The Nintendo Wii: A Retrospective

As we come toward the new Nintendo system, the Wii U (which can't be uttered without a chuckle or two) - not to mention the 3DS - what can be said of its predecessor? Really, I can't think of more than ten games that were by any means phenomenal for it. Its most intriguing feature (which drove me to buy the system) was the Virtual Console. However, the PS3 and the XBox have similar functions, with arguably better and less outdated games.

The other feature, which grabbed the attention of the avant guard (for lack of a better term) of gamers is the Wii remote, which allowed a new kind of gaming altogether. But was this crux that ultimately saved or doomed the system? So few games were memorable. And yet the Wii had probably more success or at least the same as the XBox and the PS3.

For a comparison, let's look at the Gamecube. That system has a plethora of memorable games, and not just signature Nintendo ones, like Resident Evil 4, Skies of Arcadia, Tales of Symphonia, and so on. To be fair, the Wii had some non-Nintendo games that were good, but most were gimmicky and nuanced from normal game play. This includes but is not limited to Muramasa the Demon Blade (which I reviewed here), A Boy and his Blob (which I have heard is good) and Zack and Daxter. But the Gamecube, in my opinion, still rises above the Wii. This is because it is compatible with games that use a regular controller, allowing for more flexibility for game developers. The Wii remote almost seemed to hamper it.

As someone who owns a Wii, I am on the hunt of owning an XBox or PS3, for nothing less than owning those games that the Wii is not compatible with (Arkham Asylum, Castlevania Lords of Shadow, etc.). The gimmicky nature of the Wii doesn't enthrall me enough to want it as my only console. Sure, it has great Nintendo-made games, such as Metroid Prime, Metroid Other M, Fire Emblem, and especially Brawl, but it seems that the cons outweighed the pros in the end with the Wii. Maybe. I am, and will remain, a Nintendo fan, and the Wii will always have a special place in my heart. There are just times when I feel like I was cheated.

So as we look forward to a new system and new horizons, Nintendo fans take heart! It looks like, as usual, Nintendo is the leading force in the newest forms of gaming. Before the Ipad or the Ipod, there was the Nintendo DS. Before the Playstation or the Xbox, there was the NES. I guess we can't credit Nintendo for Pong, but it did come out with a trading card game long before computers were a part of regular life.

I don't think I will purchase a Wii U (giggles) straight away, but I look forward to seeing what Nintendo is coming out with, as always. Hopefully, I can beat all the Zelda games before the Skyward Sword comes out. Game on!

Fire Emblem Sword of Seals review

Fire Emblem: The Sword of Seals, one of the only six Fire Emblem games never to be released in America. It came out in Japan for GBA shortly before Smash Brothers Melee, time enough for the hero, Roy, to be a character in the fighting game. Should it have been released in America? Let's take a look.

Gameplay: Like all Fire Emblem titles, this one is a turned-based SRPG, where you control a number of units to move in certain patterns across a chessboard-like map, to either fight, wait, use magic, and so on. And also, if you lose a unit, it dies forever. That's a feature of Fire Emblem that probably no one likes, but it adds to the suspense of it. You feel a sense of accomplishment when you use a character for an extended period of time, change their class (which I will explain momentarily), and have them walk into the middle of the battlefield, knowing that they will annihilate any enemy they fight.

Like I said, the characters change class. If you have a certain item, you can change them from Mercenary (a sword user) into a Hero (for example), and their stats will go up from the change. There is also a weapon triangle, where swords best axes, axes best lances, and lances swords. I could go into greater depth, but it plays like any other Fire Emblem. The only real difference is that there is only one goal in each chapter, which is to capture the throne. This makes it somewhat monotonous, as in previous and later titles there are other goals (such as protecting the throne). 

Story: Ugh. The story is really boring in this one. You go through it, with boring political regimes being the focal point for the longest time. X is in cahoots with Y, and you must stop them from doing Z, and so on and so forth. I would just skip the story if I were you. The motive of the main villain is actually quite poignant, though. And a little nihilistic. You'll find out if you play the game.

Music: Typical Fire Emblem fair, here. Nothing too stimulating, and when the music that is stimulating plays, it only lasts for half a second. It's less impressive than the successor, Fire Emblem the Blazing Sword (which came in 2001, and was the first Fire Emblem in America). Really nothing much to talk about here.

Overall: Really, you should only play this game if you are a Fire Emblem fan. It's kind of tedious to get through it (especially without Gamefaqs, I couldn't have done it without). The only way to play it in English to download a ROM and find an English patch, or you can buy it imported, which would be insanely high (I think the one I found was like 140$). So should it have come out in America? Well, maybe, and I would say that of any Fire Emblem game. They will go down into history as some of the best SRPGs made, if not for their depth, then for their simplicity.

-EJ

Nuzlocke Update!

So I beat chuck. My team hasn't changed, except that I evolved my Quilava into Typhlosion and my Zubat fainted. Now I need to find a replacement for Zubat... I'm thinking Lickitung or Kangaskhan, but I can't catch Kanga in the Safari Zone for the life of me, and Lickitung (who I'd evolve into Lickilicky) is kinda... meh. I'll figure something out.

So far it's been pretty easy. The beginning was kind of tough with Morty and all, but I'm not expecting any real challenge until I get to Kanto, especially with Red (I have no idea how I'll beat him, but hopefully I can post my battle with him on here with a video, not making any promises). It's really fun to revisit this game again, but the Nuzlocke challenge really hasn't changed much, surprisingly. Maybe Leaf Green will be more difficult.

-EJ

30 Days: Day 1

Very Fisrt Video Game.

Neezo11: I'm pretty sure it was Super Mario Bros. 3. If not SMB3 than Ms. Pac-Man. But I'm darn sure it was Mario.

Bill:

Elliot:

Miner Tom:

This Week: TOP TEN LANDSCAPES

A landscape is integral to many games, but often it goes under-appreciated. This is a list of my top landscapes.

10-
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption



9-
Mass Effect



8-
Battlefield: Bad Company 2



7-
Modern Warfare 2



6-
The Dig




5-
Minecraft



4-
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare



3-
Fallout 3



2-
Final Fantasy XIII



1-
Halo: Reach




What are your top ten?
- Neezo11

Minecraft 1.7 is Out

Here's a nice video posted by Mojang, created by HaatFilms showing off the 1.7 update. There are some nasty bugs that will probably be fixed soon, so watch out for those.

Minecraft Breaking News!

Okay, so Notch announced yesterday that the 1.7 update will be broken up into two updates since they really want to push pistons out (pun intended) and have a lot of work to do on the adventure update. This means the adventure update will be in 1.8 rather than 1.7. But he released some cool new information about the adventure update and will be releasing more as time goes on. The most exciting information to me is the future addition of NPC villages. Once the adventure update drops Notch says it's going to change the way minecraft is played, adding reward to what you do normally in game. For more information about this split of 1.7 and the adventure update check out Notch's blog as well as the minecraft wiki that details what features have been split between 1.7 and 1.8.