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Compare The Conduit's graphics to other Wii FPS titles [update]
Update: Apparently neither Sega or High Voltage approved this video, and it was uploaded by accident. At the request of Sega and High Voltage, we've removed it from the post.High Voltage dares you. This isn't some kind of silly kid's dare, though. No, this is a triple dog-dare, the coup de grace of all dares. And, after watching the video past the break, which compares The Conduit to the likes of other Wii FPS games such as Metroid Prime 3, Red Steel, and Call of Duty: World at War, we'd say High Voltage has certainly made its case. What do you all think? [Via Go Nintendo]
New Play Control Metroid Prime games get Corruption's token system
If you played through any significant portion of Metroid Prime 3, then you likely encountered a colorful token or two during your progression through the game. These tokens were awarded for a variety of reasons and were a lot of fun to compare with your friends, so it's nice to see them being utilized in the New Play Control versions of Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime: Echoes. Anything adding replay value to these great games is just fine by us!
Metroid Prime senior engineer passes away
Unless you're the type of person who carefully analyzes a game's credits upon completion (we only know one such man), you probably don't know who Mark Haigh-Hutchinson is. His most recent achievement is the titles in the Metroid Prime series, where he served as senior engineer and created the camera system for the game. His other past projects include Zombies Ate My Neighbors (who doesn't love this one?!), Paperboy and Star Wars: Rebel Assault.Mark passed away on Tuesday at the age of 43 due to pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Best of the Rest: Ludwig's picks of 2007
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii) Though its puzzles may occasionally infuriate, the real source of frustration regarding Zack & Wiki stems from the fact that nobody bought it. Every year has its share of titles that deserve an audience yet never find one, and in this regard, Zack & Wiki is easily one of the most tragic games to put an uncontrollable smile on your face. Relentlessly charming and beautifully presented, the debut of Capcom's choc-chomping pirate and his simian sidekick challenges the mind and warms that cynical, meh-spouting lump in your chest. How refreshing it was to overcome obstacles and bosses by choosing the power of the mind over an impossibly large bazooka.
Best of 2007: First-party games [update]
With the end of 2007 approaching at near lightning-fast speed, we thought it would be nice to check out what you, the excellent reader, thought about the games of this year. First up, we have the obvious: first-party games. We have a good idea which game you're going to say, but in the name of healthy debate, check out all of the choices past the break.
Despite Wii's success abroad, Nintendo to keep development in Japan
Now, you might want to take a seat before reading this next sentence. The Wii is very popular. Can you believe that? We surely couldn't upon reading about it and hearing from others regarding its incredible appeal both in Japan and abroad. So, considering that demand for the console is highest in the U.S., it would make sense for Nintendo to think about focusing some of their development over here, right? Well, Nintendo doesn't have any such plans, apparently.We can understand that first-party titles are most likely going to need to be directly overseen by Iwata or Miyamoto, but what about Metroid Prime 3? It was one of the Wii's biggest titles this year, why wouldn't Nintendo want to make more titles exclusively like it, geared toward the Western gamer? Well, Nintendo thinks that's what third-party developers are for.George Harrison (is he even leaving anymore?) commented that "They're [third-party developers] doing a great job both on DS and on Wii. They tend to provide product in categories that we aren't particularly good at doing, like sports or other genres. And since they're Western publishers, they tend to be more in tune with Western tastes." So, for the time being, it looks like Nintendo's first-party development is going to stay confined to the Land of the Rising Fun.[Via CVG]
N'Gai Croal reimagines the Wiimote for Metroid Prime 3
Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, who you may remember hating for his shockingly-worded preference of 2D Metroid, still really likes Metroid Prime 3. In fact, he likes it so much he came up with an alternate button placement on the Wiimote for ideal Prime playing, one that puts the - and + buttons around the A button like the GameCube's layout. He even suggested, during the same discussion that sparked the original outrage, that Nintendo could have shipped such a 'special edition' Wiimote with the game. He backed up this discussion with a Photoshopped Wiimote that Newsweek put together.We think that's a pretty fun idea, despite being a collector's nightmare. If the function of the thing doesn't really change, why not let people spend their money on weird one-off controllers? It's no different than, say, the Guitar Hero controller or the $200 Steel Battalion doodad, except that it could still be used with other games.
N'Gai Croal redesigns the Wiimote for Metroid Prime 3
Of course, you may want to substitute the word "redesigns" for "fixes," depending on how compulsive your scanning was. In his Level Up blog, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal has posted a visual illustration of a special Wii remote he would have liked to find in the Metroid Prime 3 box. Unhappy with the placement of the plus and minus buttons -- both of which are frequently used in the game -- Croal proposes that the above kidney shaped configuration would add up to less limited controls. As he tells MTV's Stephen Totilo following their lengthy dissection of the game, "I know you'll agree with me."We certainly do. We reckon the design change would also benefit the games that don't involve intergalactic bounty hunters, eliminating the trek our thumbs embark on every time they leave the safety and security of the A-button. We like the idea so much, we're inclined to forgive Mr. Croal for calling his design the "Metroid Pwiime" remote.
Dennis Dyack wonders where Wii will be years from now
A lot of the industry folk are concerned with the longevity of the Wii, the latest of which is Silicon Knights' Dennis Dyack. He understands the console is popular right now, thinks it's hip, but wonders if the system can keep it up in the long run. Dyack seems to think the platform isn't capable of providing deep, rich experiences. We guess he didn't get to try Metroid Prime 3 yet.But, even if the console only provides Wii Sports-like experiences, if it sells well, is that really a problem? We may not like it in quantity, as we're more than happy to sit down (or stand up, rather) every now and then and throw down in Wii Sports, but overall want more meaningful experiences from the system. But, if we're not happy and a billion grandparents are picking up the system for Wii Sports or other quick, mass-appeal titles, is that really a bad thing?
Retro: Metroid Prime 3 was all about proving the controller
Not only were Retro trying to make a great game in Metroid Prime 3, they also set out to prove that the Wiimote could be a viable control method for not only the FPS genre, but on the whole, apparently. And, if we had any say in the matter, we'd say they did an excellent job on both counts easily. But, it's not like they didn't run into their fair share of problems."When we went to Japan and first saw the controller for the first time I got really concerned because there weren't a lot of buttons," says game director Mark Pacini. But, that didn't turn out to be an issue, as most will agree the game controls wonderfully. So, do you think Metroid Prime 3 proved that the Wii's control method is a viable solution for genres outside of minigame compilations? Or, do you think that Retro just doesn't settle for anything less than the best in what they do?See also: Taking a stroll through Retro Studios
Croal: Metroid should never have gone 3D
The latest "Vs. Mode" exchange between Newsweek's N'Gai Croal and MTV's Stephen Totilo compares Metroid Prime 3 with BioShock (a.k.a. the game that people won't stop talking about). They're up to part 3 now, which mostly covers the morality of the two games. Almost in passing, Croal makes the following remark: "'Metroid' is a franchise that should never have made the jump from 2-D third-person to 3-D first-person."He goes on to say that the first-person format works best for games involving forward motion (shoot, go through door, shoot, etc.), and that the Metroid games' trademark backtracking is most easily conceivable in a side-scroller. And even though we can almost hear you rummaging in the closet for your Indignant Commenter hats, we mostly agree. While Metroid Prime is a great series of games, they aren't great Metroid games. The emphasis on storytelling (via scanning) and the reduced platforming required of a first-person game make for a fundamentally different experience from a real Metroid game. We admit we have big problems with the 3D maps, too, which hampers exploration significantly. For Croal, the change is enough to keep him from making progress in Prime; for us, we can enjoy both independently, but at no point do we really feel like we're playing a 3D Metroid.
Wii Warm Up: Have you regretted the lack of DVD playback?
Some people considered it a big deal when it was confirmed that the Wii would not feature DVD playback on release, but now that you've had one for a while (we hope), has it bothered you? There's been only one time when this blogger lamented the lack: the DVD player had been unhooked temporarily in order to offer up the progressive scan inputs* for Metroid Prime 3 (y'know, when we bought this television years ago, we thought the bank of connections on the back looked like more than we'd ever use), and we didn't feel like unhooking anything or putting the DVD into another game system due to the unwieldy DVD controls. For a moment, we discussed how convenient it would be if the Wii featured DVD playback -- after all, it's got a built-in remote! -- but it was a fleeting wish, and changing out the hookups isn't much of a problem. Beyond that single time, we've never even thought about the Wii lacking DVD playback.Have you ever wanted to shove a DVD in there, for whatever reason? *Yes, yes, we could get a switch, but it's rare when we really need all the connections at once ... it was really just the one time! Perhaps it's a sign of changing times, however ....
MTV drops new Multiplayer blog (plus BioShock Vs. Mode)
Everyone here knows we're big fans of MTV's excellent Multiplayer blog. Up until now, what that really meant was that we were fans of MTV News' gaming reporter Stephen Totilo who, until today, ran Multiplayer as a one-man show. From here on out, the Multiplayer blog has been expanded by rolling up MTV's other video game blog GameDrop (yeah, they had two). So that means new design (we like!), new writers (we're not sure yet), and of course, new content from Totilo.First, a new Vs. Mode with Newsweek's N'Gai Croal where the two veteran writers discuss the fall's first blockbuster first-person shooters: BioShock and Metroid Prime 3. The first installment expounds some 4500 words on BioShock, with Totilo and Croal both praising the shooter-from-the-deep for its atmosphere, sizing up the world of Rapture to other notable video game settings (is it uniquely memorable?).Also included in Multiplayer's pseudo-inaugural outing is the below embedded video detailing precisely how to pronounce Ubisoft. "Is it YOO-be-soft? Or OO-be-soft?" We won't give the answer away (we'll leave that to Ubisoft's own), but we do want to take this opportunity to say "nyah nyah nyah" to everyone that ever pronounced it wrong. Ever.
August NPD: The view from on high
Even in a month when hardware sales are down, Nintendo's Straight Up Success bus just keeps on rolling. Let's hope this keeps on challenging Iwata and company to avoid "doing the easy." Even the re-priced Xbox 360 couldn't compete with the Nintendo juggernaut. Nintendo Wii: 403K Nintendo DS: 383K Microsoft Xbox 360: 277K Sony PS2: 202K Sony PSP: 151K Sony PS3: 131K In software, however, the story was different. After Metroid Prime 3's moment in the spotlight, Bioshock's longer release window won out between those two. Nintendo games barely even struggled into the top five, with Wii Play and its extra controller snapping up that spot. Madden, which is its own juggernaut, dominated sales last month. To see the top ten titles, slip past the break.
WRUP: Finding something to drink in the desert edition
This week's releases hardly present an opportunity for those of us who want something new to play to enjoy our favorite console. Sure, we could enjoy Sonic 3, but the game isn't something that can't be utterly dominated over the course of a single day. What's a gamer to do?What will you be playing? Going to enjoy some Virtual Console games this weekend, or will you be enjoying a retail release game? Dare we ask if you still have as of yet to complete Metroid Prime 3?
August NPD: Madden and Wii on top, but not together
While August yields some noteworthy NPD data in terms of hardware sales, the games populating the top twenty spots in the software chart provide the most interesting commentary. Before we get to that, however, we should gaze at the gargantuan pile of cash that represents the U.S. game industry. GameDaily BIZ reports that total sales climbed to $993 million dollars, a 46% increase over the same month last year, with hardware sales alone reaching $302 million. Nintendo's Wii once again sold the most units, followed by the DS and a now cheaper Xbox 360. Microsoft had best hope the jump in sales extends to more of a protracted hover, as it seems the PS3 has already come down to Earth following its July "clearance sale." Nintendo Wii: 403.6K (4 million total) Nintendo DS: 383.3K (12.7 million total) Microsoft Xbox 360: 276.7K (6.3 million) Sony PlayStation 2: 202K (39.1 million total) Sony PSP: 151.2K (8.3 million total) Sony PlayStation 3: 130.6K (1.75 million total)
Metroid Prime 3: Corrupted
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Metroid_Prime_3_glitch_could_ruin_one_of_the_best_boss_fights_in_the_game'; Reader fatherb sent in this video of his sad encounter with one of the bosses in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Apparently, he isn't the only one experiencing this horrible glitch in the game, which we won't go into detail about for those of you who have yet to come into contact with this boss. In fact, since this is chock full of spoilers, we've gone ahead and tucked the video past the break.Watch at your own risk.
WRUP: Minnesota Fats edition
With only one game releasing this week, many of you might be looking to it for something new to play. Or, maybe many of you are still playing Metroid Prime 3. We'll only know if you bother to tell us.So, what are you playing? As for us, well, we've only been able to scratch the surface of Metroid Prime 3. Maybe if we didn't have to blog all of the time, we might get a chance to give it a play through ...
Hype isn't everything: MP3 punks down BioShock
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and BioShock ... what a pair, eh? Both shooters, both with their own unique spin on the genre, both flagship titles for their respective systems, at least for a while -- since both are followed by even bigger titles soon to come. So what's the difference? Well, one (BioShock) was hyped to the stratosphere, and the other seemed to suffer (according to some) from a lack of attention until just before release. BioShock's other advantage was that the title "suffered" from controversy over content, which often boosts sales.So which one came out on top in the sales charts last week, when Corruption debuted? The less-hyped Metroid pulled out the top spot. Big Daddies are no challenge for Samus. It looks great for us, and will give the Wii some attention in regard to "hardcore" success, but it's not as simple as outselling a competing title. BioShock had a week's head start and is on two platforms to boot, so it's no surprise that a johnny-come-lately could sneak in and snatch the top spot. It doesn't make Metroid less awesome, but it's not a clear-cut situation. Still, let's take our moment in the sun and spare some time to bask in the Wii's success in all markets, casual and traditional.
Wii Warm Up: All things Metroid
And so Metroid Week comes to an end. For those of you who picked it up, how far along are you now? How are the controls treating you? The difficulty? For us, exploring has really been the only thing we've had a little trouble with -- sometimes it takes a bit to find what we're looking for -- but we haven't found anything difficult otherwise. This is both good and bad.For those who don't have it yet, did you see anything this week that colored your opinion of the title? If nothing else, at least you get to read everyone's reviews first.
