FMW

The Wii U is looking at a launch after E3 next year. They say it's "a year or more away". Traditionally, consoles launch in the holiday season. Nintendo does better in the holiday season than others because of casuals. The Wii U won't show up until August/September of 2012, take my word for it. The real story of the show was the 3DS software lineup. Sony wowed the world with cool hardware and an impressive price point. Nintendo has less impressive hardware and a less impressive price point. Sony did not show many games for the Vita. The only chance Nintendo has here is to have an incredible holiday season. They need the 3DS to sell. No, they need the 3DS to sell out. Honestly, I can't imagine them doing much more than they are: Zelda OoT Super Mario Mario Kart Luigi's Mansion Kid Icarus Starfox 64 I mean, these are the Big Guns. These are remakes of the best of Zelda (arguably) and the best of Starfox (less arguably). These are the franchises that sell millions and sometimes tens of millions. Sure, I'd have preferred to see Fire Emblem, Paper Mario, and Advance Wars, but those are second tier franchises. So is Metroid sadly enough. (Other M didn't even break a million outside of Japan. Prime 3 BARELY did.) Nintendo isn't messing around with their second tier franchises. They're hitting with everything they've got. Even Pokemon is making a downloadable appearance. Question: will this be enough? Can they get a large enough head start? My gut feeling is no. It's pretty good though, and the consumer wins regardless.

Nintendo, as a rule, is not a company that keeps particularly close to their fans. Though they will occasionally deliver exactly what fans ask for (Mario Galaxy) it almost seems like a coincidence when they do. Nintendo stubbornly follows their own muse, for good or ill. They turned Metroid into a first person game, they made a console with only one analog stick, there are countless examples of Nintendo flagrantly ignoring the demands of their customers to create something they reckon will be better. This is true of their Zelda franchise as well. Nobody asked for the Wind Waker. Nobody thought Zelda games needed that crazy art overhaul, nobody thought Zelda needed sailing. When the Wind Waker came out in the west, it was met with a hostility no previous entry had been. Now Wind Waker eventually turned out all right for Nintendo - it turns out this was one of the times when they really did know better than the fans. It's now many peoples favorite entry into the series, and over time it sold rather impressively as well. Nintendo, however, was worried. An interview two or three E3's ago revealed that after the Wind Waker didn't catch on like other entries internationally Nintendo got very nervous about the future of the franchise. I postulate that The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a direct reaction to perceived waning interest in Zelda as a whole. This is because Nintendo did something rather unprecedented in this game, and they listened to their fans. Now this could be coincidence again, but so many fan requests are met in this game that one can only assume the developers had a checklist of features and changes they were instructed must be included. Think about it: Phantom Hourglass updates the recurring "story" of the franchise in a couple of fan pandering ways. You want a new villain? You've got it. You want continuity between games? Done. You want Link to have a voice? They didn't go quite that far, but the fairy sidekick was quite talkative and brought us closer to this ideal than ever before (or since). Also, Linebeck! Finally, this Zelda game includes an NPC who accompanies you on your journey and experiences his own character arc. He's got his own motivations and his own issues. This may sound mundane, but in the world of Zelda games it was an unprecedented event. Never before had a character outside of the hero, maiden, and villain triangle played such an important role. Phantom Hourglass addresses the main fan complaints with Wind Waker's pacing. Sailing still isn't the most interesting or dynamic overworld navigation in a game, but it's clear that a lot of effort went into addressing complaints about it being boring in the Wind Waker. There's almost always something to do while on the sea, and you don't need to stop to change the winds either. The much loathed quest for triforce shards that padded out the back end of Wind Waker is gone as well, with all fetch questing delegated to the optional hunt for Courage/Wisdom/Power gems. Phantom Hourglass is hard! The temple of the Ocean King (the recurring dungeon in this game) catches a lot of flack. Some didn't like the aesthetic, some didn't like repeating sections of it. What I've heard few address though is the fact that the last run through the Temple of the Ocean King is easily the most difficult mandatory dungeon sequence since A Link to the Past. The dungeon is no impossible feat, but the margin for error is surprisingly small. The tricks this dungeon pulls out are nasty! Timed, Stealth, Carrying things that prevent use of items, moving over invisible floors, spy enemies that will teleport a phantom right next to you, the list could go on. Wind Waker is perhaps the easiest Zelda game, and many fans have taken issue with this. Ask and ye shall receive I guess - the Temple of the Ocean King is a brutal grind that requires dexterity and extensive memorization. So, where does this leave us? What have we learned? I think the moral of the story might be that Nintendo really does know best. Phantom Hourglass is a laundry list of fan requests all met at once and... well, it's not terribly popular. It sold all right, but it didn't set the world aflame. It didn't sell as well as The Wind Waker, nor was it as well received critically. Phantom Hourglass is, in terms of features, perhaps the most traditional sequel in the Zelda series. Why then does it seem like a step backwards? And before you say it: The touch controls worked just. fine.

Bonus Post: Wanna know why so many staff members from the FF XIII team left Square Enix? It's because Nomura walked in and said Nomura: "Great job guys! We sold tons of copies of our game! A sequel is a go!" Programmer 1: "All right! We can re-use our assets and make a game with half the effort!" Nomura: "...re-use assets? ... That's a joke, right? Here, let me show you something" (he takes a folder of concept art out from behind his back) "all new outfits, every character. And Lightning is going to be wearing a skirt made of feathers" Programmer 2: "Ha! That's pretty good, I almost believed you for a moment there. A feather skirt? Really? The things you come up with sometimes..." (Nomura is staring at the two men with an evil eye) "I mean every word. I want you to render the protagonist of our game wearing a skirt made out of feathers. Every motion, animation, and breeze must be reflected. I expect visual fidelity exceeding FF XIII as well - a sequel must be improved over the original!" http://ca.kotaku.com/5778294/is-making-final-fantasy-a-nightmare

Guys, I'd like to inject a healthy dose of optimism into this discussion: Final Fantasy does something different with every new numbered installment. Nobody likes every main FF, and every main FF is somebody's favorite. FF XIII is no different, but the ratios came out a little bit skewed. More folks didn't like it than usual. FF XIII was a unique game, and unlike anything else. Every main FF is like this. This is why the series is special. This series still hasn't lost the inspiration to chase after a new muse every few years. Square-Enix released two main FF games in two consecutive years. FF XIV was similar to FF XIII in the ratios - not enough people liked it. All right, enough bullet points, here's the meat of the discussion. When FF XIV came out to terrible reviews and lukewarm (if that) reception, Square-Enix made some key decisions. They pulled the director of FF XI out of his current projects and told him to even the keel. I don't know if anyone here has followed the development of FF XIV since launch, but Square-Enix has done a lot of things right. They've listened to the players, they've kept it free, and they've ironed out all of the biggest kinks in a timely manner. They've been transparent and they've kept to their schedule. If the current FF XIV had launched six months ago (or whenever it launched) reviewers would have been singing quite a different tune. My buddies who play say that it's developed into quite the experience, and the potential buried within the original design has gotten a second chance to shine through. What does this have to do with FF XIII-2? Everything. From FF XIV, we see how Square-Enix reacts to negative reactions. They don't retreat, they fix it. The Final Fantasy brand name is of inestimable value, and they know it. Square-Enix isn't going to let this franchise become Sonic the Hedgehog. They have shown that they are dedicated to getting it right. You know what? I think Square is going to blow this one out of the fucking park. They are going to listen to the consistent complaints about FF XIII and turn them into strengths. You want profound character development? You've got it. You want more freedom to move around the world? You've got it. You want a weapon upgrade system that makes an ounce of sense? Well... no promises on that one. It'll be different at least. I am hugely excited for this game. This is important. We know it, and the developer knows it. I expect great things.

I think this trend of re-releasing games from the previous console generation in HD is fascinating. Resident Evil, Metal Gear, ICO/SotC, Zone of the Enders, Sly, Oddworld Stranger's Wrath (rumored), Silent Hill, Rez, God of War, Prince of Persia, Beyond Good and Evil, and Splinter Cell. That's a ton of games that are getting re-released, and usually without significant additional content. I'm sure I missed some too. How do you all feel about this? My thoughts: 1. These games don't really need to be remade yet - the games that really warrant it are the primitive N64/Playstation era 3D games. Give me FF VII-IX HD! Give me Vagrant Story and Xenogears! I don't think that all games in 3D were limited by the technology, I think some took it and were able to create unique and fantastic aesthetics. Sin and Punishment is one, Zelda Majora's Mask is another. However, some games really would have benefited from modern features like fully animated faces. 2. Do you people actually buy these re-releases? Is it worth it to you to play the same experience with more polygons per frame? Or is the trophy/achievement support the main draw? Personally, I can't imagine spending money to buy the same thing twice. There are so many new games to discover! 3. Come on now, if we're going to re-make classic games with better graphics, we should be re-making the games that were interesting to look at. The logical candidates (to my mind) are ICO/SotC, Okami, Viewtiful Joe, Fatal Frame, and Kingdom Hearts. These games had really interesting art. If the appeal of the game is how it looks (and that is the appeal, that's the only thing that's changed in most of these re-releases) then it makes sense to re-make the ones that are nice to look at. Seriously, who thought Splinter Cell was a good idea? I don't care how crisp the right angles are in industrial complex #24. 4. How many new games could have been made with the manpower it took to gussy up the graphics of all these old ones?

Duke, I will not try to change your opinion. I think that the time limit severely limits how much fun a player can have exploring Termina. The traditional strength of Zelda games is that they present big worlds filled to the brim with joyous details and optional characters to discover. This game presented all that, but gave you a time limit thus limiting how much fun a player can have with the painstakingly created world. Forcing the 3-day cycle crippled the appeal a Zelda game traditionally holds. Duke, have you ever asked yourself why Nintendo might have done such a hair-brained thing? I hated Majora's Mask when I first played it, and it wasn't until I was able to step away from how "fun" the experience was that I found any appeal at all. I don't think Majora's Mask is a very fun game.

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal. It's a short game without multiplayer, but it was MADE to be replayed over and over again. I must have played through that game dozens of times right now. Sure, each playthrough is only 8 hours, but that sure adds up. The only two games I might have played more than that are FF XII or Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.

No. My favorite is not my first Zelda game. My first was OoT, my favorite is Majora's Mask. However, Majora's Mask is my favorite largely because of how it subverted OoT. It would be fair to say that which game I played first is heavily influencing my choice. If someone hadn't played a Zelda game before (in particular OoT) I'm sure Majora's Mask wouldn't be nearly as powerful an experience.

I haven't heard much talk about this particular rumor, but this is the one I find most plausible: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109722-Rumor-Nintendos-New-Console-Will-Make-You-Feel For those who don't want to pull it up: Haptic interface. Basically, the controller has a touch screen on it that can simulate texture. I think that this is totally possible, here's why: Nintendo wants to be presenting something completely new with their console: Check. Nintendo wants to bring everything they've learned about making dual screen games to their console: Check. Problem - looking between screens is harder in a home console situation. Solution: If you can feel the different parts of the screen, then you can navigate it without looking down when necessary.

This game has been giving me good vibes for a while now. However, I really don't care for most of what Square-Enix has made over the last couple of years. I'm going to go with cautiously optimistic, but it all comes down to the story. SE can make good stories, but when it happens it almost seems like an accident.

All right, I'm going to predict not what I think will happen, but what I want to happen that's still somewhat feasible. Because predicting what I think will actually happen would depress me horribly. So, without further ado: 1. Dragon Quest X shown in trailer form and given a "next year" release date 2. Last Story confirmed for US release this year 3. Xenoblade confirmed for US release this year 4. Touch screen controller that creates the illusion of texture confirmed for Wii 2 5. Super Mario 3DS confirmed for release in October 6. Kirby Wii announced for release in August 7. Activision publicly drops lawsuit(s) against the Modern Warefare guys as a publicity push 8. Nintendo's new marketing VP shows up, and the internet doesn't hate him 9. Red Steel 3 shown for Wii 2 10. Zelda Skyward Sword confirmed for separate release on Wii and Wii 2 (come on, we've all seen it coming by now)

Well, my #1 has come and gone. I made 10th place. Part of me is pleased to see that I am not alone in my appreciation of the game. Part of me is disappointed that others don't see the same value that I do. However, my real emotional response is being stored up for later when some game I don't like gets put in a higher slot. I can just feel it inside of me, I'm gonna rage so hard... Saturnine Tenshi said we each get to derail the thread once with a "XXXX is overrated" rant, right? I'm looking forward to mine! Half life is all right though. It's different and not to my tastes, but worthy. It's allowed to be ahead of Metroid Prime. I guess if the rest of the eight are all worthy too then I'll just need to go back and rant about Halo... ho hum.

1. Metroid Prime (justification - http://board.pressxordie.com/topic/1110-metroid-prime) 2. Final Fantasy XII (justification - it's like FF, but with all the things I'd be ashamed to show people stripped out. And the best soundtrack ever - I actually imported that sucker) 3. Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations (justification - an actually not bad story in a video game) 4. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (justification - it's art. It isn't always fun, it's not kid friendly, and the sense of oppression is completely unrelenting. It's the best game to experience, and the worst game to play. All for the same reasons.) 5. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (equally valid pick - FF X. Both are well made modern anime influenced JRPGs. I love both. Both suck if you aren't willing to overlook a little cheese.) 6. Jak II (justification (justification - http://board.pressxordie.com/topic/1054-the-mighty-ps2-platforming-3/) 7. Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (justification - http://board.pressxordie.com/topic/1054-the-mighty-ps2-platforming-3/) 8. Super Mario Galaxy (justification - a glimpse into the mind of a man filled with joy. Refreshing in more ways than one) 9. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (justification - a totally average narrative made great by support relationships individualizing every army) 10. Super Smash Brothers Brawl (justification - fun) 11. Super Castlevania IV (justification - I haven't found another game that controls as tightly as this game. Ever) 12. Chrono Trigger (justification - pretty much the JRPG template that all others innovate on (or don't)) 13. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (justification - not only impressive technologically, but tricky and rewarding. Capcom should do Zelda games more often) 14. ICO (justification - Shadow of the Colossus is an equally valid pick, but ICO happens to resonate with me more personally. These are the argument for art and fun not being exclusive.) 15. Cave Story (justification - a fun little 2D romp that tells you just enough to leave you desperately wanting more. Incredible sound track.) Almost making it onto the list: Star Wars: Tie Fighter, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and World of Warcraft

In the year 2011 I have played entirely and completed Ghost Trick and Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations. I have also completed Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. I had gotten to the final boss in 2010, but I didn't muster up the motivation for those last few hours of grinding until 2011. ...and that's it. 4 months now, and only three games beaten. Two short games and the last few hours of a long one. I'm painfully close to beating Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor also, but Strange Journey satisfied my urge to grind for a while. That one gets to wait in the pile of JRPGs with disproportionately difficult endings along with FF IV DS and DQ VIII.