Nintendophiles 08.23.07
Posted by Theo Fraser on 08.23.2007
This week’s edition covers the announcement of Pro Evolution Soccer coming to Wii, Fire Mario showing up in Super Mario Galaxy, A ‘Wii Achievements’ system possibly in the works, and Nintendo’s failure to deliver the goods at the LGC.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are mere days from the US launch of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. If you're anything like me, you've been anticipating this day for a long time. But the wait is finally over, as you'll soon be waving that Wii remote around, blowing Space Pirates back to the Planet Zebes and turning Metroids to Phazon ooze. And as this is Nintendophiles, the place we all come to extol and sing the praises of Nintendo's finest creations, I've got a special treat for my loyal readers. The final EXCLUSIVE screenshot for MP3 before its Stateside release! Check it out...
Admittedly, Samus looks a little...'different' there; somewhat hairier than I recall, but maybe that's just the light. Man, I'm so glad I finally got to use that picture- I've been saving that one up for about 4 months!
Nintendo keep schtum at the Leipzig Games Convention
Credit: CVG
The Leipzig Games Convention got underway yesterday, and whilst Sony and Microsoft had plenty to talk about, Nintendo stayed somewhat uncharacteristically quiet. No new game announcements, no surprise game demos, nothing. Just a tour of the booth, and a chance to play the E3 versions of Wii Fit, Super Mario Galaxy, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
Now whilst I‘m sure the German and/or other European games journalists appreciated the chance to go hands on with these brilliant titles (some of whom may have not had the opportunity to visit Santa Monica last month for E3), it is quite baffling and certainly disappointing that Nintendo didn't have anything up its sleeve for this year's Games Convention, especially when you consider how profitable last year's event was for Nintendo fans. LGC 2006 was the show where Nintendo first announced Mario Strikers Charged AND the eagerly-awaited Battalion Wars II, two first class titles of great importance to the company, showing that Nintendo do treat the LGC as an important date on the gaming calendar. With the gaming media yet to fully get to grips with Smash Bros. Brawl, a demo of the game was expected to be on offer this year, but evidently Nintendo had other ideas.
This has led some to think that Nintendo are gearing up for a blowaway Tokyo Games Show in September, which is a definite possibility, and would explain why Nintendo wanted to keep a low profile this month. TGS comes to you from the 20th-23rd September, so we'll see then if Nintendo deliver as promised.
Wii Achievements: Coming soon to a console near you! (Possibly...)
Credit: CVG
Forget Xbox 360's Gamerpoints. PS3 Home? Pah! They pale in comparison to greatness that will be Wii Achievements (not the final/confirmed name, by the way).
With Metroid Prime 3 demo pods starting to pop up in major US cities, gamers have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the game prior to its release this coming Monday. And the most interesting development to come out of these playtests is the apparent inclusion of a brand new Achievements system for the Wii, much like there is/will be on rival consoles.
Regarding Metroid Prime 3 specifically, the game features a mini-achievement system, handing out rewards in the shape of different coloured tokens when certain tasks are fulfilled. An Extras Menu contains various bits of hidden content, which can be unlocked by spending said tokens.
Four types of tokens appear to be on offer; Red, Blue, Gold and Green. In Corruption, you'll receive a red token for scanning various items, artifacts, or enemies, a blue token for scanning Chozo Lore and completing side quests, and a gold token for defeating bosses. Green tokens appear to be multiplayer-related, which are obtained by sending a "friend voucher" to one of your Wii contacts. This won't necessarily unlock new content, instead being based on the idea of competition, ie "Look at me, I'm two levels ahead of you!" I don't know about you, but I'm slightly confused by this whole "friend voucher" concept, but all will no doubt be revealed as the game's launch creeps up on us.
The money question is, of course, are these tokens purely implemented solely for Metroid Prime 3, or are we witnessing the introduction of a brand new scheme to give a whole new side to the way you play your Wii games. I know my friends have a ton of fun racking up Gamerpoints on their 360s, and it is a terrific concept, helping to prolong the life of countless titles you'd normally toss away within a week or two. As such, Nintendo would be wise to capitalise on the success of such a system, and if they could add their trademark "Nintendo Difference," we could have a winner on our hands. If the Tokens System does turn out to be a Metroid-only affair, then bravo to Retro Studios for going the extra mile. But personally, the design of the system seems too intricate to be limited to a single title. Added to Smash Bros. Brawl, it could tip the game from being simply awesome to utterly phenomenal; imagine the potential lifespan of the game with a Tokens/Achievements system included! It's an appetising thought, for sure, and with Metroid Prime 3's release just 96 hours away, I'd expect Nintendo to set us straight in the very near future.
Fire Flower Mario returns!
Credit: Gamesradar
More details have emerged on what you'll be doing in Mario's latest adventure when it launches later this year, and in some brilliant news, Mario will once again don the Fire Flower suit and shoot fireballs from his fingers. Whilst this particular move has been featured as part of Mario's moveset in previous Smash Bros games, this will mark the first time Mario has utilised such an ability in 3D, previously being seen in Super Mario World on the SNES (and most recently in New Super Mario Bros. on the DS). There is no denying that Fire Mario is an absolute legend, as there is nothing more satisfying than dispelling a Goomba with a single flame at short distance. Fingers crossed Mario gets to wear the white and red Fire Suit, as that completes the picture.
Plot details have also been exposed, and it looks like the typical Mario storyline you would expect. Mario, Princess Peach and all the faces of the Mushroom Kingdom are gathered to celebrate the passing of an impressive comet (which only takes place once every hundred years), when Bowser shows up (uninvited, I might add!) and decides to wreak havoc. Cue capture of Peach, Mario ending up unconscious and Bowser escaping. When the portly plumber wakes up, he finds himself on a meteor in outer space, and is introduced to Rosetta, another princess who seems to vie for Mario's affection. Ooooh, I bet Peach won't be happy about that! I can almost hear Joey Styles now...CATFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!
Smash Bros Update: Diddy Kong enters the fray
Another week, another new playable character revealed! Diddy Kong joins the cast of Nintendo heroes, and he brings with him his Peanut Pop Gun to do some serious damage! I know a lot of gamers can't stand the little guy, but I've always been rather partial to Diddy Kong, so it's a pleasant surprise to see him show up. Of course, all you Diddy-haters finally have the opportunity to blow him to smithereens! Me thinks a Diddy vs Donkey matchup is needed! It'll be interesting to see how he compares to his big buddy; his lack of size and strength will no doubt be offset by his agility and super-handy Rocketbarrel Boost.
Not only is it kinda cool to see Diddy Kong make an appearance, but it also begs the question...just how many playable characters will there be? Diddy Kong is most definitely a ‘second tier' character in the Donkey Kong universe, so does that mean we'll see minor characters from other franchises? Perhaps Midna from Twilight Princess will get to show her stuff? Maybe Baby Bowser could be waiting in the wings, prepping his magic paintbrush from Super Mario Sunshine? Only time will tell. As always, watch this space!
Pro Evolution Soccer kicks and headers its way onto the Wii
Credit: Cubed3
Even if Nintendo decided to stay quiet this week, the rest of the developers at the Leipzig Games Convention had plenty of surprises for us, including this revelation that Konami are bringing their hugely successful football/soccer series to the Wii, Pro Evolution Soccer. This isn't the first time we've seen Pro Evo on a Nintendo platform this year, as the series recently found success on the DS in what was a top notch first effort. Evidently, Konami took a shining to Nintendo, realising the wealth of opportunities for a soccer game on the Wii.
Details are pretty sketchy, with Konami only commenting on the "full use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers, offering total control over every aspect of the players and their movements both on and off the ball," but they did confirm a Q1 2008 release, which suggests the title may have been in development for a little while now.
The Pro Evolution series is widely considered to be the finest football/soccer experience available to gamers, so I'm sure this is tremendous news for Nintendo gamers who have been missing out all these years. What with this and FIFA 2008, it looks like footy fans will be spoilt for choice early next year!
Lara Croft makes her presence felt with Tomb Raider: Anniversary Wii Edition
Lara Croft will probably never be associated as a Nintendo icon, but judging by this developer interview and early walkthrough, the Wii will be getting the definitive edition of Tomb Raider: Anniversary, the game that brought Lara back to true form in celebration of her 10 year existence. Watch for yourself, but pay particular attention to the different ways the Wii-mote will be utilised, as it looks to have been implemented fantastically.
The 411 Games Crew
For all the quirkiness of the gaming industry that doesn't quite fit in anywhere else, the Code Games News Report is your one stop shop for a whole bunch of crazy, including someone who's made a Q*bert inspired bed quilt! Plus, see footage of cancelled Gamecube game Raven Blade. Man I wanted that game! Damn Nintendo for forcing Retro to abandon ship. Anyway, check it out in Shawn Struck's latest news report.
Any self-professed RPG fan simply MUST check out the most recent edition of The Flashback, as Steve McHugh takes a look at Knights of the Old Republic on Xbox (and PC), which is one of my favourite games altogether, let alone RPGs. Also, keep an eye out for the current week's Flashback, which should be up as you read this, as it looks at KotOR 2, the fantastic sequel.
Sean McCabe's The Retrospective will be an absolute must for anime fans, with an in-depth look at Devilman Lady. Plus, the bulk of the column finishes off Sean's look at the Tenchu series. And thank God I read it BEFORE nearly buying Tenchu: DS!
The Select and Start News Report has more on the on-going announcements of console price cuts, how MMORPGS can be good for your social life, and the latest escapades from Jack Thompson! Vincent Chiucchi has all that and more in his latest news report!
Bioshock has launched Stateside, which means that Xbox 360 owners will be glued to their screens for the next few weeks. Mike Minotti has something to say about the FPS genre in this week's Full Circle: 360 News Report, so be sure to check that out.
The August 411 Games Roundtable is here! Which means you're going to read it, yes? The 411 Games staff get together to discuss Metroid Prime 3, Bioshock, Blue Dragon, plus a ton of other AAA titles. Don't miss out.
I'd hoped to fit in my preview of Ninja Gaiden DS this week, but unfortunately ran out of time. So I apologise to Gaiden fans, but assure you that it'll be featured prominently next week! Until then, I take my leave. *Exits stage left*
