As with most other websites, I am going to writing up my predictions for E3 this year. I expect this E3 to be much better than last years pathetic event.
Predictions:
Disaster: Day of Crisis (it still has a chance. Nintendo recently trademarked Card Hero which is an old DS game, so they can decide to release this any time they want)
Sin & Punishment 2 detailed (possible release date but you know how Nintendo doesn't reveal that until 2 months before the game is released)
Trace Memory R announced (this is really just me hoping NoA will in good faith release it here)
Pikmin 3 information (possibly a trailer...but I can't see this being Nintendo's big Wii game for Holiday 2009)
More New Play Control titles. (Kind of a give me...Pikmin 2, and Metroid Prime 1 & 2...possibly Chibi-Robo)
Maybe Takt of Magic and some of the other games from the October 2008 Conference will appear?
Mario & Luigi 3 (This is a give me, the first two games were released here and it is a Mario game)
Card Hero for DS. (With the recent trademark of the game in the US, it wouldn't surprise me.)
A new DSi specific game that takes advantage of the DSi camera. I really can't imagine any of Nintendo's flagship series being used in this. I have a feeling this is probably what Miyamoto's secret project is about.
Made in Ore (dubbed by fans as WarioWare Myself. The game lets you create your own minigames in WarioWare style.)
3D Picross (Planet Puzzle League was released so this is obvious. Will probably be under Touch Generations)
Professor Layton 2 (It was confirmed by a producer at Level 5 that they were working on a localization of the 2nd game. Nintendo has yet to comment on it but with the recent sells influx of the title, I think it's a safe bet)
Wishful Thinking:
Project HAMMER (Makes it's return due to Wii MotionPlus. Nintendo never officially cancelled it, and some of the past people said it was only shelved. Famitsu went so far as to claim it was cancelled. I expect to hear something about it sometime this year if not at E3)
Mario Wii game announced(Mario Galaxy 2 would be nice. Miyamoto seems to tease us about it a lot. But there is only a slim chance this will happen)
StarFox Wii game announced (We haven't had a new game in a few years. With Wii MotionPlus being released, imagine how accurate the flying controls could be!)
Kirby Wii game announced (It keeps appearing on Nintendo's list, ever since the original was announced on the Gamecube 4 or 5 years ago.)
Zelda Wii game announced (Wii MotionPlus control will be more than likely implemented since Link uses a sword.)
Virtual Console for the DSi. (Everyone wants it, but Nintendo has stated they have yet to discuss something of that nature.)
SomaBringer, Glory of Hercules, and Fossil Diggers announced. (The fans want them, and with Nintendo recently localizing older DS games such as Starfy and the trademark for Card Hero, it is very possible that we may get one of these games)
Elite Beat Agents 2 (With iNiS finished with Lips, maybe we will see a new game in the series?)
Band Brothers DX (Reggie talked about the game a few months ago along with Girls Mode. If they struck a deal with a major record label it's possible it'll be released.)
Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Helpful Steps to Help You Finish A Game
Do you finish every game you have bought or received at one point or another? By finish I mean either the story mode or completing it 100% (completionist).
I haven't finished every game I own and I don't think I ever will. These days, finishing a game to me is just finishing the story mode. Not playing the extra modes or collecting all the items or anything like that. This is really my own fault for buying so many games all the time. I have 47 DS games and have only finished at least the main story mode on 19 of them (some of them you can't beat: Tetris, Brain Age, Big Brain Academy, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing). I mean someday I may go back to a game just to complete it 100% but with so many other games to play it is going to take a while for me to even consider going back to a game.
After the initial Brawl buzz had worn off, I still didn't feel like playing any of my other Wii games when I know I should be. I should try to finish some more before I get Mario Kart Wii on April 27th. Brawl is awesome and all, but it's not really the best thing since [insert whatever word here]. I should seriously stop buying Zelda games because I own almost all of them except for (OoT, MM, Link's Awakening, Four Swords Adventures) and maybe some others I can't even think about. I need to just sit down with one Zelda game, and play it until I'm finished.
For those wondering how to do this, I have came up with a short but easy guide to follow in order to help you finish games.
1.) Picking The Game You Want to Finish
It isn't simple to really just pick a game and finish it, I would know. The things to remember is that did you really have fun with the game and just got stuck, or did you get bored? You are probably going to want to play the ones you had fun with but got stuck on. If you choose the latter you will probably get discouraged and quit playing the game again. So just pick the games you remembered having fun with. Also, do not buy anymore games and don't try to play more than one game at once.
2.) Stay Away From Distractions
Easier said than done, I know. Basically this does not mean to ignore your life or anything of the sort because you don't want to become a blob your parents hassle all the time. Distractions to me means TV Programs, Movies, Cell Phone, School Work(just kidding), Friends(oh yes I just did say that), Siblings (unless you are responsible for them in some way), and anything else you can think of. Unless it's a really important distraction, you should just ignore all of those things so you can make some progress on your game.
3.) Have Food & Drink Close By
This could go under the distraction category if I said for you to get up and get food & drink while you are playing your game. Well don't; just have it close by. Everyone gets the munchies, but I would recommend something that isn't going to dirty up your system or controller, and a little healthier so you don't become a blob. Don't eat or drink anything that you know will go through your digestive system quickly, resulting you into having to take a bathroom break. But if you have to go, you have to go.
4.) What To Do When You Get Stuck
Okay so you made it past the part you were stuck on last time, but now you are stuck again. I know you feel discouraged, but don't give up. Just keep trying at it. Sometimes if it's something like a boss it's best just to take a short break so you can calm down and try again when you are level headed and not making sailors blush with your potty mouth. I know this sounds like a distraction by taking a break, but it actually has helped me many times in the past.
If you get stuck on a puzzle and you've tried it many times and are frustrated, you can always just use a guide. Do not go waste money on buying one of those fancy guides at a store. You can find tons of guides written by fellow gamers(often better than the guides that cost money) on sites such as GameFAQs.com for free. I know it may seem like you are cheating, but you aren't. You just got stuck and you don't want to be discouraged from your main goal of finishing the game because you couldn't solve one dumb little puzzle. Guides are helpful, just don't follow them word for word or you won't even enjoy the game.
You can also just simply ask fellow gamers on the internet or your friends for help. They may think you suck or whatever, but I guess that is just their problem now isn't it? If they were your friend they would be willing to help you without being a jerk to you. Friends who have played the game will sometimes remember having the same problem you had, and help you through it. I know I said to ignore friends, but not when they can be useful in helping you achieve your goal.
5.) When Should I Take A Break
I know, another distraction. Just kind of take a break every once in a while to rest your eyes, so you don't end up overly tired and with a neck ache from staring at a screen too long. Too many times I have refused to take a break, and lost sleep over it because my neck started to hurt. You can also use this time to take a bathroom break, and just calm down and take in some fresh air. This usually ends up helping me refocus on the game better, and help me overcome any little challenge or see something I didn't notice before. It's always best to take a break just to refresh your mind.
Well, I hope my little guide has helped you in some way. Please let me know if it has helped you by posting a comment, so I'll feel like my life isn't already a waste of air to breathe. :P
I haven't finished every game I own and I don't think I ever will. These days, finishing a game to me is just finishing the story mode. Not playing the extra modes or collecting all the items or anything like that. This is really my own fault for buying so many games all the time. I have 47 DS games and have only finished at least the main story mode on 19 of them (some of them you can't beat: Tetris, Brain Age, Big Brain Academy, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing). I mean someday I may go back to a game just to complete it 100% but with so many other games to play it is going to take a while for me to even consider going back to a game.
After the initial Brawl buzz had worn off, I still didn't feel like playing any of my other Wii games when I know I should be. I should try to finish some more before I get Mario Kart Wii on April 27th. Brawl is awesome and all, but it's not really the best thing since [insert whatever word here]. I should seriously stop buying Zelda games because I own almost all of them except for (OoT, MM, Link's Awakening, Four Swords Adventures) and maybe some others I can't even think about. I need to just sit down with one Zelda game, and play it until I'm finished.
For those wondering how to do this, I have came up with a short but easy guide to follow in order to help you finish games.
1.) Picking The Game You Want to Finish
It isn't simple to really just pick a game and finish it, I would know. The things to remember is that did you really have fun with the game and just got stuck, or did you get bored? You are probably going to want to play the ones you had fun with but got stuck on. If you choose the latter you will probably get discouraged and quit playing the game again. So just pick the games you remembered having fun with. Also, do not buy anymore games and don't try to play more than one game at once.
2.) Stay Away From Distractions
Easier said than done, I know. Basically this does not mean to ignore your life or anything of the sort because you don't want to become a blob your parents hassle all the time. Distractions to me means TV Programs, Movies, Cell Phone, School Work(just kidding), Friends(oh yes I just did say that), Siblings (unless you are responsible for them in some way), and anything else you can think of. Unless it's a really important distraction, you should just ignore all of those things so you can make some progress on your game.
3.) Have Food & Drink Close By
This could go under the distraction category if I said for you to get up and get food & drink while you are playing your game. Well don't; just have it close by. Everyone gets the munchies, but I would recommend something that isn't going to dirty up your system or controller, and a little healthier so you don't become a blob. Don't eat or drink anything that you know will go through your digestive system quickly, resulting you into having to take a bathroom break. But if you have to go, you have to go.
4.) What To Do When You Get Stuck
Okay so you made it past the part you were stuck on last time, but now you are stuck again. I know you feel discouraged, but don't give up. Just keep trying at it. Sometimes if it's something like a boss it's best just to take a short break so you can calm down and try again when you are level headed and not making sailors blush with your potty mouth. I know this sounds like a distraction by taking a break, but it actually has helped me many times in the past.
If you get stuck on a puzzle and you've tried it many times and are frustrated, you can always just use a guide. Do not go waste money on buying one of those fancy guides at a store. You can find tons of guides written by fellow gamers(often better than the guides that cost money) on sites such as GameFAQs.com for free. I know it may seem like you are cheating, but you aren't. You just got stuck and you don't want to be discouraged from your main goal of finishing the game because you couldn't solve one dumb little puzzle. Guides are helpful, just don't follow them word for word or you won't even enjoy the game.
You can also just simply ask fellow gamers on the internet or your friends for help. They may think you suck or whatever, but I guess that is just their problem now isn't it? If they were your friend they would be willing to help you without being a jerk to you. Friends who have played the game will sometimes remember having the same problem you had, and help you through it. I know I said to ignore friends, but not when they can be useful in helping you achieve your goal.
5.) When Should I Take A Break
I know, another distraction. Just kind of take a break every once in a while to rest your eyes, so you don't end up overly tired and with a neck ache from staring at a screen too long. Too many times I have refused to take a break, and lost sleep over it because my neck started to hurt. You can also use this time to take a bathroom break, and just calm down and take in some fresh air. This usually ends up helping me refocus on the game better, and help me overcome any little challenge or see something I didn't notice before. It's always best to take a break just to refresh your mind.
Well, I hope my little guide has helped you in some way. Please let me know if it has helped you by posting a comment, so I'll feel like my life isn't already a waste of air to breathe. :P
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Sad State Of Gaming Reviews
I know I have written an article in the past that has to do with how videogame reviews are very sloppily created and how they lack real criticism on a games basic points. People play videogames because they keep them entertained and are fun. Reviews should focus on the entertainment value as well as if they are fun and keep the player excited.
After reading an article about why videogames aren't considered "art", I had the following rant to say:
It's simple, these so called game reviewers can't seem to agree on a straightforward criteria, as well as with their mentality that a game should be rated based on a review of a game that is similar in experience or a predecessor. They have meaningless scoring systems, and people who don't play games often or are looking to get in on the gaming scene, are going to believe these terrible "reviews" and could possibly miss out on what they may have thought would be a good game.
Honestly, someone or something needs to come up with a game reviewing criteria that the industry can agree on without any kind of corruption taking place, that is simple and easy to understand for everyone from your kid brother to your grandma. Sadly, I don't expect this ever to happen with horrible sites like IGN and GameStop in existence. Hell, I've seen better reviews from everyday people; even I thought one of the reviews I wrote was more in depth than anything written by one of those "big" sites and could really help the game player decide on whether the game is worth their time and will provide enjoyment.
That's just my two cents/rant/article on the object of game reviews. I know I need to start writing them again, but when I look at my reviews now, I see their flaws...they are mostly just unorganized, but I still feel as if I'm missing a key element of reviewing a game. But then again, how could I possibly know what it is that I'm missing, when we don't even have a reliable review criteria available?
Thanks to GoNintendo's news story for inspiration of this article!
After reading an article about why videogames aren't considered "art", I had the following rant to say:
Videogames aren’t considered Art because we have people who don’t even play videogames fueling controversy about violence and people who review movies saying games aren’t art. How would they know? They’ve never even played a game from this era, let alone a Super Mario Bros. game that came out back in the 1980s.The gaming industry also lacks a competent reviewing criteria. The movie industry has a review criteria in place, so why can't games?The people who have never actually played a game such as these movie reviewers, Jack Thompson, and news reporters shouldn’t even be allowed to comment on the situation until they have actually played a game.
It's simple, these so called game reviewers can't seem to agree on a straightforward criteria, as well as with their mentality that a game should be rated based on a review of a game that is similar in experience or a predecessor. They have meaningless scoring systems, and people who don't play games often or are looking to get in on the gaming scene, are going to believe these terrible "reviews" and could possibly miss out on what they may have thought would be a good game.
Honestly, someone or something needs to come up with a game reviewing criteria that the industry can agree on without any kind of corruption taking place, that is simple and easy to understand for everyone from your kid brother to your grandma. Sadly, I don't expect this ever to happen with horrible sites like IGN and GameStop in existence. Hell, I've seen better reviews from everyday people; even I thought one of the reviews I wrote was more in depth than anything written by one of those "big" sites and could really help the game player decide on whether the game is worth their time and will provide enjoyment.
That's just my two cents/rant/article on the object of game reviews. I know I need to start writing them again, but when I look at my reviews now, I see their flaws...they are mostly just unorganized, but I still feel as if I'm missing a key element of reviewing a game. But then again, how could I possibly know what it is that I'm missing, when we don't even have a reliable review criteria available?
Thanks to GoNintendo's news story for inspiration of this article!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Brawl Character Profiles
All day yesterday I was sort of bored (besides playing Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles) and I decided to make a topic on my forum which I rarely post on. Basically all I did is make mini character profiles that have a picture of the character, when they first appeared in the Smash Bros. series, how to unlock the character, and a list of the special moves.
I know some of you are probably thinking what is the point, but I thought I would just make something simple so you don't have to navigate through the Smash Bros. Dojo or through messy FAQs. You can check out the topic here. You do not have to register in order to see it, but I hope you do, I really want to make the forum active again!
1 Day and 21 Hours and 40 Minutes until Brawl!!!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Game Reviews are Harsh and too Critical these days...
What do you think about reviews, do they influence your purchase, do they not, do you do something else to figure out if you should get a game? Vote in our poll on the sidebar (sorry its at the bottom of the blog though!)
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Game Reviews are something that many of us frequent to see if a game will be interesting to us, however, the problem with many reviews is their scoring and tactics, and they are really harsh these days (also their credibility is in trouble). Aren't games supposed to be about if they are fun or not? I mean Visuals, Music/Sound, all matter...but not as much as whether the game is fun or not, right?
These days I usually just check out reviews to see what other people out there have to think about games. I can't really take their word for it because everyone has different opinions. Recent controversy on reviews even being credible came up on GameSpot when one of their long time reviewers was let go. Many people believe that this was due to the advertising campaign on the site that was going on for the game...and that the company who made the game threatened to pull their ad campaign because the game was given a low score by the reviewer who was let go. I mean honestly, why even bother paying attention to big name sites out there for game reviews; their reviews could be influenced by companies giving them money to give their game a good review.
Now for my main story I'm going to discuss what I think about the reviews being given at big name sites and magazines out there. I'm starting to notice many games are getting lower scores just because they are a sequel. For instance, multiple times a reviewer at IGN has been deducting points from games just because they are a sequel in the series, even if it's better than one of the previous games. What gives? It's pretty foolish. I never played the first two Metroid Prime games, yet this reviewer decides to deduct points because it's a sequel. He has done this numerous times (I'm sure you readers know who I am talking about) and it's starting to make me lose faith in his credibility as a reviewer. I mean the game should be judged on its own, it shouldn't be judged based on a past game, this is one huge problem in reviews.
There are many complaints that make this review look like a waste of time.
Game reviews are pretty harsh out there, or at least most of the gamers out there would agree with me. I mean do you really give whether or not a game is in HD or has widescreen? That's not really important, what is important is that the game plays good and gives you a good time. If you buy games just because of their graphics then you should really find a better hobby. If you just buy a game based on what it looks like, then chances are you are missing out on most of the games out there. I mean graphics can only go so far.
Reviewers seem to critique games way too harshly. Sonic and the Secret Rings wasn't a bad game, so what gives with their scores? They shouldn't try comparing it to a past Sonic game because it's pretty worthless because many games in a series are different from eachother. I can say that the game was really short, but it was one of the most beautiful games on the Wii, and a step in the right direction for the Sonic series. The control wasn't perfect but it was still better than the travesties of Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog(360/PS3). The game still has awesome music, and even though the story was corny, it just wasn't that bad to be given that low of a score in the first place. These game reviewers need to judge a game based on whether you can play it without any huge errors (like a game ending glitch & control) and whether or not it's fun. They critique way too much on the technical stuff, only true gamers base a game on it's control and whether it's fun, so I guess most of the people who take reviews as if they fit them aren't true gamers, just posers.
Games are supposed to be fun, if they rag on every single game out there so harshly the videogame business would probably crash. Honestly, lets give a game a lower score "because it is a sequel". That'll just do the game companies good. I know that some reviewers out there are true to gaming, but if they pitter-patter around with all that technical crap in reviews, the game industry may cease to exist someday. Games should be judged on whether they are fun or not...gaming is about fun, not about being perfect in every way.
Game Reviewers, you really need to change...and if you don't want to, then find a new career based on reviewing TV's since the technical aspects is all you seem to be worried about.
-----------------------------------------------
Game Reviews are something that many of us frequent to see if a game will be interesting to us, however, the problem with many reviews is their scoring and tactics, and they are really harsh these days (also their credibility is in trouble). Aren't games supposed to be about if they are fun or not? I mean Visuals, Music/Sound, all matter...but not as much as whether the game is fun or not, right?
These days I usually just check out reviews to see what other people out there have to think about games. I can't really take their word for it because everyone has different opinions. Recent controversy on reviews even being credible came up on GameSpot when one of their long time reviewers was let go. Many people believe that this was due to the advertising campaign on the site that was going on for the game...and that the company who made the game threatened to pull their ad campaign because the game was given a low score by the reviewer who was let go. I mean honestly, why even bother paying attention to big name sites out there for game reviews; their reviews could be influenced by companies giving them money to give their game a good review.
Now for my main story I'm going to discuss what I think about the reviews being given at big name sites and magazines out there. I'm starting to notice many games are getting lower scores just because they are a sequel. For instance, multiple times a reviewer at IGN has been deducting points from games just because they are a sequel in the series, even if it's better than one of the previous games. What gives? It's pretty foolish. I never played the first two Metroid Prime games, yet this reviewer decides to deduct points because it's a sequel. He has done this numerous times (I'm sure you readers know who I am talking about) and it's starting to make me lose faith in his credibility as a reviewer. I mean the game should be judged on its own, it shouldn't be judged based on a past game, this is one huge problem in reviews.
There are many complaints that make this review look like a waste of time.Game reviews are pretty harsh out there, or at least most of the gamers out there would agree with me. I mean do you really give whether or not a game is in HD or has widescreen? That's not really important, what is important is that the game plays good and gives you a good time. If you buy games just because of their graphics then you should really find a better hobby. If you just buy a game based on what it looks like, then chances are you are missing out on most of the games out there. I mean graphics can only go so far.
Reviewers seem to critique games way too harshly. Sonic and the Secret Rings wasn't a bad game, so what gives with their scores? They shouldn't try comparing it to a past Sonic game because it's pretty worthless because many games in a series are different from eachother. I can say that the game was really short, but it was one of the most beautiful games on the Wii, and a step in the right direction for the Sonic series. The control wasn't perfect but it was still better than the travesties of Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog(360/PS3). The game still has awesome music, and even though the story was corny, it just wasn't that bad to be given that low of a score in the first place. These game reviewers need to judge a game based on whether you can play it without any huge errors (like a game ending glitch & control) and whether or not it's fun. They critique way too much on the technical stuff, only true gamers base a game on it's control and whether it's fun, so I guess most of the people who take reviews as if they fit them aren't true gamers, just posers.
Games are supposed to be fun, if they rag on every single game out there so harshly the videogame business would probably crash. Honestly, lets give a game a lower score "because it is a sequel". That'll just do the game companies good. I know that some reviewers out there are true to gaming, but if they pitter-patter around with all that technical crap in reviews, the game industry may cease to exist someday. Games should be judged on whether they are fun or not...gaming is about fun, not about being perfect in every way.
Game Reviewers, you really need to change...and if you don't want to, then find a new career based on reviewing TV's since the technical aspects is all you seem to be worried about.
Monday, January 14, 2008
GoNintendo's Bionic Commando Wii Petition
Well GoNintendo is up to it again, this time with a petition to get the Bionic Commando sequel that is currently scheduled for Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 on the Wii. When Ben Judd was asked about the possibility of the game coming to the Wii, he said the following:
"It will largely depend on what the fans want for the future of Bionic Commando. If the interest is there, of course we want as many people as possible to appreciate this great franchise."
Ben Judd - Capcom
Click here to see the petition information:
"It will largely depend on what the fans want for the future of Bionic Commando. If the interest is there, of course we want as many people as possible to appreciate this great franchise."
Ben Judd - Capcom
Click here to see the petition information:
I have also added the petition to the sidebar! Thanks to all of you who sign it!!!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Upcoming Wii Games I'm Looking Forward To
Well they do this at many websites, but since this is just me here it will be my opinions on why I want upcoming games that are coming out. I'll probably do more features like this in the future since there are tons of games we still don't know about. So here is what I think on some of the upcoming games for the Wii. (In order by release)
Endless Ocean (January 21, 2008)
I'm really looking forward to this game as something I can play to relax and make me not feel bored when I get tired of my other games. The exploring sounds interesting and so does the music. Exploring the ocean would be better if we could take pictures of the life we discover in the ocean, but I guess it won't be too bad. Plus, you can dive with a friend via Nintendo WiFi Connection and use your own music, though I think the calm and soothing music in the game is what you should probably try to find. Anyway, the game is out January 21st, and I already have my copy preordered. It's only $30 and it looks great, I can't wait!
No More Heroes (January 22, 2008)
Well, it seems that recent updates to Amazon and other retailers sites say that Suda51's anime crazed assassin game will be out by the end of January! This is probably so it doesn't get overlooked by Brawl. I'm interested in this game because it is sort of a hack-n-slash but it is really bizarre style of gameplay. I like the way Suda51 thinks about what makes a great game and that it doesn't always have to be normal to be fun and cool. My brother is getting this game for me, it got good ratings from Famitsu, so I don't see how it can be bad (even though not a single Japanese lined up for it on release day in Japan, SHAME ON THEM!)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (February 10, 2008)
Do I really need to explain why I'm interested in this game? Probably not, but I guess I can say some things. For one, it will have WiFi play with random players and your friends, which makes it an instant buy for any Smash fan! Also, all of the new things they are doing with the series, co-op, even over WiFi sounds awesome. New ways to collect trophies, and also the introduction of assist trophies like the Poké Balls of the past games. This game will probably be one of, if not the best games of all time, and will surely be played for years to come! I just wish it was released on December 3rd, because then I would be playing it instead of writing how eager I am to play this game!!!
I was planning to write about Mario Kart Wii & Disaster: Day of Crisis but we still don't know much about those games, so I'll save that for another time. Let me know what games you are interested in and why in a comment!
Endless Ocean (January 21, 2008)
I'm really looking forward to this game as something I can play to relax and make me not feel bored when I get tired of my other games. The exploring sounds interesting and so does the music. Exploring the ocean would be better if we could take pictures of the life we discover in the ocean, but I guess it won't be too bad. Plus, you can dive with a friend via Nintendo WiFi Connection and use your own music, though I think the calm and soothing music in the game is what you should probably try to find. Anyway, the game is out January 21st, and I already have my copy preordered. It's only $30 and it looks great, I can't wait!
No More Heroes (January 22, 2008)
Well, it seems that recent updates to Amazon and other retailers sites say that Suda51's anime crazed assassin game will be out by the end of January! This is probably so it doesn't get overlooked by Brawl. I'm interested in this game because it is sort of a hack-n-slash but it is really bizarre style of gameplay. I like the way Suda51 thinks about what makes a great game and that it doesn't always have to be normal to be fun and cool. My brother is getting this game for me, it got good ratings from Famitsu, so I don't see how it can be bad (even though not a single Japanese lined up for it on release day in Japan, SHAME ON THEM!)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (February 10, 2008)
Do I really need to explain why I'm interested in this game? Probably not, but I guess I can say some things. For one, it will have WiFi play with random players and your friends, which makes it an instant buy for any Smash fan! Also, all of the new things they are doing with the series, co-op, even over WiFi sounds awesome. New ways to collect trophies, and also the introduction of assist trophies like the Poké Balls of the past games. This game will probably be one of, if not the best games of all time, and will surely be played for years to come! I just wish it was released on December 3rd, because then I would be playing it instead of writing how eager I am to play this game!!!
I was planning to write about Mario Kart Wii & Disaster: Day of Crisis but we still don't know much about those games, so I'll save that for another time. Let me know what games you are interested in and why in a comment!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Nintendo DS Rhythm Games
Well, I decided to write a post on a couple of the Rhythm games for the Nintendo DS. I've played several and I really enjoyed them, I'll talk a little about each and why you should get them!
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (Import)
One of the first music games on the DS. Ouendan is about a group of Ouendan (Japanese Male Cheerleading Squad) who help people get through difficult challenges by cheering them all. Basically, all you do is tap Hit Markers in order when the little diminishing circle is of equal size to the hit marker. There are also Phrase markers where you hold down on the circle and move across the bar, and there are also Roll markers that you use the Stylus to spin really fast. You do this all to various J-Pop & J-Rock songs with different stories and animations. The game is pretty import friendly, you don't need to know Japanese to really play the game, and there are translation guides for the menus (you'll learn the menu in no time). I mean the only thing you won't understand is the music, but that didn't bother me, I just played through the whole game again on Easy mode. Anyway, the game features 4 difficulty modes properly entitled: "Easy", "Normal", "Hard", and "Insane" modes. So you'll play through each song a bunch of times trying to get S Ranks. The game cost around $50 to import (as do most import DS games), but it is definitely worth it considering the game is Japan-only and very fun! (The game didn't do that well in Japan, but was a hit among the importing crowd - Play-Asia once reported they received over 2000 orders for the game!)
Elite Beat Agents
Well, EBA is actually the Western Style spiritual sequel to the Ouendan game. However, the characters are now styled after the FBI Agents and Men in Black who try to help people through Song and Dance. It's basically the same idea as Ouendan, except with crazy western ideas and mainstream pop music. You'll get a little bit of old, and a little bit of current music. However, some of the songs may annoy you like Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson songs (though the cover versions of these songs actually sound awesome compared to the originals.) The game didn't fail per se, but on launch day it only sold like 100,000 copies, while NoA's president was hoping it would sell 300,000+ more copies. Anyway, this game was developed by iNiS, the creators of Ouendan, so it's still good if you wanna tap out to American. The game was also released in Europe & Australia.
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (Import)
The sequel to the popular import game Ouendan, is back with a new rival Ouendan team and tons more songs to play. Of course you do the exact same thing in this game, there isn't much difference except for the graphics being a bit better, new stories, new music. The whole premise of the game is pretty much the same. The game was released in Japan back in May of this year and was once again, a hit among the importing crowd. I preordered this game because I absolutely loved the first one. (Elite Beat Agents was okay, but it could've used better varieties of music instead of the main stream.) I can say that I probably liked the music choices better in the first game, but this sequel still delivers some awesome game play. It also features the improvements of Elite Beat Agents such as being able to save your replays in up to 20 slots so you can show it off to your friends! So if you liked the other two games, this should definitely be part of your collection!
Ontamarama
Ontamarama is another one of the niche music titles for the DS out there. It was recently released in the US by Atlus (who often releases niche games in the US). It's exactly the same as the Japanese version, same music and everything. It doesn't really feature any mainstream music, it seems to be built with its own music from the ground up. In Ontamarama, you play as either a boy named Beat or a girl named Rest who are both in the anime style drawings. Basically you have to have "music battles" with opponents who are being controlled by an evil bat-dude. In Ontamarama, Ontama (the little animals) appear on the screen and you have to tap, or circle them. They then fill in scrolling circles on the top of the screen. You have to press the D-Pad or ABXY buttons in coordination when the scrolling circles are inside the circle at the end. You don't necessarily have to fill in the little circles at the top, but you won't get a high score and will never get an S Rank that way. The game is very short and has several difficulty modes. It also has some unlockables such as extra songs which you can buy using your Ontama Points which you get after finishing a song. I would have to say that this game is good for short gameplay on the go. I recently got it on sale for the generous price of $20!
Taiko no Tatsujin DS (Import)
Well if you follow Japanese culture, or the gaming scene, you have probably heard of the arcade games called Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master in the US). So far it seems that this game is Japan only, and I haven't heard any news on it being released in the US. If it does get released in the US it won't feature the same music, so it's definitely import friendly. Basically the game comes with two special styluses that you can use on the DS screen. Also, for gaming on the go where you can't use the stylus, you can use the various buttons on the DS to play the game. Similar to Ontamarama, you have to wait till the red or blue circle ends up in the circle at the end, then tap either inside the drum for Red circles, or outside of the drum for Blue circles. If you time it just right you will get a higher score. The game features various music from Videogames, Anime, JPop & JRock and various other kinds of music. (Ex. Pocket Monsters "Together" theme song and Super Mario Bros.) I would say this game is definitely import worthy for the music game enthusiast. You don't need to know Japanese to play the game, and there are translation guides out there for the menus. The song has several difficulty modes, 4 player wireless multiplayer, and bunch of unlockables. It even has a mode where it gives you random songs to play each day and rates you with a score. The game will cost you $50. (I'm waiting for a price drop, I'm not rich!)
We need more music games, they are great fun for us all! If you have one of the above games or want to recommend any other music games (but I don't think there are any others worth playing), you can email me about it and I'll post what you think on here! Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you guys consider at least importing/buying one of these games!!!
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (Import)
One of the first music games on the DS. Ouendan is about a group of Ouendan (Japanese Male Cheerleading Squad) who help people get through difficult challenges by cheering them all. Basically, all you do is tap Hit Markers in order when the little diminishing circle is of equal size to the hit marker. There are also Phrase markers where you hold down on the circle and move across the bar, and there are also Roll markers that you use the Stylus to spin really fast. You do this all to various J-Pop & J-Rock songs with different stories and animations. The game is pretty import friendly, you don't need to know Japanese to really play the game, and there are translation guides for the menus (you'll learn the menu in no time). I mean the only thing you won't understand is the music, but that didn't bother me, I just played through the whole game again on Easy mode. Anyway, the game features 4 difficulty modes properly entitled: "Easy", "Normal", "Hard", and "Insane" modes. So you'll play through each song a bunch of times trying to get S Ranks. The game cost around $50 to import (as do most import DS games), but it is definitely worth it considering the game is Japan-only and very fun! (The game didn't do that well in Japan, but was a hit among the importing crowd - Play-Asia once reported they received over 2000 orders for the game!)
Elite Beat Agents
Well, EBA is actually the Western Style spiritual sequel to the Ouendan game. However, the characters are now styled after the FBI Agents and Men in Black who try to help people through Song and Dance. It's basically the same idea as Ouendan, except with crazy western ideas and mainstream pop music. You'll get a little bit of old, and a little bit of current music. However, some of the songs may annoy you like Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson songs (though the cover versions of these songs actually sound awesome compared to the originals.) The game didn't fail per se, but on launch day it only sold like 100,000 copies, while NoA's president was hoping it would sell 300,000+ more copies. Anyway, this game was developed by iNiS, the creators of Ouendan, so it's still good if you wanna tap out to American. The game was also released in Europe & Australia.
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (Import)
The sequel to the popular import game Ouendan, is back with a new rival Ouendan team and tons more songs to play. Of course you do the exact same thing in this game, there isn't much difference except for the graphics being a bit better, new stories, new music. The whole premise of the game is pretty much the same. The game was released in Japan back in May of this year and was once again, a hit among the importing crowd. I preordered this game because I absolutely loved the first one. (Elite Beat Agents was okay, but it could've used better varieties of music instead of the main stream.) I can say that I probably liked the music choices better in the first game, but this sequel still delivers some awesome game play. It also features the improvements of Elite Beat Agents such as being able to save your replays in up to 20 slots so you can show it off to your friends! So if you liked the other two games, this should definitely be part of your collection!
Ontamarama
Ontamarama is another one of the niche music titles for the DS out there. It was recently released in the US by Atlus (who often releases niche games in the US). It's exactly the same as the Japanese version, same music and everything. It doesn't really feature any mainstream music, it seems to be built with its own music from the ground up. In Ontamarama, you play as either a boy named Beat or a girl named Rest who are both in the anime style drawings. Basically you have to have "music battles" with opponents who are being controlled by an evil bat-dude. In Ontamarama, Ontama (the little animals) appear on the screen and you have to tap, or circle them. They then fill in scrolling circles on the top of the screen. You have to press the D-Pad or ABXY buttons in coordination when the scrolling circles are inside the circle at the end. You don't necessarily have to fill in the little circles at the top, but you won't get a high score and will never get an S Rank that way. The game is very short and has several difficulty modes. It also has some unlockables such as extra songs which you can buy using your Ontama Points which you get after finishing a song. I would have to say that this game is good for short gameplay on the go. I recently got it on sale for the generous price of $20!
Taiko no Tatsujin DS (Import)
Well if you follow Japanese culture, or the gaming scene, you have probably heard of the arcade games called Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master in the US). So far it seems that this game is Japan only, and I haven't heard any news on it being released in the US. If it does get released in the US it won't feature the same music, so it's definitely import friendly. Basically the game comes with two special styluses that you can use on the DS screen. Also, for gaming on the go where you can't use the stylus, you can use the various buttons on the DS to play the game. Similar to Ontamarama, you have to wait till the red or blue circle ends up in the circle at the end, then tap either inside the drum for Red circles, or outside of the drum for Blue circles. If you time it just right you will get a higher score. The game features various music from Videogames, Anime, JPop & JRock and various other kinds of music. (Ex. Pocket Monsters "Together" theme song and Super Mario Bros.) I would say this game is definitely import worthy for the music game enthusiast. You don't need to know Japanese to play the game, and there are translation guides out there for the menus. The song has several difficulty modes, 4 player wireless multiplayer, and bunch of unlockables. It even has a mode where it gives you random songs to play each day and rates you with a score. The game will cost you $50. (I'm waiting for a price drop, I'm not rich!)
We need more music games, they are great fun for us all! If you have one of the above games or want to recommend any other music games (but I don't think there are any others worth playing), you can email me about it and I'll post what you think on here! Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you guys consider at least importing/buying one of these games!!!
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