Nintendophiles 11.18.09: Super Mario Galaxy 2, Resident Evil, Epic Mickey, and More
Posted by Dan Owen on 11.18.2009
Discussion of the difficulty of Super Mario Galaxy 2, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, a follow up to Wii Music, the need or lack of need for HD Wii, Metroid Prime coming back to life, the latest virtual console and WiiWare updates and more!
Thanks for stopping by 411 for your weekly dose of Nintendo news! Some of you might have been expecting someone else but as he announced last week, Theo has decided to step away from writing full time. For now Nintendophiles has no full time writer, as I'm just filling in for a few weeks while the search for a new writer goes on. Speaking of searching for new writers, 411 Games is looking for a few new guys to fill out the staff! If you're interested, follow this link for all of the details. By the way, one fun fact you may not know is that I think (although I'm not sure nor am I going to take the time to check) this might mark the first time a 411 writer has written in edition of all three company-specific news columns. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like a pretty rare feat. Alright, in keeping with Theo's traditional format, here's your Tidbit News of the Week!
~Epic Mickey has been dated! Reports are that the game's release date will be September 16, 2010. Not sure yet if that's the worldwide release date or if the launch will be staggered, but there you have it, folks. September 16th it is.
~ New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold 550,000 units on its first day. The figure is only preliminary but is probably pretty close to accurate, and it should be noted that this number is for sales in the Americas only. Projecting this out, Nintendo can probably expect about 1 million copies sold by the end of the week. Not quite the same sales as Modern Warfare 2, but very good numbers. This would put the game at the third highest first day sales this year, behind MW2 and Halo: ODST.
~Technology from the Wii is being used to fight terrorists. Yep, that's right. New security technology that is being developed by the Department of Homeland Security utilizes the balancing device from the Wii Fit. The security technology, which uses ocular, thermal, and other body condition monitors, could somehow be used to spot suspicious people in airports, sports games, and border patrol stations. The motion sensing aspect comes into play in detecting tiny movements imperceptible to the eye that, combined with some of the other reading, could indicate someone with bad intent. Right now the technology is only experimental.
Shigeru Miyamoto recently sat down with ONM to discuss Super Mario Galaxy 2. In the interview he said that, "Well, as far as the challenge of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is concerned, I think it's going to be a really challenging game." Miyamoto went on to comment that he assumes that gamers have already played Super Mario Galaxy and will be better at the gameplay now than when they were playing the first game.
The reasoning behind raising the difficulty level is sound, and I applaud it. It's probably reasonable to say that the general gameplay is going to be about the same from Galaxy 1 to 2. Raising the difficulty should help keep gamers interested in the game and the series. Not that a Mario game isn't going to sell extremely well or be bad, but this is going to make me feel like I'm not just playing more of the same game. Well, if Miyamoto is right about the game being more difficult, at least.
So with a higher level of difficulty will we see the Super Guide incorporated into the game? "Whether or not we are going to incorporate the Super Guide, I just cannot tell. In general, wherever and whenever appropriate, I think we will want to incorporate that kind of thing, but I cannot commit to anything specific right now," said Miyamoto.
Capcom discusses Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Source: The Examiner
Capcom held an online event on Friday to discuss their upcoming game, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. One of the most fun tidbits to come out of the meeting was the news that Tofu Mode would make its return to the Resident Evil series as an unlockable feature of the game. The mode simply replaces zombies with giant hunks of tofu. If you ask me, I'm not so sure the tofu is any less scary.
In addition to this revelation, the game's product manager, Matt Dahlgren, discussed why they decided to make the game a rail shooter instead of allowing the player to roam around. Said Dahlgren, "If you look at Resident Evil in the past, there's a lot of different styles of games that have appeared within the franchise. An arcade-style shooter is definitely not brand new to the series. And it fits particularly well on the Wii platform. We already did Umbrella Chronicles once and that left some gaps in the storyline. So it made sense to finish off this iteration of this series."
To me, this says that the development team wasn't able to figure out how to make the controls work well enough to let players walk around without compromising their ability to shoot, a problem that has shown up many times for the Wii. Honestly, I don't think it's that big of a loss. As Dahlgren said, the Wii is a great fit for arcade-shooters that moves you around the level itself while you just focus on killing things. I also think the Resident Evil series lends itself to this kind of gameplay. I'm sure some people will be a bit disappointed that they won't get the same type of gameplay as Resident Evil 5 but this will make the game a lot more fun in my opinion, and the developers wouldn't have done it if they didn't think it was the right decision.
And speaking of Resident Evil 5, Dahlgren also threw out this tidbit, "At Resident Evil 5's launch, it was announced that a Wii version was not technically possible. But after some of the work that Cavia has done (with RE: Darkside Chronicles), the producers of Resident Evil 5 over in Japan now think it is possible. Some of the light effects in the South America stage are pretty incredible. Whether it is going to come, I don't know the answer to that question. But, it has been said that now at least it is possible." Intriguing, though I'm not sure if I would want a simple port over to the Wii. Knowing that they can make a game on that level for the Wii, I'd kind of like to see a new game built from the ground up since RE5 would be very dated by the time they would get it out.
Shigeru Miyamoto spoke with ONM recently about a possible follow up to Nintendo's innovative Wii Music game. Miyamoto expressed disappointment in the first game's sales, saying, "I think it sold lower than our expectations but on the other hand it was a really unique game, I have to say." He went on to say that, "I think is still has great potential. And in the future there might be some developments."
Do not expect a straight sequel, though, but something more along the lines of what Wii Fit Plus was. "It's not really a sequel to the original [...] but we have added some features to improve the overall experience," said Miyamoto when comparing a new Wii Music to Wii Fit Plus.
Should you get your hopes up? Probably, since it sounds like Nintendo is still getting some degree of interest from music teachers about the game. Personally, I get my fill of music games from the Guitar Hero's and Rock Band's of the world. I didn't have any interest in playing Wii Music and I don't have any interest in any sort of sequel.
Fils-Aime talks Nintendo and it's need (or lack of need) for HD
Source: Kotaku
Reggie Fils-Aime, the President of Nintendo of America as I'm sure all of you know, sat down with Kotaku for a discussion that quickly turned towards the Wii and HD capabilities. Fils-Aime expressed disappointment that high profile games such as the just-released Assassin's Creed 2 weren't making their way on to the Wii. The reason would seem obvious: developers do not believe that the Wii can handle their. Fils-Aime says, however, that Nintendo has, "shown that that's just not the case. [Games that are] High-quality, effectively marketed against our installed base will sell, period end of story."
When the idea of a Wii with HD capabilities was brought up, Reggie had this to say: "What we have said, repeatedly, is that that's not the way we at Nintendo do things. The way we at Nintendo do things is, you know, when we will move to a new generation, it's because there are some fundamental things the [current] console cannot do. What that says is that simply the addition of HD capability will not be the next step for us. There will be more to it. There will be additional capability. There will be additional elements, and, given that, it is far into the future."
Alright, so he isn't saying there won't be a Wii with HD capabilities, just that they are not into releasing a new Wii who's only upgrade is HD capability. I think this is the right way to go, since there are a lot of people out there (the casual gamers who have bought a Wii) who will probably not be interested in ponying up money for a simple upgrade like that which could then cause problems if Nintendo ever wanted to start making games only in HD format.
The one thing I would disagree with Fils-Aime on is his comment that Nintendo has shown developers that they can sell mainstream games. They have done that, to a degree, but what they haven't shown developers is that the Wii can handle games in the same way as a 360 or a PS3. What I mean by that is that I don't think developers can make the same game for all three consoles since the control scheme difference is too big between the Wii and the other two. It almost requires two completely separate development teams which is something that I don't think many companies can afford or, if they can, feel like doing.
The planned release of the game Metroid: Other M next year has led some gamers to speculate that the Metroid Prime series might be over. Kensuke Tanabe, the man who oversaw the entire Prime series, said that this may not necessarily be true. "We are always planning to make new games in the Metroid Prime series," said Tanabe.
This comment doesn't necessarily mean anything. A lot of games are "planned" without ever getting off the ground. To me this is just Tanabe's way of keeping their options open in the future and playing coy about the franchise's future plans. With Metroid: Other M coming out I expect to see the Metroid franchise take off in a direction away from the Prime games.
~Before we start I should say that yes, this is real, for the first time you are now able to download demos of games for WiiWare!
[VIRTUAL CONSOLE]
~Indiana Jones Greatest Adventure - 800 Wii Points
The Blurb: Grab your trusty whip and slash your way through all three Indy classics in this no-thrills-barred adventure. If it happened in the movies, it happens here: the giant boulder from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the mine-cart chase from Temple of Doom, the three trials from Last Crusade, Rene Belloq and Colonel Vogel – it's three times the action, all in one fully loaded game.
The Blurb: This is the classic PCEngine (TurboGrafx16) version of the two-player fighting game that started it all. At the time, a large capacity HuCARD was used to allow faithful recreation of the dynamic arcade game and its features, including bonus stages and sound effects. In the game, players select one of 12 characters and face opponents in a no-holds-barred battle to decide the top fighter. Master a character's special moves and combos to defeat your rivals around the world. In "V.S. BATTLE" mode, there's a convenient handicap feature. Using this feature to adjust a character's performance, a novice player can be evenly matched against a seasoned player to enjoy an intense, head-to-head combat experience.
[WIIWARE]
~Pokemon Rumble - 1,500 Wii Points
The Blurb: Available exclusively for the WiiWare service, Pokémon Rumble is an action game in which you control Toy Pokémon (referred to as "Pokémon") and take on wave after wave of other Pokémon in a variety of stages. You can befriend some of the defeated Pokémon along the way, which lets you add them to your collection and grants you the ability to use them in battle. Switch between collected Pokémon at any time, taking advantage of the fact that the amount of damage you deal depends on the type of move used and the type of Pokémon hit. Be the last one standing to gain the right to compete in the Battle Royale and test your skills against many Pokémon at once. You can also team up with three people for some multiplayer action (additional Wii Remote controllers required), working together to take down tough Bosses and earning points that can be used toward recruiting or training Pokémon. You can even save your favorite Pokémon to your Wii Remote™ controller for exchanges with friends. Combining beautiful cel-shaded graphics and exciting game-play features, this is one rumble you won't want to miss. Note that a demo version of Pokémon Rumble is also available for zero Wii Points.
~Bit.Trip Beat Demo - 0 Wii Points
The Blurb: Bit.Trip Beat brings retro action back as you use the Wii Remote controller's motion sensor to bounce beats in this rhythm game. Retro visuals, classic game play, four-player multiplayer and an 8-bit soundtrack will get you in the zone and rock your world. Pay attention, though: As with most classic games, the challenges are mighty. If you can stay cool as the difficulty increases, you'll discover the beginnings of the Bit.Trip saga.
~Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord Demo - 0 Wii Points
The Blurb: Step into the royal shoes of the Darklord's daughter as she installs traps and monsters inside her tower to fight back the endless waves of invading adventurers in this world-conquest role-playing game. Filling your demonic tower with monsters and traps called Artifacts is your only hope to keep the adventurers from destroying the Dark Crystal on the top floor. Fly your tower across the land and conquer every stage on your way to dominating the entire world.
~NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits Demo - 0 Wii Points
The Blurb: NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits is the awesome story of Nyx, an enigmatic winged girl who must descend from heaven in search of her missing friend, Icarus. Fly over the ruins of ancient Greece and avoid falling into blazing sands or perishing in the claws of cruel harpies and hydras. You'll need the help of Zeus and other benevolent gods from Olympus to summon their powers. They will let you cast rays, modify the scenery and control winds at will. Fly, aim and shoot using the Wii Remote controller. Play with a friend and maximize your abilities: While one player controls Nyx, the other will control the powers from the gods.
~World of Goo Demo - 0 Wii Points
The Blurb: World of Goo is an award-winning, physics-based puzzle/construction game made entirely by two guys. Use living, squirming, talking globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins and giant tongues. The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore, but they don't know that they are in a game, nor that they are extremely delicious.
[DSIWARE]
~Art Style: DIGIDRIVE - 500 DSi Points
The Blurb: It's traffic control with a twist as you try to direct identical cars down the same road in Art Style: DIGIDRIVE. This constantly moving puzzle game combines an easily understood playing field (an intersection) and a simple goal (create fuel), challenging you to properly guide a never-ending stream of cars. Stack similar cars five deep to create some fuel, then use that fuel to continue your progress in the game. Play in ENDLESS mode to see how long you can last, or compete against the computer or a human opponent in VS mode. Use combos to your advantage and see if your reflexes can handle the intensity of Overdrive mode. When all is said and done, you may never look at gridlock quite the same way again.
~Arcade Bowling - 200 DSi Points
The Blurb: From Skyworks comes another addictively classic game, Arcade Bowling. It was designed by video game legend David Crane, one of the original founders of Activision and one of the most critically acclaimed game designers of all time. In the tradition of everyone's favorite Boardwalk bowling game, use your stylus and steady aim to flick "laser" balls down the alley and up the ramp into the scoring holes. The farther away the scoring hole is, the more points you'll get. Arcade Bowling features three futuristic sound tracks, state-of-the-art 3-D graphics and two addictive game modes, Classic and Progressive. In Classic Mode, roll up to nine balls to score as many points as you can. In Progressive Mode, enjoy multiple levels of game play with increasing score plateaus and bonus targets.
~Robot Rescue - 200 DSi Points
The Blurb: Robot Rescue is a fun logic game based on a simple but entertaining concept. Your mission is to free robots trapped in 45 evil computer labyrinths while avoiding deadly traps. Sound easy? Not so fast. Each robot shares linked controls, so when you move one, you move them all. It will take clever planning and nerves of steel to pull off this electronic escape. You'll need to avoid many traps, such as mines or electrical circuits, and take advantage of special elements like glue stains. Choose one of three difficulty levels and get ready for a challenge.
And finally, Lee Price touches on a game series near and dear to Nintendo gamer's hearts, Pokemon Red/Blue, in the latest Retronomicon.
Alright faithful readers, that's all for this week. Hope I lived up to Theo's legacy. I might be back again next week, I might not. If you are interested in writing, I would really encourage you to check out applying to 411 (see the link at the top of the article), it's a great site to write for! Oh, and before I go, check back in with me on Friday for The Full Circle News Report!
Considering the advertising for new super mario bros pales to the one that MW2 had, it is a pretty good sales figure and might be able to overtake MW2 on one platform.
Posted By: Guest#9821 (Guest) on November 24, 2009 at 06:27 PM
