Topics

91

Video Game Chat / PlayStation Portable (PSP)

« on: November 27, 2003, 03:08:04 PM »

I have been looking up information about Sony's new PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming system.

It does seem like a great concept - playing PlayStation games on a handheld, but one thing about it really concerns me...the price.

Sony is usually good with the pricing of their products and if they want to compete with Nintendo's Game Boy (which they do), then the PSP will have to be in the $100 price range. Anything more than that will most likely turn away consumers, since most handhelds that cost above $100 sell poorly (N-Gage, Game Gear, etc.)

What do you guys think? Can Sony sell the PSP for less that $100? I doubt it, since the system is said to have multiple capabilities like the PS2, and the PS2 cost $300 when it was released...

---------------------------------------------

92

Mario Chat / Microsoft is really stupid...

« on: November 26, 2003, 05:55:24 PM »

I have been reading all of the articles in magazines about Microsoft's opinions that their Xbox system will eventually beat Nintendo and Sony. They have not given any reasons for this, except to say "Xbox is the most powerful videogame system ever created" and that it "has the best graphics"...blah blah blah.

Who really cares if the Xbox is so powerful, it's really the games that make a system sell good. The Xbox does not have many good games to make it worth buying, well that's my opinion. I have always prefered PlayStation and Nintendo, simply because they offer the best games on their systems.

Microsoft needs to be more creative and innovative when they make new games. Games like Halo and Project Gotham Racing are not very innovative and do not really offer anything new. Microsoft is just making games that are generic and dull in terms of quality.

Sony and Nintendo have always made great games, and for Microsoft to comment on their superiority over the other companies is just wrong.

Edited by - Mario Maniac on 11/26/2003 3:57:49 PM

93

Video Game Chat / The ultimate Nintendo cartoon...

« on: September 06, 2003, 05:47:45 PM »

Instead of making seperate animated series' for each Nintendo franchise, why don't they COMBINE the different characters into one huge animated series, kind of like the classic Captain N cartoon.


Super Smash Bros.: The Animated Series would be the ultimate Nintendo cartoon! All of the characters from Nintendo's biggest franchises in one series.

=============================================

94

Video Game Chat / Future of Nintendo a mystery...?

« on: September 06, 2003, 04:58:36 PM »

I have heard people saying that Nintendo is disputing the creation of a new videogame system. Someone I know who works at GameStop said he talked to a Nintendo representative, who said that Nintendo was unsure if they were going to create a new system, since the GameCube and N64 were both poor-selling systems.

If this is true, then I wonder what will happen to Nintendo. Would they become a 3rd party developer, or simply focus on their handheld Game Boy?

I really don't care if Nintendo makes another system or not. As long as they continue to create amazing games, even if they are for PlayStation and Xbox, that's fine with me!

=============================================

95

Video Game Chat / GameCube sales poor? What's going on?

« on: September 06, 2003, 04:48:54 PM »

Why is it that all the media publications are reporting that companies are abandoning support for the GameCube due to poor sales? Last I heard, Xbox had the worst sales of all, and GameCube was beating it.
CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON? Is our beloved little Nintendo GameCube failing?

96

Video Game Chat / The next Game Boy system...

« on: August 19, 2003, 12:44:29 PM »

I recently designed a new version of the Game Boy called Game Boy Ultima. It will have all of the same features as the GBA-SP (rechargeable battery, front-lit screen, clamshell folding design, etc.) but the graphics would be completely 3D polygonal, like the upcoming PSP. The sound would be in stereo, with 2 speakers on either side of the screen.

There will be 2 additional buttons, X and Y, like on the Super NES controller, and there will be an analog control stick. The shoulder buttons would remain the same, with the "click" sound when you press them in completely.

The system would be optical disc-based, like the PSP, and would have an extra cartridge slot to play older Game Boy titles, thus not losing it's backwards-compatibility feature.

I have a feeling that Nintendo's new Game Boy will be much more powerful and advanced than the current version, if they want to compete with Sony's PSP...

===================================================

~Fixing stretched-out screen... ~Sapph

Edited by - Sapphira on 8/21/2003 12:54:00 PM

97

General Chat / HTML help!

« on: August 09, 2003, 06:06:52 PM »

I don't know how to make links using HTML. Someone please help me!

98

Mario Chat / Charles Martinet - The voice of Mario!

« on: August 09, 2003, 05:58:39 PM »

Nintendo is really lucky to have an exquisite voice actor like Charles Martinet. He has such amazing talent. Charles Martinet is almost as talented as Mel Blanc, the voice actor for the classic Looney Tunes cartoons.

Go to his unofficial web site http://www.charlesmartinet.com
There, you will find information about his life, and you can listen to various recordings of his character voices.

Edited by - Mario Maniac on 8/9/2003 5:23:02 PM

99

Video Game Chat / Review of Majora's Mask.

« on: August 08, 2003, 06:46:17 AM »

I bought Majora's Mask a few years ago, and have been playing through the game. Does it live up to the perfection that was present in Ocarina of Time (for N64), or does it fail miserably like Zelda 2: The Adventures of Link (for NES)?

Since it was a sequel to Ocarina of Time, I had expected it to include many of the same elements as Ocarina of Time did... The gameplay is similar, yet vastly different; Epona is present; Link still has the Ocarina; but the similarities end there.

Majora's Mask was a huge departure from the classic formula that have made Zelda games so good: save Hyrule from Gannon. Instead of saving Hyrule, Link has been sent to an alternate dimension, called Termina, where he has only 3 days to save the world from an evil Skull Kid who has been posessed by Majora's Mask!

Link must wear three special masks in order to use the special abilities that will allow him to make it through Termina. A Goron mask, a Zora mask, and  Deku mask. Each mask transforms Link into a version of the character that his mask represents. Because of these transformations, the gameplay is very different than any previous Zelda game. Link now has a wealth of new abilities, such as the ability to shoot bubbles from his mouth while wearing the Deku Mask, or the ability to swim underwater wearing the Zora Mask, or the ability to Ground Pound while wearing the Goron Mask.

While not in mask transformation, Link controls exactly the same as he did in Ocarina of Time, complete with the same Z-Targeting feature. This is very fortunate, because I enjoyed the way Link controlled in Ocarina of Time, it really suited the style of gameplay.

Thankfully, Nintendo included the classic Zelda theme music, which was mysteriously absent from Ocarina of Time. The music fits the game perfectly, although I still think some of the reused tunes could have been scored a bit better.

The graphics in Majoras Mask are actually pretty good, much crisper than Ocarina of Time's graphics. The game is required to use the expansion pak, and because of this, the framerate is not as smooth as the Ocarina of Time's and the graphics sometimes seem a bit blurry or muddy. The character models look similar to the ones in Ocarina of Time.

The world of Termina consits of 4 sub-worlds, each with a village and temple to conquer. Only 4 temples in a Zelda game would make this game very short, but there is so much to do in the world of Termina that you will spend plenty of time playing this game.

Still, I think Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto should have added more temples and dungeons to conquer, because 4 really is not enough for a Zelda game. It really diminishes the quality of the game, since it can be played through very quickly if you only travel through the temples and ignore the other objectives.

Since it is a Zelda game, I would have to say Majora's Mask is worth checking out as a rental, not a purchase. It has many faults, and it just doesn't seem to live up to the high expectations that were set by the Ocarina of Time.

My score: 8 / 10

Any of your comments would be welcome. Just post them here.
---------------------------------------------

Edited by - Mario Maniac on 8/8/2003 5:48:50 AM

100

Mario Chat / Extremely confusing Mario plot...

« on: August 04, 2003, 10:23:16 AM »

Nintendo keeps changing the plotline of the Mario games so much, that it's now near impossible to know the real story.

I'll try to figure it out by retelling part of the story here:

In the beginning, a stork was carrying two babies over to their parents home. An evil Magikoopa named Kamek knew these two babies would someday topple the Koopa Empire, so he set out to capture them. He managed to take one, but the other one fell out of his grasp, and onto a large island called Yoshi's Island.

The Yoshi's helped the baby, called Baby Mario, traverse across the island to find his brother, Baby Luigi. They get to Kamek's fortress and find that he is working for an even greater foe, Baby Bowser. Thus their first battle begins. Baby Mario and Yoshi defeat Baby Bowser and rescue Baby Luigi, then the stork returns the babies safely to their parents.

A few years later, Baby Bowser is up to his old tricks again. This time he steals the Super Happy Tree, the single source that makes Yoshi's Island peaceful. The Yoshi's manage to find and fight Baby Bowser alone, without the help of Baby Bario. They defeat Baby Bowser for a second time and rescue their Happy Tree.

When the Mario Bros. reach adulthood, they get a job in the plumbing industry. During one of their jobs, they stumble into a sewer with creatures crawling out of the pipes. They defeat all of the creatures, only to find a secret pipe that leads to another dimension. They enter the pipe, wondering where it would take them.

The pipe takes them to a strange land called the Mushroom Kingdom. The King tells them that a strange monster known as Bowser has captured their beloved Princess Toadstool and has invaded the land with his evil Koopa Empire. The Mario Bros. fight all of Bowser's minions, and eventually make it to Bowser's final fortress. The Mario Bros. defeat Bowser and rescue the Princess, who becomes their lifelong friend.

A few years later, Mario has a strange dream that he is climbing a huge flight of stairs,a nd finds a secret door that leads to an alternate dimension. He tells Princess Toadstool about it, and she says not to worry. Later on, the Mario Bros. Toad, and Princess Toadstool go out for a picnic. They discover a cave with a secret door that leads directly to the alternate dimension that Mario was dreaming about.

The Mario Bros., Princess Toadstool, and Toad discover the world, known as Sub-Con, has been invaded by a monstrous frog known as Wart. The Mario Bros., Princess Toadstool, and Toad find Wart, defeat him, and restore peace to the land of Sub-Con.

Upon their return to the Mushroom Kingdom, the Mario Bros., Princess Toadstool, and Toad discover that Bowser has invaded the land once again, only this time, he has sent his Koopa Kids out to invade the seven lands of the Mushroom Kindom: Grass Land, Water Land, Desert Land, Giant Land, Sky Land, Ice Land, Pipe Land. The Koopa Kids also transformed each of the Kings of these ands into animals. The Mario Bros. travel across the seven lands and rescue the Kings, defeating each of Bowser's Koopa Kids in the process. When they get to the final land, Dark Land, they find that Bowser has captured the Princess and has held her captive atop his huge castle. The Mario Bros. find Bowser and defeat him, and rescue Princess Peach.

A few years Later, the Mario Bros. and Princess Toadstool go on a vacation to Dinosaur Land. While Mario and Luigi are relaxing on the beach, Princess Toadstool is captured by one of Bowser's Koopa Kids. When the Mario Bros. wake up and find her missing, they search the land for clues.

The Mario Bros. then find a dinosaur named Yoshi, who tells them that he saw "monstrous turtles" scouting the area. Mario and Luigi know that Bowser and his Koopa Kids are here, so they set out in pursuit to find and rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser's evil clutches.

Yoshi decides to help them by giving Mario and Luigi a magical yellow cape, which allows them to fly. The Mario Bros., Yoshi find and defeat Bowser and his Koopa Kids yet again. Then Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool return home to the Mushrom Kingdom.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, if Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story are prequels to the Mario series, then why do Baby Bowser and Baby Mario appear in the same games with the adult Mario characters? Also, why does Yoshi seem to not know Mario and Luigi in Super Mario World, when he helped them out in Yoshi's Island when they were babies?

Edited by - Mario Maniac on 8/4/2003 9:48:50 AM

101

Video Game Chat / The "Phantom" game system...

« on: August 01, 2003, 10:11:55 AM »

...I just went to the website www.phantom.net and it seems that the Phantom system is real. The company Infinium Labs is going to unveil it at this year's Ultimate Gamer's Expo (whatever that is).

I could really care less about this Phantom gaming system. It is said to support PC games, other console games, and is able to connect to the internet and download extra games to it's hard drive. Can anyone say "copyright infringement"?

People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don''t like Nintendo obviously don''t like video games.

102

Video Game Chat / Golden Sun opinions

« on: July 31, 2003, 09:01:44 PM »

I am thinking of buying Golden Sun for GBA. Is it worth it? I mean, the game got great critical acclaim and was one of the best games released for Game Boy Advance. I want to buy it, along with the sequel Golden Sun: The Lost Age.


People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don''t like Nintendo obviously don''t like video games.

103

Video Game Chat / I got a GBA-SP!

« on: July 31, 2003, 07:07:43 AM »

That thing is much better than the original Game Boy Advance! The light screen is really bright, especially when playing in the dark! I like the folding clam-shell design, it really does make the GBA-SP small and compact, much more than any of the previous Game Boys.

The rechargeable battery has to be one of the best features of the GBA-SP. Now I don't have to waste my money buying batteries any more!

People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don''t like Nintendo obviously don''t like video games.

104

Video Game Chat / I beat Metroid Fusion!

« on: July 31, 2003, 07:04:26 AM »

That was one of the hardest games I have ever played! I got a 55% item collection rate, and a total time of about 4 hours.

People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don''t like Nintendo obviously don''t like video games.

105

Video Game Chat / Metroid Fusion...

« on: July 20, 2003, 08:31:22 AM »

I just have to say, if any of you have played Metroid Fusion, I think it is one of the hardest games I have ever played! I must congratulate Nintendo for making this game that is not only very fun, but very challenging as well.

If you are not familiar with the Metroid series, allow me to explain....
The game series centers around a female bounty hunter known as Samus Aran, who works for the Galactic Federation. She is sent to a planet known as Zebes, to eradicate a dangerous species of parasitic alien known as Metorid. These creatures have the power to suck the life energy out of any living organism.

In Metroid Fusion, the latest title in the series, Samus is exploring the surface of SR388, home of the Metroids, when she is attacked by an unknown parasitic organism called "X". After returing to her ship, Samus starts to lose consciousness and her ship drifts into an asteroid belt. Fortunately, the emergency escape pod ejects her to safety before the ship explodes. A group of scientists find her ship careening helplessly into space, and bring her aboard the Biologic Space Labs, or B.S.L, research station. The scientists see that Samus is in critical condition, since the parasites have multiplied within her cells and are corrupting her nervous system and areas of her Power Suit. The doctors try to surgically remove the infected pieces of Samus's Power Suit, then one doctor proposes a cure. He thinks that if they create a vaccine using Metroid cells, that it might kill off the X parasites in Samus's body. The vaccine works immediately, and Samus regains her health. Samus is then sent to investigate a mysterious explosion in the B.S.L station. Because of the infection by the X parasites, she has lost most of her special abilities, including the Morph Ball, Missiles, Screw Attack, Speed Boost.

That is the basic story in Metroid Fusion. If you have any comments / complaints about the game, post them here.



People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don''t like Nintendo obviously don''t like video games.

Edited by - Mario Maniac on 7/20/2003 7:33:15 AM