Good review. If I only had the cash to pick it up this afternoon...
8.9 is pretty solid. We're in a nice 2D renaissance right now. I'd love to get Muramasa, but I just don't have the cash for it.
TW10 is the best golf sim ever released. I have NO idea how people can complain about a lack of core games when ones like TW10 are released -- and sell well on Wii.
The third party games that actually have some effort put into them seem to sell decently. Even a game like NMH sold well enough to warrant a sequel.
(The exception to this is MadWorld, but it's a very, very short game with a niche style in a niche genre.)
They got a marketing push, but how much was from the publisher vs. the console maker?
MadWorld and Conduit both got TV ads (which is kinda rare for games, on the whole), but I would think that's more Sega paying for it than Nintendo. Likewise, I'd think the TV ads for other games would come more from the publisher than the console maker, but I could certainly be way off base.
iiprotocolii -- I don't think you can blame all marketing on the maker of the console. It's not like Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft have the resources to promote other publisher's games to the fullest extent. You will never see another title on a Microsoft console get a media push like Halo. Never.
It's funny you mention FPS controls...because after playing Corruption on Wii, there was no going back to dual analog for FPS. I still prefer a regular controller for games like Madde...
I was in agreement with the author until he got to mentioning Sega's titles.
HotD:Overkill and Conduit turned a profit. Sega said they were happy with them. Sorry folks, not all good games sell like Mario or Halo -- Ico, Pscyhonauts and Okami come to mind from the PS2.
...speaking of Okami, that brings us to the ex-Clover, current Platinum game folks. MadWorld didn't sell well, but neither did Okami.
And MadWorld is a 6-hour long, black and white, old-school...
It's honestly my favorite Zelda. I had been a lapsed LoZ player (I was addicted to GTA last gen), so perhaps that's the reason I hold the game in higher regard than others do.
But it IS the best-looking "realistic Zelda," it's got the biggest world to explore, the art direction is fantastic, and it has one of the best (if not the best) plots in the series...which ties in with having the best secondary character the franchise has seen, too.
No Zelda will ev...
First day purchase.
The beam katana charge meter is full of win.
Dual wielding looks awesome.
The beam katana charge gauge? Epic win.
The 8-bit games as a stand-in for the odd jobs is going to be fantastic. Stroke of genius on Suda's part.
Better graphics, deeper combat, same "WTF?!" style of plot, a lot more boss battles, better enemy AI...this game is filled to the brim with win.
The only thing I'm worried about is the open world/sandbox aspect of the game.
Yes it is. Totally fits in with the 8-bit aesthetic from the first game. I'm actually going to be excited for the sidejob stuff now.
That said...I'm a bit worried about the open world/sandbox aspect. It was actually kinda funny in the first game (a sort of parody of GTA-inspired clones), but I don't want a ton of pop-in and ridiculously bad collision detection again, and they're not showing off any footage of cruising around Santa Destroy.
I'm with Mastiff. GOW is absolutely badass. Sure, I prefer NMH (there just isn't anything else like it), but there's enough room for everyone.
Online hackers/cheaters top my list.
I play Conduit less and less because of the people who have the remarkable ability to absorb 8 head shots, and then kill you with one.
The version at Gamescom, and where the screen shots have been coming from, was a pre-beta version.
http://nintendonow.e-mpire....
Of COURSE the "general consensus" of the graphics hasn't been too positive. Look at the what build it's coming from. Duh. Great "gaming journalism" to not even be able to find a piece of info that's easily f...
jleack -- I have a Wii, too. And it's definitely MORE capable than the 'Cube. I don't know what games you are playing, amigo. Metroid Prime 3 looks fantastic with better detail and lighting than the the first two in the trilogy (don't get me wrong, the art direction has always been brilliant, but Corruption is easily the best looking title in the series thus far). Super Mario Galaxy looks better than anything the GC had (it is one of the only Wii games that truly looks like it belongs in ...
"Why would any Wii owner want to get this game when it is still going to be better on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360? Or who is really going to spend time in this game, when Modern Warfare 2 is out? The graphics on this port will obviously be vastly inferior to those of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. The online play will be shallow in comparison to its other versions, and there will probably be no split screen multiplayer."
Ummm...because fully customizable IR/poi...
A brand new console 2D Mario Bros. is worth the price of admission before even considering the 4-player, IMO.
We're in a sort of console 2D renaissance, and I couldn't be happier. In addition to this, Nintendo has already released Paper Mario and Wario Land. Muramasa will be on shelves soon, too. It's cool to see the classic formulas get upgraded.
Of course they're "sticking by" their mature releases -- HotD: Overkill and Conduit have sold well enough to turn a profit (sorry, folks, not every game can sell like Halo or Mario). There's room to build there.
MadWorld is floating around 250,000 sales (sadly, the Platinum/Clover guys have a habit of making games that sell this way; hopefully they break through with Bayonetta). It may eventually be profitable, but someone should tell Hayes that a 6-hour-long, black &...
Just read the IGN review of Muramasa, and it seems Vanillaware IS getting a little bit of first-party help with the game's launch:
http://wii.ign.com/articles...