Touched by Pokémon

No, that’s not the title of an adult film. That’s just how I felt after reading what Gabe wrote in Penny Arcade today (second from the top).

Upending

I read somewhere at a roundtable discussion during this year’s E3 that Miyamoto mentioned that the roundtable discussion had no actual table that he could upend. I remember thinking, “Why would Miyamoto upend a table?”

Someone who watches Miyamoto in the press more closely than I do could probably tell you the exact story where Miyamoto reputedly upended a table and told a team working at Nintendo to go back to the drawing board. That’s a pretty strong action for somenoe who appears to be a mild-mannered guy.

Anyway, only because I first heard of this situation recently does this snippet of an interview with Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma conducted by Wired Magazine seem so funny:

WN: Were there any “upending the tea table” moments with Miyamoto, this time [referring to Miyamoto's notoriety for telling a team they have to go back to the drawing board on a nearly-finished project]?

EA: This is a first for the Zelda franchise, but Miyamoto actually didn’t “upend the tea table” even once. I was really surprised. After we were almost done with the game, Miyamoto played it. I was bracing myself for the worst, but instead he said, “This is good!” And I was like: “…wha?” And it was probably because, for the four months prior, I myself had been upending various smaller tea tables.

While I won’t deify Aonuma, I’m grateful that he and his team decided to breathe some new life into the Zelda franchise. Twilight Princess left me wanting, and it very likely left me wanting this.

E3: Metroid Prime 3

Nintendo’s press conference may not have packed any surprises for the hardcore audience, but neither did anyone else’s. For the most part, we saw what we hoped we would see. It just seems that Steve Jobs might have us a bit spoiled with that “one last thing” that people hope to see.

The next hardcore first party release out of the gate will be Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which ships to retailers on August 27th. I found it interesting with Halo 3 just around the corner that Nintendo would bill it as the the console FPS to play this year. Bold words! Though not so bold for me, I guess, as I couldn’t give less of a damn about controlling my aim with the right analog stick.

Console FPS done right?

Since I’m not there to play it, I pay close attention to people whose journalism I trust. That’s why my eyebrow raised when I encountered a glowing hands-on impression of the game from Game|Life’s Chris Kohler. In a word, “mindblowing.”

Jeremy Parish also had generally positive things to say about Metroid from his time with the game. His major complaint appears to be that the game feels more FPS than Metroid at this point, which goes in contrast to the spirit of the franchise.

August isn’t so far away, and given how long this game was delayed from launch, it probably stands a better chance than most of living up to expectations. Either way, we’ll find out soon enough.

E3: Wii Fit

First let me make it clear that I am not at E3 this year though last year’s Wii-tastic E3 is what made me want to start this blog in the first place. This year’s I-can’t-believe-it-ain’t-E3 is a media and press only event, and though I may technically qualify with my freelancer status, the last thing I want to do is take a vacation from my main job just so I can work a secondary one.

So let’s take a moment to examine E3’s whipping boy this year: Wii Fit. Effectively unveiled to the painful groans of the gaming press, some journalists have already taken it upon themselves to severely criticize Nintendo for the release of this software, many without actually playing it. Way to check your expectations at the door, guys and gals!I should also make it a point before discussing Wii Fit that it isn’t my purpose to defend a title I haven’t played, though it may seem that way at times. Milky says I need to get off Nintendo’s jock and buy a 360. I told him Microsoft needs to get off its ass and bring $400 worth of games to market that I want to play on their console to justify the investment.

For those who don’t greedily lap up every bit of video gaming news that drips from the plate of E3, Nintendo announced Shigeru Miyamoto’s newest title in the works: Wii Fit. The game includes a wireless, battery-powered balance board and (at first glance) consists of a number of exercises, stretching routines, and simple games to engage the whole family. The game also keeps track of your BMI (body mass index) to see how healthily your weight corresponds to your height. It’s another Nintendo non-game aimed squarely at the entire market.

Yes, this is what you wanted to play.

In watching the onstage demos (that went none too well for various reasons), I asked myself, “Why is this title important to me?” For me it was an easy question to answer. I play Dance Dance Revolution Max 2 in workout mode three to four times a week for cardio before launching into my weight training routine. The music selection is odious, but it keeps my mind occupied so that I don’t focus on wishing I were dead as I sweat and huff. I would love for Wii Fit to replace DDR in my workout routine, but truth be told, I’ll probably be jogging again by the time it’s released. It’s worth noting that when I finish 20 specifically chosen songs on Standard workout mode in DDR that I am bathed in sweat and short of breath; I have my reservations about whether Wii Fit can cause the same.

The second question I asked myself is, “How widespread is the appeal?” Nintendo is aiming this title at the entire family. My household consists of one (one and a half if you count the dog) to three people at any given time — all of which play Wii (except the dog) — and I think I would be the only person to use it regularly. However thinking to the Thanksgiving scenario, it could be a hit with my family. And by Thanksgiving scenario, I mean the very common occurrence of people taking their Wiis home for the holidays and having fun with the whole family. I do believe that everyone in my family would try it, and my brother and mother might even get semi-competitive about it.

The final question is, “How many Wiis will this move?” As fantastic as DDR is as an exercise medium, the learning curve is brutally steep. Some people’s bodies just aren’t coordinated enough to play it well enough to use a difficulty that would provide a decent workout. However, the Wii is rapidly entering the public eye as an electronic entertainment (notice I didn’t say game!) for everyone, and non-gamers who are inclined to buy something that resembles a game that might help them get in shape will have this the day it hits shelves.

Okay, I lied. I have one more question. “What would make this great?” I’ve already been surprised once this year by Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree; I thought there is no way in hell that game could possibly be worth $50, but when you factor in the community aspect and the readily approachable party-type modes, it really is a crowd pleaser. So what would I like to see for Wii Fit?

• A diet and calorie-burn tracker a la Traineo
• A community aspect that allows you to share BMI/calories burned/etc. with Wii friends
• Some form of online record keeping system that encourages competitive play
• Custom soundtracks for step exercises that are automatically tempo matched or step- (not time-) advanced

As far as I know, Miyamoto doesn’t read my blog, so I hope he has ideas this good or better. I know he can create great action and adventure titles, but I don’t trust just anyone when it comes to my fitness. We’ll all just have to wait and see.

Mario Party 8 Socks

A couple of friends came over on Sunday, and we all tried Mario Party 8 together for the first time. Many view the Wii as the party system already, and with Mario (who doesn’t love Mario?) and 8 (implying they’ve done this enough times to get it right) in the title, how could Nintendo go wrong?  

See what roses really smell like… 

The answer is, apparently, just like they did with Mario Party 8. The game is an absolute nightmare. It straddles the threshold of unplayable; if only one iota worse, you’d turn it off and go back to catching Pokémon. As it is, you’ll feel compelled to play to the end of the game / turn limit, at which point the very apt Penny Arcade review becomes entirely understandable. 

This game *SOCKS*. Save your money; Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree is much more fun as a party game.

Ouendan 2 Import Preview

Here is 1UP’s import preview of Ouendan 2 for the Nintendo DS.

89% of Japanese Households Using the DS by 2011?

As handily summarized by Chris Kohler in the Game|Life blog, one group of media analysts predicts that the Nintendo DS will penetrate 89% of Japanese households by 2011. Staggering, I know. But given that they still have supply problems in Japan, I can’t guess that they are way off base.

When last I was in Japan around Tokyo Game Show, DS supply seemed to be short in Tokyo but not in Shizuoka or the Nagoya area. One of the friends I met actually bought a DS while we were hanging out together. Or two if you count my ex-wife’s mother; we are still friendly. More surprising, however, was the sheer amount of non-gaming software available at the time; since then, I’m sure the number has multiplied by several factors. Yes, the Nintendo DS plays games, but more importantly, it is becoming established as a viable software platform.

I spoke recently with my girlfriend about this, and she wondered aloud, “Why would someone buy a Nintendo DS to use software when home computers are nearly ubiquitous?”

“Cost and portability,” I answered immediately. “Not everyone has a mobile computer, and the Nintendo DS is quite suited to simple software applications controlled by a pointing device. Though there is a fabled notebook computer that is priced around $100, I haven’t seen it and I bet you haven’t either. Most people, on the other hand, can spend $129 without thinking. I could buy another DS right now if I didn’t already have two of them and not think twice about it.”

More so than America, Japan has a culture that widely accepts electronic gadgetry and video gaming, and that isn’t just speaking of the male populace. Because of this, it isn’t a farfetched idea to use the Nintendo DS as an educational tool or sell yoga, cooking, and make-up software.

The good news is that Nintendo’s two major consoles selling like crack-laced hotcakes, and there is a chance that the DS may enjoy Japanese-like success riding on the coattails of the Wii in western countries. Should this happen, we can probably expect a lot more non-gaming software outside of Japan. That means more people buying. That means more DSes in the wild. And that means more great games.

BioWare Sonic RPG? Good God.

Less than 24 hours after lamenting that I might have to forego purchasing an XBox 360 even though I desperately want to play through BioWare’sMass Effect, along arrives the news that BioWare and Sega are teaming up to make a Sonic RPG for the Nintendo DS. What?!?

I was late to the BioWare bandwagon, but Baldur’s Gate 2 is perhaps the most perfect RPG I’ve ever played. I’ve also heard nothing but good things about Knights of the Old Republic, KOTOR 2, and Jade Empire. It stands to reason, then, that I would anxiously anticipate Mass Effect. I never dreamed, however, that I might get a chance to play a BioWare game on my Nintendo DS using colorful characters. I can’t help but think that it’s going to be really good. Maybe Super Mario RPG good.

Well, I guess I had better finish Etrian Odyssey before then. Time to stop running from those second stratum FOEs!  

The Big Bleszinski

It really should have been a no-brainer for me to have posted a response to the Tyler Bleszinski public expression of fear of a casual game takeover due to Nintendo’s and other’s attempts to expand the video gaming market. In fact, it would have been so easy to attack his reasoning that I thought it wouldn’t be worth my time. The only reasons he’s even being paid attention are 1) that his brother is Mr. Gears of War and 2) that he’s very nearly attacking the most profitable video gaming company on the planet.I could also just wait until someone posted a response that I could stand behind and just save myself the trouble.

It looks like someone has done just that. 

Fear of Red Circles

This is almost off-topic but not quite. I’m going to post it anyway.

Though I do not foresee the decline of Nintendo Wii popularity, I have decided that I am interested in purchasing an XBox 360 as my third home console. My plan was first to buy a surround sound system, which I have done. Next is to buy an iPhone. Then an HD-capable TV to replace my 25″ Sony Trinitron. Finally I would buy a 360 and the first game I’d actually be sad if I didn’t play it for it: Mass Effect. My problem is this: I fear the red rings of death.

With as much complaining as there is online about the failure rate of 360s, I am not sure if I want to chance buying one from a place that doesn’t offer a 3-year product replacement plan. And it borders on lunacy in my mind to buy a used 360. The reputedly high defect rate of 360s has caught the eye of the gaming press recently as well, and Dean Takahashi conducted a very good interview to try to get to the bottom of the issue.

The interview is here.

I can’t say in my life when I’ve read so many words that didn’t provide a single answer to anything in my adult life. Seriously, the interviewee may have missed his calling to political office. Since not a single straight response was offered to the question of whether the XBox 360 has reliable hardware, I can only assume that everything I’ve read is true: a new 360 is a time-delayed brick.

So what do I do about this? If I’m not going to get a 360, I don’t really have a need for an HD television either. I could be saving myself potentially $1000 here, and I still have three viable platforms on which to play: the Wii, the DS, and the PlayStation 2. I also have a PSP, but I hesitate to call it viable (even though Crush is great).

2007 is shaping up to be one of the greatest years ever for gaming, and it looks like I’m just going to have to leave some games behind.