I'd agree, sort of, but I can also see the logic behind it.
It's a multiplayer game... so just have everyone bring their GBAs when they come over to play. I have a feeling that that's what Nintendo and Square are thinking, rather than having one person buy 4 GBAs so that people can come over and play on them. I think it'll work well enough within my circle of friends, since most of them have GBAs, but probably not for everyone.
Even still, I do plan on getting an extra GBA just in case (besides, my girlfriend wants one of her own).
Save it for use as a controller for your Gamecube for when Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles comes out. It's rumored to *require* a GBA for every player.
Leave the adapter attached to the headphones. Problem solved. If you must, keep it taped/zip-tied to the end of the headphone cord so that you can unplug it and plug the headphones into a CD player or whatever.
And most I've met who want a GBA SP have similar issues with the headphone jack.
That's because everyone without issues with the headphone jack has already bought one, and you don't hear from them.
I think the GBA SP is the perfect example of "you can't please everyone." However, the un-pleased (who are in the minority, given the millions of the things that have sold) seem to be disproportionately loud in this case.
If Rogue Squadron is the only game you think is worth owning for the 'Cube, then the 'Cube isn't the console you should own. Period.
Rogue Squadron isn't even that great a game (yes, I own it) other than their (amazingly well done) use of the Star Wars license.
If you don't think that Metroid Prime, Zelda:Wind Waker, Eternal Darkness, Pikmin, Animal Crossing, RE0/1, or any of the other great titles for the system are worth owning, then just get a different system. If you only own the system so that you can play Star Wars on it, then quit bitching that there aren't more games that you like.
And I don't know why you'd be disappointed with their lack of online support, given that it didn't ship with online capabilities, and Nintendo has publicly stated that they don't think on-line games are financially feasible right now. I mean, that's almost like saying "I'm disappointed with their lack of DVD playing capability." The system was never even designed with that in mind in the first place, nor has it *ever* been a selling point pushed by Nintendo.
Now, if your complaint was that there were few games that made more than trivial use of the GBA-GCN link feature, then I'd agree with you. Although it's looking like the games are coming really soon, it's taken far longer than it should have.
The most frustrating thing is that the kind of person who writes things like this editorial will spew off crap like that, and then turn around and say "OMG, Doom 3 looks so awesome!" with a straight face.
Don't get me wrong, Doom 3 does look great, but put into context with the rest of that rant, the writer looks like a moron. (see his comments about Splinter Cell and some racing games near the bottom of the editorial) People like this can't see the irony of their prejudices, and won't listen to reason. It's not worth wasting time on them.
truly innovative and quality titles like Splinter Cell
So he rails on a Metal Gear Solid remake for about 3 paragraphs, and then wishes for 'innovative' games like Splinter Cell (a.k.a. Metal Gear Solid on estrogen -- note: I own both games, but I'm not particularly fond of either. That being said, MGS is a far better game than Splinter Cell IMO)?
I mean, the whole rant was pretty stupid. It's extremely hard to take someone seriously when they use the wrong 'their' in the opening paragraph. But to not see the irony in his own praise and bashing ripped the last tiny bit of credibility out of the editorial.
Even Nintendo admitted on launch of the GameCube that their console was the least advanced of the systems
No they didn't. They (basically) said that they favored manufacturing efficiency and cost over bleeding-edge performance. Never *once* did they claim that they had the 'slowest' system.
If you read the technical specs on the systems, Nintendo cites lower numbers than Sony or Microsoft -- that's because MS and Sony publish theoretical maximum performance and Nintendo publishes typical in-game performance , which is a huge distinction. However, mindless fanboys took these numbers with absolutely no understanding of what they meant and ran with them, creating the popular myth that the Gamecube is the least powerful (by no small margin) of the 3 systems. "Ha ha. Gaycube can only do 6 million polys/sec. Xbox does 125 million polys/sec!" Uhh, yeah, right.
I'd like to see a statement from someone at Nintendo specifically claiming that the Gamecube is the last powerful of the 3 systems. Give me a link to a news story/press release and I'll immediately withdraw my statement. However, until then, I'll stick with "if a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes the truth."
Last I checked, the top criterion for a game was whether it's fun.
You must have checked a while ago. The latest top criteria are dollars spent on advertising the game and brand familiarity.
Just take a look at sales numbers for 'Enter the Matrix' -- despite getting lukewarm critics reviews and panned in most player reviews (the ones I've read, anyway), it sold over 1 million copies in a week.
Well, this isn't really a move by Nintendo. All they did was lower their royalties, and that happens regardless of whether 3rd parties choose to lower prices accordingly.
I don't really see it as a "risky" move by anyone, except perhaps Sega. The Sonic games sold really well at the $50 level, and they were all just remakes and ports. Seems like they're potentially eating into their profits for any future Sonic game that's released.
Nintendo claims the GameCube can do 12 million polygons a second... blah blah implication that PS2 can do more blah blah
The difference that you're not taking into account:
Nintendo's specs are published for developers, not as a marketing gimmick. They tell developers what they can expect from the system in a game.
Microsoft and Sony's XBox and PS2 specs are all theoretical numbers, and are what you'd get if every piece of hardware were running at 100% efficiency in a tech demo. They're marketing numbers published so that morons like yourself will go repeating them to all of your friends without understanding what you're comparing. Not to mention your complete misunderstanding of how the A-RAM and texture cache work, along with the asinine assertation that somehow the PS2's technology will get better over time, eventually making it look better than the Gamecube.
Short explanation: MS and Sony lie about their specs, Nintendo doesn't. Simple as that.
Bottom line: MS has the most powerful system, but only marginally. The 'Cube is a close 2nd. The PS2 probably has the most powerful CPU, but that's all it has. If you honestly believe anything differently, you're a marketing tool.
I've been playing video games since the Atari 2600, across pretty much every platform. I've seen games evolve from Combat to Metroid Prime, Metal Gear Solid, and Halo. I've played enough games to know what I like without being told by multi billion dollar ad campaigns.
The reason I'm a Nintendo supporter is because Miyamoto helps make some damn fine games, that then get bashed by morons such as yourself that think you're too cool to play them. So that part of the population doesn't ever get to see what *good* games are like, and just take whatever gets shoveled your way with the biggest marketing budget.
I've seen video games go from basically indie upstarts 25 years ago to the same thing we have in Hollywood and MTV right now: the only games/movies/music that people are exposed to are the ones that can make the most money for the copyright cartels, and MOST of it isn't any good. Yet people keep buying it because they don't know any better.
I'm not saying that there aren't any good games on the PS2 or XBox. There are plenty. There are just too many people missing out on the real genius of Miyamoto's creations, and *that's* why I try to get the word out about these great games.
If you're happy missing out on great stuff, fine. But don't bitch at me for pointing out what you're missing, or for complaining about the rampant commercialism that's taking over the video game industry.
BTW: my girlfriend likes Zelda but thinks that Splinter Cell is stupid -- she complains loudly when I play it and she's around. Think about that if you're worried about how video games make you look to the opposite sex.
[PS2/Sony] might start to lose momentum these next 6 months. We'll see how the summer and fall turn out.
Your optimism is encouraging, but my guess is this: despite having the oldest technology and fewest unique features, the PS2 will still be the most heavily advertised console. Consumers, being what they are, will still flock to the one with the most ad placements and bright, flashing lights.
In wich way the cube is graphicaly superior to the PS2 or comparable to the x-box?
Umm, Metroid Prime, Star Fox Adventures, RE0/1, and Rogue Squadron (for a start) vs. all of the low-resolution horribly aliased games on the PS2, or vs. Halo or DOA for the XBox.
If you don't even believe your own goddamn eyes, you must believe *anything* that commercials and advertising material tells you.
That, or you're about 14-18 years old and just hate Nintendo 'cuz you think it makes you cool or something. (Hint: it doesn't.)
This is called a learning curve, and it's necessary for new, complex systems. anytime there is an innovation, people have to go through a learning curve.
Learning curve or no, VII was only interesting to me because it was on a new medium, and VIII was so tedious that I couldn't even make it through the entire *demo*.
Maybe I'm just becoming too jaded a gamer, but the only interesting *new* things I've played from Square since the PS1 days are Einhander, Final Fantasy Tactics (and that's not even square-developed), Brave Fencer Musashi, and to a certain degree Parasite Eve and Vagrant Story, and both of them had massive amounts of tedium intertwined with their gameplay.
--Jeremy - who bought a PS1 to play FFVII and FF:Tactics
Well, the 'Cube already meets your $150 price tag, and it will come with Zelda, Metroid, or one of several other top-shelf games. It's money well-spent, IMHO.
Personally, I've convinced 5 people in my office to buy 'Cubes, and I've convinced each of them to buy copies of Metroid Prime (only 2 have picked up Eternal Darkness so far, tho'). It's kind of gotten to the point where several people just come to me to ask what games they should pick up for their systems.:)
And then when this MS bumble fails like so many other MS things have, everyone will see it for what it is.
I'd say the same thing, but for the adoption rate of the XBox. Microsoft is already a household consumer electronics name, and people trust names that they know. It may not reach 80-90% market penetration right out of the gate, but give it 5 years and a few billion in advertising and it might just get there.
ps2 -- METAL GEAR SOLID.. beats the crap out of splinter cell
I haven't played Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty, but I have played the original. Going back to play it about a year ago, the game really wasn't that fun. I think the best part about it was the story and the good characters, and since I already knew what was going on the game lost too much to be fun.
That said, however, it was a *lot* of fun the first time through. I'd suspect that the same could be said of Sons of Liberty.
And now to get to the point of this post: yes, it beats the crap out of Splinter Cell. I just picked up a copy a couple weeks ago, and have been working through it (about 60% complete so far), and the story is just stupid. Gameplay feels like you're controlling a robot (this was especially pronounced since I just finished Zelda, with some of the tightest controls ever in a game). The characters and enemies are all morons, and the game has some of the worst FMV cutscenes I've seen since the early days of the PS1. I honestly don't understand how this game got so much praise and sold so well. I mean, I was really looking forward to it, but have come to find out that it's just a mediocre 'stealth' title.
So yeah, I'll second that nomination of MGS over Splinter Cell. SC is way overhyped.
If I rent a machine from Blockbuster, should I get an X-Box or a Playstation 2?
And this is why the Gamecube is in 3rd place -- Nobody knows that it exists. The smothering ad placements of the PS2 and XBox completely drown out anything that the big N puts out there, and the only people that know anything about it are those that actively 'educate' themselves.
This is truly a shame, as some of the best games ever made are being missed by a large portion of the game-playing public.
Oh well. I've already consigned myself to liking non-mainstream music, TV, books, and movies, so I guess it was just a matter of time 'til it happend with videogames, too. Let the drooling masses have their Madden '*, I'll quitely enjoy Eternal Darkness.
Check out Metroid Speed Runs. Looks like their best time is 1:28 with 100%.
My best time ever was 0:58, but that was with 36% of the items (Lemme tell ya -- I grab *just* enough to beat the 1st part of Mother Brain. She dies on 3rd to last super missile every time.:) ). I've since found a faster path through the game, but I've gotten too rusty to beat my old times with the slower route.:)
I defy anyone to name me one game that had a deeper plot and characterization than Metal Gear Solid.
Eternal Darkness by Silicon Knights. The same guys that're remaking Metal Gear Solid for the 'Cube. If you haven't played it, you're missing out -- it's one of the most original titles I've played in the last 5 years.
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I'd agree, sort of, but I can also see the logic behind it.
... so just have everyone bring their GBAs when they come over to play. I have a feeling that that's what Nintendo and Square are thinking, rather than having one person buy 4 GBAs so that people can come over and play on them. I think it'll work well enough within my circle of friends, since most of them have GBAs, but probably not for everyone.
It's a multiplayer game
Even still, I do plan on getting an extra GBA just in case (besides, my girlfriend wants one of her own).
--Jeremy
Anyone got ideas for what to do with an old GBA?
Save it for use as a controller for your Gamecube for when Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles comes out. It's rumored to *require* a GBA for every player.
--Jeremy
Leave the adapter attached to the headphones. Problem solved. If you must, keep it taped/zip-tied to the end of the headphone cord so that you can unplug it and plug the headphones into a CD player or whatever.
And most I've met who want a GBA SP have similar issues with the headphone jack.
That's because everyone without issues with the headphone jack has already bought one, and you don't hear from them.
I think the GBA SP is the perfect example of "you can't please everyone." However, the un-pleased (who are in the minority, given the millions of the things that have sold) seem to be disproportionately loud in this case.
--Jeremy
Try here
--Jeremy
Just order a friggin' adapter. It's $4.25 on Nintendo's site. If you can afford the $99.95 for a GBA SP, you can surely afford the adapter.
--Jeremy
1.5 implies new functionality. A better motherboard and chipset aren't functionality that a gamer would care about in the console world.
Nintendo didn't call the re-released NES, SNES, or Gameboys version '1.5,' when they were all just better designs of the same product.
--Jeremy
Gee, and on top of that, his current favorite games are:
F1 World Grand Prix, Madden 2002, and NHL 2002
Loads of innovation in that lot.
Not to mention that his most wanted game is "Your Mom." A real class act all around.
--Jeremy
If Rogue Squadron is the only game you think is worth owning for the 'Cube, then the 'Cube isn't the console you should own. Period.
Rogue Squadron isn't even that great a game (yes, I own it) other than their (amazingly well done) use of the Star Wars license.
If you don't think that Metroid Prime, Zelda:Wind Waker, Eternal Darkness, Pikmin, Animal Crossing, RE0/1, or any of the other great titles for the system are worth owning, then just get a different system. If you only own the system so that you can play Star Wars on it, then quit bitching that there aren't more games that you like.
And I don't know why you'd be disappointed with their lack of online support, given that it didn't ship with online capabilities, and Nintendo has publicly stated that they don't think on-line games are financially feasible right now. I mean, that's almost like saying "I'm disappointed with their lack of DVD playing capability." The system was never even designed with that in mind in the first place, nor has it *ever* been a selling point pushed by Nintendo.
Now, if your complaint was that there were few games that made more than trivial use of the GBA-GCN link feature, then I'd agree with you. Although it's looking like the games are coming really soon, it's taken far longer than it should have.
--Jeremy
The most frustrating thing is that the kind of person who writes things like this editorial will spew off crap like that, and then turn around and say "OMG, Doom 3 looks so awesome!" with a straight face.
Don't get me wrong, Doom 3 does look great, but put into context with the rest of that rant, the writer looks like a moron. (see his comments about Splinter Cell and some racing games near the bottom of the editorial) People like this can't see the irony of their prejudices, and won't listen to reason. It's not worth wasting time on them.
--Jeremy
truly innovative and quality titles like Splinter Cell
So he rails on a Metal Gear Solid remake for about 3 paragraphs, and then wishes for 'innovative' games like Splinter Cell (a.k.a. Metal Gear Solid on estrogen -- note: I own both games, but I'm not particularly fond of either. That being said, MGS is a far better game than Splinter Cell IMO)?
I mean, the whole rant was pretty stupid. It's extremely hard to take someone seriously when they use the wrong 'their' in the opening paragraph. But to not see the irony in his own praise and bashing ripped the last tiny bit of credibility out of the editorial.
--Jeremy
Even Nintendo admitted on launch of the GameCube that their console was the least advanced of the systems
No they didn't. They (basically) said that they favored manufacturing efficiency and cost over bleeding-edge performance. Never *once* did they claim that they had the 'slowest' system.
If you read the technical specs on the systems, Nintendo cites lower numbers than Sony or Microsoft -- that's because MS and Sony publish theoretical maximum performance and Nintendo publishes typical in-game performance , which is a huge distinction. However, mindless fanboys took these numbers with absolutely no understanding of what they meant and ran with them, creating the popular myth that the Gamecube is the least powerful (by no small margin) of the 3 systems. "Ha ha. Gaycube can only do 6 million polys/sec. Xbox does 125 million polys/sec!" Uhh, yeah, right.
I'd like to see a statement from someone at Nintendo specifically claiming that the Gamecube is the last powerful of the 3 systems. Give me a link to a news story/press release and I'll immediately withdraw my statement. However, until then, I'll stick with "if a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes the truth."
--Jeremy
Last I checked, the top criterion for a game was whether it's fun.
You must have checked a while ago. The latest top criteria are dollars spent on advertising the game and brand familiarity.
Just take a look at sales numbers for 'Enter the Matrix' -- despite getting lukewarm critics reviews and panned in most player reviews (the ones I've read, anyway), it sold over 1 million copies in a week.
--Jeremy
Well, this isn't really a move by Nintendo. All they did was lower their royalties, and that happens regardless of whether 3rd parties choose to lower prices accordingly.
I don't really see it as a "risky" move by anyone, except perhaps Sega. The Sonic games sold really well at the $50 level, and they were all just remakes and ports. Seems like they're potentially eating into their profits for any future Sonic game that's released.
--Jeremy
Nintendo claims the GameCube can do 12 million polygons a second ... blah blah implication that PS2 can do more blah blah
The difference that you're not taking into account:
Nintendo's specs are published for developers, not as a marketing gimmick. They tell developers what they can expect from the system in a game.
Microsoft and Sony's XBox and PS2 specs are all theoretical numbers, and are what you'd get if every piece of hardware were running at 100% efficiency in a tech demo. They're marketing numbers published so that morons like yourself will go repeating them to all of your friends without understanding what you're comparing. Not to mention your complete misunderstanding of how the A-RAM and texture cache work, along with the asinine assertation that somehow the PS2's technology will get better over time, eventually making it look better than the Gamecube.
Short explanation: MS and Sony lie about their specs, Nintendo doesn't. Simple as that.
Bottom line: MS has the most powerful system, but only marginally. The 'Cube is a close 2nd. The PS2 probably has the most powerful CPU, but that's all it has. If you honestly believe anything differently, you're a marketing tool.
--Jeremy
Not that you'll ever read this reply, but:
I've been playing video games since the Atari 2600, across pretty much every platform. I've seen games evolve from Combat to Metroid Prime, Metal Gear Solid, and Halo. I've played enough games to know what I like without being told by multi billion dollar ad campaigns.
The reason I'm a Nintendo supporter is because Miyamoto helps make some damn fine games, that then get bashed by morons such as yourself that think you're too cool to play them. So that part of the population doesn't ever get to see what *good* games are like, and just take whatever gets shoveled your way with the biggest marketing budget.
I've seen video games go from basically indie upstarts 25 years ago to the same thing we have in Hollywood and MTV right now: the only games/movies/music that people are exposed to are the ones that can make the most money for the copyright cartels, and MOST of it isn't any good. Yet people keep buying it because they don't know any better.
I'm not saying that there aren't any good games on the PS2 or XBox. There are plenty. There are just too many people missing out on the real genius of Miyamoto's creations, and *that's* why I try to get the word out about these great games.
If you're happy missing out on great stuff, fine. But don't bitch at me for pointing out what you're missing, or for complaining about the rampant commercialism that's taking over the video game industry.
BTW: my girlfriend likes Zelda but thinks that Splinter Cell is stupid -- she complains loudly when I play it and she's around. Think about that if you're worried about how video games make you look to the opposite sex.
--Jeremy
[PS2/Sony] might start to lose momentum these next 6 months. We'll see how the summer and fall turn out.
Your optimism is encouraging, but my guess is this: despite having the oldest technology and fewest unique features, the PS2 will still be the most heavily advertised console. Consumers, being what they are, will still flock to the one with the most ad placements and bright, flashing lights.
--Jeremy
In wich way the cube is graphicaly superior to the PS2 or comparable to the x-box?
Umm, Metroid Prime, Star Fox Adventures, RE0/1, and Rogue Squadron (for a start) vs. all of the low-resolution horribly aliased games on the PS2, or vs. Halo or DOA for the XBox.
If you don't even believe your own goddamn eyes, you must believe *anything* that commercials and advertising material tells you.
That, or you're about 14-18 years old and just hate Nintendo 'cuz you think it makes you cool or something. (Hint: it doesn't.)
--Jeremy
This is called a learning curve, and it's necessary for new, complex systems. anytime there is an innovation, people have to go through a learning curve.
Learning curve or no, VII was only interesting to me because it was on a new medium, and VIII was so tedious that I couldn't even make it through the entire *demo*.
Maybe I'm just becoming too jaded a gamer, but the only interesting *new* things I've played from Square since the PS1 days are Einhander, Final Fantasy Tactics (and that's not even square-developed), Brave Fencer Musashi, and to a certain degree Parasite Eve and Vagrant Story, and both of them had massive amounts of tedium intertwined with their gameplay.
--Jeremy - who bought a PS1 to play FFVII and FF:Tactics
Well, the 'Cube already meets your $150 price tag, and it will come with Zelda, Metroid, or one of several other top-shelf games. It's money well-spent, IMHO.
--Jeremy
Personally, I've convinced 5 people in my office to buy 'Cubes, and I've convinced each of them to buy copies of Metroid Prime (only 2 have picked up Eternal Darkness so far, tho'). It's kind of gotten to the point where several people just come to me to ask what games they should pick up for their systems. :)
--Jeremy
And then when this MS bumble fails like so many other MS things have, everyone will see it for what it is.
I'd say the same thing, but for the adoption rate of the XBox. Microsoft is already a household consumer electronics name, and people trust names that they know. It may not reach 80-90% market penetration right out of the gate, but give it 5 years and a few billion in advertising and it might just get there.
--Jeremy
ps2 -- METAL GEAR SOLID.. beats the crap out of splinter cell
I haven't played Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty, but I have played the original. Going back to play it about a year ago, the game really wasn't that fun. I think the best part about it was the story and the good characters, and since I already knew what was going on the game lost too much to be fun.
That said, however, it was a *lot* of fun the first time through. I'd suspect that the same could be said of Sons of Liberty.
And now to get to the point of this post: yes, it beats the crap out of Splinter Cell. I just picked up a copy a couple weeks ago, and have been working through it (about 60% complete so far), and the story is just stupid. Gameplay feels like you're controlling a robot (this was especially pronounced since I just finished Zelda, with some of the tightest controls ever in a game). The characters and enemies are all morons, and the game has some of the worst FMV cutscenes I've seen since the early days of the PS1. I honestly don't understand how this game got so much praise and sold so well. I mean, I was really looking forward to it, but have come to find out that it's just a mediocre 'stealth' title.
So yeah, I'll second that nomination of MGS over Splinter Cell. SC is way overhyped.
--Jeremy
If I rent a machine from Blockbuster, should I get an X-Box or a Playstation 2?
And this is why the Gamecube is in 3rd place -- Nobody knows that it exists. The smothering ad placements of the PS2 and XBox completely drown out anything that the big N puts out there, and the only people that know anything about it are those that actively 'educate' themselves.
This is truly a shame, as some of the best games ever made are being missed by a large portion of the game-playing public.
Oh well. I've already consigned myself to liking non-mainstream music, TV, books, and movies, so I guess it was just a matter of time 'til it happend with videogames, too. Let the drooling masses have their Madden '*, I'll quitely enjoy Eternal Darkness.
--Jeremy
Check out Metroid Speed Runs. Looks like their best time is 1:28 with 100%.
:) ). I've since found a faster path through the game, but I've gotten too rusty to beat my old times with the slower route. :)
My best time ever was 0:58, but that was with 36% of the items (Lemme tell ya -- I grab *just* enough to beat the 1st part of Mother Brain. She dies on 3rd to last super missile every time.
--Jeremy
I defy anyone to name me one game that had a deeper plot and characterization than Metal Gear Solid.
Eternal Darkness by Silicon Knights. The same guys that're remaking Metal Gear Solid for the 'Cube. If you haven't played it, you're missing out -- it's one of the most original titles I've played in the last 5 years.
--Jeremy