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Rare Grabs Ghoulies For Microsoft, Gets Mixed Results
Thanks to 1UP for their review of Rare's first Xbox title, Grabbed By The Ghoulies, which has just shipped to stores following the company's acquisition by Microsoft last year. The reviewer is lukewarm at best on this swiftly-developed title, arguing it "...really is nothing but monster-punching and room-advancing", and lamenting that "...most of all, the game's short. Really short." While a recent hands-on preview at TotalVideoGames was much more positive, suggesting that "as far as we're concerned the criticism of 'Grabbed by the Ghoulies' has been a little harsh", IGN Xbox have now weighed in with a similarly ambivalent review, praising "some really great presentation", but ultimately suggesting "there aren't any landmark moments or climaxes to diversify the gameplay in any significant matter." So, which forthcoming Rare titles are you looking forward to?
I'll pass thanks. I can't wait for Perfect Dark: Zero though.
DO you guys get his name or not
Do you need a translation for the ghoulies bit and it's use in UK slang?
So, which forthcoming Rare titles are you looking forward to?
CONKER, CONKER, CONKER! (info)
I no longer have any doubt as to why Nintendo let Rare go.
In a very altruistic move, Nintendo allowed Rare to leave the fold so that it could develop on a different platform where its superior coding and game creation skills could shine. How could a masterpiece such as this ever be created for or presented on the GCN? Clearly, this blows Pikmin and Metroid Prime away.
Join me as I applaud Nintendo's fantastic business move in letting Rare develop for Microsoft. Draconian is so 1988...altruism seems to be the way of the future for Nintendo!
Taste the ass fucking.
I think Perfect Dark Zero will fit in the Xbox lineup perfectly. As for other titles, I hope they don't decide to put 500 blue things, 200 yellow things and 50 red things to find in each level. All that collecting nearly ruined some of their Nintendo 64 games, like the Banjo-Kazooie series, Jet Force Gemini, and of course Donkey Kong 64.
Rare has made some great stuff, but I want to see them do more with a 3D environment than hide a bunch of fucking coins or gems or dildos.
I'm on top of my game like I'm standin' on Xbox.
The game really sounds more like something from the 'Good old days' of Ulimate Play the Game (now Rare) - trapped in a small area, lots of bad guys to fight, using specific moves/equipment/order to kill the monsters. Like JetPac or Psst! (damn that game was hard).
Can someone explain to me Rare's appeal? Yes, they made a good first-person shooter (FPS) for the N64. We all know that no matter how good a console FPS is, they pale in comparison to FPS on PCs. While Starfox Adventures (Nintendo GameCube) is one of the most fantastic looking games, the gameplay is uninspired and the story is dull. The game has no soul. Color me jade, Rare does not impress me.
IMO, Rare have made a total of two great titles: Jet Force Gemini, and Goldeneye.
Since then, loads of their devteams have jumped ship, and they are continuing to make great titles, ie Timesplitters 2 to name but one.
I've never understood why Rare had such a following. The Donkey Kong games in particular grate on my nerves.
-- SoluzarSign the FSF's Anti-DMCA petit
Ohhh.. rare with a capital 'R' .. silly me :-P
You're just mad because the voices in your head talk to me.
And they made Blast Corps.
What Rare really needs to do is find some way of reinspiring and reinvigorating its games, especially in the way of gameplay. They are just tired models of gameplay - Rare should try their hand at something bold and new instead of the neverending item hunt. They have talented artists, designers, and programmers. It's making a compelling game with fun mechanics where I feel Rare continues to fall short. All of the graceful programming and pretty graphics can't save a game with a lackluster basis to begin with. And while there are some people who really enjoy item collection games, Rare slit its own throat by producing one after another after another on the Nintendo 64.
RARE were dumped by Nintendo?
Oh... ohhhh... they're programming inferior PC games now!!!!
Hahahaha.. waste all your mod points on your pathetic believes fan boys. Big-N might not be "cool".. but they're always *FUN*
They're the English equivalent of Naughty Dog. Brilliant coding abilities, but so-so design skills. Rare has certainly had its moments in recent years (Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Conker) and will eventually make more great games no doubt. But they've proven they think multiple characters and endless fetching/collecting chores make a great game. I quit playing Donkey Kong 64 because it got tedious playing the exact same (difficult to navigate) level five times over. Ditto for Banjo Tooie, which utterly lacked the brilliant level design that was on display in the original. I guess I'm so harsh on them because it seems like a horrible waste of a company with an awesome pedigree that could really be making nothing but great games.
Too sad those M$ idiots didn't realize that all games RARE produced so successfully for the N64 did contain concepts that are Nintendo ONLY. $375 Million for a few programmers without concept is a little much isn't it?
Yes, I am sure that Nintendo had a great deal of input on the games that Rare made for the Spectrum.
I put my books on Amazon, Smashwords, Demonoid, ISOHunt and Pirate Bay. Search for 'Michael Cargill'
RARE were dumped by Nintendo?
Oh... ohhhh... they're programming inferior PC games now!!!!
Hahahaha.. waste all your mod points on your pathetic believes fan boys. Big-N might not be "cool".. but they're always *FUN*
M$ will fuck you in the ass with their "Products End Of Life".. THEN I'll play Perfect Dark Zero on my PC and laugh my ass off.. how funny they fucked you into your little pink fanboy asses..
And that's exactly what you'll get. Spectrum like games for the XBox.
Face it! That console was made by M$. So *FUN* can't be involved.
Now waste your mod points.
You forgot about Killer Instinct, which, in my opinion is the best (2-player) fighting game of all time. (playing against the computer wouldn't really make you appreciate the game, but in human-vs-human it is near-perfect)
1. There are not 'cheap' moves. Every move can be countered, none are unblockable.
2. You can become GOOD at the game and therefore be unbeatable by less skilled players. (just jamming on the buttons and jumping around won't allow you to win)
3. While some characters have advantages, (usually due to the ease of blocking while setting up moves, or having easier combo breakers) they are reasonably balanced and a skilled player has a fighting chance with any.
4... I could go on... but it's pointless, people like different things and there's really no need to convince them otherwise.
So the XBox is cool because RARE wrote great games for the Spectrum?
Even for a pathetic fANBOy that's a new high in being pathetic.
Play games only if the producers stock quote is good!
Nintendo lamers play games when they're fun!
I've said many times letting Rare go was one of the biggest mistake the big N could have ever made. Something about Rare seemed to just go with Nintendo. I'm sure Conker Live and Uncut will be fun on the XBox, but it just wont be right. Like the fact I can turn on my gameboy right now and play Sonic the Hedge Hog not right. At least it seemed not right at first.
Now that I've played some Sega Games on the Gameboy and the Gamecube Sega may pick up some of the slack left over from Rare. Rare was kick-ass with Killer Instinct, Conker and Donkey Kong, but that's old Nintendo. Nintendo really needs to make sure they keep a good relationship with Sega and maybe even seduce them into the type of relationship they had with Rare. I'm playing Skies of Arcadia Legends on the cube right now. I'm impressed. Nearly everything Sega has put on Nintendo hardware has impressed me, and Skies of Arcadia is a 3/4 year old port of a Dreamcast game.
If Rare pumps out garbage after going to MS they wont make it long and I doubt MS will let them go back to Nintendo. I've always wanted to play Perfect Dark on a PC. I was hooked after I got it for my 64 and I've always wanted to try it with a real video card and the standard mouse/keyboard combo. Laptop gun anyone? But with MS holding the keys, the chances of a Linux port of the game engine seems some what slim, so I wont be able to play it anyways.
Here's an idea to throw out to all the Rare developers who think joining MS was a bad idea: Jump ship, go to work for Sega, talk Sega into making more Nintendo games than other types.
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
Come on Rare was just bought by MS. That means that all new and sequel games from Rare will be beta verisons for the third game.
Gosh, what did you expect?
Donkey Kong Forever.
Conkers is SO bad. Slow, unfunny, horrible graphics, terrible mechanics. It's incessant pop-culture references will date the game faster than pong. It failed as a 3d platform game. Rare's never put out anything very interesting frankly.
"Too sad those M$ idiots didn't realize that all games RARE produced so successfully for the N64 did contain concepts that are Nintendo ONLY. "
Troll? Well maybe, but he does have a point. Rare's adventures with Nintendo properties have generally been good.
"Derp de derp."
Conker should be fun, but I want Perfect Dark Zero, the first was a great game that was hampered by the N64's limitations. Heck a re-release of the first one with updated graphics would be nice.
A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men... --Willy Wonka