Sorry, folks, but I'm not quite ready to write up that Mega Man 9 review just yet. I want to get some hands-on experience with a few more of the bosses first, in order to judge the variety of their design and weapons. Rather than give you a half-assed, uninformed review now, I think it's best I wait until Friday. Sorry for the delay, but it'll be worth it in the end.
Until then, keep on gaming, folks.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Mega Man 9: Two complaints
Mega Man 9 review most likely coming your way on Wednesday. For now, listen to me whine for a minute or two.
So far, I'm enjoying Mega Man 9. Sure, it's brutally difficult and I've yet to even get close to one of Wily's eight robot masters, but it's still a great game. In fact, I've got nothing against the game itself. However, I do object to two little aspects of how Capcom decided to handle the title.
First, the in-game manual is hardly existent. Sure, you can hit the Home button and view a button summary, but in order to see the whole thing, you have to go to the Wii Shop Channel. What the heck, Capcom? Would it have been so hard to include the manual with the download? The title only take up 66 blocks of memory, so there's plenty of space to fit in a more comprehensive digital booklet. I wouldn't have minded waiting two seconds more to finish the download if it meant not having to jump through a bunch of hoops to read the manual.
Second, I'm pretty upset with how Capcom is handling downloadable content (Or DLC) for this game. Okay, I can understand having a new character as DLC. It would have worked well as an unlockable, sure, but that's kind of reaching outside the limitations of the NES. Then again, so is DLC, but whatever. Bottom line is, Proto Man being DLC is A-OK with me.
What I'm not alright with, though, is all the other DLC for Mega Man 9. Two of them, Hero Mode and Superhero Mode, are just additional difficulty levels. Personally, I think that's bullcrap. Does anyone else here remember NES games having selectable difficulty levels? I do. These should have been included with the game, for the same base price of 1000 Wii Points.
Another download, Endless Mode is a new way to play, with players competing to get as far as possible without dying. Uh, isn't that what the rest of the game is about, too? You know, fighting towards the end and all? Maybe I'm missing something here...
The final download is the Special Stage, and it actually sounds decent. Basically, it's a whole new level in a Time Attack format. Get through it as fast as possible, and compete to set records. Along with Proto Man Mode, this is one of two worth-your-money downloads as far as I'm concerned. The rest of it should have just been in the game to start with. Gouging consumers for additional difficulty levels is ridiculous, and the Endless Mode just sounds like more of the same.
While Mega Man 9 is a great game, Capcom made some mistakes in distributing it. I'll probably just do the smart thing and vote with my wallet here. Unless you're a hardcore Mega Man fan that absolutely must play the game in every way possible, I suggest you do the same.
Discuss This Article On The Forums
So far, I'm enjoying Mega Man 9. Sure, it's brutally difficult and I've yet to even get close to one of Wily's eight robot masters, but it's still a great game. In fact, I've got nothing against the game itself. However, I do object to two little aspects of how Capcom decided to handle the title.
First, the in-game manual is hardly existent. Sure, you can hit the Home button and view a button summary, but in order to see the whole thing, you have to go to the Wii Shop Channel. What the heck, Capcom? Would it have been so hard to include the manual with the download? The title only take up 66 blocks of memory, so there's plenty of space to fit in a more comprehensive digital booklet. I wouldn't have minded waiting two seconds more to finish the download if it meant not having to jump through a bunch of hoops to read the manual.
Second, I'm pretty upset with how Capcom is handling downloadable content (Or DLC) for this game. Okay, I can understand having a new character as DLC. It would have worked well as an unlockable, sure, but that's kind of reaching outside the limitations of the NES. Then again, so is DLC, but whatever. Bottom line is, Proto Man being DLC is A-OK with me.
What I'm not alright with, though, is all the other DLC for Mega Man 9. Two of them, Hero Mode and Superhero Mode, are just additional difficulty levels. Personally, I think that's bullcrap. Does anyone else here remember NES games having selectable difficulty levels? I do. These should have been included with the game, for the same base price of 1000 Wii Points.
Another download, Endless Mode is a new way to play, with players competing to get as far as possible without dying. Uh, isn't that what the rest of the game is about, too? You know, fighting towards the end and all? Maybe I'm missing something here...
The final download is the Special Stage, and it actually sounds decent. Basically, it's a whole new level in a Time Attack format. Get through it as fast as possible, and compete to set records. Along with Proto Man Mode, this is one of two worth-your-money downloads as far as I'm concerned. The rest of it should have just been in the game to start with. Gouging consumers for additional difficulty levels is ridiculous, and the Endless Mode just sounds like more of the same.
While Mega Man 9 is a great game, Capcom made some mistakes in distributing it. I'll probably just do the smart thing and vote with my wallet here. Unless you're a hardcore Mega Man fan that absolutely must play the game in every way possible, I suggest you do the same.
Discuss This Article On The Forums
Monday, September 22, 2008
Poll #58: "Do you have a working NES?" results, banner
"Yes" 10 votes (32%)
"It works sometimes" 2 votes (6%)
"No" 18 votes (58%)
"It might work, but I'm not sure" 1 votes (3%)
Finally, someone else voted "It works sometimes"! I was afraid I was the only one with a temperamental NES for a while there.
As for this week's banner... I think I outdid myself. Now, when I made the site logo last week, the idea for this week's banner popped into my head. I though "Yeah! That's awesome!", but then decided I wouldn't be able to do it right. Well, it seems I was wrong:
Gentlemen, behold! It's the Duck Signal! I just had to do this. What's more, that's a Torontonian skyline. What better city to have my special spotlight but my hometown of Toronto? Man, if only I could pull this off for real. Sure, I'd never get to see it due to how far from downtown I am, but dang... It would be fantastic. News coverage for sure! Maybe some day...
Now then, this week's poll is "Mega Man 9's 8-bit art style: Lazy, or awesome?" People seem to be pretty divided on what they think of this bold new look, or rather, this bold old look. Personally, I think it's awesome. It's like a brand new NES game nobody's played yet! I love it!
Tonight's article will be up in a little while!
"It works sometimes" 2 votes (6%)
"No" 18 votes (58%)
"It might work, but I'm not sure" 1 votes (3%)
Finally, someone else voted "It works sometimes"! I was afraid I was the only one with a temperamental NES for a while there.
As for this week's banner... I think I outdid myself. Now, when I made the site logo last week, the idea for this week's banner popped into my head. I though "Yeah! That's awesome!", but then decided I wouldn't be able to do it right. Well, it seems I was wrong:
Gentlemen, behold! It's the Duck Signal! I just had to do this. What's more, that's a Torontonian skyline. What better city to have my special spotlight but my hometown of Toronto? Man, if only I could pull this off for real. Sure, I'd never get to see it due to how far from downtown I am, but dang... It would be fantastic. News coverage for sure! Maybe some day...
Now then, this week's poll is "Mega Man 9's 8-bit art style: Lazy, or awesome?" People seem to be pretty divided on what they think of this bold new look, or rather, this bold old look. Personally, I think it's awesome. It's like a brand new NES game nobody's played yet! I love it!
Tonight's article will be up in a little while!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Gaming pet peeves 2: The Peevening
I know that "Peevening" isn't a word, but bleh. Anywho, this is a sequel to February's Gaming Pet Peeves. Oh, and the image below? Pilfered from here. Remember, kids, stealing is cool!*
Ever find something in a game that just peeves you off? Something that just makes you ask "Why?"? Well, you aren't alone. I've seen many a thing that gets on my nerves during my gaming experience, and here are just a few more to expand on part one of this series.
Terrible voice acting
A game can have amazing dialog, but it's all ruined if the developers sprung for the cheaper voice actors in the agency. The worst offender I've seen in recent memory would have to be Elebits. Just... Watch this trailer. Do you hear that man? His patronizing, "You're an idiot" kind of talking? Well, the voice acting in the actual game is even worse. How much worse? Take how bad that trailer was, roll it up in manure and moldy old carpet, then multiply that by 73. That's how bad the voice acting in Elebits is. I'm just thankful that the cinematics can be skipped after hearing them once, but even a single time can be enough to forever stain one's eardrums.
Sadly, it seems that Disaster: Day of Crisis is going down the same ear bleed-inducing path. If you manage to get to the end of this video without cringing, you're a better man than I. "Their name is... STORM. They kidnapped... HER." God, it's like William Shatner, but without the awesome. Also, Ray's voice doesn't suit him at all. The game could sound a lot better, and I mean that in almost every meaning of the phrase.
Invinci-cars
If there's one thing that really bugs me about most Need For Speed games, it's the apparent invincibility of the player's car. No matter how many high-speed cartwheels, roadblock smashes and dizzying aerial maneuvers you pull off, your car will always emerge with no more than superficial damage. That sounds fine at first, but after destroying the thirtieth or so police cruiser, it begins to seem incredibly unfair. It's just way to easy to escape when your car seems to be made of solid diamond! Making this invincibility somewhat odd, however, is the fact that you car is quite often destroyed during a drag race. Hit an object too fast and you wipe out. Overheat your engine and you grind to a halt. Seriously now, selective invincibility? That's just bizarre. Also, your tires are susceptible to spike strips. Oh, so you can make a car out of invincible material, but you can't get tires that won't be shredded by spikes? Come on.
Need For Speed isn't the only offender, though. Halo's trademark Warthog is also a god's vehicle, impervious to explosions, falling from great heights, and even being submerged in water. All this technology protecting a jeep, and the gargantuan Pillar of Autumn gets taken down by a few dozen Covenant ships? Sorry, but you've lost me now.
Inevitable catastrophes
If there's one thing that just breaks my heart each time I play Half-Life 2, it's the poor, innocent people I see gunned down in front of my eyes. But, there's nothing I can do. The shooter is hidden behind a wall or other obstruction at the time, and there's no way I can possibly get in the way of the bullet before it hits the victim. So, no matter what, my trips through City 17 are always littered with the bodies of those that died metres in front of me because their assailant was just out of my range. It's heartbreaking. Damn you, Valve! Damn you and your awesome way of making me feel sympathy for virtual characters I've just seconds earlier made eye contact with! Gah, I'm such a sap.
Another inevitable catastrophe that really bugs me is a certain point in The Godfather: Blackhand Edition. I won't lay down any specifics, but I'll say that there's this one point where I know someone is going to die, but I can't do anything. I can't stop them from going where he/she is going, I can't prevent the goons from capturing him/her, and I can never get to his/her murder scene quick enough to save their life. It's terrible, too, since I got to know the person so well in the game beforehand. Every time I play through the game, I stall at that point. I go around and do odd jobs, constantly avoiding the one mission that will trigger this inevitable catastrophe. No matter what, though, the game cannot progress without this scene. They have to die for the story to advance, and it always hurts to see them go and their family grieve. Dammit, I really am a sap.
That's all for this edition of Gaming Pet Peeves. Feel free to discuss these pet peeves and more in either the comment section, or this forum thread.
*One Duck's Opinion does not in any way condone theft of any kind. Just joking around. Take a load off, Mr. Serious.
Ever find something in a game that just peeves you off? Something that just makes you ask "Why?"? Well, you aren't alone. I've seen many a thing that gets on my nerves during my gaming experience, and here are just a few more to expand on part one of this series.
Terrible voice acting
A game can have amazing dialog, but it's all ruined if the developers sprung for the cheaper voice actors in the agency. The worst offender I've seen in recent memory would have to be Elebits. Just... Watch this trailer. Do you hear that man? His patronizing, "You're an idiot" kind of talking? Well, the voice acting in the actual game is even worse. How much worse? Take how bad that trailer was, roll it up in manure and moldy old carpet, then multiply that by 73. That's how bad the voice acting in Elebits is. I'm just thankful that the cinematics can be skipped after hearing them once, but even a single time can be enough to forever stain one's eardrums.
Sadly, it seems that Disaster: Day of Crisis is going down the same ear bleed-inducing path. If you manage to get to the end of this video without cringing, you're a better man than I. "Their name is... STORM. They kidnapped... HER." God, it's like William Shatner, but without the awesome. Also, Ray's voice doesn't suit him at all. The game could sound a lot better, and I mean that in almost every meaning of the phrase.
Invinci-cars
If there's one thing that really bugs me about most Need For Speed games, it's the apparent invincibility of the player's car. No matter how many high-speed cartwheels, roadblock smashes and dizzying aerial maneuvers you pull off, your car will always emerge with no more than superficial damage. That sounds fine at first, but after destroying the thirtieth or so police cruiser, it begins to seem incredibly unfair. It's just way to easy to escape when your car seems to be made of solid diamond! Making this invincibility somewhat odd, however, is the fact that you car is quite often destroyed during a drag race. Hit an object too fast and you wipe out. Overheat your engine and you grind to a halt. Seriously now, selective invincibility? That's just bizarre. Also, your tires are susceptible to spike strips. Oh, so you can make a car out of invincible material, but you can't get tires that won't be shredded by spikes? Come on.
Need For Speed isn't the only offender, though. Halo's trademark Warthog is also a god's vehicle, impervious to explosions, falling from great heights, and even being submerged in water. All this technology protecting a jeep, and the gargantuan Pillar of Autumn gets taken down by a few dozen Covenant ships? Sorry, but you've lost me now.
Inevitable catastrophes
If there's one thing that just breaks my heart each time I play Half-Life 2, it's the poor, innocent people I see gunned down in front of my eyes. But, there's nothing I can do. The shooter is hidden behind a wall or other obstruction at the time, and there's no way I can possibly get in the way of the bullet before it hits the victim. So, no matter what, my trips through City 17 are always littered with the bodies of those that died metres in front of me because their assailant was just out of my range. It's heartbreaking. Damn you, Valve! Damn you and your awesome way of making me feel sympathy for virtual characters I've just seconds earlier made eye contact with! Gah, I'm such a sap.
Another inevitable catastrophe that really bugs me is a certain point in The Godfather: Blackhand Edition. I won't lay down any specifics, but I'll say that there's this one point where I know someone is going to die, but I can't do anything. I can't stop them from going where he/she is going, I can't prevent the goons from capturing him/her, and I can never get to his/her murder scene quick enough to save their life. It's terrible, too, since I got to know the person so well in the game beforehand. Every time I play through the game, I stall at that point. I go around and do odd jobs, constantly avoiding the one mission that will trigger this inevitable catastrophe. No matter what, though, the game cannot progress without this scene. They have to die for the story to advance, and it always hurts to see them go and their family grieve. Dammit, I really am a sap.
That's all for this edition of Gaming Pet Peeves. Feel free to discuss these pet peeves and more in either the comment section, or this forum thread.
*One Duck's Opinion does not in any way condone theft of any kind. Just joking around. Take a load off, Mr. Serious.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Lawn mower, fridge, toaster, washing machine, fan... What else could Rotom be?
Another short one. Oh well. Hopefully Friday will be better.
So, it was revealed recently that the Pokémon Rotom would be getting new forms in Pokémon Platinum. That's cool, until you hear this: The forms are all appliances. That's right, not only do we get to control freaked-up animals and mystical creatures, now we get to pick up our Maytag washing machines and let them do our bidding. What's next?
Perhaps we'll to take our laptops into battle soon? Or how about driving a car onto the battlefield? That'd be something. Oh, and I can just imagine how it would look if we got the ability to bring TVs into the equation. Battles would be endlessly delayed in wait of a commercial break for sure.
Would it faint, or get the Blue Screen of Death?
Hey, why let it stop here? How about we just plain old make brand new Pokémon out of machinery and appliances! A Ground-type bulldozer, a Water-type boat, heck, let's go for an Electric-type Nintendo DS while we're at it! Those dual screens could do a whole lot of damage!
After this electronic revolution, who knows what could be next? How about a Pokémon made out of food? "Wild Donut appeared! Go, Torterra! Use 'Eat'!" Next thing you know, it'll turn out that the Silph Co. building was a sleeping Pokémon all along. Nobody will see that one coming!
I may be a dedicated fan of Pokémon, but even I can see that ideas are starting to run out at Game Freak. I'll tolerate the Rotom forms, but if it goes any further, I do believe I'll be spending my cash elsewhere. Nobody needs to see a wild sandwich appear.
Discuss This Article On The Forums
So, it was revealed recently that the Pokémon Rotom would be getting new forms in Pokémon Platinum. That's cool, until you hear this: The forms are all appliances. That's right, not only do we get to control freaked-up animals and mystical creatures, now we get to pick up our Maytag washing machines and let them do our bidding. What's next?
Perhaps we'll to take our laptops into battle soon? Or how about driving a car onto the battlefield? That'd be something. Oh, and I can just imagine how it would look if we got the ability to bring TVs into the equation. Battles would be endlessly delayed in wait of a commercial break for sure.
Would it faint, or get the Blue Screen of Death?Hey, why let it stop here? How about we just plain old make brand new Pokémon out of machinery and appliances! A Ground-type bulldozer, a Water-type boat, heck, let's go for an Electric-type Nintendo DS while we're at it! Those dual screens could do a whole lot of damage!
After this electronic revolution, who knows what could be next? How about a Pokémon made out of food? "Wild Donut appeared! Go, Torterra! Use 'Eat'!" Next thing you know, it'll turn out that the Silph Co. building was a sleeping Pokémon all along. Nobody will see that one coming!
I may be a dedicated fan of Pokémon, but even I can see that ideas are starting to run out at Game Freak. I'll tolerate the Rotom forms, but if it goes any further, I do believe I'll be spending my cash elsewhere. Nobody needs to see a wild sandwich appear.
Discuss This Article On The Forums
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