Nintendophiles 06.18.08

Posted by Theo Fraser on 06.18.2008

In this week’s Nintendophiles, an apology is offered by a Nintendo executive, the roster of characters in Mario Super Sluggers is revealed, and there’s lots of E3 talk, from a look at Midway’s offerings at the upcoming show to Nintendo’s promise of new titles aimed at their ‘core audience’. All that and more awaits you inside!




Hello, Ladies and Gents, and welcome to another instalment of Nintendophiles! I thought we'd start off this week's news report with a look at some feedback received in the Comments section in recent weeks. We'll kick things off with Dylan from two weeks ago, who said:


Enjoyed the column with the exception of: "the DS is severely lacking in strong RPGs"

Ridiculous.


Dylan, if you're reading, I was just hoping you'd be able to elaborate on this. My assertion was obviously subjective, as it's simply of my opinion that the DS is lacking in RPGs, but I'm also curious as to your thoughts on the DS' top quality games in that genre. Outside of Final Fantasy III, The World Ends With You, and maybe Contact, I find it hard to single out traditional RPGs of a high standard on Nintendo's current handheld. Etrian Odyssey really isn't everyone's cup of tea, games like Phantom Hourglass and Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time are more action-adventure than RPG, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is first and foremost an RTS...at which point I kind of run out of ideas for games that could be passed off as RPGs. But certainly, I'd love to hear your views on this; I'm assuming you have a different slant on the matter.


Reader Stronelis had a query a couple of weeks back:


I got a DS back in December and have already grabbed some great games, Blade of Fate, Mario Kart, Pokemon Diamond, Days of Ruin and the new Super Mario Brothers.

I need a new couple games, does anyone here have any suggestions? I am particularly looking for an RPG or Action Story game.


First of all, I feel compelled to encourage you/force you to buy The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (which doesn't appear to be on your list), as it's not only a fantastic entry into the Zelda series but also easily one of the best games on the DS. If you wait a few weeks, you'll be in time for the US launch of Final Fantasy IV which has a great story and looks terrific to boot. That one probably depends upon whether or not you're a Final Fantasy fan; you won't find anything new to sway you if you've previously taken a disliking to FF titles. If it's a good story you're after, you might also want to check out Hotel Dusk: Room 215. It's not really an action game, being very heavily focused on puzzle elements, but in terms of the plot, it's one of the most gripping experiences I've played on the DS. Hope that helps, and if anyone else has any other suggestions, feel free to leave them in the Comments section below!


Kevin provided me with a correction last week with regards to the USB ports on the back of the Wii, saying,


Actually, you can hook keyboards up to the USB ports on the Wii, so they are not completely useless.


Good catch there, Kevin, I rarely use the Internet Channel so I'd completely overlooked this fact. But you're totally right, keyboards can of course be hooked up to the Wii, so the USB ports aren't entirely useless right now.


OK, well with the feedback out of the way, let's get to the bulk of this week's Nintendo news.



Fischer offers apology for "geeks" comment
Credit: Videogaming 247, Cubed3

Last week, I reported on Nintendo of Europe representative Laurent Fischer's comments that a Wii external hard drive is only wanted by the "geeks and otakus" out there. This of course caused a touch of controversy, mainly because it was simply a dumb and naive thing to say. Fast forward 7 days, and Fischer has offered an official apology for his remarks, no doubt brought on by a slap on the wrist by Nintendo higher-ups. I highlighted Fischer's comments last week, so it's only fair that I print his apology for Nintendophiles readers to see here.


Fischer: I have huge respect for those who, like me, share a common passion for Nintendo and want to make it clear that I would never use and I didn't use this terminology in such a context or way to cause offence.

I regret that this misunderstanding has created such offence and disappointment within the community.


Good of him to make the apology, although with regard to his assertion that "I didn't use this terminology in such a context," I have to ask...exactly what context was it supposed to be in? Is there really a ‘nice' way of saying a proportion of your fan base is made up of geeks? Whatever, it's all said and done now, and I'm pleased that the matter was dealt with in a professional manner and not simply ignored.




Mario Super Sluggers roster unveiled
Credit: Famitsu, IGN

The latest in the long line of Mario Sports titles, Mario Super Sluggers, launches in Japan tomorrow, with a North American release to follow in late August. Little has been shown of the game up until now, which is odd considering the fact that we are mere hours away it hitting store shelves, but we've finally managed to uncover the roster of characters from the Mario universe who will be stepping up to the plate.

You'll start by picking a team captain, and the roster for captains is formed from the ‘main cast' of Mario games; Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, etc. You'll then be asked to select 8 other team mates, and the characters on offer form a pretty extensive list...

• Mario


• Luigi


• Peach


• Daisy


• Yoshi


• Birdo


• Wario


• Waluigi


• Donkey Kong


• Diddy Kong


• Dixie Kong (Hurray!!)


• Tiny Kong


• Funky Kong


• King K. Rool


• Bowser


• Bowser Jr


• Baby Mario


• Baby Luigi


• Baby Peach


• Baby Daisy


• Baby Donkey Kong


• Toad


• Toadette


• Toadsworth


• Koopa Troopa


• Paratroopa


• Magikoopa


• Goomba


• Paragoomba


• Boo


• King Boo


• Dry Bones


• Monty Mole


• Petey Piranha


• Shy Guy


• Hammer Bros.


• Pianta


• Noki


• Lakitu


• Blooper


• Kritter


• Wiggler


• Mii

Wow, that is very nearly every single character that's ever appeared in a Mario game (no Rosalina, though, boo!) Quite a lot of Kongs joining the fray this time as well; not sure where along the line Nintendo decided that Donkey Kong's pals are a part of the Mario universe, but I guess the Donkey Kong connection itself is enough to justify their inclusion. And heck, in this kind of game, the more the merrier!

In terms of the game itself, which plays like a more intelligent version of the Baseball part of Wii Sports (with added Banana Skins and Green Shells, naturally), I imagine that baseball fans will probably find some enjoyment from this, but it's disappointing to see that there is no online multiplayer included, which is one of the areas that is keeping players coming back to Mario Kart Wii long after the cups and time trials have been beaten.

Still, it's worth checking out the video below that details the gameplay and some of the features you can expect to find. It's a Japanese trailer, but it's pretty obvious what's going on, so you won't have any difficulty understanding it.







Midway's E3 offerings
Credit: IGN

One month from E3 and developers have started releasing the line-up of games that the gaming media can expect to find when they arrive in Los Angeles in the middle of July. This week, I wanted to take a brief look at Midway's line-up, mainly due to the fact that this will be the first occasion that we see anything remotely resembling the Wii version of TNA iMPACT!. And as 411mania has such a wrestling-oriented following, it makes sense to highlight that! But take a look at the rest of the list anyway.


~TNA iMPACT! (PS3, 360, Wii, PS2)
~Unreal Tournament 3 (360)
~Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (360, PS3)
~Blitz: The League II (360, PS3)
~This is Vegas (360, PS3, PC)
~Wheelman (360, PS3, PC)
~Touchmaster 2 (DS)
~Game Party 2 (Wii)


A little bit lacking in the Nintendo department, no? TNA iMPACT, fair enough, that has the signs of being something pretty good (depending on whether or not they screw up the Wii controls), but apart from that...Game Party 2? Joy. And Touchmaster was only average, so it's hard to get excited about a sequel.

The list also provides us with confirmation that Nintendo owners definitely WON'T be getting the Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe game, which is sure to be a blow to MK fans, as Mortal Kombat: Armageddon ended up translating really well to the Wii. Judging by this list, it would seem that Midway aren't that fussed about catering to the Wii's market, and that's very disappointing in my eyes, as the Wii still has so much untapped potential.




Nintendo prepare gamers for E3 showing
Credit: GamePro, IGN

Director of public relations for the Big N, Marc Franklin, recently commented on Nintendo's plans for this year's E3 show, starting on July 14th 2008, saying,


Franklin: We will be announcing several new titles that core gamers will be interested in around the time of E3.


Naturally, that's going to get a fair amount of speculation and rumor going as we build towards the big event. The exciting this is, we really have no sure idea of what titles we'll see in just under a month, as there have been quite a few red herrings in recent months. Rumor persists that a brand new take on the Kid Icarus franchise is in the works (concept artwork below), although this was supposedly to be undertaken by developer Factor 5, so whether or not this would actually come under the Nintendo E3 umbrella remains to be seen. It's certainly a strong possibility, however. There's also the matter of Pikmin 3, which Shigeru Miyamoto has oft hinted at, albeit never fully confirmed. An F-Zero title was mentioned as possibly being a part of Nintendo's E3 showcase some weeks back; as a longstanding Nintendo franchise, it's a very viable contender. I'm adamant that Animal Crossing Wii will finally make a debut at the Los Angeles Convention Center, but it's highly debatable if we can really call it a game targeted at the ‘core gamers' out there. I myself am most certainly an avid gamer, but I love the Animal Crossing series more than a fat kid loves the Ice Cream Factory at Pizza Hut, but taking into account how well the game has done with casual gamers on the DS, it's hard to pigeonhole it as being aimed at one particular audience.




Concept art for the Kid Icarus Wii remake


Personally, I'd love to see something finally come of the seemingly endless rumors of a new Pilotwings title. Pilotwings skipped a generation, missing out on the Gamecube despite numerous hints at its existence. Now would be a terrific time to resurrect the franchise, purely because under the right developer, we could see some truly brilliant stuff from a motion-controlled gameplay system. Ultimately, however, we've just got to (once again) play the waiting game. July 13th should be the date Nintendo give their key note conference, which is when the big unveilings will be. Mark the date down in your diaries, folks!




The 411 Games Crew

The latest edition of B3yond the Report by Mark Salmela takes a quick peek at The Last Remnant and Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the possibilities of a motion control system for the PS3, plus much more on Sony's latest big killer apps, such as Resistance 2 and Fatal Inertia.

Vincent Chiucchi's Select and Start News Report has news on all the major developers, from Capcom to EA to Take-Two, plus views on the controversial statement that the iPhone could kill off the DS. All that and more awaits you in this week's report!

John Curry looks at the dangers of over-anticipation for a game ruining it before we even get a chance to play it in this week's Checkpoint.

Chris Scott lets us know his 10 favorite games in The Red Snifit.

It's a big edition of 411 Games Fact or Fiction this week, brought to you by Tommy Coloma, featuring Owain J Brimfield and John Curry.


That's it from me for the next 7 days. See you back here next Wednesday, when I'll be in full-on ultra-hype mode, as Europe will be just 2 days away from the launch of Smash Bros. Brawl [finally!!]. Didn't take 'em long, eh?

Screenshots
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