Inside the Gamer's Mind

2004-09-22T08:48:00.000-05:00

MPH: First Hunt Pack-in Update

Looks like it's just going to be a demo that's packed in with the system. I understand why Nintendo's going that route (whet people's appetites to get them to lay down the cash for the full product), but having the full game in there would really do a lot more to entice customers into picking up this strange, new handheld. I think they're going to have some troubles marketing the system and a pack-in of that level would have really helped push the system.

2004-09-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

PStwo Revealed

Though they haven't officially dubbed the system the PStwo, it's a pretty safe bet that's what it will be called when it hits store shelves in November. This really looks like a great redesign by Sony. Coupled with the release of GTA: San Andreas, sales of Sony's console certainly won't be looking down.

Between this, the system-pushing power of Halo 2 and the DS, this should be an interesting holiday season as far as hardware sales go. Poor, little GameCube looks like it may get left behind.

2004-09-21T11:12:00.000-05:00

Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt Pack-in

USA Today probably wouldn't put this in a story unless they had confirmation so this doesn't appear to be merely a rumor. That $149 price point just got a lot more attractive.

2004-09-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

Launch DetailS

Finally, a price and a date for Nintendo's upcoming handheld experiment. The $149 price point isn't bad, though I still think it's a little steep for a handheld. It's not high enough to get me to completely write it off though. Damn Nintendo, interesting me in every system they put out. I still need to see what games are going to be launch titles before I say whether or not I'll get it.

2004-09-10T23:16:00.000-05:00

Xbox/PS2 Monkey Ball

I absolutely loved the first Super Monkey Ball for GameCube (liked the second one but thought it fell short of the original) so I'm really glad to see that PS2 and Xbox owners will get the chance to try these games out too.

If you don't have a GameCube, get ready for some crazy, addictive monkey-puzzle action.

2004-08-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

GBA SP Price Drop?

Nintendo may finally drop the price of the SP? They could have undoubtedly dropped the price earlier, but given how well the system has sold there's been no reason to. With the DS coming up though, I can certainly believe that they would be thinking about a price drop now.

2004-08-25T16:56:00.000-05:00

GoldenEye DS?

This would be unbelievably good for Nintendo's upcoming handheld. Get this done and market the hell out of it.

2004-08-20T18:52:00.000-05:00

XSN Sports No More

After cancelling this year's versions of NFL Fever and NBA Inside Drive, this move isn't a complete shock but is surprising nevertheless. This is something Sony should have done with 989 Studios long ago.

2004-08-20T18:50:00.000-05:00

MK: Deception GameCube Bound

Looks like this promising looking fighter is heading to Nintendo's little box after all. Sadly for Cube owners, it won't be until next year and there's still no online play (of course), but the promise of two new play modes should ease those wounds.

2004-08-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

MyGamer

MyGamer just recently launched their new redesigned website. I think it's a vast improvement over the previous site and think it's really a great step in the right direction for the site. The old content is still being brought over to the new site and there will undoubtedly be a few problems here and there at first, but bear with it, it'll be worth it.

2004-08-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Well, news has still been mighty slow recently, but fall's almost here and that means that things will be picking up very soon. In the meantime, I'll fill everyone in on what I've been playing recently.

I was still playing ESPN pretty regularly and was really starting to enjoy playing online until late last week when I got some new games that have since garnered all my playing time. I got four games: Crimson Skies, Sudeki, Links 2004 and Project Gotham Racing 2. Yes, they're all Xbox games, but that's because they're all from Microsoft's delightful training program for retail employees.

I've probably put the most time into Links 2004 so far. I'm a huge fan of the Mario Golf games and was really looking forward to finally trying Links with its more realistic approach, analog swing mechanics and online play. Unfortunately, so far I'm a little disappointed. The swing system is pretty good and is a nice alternative to the somewhat dated three-point system in the Mario Golf games, but I don't feel as in control so, as of now, I still prefer the old method. I also miss the wonderful (perhaps too precise) range finder from Mario's last two golf outings. The courses have been a little disappointing as well. They're all real courses which is pretty cool, but the ones I've played so far have also been too easy. I'm assuming that as I progress this will become less of a problem. The other major feature that I was looking forward to, online play, has really panned out yet either. I tried to get on this morning to play and found that there wasn't a single game to join. Basically, it's a pretty good game so far that I'm hoping will get better.

I've also put a few hours into Sudeki. I mainly picked up this game just because I was so surprised to see such a new game available through Microsoft's training program. Everything I'd heard about the game beforehand was very lukewarm and I've come away with basically the same feeling. The story isn't progressing very quickly and I'm already starting to lose interest, the voices for all the characters are pretty bad and really don't match their personalities well and certain parts already have a tedious feeling to them. On the bright side, the combat system is very solid, though it also has its drawbacks. The most effective method of combat is to simply take the long-range character and fire from a distance, but this gets boring fast and I quickly switched to controlling one of the melee characters even though it's a less effective approach. Again, I hope this game grows on me the more I play it.

I haven't played too much of the other two games so far, but have put in a reasonable amount of time with each. I really like Crimson Skies so far, but haven't had a chance to try out what is supposed to be its strong suit (multiplayer, specifically on XBL). As for PGR2, I like it but it hasn't really done much to set it apart from other racing games (a genre I'm not usually that into). It's a fun game but it's one of those games I will probably tire of fairly quickly.

2004-07-30T21:25:00.000-05:00

I haven't commented on what I've been playing recently, mainly because I haven't been playing much of anything new.

When I picked up Mario Golf: Advance Tour and Mega Man Anniversary Collection, I played those obsessively for a few weeks. Now that I've finished both of them though, my choice of games has been pretty eclectic.

Any multiplayer gaming has been going into the SSBM obsession that I share with a couple friends. I've had the game since it came out in December 2001, and it still gets more playtime than basically any other game.

Any solo gaming has been split up lately between Tetris DX, KOTOR and the newly-released-yet-bargain-priced ESPN NFL 2k5.

I'm not much of a sports gamer anymore, but when ESPN was released for a mere $20, I figured I couldn't really go wrong. So far, that's been true too. I've really enjoyed the game, though the few online sessions I've tried with it have told me that I'm not very good at it. It's an extremely solid football game whose only major problem is some occassionally moronic AI (mainly during blocking). Everything else is really top-notch. The franchise mode is made for the obsessive compulsive, the crib gives you a reason to keep playing and sets up certain goals for you to accomplish, and the ESPN 25th Anniverary mode lets you recreate various historic NFL games. Really a great game, even if you're not that into sports games. You'll definitely get your money's worth and then some.

2004-07-30T19:49:00.000-05:00

Xbox Next in 2006 now?

The speculation continues. This time there's an actual quote from a Microsoft official, but it still doesn't definitively clarify the situation. I really wish they would just put an end to all the rumors and let people know one way or the other.

2004-07-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

DS Finalized

Name, design and logo have all been set in stone. Unfortunately, price, launch date and launch games are still unknown.

The new design is far superior to the prototype shown at E3 and should definitely help push the system. The logo is simple but effective, but I still think they should have changed the name and made it part of the Game Boy family.

The Game Boy name has become synonymous with handheld gaming and would give the DS a huge initial push. Additionally, if Nintendo thinks they can really try this whole "third pillar" thing, I think they're going to be sorely disappointed. Game Boy and DS sales will cannibalize each other and with the PSP coming next year, Nintendo should be focusing on one machine. Then again, maybe I'm wrong. We'll just have to wait and see.

2004-07-26T22:54:00.000-05:00

Four Swords DS

Sounds like a great way to push the system to me (though I am also a certifiable Zelda junkie).

2004-07-25T18:50:00.000-05:00

Mega Man Anniversary Collection Review

I know this is pretty late, but that's because I waited until I finished all 8 Mega Man games before I wrote the review. Then of course, it didn't get posted very quickly, but it's finally up.

Basically, it's a great compilation of some classic 2D action. A definite recommendation for anyone that can appreciate a good old-school game.

2004-07-14T21:25:00.000-05:00

DS Price and Date?

Not an official declaration, but sounds plausible. That's too pricy for a handheld in my opinion so we'll have to see if this turns out to be true.

2004-07-08T12:06:00.000-05:00

Mario Golf: Advance Tour Review

This has been up for a few days now, but I haven't had access to a decent Internet connection for about a week so I just got around to posting the link.

Overall, Advance Tour is a great game and its only real drawback is that its a bit too much like GBC Mario Golf. It's a fantastic portable golf game that also breathes new life into Toadstool Tour. Being able to take your GBA characters onto the Cube links and get experience is great and actually had me playing on the Cube almost as much as on the GBA. This is really a must-buy for anyone that has any interest in it.

2004-06-26T20:10:00.000-05:00

Mega Man Anniversary Collection

I picked this up on Thursday and I absolutely love it. I was always a big fan of the old-school Mega Man games and this is a fantastic compilation for any fan of the Blue Bomber. Mega Man 1-8 are all on here, plus a couple formerly Japan-only fighting games which are unlockable. There's also a bunch of other hidden stuff that you unlock by playing and beating the various games. There are also platform-specific bonuses for each version (Cube and PS2). PS2 owners get an episode of the Mega Man anime, while GameCube players get some developer interviews. I was more interested in seeing what the developers had to say so I picked up the Cube version. The PS2 game also has remixed background music as an option.

I'm playing the games in order and I'm at the end of Mega Man 4 now (played through the original twice already). For the most part the games are straight ports with a few minor changes. First, all the games have a button for auto-fire which is very useful, and the game has an auto save feature which saves you from writing down those stupid passwords all the time. For some reason, the Cube version has jump assigned to B and fire assigned to A which feels completely backwards at first to anyone accustomed to the NES setup. I died a few times due to this, but I've finally gotten used to it. There's also one odd thing that I've noticed. For Mega Man 1 & 2 they didn't retouch the graphics at all, the same sprite flicker is still there, but they have fixed up Mega Man 3. While I've played the rest of the games at some point, I've only owned Mega Man 2 & 3 so I won't really know if they've improved the rest or not.

This is really a must-buy for anyone that can appreciate a good 2D action-platformer. With a price tag of just $30 it's really quite a bargain too.

2004-06-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

Mario Golf: AT Update

I'm still really liking this game, but it's still going a little too slowly. Things are definitely getting harder but my character isn't really improving a whole lot.

I took the time to try out the GameCube link-up stuff today and it unlocked a ton of characters and stuff on the GBA game just from the stuff that I had done in Toadstool Tour. All the link option really allows you to do is use your characters in the GameCube game. It's a nice option but it's nothing revolutionary either.

Overall, I really haven't played Advance Tour a whole lot the last couple days because Mega Man has been eating up my free time.

2004-06-23T23:34:00.000-05:00

Mario Golf: Advance Tour

I just picked this up yesterday and have spent a few hours with it so far. Basically, it's an extension of the Game Boy Color Mario Golf. Almost everything seems very closely based on what was done in that game, but improved or expanded slightly. This may sound like a bad thing, but considering how refined and addicting the GBC experience was, the fact that Camelot has stuck close to that formula isn't all bad.

Unfortunately, the game starts out pretty slowly for anyone that's had much experience with the previous game (or really just about any golf game). The reason it starts off slowly though is due to its biggest drawing point, it's RPG elements. Since you have to start out as a low-level beginner and play all the basic, easy courses first, it seems somewhat dull, but the ability to improve your character and customization options give this game an added layer of depth.

Look for a full review soon, but if you have any interest in a portable golf game then go buy this game.

2004-06-23T23:32:00.000-05:00

Ninja Gaiden 1.1

Wow. This is a great freebie. I can't wait until August so I can try this out.

2004-06-15T21:29:00.000-05:00

Xbox 2 "News"

Still mainly hearsay and speculation but much more in-depth than most. Really a very complete analysis of the situation. If this turns out to be true, I think Microsoft is making a big mistake. The HDD was a great feature for this Xbox, backwards compatibility would be a big selling point and coming out this far ahead of the competition could easily backfire. I also don't know what they would try to push as their killer app. Halo 2 coming out this year means that there's no way a new one would be ready.

2004-06-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

GBA Halo Rumor Squashed

Well, that didn't take long. It's very odd that IGN would mention something as off-the-wall as this like it's a fact only for Bungie to totally scoff at the idea.

2004-06-10T23:43:00.000-05:00

GBA Halo?!

Next to last question in the mailbag.

Wow, that's really not something I would have expected. I guess it's a pretty safe bet that it won't link up with the Cube in any way.

2004-06-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

Possible DS Initials

The only reason I found this interesting is because each of those initials have the letters G and B in them. I'm assuming these would stand for Game Boy, of course. The reason this is so perplexing is that Nintendo has insisted that the DS will not be the GBA's successor and that it will be a "third pillar." Personally, I think it would make a lot more sense to just throw the Game Boy name on the thing because that would help it sell immensely.

I guess it's possible that these initials could be for what will be the next Game Boy, but then why would they be copyrighting these initials already? Whatever. I guess it gives us all something to ponder.

2004-06-09T21:44:00.000-05:00

Four Swords Update

Got the game this afternoon but only got to play it for about a half an hour. I'm very pleased so far, but it's still definitely too early to render a real verdict. Only played the first level of Hyrulean Adventure and played one match of Shadow Battle on each of the initial five maps. I enjoyed Shadow Battle more than I thought I would.

I also only got to play 2-player, but tomorrow I should be able to log in some serious time with the true 4-player experience. Look for more info then.

2004-06-09T21:42:00.000-05:00

Revolution-ary Tidbits

A few morsels of info on Nintendo's next console. Sounds like they're going to be taking a gamble. I sure hope it pays off.

2004-06-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

Lucky Japanese Gamers
(IGN Insider required)

I swear, the Japanese get the coolest collector's items while we get squat.

2004-06-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates

It seems like there really just hasn't been a whole lot of interesting news coming out since the aftershock of E3. I'm hoping things will pick up, but other than a few big summer releases, I doubt there will be much of anything exciting this summer. On the bright side, I'll be getting Four Swords Adventures tomorrow so I'll have opinions on that up shortly thereafter.

2004-05-27T23:54:00.000-05:00

Ninja Gaiden 2 Confirmed

Not really any big surprise here. Ninja Gaiden was both critically and commercially successful so it would have been much more of a surprise if they chose not to release a sequel. Looks like it will almost certainly be on Microsoft's next system though.

2004-05-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

Best Buy Clearance

Cheap games. Go now.

2004-05-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

Onimusha Not Done Yet

Not really much of a surprise here. It's a successful series from a company that refuses to let any of their franchises die. Plus, the ending of Onimusha 3 was not really a way to end the series for good. They really need to change some stuff in the next game though for this series to stay relevant. Camera, control and speed are the three top things that need to be addressed.

2004-05-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

Mario vs. Donkey Kong Preview

This looks like it should be a really fun game. I loved the 1994 Game Boy Donkey Kong and Mario vs. Donkey Kong looks to follow closely in its footsteps. Nintendo hasn't released a whole lot of info on the game though and it wasn't even at E3 this year so we'll have to just wait and see how it turns out.

2004-05-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

E3 Recap

News has been mighty slow since the end of E3 and will probably be that way for a few more days at least, while all the gaming websites recover from last week's insanity. Therefore, I decided I would do a look back at E3 and highlight the main points.

The biggest surprise had to be the shiny new Zelda that Nintendo showed at its press conference. The game looks absolutely amazing already and isn't supposed to be out until next year. This game instantly jumped to the top of my most wanted list.

Speaking of the press conferences, Nintendo's impressed me the most. They showed off the DS pretty well, Zelda was great and they surprisingly mentioned their next system (now codenamed "Revolution"). Really, it was a great show that left little to be desired, unlike the other two.

Microsoft's show wasn't too bad, but since they were first I felt a little disappointed when there were no surprises. They showed some great games and that was it. Nothing wrong with that, I was just expecting more.

Sony really disappointed me. They really didn't show anything that got me excited for either the PS2 or the PSP. The PSP looks very stylish and cool, but the main thing I wanted to know (price) was not revealed. Ultimately, I came away from all the E3 coverage with the same impression of the PSP that I had beforehand. It looks like a really cool gadget that will cost way more than I'm willing to spend on a handheld game system, and since I don't care about the movie or music features that's all that I would want out of it.

As for the show itself, there really didn't seem to be much exciting stuff going on. I mean, there was great coverage of a ton of games, but the biggest games were almost all sequels that aren't really much of a departure from their predecessors. Metroid Prime 2, Halo 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 are all games that need to be played and enjoyed to truly appreciate the upgrades they've made over the games that came before them. Watching videos of them in action is great but it really doesn't tell you all that much that you don't get from just reading stuff about them.

Overall, this year's show didn't really blow my socks off (except Zelda, God I want that game). Of course, it must be noted that I did not actually attend the show and all these observations are based on the coverage I found across the web (mainly IGN who easily did the best job). Still, previous years really got me more excited than this year. Next year should really be interesting. With Zelda finally playable (and this time I will be there to see it), both of the new handhelds on the market and all three companies showing off their next-gen machines, E3 2005 will be monumental.

Of course, this year will be great for gaming. Resident Evil 4, Viewtiful Joe 2, Halo 2, Devil May Cry 3, Paper Mario 2, Conker Live and Reloaded, DOA Ultimate, Metroid Prime 2, etc.

2004-05-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

DS vs. PSP

This is really a great article highlighting the ups and downs of both upcoming handhelds. Really a must-read for anyone interested in this upcoming battle.

2004-05-15T22:04:00.000-05:00

More Zelda Goodness

Click, read and be happy.

2004-05-14T08:27:00.000-05:00

Metroid Prime 2 Interview

Provides more details and info on what should be one of this year's best games.

2004-05-13T11:18:00.000-05:00

Miyamoto Zelda Interview

Not really much new info, but it's always great to see what Miyamoto-san has to say. When the god of video games speaks, I listen.

2004-05-12T16:47:00.000-05:00

Playable PSP at TGS

Looks like Sony will hold off until September to give people hands-on time with their new handheld.

2004-05-12T14:19:00.000-05:00

Zelda: Minish Cap

New GBA Zelda game. Looks like more great 2D Zelda goodness. The video IGN has up also shows up some very nice effects. Should be a great game.

2004-05-12T08:01:00.000-05:00

More Zelda Details

This is now my most anticipated game so you can plan on me posting anything that can even be considered news about it.

2004-05-12T07:43:00.000-05:00

DS Games: Mario, WarioWare, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Mario 64x4

They haven't which of these are just tech demos and which will actually end up being games, but they're all worth checking out if you're interested in the DS.

2004-05-12T07:31:00.000-05:00

PSP Killer App

PSP Metal Gear, 'nuff said.

2004-05-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

PSP

Given more details and a better look at the system, I still have to say I'm somewhat leary. It's got great technology behind it, it looks very slick and has some great features but there's a few things that bug me about it.

First, the design means that the screen will get scratched. I was extremely careful with my original GBA and I still got a scratch on the screen. It's small but it still drove me nuts. The clamshell design of the SP was one of the biggest reasons I bought one. Secondly, I don't care to have something that will play movies and music. I would use those features so rarely that they'd be basically worthless. That's just me though, I can definitely understand why other people would be excited about it. The main reason that I'm not too pumped for the PSP is simple: price. They haven't announced one yet but from all indications it will be at least $200. That's just too steep for me for just a handheld.

Sony's got a great piece of technology but I just don't know how big the interest will be at the price point that it's probably going to sell at. It will be interesting to see, that's for sure.

2004-05-11T19:07:00.000-05:00

Metroid Prime: Hunters

This is the DS Metroid game I mentioned earlier. The control setup still sounds awkward to me, but I'm sure the game is still very early and things will definitely change. The DS' 3D capabilities seem to be surprisingly robust.

2004-05-11T17:39:00.000-05:00

Third-party DS Games

This isn't that big, but a couple of the titles caught my eye. Namely Viewtiful Joe DS and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Those could both be really big games.

2004-05-11T17:16:00.000-05:00

DS Impressions

GameSpot has a fairly in-depth look at the DS up. Pretty interesting, though kind of long. It sounds to me like this thing has a lot of potential but is one of those things that needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

2004-05-11T16:29:00.000-05:00

Zelda Details

IGN got an early look and posted these impressions. Take a look. I cannot wait for this game.

2004-05-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

Nintendo Press Conference

Nintendo's press conference, much like the others, didn't surprise too much. That is, until the end. Then they unveiled a new, realistic Zelda. No date released, just a "coming soon," but it looked fantastic.

That was, more or less, the only surprise though. They debuted the DS, and the USA Today picture was accurate (see this morning's post). They did surprise by showing a DS Metroid, announcing Wi-Fi, and a built-in microphone. They also confirmed the rumors of a touch screen, wireless multiplayer and backward compatibility. No price announced, but it was stressed that it would be "affordable." The main problem I had with the DS was from a comment made during the Metroid demo that players would use the touch screen to fire, that just doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

Overall, it was a pretty good show that was bogged down by a bunch of financial talk at the beginning. They definitely made up for it at the end though.

2004-05-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Sony Press Conference

Again, no real surprises, but they showed off the PSP. The main thing I wanted to know (the price) did not get mentioned though. I'm also surprised at Sony's emphasis on online during its conference. I'll wait til I get to see the whole show before I say anything else about the PSP.

2004-05-11T09:15:00.000-05:00

First Official DS Info and Picture

I wonder if USA Today was supposed to show that yet. Regardless, the article provides some firm details but leaves a lot of questions unanswered (price, for example). Also, judging by the picture, I have to wonder how big it is. I love my GBASP because I can just toss it in my backpack easily, but the DS looks like it may be a little too big to easily take it places. It's really hard to tell though from that picture so I'll wait until they give the exact measurements to make a decision on that.

2004-05-10T22:46:00.000-05:00

Microsoft Pre-E3 Press Conference

Overall, fairly disappointing. Halo 2 multiplayer sounds great and the EA announcement was big, but there was nothing unexpected. No announcement of a new system should put to rest rumors that it's coming in 2005. I guess Microsoft is hoping their games will carry them through this E3.

2004-05-10T22:41:00.000-05:00

EA on XBL confirmed

Title is pretty self-explanatory. This was expected but still very big for Microsoft and Xbox Live.

2004-05-09T15:19:00.000-05:00

E3 Preview: Nintendo

This could be a big E3 for Nintendo. With the momentum they gained with the GameCube price drop at the end of 2003 waning, they need something big to get the little purple box moving again. They supposedly have some major peripheral for the Cube planned to show off that is supposed to extend the life of the system. Nodoby seems to have any idea as to what this could be and many were worried that this may mean that Nintendo isn't planning on entering the next round of system wars. If the specs posted by N-sider (see yesterday's post) are to be believed, that's definitely not the case. I would still be very surprised if Nintendo says anything specific about its next console. They might mention that they are planning one, but that is it.

As far as hardware is concerned, there's one thing that Nintendo is sure to unveil: the DS. There are apparently over 100 developers on board now which should suggest that this won't be such a niche item that it is doomed to fail. Also, early reports from people that have seen the planned launch line-up have been very positive though vague because of non-disclosure agreements. If Nintendo can show off a couple in-house games that really take advantage of the dual screen setup, people will be sold. I just hope that the system can maintain support after launch.

Software should be big for Nintendo this year too. Much like two years ago, there's the possibility that the Big N could unveil a new game in each of its three biggest franchises: Mario, Metroid and Zelda. Metroid is a given, Wind Waker 2 seems to be a pretty safe bet, and the rumors around a new Mario game are pretty strong. Personally, I'm expecting all three to make an appearance, and I have very high hopes for all of them. Pikmin 2 will also be on display, to the pleasure of gardening fanatics worldwide.

As always the big question mark in Nintendo's software line-up is third-party titles. Namco should be showing Star Fox 2, and Capcom should have Resident Evil 4 on display. Other than those two, I can't really think of much else. Those two should be huge though so it's not so bad.

Overall, this should be a great year for Nintendo. If the PSP overshadows the DS and the other two big guns unveil specs for their next-gen systems and Nintendo doesn't then they could end up as the forgotten company. Microsoft kicks off the festivities tomorrow with their pre-show conference. Hope everyone's as excited as I am!

2004-05-08T22:54:00.000-05:00

Next-Gen Nintendo system specs?

Though definitely not confirmed to be true, this is a very interesting article. The guys over at N-Sider do a great job of explaining the whole thing so give it a read.

2004-05-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

E3 Preview: Microsoft

This year could be big for Bill Gates and Co. Rumors insist that they will be unveiling the next-generation Xbox and announcing a planned release date of 2005. I still find this very hard to believe for a few reasons. First off, Microsoft's big game this year is Halo 2 which should provide a huge sales boost for the Xbox at the end of the year when it's released. The announcement of a new system coming out next year would just kill momentum for the rest of this generation. Secondly, most people are expecting Sony to hold off on the PS3 until at least 2006. It may seem like a good idea to get the jump on them, but that big of a lead could backfire (just ask Sega). Instead of releasing any concrete details on Xbox Next, I expect Microsoft to unveil some specs for it and possibly announce a planned release date, but focus the vast majority of their efforts on pushing this generation's games.

On the software side of things, Halo 2 is the big gun that will be the focus. Other than that, DOA Ultimate will probably be pushed quite strongly, and they've said that we should expect to see Rare come into its own finally. If all Rare has on display are Kameo and Conker, people are going to be very disappointed. It also looks like EA and MS are going to kiss and make up and announce Xbox Live support for EA's big sports games. This is great for Microsoft because it completely eliminates the one advantage that Sony had in the sports genre.

Each company always has at least one surprise that they spring on everyone at E3. I don't know what Microsoft's will be. Could be Xbox Next, could be a development purchase (like BioWare), or it could be something totally unexpected. That's the glory of E3.

Check back in tomorrow night for Nintendo's preview. Personally, I'm expecting the most out of the Big N this year, come see why.

2004-05-07T20:43:00.000-05:00

E3 Preview: Sony

There's only one thing that I'm absolutely certain of with Sony's presence at E3 this year, and that is that they will focus almost entirely on the PSP. If this thing is going to come out at the end of this year/beginning of next year they need to get the hype machine going. Also, with the expected price point being around $249-299, they need to give people reasons to spend that type of cash. If they can't give enough incentive now, then their chances of having enough put together by launch are slim to none.

There's also the rumors that Sony will show off the PS3 for the first time, but reports of delays with the Cell processor and the insurmountable success of the PS2 make me think that they'll hold off on this. They could show very early specs of the system but they've kinda been doing that for awhile now so there really wouldn't be much point. Plus, a PS3 announcement would just take away steam from their PSP announcement. Unless they're going to stun everyone and have the system out next year, don't expect much if anything on the PS3.

Sony's never been all that big on first-party software so I don't really see anything huge coming out from them in that area. The annual Jak and Ratchet and Clank updates will be on display, but I can't really think of anything else to expect. Sony has always relied on third parties for software and will continue to do so. It should be interesting to see what those companies have come up with for the PSP. Konami will have Metal Gear Solid 3 which will be huge. There's probably something I'm forgetting, but that's about all I can think of right now.

Check back tomorrow for the Microsoft preview, and Sunday will be Nintendo's turn.

2004-05-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

Sony's PSP plans taking shape

This is some interesting news. Downloadable music AND games? It really makes me wonder what retail chains like EBGames and GameStop think about this. Will this affect their support of the system. Also, is the speculated $249-299 price tag too high for a handheld. I know I sure won't be jumping on that train right away. This thing will probably be either huge or a total bomb.

2004-05-05T15:55:00.000-05:00

Onimusha 3 Review

This is a pretty good game, worth checking out if you have any interest in the series. While I enjoyed the game, the biggest thing that I came away with after playing it was a huge urge to play Ninja Gaiden. The slow, somewhat clunky controls of the Onimusha series just feel outdated and wrong compared to the fast-paced gameplay of NG.

2004-05-05T08:59:00.001-05:00

With E3 being next week already, there probably won't be a whole lot of news between now and next Monday when the pre-show conferences start. Therefore, Friday, Saturday and Sunday you can look forward to E3 previews for each of the big three console companies. I'll go over what each company is expected to show, how important this E3 is for each of them and what I personally hope to see each one show off. E3 is going to be huge, like usual, and this should get everyone pumped for the excitement next week.

2004-05-05T08:59:00.000-05:00

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

Interesting how EA got the GoldenEye name in there without making the game have anything to do with that particular Bond movie. I'm somewhat surprised that they decided to go back to a first-person perspective after the mostly successful transition to third-person for Everything or Nothing. The decision to go back to a FPS style is probably more due to their obvious intention of playing off of the hugely successful N64 GoldenEye. Unfortunately for anyone dumb enough to fall for this ploy, there's no way this game will match what Rare did back in the day.

2004-04-30T18:30:00.000-05:00

KOTOR 2

The most interesting part of this story is the revelation that BioWare is not in charge of this game. It sounds like the new developer is off to a good start, but I'm still leary. I loved KOTOR and really don't want to see the sequel get ruined or come off as just a rehash.

2004-04-29T00:18:00.000-05:00

Ninja Gaiden 2

This is great news, just because Ninja Gaiden was such a fantastic game. I hope they fix the camera issues, but other than that I don't want much to change. A lot of people have a problem with the difficulty level, but I love a good challenge, especially nowadays when games in general are far too easy. There will probably be more details released on this at.....you guessed it, E3.

2004-04-26T23:28:00.000-05:00

EA to get Live

Looks like EA is finally going to get on Microsoft's broadband party train. It's ridiculous that this took so long to happen. EA's sports games are easily some of the most popular games year after year, and Xbox Live is easily the best online setup of the current console generation. It should be interesting to see how much effect this has on sales of the PS2 versions of these games.

2004-04-26T18:22:00.000-05:00

Xbox Next in '05?

Sounds like M$ may be thinking about getting a jump on the competition for the next round of systems. This is a risky move, just ask Sega. This would also mean that an announcement at E3 would be necessary, which would completely kill off hype for the games still scheduled to come out on the current Xbox (including Halo 2). Speaking of Halo 2, if that's just coming out this fall and the next system is due out next summer, there's no way Bungie would have Halo 3 ready by then. This raises the question about what Microsoft would have to make the next system a must-buy. It's going to be a hell of an E3 this year, regardless.

2004-04-23T15:11:00.000-05:00

Snake Eater playable at E3

I'm somewhat leary of this game. MGS2 was a big disappointment for me and some of the stuff revealed for Snake Eater don't really fill me with anticipation. Having to kill and eat wild animals doesn't strike me as entertaining, for example. I'll be very interested to see impressions of the playable game though.

2004-04-21T18:26:00.000-05:00

VJ2 Q&A

Only a couple points of interest here. They mention the one new VFX power, replay, but don't really go into any detail about how it will work. More interestingly, they mention a coop mode which I think sounds like a great addition. It should really add a new layer of gameplay.

2004-04-21T08:37:00.000-05:00

Viewtiful Joe 2

Nintendo loyalists will be disappointed to hear that VJ2 will also be on the PS2, but I think it's a good thing. This way more people will get to experience the unique VJ experience. The original was a fantastically different, insanely challenging game, and I hope that the sequel won't water down the challenge.

2004-04-19T23:20:00.000-05:00

More follow-up to Nintendo-SK breakup

Well, Matt from IGN addressed the conspiracy rumors tonight in the mailbag. He asserted that the news was legit, though I don't think that's going to do much to quell the rumors. I'm sure they think he's just in on the hoax too since he's the one that broke the story. Personally, I'm pretty sure that it's a real story but the PGC posting at 3:33 still strikes me as odd, unless it was meant to be an homage to Eternal Darkness.

2004-04-19T18:28:00.000-05:00

Here's a follow-up to the Nintendo-Silicon Knights breakup news. There are serious rumors flying around now that this is actually all a hoax. I've mainly saw this on the IGN boards. I know those guys are notoriously strange and conspiracy minded, but they actually brought up some valid points.
One being SK President Denis Dyack's silence on the matter on the IGN boards where he semi-regularly posts. He has logged in but not posted. Secondly, the writer that broke the story on IGN, Matt Cassamassina also has not spoken up to squash the rumors. Most interestingly in my opinion is the fact that Planet GameCube's story (found here) about the breakup went up at 3:33 p.m. I'm not big into conspiracy theories, but I'm also not too keen on coincidences like that.
If this is a marketing ploy, then I don't really understand what they're trying to accomplish with it, except just trying to get people talking about the company more. Oh well, like usual I guess we'll just have to wait until E3 to find out for sure.

2004-04-19T18:09:00.000-05:00

Microsoft to purchase BioWare?

Based on the non-comment issued by BioWare this doesn't seem to likely, but they didn't completely shoot it down either. Yet another tidbit that we'll probably have to wait until E3 to find out about for sure.

2004-04-14T20:26:00.000-05:00

WarioWare Inc.: Mega Party Game$

Overall, this is a fun multiplayer game that gets old a little too quickly. The solo game is basically the same as what Nintendo released last year on the GBA though. Like usual, click the link above to get the full review from MyGamer.

2004-04-14T17:19:00.000-05:00

Another developer close to Nintendo drops GameCube support

More bad news for Nintendo's little wonder, Factor 5 developers of the Rogue Squadron games as well as the GameCube's sound hardware have pulled support. IGN had stated that they were in the process of making a next-gen version of Pilotwings for Nintendo, no word if that's been pushed to Nintendo's next system or canned altogether. This is especially bad for the Cube because Factor 5 had proven themselves to be possibly the most tech-savvy group working on the system.

2004-04-14T17:14:00.000-05:00

Metroid Prime 2 multiplayer confirmed

I was kind of hoping this would turn out to just be a rumor. Metroid has always been a solo experience and has relied on that for some of the mood that the games always have. I don't know how they're going to work in a multiplayer mode that will feel like Metroid, but I always didn't know how Retro would pull off a first-person Metroid either and they came through with flying colors. Nintendo also managed to successfully turn Zelda multiplayer with Four Swords so I should probably give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm still hoping that this is something at least somewhat original, not just a straight deathmatch. Alas, E3 is still a month away.

2004-04-13T13:29:00.000-05:00

Nintendo/Silicon Knights break ties

Bad news for Nintendo fans here. Silicon Knights did a fantastic job with Eternal Darkness, and their work on remaking the original Metal Gear Solid was good too. They were a good source for more mature games, something Nintendo has been lacking in. Should be interesting to see how/if Nintendo tries to fill this hole in their library now.

2004-04-09T08:19:00.000-05:00

James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing

Everything or Nothing is a good first attempt at taking the Bond franchise in a new direction. It's definitely no GoldenEye, but it has enough "wow" moments to make it worth at least a rental. Check out the full review over at MyGamer.

2004-04-08T18:34:00.000-05:00

Silly GameSpot

I guess GameSpot didn't quite do all the legwork needed for their news story about the Xbox HD. IGN points out the fact that the patent was applied for years ago and just finally got finalized.

Brought to my attention by Harmonica.

2004-04-07T20:10:00.000-05:00

Xbox Next to have HD after all?

Looks like Microsoft may decide to include the hard drive in their next system. After rumors touting the opposite emerged, this could be good news. I hope they do include it because I thought that the HD and built-in NIC card were the two hardware moves Microsoft made that could impact the industry.

2004-04-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

Metroid movie still alive

I was hoping that when this got canned the first time it would never pop up again. Well, it's back and now John Woo is in charge of it. Maybe he'll do the series justice but I still have little faith. I have to at least hope that it won't be as bad as the Mario Bros. movie.

2004-04-06T19:14:00.000-05:00

Nintendo sets up acquisition fund

As of now, it's anybody's guess what Nintendo has in store for this money, but it should be interesting to see what develops from this. This also should pretty well squash any lingering rumors of Nintendo dropping out of the hardware side of the industry. Even if this fund was used to extend their in-house software teams, it wouldn't make too much sense to do something like that unless they want to extra people around to make games for Nintendo systems.

2004-04-06T19:03:00.000-05:00

Another cool fighting game compilation

This is pretty much the ultimate compilation for Street Fighter II fans. I was worried that this would be one of those Japan-only games. Fortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case.

2004-04-06T18:56:00.000-05:00

MK 1-3 in next Arcade Treasures

It's interesting that Midway's going to throw all three of the first Mortal Kombat games into their next compilation disc. Nintendo proved how well companies can simply throw ports of old games onto the market with significant success. The Mario Advance series and A Link to the Past spring to mind. Granted, those are on the GBA so they're only $30, but for the most part, they're the same games that we played years ago. A Link to the Past did have Four Swords on it too which was worth the $30 alone but finding four people that have the game has proven unlikely.

2004-04-02T09:51:00.000-06:00

Cube Castlevania?--Guess Not

Well, looks like that's not going to happen. With E3 right around the corner, there's still the possibility that they just want to hold off the announcement until then, but it sure doesn't look that way.

Oh well, Lament of Innocence on the PS2 was a great starting point for Konami to make a 3D series on Sony's system so I'm be happy to see a sequel to that which addresses the few problems that that game had.

2004-03-31T23:09:00.000-06:00

Well, I got my first taste of Xbox Live tonight. I downloaded the extra levels for the original Splinter Cell and played a few games of Pandora Tomorrow. Pandora Tomorrow was pretty fun, I wasn't too fond of my first teammate though which hurt the experience. Of course, being my first time with the game, the maps were totally unfamiliar, but I'm starting to get the hang of the game. I still think that it's got a ton of potential and look forward to giving it some more play time.

2004-03-30T19:25:00.000-06:00

I realize that I haven't posted an update on what I've been playing recently.

After I finished Ninja Gaiden, most of my gaming time was split between starting that again and Advance Wars. After I finished off the campaign in Advance Wars for something like the fifth time, I played some of the war room maps, but I'm at the later maps in there that I just can't seem to beat so I've put that down again.

I picked up the Xbox GTA Double Pack about two weeks ago so I've been playing some Vice City. I only spent a brief amount of time on the PS2 version so I decided to trade in my PS2 GTA3 and get the prettied up versions of both of those games on Xbox.

I also just picked up the new Splinter Cell and have played through the first few missions there. It's a fun game, though maybe a little bit too much like the first one. So far, nothing really new. I think they focused most of their innovations on the multiplayer aspect. It sounds good enough that I'm finally going to take the plunge into Xbox Live tomorrow and I'll give you guys my impressions then.

2004-03-29T23:39:00.000-06:00

Cube Castlevania?

This is an interesting rumor. I've heard nothing of this before so it's really surprising to have something this big come out of left field all of a sudden. We'll probably have to wait until E3 to get any confirmation on this if it actually turns out to be true.

2004-03-29T13:26:00.000-06:00

Metroid Zero Mission Review

Here's my review of Zero Mission. It's a great, fun game but is a little too easy and short. Unfortunately, the short length is only accentuated by the fantastic gameplay. You'll have so much fun that the game will seem even shorter than it really is.

Anyone that's never played the original Metroid owes it to themselves to pick this up. On the other hand, everyone that's played the NES classic should still check this out to see how Nintendo has re-imagined Samus' first adventure. Just beware of its shortcomings beforehand and you won't be disappointed.

2004-03-27T15:59:00.000-06:00

NES GBASP

I think this looks a lot cooler than the Japanese Famicom edition SP. The game boxes are pretty dull though.

2004-03-24T21:35:00.000-06:00

My First MyGamer Review

Return from Darkness is a worthwhile game, but definitely only a rental for anyone who's ever played much of the PS2 Wrath of Heaven. It adds a few things but not enough to warrant a $50 purchase when the PS2 game is so much cheaper now. Anyone who only has an Xbox and has any interest in stealth action games should certainly check it out though.

2004-03-23T23:55:00.000-06:00

More DS Details

Little by little the curtain is being pulled away. This isn't "official" info but it sounds like it's coming from reliable sources that have had access to the system. I still don't know what to think of this thing, but I'm definitely curious.

2004-03-23T23:52:00.000-06:00

No More Navi's Trackers

Looks like Navi's Trackers is getting the axe for the US version of Four Swords. From what has been reported on it anyway, it doesn't sound like we'll be missing too much. It would have been kinda cool to have a Zelda game with a main character with all that voice acting though. Oh well. June 7 still can't come fast enough.

2004-03-23T01:01:00.000-06:00

GameCube Four Swords Gets US Release Date

It's about time that this game got an official release date. I played the first Four Swords on the GBA when it came out and was floored at how entertaining a multiplayer Zelda could be. Ever since they mentioned the Cube version I've been eagerly waiting for it. There's finally been some preview info released since the final Japanese version just hit shelves on yonder side of the Pacific. Of course, the overwhelmingly positive impressions from these previews have just gotten me more excited. Now I at least have a date to start counting the days to.

2004-03-19T23:12:00.000-06:00

Mortal Kombat: Deception

Looks like there's going to be some significant surprises included with the next installment in the Mortal Kombat series. I'm most interested to see how well the online mode turns out.

2004-03-16T23:32:00.000-06:00

New info about MGS3

What's been revealed so far about this game just does not excite me about it. You have to kill and eat animals to survive? What? How is that going to be fun? Now they're making it seem like there's going to be a HUGE emphasis on camo, which would be pretty cool in moderation. It just seems to me like this is all going to turn into a tedious, unenjoyable experience. Obviously, I'll have to wait and see, but that's what it seems like so far.

On a related note, I rented and played through MGS: The Twin Snakes. The game's still basically the same as the original, but it looks a lot prettier. It's pretty neat to be able to use all the moves from MGS2 in the original but it's not always for the best: some boss battles are made far too easy. Also the upgraded AI is a little much sometimes for the smaller environments. Basically, it's worth a rental for anyone who enjoyed the PS1 game, but only worth buying for those that either haven't played the original or are die-hard fans.

2004-03-15T23:18:00.000-06:00

Viewtiful Joe 2?

If we're lucky, this will turn out to be true. Viewtiful Joe was an original, innovative game (something that's becoming more and more rare lately). With rumors still floating around that a PS2 version of VJ is in the works, Joe is really spending a lot of time on the rumor pages lately. Probably have to wait until E3 for any confirmation on any of this though. *Sigh*

2004-03-12T00:22:00.000-06:00

More on Nitro

This article from IGN mentions some very interesting features for Nintendo's upcoming handheld. Wireless connectivity, at least one touch screen, 3D capabilities, GBA compatibility, etc. Even the button layout is discussed. This mystery machine is gradually taking shape. I still don't know how Nintendo plans to market this thing without cutting into sales for the GBA, but I guess we'll have to just wait and see. I'm also very curious about a price point. All these nice technological innovations have to come at a price.

2004-03-11T16:02:00.000-06:00

Well, Ninja Gaiden is finished. It was one hell of an experience, I have to say. The last few chapters are fairly short and not extremely hard, but still no cake walk. Overall, it was a great experience, slightly tarnished by the somewhat malfunctional camera and a difficulty level that peaks too high at certain points. At the same time though, the difficulty makes it all the more satisfying when you finally do finish the part that's giving you so much trouble. It's really a love-hate relationship. I also wish they'd worked a little more to flesh out the story. What is there is pretty solid, it's just that it's not told in enough detail. To sum it all up, it's a great game that everyone should experience.

2004-03-10T22:58:00.000-06:00

As for a Ninja Gaiden update, I'm in Chapter 13 now so it's winding down. On the other hand, the last two or three levels have been overwhelmingly difficult. Lots of dying, lots of frustration. So far I'm enjoying this chapter a lot more than the last few though so I hope to finish the game in the next day or so. Though this game has some frustrating moments and camera problems, the good still far outweigh the bad. There's really not much more satisfying then just letting loose on some poor sap that thought he could take you down.

2004-03-10T22:55:00.000-06:00

DS = Nitro?

Hey, it's been awhile since I've updated mainly because there hasn't really been anything too terribly interesting going on. This tidbit of non-news is the most substantial piece of news I've seen in days. This is what happens around this time of year though. Companies start getting tight-lipped trying to hold stuff back until E3. Hopefully, the next few months won't be too dull.