Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Watch Out Favre!
It looks like EA has decided to find another loop hole with their Madden cover athlete. Apparently finding retiring Pro Footballers did not help, now they are turning to co-host of the Start Button News podcast Kyle Fulton.
Roster updates will be showing up on the 360 and ps3 shortly...
Monday, August 18, 2008
Madden 2009 Review
This is year twenty for the Madden franchise, and while many people consider each new edition as just a $60 roster update, this game is more than just a roster update.
Now there was a big to-do about the cover athlete Brett Favre, and if you listen to the podcast you should be up to date with the latest on him. Since he was traded to the New York Jets, this prompted EA to create a new cover with Favre in a Jets uniform available for you to download an print off.
Now one of the new "features" to this year's edition is the ability to rewind. Basically this gives you a do over, and in single player having it once is alright, but having it as unlimited has proven to be not only cheap, but also the only way the Lions can make it to the Super Bowl. Now if you happen to be playing against a friend...TURN IT OFF BEFORE YOU START!!!! This is the worst feature to be allowed in multi-player. I can force a fumble or an INT but with a tap of the button it brings the play back for a do over. After the second game of trying this feature, my friend and I agreeded to no use this ever again in multiplayer.
The graphics look great, there is always a improvement over the previous year's installment. However, and this is nitpicking on my part, but at the begining of the game when they show the stadium that the game is going to be played. Now being from Detroit, I know the area around Ford Field. I am really dissapointed on how horrible the stadium look and the fact that they have the wrong building in the skyline. More so that they have the buildings in the wrong locations.
This is a nice an full game, but it gets old kinda quick. Maybe Madden 2010 will be better... but without having any compition, I have my doubts.
7 out of 10
Now there was a big to-do about the cover athlete Brett Favre, and if you listen to the podcast you should be up to date with the latest on him. Since he was traded to the New York Jets, this prompted EA to create a new cover with Favre in a Jets uniform available for you to download an print off.
Now one of the new "features" to this year's edition is the ability to rewind. Basically this gives you a do over, and in single player having it once is alright, but having it as unlimited has proven to be not only cheap, but also the only way the Lions can make it to the Super Bowl. Now if you happen to be playing against a friend...TURN IT OFF BEFORE YOU START!!!! This is the worst feature to be allowed in multi-player. I can force a fumble or an INT but with a tap of the button it brings the play back for a do over. After the second game of trying this feature, my friend and I agreeded to no use this ever again in multiplayer.
The graphics look great, there is always a improvement over the previous year's installment. However, and this is nitpicking on my part, but at the begining of the game when they show the stadium that the game is going to be played. Now being from Detroit, I know the area around Ford Field. I am really dissapointed on how horrible the stadium look and the fact that they have the wrong building in the skyline. More so that they have the buildings in the wrong locations.
This is a nice an full game, but it gets old kinda quick. Maybe Madden 2010 will be better... but without having any compition, I have my doubts.
7 out of 10
Saturday, August 02, 2008
*yawn* Is it time to come back?
This is the first blog post in over a year, and what a year it has been. Kyle and Porter both bought PS3's. I myself found my 360 starting to go on the blink. I have also graduated college, which is most of the reason there has been so little content coming from the Start Button Crew.
But dry your eyes mate! New material is here. Already we have two audio podcasts and more just waiting to be recorded. Go check them out one of two ways
1. http://startbuttonnews.podomatic.com
2. Go to the iTunes store, and search for "Start Button News"
Go do it now.... We will wait for you!
--Keith Dotson
But dry your eyes mate! New material is here. Already we have two audio podcasts and more just waiting to be recorded. Go check them out one of two ways
1. http://startbuttonnews.podomatic.com
2. Go to the iTunes store, and search for "Start Button News"
Go do it now.... We will wait for you!
--Keith Dotson
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Sony's E3 Showing
Kyle, Porter, and Marie, talked the most about the Sony Press Conference.
Editorial By Keith - Sony, Sony, Sony.....I don't want to type out my thoughts on what your doing with the PS3 and the PSP.
So I will post this video I found....
Editorial By Keith - Sony, Sony, Sony.....I don't want to type out my thoughts on what your doing with the PS3 and the PSP.
So I will post this video I found....
Microsoft E3 Reactions
So Microsoft showed us what it had to offer at E3. To tell you the truth, they had a good showing.
Editorial From Keith: Microsoft did something that was great this E3, and I am not talking about no more tattoos. I am talking about having every game they showed at their press conference being released by the end of 2007. That's five and a half months for a lot of games to come out.
Now I say the the summery to the conference was put simply "Hi, we're Microsoft. The Wii is outselling us, so we are going to put put a ton of sequels, and these games that you loved for the 360...they are going to the PC. Thanks for coming!" They have good games coming out, but besides Mass Effect, and Bioshock, what is there that is original to look forward to? Microsoft is doing well in the market (that is if you exclude Japan), and they have gone almost 2 years without a price drop. Something that is unheard of...(unless you're Sony, trying to get rid of your 60GB's to make way for the still 600 dollar 80GB). I always thought that the 360 and the Wii would be duking it out for first place,and I was right. The 360 has a strong holiday season to look forward to. Expect me to be in front of my TV the day Halo 3 launches.
Editorial From Keith: Microsoft did something that was great this E3, and I am not talking about no more tattoos. I am talking about having every game they showed at their press conference being released by the end of 2007. That's five and a half months for a lot of games to come out.
Now I say the the summery to the conference was put simply "Hi, we're Microsoft. The Wii is outselling us, so we are going to put put a ton of sequels, and these games that you loved for the 360...they are going to the PC. Thanks for coming!" They have good games coming out, but besides Mass Effect, and Bioshock, what is there that is original to look forward to? Microsoft is doing well in the market (that is if you exclude Japan), and they have gone almost 2 years without a price drop. Something that is unheard of...(unless you're Sony, trying to get rid of your 60GB's to make way for the still 600 dollar 80GB). I always thought that the 360 and the Wii would be duking it out for first place,and I was right. The 360 has a strong holiday season to look forward to. Expect me to be in front of my TV the day Halo 3 launches.
Happy Birthday Start Button!
Let's all wish Start Button News a happy birthday. Exactly one year ago today we posted our first video. It's true, we haven't had very many updates since, but we here at Start Button would like to think that the ones we HAVE had have been quality.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Nintendo E3 Reactions
Hello Start Button Viewers
This is the first of three videos coming out this week. We tell you our reactions to the Nintendo Press Conference at the E3 Media Summit.
Editorial From Keith: Nintendo pulled off a big win last year at E3. This year was about keeping the momentum and moving forward. I think they did not achieve that. Not failed per say, but their showing was a bit cautious and lackluster.
I am not saying that Nintendo had no reason to be cautious, in fact they had every reason. The Wii is poised to take over the 360 as leading console of this generation. I feel that they were overly cautious. They only gave out four announcements that I consider to be big.
1. Super Smash Brothers Brawl is going to be released December 3rd.
2. Super Mario Galaxy is going to be released November 12th
3. Wii Mario Kart 1st Quarter 2008
4. Wii Fit.
Nintendo could have done so much more. They have an arsenal that could put them over the top. Games that we know are (or were) in development. The games I was looking forward to was Disaster: Day of Crisis, Project H.A.M.M.E.R., Animal Crossing, and Wii Music. We know from last year these were in development. Nintendo even stated that these were there big games in there 2007 lineup. Yet one look at the press site for Nintendo tells a tragic story. Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and Disaster: Day of Crisis, titles that had entries on the press site no longer there. Reports are coming in the Project H.A.M.M.E.R.'s development is on hold and Disaster: Day of Crisis's development is coming along and is "looking very good".
So I am hoping that one day soon I will get to play all of these games. Until then, I will still play my Wii Sports, wondering of the games that are yet to be.
This is the first of three videos coming out this week. We tell you our reactions to the Nintendo Press Conference at the E3 Media Summit.
Editorial From Keith: Nintendo pulled off a big win last year at E3. This year was about keeping the momentum and moving forward. I think they did not achieve that. Not failed per say, but their showing was a bit cautious and lackluster.
I am not saying that Nintendo had no reason to be cautious, in fact they had every reason. The Wii is poised to take over the 360 as leading console of this generation. I feel that they were overly cautious. They only gave out four announcements that I consider to be big.
1. Super Smash Brothers Brawl is going to be released December 3rd.
2. Super Mario Galaxy is going to be released November 12th
3. Wii Mario Kart 1st Quarter 2008
4. Wii Fit.
Nintendo could have done so much more. They have an arsenal that could put them over the top. Games that we know are (or were) in development. The games I was looking forward to was Disaster: Day of Crisis, Project H.A.M.M.E.R., Animal Crossing, and Wii Music. We know from last year these were in development. Nintendo even stated that these were there big games in there 2007 lineup. Yet one look at the press site for Nintendo tells a tragic story. Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and Disaster: Day of Crisis, titles that had entries on the press site no longer there. Reports are coming in the Project H.A.M.M.E.R.'s development is on hold and Disaster: Day of Crisis's development is coming along and is "looking very good".
So I am hoping that one day soon I will get to play all of these games. Until then, I will still play my Wii Sports, wondering of the games that are yet to be.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Awwwww, here it goes...
I have returned to you, my minions. Check back soon for our various reactions to E3, or, as i like to call it, "Gee, isn't Sony cute? Look at them try" day.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Sony Drops The Price...
The headline for the news today "should" read 'Playstation 3 finally drops the price' or even 'After 234 days, Sony does something right'. Whatever the headline turns out to be, it still is the same news. Sony drops the price of the PS3 by one hundred bucks. This ends the week of rumors that swirled around this.
The price drop and the announcement of an 80GB PS3 bundled with Motostorm, came days before the E3 Press Summit. The 80GB bundle will be arriving sometime in August at the price point of $599.
So what does this do for Sony? Besides creating media buzz, it's a step in the right direction. A step in a long journey, but a step nonetheless. Yet it will not surprise me if even the bundle does not come with an HDMI cable.
Now if the PS3 comes with a few more exclusive games, it might be worth the $499. For those that are going to comment that it is a cheaper Blu-Ray player. I will agree with you. It is. Personally I am not going to shell out $499 just to play Russian Roulette with disc formats.
This E3 is important for Sony. There is no denying that. Given the news that came out from GDC, I feel Sony might have something still up their sleeve. What they need is something the gain ground in sales. With Sony being roughly 8 million units behind the 360 and roughly 5 million units behind the Wii, there has to be something Sony can do to convince people to buy a PS3.
The E3 Media and Business Summit takes place July 11th-13th in Santa Monica, CA.
The price drop and the announcement of an 80GB PS3 bundled with Motostorm, came days before the E3 Press Summit. The 80GB bundle will be arriving sometime in August at the price point of $599.
So what does this do for Sony? Besides creating media buzz, it's a step in the right direction. A step in a long journey, but a step nonetheless. Yet it will not surprise me if even the bundle does not come with an HDMI cable.
Now if the PS3 comes with a few more exclusive games, it might be worth the $499. For those that are going to comment that it is a cheaper Blu-Ray player. I will agree with you. It is. Personally I am not going to shell out $499 just to play Russian Roulette with disc formats.
This E3 is important for Sony. There is no denying that. Given the news that came out from GDC, I feel Sony might have something still up their sleeve. What they need is something the gain ground in sales. With Sony being roughly 8 million units behind the 360 and roughly 5 million units behind the Wii, there has to be something Sony can do to convince people to buy a PS3.
The E3 Media and Business Summit takes place July 11th-13th in Santa Monica, CA.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
The Internets made me do it!
So, I am surfing around on Youtube, looking at new comments and such. When I see in the related videos this..........
I died laughing. Hope you enjoy. I will be filming more stuff next week for the show.
--Keith
I died laughing. Hope you enjoy. I will be filming more stuff next week for the show.
--Keith
Monday, July 02, 2007
My Milkshake Brought Jack Thompson To The Yard....
Kyle explains how he brought Jack Thompson to the yard. It really is a great story. I remember when Kyle first called me to tell me of this. I was one who told him that Jack Thompson would not respond nicely. Kyle was really being sincere with the e-mail. Below is the transcript of the e-mails.
From: Kyle FultonTo: Jack ThompsonSent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 5:53 PMDear Mr. Thompson,I suppose that there's no real point in beating around the bush. I am a twenty year old gamer who has played everything from the original Pong all the way to the ever-controversial Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas. Many people I know have come to be quite angry at you for your statements about games in general, and, more specifically, games of a violent nature. I realized, however, that getting angry doesn't get anything accomplished. I decided that, instead, it would probably be a better course of action to simply write you a polite e-mail.The goal of this e-mail is not to make you change your mind, or stop doing what it is you feel you must. It is, instead, simply to give you the gamer's side of the story in a clear, polite manner. Now, if you have read this far, I suppose I can hope that you will read the rest as well, so I will continue to my point.Many times I have listened to your opinion on the matter, and I respect it as your opinion. This is mine.Quite simply, it is my thought that although violence may be inspired by some games, the games themselves are not at fault, or the cause. I believe that the minds of the people and children who commit violent acts are otherwise predisposed towards violence. I am a non-violent person, therefore, I do not commit violence. No amount of playing violent video games will ever change that. In fact, if anything, I find playing Grand Theft Auto and the like to be quite a way to release stress. It is a sort of catharsis. Sometimes it's fun and relieving to fight and destroy. These are urges as old as humanity itself. The difference to me is that in our day and age, we have simulated, non-living things to take the urges out on. Simply, I would greatly prefer that my children, when I have them, fight imaginary people than get into real life fights.The fault lies not with the games, but with either those who commit the violence themselves, or those who, while raising them, never taught them the difference between real or make-believe. My parents did a very good job. I know that if I harm someone in reality, there will be dire consequences, just as sure as I know that video games aren't reality. When someone kills a person, and claims the government made him do it, we lock him in an asylum. We don't attack the government. But when someone kills a person and says the games made him do it, we attack the games. This isn't right. It is simply the sick mind of a violent person twisting to a different thing to blame.It is the way of our society to blame everything and anything we can for our wrongdoing except ourselves. I feel that it is time this stops. If there were no violent games, then we'd be discussing violent movies right now, and if there were no violent movies, it would be books. As long as we live, we will find SOMETHING to blame.Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you have found my thoughts to be well-put and polite. I look forward greatly to your reply.Sincerely,Kyle FultonFrom: Jack Thompson
From: Jack Thompson
To: Kyle Fulton
Sent: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 6:55 PM
Subject: Re:
I'm not interested in your opinion. I have experts who have testified before Congress as to the harm of these games. They have facts. You have nothing but bias. Don't bother me again.
From: Kyle Fulton
To: Jack Thompson
Sent: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 7:20 PM
Subject: Re:
Dear Mr. Thompson,In case you missed the purpose of my original letter, my thought behind it was that I believed that you had been treated unfairly in the past. I felt that, though I disagreed with you, your opinion was to be respected nonetheless, and had hoped to discuss the matter with you intelligently. Even now, after your rather short, and, I must confess rude, response, I believe in your right to say anything you wish.I will choose to believe that you had a bad day or something today, rather than believe that anyone could be so outright rude to someone who is giving them every bit of respect they deserve.You see, everyone who knew I was sending you this e-mail insisted that you'd respond in essentially the manner that you have. "No," I said. "I'm sure he's a reasonable man who will see my attempt to hold an actual conversation, rather than insult him, as most gamers have." I can honestly say I have rarely been more upset to be proven wrong.I thought perhaps, even if you so coldly disregarded my opinion, you would at least give me the respect of common courtesy. Though I could go on at some length about manners at this point, I'll choose not to, as I'm sure you are a busy man. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my letter, even if you didn't really pay attention.As a small note, however, perhaps your generally disdainful attitude towards the people you claim to be trying to save from the games is part of why they are typically so rude to you.Sincerely,Kyle Fulton
To: Kyle Fulton
Sent: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 8:14 PM
Subject: Re:
I told you to stop bothering me. One more email, and I will have you prosecuted, you jerk.
From: Kyle Fulton
To: Jack Thompson
Sent: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 8:22 PM
Subject: Re:
Dear Mr. Thompson,I sincerely doubt that there is anything illegal or prosecutable in my actions. I have given you nothing but respect. If you don't like my e-mails, it is simple enough for you to block my address. I do think you need to seriously reconsider the way you treat the general public if you ever hope to execute the changes you desire.As usual, thank you for your time.Sincerely,Kyle Fulton
Given that it has been 4 months from the e-mails we doubt any action was taken, or even will be taken.
The video has been up for a few days, and we have gotten some comments on YouTube. Some have really good points.
TKnHappyNess (8 hours ago)Jack should realize that parents are responsible for what their kids do. Yesterday I went to Wal-Mart, and some kid clearly under 17 wanted his dad to get him Dead Rising for his b-day. The father read the M rating, and the kid was denied. If you can have responsible parents like him, there'd be less and less "violent kids". I'd investigate domestic abuse first long before the games.
I will be posting more material next week. I am also going to film more in the next two weeks. It really feels good to get back in the swing of things.
Until next time,
--Keith Dotson
Thursday, June 28, 2007
We're Back!
...It's been a while viewers. All three of us have been busy, but I am here to tell you that Start Button News is back. Instead of doing big episodes, we are going to put the individual segments online. To start we have Porter's review of Super Paper Mario and Virtua Fighter 5.
You may notice our new opening. I personally think it looks better.
Just in case you missed it, we put up a brand new blooper reel.
So, we are back. Our next post will be tomorrow. Entitled "My Milkshake Brought Jack Thompson To The Yard".
Until then, Laterz.
--Keith
You may notice our new opening. I personally think it looks better.
Just in case you missed it, we put up a brand new blooper reel.
So, we are back. Our next post will be tomorrow. Entitled "My Milkshake Brought Jack Thompson To The Yard".
Until then, Laterz.
--Keith
Monday, December 04, 2006
Catch Kyle!
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
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
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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