I'm sure it'll be a good game because Nintendo are frankly also incapable of making bad ones, but I'm not terribly excited about it - which I think goes for a lot of people at this point and is probably why it hasn't appeared in this thread.

There have been plenty of offshoot Zelda stuff on the handhelds before. Oracle of Seasons, Minish Cap, Tingle's Adventure et cetera. It's a loveable bunch of characters, so why make a (presumably good) train game where the characters might be a bunch of arses and nobody would look twice at it? Halo Wars doesn't sell because console gamers get a hard on for RTS, it sells because it's Halo and then they might go "oh wait, RTS ain't so bad!".

Well I liked Halo Wars personally, I wasn't having a dig. :D

Truth is though I've got a pretty bad experience with RTS games because.. I played C&C back when people were still eating with their hands, and since then the genre has just totally left me in the dust. I can't care about any of the ludicrous Red Alert stories or the tasteful use of Tricia Helfer enough to penetrate that wall (or get a PC that doesn't frown at the mere notion of gaming) so for me the Halo universe was a great way to invest in an RTS, finally.

And that's kind of the thinking that Nintendo applies often I imagine. I mean, you have an idea that nobody believes in that IS a sound idea, and how do you present that in a way that makes people take notice? That's the challenge third parties always have to face, and that's something I also imagine holds back their *really* crazy ideas. You always have to put things in a wrapping that makes people pay attention.

Also, Nintendo are in a unique position of having very flexible franchises where the application of elements just makes sense. Look at something like Mario Sunshine and pay attention to where that drops the ball. These rediculous moomin characters with hula skirts, the water spraying thingy on Mario's back. Squirty or whatever its name was. Now compare that to using a green shell for diving gear in Mario Galaxy and notice how that just clicks.

That's what's so great about being able to exploit franchises in this way. You get free nostalgia points and you get a palpable sense of coherency that anyone will pick up on.

Of course if the game sucks then that's a bummer, but A) nobody considers it part of THE Zelda games anyway, and B) given Nintendo's almost nazi germany like quality control of their main IP titles, it's unlikely to suck.

Thing is, the only reason we're even talking about the game right now is because it's Zelda branded. If it was just "Legend of Completely Unrelatable Characters: Spirit Tracks" we would be SO thinking of something entirely different. Like ice cream, which I'm about to go fetch from the fridge. Yes sir.

@ Plumb

DSiWare sounds genuinely exciting. I didn't think they'd push it as hard as is evident from GDC, so I expect that to be the main selling point.If you're likening the surface, characters and look of a game to the TASTE OF FOOD I can't even begin to tell you how much I disagree. If anything, no Mario games taste anywhere near as similar as sequels normally do. In fact, there are comparable strides taken between the first and latest Mario games and the first and latest first person shooter of ANY series. If not greater ones.

As a gamer who actually first and foremost cares about how games FEEL TO PLAY I will never ever get how people consider Dark Sector and Gears of War different but two Mario games "the same thing over and over". Let alone when you count something like Mario Tennis as "the same thing" as other Mario IP.

Also I don't understand why the spinoffs get such a bad rap. Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Kart, Mario Strikers, Super Smash Bros... those games are great! It's like... because tennis sounds like a boring thing people seem to assume those games are bad.. or.. I dunno. I'm really just kinda tired of the canned Nintendo attitude at this point.

Probably not, but what would that indicate though? That they're bad or uninteresting games?

Because that's kind of what I don't agree with, and I realise that it's easier to convince people otherwise if you have a loveable skin put on something than create some new guys for a tennis game that we have no relation to whatsoever.

I don't even like Mario that much. I'm not as invested in that "universe" as I think most people are even, because the only three Mario games I've ever owned are SMB1 for NES, Mario Sunshine and Galaxy. Pretty crazy when you think about it.

Thing is though, videogames based on tennis are fun, I really think so. Tennis as a sport bores me stiff. If you marry the inherent playability of a tennis game with characters that are loveable you get something really worthwhile for people who just like videogames. That's why I reckon it pays off in the end to - as you say - plaster Mario over everything. I don't necessarily think it's a greed thing, it's just a really effective way of inviting people that normally wouldn't look twice at the genre but actually would very much enjoy it.

I wish there were more Sega projects like that because that's where my heart lies. I enjoy Superstars Tennis immensly even though it's not really as good as Mario Tennis taken purely on its tennis game merits, and I'm having regular go's at Mario & Sonic with my two nephews. It's essentially Athlete Kings (which DID have loveable characters I should probably admit) but with Sonic and Mario dudes.

So, yeah.

It figures though because I actually miss the days of the mascots. :)

I am not one to condemn other people's tastes. The sheer notion of wishing something didn't exist because I don't like it is one I find worthy of hate and banishment from all nearby civilization because for someone else, that thing may be the reason they're in this lovely videogaming mess.

However, the plethora of infants in grown up clothes Crystal Chronicles games Square have been putting out have only served one really bad purpose in my mind; pushing The Crystal Bearers farther away from me.

Now, finally, when Echoes of Time is properly out of the range of confusing "wait so what this isn't the same game?" scenarios, The Crystal Bearers is moving into view!

Whether it's actually any good is anybody's guess of course but I really like the look of it.

They've got sequels to that coming out of their noses though. All of the DS ones are sequels to that.

This actually seems like a proper RPG, and last I heard it does support co-op play.


Oh and Nintendo Power apparently revealed the Silent Hill 1 remake for Wii. Shattered Memories it's called and there *ahem* are means of getting to.. see it... on... online... erhm... Anyway, I actually didn't think it was real. But WOO! The first game is a bit rough these days and a remake of that is easily on RE Gamecube remake levels of interesting. It looks great!

http://www.gamekyo.com/images0_4_30658.html

And while we're at it, Tales of Graces scan. Doesn't really look like much at this point but hey.

I'm sure official pics of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories will appear shortly.

EDIT: Dammit I should really round up news then post, I wouldn't have to deal with disappearing edit buttons.


Oboro Muramasa (Wii, Marvelous): 9 / 9 / 8 / 8 - (34/40), I hope I'll like this one more than Odin Sphere because god it's breathtaking.

Here are a few details from the article:I am psyched! :O

I've been silently watching that ever since it was announced along with Bayonetta and MadWorld. It's been.. silently watching me back really because I've heard basically nothing about it.

Apparently Shattered Memories will also come out for PSP and *drumroll* PS2!

My dream is coming true, we're seeing a DS like effect with the last generation, where it seems to stick around as a portal back to simpler, less assets heavy times, perfect for developers who can't realistically make NEXT GEN games on the level required.

This is what I hoped the Wii would be, and it seems I'm getting that, plus more! :O

You're getting purchase advice from a guy whose schtick is to slag off games? Do you also take relationship advice from Dane Cook? :O