Hey there SBN viewers. Everyone knows and loves our co-host Kyle Fulton. Some cannot get enough of him. We are here to feed your addiction.
How, you might ask? Kyle is going to be interviewed on RIFF2 the local radio station;s HD channel. He is going to be on The Loading Zone, today at 10:00 p.m. Listen and enjoy.
For the show. Episode Three will be up by Saturday. Episode 4 will be up by the end of the month. That is all I can say for now. There might be a year end episode. Keep your fingers crossed.
Until later, Your Pal,
Keith Dotson
Monday, December 04, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Episodes Three and Four
Episode Three....
It is coming. I know I keep saying this, but I am the only person that we have that knows editing, and I have been pulled in eight different directions all this current semester. Thought My goal is to have it up during this holiday break.
Now if you notice this title refers to both the delayed episode three and a fourth episode. The fourth episode is about the Playstation 3 and Wii launches. All of the SBN team had a hand in this episode. Kyle, Porter, Ryan Russell, Kat, Joe, The guys from F.I.I.K. (WARNING: 17+ Content), and more people.
Before I go into the launches of each system, I want to mention a really great website I ran across today. NexGenWars.com is keeping tally of worldwide system sales of the 360, PS3, and Wii. They keep the site updated as soon as they get information.
As you can see above the numbers do sway for Microsoft, but keep in mind that they have been out for a year. Now on to my thoughts of the launches.
Playstation 3
People got in line to get the $499/$599 system (depending where you were in line) 36 hours before the launch of the system. From the looks of the six stores we covered, Best Buy had more systems per store with an average of 25. Stores seemed to have this worked out pretty well. First come first serve was the way systems were given out. Apparently the Best Buy in Novi, MI has a problem...They had over a thousand people to get 28 systems. They raffled off tickets to see who got the consoles. This did not go over well. Police and from what we hear...even the Swat team had to be deployed out there to control the crowd.
Other than that, we heard of no major problems in the area. This is not saying that there were not problems. On CNN's website, they had stories of people getting mugged and shot while waiting in line. At a Wal-Mart, some genius thought it would be a great idea that they people that want a chair to wait for 24 hours for the fabled PS3, should run a 50 yard dash to the chairs. One guy ran into a POLE! I hope the person who smoked up that idea got fired.
There seemed to be a 50/50 mix of people who wanted the system for them self and people who wanted the system so they could turn a profit on eBay. A Playstation 3 went as high as, and no I am not kidding, $15,000.00 USD. I often wonder who has the money to spend that they could afford paying 25 times the amount of the MSRP! Then I realize that it would not matter in the long run and move on. Still though, it still needs to be asked....Who needs a PS3 that bad? I am sure that a lot of people could wait.
On a final note, I want to talk about the numbers launched in North America. First their total was cut to 100,000 in Japan and 400,000 in North America. Just before the Japan launch they announced that they can only ship 80,000 in Japan, but still confirming the 400,000 in North America. Two-three days before the system was launched here Gamestop announced that they would not be able to fill all of the preorders for the PS3. To be honest, I thought that this was Gamestop's fault not Sony's. I was wrong. Sony only sent an unconfirmed 200,000 systems for the North America launch. This is what caused the low(er) numbers everywhere. This is possibly why the prices went so high on eBay, but the big question is lingering after the launch. Namely, how is this going to effect Sony in the long run? Also, was the Blu-Ray worth the trouble. Time will tell us the answers to both of these question. Until then, if you are one that is wanting a Playstation 3, happy hunting and I wish you luck on finding one. Keep in mind that if you can afford it, eBay is always open.
Wii
To be honest, Nintendo needs this. They need to make up ground lost while the Playstation 2 and Xbox had their run during the last generation. Is Nintendo doing things right?
Simple answer.....Yes.
Nintendo enters this generation like it did the last...being the cheapest of the three. Besides that they are taking the proverbial road less traveled, and have steered away from the "HD era" that Sony and Microsoft claim is here, and focused on a new way to play the game.
The launch of the Wii showed that if you supply it, they will buy it. Coming out two days after the Playstation 3 hurt the Wii launch in one way. Retailers expected the same violence that they saw two nights before. There was none to be had compared to the PS3 launch. The stores did a first come first serve for the people waiting in line for the Wii.
Meijer in Canton, MI was a different matter. Friday night, those who arrived between the hour of 11:00pm and 12:00am were given a ballot to fill out. Then they chose names out of a hat to see who got the seats to wait for the Wii.
Yes you read that correctly. They raffled the chance to wait for a Wii in the layaway department of that Meijer. Fifteen "lucky" people were picked for the spots and they picked five extra in case any of the fifteen left early. Granted that you were allowed to get up to go to the bathroom and grab food, they just stated that you could not leave for no more than 15 minutes at a time.
After a few calls to corporate, The manager came around 9:00 am to try to solve the situation. The disagreement was peaceful, no insults were exchanged and no violence. The manager could not help but to relate this to the Playstation launch. (On a side note, she kept calling it the Playstation 2). So this could be the reason she said she could have use escorted off the property by the police. We will probably never know why she felt threatened. After about a half hour of open discussion a lot of us realized that it was more of a communication error and felt better about the situation, but still disagreed with the choosing process.
For the time, the people waiting in line and their friends who where offering them moral support interacted with everybody else. Multiplayer DS games were being played. One person bought a copy of Monopoly. Kyle regaled us with a story about once an hour. Come about 12:30pm, the manager announced that we could get wristbands and go home, and come back around 11:30pm. This allowed all of us to get some sleep. Well by all I mean everyone but me. I had prior commitments.
In the half hour before the launch, the people with wristbands came back. They got the systems with no problem. Surprisingly, they had no copies of Zelda, and no extra Wiimotes or nunchucks. Rainchecks where given to the people who bought the system for the deal they were offering with the Wiimote. The deal offered those who bought a Wii and an extra Wiimote a free nunchuck attachment. A $19.99 value!
Stores had more Wiis and the launch went off without a hitch. Many Target stores had over 80 Wiis. Best Buy in Novi had something in the range of 100-110. The system sold out on day one and it has been hard to the accessories for the console.
Final Thoughts
Sony has seemed to stumble with the launch of their Playstation 3 system. They had the hype, but in the end it is their own cocky attitude that is driving them into the ground. They are losing once exclusive titles such as Grand Theft Auto. They are losing money because they are trying to force a new format on to the market. As time goes on, the Playstation 3 is look less like the system to get. They are trying to do too many things while not focusing on making one thing right on the system, Microsoft is focused on the online aspect and have a great online service. Nintendo is focusing on how the game is played and is changing the way one thinks about games with a well thought out controller.
To those trying to find a PS3, all I can suggest is that you memorize the phone numbers to the stores, and call them often. Though if you are looking for a Wii, wait until this Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Apparently, Best Buy along with a few other stores are holding what systems the are getting so they have enough to advertise that they have the system. With reports coming in of the second shipments already sent out from both Sony and Nintendo, I don't see any reason not to believe this.
On a side note I just want to add that I feel that our fourth episode will be in two parts due to the amount of footage we have. Work on this will be started Monday.
--Keith Dotson
It is coming. I know I keep saying this, but I am the only person that we have that knows editing, and I have been pulled in eight different directions all this current semester. Thought My goal is to have it up during this holiday break.
Now if you notice this title refers to both the delayed episode three and a fourth episode. The fourth episode is about the Playstation 3 and Wii launches. All of the SBN team had a hand in this episode. Kyle, Porter, Ryan Russell, Kat, Joe, The guys from F.I.I.K. (WARNING: 17+ Content), and more people.
Before I go into the launches of each system, I want to mention a really great website I ran across today. NexGenWars.com is keeping tally of worldwide system sales of the 360, PS3, and Wii. They keep the site updated as soon as they get information.
As you can see above the numbers do sway for Microsoft, but keep in mind that they have been out for a year. Now on to my thoughts of the launches.
Playstation 3
People got in line to get the $499/$599 system (depending where you were in line) 36 hours before the launch of the system. From the looks of the six stores we covered, Best Buy had more systems per store with an average of 25. Stores seemed to have this worked out pretty well. First come first serve was the way systems were given out. Apparently the Best Buy in Novi, MI has a problem...They had over a thousand people to get 28 systems. They raffled off tickets to see who got the consoles. This did not go over well. Police and from what we hear...even the Swat team had to be deployed out there to control the crowd.
Other than that, we heard of no major problems in the area. This is not saying that there were not problems. On CNN's website, they had stories of people getting mugged and shot while waiting in line. At a Wal-Mart, some genius thought it would be a great idea that they people that want a chair to wait for 24 hours for the fabled PS3, should run a 50 yard dash to the chairs. One guy ran into a POLE! I hope the person who smoked up that idea got fired.
There seemed to be a 50/50 mix of people who wanted the system for them self and people who wanted the system so they could turn a profit on eBay. A Playstation 3 went as high as, and no I am not kidding, $15,000.00 USD. I often wonder who has the money to spend that they could afford paying 25 times the amount of the MSRP! Then I realize that it would not matter in the long run and move on. Still though, it still needs to be asked....Who needs a PS3 that bad? I am sure that a lot of people could wait.
On a final note, I want to talk about the numbers launched in North America. First their total was cut to 100,000 in Japan and 400,000 in North America. Just before the Japan launch they announced that they can only ship 80,000 in Japan, but still confirming the 400,000 in North America. Two-three days before the system was launched here Gamestop announced that they would not be able to fill all of the preorders for the PS3. To be honest, I thought that this was Gamestop's fault not Sony's. I was wrong. Sony only sent an unconfirmed 200,000 systems for the North America launch. This is what caused the low(er) numbers everywhere. This is possibly why the prices went so high on eBay, but the big question is lingering after the launch. Namely, how is this going to effect Sony in the long run? Also, was the Blu-Ray worth the trouble. Time will tell us the answers to both of these question. Until then, if you are one that is wanting a Playstation 3, happy hunting and I wish you luck on finding one. Keep in mind that if you can afford it, eBay is always open.
Wii
To be honest, Nintendo needs this. They need to make up ground lost while the Playstation 2 and Xbox had their run during the last generation. Is Nintendo doing things right?
Simple answer.....Yes.
Nintendo enters this generation like it did the last...being the cheapest of the three. Besides that they are taking the proverbial road less traveled, and have steered away from the "HD era" that Sony and Microsoft claim is here, and focused on a new way to play the game.
The launch of the Wii showed that if you supply it, they will buy it. Coming out two days after the Playstation 3 hurt the Wii launch in one way. Retailers expected the same violence that they saw two nights before. There was none to be had compared to the PS3 launch. The stores did a first come first serve for the people waiting in line for the Wii.
Meijer in Canton, MI was a different matter. Friday night, those who arrived between the hour of 11:00pm and 12:00am were given a ballot to fill out. Then they chose names out of a hat to see who got the seats to wait for the Wii.
Yes you read that correctly. They raffled the chance to wait for a Wii in the layaway department of that Meijer. Fifteen "lucky" people were picked for the spots and they picked five extra in case any of the fifteen left early. Granted that you were allowed to get up to go to the bathroom and grab food, they just stated that you could not leave for no more than 15 minutes at a time.
After a few calls to corporate, The manager came around 9:00 am to try to solve the situation. The disagreement was peaceful, no insults were exchanged and no violence. The manager could not help but to relate this to the Playstation launch. (On a side note, she kept calling it the Playstation 2). So this could be the reason she said she could have use escorted off the property by the police. We will probably never know why she felt threatened. After about a half hour of open discussion a lot of us realized that it was more of a communication error and felt better about the situation, but still disagreed with the choosing process.
For the time, the people waiting in line and their friends who where offering them moral support interacted with everybody else. Multiplayer DS games were being played. One person bought a copy of Monopoly. Kyle regaled us with a story about once an hour. Come about 12:30pm, the manager announced that we could get wristbands and go home, and come back around 11:30pm. This allowed all of us to get some sleep. Well by all I mean everyone but me. I had prior commitments.
In the half hour before the launch, the people with wristbands came back. They got the systems with no problem. Surprisingly, they had no copies of Zelda, and no extra Wiimotes or nunchucks. Rainchecks where given to the people who bought the system for the deal they were offering with the Wiimote. The deal offered those who bought a Wii and an extra Wiimote a free nunchuck attachment. A $19.99 value!
Stores had more Wiis and the launch went off without a hitch. Many Target stores had over 80 Wiis. Best Buy in Novi had something in the range of 100-110. The system sold out on day one and it has been hard to the accessories for the console.
Final Thoughts
Sony has seemed to stumble with the launch of their Playstation 3 system. They had the hype, but in the end it is their own cocky attitude that is driving them into the ground. They are losing once exclusive titles such as Grand Theft Auto. They are losing money because they are trying to force a new format on to the market. As time goes on, the Playstation 3 is look less like the system to get. They are trying to do too many things while not focusing on making one thing right on the system, Microsoft is focused on the online aspect and have a great online service. Nintendo is focusing on how the game is played and is changing the way one thinks about games with a well thought out controller.
To those trying to find a PS3, all I can suggest is that you memorize the phone numbers to the stores, and call them often. Though if you are looking for a Wii, wait until this Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Apparently, Best Buy along with a few other stores are holding what systems the are getting so they have enough to advertise that they have the system. With reports coming in of the second shipments already sent out from both Sony and Nintendo, I don't see any reason not to believe this.
On a side note I just want to add that I feel that our fourth episode will be in two parts due to the amount of footage we have. Work on this will be started Monday.
--Keith Dotson
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Time delayed
Hey guys, Sorry our third episode has bit a tad bit delayed. The footage is great, but we have had as many delays at a Sony product! I want to have something up soon!
Go Tigers!
Go Tigers!
Friday, October 13, 2006
Great Googily Moogily!
Well, we can officially say that the Wii reserves have sold out faster than the PS3! It took less than ten minutes for at least three stores we know of to run out. I swea, Keith, if I do not get a Wii, then I will hold you personably responsible, and show you a whole new level of wounding.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The Top Ten Biggest Mistakes in Video Game History.
The video game industry isn't perfect and hopefully I shed some light on the issues that has plagued it for almost twenty five years.
#10. Virtual Boy
Aside from blinding the user, this console was the strangest and most impractical idea ever to enter the video game industry. Playing a game as if it were an ancient PC in grid format wasn't bad enough but it made you look into it making you look completely ridiculous. If it didn't cause seizures, or cause you to lose all taste in playing video games then the Virtual Boy didn't do what it was meant for.
#9. Starcraft Ghost
Blizzard creates strategy games. That has been well documented. But what the hell happened here? One of the most delayed games of all time has still yet to come out. Is the first person shooting genre that difficult for Blizzard to accomplish? The mind boggles at this triumphant failure. A game of this magnitude couldn't have caused more buzz four years ago, but at this point they may as well flat out cancel this.
#8. Sega CD
Why Sega decided to keep this system a secret will always remain a mystery. They didn't tell anyone this thing was coming, not game developers, not consumers, and they probably shoved this thing on retailers without any notice. I tend to picture this system put on the doorstep of game stores in a basket covered in a blanket with a note attached reading, “Please take this game system of ours and treat it as if it were your own.”
#7. Nintendo ousting Sony's Super Nintendo CD attachment.
When Sony and Nintendo united to aid the future of gaming everything seemed for the better. When Nintendo decided to drop the idea because they didn't see the future of gaming moving to a CD format we all thought this was better for the future of gaming because Nintendo knows better, right? Well, now we know it was one of the biggest blunders in video games. Not only did Nintendo spawn a demon of epic competition proportions, but they also skewed themeselves believing cartridges had more life left in them.
#6. Xbox 360 Launch
Many things went wrong here. First of all Microsoft decided not to make any and then lure gamers into over pre-ordering the systems that don't exist. Ok, that was Gamestops fault... To continue, Microsoft for some reason decided to repeat history of their last consoles launch. Overheating issues, crashes, a black screen of death with a message? Did they not learn from those exact mistakes during the Xbox launch? It boggles the mind how they managed to even ship that piece of crap to the market.
#5. ET for the Atari
By now we should all know the awful story, but for those who don't here we go. They decided to make an ET game based off of the movie, but wanted to push it in time for the movie's release to maximize sales. Problem was, the developers were informed to make the game within about six months. That means they had to program and create the game in around two months, and have four left for advertising and creating the cartridges. Needless to say, this ended up being the worst game ever made. No one bought it, and the company made too many. Legend has it this game resides in a landfill in the Nevada desert which was paved over with concrete after scavengers decided to dig them up.
#4. N64 Sticking with cartridges
Alluding to biggest mistake number 7, this is another Nintendo mistake. Not only did they create the Sony juggernaut, but they gave Sony a clear format advantage. With CD's Sony's games were given full motion videos which captured everyone's sweet tooth for eye candy. This, along with easier development, propelled the Playstation above Nintendo's N64 and never looked back.
#3. Duke Nukeom Forever
This is the worst delay blunder of all time, ever. This game was due out on the N64 some eight years ago. What makes this the worst video game delay ever though, isn't just the time it's taken to come out, no not at all. It's the persistence! Give up, please just give it up! No one wants this game anymore, literally no one. Cut your losses and forget it.
#2. Sega Dreamcast
Alright, I've angered a few people by just putting this here but let me explain. The Dreamcast was a fine system. The mistake was that it existed. Sega knew it was going bankrupt and launched it anyway. If everyone on the planet bought this thing Sega may have recovered its losses. Instead, they released it anyway and put a bad taste in everyone's mouth by discontinuing it nearly a year and a half later. It should have just never happened.
#1. Sony PS3's Price tag.
Way to abandon your core demographic Sony. Applause all around for slapping all of your fans in the face. Gamers play games and as you put it, “This is not a game system.” With that statement a piece of me died. More of me died when I saw the whopping $600 price knowing full well that may as well be $800 after two games, and a controller. They truly feel that Blu-Ray is the future of gaming when it is absolutely clear they are pushing their new format hoping to lead the entertainment industry into the 21st century. That's all well and good, but get it out of my video games, they're not worth that kind of investment. Not to mention that investment may turn sour if Blu-Ray flops.
So there you have it, the top ten biggest mistakes in all of gaming. Hopefully, Sony proves me wrong about Blu-Ray but only time will tell on that one.
#10. Virtual Boy
Aside from blinding the user, this console was the strangest and most impractical idea ever to enter the video game industry. Playing a game as if it were an ancient PC in grid format wasn't bad enough but it made you look into it making you look completely ridiculous. If it didn't cause seizures, or cause you to lose all taste in playing video games then the Virtual Boy didn't do what it was meant for.
#9. Starcraft Ghost
Blizzard creates strategy games. That has been well documented. But what the hell happened here? One of the most delayed games of all time has still yet to come out. Is the first person shooting genre that difficult for Blizzard to accomplish? The mind boggles at this triumphant failure. A game of this magnitude couldn't have caused more buzz four years ago, but at this point they may as well flat out cancel this.
#8. Sega CD
Why Sega decided to keep this system a secret will always remain a mystery. They didn't tell anyone this thing was coming, not game developers, not consumers, and they probably shoved this thing on retailers without any notice. I tend to picture this system put on the doorstep of game stores in a basket covered in a blanket with a note attached reading, “Please take this game system of ours and treat it as if it were your own.”
#7. Nintendo ousting Sony's Super Nintendo CD attachment.
When Sony and Nintendo united to aid the future of gaming everything seemed for the better. When Nintendo decided to drop the idea because they didn't see the future of gaming moving to a CD format we all thought this was better for the future of gaming because Nintendo knows better, right? Well, now we know it was one of the biggest blunders in video games. Not only did Nintendo spawn a demon of epic competition proportions, but they also skewed themeselves believing cartridges had more life left in them.
#6. Xbox 360 Launch
Many things went wrong here. First of all Microsoft decided not to make any and then lure gamers into over pre-ordering the systems that don't exist. Ok, that was Gamestops fault... To continue, Microsoft for some reason decided to repeat history of their last consoles launch. Overheating issues, crashes, a black screen of death with a message? Did they not learn from those exact mistakes during the Xbox launch? It boggles the mind how they managed to even ship that piece of crap to the market.
#5. ET for the Atari
By now we should all know the awful story, but for those who don't here we go. They decided to make an ET game based off of the movie, but wanted to push it in time for the movie's release to maximize sales. Problem was, the developers were informed to make the game within about six months. That means they had to program and create the game in around two months, and have four left for advertising and creating the cartridges. Needless to say, this ended up being the worst game ever made. No one bought it, and the company made too many. Legend has it this game resides in a landfill in the Nevada desert which was paved over with concrete after scavengers decided to dig them up.
#4. N64 Sticking with cartridges
Alluding to biggest mistake number 7, this is another Nintendo mistake. Not only did they create the Sony juggernaut, but they gave Sony a clear format advantage. With CD's Sony's games were given full motion videos which captured everyone's sweet tooth for eye candy. This, along with easier development, propelled the Playstation above Nintendo's N64 and never looked back.
#3. Duke Nukeom Forever
This is the worst delay blunder of all time, ever. This game was due out on the N64 some eight years ago. What makes this the worst video game delay ever though, isn't just the time it's taken to come out, no not at all. It's the persistence! Give up, please just give it up! No one wants this game anymore, literally no one. Cut your losses and forget it.
#2. Sega Dreamcast
Alright, I've angered a few people by just putting this here but let me explain. The Dreamcast was a fine system. The mistake was that it existed. Sega knew it was going bankrupt and launched it anyway. If everyone on the planet bought this thing Sega may have recovered its losses. Instead, they released it anyway and put a bad taste in everyone's mouth by discontinuing it nearly a year and a half later. It should have just never happened.
#1. Sony PS3's Price tag.
Way to abandon your core demographic Sony. Applause all around for slapping all of your fans in the face. Gamers play games and as you put it, “This is not a game system.” With that statement a piece of me died. More of me died when I saw the whopping $600 price knowing full well that may as well be $800 after two games, and a controller. They truly feel that Blu-Ray is the future of gaming when it is absolutely clear they are pushing their new format hoping to lead the entertainment industry into the 21st century. That's all well and good, but get it out of my video games, they're not worth that kind of investment. Not to mention that investment may turn sour if Blu-Ray flops.
So there you have it, the top ten biggest mistakes in all of gaming. Hopefully, Sony proves me wrong about Blu-Ray but only time will tell on that one.
Nintendo Fusion Tour 2006
We arrived in the great city of Detroit at around five thirty in the afternoon ready for Nintendo's Fusion Tour. Everyone was a buzz whether they were there to see the concert hosted by Hawthorne Heights, to see Nintendo's new Wii, or to see the the Tigers game. Keith and myself, however, were there for one reason, to play Wii.
Before heading in we took note of the line heading around the block littered with people playing DS's set for Wifi action. The most popular game played on these were the New Super Mario Brothers, no surprise there. Also, there was a nice blend of DS Lite's and original DS systems, seems the Lite is catching on.
The doors opened up and we gleefully anticipated touching the next phase in Nintendo's legendary video game history. Would it stamp a mark on the industry forever, or would it be the Virtual Boy the video game community is still trying to forget? Read on friends, it was a wild ride.
The main lobby was just ahead with three Wii stations dead center. Going around them to view the screens from left to right was, Wii Bowling, Excite Truck, and Wii Tennis. Getting in rather early and not following the host of people to the back initially we began with Wii Bowling.
Wii Bowling: If you've never bowled in real life, you may have a few things to learn with Wii Bowling. Yeah, it plays that well. Holding up the controller locking down the B button on the bottom of the controller as if to “grip” the ball you have your ready position. Before that's established you can move from side to side determining you start spot. I was far too excited and just started chucking away.
Still holding B down I reared back and watched my character on-screen do the same. Just before I got all the way back I released the B button and followed through. The ball went down the lane and hooked left. Wondering what could have caused this since I was given no “curve gauge” I wondered if it had to do with my hand tilting.
The next throw, sure enough I was right. I whipped another one and actually hooked it to a ridiculous degree on purpose. To no surprise the ball hooked nearly to the gutter due to my starting position being right in the middle.
I had a lot of fun with this game and will be coming back to it often. I need to practice my release and power though, didn't quite get a hang of it for my four attempts.
Evading an ever growing line we ventured back to see the remaining Wii games for play. From left to right again was, Wii Baseball, Wii Play, Excite Truck, Wario Ware, and the draw of the show Metroid Prime 3. On the opposite side of the Wii's were countless DS systems running some stellar games of their own. Because of the Wii lines we ventured to the DS games.
Elite Beat Agents: They brought out the big headphones for this game. Strapping them on I understood quickly what the title meant. This song timing game brought to you by Nintendo is the most challenging game I've played in years, but also plenty of fun. Numbers are brought up in 1, 2, 3 and you must tap them in sequence. The tap must come in as a circle closes in on the number and it must be done so very accurately for the game was picky. Throwing these up in odd sequences and patterns didn't help much either. I must say this game will be very enjoyable in a quiet setting sitting down for easy access.
Quickly, we moved on to the next DS title in our view.
Lego Star Wars II: This game looked really good. And I mean it looked really good... I had no idea what I was doing when running around with princess Leia, (don't kill me if I miss spelled that). I found the shoot and jump buttons, but I was enamored with the touch screen trying to figure out what the heck it did. I was just moving around this globe thing and nothing seemed to be happening. I've never played a Lego Star Wars game but this one made me not want to play one again. It was slow and boring with the few enemies I dispatched. There's very little I can say to recommend this game.
Moving on as faster than warp speed!
Final Fantasy III: I'd like to first say RPG's are meant to be played for a long period of time before judgments can be made, but here's my impressions. Controls were fun with the touch screen, nothing different from Animal Crossing or Super Mario 64, you could also choose the D-Pad. It seemed I was in the first town and someone sprung the main character up to level 4. I decided to travel outside for a bit.
That was a mistake. My first encounter, and last, showed my how absurd this game is. I got creamed by what looked like the most basic enemy in the game. With full HP I got nailed for just over half of that in one blow. I was out of the match with the second attack. I really hope the atmosphere ruined my flawless RPG skills because if this is any indication of how this game works I'll be very, very upset.
Oh, and it looked super pretty.
Displeased with what may well be the Final Fantasy, (if that quality keeps up) we moved on hoping to score another Wii game. Big lines were all around us and as if lost at sea we slugged around waiting for something to turn up. Luckily we were carrying a very large camera that allowed us access into Metroid Prime 3!
Metroid Prime 3: As any gamer knows the Metroid Prime 3 demo comes in three flavors, a ball mission, pirate mission, or Ridley Boss battle. I of course chose the boss fight. Starting things off I tried to gauge my point of origin for the targeting system. It took a few seconds for the Wiimote to adjust to where I was but once that was established it was all gun and fun.
Tilting the Wiimote around causes the target to move, not necessarily where you are pointing. However, it feels quite similar so where you think you are pointing goes where you want it to anyway. The joystick felt incredible. Quite possibly, the best joystick I've ever held. It was just perfect the way it felt in my hand.
In any event, the boss battle takes Samus and Ridley falling like crazy as if you were in the Lord of the Rings movie fighting the Balrog. It took a bit for me to get the hang of things but once I understood how to take Ridely down things came easy. The goal was to shoot his glowing parts! Classic as always.
Movement was done with the joystick and aiming with the Wiimote. My brain couldn't quite grasp both at the same time right away, and I was toying with Ridely anyway trying not to overcompensate.
It got down to the end when I noticed I had a chance to win the battle after losing the majority of it. “Why not” I says to myself, lets cream this dino-thing. He got some good shots in and I found myself with 4 health left and one charge shot open. I let it go and held my breath only to hear a crowd of people uproar in cheer behind me. I whooped him, and apparently was one of the first as the gathering crowd was waiting for someone to do it. Success for me and congrats were given to me from the Wii Keepers as I called them.
Everything about Metroid Prime 3 played really well, my only concern is the game didn't look all that great. Something about it felt a bit dated to me and I'm not one to care about graphics. I think the problem came with Samus's cross hair, it looked like an ancient arcade deal turning red when you were on target. Hopefully, this game got pushed back to fix the cross hair back to the one I loved on Metroid Prime 1 and 2. It really kills the mood almost seeing that arcade one.
The night was moving along and we decided to swing over to Wii Tennis.
Wii Tennis: After figuring out neither of us was actually playing, we went to the player select screen and put ourselves in. Your character automatically moves to the ball so all that leaves is swinging the racket. Everything counts when you swing the racket, your speed, motion, and direction. Just playing around with it, I decided to swing a forehand when I clearly knew a backhand was needed. Sure enough the little guy missed.
Smiling with unmatched glee we continued the foray. It came down to the last point when Keith stomped all over me...Ah well.
I didn't pay close enough attention to how to play this game. I have no clue if the buttons did anything at all, I just swung away and had a blast.
With time enough for one more line, and one more game we decided to continue with the Wii Sports section we were enjoying so much. We ended up saving the best for last on accident.
Wii Baseball: Wow, I never thought I'd have this much fun with a game again. The child was brought back out of me for sure, and I didn't even get a hit!
Pitching is ridiculously clever. Again, your speed is in play here for a slow pitch can be thrown with a slow delivery and so forth. Holding down either the A, or B, or both causes a different pitch to be thrown. A lot of fun was had with the pitching.
Batting is very, very sensitive. Timing is everything here and I did not have that. Needless to say a few home runs were scored on me! I'll figure it out. But, the bat moves with you, you can point to the stands and so will the character. It's fully realized and a joy to play.
For a game I pepped up really high from the get go, I have not much to say about it. Simplicity is often the most enjoyable and this followed that rule. Playing was clearly believing here.
And so our Fusion Tour came to an end missing out on Excite Truck, Wii Play, and Wario Ware but much fun was had none the less. The Wiimote was far more intuitive than I could have ever imagined and felt very nice.
Biggest disappointment of the night, no Zelda!
Ryan Porter
Start Button News Staff Member
Before heading in we took note of the line heading around the block littered with people playing DS's set for Wifi action. The most popular game played on these were the New Super Mario Brothers, no surprise there. Also, there was a nice blend of DS Lite's and original DS systems, seems the Lite is catching on.
The doors opened up and we gleefully anticipated touching the next phase in Nintendo's legendary video game history. Would it stamp a mark on the industry forever, or would it be the Virtual Boy the video game community is still trying to forget? Read on friends, it was a wild ride.
The main lobby was just ahead with three Wii stations dead center. Going around them to view the screens from left to right was, Wii Bowling, Excite Truck, and Wii Tennis. Getting in rather early and not following the host of people to the back initially we began with Wii Bowling.
Wii Bowling: If you've never bowled in real life, you may have a few things to learn with Wii Bowling. Yeah, it plays that well. Holding up the controller locking down the B button on the bottom of the controller as if to “grip” the ball you have your ready position. Before that's established you can move from side to side determining you start spot. I was far too excited and just started chucking away.
Still holding B down I reared back and watched my character on-screen do the same. Just before I got all the way back I released the B button and followed through. The ball went down the lane and hooked left. Wondering what could have caused this since I was given no “curve gauge” I wondered if it had to do with my hand tilting.
The next throw, sure enough I was right. I whipped another one and actually hooked it to a ridiculous degree on purpose. To no surprise the ball hooked nearly to the gutter due to my starting position being right in the middle.
I had a lot of fun with this game and will be coming back to it often. I need to practice my release and power though, didn't quite get a hang of it for my four attempts.
Evading an ever growing line we ventured back to see the remaining Wii games for play. From left to right again was, Wii Baseball, Wii Play, Excite Truck, Wario Ware, and the draw of the show Metroid Prime 3. On the opposite side of the Wii's were countless DS systems running some stellar games of their own. Because of the Wii lines we ventured to the DS games.
Elite Beat Agents: They brought out the big headphones for this game. Strapping them on I understood quickly what the title meant. This song timing game brought to you by Nintendo is the most challenging game I've played in years, but also plenty of fun. Numbers are brought up in 1, 2, 3 and you must tap them in sequence. The tap must come in as a circle closes in on the number and it must be done so very accurately for the game was picky. Throwing these up in odd sequences and patterns didn't help much either. I must say this game will be very enjoyable in a quiet setting sitting down for easy access.
Quickly, we moved on to the next DS title in our view.
Lego Star Wars II: This game looked really good. And I mean it looked really good... I had no idea what I was doing when running around with princess Leia, (don't kill me if I miss spelled that). I found the shoot and jump buttons, but I was enamored with the touch screen trying to figure out what the heck it did. I was just moving around this globe thing and nothing seemed to be happening. I've never played a Lego Star Wars game but this one made me not want to play one again. It was slow and boring with the few enemies I dispatched. There's very little I can say to recommend this game.
Moving on as faster than warp speed!
Final Fantasy III: I'd like to first say RPG's are meant to be played for a long period of time before judgments can be made, but here's my impressions. Controls were fun with the touch screen, nothing different from Animal Crossing or Super Mario 64, you could also choose the D-Pad. It seemed I was in the first town and someone sprung the main character up to level 4. I decided to travel outside for a bit.
That was a mistake. My first encounter, and last, showed my how absurd this game is. I got creamed by what looked like the most basic enemy in the game. With full HP I got nailed for just over half of that in one blow. I was out of the match with the second attack. I really hope the atmosphere ruined my flawless RPG skills because if this is any indication of how this game works I'll be very, very upset.
Oh, and it looked super pretty.
Displeased with what may well be the Final Fantasy, (if that quality keeps up) we moved on hoping to score another Wii game. Big lines were all around us and as if lost at sea we slugged around waiting for something to turn up. Luckily we were carrying a very large camera that allowed us access into Metroid Prime 3!
Metroid Prime 3: As any gamer knows the Metroid Prime 3 demo comes in three flavors, a ball mission, pirate mission, or Ridley Boss battle. I of course chose the boss fight. Starting things off I tried to gauge my point of origin for the targeting system. It took a few seconds for the Wiimote to adjust to where I was but once that was established it was all gun and fun.
Tilting the Wiimote around causes the target to move, not necessarily where you are pointing. However, it feels quite similar so where you think you are pointing goes where you want it to anyway. The joystick felt incredible. Quite possibly, the best joystick I've ever held. It was just perfect the way it felt in my hand.
In any event, the boss battle takes Samus and Ridley falling like crazy as if you were in the Lord of the Rings movie fighting the Balrog. It took a bit for me to get the hang of things but once I understood how to take Ridely down things came easy. The goal was to shoot his glowing parts! Classic as always.
Movement was done with the joystick and aiming with the Wiimote. My brain couldn't quite grasp both at the same time right away, and I was toying with Ridely anyway trying not to overcompensate.
It got down to the end when I noticed I had a chance to win the battle after losing the majority of it. “Why not” I says to myself, lets cream this dino-thing. He got some good shots in and I found myself with 4 health left and one charge shot open. I let it go and held my breath only to hear a crowd of people uproar in cheer behind me. I whooped him, and apparently was one of the first as the gathering crowd was waiting for someone to do it. Success for me and congrats were given to me from the Wii Keepers as I called them.
Everything about Metroid Prime 3 played really well, my only concern is the game didn't look all that great. Something about it felt a bit dated to me and I'm not one to care about graphics. I think the problem came with Samus's cross hair, it looked like an ancient arcade deal turning red when you were on target. Hopefully, this game got pushed back to fix the cross hair back to the one I loved on Metroid Prime 1 and 2. It really kills the mood almost seeing that arcade one.
The night was moving along and we decided to swing over to Wii Tennis.
Wii Tennis: After figuring out neither of us was actually playing, we went to the player select screen and put ourselves in. Your character automatically moves to the ball so all that leaves is swinging the racket. Everything counts when you swing the racket, your speed, motion, and direction. Just playing around with it, I decided to swing a forehand when I clearly knew a backhand was needed. Sure enough the little guy missed.
Smiling with unmatched glee we continued the foray. It came down to the last point when Keith stomped all over me...Ah well.
I didn't pay close enough attention to how to play this game. I have no clue if the buttons did anything at all, I just swung away and had a blast.
With time enough for one more line, and one more game we decided to continue with the Wii Sports section we were enjoying so much. We ended up saving the best for last on accident.
Wii Baseball: Wow, I never thought I'd have this much fun with a game again. The child was brought back out of me for sure, and I didn't even get a hit!
Pitching is ridiculously clever. Again, your speed is in play here for a slow pitch can be thrown with a slow delivery and so forth. Holding down either the A, or B, or both causes a different pitch to be thrown. A lot of fun was had with the pitching.
Batting is very, very sensitive. Timing is everything here and I did not have that. Needless to say a few home runs were scored on me! I'll figure it out. But, the bat moves with you, you can point to the stands and so will the character. It's fully realized and a joy to play.
For a game I pepped up really high from the get go, I have not much to say about it. Simplicity is often the most enjoyable and this followed that rule. Playing was clearly believing here.
And so our Fusion Tour came to an end missing out on Excite Truck, Wii Play, and Wario Ware but much fun was had none the less. The Wiimote was far more intuitive than I could have ever imagined and felt very nice.
Biggest disappointment of the night, no Zelda!
Ryan Porter
Start Button News Staff Member
There are some changes
Hey everybody. I am working on the editing on episode 3. It is looking good!
In the meantime I included a major update to the site. If you did not notice already the blog on the front page is new and improved. Expect Kyle and Ryan to update here as well.
I will post a preview of episode three shortly.
In the meantime I included a major update to the site. If you did not notice already the blog on the front page is new and improved. Expect Kyle and Ryan to update here as well.
I will post a preview of episode three shortly.
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