Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Hold it! Go stand under a waterfall
A little housecleaning before I get to the meat. First, you should be honored I have decided to update G-Pinions today. I am ignoring my scholastic duties for a stretch so I can briefly fill you in on all things gaming. For the next few weeks, though, I have one paper due after another so don't expect too much talk from me. I will be prepared once May roles around, though, which is shockingly much closer than most of us realized.
On that topic, Nick and I got accepted into E3 today. It is anti-climatic, since we have been planning on going for so long, but we are still both overjoyed. It seems like only yesterday that Nick was worried we wouldn't be accepted in time to be eligible for the two hour Media free-for-all on the first day of the show. Oh wait... it was only yesterday. Thankfully, I'll be done with my schooling a few days before this show begins. Yay timing!
Finally, I finally got Ouendan last week. You may remember this game as the title Dan scoured Japan for but could not find. Thankfully, someone else not only found it but grew tired of it just as I was willing to part with Tetris DS. One puzzle game gone and I am one wacky rhythm game richer. I'll make sure to fill you in on the details... if I ever complete the Easy mode. Yes, it really is that hard. Even Al would struggle with this bad boy.
And now, I come to the meat of my post. After much haggling on Game Trade Zone, I finally found someone willing to part with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I clearly gave up more than it is worth - surrendering Castlevania DS along with 3 Dreamcast titles - but I feel like the victor in this deal. The Nintendo DS is continually pumping out games in genres that previously never existed or, as is the case of Phoenix Wright and Advance Wars DS, in genre that have been around forever but never caught my eye. PW is an old school, graphical adventure, and it is ridiculously fun. And, unlike IGN, I am not going to bring the title down because of its genre. PW is one of the few titles I have played that can stand on its story and characters alone.
This is basically a Law and Order type game with way more interesting characters than that played out TV show. A murder is committed and your client is arrested even though they are not guilty. It is up to you to not only prove their innocence but find what vile being is actually guilty of the offense. And you have to do this all in only three days. Yes, this is a laughable example of our legal system (which is already ridiculous... did I mention this game is funny?) but part of the fun is the sheer lunacy of the law.
The thing is, even though PW doesn't do anything particularly noteworthy, it is still an extraordinary title. And I mean that in the sense that, unlike an ordinary title, Phoenix Wright has something extra to it. In other words, this transcends gaming. I know that sounds like hyperbola and, as someone who loves gaming above all else, it's weird that I continually remark how a certain game or system is bigger than the industry. But that's because video games are still so new and there is a lot more to them, and a lot more people who should be enjoying them, then our present situation dictates. PW is a game that not only can appeal to way more people than Resident Evil 4 or God of War, but it is actually more memorable than those titles as well. Not since I beat Beyond Good and Evil a few summers ago have I actually missed a game after I finished it. The story and characters were so compelling that I feel almost lost without them. I want to go to war again with Phoenix and find out the corruption the judge - who can be swayed by a cold stare or even caviar - is too blind to see.
The game does a fantastic job of making you forget you're playing a game. Even though the "levels" are so structured that you can't veer from the path at all, it actually feels like you're unraveling a mystery and saving the life of an innocent person. When the judge overrules your objection of the police chief refuses to testify, I actually was pissed off. This is a place for justice to prevail! How dare you give your verdict without hearing all the facts! It's like when you're watching a horror movie and the hot girl who just lost her virginity to her boyfriend runs upstairs and locks herself in the bathroom after finding out a killer is on the lose. You're yelling with all your persuasion for her to "get out of the damn bathroom!" You know simple wood won't deter this madman and, damnit, you want to see her naked again! Well Phoenix Wright gives that same feelings - without the nudity - except you can actually control the outcome if you keep your cool.
The weaknesses of the game - namely its linearity - can be forgotten because there isn't another way this game could have existed. Until voice recognition technology becomes adept enough to let you argue your case on the fly, this is as good as a lawyer simulation can be. And I'm not even sure I'd want to actually have my wild ranting at the screen be used in court. The writing is so well done that, unless this voice technology was able to construct an argument on the fly based on what you yell out, the game probably wouldn't even be as much fun as it is now.
It's hard to recommend PW over Kirby or Trauma Center because it lacks any semblance of gameplay, but it is one of the most gratifying experiences I have had on my new favorite system. Do yourself a favor and play through this game. It's well worth the price to acquire it.
On that topic, Nick and I got accepted into E3 today. It is anti-climatic, since we have been planning on going for so long, but we are still both overjoyed. It seems like only yesterday that Nick was worried we wouldn't be accepted in time to be eligible for the two hour Media free-for-all on the first day of the show. Oh wait... it was only yesterday. Thankfully, I'll be done with my schooling a few days before this show begins. Yay timing!
Finally, I finally got Ouendan last week. You may remember this game as the title Dan scoured Japan for but could not find. Thankfully, someone else not only found it but grew tired of it just as I was willing to part with Tetris DS. One puzzle game gone and I am one wacky rhythm game richer. I'll make sure to fill you in on the details... if I ever complete the Easy mode. Yes, it really is that hard. Even Al would struggle with this bad boy.
And now, I come to the meat of my post. After much haggling on Game Trade Zone, I finally found someone willing to part with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I clearly gave up more than it is worth - surrendering Castlevania DS along with 3 Dreamcast titles - but I feel like the victor in this deal. The Nintendo DS is continually pumping out games in genres that previously never existed or, as is the case of Phoenix Wright and Advance Wars DS, in genre that have been around forever but never caught my eye. PW is an old school, graphical adventure, and it is ridiculously fun. And, unlike IGN, I am not going to bring the title down because of its genre. PW is one of the few titles I have played that can stand on its story and characters alone.
This is basically a Law and Order type game with way more interesting characters than that played out TV show. A murder is committed and your client is arrested even though they are not guilty. It is up to you to not only prove their innocence but find what vile being is actually guilty of the offense. And you have to do this all in only three days. Yes, this is a laughable example of our legal system (which is already ridiculous... did I mention this game is funny?) but part of the fun is the sheer lunacy of the law.
The thing is, even though PW doesn't do anything particularly noteworthy, it is still an extraordinary title. And I mean that in the sense that, unlike an ordinary title, Phoenix Wright has something extra to it. In other words, this transcends gaming. I know that sounds like hyperbola and, as someone who loves gaming above all else, it's weird that I continually remark how a certain game or system is bigger than the industry. But that's because video games are still so new and there is a lot more to them, and a lot more people who should be enjoying them, then our present situation dictates. PW is a game that not only can appeal to way more people than Resident Evil 4 or God of War, but it is actually more memorable than those titles as well. Not since I beat Beyond Good and Evil a few summers ago have I actually missed a game after I finished it. The story and characters were so compelling that I feel almost lost without them. I want to go to war again with Phoenix and find out the corruption the judge - who can be swayed by a cold stare or even caviar - is too blind to see.
The game does a fantastic job of making you forget you're playing a game. Even though the "levels" are so structured that you can't veer from the path at all, it actually feels like you're unraveling a mystery and saving the life of an innocent person. When the judge overrules your objection of the police chief refuses to testify, I actually was pissed off. This is a place for justice to prevail! How dare you give your verdict without hearing all the facts! It's like when you're watching a horror movie and the hot girl who just lost her virginity to her boyfriend runs upstairs and locks herself in the bathroom after finding out a killer is on the lose. You're yelling with all your persuasion for her to "get out of the damn bathroom!" You know simple wood won't deter this madman and, damnit, you want to see her naked again! Well Phoenix Wright gives that same feelings - without the nudity - except you can actually control the outcome if you keep your cool.
The weaknesses of the game - namely its linearity - can be forgotten because there isn't another way this game could have existed. Until voice recognition technology becomes adept enough to let you argue your case on the fly, this is as good as a lawyer simulation can be. And I'm not even sure I'd want to actually have my wild ranting at the screen be used in court. The writing is so well done that, unless this voice technology was able to construct an argument on the fly based on what you yell out, the game probably wouldn't even be as much fun as it is now.
It's hard to recommend PW over Kirby or Trauma Center because it lacks any semblance of gameplay, but it is one of the most gratifying experiences I have had on my new favorite system. Do yourself a favor and play through this game. It's well worth the price to acquire it.
// posted by Tom @ 10:29 AM 
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