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Gaming / Re: The "What are you currently playing?" Thread
« on: December 19, 2011, 01:11:55 AM »
Started on Find Mii II today, and the very first treasure chest got me a Yoshi hat.
BOO-YA!
BOO-YA!
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952
News and Announcements / Re: Hope for the Future or Corporate PR? Capcom Boss & PB Discuss Mega Man's Future
« on: December 19, 2011, 01:00:59 AM »953
Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread
« on: December 19, 2011, 12:10:40 AM »
Your dash is changed to a spiral-dash at one point in the late-game, and yeah, that's pretty much it. All I can tell you is use those portal-boost-rock-things whenever there's one in your flight path.
Yeah, I liked Twilight Epona better too. Flying is a crazy rush at the start of the game but it does get old, especially when going in and out of the thunderhead.
I love this game to death, but even having 100% cleared it today, I'm still finding certain control and presentational choices questionable. This, to me, is every bit the epic Zelda action/story that I crave, but it is not the hit-the-mark demonstration of Wii control setups that, say, Metroid Prime 3 was. This game has several minor annoyances in its interface, and while the fact that Motion Plus lets me mislead Ghirahim's hand is nice, I found little other relevant use of it besides the bow. And speaking of the bow, the use of Motion Plus to reset your neutral pointing position is completely senseless and annoying for any items that are NOT the bow. The same imprecisions of the basic Wii remote losing accuracy when you move too quickly still apply, convincing me that the editorial Motion Plus hype train was a complete load of fiction (this goes way beyond just Zelda, but that's another discussion). I'm also annoyed with the fact that Link raises his shield whenever he recovers from a hit, thus preventing you from charging a Skyward Strike when you get to your feet. It took me until the end of the damn game to realize that was a design choice and not a controller malfunction, and it's an exceedingly poor one. There is ZERO point to it; no enemy attacks you that rapidly, and even if they did, leaving your shield up without a thrust is exactly what you SHOULDN'T be doing according to the new combat and durability mechanics (which are otherwise great).
Yeah, I liked Twilight Epona better too. Flying is a crazy rush at the start of the game but it does get old, especially when going in and out of the thunderhead.
I love this game to death, but even having 100% cleared it today, I'm still finding certain control and presentational choices questionable. This, to me, is every bit the epic Zelda action/story that I crave, but it is not the hit-the-mark demonstration of Wii control setups that, say, Metroid Prime 3 was. This game has several minor annoyances in its interface, and while the fact that Motion Plus lets me mislead Ghirahim's hand is nice, I found little other relevant use of it besides the bow. And speaking of the bow, the use of Motion Plus to reset your neutral pointing position is completely senseless and annoying for any items that are NOT the bow. The same imprecisions of the basic Wii remote losing accuracy when you move too quickly still apply, convincing me that the editorial Motion Plus hype train was a complete load of fiction (this goes way beyond just Zelda, but that's another discussion). I'm also annoyed with the fact that Link raises his shield whenever he recovers from a hit, thus preventing you from charging a Skyward Strike when you get to your feet. It took me until the end of the damn game to realize that was a design choice and not a controller malfunction, and it's an exceedingly poor one. There is ZERO point to it; no enemy attacks you that rapidly, and even if they did, leaving your shield up without a thrust is exactly what you SHOULDN'T be doing according to the new combat and durability mechanics (which are otherwise great).
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Gaming / Re: Official Nintendo 3DS Discussion Thread - Specs, Tech, Price? It's all here!
« on: December 17, 2011, 04:25:04 AM »
You know you're in [parasitic bomb] when you put Cephi on the offensive. 
She makes an awfully good point. I mean, if you thought it was overpriced at $250, the very simple solution is to not buy it, especially easy since the killer apps didn't come until last month. I bought the hunk of junk on day one, I love it, but not everyone's as crazy as I am and I know it. To me, it was worth it. When you want to be a launch day fanboy, you take all risks that come with it.
And for God's sake, we're talking about the company that's now selling its last-gen handheld for TEN BUCKS LESS than the current one. I think their riot police are already out in full force for them to have the balls to pull a stunt like that.
Official emulation exists for one reason: So that we can be good little drones with a clean conscience, a bare interface, a framerate that never reminds us that we're not really playing the original, and the right to never bear witness to compatibility issues that don't involve some kind of extra peripheral. But it will NEVER be as full-featured as the free hackers because they are not viewed as legitimate competition. The fact that the free unauthorized stuff is superior in its selection of options and features is a simple fact of life.
That's like asking why shouldn't you hack your DVD player to ignore unskippable previews. Or, another example, I know damn well that no matter how amusing any DSi/3DS music player may be, it'll never hold a candle to Moonshell. As consumers, legitimate-vs-hacked isn't a matter of value in the usual sense. It's a matter of taking the high road when we are satisfied, and cheating the cheap bastards when we're not.
She makes an awfully good point. I mean, if you thought it was overpriced at $250, the very simple solution is to not buy it, especially easy since the killer apps didn't come until last month. I bought the hunk of junk on day one, I love it, but not everyone's as crazy as I am and I know it. To me, it was worth it. When you want to be a launch day fanboy, you take all risks that come with it.
And for God's sake, we're talking about the company that's now selling its last-gen handheld for TEN BUCKS LESS than the current one. I think their riot police are already out in full force for them to have the balls to pull a stunt like that.
Why should I bother buying them here, when I can get a better portable experience with the SAME games out of my PSP already without even paying.Simple answer: You shouldn't.
Official emulation exists for one reason: So that we can be good little drones with a clean conscience, a bare interface, a framerate that never reminds us that we're not really playing the original, and the right to never bear witness to compatibility issues that don't involve some kind of extra peripheral. But it will NEVER be as full-featured as the free hackers because they are not viewed as legitimate competition. The fact that the free unauthorized stuff is superior in its selection of options and features is a simple fact of life.
That's like asking why shouldn't you hack your DVD player to ignore unskippable previews. Or, another example, I know damn well that no matter how amusing any DSi/3DS music player may be, it'll never hold a candle to Moonshell. As consumers, legitimate-vs-hacked isn't a matter of value in the usual sense. It's a matter of taking the high road when we are satisfied, and cheating the cheap bastards when we're not.
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Of course, all of this wouldn't matter to me if MEGAMAN LEGENDS 3 WAS STILL BEING MADE.On that, we most certainly agree.
[tornado fang]
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Gaming / Re: Official Nintendo 3DS Discussion Thread - Specs, Tech, Price? It's all here!
« on: December 17, 2011, 01:06:48 AM »
No, folks, this emulator is not running in "DS mode". DS mode would not be able to create an image that stretches beyond the DS's aspect ratio (GBA is 3:2, DS is 4:3, 3DS top screen is 5:3). For a GBA game to use the full screen height and still stretch beyond the width of the bottom screen, that is a 3DS mode emulator.
The colors might be SLIGHTLY pale, but my idea of "washed out" is a frontlit GBA SP screen (AGS-001 as opposed to AGS-101). This is nowhere near as bad. I'd say it's more faithful than the wackiness we've already seen on Wii's NES Virtual Console (painfully evident in Mega Man).
Yes, the proper home/sleep functions don't work. As they do not work for any legacy DS game. The system will shut off the screen and speakers when folded shut, but the game is still running. So, pause it first.
No, I don't understand why Nintendo can't get a GBA game to sleep either, but it's a trivial point.
I'd appreciate the option for a Y/B control setup as opposed to B/A, but that holds for the NES emulator as well.
Overall, if this is your idea of bad emulation, then thank God you were never in on the DS homebrew scene. Or, for that matter, the Wii VC's Genesis emulation, which you pay $8 a game for and it doesn't even recognize a goddamn control stick. We're getting free, competent [parasitic bomb] before anyone else has the option to pay for it; I'm not complaining.
The colors might be SLIGHTLY pale, but my idea of "washed out" is a frontlit GBA SP screen (AGS-001 as opposed to AGS-101). This is nowhere near as bad. I'd say it's more faithful than the wackiness we've already seen on Wii's NES Virtual Console (painfully evident in Mega Man).
Yes, the proper home/sleep functions don't work. As they do not work for any legacy DS game. The system will shut off the screen and speakers when folded shut, but the game is still running. So, pause it first.
No, I don't understand why Nintendo can't get a GBA game to sleep either, but it's a trivial point.I'd appreciate the option for a Y/B control setup as opposed to B/A, but that holds for the NES emulator as well.
Overall, if this is your idea of bad emulation, then thank God you were never in on the DS homebrew scene. Or, for that matter, the Wii VC's Genesis emulation, which you pay $8 a game for and it doesn't even recognize a goddamn control stick. We're getting free, competent [parasitic bomb] before anyone else has the option to pay for it; I'm not complaining.
You're frustrated because we got exactly what they said we'd get? If you don't remember that, then you probably don't remember the whole getting versions of this that work like the rest of the VC when/if they update them. Right now it's not even an emulator, they're working the same way the DS games are. The reason for no multiplayer? You can't connect Link Cables to the 3DS.You can't run a GBA game on a non-GBA system and call it anything but emulation. It's not "hardware emulation" as I imagine you meant to say, because any Nintendo system that lacks a GBA port also lacks GBA BIOS and sound circuitry. That topic came up pretty much weekly when the DSi first came out.
It does for me ^^Same. Funny how people will pay for games we already own with a smile, but then they're free, it's a shitstorm.
The hard truth is, they really don't give a [parasitic bomb]. Why? Because it's not earning them profit.Because Nintendo, with profits driving them, was totally into savestates, control configurations, and network connectivity on their last system's Virtual Console.
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Off The Wall / Re: Your Desktop! Post It For Great Justice!
« on: December 16, 2011, 04:15:34 AM »
Was hanging with the Mega Man Day for a while, but decided to change it.
Jecht Striker did this one. If you didn't know, he rules.
Jecht Striker did this one. If you didn't know, he rules.
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Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread
« on: December 16, 2011, 04:09:19 AM »
I have no doubt that such a timeline exists, but I have equally little doubt that Nintendo rewrites it as they see fit. I wouldn't put much weight in that rumor.
But hey, it's a Zelda art book. How the [tornado fang] do you argue with that? It had DAMN WELL BETTER be coming here!
(especially if there's Midna in it, 'cuz you know, she rules)
In other news, cleared Skyward Sword two days ago.
But hey, it's a Zelda art book. How the [tornado fang] do you argue with that? It had DAMN WELL BETTER be coming here!
(especially if there's Midna in it, 'cuz you know, she rules)
In other news, cleared Skyward Sword two days ago.
(click to show/hide)
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Gaming / Re: Official Nintendo 3DS Discussion Thread - Specs, Tech, Price? It's all here!
« on: December 16, 2011, 12:32:05 AM »
I'm just waiting for Xtreme2... My original cart has been dead for a couple of years; played the hell out of the poor thing.
They probably didn't want to give us Zero Mission on account of the fact that its pretty similar to the original Metroid.Granted. But there's still nothing quite as epic as that Chozodia theme.
And probably also because it has the original Metroid and they don't want to give us the same game twice, thank you Nintendo.
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Gaming / Re: Official Nintendo 3DS Discussion Thread - Specs, Tech, Price? It's all here!
« on: December 15, 2011, 04:04:10 AM »
Minish Cap's new to me as well, so that'll be damn sweet. And one can never have enough portable Yoshi's Island.
I guess if I *REALLY* wanted to nitpick, I could say that it stinks that I only made it a point to get the GBA Fire Emblem games last summer (D'OH!), but I certainly won't object to Nintendo giving FE some more exposure (STILL waiting for Heroes of Light and Shadow...). And in all honesty I find GP Legend and Zero Mission to be preferrable to Maximum Velocity and Fusion.
But that's REALLY, REALLY nitpicking. The list is extraordinarily rocking in any context, let alone as free [parasitic bomb]. And it's effectively 11 games seeings how all Super Mario Advance titles include the Mario Bros. remake, which is equally awesome.
I guess if I *REALLY* wanted to nitpick, I could say that it stinks that I only made it a point to get the GBA Fire Emblem games last summer (D'OH!), but I certainly won't object to Nintendo giving FE some more exposure (STILL waiting for Heroes of Light and Shadow...). And in all honesty I find GP Legend and Zero Mission to be preferrable to Maximum Velocity and Fusion.
But that's REALLY, REALLY nitpicking. The list is extraordinarily rocking in any context, let alone as free [parasitic bomb]. And it's effectively 11 games seeings how all Super Mario Advance titles include the Mario Bros. remake, which is equally awesome.
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Emulation / Re: My discs cannot be read?
« on: December 14, 2011, 03:53:47 AM »
I sincerely doubt this relates to your console being modded. If that were the problem, it would most likely stop the game from loading up in the first place.
It's always possible that there's something wrong with a disc, so if it's only one game doing this then that could be it. That said, if your Wii is in less than stellar shape, then perfectly fine games that use dual-layer discs can be tougher for it to read than the usual single-layer discs.
(EDITS: Also on this note, dual-layer discs can be a lot pickier, malfunctioning due to not-so-visible dust, smears, etc. Not too long ago I specifically had issues with Metroid Other M. Cleaning with an every-day cloth towel did nothing. I tried one of those cloths specifically meant for cleaning LCD screens and that did the trick)
It is possible that there are minor issues with your system. I got a launch Wii and it started acting up within the last year or so, failing to read discs and locking up mid-game. I found two (fixable) issues that you'll probably want to be alert for:
1. Dirt on the lens. If you've had your Wii for a long time, you'll want to invest in a cleaning kit. It's 10 bucks off of Nintendo's website (for some reason other retailers tend to jack up the price). Even in a clean household, 4 or 5 years is plenty of time to collect a fair share of dirt.
2. Overheating. If your Wii gets hot even when not playing games, that's WiiConnect24 taking its toll while the fans aren't running. Again, I have a launch system and this only became an issue within the last year (not sure why), but once it started it was a frequent and frustrating problem. If you go into your Wii's system settings, turning the "Standby Connection" option off will solve the problem. That stops your Wii from connecting to the internet while the system is "off" (the light will be red instead of yellow), but it leaves the actual WiiConnect24 agreement unaffected so that you're not denied access to the Shop Channel and such.
Note that leaving the Standby Connection on and manually "powering off" the Wii by holding in the button until you get a red light may not help. In theory this should stop it from looking for a connection while not playing, but my Wii stayed hot anyway until I turned the Standby Connection off in the system settings.
It's always possible that there's something wrong with a disc, so if it's only one game doing this then that could be it. That said, if your Wii is in less than stellar shape, then perfectly fine games that use dual-layer discs can be tougher for it to read than the usual single-layer discs.
(EDITS: Also on this note, dual-layer discs can be a lot pickier, malfunctioning due to not-so-visible dust, smears, etc. Not too long ago I specifically had issues with Metroid Other M. Cleaning with an every-day cloth towel did nothing. I tried one of those cloths specifically meant for cleaning LCD screens and that did the trick)
It is possible that there are minor issues with your system. I got a launch Wii and it started acting up within the last year or so, failing to read discs and locking up mid-game. I found two (fixable) issues that you'll probably want to be alert for:
1. Dirt on the lens. If you've had your Wii for a long time, you'll want to invest in a cleaning kit. It's 10 bucks off of Nintendo's website (for some reason other retailers tend to jack up the price). Even in a clean household, 4 or 5 years is plenty of time to collect a fair share of dirt.
2. Overheating. If your Wii gets hot even when not playing games, that's WiiConnect24 taking its toll while the fans aren't running. Again, I have a launch system and this only became an issue within the last year (not sure why), but once it started it was a frequent and frustrating problem. If you go into your Wii's system settings, turning the "Standby Connection" option off will solve the problem. That stops your Wii from connecting to the internet while the system is "off" (the light will be red instead of yellow), but it leaves the actual WiiConnect24 agreement unaffected so that you're not denied access to the Shop Channel and such.
Note that leaving the Standby Connection on and manually "powering off" the Wii by holding in the button until you get a red light may not help. In theory this should stop it from looking for a connection while not playing, but my Wii stayed hot anyway until I turned the Standby Connection off in the system settings.
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Gaming / Re: What version of PSP should I get?
« on: December 14, 2011, 01:02:36 AM »PSP 3000 did NOT come with a case? The first two models did...I got a core pack new; no game bundle, and no case. System, battery, charger, that was it.
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News and Announcements / Re: Hope for the Future or Corporate PR? Capcom Boss & PB Discuss Mega Man's Future
« on: December 11, 2011, 09:20:15 PM »I like the comic book series too for the reasons you mentioned. As for everything you mentioned with the games themselves, I really don't disagree with anything you said. I haven't played all of them so I cannot offer up any real opinions on the games itself. However, all of what you mentioned is essentially irrelevant. The main point & problem is that despite everything you mentioned about the games, the only ones buying them are Mega Man fans. Most of the gaming world has moved on from it whether the game is enjoyable or not. Like we mentioned before, the only one that got noticeable attention was MM9 and that was due to nostalgia.The half-baked production is IMHO *WHY* most of the gaming world has moved on and only fans are buying it. God knows that, ESPECIALLY among the Nintendo demograph, there is no reason that a recognized mascot in a quality nostalgia trip can't perform strongly, and the fact that Mega Man gave Zelda a run for its money on the 3DS Virtual Console front says that the Mega Man name is by no means forgotten. What it is, is lacking in consumer confidence. The problem is that Capcom has spent the last 6 years proving that they don't know how to handle it.
The cartoon strategy only works because the audience it's supposed to attract will be a blank slate; if Capcom treats them on the video game front the same way they've treated Mega Man's audience on the current consoles, then a brilliant and ludicrously fortunate move is going to turn into a distressingly short-term solution.
And yes, it is brilliant. Not arguing with that. And I'm DEFINITELY not arguing against Mega Man needing to widen his audience. It's just that I believe that on the video game front Capcom needs to pay closer attention than to simply exploit their critic-proof names.
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A Korean MMO most likely won't do that because from what I've seen they eat up any MMO, and over here it wouldn't have done well because it'd be competing against WoW and Star Wars: The Old RepublicNo denying that, I'm only mentioning Online for the sake of referencing how badly Mega Man's latest efforts have been received even before they hit the market, by his own fans. Universe was an ambitious title, but it was seriously alienating the current fanbase in a general complete failure to attract a new one. Right now is really the worst possible time to try and "Americanize" Mega Man, if you ask me. Saturday morning cartoons are almost entirely either anime or something trying to imitate anime, and manga is about the only way any kids (even if not enough of them) read comic books anymore.
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As for Capcom getting their [parasitic bomb] together, to be quite honest, they know exactly what they're doing.I was referring to their ability to handle a quality Mega Man game production, not their ability to exploit their fanbase. Yeah, they know how to do that all too well.
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The only other explanation for the game's cancellation, outside of the 3DS' early performance, is that Capcom are absolute, total [tornado fang]ing dicks and this was indeed trolling on a scale never before seen in gaming history, to fans and possibly Inafune. Logically, that makes absolutely no sense.I agree that spiting Inafune is bull, if that were the case the game would have been torn down as quickly as Universe was (and no, I don't think Universe was cancelled out of spite; I think rather that without Inafune nobody else was willing to push forward in the face of an obvious lukewarm reaction to the game). But there are other reasons:
First of all, Capcom's own underperformance. Despite milking the fighting game fans for all they were worth, Capcom was not having a good year in 2011. Their revenue as a whole was down the shitter and most of what they did make came from a goddamn Smurfs phone game (link, and be aware this timeframe covers April-September 2011; Prototype was conceived after the greenlight meeting in February and cancelled in July). They probably weren't feeling very adventurous in the midst of that. However this, along with the 3DS are both money issues, and while they were doubtless a factor, it still doesn't excuse refusing to release what they already finished thus far in the form of the Prototype. So why not release it, play the two-faced PR game while they offset their losses, and can the game afterwards?
Second reason: Devroom. If there is one thing a business values anywhere close to as much as money, it is their established practices, which the Devroom flew in the face of. True, half the time the Devroom was an over-glorified blog about as useful as Smash Bros Dojo's widescreen settings update, but the reason WHY it turned out to be so is because the Devroom was facing opposition internally at Capcom, which Gregaman himself referenced following Legends 3's cancellation. Before the cancellation, it took a considerable amount of fan demand to even allow the showing of development screenshots (they went so far as to censor the 3DS systems in use during the greenlight meeting photographs). The Prototype Version was not to be used as a gauge in sales alone; Eguchi's statements confirmed that the Devroom response would be observed as well. The plan was that the Prototype and the Devroom were to be used to push each other. If, as times for the company grow more uncertain, Capcom of Japan wants the particular pandora's box of the Devroom closed (they announced their plans to wipe out their branch of it almost immediately following the game's cancellation, and Yoshiyuki Fujikawa's twitter was removed almost as soon as he even mentioned Legends 3), then the Prototype had to go with it.
No amount of cult appeal and poor hardware numbers justifies refusing to release a marketable (even if on a limited scale) project after it has already been completed, which the Prototype was. The expense was already made and at that point they're merely denying themselves any opportunity to offset the financial loss before they pull the plug. Capcom "chickened out" not on the 3DS (they actually threw their weight behind it afterwards with Monster Hunter 4, which is a big deal in Japan), but on the concept of communicating with its fans.
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Because they knew that it was not making a profit at all and they weighed the option of #1. releasing it just to save face and take the financial loss OR #2. not release it, deal with the backlash, and know that eventually the people pissed at them would still continue to buy their products like the little addicts that they are.Option 1 is an excuse to discontinue further expenses, which is to say development and free incentives. The Prototype was neither of those.
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When you have a limited fanbase, you cannot just half-ass it like Capcom did with the MvC3 franchise which was a guaranteed seller no matter what. It needs full assing
...
Oh, nothing, that one's just a quote for truth.
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Hahaha, I'm far from saying it's possible or only just a Protoman Bluesian pipe-dream, but I'm actually gonna E-Mail & call people and see if it's possible cause in the long run, as a Mega Man fan and as a fan of animation, I've really got nothing to lose. LoL, if they tell me no, then I'm no worse off than I was before I looked into it.You know what? Go for it. 'cuz even if it is a pipe dream, you come up with the best damn pipe dreams around.
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Gaming / Re: What version of PSP should I get?
« on: December 11, 2011, 08:04:58 PM »
Got a 3000 and can't really complain about it. Screen's great, plays actual UMDs (PSPgo, lol), video output for when I'm at home, yay all around.
Whatever model you get, though, do yourself a favor and get a case/pouch for it. That screen gets smudged easily enough as it is; you don't want anything else happening to it.
Whatever model you get, though, do yourself a favor and get a case/pouch for it. That screen gets smudged easily enough as it is; you don't want anything else happening to it.
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Gaming / Re: Official Nintendo 3DS Discussion Thread - Specs, Tech, Price? It's all here!
« on: December 10, 2011, 06:10:01 PM »
And to think, I could have gotten Mario Kart for free and put those points towards something else, like DKC2 or Castlevania 4...
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News and Announcements / Re: Hope for the Future or Corporate PR? Capcom Boss & PB Discuss Mega Man's Future
« on: December 10, 2011, 05:28:43 PM »
Well, I respect your opinion, and certainly value such thoughtful input (which is distressingly rare these days), whether I agree with it or not. But, gotta disagree on a few points (not all).
That being said, a QUALITY cartoon is still a significant investment, and I think that if they can't make that investment with games, they're probably not going to make it outside of such. It's not just the money, either, it's also the talent and the time. The drive to remain faithful to the character's image. The games failing are a symptom of Capcom's lackluster efforts, and until their attitude changes, they're more likely to sell a Mega Man cartoon to whoever tickles their wallet and leave it at that.
Whether or not it holds any value as a potential expansion, do you know why I personally like the Archie comic? Because they "get" Mega Man. As I understand it they're not fans themselves, they've studied up, and obviously done a much better job of it than a lot of the people that Capcom hires. The woes of Mega Man games aren't solely the fault of advertising; there have been serious issues with the creative talent behind their making and localization over the last five or six years. Every Mega Man game that came out over this console generation was "so-so", enjoyable to us, but definitely not up to the quality standards of Mega Man's "golden years". MHX's character models look like they belonged in Sonic Rush. ZX and Powered Up were both horrendously badly localized, and the latter was further badly balanced and the textbook definition of a failed attempt at nostalgia (the game is a good game in itself, but a terrible remake). ZX Advent was too many bells and whistles and not enough core, largely failing to capture the "growing stronger" theme due to its watered down arsenal and its booby-prize of a hidden form. MM9 applied a nostalgic coat of paint to a level design clearly not measuring up (Egoraptor's
is the perfect example of what 9 lacked), and further had the gall to charge its players for difficulty levels. MM10...surprisngly well improved, but still had a few more kinks (regardless it seems the public made up its mind already). Universe, while we know little of it, already was seen to control poorly and de-emphasize the weapon mechanics. It may have surprised me had it been released, but all signs pointed to it sharing many common strengths and flaws with Powered Up.
The last time Mega Man was truly firing on all cylinders was the Zero series. God knows I can complain about it enough on the grounds of artistic preferences and shifting the arsenal focus from weaknesses to a wider array of primary weapons, but it was the last time I truly felt that the games successfully accomplished what they had set out to accomplish (maybe ZX1 as well, but again, badly localized).
A Korean-only game garnered more excitement from most fans than Universe, that says something. It says that Capcom truly has no idea what they're doing. I don't doubt your premise on the cartoon, but for the level of quality and investment that is necessary for the desired effect, it would take a freaking miracle. What I doubt is that the video games, being the current problem, cannot be attacked directly instead of circumvented. If Capcom could get their [parasitic bomb] together, they could make it work. I'm fairly confident, as you could gather above, that they weren't on that road with Universe. Did they have their [parasitic bomb] together with Legends 3? We'll never know. THAT'S what ticks me off. Yes, Legends is a cult classic, but it's a cult classic that hasn't even attempted to find an audience over the last decade. Times change, preferences change, technologies change, the inherent rules of game design change (point of interest: the latter two are not addressed by porting the PS1 games). I am not willing to write off the series based on a precedent that has not been tested since the year after the general public got over their fear that the Dreamcast's launch date was going to reset every computer in the world.
You're taking the target of the retail game and applying it to the timeframe of the Prototype, and they are two different things. "Early" is a relative term. No way was the final retail version of the game poised to arrive before 2012. And nobody worth their own brain stem would have believed that the combination of Christmas (which isn't even here yet), nostalgia-addict Mario platforming, and Mario Kart wasn't going to push the hardware.
The number "100,000" is meaningless. Somebody probably just attached that to the group because it came up way back when we were all worried about the ZX franchise. And frankly, they were better off setting their sights high than low, because the last thing the fans need right now is to be content. 100,000 is a long-term goal, which is what they need because God knows nothing's going to come of Legends in the short-term. If/when they hit that number, it's not going to mean anything to Capcom. It's admirable, to be sure. But nobody in their right mind believes that a Facebook page, whether popular or not, translates directly to sales.
The actual value to the Facebook page is merely that it serves as a rallying cry; it provides a single point for the otherwise fragmented fanbase to focus, and a means to organize them when the need arises. In and of itself it is unlikely to have any direct impact, and most of the people who join it know that.
While the 3DS's performance/target audience may have been a contributing factor over at Capcom, it was at best an extremely short-sighted one, and I absolutely refuse to accept that it is valid as the primary reason for the game's cancellation. The fact that the Prototype was effectively finished yet went unreleased is key here, as that says Capcom wasn't even willing to try and offset their loss. Further, you can attack the premise of the Prototype Version all you want, and make an excellent point of it. But WHEN THE WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE, the loss of taking that last step out the door is negligible. That's why the security of Mega Man's Virtual Console ports is not in doubt. You may be right, Capcom's intent with Prototype may have been badly conceived and illogical on all levels, but sales potential is a matter of probability, not of fact. Nobody has a crystal ball (hey, Nintendo didn't think Smash Bros. or Pokemon would sell in the U.S.), and the time for the "probability" argument of the Prototype already came and long since went. Prior to the Prototype's cancellation, the project had nothing to lose, and so attacking the concept after it was already finished as a reason to not release it is not a valid argument. Not when it comes from Capcom, and not when it comes from the fellow fans.
Cartoons have much greater range and influence than a comic book ever will. The only thing that could have more range would be a live action movie, and lord knows that cannot be attempted via Hollywood, so it has to be animated.I'm certainly not denying that a cartoon has far greater potential than a comic, relatively speaking. I'm just saying that I don't see the comic as a complete write-off either.
That being said, a QUALITY cartoon is still a significant investment, and I think that if they can't make that investment with games, they're probably not going to make it outside of such. It's not just the money, either, it's also the talent and the time. The drive to remain faithful to the character's image. The games failing are a symptom of Capcom's lackluster efforts, and until their attitude changes, they're more likely to sell a Mega Man cartoon to whoever tickles their wallet and leave it at that.
Whether or not it holds any value as a potential expansion, do you know why I personally like the Archie comic? Because they "get" Mega Man. As I understand it they're not fans themselves, they've studied up, and obviously done a much better job of it than a lot of the people that Capcom hires. The woes of Mega Man games aren't solely the fault of advertising; there have been serious issues with the creative talent behind their making and localization over the last five or six years. Every Mega Man game that came out over this console generation was "so-so", enjoyable to us, but definitely not up to the quality standards of Mega Man's "golden years". MHX's character models look like they belonged in Sonic Rush. ZX and Powered Up were both horrendously badly localized, and the latter was further badly balanced and the textbook definition of a failed attempt at nostalgia (the game is a good game in itself, but a terrible remake). ZX Advent was too many bells and whistles and not enough core, largely failing to capture the "growing stronger" theme due to its watered down arsenal and its booby-prize of a hidden form. MM9 applied a nostalgic coat of paint to a level design clearly not measuring up (Egoraptor's
| sequelitis video | |
The last time Mega Man was truly firing on all cylinders was the Zero series. God knows I can complain about it enough on the grounds of artistic preferences and shifting the arsenal focus from weaknesses to a wider array of primary weapons, but it was the last time I truly felt that the games successfully accomplished what they had set out to accomplish (maybe ZX1 as well, but again, badly localized).
A Korean-only game garnered more excitement from most fans than Universe, that says something. It says that Capcom truly has no idea what they're doing. I don't doubt your premise on the cartoon, but for the level of quality and investment that is necessary for the desired effect, it would take a freaking miracle. What I doubt is that the video games, being the current problem, cannot be attacked directly instead of circumvented. If Capcom could get their [parasitic bomb] together, they could make it work. I'm fairly confident, as you could gather above, that they weren't on that road with Universe. Did they have their [parasitic bomb] together with Legends 3? We'll never know. THAT'S what ticks me off. Yes, Legends is a cult classic, but it's a cult classic that hasn't even attempted to find an audience over the last decade. Times change, preferences change, technologies change, the inherent rules of game design change (point of interest: the latter two are not addressed by porting the PS1 games). I am not willing to write off the series based on a precedent that has not been tested since the year after the general public got over their fear that the Dreamcast's launch date was going to reset every computer in the world.
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And Legends being aimed at the early adopter is probably what cost it its life, being that the 3DS hasn't boomed in sales until most recently. The 3DS was always going to have system seller games like Mario 3DS and Mario Kart.
You're taking the target of the retail game and applying it to the timeframe of the Prototype, and they are two different things. "Early" is a relative term. No way was the final retail version of the game poised to arrive before 2012. And nobody worth their own brain stem would have believed that the combination of Christmas (which isn't even here yet), nostalgia-addict Mario platforming, and Mario Kart wasn't going to push the hardware.
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Was Legends 3 going to be one to anyone outside of Mega Man fans? If you go by the Facebook page, 100,000 Strong for Bringing Back MML3 is currently idling at around half its estimated number, and hasn't really increased for a good 3 months now.I think this is a bit of a tangent, but I find 50,000 joins on what is effectively an internet petition, which the majority of the world dismisses as a complete waste of time by its very definition, to be fairly impressive.
The number "100,000" is meaningless. Somebody probably just attached that to the group because it came up way back when we were all worried about the ZX franchise. And frankly, they were better off setting their sights high than low, because the last thing the fans need right now is to be content. 100,000 is a long-term goal, which is what they need because God knows nothing's going to come of Legends in the short-term. If/when they hit that number, it's not going to mean anything to Capcom. It's admirable, to be sure. But nobody in their right mind believes that a Facebook page, whether popular or not, translates directly to sales.
The actual value to the Facebook page is merely that it serves as a rallying cry; it provides a single point for the otherwise fragmented fanbase to focus, and a means to organize them when the need arises. In and of itself it is unlikely to have any direct impact, and most of the people who join it know that.
Quote
Sorry, but you're absolutely overvaluing early 3DS adopters. Early 3DS adopters bought the system because it was a new piece of hardware, they needed to replace their old DS/DSLite/DSi, and they were waiting for Mario 3DS, Mario Kart, and other quality Nintendophile Nintendo brand titles. Only Mega Man fans bought a 3DS for MML3 or were waiting for MML3, game drought or no game drought. Gaming news sites and word of mouth would not have garnered enough interest in it, especially not a Prototype you have to pay money for. If it was free, maybe. But those points would go more towards Link's Awakening or Super Mario Land 2 before they'd go towards a Prototype of MML3Not buying that. Not when Dr. Wily's Revenge was one of the first/only titles to give Link's Awakening a run for its money on the e-Shop's charts, and not when the Legends 3 "prologue" was set to sell at the same price that Nintendo charges for a goddamn clock skin.
While the 3DS's performance/target audience may have been a contributing factor over at Capcom, it was at best an extremely short-sighted one, and I absolutely refuse to accept that it is valid as the primary reason for the game's cancellation. The fact that the Prototype was effectively finished yet went unreleased is key here, as that says Capcom wasn't even willing to try and offset their loss. Further, you can attack the premise of the Prototype Version all you want, and make an excellent point of it. But WHEN THE WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE, the loss of taking that last step out the door is negligible. That's why the security of Mega Man's Virtual Console ports is not in doubt. You may be right, Capcom's intent with Prototype may have been badly conceived and illogical on all levels, but sales potential is a matter of probability, not of fact. Nobody has a crystal ball (hey, Nintendo didn't think Smash Bros. or Pokemon would sell in the U.S.), and the time for the "probability" argument of the Prototype already came and long since went. Prior to the Prototype's cancellation, the project had nothing to lose, and so attacking the concept after it was already finished as a reason to not release it is not a valid argument. Not when it comes from Capcom, and not when it comes from the fellow fans.
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News and Announcements / Re: Revamped version of "Rockman X1" to appear on iOS units (iphone/ipad)!
« on: December 10, 2011, 05:25:44 AM »
I like how the Stage Select mugshots are MHX while the in-game boss design is clearly SNES.
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Rockman Series / Re: Mega Man Archie Comics
« on: December 10, 2011, 05:03:46 AM »
Well, within the last week or two, yeah. What can I say, I haven't been discussing the comic on the internet that much. 
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Rockman Series / Re: Mega Man Archie Comics
« on: December 10, 2011, 04:59:34 AM »
You know, it occurs to me, the fact that Oil Man wears his scarf over his mouth in the comic is probably Archie's way of making sure that they don't have to recolor him. We all know what happens to dark-skinned humanoid caricatures with big lips (see Jynx and Mr. Popo).
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News and Announcements / Re: Hope for the Future or Corporate PR? Capcom Boss & PB Discuss Mega Man's Future
« on: December 10, 2011, 04:47:24 AM »
I think Archie's comic has better potential than one would think. True, the comic book industry as a whole is down the shitter, but remember that Archie is at the head of a well-over-20-years-running game adaptation series, and I can tell you firsthand that because Archie loves advertising for themselves, there's plenty of Mega Man ads in those Sonic comic books. I've already seen letter columns featuring people who found Mega Man that way; there is definitely potential for expansion there. And the issue of being for kids? Not an issue. Quite the opposite, it's the whole damn point. Any older gamer already knows who Mega Man is; whether they like him or not, they've cast their lot already, and derivatives are unlikely to sway them. The foundational audience for games, as with the vast majority of toys/entertainment, IS the young, the people who bug their parents for the stuff, plain and simple. And Mega Man hasn't been relevant to young people since Battle Network.
That being said, the comic, as well as any cartoon discussed here, are American. And while we can certainly use any edge we can get in any territory, Mega Man hails from Japan, and the core of his essence, the games, will be coming from there as well. That means issues with the fanbase will need to be addressed there, or merchandise and re-releases will continue to be the only thing we see. I don't get the vibe that the likes of Sven and Seth wouldn't throw a game out there themselves if they were able; they're not.
Legends and Universe chose two completely different tactics in terms of their target audience. Legends was aimed at early adopter deliberately, while Universe was the "late-life, big audience, multi-console" game. Inafune leaving both bases covered when he left (had the games not been canned) was probably the best thing he could do to try and ensure Mega Man's future.
And the latter option there is not as sure-fire obviously correct as one might think. If the brand name is not recognizable, the game is unable to break out from the heavy competition for shelf space. Okami? Zack & Wiki? Capcom's been there before. And in fact, Mega Man has pretty much been falling down that slope for this entire console generation. Mega Man's almost always a late-comer in terms of hardware life cycles, and what game since the introduction of the DS HASN'T underperformed? Mega Man 9 was the closest thing to decent press that he's gotten in that entire time. Legends 3 stood as a great source of potential because it was, in terms of not only its gameplay style, but also its release schedule, and its (attempted) marketing direction, generally breaking the stagnating trends that Mega Man has been suffering over the last 6 years.
And I think any early 3DS adopter can appreciate what a welcome oasis the Prototype would have been amongst the 3DS's desert of an early software lineup. That monopoly that Solar mentioned would have lasted for FIVE [tornado fang]ing MONTHS. Being literally the only 3DS exclusive title available for download for that length of time, it would have been absolutely impossible for the game to NOT get some level of attention from general gaming news sites, to say nothing of word of mouth and the general greater will to experiment from a gamer who lacks other options. That was the whole damn point of the game being on 3DS to begin with. Nobody's going to tell me that the 3DS's sales justify cancelling the game; because besides the game not being on track for 2011 anyway, that kind of landscape is EXACTLY what Capcom bargained for in the first place. There was a method to that particular bit of madness, and they just walked away from it.
That being said, the comic, as well as any cartoon discussed here, are American. And while we can certainly use any edge we can get in any territory, Mega Man hails from Japan, and the core of his essence, the games, will be coming from there as well. That means issues with the fanbase will need to be addressed there, or merchandise and re-releases will continue to be the only thing we see. I don't get the vibe that the likes of Sven and Seth wouldn't throw a game out there themselves if they were able; they're not.
Yeah, Legends 3 could've been their chance, it had pretty much everything it needed and they threw away the opportunity. I mean, it hadThis, this, this, and yeah, also this. Legends 3's cancellation frustrates me to no end because it was a great opportunity for the franchise. Risky? Absolutely. Most worthwhile projects are. Any business can only stay in the safe "coast mode" for so long, your audience inevitably shrinks over time. And that's pretty much how Mega Man got in the crappy situation that he's currently in.
-A monopoly of the "3DSware" store for its "demo"...that they decided to pass to improve the product (understandable) and in the end we all know what happened.
-It was going to be an early title, which meant it wouldn't have as much competition as it would've had later.
-It had the hype of being a new entry in a beloved franchise for the first time in a decade.
-It had a loyal fanbase that had certainly been growing during that decade of nothing.
-Its characters were more recognizable now than before because of their cameos.
It was the PERFECT chance for a revival and they threw it away =|
Legends and Universe chose two completely different tactics in terms of their target audience. Legends was aimed at early adopter deliberately, while Universe was the "late-life, big audience, multi-console" game. Inafune leaving both bases covered when he left (had the games not been canned) was probably the best thing he could do to try and ensure Mega Man's future.
And the latter option there is not as sure-fire obviously correct as one might think. If the brand name is not recognizable, the game is unable to break out from the heavy competition for shelf space. Okami? Zack & Wiki? Capcom's been there before. And in fact, Mega Man has pretty much been falling down that slope for this entire console generation. Mega Man's almost always a late-comer in terms of hardware life cycles, and what game since the introduction of the DS HASN'T underperformed? Mega Man 9 was the closest thing to decent press that he's gotten in that entire time. Legends 3 stood as a great source of potential because it was, in terms of not only its gameplay style, but also its release schedule, and its (attempted) marketing direction, generally breaking the stagnating trends that Mega Man has been suffering over the last 6 years.
And I think any early 3DS adopter can appreciate what a welcome oasis the Prototype would have been amongst the 3DS's desert of an early software lineup. That monopoly that Solar mentioned would have lasted for FIVE [tornado fang]ing MONTHS. Being literally the only 3DS exclusive title available for download for that length of time, it would have been absolutely impossible for the game to NOT get some level of attention from general gaming news sites, to say nothing of word of mouth and the general greater will to experiment from a gamer who lacks other options. That was the whole damn point of the game being on 3DS to begin with. Nobody's going to tell me that the 3DS's sales justify cancelling the game; because besides the game not being on track for 2011 anyway, that kind of landscape is EXACTLY what Capcom bargained for in the first place. There was a method to that particular bit of madness, and they just walked away from it.
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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread
« on: December 08, 2011, 11:51:54 PM »I still don't think it's as balanced or as well fleshed out as MK64, however it's most certainly the closest second to it in terms of balance and fairness. The levels are great, the music is excellent (The items themselves are balanced just fine, I'd say. The hit-all/drop-your-[parasitic bomb] orgy from MKWii is no more and the Blue Shell is once again actually useful to the people who launch it instead of just trolling the leader. The only thing left to tinker with is distribution: Blue shells and lightning bolts still wind up in the CPU's hands a bit too often for my liking (then again, I STARTED on 150cc for the sake of unlocking characters; I still have to see how the other levels compare).the Toad's Turnpike song mixed into Neo Bowser City briefly), and the kart design is fun, balanced, and there is no overwhelming favorite like in MKWii.
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Gaming / Re: RPM's Nintendo Wi-Fi lists (now with Mario Kart 7!)
« on: December 08, 2011, 11:43:56 PM »
Updated ya, and I added RPM's Mario Kart 7 community to the list as well.
11-8755-8490-3348
11-8755-8490-3348
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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread
« on: December 07, 2011, 01:42:52 AM »
Holy [parasitic bomb].
I was already ready to call this the best Mario Kart ever before I saw that.
The track design is amazing, the item balance is spot-on, THE BLUE SHELL IS NO LONGER USELESS TO PEOPLE IN THE BACK, and the kart customization is just all kinds of awesome. The fact that every piece (driver, body, wheels, glider) influences your stats allows you to counter-balance a particular favorite element that may not mesh with your preferred play style. Even Bowser is a surprisingly well-rounded racer with the Koopa Clown Car (
) and small wheels.
I was already ready to call this the best Mario Kart ever before I saw that.
-Why the [tornado fang] were customizable icons from the DS version NOT included in this game as well? Especially when we can use our Mii's? Boooooooooo!Those are pretty much the only "flaws" that I can possibly find with this game.
-Great choice of Retro Tracks, but come on Ninty.... three games and no N64 Wario Stadium? You're killing me
The track design is amazing, the item balance is spot-on, THE BLUE SHELL IS NO LONGER USELESS TO PEOPLE IN THE BACK, and the kart customization is just all kinds of awesome. The fact that every piece (driver, body, wheels, glider) influences your stats allows you to counter-balance a particular favorite element that may not mesh with your preferred play style. Even Bowser is a surprisingly well-rounded racer with the Koopa Clown Car (
) and small wheels.
973
X / Re: The Exploitables -- X Edition!
« on: December 07, 2011, 01:11:13 AM »X6 Rainy Turtloid armor capsule. Time the Battons just right and get hit by them to bypass both spiked corridors without Blade Armor.I'm actually surprised that anyone WOULD use Blade Armor to reach that capsule...
As far as exploitable stuff goes, my favorite will probably always be deliberately skipping Xtreme2's helmet so that you can enjoy the full 4 power-up part slots in tandem with the rest of the armor upgrades.
974
X / Re: How to destroy Crystal Snail's shell
« on: December 05, 2011, 01:05:47 AM »
I'm not sure if I'd take the lack of crashing as confirmation that it was discovered pre-release. I mean, it might have been, but what does and doesn't crash a game can vary a lot depending on how thorough one is at checks/safeguards the first time. You yourself told me that when I was screwing with Yoshi in NSMBWii and musing at what does and doesn't crash that game.
Something I'd be curious to test sometime: Snail is backed into a corner when his shell is destroyed in that vid. Does he default to the right or is he running towards the shell's last known location?
Something I'd be curious to test sometime: Snail is backed into a corner when his shell is destroyed in that vid. Does he default to the right or is he running towards the shell's last known location?
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Gaming / Re: RPM's Nintendo Wi-Fi lists (now with 3DS)
« on: December 04, 2011, 07:37:32 PM »
Well, we can't fault him for that.