Coming soon to Wii U is Grand Theft Auto: LEGO City Stories... er... I mean, LEGO City Undercover, an open world LEGO game, the first not based on an existing franchise. Pilot planes, drive cars, and take down fugitives in this kooky, crazy, and self-aware Wii U title. LEGO City Undercover currently has a nebulous release date of Q1 2013.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The Buzz - November 20th, 2012
It's almost been two months since our last look at the most popular posts on SuperPhillip Central. Time to bring The Buzz back! What posts are you guys perusing the most? Let's find out together!
What a peculiar sight, I say with a drenching of sarcasm. Why, Rank Up! - God of War is number one on the list. It's without a doubt the most popular story ever written on SuperPhillip Central. The Rank Up! series in general is quite regarded fondly, as evident by two other editions (Mega Man and 3D Mario) being listed. My latest opinion piece regarding gamers and their negative attitudes towards failure in the industry sparked a lot of controversy, but then people actually read the article and not just the title. Then we have another familiar sight on the Buzz, a Spider-Man top five list. Some wonder why so many sites do lists. It's not out of laziness. They're actually great for skimming. This gets people to sit down and read your list. They're also fun to write for me personally. Two SuperPhillip Favorite VGMs segments are on the Buzz today as well. If you're missing my VGM segment, it will appear this week, just at a later day than normal. Additionally, you might be wondering why a niche PSN game is on this list of popular posts. Turns out hamster owners looking for something for their pet to run around the home in will see Hamsterball the game as one of the images in a search for "hamster ball." Finally, Pushmo QR codes and the latest installment of the SPC Soapbox round out the Buzz.
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| November 20th, 2012 Buzz results |
Monday, November 19, 2012
The Wii U Launch: Or How If You Find Pleasure in a Console Doing Poorly, Then Get Out of My Hobby.
The Wii U launched yesterday, and I don't know or care how well the sales are. That isn't the point of this article. The point of this article is to once again shake my head at the reaction and response of so-called gamers, and how so many of them appear to be an embarrassment to this hobby. Take this upcoming rant as a companion piece to my article talking about how if gamers want the video game industry to grow up, they need to grow up first, which funnily enough was another rant. Hopefully this upcoming rant is as welcomed to read as my other. No promises, though. As always, feel free to agree or disagree.
I have been perusing message boards and comment sections (yes, a folly of mine, I know) about the reaction towards the Wii U launch. Let's face it, the launch is one of the worst in recent memory. Not as bad as the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death, where gullible fools bought 2-10 systems one after the other to replace their dead 360s, (Way to show Microsoft that we won't back their total negligence, fellow gamers!) but that happened after the launch and not day one. The Wii U's problems actually manifested themselves on launch day.
We've seen a plethora of third party ports that are god awful, either because Nintendo's system is too difficult to develop for or third parties are once again putting crap on a Nintendo console and expecting them to sell. (No, I'm not going to bring up the self-fulfilling prophecy on how third parties are setting themselves up for failure yet again on a Nintendo platform, as I don't think that's the issue.) There's also reports of bricking systems. Though if you turn off a system while it is updating its firmware, then you probably deserve to have your console bricked as that is how it works for most platforms, Nintendo or not. Additionally, there are long loading times, too, to worry about. It is an absolute travesty of a launch, and I'm just glad I'm not playing beta tester for Nintendo by having bought a Wii U day one. It's really hard to be apologetic about the launch, regardless of Nintendo being new to the HD scene and not being as technologically advanced or as well versed in OS and online as Microsoft/Sony.
Then we have the reviews of some games like ZombiU, with some people actually beside themselves with pleasure for saying the game would be bad. (I'd get an earful if I didn't note that the actual game has been getting polarizing reviews, both good and bad.) It's as if some gamers are saying, "Yes! This game sucks! It's one less game that people are unable to enjoy! Ah-ha-ha-ha! This makes my day!" Seriously, people?
This isn't just about the Wii U and some of its games reviewing in a fairly mediocre fashion either. Nor is it about the mess of a launch. No, it's about some gamers' reactions towards these things. I've seen multiple (i.e. dozens upon dozens to hundreds of hundreds) posts and comments on how some people are absolutely happy that the Wii U launch is going horribly and how "Nintendo deserves this", as if Nintendo beat these people up as schoolchildren and have never forgiven the company. They laugh at how thousands of Wii U owners are having problems with their systems. They giggle with delight as the third party games are horrible. They do naughty things to themselves as other Wii U caveats come up.
This isn't exclusive to those who dislike Nintendo at all. How about those who find happiness in Sony's PlayStation Vita doing less than stellar in sales? How about the adoration of EA's Medal of Honor: Warfighter not doing remarkably well in sales as well? How about when the Xbox 360 had all those aforementioned dying consoles, and how some fanboys loved every minute of it? It's a problem that spans all fanboys, all trolls, and a worrying amount of gamers online.
I sort of want to go back to my article called If We Want the Industry to Grow Up, We Need to Grow Up First and edit it to say "Tough Luck, Gamers. This Industry Is Never Going to Be Taken Seriously Because Most of You Have the Maturity of Freaking Five-Year-Olds" This Wii U fiasco and the humiliating reaction from so-called gamers once again hammers the point home that this industry is never going to grow up, and it's because of the people who inhabit it. Whether they are on message boards, comment sections, or having fanboy-laden discussions with some mouth-breathing GameStop employee, more gamers than I would like would rather see games fail to spite the companies, studios, and fanboys they hate for whatever reason(s) rather than see the industry thrive and do well. This isn't positive behavior for people who would like the industry to continue on. Believe it or not, most failures are not good.
All of this is not meant to say "Oh, we should be happy for every company no matter how anti-consumer they are" either. That isn't what I mean. However, in a lot of cases this isn't the reason for poor gamer behavior. On the contrary. The reason for a disturbing number of gamers is because of some deep-rooted hatred of a company or a total devotion to another (see trolls and fanboys -- or as I like to call them "system/studio/company zealots"). As gamers, we should WANT to see the industry and the companies, studios, and developers that inhabit it succeed. We should put aside petty fanboy squabbles and champion achievements more than we champion failures. I see more "I'm happy this failed" comments more than I see "I'm happy this game did well. Much deserved." Quite frankly, if you grow pleased or even sexually aroused as some message board posters come across as for something pivotal to the growth of the industry failing such as the Wii U or any other important platform, for that matter, it is my wish that you let the door hit you on the ass on the way out of this hobby. You obviously don't care about the future of the industry, and if you do, you're very much misguided in thinking that any company's failing is for the good of it. This stupid and indefensible behavior makes it exceptionally challenging to see the positives of this industry, and it makes gamers look even more immature to the mainstream than they do already.
This rant is what I like to refer to as a work in progress. As I see more stupidity, I will add to it. If you have something you'd like to contribute that makes sense for this piece, let me know in the comments section.
I have been perusing message boards and comment sections (yes, a folly of mine, I know) about the reaction towards the Wii U launch. Let's face it, the launch is one of the worst in recent memory. Not as bad as the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death, where gullible fools bought 2-10 systems one after the other to replace their dead 360s, (Way to show Microsoft that we won't back their total negligence, fellow gamers!) but that happened after the launch and not day one. The Wii U's problems actually manifested themselves on launch day.
We've seen a plethora of third party ports that are god awful, either because Nintendo's system is too difficult to develop for or third parties are once again putting crap on a Nintendo console and expecting them to sell. (No, I'm not going to bring up the self-fulfilling prophecy on how third parties are setting themselves up for failure yet again on a Nintendo platform, as I don't think that's the issue.) There's also reports of bricking systems. Though if you turn off a system while it is updating its firmware, then you probably deserve to have your console bricked as that is how it works for most platforms, Nintendo or not. Additionally, there are long loading times, too, to worry about. It is an absolute travesty of a launch, and I'm just glad I'm not playing beta tester for Nintendo by having bought a Wii U day one. It's really hard to be apologetic about the launch, regardless of Nintendo being new to the HD scene and not being as technologically advanced or as well versed in OS and online as Microsoft/Sony.
Then we have the reviews of some games like ZombiU, with some people actually beside themselves with pleasure for saying the game would be bad. (I'd get an earful if I didn't note that the actual game has been getting polarizing reviews, both good and bad.) It's as if some gamers are saying, "Yes! This game sucks! It's one less game that people are unable to enjoy! Ah-ha-ha-ha! This makes my day!" Seriously, people?
This isn't just about the Wii U and some of its games reviewing in a fairly mediocre fashion either. Nor is it about the mess of a launch. No, it's about some gamers' reactions towards these things. I've seen multiple (i.e. dozens upon dozens to hundreds of hundreds) posts and comments on how some people are absolutely happy that the Wii U launch is going horribly and how "Nintendo deserves this", as if Nintendo beat these people up as schoolchildren and have never forgiven the company. They laugh at how thousands of Wii U owners are having problems with their systems. They giggle with delight as the third party games are horrible. They do naughty things to themselves as other Wii U caveats come up.
This isn't exclusive to those who dislike Nintendo at all. How about those who find happiness in Sony's PlayStation Vita doing less than stellar in sales? How about the adoration of EA's Medal of Honor: Warfighter not doing remarkably well in sales as well? How about when the Xbox 360 had all those aforementioned dying consoles, and how some fanboys loved every minute of it? It's a problem that spans all fanboys, all trolls, and a worrying amount of gamers online.
I sort of want to go back to my article called If We Want the Industry to Grow Up, We Need to Grow Up First and edit it to say "Tough Luck, Gamers. This Industry Is Never Going to Be Taken Seriously Because Most of You Have the Maturity of Freaking Five-Year-Olds" This Wii U fiasco and the humiliating reaction from so-called gamers once again hammers the point home that this industry is never going to grow up, and it's because of the people who inhabit it. Whether they are on message boards, comment sections, or having fanboy-laden discussions with some mouth-breathing GameStop employee, more gamers than I would like would rather see games fail to spite the companies, studios, and fanboys they hate for whatever reason(s) rather than see the industry thrive and do well. This isn't positive behavior for people who would like the industry to continue on. Believe it or not, most failures are not good.
All of this is not meant to say "Oh, we should be happy for every company no matter how anti-consumer they are" either. That isn't what I mean. However, in a lot of cases this isn't the reason for poor gamer behavior. On the contrary. The reason for a disturbing number of gamers is because of some deep-rooted hatred of a company or a total devotion to another (see trolls and fanboys -- or as I like to call them "system/studio/company zealots"). As gamers, we should WANT to see the industry and the companies, studios, and developers that inhabit it succeed. We should put aside petty fanboy squabbles and champion achievements more than we champion failures. I see more "I'm happy this failed" comments more than I see "I'm happy this game did well. Much deserved." Quite frankly, if you grow pleased or even sexually aroused as some message board posters come across as for something pivotal to the growth of the industry failing such as the Wii U or any other important platform, for that matter, it is my wish that you let the door hit you on the ass on the way out of this hobby. You obviously don't care about the future of the industry, and if you do, you're very much misguided in thinking that any company's failing is for the good of it. This stupid and indefensible behavior makes it exceptionally challenging to see the positives of this industry, and it makes gamers look even more immature to the mainstream than they do already.
This rant is what I like to refer to as a work in progress. As I see more stupidity, I will add to it. If you have something you'd like to contribute that makes sense for this piece, let me know in the comments section.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Attractive Attractions: My Most Anticipated Nintendo Land Mini-Games
The Wii U finally launches in North America on Sunday with the rest
of the world following suit soon after. As
someone who isn't able to get a Wii U until later on down the road, I am
still enamored with the launch lineup. One of the games that excites me
the most is none other than Nintendo Land. While not the real world
Nintendo theme park that fans of the big N have wanted and wished for
for years, Nintendo Land looks to be an extremely entertaining title.
I'm using this opportunity before the Wii U and Nintendo Land launches to write up a list of my most anticipated attractions from the compilation from least interested to most interested. Think of it as Rank Up! but without the official segment title.
12) Octopus Dance
The mini-game I am least excited for is based off of one of Nintendo's oldest properties, the Game & Watch. The Octopus Dance game has players essentially partaking in Simon Says as the AI does various poses which the player has to memorize, and then they have to repeat the computer's actions via the control sticks or gyro controls. This is all while doing it in rhythm. It seems like Octopus Dance is rather light on content and depth, so this game doesn't really appeal to me so much.
11) Yoshi's Fruit Cart
Don't let the simplistic presentation fool you-- there is a lot to like about Yoshi's Fruit Cart. By drawing a line on the GamePad's touch screen, players lead Yoshi through a level to gather all of the fruit and make it to the goal. The caveat here-- and the thing that makes the game something that could only be done on the Wii U-- is that players need to look at the TV screen to see where the location of the fruits are, as the GamePad screen does not show it to them. The dozens upon dozens of different levels interest me greatly.
10) Takamaru's Ninja Castle
The mini-game showcased in the North American general Wii U television advertisement, Takamaru's Ninja Castle is based off a Japanese-only Famicom Disk System game. By sliding his or her finger across the GamePad longways, players can launch shuriken at multiple waves of ninja. Alongside the normal ninja enemies, there are boss characters to battle. These sections has the player using a sword instead of shuriken. I enjoy shooting gallery-style games, and Takamaru's Ninja Castle looks to scratch that itch for me.
9) Donkey Kong's Crash Course
Get a crash course on using the GamePad to tilt a fragile vehicle through a hazard-laden, platform-filled obstacle course. Go too fast, and your vehicle might topple over. Go too slow, and time will expire. Ample checkpoints promise that repeated attempts don't get overly frustrating. The TV screen shows the entirety of a given level while the GamePad screen shows a zoomed in view of your vehicle. With multiple levels to ride through, Donkey Kong's Crash Course may seem intimidating to beginning players, but it appears to be a solid challenge regardless.
8) Captain Falcon's Twister Race
Not even using the F-Zero name in its title, Captain Falcon's Twister Race has the player's Mii riding in a windup Blue Falcon as they tilt the Wii U GamePad to steer through a windy track full of obstacles, boosts, and ramps. Perhaps my thirst for a new F-Zero is making me more enthused for this particular mini-game than I should be, but I could always use a good and not-so-complex racing game for the Wii U launch.
7) Balloon Trip Breeze
It's pertinent to note that only the single-player mini-games have been listed thus far. The final of these solo mini-games is Balloon Trip Breeze, based off of Balloon Fight. Creating wind gusts to blow the player's Mii around the auto-scrolling levels, the player collects balloons and dodges air mines that will pop one of their three balloons. Pop all three, and it's game over. Similar to Donkey Kong's Crash Course, the GamePad screen shows a zoomed in view while the TV screen displays a larger portion of the level. Each level ends with the player landing on an island.
6) Animal Crossing: Sweet Day
Animal Crossing: Sweet Day features the asymmetrical gameplay that Nintendo has been touting so much since the Wii U's initial unveiling two E3s ago. One player controls two guards with both analog sticks, one for the left stick and one for the right stick. That player's job is to capture all of the other players who are trying to collect candy and take it back to a drop off point. The more candy one has on them, the slower they move. The game ends in one of two ways: 1) The GamePad player captures every animal, or 2) The players collecting candy drop off enough.
5) Luigi's Ghost Mansion
Dressing one's Mii up as Mario, Luigi, Wario, or Waluigi?! Where do I sign up for that? Luigi's Ghost Mansion has a promising premise. Like Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, this game also uses asymmetric gameplay. The four players dressed up as the four plumbers attempt to find the location of a ghost controlled by the player with the Wii U GamePad. The ghost is completely invisible, but can be seen occasionally when a player's flashlight gleams on it or when lightning brightens the room. The players searching for the ghost have their controllers rumble when they are nearby the ghost. If the ghost player grabs and sucks the life force out of all players, that person wins. If the ghost gets sucked up by the other players, they win. I think Luigi's Ghost Mansion is a remarkably clever little game, and I am excited to try it out for myself.
4) Pikmin Adventure
Since Pikmin 3 isn't getting a release until next year, Nintendo Land's Pikmin Adventure mini-game will have to do for now. This is a cooperative-based game. The GamePad player controls Olimar. Meanwhile, up to four players with Wii Remotes control little Pikmin. Working together to bash baddies and break through obstacles, the players pass through colorful levels as they head to the end where Olimar's ship awaits. Before they can reach the Dolphin, however, they must deal with a powerful boss. The cooperative aspects of Pikmin Adventure seem enjoyable enough to me, making this mini-game my four most anticipated.
3) Mario Chase
We first saw this game under a different guise as Chase Mii at E3 2011. Now it has been given a Mario aesthetic as up to four Miis dressed as Toads try to capture the Mii dressed as Mario. The Mario Mii player can see where the Toads are on the Wii U GamePad screen. The fun comes from the players chasing after the Mii in the Mario costume communicating with one another. "No, over there!" "Not here! THERE!" If time runs out, the Mario player wins. If he or she is tagged by a Toad, then obviously the Toad brigade wins. It's an intriguing and seemingly entertaining take on tag, for sure.
2) The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest
Set in a patchwork Hyrule, The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest can be played alone or with some buds. It's an on-rails game where the GamePad player shoots bows and arrows at foes from afar while the other players utilize Wii MotionPlus to attack nearby baddies. The whole team shares a handful of hearts, so it is pertinent to play nicely and work together. With a fair amount of levels included, The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest excites me as someone who 1) Loves The Legend of Zelda, 2) Enjoys teamwork, and 3) Likes on-rails experiences.
1) Metroid Blast
Unquestionably the Nintendo Land mini-game that I want to play the most (like right NOW), Metroid Blast takes third-person shooting to the Wii U. The game was originally known as Battle Mii, an E3 2011 tech demo. There are three modes in Metroid Blast. One has the GamePad player utilizing Samus's Gunship to destroy the opposing ground force Mii players and vice versa. Another has players scrambling to collect credits while the last is akin to the Gears of War series's Horde mode, where players work together to defeat wave after wave of enemies. Hearing reviews that the third-person controls are some of the most fun to use definitely has me excited. Another reviewer stated that Metroid Blast was one of the few Nintendo games in a long while to have him "feel like a bad ass." Mighty strong words, and ones that cannot stop me from feeling hype.
I have ranked the Nintendo Land attractions from least hyped to most anticipated. Which attractions excite you the most, or do you not even plan on playing Nintendo Land at all? Why or why not? Spark up the conversation in the comments section below.
I'm using this opportunity before the Wii U and Nintendo Land launches to write up a list of my most anticipated attractions from the compilation from least interested to most interested. Think of it as Rank Up! but without the official segment title.
12) Octopus Dance
The mini-game I am least excited for is based off of one of Nintendo's oldest properties, the Game & Watch. The Octopus Dance game has players essentially partaking in Simon Says as the AI does various poses which the player has to memorize, and then they have to repeat the computer's actions via the control sticks or gyro controls. This is all while doing it in rhythm. It seems like Octopus Dance is rather light on content and depth, so this game doesn't really appeal to me so much.
11) Yoshi's Fruit Cart
Don't let the simplistic presentation fool you-- there is a lot to like about Yoshi's Fruit Cart. By drawing a line on the GamePad's touch screen, players lead Yoshi through a level to gather all of the fruit and make it to the goal. The caveat here-- and the thing that makes the game something that could only be done on the Wii U-- is that players need to look at the TV screen to see where the location of the fruits are, as the GamePad screen does not show it to them. The dozens upon dozens of different levels interest me greatly.
10) Takamaru's Ninja Castle
The mini-game showcased in the North American general Wii U television advertisement, Takamaru's Ninja Castle is based off a Japanese-only Famicom Disk System game. By sliding his or her finger across the GamePad longways, players can launch shuriken at multiple waves of ninja. Alongside the normal ninja enemies, there are boss characters to battle. These sections has the player using a sword instead of shuriken. I enjoy shooting gallery-style games, and Takamaru's Ninja Castle looks to scratch that itch for me.
9) Donkey Kong's Crash Course
Get a crash course on using the GamePad to tilt a fragile vehicle through a hazard-laden, platform-filled obstacle course. Go too fast, and your vehicle might topple over. Go too slow, and time will expire. Ample checkpoints promise that repeated attempts don't get overly frustrating. The TV screen shows the entirety of a given level while the GamePad screen shows a zoomed in view of your vehicle. With multiple levels to ride through, Donkey Kong's Crash Course may seem intimidating to beginning players, but it appears to be a solid challenge regardless.
8) Captain Falcon's Twister Race
Not even using the F-Zero name in its title, Captain Falcon's Twister Race has the player's Mii riding in a windup Blue Falcon as they tilt the Wii U GamePad to steer through a windy track full of obstacles, boosts, and ramps. Perhaps my thirst for a new F-Zero is making me more enthused for this particular mini-game than I should be, but I could always use a good and not-so-complex racing game for the Wii U launch.
7) Balloon Trip Breeze
It's pertinent to note that only the single-player mini-games have been listed thus far. The final of these solo mini-games is Balloon Trip Breeze, based off of Balloon Fight. Creating wind gusts to blow the player's Mii around the auto-scrolling levels, the player collects balloons and dodges air mines that will pop one of their three balloons. Pop all three, and it's game over. Similar to Donkey Kong's Crash Course, the GamePad screen shows a zoomed in view while the TV screen displays a larger portion of the level. Each level ends with the player landing on an island.
6) Animal Crossing: Sweet Day
Animal Crossing: Sweet Day features the asymmetrical gameplay that Nintendo has been touting so much since the Wii U's initial unveiling two E3s ago. One player controls two guards with both analog sticks, one for the left stick and one for the right stick. That player's job is to capture all of the other players who are trying to collect candy and take it back to a drop off point. The more candy one has on them, the slower they move. The game ends in one of two ways: 1) The GamePad player captures every animal, or 2) The players collecting candy drop off enough.
5) Luigi's Ghost Mansion
Dressing one's Mii up as Mario, Luigi, Wario, or Waluigi?! Where do I sign up for that? Luigi's Ghost Mansion has a promising premise. Like Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, this game also uses asymmetric gameplay. The four players dressed up as the four plumbers attempt to find the location of a ghost controlled by the player with the Wii U GamePad. The ghost is completely invisible, but can be seen occasionally when a player's flashlight gleams on it or when lightning brightens the room. The players searching for the ghost have their controllers rumble when they are nearby the ghost. If the ghost player grabs and sucks the life force out of all players, that person wins. If the ghost gets sucked up by the other players, they win. I think Luigi's Ghost Mansion is a remarkably clever little game, and I am excited to try it out for myself.
4) Pikmin Adventure
Since Pikmin 3 isn't getting a release until next year, Nintendo Land's Pikmin Adventure mini-game will have to do for now. This is a cooperative-based game. The GamePad player controls Olimar. Meanwhile, up to four players with Wii Remotes control little Pikmin. Working together to bash baddies and break through obstacles, the players pass through colorful levels as they head to the end where Olimar's ship awaits. Before they can reach the Dolphin, however, they must deal with a powerful boss. The cooperative aspects of Pikmin Adventure seem enjoyable enough to me, making this mini-game my four most anticipated.
3) Mario Chase
We first saw this game under a different guise as Chase Mii at E3 2011. Now it has been given a Mario aesthetic as up to four Miis dressed as Toads try to capture the Mii dressed as Mario. The Mario Mii player can see where the Toads are on the Wii U GamePad screen. The fun comes from the players chasing after the Mii in the Mario costume communicating with one another. "No, over there!" "Not here! THERE!" If time runs out, the Mario player wins. If he or she is tagged by a Toad, then obviously the Toad brigade wins. It's an intriguing and seemingly entertaining take on tag, for sure.
2) The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest
Set in a patchwork Hyrule, The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest can be played alone or with some buds. It's an on-rails game where the GamePad player shoots bows and arrows at foes from afar while the other players utilize Wii MotionPlus to attack nearby baddies. The whole team shares a handful of hearts, so it is pertinent to play nicely and work together. With a fair amount of levels included, The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest excites me as someone who 1) Loves The Legend of Zelda, 2) Enjoys teamwork, and 3) Likes on-rails experiences.
1) Metroid Blast
Unquestionably the Nintendo Land mini-game that I want to play the most (like right NOW), Metroid Blast takes third-person shooting to the Wii U. The game was originally known as Battle Mii, an E3 2011 tech demo. There are three modes in Metroid Blast. One has the GamePad player utilizing Samus's Gunship to destroy the opposing ground force Mii players and vice versa. Another has players scrambling to collect credits while the last is akin to the Gears of War series's Horde mode, where players work together to defeat wave after wave of enemies. Hearing reviews that the third-person controls are some of the most fun to use definitely has me excited. Another reviewer stated that Metroid Blast was one of the few Nintendo games in a long while to have him "feel like a bad ass." Mighty strong words, and ones that cannot stop me from feeling hype.
===
I have ranked the Nintendo Land attractions from least hyped to most anticipated. Which attractions excite you the most, or do you not even plan on playing Nintendo Land at all? Why or why not? Spark up the conversation in the comments section below.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Rank Up! - Professor Layton series
Last Friday I reviewed the latest in the Professor Layton franchise, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. It was the first installment on the Nintendo 3DS. With five games under his top hat now, it seems appropriate that we more closely examine the Professor Layton franchise as a whole. That's where Rank Up! comes in. I'm sure the SPC faithful already knows how this works, but for the rest of you, this segment is where I take a series of games, series, or systems and rank them from least favorite to most favorite. So get your spot of tea, and start acting more gentlemanly as we see what games I'll be ranking:
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)
Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS)
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (3DS)
The Professor Layton series started on the Nintendo DS in 2007. The games are developed by Level-5 with Nintendo publishing them in North America. A puzzle adventure franchise, Professor Layton definitely tests the mental mettle of its players while engaging them in thought-provoking stories full of charming and endearing characters.
5) Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
The very first Layton game is also the very first game on my list. Professor Layton and the Curious Village is by no means a weak game, so perish the thought of the title being my least favorite meaning that is not enjoyable. The "Curious Village" aspect of the game regards St. Mystere, a "mystere-ious" town where all of the denizens have an intriguingly strong fascination for puzzles. The true revelations of the town, the treasure of the Golden Apple, and much more are positively fun. In addition to the plot, the game's puzzles like figuring out which hat height and brim width out of four examples are the same, or which house the puzzle teller's vague clues point to are a joy to muddle through and solve. The Curious Village is only my least favorite as it has the least amount of enjoyable bonus content of any Layton game. That's still 10-20 hours of story and puzzles, however.
4) Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)
The second game in the Professor Layton series, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box takes players on a cross-country train ride and into two uniquely different cities. The title's "Diabolical Box" refers to the Elysian Box, said to kill anyone who opens it. What is the true secret of the box? There has to be a rational explanation as there is for every Layton game mystery. The Diabolical Box introduced three new mini-games in addition to following along with the story and solving the many puzzles the game throws at you. There's giving a hefty hamster a workout, fixing a camera, and brewing several varieties of tea to a... well, T. Level-5 had said in the past that they listened to feedback from fans and critics on how puzzles relate to the story. In Diabolical Box, they were more pertinent to the plot and had some more value.
3) Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS)
The final of the four Nintendo DS Layton games, and the first of the prequel Layton trilogy, Professor Layton and the Last Specter brought with it loads of new puzzles and a sensationally done story. The mini-games, like Luke's toy train and pet fish activities, added to the entertainment factor of the game, and added some replay value aside from the puzzles on the game card and via download. The North American and Japanese versions of the game (sorry, European pals...) possessed an entirely different activity for players, separate from the Last Specter part of the game. It was called Professor Layton's London Life, a life-simulation essentially, somewhat similar to that found in Animal Crossing. The fun came from dressing up your avatar character, performing tasks for NPCs (the exact same ones found in past and present Layton games), gaining money to purchase new clothes and furniture for your home, and gaining wealth and happiness. If you're European, you might not rate Last Specter so highly, as the omission of London Life takes away a myriad of gameplay hours. For everyone else, Last Specter is without a doubt the game with the greatest longevity in the Layton franchise.
2) Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (3DS)
The first 3DS Layton and the latest game in the franchise, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask was a splendid first offering for Nintendo 3DS owners. Rather than have the characters in 2D, everyone was in a full 3D polygonal being. Another addition to the series was the exclusion of being forced to tap obsessive compulsively at every pixel of every new screen for puzzles and hint coins. Instead, you could drag a magnifying glass around the screen, and when it turned orange, that's when you could tap the screen to uncover something notable. The puzzles made full use of the 3DS system's features, from the stereoscopic 3D to the Circle Pad, to the gyro functions. Outside of the approximately 150 puzzles already on the game card, Nintendo and Level-5 promise one downloadable puzzle for an entire year. That would get any puzzle-solving aficionado breathing heavily at the thought of all those puzzles! Throw in some enjoyable mini-games like teaching an old rabbit new tricks, getting a toy robot through a maze unscathed, and ordering objects on store shelves, and you have one of the most packed Layton games yet.
1) Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)
The third Layton game that released and the most recent game in the Layton chronology, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (aka The Last Time Travel) takes Layton and Luke to seemingly London in the future. Impossible, you say? Perhaps, but the mystery of time travel is fully explored and an entertaining ride from title sequence to ending credits. The ending is one of the most touching I as a 20+ year gamer have ever experienced, and it nearly moved me to tears. Alongside the 150+ puzzles already in the game there are plenty of downloadable puzzles to discover the tricky answers to, as well as three new mini-games to add to the longevity of this Layton. One had you playing with Luke's toy car, another had you situating a specific amount of ropes to help a parrot reach the goal, and finally a picture book relied heavily on context clues to figure out the proper solution. From its endearing and unforgettable story (again, the conclusion is just impeccably done) to its numerable amounts of puzzles to solve, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is my choice for best Layton game.
I have solved the puzzle as to which Professor Layton games are my favorite. Now it's your turn. What Layton titles are your most loved? And if you haven't touched the series of yet, what is stopping you? Let your opinion be known in the comments section!
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)
Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS)
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (3DS)
The Professor Layton series started on the Nintendo DS in 2007. The games are developed by Level-5 with Nintendo publishing them in North America. A puzzle adventure franchise, Professor Layton definitely tests the mental mettle of its players while engaging them in thought-provoking stories full of charming and endearing characters.
5) Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
The very first Layton game is also the very first game on my list. Professor Layton and the Curious Village is by no means a weak game, so perish the thought of the title being my least favorite meaning that is not enjoyable. The "Curious Village" aspect of the game regards St. Mystere, a "mystere-ious" town where all of the denizens have an intriguingly strong fascination for puzzles. The true revelations of the town, the treasure of the Golden Apple, and much more are positively fun. In addition to the plot, the game's puzzles like figuring out which hat height and brim width out of four examples are the same, or which house the puzzle teller's vague clues point to are a joy to muddle through and solve. The Curious Village is only my least favorite as it has the least amount of enjoyable bonus content of any Layton game. That's still 10-20 hours of story and puzzles, however.
4) Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)
The second game in the Professor Layton series, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box takes players on a cross-country train ride and into two uniquely different cities. The title's "Diabolical Box" refers to the Elysian Box, said to kill anyone who opens it. What is the true secret of the box? There has to be a rational explanation as there is for every Layton game mystery. The Diabolical Box introduced three new mini-games in addition to following along with the story and solving the many puzzles the game throws at you. There's giving a hefty hamster a workout, fixing a camera, and brewing several varieties of tea to a... well, T. Level-5 had said in the past that they listened to feedback from fans and critics on how puzzles relate to the story. In Diabolical Box, they were more pertinent to the plot and had some more value.
3) Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS)
The final of the four Nintendo DS Layton games, and the first of the prequel Layton trilogy, Professor Layton and the Last Specter brought with it loads of new puzzles and a sensationally done story. The mini-games, like Luke's toy train and pet fish activities, added to the entertainment factor of the game, and added some replay value aside from the puzzles on the game card and via download. The North American and Japanese versions of the game (sorry, European pals...) possessed an entirely different activity for players, separate from the Last Specter part of the game. It was called Professor Layton's London Life, a life-simulation essentially, somewhat similar to that found in Animal Crossing. The fun came from dressing up your avatar character, performing tasks for NPCs (the exact same ones found in past and present Layton games), gaining money to purchase new clothes and furniture for your home, and gaining wealth and happiness. If you're European, you might not rate Last Specter so highly, as the omission of London Life takes away a myriad of gameplay hours. For everyone else, Last Specter is without a doubt the game with the greatest longevity in the Layton franchise.
2) Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (3DS)
The first 3DS Layton and the latest game in the franchise, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask was a splendid first offering for Nintendo 3DS owners. Rather than have the characters in 2D, everyone was in a full 3D polygonal being. Another addition to the series was the exclusion of being forced to tap obsessive compulsively at every pixel of every new screen for puzzles and hint coins. Instead, you could drag a magnifying glass around the screen, and when it turned orange, that's when you could tap the screen to uncover something notable. The puzzles made full use of the 3DS system's features, from the stereoscopic 3D to the Circle Pad, to the gyro functions. Outside of the approximately 150 puzzles already on the game card, Nintendo and Level-5 promise one downloadable puzzle for an entire year. That would get any puzzle-solving aficionado breathing heavily at the thought of all those puzzles! Throw in some enjoyable mini-games like teaching an old rabbit new tricks, getting a toy robot through a maze unscathed, and ordering objects on store shelves, and you have one of the most packed Layton games yet.
1) Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)
The third Layton game that released and the most recent game in the Layton chronology, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (aka The Last Time Travel) takes Layton and Luke to seemingly London in the future. Impossible, you say? Perhaps, but the mystery of time travel is fully explored and an entertaining ride from title sequence to ending credits. The ending is one of the most touching I as a 20+ year gamer have ever experienced, and it nearly moved me to tears. Alongside the 150+ puzzles already in the game there are plenty of downloadable puzzles to discover the tricky answers to, as well as three new mini-games to add to the longevity of this Layton. One had you playing with Luke's toy car, another had you situating a specific amount of ropes to help a parrot reach the goal, and finally a picture book relied heavily on context clues to figure out the proper solution. From its endearing and unforgettable story (again, the conclusion is just impeccably done) to its numerable amounts of puzzles to solve, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is my choice for best Layton game.
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I have solved the puzzle as to which Professor Layton games are my favorite. Now it's your turn. What Layton titles are your most loved? And if you haven't touched the series of yet, what is stopping you? Let your opinion be known in the comments section!
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