"How many times can I play through a similar world collecting the SAME items?"
Like the grappling hook (very different from the hookshot), the telescope, the Tingle Tuner, various unique drops from monsters, the ability to use their own weapons against them...
(And then there's the incredible AI behind said monsters, but that's another story)
"Boomerang,"
It is infinitely more useful in WW than it ever was in OoT. It's barely even the same thing.
"three different swords"
No, two. Unless you count the dozen or so different weapons (including various swords, each with slightly different mechanics) you can knock out of bad guy's hand.
"a couple of bits of armor,"
Not a whit. There's a protective spell, but you really have to look for it to find it.
"a couple of gauntlets,"
One.
"the predicatble bow and arrow,"
What do you want, an M-16 with a grenade launcher slung underneath? What else do you want for a weapon with an essentially infinite range that still fits into a fantasy motif? And with what you've been complaining about so far, you should be happy to know that you no longer have to go to the ends of the earth to find the various arrow upgrades.
If you want a big bang, you now have a shipboard cannon. Heck, you now have a ship.
"You wander around seeing various parts that you can't yet get to, and you just know what object you need to get there."
Super Mario Land (GB) Super Mario Land 2 (GB) Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land
And the Wario Land line is up to 4 now. Not to mention his forays into the Virtual Boy and now GameCube.
You also glossed over Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario 64. I'd say these are core games because they have the same game play elements of the SMB/SMW games. Heck, I'd say these are more "Mario" games than Yoshi's Island, personally.
I wouldn't call it that. Simply because I don't own an Xbox or a PS2 doesn't mean I don't own my share of non-Nintendo consoles. Xbox doesn't hold my interest at all while I'm currently waiting for either another price drop (or two) or a PS2 game that I feel would justify the purchase of the console (there was a time when Final Fantasy alone would have been enough...).
You're forgetting the time-based bonus that usually adds a few thousand points to your score when you clear the screen. There are also the occasional blue barrels that are worth 300.
It seems that most of the posts on here are generally anti-Nintendo in general and pro-online in particular. Am I the only one here that:
Owns an N64?
Likes the N64 and its games?
Likes the GameCube?
"Should have gone with CDs" this and "Missed the boat" that, I really don't care what the analysts (both real and self-imagined) have to say on the topic: I'm still tickled pink by my N64 library, even if you feel the games were "hopelessly cripled" by the "cramped memory" in the cartridge format.
So Nintendo still isn't pushing the online aspect. So what? If I really wanted to play online games on a console, I would have gotten an Xbox or even a PS2. Guess what: I haven't. Even PC online games don't do much for me (I like being able to shout insults to my opponent in the next room). I myself don't really see how an internet connection could improve my Zelda or Metroid experiences. The only GameCube game I can think of that I'd like an online connection with is Animal Crossing, and even then I'd be perfectly happy with something akin to a Dex Drive.
So you feel that Nintendo is making another "big mistake." So you feel the original GBA was a "big mistake" (and neglect to mention that you bought one anyway). So what? I enjoy playing video games on a purple lunch box and I'm old enough now that other peoples' opinions mean squat to my enjoyment of them.
"Internet access in every house would allow such things as daily referendums on public issues."
How do you say "CowboyNeal" in Estonian?
Seriously, I don't seen the Internet per se being the right kind of computer network to hold such referenda. It's entirely too insecure to do anything binding with. Or do they want a few thousand astroturf votes from outside the country? From an e-mail account from kremlin.ru, perhaps?
"It makes transparency in government much more desirable, due to citizens' ability to check up on government business instantly over the Internet."
The ability to do so is a very different thing from the desire to do so. For example, just because there are a hundred million registered voters in the US doesn't mean they all vote. Lots of information about politicias in the US is available online (even without this "GIA" publicity stunt), but most of the USAians reading this have probably never heard of OpenSecrets.org.
The Internet in and of itself doesn't change the face of politics. It's what is actually done with it that's important.
"It could even do away with "representative government" (dictatorship where you elect the dictators) altogether."
Your attitude is an example of why the Internet won't change much in politics for a long time to come. If you're this apathetic about your ballot to begin with, can you even be bothered to look up information on the candidates?
And if you still don't like your ballot, put your own name on it. It's not that difficult.
"altogether. The possibilities are endless."
That doesn't mean those possibilities will actually be explored.
"Instant mass-communication allows the ultimate form of democracy. It's still in its infancy(.)"
What, was speed-of-light radio not "instant" enough for you? Satellite communications for live reports from the other side of the planet? Any number of sources of information that are updated a heck of a lot more quickly than Joe's Blog?
"When it's finally achieved, people will look back upon the current systems of government just as we look back upon feudal fiefdoms in the middle ages."
Think about how many centuries went by between the development of Gutenberg's press and the rise of modern democracy. Then try saying that statement again with a straight face.
Or was "Common Sense" the second book ever printed, right after the Bible?
"And from that perspective, yes, it would be viewed as a basic human right, just like freedom of speech and universal sufferage."
In most parts of the world, "freedom of speech" is something granted to you by your government, which hardly sounds like a "basic human right" to me. And as for universal suffrage being a "basic human right," I don't see the UN up in arms about the way so many democracies prevent convicted felons from voting.
" Just to clarify Estonia is not an 'ex-Soviet' republic. It is an independent country that was forcibly occupied by Soviets in 1940 and regained their independence in 1990."
You do realize you just described about every Soviet republic other than Russia, right?
Alright, so the 1940 date is a little late for some of the other republics (Ukraine comes to mind), but what SSR signed on without being "convinced" to do so by the Red Army?
Check out what the article had to say about the screen requirements alone:
The emphasis appears to be mainly put upon the durability of the device, claiming that any screen technology should be able to be dropped safely from heights, be able to resist high temperatures and also survive rigorous motion tests.
I'd imagine they'd want a media technology that is at least as durable as their screen, and optical just doesn't cut it.
Game Boy Color had an IR port. It didn't pan out. Heck, it failed so miserably that they never brought out the add-on IR port for the GBA for the sake of backwards compatability.
Sure, it works alright for their Pokemon Mini system, but I think more people own a Virtual Boy than one of those.
Would you rather have optical media. or would you rather have something that won't get crushed in your backpack?
We're talking about handhelds here, not consoles. The mere fact that Nintendo has owned the market for over a decade should tell you that this is an entirely different ball game. You can't try to draw analogies to the console market, unless you want to be as wrong has many of Game Boy's competitors have been.
"Since the Bell breakup, prices on phone calls have dropped dramatically. Interstate calls used to cost $0.25 a minute (not adjusted for inflation). Now you can easily make them for less than $0.05 a minute."
We're talking about Bell here, not AT&T. IIRC, it's only with the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that the Baby Bells have really been able to get into the interstate long-distance market.
The Baby Bells are essentially in control of intrastate long-distance (ie. within the same state), which IIRC have been more expensive than interstate long-distance calls for quite a while now.
I doubt Microsoft contributed anywhere near as much money as the religious special interest groups have, but that doesn't seem to stop the president from trying to reach out to the homosexual vote (and pissing off said special interests in the process). What makes you think that Microsoft will have more sway over the White House than Baptists seem to have?
"Why would the Terminator be molded after an old man?"
The same reason it's molded after a human being to begin with: Infiltration. The less dangerous it looks, the more capable it is of that primary mission.
Slashdot Mirror
"How many times can I play through a similar world collecting the SAME items?"
Like the grappling hook (very different from the hookshot), the telescope, the Tingle Tuner, various unique drops from monsters, the ability to use their own weapons against them...
(And then there's the incredible AI behind said monsters, but that's another story)
"Boomerang,"
It is infinitely more useful in WW than it ever was in OoT. It's barely even the same thing.
"three different swords"
No, two. Unless you count the dozen or so different weapons (including various swords, each with slightly different mechanics) you can knock out of bad guy's hand.
"a couple of bits of armor,"
Not a whit. There's a protective spell, but you really have to look for it to find it.
"a couple of gauntlets,"
One.
"the predicatble bow and arrow,"
What do you want, an M-16 with a grenade launcher slung underneath? What else do you want for a weapon with an essentially infinite range that still fits into a fantasy motif? And with what you've been complaining about so far, you should be happy to know that you no longer have to go to the ends of the earth to find the various arrow upgrades.
If you want a big bang, you now have a shipboard cannon. Heck, you now have a ship.
"You wander around seeing various parts that you can't yet get to, and you just know what object you need to get there."
Exactly how much of the game have you played?
"If people knew how Nintendo really felt about America they would sell zero consoles."
So, do you drive Ford or GM? Because obviously driving anything else would be a cardinal sin in your book.
Super Mario Land (GB)
Super Mario Land 2 (GB)
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land
And the Wario Land line is up to 4 now. Not to mention his forays into the Virtual Boy and now GameCube.
You also glossed over Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario 64. I'd say these are core games because they have the same game play elements of the SMB/SMW games. Heck, I'd say these are more "Mario" games than Yoshi's Island, personally.
Personally, I think a better comparison would be with Mozart.
He's one of those mythical folks that actually loves what they do for a living.
You do realize you just burned through your week's allotment of commas in just one post, right?
"why did you read this thread?"
Curiousity.
"Why did you post?"
My $0.02.
"Defend Nintendo blindly."
I wouldn't call it that. Simply because I don't own an Xbox or a PS2 doesn't mean I don't own my share of non-Nintendo consoles. Xbox doesn't hold my interest at all while I'm currently waiting for either another price drop (or two) or a PS2 game that I feel would justify the purchase of the console (there was a time when Final Fantasy alone would have been enough...).
You're forgetting the time-based bonus that usually adds a few thousand points to your score when you clear the screen. There are also the occasional blue barrels that are worth 300.
- Owns an N64?
- Likes the N64 and its games?
- Likes the GameCube?
"Should have gone with CDs" this and "Missed the boat" that, I really don't care what the analysts (both real and self-imagined) have to say on the topic: I'm still tickled pink by my N64 library, even if you feel the games were "hopelessly cripled" by the "cramped memory" in the cartridge format.So Nintendo still isn't pushing the online aspect. So what? If I really wanted to play online games on a console, I would have gotten an Xbox or even a PS2. Guess what: I haven't. Even PC online games don't do much for me (I like being able to shout insults to my opponent in the next room). I myself don't really see how an internet connection could improve my Zelda or Metroid experiences. The only GameCube game I can think of that I'd like an online connection with is Animal Crossing, and even then I'd be perfectly happy with something akin to a Dex Drive.
So you feel that Nintendo is making another "big mistake." So you feel the original GBA was a "big mistake" (and neglect to mention that you bought one anyway). So what? I enjoy playing video games on a purple lunch box and I'm old enough now that other peoples' opinions mean squat to my enjoyment of them.
Wouldn't you be tempted to brush aside CD technology when all it had to show at the time was 7th Guest and maybe some Myst?
"if you play 6 hours a day, and you go out regulary and do stuff, there isnt much room for studies anymore, or is there?"
You're assuming that those six hours would have otherwise been spent studying.
I don't think "j00 sux0rs" quite qualifies as cross-examining.
"Then Microsoft will hear about it, get pissed, and start bundling some kind of program to get a rid of the AdWare (just hope that it's not DRM)"
No they won't. They'll opt to "embrace and extend" the pop-up industry with bigger, more annoying and buggier versions of the same.
Why is it that around here nobody's grasp of history goes back further than 1938? What the heck are they teaching you in schools these days?
"Internet access in every house would allow such things as daily referendums on public issues."
How do you say "CowboyNeal" in Estonian?
Seriously, I don't seen the Internet per se being the right kind of computer network to hold such referenda. It's entirely too insecure to do anything binding with. Or do they want a few thousand astroturf votes from outside the country? From an e-mail account from kremlin.ru, perhaps?
"It makes transparency in government much more desirable, due to citizens' ability to check up on government business instantly over the Internet."
The ability to do so is a very different thing from the desire to do so. For example, just because there are a hundred million registered voters in the US doesn't mean they all vote. Lots of information about politicias in the US is available online (even without this "GIA" publicity stunt), but most of the USAians reading this have probably never heard of OpenSecrets.org.
The Internet in and of itself doesn't change the face of politics. It's what is actually done with it that's important.
"It could even do away with "representative government" (dictatorship where you elect the dictators) altogether."
Your attitude is an example of why the Internet won't change much in politics for a long time to come. If you're this apathetic about your ballot to begin with, can you even be bothered to look up information on the candidates?
And if you still don't like your ballot, put your own name on it. It's not that difficult.
"altogether. The possibilities are endless."
That doesn't mean those possibilities will actually be explored.
"Instant mass-communication allows the ultimate form of democracy. It's still in its infancy(.)"
What, was speed-of-light radio not "instant" enough for you? Satellite communications for live reports from the other side of the planet? Any number of sources of information that are updated a heck of a lot more quickly than Joe's Blog?
"When it's finally achieved, people will look back upon the current systems of government just as we look back upon feudal fiefdoms in the middle ages."
Think about how many centuries went by between the development of Gutenberg's press and the rise of modern democracy. Then try saying that statement again with a straight face.
Or was "Common Sense" the second book ever printed, right after the Bible?
"And from that perspective, yes, it would be viewed as a basic human right, just like freedom of speech and universal sufferage."
In most parts of the world, "freedom of speech" is something granted to you by your government, which hardly sounds like a "basic human right" to me. And as for universal suffrage being a "basic human right," I don't see the UN up in arms about the way so many democracies prevent convicted felons from voting.
" Just to clarify Estonia is not an 'ex-Soviet' republic. It is an independent country that was forcibly occupied by Soviets in 1940 and regained their independence in 1990."
You do realize you just described about every Soviet republic other than Russia, right?
Alright, so the 1940 date is a little late for some of the other republics (Ukraine comes to mind), but what SSR signed on without being "convinced" to do so by the Red Army?
" 3. Add optical link"
Game Boy Color had an IR port. It didn't pan out. Heck, it failed so miserably that they never brought out the add-on IR port for the GBA for the sake of backwards compatability.
Sure, it works alright for their Pokemon Mini system, but I think more people own a Virtual Boy than one of those.
Would you rather have optical media. or would you rather have something that won't get crushed in your backpack?
We're talking about handhelds here, not consoles. The mere fact that Nintendo has owned the market for over a decade should tell you that this is an entirely different ball game. You can't try to draw analogies to the console market, unless you want to be as wrong has many of Game Boy's competitors have been.
"Since the Bell breakup, prices on phone calls have dropped dramatically. Interstate calls used to cost $0.25 a minute (not adjusted for inflation). Now you can easily make them for less than $0.05 a minute."
We're talking about Bell here, not AT&T. IIRC, it's only with the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that the Baby Bells have really been able to get into the interstate long-distance market.
The Baby Bells are essentially in control of intrastate long-distance (ie. within the same state), which IIRC have been more expensive than interstate long-distance calls for quite a while now.
You're confusing Bell with AT&T.
They also probably thought they'd be sent to Club Fed with conjugal visits instead of the pound-you-up-the-ass variety.
I doubt Microsoft contributed anywhere near as much money as the religious special interest groups have, but that doesn't seem to stop the president from trying to reach out to the homosexual vote (and pissing off said special interests in the process). What makes you think that Microsoft will have more sway over the White House than Baptists seem to have?
Yeah, because we all know just how much of a stellar success the Bell break-up has been. It's a good thing we took care of that monopoly!
"Why would the Terminator be molded after an old man?"
The same reason it's molded after a human being to begin with: Infiltration. The less dangerous it looks, the more capable it is of that primary mission.