I just finished my first run through of The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword on the Nintendo Wii and all I can say is that it's a fantastic game worthy to be included in a long line of great Zelda games. The big question? Is this this the best Zelda game to date? Not even close but still a wonderful experience. I'd probably rank the game third after The Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past.
What Skyward Sword does well it does exceedingly well. Beautiful graphics, an orchestrated soundtrack, true 1:1 ratio using the controller, a ramped up difficulty from the past two installments, and superb dungeons. What drags down the game from being the best in the series is linear gameplay, a repeat battle of an annoying boss, three times, and one too many fetch quests, especially toward to last third of the game. I'm also a little puzzled that Ganondorf isn't Link's nemesis in this game, which is usually the case in most all console versions of The Legend of Zelda.
My criticisms aside this is a remarkable game that should be played by any Zelda, Nintendo, or Wii fan. Rolling through the quest should take the typical gamer anywhere from 40 to 60 hours to complete with an additional "Hero Mode" opened up upon completion for the more serious gamers. I would rank this game as one of the best games the Wii has to offer. I still can't decide if it overtakes Super Mario Galaxy 2. Play this game if you haven't already or buy a Wii just for the experience, it's definitely worth the 99 bucks.
It's that time of year again! No, not Thanksgiving, it's time for all the great holiday video game releases. I've put in a few hours into the new Legend of Zelda game for the Nintendo Wii, Skyward Sword. Here are some of my initial impressions:
The Good:
Graphically the game takes a little step forward from Twilight Princess. The game stylistically is a combination between Twilight Princess and maybe The Wind Waker. The graphics are a little smoother than the last outing and a little more colorful. Probably the prettiest game on the system thus far but still obviously lagging behind what the PS3 and XBOX 360 can do.
Fully orchestrated music! Finally. This is first Legend of Zelda game that takes advantage of a fully orchestrated score and the update is a very welcome one. I haven't heard too many melodies from previous games yet but the music is a fantastic upgrade. In addition, the game comes with a bonus CD of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony, containing eight tracks from various games in all their symphonic glory. Very cool.
The controls take advantage of Wii Motion Plus, meaning that every move with the wand is in true 1:1 ratio. Simply put, however you move the controller, your sword follows the exact same movement in the game. Puzzles can be solved and enemies can be defeated in exacting ways depending on how you slice or jab with the controller. Indeed this is a huge jump for the series especially when it comes to combat. Most foes will block your thrusts forcing the gamer to attack in precise and differing ways rather than just rattling the Wii remote back and forth.
The Bad:
The game takes its sweet time getting to the action. There's a very long intro/tutorial to the game that takes about an hour before the true story unfolds. While this to be expected, especially after playing the last two installments in the series, it's still a little frustrating for the eager gamer.
From what I've played so far the game is very linear. The adventure seems to go directly from one place to the next without much open ended exploration left to the gamer. Hopefully this will change as the story moves forward as has been the case with previous Zelda games.
The Ugly:
Initially the difficulty seems to be much higher than previous games. Once I finally made my way to the first boss in the first dungeon I literally died at least a dozen times trying to figure out the best means of success. I consider myself a fairly good gamer yet I found myself cusing quite a bit as my ass was handed to me by a foe or while I scratched my head trying to figure out how to progress. I've also found that hearts are less prevalent in this game meaning that it's worth taking along regenerative items before tackling a new area or dungeon.
Overall a great initial reaction to a series I adore. Better graphics, outstanding music, and precise control makes this a worthy addition to the franchise so far. Best Zelda yet? Of that I'm unsure but I'm ready to devote 60 game hours to find out!
Speaking of video games, Nintendo released an updated trailer to The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword:
Graphically the game looks decent but I still think it's a little too cartoony, certainly more so than their last effort, The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.
I'm really looking forward to experiencing the 1:1 ratio of sword play with the Wii controller. As you can see from the trailer certain enemies can only be defeated with specific thrusts from the controller. If done right it could be a unique gaming experience.
The game is scheduled to be released this holiday season.
Last year Nintendo and Retro Studios released Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Nintendo Wii, a compilation of all three Metroid Prime games, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. The first two games in the series were released on the Nintendo GameCube while the last game was released early in the life cycle of the Wii. All three games are packaged into one DVD in a slick metal box with a hard plastic sleeve, a rarity for Nintendo games to be given special treatment. The trilogy retails for $49.99, though it could probably be found at a cheaper price at this point.
Why would I be excited about a set of games that are re-releases, the oldest of which is nearly 10 years old? Simply put the Metroid Prime series is one of my favorite series of games with the original game being one of my favorite individual games ever. Retro has adapted the Wii remote functionalities into the two older games as well as shorter load times, upgraded and altered visual effects, added bloom lighting, and wide screen capability. While none of these new additions make for a new experience of the original two games, it does make for a better experience to two already nearly flawless experiences.
I began playing the first game in the series, Metroid Prime, on Monday. I'm about 30% complete thus far and I'm enjoying the game as much as the previous three times over the years that I've completed it. While the graphical updates are subtle and the game does show its age, the control upgrades are outstanding. With Metroid being a first person shooter/adventure game, the inclusion of the Wii remote and nunchuck functionality is brilliant. In spite of all the other "upgrades" to the series of games, the reason to be playing this version is because of the responsive controls.
Not to be missed for Metroid Prime fans and most definitely recommended to those who never had a chance to play the first two GameCube games. An excellent value considering that you're basically getting three games for the price of one.
Is anyone else playing anything of interest at the moment?
I finally replaced my original Wii that has been on life support for the past year or so. All I could determine from researching online is that there must have been some kind of problem with the lens and how it was reading the DVD's. I was able to play some of my games but the system was unable to recognize larger games that were written in dual layers. Long story short (too late), I was able to pop in some games last night that I had bought over the past year that I was never able to play.
The Wii I chose was a really cool collectors edition for the Mario franchise's 25th anniversary. As you can see from the picture above the system is red, comes with the a controller and nunchuck which has the Wii MotionPlus functionality already built in, and it comes with two games, Wii Sports of course and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. All this cost $199.99 which isn't a bad deal compared to the original Wii I purchased that only had one game and just the control wand.
While I'm excited to have the new system, this really is the end of an era for me and Nintendo. This is the first system I've ever had to replace due to a problem dating all the way back to the Nintendo Entertainment System, including all the various versions of the GameBoy and DS systems. Not a bad record over the course of 20+ years.
There was a time not so long ago that I would be in line on release day to pick up the next big Nintendo game! Apparently I'm getting old and forgetful. Metroid: Other M was released today on the Nintendo Wii and I totally forgot about it. What the fuck? I could be playing some space bounty hunter goodness but instead I'm sitting here at home listening to music and hanging out on Facespace! Boo.
This shit is really cool. Finally a true sequel to Super Metroid. The opening cinema details events in the classic Super Nintendo game. What's more sad than forgetting that one of my favorite series of games came out today? The fact that I probably won't be buying it anytime soon...
It's looking pretty sweet, hopefully Nintendo and Team Ninja won't let all us Metroid fanboys down! Look for a release on August 31st for the Nintendo Wii.
Obviously there were other games shown by Nintendo at their E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) press conference than a new Legend of Zelda game. Below is a list of some of the games I find more intriguing with some of my thoughts:
Metroid: Other M. The game has been pushed back to August, probably not to overlap with the recent release of Super Mario Galaxy 2. I'm still on the fence from what I've seen regarding the gameplay. Half 2-D and 3-D gameplay. It's Metroid so there's no question I'll purchase the game, I just have doubts that Team Ninja can outdo Retro Studio's last outing in the franchise.
Donkey Kong Country Returns. Speaking of Retro Studios, they've been handed the keys to the Donkey Kong franchise. The Donkey Kong Country series on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was fantastic. I look forward to playing another great game in the series by the great Texas developer!
Kirby's Epic Yarn. Who doesn't love Kirby? The little pink marshmallow guy who has the ability to morph into all kinds of things to complete his quest. Unfortunately I can't remember the last time there was a good Kirby game on a home system. Handheld systems have been the way for Kirby to shine over the years. I'm not sure about the design of the game, it reminds me a little of Yoshi's Story from the Nintendo 64, not a great game if I recall correctly.
Mario Sports Mix. I get it Nintendo, Mario is popular. He's been whored out on a lot of games this generation. That's fine, it's just that these kinds of games aren't really my cup of tea any longer. Perhaps if I had a group of friends to play with more often I would be more inclined to be excited about games of this type. As long as I have Wii Bowling for drunken after parties life is good!
Golden Eye 007. Now we're talking! Oh, it's made by Activision. We'll see. A remake of arguably one of the greatest games to ever hit any system. I'm down.
In conclusion, these are just some of the Nintendo games that caught my eye. There is a ton more to see at the official E3 page. I'm excited about what I've seen from Nintendo overall and I'm a little concerned. What's with the focus on 2-D games? While they can be fantastic, I want more epic 3-D experiences besides Mario and Zelda! I'd also like to see some new franchises or at least some that haven't been used in a while. Where's a new Pikmin game or a new Kid Icarus game?
The video above shows more elements of the gameplay in Nintendo Wii's The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword.
The good:
1:1 swordplay motion tracking with the Wii Motion+ add on to the Wii remote as well as the ability to use items like the sling shot and bow without pointing at the screen; basically it's all controlled through the wand now.
Control of the shield via the nunchuck attachment.
The ability to determine what to do with bombs via different control motions, throwing, rolling, etc.
The beetle item, allowing the player to send a remote drone out to help collect hard to reach objects and presumably for solving puzzles.
The addition of a whip to the items list, very cool.
The bad:
I'm still a little less than thrilled about the overall look of the game, at least in the forest areas that were presented. It seems a little too colorful ala a Mario game. Perhaps the graphics are cel shaded?
The ugly:
A most likely release date of 2011! Really Nintendo?
Nintendo just completed their E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) press conference. I'm just waiting on videos to come in around the net but here's a taste of the latest entry in the Legend of Zelda series, The Skyward Sword. Most likely to be released in 2011 (grumble, grumble) on the Nintendo Wii.
My initial reaction to this brief snippet was "meh." The graphics look a little more crisp than the previous game, Twilight Princess; however, it all looks very much the same and very, um colorful. There is a ton more media to be seen so of course I won't judge too quickly. Nintendo usually seems to know what their doing when it comes to one of their "big" franchises. More to follow...
Best Nintendo game ever? I'm not ready to make that assessment but I ultimately believe once I complete the game it will rank up there as one of the best, for me anyways. I picked up the game on early Sunday morning and had a couple of hours throughout the day to play. I estimate that I've complete about 16% of the game thus far. Here are some early observations:
Graphically a solid effort and as pretty as the first game in the series. It's hard to say the Wii can't compete graphically with the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 when a game looks this good.
Controls are super responsive, again. Mario has all his trademark moves and new ones via the help of new suits. For me, control while riding Yoshi is a bit trickier. For some reason I kept forgetting to aim the wand at targets for Yoshi to eat, expecting him to do this functionality by just facing an enemy or object.
It seems to me that the difficulty has been kicked up a notch. I've probably died more times in this game than I did in my entire effort with Super Mario Galaxy. All too often Nintendo published games try to appeal to everyone and, while great games, the difficulty can suffer. Nintendo games recently have incorporated a play feature where the gamer can let the system play certain areas for them in an effort to help the less seasoned gamer move forward in the level. Perhaps this feature will enable Nintendo to produce more challenging games or levels.
Once again the music is fully orchestrated, combining a mix of old school Mario music we all know with new tunes.
My favorite level so far, the Puzzle Plank Galaxy. The music is also interesting.
The goofy storyline from the first game has been removed. The current game is stripped down to mainly just Mario going from world to world and level to level. This is a welcome change. Less time with story and roaming a hub world means more time with some crazy platforming.
I probably won't ever get around to writing a review for this game as I'm sure it will be weeks before I've completed the game in it's entirety. I'll just say this, if you like Mario games, especially Super Mario Galaxy, then there is no way that you'll be disappointed in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Great graphics, controls, and level design in conjunction with many new suits, Yoshi, and a streamlined level system will probably make this one of the best Mario platformers on any Nintendo system. Buy this game. If you don't own a Wii, buy one and then buy this game!
IGN rates the game 10 out of 10, rarely do they give out perfect or masterful scores. "This is the absolute pinnacle of Mario gameplay: everything that makes a Mario game so incredibly fun is represented here. Both in 2D and 3D."
Joystiq Nintendo says: "Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the best Mario game ever."
Did anyone out there own a Nintendo 64 back in the day? If you didn't, you're a loser. Anyhoo, the game that came packaged with the Nintendo 64 was Super Mario 64. The game was revolutionary, incorporating smoking graphics (at the time) in one of the first true 3-D platforming experiences. It was epic. I found the video below at Joystiq Nintendo which features game play footage of Super Mario Galaxy 2. The level featured is a remake of Whomp's Fortress from Super Mario 64! Sweetness! Yes, I know I'm a dork. Enjoy the video and the nostalgia.
I love chips and salsa or dip or queso. Last Friday night me and some friends celebrated the first annual (shuddup Dann) Salsa Bowl. Basically the party consisted of everyone bringing their favorite chips and dip while we had a Wii Bowling tournament. It turned out to be a really good time. We created a double elimination tournament that ended up taking about six hours to complete! Naturally I won since my mad Wii Bowling skills are sick. The final four including me was Matt, Justin, and Stephanie. I had a fantastic time and I look forward to doing something similar in the future.
The chips and dip spread. My fridge is currently pack full of different kinds of salsa and dip.
The bracket.
The Bowlers minus Steph who was taking the picture.
Joystiq Nintendo has some new gameplay movies of Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M on their site.
Galaxy 2 look just as sweet as the first installment of the series with the added bonus of getting to ride around on Yoshi. Releases May 23rd.
I'm excited about another Metroid game but I'm a little unsure of the controller scheme as well as the side scrolling aspects of the game. Releases June 27th.
Nintendo held their Media Summit late last month to detail upcoming release information for games and hardware. I'm just now going through the information but I did find a new trailer to Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Nintendo also revealed a relase date for the game, May 23rd, 2010.
There was also some information about Metroid: Other M but I haven't been able to find any new media. The game will launch on June 27th, 2010! Two blockbuster titles by Nintendo to enjoy this summer is outstanding news. I haven't read any news about the next Legend of Zelda game so I'm thinking it has to be Nintendo's big game for the next holiday season.
I just finished my first run through of The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword on the Nintendo Wii and all I can say is that it's a fantastic game worthy to be included in a long line of great Zelda games. The big question? Is this this the best Zelda game to date? Not even close but still a wonderful experience. I'd probably rank the game third after The Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past. 
