You’ll love it, we swear

Note to Nintendo: when you show a new peripheral, in this case the WiiMotionPlus, make sure we understand what it’s good for and why we need it.  It looks like they demoed just Wii Sports Resort with it, but no other announcements with it or what it really allows developers to do with it.

Incidentally, Wii Sports Resort would be even better if they put the original Wii Sports on the disc as well, sort of creating a “platform” as Rock Band is doing.  They could even add in support for the “WiiMotionPlus” to make the original games even better (if it actually does anything, since they didn’t really make the advantages very clear).

As for Nintendo’s conference overall… it was a bit of a bore.  I didn’t expect it to compete with Microsoft’s because Nintendo and Microsoft are quite honestly playing different games at this point. But I was hoping to at least see an interesting new franchise (for the “core” gamers they supposedly still care about) or at least an update to one of their popular franchises (and Wii Music and Animal Crossing don’t really count).  I really thought we’d at least see a teaser for a new Zelda, or didn’t they announce or strongly hint at a new Kid Icarus game at some point? Instead it seemed to be mostly numbers with a few games that I didn’t really care for, and then telling me that I should “disrupt my thinking” and escape the Matrix so that I care.  As with seemingly everything they produce, though, I’m sure they’ll sell a trillion copies.

It coulda’ been a contenda’

I’ve had Wii Fit for a few weeks now and, while I haven’t been able to keep a solid schedule for it every day (something I’m still struggling to do), I think I’ve used it enough to come up with an opinion about it.

My overwhelming response to it is that, once again, Nintendo really missed out on a golden opportunity here.  There are a lot of things to like about the game: the training instruction, the stat tracking, even some of the aerobics stuff, like running and place and hula hooping, is implemented fairly well.  The balance games that are provided are also enjoyable mini-games that show-off the abilities of the balance board. However, the game has two important problems: the lack of any workout “programs”, and the fact that it’s not really that fun for the things that really matter.

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More Nazis! I Mean, Japanese.

Call of Duty 5 details have come out, and it looks like we’re returning to World War II.  This has of course prompted a whole host of complaints from sites like Destructoid, who argue that WW2 is played out and that we should be looking at other conflicts for inspiration.  I’d agree that there are plenty of games like this out there, but this complaint strikes me as largely unfounded.

First off, why are there so many WW2 games?  For one, it’s because the war was one of the few with undeniably, unambiguously ”good” and “bad” guys.  You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone - Pat Buchanan aside - willing to argue that this wasn’t a “good war.”  As a result, you can mow down hordes of other human beings without feeling too terrible about yourself.  And you get a nice warm glow inside when you accomplish your objectives.  Second, it’s epic: there just aren’t any other wars out there in the modern era with the same kind of epic scope and scale that World War 2 has… even WW1 was relatively uninteresting trench warfare for a significant portion of its duration.  As a result, there is a lot of ground to mine.  Third, it’s got neat gadgets.  WW2 was where many of the tools of modern warfare, like the tank and air combat, first came into their own.  Therefore, designers can make a fairly diverse and interesting experience out of combat.  And finally, it’s got a happy ending: the right people won.  Good gameplay scenarios in an epic battle between good and evil: sounds like it should get a lot of attention.

Additionally, there just aren’t that many other attractive scenarios.  The most obvious US battles of the last 150 years or so would probably include the US Civil War, World War I, Korea, and Vietnam.  Yet the first has quite a few games of its own.  And the latter three just aren’t very inspiring: Korea had an ambiguous outcome, and it’s not nearly as widely known as most other fights.  And Vietnam is such a cultural touchstone, with so many political connotations, that it’s tough to come up with a real game that isn’t also a political statement. 

Also consider the fact that even now, companies are able to advance the WW2 game in any number of ways - from CoD’s original European-focused titles, to RTS’s like Close Combat and Company of Heroes, there are plenty of recent games that do more than simply parrot their forebearers.  If the genre is stagnant, let’s hear complaints.  But “no more WW2″ is reflexively negative without due reason.

And lastly, it would be remiss to note that the Pacific theater is one that hasn’t been touched on in nearly the same detail as Europe.  The fact that CoD 5 is targeting this area seems like a great reason to consider it optimistically.  The CoD series hasn’t let us down yet.

June PSA

If you haven’t played River City Ransom before, buy it.  Then marvel that a 1989 NES game was this advanced.

The 360 Needs a Good Kart Racer

Look, I’m a big Mario Kart fan, and the latest is no exception.  They’re a lot of fun to play even in single player, and a blast in multiplayer.  But as the console world evolves, so must Mario Kart.  The latest in the series, of course, has online multiplayer, and while it’s still fun to race online, it could be a hell of a lot better.  In short, as far as online multiplayer games go, Mario Kart Wii fails to do some of the most basic things right, things that have been done (well) since the last generation.  To give you an idea of how stupid the online implementation of Mario Kart Wii is, here are a few snippets of IM conversation between Geoff and I while playing our first “Friend” game:

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Mario Kart Wii Friend Code Exchange

Just thought I’d put up a quick post with my friend code from Mario Kart Wii.  Feel free to drop your friend code in the comments and I’ll add you.

Here it is:

2062-9537-8618

In true, geeky form, I’m using my Battlestar Galactica themed G. Baltar Mii for the time being.  See you online!

Mario Kart Wii Impressions

I’ve just played through a round of Mario Kart Wii and I thought I’d share some impressions of the game.  In general, I think the metareviews on Gamerankings are pretty accurate; it feels like a B+ title so far.  I’ll separate my thoughts into good and bad elements (I haven’t tried online yet, so I’m going to leave that portion out for now).

The Good:

1. The Wheel: Although something of a mixed blessing, I was pleasantly surprised by the steering wheel.  It was extremely awkward for 2-3 races, but after having finished the 50cc Grand Prix it definitely feels far more natural.  I’m not 100% convinced that it’ll ever be better than the analog control, however: the analog stick has the advantage of being far less sensitive as well as more familiar, so I think the Wheel might be best for more casual players.
2. New Items: The new items are definitely more useful than you might have expected.  My favorite so far is the Bullet Bill, which turns you into said Bullet Bill and lets you rocket ahead while knocking over other karts in your path.  I also like the Stormcloud, though, which allows you to selectively lightning-bolt a player by touching them.  I don’t think they really negatively impact the balance, either, which is saying something.
3. New Tracks: The new tracks are both attractive and interesting, with dynamic pieces that move and change based on time and player action.  It’s nice to see some fresh blood, and some of the tracks are actually beautiful (like the new Rainbow Road).
4. Drifting Changes: I really hated the Double Dash drift mechanic - it required far too much practice and skill to use, and as a result made the game much less accessible to friends and family than it might have been.  MKWii offers an optional (but crippled) automatic drift control, as well as a scaled down manual mode that I find both more intuitive and more fun.  It also eliminated snaking which was equally annoying.
5. Tricks: The trick system isn’t particularly deep (and I wish it had a little more to it) but it is fun, helpful, and an intriguing addition to the Mario Kart oeuvre.  I like pulling them off and looking for new areas to use them.

The Bad:

There are a few elements that keep MKWii from being a breakout game, and unfortunately I think a lot of them are lessons that the development teams should have learned by now.  In no particular order…

1. 1st Place Disadvantage: It’s more than about time that the developers figured out that making a game that isn’t fun to win is a problem.  Like almost all of its predecessors, being in first place is the worst possible place to be in MKWii.  You’re on the receiving end of an endless pile of crappy weapons - banana peels and ! blocks are not fun - while simultaneously guaranteeing yourself a continuous stream of blue, red, and green shells.  (The one thing MKWii does right is allow for a periodic red shell for the leader - this was actually impossible in earlier iterations.)  While I’m not sure there’s an easy answer here, I would have to assume that a skill-based mechanic could be added here: either the leader could get weapons that would require more skill to use but allow him to maintain his lead effectively, or a defensive system could be added that would allow him to avoid offensive weapons if he was able to perform certain actions correctly.  Regardless, I find this problem endlessly frustrating and it renders good driving all but obsolete.  12th to 1st place finishes are far too frequent.
2. Originality of Tracks: The older tracks are a mixed bag at best, and graphically are pretty crappy.  I appreciate a retro look, but it should be used sparingly, not integral to the game.
3. Graphics: On the same subject, the graphics here are on the low end of GCN-lite.  Super Mario Galaxy showed what the Wii could do - the lack of effort here smacks of laziness.  If you’re going to include older tracks as 50% of the tracks in the game, update them!
4. Difficulty of 150CC: Due in part to the difficulty of being in the leader roles, higher cc’s are incredibly tough, and more because you have to be lucky than skilful.  Many of the tracks are incredibly punishing of mistakes, and more to the point, often cause those mistakes through some of the too-powerful items like the lightning bolt and the POW block.  Rainbow Road, as usual, is a prime culprit here, but in general you often feel like you lost not because of anything you did but because the game is taking some cheap shots.
5. Lack of Secrets(?): I may be missing secrets here, but aside from the unlockables, there just aren’t a lot of secret paths through most of the levels.  I remember Beetle Adventure Racing fondly for the 64, and there were all sorts of hidden routes and interesting eye candy if you went off route.  It’s disappointing that more easter eggs weren’t put into place here… I miss the feather.

In general, I don’t think the game is dumbed down per se.  It’s simplified in some areas, but I think for the best.  MKWii is a lot of fun, but it’s flawed, and for reasons that I don’t think are very good.

My 2008 Game List

Yesterday I mentioned an admittedly incomplete list of games to play that I had left either incomplete or unplayed. The question, of course, is will I have the time to play them given the upcoming releases this year? I started wondering, like I did last year in the summer, what games I’m really looking forward to this year. So, aside from my household’s obvious purchases of Mario Kart: Wii and GTA IV coming up in a couple weeks, what are the games that excite me in the upcoming months? As I did last year, I’ve tried to divide these games up into “tiers”, although I’ve relabeled them some. All release dates come from IGN.com and the versions indicated are NOT necessarily all the platforms a game is releasing on, but simply the platforms I would likely consider buying the games for. In almost all cases, I picked the 360 over the PS3.

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Going through the motions with Mario Kart Wii

IGN wasn’t too thrilled with the Wii Remote “wheel” motion controls for Mario Kart Wii in their preview a few weeks ago:

“However, it’s much more fun with a GameCube or classic controller, I’ve found. The Wii remote makes an already loose control scheme feel even looser and it is particularly difficult to quickly switch from a right curve or a left one (or vice versa) using the peripheral. After some frustrating rounds in which my Kart became very friendly with the barriers surrounding the tracks, I plugged in the GCN controller and found a much tighter experience waiting. I immediately noticed a dramatic improvement in my rank throughout the courses, too.”

Ok, so, the motion controls, as I have feared, apparently don’t work all that great.  So, it’s a good thing that it supports the GCN and Classic Controller, right?  Well, according to Kotaku, the GCN and Classic Controller won’t really do, well, everything.  From the press release:

 • Classic Controller: Mario Kart veterans can let their thumbs do the driving with the Classic Controller. However, players cannot perform certain moves with this control scheme.

• Nintendo GameCube™ Controller: Experienced Mario Kart fans may also enjoy this familiar scheme, although some maneuvers cannot be performed.

Ok, so the question is… what exactly can’t be done, and how does it affect the racing? It sort of sounds like you may not be able to pull off the “tricks” that need a “shake” of the remote to pull off, that also give you a speed boost upon landing.  That would seem to be a major disadvantage for people using GCN and Classic controllers, so they couldn’t do that, right?  Well, according to IGN’s preview, they didn’t:

“I know that Bozon had mentioned in our podcast that he couldn’t find a way to perform tricks or wheelies in Mario Kart Wii using a GCN or classic controller. You can, though – the functionality is just mapped to the D-Pad. So when you go off a jump, tap up on the D-Pad and you’ll trick. Same for wheelies. That seeming omission was the biggest drawback to using the old controllers, which otherwise offer improved maneuverability mapped to the analog stick, but have no fear because it’s all good. It’s in there.”

Ok… so, if it isn’t the tricks, what is it?  Or if it is the tricks, then this would appear to be a recent change as the feature was available in IGN’s pre-release build.  Or, is this just a mistake in the press-release?

If it’s correct (and it actually refers to the tricks), I wonder whether this is a way to counter the “advantage” the traditional controller has over the motion controls.   So, if you use motion controls, you can get your boosts, but you may have trouble steering.  Use a GCN or Classic controller and you’ll probably steer better, but you won’t get your “trick” boosts.  Is that a fair trade-off?  I’m not convinced.

Why I haven’t played Smash Bros. Brawl in over a week

Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s launch last week was a huge success for Nintendo, selling a record breaking (for Nintendo) 1.4 Million units. I, myself, even went to pick up the game at Gamestop for their midnight launch and was amazed to see in the realm of 75 people lined up outside waiting for it. Clearly, there’s been a lot of enthusiasm for the game.

And now that it’s out, the reviews have also been glowing. So now that I finally have it, I should be playing the hell out of it, right?

Well, I haven’t. In fact, I haven’t played the game since the day after it released. What’s wrong with me?

Aside from my traveling this weekend (and actually trying to play the game on a Wii that unfortunately has the disc reading problem), I just haven’t felt all that motivated to play it. It’s not that I don’t like the game: it’s exceedingly well polished, a chock-full of content, and perhaps the most amazing celebration of (mostly) Nintendo gaming ever made available. But for me, the single player game is just not all that compelling. Yeah, the “story” mode is kind of fun, although there’s nothing particularly amazing about it. Playing it for more than 30-60 minutes is about all that’s interesting to me. It’s clear to me, as it sort of was with the previous games in the series, that this is a multiplayer game.

Perhaps this is a sad sign of just getting older, but other than a couple rounds and some coop with Megan, I’ve barely had a chance to play it multiplayer. It’s difficult for me to get all my (interested) friends together in one place for some Smash Bros. Everyone obviously has their jobs and obligations to attend to, they live in different places, and obviously Smash Bros. isn’t necessarily the only thing that people like to do on a social occasion anyway. Not only that, Smash Bros. has a somewhat specific target audience, and won’t necessarily appeal to all of your friends in the same way that a game like, say, Rock Band might. I think this is, in a way, why online multiplayer gaming has become so important, and why it’s become so popular via XBox Live. The Nintendo crowd that grew up with the great Nintendo multiplayer games like Mario Kart and Goldeneye are getting older and don’t have the ability to necessarily get together a gaming night with their friends so that they can play the latest multiplayer game. Instead, while not exactly the same, Xbox Live has still given the ability for friends to easily play together, chat, trash-talk, etc… almost as if they were playing with each other in person.

This is why I, at least, had a lot of hope for Smash Bros. on the Wii. At least in this generation Nintendo has some online gaming, so I’d still be able to play with friends and others online when I wasn’t able to in person. Unfortunately, as I detailed last week, I’ve had major problems with the online multiplayer. I’ll give it another shot this weekend, but even if it worked as intended, it’d still be severely flawed. As I ranted a long time ago, friend codes still suck, as does the lack of voice chat. I don’t expect the online Brawl experience to completely replicate the in-person experience, but as we all know, the best Smash games are the rowdy ones. Nintendo’s response to this is a complete joke. Not everyone has Skype readily accessible to them near their Wii’s, and even if they do, what an unnecessary pain in the ass. Online play with your friends, therefore, won’t be all that much different than online play with strangers. They’re both completely devoid of vocal interaction, removing the “personal” feeling that you’re actually playing with other humans, and the silence is deafening.

In any case, like I said, it’s not that it’s a bad game. I’ll be bringing it with me on an upcoming trip where it’s sure to get a lot of use for multiplayer, and I’m sure it’ll be a complete blast. Nintendo still dominates the hardcore, in-person multiplayer scene. It’s just sad that they’re still stuck in the minor league when it comes to online play.