Hey hey. Sorry I've been slow again; now that the radio show is back on (Tuesdays 5-6 PM), I should have more to post, but I've been busy with school.
In any case, by now you've probably heard about Epic Mickey. Back when the concept art was first leaked, a bit of Wikipedia looping led to me learning about a forgotten character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Based on what little I knew about the game's plot (that it was about forgotten characters rising up against Mickey), I had a hunch that Oswald was going to be the Big Bad. And Disney had just recently reobtained the rights to Oswald.
So now the game has been officially announced, and it turns out I was right: Oswald is going to be the Big Bad in Epic Mickey. To be fair, I wasn't the only person to guess this, but still, I was right. In any case, what I didn't guess is that Disney specifically reobtained the rights so they could use him in the game. That tells me they're putting a lot of effort into this game, and I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Recent concept art has suggested the game might be a 2D side-scroller. Whether or not that is the case, 2D games for non-handhelds have made a major comeback this generation. XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare have allowed developers to make cheaper games, many of which fit the bill. Some are completely 2D, and others use polygons but limit to 2D movement. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is sure to be a breakthrough hit in that genre. But there are also a lot of excellent 2D games, such as Wario Land: Shake It, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, and Megaman 9.
It's true that the last two generations had a few excellent 2D games (Odin Sphere comes to mind), they dropped off significantly. Even in the 32/64 bit generation, there were a few excellent ones (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Yoshi's Story are good examples), but most games were switching to some form of 3D. Now, thanks to broader audiences and new methods of deployment, 2D games are cpming back for real.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
We're BAAAAACK!
That's right, Press Start is back for another season on KDIC 88.5 in Grinnell Iowa, the official radio station of Grinnell College. If you're in Grinnell, listen to us on the radio. Otherwise, you can hear the show on kdic.grinnell.edu, so enjoy!
Some upcoming features on the blog and the show:
-Quotes that defined generations
-Games that should have sequels
-What makes a good controller
-Updates on Cyber Heroez
-Reviews of The Beatles Rock Band, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, DIRT 2, Kingdom Hearts, Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, and more!
-Fan Reviews
-Franchise Overviews
-Commentary on the price wars, console harmony, motion controllers, and other issues
-Hidden Gems
-The coolest video game swag
-Less cool swag
-And of course, more music!
Oh, and one more thing...
Some upcoming features on the blog and the show:
-Quotes that defined generations
-Games that should have sequels
-What makes a good controller
-Updates on Cyber Heroez
-Reviews of The Beatles Rock Band, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, DIRT 2, Kingdom Hearts, Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, and more!
-Fan Reviews
-Franchise Overviews
-Commentary on the price wars, console harmony, motion controllers, and other issues
-Hidden Gems
-The coolest video game swag
-Less cool swag
-And of course, more music!
Oh, and one more thing...
Friday, June 5, 2009
About My Comparisons
I've heard from a few people in my time blogging who say that I'm just as bad as a type-A fanboy, because I still make comparisons and defend companies against each other. I do understand the source of these comparisons, and that is why I want to explain my position more clearly.
Like any gamer, I have my biases. I'm a type-B fanboy; devoted to one company or series (Nintendo for me), but more than open to others. I tend to dislike Sony, but that's just an opinion, separate from other opinions.
In terms of blogging, the difference between me and a Type A fanboy is that I my opinions come out in my blog only when they're relevant. I've said plenty of bad things about Nintendo, and plenty of good things about Sony. All of my statements are backed up with evidence. I don't delete comments I disagree with; if anything, I respond to them with an explanation of my point of view. It's a blog, so it's going to have my opinions in it, but I strive to always back them up.
But I admit that sometimes my opinions get the better of me. If you think I've said something unfair in any of my posts, or that I've said something bad about someone without sufficient evidence, please let me know in a comment.
Thanks, and enjoy!
Like any gamer, I have my biases. I'm a type-B fanboy; devoted to one company or series (Nintendo for me), but more than open to others. I tend to dislike Sony, but that's just an opinion, separate from other opinions.
In terms of blogging, the difference between me and a Type A fanboy is that I my opinions come out in my blog only when they're relevant. I've said plenty of bad things about Nintendo, and plenty of good things about Sony. All of my statements are backed up with evidence. I don't delete comments I disagree with; if anything, I respond to them with an explanation of my point of view. It's a blog, so it's going to have my opinions in it, but I strive to always back them up.
But I admit that sometimes my opinions get the better of me. If you think I've said something unfair in any of my posts, or that I've said something bad about someone without sufficient evidence, please let me know in a comment.
Thanks, and enjoy!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Peripherals
NOTE: I've had some comments suggesting this post has some type A fanboy-like statements in it. That's probably true; and I apologize for that. In truth, this post was written partially out of anger in response to people who have been spreading misinformation. I'm not going to remove any content from this post, because it is all true. However, I will change a few things. This post originally compared the price of the Wii to that of the PS3, which I think contributed to the accusations. I have gone through and replaced any PS3-related comments with more generic, hypothetical versions. Similarly, I was wrong to compare Wii Sports and Killzone 2, as they are very different games. I have changed that as well. The prices and statistics listed here are fact, and they were only intended to explain the relatively low price of the Wii and its accessories, not to put down other systems. Anyway, here we go.
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I don't know why I'm bothering to write this, as it's not going to make anyone come to their senses. But I'll do it anyway.
I'm really tired of all the complaining people do about the peripherals for the wii. They act like it's some secret scheme and that you have to pay hundreds of dollars to make the system playable. So let me try to explain why that's not true. As I do, keep in mind that I'm not including features of the consoles themselves (graphics, discs, downloads) or game library, because this isn't about choosing consoles; people buying consoles know that stuff going in. This is only about what it costs to get the "full experience" of that particular console.
1. The system comes more complete than any other system of this generation, because not only does it come with a "full controller" (wii remote and nunchuk), it also comes with a game. For most people, that's enough.
2. The Wii Wheel and Wii Zapper don't have any actual functions; they're just for fun. So nobody is forced to buy those; people who buy them do so because they want to.
3. Let's say you want to play with someone else on a console. So you need to buy another wii remote and nunchuk. Cost of a Wii, another controller, and an extremely popular multiplayer game: $310. Despite people hating on it, Wii Sports is and always has been a popular game. Since it comes with the Wii, we need to add a similarly popular game to another console for them to be equal. Since Wii Sports is a small game, let's add a cheaper game: a year-old Madden title, costing about $30. On average, that brings the console's total to $490.
4. With the Wii Motion Plus coming out, people seem to think that it's necessary for every controller and every Wii owner. VERY few games will require it. And if you still think it's too expensive, consider this: to get the same experience on another console, you have to wait at least 2 years for the newly-announced motion controllers to come out, and spend a hell of a lot more than $20 to get them. Either way, to get all the possible controller versions for any console, you'll have to pay a lot.
5. Let's pretend that the Wii Motion Plus is completely necessary and use a game that requires it. Wii console + extra full controller + 2 Wii Motion Plus + Red Steel 2 = $400. That's still a lot less than you'd pay for that experience on another console, without a motion controller. Since we know the other motion controllers will be expensive, let's add that price to the multiplayer package. $60 seems like a good estimate. That brings the non-Wii total to $550. That's still $150 more than the Wii version.
Full motion-control multiplayer experience on Wii with all functional peripherals for two players: $400.
Equivalent experience on another console: $550.
6. As for the Balance Board, the only game that requires it is Wii Fit. Since no other game requires it, it's the same as a Guitar Hero controller, which only Guitar Hero requires. Thus, suggesting the Balance Board is a main controller is like saying the Rock Band instruments are main controllers.
7. Still, just for fun, let's add the balance board to the Wii set up described before. It's still only $490, less than the other version.
8. But wait, since the Wii Console comes with Wii Sports and the balance board comes with Wii Fit, we have 3 games on the Wii side (Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Red Steel 2) and only 1 on the other side (Madden). To even it out, let's add two games to the other side. Since Wii Sports and Wii Fit are low-impact games and Red Steel 2 is not, and we already added one to the other side for Wii Sports, let's add a low-impact and a high-impact game to the other side. And since Wii Sports and Wii Fit are so popular, let's make them popular games as well. The cheapest popular games are older sports games and Guitar Hero expansions. So let's add Guitar Hero Aerosmith for $30 (we'll assume our hypothetical gamer already has a guitar controller) and another major game for $60. This is especially equal because Wii Fit with the balance board is about $30 more than a typical Wii game.
So here's where we stand now:
Wii Experience: $490
Other Experience: $640
8. You may also say, "What if I don't like Wii Sports or Wii Fit"? Fine. Just to make my point even clearer. Let's take out the two cheaper non-Wii games, so that the Wii version still has more games, even though you might only play one of them. As you remember from before we added them, we get this:
Wii Experience: $490
Other Experience: $550
10. But what if you want to play Gamecube or Virtual Console games? Since a Gamecube controller works as a Classic controller, let's add two Gamecube controllers to compliment the other 2 Wii controllers. Amazon sells first party ones, brand new, for $9. Since we can assume a Wii owner will try Wii Sports, and if you buy Wii Fit you'll probably play it, let's put the equivalent non-Wii games back in too to balance it out. So...
Wii Experience: $508
Other Experience: $640
No matter how you slice it, even if you get something unnecessary like the Balance Board, the Wii gives you more for your money than another console would.
I guess the real point I'm trying to make is that people will buy the add-ons they want. It won't affect their console choice because it doesn't make the Wii any more expensive than the equivalent setup on another console.
In summation: If the "full controller" is what you need to play 99% of games, it's the Wii Remote and nunchuk, and the set costs the same as a 360 wireless controller. Since the wheel and zapper aren't needed for any games, they shouldn't be included either. Including the Balance Board is stupid, because it's the equivalent of including Guitar Hero controllers. And even if the Wii Motion Plus is necessary, it's still cheaper than you'll have to pay to get any motion control at all for another system.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know why I'm bothering to write this, as it's not going to make anyone come to their senses. But I'll do it anyway.
I'm really tired of all the complaining people do about the peripherals for the wii. They act like it's some secret scheme and that you have to pay hundreds of dollars to make the system playable. So let me try to explain why that's not true. As I do, keep in mind that I'm not including features of the consoles themselves (graphics, discs, downloads) or game library, because this isn't about choosing consoles; people buying consoles know that stuff going in. This is only about what it costs to get the "full experience" of that particular console.
1. The system comes more complete than any other system of this generation, because not only does it come with a "full controller" (wii remote and nunchuk), it also comes with a game. For most people, that's enough.
2. The Wii Wheel and Wii Zapper don't have any actual functions; they're just for fun. So nobody is forced to buy those; people who buy them do so because they want to.
3. Let's say you want to play with someone else on a console. So you need to buy another wii remote and nunchuk. Cost of a Wii, another controller, and an extremely popular multiplayer game: $310. Despite people hating on it, Wii Sports is and always has been a popular game. Since it comes with the Wii, we need to add a similarly popular game to another console for them to be equal. Since Wii Sports is a small game, let's add a cheaper game: a year-old Madden title, costing about $30. On average, that brings the console's total to $490.
4. With the Wii Motion Plus coming out, people seem to think that it's necessary for every controller and every Wii owner. VERY few games will require it. And if you still think it's too expensive, consider this: to get the same experience on another console, you have to wait at least 2 years for the newly-announced motion controllers to come out, and spend a hell of a lot more than $20 to get them. Either way, to get all the possible controller versions for any console, you'll have to pay a lot.
5. Let's pretend that the Wii Motion Plus is completely necessary and use a game that requires it. Wii console + extra full controller + 2 Wii Motion Plus + Red Steel 2 = $400. That's still a lot less than you'd pay for that experience on another console, without a motion controller. Since we know the other motion controllers will be expensive, let's add that price to the multiplayer package. $60 seems like a good estimate. That brings the non-Wii total to $550. That's still $150 more than the Wii version.
Full motion-control multiplayer experience on Wii with all functional peripherals for two players: $400.
Equivalent experience on another console: $550.
6. As for the Balance Board, the only game that requires it is Wii Fit. Since no other game requires it, it's the same as a Guitar Hero controller, which only Guitar Hero requires. Thus, suggesting the Balance Board is a main controller is like saying the Rock Band instruments are main controllers.
7. Still, just for fun, let's add the balance board to the Wii set up described before. It's still only $490, less than the other version.
8. But wait, since the Wii Console comes with Wii Sports and the balance board comes with Wii Fit, we have 3 games on the Wii side (Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Red Steel 2) and only 1 on the other side (Madden). To even it out, let's add two games to the other side. Since Wii Sports and Wii Fit are low-impact games and Red Steel 2 is not, and we already added one to the other side for Wii Sports, let's add a low-impact and a high-impact game to the other side. And since Wii Sports and Wii Fit are so popular, let's make them popular games as well. The cheapest popular games are older sports games and Guitar Hero expansions. So let's add Guitar Hero Aerosmith for $30 (we'll assume our hypothetical gamer already has a guitar controller) and another major game for $60. This is especially equal because Wii Fit with the balance board is about $30 more than a typical Wii game.
So here's where we stand now:
Wii Experience: $490
Other Experience: $640
8. You may also say, "What if I don't like Wii Sports or Wii Fit"? Fine. Just to make my point even clearer. Let's take out the two cheaper non-Wii games, so that the Wii version still has more games, even though you might only play one of them. As you remember from before we added them, we get this:
Wii Experience: $490
Other Experience: $550
10. But what if you want to play Gamecube or Virtual Console games? Since a Gamecube controller works as a Classic controller, let's add two Gamecube controllers to compliment the other 2 Wii controllers. Amazon sells first party ones, brand new, for $9. Since we can assume a Wii owner will try Wii Sports, and if you buy Wii Fit you'll probably play it, let's put the equivalent non-Wii games back in too to balance it out. So...
Wii Experience: $508
Other Experience: $640
No matter how you slice it, even if you get something unnecessary like the Balance Board, the Wii gives you more for your money than another console would.
I guess the real point I'm trying to make is that people will buy the add-ons they want. It won't affect their console choice because it doesn't make the Wii any more expensive than the equivalent setup on another console.
In summation: If the "full controller" is what you need to play 99% of games, it's the Wii Remote and nunchuk, and the set costs the same as a 360 wireless controller. Since the wheel and zapper aren't needed for any games, they shouldn't be included either. Including the Balance Board is stupid, because it's the equivalent of including Guitar Hero controllers. And even if the Wii Motion Plus is necessary, it's still cheaper than you'll have to pay to get any motion control at all for another system.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
2009 E3 Big 3 Wrapup
As promised, here's my wrap-up of the big 3's press conferences for this year's E3. As usual, keep in mind that these are only my opinions. You don't have to agree, and you probably won't. I'm a type-B (devoted but level-headed and unbiased) Nintendo fanboy, and I have little love for Sony, so keep that in mind. As usual, I'll do my best to keep everything completely fair and unbiased.
The first conference, taking place yesterday, was Microsoft. And let me tell you, they really stole the show. The biggest announcement was Project Natal, a motion-sensing camera. It can track your motion in three dimensions, recognize your face and voice, and so on. It was shown with a motion-based painting game, a table tennis - like game, and most impressively, Milo. Milo is a boy you can talk to and interact with; he'll recognize you, listen to you, react to your facial expressions, and more. One journalist suggested the character commented on the color of his shirt, and looked disgusted when his creator, Peter Molyneux, was mentioned. I also read about someone trying a very fully-functional Burnout-like game with it, using realistic controls; steering, virtual pedals, etc.
The video for Project Natal certainly looked impressive, but I'm not sure it can really live up to the hype. After all, the Playstation Eye was supposed to do the same thing, and it certainly did not. Still, Project Natal looks like some powerful technology, and I hope they get it really working well.
Microsoft also had non-Natal games to show, of course. The first big one was the multiplatform Metal Gear Solid Reach, which will star Raiden. Left 4 Dead 2 will have new survivors and new melee combat, Assassin's Creed 2 looks awesome, and so on. New exclusives include Forza 3, which looks pretty much what you'd expect, and Halo Reach, a new Halo game that serves as a prequel to the trilogy. While most seem to assume it will be another FPS, I kind of doubt that they'd do another one, especially with Halo 3: ODST being almost a new game. They showed a lot of that one as well, and it looks like a very different single-player experience than playing as Master Chief. It seems more character-based, with The Rookie being a more relatable character and having flashbacks to other ODSTs. I'm looking forward to it. Crackdown 2 and Mass Effect 2 were also shown, and both look quite impressive.
Next up was Nintendo. Since the Wii already has a motion controller, and with their new hardware already known (the already-released DSi and the Wii Motion Plus), they kept their promise to focus on the games. They certainly started off with a bang: New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a Wii sequel to the severely popular DS game. It's the first co-op Mario platformer; people have described it as like a Mario version of Four Swords. On the subject of Mario, another first for the series will be Super Mario Galaxy 2, the first sequel to a major Mario platformer on the same system since the series entered 3D.
They then moved up to a sequel for another bestseller, Wii Fit Plus. It will feature a more personalized workout, new exercises, and new minigames. One I'm particularly excited about is basically a balance board - controlled platformer; while you play as your Mii, it's basically putting you in Mario's shoes. And there was even more Mario to show for the DS: Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, another DS entry in the Mario and Luigi RPG series, will feature adventures inside Bowser. Yeah. I'm not sure how they'll do it, but I trust them.
Another major Nintendo character getting a new game is Samus, with the upcoming Wii game Metroid: Other M. It will feature both traditional 3rd-person Metroid platforming and the first-person action from the Prime series. It looks stunning, and I can't wait to give it a play. Sin and Punishment 2 was also shown, and it looks pretty awesome. Same goes for Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers, which doesn't look nearly as kiddie as I expected. Dead Space Extraction also looked sweet.
The Wii Motion Plus was also shown in action, with Ubisoft's Red Steel 2 and some EA Sports games. Also shown were some pretty sweet games from Wii Sports Resort, including a skydiving one. It looks like the Wii Motion Plus will be a big improvement, so I'm looking forward to it.
There was plenty more love for the DS and DSi as well. Already announced in Japan, WarioWare: DIY will let you design your own WarioWare microgames. It'll be a DSiWare download. Two big regular DS games shown were the newly-announced Golden Sun DS and the long-awaited Kindgom Hearts 358/2 Days. There was also the GTA-like "Cop: The Recruit" and the DSi flipbook-making game "Flipnote Studio".
Sony had the last word this year, and they also announced a new motion controller. Unlike Microsoft's project, the PS3 motion controller looked a lot like the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, and didn't really seem to sport any better or more complex motion sensing than the Wii Motion Plus. It also requires the Playstation Eye, which didn't really get very far by itself. It would probably have been more exciting if Project Natal wasn't announced first, but we'll see which ends up being better. They showed a pretty cool sword-based tech demo, and while it didn't look any more impressive than Red Steel 2, it still looked pretty cool. Still, it's not going to make me buy a PS3 when I already have a Wii, so it doesn't do what I imagine they wanted.
Also on the hardware front, the already-known PSP Go. It's not a new console, but a redesign of the PSP. It has no UMD drive; instead, it has 16 gigabytes of on-board storage for downloaded games. From now on, all PSP games will be released on UMD and as downloads for the PSP Go. It will be priced at $250.
Before I move on to games, I'd like to express how stupid I find the PSP Go. It looks less comfortable, has a smaller screen, won't let you play PSP games you already have (thus not really allowing current PSP owners to upgrade), and doesn't add any substantial new features. Media sharing's nice, but it doesn't compare to the DSi's new features. It also costs $250, the same price as the Wii, $80 more than the PSP-3000 and DSi, and $120 more than the DS Lite.
Now that I'm done ranting, let's continue with the games. The PSP Go was primarily shown with the upcoming PSP version of Little Big Planet. There will also be a new Metal Gear game for the system, called Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, which will be a part of the main series and not a spin-off. Resident Evil Portable is coming as well, an all-new game in the series, although that's about all we know. But perhaps the biggest PSP game announcement was the PSP Gran Turismo game, which was meant to be a launch title and was long thought to be vaporware.
It will be joined by Gran Turismo 5 on the PS3, which will be bigger than Prologue. Another big Playstation name coming to the system is God of War III, which looks pretty much like the other ones but with better graphics. Uncharted 2 was also shown, and what's really impressive about that game is the draw distance; you can see a LOT. Another impressive game was MAG; although its gameplay and asthetics are pretty generic, it's an FPS that supports over 100 people playing at a time.
There's also a new PS3-exclusive Rockstar game coming, called Agent. It's spy-related, but not much was shown. Sony thinks the exclusivity will sell as many consoles as GTA 3 did, but I'm not holding my breath. Next is the PS3-exclusive Final Fantasy XIV. That's right, XIII isn't even done yet and they're already working on XIV. It'll be an MMO, like XI, so it'll be interesting to see how that works on a console. The Last Guardian, by Team Ico, is another new PS3-exclusive from Team Ico, and it looks pretty sweet. I don't know much about it yet, but it looks beautiful.
So, what does this all mean? Now that the Xbox 360 and PS3 will have motion controllers, is the Wii dead? In short, no. In long: First of all, the appeal of the Wii is more than motion sensing, at least to the mass audience. It's the games, especially first-party ones, and the ease of use. It's meant to be something anyone can pick up and play; nice and simple. The other consoles don't have that; Project Natal requires getting a camera, and the PS3 one requires a camera AND a new controller. That's another thing: these new motion control tools are not part of the essential system; they're add-ons. Add-ons are great, but they never do as well as they would if they were essential to the system because not everyone will get them. See the Sega Genesis and its add-ons. Certainly the casual crowd will be weary of it. Price is also an issue; the PS3 has always been too expensive. And while the Xbox 360 Arcade is cheaper than the Wii, the camera tips it back in the Wii's favor. Then there's the fact that this late in the game, a lot of people have made their choices. Who knows, I could be wrong. But in my history of video game blogging, I'm usually right about these things. It'll be the Playstation Eye all over again.
It seems to be a theme for journalists and bloggers to pick a "winner" for E3. In that spirit, I'd have to say that if anyone "won" E3, it's clearly Nintendo. If not for what they presented, then for what their competitors presented. Sony and Microsoft, whose official stances have always been that the Wii's motion control is no big deal, coming out with their own motion controllers is the best affirmation possible of the Wii's success.
The first conference, taking place yesterday, was Microsoft. And let me tell you, they really stole the show. The biggest announcement was Project Natal, a motion-sensing camera. It can track your motion in three dimensions, recognize your face and voice, and so on. It was shown with a motion-based painting game, a table tennis - like game, and most impressively, Milo. Milo is a boy you can talk to and interact with; he'll recognize you, listen to you, react to your facial expressions, and more. One journalist suggested the character commented on the color of his shirt, and looked disgusted when his creator, Peter Molyneux, was mentioned. I also read about someone trying a very fully-functional Burnout-like game with it, using realistic controls; steering, virtual pedals, etc.
The video for Project Natal certainly looked impressive, but I'm not sure it can really live up to the hype. After all, the Playstation Eye was supposed to do the same thing, and it certainly did not. Still, Project Natal looks like some powerful technology, and I hope they get it really working well.
Microsoft also had non-Natal games to show, of course. The first big one was the multiplatform Metal Gear Solid Reach, which will star Raiden. Left 4 Dead 2 will have new survivors and new melee combat, Assassin's Creed 2 looks awesome, and so on. New exclusives include Forza 3, which looks pretty much what you'd expect, and Halo Reach, a new Halo game that serves as a prequel to the trilogy. While most seem to assume it will be another FPS, I kind of doubt that they'd do another one, especially with Halo 3: ODST being almost a new game. They showed a lot of that one as well, and it looks like a very different single-player experience than playing as Master Chief. It seems more character-based, with The Rookie being a more relatable character and having flashbacks to other ODSTs. I'm looking forward to it. Crackdown 2 and Mass Effect 2 were also shown, and both look quite impressive.
Next up was Nintendo. Since the Wii already has a motion controller, and with their new hardware already known (the already-released DSi and the Wii Motion Plus), they kept their promise to focus on the games. They certainly started off with a bang: New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a Wii sequel to the severely popular DS game. It's the first co-op Mario platformer; people have described it as like a Mario version of Four Swords. On the subject of Mario, another first for the series will be Super Mario Galaxy 2, the first sequel to a major Mario platformer on the same system since the series entered 3D.
They then moved up to a sequel for another bestseller, Wii Fit Plus. It will feature a more personalized workout, new exercises, and new minigames. One I'm particularly excited about is basically a balance board - controlled platformer; while you play as your Mii, it's basically putting you in Mario's shoes. And there was even more Mario to show for the DS: Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, another DS entry in the Mario and Luigi RPG series, will feature adventures inside Bowser. Yeah. I'm not sure how they'll do it, but I trust them.
Another major Nintendo character getting a new game is Samus, with the upcoming Wii game Metroid: Other M. It will feature both traditional 3rd-person Metroid platforming and the first-person action from the Prime series. It looks stunning, and I can't wait to give it a play. Sin and Punishment 2 was also shown, and it looks pretty awesome. Same goes for Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers, which doesn't look nearly as kiddie as I expected. Dead Space Extraction also looked sweet.
The Wii Motion Plus was also shown in action, with Ubisoft's Red Steel 2 and some EA Sports games. Also shown were some pretty sweet games from Wii Sports Resort, including a skydiving one. It looks like the Wii Motion Plus will be a big improvement, so I'm looking forward to it.
There was plenty more love for the DS and DSi as well. Already announced in Japan, WarioWare: DIY will let you design your own WarioWare microgames. It'll be a DSiWare download. Two big regular DS games shown were the newly-announced Golden Sun DS and the long-awaited Kindgom Hearts 358/2 Days. There was also the GTA-like "Cop: The Recruit" and the DSi flipbook-making game "Flipnote Studio".
Sony had the last word this year, and they also announced a new motion controller. Unlike Microsoft's project, the PS3 motion controller looked a lot like the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, and didn't really seem to sport any better or more complex motion sensing than the Wii Motion Plus. It also requires the Playstation Eye, which didn't really get very far by itself. It would probably have been more exciting if Project Natal wasn't announced first, but we'll see which ends up being better. They showed a pretty cool sword-based tech demo, and while it didn't look any more impressive than Red Steel 2, it still looked pretty cool. Still, it's not going to make me buy a PS3 when I already have a Wii, so it doesn't do what I imagine they wanted.
Also on the hardware front, the already-known PSP Go. It's not a new console, but a redesign of the PSP. It has no UMD drive; instead, it has 16 gigabytes of on-board storage for downloaded games. From now on, all PSP games will be released on UMD and as downloads for the PSP Go. It will be priced at $250.
Before I move on to games, I'd like to express how stupid I find the PSP Go. It looks less comfortable, has a smaller screen, won't let you play PSP games you already have (thus not really allowing current PSP owners to upgrade), and doesn't add any substantial new features. Media sharing's nice, but it doesn't compare to the DSi's new features. It also costs $250, the same price as the Wii, $80 more than the PSP-3000 and DSi, and $120 more than the DS Lite.
Now that I'm done ranting, let's continue with the games. The PSP Go was primarily shown with the upcoming PSP version of Little Big Planet. There will also be a new Metal Gear game for the system, called Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, which will be a part of the main series and not a spin-off. Resident Evil Portable is coming as well, an all-new game in the series, although that's about all we know. But perhaps the biggest PSP game announcement was the PSP Gran Turismo game, which was meant to be a launch title and was long thought to be vaporware.
It will be joined by Gran Turismo 5 on the PS3, which will be bigger than Prologue. Another big Playstation name coming to the system is God of War III, which looks pretty much like the other ones but with better graphics. Uncharted 2 was also shown, and what's really impressive about that game is the draw distance; you can see a LOT. Another impressive game was MAG; although its gameplay and asthetics are pretty generic, it's an FPS that supports over 100 people playing at a time.
There's also a new PS3-exclusive Rockstar game coming, called Agent. It's spy-related, but not much was shown. Sony thinks the exclusivity will sell as many consoles as GTA 3 did, but I'm not holding my breath. Next is the PS3-exclusive Final Fantasy XIV. That's right, XIII isn't even done yet and they're already working on XIV. It'll be an MMO, like XI, so it'll be interesting to see how that works on a console. The Last Guardian, by Team Ico, is another new PS3-exclusive from Team Ico, and it looks pretty sweet. I don't know much about it yet, but it looks beautiful.
So, what does this all mean? Now that the Xbox 360 and PS3 will have motion controllers, is the Wii dead? In short, no. In long: First of all, the appeal of the Wii is more than motion sensing, at least to the mass audience. It's the games, especially first-party ones, and the ease of use. It's meant to be something anyone can pick up and play; nice and simple. The other consoles don't have that; Project Natal requires getting a camera, and the PS3 one requires a camera AND a new controller. That's another thing: these new motion control tools are not part of the essential system; they're add-ons. Add-ons are great, but they never do as well as they would if they were essential to the system because not everyone will get them. See the Sega Genesis and its add-ons. Certainly the casual crowd will be weary of it. Price is also an issue; the PS3 has always been too expensive. And while the Xbox 360 Arcade is cheaper than the Wii, the camera tips it back in the Wii's favor. Then there's the fact that this late in the game, a lot of people have made their choices. Who knows, I could be wrong. But in my history of video game blogging, I'm usually right about these things. It'll be the Playstation Eye all over again.
It seems to be a theme for journalists and bloggers to pick a "winner" for E3. In that spirit, I'd have to say that if anyone "won" E3, it's clearly Nintendo. If not for what they presented, then for what their competitors presented. Sony and Microsoft, whose official stances have always been that the Wii's motion control is no big deal, coming out with their own motion controllers is the best affirmation possible of the Wii's success.
What's my name again?
I've realized that in all three places I blog, I go by a different username. So I'm going to unify it now: my real name is Jake, and my traditional username is unknownwarrior33. So you can call me one of those.
Occasionally on the web I'll use the pseudonym Gryff, so that works too.
Occasionally on the web I'll use the pseudonym Gryff, so that works too.
Monday, June 1, 2009
E3
E3 is officially upon us, with Microsoft's press conference this evening. Once the big three have had their say, I'll be here to discuss the news, so keep watching!
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