Food for Thought - March 2010

Third party games don't sell on the Wii?
[Exhibit A]


No one plays the Wii online?
[Exhibit B]

Just Sayin'

If they put every episode of Nintendo Week on DVD? I would buy it.

Just sayin'.

I just finished watching this week's episode. They are so hilarious yet trippy yet good-clean-fun yet informative.

Nintendo's marketing strategies get a lot of flak. This one never should.

CrashMan disagrees with Malstrom. .... wait, what!?!?

It's true. For the first time, maybe ever, Sean Malstrom has written some things I do not agree with.

Of course, this doesn't mean you shouldn't agree with them. But let me share why I don't. They deal with Metroid: Other M and the initial trickles of info we've seen.

Malstrom says: "Seeing the end of Super Metroid in ridiculous CGI brings back no nostalgia and actually ruins the ending of Super Metroid (now when we get the Hyper Beam, we will have that stupid saying in our head of 'Mother, time to go!' Ugh)."

Why I disagree: I think the new cutscenes look/sound awesome. Your witness, Mr. Malstrom.


Malstrom says: So what do the intros of Other M and Super Metroid have in common? They both have bad voice acting*. Perhaps Sakamoto should have stuck to text instead.
*Does not include baby Metroid whose voice acting has always been excellent.

Why I disagree: Well, that was genuinely funny. But, we're not here to make 'em laugh, Mr. Malstrom!

For a guy who admires change so much (constantly praising the Wii's business strategy), it surprises me how much he seems to be upset by the fact that Samus now has a voice. Perhaps worse, it seems that he is not judging the voiced Samus as much as he is condemning whatever is not the silent Samus.

Observe,
Malstrom: "I’m rather fond of the intro to Metroid Prime. In that, no words are spoken. The camera only swirls around to show that you are now in 3d and then zooms into Samus’s helmet."
"The Metroid Prime 2 intro was also pretty cool. All it shows is Samus crashing into the planet, camera swirls around, and then you are good to go."

Why are we striving for a striped down experience, Sean? I feel I am in the minority, but for me, depth is paramount (*cough*cough* Wii Are what?).

So why single out this small difference in opinion from someone I truly respect and admire?

Simply because, in this scenario, his reactions seem to articulately sum up the reactions of a lot of gamers. They are psyched about the game itself (Malstrom: "...keep in mind I do not think these games are ‘bad’. They are very well made. ... these games are a zillion times better than the User Generated Content software."), but they seem to resist and fear change because it is such a well-established franchise.

I can't agree with that mentality. Especially not in this case. It's not like they gave Samus a mohawk and a skate board. Also, Nintendo detractors have been complaining for years about how Nintendo doesn't give their big franchises enough fresh new ideas. How they are "lazy" in how they leave Mario, Metroid, Zelda relatively unchanged.

Yet, these same folks are first to the soapboxes when Nintendo actually does take risks (Wind Waker, Sunshine, Star Fox Adventures and now Other M).

The way I see it ...
Giving Samus a voice only deepens the character and lore of the game. I believe this holds true for any game. Yes, you run the risk of poor execution, and not everyone will be pleased - but you run those risks no matter what!

All things considered ...
Sonic has spoken for years. So people are used to it. So they don't complain (about the voice anyway).

Mario has spoken (a little) for years. So people are used to it. So they don't complain.

The cast of Resident Evil has spoken for years. So people are used to it. So they don't complain.

I can't help but feel the same would hold true for Samus. A few years from now, assuming the entirety of Other M makes the game an enjoyable one, no one will be irked about Samus opening her mouth. They've always wanted to blast alien lifeforms, now they'll just want to know "what happens next!?" after they do it.

Disclaimer: You da man, Sean.

Pachter Brings the Smarts

A lot of people hate Michael Pachter. I'm not one of those people. A lot of times, during his appearances on GameTrailers, he says a lot of pro-"hardcore" things. But just like G4, I believe it is because he understands the audience of that show and wants to appease them.

However, unlike G4, it is rare that Pachter betrays the Wii market (perceived as anything-but-harcore) by insulting them. This indicates that he is intelligent enough to harbor some respect for the Wii audience.

Well, from Michael's mouth, here's our proof:
"I continue to believe that the Wii audience will buy good games, and think that third parties have done a poor job of making them for the Wii. There are a handful of exceptions (my favorite is Zack and Wiki), but most third party Wii games just plain suck. The third parties don't appear to be giving the Wii owner what he/she wants, which is an approachable, high quality game. The bulk of titles are shovelware, and once a Wii owner has a bad experience with a poorly crafted title from a third party, they are even more likely to return to buying only Nintendo products. This is most definitely NOT Nintendo's fault; they can hardly be blamed for making consistently good games. It's the fault of studios that think it's OK to make a lousy game and put the word 'party' in the title."

I'm not saying I agree 100%, but let's face it, compared to the way Wii gamers usually get kicked around, it's pretty nice to get a shred of credit from one of the more vocal gaming pundits.

From Nintendo With Love

Hey gang,

So it's been 24 hours since the Media Summit. How are we all feeling?

I'm very happy with what we heard yesterday. I didn't really expect any blockbuster announcements (Kid Icarus Wii! I will never give up hope! I will find you! Give me back my son!!!) *ahem* ... but I think what we got was as good as we could have hoped for.

So what did we get?

Peace of Mind
We now know for certain when the big Nintendo-related titles will be out this year. (See release dates to the right). But beyond that, I think we learned that the future is bright for at least two reasons:

1. If Mario/Metroid/S+P are coming out this summer. Nintendo must have enough up their sleeve to keep the Holiday season merry. The new Zelda? That seems like a good candidate. And don't forget, NSMBWii was announced mere months before hitting market and being (arguably) the biggest game of the Holiday season. So I'm thinking Zelda + [unannounced title] = Nintendo Holiday 2010.

2. Cammy Dunaway was quoted saying their won't be a Wii successor "anytime soon." This is something we hear all the time, from every company, no matter what. Why would they spoil current potential sales and announce something they can't buy yet?

But the part that tells me we really get to enjoy the Wii for a while (and not have to shell out another heap of cash in the near future) is this: "Even though our install base is, at this point, five million households larger than the PS2 install base was at the same point in its life cycle, it still has a lot of room to grow. If you think PS2, there's been about 50 million sold -- Wii close to 28 million sold -- so it says to me there's still a big audience out there that we can access with Wii ... We'll have it ready when we think the time is right."

In other words, when sales of the Wii become unacceptable. Which, in case you haven't heard, they are not.


Metroid
I'm loving, loving, loving what we're seeing from the new Metroid. I am all about story. This game looks to really focus on Samus' character - I hope they are rewarded with a successful response from the gamer.

Also, the fact that you can switch between side-view and first person at any time, just by pointing the wiimote, sounds like another truly innovative, truly awesome, implementation of the Wii's technological advantages.


Mario
Different enough to be new, similar enough to be fun. Galaxy 2 will be purchased, it will be enjoyed. What more do I need to say?

Though, I do have one gripe: The Bee-suit is one of my favorite power-ups of all time. Instead of holding a drill, they should have given Mario a Mole-suit.
[like this one (lower right)]

But hey! Ya-ya-yoshi! Buggabugoo!! (those are my impressions of Yoshi sounds.)

Sin & Punishment
I think Liz Lemon said it best: "I want to go to there."

Monster Hunter Tri
Free online? And now you have my business, Capcom.

Cave Story
It's alive!! It's aliiiiiiiiive!! ... and that makes me happy ^_^

--------

It's a good time to be a Wii owner.

And hey, GDC is coming up soon, right? Will there be more surprises in store?

Leave a comment or talk it up on the forums.

Enjoy Games, Not War.

The site has changed. We used to fight the good fight. It hasn't been worth the effort. Fighting the good fight in gaming culture has been like approaching a forest fire with a squirt gun.

New focus? Our awesome community, gaming, and letting the fools remain foolish.

1. Yawn.
2. Stretch.
3. Rock on with the new WiiAreDeep.

Hope to see you (yes you!) in the forums and at the other end of some good online gaming.

~CrashMan

Arkia wins Excitebike Tourney!

In a heated series of races, Arkia once again proved that he is one heck of a gamer. By winning in convincing fashion, Arkia once again kept Maxi from the gold. Will Maxi's time ever come?!
Rounding out the top three, Mop showed that she is no slouch on the competitive pixels.

Someone got fourth place... with half as many points as third place... not sure who it was. Maybe the info and Badges are all available in the Tournies section? =P

Great job, everyone!!

RECOM: Twilight Princess by Nightmaredude

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
by Nightmaredude
(Contributing Author)

The latest release in the Legend of Zelda series from Nintendo, released on the Wii in late 2006, is a revolutionary title—not only for the series, but for RPG gaming as a genre—because of the ground-breaking use of controls, immersive story, and luscious world. As with every game in the series, Twilight Princess features a reluctant hero trying to save the world and rescue the princess. One would think that after nearly 25 years, this formula would grow tiresome; that, everyone can agree on, is not the case. The plot is much greater than it seems: as time goes by, the story becomes an epic quest, an adventure, to save not only Hyrule, but the universe, from the unrelenting forces of evil and darkness.

As the story begins, the first thing the player notices are the lush beautifully designed environments. Grass drifts in the wind, water ripples and reflects sunlight while fish cast shadows on the bottom of small ponds. The over-world is massive, with several wide-open fields, lakes and rivers, towns, and many dungeons. The design of each dungeon and the amount of detail put into every single room is astounding. The highly detailed Castle Town and the immense architectural wonder that is Hyrule Castle are a pleasure to study. And that’s only Hyrule; from the barren wastelands of the Gerudo Desert, to the dark atmosphere of the Twilight Realm and the lofty perches of the City in the Sky, Twilight Princess has a diverse world that easily enraptures the mind as you wander about on your quest.

What would any Legend of Zelda game be without its timeless, awe-inspiring music? Twilight Princess does not slack in the department of mood-setting tunes. One of the first games (and most likely the only one to date) on the Wii that features a full incorporated orchestra, the superiority of Twilight Princess’s music shines as bright as the Triforce itself. Although it takes a step away from traditional Zelda-themes, the soundtrack is nevertheless a piece of art, lending majesty to the magical world of Hyrule.

One must not over-look the smaller details, as the sound effects featured in Twilight Princess are precise and realistic to the point of perfection. From everything to jingling chain-mail to shouts of pain, the game has a sound effect for everything. The only damper on this is the usage of the Wiimote’s speaker to project sounds specific to Link. Although it is a fantastic concept, the low quality speaker tends to distort otherwise perfect sound effects. This error is easily rectified by simply turning off the speaker, making this small mistake a moot point for nitpickers.

The story follows Link, the only Hylian in a small, out-of-the-way town, whose world is turned upside down when ominous clouds of Twilight transform the world into a bleak and desolate place. When Shadow Monsters kidnap the local children, his adventure begins. Link does the unimaginable and goes into the Twilight, where he is turned into a wolf and taken captive. The story really picks up when Link meets up with an imp named Midna, who frees him in exchange for a favour. She takes Link to meet Princess Zelda, who willingly became a captive of Zant, the usurper King of the Twilight Realm, in an effort to save her kingdom from unnecessary slaughter. Midna and Link are charged by the princess to find a way to destroy the Twilight and bring peace back to Hyrule. The ending of the game is a masterpiece, truly a moment where story-telling becomes an art in which Twilight Princess excels beautifully.

Story aside, the game itself features many technical innovations. The use of the Wiimote, specifically the pointer, is pure genius: you aim at the screen with various items, such as the bow for a precision never before seen. Movement is as expected: you move with the Nunchuck’s analog stick and readjust the view with the C button. Sword wielding is simple: you swing the Wiimote (not radically though, short even swings are sufficient) and Link will swing his sword. Battling is made easier with the inclusion of Z-Targeting (pressing and holding the Z button to keep a lock on a single enemy), which is improved upon from previous games.

Continuing with sword fighting, the player can learn a wide range of alternate, special attacks, which usually involves a combination of analog-movement, sword swinging and/or button pressing. There is one move, however—the shield punt—that has the annoying habit of turning instead into a spin attack, due to the similarity in execution of the moves; to perform a spin attack you shake the Nunchuck; to perform a shield punt, thrust the Nunchuck forward. Although shield punting is used frequently in the beginning of the game, one can overlook this small fault when the other, much more powerful moves are unlocked.

As with its predecessors, Twilight Princess features a fare amount of unique items. Some—like the bow and arrows, bombs and jars—have been featured in previous games, while others—the Double Clawshots and the Gale Boomerang, for example—are upgraded items from previous installments. Of course, the game features new items such as the Spinner (a giant top which Link rides upon to destroy enemies and reach high places via tracks), and the Dominion Rod (a wand, in essence, that allows you to control statues).

Twilight Princess features a wide array of challenges, but most of them are fairly easy to figure out given some thought. The legendary Water Temple, however, is a testament to gaming ingenuity; easily the biggest and most complicated dungeon in the game, it features massive puzzles that affect the entire dungeon and way too many rooms to count. However, the rest of the game’s trails pale in comparison, and from that point out, the game is easily completed. Twilight Princess does possess a ridiculous amount of smaller, optional side quests and mini-games to distract the player, often reaping massive rewards. Alas, this, too, is a weak point in the game: they are easy to complete, making Rupee hunting a breeze.

Lastly, the boss battles are elegant and well thought out, with well-designed bosses and unique usage of item combinations. But because of the easy difficulty of the game, they are no longer the same heart-racing, temper -flaring battles of yesteryear. With a calm mind and quick reflexes, the boss battles are much simple, whereas the potential for greatness remains unused. Even the final boss, Ganondorf, poses no real challenge. Despite this however, Twilight Princess accomplishes exactly what it was made to do: give one a righteous sense of accomplishment, and the realization that you alone saved a world from overwhelming darkness.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a game which fans both old and new can be proud of, and is certainly one worth the time to complete.

ExciteBike Tourney

Hey ya'll,

Just a reminder that the ExciteBike Tourney is THIS weekend! on Sunday! at 2PM EST.

Meet in the site's Chat to set up the game.

And get your registration in if you haven't already!!

Some Game Journalists Are Smart

Please, read these ...

In Defense of the Wii
~tvandlust.net
[link]


Hudson Dev On Mature Wii Titles: Focus On Passion, Not Platform
~Gamasutra.com
[link]


What Wii gaming is like for me
~Destructoid.com
[link]


Only bad Wii games sell badly
~eurogamer.net
[link]


The Only Thing Lazy about Nintendo is their Haters
~IGN blogs
[link]