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6.6.12
Today at 9:00 PDT, Nintendo took the stage as the last of the "Big Three" press conferences.
In a presentation thankfully bereft of either dubstep or cover-based shooting, Nintendo showed off games and functionality for their upcoming console, Wii U. Nintendo largely played it safe, relying on pre-established properties to do much of the heavy lifting, and it started significantly stronger than it finished, but Nintendo's conference still lacked any outright bad moments, resulting in a pleasant, if unexciting press conference.
Pikmin 3
The first big title Nintendo showed was a Wii U sequel to its beloved RTS series, Pikmin. Pikmin 3, which is over ten years old and wow do I feel old typing that, adds several new Pikmin types, including a gray rock-like one used for breaking barriers, and co-operative play. Pikmin 3 is controlled via the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, along with an option for the Wii U GamePad. Mr. Miyamoto noted Olimar's absense from the presented footage, along with the new four-player co-op. The game looks great in high definition, with bright colors and whimsical art design looking like an oasis in a desert of so many brown-colored military shooters. Pikmin 3 doesn't have a release date yet, but hopefully it should come shortly after the launch of the Wii U, just like the original Pikmin did for the GameCube.
Wii U GamePad
First explained during Sunday's pre-recorded address from Mr. Iwata, the newly redesigned Wii U GamePad received its own sleek promotional video that highlighted its various functionalities. In addition to its dual, clickable analogue sticks and four shoulder buttons, the Wii U GamePad also includes a TV remote for controlling television channels and inputs, a volume control and headphone jack for the controller's screen, and new indentation on the back for added comfort. Time will tell how the controller feels during extended play sessions, but it finally has all of the needed buttons for playing multiplatform games.
MiiVerse
Another Wii U feature that was detailed during Sunday's address, the MiiVerse looks to be Nintendo's social functionality à la Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The layout looks like a cross between PlayStation Home and Mii Plaza, with Miis crowding around icons for various games. Nintendo CEO Reggie Fils-Aime also mentioned that players could send messages to each other through text, as well as messages drawn through the Wii U touchscreen. Perhaps the most surprising facet of the MiiVerse is that it can used on PC and smartphones as well as the Wii U itself, an important feature if Nintendo wants gamers to actually use the service.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Continuing Nintendo's recent love for 2D Mario, Fils-Aime announced New Super Mario Bros. U, a new sidescrolling Mario game for the Wii U. Gameplay looks similar to other New Super Mario Bros. games for the DS and Wii, except that its bright, Day-Glo art-style look even better in HD. Fils-Aime noted using MiiVerse connectivity to compare high scores or ask for help from other MiiVerse users. New Super Mario Bros. U retains NSMBWii's four-player co-op, and the quick on-stage demo showed off several new power-ups, including a flying-squirrel-looking take on the Tanooki Suit and several differently-colored dinosaurs shooting bubbles and lighting up dark areas.
Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition
To highlight Nintendo's efforts to get third-party developers onboard with the Wii U, Warner Bros. Interactive demonstrated a version of Batman: Arkham City with new Wii U-specific functions. Most of the new abilities used the GamePad touchscreen to replace the pause menu, letting players browse the map, upgrade equipment, and view character profiles while remaining in the game. Several gadgets also make use of the GamePad touchscreen, such as the remote-control Batarang, which is steered using the GamePad gyroscope, or the explosive gel, which can be detonated individually by tapping it. The additions to Arkham City: Armored Edition are minor, though, and fans who already routed The Joker and Dr. Strange last fall likely won't have an incentive to do so again.
Scribblenauts Unlimited
5th Cell's inventive, creative platforming game will be coming to the Wii U with a few new upgrades. In addition to summoning items by typing words into the game, Scribblenauts Unlimited allows players to create their own items for puzzle-solving using the GamePad touchscreen. Scribblenauts Unlimited also features a story mode that offers details on the main protagonist's notebook.
Wii Fit U
Wii Fit was one of Nintendo's runaway successes when it hit the Wii in 2008, and Nintendo is hoping gamers will pull their bathroom scales out of their closets for another go-around on the Wii U. A video demo of a couple working out together showed the Balance Board, GamePad touchscreen, and television interacting together; the couple selected exercise games using the touchscreen, then performed them using the Balance Board. Wii Fit U also packs in a pedometer for keeping track of fitness performance, and lets players use the GamePad display for workouts while the television is in use. As a Wii Fit player who has fallen off the wagon, I thought that Wii Fit U looked like a neat, if unsurprising, update to the current Wii Fit formula, though the Wii Fit unconverted will likely remain so.
Sing
Perhaps the most self-explanitory title anyone could ask for a karaoke game, Sing is Nintendo's new karaoke game from developer FreeStyleGames, the team behind Activision's DJ Hero series. Sing displays the lyrics for songs on the Wii U GamePad, letting players face their loyal audience rather than the television. Perhaps hoping to create an extra feeling of cameraderie between players, Sing also prompts the audience to sing during specific moments like the chorus or a bridge, or to clap or follow an onscreen dance. It looks a little dorky, but based on the popularity of games like Just Dance and SingStar, Nintendo and FreeStyleGames might just be on to something with Sing.3DS Trio - New Super Mario Bros. 2, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
More of a glorified plug than anything else, Nintendo showed three first-party 3DS games in preparation for tomorrow night's 3DS-specific conference. New Super Mario Bros. 2 looks similar to the DS original, with a new (and, so far, unclear) focus on coin-collection. Paper Mario: Sticker Star continues the series' playful paper gimmick by adding stickers, which are used as battle commands, secret area signifiers, among other unspecified uses. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is similar to last year's demonstration, with the additional announcement of multiple mansions to explore. Not much is known about any of these games, but Nintendo will doubtlessly cover then further during tomorrow night's conference.
Lego City: Undercover
Traveller's Tales' newest Lego game takes a page from open-world affairs like Sleeping Dogs and Grand Theft Auto. Undercover puts players on Lego City's police force, solving crimes and rescuing those in trouble. Similar to character-changing in games like Lego Star Wars, Undercover grants players the option to swap disguises for different abilities, like a robber's ability to break locks or a construction worker's jackhammer. Platforming in Undercover looks more complicated than past Lego games, with characters spinning off of flag poles, wall-jumping, and running along the side of buildings. Traveller's Tales' brand of goofy humor is also thankfully intact, with a funky faux-'70s-cop-show vibe permeating the trailer and one-liners permeating the fully-spoken dialogue. If you've ever wanted to swap Tattooine for Liberty City, Lego City has you (under) covered.
Just Dance 4
The Just Dance series is one of Ubisoft's most profitable on the Wii, and Just Dance 4 several features exclusive to the Wii U. During the conference, Fils-Aime used the GamePad to choose dance moves that were acted out by a troupe of dancers onstage. Fils-Aime even trolled the dancers by having them hold a difficult pose for an inordinately long time. Other than the so-called "puppet master" mode, Just Dance 4 looks like more of the same, though that should hardly disappoint the millions of casual gamers who keep buying the series.
ZombiU
Ubisoft offered an ambitious shooter that took advantage of Nintendo's new technology last time the company released a console, but whereas Red Steel received low marks from critics, ZombiU (more like ZombiEwww That Name) looks to have the gameplay to support its ambitions. ZombiU looks different from other zombie shooters like Left 4 Dead or Dead Island—one bite from a zombie is fatal, and gameplay is far slower as a result, relying on scanning the environment with the GamePad to detect enemies and usable resources. The tone is murky and the violence is strong; Ubisoft is clearly serious about having an exclusive, strong game for the Wii U.
NintendoLand
Nintendo's finally showing at their press conference was a so-called "theme park" game based around twelve pre-existing properties. NintendoLand is something of a minigame collection intended to show off the Wii U, similar to how Wii Sports demonstrated the Wii's capabilities when it originally released. One game shown was "Luigi's Mansion: Haunted Hijinks," which looked a little like PacMan Vs. for the GameCube; four players are in charge of hunting down an invisible ghost using Wii remotes, while the ghost harasses the other four through the GamePad. Others were briefly touched on, including last year's throwing star mini-game. NintendoLand will be Nintendo's big push title when the Wii U lanches this holiday season, though whether it can capture the magic of Nintendo's famous sports pack-in remains to be seen.
Labels: E3 2012, Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U
- Andrew Testerman
Last year, I didn't want a 3DS. Nintendo's latest handheld had just limped out of the gate like a three-legged burro with gout, and unimpressed me with its exorbitant price point, impotent battery life and meagre catalogue of compelling games.
The bad news is that the battery life hasn't changed, still clocking in at three to five hours depending on brightness and 3D-intensity. I'm happy to say, though, that my other inhibitions have subsided since last April, when I first wrote about them, and I find myself craving a 3DS more and more every day.
What a difference a year makes. When the 3DS dropped in March 2011, it did so alongside very few 'must-have' games, with Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition taking the trophy for the best of the system's launch titles. It took months for the system's most-anticipated games to hit shelves, and even then they were largely ports of games released more than ten years ago: Star Fox 64 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and so forth.
Even if I did feel like trying out Steel Diver or Pilotwings Resort, the cost of entry was far too great. The 3DS launched at a huge $249.99 in the US, one of the most expensive handheld gaming platforms this side of the iPad. The price point was baffling; the system hardly had any noteworthy tech notwithstanding glasses-free 3D - something that portable gamers weren't exactly clamouring for - and Nintendo had either the arrogance or the cluelessness to mark it $30 above the cost of an iPod Touch, a device in direct competition with the 3DS and possessing significantly more versatile functionality: games, videos, music, and a swanky swipe motion to unlock it.
I was torn at the time. Here I was, former portable gaming junkie, deliberately sitting out the launch of a new Nintendo handheld. I tried coaxing myself into making the purchase, building cases for why I should put down my hard-earned coin for Nintendo's new console.
I couldn't do it.
I vowed instead to wait until the big N got their act together and made me want their system.
How fortunate that Nintendo seemed to come round as the year went on. Perhaps sensing the antipathy towards their new baby, Nintendo issued a massive price-cut made effective on 11th August, 2011, which reduced the cost to $169.99, chopping nearly a third off of the fledgling system's MSRP. The move looked drastic, and some in the media took it as a sign of Nintendo flailing to prevent their new ship from sinking. The move worked, though, with Japanese sales surging during the week of the price-cut and American figures following suit.
It wasn't enough for the price to drop, though. The 3DS's sudden increase in affordability did nothing to soften my resolve, because there weren't any games I actually wanted to play on the thing. It was about this time, though, that a new wave of games started hitting the 3DS. Good, high-quality games that actually interested me, rather than the "Dead Space: Extraction is actually fun if you like lightgun games" malarkey of before. Everyone on Twitter went nuts about Super Mario 3D Land, and I started having vivid fantasies of how much fun Mario Kart 7 would be whilst on the road (may this be the only time that I use the words "vivid fantasy" and "Mario Kart" in the same sentence). Several other non-Nintendo gems caught my attention as well: a port of acclaimed side-scroller Cave Story here, a remixed entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series there, and a brand new, worthwhile Resident Evil game, all had me looking on in envy at the fun I was missing.
Then came the breaking point. I'll always remember when my attitude towards the 3DS shifted from "wait and see" to "I must have this system now." I was having a pleasant, relaxed Sunday, lounging about at home, when I heard five special words that changed my life:
"New Super Mario Bros. 2"
Boom. That was all it took. New Super Mario Bros. was one of my favourite games for the original DS, and the prospect of playing through another 2D Mario game was simply too enticing to pass up. I kept biding my time and looking for a reason to open my heart to the 3DS, and the announcement of New Super Mario Bros. 2 triggered something like a time-lapse shot of a sunflower blooming in my chest.
After a year, I can finally accept the 3DS as a thing I want, and it feels damn good. True, the battery life still sucks, but I can get used to charging my gaming systems once a day; I did the same with my mobile phone. Nintendo's portable efforts are finally relevant to me again, and it's like welcoming back a prodigal son. I'll hold off buying a 3DS until after E3, just in case Nintendo decides to announce a hardware redesign, but the fact that I'm planning to buy it at all speaks volumes about how Nintendo can turn around an unfavourable situation.
Labels: 3D gaming, Andrew Testerman, Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS
- Andrew Testerman
Reviewing a game like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in 2011 is a difficult task. Whilst the original game from the Nintendo 64 deservedly holds classic status in the gaming industry, it is now approaching its 13th birthday. Gaming has advanced monumentally since its release, and Ocarina's cause isn't helped much by the fact that remakes and revivals of old classics rarely do well in the videogames market. Often regarded as nothing more than cheap cash-ins, if a remake of an old title is going to have any relevance in the modern gaming landscape then it has to retain a sense of wonder and excitement, no matter how many times you've played it. It has to make use of the new technology and advancements whilst still maintaining the roots of what made it so well-loved in the first place.
Thankfully, Nintendo has achieved all of these things with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS. The core game holds up remarkably well, and the benefit of the touchscreen, the added horsepower of the console and, of course, the nifty 3D all come together to make a game that is simply a must-buy for owners of Nintendo's latest handheld.
Since most gamers are familiar with Ocarina of Time and its fantastic design and gameplay, the majority of potential customers are going to be more interested in what exactly Nintendo has done to make you care about this remake. The primary selling point is, of course, the visual makeover that the game has received. Whilst it's difficult to tell how far the 3DS is being pushed graphically, seeing as the system is still taking its baby steps into the gaming world, I'd be inclined to say that it's probably the most visually impressive 3DS title released thus far. Having said that, the colourful art-style is so timeless anyway that you might look at screenshots and think that it hasn't really advanced a whole lot since the N64 original. It's only when you look at the two side-by-side, and see the 3DS version in action, that you can really appreciate the graphical improvements made. Character models have seen the most love, with Link in particular being very impressively detailed. The world of Hyrule as a whole is certainly crisper and cleaner, with better textures and water effects.
As well as seeing the core graphical look of the game given an overhaul, the 3D itself is obviously the marquee feature of any 3DS title, and Nintendo doesn't disappoint in this regard with its first big first-party release for their new handheld. Hyrule's wide open landscapes look fantastic in 3D; riding around the endless fields on the back of Epona is an even more thrilling experience as you look off into the distance, where the sense of depth provided by the 3D really comes into its own. The interiors also look nice, and some of the platforming and aiming of weapons - such as using the boomerang while exploring the many dungeons in the game - are all made easier through the 3D.
Speaking of the boomerang, using projectile-based weapons like this can now be controlled using the gyroscope within the 3DS. Aiming is operated simply by moving the 3DS around, and it works surprisingly well, although you may get some odd looks if you try this on a bus or a plane. The other 3DS-based enhancements include the obvious addition of the touchscreen, which is used to conveniently select and switch items and weapons on the fly. It might sound like a fairly obvious design choice that wouldn't have much bearing on how you play the game, but anyone who's experienced the original N64 title will appreciate the ability to select items without having to delve into the menu screens, which was an exercise in tedium back in 1998. The two other main additions made to the 3DS version are fairly neat as well; for one, a hint system has been introduced for those of you who may become stumped during a dungeon puzzle. The other is the addition of Master Quest, which basically is just a much harder version of the original game, so I can imagine it being rather appealing to hardcore fans looking to extend the already long lifespan of the game.
Apart from these changes, Nintendo has pretty much faithfully reproduced every aspect of the original game. This is mostly a good thing, as - even thirteen years later - the dungeons found in Ocarina of Time are still the cream of the crop. No subsequent Zelda title, or wannabes such as Darksiders, came close to the dungeon design in Ocarina of Time. That's not to say that other Zelda games or similar titles are bad in any way; it's just that Ocarina of Time is an absolutely masterfully-designed game. Puzzles are devilish, bosses can be unforgiving and each and every dungeon is fantastically varied and fun simply to explore. Veterans will get a kick out of experiencing them again, whilst newcomers will experience a profound sense of satisfaction and pride when they complete one. The Water Temple and The Forest Temple are the highlights, but each and every dungeon will require plenty of brain power in addition to quick reflexes and genuine skill for you to complete. The fact that this is still the case here in 2011 just goes to show how ahead of its time Ocarina was back in 1998.
There's no doubt that the dungeons are the highlight of every single Zelda game, but there's still plenty to do out in the world of Hyrule. Exploring the land on your trusty steed, Epona, is fantastic; visiting towns and outposts brings a great deal of personality to the world; and the moment when Link makes the transition from child to adult still holds strong as one of gaming's most memorable moments even in 2011.
The only aspect of Ocarina of Time that feels somewhat dated is the lack of a fully controllable camera. Dual-analogue camera control is a modern day staple of action adventure titles like this, and it's difficult not to miss it. However, the control scheme here is excellent on the whole. The analogue slider works incredibly well for controlling Link, and the lock on targeting in combat works just as well as you would want it to. As mentioned before, the touchscreen controls for using and swapping items and weapons are an absolute godsend.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is probably going to appeal most to nostalgic fans of the N64 classic, those who want to experience again one of the greatest games of all time with a lovely makeover and intuitive new control features, that bring it up to speed in modern day gaming. For those who have never experienced the original, this 3D remake is the perfect time for you to jump into Hyrule. Not only does the makeover bring it in line with the expectations of a 2011 gamer, but the overall gameplay and design is still absolutely fantastic. This could be the game that brings in a whole new generation of Zelda fans, and whilst it's often easy to be cynical about remakes, there's no denying that this is an improved and renovated version of one of the best games of all time. I wouldn't go as far to say that this is the game to make you buy a 3DS, but if you happen to have one then there's no excuse not to pick up this absolute legend.
9/10 [?]
Labels: 2011, 3DS, Nintendo, Review, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Tom Acres
- Unknown
E3 isn't far off. As a matter of fact, we're actually less than a month away from experiencing all the news and delicacies that keep you drooling at the mouth annually. There's quite the lineup this year and, with big-name rumours alongside inevitable surprises, I'll take a chance here and say that this year will be one of the more definitive conferences.
Saying that, it's time we made a wishlist of what we're expecting to see at E3 2011.
One of the most anticipated announcements will come with Nintendo's press conference. Should they unveil the Wii's successor, some sort of cataclysm will surely surround the L.A. Convention Center. With developers already speaking out about it, I'm pretty certain that this rumour will turn out to be true, and we'll get some beefy details on the Super Nintendo Wii, along with its assortment of games. Will it have connection options with the 3DS? Will it play GameCube and Wii titles? How about the stuff we've already bought off the Nintendo Shop? I have no doubt this will all be addressed, and hopefully Nintendo will stick with what they've been saying and will garner more third-party support for their new platform. No crazy ass controllers with LCD screens can make up for the same shoddy lineup we've been receiving with the Wii.
Along the lines of new platforms, Sony has something to reveal in the form of their 'Next Generation Portable', or NGP, the working title of the PSP's new successor. Their press conference will likely delve into the madness that was the PSN outage, but I fully expect Kaz Hirai and his entourage to lighten the mood with some excellent announcements and further information on the NGP. After that, maybe we'll get some definite dates on The Last Guardian, and more Twisted Metal news. Oh, yeah, and you can't forget that Naughty Dog will undoubtedly be present showing off more Uncharted 3 goodness. Epic is almost certainly going to be showing Gears of War 3 at Microsoft's press conference, and with Killzone 3 already out, an Uncharted 3 stage demo is almost certain to happen.
The biggest tease going around at this moment is the Modern Warfare 3 quadra-trailer apocalypse. Regardless of what it looks like, the game is going to sell, but a lot rides on its execution. With the original Infinity Ward all but gone, the new staff have tremendous pressure on them to deliver a stellar, triple-A experience. If not, you'll probably find Call of Duty heading even further towards the waste basket than you previously realised.
Speaking of Infinity Ward...
Respawn, the new studio under EA headed up by major ex-Infinity Ward employees, has been extremely quiet. We know they're working on a new project but the legal troubles they've been tied up in with Activision is more than likely impeding their progress. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't hear anything at all from them this E3, but then again, EA has invested valuable resources in this project, so maybe something might manifest on the showroom floor.
Since we're on the topic of shooters, Gears of War 3 should have a tremendous presence this year, but I am expecting a reveal of the next Halo game sometime soon as well. Whether it be at Halo Fest later this August in Seattle, or at E3 next month, you know its coming. Plus, since we already know the remake of Halo: Combat Evolved is on the way, the new game could be closer than originally anticipated. Regardless of all this Uncharted, Gears, and Halo talk, my main hope and concern is that we're honoured with some solid info on Half-Life 2: Episode 3. It's been in the works for just about forever, and what with the Portal 2 release version containing more than a few Half-Life easter eggs, I'd be ecstatic to see that their next project is, indeed, this. Also, maybe seeing some Defense of the Ancients 2 footage wouldn't hurt either?
BioWare should, once again, set the show on fire with another tantalising The Old Republic trailer. I'm expecting more news on it, but I'd be taken aback if more people weren't actually playing the game this year than talking about it. Mass Effect 3 should also have its own panel Q&A sessions, and surely we'll be bombarded with information, since its release isn't too far off (beginning of 2012). I'd also like to hear gasps of excitement when Team Ninja shows new gameplay from Ninja Gaiden 3. Will it happen? Who knows, but we haven't had any news on it since the original teaser. Whyever not now?
Batman: Arkham City is going to be a great game, but new gameplay footage wouldn't hurt its cause. Starhawk, too, should be making its first official appearance, so we'll see what the big deal is behind the "spiritual successor" to Warhawk. Other than that, there's quite a bit else I'd like to jump into, but we'll have to wait to see what E3 brings. As long as I get an answer on HL2: Episode 3, see some Duke Nukem gameplay again, and get my questions about the new hardware aligned, I'll be a happy camper.
Oh, and I almost completely forgot. Dark Souls is going to be there. I really would like to see more of that heinous game.
How about all of you? Are there any games that you're wanting to make an appearance? What's your most anticipated of E3 2011? Sound off in the comments section below!
Labels: 2011, Andrew Whipple III, E3 2011, Epic Games, Gears of War 3, Microsoft, Naughty Dog, Nintendo, Sony, Uncharted 3
- Andrew Whipple III
Manly, a cappella background music.
The month of May is a busy one for the staff here at Gamer's Guide to Life.com. Some of us are bribing our landlords to renew leases, others are studying until their retinas crack for finals, and still more are putting in a final month's training with their leather-skinned, one-eyed archery coach, Ogedai, to prepare their bodies and souls for battle at the famous Nadaam festival, before flying to Ulanbaatar to vie for triumph on the international stage by competing in Mongolia's 'Three Manly Skills'[1] , all in order to fulfil a promise made to a dying father to taste victory and be dubbed 'An Invincible Titan to be remembered by all'. Everyone's got something on their plate.
Amazingly, amidst all that chaos, we still find time in our evil staff room of evil to have important, potentially world-shaking discussions about gaming around the water cooler. The conversation recorded in this article between myself and SystemLink PlayStation Editor, Alex Wozniak, (with occassional interjection from GGTL Lead Editor, Linford Butler) begins as comical banter about the political danger of using Pokémon labour as a foundation for a specifically human bourgeois, but evolves into an interesting wish-list of features for a potential Pokémon-themed massively-multiplayer online game. We discuss gameplay, aesthetics, professions, items, settings, character creation, release console, and overall feasibility. It's a smooth, fun read for anybody who has played and loved a Pokémon title at any point in their lives.
Pull over most comfortable lounge chair, plop an oversized bowl of rare candy onto your lap, don your Pokémon Trainer cap, pour yourself a glass of that 1994 port that you've been saving, and read on, internet strangers, letting your imagination paint a picture of a socialist utopia wherein Pokémon take all of society's difficult jobs, providing a life of whimsy and relaxation for the human classes...
Greg:
If only we lived in that world. Pokémon taking all our bad jobs and looking after our every uncomfortable cultural need... Pokaridise.
Alex:
It would indeed be a better world - no need for electricity companies when there are Voltorbs and Zapdos', no need for gas firms when we train Charmanders to heat our homes.
Greg:
But what happens when that world is rocked by the demands of the Pokéunions?
Alex:
What, Team Rocket? They're a dastardly bunch who try to seduce us with talks of unionisation, and saving the Pokémon, when in fact all they do is enjoy a nice, expensive Slowpoke tail with tartare sauce in Giovanni’s mansion.
Linford:
Or the Pokélybians rise up? It could knock the Pokémiddleeast into chaos.
Alex:
Would the Amish have Pokémon? Would they be considered 'modern' technology?
Greg:
They'd only use basic Pokéballs. None of the Devil's fancy Masterballs.
Alex:
Lucifer haveth Masterballs? Damn him. Damn him to hell! ...again.
Greg:
Him and his psychic Pokémon... Only the Lord should be able to speak directly to the human brain. To steal His great power art a sin worthy of eternal punishment. (Tough luck, Alakazam).
Alex:
Is Mewtwo on the Devil’s side? I can't imagine Mew hanging out with the horned beast.
Greg:
Maybe Mew is basically the Virgin Mary, and Mewtwo is some sort of Pokémon antichrist... I want the dark, futuristic Pokémon game, wherein the Pokémon have turned the tables on humanity and enslaved them with their own Pokéball technology. You play an impressionable, conflicted Squirtle living after the Pokérevolution, who feels that what's being done to the now-enslaved human populace is as wrong as the sins brought down upon Pokémanity centuries before.
Alex:
Is he part of the Squirtle Squad? Because those bad boys knew how to give it to humanity.
Greg:
Yep. A corrupted, overweight Squirtle Squad that now does nothing but hang out in the local opium den and get friendly with human concubines.
Alex:
I want a Pokémon MMO - that would be pretty darn cool.
Greg:
Yeah, a Pokémon MMO has all the needed pieces for a great game.
Linford:
I see an article idea here... Discuss.
Greg:
Aye, aye. The Pokémon MMO:
642(ish) Pokémon, myriad zones, competition everywhere you look without needing set factions. Every player could just be a member of Pokémon society in the same way the original City of Heroes had all players on the same side, for one faction. That said, the ability for trainers to challenge other trainers offers a huge PvP environment. And if it's as balanced as handheld Pokémon tournament play, endgame PvP becomes more about skill and Pokémon selection than gear or stats, eliminating most typical MMO endgame problems...
Obtaining new outfits for both your trainers and your Pokémon could add an aspect of creative individualisation that MMO players crave as well. "Which Pikachu does Jimmy Random have?" "The one with the viking helmet and the tattoos of a human skull being torn apart by lightning on each cheek. He's a beast."
Alex:
A proper tournament league with Elite Four, and one Champion per realm would be pretty cool. It could still have the stats that a lot of MMO people want as well, by equipping Pokémon with various 'berries' or other fruits depending on what is relevant at that season.
Greg:
I like the idea of beating the Elite Four for each zone once a week in order to receive an invitation to a grand zone tournament with a unique aesthetic reward. Maybe the winner of that grand Pokémon weekly tournament gets to fly a giant noticeable plane for a week, gets a cool title, and an awesome costume to wear for the rest of his life. The gameplay model would likely support the idea of cultivating only one character, without alts.
If developers wanted to avoid that, they could add "Elite Aesthetic" (I'm big on those) differences for your character. Once you win the tournament, for example, your account unlocks a noticeably different trainer model to be used when creating a new trainer, and when beating the tournament (or maybe just the Elite Four) with that trainer, another model becomes available. So without making their Pokémon teams unbeatable (and therefore breaking the game's endgame balance), a player could show off his or her prowess by playing as a trainer model that only becomes attainable after doing so many things.
Alex:
People could take up different skills alongside their Pokémon. For example, crafting new Pokéballs, or becoming an expert breeder. Trainers could become professional explorers - by following ancient ruins and texts to find legendary Pokémon and Pokémon artifacts that could provide unique abilities to their team members.
Greg:
I like those profession ideas. Pokémon archaeology and exploration, ballcrafting, candy making, cooking - all of it could be useful. Maybe even a profession that focuses on creating unique modes of transportation (like bikes or jetskis, cars, hot-air balloons, et cetera).
Alex:
Guilds could work quite easily as well, I think, by having groups of trainers forming 'Teams' that could compete in competitions.
Greg:
Yeah, Teams would work really well here. Team Rocket, or Ash's group-style.
Alex:
It'd be quite an easy game to keep adding content to as well - new Pokémon, newly discovered areas, new Gym leaders, new moves.
Greg:
Seriously. The inevitable question that would have to be addressed would be how combat would play out... whether it's turn-based or some strange brand of live-action. Or maybe even a little of both. Maybe your trainer could "coach" difficult moves, causing the player to need to input combo keys (or buttons, if it's console) to help their Pokémon through it.
Alex:
I think it would be a mix of Pokémon and WoW, in that you send out your Pokémon, and its moves are on your Hotbar. You choose which abilities it uses, and it would only able to use a single move at a time, and each move has a cooldown.
Greg:
I’m not a huge fan of the WoW hotbar-and-cooldown gameplay style. It works, but it’s stale. Especially if the game was set on a console (and I'd guess Nintendo would be partial to that), it would need something a bit more unique. A lot would probably depend on whatever controls are given to the Super Nintendo Wii, whenever that comes out.
Alex:
Ah, I don't think it would work as well on a console. There's hardly any really successful console MMOs, and I just think the whole thing would be a lot smoother on PC. For one thing it will give the game longevity as you'd never have to upgrade your console to continue playing.
Greg:
Well, there comes our first hiccup... First of all, I'm of the camp that thinks a console MMOs will be huge (especially next generation, now that the current generation has normalised casual online console play) once designers see them as more than just ports from the PC. All it really requires is a unique, dedicated development philosophy tailored to a specific console (which Nintendo is famous for) and an intellectual property heavy enough to draw in millions of players, which Pokémon most definitely is. All that aside, any Nintendo product on the PC is little more than wishful thinking, be that unfortunate or not. They hold their intellectual property family tightly to their own hardware.
Alex:
I agree that there is potential for a console MMO to work, however, it'll have to be done extremely well to be able to sustain itself against WoW.
Greg:
I disagree again... I'm one of those who think that WoW is finally passing, like an ancient, rotting Sequoya barely able to stand upright but still towering over the rest of the forest, or a dying star. Cataclysm did a lot to hurt its cause. And, though I myself loved it for half a decade, twelve million people have been playing - and getting bored of - its model since 2004, which inversely means that there is an MMORPG playing demographic out there who would feasibly be very interested in jumping into a fresh AAA MMO title with a new style of play.
Alex:
Yet it [World of Warcraft] still has record number of players. The problem is that a lot of them are comfortable with WoW, too comfortable maybe, and it's going to take something huge to draw them away from something they've invested so much time in.
Greg:
People say that WoW has been given real competition since its foundation via Guild Wars, City of Heroes, and others, but I disagree. I don’t think it’s ever really been tested. To compete with Activision Blizzard, a gigantic, hard-hitting company and intellectual property need to enter the ring. Nintendo and Pokémon are one of the few combinations that could actually trump the Blizzard-Warcraft dreamteam of corporate star power, and it’s stylistically different enough that people might even play both - especially if a Pokémon MMO was free. There are plenty of people who own either an Xbox 360 or PS3 as well as a Wii. I think it could work in a very similar way.
Alex:
If it were free, it would have to be supported by ads, and I'm not sure how people would feel about it. If they could make it cheaper than WoW, then that would be good. What about a handheld Pokémon MMO? The set up is all there already on DS, they need only make it a consistent world.
Greg:
If it drove up console sales and people just paid for patches, I think Nintendo might be able to sustain it free of charge. Nintendo is large enough to front the money needed to sustain an MMO’s overhead and update costs while providing minimal company-wide financial strain, and the benefits of luring players over to their console's faction with a uniquely innovative blockbuster title like a Pokémon MMO would be appealing. The handheld MMO also makes a lot of sense, especially with how much focus the DS series has placed on Wi-Fi. I'm not sure the technology is there yet, but it just sounds like something Nintendo would do.
Alex:
Question is, though: would a Pokémon MMO replace the traditional single player games?
Greg:
Wow... that's a huge question. Unless they figured out a way to bring the two together (like they have with tournament living room console games using handheld hookups), I think they'd have to.
Alex:
I'm not so sure. You could have them exist in separate worlds. The MMO would be one world, with ever-newly discovered lands and Pokémon, with an emphasis on battling other players, and team battles, whilst the single player games would be where new mechanics were brought in, which after a while would migrate to the MMO, and provide more of a focus on story.
Greg:
That makes sense. If they did produce two separate worlds (MMO and continuation of the regular series via single-player), I think it would work more fluidly for the Nintendo brain trust to keep them on separate consoles.
Alex:
Huh. That might work.
Greg:
Alright, I need to find food. I'll save this conversation so we can unleash it on the world later.
Alex:
Be careful of wild Pokémon who may attempt to steal it.
Greg:
Lin: steal my Pokémon conversation and I'll... umm... be very angry. And miffed.
A new Super Nintendo Wii (Project Café) is coming out soon with enhanced multiplayer capabilities, HD graphics, and a vast, echoing hard drive. Just sayin'...
Footnotes
[1] Pony-wrasslin', snorkeling, and stealing brides from neighbouring China under the cover of darkness. [^]Labels: 2011, 3DS, Alex Wozniak, Fireside Chat, Gaming Conversation, Greg Mengel, Linford Butler, MMO, Nintendo, Pokemon, The Pokemon Company, Wii
- Greg Mengel
A great many articles out there have focused on the innovative and industry-changing mechanics Nintendo has brought to the world. Every new console, from the decisive NES, to the legendary N64, or the mobile workhorse that is the DS, has been a resounding success for the house of Mario. With other companies pining to duplicate the unprecedented victories Nintendo has scored, it's hard to believe that Nintendo has actually become much worse in the eyes of the involved, contemporary gamer. So suit up gentlefolk, as we're about to acknowledge gaming's giant elephant in the room. That's right, this is going to be one of those articles highlighting the recent woes of Nintendo.
We all know what Nintendo has done for gaming, we all know the games they've created, and we all surely know the impact the Nintendo name has on certain households and the world. This is not what we're talking about today. The focal point for this very moment is Nintendo right here, right now, in the present day, and what the hell went wrong for them to get here. How can they be wrong when they've generated billions upon billions, you ask? Put away your spreadsheets and step into the shoes of someone who actually plays their games. All you have to do is look at the library of titles Nintendo has generated for the last fives years and all will be revealed.
Oh man, it's Mario! ...again.
Even before the Wii hit, Nintendo began its decent into madness with the GameCube years. That little purple box surely had some classic titles and sported the very best incarnation of Resident Evil ever found (or replicated), but it was not enough to hide the growing gap between them and their third-party partners. Besides their own primary development squad, Nintendo failed to ignite the industry to develop quality games for their system. What did you look forward to every year? Oh you know, Mario Tennis, Golf, Olympics, Strikers, Sunshine, the usual. Remember Star Fox: Assault? I try not to. What about Mario Kart: Double Dash!!? Like I said, I try not to. We did receive gems like Eternal Darkness and the original Metroid Prime during Gamecube years, but the majority of that console's titles were produced by Nintendo itself - and even then most were of questionable quality and value.
If you want to get picky, multi-platform titles were always better on the PS2 and Xbox. I remember picking up the Mega Man Collection on the GameCube because, hey, that's where the Blue Bomber originated. Once I got back to the house I was dismayed to find that the jump and shoot buttons were reversed and there was no way to change them. How hard is it to give us total control like PC games? That's a discussion for another article, but it was two friggin' buttons and they couldn't even get that right. The GameCube was also the only console which never fully accepted the concept that the future was tied to online capability. You had titles like Phantasy Star Online, but when that's basically your only online title and star player in an industry saturated with multiplayer games, there's a major issue at hand.
Hey, let's play another game. Oh, it's another Mario one? Cool...
So the GameCube came and went, people who never played a PS2 or Xbox loved it, and Nintendo devotees hugged it tightly every night before they slept, and then... the Wii hit.
Yes, yes, the Wii is a phenomenon; an industry innovation that levitated Nintendo to total conquest of the realm. But like I said above, we're talking about the games here, and Nintendo's direction as a game company. I'm not an accountant, business junkie, or monetary guru; I'm here to play great games, to support the creation of great games, and to write about them - the money accrued is completely meaningless when you can't even craft a compelling remake to the Donkey Kong series.
I remember E3 last year and how incredible Nintendo's plans sounded. If you look back, Penny Arcade created a series of E3 comics that depicted Nintendo in the way I believe most people felt at that time. A new Zelda, Goldeneye, Kirby, et cetera, all coming out soon? Finally, the perpetual wait of the hardcore gamer could come to an end. The months that would go by without a single compelling Wii game were a thing of the past! Slowly, however, these games would be rolled out and one by one they'd completely fall off the radar in the most discrete way possible. Is anyone talking about Goldeneye? Cute as Kirby: Epic Yarn was, where is it now? When Metroid: Other M was announced, the hype was unreal; there aren't even whispers about that game anymore.
We could go through the list of all the games and attribute 'this' and 'that' to the complaint board, but our real focus should be on Nintendo's motif of promising great things, but falling short. Nothing is more painful than picking up a game you've so desperately wanted, thought about daily, and thirsted to play only to have it become some sub-par re-imagining of a game you loved in the past. Donkey Kong Country Returns is a great example of this. Granted, I haven't played too much of it, and that in itself should be a crime now that I'm critiquing it, but what I played left me deflated. The Donkey Kong Country series is legendary (especially the second game, which is among my favorite games of all time. Don't you know David Wise?). To have it become something I'm just not interested in playing through is stunning. Why? In a nutshell, it's missing too much of what made Donkey Kong Country... Donkey Kong Country. No Kremlings? King K. Rool is gone? It's like taking Goombas out of Mario. That wouldn't ever happen.
If you'd like to participate in the worst story of the Metroid series, Other M is your ticket.
More importantly, Nintendo has become stagnant with their design philosophies and concepts. New and original titles are extremely hard to come by on the Wii; everything is predictable in every game release, every single time. You can only take so many Mario games before you want to explore other avenues and Nintendo simply does not have that to offer. Right now, their idea of a great game is something you can play for 15 minutes with your family and then be done with it. Forever. Because of this design philosophy, we've been presented with walls upon walls of shovelware. Walk into any retail store and I guarantee you'll find the Wii and DS sections the most flooded with low-quality 'games' like this. I also guarantee it'll be the hardest place to find a solidly good title.
"But the Mario and Zelda games are always lots of fun, and Mario Kart is fun with your family and..."
Just stop. Please.
Nintendo has zero, I mean ZERO growth as far as third party titles go. What further proof do you need than to look at the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3? How many franchises have no been firmly established on Sony and Microsoft's systems? Hundreds! Not to mention there are myriad quality third-party games to be found alongside first party titles. Follow that up with a robust selection in their indie and online stores and you really do have the diversity that can keep every single demographic happy. Nintendo seems to be unable to see the appeal of this, for some undisclosed reason.
Titles like Mad World were quite unique and fun. It's too bad more Wii games like it never surfaced.
The reason Nintendo probably has no ambition to please their hardcore audience is because people actually buy WiiFit, Babysitter Challenge, and the 3DS. It nets them the money on what hardcore gamers would call gimmicks than on 'serious' titles, and that's all they currently care about. So when the E3 rolls on up this year and the gaming world hears about Project Cafe from Miyamoto and friends, expect to see your Zelda and other cliche Nintendo titles on the rampage. They may look great, they may give you a nostalgic trip to the good ole' days of yore, but I guarantee that whatever surfaces in Nintendo's lineup will get the short stick. You'll be there day one, buy it, and then dust will collect on your unused system just like 90% of the people who own both a Wii and a second console. When all is said and done, I'll be right. And I don't want to be.
The best thing I can say about Nintendo is that when it finally ups the ante and increases the graphical processing horsepower of its next 'god-like' machination, it'll create a console that could very well explore the territory this generation is missing. With the way things have been going, I highly, highly doubt that Nintendo will take that route instead of utilising the same game design philosophies that they have for the last decade; the ones that never truly evolve the other consoles have in this modern era. It's sad, but Nintendo would have to make quite a turnaround for me to even remotely be impressed with them again. Maybe once they adapt like the rest of the industry has, we'll get the quality Nintendo titles we deserve.
Labels: 2011, Andrew Whipple III, Donkey Kong Country, GameCube, Mario, Metroid, Nintendo, Samus, Starfox, Super Nintendo Wii, Wii
- Andrew Whipple III
Pro Evolution Soccer has endured a difficult life on the current generation of consoles, as EA's FIFA franchise has evolved from being the unloved rival to the cream of the virtual football crop. As Konami struggled to adapt to the expectations of fans on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, many took the nostalgic route of playing much loved classics like Pro Evolution Soccer 5 on the good old PlayStation 2.
Somewhat surprisingly given the new hardware that is on offer here, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, or what will now become known as PES 3D, is probably best suited for those nostalgic fans looking for some classic and recognised footballing fun. Sure, there's a shiny 3D sheen that will undoubtedly impress, but underneath the impressive looks you have a game that has its feet firmly rooted in 2005.
Before I dive into what exactly you can expect in terms of modes and gameplay in this new entry in the series (because, in all honesty, it's fairly predictable), let me begin with the headline new feature: the big, bold '3D', screaming at you from the front of the box. Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the 3D is particularly gameplay enhancing, because I'd probably be lying. What I will say is that it's a pretty damn impressive visual trick. As with all the Nintendo 3DS launch games, the 3D effect is very impressive when you first lay your eyes upon it, and - despite having been offered a taste of real-life 3D football, thanks to Sky Sports - I was remarkably impressed at how good it looked on Nintendo's little machine.
The cutscenes, such as goal celebrations and lineup shots at the start of matches, are where the 3D really shines from a aesthetic point of view. In gameplay, PES 3D offers a 'player' view, which basically positions the camera behind the player you are currently controlling. The depth effect here is incredible, but unfortunately it's not going to help your game in any way; in fact, it'll probably hinder your ability to defend effectively. During gameplay, I found myself switching to the default 'wide' view and turning the 3D off, only turning it back on for the aforementioned cutscenes.
Even with the 3D turned off, though, this is still a very pretty looking game. Player models and likenesses are excellent across the board, and animations also hold up well. The official stadiums have been well-recreated too, but as PES veterans will know and expect, the lack of licenses for many of Europe's top club teams is still sorely missed. The Champions League license does soften the blow somewhat, though, and the game on the whole is presented nicely, with well-designed menus and a decent soundtrack. Commentary during the game from Jon Champion and Jim Beglin is, however, just as poor as you'd expect from the series.
As I said before; 3D aside, the actual gameplay is remarkably similar to the PS2 games of old. In fact, if you enjoy the PES games on the PSP then you'll feel right at home. It's fast paced and arcadey, but also capable of being really quite realistic in some cases. Pinging passes around is fun, and long range screamers into the top corner are rather common as well. It's really just what you'd want from a portable football game, as it's unlikely you'll be sitting there playing it for hours on end like you may well do with one of the console big brothers. The game moves and controls well though, with the 3DS's analogue slider used to good effect and making it a far nicer game to control than it would be if you were using the annoyingly small analogue nub on the PSP.
So the gameplay is a nostalgic trip back to the PS2 era, but unfortunately so is the set of modes available for you to play. There's no 'Become a Legend' mode for a start, and most bafflingly of all there's not even a Training mode. Edit mode has been stripped down and there's no online functionality either. You can play local wireless against other 3DS players, but the lack of proper online play will seriously limit the game's lifespan. As mentioned earlier, the Champions League mode is featured, which is always fun to play through a couple of times, if only because of how impeccably the whole thing is presented. The Master League and Exhibition modes are also present, as you would expect.
It's worth noting that the touch screen is barely used beyond menu navigation, and even then you're likely to just use the D-pad anyway. This might be the only launch title you play where the stylus remains firmly secured in the back of the console.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D is a safe and solid debut for Konami's football franchise on the Nintendo 3DS. As you might expect from a launch title, it's pretty barebones in terms of modes, and the gameplay is stuck in the past; whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your feelings towards the series at the moment. What it does do is provide a fun and, overall, enjoyable portable football game, with some of the most impressive 3D effects you can find amongst the current crop of 3DS software. If you have a 3DS and want to play some footy, it's either this or hit the park with a ball and some jumpers for goalposts.
7/10 [?]
Labels: 2011, 3DS, Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS, PES, Pro Evolution Soccer, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, Review, Tom Acres
- Unknown
It's happening. Angels are singing, politicians are hugging, unicorn Pegasus are flying through the sky. Rivers are running with cream soda. The beer is flowing like wine. The Korean DMZ has be redubbed the "Designated Mega-fun-time Zone." Medical researchers have discovered that the cure for cancer is Rease's Peanut Butter Cups. People can now talk to animals. Lightsabers have been invented by a mad scientist in Canada that don't kill, but tickle. All governments worldwide have decided to give each eight year-old child their very own dolphin. Life is good.
Life is great.
And why? Because Nintendo has conscripted Haephestus to forge an HD, possibly heavily multiplayer-capable, Super Nintendo Wii.
There is only one appropriate response:
After the spectacular success that came with releasing a blockbuster, household name like The Legend of Zelda alongside the Super Nintendo Wii's father console, I strongly believe that this young new piece of hardware will sport its own mega-hit title come release day. If it worked once, Nintendo is likely try it again, only this time in a way that shows off the Super Nintendo Wii's simultaneously hardcore-courting and family friendly hardware.
Please note: I only believe that one, or perhaps two of these titles actually have any chance of being released. Appealing though it may seem right now, I doubt we'll have an avalanche of all five blockbuster titles rushing at us come that great and terrible day, when the clouds part and Thor reaches down from Asgard to give humanity the Super Nintendo Wii.
5: Mii Tournament
Imagine if Mario Party and Wii Sports met each other at a romantic cabana and hit it off over jokes and strawberry daiquiris somewhere in the Caribbean, only to copulate and bear an adorable Mii-populated game-board mini-game tournament release title for the Super Nintendo Wii. Mario Party could cheat on the Mario universe, leaving behind its characters to instead adopt Miis, which would run through Mario Party-styled fun endlessly in family rooms and old folks homes while Nintendo used their swimming pools of money to secretly carve Shigeru Miyamoto's face into a volcanic island somewhere in the mid-Pacific.
When the Wii was released, it brought families together. Even though it may be courting a more "hardcore" audience, Nintendo isn't stupid enough to relinquish its stranglehold on adorable family room fun-time to Sony or Microsoft. Keeping a game that uses Mii is a great way to get soccer moms and assisted living centers to buy the Super Nintendo Wii in droves.
4: Super Mario... Universe?
While it didn't work for the GameCube, it definitely worked for the Nintendo 64. Releasing a new Super Mario title that expands on the vertigo-inducing effects of the Galaxy series is a solid move, in that it...
a) Ties the Wii to a memorable product within the Nintendo brand
b) Shows off jaw-dropping HD capabilities reminiscent of pictures sent back to Earth by the Hubble telescope, using the game's backdrop of space
c) Can tie (a) and (b) together by demonstrating to the world that amazing graphics and the cartoony Nintendo brand are not, in fact, oil and water
b) Shows off jaw-dropping HD capabilities reminiscent of pictures sent back to Earth by the Hubble telescope, using the game's backdrop of space
c) Can tie (a) and (b) together by demonstrating to the world that amazing graphics and the cartoony Nintendo brand are not, in fact, oil and water
I'd personally love to take another trip to Luigi's mansion, but something tells me that Nintendo doesn't want to touch that sales tragedy with a thirty-nine and a half foot pole.
3: Popular Third Party Title
And I mean actually popular. Perhaps a Call of Duty, or an Assassin's Creed, or something of similarly cyclopean-scale. Releasing a great third-party game alongside its counterpart console release would dispel fears that the Super Nintendo Wii might have the same third-party development issues as its forerunner.
Even if Nintendo opts to develop one of its own titles to unveil alongside its new console, I wouldn't be at all surprised if a blockbuster third-party title was added to shopping carts come release day.
2: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Is anyone else having the strangest feeling of deja vu? We all thought Twilight Princess was going to be a GameCube exclusive.
...until it wasn't.
Twilight Princess gave gamers a chance to try out the formula they had been fantasising over since the Wii was first announced: Wiimote = Lightsaber/Sword. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we heard, come E3, that Skyward Sword had been pushed back to the Super Nintendo Wii release.
1: Super Smash Bros. [Synonym for Escalating Altercation]
Let's just call it 'the new Smash'. If the Super Nintendo Wii is truly and honestly a powerful multiplayer device, then Nintendo may want to prove it to gamers with its strongest 'hardcore' multiplayer title right off the bat.
A release title Smash Bros. would generate all the hype a new console could ever need, and leave plenty to spare once its success showed gamers that a hardcore, online Nintendo game was in fact possible. The question is: will Masahiro Sakurai have the time to complete a new Smash between now and the Super Nintendo Wii's release, given the fact that he's been directing Kid Icarus: Uprising? Does he even want to come back to direct another Smash? These are all important questions, but given the upside of a Super Nintendo Wii/New Smash Bros. dream team, Nintendo could always find a way.
Hell, they could re-release Tetris for all it would do: I'm buying a Super Nintendo Wii.
Labels: 2011, Greg Mengel, Mario, Mii, Nintendo, Project Cafe, Super Nintendo Wii, Super Smash Bros, Wii, Zelda
- Greg Mengel
As you may already have heard by now, Game Informer dropped a 37-kilotonne news bomb on Thursday when they broke the story that Nintendo has been developing a new HD console, and that it’s in developers’ hands right now. Though not officially announced by Nintendo, GI’s report has been confirmed by several developers, who are allegedly already hard at work learning the ins-and-outs of the new platform. They say it’s powerful (in the neighbourhood of the Xbox 360), they say it’s "do[ne] right", and they say we’ll see it at E3, if not sooner.
Do you hear that? It’s the sound of millions of Nintendo fanboys crying out with joy, who would not be silenced. The old reverse Alderaan effect.
If these reports are true (and I sincerely doubt that several independent publishers would be so deep in cahoots to concoct such a fib), Nintendo has an interesting future on the horizon. Wii sales have been gradually slowing, and even the multitude of awesome titles seen last year couldn’t slow its inevitable sales decline. If Miyamoto and friends ever needed a shot in the arm, it’s right here, right now.
But is it too little, too late? With its competitors so firmly dug in, can Nintendo’s new wonder toy even hope to gain a following, and avoid ending up like the Dreamcast, Atari Jaguar, and so many other failed consoles before it?
Like so many things in life, that depends.
The biggest thing Nintendo has going for it right now is the momentum started by the Wii. Sure, it may not have caught on with too many 'hardcore' gamers, but more people have Wiis than own landline phones, and it would be foolish to ignore that massive install base. As much as dedicated gamers want to believe that HD means exclusive titles like Gears of War and Killzone - which, from a brand standpoint, is probably the worst thing that could happen - Nintendo would do well to leverage the folks who bought a Wii the first time around. Whether it’s backwards compatibility, a new Wii Sports-style hook, or some new Blue Ocean gimmick; the more Nintendo can do to bring back the grandparents and soccer moms that made the Wii a hit, the better.
That said, Nintendo will have to work double time to woo fed-up gamers who wrote off the Wii as a toy suited only for the very young or the very old. Fortunately, the additional power promised by the report could be the key to patching things up with the Nintendo-loyal who abandoned the Wii, in favour of the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. HD graphics akin to the 360 or PS3 would go a long way towards making it appear that Nintendo has rejoined the side of the hardcore.
Of course, HD power means more than just prettier games. Third party developers, a crowd that Nintendo has been notoriously unsuccessful at courting, would have an easier time porting their triple-A titles to Nintendo’s console than in the past; perhaps, instead of a pared-down lightgun-shooter version of Dead Space, we can get a full-on, legit version of Dead Space 3 when it finally releases.
Part of me is sceptical about what this new console can accomplish. Nintendo tried throwing its hat into the multiplatform ring before. Remember the GameCube? The 'lil-purple-lunchbox-that-could' failed to carve identity for itself in the market, and wound up collecting dust in third place. Nintendo ultimately found success by doing something different from its main competitors: motion control. By crafting the Wii as a unique experience, Nintendo didn’t have to compete, and instead forced Sony and Microsoft to consider the benefits of motion control as a conduit for family play themselves.
But what will the market make of Nintendo’s new potential competitor to the other seventh generation consoles? If the only thing it does is play third-party games in HD, it will lose; if I have the option to buy the new Call of Duty game on Nintendo HD or on 360, I’m going to buy it on 360 because that’s where all of my friends are. It’s not enough to play catch-up, and Nintendo needs to have a brand new secret sauce if it wants to differentiate itself from its two well-established competitors.
This is the tricky balance Nintendo must walk during the time before its release: it needs to be familiar enough for Ubisoft to be able to port 'Assassin’s Creed III: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood' to it without a hitch, but it likewise needs to stand separate from Sony and Microsoft as a unique experience. Stay too samey and no one buys it in favour of Xbox 360 or PS3; stray too far from gaming as we know it and third parties are once again in the dark.
Which brings to question the now-famous bread-and-butter of the Wii: motion control. Will they do away with the system in favour of a traditional controller, or will Nintendo manage to somehow integrate both the Wiimote and a dual analogue setup that gamers have used for the better part of twelve years? Again, it’s all a balancing act, and one that Nintendo will have to work hard at to make appear natural.This doesn’t even include the catch-up that Nintendo would have to play if it wants a piece of Microsoft and Sony’s hardcore pie, including a top-tier online functionality, strong third-party support, and media components beyond simply playing games. It’s this sort of thinking that makes me wonder if Nintendo will even want to go after the hardcore again; so much work is required to get to the status quo, it almost doesn’t even make sense to try.
One way or another, this will be a crucial E3 for Nintendo. It needs to bring the casual Wii fans and the Nintendo diehards together under one umbrella, or risk losing them both entirely.
Time, as they say, will tell. I will say this: I want this new console to succeed. As a lifelong lover of all things Nintendo, I want to see them thrive in the gaming space that I inhabit, as well as the space of my parents, little brother, and tiny Japanese grandmother. And who knows, maybe Nintendo’s patented first-party goodness, coupled with robust third-party support, will be enough; there have certainly been enough claims of "I would buy a Wii HD" from the gaming press.
I know I'd jump at the chance to play Super Mario Universe on the same console I use for Battlefield 4.
Labels: 2011, Andrew Testerman, Feature, Nintendo, Super Nintendo Wii, Wii
- Andrew Testerman
"If Michael Vick was sent to prison, Ash Ketchum should be in fucking jail."
These words, slurred in my direction by an inebriated forty year-old Asian woman at a suburbanised, Mexican-themed bar in Denver, Colorado[1] last autumn have echoed in the hollow halls of my consciousness like a never-ending game of morality pong. After hours of sleepless nights, they brought me to one conclusion.
Ash Ketchum isn't just a dog-fighter... he's a slave owner.
For those of you not living in America, Michael Vick is an American Football player, who was sentenced to hard time for running an advanced dog-fighting ring. He bought man's best friend, trained and bred him, and charged him into a pit containing a similarly historied canine to do battle. For forging a pack of cuddly, fun-loving Growlithes into a bloodthirsty, dangerous Arcanine death-legion, he was rebuked with hard time in jail by a system of law that deemed such actions immoral.
Image source. Thanks again, YTMND.
Cut to the society Ash Ketchum lives in. Not only does it tolerate animal fighting rings, but it encourages them! Upon turning eleven, alpha children are given their very first Pokémon, the largest building and cultural center of every town and city is its gym, and Pokémon Balls are handed out by the state alongside propaganda pamphlets encouraging impressionable younglings to "Catch 'em all". On resorts and beach cabanas, lei'd Pokémon clean up party vomit and serve fruity beverages. The cultural foundation that Ash runs excitedly from gym to gym on, is composed of forced Pokémon labour.
So when Ash orders his electric rat to give a trembling Geodude its fifth concussion in a week, he isn't cuffed and taken down to the station; instead, he's congratulated and given a merit badge. For doing what Michael Vick was sent to prison for - training beasts to savage each other in a ring - Ash is celebrated.
...but are Pokémon really just beasts?
On the left, Chess Grand Master Bobby Fischer. On the right, fiercely fu-manchu'd Alakazam. To match Alakazam's IQ, Bobby Fischer's must be multiplied twenty-nine times.
According to Bulbapedia, the mysterious psychic Pokémon Alakazam boasts "...an IQ (Intelligence Quotient) that exceeds 5,000, making it the most intelligent non-legendary Pokémon."
Five. Thousand. Know what the average human IQ is? Between 70 and 130. Alakazam is a god.
Middle-class Pokémon also impress. Chansey works as a Registered Nurse in just about every Pokemon Center, a task that takes two to four years of academic study for humans and requires an advanced understanding of over six-hundred and forty-nine unique Pokémon anatomies.
Squirtle and Pikachu show impressive social and cognitive thinking skills. Despite the fact that they have evolved without advanced vocal chords, both Pokémon can convey their thoughts and desires in conversation by expertly inflecting their voices while repeating their own names, like so:
Trainer: "Are you feeling okay, Squirtle?"
Squirtle: "...squirtle."
Trainer: "Would a caramel apple make you feel better?"
Squirtle: "sQUIRTLE sQUIRT!!"
Trainer: "I knew it would. Hey, Squirtle, how do you feel about Muammar Gaddafi's supposed 'reign of terror' in Libya? Should Obama be supporting his European allies on what many have called yet another act of imperialist aggression towards the Muslim world, while he still has troops stationed in Afghanistan?"
Pikachu: "PikAAAAAAA, pi! PI!"
Trainer: "That's why I didn't ask you, Pikachu! Because you're a racist! A dirty, Canadian racist! Go on, Squirtle."
Squirtle: "Squirtle squirtle sQUIR, squir Squirtle squirtle squirtle, squir Squirtle squir. Squirtle-squir squirtle, squir squirtle sQUIRtle squirtle Squir, squir sQUIRTLE... SQUIRTLE-SQUIRT!!"
Trainer: "Squirtle, that was completely unrelated, and you know it. Muammar Gaddafi's reign of terror has nothing to do with the growing GDPs of many South American countries."
Squirtle: "Squirtle SQUIR SQUIR Squirtle-Squirt."
Trainer: "I disagree with what you have to say, Squirtle, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it."
Squirtle: "Squirtle squirtle squirtle......."
Trainer: "What about my mother?!"
Squirtle: "SQUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR."
Trainer: "Wow, somebody wants their Pokéball extra cold and scary tonight."
Squirtle: "Squirtle squir."
Trainer: "Agreed. Let's end this conversation so Greg can continue his article."
Pikachu: "Pikaa-"
Trainer: "Pikachu, I swear to God, I will feed you to Charizard if you don't shut up. Let's go."
[fin]
Ahem.
Oh, Ash! What a great day! I just love it when I don't have to beat Staryu with the Obedience Hose!
Pokemon are many, many times more intelligent than Michael Vick's dogs. If you judge the worth of a species by its intelligence, then many Pokémon are just as worthy as humans (if not more so).
...and yet, Ash and thousands of other trainers enslave, train, and fight them.
...and yet, they enjoy no basic rights.
...and yet, they can't vote to abolish their suffering.
If it walks like a Psyduck, and talks like a Psyduck, then it's a Psyduck. Pokémon training is slavery.
Enter Pokemon Black & White's newest antagonists: Team Plasma, led by their infamous terrorist-king, N. As a child, N was forced by his father to live in a habitat of abused Pokémon, where he learned to despise humans. As he grew up, N felt that it was his moral obligation to liberate all Pokémon from the shackles placed on them by a society of trainers, vowing to fulfill the Unova legend of a human who fought side-by-side with legendary Pokémon to end... this.
Once N reached adulthood, a mysterious man named Ghetsis sought him out and, struck by his strength and determination, crowned him king of his terrorist Pokémon-liberation front, Team Plasma. With a veritable army of liberators under his command, N began a series of swift and effective attacks against the Pokémon training society, stealing trainers' Pokémon and using them to set hordes and hordes of other Pokémon free. It's during this campaign of Pokémon-pilfering that N meets your character.
As a strong-willed Pokémon abolitionist willing to do whatever it takes to end Pokemon enslavement, N is an incarnation of John Brown, the 19th century revolutionary abolitionist who answered the question of American slavery, with a response he knew would attract the long gaze of the public eye: violence.
John Brown, circa 1856. Unanimously voted South Carolina's "person we'd most like to get a flat tyre" in 1859.
I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.
- John Brown, written on the day of his death
John Brown's raids into pro-slavery lands sent the South into a panic. When the soon-to-be-made-a-state territory of Kansas was overrun by an armed Southern militia, John Brown led his own band of fanatical ideologists into the region, cornered the leaders of the opposing group, and hacked several of them to death at swordpoint. But that wasn't enough for Mr. Brown. In 1859, he led yet another raid into Southern territory, this time assaulting the nation's federal arsenal in hopes that he could lead a slave revolt, divvy out the weapons he found, and cut through the South with an army of freed slaves. His plan failed, and he was executed, but it became a crying call of the imminent American Civil War.
In Black & White, your character represents the South during the Bleeding of Kansas. Apparently[2], he runs into both Team Plasma and N every time you turn a street corner to buy a corn dog[3]. Each time you face N, he unleashes a different set of Pokémon to take on your group. We can assume that this is because
a) he's setting his old sets free after every battle out of guilt for using them to fight in the first place, or...
b) he's somehow convinced the Pokemon he frees to join his fight. After all, he's fighting for their freedom.
b) he's somehow convinced the Pokemon he frees to join his fight. After all, he's fighting for their freedom.
Unfortunately for N, your pro-slavery dream team of minions stomp his Pokémon to the curb time and again, just as the South did against John Brown.
Though he won a few minor skirmishes, John Brown's armed abolitionist revolution was largely symbolic; concretely, it changed nothing. Slaves continued slaving. Slave owners continued owning. But it did plant yet another seed of doubt in the mind of the American nation... was it possible for two sides to stay united when they routinely shot each other over a single issue? Was owning and controlling human beings a cause worth fighting - even dying - for? Was the participation of their ancestors in the trans-Atlantic triangular slave trade immoral, as it gave European slavers a reason to forcefully enter West African villages and "Catch 'em all?"
"Four-score and seven years ago, our forefathers used black magic to encapsulate a fire-breathing dinosaur pup in a metallic spheroid..."
The Pokémon series, like the American Civil War, is a play on human morality. What was fun when I was twelve - catching, parenting, and having adventures with all the pets I could dream of - suddenly seems wrong. Pre-bellum Southerners who cared and provided for their slaves often felt as though they were giving their "property" a better life than was offered by a harsh, free world, just as I felt that the training and care I offered my Pokémon was a better fate than they would meet fending for themselves in the wild. If I had come into contact with Team Plasma during those days, it might have inspired me to think on the deeper questions of ownership, morality, and human rights. I sincerely hope that kids playing Black & White find themselves contemplating those subjects after their umpteenth run-in with Team Plasma and N.
Many playing Black & White have stated that they feel as if their character is the antagonist. That's understandable, but I don't believe it's the point of Team Plasma's inclusion. As I stated in an earlier footnote, I haven't played Pokemon White, nor Black. My history with the series ends with the now-long-forgotten Pokémon: Yellow. That said, I find the existence of Team Plasma, who may be considered terrorists by some Pokémon fans and crusaders by others, to be utterly praiseworthy. At its core, Pokémon is a light, fun stage for human morality. By adding N and bringing his philosophy of Pokémon liberation into the forefront of Pokémania, Nintendo has added another foot or two of depth to what is otherwise a shallow philosophical pool.
I'll say this now so as not to feed the trolls: people playing Pokémon are not subconsciously hoping that the South will rise again. They are not harbouring secret wishes to become slave-owners. They have never conspired to kill Abraham Lincoln. They are simply enjoying the innocent setting and engaging gameplay of a charming, lighthearted series that has captured the hearts of millions since its inception over a decade ago.
Gotta love Team Plasma. Gotta love Pokemon. Gotta catch 'em all.
Footnotes
[1] No, it was not Casa Bonita. Yes, Casa Bonita really exists. To sum it up: bad food and chiseled cliff divers.^[2] Rather than spending hard earned money to stimulate our economy, I'm watching a friend play the game over his proverbial shoulder. Many thanks, Joseph Josephiah Jehosephat Gunselman III.^
[3] Not a real expression.^
Labels: 2011, Black, DS, Greg Mengel, History, Nintendo, Pokemon, Retro, State of the Union, The Pokemon Company, White
- Greg Mengel
Two Sundays ago the gaming industry was graced with a brand new bundle of joy: the latest handheld from Nintendo, the 3DS. The 3DS has been the talk of the industry for some time now, and the focus of technical folk everywhere for its promise of glasses-free 3D gaming. Impressions of the console have been mixed, ranging from rather positive to somewhat negative, though apparently it has sold fairly well since its initial launch. As a lover of portable gaming, I’ve been thinking about its launch carefully, and I’ve decided I’m going to do the same thing I did when the original DS launched in back 2004: wait.
Make no mistake, I’m pretty stoked about what the 3DS brings to the table. I am a mild appreciator of a well-done 3D effect (I have embarrassingly caught myself musing how awesome Final Fantasy XIII would look in 3D), and the prospect of not having to wear glasses only sweetens the deal. There’s also the fact that the 3DS is undeniably more powerful than the current DS, and much more able to handle intense 3D graphics (we’re talking polygons) that modern gamers seem to enjoy. Not to mention the gyroscope, twin cameras, analog stick that actually works, and any other manner of technological enhancements brought on by the new hardware.
There are a number of known caveats with this new handheld, however. The battery life is said to last anywhere from three-to-five hours, which, by my calculations, lands it firmly in the realm of the Game Gear, and just barely lasts longer than the PSP. There is also an apparent cavalcade of warnings on the side of the box, all the better than to keep the system out of the hands of the child it was presumably bought for. Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, the 3DS is a whopping $249.99; though not quite as shocking as when the PSP debuted for that back in 2004, it’s still a good chunk of change to invest in order to play PilotWings Resort.
These are the superficial complaints, the flaws that can be levied against the system by anyone who has read about it. The real issues holding me back from purchasing a 3DS, though, are a bit more personal, and I’d like to explain why this lifelong fan of portable gaming is taking a powder* from Nintendo’s biggest hardware launch this year.
The most obvious reason, perhaps, is its anemic lineup of launch games. A few months ago, many in the industry were speculating on how the 3DS could have the strongest collection of Day One software ever, with a 3D remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a reboot of the Kid Icarus franchise, and several other titles worth their weight in drool. What did we actually get? Super Street Fighter IV 3DS, and Nintendogs + Cats. Or, as I like to think of them, games I’ve already played. True, it would be nice to be able to throw down Shoryukens on the road, or to look after a digital kitty during the daily commute (I’m much more of a cat person), but these are merely extensions of experiences I’ve already had, rather than a new killer-app that the 3DS can truly call its own. Though they may be fun, system-sellers these titles are not.
Secondly, I don’t think I can properly convey how inconvenient that three-to-five hour battery life is. I’m rather old-fashioned from a tech standpoint, and perhaps my largest gadgetary peeve is charging my smart phone more than once a day if I’ve been using it heavily. With three-to-five hours of potential usage, it’s as if Nintendo doesn’t want me to play with the thing, forcing me to concentrate on how long I’ve been using the machine, rather than getting lost in the gaming experience. Plus, I live in Montana, which has roughly the landmass of Japan, and I need a handheld to have a good, strong battery life for weekend road trips to visit family around the state.
Another reason I’m content to wait is much more me-centric: I just bought a DSi XL last year, a decision that ranks up with buying an iPod three weeks before Apple announces new models (which I have also done). I absolutely love my XL and its enormous screens, and I want to justify my buying decision as best I can by hanging onto it; I pussyfooted around for nearly a year before upgrading to the XL, and I will not so readily surrender my purchase and throw away my money to upgrade to a platform with whom my interest is merely academic. Melodramatic? Perhaps. But even in the short time I’ve owned my XL, it’s travelled around with me quite a bit, leading me to grow quite fond of it, and I’d rather keep my sentimentally-attached handheld than swap it our for a new one, thank you very much.
Lastly, and perhaps most cynically, I’m waiting for the almost inevitable upgrade that Nintendo seems to do with all of its handhelds. The Game Boy Advance saw the GBA SP release slightly more than two years after its backlight-less older brother, and the DS Lite (which is where I hopped on the bandwagon) dropped about a year and a half after its chunkier predecessor. While the 3DS is nowhere near needing an out-of-the-gate hardware upgrade as the other two systems I mentioned (seriously, did they even look at the DS Phat before they shipped it to the public?), I’m confident that Nintendo will continue to iterate on its device, just like it has in the past. Besides, by the time the 3DS Lite ships, its library should be so full of good games, I’ll have no choice but to buy it.
There’s always the chance that, by choosing to sit this one out, I will completely miss out on a new epoch in gaming; maybe by the time I’ve decided I want a 3DS, the novelty of 3D gaming will have passed, and we’ll be on to bigger and better things (I’m calling it now: portable Kinect). Still, even if I am missing the 3D boat, I’m okay with that for now. I’m still playing catch-up on all of the great DS games that I haven’t played yet, not to mention cutting my teeth into Pokémon White. There’ll definitely be a day when I’ll waltz into Target and plunk down my hard-earned coin for some glasses-free three-dimensional goodness, but for now, I’m too busy having fun with my DSi XL to notice all of the fun I could be having with the 3DS.
Labels: 2011, 3D gaming, 3DS, Andrew Testerman, DS, DS2, DSiWare, Handheld, Nintendo
- Andrew Testerman
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