411 Games Fact or Fiction 07.14.08: Trophies vs. Achievements, Rock Band Track Packs, 3D Castlevania Fighter w/ Waggle Controls, Mega Man 9's Retroness, & More!

Posted by Tommy Coloma on 07.14.2008

411's Mark Salmela and Jordan Williams return to talk about how well the PS3's Trophies stack up against the 360's Achievements, whether Rock Band track packs will sell, how the removal of key features will affect Warhammer, whether Igarashi can pull off a 3D Castlevania fighter, their feelings about buying new instruments for their favorite rhythm games, and how Capcom's 8-bit Mega Man gamble will play out in this edition of Fact or Fiction Games.

Welcome to another edition of Fact or Fiction. This week we were able to get B3yond the Report's Mark Salmela and Working Title's Jordan Williams together to discuss some of the week's most important video game news and issues. If you like (or even if you hate) what they say here, make sure that you check their columns out for even more video game goodness.

Let's go -


1. Disregarding the fact that most of the older games on the PS3 do not have support for it yet, you think that the PS3's Trophy system is just as good as the 360's Achievement system.

Mark Salmela: Fact

This isn't just me trying to be a Sony lover either. With the promise of your 2D Sony Trophies being able to turn into 3D Trophies for users to display in their Trophy Room in Home, I can't see why Trophies aren't just as awesome as Achievements. I really like the idea of having a level system for the PS3 since I think it would be cool if Sony supported features like giving users more things to use in Home when they reach a certain level. Achievements and Achievement points are cool, but as of right now, I like the system setup of leveling up and having different Trophies having different values (gold trophies versus bronze trophies). Personally, I'll get more enjoyment when I get my first Platinum Trophy then I ever did collecting Achievements.

Jordan Williams: Fact

Marky is right. While I don't really care about the leveling system too much, even without that I really can't see why the Trophy system can't be just as good as the Achievement system. They are all the same type of nerd cred that goes over big with the obsessive who collect them and it seems only fitting that the two next-gen consoles (oh dear god don't read into that any deeper than it's intended) both have some sort of stat tracking system to use for bragging rights. I still think that on both services all of these points should be used for something tangible eventually.

Score: 1 for 1


2. The Rock Band Track Pack will go over well with Wii owners.

Mark Salmela: Fact

Sadly, assuming that Rock Band for the Wii sold well (which it probably did judging from Guitar Hero 3 on the Wii), I imagine that an expansion disc would also sell well. I say sadly because that only further justifies Nintendo's opinion that it's ok not to open up their online service as well as their hard drive. I've been out of hard drive space since the day I bought my Wii (that is not a lie either, and I bought my Wii in January 2007) and Nintendo has done nothing to fix the hard drive problem. Sure, we may eventually be allowed to use the SD slot on the Wii, but until we do, I'm going to keep nagging at Nintendo. Any who, I don't see any reason why a track pack disc wouldn't sell on the Wii since Wii owners are already screwed by getting a crappy PS2 port of Rock Band.

Jordan Williams: Fact

It really does make Wii owners look like suckers. In a way, I know it will sell well because, really, the hardcore Wii owners are going to snatch it up because they want a full version of Rock Band. It really does just validate Nintendo's procrastination with its hard drive and online service. If the extra discs don't really go over well then Nintendo MIGHT wake up and finally jump to fix something. It's a shame too because Nintendo would probably make a lot more money back with a decent online service and a hard drive than they would with this extra disc. Then again, for all we know, Nintendo might have that HD ready to throw in our faces later this week.

Score: 2 for 2


3. Four cities and four character classes will be removed from Warhammer so that the developers can make the game's launch date. This is ok as long as the things that are removed are brought back in through later updates.

Mark Salmela: Fiction

Hell no it isn't ok to remove features for the sake of putting them in later. I am totally against the idea of downsizing a video game for the sake of making a release date. First off, who's guaranteeing that these features will be free when they're added back in? That of course is assuming that THEY WILL be added back in, which I don't see any promise of. When I purchase a new video game, I want the complete package, not "sorry, you're going to have to wait for it, but we want your money now." I will never be ok with that and neither should consumers.

Jordan Williams: Fiction

This is just buuuusheeeeet. In a generation where NO ONE is afraid to delay a game, why are they instead just hacking things off of the game in order hit the release date? SSBB, Metal Gear Solid 4, Saints Row 2 - all of these games have been delayed to fine tune and fix things and they have (and will) make out like bandits. Like Mark says, there's no real guarantee that when these are released they are going to be free. Given the type of game it is, this is just BEGGING to be shoehorned into an expansion pack down the road that you'll have to shell out money for. We are used to delays. They might suck and we might hate them, but I'd rather wait a bit longer and get a full game then get half of the game now and then another half at a later date. That's like going to the movies and realizing that half of the final scenes have been cut out due to time constraints but you'll be able to see them in full on the DVD.

Score: 3 for 3



4. In a recent interview, Igarashi stated that the 3D Castlevania fighting game will be "'person vs. person' but in the free-running style like Power Stone." That description, combined with a control scheme that utilizes the Wii remote's motion control, makes you interested in the game.

Jordan Williams: Fact

To tell you the truth, I was already interested in this game before this interview, but this does interest me even more. Castlevania being a fighting game is a bit weird when you think about it, but then again, for a series that really hasn't done ANYTHING different in the 20 years it's been around, I guess if they are going to try anything new they might as well make sure they copy something that did everything right. Plus, I mean... whipping the Wiimode - that just spells awesome.

Mark Salmela: Fiction

Motion control fighting didn't work with Mortal Kombat Armageddon, so what makes me think it'll work with Castlevania? And Jordan, I'm pretty sure making the Castlevania franchise 3D is "doing something different." I've yet to see a fighter with motion controls done right on the Wii, so Castlevania has a long road ahead of it (not to mention the game looks pretty bland in my opinion).

Score: 3 for 4


5. You wouldn't mind paying for updated instruments when the next numbered Rock Band and/or Guitar Hero games comes out.

Jordan Williams: Fiction

Only because I think you shouldn't have to pay for them in the first place. It seems like a bit of a nickel and dime job that you have to shell out all of this money and then in another year or two you have to do it all over again for a whole new set of gear. I know this is pretty realistic for REAL instruments, but it's a bit of a stretch to convince people to do it for a video game. Maybe some sort of trade-in system that doesn't screw you over like GameStop, but no way for full price.


Mark Salmela: Fiction

Fiction. Times a thousand! If you're going to make a game that uses a peripheral, you damn sure better get it right the first time, because I'm not about to pay again for your mistake. If Rock Band 2 didn't support the Rock Band 1 equipment, I would have laughed my ass off. It's ok to make enhanced versions of peripherals, but it damn sure isn't ok to abandon them.

Score: 4 for 5


6. Mega Man 9 is going to be hot!

Jordan Williams: Fact

Fuck yeah.

...

What? You want more? Fine. Megaman 9 is going to be hot only because it's been SO long since we've had an Original Series Megaman game. Sure, it seems like every three months you see another MM spin-off, but for those who have been around since the old days or got into the original series, there were a lot of things left unanswered and they've been waiting for at least a continuation of that for a while. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the rumored 8-bitness yet, as I really do like the MM8/Rockman and Forte art style. We'll just have to wait and see on that.

Mark Salmela: Fact

I second that Fuck yeah!

But honestly, I think the Mega Man 9 experiment will be awesome. So many people have the opinion of "better graphics makes a better game" implanted into their brains that I can't wait to see if they can be proved wrong here. I think the idea of making an 8-bit style game in the year 2008 is a really cool idea, and I can't wait for some classic Mega Man action. As long as Mega Man 9 doesn't have the charge cannon, I'll be all over this one when it comes out later in the year (at least it better come out this year or I'll cry).

Score: 5 for 6



And we have a final score of 5 for 6. Don't forget to join us later this week for a special 3-way Fact or Fiction.

Now, we just found ourselves in a dungeon with a man with a weird hat, a talking weasel, and absolutely nothing in our pockets. If we can find our way out of the dungeon without losing our minds, we'll be back next week.