Home
sign up| reviews / member game review |
 content by: member |
|
--NINTENDO REVOLUTION-- The mystery of the Revolution pretty much remained a mystery in this years E3. It was known that Nintendo weren’t going to reveal an awful lot about the console for fear of the competitors nabbing their ideas but they had to show something seeing as Microsoft and Sony were showing theirs, so what we did get was a more diluted console unveiling than the others. Claims that the actual console itself wouldn’t show up and would just be video footage were proven wrong. Nintendo showed off the Revolution and they certainly had reason to. As Reggie said it would be a ‘very, very sexy’ bit of kit and he certainly seems to be right. The Revolution is an extremely sleek bit of console and something of departure for Nintendo. It’s more refined and minimalist than before, looking like a smaller cousin to the PS2. By far and away it was the best looking console out of the PS3 and the Xbox 360 which both look big and bulky on comparison to Nintendo’s next little friend. And it’s going to be even smaller, just three DVD cases in width and a bit taller, when the actual final model comes out. As already known beforehand the Revolution is backwards compatible. Underneath a flip top lid it has four controller ports and two slots for GC controllers and memory cards. However Nintendo have gone one step further with backwards compatibility. The Revolution will be backwards compatible with every single Nintendo game every made, from the original Donkey Kong to the Wind Waker. Games will be available via the online service and can be downloaded to the console’s flash ram. It’s not yet clear how much you will need to pay for nostalgia though hopefully Nintendo will keeps cost low seeing as you’ll be buying from them directly and we certainly don’t want to be playing £15 for a ‘NES Classic’ and latest rumours have suggested first party titles will actually be free. There were no games shown off in regards to the Revolution. The only glimpse we had was a very small trailer for Metroid Prime 3 which didn’t consist of any in game footage. Obviously all the usual suspects such as Mario, Zelda etc are going to be on the console. We did get to know that Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Donkey Kong, is working on an all-new project for the console. Also, unsurprising but very good news, is that th next incarnation of Super Smash Bros aims to launch with the console and it will be online. For now that’s all we have to go on. More details are promised by Nintendo before Christmas. This will include when they intend to launch it, how much it will be and what the mysterious controller will look like. The controller is promised to be something rather special, with the Internet providing some interesting rumours such as gyroscopic control, virtual reality helmets and even the DS used as one. So why are Nintendo so coy? In all fairness they have reason to be. In an interview after the revealing Miyamoto pointed out that when they made a big song and dance about the N64’s analogue sticks and rumble pack feature it wasn’t long before their competitors quickly imitated the features. So Nintendo are going to remain secretive for a few more months which gives plenty of time for more rumours to fly round the net. --GAME BOY MICRO-- The revealing of Nintendo’s new portable system was a little bit of a surprise. Many people expected details on the GBA2 but Nintendo decided the GBA isn’t quite dead yet. The Game Boy Micro is, as the name suggests, superbly tiny. It’s smaller than an iPod mini and according to Nintendo sports the best and brightest screen seen in any of the current Game Boys. It will play all GBA games but won’t be able to play any original GB or GBColour games and it also will not be able to link up via cables to other GBAs using the regular cable, a new one will be provided. You will be able to customise your Micro with faceplates to suit your mood. Nintendo say that while the battery life is shorter than the GBA SP you should still get around eight hours worth of play from the Micro in one session. So with Iwata going on record in saying the Micro is actually costing more to produce than the GBA SP and the fact that both the SP, GBA and now the DS with its backwards compatibility all sell well, what is the point of the Micro? Well it seems that with its size that its aiming for the gadget market seeing as it will very easily slip into a pocket and there are rumours that it supports MP3 playback but these have so far been unconfirmed officially so take with a big pinch of salt. Either way it should bring a new audience to the system because, surprisingly enough, there are still people who don’t own one. No price details have been confirmed though it will be between ‘the SP and DS’ so possibly around £50-60, and a release date by the end of the year is likely. --DS ONLINE-- Let’s not forget Nintendo’s newest bit of hardware. The DS online details have been talked about for a few months prior to E3 but no firm details were given. The DS will mark the first console by Nintendo to go fully online and they’ve planned some good things to go along with it. Connecting online is done via wi-fi hotspots around the globe and also, if you have a wireless modem at home, from there as well. There was no mention on whether you could hook up your DS to your modem via a cable if you didn’t have a wireless one but it would be a safe bet to imagine a third party would release a device that would allow you to do so. It will be powered by the Gamespy network, already well known in the online world. Also, more importantly, the service itself will be absolutely free. There will be no fees to use the online service whether you’re at a wi-fi hotspot or at home. The service, like Live, will be able to pit you against players that can match your ability or with friends you have met along the way. While the service itself and all of Nintendo’s online games will be free some other developers may charge for online play, though it will probably not be encouraged by Nintendo, and really the only people who may do this are Square Enix if they decide to release an MMPORG onto the system and charge a monthly fee. There were no big announcement as to what games will be using the DS online functionality but Reggie has said more than 25 developers are all working on games for online play. He also said that Mario Kart and Animal Crossing will be released by the end of the year for people to go online with. -- DS GAMES -- Nintendo’s new kid on the block had a lot of support from both itself and other developers, not surprising seeing as its less than a year old on the shelves. We have a lot to look forward to with the online stuff of Mario Kart and Animal Crossing as well as an all-new Super Mario Bros. Also the hotly anticipated Nintendogs is shaping up rather nicely. ADVANCE WARS: DUAL STRIKE – It’s not exactly ‘Advance’ if its on a DS but fans of the series wont really care about being picky about the name. Very little has changed with the latest game in the series, even the visuals are pretty much untouched, though with the use of dual screens it seems like airborne units will have a whole screen to themselves. You will also be taking control of up to two CO’s in this game instead of one just to make things that little bit more complex. And you can battle up to 8 other players wirelessly and also download user-created maps to their DS. ANIMAL CROSSING DS – The game that will make most use of the wireless online function has got to be this one. It was crying out for it in the GC version so it comes as no surprise to see Nintendo push the online element of the game to the public. With the online function you can visit other people’s towns quickly and easily and also have other people in live your town at the same time as you. You can exchange items, send each other messages or hit people on the head with a shovel if you feel like it. The touch screen interface will obviously be a lot quicker to get around the menus than the original controller and it will also mean designing things such as t-shirts and flags will be simpler to do. The game itself has had a little brush up; the village isn’t set in ‘squares’ but more of a sloped effect and the visuals look a bit crisper and brighter than before. All in all this is one of the biggest DS games coming out this year. ANOTHER CODE – Adventure games were no stranger to the GBA (Broken Sword managed to port itself over) though they weren’t exactly high in numbers. Hopefully the DS will change that. Another Code (Trace Memory in the US) follows the adventures of Ashley who gets a message from her mum and dad, both scientists in memory research, that they are being held on a remote island which comes as a surprise as Ashley presumed them dead. Ashley, with the help from her ghost mate D, must try and find her parents while finding out what the research was all about. It’s an interesting enough story and it should play out well on the DS. Many of the puzzles use the touch screen and even the microphone. It also looks rather nice using many nice effects and touches. Luckily we wont have to wait too long as Another Code is out at the end of the month. BLACK & WHITE CREATURES – Black and White may have divided games players (some just hated that third level) but it is still massively popular with anticipation of the sequel high. The DS is also getting its own Black and White. At E3 it was only 20% complete but basically looked like the original B&W on a slightly smaller scale. It’s not known what story will come attached to the game and whether it will, as the title suggests, focus on the creatures. Those who have played the original will know the spell casting will suit the touch screen perfectly with you being able to perform them by simply dragging the stylus the right way. ELECTROPLANKTON – Not exactly a game but more of an interactive musical experience, this was showed off during the conference at E3. Plankton features, predictably, an aquatic theme which also has musical depths. Using the touch screen you can manipulate the Plankton to move in certain ways that will also affect the sounds they can make. The environments they are in and surrounding scenery can also be toyed with to create different styles of music. There are a few different modes of ‘play’ within the game to suit people’s musical requirements and while it may not appeal to everyone it’s a game that would only work on the DS. MARIO & LUIGI 2 – The sublime GBA RPG comes to the DS. This time, for some reason, Mario and Luigi are lugging their baby counterparts round in their latest adventure. Those familiar with the original will feel right at home here with the same battle system being kept from before. The dual screens are put to use providing an overhead map or in battles that have some very big bosses. MARIO KART DS – Mario Kart online, it’s what people have been waiting years for and, at the end of this one, they’re finally going to get it. Up to eight people can play wirelessly with each other or go online and play against other people. Despiete the online feature everything else is laregley the same, wacky power-ups, themed courses and manic diriving skills are order of the day. Looking like a higher res N64 version the game certainly looks impressive with the bottom screen being used for tracking the players and also any projectiles that may be coming your way. METROID PRIME: HUNTERS – Seemingly getting pushed back and back from the relapse schedule those who got a DS early were treated to a demo of the game and it turned out pretty solid. Little has changed in Hunters at E3 besides new maps and slightly refined control schemes. What was revealed was that Retro have created new characters, as well as Samus, to fight each other in arena-based combat. Now it’s just a matter of waiting. METROID PRIME PINBALL – Certainly an idea that raised a few eyebrows was Samus’ new adventures in pinball land, though sceptical groans have been made way with good impressions. Obviously a pinball game on the DS works very well thanks to the two screens. Many of the levels will have specific missions such as collecting treasures or battling a huge creature on the top screen by launching Samus at it. NINTENDOGS – Undoubtedly the biggest crossover title since The Sims, Nintendogs sees you take care of your choice of cute little puppy. You can play games with it, keep it looking nice and clean and walk it to your hearts content but this way it’s a lot cheaper and a whole lot less messy. You can name your cute little pups and even call them with the aid of the microphone (probably best not to use this on trains). Hook up with another player and your two dogs can play with each other or do something inappropriate as they did at the conference. While little more than a more sophisticated tamagotchi you can’t fault the appeal of looking after something as cute as these little dogs. PAC ‘N ROLL – Pac-Man returns for his second outing on the DS after Pac-Pix. Pac ‘N Roll is basically like Super Monkey Ball but with Pac Man. Using the stylus you will be able to control the big yellow ball and guide him across a series of platforms, all predictably in mid-air, getting trickier as the levels progress. PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY – We all love quirky games, well I do, and this one is pretty damn quirky. Think Sprung but, you know, actually good. This is a court room drama on your very own DS. Basically you are a hotshot lawyer representing your client and it’s up to you to sit and listen to the case to try and, well, win. Making witnesses cry, making wild accusations and general silliness should ensue. It’s not action packed but its certainly that little bit different and a must for wannabe lawyers who don’t want to wear suits. SCRATCH! VIEWTIFUL JOE – Joe is back on the DS and armed with new VFX powers to boot. He may not be able to slow down or speed up time anymore but you will be able to split screen the action, put simply you can swap what screen, the top or bottom, you can perform actions in, certainly odd sounding but one that should play well. Visually the game looks as lovely as ever, though not as good as the GC visuals, the DS still retains many of the games looks and quirks. SONIC RUSH – Sonic gets his first, of probably quite a few DS outings, with Rush. Incorporating both 2D and 3D views with clever camera angles the game uses both of the screens, often having Sonic rushing down the top to bottom screen giving you a view on what’s to come. Visually it doesn’t look all that good from screenshots but in motion it’s a different matter and really does look the part. SUPER MARIO BROS DS – We’ve waited a long time for an all-new 2D Mario platformer and it seems we’ve finally got one in the form of this DS game. Not much is known about the game but from the screens and videos going about it seems very much business as usual from Nintendo which cant be a bad thing. A multiplayer mode is also included and there could be an option for two players to play the game at the same time by controlling either brother. TOUCH! KIRBY – If you’ve played Yoshi’s Touch & Go then you’ll be at home with this. Kirby, though, is a fully fledged adventure. You take control of the pink blob by controlling him with the stylus and drawing platforms for him with the magic paintbrush so helpfully provided. As ever Kirby can ingest enemies and take some of their special powers, so its business as usual in the Kirby universe. -- GAMECUBE GAMES -- Now in its swansong the GameCube is giving us it’s last of its games. Most notably is the new Legend of Zelda game which is looking to match the Ocarina of Time in scope and scale. Other than that there wasn’t a whole lot else from Nintendo themselves other than a worrying amount of Mario spin-offs, are they milking him a bit too much these days? LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS – The Wind Waker may not have had everyone singing its praises (I very much enjoyed it though) but a new Zelda game is always going to steal the show. It did last year and it did the same this year offering a lot more to see and it’s shaping up to be a very, very impressive Zelda title. Twilight Princess is a hark back to the Ocarina days in terms of visual style. Gone is the cel shading that was loved and loathed and in with one gorgeous, realistic looking game. It’s also a massively expansive game as you can tell from the videos of Link riding on horseback, the levels are huge and will span for miles so its no surprise that Nintendo say horse riding is ‘essential’ for the game. Combat on horse is a new feature for the series and looks like its implemented well thanks to easy controls. Also a new feature is Link turning into a wolf. Twilight Princess, like Link to the Past, has a ‘dark’ and ‘light’ world and it seems when you go into the dark realm Link unleashes his animal side and, with the aid of some unknown as yet cat like creature, can let out his animal rage on his enemies. The dark realm seems to have an important use in the story as it seems the darkness is ‘spreading’ to the light world and Link must put a stop to it. We are promised one big adventure. It is said to be even bigger than Ocarina of Time with plenty of dungeons to test your fighting and brain skills. Obviously this game is going to be without compromise, introducing new horse fights, new weapons and a realistic, darker setting this is the game many Zelda fans have been waiting for. Luckily we don’t have too long to wait as Twilight Princess is set to be released worldwide by the end of the year. BATTAILION WARS – When shown last year at E3 Battalion Wars (or Advance Wars: Under Fire as it was known) didn’t really set the floor alight. Visuals looked ropey, the gameplay mechanics were out the window and it seemed like a typical war based squad game. Well, now the visuals look that bit better but it’s certainly not the turn based affair people have grown to love. All combat is in real time and you will take your army and give orders there and then on the battlefield as you see fit. Controlling units seems easy enough and you can also zap to each one quickly in battle. It’s certainly shaping up better than it once looked but whether it works in 3D remains to be seen. DDR: MARIO REVOLUTION – Apparently the reason why this game is happening is insistence on Namco’s part for guaranteed exclusive games for the Revolution. Certainly it seems odd to release a game that needs a peripheral to play on it so late in a consoles life but here we have it. DDR:MR contains some classic Nintendo themes for you to dance around to. It’s not all about the music though as the dance mat will also be used for several mini games to play. FIRE EMBLEM – Finally seeing a release outside of Japan, Fire Emblem should cater for the RPG-starved GC owners. Turn based combat is the order of the day, on a overhead playing field, then coming in close for battles. The game looks lovely, using hand-drawn characters and backgrounds to give its unique visual look. Strategic RPGs may not be everyone’s favourite kind, it’s less story driven than Tales or Baten, but for those wanting to put in many hours worth of play then this game is for you. GEIST – The oft-delayed FPS exclusive for the GameCube was on show and, while it didn’t really reveal anything new, it seems to be mildly interesting. Think ‘Messiah’ with a grittier, less futuristic setting where you can possess anything, including dog food, to progress in the game. Graphically it’s not up there with the best and some control issues were sighted. KILLER 7 – Two years in development and we still don’t know a great deal about this game. It’s a sort of on-the-rails shooter set in the mind of a guy in a wheelchair who happens to have a multiple personality disorders. These personalities are there for you to control, each with unique abilities to get through the game. Visually stylish and very violent it certainly looks interesting, how it plays is still unknown though but hopefully we wont have to wait much long for it. KIRBY ADVENTURE – Not much is known about this game. Kirby hasn’t been treated too well on the GameCube thanks to the lacksture Kirby Air Ride. Kirby Adventure (working title) may rectify this. It seems a more traditional Kirby adventure you would find on your GBA but this time in glorious 3D. MARIO BASEBALL – Us Brits may not get a kick out of Baseball but the Americans seem to love it so it wasn’t too surprising to see Mario finally get in on the act. While the baseball game itself is pretty much adhered to the Mario universe also makes its footprint not just with the characters but traps and obstacles that can appear on the field. MARIO PARTY 7 – Not much info was given for this latest incarnation of the ever-popular series. The microphone from Mario Party 6 is, however, going to be used along with new functions. Also Nintendo have stated that up to eight people can play along at once. It’s doubtful this will be anything other than a typical Mario Party game but, while not revolutionary, are a lot of fun with a few friends. POKEMON XD – Colosseum may not have been the fully fledged, 3D RPG many people were expecting but XD may go some way into changing this. As with Colo the quest you will take seems to centre around Dark Pokemon and one in particular, Lugia who has been turned into a dark-side Pokemon with you aim seemingly to try and stop it. You’ll travel around several towns (hopefully more in the GC version) to build up your Pokemon team and defeat trainers before the big face-off. Visually its very much the same as Colo, which may not be a good thing to some people as Colo was quite bland at times, but a ‘true’ Pokemon RPG can only be a good thing. SUPER MARIO STRIKERS – So we may not like Baseball but we do at least know something about soccer or football. There will be five modes of play in the game, Grudge Match, Battle Mode, Super Battle Mode, Custom Battle and Spoils. As it’s a Nintendo game controls are likely to be kept nice and simple so those hating the fiddly controls and stats of other soccer titles could get to grips with this pretty easily. -- GBA GAMES -- Despite the fact that the DS is a ‘third pillar’ sitting alongside the GBA and GC it certainly seems to have taken a lot of Nintendo’s games away from its other portable system. While they was a slew of third party titles there were only a few games from Nintendo and strong developers. FIRE EMBLEM: SARCRED STONES – As with the GC version this is turned-based battles at their finest with a new story, characters and universe to explore. It may not differ wildly from the other Fire Emblem game released on the GBA but it will no doubt be up to the same high standard. MARIO TENNIS – Camelot, the guys that brought us Mario Golf on the GBA, bring is the Tennis incarnation. The basic Tennis game is present and correct and, like in the Golf game, there’s also as story mode to play through. There is no news yet on whether it will link up with the GC version but it isnt out of the realms of possibility. POKEMON EMERALD – As is tradition with the Pokemon games, Emerald is a combination of both Sapphire and Ruby with a few little bits added on. There are three Battle modes to play through, Battle Frontier has seven big battles to pit your team against, Battle Dome only lets three Pokemon to fight with and Battle Tube is a random battle select game depending which ‘tube’ you choose to enter through. It probably will only appeal to the true Pokemon fan if they have either Sapphire and Ruby but for those without this is a must-buy. WARIOWARE: TWISTED! – This incarnation of the WarioWare franchise brings movement to the game. You will be turning your GBA left, right and in circles to complete the zany microgames thanks to an in-built motion sensor on the cart. Reviews of the title have said it’s a far better challenge than Touched! was on the DS. --END GAME-- It may not have been the show everybody would have hoped for but it still shows that Nintendo are keen to be in the race for the next generation. The Revolution certainly looks the part and we shall find out by the end of the year whether it will have enough unique features to be truly labelled as a revolution. Yet they also showed that this generation isn’t over yet. Zelda looks fantastic and shows off exactly what the GC can do, pushing it to its limits. The DS is coming into form with a great range of unique games that continue to draw in new gamers. And the GBA is still going to be around thanks to the Micro. We may not have had the ‘ass kicking’ we did a year ago but Nintendo are still going strong.
 conversations
Read members' comments.
If you register you can discuss this article with other users. |
 |
related info
 useful links
note: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
see also
books  books and comics archive Author interviews and reviews from 2002 to 2008. art  art archive Watch artist interviews and see images from British exhibitions. |
send to a friend
more reviews by this member