Monday, July 30, 2007
New games are coming
Mario Strikers Charged - When I look down at my $250 YouTube machine I can't help but feel I'm missing something. The world is opening its mouth wide and inhaling the Wii with relish. Nintendo's perpetual motion machine is selling more than the PS3 and X360 combined and frequently appears in mainstream publications that previously shunned every aspect of gaming. The Wii has created a world where it is not only right to play tricks on grandma, but actively encourages it. She really think that 5 inch piece of plastic is a bowling ball, poor thing. But I, a gamer for the past 21 years and a Nintendo fan for life, can only watch with disdain as another Wii game attempts to destroy my favorite hobby.
So I approach this new soccer game with some caution. The one place where a motion controller should shine is on a sports field. Trying to play a traditional game on the Wii is a drag but sports are all about moving and shaking anyway. Would it really be a bad thing to extend that movement to the controller? The game is essentially the same as the Gamecube original, but it does provide a limited online experience. I'm sure it has all the wackiness you would expect from a Mario sports title as well. Wish me luck.
Picross DS - Have I mentioned that my new job is just as boring as my old job? While the work itself is tedious and draining, my NDS is chugging along like a champ. Those stolen moments in the bathroom, just me and my NDS, they make the day bearable. Hopefully, this new title will be able to fill the void that wretched Pokemon game could not plug. Picross is basically Suduko without numbers. It sounds easy but I imagine it gets ridiculously hard at some point, as all cerebral puzzle games do. Check out Wii Picross for a free trial. If you like it, the real game is only $20. If you don't like it, well, that's a sure sign you're soft in the head. This is a smart person game. Go back to playing tricks on grandma if you can't handle it.
Spelling Challenges - I have no idea what this game is. Sure, on paper it sounds fun. A game that tests your spelling ability, right? Sounds fairly basic. But then the tangible elements of how this game actually functions rears its horrible head of truth. Does the game yell out words, like a real spelling moderator would? Can you ask it for a definition or, if you're feeling cheeky, the country of origin? Or does the game show you a picture of a dog and demand that you spell it? It could even punish wrong answers by slamming the DS's convenient clam-shell design on your tender fingers! I honestly don't know the answer to these poignant questions. Without expertly drawn pictures or some heavy duty artificial intelligence with voice recognition, this seems like a lame attempt to cash in on the success of all those Brain games.
So I approach this new soccer game with some caution. The one place where a motion controller should shine is on a sports field. Trying to play a traditional game on the Wii is a drag but sports are all about moving and shaking anyway. Would it really be a bad thing to extend that movement to the controller? The game is essentially the same as the Gamecube original, but it does provide a limited online experience. I'm sure it has all the wackiness you would expect from a Mario sports title as well. Wish me luck.
Picross DS - Have I mentioned that my new job is just as boring as my old job? While the work itself is tedious and draining, my NDS is chugging along like a champ. Those stolen moments in the bathroom, just me and my NDS, they make the day bearable. Hopefully, this new title will be able to fill the void that wretched Pokemon game could not plug. Picross is basically Suduko without numbers. It sounds easy but I imagine it gets ridiculously hard at some point, as all cerebral puzzle games do. Check out Wii Picross for a free trial. If you like it, the real game is only $20. If you don't like it, well, that's a sure sign you're soft in the head. This is a smart person game. Go back to playing tricks on grandma if you can't handle it.
Spelling Challenges - I have no idea what this game is. Sure, on paper it sounds fun. A game that tests your spelling ability, right? Sounds fairly basic. But then the tangible elements of how this game actually functions rears its horrible head of truth. Does the game yell out words, like a real spelling moderator would? Can you ask it for a definition or, if you're feeling cheeky, the country of origin? Or does the game show you a picture of a dog and demand that you spell it? It could even punish wrong answers by slamming the DS's convenient clam-shell design on your tender fingers! I honestly don't know the answer to these poignant questions. Without expertly drawn pictures or some heavy duty artificial intelligence with voice recognition, this seems like a lame attempt to cash in on the success of all those Brain games.
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