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Feb 7th, 2008 at 03:47:33 - Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii) |
GAMEPLAY
In addition to the lack of air-dodge, there is another game play flaw: tripping. Even after playing more of this game, I don’t understand why characters randomly trip. It tends to happen when a lot of buttons are pressed but the idea of tripping isn’t explained in the tutorial. Worst of all, the character is left vulnerable after fallen on the floor. This tripping element is extremely frustrating and it unnecessarily complicates the controls.
It is also important to note that Brawl features some of the best co-op game play that I’ve ever seen. Nearly all of the single player aspects of the game allow for co-op. This means that many returning fan favorites such as multi-man melee, home run contest, event mode and even adventure mode can be played in co-op. The inclusion of such a rich and varied co-op mode means that bystanders can freely join into the game – even in the “single player” mode – making Brawl an incredibly rich social game.
DESIGN
It is also worth noting that Brawl has an incredible reward system. There are additional playable characters that can be unlocked in multiple ways, stickers to collect as items in fights, CDs to pick up to unlock new songs, and so much more. Even if playing one simple match, you’ll unlock coins that can be used in a simple SHUMP-like mini-game to earn trophies and coins. Nearly everything in Brawl unlocks something else and you’ll find yourself losing track of time while playing this incredibly expansive game.
Furthermore, each of the different levels had a unique feel to it. Besides the game play altering aspects such as gravity changes and moving platforms, the different soundtrack in each level adds to the feeling of truly unique stages. For example, the dog howls in the Animal Crossing stage's song contributes to light hearted feeling of that stage while the opera soundtrack creates a much darker tone for the Final Destination stage. From flying shy guys bearing food in the Yoshi’s Island stage or the mini-games in the Wario Ware stage, each stage has been well thought out and each presents different new challenges while retaining the core game play.
With a little less then a month left, Smash fans will soon be happily united with Brawl. This game was given 5 stars because it rightfully deserves it. Despite its flaws, Brawl is an features good controls and is incredibly fun in groups or alone. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself in early March.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Feb 8th, 2008 at 20:07:42.
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Feb 7th, 2008 at 00:18:42 - Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii) |
SUMMARY
For this Gamelog entry, I chose a game that needs little introduction, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, a game developed by Nintendo, Game Art, and Sora, in which characters from Nintendo’s past and present games fight one another. Like past Smash Brother titles, the game features deep yet deceptively simple controls. Brawl is the third installment in the Smash Brothers series, with the director hinting that it could possibility be the last.
**Remember that I am playing the Japanese version of the game and that some elements of this game may change before Brawl’s March release on American shores. One other thing to note is that this entry is spoiler-free!**
GAMEPLAY
The Smash Bros series has always been able to draw a crowd from hardcore and casual gamers and Brawl is no different. This is because most of the characters are instantly recognizable to Nintendo fans and non-fans alike. Mario, Kirby, Princess Zelda, and Pikachu are characters, to name a few. I was only able to play one verses match before my roommate quickly joined into the battle. Seeing Yoshi hurl an egg at Link is sure to grab the attention of bystanders and don’t be surprised if you can’t hear video crowd over the oh’s and ah’s of an actual one soon forming around you. Simply put, Brawl is a social experience.
Particularly unique about Brawl is its ability to accommodate the many controllers that the Wii supports. More specifically, the Gamecube controller, Classic Controller, Nun chuck and Remote, and the remote alone can all be used in this game. Veterans of the now-seven-year-old Super Smash Brothers Melee will instantly want to grab a Gamecube controller and while the game controls virtually the same, there are a few key differences to keep an eye out for. The Z-button doesn’t attack in midair and taunts are mapped to all directions of the D-pad. It’s certainly nice to see that the game makers kept Gamecube controller support in Brawl as it will certainly be veteran smashers’ controller of choice.
Controllers aside, there are several other changes. Characters grab onto the ledges even when facing the opposite direction and items are easier to grab since sweeping moves and air dodges pick up items. On the topic of air dodges, their importance in the game have been reduced as its range has dramatically decreased. However, to compensate for this, multiple air dodges can be done, instead on only one-per-fall as was the case in Melee. Players can still move slightly left or right using the air dodge in midair but overall, Melee’s air-dodging system much more responsive, interesting, and overall, effective. This new system makes Brawl’s game play much slower then Melee and is sure to have angry fans banging on Nintendo’s door asking for yet another sequel.
This entry has been edited 3 times. It was last edited on Feb 8th, 2008 at 20:13:48.
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Jan 21st, 2008 at 02:00:46 - Wii Play (Wii) |
SUMMARY:
Wii Pay is a simple collection of mini-games that introduce players to the Wii remote’s unique infer red (IR) and motion controls. Players go through a variety of differently themed mini games that will have players doing everything from shooting targets, to playing table tennis and even to racing cows, at some point in the game.
GAMEPLAY:
Wii Play starts with only one mini game: “Shooting Range”. In this mini-game, players find themselves shooting a variety of objects, both animate and inanimate, in an attempt to achieve the highest score. By pointing at the screen and pressing A to shoot, this control scheme both simple and intuitive. In an age where shooters seem to emphasize complexity, it is certainly a pleasant surprise to see a step in a different direction. In fact, this single mini-game set the tone for the entire game – that is, that this game would be a simple and intuitive one.
At the end of “Shooting Range”, I was told that I unlocked the next mini game, “Find Mii”. This time, my objective was to find a specified character in a crowded area by pointing at that character on the screen and selecting him or her with A. In fact, four other mini-games are based on this same idea of pointing at the screen, making more than half of the mini-games IR based. At times, it can be frustrating to see so many mini-games controlled in this way – especially for a product that advertises itself as an introduction to the Wii’s controller, a motion based one.
However, to say that all the IR-based mini-games feel the same is simply untrue. True, the foundation of their controls is the same but their objectives and themes vary greatly. Some of these IR games will have the player bombing walls and shooting other tanks, some games will have players twisting their wrist to match silhouettes. The objective of each game is certainly very similar as “get the highest score” easily summarizes the goal of all the mini-games, but the way in which the player goes about this goal varies from game to game. This helps in keeping each mini-game feeling fresh and unique, even if their controls are not.
It is also worth nothing that Wii Play lacks an overarching story to connect its mini-games. This is very rare for a video game – even ones that are comprised mostly of mini-games. Rayman Raving Rabbids revolves around the idea of escaping from a prison controlled by “rabbids” and the Mario Party series has a game board in between mini-games to tell that game board’s specific story. Even Wario Ware: Smooth Moves which tries to be as zany and off-the-wall as humanly possible, has an overarching theme: make money. The lack of a story in Wii Play will leave players asking, why should wii play?
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GAMPLAY:
Surprisingly, even without a story, the game does show progression. Players unlock a new mini-game with each successive mini-game played. This will make up the first hour of play. However, for my second play there was nothing left to unlock and after having played every mini-game once, revisiting this game felt like a chore. Players are expected to replay mini-games to achieve the highest score but the problem is that so many of these mini-games are shallow and uninteresting. There is a serious flaw in the reward system in Wii Play. Oh, and about leader boards, they don’t exist for this game. Are you even serious about online games, Nintendo?
Even after all that I have said, I still recommend this game. The reason for this: its social aspect. The bright colors and unique appeal of the Wii remote is sure to draw in a crowd. The shallow, and sometimes slow-paced mini-games will not totally consume the concentration of the players and allow them to talk among themselves. The lounge-music Wii Play theme song is sure to brighten any living room and the bubbly soundtrack of the entire game is sure to draw a crowd and melt the heart of even the most hardcore gamer.
DESIGN:
I am almost tempted to call this game “Mii Play” because that title would certainly highlight on the better aspects of this game: the use of Miis, that Wii’s digital avatars. I admit that I am no artist but using the Wii’s Mii creation channel, I was able to create a variety of avatars which I would later revisit in Wii Play. It was hard choosing between playing the game with an avatar that looked like me or one that looked like a tooth fairy, a fortune teller, or a new year’s baby. The designers certainly thought of this problem beforehand. Even though I chose to play as a fortune teller, I saw these characters in the audience of a table tennis match. Trying to find out person that fell asleep in the “Find Mii” minigame? Maybe it will be Sean Connery – if you can create one. It is this customization that makes Wii Play so charming and it continues to draw me back to this game.
There is so much that is innovative about the Wii Remote. Yes, IR controls are one of these innovations but this is not the only one. For a game that is meant to showcase the possibilities of the Wii remote, the fact that Wii Play focuses heavily on IR controls and not motion controls is certainly a let down. Instead of this game, players can play Wario Ware: Smooth Moves and other games which show that motion controls are can be both unique and varied. True, there are three games mini-games in Wii Play that are motioned controlled but it’s certainly nothing novel when compared to other wii games.
Nonetheless, Wii Play’s mini-games are shallow but fun in small bursts. This game will also help you draw a crowd together on those lonely days and you’ll never get over this game’s charm. Did I mention that it’s only 10 dollars when you factor in the bundled controller?
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Jan 12th, 2008 at 03:42:07 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS) |
SUMMARY
Released over 2 years ago, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a point and click adventure that follows the career of Phoenix Wright, an aspiring lawyer and the main character that the player controls. Players present evidence and disprove false testimonies to prove that their defendant innocent.
GAMEPLAY
I admit that I am a fan of the point and click adventure – a genre that has only found a niche market in America. Yes, the genre is called “point and click” and with good reason: interaction with the characters of Ace Attorney, is mostly comprised of using the stylus to “click” choices. Ace Attorney stays very close to the norm of the genre in this aspect – an aspect that has always kept this genre dull and repetitive.
But if the interaction between the character and the player is so uninteresting, why is it that I continue playing point and click adventures? Storyline. This is one part of Ace Attorney that clearly divides itself from other games of the same genre. I often play point and click games where I must find the murderer using clues that I gather. In Ace Attorney, I am clearly shown the murderer before the trial. It is certainly different from say, Famicom Detective Club: Part II, where one must find both the murderer and the murderer’s rationale for committing the crime. Once the intro is finished, I hope that I will no longer know the murderer beforehand.
Instead of revealing the murderer, the goal of Ace Attorney is to prove that your client is innocent through questions and evidence, ultimately reconstructing the event in question before the courtroom and the player. While Ace Attorney does contain a level of uncertainty in understanding the murder’s rationale, it also shows the murderer before the case begins and therefore, lacks a feeling of reward at the end of the case. This new form of presenting the story has left me disinterested.
Regardless of this fact, there is no denial that this is a novel take on a genre that is on life support. While I am not a fan of the game, it is certainly worth considering.
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A Second Look:
I now realize that one element of most point and click adventures that I missed from Ace Attorney was the investigative element. While the trainer did not contain this element, it is refreshing to see this element reappear in all other chapters. Once again, I happily find myself snooping around and interrogating characters. As Phoenix Wright is trying to gather clues about the event to better understand the case, so am I. It makes me feel better connected with my “token” in this game and better connected with the game as a whole.
One of my biggest initial gripes with Ace Attorney was that it made no use of the DS in advancing the point and click genre’s game play. After playing this game a little more, I realize that I was wrong and I have come to appreciate this game’s use of the DS. I admit that yelling “Take that!” or “Objection!” into the DS’s microphone has become a guilty pleasure and one that adds to the game’s overall charm. Furthermore, the touch screen makes answering questions easier while making room examinations more intuitive. It is refreshing to see DS unique functionality used in point and click game.
DESIGN
Nonetheless, Ace Attorney’s continual presentation of the murderer before the trial is certainly a let down. While Phoenix is gathering clues to find the murderer, the player already knows who it is. At one point, Phoenix accepts a case because he feels that the defendant has no one else to turn to. However, the player will believe that Phoenix should accept the case because the defendant was not the murderer as illustrated by the opening scene – something that Phoenix could not have seen. Because there is no way that I could communicate this to Phoenix, there is ultimately a difference in my knowledge of the case and Phoenix’s. It separates me from my token and therefore, I feel more frustrated then emotive in playing as Phoenix Wright.
Looking at the game as a whole, I can safely say that the writing is top notch. It not only contains pop culture references, its characters are so outlandish that it becoming both charming and engrossing to read what each person has to say. With a character who’s last name is Butz, a bumbling detective known only by his last name, Gumshoe, and a girl who is literally named April May, these characters will keep the story interesting. Furthermore, their animations exaggerate their emotions so much that it is a charm to watch them move. One character’s wig flies directly up when he is shocked and when he was charged with the murder, the throws his wig and exclaims “Shutupshutupshutup! I hate you!”. These animations only highlight the personalities of each character and of the game as a whole.
While I did not enjoy this game as much as I had hoped, I recommend that people interested in this genre seriously look into this game. Ace Attorney offers a charm that is lacking in many games and the game puts a unique twist to traditional point and click games' storylines.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 14th, 2008 at 19:08:30.
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