November 19th is an important date for Nintendo. It is on this day, two years ago, that their highly successful Wii system first emerged from its boxed womb to spread joy to gamers across the globe. Much like a new parent slowly learning how to care for a newborn, Wii owners slowly came to grips with its bold new motion-based gameplay. Mistakes were made, and lessons were learned, but we eventually figured out the basics of handling the Wii (wee-one) in our households.
Okay, enough of that.
In all honesty, the Wii has had a remarkable first two years, not just in terms of games, but also in sales. I doubt even the big N could have predicted that it would take this long for the system to be readily available.
So here's wishing a very happy birthday to the Nintendo Wii. Let's just hope that the "terrible twos" does not apply to pieces of plastic.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Mario Kart Wii - Review
The Mario Kart series has been around for a while now, and like any 15 year-old franchise, it has been argued that the games have continually grown stale. After the gameplay-filled Mario Kart DS helped shred that reputation with its online races and Mission Mode, it looked like the series would find ways of growing. Unfortunately, the latest edition of the series not only doesn’t advance the formula, it seems to put the series in reverse.
Some people may argue that the game’s new additions to the races do advance the series in a new direction. These people would be wrong. The main new addition to the series is the ability to race on motorcycles. These new vehicles are fun at first, but are ultimately little more than a gimmick, as the karts prove to offer the more rewarding race experience.
There are some refreshing additions to the series, however. The new trick system, which rewards a well-timed action when launching off jumps, is a great way to keep skill involved in the series after removing the controversial “snaking” tactic. Additionally, the Wii’s motion controls translate remarkably well to the arcade racer. Granted, tilting the Wii Remote alone is a broken system, but the inclusion of the Wii Wheel shell makes a world of difference. After a few races, this control method feels incredibly natural, and surprisingly, makes the other control option unnecessary. This is even true during the hectic and highly competitive online matches. These races are even more hectic and competitive than before thanks to the addition of four racers per race, bringing the total to 12 drivers per race.
However, while these additions help make the races more fun, the overall package is still hurt by the lack of the Mission Mode. After Super Smash Bros. Brawl brought a huge variety of gameplay types to its formula, it would have been nice to see Mario Kart follow suit. Unfortunately, this means there are no alternatives for players tired of racing. Once this happens, the only option is to turn the game off.
While this lack of depth hurts the game’s overall score, it is difficult to rate the game too low. The 12-player races and some great track designs make Mario Kart Wii the best racing experience on the system, especially with a group of friends.
Some people may argue that the game’s new additions to the races do advance the series in a new direction. These people would be wrong. The main new addition to the series is the ability to race on motorcycles. These new vehicles are fun at first, but are ultimately little more than a gimmick, as the karts prove to offer the more rewarding race experience.
There are some refreshing additions to the series, however. The new trick system, which rewards a well-timed action when launching off jumps, is a great way to keep skill involved in the series after removing the controversial “snaking” tactic. Additionally, the Wii’s motion controls translate remarkably well to the arcade racer. Granted, tilting the Wii Remote alone is a broken system, but the inclusion of the Wii Wheel shell makes a world of difference. After a few races, this control method feels incredibly natural, and surprisingly, makes the other control option unnecessary. This is even true during the hectic and highly competitive online matches. These races are even more hectic and competitive than before thanks to the addition of four racers per race, bringing the total to 12 drivers per race.
However, while these additions help make the races more fun, the overall package is still hurt by the lack of the Mission Mode. After Super Smash Bros. Brawl brought a huge variety of gameplay types to its formula, it would have been nice to see Mario Kart follow suit. Unfortunately, this means there are no alternatives for players tired of racing. Once this happens, the only option is to turn the game off.
While this lack of depth hurts the game’s overall score, it is difficult to rate the game too low. The 12-player races and some great track designs make Mario Kart Wii the best racing experience on the system, especially with a group of friends.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness - Review
Pokemon games sell a lot of copies. A lot of copies. It’s hard to deny this when every new addition to the series is released alongside a nearly identical version, and both games top the charts for weeks. This sales phenomenon continues to get more and more stupefying with the success of each set of sequels, which are almost indistinguishable from their predecessors.
All of this repetition is sure to make even the most diehard Pokefan anxious for something new, which is why it is so refreshing to see these pocket-monsters starring in spin-offs. This is especially true when the spin-offs are actually fun, unfortunately, in the case of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness, the game is only slightly refreshing.
The main purpose of the game is to give fans of the franchise a new way to play with their favorite character, and it succeeds at doing so. It is great to see the Pokemon in a new setting (some more than others…who really cares about some of the newer additions like Croagunk and Corphish?), and it is fun to be able to directly control a Pokemon rather than its cookie-cutter trainer. While the concept behind the game is swell, the actual game is less successful.
The gameplay is split into two locations. The first is within Treasure Town, the central-hub where most of the game’s forgettable story is told. While in city limits, players can use their time to purchase items, choose their teammates, and receive jobs to be completed in the second location: the dungeons.
Dungeons are where the majority of the game plays out. Players will travel through multi-level caves and gain experience by fighting wild Pokemon. These battles will be foreign to those used to the combat in the regular Pokemon games. Rather than having random encounters and separate battle-scenes, fighting Pokemon in the Mystery Dungeon games takes place in an almost real-time fashion with enemies that are visible outside of fights. Though characters still take turns attacking or using items, the actual skirmishes happen much faster than in traditional RPGs.
This system has its advantages and its drawbacks. On the plus side, taking the time to partake in battles to increase your experience is a much faster task and is less likely to become a chore than it is in traditional Pokemon games. Unfortunately, this method only allows control over the main character, leaving all actions of the supporting crew up to the computer. This lack of control can be nice on unimportant battles, but the computer is more likely than not to make some bad decisions during struggles with more difficult enemies.
Also, in an attempt to make the battles flow better, attacks are mapped to button commands rather than through menus. However, there is only room for one of the character’s four special attacks in the control scheme, so menu access is necessary quite often. The menus are a little too difficult to manage for simple tasks that would ordinarily be done efficiently. To perform the average task of choosing an attack that is not assigned, a player must enter four different menu pages. There were times when I chose to ignore my fight strategy and just use the assigned attack, rather than go through all that trouble.
In a game that is fun to play through, however, these complaints about the fighting mechanics can be overlooked. Unfortunately, the dungeons aren’t terribly fun to experience.
All of the game’s dungeons are randomly generated. This is generally thought of as a great way to keep players interested in levels after playing through them. Since the terrain is created on the spot by the computer, the experience of exploring a cave is never the same twice. The problem with this system, however, is that it prevents the developers from creating worlds that are worth exploring at all. With no interesting environmental sights or puzzles, the emphasis of playing through the game is put back onto the flawed battles.
Obviously, there is a lot to complain about with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness. Of course, some people do appreciate what randomly generated dungeons add to a game. These people will definitely find some worthwhile content in this title. There are also the people that will buy anything that has a Pikachu in it. These people will find even more to like about this game. However, those who have only a passing interest in RPGs or Pokemon should check out Pokemon Diamond or Pearl instead. It’s not like it will hurt Nintendo at all; the game is still going to sell a ton of copies.
Score: 6/10
All of this repetition is sure to make even the most diehard Pokefan anxious for something new, which is why it is so refreshing to see these pocket-monsters starring in spin-offs. This is especially true when the spin-offs are actually fun, unfortunately, in the case of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness, the game is only slightly refreshing.
The main purpose of the game is to give fans of the franchise a new way to play with their favorite character, and it succeeds at doing so. It is great to see the Pokemon in a new setting (some more than others…who really cares about some of the newer additions like Croagunk and Corphish?), and it is fun to be able to directly control a Pokemon rather than its cookie-cutter trainer. While the concept behind the game is swell, the actual game is less successful.
The gameplay is split into two locations. The first is within Treasure Town, the central-hub where most of the game’s forgettable story is told. While in city limits, players can use their time to purchase items, choose their teammates, and receive jobs to be completed in the second location: the dungeons.
Dungeons are where the majority of the game plays out. Players will travel through multi-level caves and gain experience by fighting wild Pokemon. These battles will be foreign to those used to the combat in the regular Pokemon games. Rather than having random encounters and separate battle-scenes, fighting Pokemon in the Mystery Dungeon games takes place in an almost real-time fashion with enemies that are visible outside of fights. Though characters still take turns attacking or using items, the actual skirmishes happen much faster than in traditional RPGs.
This system has its advantages and its drawbacks. On the plus side, taking the time to partake in battles to increase your experience is a much faster task and is less likely to become a chore than it is in traditional Pokemon games. Unfortunately, this method only allows control over the main character, leaving all actions of the supporting crew up to the computer. This lack of control can be nice on unimportant battles, but the computer is more likely than not to make some bad decisions during struggles with more difficult enemies.
Also, in an attempt to make the battles flow better, attacks are mapped to button commands rather than through menus. However, there is only room for one of the character’s four special attacks in the control scheme, so menu access is necessary quite often. The menus are a little too difficult to manage for simple tasks that would ordinarily be done efficiently. To perform the average task of choosing an attack that is not assigned, a player must enter four different menu pages. There were times when I chose to ignore my fight strategy and just use the assigned attack, rather than go through all that trouble.
In a game that is fun to play through, however, these complaints about the fighting mechanics can be overlooked. Unfortunately, the dungeons aren’t terribly fun to experience.
All of the game’s dungeons are randomly generated. This is generally thought of as a great way to keep players interested in levels after playing through them. Since the terrain is created on the spot by the computer, the experience of exploring a cave is never the same twice. The problem with this system, however, is that it prevents the developers from creating worlds that are worth exploring at all. With no interesting environmental sights or puzzles, the emphasis of playing through the game is put back onto the flawed battles.
Obviously, there is a lot to complain about with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness. Of course, some people do appreciate what randomly generated dungeons add to a game. These people will definitely find some worthwhile content in this title. There are also the people that will buy anything that has a Pikachu in it. These people will find even more to like about this game. However, those who have only a passing interest in RPGs or Pokemon should check out Pokemon Diamond or Pearl instead. It’s not like it will hurt Nintendo at all; the game is still going to sell a ton of copies.
Score: 6/10
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Nintendo's Forgotten Gems
ELECTROPLANKTON (DS)
Electroplankton might seem like an odd choice for a Forgotten Gems article. For one, it was released in 2006, which is much more recent than other games that have been, or will be, covered in this series. Second, it’s not really a game. Sure it plays in your handheld video game system, but it was created by interactive media artist Toshio Iwai as a piece of interactive art. However, the title has already been forgotten by the vast majority of the gaming community, and it is definitely a gem, so I figured its inclusion in the series would be appropriate.
Every part of this non-game is open from the outset, allowing players to experiment with the software however they see fit. Players are given the choice of 10 different musical experiments, each with unique Electroplankton that respond differently to different types of interactions.
For instance, Tracy is one creature that will continuously follow a line drawn by the player. The sounds emitted from the Tracy will differ depending on the directions of the line and the speed at which it is drawn. Another creature, Rec-Rec, allows players to use the microphone to record four short sound-bites which are put on a continuous loop. Beatboxers are sure to get the most out of this particular Electroplankton.
Of the remaining eight stages, Nintendo enthusiasts are sure to be most enthralled by the NES inspired Beatnes. While playing on this stage, players are encouraged to tap different parts of the Beatnes to recreate sounds from Super Mario Bros. while music from a variety of Nintendo games plays.
So why has this creative work already become a forgotten gem? A lot of it has to do with Nintendo’s distribution decisions for the software. The only store that ever carried it was the Nintendo World Store. Unless you lived in, or planned to travel to, New York, your purchasing options were limited to those of the online variety.
Also, timing was an issue for the title. It preceded the non-game craze spurred by Brain Age by a few months, which is unfortunate considering the appeal the title could have had within the expanded audience crowd.
Nintendo did honor the software and its fans recently by including a level based on the game in the widely-purchased Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The small percentage of gamers that actually know what Electroplankton is where pleased by this homage, while the majority of smashers let out a collective “huh?”
Electroplankton might seem like an odd choice for a Forgotten Gems article. For one, it was released in 2006, which is much more recent than other games that have been, or will be, covered in this series. Second, it’s not really a game. Sure it plays in your handheld video game system, but it was created by interactive media artist Toshio Iwai as a piece of interactive art. However, the title has already been forgotten by the vast majority of the gaming community, and it is definitely a gem, so I figured its inclusion in the series would be appropriate.
Every part of this non-game is open from the outset, allowing players to experiment with the software however they see fit. Players are given the choice of 10 different musical experiments, each with unique Electroplankton that respond differently to different types of interactions.
For instance, Tracy is one creature that will continuously follow a line drawn by the player. The sounds emitted from the Tracy will differ depending on the directions of the line and the speed at which it is drawn. Another creature, Rec-Rec, allows players to use the microphone to record four short sound-bites which are put on a continuous loop. Beatboxers are sure to get the most out of this particular Electroplankton.
Of the remaining eight stages, Nintendo enthusiasts are sure to be most enthralled by the NES inspired Beatnes. While playing on this stage, players are encouraged to tap different parts of the Beatnes to recreate sounds from Super Mario Bros. while music from a variety of Nintendo games plays.
So why has this creative work already become a forgotten gem? A lot of it has to do with Nintendo’s distribution decisions for the software. The only store that ever carried it was the Nintendo World Store. Unless you lived in, or planned to travel to, New York, your purchasing options were limited to those of the online variety.
Also, timing was an issue for the title. It preceded the non-game craze spurred by Brain Age by a few months, which is unfortunate considering the appeal the title could have had within the expanded audience crowd.
Nintendo did honor the software and its fans recently by including a level based on the game in the widely-purchased Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The small percentage of gamers that actually know what Electroplankton is where pleased by this homage, while the majority of smashers let out a collective “huh?”
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Nintendo Fan Network brings Gamers and Jocks Closer Together
Baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest now have a use for their Nintendo DS besides rescuing princesses and lowering the age of their brain. The Nintendo Fan Network has been available for download at Safeco Field since last season, but this season, the service is being offered for free for the first time, and will include many new features.
The main purpose of the service is to give DS owners the ability to track team and player stats and view updated scores from MLB games around the country. Fans stuck in the nosebleed section can get a better view of the action by watching the in-stadium television feed of the game on their handheld.
Other content on the service includes trivia competitions and chat-rooms for fans in the ballpark. Plus, it includes the ultimate feature for lazy people: the ability to order food and have it delivered to your seat.
As a fan of both baseball and Nintendo, I would be very interested in seeing this system adopted in stadiums throughout the nation. It would be great to have something to keep me occupied during slow innings, and may even give fans a reason to stay to the end of a particularly brutal team-beating.
Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the Nintendo Fan Network will expand. The system was implemented at Safeco Field due to Nintendo’s ownership of the Mariners. Unless the features are a huge success and draw demands from baseball fans from coast-to-coast, it is likely that Seattle residents will be the only ones lucky enough to combine these two pastimes.
The main purpose of the service is to give DS owners the ability to track team and player stats and view updated scores from MLB games around the country. Fans stuck in the nosebleed section can get a better view of the action by watching the in-stadium television feed of the game on their handheld.
Other content on the service includes trivia competitions and chat-rooms for fans in the ballpark. Plus, it includes the ultimate feature for lazy people: the ability to order food and have it delivered to your seat.
As a fan of both baseball and Nintendo, I would be very interested in seeing this system adopted in stadiums throughout the nation. It would be great to have something to keep me occupied during slow innings, and may even give fans a reason to stay to the end of a particularly brutal team-beating.
Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the Nintendo Fan Network will expand. The system was implemented at Safeco Field due to Nintendo’s ownership of the Mariners. Unless the features are a huge success and draw demands from baseball fans from coast-to-coast, it is likely that Seattle residents will be the only ones lucky enough to combine these two pastimes.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Nintendo's Forgotten Gems
If you took the time to scroll down to the bottom of this article, you may have noticed that it is significantly shorter than the last edition of Nintendo’s Forgotten Gems. While there are many reasons for this decrease in word count, it largely comes down to the fact that shorter, bite-sized articles will make it easier to post these more frequently, as well as to allow you readers to enjoy them without having to invest too much of your precious time. Be sure to let me know if you like this change, or if you prefer the old format.
GUMSHOE (NES)
Gumshoe is one of the strangest platformers you are likely to ever play. It’s not strange in a Michael Jackson way, though. In fact, upon first inspection, it seems like a fairly typical side-scroller, complete with a typical storyline involving a detective on a quest to rescue his kidnapped daughter. It isn’t until you find out how the game plays that it throws you for a loop.
All of the action in-game is commanded by way of the Zapper light-gun. Want to clear away your enemies? Shoot them. Want to collect ammo-replenishing balloons? Shoot them. Want to make your character jump? Shoot him. It is a unique system that is completely foreign and captivating at the same time.
Though most people may not remember Gumshoe, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its place in history. The game likely played a big role for the inspiration of the on-foot sections of Yoshi’s Touch and Go for the DS. Both are auto-scrolling platformers that utilize a non-virtual item to directly interact with the game through the screen. However, rather than shoot Yoshi or his power-ups, players simply employ a tap of the stylus.
So, if Gumshoe was good enough to inspire a game twenty years later, why has it become a forgotten gem? The main reason is that it was never really given a chance by most players when it was first released. At that time, gaming magazines were not a very popular way to stay informed on the industry. Most game-buying decisions were based on knowledge through advertising or by choosing a box that stood out on the shelves. Unfortunately, there were no ads for the game, and the screenshots on the back of the box made the game look, well, lame.
Also, despite the immense popularity of Duck Hunt, Zapper games were largely ignored at retail. Plus, due to the Zapper’s lack of precision, certain games were difficult to play and required a high level of skill to play effectively. This is especially true in the case of Gumshoe, which has many small targets and requires a quick timing. It is very likely that any kids that did give the game a chance quickly became frustrated and deterred their friends from making the same mistake.
Still, the game is definitely worth experiencing for Nintendo fans, if not for the enjoyment of the game, then at least for a history lesson.
GUMSHOE (NES)
Gumshoe is one of the strangest platformers you are likely to ever play. It’s not strange in a Michael Jackson way, though. In fact, upon first inspection, it seems like a fairly typical side-scroller, complete with a typical storyline involving a detective on a quest to rescue his kidnapped daughter. It isn’t until you find out how the game plays that it throws you for a loop.
All of the action in-game is commanded by way of the Zapper light-gun. Want to clear away your enemies? Shoot them. Want to collect ammo-replenishing balloons? Shoot them. Want to make your character jump? Shoot him. It is a unique system that is completely foreign and captivating at the same time.
Though most people may not remember Gumshoe, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its place in history. The game likely played a big role for the inspiration of the on-foot sections of Yoshi’s Touch and Go for the DS. Both are auto-scrolling platformers that utilize a non-virtual item to directly interact with the game through the screen. However, rather than shoot Yoshi or his power-ups, players simply employ a tap of the stylus.
So, if Gumshoe was good enough to inspire a game twenty years later, why has it become a forgotten gem? The main reason is that it was never really given a chance by most players when it was first released. At that time, gaming magazines were not a very popular way to stay informed on the industry. Most game-buying decisions were based on knowledge through advertising or by choosing a box that stood out on the shelves. Unfortunately, there were no ads for the game, and the screenshots on the back of the box made the game look, well, lame.
Also, despite the immense popularity of Duck Hunt, Zapper games were largely ignored at retail. Plus, due to the Zapper’s lack of precision, certain games were difficult to play and required a high level of skill to play effectively. This is especially true in the case of Gumshoe, which has many small targets and requires a quick timing. It is very likely that any kids that did give the game a chance quickly became frustrated and deterred their friends from making the same mistake.
Still, the game is definitely worth experiencing for Nintendo fans, if not for the enjoyment of the game, then at least for a history lesson.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Wii Fit Officially Priced
Some may argue that certain aspects of life, such as happiness and health, are priceless. Nintendo would beg to differ, insisting that being fit is easily worth $89.99.
That’s right. The game that has already become an overseas phenomenon will be sucking just under 90 bucks from your wallet come May 21. For those keeping track, that’s the equivalent of almost 30 Big Macs. Maybe the real trick to losing weight with Wii Fit is that it prevents you from being able to afford food anymore.
While the cost of the game may seem a little high, those who have played it do claim that it is a good investment. Even the news anchors on the Today Show seemed to have fun with it in a recent pseudo-news story. Plus it is important to remember that one of the most popular games in recent years is the equally expensive Guitar Hero. This proves that a slightly higher cost will not deter purchasers as long as the product is of high quality.
If 90 big-ones still seems like too high of a price to shape-up in front of the television, there are other alternatives. Allow me to recommend Richard Simmons - Sweatin’ to the Oldies…Suddenly $90 seems a lot more reasonable, doesn’t it?
That’s right. The game that has already become an overseas phenomenon will be sucking just under 90 bucks from your wallet come May 21. For those keeping track, that’s the equivalent of almost 30 Big Macs. Maybe the real trick to losing weight with Wii Fit is that it prevents you from being able to afford food anymore.
While the cost of the game may seem a little high, those who have played it do claim that it is a good investment. Even the news anchors on the Today Show seemed to have fun with it in a recent pseudo-news story. Plus it is important to remember that one of the most popular games in recent years is the equally expensive Guitar Hero. This proves that a slightly higher cost will not deter purchasers as long as the product is of high quality.
If 90 big-ones still seems like too high of a price to shape-up in front of the television, there are other alternatives. Allow me to recommend Richard Simmons - Sweatin’ to the Oldies…Suddenly $90 seems a lot more reasonable, doesn’t it?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Mario Baseball Wii Finally Acknowledged
It’s that time of year again. The weather is beginning to heat up, little leaguers are hitting the diamond, and gamers are staying inside to play baseball games. Of course, readers of this blog usually prefer their sports games to have a heavy dose of Italian plumber, and Nintendo has these people covered.
Mario Super Sluggers, the successor to the Gamecube’s Mario Superstar Baseball, was officially announced during Nintendo’s media summit this weekend. A Mario baseball title had been mentioned at previous events, but very little was known about the game.
The company revealed that the game will make use of the Wii’s motion-sensing remote to replicate real-life maneuvers, much like Wii Sports did at the system’s launch. Mario Super Sluggers is likely a stepping stone for expanded audience gamers who started with Wii Sports Baseball and are ready for a more in-depth gaming experience.
Unfortunately, a North American release date has yet to be announced, but an early to mid-summer launch seems likely, due to the game’s seasonal subject matter.
However, there is still the question of whether the many fans of Wii Sports will be anxious to pay upward of 50 dollars for a more detailed version of a game that was part of a free compilation. Mario Superstar Baseball failed to capture much interest from the gaming community when it was released, so this sequel may be a hard sell to the core gamers as well. Let’s hope that the developers are able to incorporate even more fun motion-controls and an impressive single-player campaign. Otherwise, all the lightning bolts and banana peels in the world wont keep this one from striking out at retail.
Mario Super Sluggers, the successor to the Gamecube’s Mario Superstar Baseball, was officially announced during Nintendo’s media summit this weekend. A Mario baseball title had been mentioned at previous events, but very little was known about the game.
The company revealed that the game will make use of the Wii’s motion-sensing remote to replicate real-life maneuvers, much like Wii Sports did at the system’s launch. Mario Super Sluggers is likely a stepping stone for expanded audience gamers who started with Wii Sports Baseball and are ready for a more in-depth gaming experience.
Unfortunately, a North American release date has yet to be announced, but an early to mid-summer launch seems likely, due to the game’s seasonal subject matter.
However, there is still the question of whether the many fans of Wii Sports will be anxious to pay upward of 50 dollars for a more detailed version of a game that was part of a free compilation. Mario Superstar Baseball failed to capture much interest from the gaming community when it was released, so this sequel may be a hard sell to the core gamers as well. Let’s hope that the developers are able to incorporate even more fun motion-controls and an impressive single-player campaign. Otherwise, all the lightning bolts and banana peels in the world wont keep this one from striking out at retail.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Virtual Console Monday - April 7
It has been almost a month-and-a-half since Nintendo has seen fit to bring one of their first-party games to the Virtual Console. That unfortunate streak has finally come to an end with this week’s releases. Today, Nintendo made Yoshi’s Cookie, originally a NES game, available for download.
Now, I was this close to going on a rant about how we Nintendo faithful put up with a six-week drought, only to be rewarded with a mediocre puzzle game, but then I realized that most of the important Nintendo games have already been placed on the console’s virtual shelves. Nintendo still has some work to do on their Nintendo 64 collection, but their selection of NES and SNES games is rather satisfactory. So I guess the addition of Yoshi’s Cookie is not quite the disappointment some may think it to be.
If friendly dinosaurs and falling puzzle pieces aren't your thing, perhaps you could celebrate the start of the new baseball season with Bases Loaded, the other game made available in today’s update.
Now, I was this close to going on a rant about how we Nintendo faithful put up with a six-week drought, only to be rewarded with a mediocre puzzle game, but then I realized that most of the important Nintendo games have already been placed on the console’s virtual shelves. Nintendo still has some work to do on their Nintendo 64 collection, but their selection of NES and SNES games is rather satisfactory. So I guess the addition of Yoshi’s Cookie is not quite the disappointment some may think it to be.
If friendly dinosaurs and falling puzzle pieces aren't your thing, perhaps you could celebrate the start of the new baseball season with Bases Loaded, the other game made available in today’s update.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
E3 2006 - A Nintendo Memoir
Growing up, I had a dream. I didn’t want to end world hunger or find a cure for a debilitating disease. No, my dream was simple; I wanted to go to the Electronic Entertainment Expo and play video games.
Since the inception of this industry and press-only convention, video game fans throughout the world fantasized about being able to play newly announced games months, or even years, before they hit store shelves. Football fans have the Super Bowl, competitive eaters have Nathan’s International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest, and gamers have E3.
Rather, gamers had E3. Though the gathering is still around, and there are reasons to believe that this year’s convention might be of great interest, it underwent some unpopular changes recently, making the convention of 2006 the last E3 as we knew it.
At that time, I was actively involved with my college newspaper. During the Spring 2006 semester I had been placed as Assistant Arts Editor, and I found every excuse I could to write about the gaming industry. Halfway through the semester it occurred to me that my position in the media could qualify me for access to the Electronic Entertainment Expo. I, along with another editor Eric Iberri, eagerly sent out for a request to register. Despite cutbacks in attendance numbers, we were both approved for registration. We did not know it at the time, but we had just been given the right to attend the most exciting E3 yet for Nintendo fans.
By the time the first day of the convention came around, Nintendo had announced which games would be playable at the Wii’s coming-out party. However, this lack of surprises didn’t make the day any less exciting. If anything, it fueled our anticipation. Knowing that we would be among the first to play games like the newly announced Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 made it surprisingly easy to pull myself out of bed two hours before sunrise so that I would make it to E3 on time.
To avoid L.A. traffic, Eric and I had decided to use two forms of transportation that were new to me: the train and the bus. The latter form of public transportation was by no means a high-class experience, which I’m sure the hobo sleeping in the back could attest to, but after that slightly dirty experience, we had finally made our way to the Los Angeles Convention Center, home of the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Upon entering the huge building, we promptly made our way to the registration room to inform the staff of our presence and to receive our press badges. Much to my surprise, the badge came attached to a Nintendo lanyard, which featured all of their current systems, including the Wii. To some, this item was simply a way to hang their badge around their neck, but to me it was a precursor to the amazing day that was ahead.
After a short wait, which included a complimentary breakfast and free gaming magazines, we finally made our way into the main hall. The media was allowed into the convention an hour early, so we left the majority of the crowd waiting outside and headed directly for the Nintendo booth.
Unlike most game demos at E3, there was an additional line just to be able to see the Wiis, which Nintendo had enclosed in their own mini-convention. We quickly lined up for a wait that lasted another hour-and-a-half, but at least we were kept entertained. Nintendo had hired multiple people to be displayed on screens on the wall and converse with attendees via a webcam-type setup. That was an interesting enough experience, but as we approached the last screen before the entrance, we were greeted by a familiar voice.
“It’s-a-me, Mario,” we heard Charles Martinet, the voice of many famous Nintendo characters, say. Though we technically did not meet him in person, it was a welcome surprise to be able to converse with the popular actor.
By this point, the media’s extra hour had expired and the remainder of the crowd was allowed in, resulting in a mad-dash to Nintendo’s booth. Luckily, only a few gamers were trampled in the stampede, but the high interest in the Wii had made the line to enter exceed four hours for the majority of the convention.
Shortly after witnessing this crazed entrance, we were finally allowed in. This whole experience was what I imagine entering a popular nightclub would be like. As we were finally granted access to the inside, V.I.P.s were greeted by the bouncers and let inside without any wait. Our senses were bombarded with music turned to 11 and flashing strobe lights sure to cause seizures. Celebrities had their own, roped off, section, where they could relax without having to rub elbows with the commoners. Of course, the whole disco delusion disappeared once I remembered that everyone was here to play video games.
After making our way through displays of the Wii Remote and various conceptual controller shells, including the Zapper, we reached what we had been waiting for: Wii game demos.
Metroid Prime 3 was the closest of the big-name titles, so we queued up to experience the game before the line grew any longer. While we waited, many of us took turns on the adjacent, line-less, WarioWare: Smooth Moves. When I finally had a chance with the game, I eagerly slipped on the precautionary wrist strap and began following the wacky on-screen commands. My first experience with the Wii saw me pumping up a balloon, shaking hands with a Nintendog, and doing the hula.
I returned to the Metroid Prime 3 line, not exactly sure why I was so willing to do such embarrassing activities with a large group of people watching me. As we drew closer to the demo of the first-person adventure game, my focus changed to watching others trying to cope with the controls. This learning experience seemed to help as I finally got my hands on the game and was able to adjust rather quickly to the intuitive, yet initially confusing controls. Unfortunately, the line behind me had grown to walkway-blocking length, so the Nintendo staff had decided to shorten the demo time. Though I was unable to reach the climactic boss fight at the end, the few minutes I had played of the demo had left me enthusiastically awaiting the final game.
After leaving the crowded Metroid demo area, I began to explore the rest of Nintendo’s Wii exhibit. Unfortunately, I could not find the Super Mario Galaxy demo. I began growing concerned that Nintendo had opted to only show the game behind closed doors to select individuals. Since I could not find the highly anticipated Mario game demo, I decided to jump in line for Nintendo’s new racer, Excite Truck. Much like Metroid, this game had a learning curve as I adjusted to the new control scheme, but by the time my race had come to a finish, I was impressed with the unique method of steering.
Luckily, I had spotted the Mario demo while waiting in line for Excite Truck. The game demos continued around another turn, and the demo I sought was in the corner of this region. I willingly waited another hour to experience Mario’s galactic adventure, while Eric chose to try some of the other games like Wii Sports and, his personal favorite, the Japan-only SD Gundam: G Breaker.
Much like with the Metroid demo, the Nintendo staff had decided that the line for Mario Galaxy was too long, so the length of the demo should be shortened for those playing the game…beginning with me. Luckily, the woman working this particular demo was kind of enough to see that I was disappointed with this decision, so she allowed me to reach one of the three possible ends to the demo as long as I hurried.
Since I knew I had to rush, I was concerned that I would be unable to adjust to the game like I had in the previous games. Fortunately, Mario Galaxy’s controls came naturally - a testament to the game’s superior design. I forged my way through the game’s breathtaking environments, areas I would be unable to experience again until Super Mario Galaxy’s release in late 2007, and eventually reached one of the end-level bosses; a huge mechanical character that had to be scaled to find its weak-point.
After this awe-inspiring finale to my Wii experience, Eric and I decided to inspect the rest of the convention. There were some fun times to be had at the rest of the show. The DS had a very strong showing with many new games to be played. I also attempted to have a conversation with the Japanese-speaking composer Hajime Wakai as he watched my experience with his most recent project Star Fox: Command. Even some of the non-Nintendo games being showcased offered some fun times. Despite this, everywhere I went, I heard people talking about the Wii. It was obvious that this year’s E3 was all about Nintendo’s new console.
At the end of the day, we exited the convention center and started our trek back home. I knew that today’s activities were experiences that I would remember for years to come. As I sat down on the train, I was relieved to get off my feet. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning and standing all day had made me unbelievably tired. I knew that my exciting day would be ended by an hour-long train ride, but at least I had a bunch of gaming magazines to read.
The giant sign greeted attendees from the street
Charles Martinet, best known for being the voice of Mario, chatted with those waiting in line
The first sight upon entering the Wii booth
Nintendo displayed an early version of the Wii Zapper
A view of the DS Bar from the outskirts of the Nintendo booth
Thanks to Eric Iberri for the above photos!
Since the inception of this industry and press-only convention, video game fans throughout the world fantasized about being able to play newly announced games months, or even years, before they hit store shelves. Football fans have the Super Bowl, competitive eaters have Nathan’s International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest, and gamers have E3.
Rather, gamers had E3. Though the gathering is still around, and there are reasons to believe that this year’s convention might be of great interest, it underwent some unpopular changes recently, making the convention of 2006 the last E3 as we knew it.
At that time, I was actively involved with my college newspaper. During the Spring 2006 semester I had been placed as Assistant Arts Editor, and I found every excuse I could to write about the gaming industry. Halfway through the semester it occurred to me that my position in the media could qualify me for access to the Electronic Entertainment Expo. I, along with another editor Eric Iberri, eagerly sent out for a request to register. Despite cutbacks in attendance numbers, we were both approved for registration. We did not know it at the time, but we had just been given the right to attend the most exciting E3 yet for Nintendo fans.
By the time the first day of the convention came around, Nintendo had announced which games would be playable at the Wii’s coming-out party. However, this lack of surprises didn’t make the day any less exciting. If anything, it fueled our anticipation. Knowing that we would be among the first to play games like the newly announced Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 made it surprisingly easy to pull myself out of bed two hours before sunrise so that I would make it to E3 on time.
To avoid L.A. traffic, Eric and I had decided to use two forms of transportation that were new to me: the train and the bus. The latter form of public transportation was by no means a high-class experience, which I’m sure the hobo sleeping in the back could attest to, but after that slightly dirty experience, we had finally made our way to the Los Angeles Convention Center, home of the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Upon entering the huge building, we promptly made our way to the registration room to inform the staff of our presence and to receive our press badges. Much to my surprise, the badge came attached to a Nintendo lanyard, which featured all of their current systems, including the Wii. To some, this item was simply a way to hang their badge around their neck, but to me it was a precursor to the amazing day that was ahead.
After a short wait, which included a complimentary breakfast and free gaming magazines, we finally made our way into the main hall. The media was allowed into the convention an hour early, so we left the majority of the crowd waiting outside and headed directly for the Nintendo booth.
Unlike most game demos at E3, there was an additional line just to be able to see the Wiis, which Nintendo had enclosed in their own mini-convention. We quickly lined up for a wait that lasted another hour-and-a-half, but at least we were kept entertained. Nintendo had hired multiple people to be displayed on screens on the wall and converse with attendees via a webcam-type setup. That was an interesting enough experience, but as we approached the last screen before the entrance, we were greeted by a familiar voice.
“It’s-a-me, Mario,” we heard Charles Martinet, the voice of many famous Nintendo characters, say. Though we technically did not meet him in person, it was a welcome surprise to be able to converse with the popular actor.
By this point, the media’s extra hour had expired and the remainder of the crowd was allowed in, resulting in a mad-dash to Nintendo’s booth. Luckily, only a few gamers were trampled in the stampede, but the high interest in the Wii had made the line to enter exceed four hours for the majority of the convention.
Shortly after witnessing this crazed entrance, we were finally allowed in. This whole experience was what I imagine entering a popular nightclub would be like. As we were finally granted access to the inside, V.I.P.s were greeted by the bouncers and let inside without any wait. Our senses were bombarded with music turned to 11 and flashing strobe lights sure to cause seizures. Celebrities had their own, roped off, section, where they could relax without having to rub elbows with the commoners. Of course, the whole disco delusion disappeared once I remembered that everyone was here to play video games.
After making our way through displays of the Wii Remote and various conceptual controller shells, including the Zapper, we reached what we had been waiting for: Wii game demos.
Metroid Prime 3 was the closest of the big-name titles, so we queued up to experience the game before the line grew any longer. While we waited, many of us took turns on the adjacent, line-less, WarioWare: Smooth Moves. When I finally had a chance with the game, I eagerly slipped on the precautionary wrist strap and began following the wacky on-screen commands. My first experience with the Wii saw me pumping up a balloon, shaking hands with a Nintendog, and doing the hula.
I returned to the Metroid Prime 3 line, not exactly sure why I was so willing to do such embarrassing activities with a large group of people watching me. As we drew closer to the demo of the first-person adventure game, my focus changed to watching others trying to cope with the controls. This learning experience seemed to help as I finally got my hands on the game and was able to adjust rather quickly to the intuitive, yet initially confusing controls. Unfortunately, the line behind me had grown to walkway-blocking length, so the Nintendo staff had decided to shorten the demo time. Though I was unable to reach the climactic boss fight at the end, the few minutes I had played of the demo had left me enthusiastically awaiting the final game.
After leaving the crowded Metroid demo area, I began to explore the rest of Nintendo’s Wii exhibit. Unfortunately, I could not find the Super Mario Galaxy demo. I began growing concerned that Nintendo had opted to only show the game behind closed doors to select individuals. Since I could not find the highly anticipated Mario game demo, I decided to jump in line for Nintendo’s new racer, Excite Truck. Much like Metroid, this game had a learning curve as I adjusted to the new control scheme, but by the time my race had come to a finish, I was impressed with the unique method of steering.
Luckily, I had spotted the Mario demo while waiting in line for Excite Truck. The game demos continued around another turn, and the demo I sought was in the corner of this region. I willingly waited another hour to experience Mario’s galactic adventure, while Eric chose to try some of the other games like Wii Sports and, his personal favorite, the Japan-only SD Gundam: G Breaker.
Much like with the Metroid demo, the Nintendo staff had decided that the line for Mario Galaxy was too long, so the length of the demo should be shortened for those playing the game…beginning with me. Luckily, the woman working this particular demo was kind of enough to see that I was disappointed with this decision, so she allowed me to reach one of the three possible ends to the demo as long as I hurried.
Since I knew I had to rush, I was concerned that I would be unable to adjust to the game like I had in the previous games. Fortunately, Mario Galaxy’s controls came naturally - a testament to the game’s superior design. I forged my way through the game’s breathtaking environments, areas I would be unable to experience again until Super Mario Galaxy’s release in late 2007, and eventually reached one of the end-level bosses; a huge mechanical character that had to be scaled to find its weak-point.
After this awe-inspiring finale to my Wii experience, Eric and I decided to inspect the rest of the convention. There were some fun times to be had at the rest of the show. The DS had a very strong showing with many new games to be played. I also attempted to have a conversation with the Japanese-speaking composer Hajime Wakai as he watched my experience with his most recent project Star Fox: Command. Even some of the non-Nintendo games being showcased offered some fun times. Despite this, everywhere I went, I heard people talking about the Wii. It was obvious that this year’s E3 was all about Nintendo’s new console.
At the end of the day, we exited the convention center and started our trek back home. I knew that today’s activities were experiences that I would remember for years to come. As I sat down on the train, I was relieved to get off my feet. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning and standing all day had made me unbelievably tired. I knew that my exciting day would be ended by an hour-long train ride, but at least I had a bunch of gaming magazines to read.
The giant sign greeted attendees from the street
Charles Martinet, best known for being the voice of Mario, chatted with those waiting in line
The first sight upon entering the Wii booth
Nintendo displayed an early version of the Wii Zapper
A view of the DS Bar from the outskirts of the Nintendo booth
Thanks to Eric Iberri for the above photos!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Random Thoughts on Wii's Upcoming Releases
Wii owners have had a surprisingly large amount of top-tier titles come from Nintendo in the short time since the system’s launch. In less than a year-and-a-half, we’ve been fortunate enough to experience new entries in the Zelda, Mario, Paper Mario, Metroid and Smash Bros. series. If everything goes as planned, Mario Kart can be added to that list come the end of April. While Nintendo’s urgency to release an update to every one of their blockbuster series has meant great fun for gamers, it does leave one question. What’s next?
A quick glance at Nintendo’s upcoming releases hints that they don’t want you to know the answer to that question. At least, not yet. With the exception of Disaster: Day of Crisis, Nintendo has no announced projects after the May 19 release of Wii Fit. In a recent interview with GameTrailers TV, NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime stated that the lineup of games for the latter half of 2008 will be announced at E3 in July. That means that, for at least a couple of months, the energy of Nintendo fans, which is usually reserved for anticipating upcoming releases, will instead be spent on speculating the possibilities (because, we all know, the energy of gamers can never be used to do anything even remotely productive). Consider these random thoughts the beginning of that speculation.
The most reasonable place to start would be Nintendo’s second-tier franchises that appear most likely to see a Wii edition, based on their recent successes. Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Star Fox, Wave Race and 1080 Snowboarding seem like the most obvious choices for Nintendo to work with.
Of these likely titles, Animal Crossing seems to be the most definite. A second sequel to the cult hit has been hinted at often, but never officially confirmed by the Big N. It is speculated that the game would take full advantage of the Wii Connect 24 online service to allow visits to friends’ towns and interact with them in real-time. It is even possible that the series could take a slightly more MMO approach and allow dozens of people to live within the same village.
An update to the Pikmin series, like the Animal Crossing series, feels more like a question of when than if. Shortly after the Wii’s unique functions were revealed, series-creator Shigeru Miyamoto mentioned that the pointing abilities of the Wii Remote would work well with the RTS style play of the first two games. With this newly added functionality, the next version of Pikmin could allow for more complex levels and strategies.
Though the series has been the subject of a certain amount of ridicule ever since its first GameCube edition, the Star Fox series is another obvious choice for Nintendo to bring to the Wii. Thanks to the identity crisis these games have been having recently, there is no telling what genre the game would be. While the third-person action, adventure and strategy genres lent each of the last three editions a bit of their own unique appeal, I think that it is safe to say that most gamers would prefer a return to the series’ space-shooting roots. Motion controls could add the extra bit of individuality that the series always tries to give each of its games, without venturing into an even more offbeat genre. After all, do we really want a Star Fox music game?
Surprisingly, there has been very little speculation for a new Wave Race. However, it seems like an easy solution to help fill the usual gaming void in the late summer months. The Wii Remote can effortlessly mimic the handlebars on a wave runner, and the game would not require the precision movements of car driving games that have put many gamers off of this control method.
An update to 1080 Snowboarding is a distinct possibility, thanks in part to another one of the Wii’s controller options: the upcoming Wii Balance Board. Those who have experimented with the contraption claim that it could translate very naturally to a snowboarding game, much like it has in the skiing mini-game in Wii Fit. However, a full game release for this title may be pushed aside in favor of a new medium. A 1080, or similar snowboarding game, seems likely to be considered for a release on WiiWare, with additional levels available as downloadable content via Nintendo’s approaching Pay and Play service.
Though it makes the most sense to consider Nintendo’s more recent franchises when contemplating their upcoming releases, it is much more entertaining to imagine the possibilities of the company resurrecting some of their long-forgotten classics. An update to Kid Icarus, Mario Paint, or even Duck Hunt would be sure to bring a smile to any Nintendo gamer’s face.
A new version of Kid Icarus, which is heavily rumored to have been in development for a while, would be the perfect triple-A title to release during 2008’s holiday season. The series’ archery-driven action could be developed into many different styles of gameplay. A Metroid Prime-style first-person adventure could work for the game, as could a Sin and Punishment-style rails shooter, or even a mixture of the two. All that matters is that the game, if it eventually is made, not squander its potential to be the next Nintendo developed powerhouse.
On the complete other end of the gaming spectrum is Mario Paint. The series made the leap to the failed Japan-only Nintendo Disk Drive system in the form of the Mario Artist series. These games let players create a number of different types of artwork, including polygonal 3-D models. A Wii version of the game could include all of the ideas from the Mario Artist series that most gamers never had the chance to experience. However, the core of the game would be the painting mode, which would benefit greatly from using the Wii Remote as a virtual paint brush. Additionally, the Wii’s online capabilities would make it easy to share your masterpieces with friends at any time.
The final game in this speculative piece is probably the least likely to happen, but a new Duck Hunt game would be a notable release for anybody growing up in the eighties. Almost every person from this era has fond memories of bringing the Zapper right up to the television screen to shoot ducks without aiming, and growing angry at your in-game dog when he laughed at you for missing one. The game would require a huge overhaul to give it enough depth for a modern-day console release, though. Giving the game an adventure backdrop with a story about the hunter’s participation in duck-hunting tournaments could do the trick. Or, perhaps, the basic trick-shooting gameplay would be better suited to a lower profile WiiWare release. Either way, I would be happy, just as long as we can finally shoot that darn dog.
I’d like to end this article by opening up the speculation to you readers. What Nintendo games would you like to see updated for release later this year? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know.
A quick glance at Nintendo’s upcoming releases hints that they don’t want you to know the answer to that question. At least, not yet. With the exception of Disaster: Day of Crisis, Nintendo has no announced projects after the May 19 release of Wii Fit. In a recent interview with GameTrailers TV, NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime stated that the lineup of games for the latter half of 2008 will be announced at E3 in July. That means that, for at least a couple of months, the energy of Nintendo fans, which is usually reserved for anticipating upcoming releases, will instead be spent on speculating the possibilities (because, we all know, the energy of gamers can never be used to do anything even remotely productive). Consider these random thoughts the beginning of that speculation.
The most reasonable place to start would be Nintendo’s second-tier franchises that appear most likely to see a Wii edition, based on their recent successes. Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Star Fox, Wave Race and 1080 Snowboarding seem like the most obvious choices for Nintendo to work with.
Of these likely titles, Animal Crossing seems to be the most definite. A second sequel to the cult hit has been hinted at often, but never officially confirmed by the Big N. It is speculated that the game would take full advantage of the Wii Connect 24 online service to allow visits to friends’ towns and interact with them in real-time. It is even possible that the series could take a slightly more MMO approach and allow dozens of people to live within the same village.
An update to the Pikmin series, like the Animal Crossing series, feels more like a question of when than if. Shortly after the Wii’s unique functions were revealed, series-creator Shigeru Miyamoto mentioned that the pointing abilities of the Wii Remote would work well with the RTS style play of the first two games. With this newly added functionality, the next version of Pikmin could allow for more complex levels and strategies.
Though the series has been the subject of a certain amount of ridicule ever since its first GameCube edition, the Star Fox series is another obvious choice for Nintendo to bring to the Wii. Thanks to the identity crisis these games have been having recently, there is no telling what genre the game would be. While the third-person action, adventure and strategy genres lent each of the last three editions a bit of their own unique appeal, I think that it is safe to say that most gamers would prefer a return to the series’ space-shooting roots. Motion controls could add the extra bit of individuality that the series always tries to give each of its games, without venturing into an even more offbeat genre. After all, do we really want a Star Fox music game?
Surprisingly, there has been very little speculation for a new Wave Race. However, it seems like an easy solution to help fill the usual gaming void in the late summer months. The Wii Remote can effortlessly mimic the handlebars on a wave runner, and the game would not require the precision movements of car driving games that have put many gamers off of this control method.
An update to 1080 Snowboarding is a distinct possibility, thanks in part to another one of the Wii’s controller options: the upcoming Wii Balance Board. Those who have experimented with the contraption claim that it could translate very naturally to a snowboarding game, much like it has in the skiing mini-game in Wii Fit. However, a full game release for this title may be pushed aside in favor of a new medium. A 1080, or similar snowboarding game, seems likely to be considered for a release on WiiWare, with additional levels available as downloadable content via Nintendo’s approaching Pay and Play service.
Though it makes the most sense to consider Nintendo’s more recent franchises when contemplating their upcoming releases, it is much more entertaining to imagine the possibilities of the company resurrecting some of their long-forgotten classics. An update to Kid Icarus, Mario Paint, or even Duck Hunt would be sure to bring a smile to any Nintendo gamer’s face.
A new version of Kid Icarus, which is heavily rumored to have been in development for a while, would be the perfect triple-A title to release during 2008’s holiday season. The series’ archery-driven action could be developed into many different styles of gameplay. A Metroid Prime-style first-person adventure could work for the game, as could a Sin and Punishment-style rails shooter, or even a mixture of the two. All that matters is that the game, if it eventually is made, not squander its potential to be the next Nintendo developed powerhouse.
On the complete other end of the gaming spectrum is Mario Paint. The series made the leap to the failed Japan-only Nintendo Disk Drive system in the form of the Mario Artist series. These games let players create a number of different types of artwork, including polygonal 3-D models. A Wii version of the game could include all of the ideas from the Mario Artist series that most gamers never had the chance to experience. However, the core of the game would be the painting mode, which would benefit greatly from using the Wii Remote as a virtual paint brush. Additionally, the Wii’s online capabilities would make it easy to share your masterpieces with friends at any time.
The final game in this speculative piece is probably the least likely to happen, but a new Duck Hunt game would be a notable release for anybody growing up in the eighties. Almost every person from this era has fond memories of bringing the Zapper right up to the television screen to shoot ducks without aiming, and growing angry at your in-game dog when he laughed at you for missing one. The game would require a huge overhaul to give it enough depth for a modern-day console release, though. Giving the game an adventure backdrop with a story about the hunter’s participation in duck-hunting tournaments could do the trick. Or, perhaps, the basic trick-shooting gameplay would be better suited to a lower profile WiiWare release. Either way, I would be happy, just as long as we can finally shoot that darn dog.
I’d like to end this article by opening up the speculation to you readers. What Nintendo games would you like to see updated for release later this year? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Review
Some of you readers may have been wondering when I planned on posting the review of Super Smash Bros. Brawl that I have been teasing you with since the inception of this blog. Well, here it is. Though this piece of literary brilliance is, admittedly, late in coming, I have a good excuse: I’ve been having far too much fun with the game to pull myself away long enough to write an article about it.
For Nintendo fans, a huge part of Brawl’s fun is discovering every bit of fan-service that the game has to offer. Every facet of the game is oozing with nostalgia, and finding every bit of Nintendo history hiding on the disc can quickly become an obsession. As in Brawl’s predecessor, Super Smash Bros. Melee, there are over 500 trophies to collect, each including a descriptive paragraph detailing many of the characters from the company’s rich history. However, the collectibles do not stop there. During play you can also find or unlock various music discs.
Each disc unlocks a new musical track from almost all of Nintendo’s big hits, and even some you may have never heard before. This music ranges from a medley of classic NES game songs to fully orchestrated versions of more modern music. Making these tracks even more desirable is the customization that they offer. As your song collection grows, you can change the rate of frequency in which the songs play within the levels, allowing you to hear your favorites often and your least favorites never.
Rounding out the list of new collectibles are over 700 stickers, each containing promotional artwork for even the most obscure Nintendo titles.
It may seem odd that I spent the first 275 words of my review detailing the game’s many collectibles without even mentioning how the game plays, but there is a reason for this. Brawl feels as if its primary mission is to give a giant high-five to the Nintendo enthusiasts around the world. Everything from said collectibles to some very special unlockable characters and stages do just that. Heck, the game even includes a list of every Nintendo published game release.
However, what makes Smash Bros. Brawl truly special is that even without a single recognizable Nintendo character, it would still be one of the most fun gaming experiences available on any console.
The core experience of playing Brawl is very similar to that of Melee. Two to four characters square off in a frantic battle with controls that are simple enough for most “expanded audience” players to understand, but with enough depth for the more experienced gamers to develop really complex strategies. Of course, even the best strategies aren’t of much help when a Nintendog pops out of an assist trophy - which makes a character appear that can either help or hinder your gameplay - and blocks your view of the screen.
This unpredictable nature is what makes Smash Bros. such a special series. It manages to take the best of both fighting and party games and mesh them together to create a game that can even the playing field for all players, without hurting the integrity of more hardcore matches. Brawl continues this tradition and improves upon it with fun new items, such as final smashes - which allow a player to unleash a character-specific finishing move - and the aforementioned assist trophies, as well as interesting new levels like the Wario Ware stage, in which miniature challenges will appear and reward success with an upgrade. There is nothing quite like fighting a frantic battle and witnessing everyone stop moving because a “red light, green light” style challenge appears.
While the hallmark of Smash Bros. has always been hectic matches with a group of friends, fans of single-player experiences will find a great deal of content to keep them satisfied for quite some time. The most satisfying single-player mode is the Subspace Emissary, a side-scrolling adventure featuring almost all of the game’s characters. This is a fairly lengthy quest that features fun boss fights and a huge collection of cinemas.
Of course, if you aren’t in the mood for a story mode, the Brawl still has plenty to offer solitary gamers. The Event mode tasks players with completing a match under specific conditions, such as defeating 50 enemies in a set time frame. Plus, players could try to beat their best score on one of the target tests, where the objective is to hit all the targets within an obstacle course. Also, lonely gamers can get their multi-player kicks by playing friends or strangers in online matches. Clearly there is a variety of ways to play Brawl, and I haven’t even mentioned half of the modes (both for space and to prevent spoilers).
This abundance of ways to play is a large reason why the game is so fun. It allows you to play the way you want to, and before you can tire of one mode, you are off enjoying the next. No two gamers are likely to play exactly the same way. In my first five hours of Brawl, I played through the Classic mode with one character, challenged the target test with a few characters, played through a couple of levels in the Subspace Emissary, played some on-line battles, spent some time enjoying the various trophies and music tracks I had unlocked, then played through the Classic mode with a different character before finishing off with a half hour of the Event mode. When my friend came over to partake in some multi-player battles, I discovered that he had spent most of his time working through the Subspace Emissary. We represented two very different, but ultimately very rewarding, ways of playing Brawl.
Fortunately, Brawl does not have any major problems. However, when playing a game as thoroughly as this game encourages, you are bound to find some issues with it. For one, controls are the same in regular battles as they are in the Subspace Emissary, and they are not as tight as they could have been had they been designed for a platforming game. Also, it would have been nice if each character had an individual target test obstacle to complete, as it was in Melee, rather than the five different courses for all the characters to share. And, of course, fans of Playstation 3 and Xbox 360’s online services will be disappointed with Brawl’s limited online matches.
While Brawl would have greatly benefited from addressing these issues, it is difficult to fault the game for a few nitpicky problems. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a game of great ambition that succeeds on almost every level. It may have taken more than six years, but Nintendo has finally given its fans a reason to stop playing Melee.
Score: 10/10
For Nintendo fans, a huge part of Brawl’s fun is discovering every bit of fan-service that the game has to offer. Every facet of the game is oozing with nostalgia, and finding every bit of Nintendo history hiding on the disc can quickly become an obsession. As in Brawl’s predecessor, Super Smash Bros. Melee, there are over 500 trophies to collect, each including a descriptive paragraph detailing many of the characters from the company’s rich history. However, the collectibles do not stop there. During play you can also find or unlock various music discs.
Each disc unlocks a new musical track from almost all of Nintendo’s big hits, and even some you may have never heard before. This music ranges from a medley of classic NES game songs to fully orchestrated versions of more modern music. Making these tracks even more desirable is the customization that they offer. As your song collection grows, you can change the rate of frequency in which the songs play within the levels, allowing you to hear your favorites often and your least favorites never.
Rounding out the list of new collectibles are over 700 stickers, each containing promotional artwork for even the most obscure Nintendo titles.
It may seem odd that I spent the first 275 words of my review detailing the game’s many collectibles without even mentioning how the game plays, but there is a reason for this. Brawl feels as if its primary mission is to give a giant high-five to the Nintendo enthusiasts around the world. Everything from said collectibles to some very special unlockable characters and stages do just that. Heck, the game even includes a list of every Nintendo published game release.
However, what makes Smash Bros. Brawl truly special is that even without a single recognizable Nintendo character, it would still be one of the most fun gaming experiences available on any console.
The core experience of playing Brawl is very similar to that of Melee. Two to four characters square off in a frantic battle with controls that are simple enough for most “expanded audience” players to understand, but with enough depth for the more experienced gamers to develop really complex strategies. Of course, even the best strategies aren’t of much help when a Nintendog pops out of an assist trophy - which makes a character appear that can either help or hinder your gameplay - and blocks your view of the screen.
This unpredictable nature is what makes Smash Bros. such a special series. It manages to take the best of both fighting and party games and mesh them together to create a game that can even the playing field for all players, without hurting the integrity of more hardcore matches. Brawl continues this tradition and improves upon it with fun new items, such as final smashes - which allow a player to unleash a character-specific finishing move - and the aforementioned assist trophies, as well as interesting new levels like the Wario Ware stage, in which miniature challenges will appear and reward success with an upgrade. There is nothing quite like fighting a frantic battle and witnessing everyone stop moving because a “red light, green light” style challenge appears.
While the hallmark of Smash Bros. has always been hectic matches with a group of friends, fans of single-player experiences will find a great deal of content to keep them satisfied for quite some time. The most satisfying single-player mode is the Subspace Emissary, a side-scrolling adventure featuring almost all of the game’s characters. This is a fairly lengthy quest that features fun boss fights and a huge collection of cinemas.
Of course, if you aren’t in the mood for a story mode, the Brawl still has plenty to offer solitary gamers. The Event mode tasks players with completing a match under specific conditions, such as defeating 50 enemies in a set time frame. Plus, players could try to beat their best score on one of the target tests, where the objective is to hit all the targets within an obstacle course. Also, lonely gamers can get their multi-player kicks by playing friends or strangers in online matches. Clearly there is a variety of ways to play Brawl, and I haven’t even mentioned half of the modes (both for space and to prevent spoilers).
This abundance of ways to play is a large reason why the game is so fun. It allows you to play the way you want to, and before you can tire of one mode, you are off enjoying the next. No two gamers are likely to play exactly the same way. In my first five hours of Brawl, I played through the Classic mode with one character, challenged the target test with a few characters, played through a couple of levels in the Subspace Emissary, played some on-line battles, spent some time enjoying the various trophies and music tracks I had unlocked, then played through the Classic mode with a different character before finishing off with a half hour of the Event mode. When my friend came over to partake in some multi-player battles, I discovered that he had spent most of his time working through the Subspace Emissary. We represented two very different, but ultimately very rewarding, ways of playing Brawl.
Fortunately, Brawl does not have any major problems. However, when playing a game as thoroughly as this game encourages, you are bound to find some issues with it. For one, controls are the same in regular battles as they are in the Subspace Emissary, and they are not as tight as they could have been had they been designed for a platforming game. Also, it would have been nice if each character had an individual target test obstacle to complete, as it was in Melee, rather than the five different courses for all the characters to share. And, of course, fans of Playstation 3 and Xbox 360’s online services will be disappointed with Brawl’s limited online matches.
While Brawl would have greatly benefited from addressing these issues, it is difficult to fault the game for a few nitpicky problems. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a game of great ambition that succeeds on almost every level. It may have taken more than six years, but Nintendo has finally given its fans a reason to stop playing Melee.
Score: 10/10
Monday, March 17, 2008
Brawl Breaks Nintendo Record
Everyone knew Super Smash Bros. Brawl was destined to be a big hit, which is why it should come as no surprise to find that the title has officially been confirmed to be Nintendo of America’s fastest-selling video game. More than 874,000 copies were sold on March 9, the game’s launch date. As of this Monday morning, more than 1.4 million units have been sold.
The series’ previous installment, Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube, was the system’s best-selling title and could have been an even bigger hit had anyone actually owned the console it played on.
Despite rumblings that Brawl may be the final installment in the Smash Bros. series, these sales numbers make it almost painfully obvious that this is probably not the case. If there is one thing Nintendo knows how to do, it is milk a cash cow for all it’s worth, and Smash Bros. is mooing pretty loudly.
Expect a full review of the record-breaking Super Smash Bros. Brawl very soon.
P.S. Sorry this post is so short, but my game’s on pause.
The series’ previous installment, Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube, was the system’s best-selling title and could have been an even bigger hit had anyone actually owned the console it played on.
Despite rumblings that Brawl may be the final installment in the Smash Bros. series, these sales numbers make it almost painfully obvious that this is probably not the case. If there is one thing Nintendo knows how to do, it is milk a cash cow for all it’s worth, and Smash Bros. is mooing pretty loudly.
Expect a full review of the record-breaking Super Smash Bros. Brawl very soon.
P.S. Sorry this post is so short, but my game’s on pause.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Mario Kart Wii Racing to Stores Late April
After months of speculation, Nintendo officially confirmed today that Mario Kart Wii is set to release in the United States on April 27. This means that North American gamers will have to wait until after their counterparts in Japan, UK and even Australia gain access to the game in early April.
Mario Kart Wii is scheduled to borrow some concepts from the similarly blandly-titled Mario Kart DS. This includes online play and the inclusion of 16 classic tracks from previous entries in the series. Unfortunately, a recent article in Nintendo Power stated that the Mission Mode would not be making a return in this iteration.
The new addition to the series will also be bringing some new features to the race. For the first time in series history, the number of racers will change from eight to 12, making the famously frenzied races even more hectic.
Additionally, if you were never a huge fan of Mario characters or karts, you now have an alternative to both of those issues with the inclusion of bikes and the ability to play as your very own Mii.
Also, following in the footsteps of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii will allow for complete customization of how the game is controlled. Four control options are available; the GameCube controller, Classic Controller, Wii-mote and Nunchuk, or the included Wii Wheel. The latter is a holder for the Wii-mote, similar to the Wii Zapper, and is intended to replicate the feeling of actually using a steering wheel.
Expect a review of Mario Kart Wii shortly after its release date.
Mario Kart Wii is scheduled to borrow some concepts from the similarly blandly-titled Mario Kart DS. This includes online play and the inclusion of 16 classic tracks from previous entries in the series. Unfortunately, a recent article in Nintendo Power stated that the Mission Mode would not be making a return in this iteration.
The new addition to the series will also be bringing some new features to the race. For the first time in series history, the number of racers will change from eight to 12, making the famously frenzied races even more hectic.
Additionally, if you were never a huge fan of Mario characters or karts, you now have an alternative to both of those issues with the inclusion of bikes and the ability to play as your very own Mii.
Also, following in the footsteps of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii will allow for complete customization of how the game is controlled. Four control options are available; the GameCube controller, Classic Controller, Wii-mote and Nunchuk, or the included Wii Wheel. The latter is a holder for the Wii-mote, similar to the Wii Zapper, and is intended to replicate the feeling of actually using a steering wheel.
Expect a review of Mario Kart Wii shortly after its release date.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Game Boy's Forgotten Gems
For the third straight post, I am unveiling a new series of articles that will continue through May. These “Forgotten Gems” articles will examine three of Nintendo’s more obscure - but awesome - games. A different system will be highlighted in each of these pieces. This week, let’s take a closer look at the forgotten gems of Nintendo‘s original handheld wonder.
BALLOON KID
In the first few years of the Game Boy’s life-cycle, Nintendo was keen on releasing sequels to some of their favorite NES titles. These years saw the release of well-remembered classics like Metroid 2: Return of Samus and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Less remembered, however, is the sequel to the relatively obscure classic Balloon Fight.
Balloon Kid retains the simple gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. The player’s on-screen avatar is held afloat by a small group of balloons, and well-timed button presses will keep the character floating to avoid obstacles. However, the original’s Joust inspired play is left for multiplayer bouts, while the main game is more reminiscent of Balloon Fight’s sub-game Balloon Trip. In the process, Nintendo created a unique forced-scrolling, story based platformer.
Balloon Kid’s protagonist Alice sets out on a quest to rescue her younger brother, who just happened to be carried away by a large grouping of balloons (never mind the Cold War; I’m pretty sure 99 Luftballons is about these sinister kidnappers). Her quest takes her through a variety of lands, in which she must evade everything from birds to camp fires. Balloons, left as a trail by her brother, serve as collectibles.
While Balloon Kid is a very fun game, it is easy to see why it never really gathered a fan base. The childish characters and artwork likely turned away fans of the original Balloon Fight. Additionally, the game has a relatively steep learning curve which surely frustrated younger players that took to the game’s colorful box-art. However, Nintendo fans with some patience and a tolerance for cartoony characters should thoroughly enjoy this title.
SOLAR STRIKER
Nintendo is not particularly known for creating shoot-em-ups, but as they were first breaking into the arcade gaming scene, many of their creations belonged to this genre. Game historians will likely remember that one such game, Radar Scope, was expected to be their first breakout hit in the US; at least until it fared horribly in focus testing. The company ended up using Radar Scope’s cabinets to house Donkey Kong, effectively ending their interest in shooters and creating a tradition of character-based action games. From there, Nintendo never looked back…well, except for a short period of time when they created the next forgotten gem, Solar Striker.
In addition to being Nintendo’s last vertical shooter, Solar Striker also has the distinction of being one of the only games of its type that is actually fun on the Game Boy. The game play is slower than current-day shoot-em-ups, but well placed enemies and patterns make the game surprisingly addictive.
So, why was Solar Striker destined to be forgotten? Well, after the industry crash in the early 80s, shoot-em-ups have continuously struggled to find anything more than a niche market. This is especially true on the Game Boy, where puzzle games and platformers ruled. Still, this is a game that shows a different side of Nintendo, and gives us a hint of the types of games they would be making today had Radar Scope not floundered.
MOLE MANIA
In this intriguing action-puzzle game, you take charge of Muddy, an obviously-named Mole that is tasked with rescuing his wife and children from the evil farmer Jinbe. Each of the areas Muddy visits contain progressively harder brainteasers in which he must lead a heavy ball to the exit door in order to break it down and advance. Muddy maneuvers around the playing field by burrowing underground. However, the holes left by venturing under the terrain can hinder the movement of the ball, so every move matters, especially in the more complicated levels.
The game’s worlds have a similar, though more linear, feel as dungeons in early Legend of Zelda titles. In each area, Muddy’s immediate purpose is to find a way to open the door which leads to the next area. After working his way through all of the regions in the map, Muddy then encounters one of the many memorable bosses, such as a kangaroo that is bested by placing a tack under him when he jumps.
Most players will have a fun and challenging time just seeing Muddy through to the end of his quest, but there is incentive for more experienced players to keep playing after the end-credits. The game tallies a score for each world based on how many areas have been cleared and how many items have been found. Obtaining a perfect score on each of the worlds is half the fun of the game.
With everything Mole Mania had going for it, the game seems like it should be one of the Game Boy’s fondly remembered gems. Unfortunately, it suffered from bad timing. In America, it was released toward the end of the Game Boy’s lifespan, when few people paid the grey brick much interest. In Japan, Mole Mania was released shortly after Pokemon, so the only way it stood a chance of standing out in that country was if you played as a character named Muddychu or Moleimar.
Fortunately, the game plays as well now as it did then. Mole Mania comes highly recommended.
BALLOON KID
In the first few years of the Game Boy’s life-cycle, Nintendo was keen on releasing sequels to some of their favorite NES titles. These years saw the release of well-remembered classics like Metroid 2: Return of Samus and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Less remembered, however, is the sequel to the relatively obscure classic Balloon Fight.
Balloon Kid retains the simple gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. The player’s on-screen avatar is held afloat by a small group of balloons, and well-timed button presses will keep the character floating to avoid obstacles. However, the original’s Joust inspired play is left for multiplayer bouts, while the main game is more reminiscent of Balloon Fight’s sub-game Balloon Trip. In the process, Nintendo created a unique forced-scrolling, story based platformer.
Balloon Kid’s protagonist Alice sets out on a quest to rescue her younger brother, who just happened to be carried away by a large grouping of balloons (never mind the Cold War; I’m pretty sure 99 Luftballons is about these sinister kidnappers). Her quest takes her through a variety of lands, in which she must evade everything from birds to camp fires. Balloons, left as a trail by her brother, serve as collectibles.
While Balloon Kid is a very fun game, it is easy to see why it never really gathered a fan base. The childish characters and artwork likely turned away fans of the original Balloon Fight. Additionally, the game has a relatively steep learning curve which surely frustrated younger players that took to the game’s colorful box-art. However, Nintendo fans with some patience and a tolerance for cartoony characters should thoroughly enjoy this title.
SOLAR STRIKER
Nintendo is not particularly known for creating shoot-em-ups, but as they were first breaking into the arcade gaming scene, many of their creations belonged to this genre. Game historians will likely remember that one such game, Radar Scope, was expected to be their first breakout hit in the US; at least until it fared horribly in focus testing. The company ended up using Radar Scope’s cabinets to house Donkey Kong, effectively ending their interest in shooters and creating a tradition of character-based action games. From there, Nintendo never looked back…well, except for a short period of time when they created the next forgotten gem, Solar Striker.
In addition to being Nintendo’s last vertical shooter, Solar Striker also has the distinction of being one of the only games of its type that is actually fun on the Game Boy. The game play is slower than current-day shoot-em-ups, but well placed enemies and patterns make the game surprisingly addictive.
So, why was Solar Striker destined to be forgotten? Well, after the industry crash in the early 80s, shoot-em-ups have continuously struggled to find anything more than a niche market. This is especially true on the Game Boy, where puzzle games and platformers ruled. Still, this is a game that shows a different side of Nintendo, and gives us a hint of the types of games they would be making today had Radar Scope not floundered.
MOLE MANIA
In this intriguing action-puzzle game, you take charge of Muddy, an obviously-named Mole that is tasked with rescuing his wife and children from the evil farmer Jinbe. Each of the areas Muddy visits contain progressively harder brainteasers in which he must lead a heavy ball to the exit door in order to break it down and advance. Muddy maneuvers around the playing field by burrowing underground. However, the holes left by venturing under the terrain can hinder the movement of the ball, so every move matters, especially in the more complicated levels.
The game’s worlds have a similar, though more linear, feel as dungeons in early Legend of Zelda titles. In each area, Muddy’s immediate purpose is to find a way to open the door which leads to the next area. After working his way through all of the regions in the map, Muddy then encounters one of the many memorable bosses, such as a kangaroo that is bested by placing a tack under him when he jumps.
Most players will have a fun and challenging time just seeing Muddy through to the end of his quest, but there is incentive for more experienced players to keep playing after the end-credits. The game tallies a score for each world based on how many areas have been cleared and how many items have been found. Obtaining a perfect score on each of the worlds is half the fun of the game.
With everything Mole Mania had going for it, the game seems like it should be one of the Game Boy’s fondly remembered gems. Unfortunately, it suffered from bad timing. In America, it was released toward the end of the Game Boy’s lifespan, when few people paid the grey brick much interest. In Japan, Mole Mania was released shortly after Pokemon, so the only way it stood a chance of standing out in that country was if you played as a character named Muddychu or Moleimar.
Fortunately, the game plays as well now as it did then. Mole Mania comes highly recommended.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
My SNES - A Nintendo Memoir
Before jumping right into this weekend’s feature story, I wanted to give a brief background on its origins. Unlike other articles you will see on this blog, this one was written a couple of years back in a Feature Writing class. Our assignment was to write a memory piece and the following is what I came up with. I enjoyed writing the article so much, that it became part of my inspiration for the creation of Nintendo Awesomeness, as well as a series of new memoir articles that are intended to be the hallmark of this blog.
For the past seven years my Super Nintendo Entertainment System has brought me more joy than I could have ever asked for. I could never forget beating Super Metroid, or the first time I played Earthbound, after searching for the game for two years. Even more importantly, I will never, ever forget the day I finally laid my hands on my very own SNES. That day was Christmas morning of 1998. But in order to give my tale more meaning, allow me to begin in 1992.
My family bought a Sega Genesis that year. My parents informed my three brothers and myself that we could get a new 16-bit video game system. We were only able to choose one, however, so the debate of whether to get a Genesis or a SNES began. The deliberation did not take too long, though. My brothers really liked sports games; something that the Genesis had a lot of. That is basically what it came down to. I would like to say that I had a part in the decision, but I was only six and my opinion on the Gulf War probably meant more to them than my views on the console war.
So at the end of the day, we welcomed the Genesis into our loving home. Accompanying the system were two or three sports games for my brothers and the pack-in copy of Sonic the Hedgehog for me. I won’t lie, I loved the Genesis and I still do. I have many fond memories of playing Sonic and Revenge of Shinobi, and requesting the aid of my brother to get me through difficult sections of the games. For years, I never really thought about the SNES or the games for it. I was perfectly content with the system I had and never really desired a replacement. However, that changed in1995 when I became friends with a Nintendo fan.
The Nintendo fan and I would spend a lot of time at school talking about video games, and even more time playing them at his house after school. As a Nintendo enthusiast, he had a large library of NES and SNES games, many of which I had never even heard of. Needless to say, discovering classics like The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Donkey Kong Country was a welcome surprise. As much as I looked forward to playing his newest games and reading about upcoming titles in his latest issue of Nintendo Power, it never really occurred to me that I could own these games as well.
By 1998, things were different. The Nintendo fan and I were no longer good friends, and the Genesis and SNES were no longer big names in the gaming world. The PlayStation and Nintendo 64 had been out for some time, providing gamers with a new era of gaming. 3-D games like Super Mario 64 and Tomb Raider were ruling the market, making the sixteen-bit systems of the early nineties obsolete. Stores were beginning to clear out the old games, including a local video store, which had used Genesis and SNES games marked down to two for ten dollars. I only took interest in the Genesis sales since it was the only one of the two systems that I owned.
By October of that year, all thoughts of owning a Super Nintendo had been long-gone from my mind, which is exactly why I never expected to find one in the stores while looking for Nintendo 64 games for my brother. Nintendo had recently released a remodeled version of the SNES in the attempt to cash in on the system one last time. Apparently it was not too successful of an attempt because these SNES model 2s were selling for the extreme value price of $30. I thought “surely my parents will buy it for me now.” I thought wrong. Despite the low price point, my parents were insistent that I did not need another video game system, especially a defunct one.
After a month of begging for the system and getting the same negative results, I came to the realization that it was almost December and Christmas was right around the corner. I made up my Christmas list as soon as possible, placing the SNES as item number one. If memory serves me correctly, it was also numbers three, five, seven, 14 and 15. I thought for sure that come the 25th, I would be sitting under the tree, opening my very own Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
After weeks of impatient anticipation, Christmas morning arrived. My tradition of waking up far too early continued and, as usual, my family gave in to my nagging after a few short minutes and got up as well. After looking through the stockings and passing out all of the gifts, we began to open presents. My first gift was a Genesis game bought from the two for ten dollars sale. My second was as well. So was my third, and my fourth. With every Genesis game that I opened I grew happier, but I also slowly began to realize that I probably would not be getting a Super Nintendo. I figured that there was no way my parents would buy me a new system when I had all of these games to play. I looked forward to playing my new copies of Battletoads and Double Dragon, Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition and Virtual Bart, and as I opened up my twelfth Genesis game, I became content with the fact that the rest of my gifts would probably be more Genesis games.
Just as I had come to peace with that fact, I picked up a slightly heavier gift. I slowly tore off the wrapping paper to reveal the words “Entertainment System.” Realizing what I was unwrapping, I quickly finished the job to reveal my very own SNES. Without hesitation, I got up and started running around my house like a crazed weasel filled with excitement. After I calmed down, I finished opening my presents. I was not prepared for all of the games I would receive. Classics like Super Punch Out!!, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Star Fox and Mega Man X were all in my possession, and I could not have been happier.
As soon as everyone finished opening their gifts, I proceeded to set up my Super Nintendo. With a little help from my brother, I got the system up and running in just a few minutes. I knew that I wanted to try all of my games before I really got involved in a single one, so I put in Super Punch Out!! I quickly learned how to dodge attacks and provide offense of my own: Boxing had never been so fun. After defeating the first two characters (both by TKO), I was torn about what to do. I didn’t want to stop playing, but I knew that if I did, I could try out another game. I decided to stop Super Punch Out!! and play Star Fox, which provided the exact same problem. I did eventually try every single SNES game that had been given to me, and as soon as I did, I went back and tried them all over again.
Unfortunately, my game playing had to come to a temporary pause after a few hours as I was called away to partake in my family’s traditional Christmas dinner. As much as I enjoyed home-made lasagna, I could not help but think about my newly acquired games. With each forkful I stuffed into my mouth, a new thought would enter my mind: “I wonder what the second level of Star Fox is like” or “I bet I can beat that boss in Mega Man X next time I try.”
By the time I was able to get back to my SNES, it had been a whole two hours, but I went right back to where I left off. Now if I could only decide which game to play next.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please look forward to future additions to this series.
For the past seven years my Super Nintendo Entertainment System has brought me more joy than I could have ever asked for. I could never forget beating Super Metroid, or the first time I played Earthbound, after searching for the game for two years. Even more importantly, I will never, ever forget the day I finally laid my hands on my very own SNES. That day was Christmas morning of 1998. But in order to give my tale more meaning, allow me to begin in 1992.
My family bought a Sega Genesis that year. My parents informed my three brothers and myself that we could get a new 16-bit video game system. We were only able to choose one, however, so the debate of whether to get a Genesis or a SNES began. The deliberation did not take too long, though. My brothers really liked sports games; something that the Genesis had a lot of. That is basically what it came down to. I would like to say that I had a part in the decision, but I was only six and my opinion on the Gulf War probably meant more to them than my views on the console war.
So at the end of the day, we welcomed the Genesis into our loving home. Accompanying the system were two or three sports games for my brothers and the pack-in copy of Sonic the Hedgehog for me. I won’t lie, I loved the Genesis and I still do. I have many fond memories of playing Sonic and Revenge of Shinobi, and requesting the aid of my brother to get me through difficult sections of the games. For years, I never really thought about the SNES or the games for it. I was perfectly content with the system I had and never really desired a replacement. However, that changed in1995 when I became friends with a Nintendo fan.
The Nintendo fan and I would spend a lot of time at school talking about video games, and even more time playing them at his house after school. As a Nintendo enthusiast, he had a large library of NES and SNES games, many of which I had never even heard of. Needless to say, discovering classics like The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Donkey Kong Country was a welcome surprise. As much as I looked forward to playing his newest games and reading about upcoming titles in his latest issue of Nintendo Power, it never really occurred to me that I could own these games as well.
By 1998, things were different. The Nintendo fan and I were no longer good friends, and the Genesis and SNES were no longer big names in the gaming world. The PlayStation and Nintendo 64 had been out for some time, providing gamers with a new era of gaming. 3-D games like Super Mario 64 and Tomb Raider were ruling the market, making the sixteen-bit systems of the early nineties obsolete. Stores were beginning to clear out the old games, including a local video store, which had used Genesis and SNES games marked down to two for ten dollars. I only took interest in the Genesis sales since it was the only one of the two systems that I owned.
By October of that year, all thoughts of owning a Super Nintendo had been long-gone from my mind, which is exactly why I never expected to find one in the stores while looking for Nintendo 64 games for my brother. Nintendo had recently released a remodeled version of the SNES in the attempt to cash in on the system one last time. Apparently it was not too successful of an attempt because these SNES model 2s were selling for the extreme value price of $30. I thought “surely my parents will buy it for me now.” I thought wrong. Despite the low price point, my parents were insistent that I did not need another video game system, especially a defunct one.
After a month of begging for the system and getting the same negative results, I came to the realization that it was almost December and Christmas was right around the corner. I made up my Christmas list as soon as possible, placing the SNES as item number one. If memory serves me correctly, it was also numbers three, five, seven, 14 and 15. I thought for sure that come the 25th, I would be sitting under the tree, opening my very own Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
After weeks of impatient anticipation, Christmas morning arrived. My tradition of waking up far too early continued and, as usual, my family gave in to my nagging after a few short minutes and got up as well. After looking through the stockings and passing out all of the gifts, we began to open presents. My first gift was a Genesis game bought from the two for ten dollars sale. My second was as well. So was my third, and my fourth. With every Genesis game that I opened I grew happier, but I also slowly began to realize that I probably would not be getting a Super Nintendo. I figured that there was no way my parents would buy me a new system when I had all of these games to play. I looked forward to playing my new copies of Battletoads and Double Dragon, Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition and Virtual Bart, and as I opened up my twelfth Genesis game, I became content with the fact that the rest of my gifts would probably be more Genesis games.
Just as I had come to peace with that fact, I picked up a slightly heavier gift. I slowly tore off the wrapping paper to reveal the words “Entertainment System.” Realizing what I was unwrapping, I quickly finished the job to reveal my very own SNES. Without hesitation, I got up and started running around my house like a crazed weasel filled with excitement. After I calmed down, I finished opening my presents. I was not prepared for all of the games I would receive. Classics like Super Punch Out!!, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Star Fox and Mega Man X were all in my possession, and I could not have been happier.
As soon as everyone finished opening their gifts, I proceeded to set up my Super Nintendo. With a little help from my brother, I got the system up and running in just a few minutes. I knew that I wanted to try all of my games before I really got involved in a single one, so I put in Super Punch Out!! I quickly learned how to dodge attacks and provide offense of my own: Boxing had never been so fun. After defeating the first two characters (both by TKO), I was torn about what to do. I didn’t want to stop playing, but I knew that if I did, I could try out another game. I decided to stop Super Punch Out!! and play Star Fox, which provided the exact same problem. I did eventually try every single SNES game that had been given to me, and as soon as I did, I went back and tried them all over again.
Unfortunately, my game playing had to come to a temporary pause after a few hours as I was called away to partake in my family’s traditional Christmas dinner. As much as I enjoyed home-made lasagna, I could not help but think about my newly acquired games. With each forkful I stuffed into my mouth, a new thought would enter my mind: “I wonder what the second level of Star Fox is like” or “I bet I can beat that boss in Mega Man X next time I try.”
By the time I was able to get back to my SNES, it had been a whole two hours, but I went right back to where I left off. Now if I could only decide which game to play next.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Random Thoughts on the Virtual Console
It should come as no surprise to regular readers that I am generally very positive about Nintendo games and services. Those who know me can attest to the fact that I am often a very outspoken advocate for the company and its products. However, Nintendo occasionally makes decisions that don’t immediately make me happy. The Virtual Console is one of those decisions.
Before I mislead anybody, this post is not meant to insult the service. Rather, I am writing this article to do just the opposite. It has taken me some time, but I recently have concluded that the Virtual Console is something that actually excites me about the Wii.
Now, I know most Nintendo fans took to the Virtual Console immediately, but I feel that I was in a slightly different position than most when the service was first announced. At the time, I was an avid video game collector. This aspect of the gaming hobby consumed most of my free time, not to mention my income. After years of dedication - and money spending - I had amassed quite the impressive collection. I had a good amount of the games I wanted to play, which is why the games on the Virtual Console not only were of disinterest to me, but were also somewhat of a threat.
It felt like my years of dedication were for naught. It used to mean a lot to me that my game library contained almost any game that a Nintendo fan would want to play. It bothered me that any Wii owner with an internet connection could simply download Kid Icarus, despite the fact that I had to spend years of searching - not to mention much more money - to find a copy of the classic in good condition.
This is why I did not get nearly as much satisfaction from the Virtual Console as most early adopters of the Wii did. While most of the gaming population sang Nintendo’s praises for re-releasing Super Mario Bros., I wondered why I should care when I already had three different ways of playing the game in my collection.
When other Nintendo fans excitedly rediscovered The Legend of Zelda, I decided not to spend my Wii Points on a game I already owned.
However, as my borderline obsessive need to expand my game collection faded, so too did my distaste for the Virtual Console. Now I truly appreciate the service for its many benefits.
The first of my positive experiences came when I decided to download Super Metroid. I had owned the game for years, but unfortunately the game’s internal battery had prematurely conked out. I had wanted to replay the game for some time, but I was not too fond of the idea of having to play through the game in one sitting to avoid issues with saving.
Thanks to the Virtual Console, I played through the game and was able to re-experience a classic. I began to realize that as my gaming library continues to age, many of the games with internal batteries would become little more than museum pieces. If it weren’t for services like the Virtual Console, some of gaming’s greatest hits may become very difficult for game players to properly experience.
This affirmation of the Virtual Console’s worthwhile nature opened my eyes to its other benefits. Even though most of the games offered in the service already have a place in my collection, it does not mean that they are readily available. There simply is not enough space around my entertainment center to house all of my consoles, let alone their tangle-prone wires, so most of the systems spend the majority of their time packed away.
And what happens if I have ten minutes to kill before heading out and want to play a quick game of Balloon Fight? Well, I could take out my NES, hook it up to the television, insert Balloon Fight, unsuccessfully attempt to start the game, and then remove and blow in the cartridge until it finally works, but by the time I finish all that, I’m already late. The obvious time and clutter saver is the Wii and its Virtual Console. As an added bonus, if I’m on a roll and my game lasts longer than scheduled, the Wii will remember my exact position if I’m forced to leave and come back later.
I know I am telling you readers things you already know, but consider this article an attempt to persuade those of you who may be as stubborn about this situation as I used to be. I have finally found the purpose in the Virtual Console - other than the very, very rare import title - and I know that I will be downloading games for years to come. Now if only the Wii had the memory to hold them all…
Before I mislead anybody, this post is not meant to insult the service. Rather, I am writing this article to do just the opposite. It has taken me some time, but I recently have concluded that the Virtual Console is something that actually excites me about the Wii.
Now, I know most Nintendo fans took to the Virtual Console immediately, but I feel that I was in a slightly different position than most when the service was first announced. At the time, I was an avid video game collector. This aspect of the gaming hobby consumed most of my free time, not to mention my income. After years of dedication - and money spending - I had amassed quite the impressive collection. I had a good amount of the games I wanted to play, which is why the games on the Virtual Console not only were of disinterest to me, but were also somewhat of a threat.
It felt like my years of dedication were for naught. It used to mean a lot to me that my game library contained almost any game that a Nintendo fan would want to play. It bothered me that any Wii owner with an internet connection could simply download Kid Icarus, despite the fact that I had to spend years of searching - not to mention much more money - to find a copy of the classic in good condition.
This is why I did not get nearly as much satisfaction from the Virtual Console as most early adopters of the Wii did. While most of the gaming population sang Nintendo’s praises for re-releasing Super Mario Bros., I wondered why I should care when I already had three different ways of playing the game in my collection.
When other Nintendo fans excitedly rediscovered The Legend of Zelda, I decided not to spend my Wii Points on a game I already owned.
However, as my borderline obsessive need to expand my game collection faded, so too did my distaste for the Virtual Console. Now I truly appreciate the service for its many benefits.
The first of my positive experiences came when I decided to download Super Metroid. I had owned the game for years, but unfortunately the game’s internal battery had prematurely conked out. I had wanted to replay the game for some time, but I was not too fond of the idea of having to play through the game in one sitting to avoid issues with saving.
Thanks to the Virtual Console, I played through the game and was able to re-experience a classic. I began to realize that as my gaming library continues to age, many of the games with internal batteries would become little more than museum pieces. If it weren’t for services like the Virtual Console, some of gaming’s greatest hits may become very difficult for game players to properly experience.
This affirmation of the Virtual Console’s worthwhile nature opened my eyes to its other benefits. Even though most of the games offered in the service already have a place in my collection, it does not mean that they are readily available. There simply is not enough space around my entertainment center to house all of my consoles, let alone their tangle-prone wires, so most of the systems spend the majority of their time packed away.
And what happens if I have ten minutes to kill before heading out and want to play a quick game of Balloon Fight? Well, I could take out my NES, hook it up to the television, insert Balloon Fight, unsuccessfully attempt to start the game, and then remove and blow in the cartridge until it finally works, but by the time I finish all that, I’m already late. The obvious time and clutter saver is the Wii and its Virtual Console. As an added bonus, if I’m on a roll and my game lasts longer than scheduled, the Wii will remember my exact position if I’m forced to leave and come back later.
I know I am telling you readers things you already know, but consider this article an attempt to persuade those of you who may be as stubborn about this situation as I used to be. I have finally found the purpose in the Virtual Console - other than the very, very rare import title - and I know that I will be downloading games for years to come. Now if only the Wii had the memory to hold them all…
Monday, February 25, 2008
Nintendo's Weekly Virtual Console Update
It’s Monday, and every fan of classic Nintendo games knows what that means. That’s right; Nintendo once again updated their collection of downloadable Virtual Console games.
In recent updates, Nintendo has been stingy with their games, opting instead to focus on other developers’ material, such as Phantasy Star II and Harvest Moon. This week, however, Nintendo brings us one of their classics from the Nintendo 64.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, originally released at the tail end of the N64’s lifecycle, is one of Nintendo’s few side-scrolling platformers for home consoles since the advent of 3-dimensional gaming. Enthusiasts of early Kirby games are sure to appreciate Crystal Shards for its traditional platforming action. With the current Kirby project for the Wii seemingly in limbo, this downloadable iteration should help to comfort fans of the series.
Also re-released this week is Psychosis, a 2-D shooter from the TurboGrafx 16. Don’t worry; I haven’t heard of it either.
In recent updates, Nintendo has been stingy with their games, opting instead to focus on other developers’ material, such as Phantasy Star II and Harvest Moon. This week, however, Nintendo brings us one of their classics from the Nintendo 64.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, originally released at the tail end of the N64’s lifecycle, is one of Nintendo’s few side-scrolling platformers for home consoles since the advent of 3-dimensional gaming. Enthusiasts of early Kirby games are sure to appreciate Crystal Shards for its traditional platforming action. With the current Kirby project for the Wii seemingly in limbo, this downloadable iteration should help to comfort fans of the series.
Also re-released this week is Psychosis, a 2-D shooter from the TurboGrafx 16. Don’t worry; I haven’t heard of it either.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Smash Bros. Brawl Brings Out Them All
While most of the gaming community is still waiting to get their hands on Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Nintendo fans in the Los Angeles area were given the opportunity to play the game in a tournament at the Orpheum Theatre Saturday.
The game, whose release date was recently delayed from February 10 until March 9, attracted a large number of fans to the tournament. Nearly 500 people gathered in line in hopes of being one of the 256 contestants in the competition.
“[I’m here because of] all the hype Brawl’s been getting,” said David Poblete, a resident of Carson, a suburb of Los Angeles. “I just want a chance to play it.”
Poblete, like many others in attendance, read about the tournament online and decided to take advantage of the local event. However, for some attendees, such as Nick Beebe from Visalia, this event was not so local.
“I’ve always wanted to play Brawl,” Beebe said. “We had some errands to run in L.A. and my dad said I could come.”
Beebe was one of a rather large group of people who decided to bring along their Gamecube controllers on the off-chance that they would be given the opportunity to choose their preferred control method.
“Hopefully they’ll let me use it because I think I’m going to be rubbish with the classic controller.”
Though the line contained some of the biggest Nintendo fans in Southern California, there was no disputing who the most dedicated of the fans were. James Montagna and Michael Herbster, two friends that headed the long line, said that they had been there since 2 am.
“We’re pretty hardcore Nintendo fans,” Montagna said. “We attend all Nintendo events and show our support.”
After more than 12 hours of waiting, Montagna and Herbster were the first two participants once the tournament got underway. They were, along with the other 254 contestants, placed into one of 16 brackets. Each bracket was divided so that there were eight one-on-one matches being played at a time.
The rules of the tournament were set up with a lack of differentiation. Every match in the tournament had to be played on the Battlefield level, and unfortunately for attendees like Beebe, the classic controller was the only control method available. Though these restrictions may have been a slight disappointment initially, the participants did not seem to mind much once they got the chance to watch their fellow Nintendo fans actually play the game.
While eight matches took place at one time, one match was projected on a big screen, which served as entertainment as each attendee waited for their chance to experience Brawl for themselves.
The experience of being with a large group of Nintendo fans, watching such a highly anticipated game, was comparable to being at a sporting event. The audience would applaud wildly at a great move, laugh together when something unpredictable happened and even occasionally start chants to cheer on their favored character.
One of the more exciting battles to watch was in the fourth round when Montagna and Herbster were given the opportunity to compete against each other. Montagna, as Kirby, and Herbster, as Zelda, had the audience highly interested as they showed off some cool tactics in their heated match. In the end, Herbster ended up beating his pal in a sudden death showoff, much to the excitement of the crowd.
Watching everybody get a chance to play the game would have been fun enough, but the real reason to show up at the event was to get your own hands on Brawl. After sitting through the first 14 brackets worth of matches, I finally had my chance to do just that.
Prior to my first match, I was not sure whether to use one of the veteran characters that I knew well enough to compete with, or to get a real preview of what the finished product was like and use a fighter that is new to the series. Luckily, the person I played against in the first round was not sure what to do in this case either, so we decided to both play as the newcomer Captain Olimar to even the playing field.
Olimar is a unique character in that he does all his fighting with Pikmin. He throws the plantlike creature at his opponent and even uses them to grab other players. It’s an odd play style that I was not able to fully understand by the end of the match. Luckily, I won in sudden death, so I continued on in the competition.
Unfortunately, my experience with the game did not extend past the second round as I lost in yet another sudden death encounter. However, after playing for a total of over eight minutes, and watching many hours of matches, I felt like I had acquired a feel for what the game is like.
One concern I had prior to the tournament is that the game’s new Final Smash attacks would hurt the competition and flow of the matches. Every so often, a Smash Ball will appear onscreen and will result in a mad dash for the item. Whoever collects the Smash Ball will be able to perform a character-specific special move.
It was feared that these Final Smashes would be an unfair, immediate kill for whoever grabs it, but that is not the case. It is very possible to avoid most of these attacks. For example, some of the more powerful Final Smashes must be performed within close proximity to an opponent, so fleeing is always an option. Overall, the Final Smashes felt very balanced, despite many people’s concerns, and after experiencing many of them, I feel that it’s safe to say that they are an excellent addition to the series.
If my experience with the game is anything to go by, March 9 is getting to be a very exciting day for Nintendo fans across America.
Nintendo fans lucky enough to be living in the San Francisco, Massachusetts or New York areas will be able to participate in one of three tournaments still scheduled before Brawl’s release. Here is the link for Nintendo’s press release.
http://press.nintendo.com/articles.jsp?id=14627
View of The Orpheum's marquee from the street
James Montagna and Michael Herbster - Head of the line
Participants competing at the front of the theatre
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Games Dated and Awarded at GDC
The annual Game Developers Conference (where the industry gathers to party and discuss the development of games…but mostly to party) is currently underway in San Francisco and, as usual, Nintendo has a presence at the event. With that presence comes some interesting news tidbits.
Nintendo announced yesterday that they have officially set release dates for the North American launch of two items. Wii Fit, the game/exercise program that is already making record sales in Japan, will be released May 19; just in time for players to start getting in shape for the summer.
Also announced was that WiiWare will be available beginning May 12. The service, which allows Wii owners to purchase and download original gaming content, is expected to provide competition to Sony’s Playstation Store and Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade. Nintendo is supporting their service with two announced games so far: Dr. Mario and Pokemon Farm. The former is an update to their classic NES puzzler and the latter is a virtual training space for Pokemon fans to raise their favorite critters. Both games are expected to launch simultaneously with the service, or soon after.
Nintendo’s presence in the gaming market was also present during the Game Developers Choice Awards. The industry voted The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass as the best handheld game of the year. Nintendo was also honored with nominations for Super Mario Galaxy in the Best Game of the Year and Best Game Design categories.
Nintendo Awesomeness will be sure to be updated with any other news that may be announced during the rest of the conference.
Nintendo announced yesterday that they have officially set release dates for the North American launch of two items. Wii Fit, the game/exercise program that is already making record sales in Japan, will be released May 19; just in time for players to start getting in shape for the summer.
Also announced was that WiiWare will be available beginning May 12. The service, which allows Wii owners to purchase and download original gaming content, is expected to provide competition to Sony’s Playstation Store and Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade. Nintendo is supporting their service with two announced games so far: Dr. Mario and Pokemon Farm. The former is an update to their classic NES puzzler and the latter is a virtual training space for Pokemon fans to raise their favorite critters. Both games are expected to launch simultaneously with the service, or soon after.
Nintendo’s presence in the gaming market was also present during the Game Developers Choice Awards. The industry voted The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass as the best handheld game of the year. Nintendo was also honored with nominations for Super Mario Galaxy in the Best Game of the Year and Best Game Design categories.
Nintendo Awesomeness will be sure to be updated with any other news that may be announced during the rest of the conference.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Professor Layton and the Curious Village - Review
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Since the beginning stages of creating this blog, the plan was to have a review of Super Smash Bros. Brawl ready by this date. It seemed like the perfect fit to launch a website in honor of Nintendo by featuring the game that is looking to be a love-letter to Nintendo fans. Unfortunately, the last minute pushback of Brawl’s release date changed that plan.
While it’s gamer nature to lament the delay of such a high-profile game, I decided to make the best of a bad situation. Luckily, a kindly professor was there to lend a helping hand.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village is definitely a unique game. At its core, it is a collection of brainteasers. Anyone who has ever flipped through a book of riddles is sure to be familiar with the fare presented here. For instance, in one puzzle you are given the task of determining which one of four children is lying, based solely on one statement from each person. But while using deductive reasoning and wit to solve puzzles is a fun way to pass a few minutes every once in a while, Professor Layton has actually found a way to make these activities exciting in a way I never thought possible.
Obviously, the game’s story and presentation are a big part of Professor Layton’s appeal. The brainteasers are placed between a well developed mystery, which has the professor, and his apprentice Luke, attempting to explore an odd town to find clues to help find a hidden treasure. The old-fashioned detective story is kick started with an impressive animated movie, and more of these films are spread throughout the game, rewarding the player for their progression through the story.
Seeing the mystery through to the end is enticing enough, but there is more to Professor Layton’s allure than just the tale it tells. The game’s ending can be seen after completing a little more than half of the puzzles, but most players will be anxious to seek out every brainteaser that they can. This is because finding and solving puzzles feels more like working toward completing a collection than solving a problem.
One of the mini-games the player can partake in is a jigsaw puzzle that can only be completed by collecting every piece of the puzzle; pieces that are only awarded to the player by completing certain brainteasers. Other collectibles include mechanical pieces that can be used to rebuild a mystery item and furniture items that can be used to furnish the character’s room. These rewards had me anxiously talking to every character and searching every area of the village in the hopes of finding all the brainteasers. This lent Professor Layton an addicting quality that makes it feels a lot like the original Pokemon game (and considering there are 150 brainteasers hidden throughout the game, this comparison seems quite appropriate).
If there is anything negative to be said about Professor Layton and the Curious Village, it is that most people are going to have difficulty solving a good portion of the puzzles.
The developers did a fairly good job at solving this issue, however. Astute players will be able to find a limited number of hint coins hidden throughout the village. When you get stuck, you can always use this specialty currency to purchase hints. This is a much better alternative to simply using an online-walkthrough to solve the problems, but it still feels rather cheap at times, especially when you are forced to get help on four or five consecutive brainteasers.
Overall, Professor Layton is a surprisingly fun game that offers an experience that cannot be found anywhere else. It may not be a blockbuster like Smash Bros. Brawl, but it is certainly a rewarding game that will appeal to both casual and hardcore game players.
Score: 9/10
Since the beginning stages of creating this blog, the plan was to have a review of Super Smash Bros. Brawl ready by this date. It seemed like the perfect fit to launch a website in honor of Nintendo by featuring the game that is looking to be a love-letter to Nintendo fans. Unfortunately, the last minute pushback of Brawl’s release date changed that plan.
While it’s gamer nature to lament the delay of such a high-profile game, I decided to make the best of a bad situation. Luckily, a kindly professor was there to lend a helping hand.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village is definitely a unique game. At its core, it is a collection of brainteasers. Anyone who has ever flipped through a book of riddles is sure to be familiar with the fare presented here. For instance, in one puzzle you are given the task of determining which one of four children is lying, based solely on one statement from each person. But while using deductive reasoning and wit to solve puzzles is a fun way to pass a few minutes every once in a while, Professor Layton has actually found a way to make these activities exciting in a way I never thought possible.
Obviously, the game’s story and presentation are a big part of Professor Layton’s appeal. The brainteasers are placed between a well developed mystery, which has the professor, and his apprentice Luke, attempting to explore an odd town to find clues to help find a hidden treasure. The old-fashioned detective story is kick started with an impressive animated movie, and more of these films are spread throughout the game, rewarding the player for their progression through the story.
Seeing the mystery through to the end is enticing enough, but there is more to Professor Layton’s allure than just the tale it tells. The game’s ending can be seen after completing a little more than half of the puzzles, but most players will be anxious to seek out every brainteaser that they can. This is because finding and solving puzzles feels more like working toward completing a collection than solving a problem.
One of the mini-games the player can partake in is a jigsaw puzzle that can only be completed by collecting every piece of the puzzle; pieces that are only awarded to the player by completing certain brainteasers. Other collectibles include mechanical pieces that can be used to rebuild a mystery item and furniture items that can be used to furnish the character’s room. These rewards had me anxiously talking to every character and searching every area of the village in the hopes of finding all the brainteasers. This lent Professor Layton an addicting quality that makes it feels a lot like the original Pokemon game (and considering there are 150 brainteasers hidden throughout the game, this comparison seems quite appropriate).
If there is anything negative to be said about Professor Layton and the Curious Village, it is that most people are going to have difficulty solving a good portion of the puzzles.
The developers did a fairly good job at solving this issue, however. Astute players will be able to find a limited number of hint coins hidden throughout the village. When you get stuck, you can always use this specialty currency to purchase hints. This is a much better alternative to simply using an online-walkthrough to solve the problems, but it still feels rather cheap at times, especially when you are forced to get help on four or five consecutive brainteasers.
Overall, Professor Layton is a surprisingly fun game that offers an experience that cannot be found anywhere else. It may not be a blockbuster like Smash Bros. Brawl, but it is certainly a rewarding game that will appeal to both casual and hardcore game players.
Score: 9/10
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