726370685612011-08-26T12:45:00.000-07:002011-08-26T13:07:25.219-07:00Death to Realism!In video game graphics, of course. You artsy folks can revel in the breathtaking graphics of Jules Breton all you want.
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<br />In the days of the SNES and Genesis, realism wasn't an option. We got what I'd call cartoons. They were pleasing on the eyes, and they allowed you to enjoy the games without going, "ZOMG! It's like I'm really killing these people by stabbing them in the foot!" Reality was some lame thing that didn't involve the SNES.
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<br />After that, in the realm of yander N64 and PS1, we see the birth of this demon that plagues us even now. The N64, being the seed of SNES, knew not to make any games that looked too realistic. But PS1 brought in those tacky avi cutscenes. The ability to put actual reality into games caused a plague.
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<br />By the time of PS2 and Gamecube and da Sex-Box, this cancer killed all save Gamecube.
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<br />And.. today. Nintendo hasn't totally abandoned those animations we love, but they're not exactly making the same caliber of games anymore, either. It would be good if we could see more titles that were just pretty and not necessarily real. PS3 sucks because it's such an amazing console! There! I said it. Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8264934334288784272.post-21633382852239162612011-08-25T23:52:00.000-07:002011-08-26T01:14:26.181-07:00Zelda's Difficulty: Then and NowI'm reluctant to use the term rant since my content won't be angry in nature, but this is another analysis of Zelda "then and now." I'll try to keep my points rooted in reason and not in nostalgia, but with topics such as this one, it can be difficult. So bear with me.
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<br />Let's go back to those good ole days. Ah, yes, we could go back to 1985, but I'd rather not go that far since I'd regress to being negative 2. Let's go to 1991 instead. A Link to the Past was just released. Now, I've spoken with some younger Zelda players and older folks who came to the series in the era after OoT, and everyone who played a 3D Zelda title first seems to agree: A Link to the Past is much harder than any Zelda game that came after it. Why is that?
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hearts: It's all about the hearts</span>
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<br />These enemies do a lot of damage, even with the Blue Mail (a defensive item, for those who've never played it). You can only take a few hits off the final boss before you have to start resorting to potions. And if you don't have any, you die. Of course, this is all assuming you found one of the optional protective Mails, and if you didn't, the game's difficulty increases a hundred-fold. This can be a real problem if it's the first time you've played a 2D Zelda game or even just A Link to the Past.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">But where do you go???</span>
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<br />A Link to the Past certainly wasn't as unforgiving in terms of non-playable character assistance as the original Legend of Zelda or even Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (but I'd say Zelda II and ALTTP are pretty close in this area), but it did have its fair share of puzzles without readily available clues. For example, to get to the second dungeon, you need The Book of Mudora. There is a man in a cave out in the desert near the dungeon that tells you this. You could easily miss him, and I'd imagine most people just find the Book of Mudora before ever seeing the Old Man named Aginah.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nowhere to run to baby!</span>
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<br />In 2D space, things are harder. Consider the battle with Mothula in the Skull Woods. There are something in the area of 30 spiked traps that fire off from one side of the room to the other, going faster and faster as the battle goes. That's not even mentioning the fact that there's a giant laser shooting moth that takes up half the screen! Unless you've played this game thirty or forty times all the way through, your only hope of an assured victory is to have four bottles stacked with blue potions to restore your life and magic.
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<br />That's really the gist of what I think makes 2D Zelda so difficult. But there's a catch here. The first two points show that 2D Zelda could have been made easier, and they also show that 3D Zelda could have been made more difficult. Three readily available examples of "easy 2D Zelda" we have are Link's Awakening and the Oracle Games. So perhaps some of the problem is in not the transition, but rather the developer's intent to make a more accessible game.
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<br />What I've neglected to mention so far is possibly rooted in nostalgia. Those 2D games were hard and they all required a certain level of commitment to fully conquer. So, I think that the youngsters who are playing Spirit Tracks or something for the first time are really getting cheated out of the full Zelda experience (which mostly consists of frustration, throwing controllers, and cheering when you finally win).
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A Look at the N64 Zelda Titles:</span>
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<br />The enemies in Ocarina of Time do damage comparable to that of A Link to the Past. The same could be said of Majora's Mask. But they both have what I'd consider a possibly unfixable flaw in the form of being in 3D space. You have a good deal of control over Link in those games. It's very to easy to dodge Volvagia, even if he can shave off four of your hearts. Perhaps, in future Zelda titles, they could give you less room to move around, thus simulating that arduous "Why the hell can't I dodge it?" BS from 2D Zelda. Or maybe could just let the enemies have more firepower and do even more damage.
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<br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/images/volvagia%2064" target="_blank"><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr84/Necromander/Volvagia/Project642010-05-2518-21-04-64.jpg" height="300" width="400" border="0" alt="volvagia 64 Pictures, Images and Photos"/></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wind Waker and Twilight Princess:</span>
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<br />As I've said elsewhere on this blog, I rather like the Wind Waker in many ways. It has, in my opinion, the best art style the series has seen. But, in terms of combat gameplay, it's almost a copout. I died four times while playing it. One time, I died to the Black Pig on Outset Island. The other three were to Ganondorf (in what was the game's only challenging battle). These enemies didn't do enough damage. I understand that the game is puzzle based, but the lack of a fight in The Wind Waker just verged on pitiful. The hardest thing about the Wind Waker was finding enough Rupees for Tingle, and even that was pretty well laid out for you. (To be fair, I think I might have been frustrated by that last particular thing when I was.. four or so. This goes back to my point about accessibility. :D)
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<br />One thing that the Wind Waker succeeded in was a relative non-linearity reminiscent of the original Legend of Zelda. They told you where to go and there even artificial boundaries set by your boat, for sure, but you had a certain degree of freedom with the sailing. Hopefully Skyward Sword will improve on that by removing the boundaries.
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<br />Twilight Princess found a way to fail in a relatively new respect: Collecting tear drops. That stuff with the collecting belongs in Mario 64, or at least as an optional quest inside of the dungeons the way Majora's Mask did it. THe vast majority of enemies did a quarter-heart damage. The Valley of Ordeals was a good addition, but it didn't up make for the entire game being one big linear walkthrough, fully equipped with artificial boundaries.
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<br /><a href="http://s1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee419/Charlie_Hyde/?action=view&current=Battle_of_Eldin.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee419/Charlie_Hyde/Battle_of_Eldin.png" width="400" height="300" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
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<br />What frustrates me the most about Twilight Princess is that it could have been amazing. The dungeons all have great layouts and graphics and contribute to the series' overall beauty and mysticism. But this game follows the formula set by Link's Awakening in finding the boss' weakness, exploiting it, and winning easily. The problem of being in 3D space just makes it that much easier. Above is a good example of a possible solution. Now if only they could find a way to implement that in a dungeon.
<br />Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17645574406711724488noreply@blogger.com0