Dcubed

Well I'm up to chapter 10 and here are my thoughts so far. I don't really find myself caring about the story or the characters at all (though I do like Syrenne. God bless her drunken, unwashed soul ), but the set pieces are interesting enough to provide motivation to carry on. The battle system really is the meat and potatoes of this game and I'm enjoying the game enough so far, but I do have to say that the game is far too easy for its own good. Having the Lives seems like a huge mistake to me as it's almost impossible to die! I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the online mode because there's a lot of depth to the battle system that isn't really being explored in the game itself, outside of boss battles (though again, they're far too easy) For those wondering, there's basically no exploration at all (thus far anyway). It's ultra linear, but it has provided enough variety in gameplay to keep things interesting so far (the Shenmue 2 style chase sequence in particular was fun!) As far as the visuals go, I actually expected a lot more slowdown based of of everyone's comments. It's not that bad at all! (yeah there's a bit of slowdown here and there, but it's not too bad. Much closer to say MGS3 than Perfect Dark!) Edit: Ok just got to the forest chapter and the framerate was pretty shittastic but it was not too bad before then Visuals are pretty stunning in places, with globs of effects that you wouldn't think possible on Wii (GODRAYS!, THAT LIGHTING!) though it has that same weird effect as in RE Mercenaries 3D where NPCs in the distance lose frames of animation. It's a bit uneven, but when it shines it's one of the Wii's very best looking games and could easily be mistaken for a PS360 title (it's just a shame that those various issues drag it down) I'm not overly impressed with the soundtrack so far (save for a couple of tunes, particularly the online lobby music!) but the localisation is excellent. British as fuck and fits the game perfectly! It's an interesting take on the RPG that is the polar opposite of Xenoblade in many respects. While it doesn't come close to that masterpiece of a game, it's still one of the most enjoyable JRPGs I've played this gen so far (though I suppose that's not saying a lot in the grand scheme of things). Either way, much better than Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssee so far - despite its flaws.

OMG LOL! The multiplayer lets you select any piece of dialogue from the game as a message (and I do mean ANY piece of dialogue!) You can even have your character speak someone else's dialogue! The amount of hilarious exchanges this will cause! I have Zael's opening dialogue as "mmmm, What a lovely smell". Yep, I'm gonna enjoy this

Err, you do know that you can just pay the outstanding amount right? All you have to do is press Purchase Software, select Add Funds when it tells you to and select Required Amount Only. There! No more pesky pennies left over!

Heh, I didn't even know you added me! I sent some Mon Hun stationary to make up for it!

Haha! Looks like I unjinxed it I'm really enjoying it so far (and I hate Tower Defence games!), I posted my impressions (after beating the first stage) in the Rolling Western topic http://www.n-europeforums.com/showthread.php?p=1427748#post1427748

Alright! So I've got it and I've saved the first town. So far, loving it! For the record, I hate Tower Defence games with a passion; nothing puts me to sleep faster than a TD game (Sorry Plants Vs Zombies & Starship Defence). This takes a different approach and is really an action game with light TD elements; never will you find yourself just sitting around watching the game play itself, you're always running around fighting and doing stuff. So if you don't like the Tower Defence genre (like me), this game was made for you. Now, onto the nitty gritty stuff. The controls feel great, EAD never disappoint in this regard and this game is no exception. It's fast, it's responsive, it's multi faceted and fun. Circle Pad is used to move, touch screen is used to roll (the length of your pull back strokes determines how fast Dillon rolls) and the L button is used for other actions. Unfortunately it doesn't support the CPP for left handed controls, but it doesn't require extreme accuracy with the stylus (it's mostly tapping and flicking controls, so if you can handle Rhythm Heaven DS with your right hand, you can play this game) The maps are also interesting and brimming with secrets for you to scout out and find, such as items, secret caves and mines (which change position every day and end up being your main source of income) but the TD nature of the game brings in an element of time management so you can't necessarily search the whole place in time (fans of Majora's Mask will get a kick out of this!) The actual bottom screen map is cleverly done too. There's a "Fog of War" element involved (think Advance Wars) where parts of the map are greyed out until you build your tower, so enemies outside of your tower's field of view are rendered invisible (of course, if your towers get destroyed, you lose sight of the enemy!) The game is split up into stages. Each stage has you defending a town for 3 days (each day features enemies more difficult than the last and the mines change position each day); after each day, you can save your game in progress (quitting back to the world map or title screen will undo all of your save progress during that 3 days stint though - Majora's Mask anyone?) Combat is fairly simple so far, but promises quite a bit with lots of enemy types and more moves and abilities made available later on. There's also additional items and upgrades that you can buy and find for Dillon as well (hi Zelda!) but unlike most Zelda games, money is hard to come by - you really need to spend wisely since you have to spend money on towers, items/equipment and the town's defences! (that's where Vanpool's Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland influence can be seen!) You also have additional optional quests with an interesting risk/reward mechanic (you can choose to take on optional quests during your 3 day stint, things such as defeating certain numbers of enemies or finding lost items hidden on the map. If you succeed you get rewarded with money, but failure to complete a quest during those 3 days will actually cost you money - so there's a bit of a gambling element involved!) Speaking of Zelda, the presentation is VERY Zelda esc (specifically Spirit Tracks). The music and visuals will instantly remind you of that game. Graphics aren't the most advanced on the 3DS but they're clean, stylish and good looking. Framerate is kinda low on the prairie map, but rock solid and never slows down throughout. If there's any complaint to be had so far it's that it kind of just throws you into the deep end and doesn't really explain everything (oh how ironic, considering how the Zelda games get blasted for being too handholdy!), the fog of war map stuff isn't really explained and neither is the fact that you have to visit the enemy spawn points, before they'll appear on the map! So TLDR, the game's great so far and Dillon is a badass! (instant Smash Bros Material )

BTW, to all those who got the Mon Hun stationary from me; you're welcome

Where's our message!? Japan gets Iwata, US gets Reggie, EU gets ???? Hell I'd even accept a message from Nikki! How am I supposed to know to go view this video where they announce Shenmue 3 for 3DS/Wii U and the western version of Fire Emblem Awakening and Monster Hunter 3G? (with online play added ) I think most people have decided to go with NiN (Nine Inch Nails be damned!)

You missed the most important part!!! Nintendo are bringing back 3rd party franchises themselves! Yes, that means that a Nintendo developed Shenmue 3 is entirely possible! That probably explains the Sonic Dimensions rumour (a Wii U exclusive Sonic game being co-developed by EAD Tokyo). I reckon that we might see Jet Set Radio as well. Headstrong Games (Art Academy, House of the Dead Overkill) supposedly pitched a JSR game for Wii that ended up getting rejected. Considering that Art Academy came out in 2010 it might even end up being a launch title for Wii U! Now if only they'd buy back Rare's IP and get all the old Rareware staff back together...

Thanks a lot Redshell, you went and jinxed it WTF is wrong with NOE?! Why the hell would you advertise it's release this week if it wasn't going to happen?! I suppose it's possible that they could've found a last minute bug or something like that, but that's no excuse for not releasing something else! (you know, it's not as if you couldn't release VVVVVVV, Sakura Samurai, Mutant Mudds or even a VC game...)

So you reckon it'll be something that is still within the confines of Gen 5, but not Pokemon Grey? That's a distinct possibility, especially considering that there's a certain new home console coming out this year that is in need of a Pokemon Stadium style game... Though of course I'm still hoping for TCG AR 3DS (or NFC Wii U) edition! (and we're also long overdue for a new Pokemon Pinball game!) Or, here's a bit of a crazy idea, a standalone RPG in Unova. Sort of like Pokemon XD (with completely different rules/mechanics than the main series!) I still think it'll be 2013 rather than 2014 for Gen 6 though. 5 years in the making is way too much (not even Zelda takes that long!) Super Late Edit: I may have to eat my words if this turns out to be true... http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=463827 Could be nothing, could be something completely different (hello Poke Park 2!), but either way I'm gonna look stupid! :p If it is true, it's possible that it could still be a DSi only game (that would open up the SD Card slot for use in the game, allowing for new possibilities with the Dream World & DLC and would still require DS only owners to buy a 3DS, ALA Pokemon Crystal with the GBA!) if it's releasing sometime near April/May, so I can still save some face

The problem is not compatibility but rather the fact that a 3DS port of Grey would significantly take away from the impact of a true 3DS sequel (since it would already pioneer the inevitable streetpass/spotpass/online feature set and a graphical upgrade - making Gen 6 much less special in that regard) Plus, historically speaking, each enhanced release has always gone one step up in terms of hardware spec (R/B = Original GB, Y = GBC enhanced - G/S = GBC enhanced, C = GBC only); so going by history it should be DSi only but that is becoming more unlikely by the day. If Grey was moved to the 3DS, people would expect a generational jump in accordance with a new Pokemon gen. Anything less would be disappointing (but would also take away from the impact of Gen 6). Skipping Grey altogether gives them more time to work on Gen 6, allows them to release it earlier (2013 isn't early. It's 2 years after the 3DS launch, placing it roughly in line with past Pokemon releases; and 4 years is plenty of dev time, even accounting for GF relearning how to make the wheel. 2014 would actually be very late by series standards) and allows for Gen 6 to have it's full impact. There's plenty of potential spinoffs that they could release this year (Pokemon TCG AR anyone?) that would help make up for the lack of Grey this year. Who's to say that they absolutely have to make a 3rd version this time around? The circumstances have changed significantly. Of course there's always the possibility that Game Freak might be co-developing Gen 6 or Grey with an outside developer (a practice that has now become Nintendo's standard MO and could change people's expectations significantly), in which case all bets are off!

At this point, Grey does seem a bit too late to be likely to happen. If it was released in April in Japan (best case scenario) we'd be looking at a September-November release in the west at best. That would mean that we probably wouldn't see a Gen 6 game (or R/S/E remake) until late 2013 at best (and that's not even taking into account the no doubt much longer dev cycle it'll now have thanks to the shift to 3DS development, which requires them to dump all of their DS/GBA dev knowhow and start from scratch; that alone could push it into mid/late 2014) That's a really long time to wait! I reckon that they might have just skipped Grey and moved onto Gen 6 (and I don't see them remaking R/S/E before making a new 3DS game first. Series history be damned) Unlike with the GBA to DS jump, they can't just reuse code and old ways of programming. It's a seismic shift for them. Even Nintendo's EAD studios have struggled with the jump (all of their 3DS games with the sole exception of Nintendogs + Cats have been co-developed with outside studios) and they have far more experience with 3D moddeling and modern ways of programming.

They have done so before with the Trauma Center games (they were published by NOE), but that's a rarity. You'd think that they'd get the hint by now with how much they've had to struggle to get their games released in the EU.

SHIT! Turns out that it was just a translation error on part of Gamasutra. SEGA will only be publishing in Japan. I don't know whether to be angry laugh or just cry What a kick to the nuts

Ghostlight were probably too small to be considered. I would've thought that they'd pick Rising Star Games myself. Maybe there's a smidgen of a chance that they might release Trauma Team in Europe after all? NOE still has a decent lineup scheduled for the Wii and TT would slot in quite neatly at around August/September! (It would be a tragedy not to. It's one of the Wii's very best games!) It's probably too late for Radiant Historia or the Etrian Odyssee games though. Still, at least they're sure fire candidates for an eventual VC release now!

And it's SEGA! (Edit: Turns out it's a translation error. It's not happening ) http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/40373/Sega_to_distribute_Atlus_games_from_April.php The last reason to import a US 3DS has fallen! Bring on Devil Survivor Overclocked! Oh happy days, rejoice!

Probably because most soldiers aim with one eye closed in real life. Whenever I aim in real life (no, not for shooting! For throwing stuff ) I always close one eye because it's easier to aim that way. In OoT 3D and Revelations (1st person mode) I often find myself closing one eye when aiming, purely by instinct. They probably wanted to replicate that ingame (it can't be for technical reasons because the 2D mode just blends the two S3D images to do super sampling anti aliasing. Framerate is exactly the same in either mode) IMO that's a bad idea because most people won't understand why this is being done. They would make a much stronger point if they left it until Snake gets his eyepatch (hell, why not make the eyepatch an unlockable item once you finish the game? That would be cool!)

Tried the demo, not impressed. For those wondering, yes the CPPro does improve the experience immensely (without hesitation, I'd say that it's the intended way to play), but the technical issues really drag the game down immensely. The frame rate is piss poor (20FPS average, single digits in cutscenes) and the draw distance for the grass is pathetic (it's more like a poorly trimmed garden than a jungle ). After playing the Naked Sample and Resident Evil Revelations, it's just pathetic. As for the 3D, outside of the intro cutscene (that gun turning shot!), it isn't really very impressive. There's some clever usage in certain places (turning off 3D when aiming in 1st person, since Snake aims with one eye and turning it off at the bridge when the gyro is used), but it feels jarring to have it suddenly disappear. Would've been better if it just kept 3D on until you. know. what. happens to Snake and he gets his eye patch. Also, while the CPPro does massively improve the controls, for some bizzare reason, the FPS aiming is very slippery and I find myself overshooting the target frequently. It's not the CPP's fault (camera controls are perfectly responsive and are just as good as the PS2 Subsistence original), it's just the way the game has been programmed. Crouch walking is much appreciated though (as are the CQC d-pad options with CPPro); the touch screen menu is a bit of a mess though, why the hell does everything require 2 clicks?! and why is the survival viewer still on a separate screen (complete with the same annoying loading pause as the PS2 version). Complete missed opportunity. Even if these issues weren't present, this would be a tough sell. No online play and no extra features, outside of (fairly mediocre) 3D, in the face of the HD collection (or my already owned PS2 copy) makes for poor value. The technical and control issues make it a definate no buy though.

Nah, not a Tekken fan. I much prefer Soul Calibur!

Agreed. This guy gets it. That was the reason why rubber banding and the items were invented with the original Mario Kart in the first place (even Miyamoto himself admitted as much in an old interview). They're equalisers that are designed to keep races interesting. For those that don't want that in place, that's what time trials are for.

Europe's release list is up. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/02/nintendo_download_9th_february_2012_europe Wii Virtual Console (Hooray!) The King of Fighters '97 (Neo Geo, D4 Enterprise, 900pts) 3DS Virtual Console Kirby's Block Ball (Game Boy, Nintendo, £2.70/€3) - Always wanted to play this, will buy WiiWare BurgerTime World Tour (Monkeypaw Games, 1000pts) 3DS Demo CRUSH3D (SEGA, free) DSiWare Crazy Cheebo: Puzzle Party Gaia's Moon (EnjoyUp Games, 200pts) Still no Mutant Mudds, Sakura Samurai or VVVVVVV

Really? Maybe they only showed the good looking bits in that trailer then But either way, 2D to 3D conversion of film is typically crap though.

Woah! Holy shit, no coins?! That's madness! I like the sound of those extra Bowser spaces at the end of the game Nothing beats winning by complete bullshit deus ex machina! All in all, it sounds good. I've had a good vibe about this one ever since it was announced. Seems like it could be the best Mario Party since the N64 ones!

In many ways, Uprising is actually a logical sequel to the NES Kid Icarus. The original game was the first real genre bender, combining elements of just about every major Nintendo series (Vertical stages = Ice Climbers & Metroid, Side Scrolling platforming stages = Mario, Dungeons = Zelda & Metroid etc) into one big great melting pot. So naturally, a sequel (I'm ignoring Of Myths and Monsters in this circumstance, which was basically a "more of the same" deal) would also blend wildly varying types of genres together - which is where we get Sin & Punishment meets Metroid Prime Hunters meets Super Smash Bros! It also continues the trend of having a unique difficulty curve, since it is completely user adjustable!