411 Games Fact or Fiction 10.05.09: Super Mario World vs. Sonic, Gamecube, Super Street Fighter IV, More

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 10.05.2009

Is Super Street Fighter IV coming too soon? Was the SNES one of our most favorite consoles? Will the PSPGo be successful? Alexandra Pusateri and Ramon Aranda dig into these questions and more on this week's edition of Fact or Fiction!



After being on the sidelines, Alexandra Pusateri returns to Fact or Fiction as she'll face off against me in a loser leaves 411 match-up...no, just kidding but that would be kind of fun wouldn't it?

Ok let's get to it!

1. The PSPGo will prove to be successful.

Alexandra Pusateri: FICTION - The price, coupled with various problems on the surface, might deter some people from getting the Go. The problem is that it's hard to tell, however, because some people prefer digital versions of games they play. Others like hard copies. Some people want the Bluetooth, some can go without it. We'll just have to see when it comes out. I'm not necessarily rooting for it, though. (Go DS!) Sony should worry about what games are going on the handheld system, rather than the looks and appeal of the system.

Ramon Aranda: FICTION - Honestly I just don't see much from the PSPGo to make me want to pick one up. I do like the new design but I didn't get the original PSP for a reason – not enough games that made me say "aww yeah, I need one of those!". The Go doesn't change that out look for me so I'm going to pass. Will it be successful in terms of sales? I think only marginally as I expect it to do well early on before the novelty fizzles out. I just can't see it doing a whole lot better than the PSP.

Score: 1 for 1

2. You're genuinely excited for Project Natal.

Alexandra Pusateri: FICTION - Maybe it's just me being lazy, but I prefer sitting on the couch and using my hands to control something. If I could actually skateboard, I'd be outside skateboarding, not playing Tony Hawk's Underground with a high score. I play these games because they're exciting and rewarding from my reaction timing and skill. I don't play them because I know how to do them in real life. Motion-control games just aren't fun to me -- unless I'm in the presence of friends who are slightly intoxicated.

Ramon Aranda: FICTION - I'm very intrigued by the possibilities that Natal may bring but in terms of being excited, well not yet. I need to go hands-on with it first and with some real games, not tech demos. Demos can make anything seem great but it's the final product that really shows you what something can do. I do hope developers can come up with some new innovative ideas that can take advantage of the technology but until then, I'll remain a bit skeptical. (It does look awesome though)

Score: 2 for 2

3. Going old school...you thought Super Mario World was a better game than Sonic the Hedgehog.

Alexandra Pusateri: FACT - Super Mario World is one of my favorite games of all-time! Maybe it was just me being a Nintendo kid rather than Sega, but SMW was helluva better game than Sonic -- and the franchise is a little less saturated with shitty spin-offs. And no, those sports games don't count! Sonic games have been coming out far too frequently and far too broken for anyone besides 13-year-old boys to care. What was the original question?

Ramon Aranda: FACT - Oh hell yeah! I'll admit that I really did enjoy Sonic...it was a good game and I played quite a bit of it but Super Mario World is one of the "best platformers of all time!!" (Cue the Kanye West photo). No but seriously, SMW was a huge game, with sharp graphics, a colorful world, plenty of branching levels that allowed you to complete a world in different ways, tons of replay value and more. To this day, I still play it on occasion because it was just that good and let's be honest, it's not one of the highest ranked games of all time for nothing! To me, it was the best Mario 2D game ever.

Score: 3 for 3

SWITCH

4. Midway through the Gamecube's life span, you were convinced Nintendo would not release a new console.

Ramon Aranda: FICTION - Maybe it was because I was always into Nintendo but I honestly never feared that they'd turn in to software developers only. I knew the Gamecube wasn't fairing well in terms of its install base and what not but the system did have some solid games and I felt that the Big-N would have something up their sleeves for the upcoming generation of consoles. To put it mildly, I never lost confidence in Nintendo. Low and behold, they're #1 again.

Alexandra Pusateri: FICTION - I knew Nintendo was going to compete with the next-gen guys, they just needed a gimmick. And they found one. When the Revolution was announced, hardcore Nintendo fans were excited and completely enthralled in the new console. Now look at us, our Revolutions Wiis collecting dust and being used for other purposes. Weapons? Bookends? The possibilities are endless!

Score: 4 for 4

5. You think Super Street Fighter IV is coming out way too soon.

Ramon Aranda: FACT - I love me some Street Fighter IV, but I'd like to enjoy it a little longer before thinking of getting an updated version. I would've been happier if Capcom simply released a downloadable update that gave me the new fighters and some new stages. It's cool though that at least they're pricing it lower so fans' wallets won't take too big of a Sonic Kick.

Alexandra Pusateri: FICTION - Fiction. I love Street Fighter, so I don't mind any well-done Street Fighter games coming out fast. On the other hand, though, I don't want to spend the same price as SFIV for the updated, re-released version. Capcom's pretty good about that kind of thing -- thank God -- which is why Super Street Fighter IV will be lower in price than SFIV, and will have bonuses for those who already own the original. Props to you!

Score: 4 for 5

6. Finally, you'd consider the SNES one of your favorite consoles of all-time.

Ramon Aranda: FACT - Point blank: YES! The system bred some incredible games such as the aforementioned Super Mario World, A Link to the Past (which is still one of my favs), Street Fighter II, Super Mario RPG, Mario Kart and the list goes on and on (props for Actraiser too which I think is very underrated). When the system was first revealed, I knew I had to have it but as soon as they announced that Street Fighter II would be on the system, I made it a point to save my money STAT. During that time, I was seriously considering coercing my folks into helping me buy the SFII arcade cabinet. They of course just looked at me like I was an idiot, but when I saw the alternative, it was a done deal! I also think the SNES Virtual Console titles are the ones I look forward to the most.

Alexandra Pusateri: FACT - Maybe only because of nostalgia, but the SNES shaped my childhood -- much like other gamers -- and, although it is far from being the best technically, it will always have a special place in all of our hearts, particularly those that grew up with the console. I do sometimes yearn for the olden days of imagination and unfixed on making graphics look as realistic as possible, but I know that we're heading in the right direction.


Final Score: 5 for 6 - What's your favorite console?

And that'll do it for this week's Fact or Fiction so we now turn it over to you. Fact or Fiction? Let us know!