Thursday, February 08, 2007
Hotel Dusk - No replacement for real literature
I have to admit, when I first started playing Hotel Dusk I was completely engrossed. I love games and I love books. How could I not love Hotel Dusk? For all intents and purposes, this is not a video game at all. It's much more akin to an interactive novel. There are a few rudimentary puzzles sprinkled throughout and the occasional interrogation sequences in which a wrong questioned will elicit an abrupt Game Over, but the vast majority of this adventure is just a straight forward narrative. Unfortunately, I cannot actually review this game without sounding pretentious. You see, Hotel Dusk is a game for people who are ashamed of playing games. It is for people who want to appear well-read while still actively avoiding actual novels. The few pieces of gameplay scattered throughout are not strong enough to make this a worthwhile video game, and the story is so insultingly slow and predictable you will not be able to pass this off as an alternative to literature either. I am not sure why this game is garnering so much positive attention, but I seriously fear for the future of our generation, the one's who so love video games, if Hotel Dusk is noted for strong characters and a gripping story. As I stand up straight and hold my pretentious chin level with the ground, I have to yell, "Read a damn book!" Hotel Dusk just makes me sad.
Do you remember my long rant about Marvel: Ultimate Alliance? Nick had already critiqued the abysmal gameplay a week earlier, so I had to settle for deconstructing one of the worst stories in comic game history. My biggest complaint was the forced inclusion of every conceivable character from the Marvel universe. They spent more time explaining how every character tied in to the larger story, trying desperately to convince gamers of their relevance, and very little time actually developing a worthwhile plot or adequate motivations. Why do I bring this up now? Hotel Dusk forms its story in the exact same manner.
You play as Kyle Hyde, an ex-cop turned door-to-door salesman who can't quite give up the badge life. Your boss hired you for a good reason, and it has nothing to do with the adhesive remover or portable sewing machine in your briefcase. The business behind the facade of the salesman business is actually about finding lost items for desperate individuals. You find yourself in this out of the way hotel, picking up items for a client who has not revealed himself, while you try to solve a mystery that forced you to leave the force in the first place. The hotel is filled with the requisite number of seemingly random loonies, though they all end up having a strong relationship to each other. Surprise surprise. You mean the writer has a secret? The owner of the hotel is more than he seems? And don't forget about the bell boy. I know I've seen him before.
The problem? None of these characters are particularly compelling. While that assessment is completely subjective, I had one issue with the script that cannot be denied: the pacing is impossibly slow. You will spend hours upon hours playing this game before any detail, even the most banal detail, is revealed. This is not entertaining. But the time some of the juicy ideas are surfacing during the latter chapters, the drudge of a story had piled so high upon my back I didn't even care anymore. Twists are only successful if the reader is deeply interested in the plot and characters. By artificially extending every detail to ridiculous proportions, the game eschews any sense of tension and just creates suffocating boredom. By the time the conclusion was playing out, I was frantically tapping the screen in an attempt to make the credits roll sooner.
Do you remember reading an awful book for school? Maybe you had to read The Pearl or The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin. You know how tedious those are to go through? Hotel Dusk is much, much worse. You are forced to read at a ridiculously slow speed because the game truly was made for morons. You have to solve pointless puzzles that, like the abrupt end to every conversation just when it begins to get interesting, are only implemented to extend the life of this drab experience. Worst of all, you have to go through every second of this game. You can't flip forward a couple chapters or peruse SparkNotes. It's just bone numbing boredom until the game wraps things up in an untidy bow.
If Hotel Dusk was a novel, an actual novel written for adults, it would never have been published. Why would I want to waste my time reading a story that isn't good enough for print when there is not one ounce of gameplay to pad the experience? I wouldn't, and I hope you heed my advice. If you want an interesting story on your NDS, just play Phoenix Wright. If you crave mystery, pick up a Raymond Chandler novel. Either way, stay far, far away from Hotel Dusk.
Do you remember my long rant about Marvel: Ultimate Alliance? Nick had already critiqued the abysmal gameplay a week earlier, so I had to settle for deconstructing one of the worst stories in comic game history. My biggest complaint was the forced inclusion of every conceivable character from the Marvel universe. They spent more time explaining how every character tied in to the larger story, trying desperately to convince gamers of their relevance, and very little time actually developing a worthwhile plot or adequate motivations. Why do I bring this up now? Hotel Dusk forms its story in the exact same manner.
You play as Kyle Hyde, an ex-cop turned door-to-door salesman who can't quite give up the badge life. Your boss hired you for a good reason, and it has nothing to do with the adhesive remover or portable sewing machine in your briefcase. The business behind the facade of the salesman business is actually about finding lost items for desperate individuals. You find yourself in this out of the way hotel, picking up items for a client who has not revealed himself, while you try to solve a mystery that forced you to leave the force in the first place. The hotel is filled with the requisite number of seemingly random loonies, though they all end up having a strong relationship to each other. Surprise surprise. You mean the writer has a secret? The owner of the hotel is more than he seems? And don't forget about the bell boy. I know I've seen him before.
The problem? None of these characters are particularly compelling. While that assessment is completely subjective, I had one issue with the script that cannot be denied: the pacing is impossibly slow. You will spend hours upon hours playing this game before any detail, even the most banal detail, is revealed. This is not entertaining. But the time some of the juicy ideas are surfacing during the latter chapters, the drudge of a story had piled so high upon my back I didn't even care anymore. Twists are only successful if the reader is deeply interested in the plot and characters. By artificially extending every detail to ridiculous proportions, the game eschews any sense of tension and just creates suffocating boredom. By the time the conclusion was playing out, I was frantically tapping the screen in an attempt to make the credits roll sooner.
Do you remember reading an awful book for school? Maybe you had to read The Pearl or The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin. You know how tedious those are to go through? Hotel Dusk is much, much worse. You are forced to read at a ridiculously slow speed because the game truly was made for morons. You have to solve pointless puzzles that, like the abrupt end to every conversation just when it begins to get interesting, are only implemented to extend the life of this drab experience. Worst of all, you have to go through every second of this game. You can't flip forward a couple chapters or peruse SparkNotes. It's just bone numbing boredom until the game wraps things up in an untidy bow.
If Hotel Dusk was a novel, an actual novel written for adults, it would never have been published. Why would I want to waste my time reading a story that isn't good enough for print when there is not one ounce of gameplay to pad the experience? I wouldn't, and I hope you heed my advice. If you want an interesting story on your NDS, just play Phoenix Wright. If you crave mystery, pick up a Raymond Chandler novel. Either way, stay far, far away from Hotel Dusk.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
West side
Really, I just haven't had a lot to say. As you've no doubt gleaned from my stalwart co-writer Tom, moving can suck for your gaming life, especially when your games are all packed away. Mine thankfully arrived with me, as I drove Out West instead of flew (I can't afford those pricey aeromobiles that Tom flits around in), but it's still been a headache organizing things to the point where I feel comfortable plopping down in front of Lost Planet for a spell.
Regarding said wayward terrestrial sphere, I've definitely enjoyed the time I've put into the game thus far. It's really a very simple action/adventure game at heart; linear levels capped with a boss, action over puzzles, and a thoroughly uninteresting story. That said, it's paced extraordinarily well and makes good use of the gameplay variety that's offered.
You'll do a lot of running around snowy cities, snowy fields and snowy caves (and ice cold factories!), shooting at swarms of pretty aliens, human snow pirates and the occasional giant moth. The structure of the bigger shootouts allow for some decent experimenting, as you usually have a few different weapons, grenades and mechs at your disposal, and a fancy pants grappling hook to whip around the environment with.
The methodical pace of the game (read: slow movement) takes a bit of getting used to, but it works well with the sensitivity of the aiming mechanic and the general exploration of the ultimately small levels. It's definitely gratifying to make it out of a firefight with plenty of health and ammo left, and by that same token if you have to use every last bullet to down a boss you'll feel a nice sense of accomplishment. It would of been nice if they had added some sort of upgrade mechanic to the weapons you use most over time (ala Ratchet & Clank 2+3), but they're well balanced so I suppose I shouldn't rock the boat.
I'm also really looking forward to Crackdown in a couple of weeks. The demo was a very hearty taste, but I've held off playing it further until the final game so I get to keep my leveled character and get some nerd points for my work. I found the co-op mechanic to be a bit disappointing to the narrative aspect of the game as you don't actually have to work together to get things accomplished (and usually end up half the city away from one another), but being able to muck around in an urban sandbox with a buddy is definitely something that's been worth the wait.
Tom and I were discussing game design philosophy over a bout of LP multiplayer tonight, and decided that while all games need co-op, very few actually need multiplayer. Games like Lost Planet and Saint's Row have fairly robust multiplayer features which are fun for a few hours, but most online communities die off after a couple of months and it just becomes frustrating that the development time wasn't spent polishing or lengthening the heart of the game. I was thrilled when they announced that there wouldn't be multiplayer in Bioshock; it would just be completely unnecessary, and a complete waste of resources.
It should also be mentioned that this whole Killzone 2 thing is getting way out of hand. It's inevitable that it's coming out, Sony needs a great exclusive shooter, it's reasonable that we'd expect it this year. These things we know. The whole goddamn ridiculous rumor mill that Luke Smith (1up) started in his blog and finally Ryan Bowling (Sony) shut down about a KZ2 GDC appearance and demo, well it's become a stupidly large ordeal. Luke is allowed to make all the guesses and do all the rumor-mongering he wants as long as it's in his blog. That has nothing to do with his news reporting skills (that's another topic entirely, of which Tom is surely dying to tell you about). More importantly, every other website should have done their own research and gotten their own answers before writing stories that purple monkey dishwashered into what could be perceived as fact. Now everyone in the gaming media looks a jackass, and only have themselves to blame. Then again, perhaps the gamers are at fault for being the type of group that rewards bullshitting your way into a story just to feast on tiny nuggets of info that can further fuel an asinine console war. I'd love to talk about my expectations for the game and whether it could actually be good or compete whatsoever with Halo, etc., but that's apparently a discussion we're not even at yet. I hate everyone.
Regarding said wayward terrestrial sphere, I've definitely enjoyed the time I've put into the game thus far. It's really a very simple action/adventure game at heart; linear levels capped with a boss, action over puzzles, and a thoroughly uninteresting story. That said, it's paced extraordinarily well and makes good use of the gameplay variety that's offered.
You'll do a lot of running around snowy cities, snowy fields and snowy caves (and ice cold factories!), shooting at swarms of pretty aliens, human snow pirates and the occasional giant moth. The structure of the bigger shootouts allow for some decent experimenting, as you usually have a few different weapons, grenades and mechs at your disposal, and a fancy pants grappling hook to whip around the environment with.
The methodical pace of the game (read: slow movement) takes a bit of getting used to, but it works well with the sensitivity of the aiming mechanic and the general exploration of the ultimately small levels. It's definitely gratifying to make it out of a firefight with plenty of health and ammo left, and by that same token if you have to use every last bullet to down a boss you'll feel a nice sense of accomplishment. It would of been nice if they had added some sort of upgrade mechanic to the weapons you use most over time (ala Ratchet & Clank 2+3), but they're well balanced so I suppose I shouldn't rock the boat.
I'm also really looking forward to Crackdown in a couple of weeks. The demo was a very hearty taste, but I've held off playing it further until the final game so I get to keep my leveled character and get some nerd points for my work. I found the co-op mechanic to be a bit disappointing to the narrative aspect of the game as you don't actually have to work together to get things accomplished (and usually end up half the city away from one another), but being able to muck around in an urban sandbox with a buddy is definitely something that's been worth the wait.
Tom and I were discussing game design philosophy over a bout of LP multiplayer tonight, and decided that while all games need co-op, very few actually need multiplayer. Games like Lost Planet and Saint's Row have fairly robust multiplayer features which are fun for a few hours, but most online communities die off after a couple of months and it just becomes frustrating that the development time wasn't spent polishing or lengthening the heart of the game. I was thrilled when they announced that there wouldn't be multiplayer in Bioshock; it would just be completely unnecessary, and a complete waste of resources.
It should also be mentioned that this whole Killzone 2 thing is getting way out of hand. It's inevitable that it's coming out, Sony needs a great exclusive shooter, it's reasonable that we'd expect it this year. These things we know. The whole goddamn ridiculous rumor mill that Luke Smith (1up) started in his blog and finally Ryan Bowling (Sony) shut down about a KZ2 GDC appearance and demo, well it's become a stupidly large ordeal. Luke is allowed to make all the guesses and do all the rumor-mongering he wants as long as it's in his blog. That has nothing to do with his news reporting skills (that's another topic entirely, of which Tom is surely dying to tell you about). More importantly, every other website should have done their own research and gotten their own answers before writing stories that purple monkey dishwashered into what could be perceived as fact. Now everyone in the gaming media looks a jackass, and only have themselves to blame. Then again, perhaps the gamers are at fault for being the type of group that rewards bullshitting your way into a story just to feast on tiny nuggets of info that can further fuel an asinine console war. I'd love to talk about my expectations for the game and whether it could actually be good or compete whatsoever with Halo, etc., but that's apparently a discussion we're not even at yet. I hate everyone.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Just one more chance
For the many G readers who do not actively follow or even play video games, this may come as a bit of a shock - Bungie is going to allow the world to play a pre-release version of Halo 3. Yes, a beta will be bestowed upon Microsoft's loyal subjects in just a few short months. And you doubt the existence of god. Clearly, a benevolent force greater than us does exist. We should gladly jump through any hoop Microsoft constructs, no matter how flaming it may be, to take part in this once in a lifetime event. Who wants to Play Beyond when they can just Jump Into Halo?
Microsoft has devised three plans, each more cunning than the last, to allow gamers a chance to put Halo 3 through its paces a tad early. Our first opportunity surfaced late last year. For one glorious 24 hour interval, MS opened a website to register prospective gamers. From this massive collection of eager Halo nuts a select few were tagged, the most randomly elite of the blindly chosen, to play this beta when it surfaces in a few months. The rest, the people who bought an Xbox 360 at launch, the people who slagged through Full Auto and Call of Duty 2 when nothing else was available, are left grinding their teeth for another day.
The hype had begun.
Two months later, Microsoft tapped gamers on the shoulder and reminded them that Halo is king. To bow before other games, or - wash your tongue! - other systems was to spit in the face of modern gaming conventions. During the first three days of February, Microsoft opened a door to the future by way of the past. "Remember your chosen hero!" MS bellowed, urging players to take part in a few more explosive rounds of the aged but still glowing Halo 2. People who missed out in the initial selection process still had a chance to play the Halo 3 beta. They just needed to log onto Xbox Live and play three hours of Halo 2. Just 180 minutes of Warthog stealing, sword swinging, grenade sticking action and they were guaranteed to have a chance to play the Halo 3 beta. A few more people were selected while the rest, the people who want Halo 3 more than sweet ice cream and fluffy puppies combined, were left to anxiously wait for the third and final round of selections.
Time is getting short. Two opportunities have come and gone. How will the remaining diehards, the people who have actually taken the time to read Halo-themed novels and are already holding tryouts for their Halo 3 clan, how will they be able to take part in the Halo 3 beta? These are the people, they would argue, who MS should want to be involved. This is a beta after all. Not some sleazy demo. You are a part of the development process. You will have a direct link to Bungie's ear. Rifle too powerful? Pink suit too girly? Man cannon too sexy? Tell Bungie. You have the power of a tester. If there was only some way to guarantee a place in the beta.
Lucky for you, you can buy your way in. No more suffering through cruel fate's twisted sense of humor. For $60, you can buy a place in gaming history. Oh yeah, you get a full copy of some other game as well. I think it's called Crackhouse or Caulkdown or something. Who cares about that? It's all about the Halo 3 beta.
Sadly, I will not be taking part in this cultural experiment. I do not like to be teased, prodding and taunted. I rarely play demos anyway. Demos may inform casual gamers what's coming out soon, but how does that help me? I know all about Lost Planet and Crackdown and all the other demos that hit the marketplace. I would rather play through one of the many games in my always growing backlog than waste time checking out a game I won't be able to fully enjoy for many months down the road. So, if the idea of a demo annoys me, and the only hoop one has to jump through to play that is both large and inviting, why would I bother with a stress-inducing beta?
Microsoft is placing all of their stock in Halo 3. It makes sense, since Halo is the most popular exclusive franchise in America, but I can smell the desperation from here. They are either ignoring their other titles completely or blatantly insulting them. Realtime Worlds spent three years developing Crackdown and it looks like a damn fine game, but the buzz surrounding it is all about the Halo 3 beta. Sure, MS is getting Crackdown into the homes of many more people, but at what cost? All of their attention is focused on Halo, the all mighty Halo, with the other titles shunned in some awful dank corner somewhere.
Microsoft's tunnel vision could lead to their downfall this generation. They have a plethora, a bonanza even, of quality games coming out, but everything without the big LO in it will be ignored. Look at last year's marketing debacle. Viva Pinata muscled its way into every relevant critics top 10 list, but it sold exactly 23 copies worldwide. Blood and chainsaw carnage may be all the rage, but why not promote a quality title in a genre that is not completely overdone? There is more to gaming than Halo. At some point, Microsoft will realize this.
Microsoft has devised three plans, each more cunning than the last, to allow gamers a chance to put Halo 3 through its paces a tad early. Our first opportunity surfaced late last year. For one glorious 24 hour interval, MS opened a website to register prospective gamers. From this massive collection of eager Halo nuts a select few were tagged, the most randomly elite of the blindly chosen, to play this beta when it surfaces in a few months. The rest, the people who bought an Xbox 360 at launch, the people who slagged through Full Auto and Call of Duty 2 when nothing else was available, are left grinding their teeth for another day.
The hype had begun.
Two months later, Microsoft tapped gamers on the shoulder and reminded them that Halo is king. To bow before other games, or - wash your tongue! - other systems was to spit in the face of modern gaming conventions. During the first three days of February, Microsoft opened a door to the future by way of the past. "Remember your chosen hero!" MS bellowed, urging players to take part in a few more explosive rounds of the aged but still glowing Halo 2. People who missed out in the initial selection process still had a chance to play the Halo 3 beta. They just needed to log onto Xbox Live and play three hours of Halo 2. Just 180 minutes of Warthog stealing, sword swinging, grenade sticking action and they were guaranteed to have a chance to play the Halo 3 beta. A few more people were selected while the rest, the people who want Halo 3 more than sweet ice cream and fluffy puppies combined, were left to anxiously wait for the third and final round of selections.
Time is getting short. Two opportunities have come and gone. How will the remaining diehards, the people who have actually taken the time to read Halo-themed novels and are already holding tryouts for their Halo 3 clan, how will they be able to take part in the Halo 3 beta? These are the people, they would argue, who MS should want to be involved. This is a beta after all. Not some sleazy demo. You are a part of the development process. You will have a direct link to Bungie's ear. Rifle too powerful? Pink suit too girly? Man cannon too sexy? Tell Bungie. You have the power of a tester. If there was only some way to guarantee a place in the beta.
Lucky for you, you can buy your way in. No more suffering through cruel fate's twisted sense of humor. For $60, you can buy a place in gaming history. Oh yeah, you get a full copy of some other game as well. I think it's called Crackhouse or Caulkdown or something. Who cares about that? It's all about the Halo 3 beta.
Sadly, I will not be taking part in this cultural experiment. I do not like to be teased, prodding and taunted. I rarely play demos anyway. Demos may inform casual gamers what's coming out soon, but how does that help me? I know all about Lost Planet and Crackdown and all the other demos that hit the marketplace. I would rather play through one of the many games in my always growing backlog than waste time checking out a game I won't be able to fully enjoy for many months down the road. So, if the idea of a demo annoys me, and the only hoop one has to jump through to play that is both large and inviting, why would I bother with a stress-inducing beta?
Microsoft is placing all of their stock in Halo 3. It makes sense, since Halo is the most popular exclusive franchise in America, but I can smell the desperation from here. They are either ignoring their other titles completely or blatantly insulting them. Realtime Worlds spent three years developing Crackdown and it looks like a damn fine game, but the buzz surrounding it is all about the Halo 3 beta. Sure, MS is getting Crackdown into the homes of many more people, but at what cost? All of their attention is focused on Halo, the all mighty Halo, with the other titles shunned in some awful dank corner somewhere.
Microsoft's tunnel vision could lead to their downfall this generation. They have a plethora, a bonanza even, of quality games coming out, but everything without the big LO in it will be ignored. Look at last year's marketing debacle. Viva Pinata muscled its way into every relevant critics top 10 list, but it sold exactly 23 copies worldwide. Blood and chainsaw carnage may be all the rage, but why not promote a quality title in a genre that is not completely overdone? There is more to gaming than Halo. At some point, Microsoft will realize this.
Monday, February 05, 2007
New Games!
Henry David Thoreau would puke if he saw my apartment. Still unopened boxes stacked atop other unopened boxes. A wooden chair floating aimlessly in my kitchen. The occasional scratch of a puppy trying to find freedom. But there are games. They aren't hooked up yet, but all my games, and all my systems, are surrounding me once more. And, for all you math fans, my gaming screen will be cubed in a few short hours. Gaming on a 3" screen for an entire month would blind an eagle. I'm not sure how I'll adjust to 27" of Lost Planet. I'm sure it will be pleasant, though. Oh, and one more note before I present the latest entries in gaming's expanding library - my last post, detailing the epic adventure Quiz and Dragons, was the 600th post in the history of this site. All you doubters who said we would never pass 599 were wrong. Dead wrong. On with the show!
Lunar Knights - Isn't there a law against false advertising? You would think this game would be awesome. Knights on the moon? Who wouldn't love that?
"Knave! Thou hast besmirched this fair maiden's name. I hereby banish thee to the Sea of Tranquility!"
I'm sorry, I can't even write about the real game now. This medieval venture on the moon just sounds like way too much fun to sully my head with thoughts of vampires and mindless combat. Though a question does come to mind: since there isn't any water on the moon, what would a king fill his moat with? Will I ever be able to come up with a substitute better than Space Water? Either way, someone should really make this game instead of the real Lunar Knights.
Final Fantasy VI - Square is in a very bad place. Not only did they run out of new ideas five years ago, but they are now blowing through all their old properties at an alarming rate. They just finished releasing two updated classics late last year. Final Fantasy III came out in November. Just 80 days ago they finally released the "real" Final Fantasy III and now, just when people are finally coming to terms with their crazy counting system, they release the version of Final Fantasy III that everyone grew up with. What is even more ridiculous is that Final Fantasy V, the prequel to FFVI that was actually released for the first time in America ten years after its predecessor, saw a GBA update of its own a mere 90 days ago. For those counting, that is three Final Fantasy ports in three very short months. They released FFI and II back in 2004 and FFIV in 2005. So they have now used up all of their classic titles. Looks like we're stuck with a never ending stream of Final Fantasy VII remakes and spin-offs until Square can come up with an original idea.
Diddy Kong Racing DS - Finally, a game that's actually worth talking about. The Nintendo 64 original is one of the finest examples of a mascot racer I have ever played. The only superior entry in the bloated genre is the game that started it all - Super Mario Kart. Until Nintendo gets an online version of the original running on their Virtual Console, kart fans will have to settle playing this saccharine-drenched offering. Unfortunately, this is merely an update to the original. But it does have a few new elements. Most importantly, you can race online. Early word is that six racers can compete (up from the four player battles in Mario Kart DS) and you can even use your microphones to communicate before racing begins. Not too shabby. For those who strive to be the next Picasso or Dali, you can even design your own courses. Unfortunately, good news is always followed by bad on this site. Rare has taken "advantage" of the many tools of the NDS. You actually have to blow on the microphone to start your hovercraft and scratch the touch screen to propel your kart. It seems like a horrendous idea, and it could potentially ruin the entire experience, but I am still hopeful. You'll have to tune in next week when I finally get my hands on this game. I'm crossing my fingers from now.
Lunar Knights - Isn't there a law against false advertising? You would think this game would be awesome. Knights on the moon? Who wouldn't love that?
"Knave! Thou hast besmirched this fair maiden's name. I hereby banish thee to the Sea of Tranquility!"
I'm sorry, I can't even write about the real game now. This medieval venture on the moon just sounds like way too much fun to sully my head with thoughts of vampires and mindless combat. Though a question does come to mind: since there isn't any water on the moon, what would a king fill his moat with? Will I ever be able to come up with a substitute better than Space Water? Either way, someone should really make this game instead of the real Lunar Knights.
Final Fantasy VI - Square is in a very bad place. Not only did they run out of new ideas five years ago, but they are now blowing through all their old properties at an alarming rate. They just finished releasing two updated classics late last year. Final Fantasy III came out in November. Just 80 days ago they finally released the "real" Final Fantasy III and now, just when people are finally coming to terms with their crazy counting system, they release the version of Final Fantasy III that everyone grew up with. What is even more ridiculous is that Final Fantasy V, the prequel to FFVI that was actually released for the first time in America ten years after its predecessor, saw a GBA update of its own a mere 90 days ago. For those counting, that is three Final Fantasy ports in three very short months. They released FFI and II back in 2004 and FFIV in 2005. So they have now used up all of their classic titles. Looks like we're stuck with a never ending stream of Final Fantasy VII remakes and spin-offs until Square can come up with an original idea.
Diddy Kong Racing DS - Finally, a game that's actually worth talking about. The Nintendo 64 original is one of the finest examples of a mascot racer I have ever played. The only superior entry in the bloated genre is the game that started it all - Super Mario Kart. Until Nintendo gets an online version of the original running on their Virtual Console, kart fans will have to settle playing this saccharine-drenched offering. Unfortunately, this is merely an update to the original. But it does have a few new elements. Most importantly, you can race online. Early word is that six racers can compete (up from the four player battles in Mario Kart DS) and you can even use your microphones to communicate before racing begins. Not too shabby. For those who strive to be the next Picasso or Dali, you can even design your own courses. Unfortunately, good news is always followed by bad on this site. Rare has taken "advantage" of the many tools of the NDS. You actually have to blow on the microphone to start your hovercraft and scratch the touch screen to propel your kart. It seems like a horrendous idea, and it could potentially ruin the entire experience, but I am still hopeful. You'll have to tune in next week when I finally get my hands on this game. I'm crossing my fingers from now.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]