Wii U VC

[Serebii]

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Boom

[Ronnie]

That deserves far more than 1 Yeah!

[Serebii]

Mario Kart Super Circuit this week

[Dcubed]

Another game the heavily suffers from a lack of multiplayer, but hey! A good game is a good game!

[Ike]

Feels a bit soon considering we just got MKDS. Guess they want to build hype/cash in the DLC?

[S.C.G]

Wii U VC Releases for 23/04/15

 

Mario Kart Super Circuit (Nintendo, €6.99 / £6.29)

 

Previously an ambassador title on the 3DS, now it becomes a fully fledged VC title with all the digital trimmings! It's also one of the most charming entries of Mario Kart that I've personally ever had the pleasure of playing, lest we forget it has provided us with some amazing tracks which have now been elevated to even higher status thanks to the upcoming Mario Kart 8 dlc; it may look a little frayed around the edges now but why not see where Ribbon Road really begins before enjoying the new lavishly embellished version which is sure to become a future classic.

 

Street Gangs (Nintendo, €4.99 / £3.49)

 

Also available on the 3DS around just under two years ago, this title which is perhaps better known by its original name of River City Ransom, is a classic NES scrolling beat 'em up within the Kunio-Kun series which incorporates RPG lite elements in order to further diversify its appeal. Certainly an entertaining game even by today's standards it hasn't really aged a great deal with its striking visual charm shining through to this very day; it's also fantastic to play especially in two-player mode.

 

Look out for reviews of these titles which will be available in VCW #339 in the near future.

 

Meanwhile please look forward to VCW #335 which will contain a review of Metroid: Zero Mission and will be available soon.

[Andyliini]

I always found it funny, that Street Gangs uses the same character models as Nintendo World Cup. What I find strange is even though the game is supposed to be the USA-version of the game, it uses the European name.

 

Dunno if this is the first time.

[Serebii]

Just finished Super Mario 64 completely. Decent game still, but the controls have certainly not aged well

[Sheikah]

How do you mean? The controls are the archetype for pretty much every 3D Mario game since then, no? IMO the controls in Mario 64 are excellent. Unless you mean the way the buttons have been mapped not being a good match for more modern controllers?

 

Also you so did not just call it a "decent" game.

[Serebii]

How do you mean? The controls are the archetype for pretty much every 3D Mario game since then, no? IMO the controls in Mario 64 are excellent. Unless you mean the way the buttons have been mapped not being a good match for more modern controllers?

 

Also you so did not just call it a "decent" game.

No. The controls are sluggish, the collision detection in the game is horrible which makes the controls horrible. Often you can't just turn around but have to do a full circle to get it. It's a bit ridiculous.

 

Take your nostalgia goggles off.

[Cube]

How long do we have to wait for Wario Ware: Twisted?

[Sheikah]

No. The controls are sluggish, the collision detection in the game is horrible which makes the controls horrible. Often you can't just turn around but have to do a full circle to get it. It's a bit ridiculous.

 

Take your nostalgia goggles off.

 

The controls of that game are legendary. Not sure what you're talking about to be honest. Maybe you just suck at the game?

[Serebii]

The controls of that game are legendary. Not sure what you're talking about to be honest. Maybe you just suck at the game?

When was the last time you played the game? It has so many issues. So many collision issues, horrific turning issues, horrific jumping issues at times.

 

It revolutionised gaming...I'm not saying otherwise, and Sunshine, Galaxy & 3D World took what it had and improved it drastically, but let's not pretend that Mario 64's controls are top notch in this day and age

[Sheikah]

Guess what else has 'collision issues' if you suck? Mario Kart! Feel free to extend this joke to any game requiring one to 'git gud'.

[Glen-i]

No, I have to agree with @Serebii. I just finished it on the WiiU VC about a week ago.

There were times when I felt like I messed up through no fault of my own.

And don't even get me started on how much of a struggle it is to aim cannons and fly with the wing cap.

 

I think the game is more than just decent though. It's still a lot of fun! But the controls are far from "Legendary"

 

EDIT: Actually, it's quite rare for an N64 game's controls to age worse than it's graphics, isn't it? The visuals have a lovely little charm to it.

[Serebii]

Guess what else has 'collision issues' if you suck? Mario Kart! Feel free to extend this joke to any game requiring one to 'git gud'.

I have 100%'d this game countless times in my years. It's not me just playing it for the first time here...I am good at games, very good at games. It is all I bloody do.

 

The controls in this game don't hold up a lot of the time...it's a fact. Accept it and move on.

[Sheikah]

No, I have to agree with @Serebii. I just finished it on the WiiU VC about a week ago.

There were times when I felt like I messed up through no fault of my own.

And don't even get me started on how much of a struggle it is to aim cannons and fly with the wing cap.

 

I think the game is more than just decent though. It's still a lot of fun! But the controls are far from "Legendary"

 

EDIT: Actually, it's quite rare for an N64 game's controls to age worse than it's graphics, isn't it? The visuals have a lovely little charm to it.

 

IMO, the controls in the game let you place your character exactly where you want him to be (maybe flying aside, but I always felt that that was supposed to be tricky). The flying example isn't so much an example of how the game has aged, anyway, since it was tricky back then too. With this game, let's not forget Mario's moveset went from pretty much just running and jumping to the basic jumps plus sliding, triple jumping, wall jumping, backflips and long jumps.

 

I'm not going to argue for one second that the controls have not been polished with successive sequels but the game was and still is a masterclass on how to design a character that feels good to control. And more importantly...the controls haven't even changed that much. Mario still controls mostly the same in 3D games as he did in Mario 64. That's one of the main reasons I'd argue that the game still feels good to control, because you pretty much know where you are with it.

 

I read an article on Eurogamer recently that discussed what makes Mario 64 a timeless classic and it reminded me of how much work went into making Mario feel great to control. It's really astounding how much work went into it, and that's why it still feels great to play today. For me, at least:

 

But myth exists for a reason, and there's often truth behind it. Super Mario 64 was made by around 15 people, including Shigeru Miyamoto, and one of the most oft-told stories is that in the opening stretch of development all that existed was a moving cuboid, which soon enough was animated and became Mario - more or less as he is in the final product. Depending on which source you read, Miyamoto spent months and months just playing with this character in an open space, or a garden, or early level prototypes, with nothing else to do but move. Soon there were various objects Mario could pick up and throw around, and soon there was a rabbit - nicknamed MIPS after the N64's CPU. Miyamoto obsessed over catching the rabbit, using the feel of the chase to fine-tune controls that had already been fine-tuned countless times before.

 

Accept it and move on.

 

I'll never accept the gibberish output of your scrambled egg brain!

Edited April 21, 2015 by Sheikah
Automerged Doublepost

[Glen-i]

I am not for one second claiming that Mario doesn't feel fun to control. And of course I appreciate the massive amount of work that went into making that happen.

 

But there are some things that aren't as great. I already mentioned the flying and cannon controls, but Wall Jumping is also extremely finicky to pull off.

Dorrie springs to mind as well, but that's just one small section.

And I know it was their first proper 3D game, but the camera can be awkward at times.

 

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I couldn't get it unstuck until I got the star! Luckily, that boss isn't difficult.

[S.C.G]

I have to admit that while the controls are completely fine for when the game was first introduced, for some reason they only partially translate to the analogue sticks of today, perhaps it's because the newer control sticks are more sensitive.

 

Moving forward is fine, either very slowly or at speed yet when you wish to run forward then pull the stick back suddenly backward to attempt a side-jump or flip I found myself trying this several times.

 

All of Mario's moves I could perform with ease on the original N64 control pad, after playing Super Mario 64 for a week on the Wii U VC I certainly adapted and so would end up performing most of the moves on command but there was definitely some relearning involved due to technical differences in the controllers I would have thought plus... it had been a while.

 

The controls have certainly seen better days, yet they are still functional with a little bit of practice, as for collision detection, there were definitely a few instances of jumping into 'invisible walls' which shouldn't have been there - as opposed to the ones that should be there like the Peach portrait changing into Bowser before you fall into the trap - in addition to some instances of Mario sticking to the wall which he is supposed to do but it takes a bit more effort to tear him away from those flat surfaces, almost like how a plush character would stick to Velcro. :p

 

Still a classic game, but it's not one without small issues which don't stop it from being enjoyable yet they will cause a few 'Mama Mia!' moments, even so though... that's what the restore points are for. : peace:

[Goron_3]

Just finished Super Mario 64 completely. Decent game still, but the controls have certainly not aged well

 

I dunno, the movement options in the game are simply stunning. The only disappointment is the lack of horizontal freedom given to the player once they've made a jump.

 

It's crazy how they nailed the momentum in the game, with the use of moves like the sideflip and belly flop (the one where you hit B on your way down to throw Mario forward). Sunshine of course took that to another level because its levels were even bigger.

 

I recently watched the MatthewMatosis critical review of this game and it's given me the itch to download the game.Probably the best review you'll ever watch : peace:

 

[Serebii]

IMO, the controls in the game let you place your character exactly where you want him to be (maybe flying aside, but I always felt that that was supposed to be tricky). The flying example isn't so much an example of how the game has aged, anyway, since it was tricky back then too. With this game, let's not forget Mario's moveset went from pretty much just running and jumping to the basic jumps plus sliding, triple jumping, wall jumping, backflips and long jumps.

 

I'm not going to argue for one second that the controls have not been polished with successive sequels but the game was and still is a masterclass on how to design a character that feels good to control. And more importantly...the controls haven't even changed that much. Mario still controls mostly the same in 3D games as he did in Mario 64. That's one of the main reasons I'd argue that the game still feels good to control, because you pretty much know where you are with it.

 

I read an article on Eurogamer recently that discussed what makes Mario 64 a timeless classic and it reminded me of how much work went into making Mario feel great to control. It's really astounding how much work went into it, and that's why it still feels great to play today. For me, at least:

 

 

 

 

 

I'll never accept the gibberish output of your scrambled egg brain!

Yes, they did that...FOR THE TIME. Nowadays, it's not as precise as other games. As I said before, they haven't aged well. You have times where you're trying to have Mario turn round, but it won't work so he has to go in a circle. I have had times where Mario wouldn't fall off a ledge, would just climb up and down and up and down, or be on the edge and be hopping like crazy. So many times when you try to walljump, but Mario just hits the wall and falls backwards and so forth

 

I'm not saying it's not a masterpiece, all I'm saying is that the controls haven't aged well

Edited April 21, 2015 by Serebii

[Goron_3]

I honestly prefer the wall jumping mechanic in Super Mario 64 because the input window isn't as dumbed down as in the more recent games. It reminds me of Super Metroid actually, except in Super Metroid there is an animation that Samus makes when she is able to perform a wall jump.

[Glen-i]

Still a classic game, but it's not one without small issues which don't stop it from being enjoyable yet they will cause a few 'Mama Mia!' moments, even so though... that's what the restore points are for. : peace:

 

 

Stop being such a wuss! You wussy wuss wuss!

[dazzybee]

I was surprised at how weird it felt, mario is fine, but the camera is awful to control now, mainly because it's not a fluid system, but also because you can't invert the axes. Barely played it though so I'll dive in more and see how he feels.

[Sheikah]

I get what you're saying Serebrah, I just don't particularly agree that this has aged the controls...considerably. The wall jumps in modern Mario games today, for instance, feel super easy to achieve, because you can slide until you literally drop off the platform. With that example I'd say it's more a design choice. In fact, the 3D Mario games have all seemed quite a bit easier since SM64 (you had the hoverpack AKA FLUDD in Sunshine, gravity in Galaxy, using a catsuit or tanuki costume to decimate levels in SM3DW...if anything, I'd say this game relies more on Mario himself and his moves than any of its 3D sequels). Also invisible walls were a very minor nuance of the game and generally speaking weren't even much of a problem.

 

Once again I'm not denying they haven't polished parts of the way Mario feels since but it still controls brilliantly and I wouldn't say his moves have aged badly at all. In terms of games of the past, SM64 still plays amazingly today. It'd be very near the top of a list of old games that still play well.

 

I was surprised at how weird it felt, mario is fine, but the camera is awful to control now, mainly because it's not a fluid system, but also because you can't invert the axes. Barely played it though so I'll dive in more and see how he feels.

 

Yeah, quarter turns of the camera are weird indeed in this day and age. I'd say that's definitely one of the ways you can tell this game isn't a spring chicken. Dem feelz to control Mario though, still there.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Sheikah
Automerged Doublepost