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Nintendo Power - Jan 09 Reviews

M

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Tiktaalik said:
My guess is because the wiimote sucks, but the stylus is awesome.
Click to expand...

Have you played the Monster Lab games? Do you mean this in a specific sense, or in general?
 
T

Tiktaalik

Member
I'm just guessing at the reviewers' justification based on the differences between the DS and the Wii. The IGN Review actually seems pretty positive about the Wii controls so maybe that's not the problem the Nintendo Power reviewer had. I'm not sure what else could be an issue... maybe loading times?

Maybe the Wii one is fine but the DS one is just that much better in some other way. We'll have to wait for the text. SIGH.
 
I

inthegray

Member
other highlights from this issue

No More Heroes 2 news (Suda isn't directing)
Cave Story interview with Pixel
Gradius interview with Toshiyasu Kamiko
Short news on Punch Out, Sin and Punishment, DS, FFCC: Echoes of Time, Mario and Luigi RPG 3, Help Wanter, My World My Way, Ys Book I & 2, Marble Saga: Kororinpa, Pool Revolution: Cue Sports, and Hot Rod Show. Didn't see any new info.
10 year retrospective on Ocarina of Time, interview with aonuma
TGS recap
Interview with Keisuke Kanayama on Tenchu 4
Henry Hatsworth preview
Gamers' Non-Game Holiday Gift Guide
20 Years Retrospective on NP with former and current staff
Shinji Mikami interview
Retrospective on Mole Mania
Interview with that Morpheonmods guy

Next month will have previews of the conduit, sonc and the black knight, major minor's majestic march, wii sports resort, and "a few surprises." picture is of fireworks for the new year,
 
T

Tiktaalik

Member
inthegray said:
other highlights from this issue

No More Heroes 2 news (Suda isn't directing)
Cave Story interview with Pixel
Gradius interview with Toshiyasu Kamiko
Short news on Punch Out, Sin and Punishment, DS, FFCC: Echoes of Time, Mario and Luigi RPG 3, Help Wanter, My World My Way, Ys Book I & 2, Marble Saga: Kororinpa, Pool Revolution: Cue Sports, and Hot Rod Show. Didn't see any new info.
10 year retrospective on Ocarina of Time, interview with aonuma
TGS recap
Interview with Keisuke Kanayama on Tenchu 4
Henry Hatsworth preview
Gamers' Non-Game Holiday Gift Guide
20 Years Retrospective on NP with former and current staff
Shinji Mikami interview
Retrospective on Mole Mania
Interview with that Morpheonmods guy
Click to expand...

Holy shit totally picking this ish up.
 
D

Dascu

Member
Bluemercury said:
Mikami is doing aything for wii?
Click to expand...
His collaboration with Suda is set for PC, PS3, X360 and oddly enough Wii. Beyond that, he still has a secret project with Platinum Games. That could be Wii, I guess.
 
F

farnham

Banned
Teknoman said:
Pfft. IGN also made it out like the framerate was still messy in the HD versions. Which isnt the case for the 360 anyway. Still think the HD version gameplay looks better than the Wii/PS2 version.
Click to expand...
well the wii version is made by dimps

and they are better then sonic team
 
W

wsippel

Banned
Dascu said:
His collaboration with Suda is set for PC, PS3, X360 and oddly enough Wii. Beyond that, he still has a secret project with Platinum Games. That could be Wii, I guess.
Click to expand...
Or he's pimping MadWorld. He was Nishikawas mentor after all.
 
L

loosus

Banned
Nintendo Power: use your Nintendo connections to do some actual investigative reporting and put together interviews about old games, like interviewing the entire team for the original Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Metroid, etc. And for unpopular games like Mole Mania.

That'd be hella more awesome than anything recent, honestly.
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
inthegray said:
other highlights from this issue

No More Heroes 2 news (Suda isn't directing)
Cave Story interview with Pixel
Gradius interview with Toshiyasu Kamiko
Short news on Punch Out, Sin and Punishment, DS, FFCC: Echoes of Time, Mario and Luigi RPG 3, Help Wanter, My World My Way, Ys Book I & 2, Marble Saga: Kororinpa, Pool Revolution: Cue Sports, and Hot Rod Show. Didn't see any new info.
10 year retrospective on Ocarina of Time, interview with aonuma
TGS recap
Interview with Keisuke Kanayama on Tenchu 4
Henry Hatsworth preview
Gamers' Non-Game Holiday Gift Guide
20 Years Retrospective on NP with former and current staff
Shinji Mikami interview
Retrospective on Mole Mania
Interview with that Morpheonmods guy

Next month will have previews of the conduit, sonc and the black knight, major minor's majestic march, wii sports resort, and "a few surprises." picture is of fireworks for the new year,
Click to expand...

Issue get!

What did the review say about Unleashed anyway?
 
T

Teknoman

Member
farnham said:
well the wii version is made by dimps

and they are better then sonic team
Click to expand...

Past efforts sure, buts its not like people cant improve. And looking at various gameplay videos, I still say it looks like Sonic Team tried to give it their all...and the gameplay looks more fun in the HD gameplay videos than Wii version (which actually doesnt look bad aside from sparse enemy placement in the 3d areas).
 
I

inthegray

Member
more Suda/No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle stuff.

the pixel interview is short but here's a cute excerpt (both previous links are self-links, please excuse).

didn't see anything "newsworthy" in the mikami interview.

star wars clone wars (wii) review says "monotonous gameplay and lack of better controls."

mushroom men (wii) review says "frustratingly inaccurate motion controls and dark, drab environmments," but adds that it's a "a fun platformer with unique and varied gameplay" and is "impressively deep."

most wanted snes vc games by readers:
earthbound
star fox
super mario kart
yoshi's island
kirby's dream land 3

most wanted snes vc games by NP staff:
terranigma
super punch-out
super mario all-stars
earthbound
ffvi
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
inthegray said:
more Suda/No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle stuff.

the pixel interview is short but here's a cute excerpt (both previous links are self-links, please excuse).

didn't see anything "newsworthy" in the mikami interview.

star wars unleashed (wii) review says "monotonous gameplay and lack of better controls."

mushroom men (wii) review says "frustratingly inaccurate motion controls and dark, drab environmments," but adds that it's a "a fun platformer with unique and varied gameplay" and is "impressively deep."

most wanted snes vc games by readers:
earthbound
star fox
super mario kart
yoshi's island
kirby's dream land 3

most wanted snes vc games by NP staff:
terranigma
super punch-out
super mario all-stars
earthbound
ffvi
Click to expand...

Wha? Are you actually referring to Sonic Unleashed or Clone Wars?
 
I

inthegray

Member
whoops, yeah, was confused.

sonic unleashed review says:

"imprecise controls"
shallow menu-based exploration elements that serve almost no purpose
tedious mandatory replaying of daytime stages

"action is still a blast"
graphics "among the best yet on wii"
"action gets even better when the camera switches to a side view"
 
D

Dascu

Member
I AM JOHN! said:
Woah woah woah, Suda's not directing No More Heroes 2? What's going on here?!
Click to expand...
Toshihiro Fujikawa, assistant director for Killer7 and NMH, will now be the main director of NMH2. Suda's still writing the script and overseeing the project.

I wouldn't be worried, if I were you. Suda's still in charge of the story and characters, and the gameplay will probably just be an updated version of NMH's system (though I wonder if they'll keep the ranking system).

I'm not very surprised at this news. Suda's main focus seems to be his collaboration project with Shinji Mikami. It's also "just a sequel", so it's not necessary for Suda to be completely involved in NMH2.
 
N

NTom64

Member
inthegray said:
whoops, yeah, was confused.

sonic unleashed review says:

"imprecise controls"
shallow menu-based exploration elements that serve almost no purpose
tedious mandatory replaying of daytime stages

"action is still a blast"
graphics "among the best yet on wii"
"action gets even better when the camera switches to a side view"
Click to expand...

I knew they'd get called on that. Sonic Adventure, the very FIRST 3D game had proper hubs, so they were just lazy when choosing not to create them for the Wii version.

As for imprecise controls, well...yeah, I'll leave that one, methinks.

Tedious mandatory replaying of daytime stages...I don't recall any mention of that in the 360/PS3 versions.

Ehh, looks like the HD version will be one to get after all. That being said, 8/10 isn't that bad of a score.
 
Eteric Rice

Eteric Rice

Member
How can Mushroom Men's waggle be inaccurate when it's only for swinging like in Zelda?

I mean, how can you fuck that up?
 
M

markatisu

Member
NTom64 said:
I knew they'd get called on that. Sonic Adventure, the very FIRST 3D game had proper hubs, so they were just lazy when choosing not to create them for the Wii version.

As for imprecise controls, well...yeah, I'll leave that one, methinks.

Tedious mandatory replaying of daytime stages...I don't recall any mention of that in the 360/PS3 versions.

Ehh, looks like the HD version will be one to get after all. That being said, 8/10 isn't that bad of a score.
Click to expand...

Have we seen reviews of the HD versions yet? IGN just posted hands-on 11/14 that said the builds they played of the 360 and PS3 had bad framerate

the company spent most of its time focusing on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. Unfortunately, at least in preview builds, those versions have only looked prettier in screenshots; in motion, that's a different story with its incredibly inconsistent framerate and movement that didn't speak well for the design's overall quality. After finally experiencing the Wii version for the first time this week, I have to ask: maybe the company should have been focusing on the Wii version instead?

It's too early to say whether the Wii version will end up being a great game, but at the very least in my brief hands-on with Sonic Unleashed, I have to say that the Wii version certainly looks and plays better in Wii standards than the more advanced console versions do, even with the lower visual standard
Click to expand...

The Wii version that I played earlier this week was promised to be a final build of the game, and in the two levels I experienced – one day, one night – the framerate never dipped below its locked refresh. The game is clearly running at 30 frames per second, which is slightly disappointing considering speedy games tend to feel more fluid when they're running at 60. But at the very least, it was a consistent 30 FPS that never tanked at all. The game definitely doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the Xbox 360 version – no realtime physics engine to bounce the shattered remains of crates and doors around the environment, and no 720p/1080i HD resolutions. But even without the "next gen" effects the Wii version looks great and Sonic Unleashed seems to be one of the better looking Wii titles on the system.
Click to expand...

For those who want a more traditionally playing game of Sonic, SEGA has incorporated both Classic Controller and GameCube controller support so you can simply press buttons instead of motion-waggling the devices
Click to expand...
.

With that in mind though I would hope they were able to lock in the framerate on the HD versions even if it was at 30fps. Guess its a decision of HD vs SD because it seems the controls wont really be an issue since the Wii one gives you classic options as well
 
N

NTom64

Member
markatisu said:
Have we seen reviews of the HD versions yet? IGN just posted hands-on 11/14 that said the builds they played of the 360 and PS3 had bad framerate





With that in mind though I would hope they were able to lock in the framerate on the HD versions even if it was at 30fps
Click to expand...

To be fair, I was going by the impressions and videos we've seen so far of the HD versions, so I'm probably just being biased :lol

They have said the framerate is nice and stable, and the very latest trailer is smooth as anything
 
T

Teknoman

Member
markatisu said:
Have we seen reviews of the HD versions yet? IGN just posted hands-on 11/14 that said the builds they played of the 360 and PS3 had bad framerate





.

With that in mind though I would hope they were able to lock in the framerate on the HD versions even if it was at 30fps. Guess its a decision of HD vs SD because it seems the controls wont really be an issue since the Wii one gives you classic options as well
Click to expand...

The HD versions, or at least the 360 version, have had the framerate issues straightened out. Why IGN decided to throw that in there with such a recent Wii hands on, I have no idea.
 
S

Sagitario

Member
http://tinycartridge.com/post/59870380/suda-not-directing-nmh-2 said:
XSEED Games and Marvelous Interactive are slated to co-publish No More Heroes 2 stateside in January 2010.
Click to expand...

Is this a confirmation?
 
V

Valtox

Member
I'm worried about Animal Crossing. Edge gave it a 7, Nintendo Power an 8, so it's pretty sure it's not so good, I mean, not a classic. :(
 
T

Tiktaalik

Member
Valtox said:
I'm worried about Animal Crossing. Edge gave it a 7, Nintendo Power an 8, so it's pretty sure it's not so good, I mean, not a classic. :(
Click to expand...

It's like yearly sports franchises; they get worse and worse scores if they don't add more value to the product each year. It's increasingly clear that Animal Crossing Wii adds little of substance over Wild World and I think the reviews are reflecting that.
 
T

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
inthegray said:
other highlights from this issue

No More Heroes 2 news (Suda isn't directing)
Cave Story interview with Pixel
Gradius interview with Toshiyasu Kamiko
Short news on Punch Out, Sin and Punishment, DS, FFCC: Echoes of Time, Mario and Luigi RPG 3, Help Wanter, My World My Way, Ys Book I & 2, Marble Saga: Kororinpa, Pool Revolution: Cue Sports, and Hot Rod Show. Didn't see any new info.
10 year retrospective on Ocarina of Time, interview with aonuma
TGS recap
Interview with Keisuke Kanayama on Tenchu 4
Henry Hatsworth preview
Gamers' Non-Game Holiday Gift Guide
20 Years Retrospective on NP with former and current staff
Shinji Mikami interview
Retrospective on Mole Mania
Interview with that Morpheonmods guy

Next month will have previews of the conduit, sonc and the black knight, major minor's majestic march, wii sports resort, and "a few surprises." picture is of fireworks for the new year,
Click to expand...

Wanna pick this issue up because of the Mikami interview, and of course the Unleashed score.

Can't wait for next month's Sonic & the Black Knight preview. Can't. Wait.
 
H

Hero of Legend

Member
I wouldn't be so quick to prefer the hub worlds in Unleashed.

A thread at TSS is keeping track of someone in another forum (who happens to be a close friend of a staff member) and that person says IIRC, that getting to the action stages (day and night) is like "pulling out teeth bad".

We won't know which is actually better until someone with good judgment plays both the Wii and 360 versions.

But I see little point in the hub worlds from what I've seen as they're so fucking cramped that you have little free space to actually move around in, plus Sonic's clearly designed for long stretches of land to go super fast in. Here he accelerates too fast so you're actually forced to only lightly push on the analog stick to properly roam the hub worlds. :/

So there's not much in fun factor here.

Edit: Here.
 
J

JSnake

Member
m3k said:
Nintendo Power - Jan 09 Reviews

wut

its November still, no?
Click to expand...

A few years ago around F-Zero GX's release, we got two magazine issues in one because NP was late with the previous month's issue. So it was that month's issue as well as next month's issue. That fucked up the whole release schedule.
 
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