I don't really see how something to point with would help you with that.
Well instead of trying to figure out what to type to interact with an object, you could either use the "Use" cursor (the one that looked like a finger usually), or select an item you want to use then point to an object on the screen, etc.
It's with items that it really simplifies things. Say you have a match, and you want to light a torch. Would you type "light torch with matches"? Or "Use matches with torch"? That's a fairly simple example, as it would be pretty easy to figure that one out, but... it still complicates things.
By clicking into your inventory, selecting the match, then clicking onto the torch, it made things a lot easier.
Funny, I thought the point n' click interface was the death of Sierra games. Reduced the near-infinity of possible player actions through pop-up text entry down to a few meager icons.
But it simplified things so much... There were so many times playing games like KQ1 or Hugo's House of Horrors that I'd type one thing, thinking that's what should be done... but I just typed it in wrong or something.
>Open the door
"I don't know what you mean"
>Open door
"Which door?"
etc.
The point and click interface just simplified what was already in place.
From TFA:However, the Wii's unique control allows for more complex interactions on the console, acting as a pointer.
I think that this is the main reason the Wii could work for adventure games. IMO, adventure games need some sort of pointing device. I'm talking old school adventure games, where you would point and click on things on the screen. Kings Quest, Quest for Glory, Space Quest, Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max, Police Quest, etc... I know it can be done differently, but that's how I remember (and like) my adventure games.
As we know, using a controller to try to control a cursor on a screen is pretty much impossible. But with the pointer aspect of the Wii controller, it can act as a mouse, which would be perfect for adventure games. Hold down the "Use" button, point at the screen and click... or Hold down the "Talk" button, point at a character and talk to them... etc. Just like using a mouse to select things on the screen.
The "Pointer" aspect is one of the main (many) reasons I'm excited about the Wii... adventure games, RTS games (Warcraft, Command and Conquer, etc), etc... Lots of new ground can be explored with the system... I can't wait.
Kevin Smith has already recorded a commentary track (granted, not a funny one like this MST3k type thing, but a commentary none the less) for Clerks 2 that will be available on iTunes soon.
The thinking is that you can see the movie once to actually see the movie, then go again with your iPod and listen to the commentary while in the theater.
Pretty smart thinking, actually. And while I'm sure KS doesn't mind the additional money it would bring in, it's actually a pretty cool thing for him to do. I doubt a lot of directors would do something like this.
You could just hook up your DVD player to a VHS recorder. Ever think of that?
I'm sure they've thought about that as well... since you can't even do that with a current generation DVD player. If you go directly into the input jacks on a VCR, Macrovision protection will kick in and result in a scrambled picture or a picture that fades from dark to light. Details from Wikipedia
Plus, what's the point of going back two generations? Sure, you could watch the movie, but you're not getting a high definition picture anymore... So why not make a copy of the regular DVD, which as we know are easy to rip/decrypt. Otherwise, it would be like going from a CD to an 8 track. And I don't think there's too many people out there doing that.;-)
One of the things I like about the DS is its buttons... I like the way the buttons and the D-pad "click" when you push them down.
I tried the DS Lite at the store, and I didn't like the way they changed the buttons... they don't have that "click" anymore, that's the best way I can explain it. Maybe it's something I'd get used to, but I didn't really like it.
Yeah, that's not so bad, but then you have to beat the world to keep the mini mushroom. I know it doesn't take long, still annoying though that you can't beat the board all in one shot.
Usually what I'd do (before beating the game) is open up the gate right in front of a mushroom house, save, go in and get my item... if it wasn't what I wanted, I'd soft reboot (L R select start) and go back in until I got what I wanted.
Now that I beat it, however, the mushroom houses don't "disappear" once you use them, so you can just keep going in until you get what you want.
And on another topic... most annoying "big coin" to get? 8-4, coin two. I must have spent half an hour last night trying to get it. It's the world that has the rocks falling from above... you have to have a mini mushroom, have the falling objects blow up the block above a mini pipe, go in, go through a maze, and then... beat the board without getting hit as mini mario. I even tried not getting the mushroom by the midpoint so once I came back up I could become big, but those falling rocks even make that difficult. I was SO happy once I finally got to that flagpole!
I just beat the game last night after having it since Friday. (I could have beaten it faster, but I made it a point to get all 3 coins in each world as well)
It is a LOT of fun, I'm really happy with the jump back to 2d... however, I thought the powerups could have worked a little better. It's annoying being mini Mario, really the only time you'd use it is when you HAVE to to get to a special exit or to get a coin. And it's annoying running by those mini pipes and thinking "damn, I'm gonna have to come back in here once I find a mini mushroom..."
I've only looked at a few of the mini games, which there are a bunch of... I'll be looking into those next.
Oh, and one part of the summary is somewhat misleading: It mentions WiFi features. You can't play over the internet, you can only play via WiFi against other people nearby that have a DS. I wish they incorporated internet play into the game as well.
The controller basically has a gyroscope inside that can detect tilt... and an accelerometer that can detect movement in a particular direction.
This is different from the Wii in that it can't determine its location in 3d space. While the functionality is similar, the Wii still has the upper hand in terms of the "unique" functionality of the controller.
It's a smart move on Sony's part, but the Wii will still be able to do things no other system can.
all eyes are going to be on Nintendo? You're kidding right?
Tuesday, they will. Nintendo's press conference is scheduled for 9:30AM PST.
And beyond that, the Wii and the PS3 will be the talk of E3. There's the most hype about finding out about them, so when the info is released, that's what people will be looking at. Sure, there will be other surprises, but most people are waiting for the info on Wii or PS3.
Why would they time it to be the same day as Nintendo's press conference on Tuesday?
I understand that they're different markets, but all eyes are going to be on Nintendo that day. They could easily put it off a week and get 100% of the attention.
Please tell me Gummy Ships aren't in it this time.
Gummi Ships are indeed in the game... however, this time it's actually somewhat entertaining. Sure, it's still pretty much impossible to die, but there's certain treasures and things that you can get by defeating certain enemies. The graphics are much better, and the controls are a lot better.
It certainly wouldn't be a great game on its own, but it's not as annoying as it was in the first one.
I loved the first KH, and was really looking forward to the second. After reading the IGN review, I was somewhat disappointed becuase they only gave it a... 7.something. Not a great review for a highly anticipated game.
I still decided to pick it up. Now, while there are a LOT of cutscenes which can get annoying, I actually enjoy the gameplay. Sure, it isn't the hardest game in the world, and a lot of it is just mashing of the X button, there's still something satisfying about going into battle with 20 enemies and taking them all out.
Now, while the stories for each of the "sub worlds" (Agrabah, Halloween Town, etc) technically just follow their particular movie, it all ties into the story fairly well. Now, I am a Disney fan, but as a 24 year old I don't exactly go out and buy every piece of Lion King memorabilia or see every new Disney movie... so I definitely didn't buy the game based on the fact that Disney characters are in it. But the story is enjoyable.
So, put a good storyline, great characters, and fun, simple gameplay together and you have a quality game IMO.
You're probably right, but from a marketing standpoint I think it's a bad move. I've known many parents who opted to buy a PS2 or Xbox for their kids after learning Gamecube couldn't play DVDs.
Neither PS2 nor Xbox could play DVDs directly out of the box either.
Like someone else pointed out, it has to do with licensing fees. The Wii won't be any different than PS2 or Xbox in regards to its DVD capabilities.
I agree. There are WAY too many cutscenes. You can skip them (Push start, then select "skip scene") but then you feel as if you're missing out on part of the story.
However, as a whole, the game is great. I wouldn't say the game is any easier than the first one. Sure, a lot of the battles can be won by mashing the X button... but I'm not necessarily looking for a huge challenge, just a fun game, which it has been so far.
I disagree... I was just having this conversation with someone the other day.
When I first saw this article, I thought it WAS referring to consoles. I've been amazed by the number of patches to games via Xbox Live for the Xbox360. I don't have one myself, but I constantly hear about various patches for various games.
Sure, some of them add content, which are nice... but a lot of them are to fix problems. (For example, I've been hearing a lot about a patch to fix some baseball game some people are having problems with)
So in the current state of consoles being online and having hard drives, I DO see console gaming going to a more "patch" friendly system... which isn't necessarily a good thing.
Tetris DS online... love it
on
A DS In Every Pot
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· Score: 3, Interesting
When I first got Tetris DS, I bought it on somewhat of a whim... I knew there wasn't really anything too special about it, it was still the original tetris... just made a little prettier.
But once I played it, first I was amazed by the controls. The speed of playing just couldn't happen the same way on the original game boy... the feel of the d-pad and buttons just feels right.
And once online gameplay was put into the equation, I was blown away. I've totally fallen in love with Tetris again, and I hadn't played it at all in probably 15 years. I forgot how simple, yet addictive, a game it is. I never realized how great multiplayer Tetris could be.
600 wins online later, I realize it's the best 34.99 I've spent in years...
"I believe most people won't care about emulation, perhaps buying 1-3 games at most. I would guess most people interested in the old games already have emulators running on other machines and would be unwilling to pay to do the same on a revolution, unless it was really cheap, as in 0.99"
First, I do think NES games will be this cheap. They won't be able to get away with charging 5-10 dollars for a 3k file of a 20 year old game. I'd be willing to bet it's a few dollars per NES game. I'd guess maybe it'd be something like 2 dollars for NES, 5 for SNES, and maybe 7 or 8 for N64.
And second, if my first statement is true, I'd definitely buy a lot more than two or three games. Just becuase they're old doesn't mean the games aren't fun anymore. And I haven't played them in years, becuase there isn't enough room for all the systems, and most of my older systems I've since sold anyway. But, eventually the nostalgia sets in and you wish you hadn't sold them...
I've downloaded emulators and roms on the computer, but it isn't the same. I'm really looking forward to easily downloading and playing the back catalog of NES games on my tv.
How long til the RIAA finds this out and makes them disappear from the face of the earth. Good idea, but I have a feeling it won't hit the market, and if it does, it won't be there long.
Why do you say that? This isn't really any different than ripping to iTunes on a computer and transferring it to your iPod. You have the physical cd that you purchased (well, possibly... it obviously works with burned cds too), you're just putting it right onto your iPod.
This just takes out the "computer" step.
However, other problems come up too... If a CD is ripped to the iPod, what happens when you plug the iPod into a computer? iTunes doesn't support iPod > computer, so the CD you ripped won't show up and, if automatic sync is enabled, the cd would be deleted.
In the late '80s and early '90s, the games industry could do little more than ask nicely that you not pirate their wares.
It wasn't only "ask nicely"... I remember years ago the copy protection was simply to enter "The 4th word on the tenth line on the 10th page of the instruction manual", etc.
It wasn't so successful, but... it was an interesting idea at the time. (Even if it was a pain having to dig out the manual if you haven't played a game in a while)
I completely forgot about that until reading this article. I'm not sure how many companies did it, but I remember this on some Sierra Online games I played (Police Quest, for one)
Slashdot Mirror
Well instead of trying to figure out what to type to interact with an object, you could either use the "Use" cursor (the one that looked like a finger usually), or select an item you want to use then point to an object on the screen, etc.
It's with items that it really simplifies things. Say you have a match, and you want to light a torch. Would you type "light torch with matches"? Or "Use matches with torch"? That's a fairly simple example, as it would be pretty easy to figure that one out, but... it still complicates things.
By clicking into your inventory, selecting the match, then clicking onto the torch, it made things a lot easier.
Oh, and great Strongbad quote btw
But it simplified things so much... There were so many times playing games like KQ1 or Hugo's House of Horrors that I'd type one thing, thinking that's what should be done... but I just typed it in wrong or something.
>Open the door
"I don't know what you mean"
>Open door
"Which door?"
etc.
The point and click interface just simplified what was already in place.
From TFA:However, the Wii's unique control allows for more complex interactions on the console, acting as a pointer.
I think that this is the main reason the Wii could work for adventure games. IMO, adventure games need some sort of pointing device. I'm talking old school adventure games, where you would point and click on things on the screen. Kings Quest, Quest for Glory, Space Quest, Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max, Police Quest, etc... I know it can be done differently, but that's how I remember (and like) my adventure games.
As we know, using a controller to try to control a cursor on a screen is pretty much impossible. But with the pointer aspect of the Wii controller, it can act as a mouse, which would be perfect for adventure games. Hold down the "Use" button, point at the screen and click... or Hold down the "Talk" button, point at a character and talk to them... etc. Just like using a mouse to select things on the screen.
The "Pointer" aspect is one of the main (many) reasons I'm excited about the Wii... adventure games, RTS games (Warcraft, Command and Conquer, etc), etc... Lots of new ground can be explored with the system... I can't wait.
Kevin Smith has already recorded a commentary track (granted, not a funny one like this MST3k type thing, but a commentary none the less) for Clerks 2 that will be available on iTunes soon.
The thinking is that you can see the movie once to actually see the movie, then go again with your iPod and listen to the commentary while in the theater.
Pretty smart thinking, actually. And while I'm sure KS doesn't mind the additional money it would bring in, it's actually a pretty cool thing for him to do. I doubt a lot of directors would do something like this.
Plus, what's the point of going back two generations? Sure, you could watch the movie, but you're not getting a high definition picture anymore... So why not make a copy of the regular DVD, which as we know are easy to rip/decrypt. Otherwise, it would be like going from a CD to an 8 track. And I don't think there's too many people out there doing that.
One of the things I like about the DS is its buttons... I like the way the buttons and the D-pad "click" when you push them down.
I tried the DS Lite at the store, and I didn't like the way they changed the buttons... they don't have that "click" anymore, that's the best way I can explain it. Maybe it's something I'd get used to, but I didn't really like it.
Yeah, that's not so bad, but then you have to beat the world to keep the mini mushroom. I know it doesn't take long, still annoying though that you can't beat the board all in one shot.
Usually what I'd do (before beating the game) is open up the gate right in front of a mushroom house, save, go in and get my item... if it wasn't what I wanted, I'd soft reboot (L R select start) and go back in until I got what I wanted.
Now that I beat it, however, the mushroom houses don't "disappear" once you use them, so you can just keep going in until you get what you want.
And on another topic... most annoying "big coin" to get? 8-4, coin two. I must have spent half an hour last night trying to get it. It's the world that has the rocks falling from above... you have to have a mini mushroom, have the falling objects blow up the block above a mini pipe, go in, go through a maze, and then... beat the board without getting hit as mini mario. I even tried not getting the mushroom by the midpoint so once I came back up I could become big, but those falling rocks even make that difficult. I was SO happy once I finally got to that flagpole!
I just beat the game last night after having it since Friday. (I could have beaten it faster, but I made it a point to get all 3 coins in each world as well)
It is a LOT of fun, I'm really happy with the jump back to 2d... however, I thought the powerups could have worked a little better. It's annoying being mini Mario, really the only time you'd use it is when you HAVE to to get to a special exit or to get a coin. And it's annoying running by those mini pipes and thinking "damn, I'm gonna have to come back in here once I find a mini mushroom..."
I've only looked at a few of the mini games, which there are a bunch of... I'll be looking into those next.
Oh, and one part of the summary is somewhat misleading: It mentions WiFi features. You can't play over the internet, you can only play via WiFi against other people nearby that have a DS. I wish they incorporated internet play into the game as well.
The game will be released for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 on October 16th, 2007.
The Xbox version will have "episodic releases" via Xbox Live.
The controller basically has a gyroscope inside that can detect tilt... and an accelerometer that can detect movement in a particular direction.
This is different from the Wii in that it can't determine its location in 3d space. While the functionality is similar, the Wii still has the upper hand in terms of the "unique" functionality of the controller.
It's a smart move on Sony's part, but the Wii will still be able to do things no other system can.
Why not go "WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!" instead?
Hmm... I don't understand why this was modded down as flamebait. It's a legitimate comment.
Tuesday, they will. Nintendo's press conference is scheduled for 9:30AM PST.
And beyond that, the Wii and the PS3 will be the talk of E3. There's the most hype about finding out about them, so when the info is released, that's what people will be looking at. Sure, there will be other surprises, but most people are waiting for the info on Wii or PS3.
Why would they time it to be the same day as Nintendo's press conference on Tuesday?
I understand that they're different markets, but all eyes are going to be on Nintendo that day. They could easily put it off a week and get 100% of the attention.
Gummi Ships are indeed in the game... however, this time it's actually somewhat entertaining. Sure, it's still pretty much impossible to die, but there's certain treasures and things that you can get by defeating certain enemies. The graphics are much better, and the controls are a lot better.
It certainly wouldn't be a great game on its own, but it's not as annoying as it was in the first one.
I loved the first KH, and was really looking forward to the second. After reading the IGN review, I was somewhat disappointed becuase they only gave it a... 7.something. Not a great review for a highly anticipated game.
I still decided to pick it up. Now, while there are a LOT of cutscenes which can get annoying, I actually enjoy the gameplay. Sure, it isn't the hardest game in the world, and a lot of it is just mashing of the X button, there's still something satisfying about going into battle with 20 enemies and taking them all out.
Now, while the stories for each of the "sub worlds" (Agrabah, Halloween Town, etc) technically just follow their particular movie, it all ties into the story fairly well. Now, I am a Disney fan, but as a 24 year old I don't exactly go out and buy every piece of Lion King memorabilia or see every new Disney movie... so I definitely didn't buy the game based on the fact that Disney characters are in it. But the story is enjoyable.
So, put a good storyline, great characters, and fun, simple gameplay together and you have a quality game IMO.
Neither PS2 nor Xbox could play DVDs directly out of the box either.
Like someone else pointed out, it has to do with licensing fees. The Wii won't be any different than PS2 or Xbox in regards to its DVD capabilities.
If Nintendo came out with an official tv adapter, would they call it the "Nintendo Tii Vii"?
I agree. There are WAY too many cutscenes. You can skip them (Push start, then select "skip scene") but then you feel as if you're missing out on part of the story.
However, as a whole, the game is great. I wouldn't say the game is any easier than the first one. Sure, a lot of the battles can be won by mashing the X button... but I'm not necessarily looking for a huge challenge, just a fun game, which it has been so far.
I disagree... I was just having this conversation with someone the other day.
When I first saw this article, I thought it WAS referring to consoles. I've been amazed by the number of patches to games via Xbox Live for the Xbox360. I don't have one myself, but I constantly hear about various patches for various games.
Sure, some of them add content, which are nice... but a lot of them are to fix problems. (For example, I've been hearing a lot about a patch to fix some baseball game some people are having problems with)
So in the current state of consoles being online and having hard drives, I DO see console gaming going to a more "patch" friendly system... which isn't necessarily a good thing.
When I first got Tetris DS, I bought it on somewhat of a whim... I knew there wasn't really anything too special about it, it was still the original tetris... just made a little prettier.
But once I played it, first I was amazed by the controls. The speed of playing just couldn't happen the same way on the original game boy... the feel of the d-pad and buttons just feels right.
And once online gameplay was put into the equation, I was blown away. I've totally fallen in love with Tetris again, and I hadn't played it at all in probably 15 years. I forgot how simple, yet addictive, a game it is. I never realized how great multiplayer Tetris could be.
600 wins online later, I realize it's the best 34.99 I've spent in years...
"I believe most people won't care about emulation, perhaps buying 1-3 games at most. I would guess most people interested in the old games already have emulators running on other machines and would be unwilling to pay to do the same on a revolution, unless it was really cheap, as in 0.99"
First, I do think NES games will be this cheap. They won't be able to get away with charging 5-10 dollars for a 3k file of a 20 year old game. I'd be willing to bet it's a few dollars per NES game. I'd guess maybe it'd be something like 2 dollars for NES, 5 for SNES, and maybe 7 or 8 for N64.
And second, if my first statement is true, I'd definitely buy a lot more than two or three games. Just becuase they're old doesn't mean the games aren't fun anymore. And I haven't played them in years, becuase there isn't enough room for all the systems, and most of my older systems I've since sold anyway. But, eventually the nostalgia sets in and you wish you hadn't sold them...
I've downloaded emulators and roms on the computer, but it isn't the same. I'm really looking forward to easily downloading and playing the back catalog of NES games on my tv.
How long til the RIAA finds this out and makes them disappear from the face of the earth. Good idea, but I have a feeling it won't hit the market, and if it does, it won't be there long.
Why do you say that? This isn't really any different than ripping to iTunes on a computer and transferring it to your iPod. You have the physical cd that you purchased (well, possibly... it obviously works with burned cds too), you're just putting it right onto your iPod.
This just takes out the "computer" step.
However, other problems come up too... If a CD is ripped to the iPod, what happens when you plug the iPod into a computer? iTunes doesn't support iPod > computer, so the CD you ripped won't show up and, if automatic sync is enabled, the cd would be deleted.
In the late '80s and early '90s, the games industry could do little more than ask nicely that you not pirate their wares.
... I remember years ago the copy protection was simply to enter "The 4th word on the tenth line on the 10th page of the instruction manual", etc.
It wasn't only "ask nicely"
It wasn't so successful, but... it was an interesting idea at the time. (Even if it was a pain having to dig out the manual if you haven't played a game in a while)
I completely forgot about that until reading this article. I'm not sure how many companies did it, but I remember this on some Sierra Online games I played (Police Quest, for one)