Better than a kick in the pants!

Thursday, November 16, 2006

The Scoring Game

Gaming reviews, what would people do without game reviews? Reviews serve to aid gamers in what is good and what is bad. But over the recent years, gamers are tending to rely solely on a reviews score, and in a lot of cases if it falls below 8, it is automatically written off as a terrible game.

Why do a lot of gamers see 7 as an average or below average game? Shouldnt 5 be the pinnacle of average? What would happen if game reviews didnt come with a number representing their worth? Would some of those games that received a sub 8 score be seen in better light? I think that its definitely a possibility.

Now heres an example of how scores may influence someone's decision to buy a good game. Sonic Advance 2 on the GBA is easily the best Sonic game on the system, the levels were well designed and the game featured some new gameplay additions such as tricks, which helped you to gain access to other areas of the levels. It was also a pretty tough game and a great platformer in general.

Heres someone elses take on the game, this is a portion from a PlanetGameCube review.

Overall, Sonic Advance 2 is a good game, but incredibly difficult. You certainly won't be breezing through this one, and there are plenty of unlockables to keep you occupied, should you ever manage to do so. Beginners should definitely start out by playing as Cream, and even if you're an expert you should consider it. There's both a single- and multi-cart multiplayer game to give you some added replay value if you're having trouble unlocking everything.

Having read that conclusion on the game, one would assume its a feature packed game which would definitely be worth your money. Now what if your the kind of gamer that thinks anything below 8, is either average or below average? Well you wouldnt be buying this game, the reviewer gave it a 7.

Most gamers do read reviews, or at least the conclusions. But sadly there are people out there who seem to discount a game, just because someone rated it on a slightly different scale. One persons 9 is another persons 7, and people should never discount a game just because of a score.

Another example I have, is a review from a local gaming mag called Hyper (fairly well respected). They gave the first Kingdom Hearts a 70 or so score. Many people would argue that this is not a satisfactory score for this game. But what if that was the first score someone saw for the game? They may never give it a go simply because it fell below 80.

I think its time we started seeing 7 as an above average score, and start seeing 5 as the definite average game.

So when I review upcoming Wii games in about a months time. Nintendo Gamer's review scores will be out of 10 with no .5 .6 .8 attached to them. 5 will be the middle, so anything over 5 is either slightly above average or above average. And anything below 5, is either slightly below average etc. I'll post a proper breakdown as we get closer to Wii reviews.

Now have any of you discounted a game based off a review score?

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

GameCube & Wii Ads + Call of Duty 3 Wii Trailer

Since the first wave of Wii ads are hitting on American TV's and Youtube, I thought like looking back at some of the GameCube's early advertising. Turns out some of these ads were quite good, and definitely had an edge to them.


I dont know if this was shown in Australia, but im sure many are familar with the print ads which featured these cubes.


Part one of the four part Wii ad series currently playing in America

Wii Ad
I couldnt embed this one, one of the parts, proberly the second one.


Also heres a Call of Duty trailer that also looks pretty cool. I might have to pick this title up sometime down the road. After I battle my way through Hyrule.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Zelda:TP Review - Spoiler Free

A segment from The Hylia's review of Zelda:TP.

Of course, the big question on many fans' minds is if the game lives up to the hype. Is the title harder than Ocarina of Time, and recent titles like The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap? It most certainly is. Does Twilight Princess have more dungeons and take longer to beat than Ocarina of Time? It's a debate if it has more dungeons, I would say "as many", but it is definitely the longest Zelda game ever, in both game play and storyline aspects. Finally, does it surpass Ocarina of Time? This question is reserved for the community and industry in the coming months and years, but all indications are this is simply the best Zelda title ever, and it dwarfs Ocarina of Time in every respect. Nintendo delivers on the goods.

This really is a great review of the latest Zelda epic! Anyone wanting to read a solid review should definitely give this a read. Its positive but doesnt let the hype creep in, so its fairly objective. Its also written by TSA, the famous Zelda speed runner. So if your going to trust any reviews, this is proberly the one to read if your still on the fence for some reason.

The Hylia

Monday, November 13, 2006

Bond, Zoonami Bond - Speculation

Today I was looking around on the Zoonami website, I hadnt been there in months and months. Anyway I stumbled upon their upcoming projects, two have already been revealed and two havnt and are going by code names.

The code names are :
Project Z1296PT
Project Z2007PU

That may or may not mean something, but the second code name caught my attention because it happens to have 007 in there. Now most people know that the founder of Zoonami worked on Goldeneye as a director, and a few other Rareware employees joined him. So could Activision possibly be employing the skills of Zoonami to create a new Bond game, that could perhaps be directed by one of the main creative minds behind what many consider the best Bond experience, and one of the greatest FPS of all time?

MAYBE...

It could also just be referring to the year this game may be scheduled to begin development on. Although, the above codename offers no such hint.

Link - Zoonami

Ready, Set, GO!

Hello

This blog hasnt been updated in months, I want to change this. So this is a notice that the blog will be becoming active, with less filler content and more actual content. I'd like to try and get a good blog going with good discussions and some good ol Nintendo fun.

So with only a few weeks left till the Wii launch (Yes weeks..us poor Australians) lets start getting even more hyped for Wii, and possibly the finest game since Zelda : Ocarina of Time.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Wii for Mii

Nintendo Australia Has Finnaly Announced The Date and The Price for the the Wii!!

Launches December 7th!!!
Price is $399!!!
















From Nintendo Austalia:

"As part of a global launch period, Wii will arrive in Australia on December 7th. Wii will be sold as an affordable, mass-consumer product at an SRP of just $399.95. The price includes one wireless Wii Remote controller, one Nunchuk™ controller and the groundbreaking collection of five different Wii Sports games on one disc, which anyone can play using simple movements, experienced or not.

Every Wii console includes another distinctive feature: a series of on-screen “channels” that make up the Wii Channel Menu, which makes the console approachable and customisable for everyone, from the most avid gamer to people who have never played before.

The Wii Channel Menu is the starting point for all of the console’s functions. The “channels” offer a gateway to a rich variety of entertainment options. When connected to a TV, the Wii Channel Menu offers a simple interface, letting users pick games to play, get news or weather, view and send photos or even create playable caricatures of themselves to use in actual games.

Additional functions allow users to redeem Wii Points and download classic games to Wii’s Virtual Console™. The variety of options available through the Wii Channel Menu motivates both gamers and non-gamers to turn on Wii’s power every day.

Wii is creating worldwide excitement with its unique control system, an inventive, first-of-its-kind controller whose position can be detected in a 3-D space. The new controller allows users to pinpoint targets in games or move through the Wii Channel Menu with precision and ease. This intuitive control system will be understood immediately by everyone, regardless of their previous experience with video games.

With this one small controller, Wii makes games both easier and more intense than anything previously experienced. For example, in the Wii Sports tennis game, players swing the Wii Remote like a racquet to hit the ball, as in real life. They can add topspin or slice the ball just by angling their hands and wrist like they would in a real match.

“Wii is a product for all to enjoy. Whether you’re young or old, an experienced gamer or complete novice, Wii has something unique to offer us all,” says Rose Lappin, Director of Sales and Marketing. “At such an affordable price, we see Wii as being a true product of everybody.”

Between launch day and Dec. 31, Wii owners will enjoy a robust lineup of around 20 software titles, with selections for everyone from video game veterans to newcomers.

Some top Nintendo launch titles include Wii Sports, a compilation of tennis, baseball, golf, bowling and boxing and The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess.

Wii’s self-loading media bay also can play the entire library of hundreds of Nintendo GameCube™ titles from day one.

Third-party developers around the world have lined up to provide unprecedented support for Wii.

Additional information about the list of Virtual Console games and the pricing structure will be revealed on nintendo.com.au in the coming weeks."

YAY!!! Wii!!

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Wii Date and Price Revealed!!ii!!ii!!
























YAY!!!

Finally Nintendo revealed the price and release date for the Wii!!

The Wii will be Available North and South America for $250US on November 19, suprisingly that Japan will get the Wii AFTER America, December 2.

The Wii will come packaged with one Wii remote, A nunchuck, an AC adapter, an audio/video cable, a sensor bar, sensor bard stand, a Wii console stand and two batteries.

The US package will also come bundled with a copy of Wii Sports, Wii Sports features tennis, baseball, golf and previously unannounced bowling and boxing games.

Nintendo said it would provide Wii owners with more than 25 unique games this year.

Wii's Virtual Console download service will have a library of some 30 titles when the system launches. Titles will include entries from the Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong franchises, Nintendo said. Virtual Console games will cost between $5US and $10US each.

Specifically, Nintendo Co. Ltd. announced that Virtual Console games would cost 500 yen ($5US), 800 yen ($8US) or 1,000 yen ($10US); these prices are probably for NES, SNES and N64 games respectively.

The Big N confirmed that it would charge $50US for its new Wii games. (Please note that this is First-Party games, prices have not been announced for Third-Part Wii games -- publishers are free to set their own prices on Wii titles.)

Nintendo revealed that Wii's various controllers would be available to buy separately at launch. The Wii remote will cost 3800 yen or about $40US; the nunchuck 1800 yen or about $20US and the classic controller 1800 yen or about $20US.

In a surprise announcement, Nintendo said that it wanted to make Wii a living room centerpiece by shipping the system with features outside of the videogame realm. Wii will include a photo channel, enabling users to display their digital photos through the console. It will also boast regularly updated news and weather channels. In addition, the system will ship with the Opera Web browser, enabling users to connect online.

One of the channels available on Wii is called the "Mii Channel." Here, players can customize avatars by selecting from a variety of face shapes, hair styles, color schemes, and so on. The hook is that these avatars can not only be stored on the console itself, they can also be transfered to the Wii remote itself -- presumably so players can easily access their personalized characters and take them with them when playing against friends.

Nintendo said it plans to ship 4 million Wii units worldwide by the end of the year.

But No Date Has been made for Australia yet, hope its before everyone else Hahahahaha

Monday, June 26, 2006

Wii Launch Date Rumour

"A French gaming website has dropped some info on the Wii launch, and they are claiming that this info comes from someone very close to Nintendo. The author of the article even says that they obtained the info themself, thus trying to push this story further from rumor, and more towards fact.
This person that is closely related to Nintendo (and remains nameless) let some info slip on just when to expect the Wii. It is looking like sometime around October 30th will be the Japanese launch, with a US and UK launch spaced out over 10 day’s time. The mystery person also claims that having the Wii ship around this time has nothing to do with the launch of the PS3, it is purely coincidental. Be that truth or not, it definitely won’t hurt Nintendo to get a 1-2 week jump on the PS3.
We were already expecting a late October/early November release for the Wii based on what we have heard so far, and this story brings a little more clout to the ongoing rumor. Big thanks to Zigomatik for the heads up."

Source-Go Nintendo

Wii Day is Coming!

Sonic turns 15




Sonic turns 15 this year, and to celebrate Sega is bringing us more hedgehog action across multiple platforms!


SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 2006--SEGA:

-- The Blue Dude With the 'Tude Rockets Onto Next-Gen Consoles With Sonic The Hedgehog on PS3 and Xbox 360, a New Sonic Adventure on the Wii, Sonic Rivals on PSP, and a Special Edition of Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis for the GBA

He's fast, he's blue, he's sold over 44 million games, and he just turned 15 years old! Tomorrow, SEGA(R) will join millions of fans around the world to celebrate Sonic The Hedgehog's 15th birthday and his continued success with four bold new upcoming games. Born on June 23, 1991 as the fastest, most technologically advanced character for the SEGA(R) Genesis(R) console, Sonic continues to innovate as he prepares to blast onto next-gen consoles and the Sony PlayStation(R)Portable system with groundbreaking new adventures. Additionally, in honor of its beloved mascot's 16-bit roots, SEGA will release the game that started it all with Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis exclusively for the Game Boy(R) Advance this November. The game will feature two new additions to the classic 1991 debut including Sonic's famous Spin-Dash move and a new save ability, and will retail at the special price of $19.95.

Fans will be treated throughout the year to special 15th anniversary events, culminating with the release of three original Sonic adventures shipping later this year, as well as the original Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis for the Game Boy Advance. Sonic will make his first appearance on next-gen consoles with the dynamic new adventure Sonic The Hedgehog for the PlayStation(R)3 and Xbox 360(TM) this fall. Sonic The Hedgehog melds top-tier production values with next-gen art, physics, and game design to create the fastest and most intense Sonic experience yet. Featuring brand new interactive 3D environments, Sonic gameplay is taken to a whole new level with a large cast of new and returning characters, and a blistering sense of speed. Sonic will also debut this fall on the PSP(R) with Sonic Rivals, a one-on-one racing platformer that also features Knuckles amongst other rivals combining classic 2D gameplay with 3D worlds. Available in 2007, a new Sonic adventure is also in development for the Wii(TM) console, combining Sonic's high velocity with the unique Wii controller and a colorful retelling of the classic tale Arabian Nights.

"Sonic's 15th birthday is a landmark occasion bringing SEGA and Sonic fans together to celebrate the hedgehog's trademark speed, heroism, and attitude," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "The breathtaking speed and gameplay innovation that Sonic introduced in 1991 will reach new heights in Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic Rivals, and Sonic's new adventure for the Wii. These titles continue a super-Sonic legacy of ground-breaking gameplay and story elements that only next-gen consoles can deliver."

In addition to his video game fame, the "blue dude with the 'tude" has starred in two animated TV series, numerous comic book adventures, and an animated movie -- he's even had his own theme park and was the first and only video game character ever featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But it's his video games that matter most to his legions of fans. Sonic has starred in more than 30 video game adventures, a distinction that earned him his star on the 'Walk of Game' landmark honoring pioneering gaming icons.

With the four upcoming new games, Sonic The Hedgehog is ready to blaze his way to the top of the video game world with the same speed, optimism, and brashness that set the gaming world on fire in 1991.

About Sonic The Hedgehog

Currently celebrating his 15th anniversary, Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most popular video game icons of all time with over 44 million games sold worldwide.

-- Over 8,000 Sonic games are sold worldwide every day

-- Gamers have spent over 500 million hours and collected over 66 billion gold rings playing Sonic The Hedgehog games


Sonic 1 for the GBA is a great idea! Although with the Wii so close and that game proberly being available from launch day, will the spin dash and the save functions really get people to buy it?

Source - Planetgamecube.com