Link Out (13/4/08)

April 12th, 2008

lik out metal gear snake grey

To talk slightly off topic for a moment, I must say that in the past week or so I have been in a consistently chirpy mood and as such I would like bring forward this month’s Link Out post and share that happiness.

This happiness is in due part to my University 2 week break which starts Monday, completing a Chinese test and of course and the steady maintenance of this site. These are all great contributors but it is two other events in the recent days that have really made my day. Firstly I have been offered a $5000 scholarship and an additional $1000 travel grant from my University to study in ShangHai (China) from September to January this year. Secondly some of my recent articles, namely the Morgan Webb article has been receiving numerous trackbacks from sites like Shack News and GameSetWatch and as such my traffic has seen another large jump. Actually I am quite pleased about the GameSetWatch link out because I have much respect for that blog and it’s main site; Gamasutra. It reconfirms to me that my writing is on the right track.

So I figured that in my time of great happiness I would share the love and disperse another round of recommended readings for the month. So here are some of the links that I have been keeping in cold storage in the recent weeks.

MIT’s Jenkins On Gamers, Youth Culture, Brother Leeroy – GameSetWatch

Henry Jenkins is a professor over at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) he specializes in cultural convergence, learning through digital media and related fields. He is a leading researcher in under these fields and created many of the terms and concepts. This article outlines one of his recent key notes as well as some questions at the end. An incredibly interesting read.

Incredible Metal Gear Solid 3 Photo Captures

You remember the camera feature in the Metal Gear Solid games? Well take a look at some of these incredible images that this Japanese guy captured. You wonder how people figure these things out.

WAZ – Bruce on Games

Bruce Everiss brings to light something which should be a reference point for us gamers on the issue of video game violence. WAZ is another one of those disgusting torture porn flicks which appear to be filling new releases rental shelves everywhere. The point he raised was that the British Government recently provided a fund of a million pounds for the release of this movie yet contrast this against the rough time that ManHunt 2 has been getting in Europe. 🙁

Metroid 2 16Bit Remake

Another fan remake of a classic gaming title. This time its Metroid 2: Return of Samus being remade into 16bit. Unlike some of the previous fan remakes (OOT 2D, Metroid Prime 2D, Final Fantasy VII 2D, the list goes on) this one is actually might just get finished, well heres hoping. The blog proves to be quite resourceful on the remake and there is a downloadable demo as well.

Legend of Zelda 4 Swords – 5 Gamecubes, 5 TVs – Retro Gaming with RacketBoy

Back in the time of GBA/GCN connectivity and 8 player LAN Mario Kart my friends and I were always keen to test out these new play experiences. This article is a throwback to that sort of gaming culture. As the title states fastbilly1 and some of the community members over at Retro Gaming with RacketBoy strung together a series of 5 Gamecubes (4x utilizing GB Players) with 5 TVs each with a copy of Zelda 4 Swords Adventures (4 players + one main TV). The stuff of legends, there are images and video inside so take a look.

Bangai-O Spirits Critique – Action Button

While doing some random blog surfing I was directed to this site which provides some interesting game critique. I started reading this review of Treasure’s new Bangai-O Spirits for the DS and I was instantly grabbed by the linguistic rhythm of this writer. So I figured you might be too.

Nintendo Wii Classic Controller Alternatives

April 10th, 2008

wii classic controller

Some time ago I posted my thoughts on Hard Copy Collection Vs Digital Distribution. Although there are pros and cons for each, I myself still remain stuck in my ways as a hard copy collector. One of the reasons being the issues with playing retro games on a controller designed for modern gaming.

The Wii’s Virtual Console is the digital distribution service for old school gaming, unfortunately Nintendo’s mish-mash of previous controllers; the Classic Controller can detract from the overall retro experience. So I’ve been looking around for some good alternatives. Heres what I found:

The Obvious Choices

GameCube Pad/WaveBird

I’m sure everyone knows this by now; so I will quickly go through the motions. You don’t need to recycle your old, faithful Gamecube pads as they can be also reused to play your favourite Virtual Console and Gamecube games as well as a whole bunch of Wii titles.

With this you can also take advantage of the Gamecube’s excellent wireless WaveBird pad. If you don’t already own one of these controllers then chances are you’ll have a hard time finding one. Nintendo ceased production of WaveBirds over a year ago and thanks to the Wii’s run away success, the demand for WaveBirds has also increased despite the number low Wavebird numbers. But don’t fear as there is an alternative to the WaveBird which I shall get to later.

The GameCube pad is great for Nintendo 64 titles in fact it’s probably superior than the N64 controller as the Gamecube’s dual analogue sticks lack the grindy feel of the N64’s. The N64 controller essentially has three main buttons (A,B and Z) which translates well onto the Gamecube’s 4 face buttons. The only disadvantage for N64 games may be the Gamecube’s shoulder triggers. The N64’s triggers are soft and light, conversely the Gamecube’s triggers are large and springy. This nuisance depends on the game at hand though as few N64 titles utilized the shoulder buttons.

The overwhelming majority of Virtual Console games aren’t 3D which is where things get a little frustrating. The Gamecube’s D-pad is just downright awkward for these games so you’ll have to toss up whether you want to use an analogue stick for 2D games. Personally I love using analogue sticks for 2D fighters to avoid blisters from all of those quarter circles but for other games like RPGs and platformers, where direct position movement feel more natural, it can feel a little odd.

Where to Buy?

GameCube Pads can easily be found online at eBay or at local pawn shops.

Arcade Sticks

I’ve spoken about Wii arcade sticks before in my Reliving an Authentic Arcade Experience on the Wii article. Just like before there are still only a handful of sticks available on the market. Primarily the two major players are the Hori Fighting Stick and the Wii Neo Geo Stick 2, the latter of which is yet to be released). Both of these sticks are essentially Wii iterations of previously released PS2 arcade sticks. The Hori Fighting Stick currently retails for $49.99 while the Wii Neo Geo Stick 2 is set for roughly $70.

wii arcade sticks

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Tags: controller, wii

Play Impressions (8/4/08)

April 8th, 2008

capcom vs snk header

Its been some time since I’ve shared my thoughts on what I have been playing lately. Frankly it hasn’t been very much at all. As usual I’ve been working on the old stuff that I am happily clearing out, not much retroness in the past month and there aren’t any new releases that particularly interest me. Except for House of the Dead Return which is still overpriced down here in Australia. Fortunately I had the opportunity to finish House of the Dead 4 at an arcade lock-in a few days ago, that should tie me over in the meantime.

I might also play through Kirby’s Adventure on the NES again sometime soon. I’m thinking of doing a video feature highlighting it’s sublime visual and aural prowess. How does that sound?

Capcom Vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001

Continuing on with my quest to substitute my previously abandoned love for 2D fighters, Capcom Vs SNK 2 has been the latest gaming snack between study breaks for my brother and I. After settling into this Street Fighter/KOF hybrid it becomes clear that there is a lot to appreciate about this title. Capcom have successfully merged fighting styles from both franchises together with complete respect to the original titles. Characters can evade attack, dash, long jump much like in the KOF games yet there is still a feeling of tactical precision and real time chess like elements which the Street Fighter series birthed. On top of this the game plays in 3 Vs 3 matches with unfortunately no on the fly character switching.

Along with this unique blend of play comes the aptly named groves which are similar to ‘isms’ from Street Fighter Alpha 3. Each groove includes (and excludes) various play mechanics as well as a different way to perform special moves. Some specials require button holds to charge up the special meter, others increase with the damage dealt.

The hybrid of game styles, grooves, varied characters, 3 Vs 3 play all add on the layers of depth. There are so many options at hand here that you really can tailor the game to match your individual play style.

Fight wise I just love the feel of this game, keeping with the hybrid nature this game feels faster, flexible and more acrobatic than Street Fighter and more up to speed with the KOF series. Its just so much fun to play, the game feels versatile yet true to it’s roots.

The mix of 2D sprites and 3D backdrops is also interesting and adds to the flavour of the game. A few of the backdrops don’t feel close or far away enough to the sprites which can feel a little distracting at times. Some character sprites (Morgan’s) are of a painfully lower resolution which is extremely off putting and frankly ugly.

These blemishes as well as a few tacky presentation issues do little to hinder the overall enjoyment that I have had and undoubtedly will continue to have with this title for a long time.

Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones

Some gamers prefer Intelligent Systems other portable strategy title; Advance Wars. I myself? I’m a Fire Emblem fan. Both series’ have stood toe to toe in Japan for the past 20 years, originating on the Famicon (NES). fire emblem sacred stones Much like any new iteration from either series, Sacred Stones doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Theres no real reason for it to though as this is only the second FE iteration to hit Western shores. What it does do though is add a set of new over world mechanics which vary the gameplay considerably. Instead of continually playing a set of battles tied together with the same face sprite orientated cut scenes, Sacred Stones allows you to navigate around a world map in between battles. Enemy groups appear on the map and you can choose to gain experience by back tracking to do battle with them. It works similarly to Final Fantasy Tactics except enemy groups stay fixed in the one spot.

fire emblem sacred stones Even though the over world map is a fairly simple mechanic it adds a lot of breathing space. You can now buy new gear, organize your party and items before you begin a chapter. It also removes the static, dated feel of the linear, battle by battle game structure. In this version you can battle creatures as well as humans and there are a handful of new classes to upgrade up to.

So while the core gameplay remains largely unchanged the new features go a long way to fix the previous problems between levels. The strategy is still, of course incredibly addictive. For example, in one instance I was playing this one chapter on and off for about a week, probably totally 10+ attempts. Sure I was replaying the same level, each time slightly varying my attack plan but still this was highly addictive as the series has proven to be.

Theres not much new here but that isn’t what we should be asking for. As a huge fan of this series I am glad to be re-treading old ground over new soil.