The next generation rant (Freaking long)
I think the new direction of Nintendo and their DS system is nothing revolutionary in plan, but I believe it has all the potential to succeed. While Sony's pushing of its PSP as a changing device, capable of many function was creative, I don't think they secured enough of the portable gaming market, the portable video/music, or the portable browsing market. I think that there are those who made the allowances to cater to the PSP showed progress; PSP sized Anime Raws, PSP sized webcomic alt-addresses and wallpapers, but that it wasn't followed through. Valkerie Profile: Lenneth is a potent addition to the lineup in a market seriously desolate with regards to portable RPGs, especially with it being based on the Japan version and thus less altered as the US original version was (Note: Fire Emblem is GBA, not DS, and I am making the distinction even if DS can play GBA). So long as Sony can keep it's hand full of high value cards they may yet be able to make to maintain a signficant chunk of the portable market, but they need a few more solid contenders with a good mix of pickup and play games like Me and My Katamari as well as LP (Long(er) Play) games like VP and the Metal Gear Acids. With the PSP multi-player limitations, Sony needs to focus on the mainstays of solo gaming: solid puzzle games, RPGs and pseudo-RPGs, Strategy games, RPG-elemented action/adventure, and some high replay or LP sport or sport-esce games.
What Nintendo offers however is akin to the Othello promise "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master". I just caught their latest advert in a copy of Newsweek, depicting a bus stop with two people sitting bored waiting for the bus and a third playing on his lovely DS Lite. The accompanying caption reads
"The average wait for a city bus is 12.8 minutes.
Do something with your nothing."
Nintendo's new line of pick-up and play games for all ages that have some challenge or poise for even veteran gamers is visionary. Especially with the rumors that EA may drop PSP development to focus on the DS (See Monday's Little Gamers) it would seem that the PSP may be losing ground, though with the imposing need for Sony to push out the PS3, that may be the least of their concerns.
Back in the beginning (my beginning, not the beginning), Nintendo and Sega, Nintendo was the system for RPGs while the adventure and action games were the realm of Sega. Now-a-days there are 3 players, and they're all worth something. Sony is still the juggernaught of RPGs both the mainstreamed Square-Enix and the rising star that is my beloved NIS and but they also control some solid ventures in other directions: Katamari, Twisted Metal, Devil May Cry. They no longer exert total control over the what I'd have considered the "post-teen genre" now that XBox is on the market, they tend to split evenly those games which aren't developed for both systems, and with RE4 and GBA's successes with Castlevania those can no longer be considered solid Playstation ground.
Playstation still reigns high as the solid solo system, but it's territory that the XBox is eagerly contesting with it's own offerings like Fable and Oblivion as well as in games released for both systems that just looked more polished on the power of the Xbox360, like Shadows of the Colussus or Burnout. Nintendo reigns supreme still in both the youth games, Playstation isn't lacking here but the advertising and polish of this genre on Playstation (Monster Ranchers, etc) are both lacking, and in multiplayer. The incredible portablity and stability and ease of setup of the Gamecube, and hopefully the Wii, combined with it's vast array of plug and play multiplayer goodness is something that Microsoft has yet to be able to compete against. Yes, Halo is an incredible game, and multiplayer excellent and offers infinate replayability, but it's sluggish and it likes to play Land-Grab and Oddball, whereas the collection of Mario-themed sports games, Mario Kart, Smash Brothers, Mario Party, are practially unrivaled. Yes, there are polished alternatives on Playstation and Xbox: DoA4, Fusion Frenzy, but they don't compare to the glory and ease of what Nintendo presents.
If Sony wants to hold and recover, they need to open the PS3 with a slew of not only their mainstay RPGs, but an appeal to the games they have lost to their competators. I don't expect them to manage a system of multiplayer to rival XBox, and I definately believe that neither Sony nor Microsoft will be able to hold a candle to the party system that is Wii, but if they can release pristine games that don't require patches on a stable system even for extended extended play, they'll already have a leg-up on their Microsoft competition. Personally, I want a PS3-based, Devil May Cry, SSX, Twisted Metal, and Ratchet and Clank. When I think Playstation, it's those 4 games + RPGs (and a bit of AceCombat, but that's a secret and mostly David).
If Microsoft wants to maintain the early-bird advantage, they need to worry about the home computer. They need to secure games that can be played out of the box with ease, without excessive patching. They need to refine their machine, close holes in the development system, continue to upgrade their Live-infastructure, and find a way to keep their systems functioning. It's disturbing that in the short months that we've had a 360 in the house it's already starting to freeze and the damage it did to our first Oblivion disc is nigh-unbelievable (It's got a solid ring burned into the bottom of the disc). They need to push their Live-capable multiplayer without shutting out the fans of same system Co-Op. The beauty of Nintendo is getting 4 people one system, even on their portable systems alot of the games can be played in some for of multiplayer with less than a cartidge per player. Microsoft needs to secure a line of games to rival Mario/Samus/Megaman and Ratchet/Dante and use their graphical supremacy as a selling point, underlined by replayability. The Achievement / Gamerscore system is already pretty cool, even if it's not standardized at all across games and the ability to download demos is revolutionary. Add in the ability to store and save music, and use it for custom game soundtracks and you've got all kinds of levels of success waiting to be claimed. Capitalize on it.
Nintendo has what they need, they just need to be a company about it. This spontaneous changing of names, and odd, if revolutionary, controllers should fall below the priority of making a recoignizable and playable system. I'm reserving judgement, but to match the way they advertise, Wii needs a to be a system that inspires people to want to touch it and want to try out gaming. To hit the market strong, Nintendo needs to open high and low, bringing out stellar games for the new generation of young gamers with Pokemon, Mario, and other games with lots of color and life; appealing to the I'm-not-really-a-gamer gamers with Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing; continuing and expanding their multiplayer lineup, adding new life alongside Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Smash Brothers; and rewarding/delighting long term gamers with not only Zelda (Twilight Princess), Megaman, Metroid/Samus, and Mario, but also new innovative games that really push the unique features of the Wii.
On the Horizon
So, what am I looking for?
DS:
Mega Man ZX (9/12) -- I wasn't really into all of Zero's Command Mission games, but I think this one might have just enough of Megaman X in to for me to enjoy. If nothing else it'll hopefully be a good semi-LP Adventure game for the DS/GBA until another Kirby game hits the market.
PS2:
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (8/15, Today) -- Having played it a little bit, and seen a bit more, the game seems enjoyable enough. I'm uncertain about length or replay, but the FMVs and even just one run-through seems likely to be worth the price of admission. I won't pick it up on-release, but I will pick it up at some point in the near future. Perhaps a rental-shelf were I the type to rent games, but I don't because I always come back for them sometime in the future (unless they totally suck, and not even that is always a deterrant).
Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories (8/29) -- Perhaps not the greatest name but there's only so much one can do about that. Disgaea has provided me with over 250 hours of amusement now and Disgaea 2 just takes the what NIS has learned from their previous games (La Pucelle, Phantom Brave, Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome) and continue to refine this little gem that's quick going from an indie-gamer secret to a mainstream-mainstay.
Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathrustra (8/29) -- Same date as Disgaea 2, but given that I've yet to finish Episode I, I'm not going to be in any rush to aquire this one. However it looks to have made massive improvements in fluidity and flow over the previous two, so definately worth adding to my collection.
Final Fantasy XII (10/31) -- Halloween release WTF?. Anyways, I've got all the prior FF's so XII won't be any different. I'm not 100% behind it, but what I've seen and played gives it a flow and challenge that seems enjoyable. I'll play it through and likely most of the extra but I fear that the gambit system and I might not always see eye to eye.
Xbox 360:
Ninety-Nine Nights (8/15, Today) -- Call it a Destiny Warrior clone all you like. The quintessential genre of Hero versus armies is one I've always enjoyed and I don't see any reason why this game should be any exception. I'm not 100% on the value of replay, but definately worth the purchase. I'd probably get it today were time condusive and if I didn't have other things to be playing. Yes the characters have names that seem like they were picked with a ping-pong ball and a keyboard (Aspharr, Dwingvatt, Inphyy, Klarrann, Myifee, Tyurru) but the game is still everything that Joan of Arc sorta worked towards (except that spamming Heavy Horse attack won't win every fight this time)
Bomberman Act Zero (8/29) -- Yeah, bad day to be released when competing with Xenosaga III and Disgaea 2 and alongside Saint's Row (don't get me started, I think Penny Arcade said it best), but I love Bomberman and this one looks like it might not be half bad. Time will tell I guess.
Currently Playing
So in Oblivion, having severely overplayed my hand by enjoying the simply it is to level a Mage, I rerolled as a character designed to level only when I chose to. As it turns out, that wasn't the best of ideas either and some middle ground, melee and strength heavy, blend is probably still ideal. Either way, I'm actually playing the game, or at least trying to, but ending up exploring every single dungeon, ruin, and keep between points A and B.
I did end up buying Heroes V since Best Buy wasn't asking the full $50 for it. I've gone through the first of the six campaigns (one for each town) and it's pretty enjoyable, the new skill system is really cool. Campaign is pretty damn hard until you realize the key is always to blitz right at the start with lots of conservation of army strength until you can gain an even foothold and then just accumulate until you can smash the final objective(s). I think Heroes III handled the Hero specializations a bit better, but the flavor still exists here. As standard, the inital release was desperately in need of a patch (broken campaigns, missing tooltips) but now it's fairly playable, though still slower than your average PC turn-based game.
I'm saving most of the Dead Rising discussion until after I've beaten the game once, or perhaps spoiled the rest of it either way, but I do want to say that this game is sadistic. I mean, were the Zombies not enough? Do you really need escaped convicts, maniacs (Clown's death scene is awesomely horrifying, Shopkeep's is amusing), Special Forces, Dynmaite-laden knife-toting (That I can't take!) Cult psychopaths, unco-operative escortees, jumping glowing parasites, and Zombifying-bite super zombies? And I've still got another 24 hours+ to go!
