411 Games Fact or Fiction 02.23.09: Mobile Gaming, Legends of WrestleMania, Wii-HD and More

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 02.23.2009

Will the Legends of WrestleMania game have downloadable wrestlers, but not Randy Savage? Are you looking forward to playing Killzone 2 for the PlayStation 3? Will you be purchasing a Nintendo DSi when it releases in the US in a couple of months? 411’s Anthony Kennedy and Theo Fraser discuss these topics and more in the latest edition of Fact or Fiction: Games!



Alright, alright boys and girls, it's time for another edition of Fact or Fiction and this week we get a new contestant into the mix as newbie Anthony Kennedy joins us to rumble with 411mania veteran Theo Fraser. Leo however hasn't been on FoF in quite some time now so let's see how he fares as well.


1. Legends of WrestleMania will have downloadable wrestlers at some point but none of them will be Randy Savage.



Anthony Kennedy: FACT - Whatever Vince's beef with the Macho Man is, I'm sure THQ has been giving the strict edict that Savage, much like Benoit and Lesnar, are erased from WWE history till they see fit to include him again. (As well as the fact that I'm sure likeness rights aren't owned by the WWE to even incorporate him into the game.) While wrestling gaming fans have complained of the staleness of the THQ WWE series, I'm actually looking forward to this game to see if it brings the much missed fun factor to wrestling games with all these create-a-wrestler, create-a-finisher, create-a-entrance features, etc, etc….

Theo Fraser: FACT - THQ brought in downloadable wrestlers with Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, and I expect them to continue to offer that service with Legends of WrestleMania. Legends' has a great roster as it is, but as always there's room for improvement. Ricky Steamboat, Razor Ramon, Diesel, Mick Foley, Vader...the list goes on of potentials for DLC. And whilst Randy Savage is certainly a Legend of WrestleMania, I can't see him being included as a downloadable character. Vince McMahon maintains a long standing grudge against him for whatever reason, and the Macho Man would have assuredly made the original line-up if Vince was willing to promote the Randy Savage name under the WWE umbrella again. As it stands, Savage didn't make the cut, and I don't see any of the issues being resolved between the two parties in the space of time DLC would be viable for the title.

Score: 1 for 1 - If Savage is excluded in any way shape or form (DLC, CAW, Unlock), I riot.


2. You will be purchasing a Nintendo DSi when it releases in the US in a couple of months.



Anthony Kennedy: FICTION - There just aren't' enough new features or graphical improvements to warrant a necessitated upgrade on my current DS. While the GBA, DS, and DS Lite were worthy upgrades of their predecessors, this looks like a few bells and whistles thrown on system that really hasn't ran its course. If Nintendo doesn't watch itself, they could suffer the same consumer backlash Sega did with all their "updates" with the Sega Genesis system. 32X anyone?

Theo Fraser: FICTION - If I wanted to be facetious I'd point out that I'm a UK citizen, so I wouldn't be purchasing one in the US anyway. But for the purposes of this question, let's assume I live in the US. With that being the case, I still wouldn't buy a DSi on launch day as I simply haven't seen enough support or even interest expressed towards it by third party developers and the like. Even Nintendo are being cagey about their plans for the device. If Nintendo start releasing top-notch DSi exclusive titles, then I guess I'll be forced to buy one, being the total Nintendo-nut as I am. But as Anthony said, it's more of a model upgrade than the next must-buy Nintendo handheld. Sure, the added camera is pretty cool, and I'm excited about the technical improvements, such as having four times as much RAM as prior models, but is that enough to make me fork out $170 when I have a perfectly acceptable ‘ordinary' DS in my possession? I'm afraid not. But check again with me in a few months once we know Nintendo's long-term plans for the system and it might be a different story.

Score: 2 for 2


3. You're looking forward to playing Killzone 2 for the PlayStation 3.



Anthony Kennedy: FICTION - And that's more so because I didn't play the first Killzone. There are just way too many tactical, online co-op first –person shooters coming out. If it doesn't have a Tom Clancy or Halo in the title, I'm passing on it. Gaming needs to be careful, there are only so many sequels or alike games consumers will spend money on, after a while gamers, much like moviegoers and wrestling fans, will get to think they pass on this one.

Theo Fraser: FICTION - I'm in agreement with Anthony on this one. I didn't play the first Killzone; it never really appealed to me, and I have no burning desire to try out the sequel. I do hope it turns out to be good, however, as I know of quite a few people who bought a PS3 in anticipation of Killzone 2. For the diehard fans of the original, they deserve an equally satisfying follow-up, so I hope it delivers in that respect. But no, I'm personally not too fussed about its release, and I certainly don't see it as the PS3's next ‘killer app'.

Score: 3 for 3

~SWITCH!~

4. The iPhone will become a major player in the handheld market.



Theo Fraser: FACT - ‘Major player' is the key word here. I'm confident that it'll never see the kind of success the DS has seen, but I think Apple will comfortably stand their ground. The iPhone is said to be extremely developer-friendly, making sustained support from third parties a likelihood. Rolling out a constant stream of new titles will help it to compete with the ever-expanding DS catalogue, and the fact that it's an all-purpose multimedia device means you'll always have it on you, making gaming on the go more accessible than ever. In that sense, it has the potential to do well with the casual market. Holding it back is the price of the machine itself, but there is one big plus: digital download. For those out there too busy or too lazy to go to the shops to buy new games, you can simply connect to the online store and download new titles; a feature severely lacking on the DS. Admittedly, many of the iPhone games are casual, ‘quick fix' titles, and the DS is still the place to go if you want deeper, more complex titles, but the iPhone has a good chance at holding its own against the proving commodity of Nintendo's handheld.

Anthony Kennedy: FICTION - Have to disagree here. The majority of teens that would even think about purchasing an iPhone game already have a DS or PSP. While the adults will only that need a distraction while standing in line somewhere or take a break from work, will, more than likely, stick with the non-complex freebie titles. Theo makes a good point with its accessibility to new games through digital downloads, but ultimately its unconventional control set-up does not lend itself to cutting into Nintendo's handheld market share with the limited games available.

Score: 3 for 4


5. An HD version of the Nintendo Wii will be released within the next two years.



Theo Fraser: FICTION - It's constantly rumored but I just don't see it happening. Nintendo have shown zero interest in accommodating the hardcore crowd, and software sales aren't exactly lacking (minus the disappointing sales of Wii Music, but that was more to do with the design of the game itself rather than the hardware it was created on) so there's no need for them to raise the stakes and entice people with new hardware. If you've ever had any interest in buying a Wii, you've most likely got one already. Factor in Nintendo's focus on offering a gaming system to the masses, and an HD Wii seems rather unlikely. The casual market won't give it a second glance if it's a pricey bit of kit, which it would have to be to include the necessary HD-upgrade. It's hard to tell how the market will change in two years, but HD isn't a priority for Nintendo right now, and I don't see their attitude changing.

Anthony Kennedy: FACT - While I agree that Nintendo doesn't let the hardcore dictate their strategic move and the limited graphics of the current Wii won't be improved by a jump to 1080p HD, there may be a market for an HD Nintendo Wii, even if just for limited number of them. It's been proven in the past that hardcore tech heads will shell out money for even minute hardware upgrades (360 Elite anyone.) I can see it coming and also see them passing.

Score: 3 for 5


6. Resident Evil 5 will surpass RE4 in sheer awesomeness.



Theo Fraser: FICTION - This is based on two factors. For starters, preliminary reviews have been pretty mixed. Official PlayStation Magazine gave it 5/5, calling the co-op mode ‘revolutionary'. Certainly high praise indeed. However, Xbox World 360 Magazine gave it 81%, and whilst this is a respectable score, it's nowhere near the highs of Resident Evil 4. This particular review stresses that the single-player mode has been gutted, with everything being geared towards co-op play. As a series previously aimed solely for solo gamers, this is quite a departure from the norm, and could be a bit of a misstep on Capcom's part. Secondly, you have the issue of meeting expectations. Resident Evil 4 was so good that the bar has been raised exceptionally high for all future Resi titles, forcing expectations into the stratosphere. With that in mind, is it even possible for Resi 5 to surpass its predecessor? With the amount of hype surrounding the game, I get the feeling there could be a ton of disappointed gamers come launch day.

Anthony Kennedy: FACT - Theo mentioned the early reviews, as we all know there very subjective, and could be more reflective of a reviewers preference to single player than co-op. I have all the faith with the latest RE, based on two words: next-gen consoles. (Or is that three? I'm not sure when it comes to hyphened words.) Between the graphical and hardware power of the 360 and PS3; and Capcom's creativity,(check out Dead Rising) I believe Resident Evil 5 can and will surpass its predecessor.

Final Score: 3 for 6

Well there you go for this week's FoF. Miiiiiiisteeeeerrrrrr Kennneeeedyyyyyy..............Kennnneeeddyyyyy has just popped his Fact or Fiction cherry and thanks for participating once again Theo.

Check back with us next Monday for a brand new edition! See you then!