The Nintendo Download Thread! (2/2 -- Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword [3DS eShop])
I noticed that we had a running XBLA tally, but no threadlove for the weekly tithe to the Master System gods. No wonder they initially forgot to put the Wii on the system list for the Conference Call Survey.
Anyway, let's take a look, week by week, at Nintendo's downloadables and see what recommendations emerge from the discussion. (And there will be something worth recommending, right? Right?)
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Latest update from Nintendo: February 2nd, 2012
Nintendo eShop
Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword™ - Travel a world rife with beauty and danger to rescue the legendary Princess Cherry Blossom. Her kidnapper has placed dozens of blade-wielding henchmen in your path. (For Nintendo 3DS™)
Nintendo eShop and Nintendo DSiWare™
GO Series: Undead Storm - Six months after a mysterious meteorite strike, the undead have awoken and are taking over the city. What lies behind this zombie epidemic? Only you can uncover the truth. (For Nintendo 3DS / Nintendo DSi™)
Also new this week:
• Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Great Gateway Grab (WiiWare™)
This week, we've got one great game to carry the week (month?). Here are the details from this week's press release, per NintendoLife:
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Virtual Console:
As much as I want to gripe about Nintendo's insistence on holding this game back for the 300th VC release - because we were all counting along with them, weren't we - I refuse to look a gift horse in the mouth. Majora's Mask is a good game that leaps into greatness, so long as you've been around long enough to play and subsequently tire of all of the other games in the series. The opening area is brutal and the pace does lapse into tedium every once in a while, but the overall experience is solid and, at times, affecting. For $10, you could do a whole hell of a lot worse.
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WiiWare
Another episode of S-E's over-capitalized swing at tower defense. That Square didn't slap the Final Fantasy brand on this game, even though it shamelessly steals the character classes and aesthetics from FFTA2 betrays their true feelings about this game, I think. Or maybe they just hate money.
"Hey, just got word from upstairs - looks like they're looking for takers on a press release job. Some kind of multimedia chess experience, I guess. I know it's been a while since you dealt with that sort of thing, but you've done nothing but complain about the heat here lately, and I think the fresh air would be good for you. Besides, you need to get back at Harlan Ellison anyway."
"Uh, no thanks - I'll just keep rolling the boulder up this hill."
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DSiWare
Wow, two straight weeks of game releases for the DSi. If Nintendo isn't careful, they're going to build the expectation that people can download and play games on that thing.
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Good idea Ozy, but I tweaked the thread title so it wasn't so long.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is one I played when it came out, but I don't think I ever came close to finishing it. Who knows when I'll have time, but someday .... someday.
I heard that they were keeping Elysium in the ICU not because he needed intensive care, but because they needed to be careful of his intensity. - Wordsmythe
Ah, sorry about that. Given the spectacular punnery of the XBLA thread, I felt compelled to oblige.
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VC is desperately needing more true classics from the SNES and N64 eras. Harvest Moon 64, anyone?
"We are at our best when we work together. We are at our worst when we expend valuable and finite energy and resources destroying one another." - Paleocon, regarding humanity.
Are there any plans to be able to play VC games on the DSi? The WiiWare and DSiWare games do not interest me at all, but if I could put Ogre Battle and Zanac on my DS, Nintendo would get an average of $10 a week from me.
Somewhere on a deep ocean vent no man has ever seen, God smites a small colony of tube worms because you masturbate.-JoeBedurndurn, on sin
I'm glad you started this thread. I was actually meaning to do that today having spent a good chunk of the night browsing the Wii Shop Channel.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Majora's Mask is one of the single best games ever created.
I'll probably be picking up Crystal Defenders R-2. I enjoyed the first one well enough, and I'm looking forward to more. I'm curious to see what sort of new units they add this time around. It might also behoove them to introduce Espers before the final level so that they actually get some use.
Or Star Fox 64.
Edit: Also, regarding recent WiiWare titles, I wrote a post about it already, but I'll put in a good word for Bonsai Barber. It's shocking how much I've enjoyed this one even though the premise is utterly ridiculous, and it sounds boring. It's worth a shot.
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Not sure if you were being sarcastic, Adam, but Star Fox 64 is already out there.
Well, there are a few problems with that (from the N64 side, specifically):
1. Despite the remarkable quality of its "peak" titles, the N64 library doesn't have a lot of depth as a whole. Consider the last N64 nostalgia thread that we had here: a lot of the same names came up for everybody and most of those names are already covered by what's out on the VC today.
2. The notable games that aren't out there are either tied up in licensing costs (Rogue Squadron, the various AKI wrestling games), out of play due to developers/IPs that have been poached away (Perfect Dark, Blast Corps), or both (Goldeneye).
Also, it's worth keeping in mind that some of the other missing games that don't fall into #2 also have direct Wii sequels that are essentially upgrades; I'm guessing Nintendo won't push Mario Tennis or Super Smash Bros. out there for download any time soon, just in case it takes a chunk out of their current-gen offerings that are playable on the same system.
Then again, trying to attribute logic to the VC release process, when many companies have supposedly been sitting and waiting on VC releases to go through, may be foolish.
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I would also love a DS Virtual Console. I have been doing my mobile gaming on my iPhone for a while now. There are some cool games available in the app store, but I mostly find myself feeling empty due to the lack of depth exhibited by iPhone games. I'm a bit discouraged to see that Gameloft is developing for DSiWare. I've got nothing against them, but I'm afraid DSiWare is going to become a dumping ground for iPhone ports. Do not want.
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It's hard to tell where they're going with the DSi VC angle. There were rumblings from earlier press events that did everything short of outright confirming that there would be a DSi VC that would carry GameBoy and GBA games, but Reggie's interview with Wired put a wet blanket on most of that. So, ultimately, who knows.
I'm hoping that "we haven't talked about it" is actually code for "we're announcing it at E3", but Nintendo's approach to online gaming in general isn't exactly inspiring.
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That's weird. A Shop Channel search for "star fox" turned up nothing last night. I'll have to try again. Thanks for the tip.
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That's the exact title my 1500 Wii points are waiting for - hopefully it will be less
The best purchase I've made so far in WiiWare is Alien Crush Returns
The worst purchase I've made so far in WiiWare is Tetris Party or Dr. Mario - not because they're bad - no - it's because my wife wants to take over the TV to play these two games all the time!!
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Certainly a good one. We shouldn't forget Art Style: Orbient, Megaman 9, or World of Goo either!
What I don't understand is why Nintendo nudges out one piddly VC release a week when they have a giant catalog of back games across at least eight different platforms and three different regions - they could easily do three a week and have enough material for five years in my estimation...and considering it's all just stuff running on emulators anyway, there's very little work to be done for them.
A massive pile
"Mario teaches them to push buttons, something they're probably going to be doing when they wind up working for McDonald's because you failed as a parent." -MechaSlinky
I just DLed Ocarina of Time the other day. Digging it.
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If you look at how many games they've got that don't have any copyright issues, the pile isn't so big. I wonder if console companies of today will sign any kind of agreement that they're allowed to re-release the game on future systems, to avoid this issue.
It's Mister Wind to you. SteamID: mrwynd Starcraft 2: mrwynd.954 How to record a video game
I got burned by purchasing a couple of NES and SNES VC games, only to find that they have no concept of aspect ratios and stretch to high heaven on a 16:9 TV. (Shortly thereafter, I hacked my Wii and installed NES and SNES emulators, which both have settings for maintaining proper aspect ratio).
Is this also the case with N64 titles?
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I have the original Legend of Zelda from the VC and it doesn't stretch the aspect ratio (black bars on left and right). Could it be a settings thing?
It's Mister Wind to you. SteamID: mrwynd Starcraft 2: mrwynd.954 How to record a video game
My 4:3 VC games don't stretch either. Legion I'm guessing you have something set wrong with your Wii, your TV, or both.
there is a widescreen setting in the wii settings, I'm also using a 480p cable.
It's Mister Wind to you. SteamID: mrwynd Starcraft 2: mrwynd.954 How to record a video game
The new Bubble Bobble came out today, haven't gotten it yet, but looking forward to it. And I don't know if this is a good thread to post this in but, the Final Fantasy IV WiiWare remake was announced with NINE episodes to be downloaded. I don't think they let Wiiware go below $5.00 so that's $45.00 for the whole game. Yikes. Also, trying to stay current, I like Crystal Defenders R1 TD, but haven't gotten R2 yet. If you love TD games (which I do) R1 is really fun, but almost too easy to beat, unless you are going for all perfect rounds (which I am to give the title replayability).
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Weird, mine all stretch too. I'm using 480p mode with component cables to my 40" Bravia, and the Wii always seems to output a full-frame signal, so unless I set the TV to 4:3 and have it pillarbox it, all my 4:3 VC games end up stretched.
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If it's a full game's worth of content split over nine episodes, is that such a bad deal?
I picked up Crystal Defenders R2, and I'm enjoying it a lot more than R1. The maps are a bit more difficult, and the power-up crystals add a neat dynamic to the combat. It would still be a bit on the easy side for tower defense veterans, but I'm rubbish at those games, so I'm enjoying it. I'd recommend that anyone who is curious about these games pick up R2 instead of R1.
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Oh, Memorial Day was Monday, wasn't it. Better late than never, right?
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Virtual Console:
The main hook behind Clay Fighter at the time of its release was its transparent parody of the 2D fighter genre in 1993, Mortal Kombat in particular. Now that we're over fifteen years removed from those halcyon days, where Mortal Kombat had cultural relevance and wacky fighters like MvC2 and SSBM were but a twinkle in our eyes, we're left with tepid gameplay wrapped up in skanky claymation. Avoid, abort, run away screaming. (And don't buy the inevitable SNES VC release two months down the line either.)
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WiiWare
Well, now I feel like a gigantic loser for buying the NES Bubble Bobble. Four player co-op with arranged levels and the promise of DLC makes this one the clear winner for the week.
(Note for those in Europe: you'll have to shell out an additional 200 points to join the bandwagon. This will come as no surprise, of course, as dicking over Europe is one of Nintendo's favorite pasttimes, along with frying unlicensed third-party publishers with sunlight and a magnifying glass.)
Can't get enough.
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DSiWare
The word "milieu" certainly isn't E for Everyone, is it. Despite the garrulous and - dare I say it - loquacious press fluff, this one actually appears to be pretty good, mixing some RPG character building with rhythm mini-games.
Your search - "enjoyment of a photo album" -Nintendo - did not match any documents.
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I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to recapture the magic of flipping through a photo album. Although, having a set time that I would have to flip through people's old vacation photos would have been nice, in retrospect.
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Considering how much time I put into Bubble Bobble on the c64 and NES, I don't feel bad for having bought it on VC and now Wiiware
I consider it a 600 point thank-you to Taito.
A massive pile
"Mario teaches them to push buttons, something they're probably going to be doing when they wind up working for McDonald's because you failed as a parent." -MechaSlinky
I see it as an additional 6 dollar fine for getting married! My wife couldn't go on living, knowing a bubble bobble existed that she hadn't finished.
It's Mister Wind to you. SteamID: mrwynd Starcraft 2: mrwynd.954 How to record a video game
Virtual Console
Twenty-five years later and I still can't make any sense of this game. You have full vertical movement, as though there's no gravity at all; you can hold up boulders when you tunnel underneath them. And yet, if a boulder is left unattended in the air, it can fall on top of you and smear you like a bug on a windshield. Here's some gameplay footage of the C64 original, in case you're interested collecting jewels in a paradoxical existence where only airborne boulders are affected by gravity.
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WiiWare
Very cautious optimism for what appears to be the winner this week. It looks like they've brought back the classic ATB gameplay from the original game with some tweaks (such as combination attacks, if the screenshots are to be believed) and the premise for expanding the FF IV storyline seems to have some promise, but it will be interesting to see if Square can keep from pandering to a fan base that has already been well-served through multiple FF IV remakes.
(EDIT: It's been mentioned elsewhere, but it's definitely worth a reminder: this game will contain episodic content priced at 300 points per episode. Rydia's DLC is already available for purchase and Square will continue to release DLC packs for various characters over the next few months.)
Try as it might, I can't see console poker making any serious push for fans of the game until one of the major online poker sites (Full Tilt Poker, perhaps?) puts together a console client that hooks into the corresponding account online and puts real money in play. Even when you're playing in person, a hold 'em game without money doesn't have the same juice because the lack of stakes directly impacts how people play the game; when you abstract it further onto your TV screen and remove the poker face element, you're essentially playing a rousing game of math without any of the monetary or social payoff.
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DSiWare
A bit of a sleeper from the WayForward guys, who have built a resume on interesting game concepts. Mighty Flip Champs is a 2D puzzle-platformer (possible analogue: Solomon's Key) which places the character in a maze, which they have to navigate by "flipping" through stages. I kind of dig this recent movement towards meta-contextualization in games, even if I can't really explain it that well. (I'll defer to the preview from the Nintendo Channel if you're looking for more info). Looks like the best DSiWare game yet.
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No, it's a well-known issue. The Wii does not pillarbox VC games itself, period. Not with a component cable or otherwise. Not when set to 16:9 in the Wii menu, or 4:3. Not in the hall, not in the mall.
TVs often have a setting to display a 480p signal in 4:3, and on my TV, I can do that manually. Some TVs may do that by default. But the Wii isn't the one doing it.
Are you saying that you can go from playing a Wii game in full 16:9, then fire up a VC game and it's pillarboxed? Or does the VC game fill the screen too? What about GameCube games? Provide camera phone shots!
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FINAL FANTASY® IV: THE AFTER YEARS™
This makes me SO FREAKING HAPPY.
Playing it is like a series of nostalgic explosions in my eyeballs.
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Mario vs. Donkey Kong on DSiWare (next week!) gives me hope that the platform won't degenerate into a rapid succession of Nintendo-themed clock and calculator applications.
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Is the Final Fantasy 4 sequel the same one that was released for Japanese cell phones about 4 or 5 years ago? It probably is, but does anyone know for sure? Also, is it totally awesome? It probably is. I won't be able to get it for another 2 or 3 weeks, and it makes me cry, so I must live vicariously through everyone here for the next few days before I go back to the new apartment and live in an internet-less Hellscape.
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