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Top 5: Where Do They Go Now?
As someone who's been following Nintendo for quite awhile, they've almost never failed to surprise me. Though their origins are classic, Nintendo-developed games are continuously refined, retooled, and revitalized. Some may buy into that old standard line used mostly for musical artists that makes you sound cool: "their older stuff is better." Such broad generalizations are silly: to ignore Super Mario Galaxy because of a fetish for Super Mario Bros. would be dogmatic.But for those of us growing long in the gaming tooth, we're led to wonder where all of these classic IPs are headed. It's hard to imagine a gaming world without Nintendo's current A-listers, but does anyone have a solid idea of what future iterations of our favorite franchises will be like? Now that just about every gangbuster franchise has been successfully embedded in 3D, we're at a loss as to the next big step for gaming. Some of us have really good ideas, but I'm positively stumped as to where these franchises are going. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
Zero Punctuation braves interstellar spreadsheets in EVE Online
Zero Punctuation's Yahtzee has reached geek culture superstardom by sacrificing sacred cows. By profanely slamming popular franchises such as Halo and Super Smash Bros., he's brought down the wrath -- and the web traffic -- of virtually the entire gaming community. There's a running joke through many of his animated reviews, though: he hates MMORPGs.Both Tabula Rasa and Age of Conan got the full treatment, and Yahtzee has even criticized some single-player games (such as The Witcher) just for sharing gameplay elements with MMORPGs. His fans apparently thought he was being a bit too harsh. "Not all MMORPGs are the same," they presumably said. "Try EVE Online. It's different!"And so he did. It turns out that "different" might be in the eye of the beholder. Or just as likely, MMORPGs can never be different enough for Yahtzee! The humorous (and as usual, NSFW) video review is embedded above, courtesy of The Escapist.
Sakurai: 'Another Smash Bros? I'd have to give it some serious thought'
During a recent interview with ONM, Masahiro Sakurai talked about his latest game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, among other things. What might be of most interest to us all is that he's apparently willing to work on another Smash Bros. game."It's interesting, because after every Smash Bros. game I've made, I've always felt at that time that I've left nothing out," he says. "However, I also understand that there are millions of fans out there who love the series so if Mr Iwata came to me in a few years time and asked me to make another one, I'd have to give it some serious thought." A few years? You're kidding! We want another game now. And can we get less things cut out of the game this time around, please?%Gallery-26316%[Via Go Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. Rumble in the DS jungle
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Super_Smash_Bros_on_the_DS'; Building your homebrew project off an already popular franchise has the danger of raising expectations too high for your low-budget production, as was the case with Super Mario Galaxies, a 2D shoot-em-up interpretation of Nintendo's grandiose 3D platformer. Though Super Smash Bros. Rumble has the potential to one day be a satisfactory portable alternative to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it still has a long way to go!So far, the demo includes only a solo mode, a few stages, and Mario as the lone playable character. Fuzzy, the game's 19-year-old programmer from Germany, seems to have a lot planned for the project, however, as he already has a WiFi button in place and waiting for online support. Just a quick suggestion -- maybe choose another typeface for the top-screen logo on the menu screen? Though it's resident blogger David Hinkle's favorite typeface, Super Smash Bros. designer Masahiro Sakurai would never sully the series with Hobo. [Via GamerTell, GBAtemp]
DS Daily: The next great remake
Maybe it was a matter of time, but that isn't important -- what is important is that you guys called it. Chrono Trigger is headed to the DS (and we wouldn't be surprised to see something Snatcher-related for the DS eventually), and that makes last year's celebration of the age of remakes a success. Which, of course, means we need to do the whole thing again, and that means we have to turn to you, gentle readers. We need all-new games to explore for their remakeability, so open up. Let us know what you might like to see, with the exceptions of Snatcher, Super Smash Bros., Abe's Oddysee, and of course, Chrono Trigger. We'll make a new poll from your suggestions, so get to suggesting. Remakes, ports, and re-imaginings of titles are all fair game. Tell us what you'd play!
Friday Video: Smash Bros. becomes an RPG
It may not have the highest production values, but the above video is inspired and, we imagine, took quite a bit of work. Long story short, clips of gameplay from Super Smash Bros. Brawl have been edited to make the title appear as a turn-based RPG, complete with random encounters and experience points. We'd love to play a Smash Bros. RPG.%Gallery-3347% Each week, our Friday Video segment takes a look at the gaming landscape online and brings forth an interesting video that (hopefully) gets the dialog started. Past highlights of Super Smash Bros. Brawl have included an adults-only video, an ... incredibly strange video, and the franchise's past advertising.
Tiring of Smash Bros? Introducing Wii Fanboy's Stage of the Week
Akin to X3F's awesome weekly Halo 3 Community Content, the gang at sister site Nintendo Wii Fanboy has introduced a new weekly feature, aptly titled Brawl Stage of the Week, where they'll be showcasing the best user-made Super Smash Bros. Brawl levels and offering them for download.The inaugural edition highlights a rather self-flattering level: the Joystiq logo, as poorly interpreted by our very own James Ransom-Wiley. Suggestions for the feature? Think you can do a better Brawl stage? Of course you can! Submit your levels to smashsubs AAT nintendowiifanboy DAWT com ... we'll be waiting. Gallery: Brawl Stage of the Week
Wii gets the Super Smash Bros crystal ice treatment
Captain Awesome and the League of Awesomeness were unavailable for comment. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to go die a few hundred more times in pointlessly difficult platforming levels. Bowser version is after the break.
Wii Warm Up: What Brawl is missing?
Super Smash Bros. Brawl seems to have pretty much every base covered. Really, it's the ultimate gaming box of chocolates, boasting an absurdly vast array of fighting modes, trophies, characters, items, stages, stickers, challenges, music, snapshots, customized stages, and much, much more. But here's something it doesn't have: Miis.Reader Mark wrote to us pointing out that he rather liked the idea of putting himself up against the Brawl cast. We hadn't even considered this, but now Mii integration in Brawl appeals to us also! It may seem churlish to complain about a lack of stuff to do in Brawl, but then Miis make appearances in other Nintendo titles, so why not Brawl? Think you'd have enjoyed seeing a miniature, blobby version of yourself kicking Pikachu in the gums? Of course you would!Oh, and bonus points to anybody who can tell us who the dozen Miis above are based on.[Thanks, Mark!]
Friday Video: Black Cat vs Master Hand
Much like the final battles in the Super Smash Bros. games, this week's video has a scrappy young kitten fighting for his life against a mysterious giant hand, its owner off-camera. How does this relate to the Nintendo DS, you ask? Well, if you watch the background closely, you'll see someone completely oblivious to the ensuing brawl, too captivated by his DS.We pride ourselves in our ability to find any excuse to post cats.See also: This is how you do a trailer with no gameplay footage[Via Nicovideo]
Europe: Wii Fit hits April 25; Mario Kart, April 11; Brawl rumored for June 6
With Nintendo confirming upcoming American release dates left and right, Europeans would be justified in feeling a little left out of the fun. Luckily, Nintendo was magnanimous enough to let out an official announcement on two major upcoming release dates, and perhaps sloppy enough to leak out rumor of another.First on the official side, Nintendo of Europe has announced that Wii Fit will hit the continent on April 25, a full month before Americans get the game and balance board on May 12. Mario Kart Wii, meanwhile, will hit Europe on April 11, a much more specific date than the nebulous "Spring" that American gamers currently have to vaguely look forward to.On the rumor side, Dutch site GamerCC (sketchy Google translation) reports from France's Micromania Game Show that Nintendo let slip a planned June 6 European release date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Sounds juicy, until you hear that a Nintendo spokesperson told Videogamer.com that the date was "a rumour and purely speculative." That doesn't mean it's false, necessarily, just that Nintendo isn't willing to confirm that it's true just yet.Read - Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii announcementRead - Smash Bros. Brawl rumor, Nintendo denial
Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Final Smashes revealed
If there's one thing we learned reading through some of the comments on our mega-spoiler Smash Bros. Brawl post, it's that there are a lot of people who want Mega Man to join in the Smash Bros. series. If there's a second thing we learned, it's that people are very interested in learning the secretive "Final Smash" attacks for each of the revealed characters.Well, we can't help with Mega Man, but thanks to the kindly folks over at GameVideos, we can help with that second problem. The epic eight-minute video below shows off every Final Smash move in sequence. Not all Final Smashes are created equal, though, so we've decided to rank them on a ten point scale based on destructive potential, how well they fit the character and all-around coolness. Don't agree with us? Take it to the comments, Jabroni.Warning: Major spoilers contained below the break.
Rumor: Smash Bros. Brawl sells 500K on first day in Japan
Already this week we've run leaked trailers, information and gameplay videos of Super Smash Bros. Brawl ... so why not add leaked sales numbers to that list? Cubed3 has a translation of a Japanese blog post referencing a purportedly leaked Famitsu sales report that says the highly-anticipated game sold 500,000 copies, or 80 percent of available stock, on its first day of Japanese release.The sourcing is admittedly not very concrete, but the number does seem plausible given reports of retail shortages and the game's strong showing on the Amazon Japan charts. Then again, Super Mario Galaxy only sold 250,000 copies (edit: fixed typo) in it's entire first week of release, and that was during the highly-charged holiday season. Has Smash Bros. Brawl shattered Japanese sales expectations, or is something getting lost in translation here? You'll know as soon as we do.
More Smash Bros. Brawl videos than you can shake a remote at
After this week's spoilerific Smash Bros. Brawl leaks and video dump out of Japan, you might be sick to death of the game already. Or you might be writhing around on the floor, gibbering like a baby and drooling at the thought of more information about Nintendo's fan-service-fest.If you fall into the second group, the below videos should help stop the shakes for a little while. We know you're busy, so we tried to pick out the highest-quality, most intriguing and informative of the literal ass-ton of Brawl videos floating on the web, so you can get your spoiler-fix in the shortest amount of time possible. Enjoy!Warning: major spoilers contained in almost all of the below videos
Japan to run plenty of ads for Smash Bros. Brawl
With Super Smash Bros. Brawl releasing upon the Japanese public at the end of the month, it's no surprise that Nintendo has prepared a plethora of TV spots to be run. And, thanks to the intertron, one doesn't need to live in Japan to see them. So, sit back, relax and catch an eye full of Brawl goodness in one of the spots above, then head past the break for some more.
Rumor: Super Smash Bros. to hit VC when Brawl releases
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Rumor_Super_Smash_Bros_N64_Hits_VC_When_Brawl_Launches'; Because Super Smash Bros. Brawl won't consume enough time on its own, rumor has it that the game's release will be accompanied by the appearance of Super Smash Bros. on the Virtual Console. We're not sure where you stand on purchasing a fuzzier, arguably inferior fighting game on the very same day you get to take home your shiny new copy of Brawl, but we imagine that very few of you will need your arm twisting.This particularly juicy slice of speculation first appeared in Nintendo Power, and we wouldn't bet against it being true, especially as the Virtual Console debuts of Metroid and Super Mario Bros. 3 more or less coincided with the releases of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Mario Galaxy respectively.On an entirely separate note, how much has that original boxart aged? Day-um.
Samus vs Ivy! Cloud vs Chun Li! Link vs Mega Man X!
Before your head explodes, no, this game isn't a planned release, commercial or non-commercial, for the DS. Card Sagas Wars is a homemade PC project created with M.U.G.E.N, a "freeware 2D fighting game engine." The music and backgrounds have been ripped from a variety of popular games, but it looks like the character sprites have been redrawn for a consistent (and totally awesome) look. If anything, Card Sagas Wars' developers are ambitious, setting out to include a collection of playable characters that would put even Super Smash Bros. Brawl to shame, its posted list of 995 "Blue Series" cards ranging from Killer Instinct's Cinder to Castlevania's Soma Cruz. A demo with four playable fighters is currently in the works, but no concrete date has been set for its release. You can see an older, less epic trailer for Card Sagas Wars past the break.
Smash Bros. Brawl dated for Europe ... at a 'later date'
Since 'June 2008 or beyond' didn't exactly resonate with European Wii owners, Nintendo has quickly, albeit indirectly revised its update on the European release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In a statement responding to yesterday's concerns about Brawl missing from a tentative Q1/Q2 release list, Nintendo has said: "All Nintendo software titles launching in Q2 2008 have not been finalized or confirmed to date. Nintendo will communicate on all software titles launching in Q2 2008 for Wii and Nintendo DS at a later date" -- oh, except for Mario Kart Wii, that one's definitely coming Q2.Nintendo can dangle Mario Kart in our faces all its wants, but that won't change the fact that its stance on Brawl in Europe remains as vague as ever. Europe's used to waiting, so c'mon Nintendo, either end it with a swift kick to the dome or just lay the bad news on us.
Smash Bros. Brawl not expected in Europe until Q3 '08
Nintendo hates Europe: Confirmed? It's not the steadfast and ever-lingering sort of hate, but rather that insidious aura which prompts someone to suffocate you with a pillow as soon as you're comfortable enough to share a bed with them. After all, our gaming pals in Europe didn't have to endure entirely ridiculous waits for Metroid Prime 3 or Super Mario Galaxy, and managed to enjoy both excellent titles while they were still fresh in the memories of those on more privileged continents. Even next year's Mario Kart Wii got a spot on Nintendo's latest second quarter release list.Cross-over cartoon violence spectacular, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, was sadly omitted from said list, prompting Videogamer.com to politely ask Nintendo when Europe could expect its arrival. "If the game is not listed on the schedule up until the end of Q2 it is currently not due out until after that time," came the bloodcurdling answer. That places Super Smash Bros. Brawl in June at earliest, roughly four months after the game's American release in February. We hope this is nothing more than a precaution (would another delay surprise anybody?), as we simply cannot comprehend this level of cruelty being inflicted upon Europe intentionally -- and we watch the Royal Variety Performance every year.
About the worst camera work ever: Super Smash Bros. on a PSP
While the idea of a portable Super Smash Bros. has us all tingly in our everywhere, we find this video only makes us nauseous. Not because the game is being played on Sony's PSP system, but rather because the person filming this apparently had an epileptic seizure whilst doing so. It's a shame, really, because we would've liked to see how this played. Oh, and heard, as well. The video has no sound.[Thanks, hvnlysoldr!]