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Metroid Prime 2 - Echoes Shows Multiplayer Action For GameCube
Thanks to Nintendo.com for its new info page officially revealing Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for GameCube, showing several impressive screenshots of "this highly anticipated sequel to Metroid Prime", as the first hints of setting are discussed: "Hunted by a mysterious entity and a warring race called the Ing, Samus Aran must explore the light and dark worlds of this doomed planet." The previously rumored multiplayer mode is also confirmed: "Up to four players can battle each other as they search for weapons, grapple across ceilings, and turn into Morph Balls to make their escapes."
Oh come on, man, you can sum up any game like that.
GTA: Walk around city, shoot at people, get in car, get out, repeat.
Mario: Enter level, jump around, jump on enemy, collect stuff, repeat.
Halo: Run around, shoot at enemies, drive a jeep, repeat.
"Why is Nintendo so averse to doing providing a real online multiplayer service?"
Because then they'd have to filter out all the assholes online.
Yeah. I feel like I've entered bizarro world where that description only suits prime rather than suiting the first metroid game with its endless identical repetitive hallways.
What made Prime so much better is that it wasn't slow and repetitive like the original, and hopefully echoes will keep that going.
I'd rather be lucky than good.
Interesting point. I think that's one of the prime (ahem) reasons why Nintendo is so skittish about going online.
When all is said and done, the image they're trying to project is one of a family company...which is quite different from a kiddy company, despite popular opinion. Making a game online capable requires such freedom of communication that it's impossible to censor it and not cripple the experience. Look at Phantasy Star Online: do you think you'd be able to bond with your buddies as well using only the Symbol Chat interface? And even then, they still managed to "dirty" it up...it seems you can make a lot of questionable images with those symbols.
Even if they stuck on a big, shiny sign covering half the retail box that said, "Hey, people on the net can be assholes, so we're not responsible for hurt feelings incurred playing online!" parents would still bitch the first time little Timmy was told to "fuck off n00b". I guess doing without that grief, and the resultant image shift, is worth the online sales. I disagree, but that may be part of the rationale.
People always need a reason to bitch about Nintendo.
"Nintendo is too traditional!"
"Nintendo should put multiplayer in Metroid!"
Now, it's:
"Nintendo is selling out!"
"What the hell is Nintendo thinking?! Putting multiplayer in Metroid. No one wanted that crap!"
People are ALWAYS criticizing nintendo for being too conservative and for not "changing with the times." Now that Nintendo is listening to these people, they're getting branded as sell-outs. Good god, people. If Nintendo wants to become #1 in the industry again, they're going to have to do stuff like this.
No, it doesn't mean that they're going to change the game formula at all! And no, it doesn't mean they're going to put less effort in their games! They're adding something which the fans asked for. And for the love of god, if anyone can pull off these types of things and still retain the feel of the franchise, it's Nintendo.
Now why don't you all wait until more about the game is revealed and until you can PLAY it before judging it?
Two years ago you were saying the same thing about Metroid and FPS.
I'm not sure I get your angle.
Portable LCD screens (at least the ones I think you're talking about, the 4"-5" screens) sound pretty lame for party gaming. Even someting as small as a 19" screen is pretty much only good for one or two people, sitting right in front of it. For PC LAN parties, sheesh, it's just as bad as you say (luckily I've never set one up, only visited).
When my friends and I get together for a good fighting game session, or racing, or Monkey Ball, or whatever, it's always in front of at least a 27" TV. For 4-player, preferably it's at my house on a 36" flat CRT or at my friend's house with a (pfft) big-ass rear projection TV. Moving from that kind of setting, with everyone paying attention to the same thing, to a multi-screen setting is so PC-like that it's not really the same as the kind of gaming sessions where we have the most fun. And for parties, it's not that great. At the parties I've been to where there are video games, most people have fun when everybody's watching one big screen. Sticking two big screens in the same room is another major hassle that we've never bothered with, btw.
Lastly, I think you're wrong about technicaly inept people sticking to old technology. It's typically that kind of person that upgrades everything whenever they get the chance, because they don't know how to work their old stuff properly and therefore stop appreciating it faster than technical people do. My main desktop computer is a Coppermine 933, and it's faster than I need for most things. But my cousin, who doesn't know a thing about computers or optimizing performance, just bought a 2+ GHz P4 rig that he will never fully take advantage of (at least, not before he decides to upgrade again). And me, I bought a PS2 later than all the non-techie friends I have, because I already have some good DVD players and found the initial PS2 lineup of games to be seriously shitty.
But not all of the time. What I'd really like to see in this game is cooperative multiplayer.
Perhaps it's just me, but I've played games where the series or main focus of the game is based on single player mode, and the multiplayer "battle" modes were dull and simply not as fun as other games that were designed for multiplayer combat. On the other hand, I've had a blast playing games that include cooperative gameplay.
Granted, cooperative gameplay makes more sense in the adventure/puzzle genre, but that's mostly what Metroid is. I'd much rather have friend and I playing the game and accomplishing it together than having both of our progress slowed by each other.
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