Pitiful.

I'm not sure how this happened. Sales of Sin and Punishment on Virtual Console were so good that Treasure actually translated the menus and brought it over to western countries, and the sales of that were so good that Treasure decided to make a sequel. There's enough of a freaking install base.

There's no announced date for America or Europe yet, so lord knows if we ever WILL see a sequel, but at the off chance that the videogame god smile upon us, then I humbly request of my Wii-owning comrades to actually buy this game. Sure, piracy on the Wii is too easy, but if any game deserves your money, its this one.

The game is way better than S&P1
One of the reasons that Sin and Punishment is so hard to play on the Wii is because of the wonky N64 controls. You have a few options, but it quickly feels like you're rubbing your belly and patting your head. On the Wii, the controls are perfect. Aiming and moving isn't a problem, and with your new jetpack, movement isn't as restricted.

In fact, even though the game is a lot harder, the controls offer a lot more options. You can lock on with the tap of the A button and shift your focus to dodging enemy fire or reflecting attacks with your sword. Racking up combos and multipliers is very easy, and the charge explosion attack can get you out of sticky situations. Combine the same crazy bosses and a two player option, and you're in for a great time.

Treasure almost never makes sequels
Treasure makes a lot of great games, but if there's one thing Treasure doesn't like to dabble in, it's sequels. A GBA Gunstar Heroes here, Bangai-O on the DS there, but those games tend to fly under the radar. I eventually reached a point where I accepted that a noteworthy sequel would never happen. Seeing them take a chance on S&P2, on the Wii of all consoles, is encouraging. Which leads me to the next point.

You're not using your Wii for anything else anyways. Besides Mario.
Oh, yea right. Like any of you run home waiting to boot up the Wii and play Imagine Babyz. This isn't a mediocre game with "H4RDC0R3!!!!!" smeared all over the box (NMH, Madworld. Yea, I said it.) It's the kind of game you and I and everyone who reads these kinds of videogame blogs wants to see. No shallow pandering to nostalgic fanboys or moms. It's a game for us, crafted with love.

And that's why I'm blogging this. Because Sin and Punishment on Virtual Console showed that you really can vote with your dollar. And I'm sure there's enough of people waiting for strong third party support on the Wii. So for the sake of Treasure, and that white thing in your living room that isn't a 360, please buy this game.

I had this sketched in my notebook for a few months, so I decided to ink and color it this afternoon. Most of my childhood was spent with my fingers wrapped around an SNES pad, and I was feeling particularly nostalgic when I first sketched this.

I'd like to come back to it another time and add more to it, but for now, I kinda like it. Hope you like it too.

http://pheonixgamma.deviantart.com/art/Untitled-142847194

I'm a little too lazy this evening to think of a proper introduction to my argument, so I'll cut right to the chase: video games have to be fun.

I'm not saying games can't ever be more than fun, or that they shouldn't be fun. I love something that really makes me think. Something that really leaves a lasting impression beyond "man, I just totally stabbed that guy's face 30 times" or whatever. I'm totally down for games using all kinds of artistic expression. I love that shit.

But the thing that separates video games from, say, movies is that second word; game, and that's where things become a real pain in the ass. Games are intended to be fun. That's the whole point. That's why we invented baseball and battleship and poker.

So there's a problem: how can you design a game that's supposed to be "more than fun" or instill it with some kind of meaning while still entertaining the player? You don't read any newspaper articles about a whole new Othello game designed to change your perspective on the universe because people don't play Othello to get anything out of it besides an hour or two of fun.

But video games are unique because, at some point, everyone started looking at other mediums (mostly movies) and tried pulling ideas and techniques from those mediums and exploring different ideas. It's really impressive, and it's something I'm proud to have witnessed as someone who's absolutely smitten by the medium. But if you're designing something that isn't fun first and "deep" (or whatever you're going for) second, you neuter the experience. Which is more enjoyable: reading chunks of text in books, or the last level in Braid? Personally, I think the chunks of text are a huge waste of potential, while the last level was something really clever and blended interactivity and storytelling quite well.

I realize, however, that people find all kinds of fun in all kinds of ways, while I'm not disagreeing with Anthony and agree that games should try to be more than what they are right now, I think that "fun" should still be the main ingredient of a game. You don't make a cake out of nothing but frosting (or beef, or anything that isn't actual cake), but you can put other stuff in, on, or around the cake...or something.

My point is that if a game isn't supposed to be fun, if enjoyment isn't the primary goal, then it's might as well not be a game at all. There are all sorts of interactive art forms that aren't games at all. But Joe the Gamer didn't buy a video game console so he could play things that aren't video games. I'm not denying games of their right to explore, artistically or intellectually, and I'd love if we could avoid a fate similar to comic books, but sometimes I feel like a developer gets so wrapped up in their vision that they forget all about the game part of the fricken' video game.

ALL YOU GUYS CARE ABOUT IS OCARINA OF TIME AND WIND WAKER. JUST LEAVE TWILIGHT PRINCESS ALOOOOOOONE.

Ah, I didn't see you there.

I've been replaying Twilight Princess lately; maybe it's because I'm going through my yearly Zelda phase, maybe because of Topher's write-up on Wind Waker and the discussion on Podtoid. But I'm replaying it again, and one thing that always bothered me is how much crap it gets. I'm not here to proclaim it as my favorite Zelda (Link to the Past and Majora's Mask are my absolute favorites) but I'd like to discuss what I really enjoy about this game and why it's one of the stronger entries in the series.

The World



I'm sad that I couldn't find a good photo of Lake Hylia. It is probably my favorite place to visit in any of the Zeldas. The way the sun rises/sets in each cycle creates the perfect lighting, and the peaceful music compliments the sleepy setting. But that's all superficial.

What I love about TP is how believable everything is. Wind Waker added a lot of little details to the environment, but TP cranks it up a notch. I'm not talking about "realistic", I'm talking about taking the little things and fleshing them out. Link puts away his weapons and grabs onto the door, then gives it the old heave-ho. The symbols of the medallions and spiritual stones from Ocarina sneak into different walls and decorations quietly so that only the dedicated fans would notice. The contraptions in the dungeons and villages have the finer details nailed, so you can see exactly how the Spinner crank works or how the giant canon in Lake Hylia is operated. If you take the time to really observe everything, there's a huge amount of detail that you'd never see if you just ran from point to point.

The structure of the world itself is also really interesting. The vertically-focused waterfall area leading up to Zora's Domain is something you don't see too often outside of dungeons, the dried-up graveyard hides a lush grotto (which also has a secret passage to the Lake) and the entire second half of the forest is tucked away so well that, when you finally get around to it, you can't help but be surprised that the Lost Woods and the old Temple of Time could have been right around that cliff. Hyrule Field could have been fleshed out a little better, but overall, the environment felt really deep and believable, and I totally love it.

Besides, if any of you can overlook Wind Waker's ocean, you're not allowed to rag on Hyrule Field.

The Dungeons

Every Zelda has a really different style of dungeon designs. I can't quite put my finger on it, but each set of dungeons from each game seems to be built a certain way. TP's dungeons did some things that were really interesting and are structured in ways that set it apart from the other 3D Zeldas.

For instance, the Goron Mines puts a unique spin on the famous iron boots with its magnetic ceilings and walls, then moves you through a valley, dodging incoming fire arrows. The Water Temple had fun with water flow, building up the water level until you could finally reach the boss. The short-lived Spinner had some of my favorite dungeon moments, and the Snow Dungeon; the home of Yeto and his wife, was a really surprising twist. Turning the old Temple of Time into a full dungeon blew my mind, and City in the Sky was a nice new dungeon archetype that I'd like to see explored some more (love me some sky levels).

Out of Dungeon Events

Fucking. Horseback. Battle. Hoooolllly shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Some people have told me they just wanted to get to the dungeons and get down to business, but I loved the interludes between dungeons. It helped make the story feel like more than "Link goes to eight dungeons and wins the game". This is something that's been tried in Zelda games a lot recently, but Twilight Princess made it feel like things were actually happening. Horseback fights, a western shoot-out, and an infiltration of an enemy hideout in the desert all helped keep the mid-dungeon exploring interesting and enjoyable. Sadly, the second half of the game opts to crank up the pacing and get to the dungeons, but the first half really drew me in.

Controls

I actually own both versions of the game, and while the Gamecube version is fine and dandy, the Wii version adds a little extra kick to it. Sure, waggle is stupid, but there's something satisfying about approaching a mob of enemies, quietly walking up in RE4-style shooting mode, and picking off enemies as you slowly approach them. You're up close now, and you bust out the sword with a quick flick. You use Wind Waker's parry moves (manually!!!) to outwit your foes. Another quick flick busts out an instant spin attack, and you turn around to find a knocked out foe. Leap in the air, drive the sword through his balls (if you're too far away to stab the chest) and finish it off with the motherfucking taunt. Flawless victory.

I do hope that the next Zelda fixes the sword controls (don't make Link a righty. WiiSports lets me choose my handedness. WiiSports can NOT be more technologically advanced than Zelda.) but the Wii version of this game really helps streamline the use of both the sword and the secondary weapons so that everything works just as well as it would if you were locked onto an enemy.

And if you're too cool for the Wii, the Gamecube controls work just fine. Jerk.

The visuals
One thing Topher loves about Wind Waker is that the graphics are timeless. And he's totally right, even if I think the toon shading should have been taken in a different direction. Like, something without giant, soul-stealing eyes.

However, Twilight Princess has its charm. No, Zelda doesn't have to be dark or realistic, but Zelda games are something that are self contained, and I think that goes for every aspect of the game, from the level design to the story, and that includes the graphics.



Like I said about the world and how believable it is, the designs of everyone (save for the ugly, ugly kids) have that same depth and believability. The details of Link's tunic, the stitching, the chainmail underneath, and all the other little things really show a lot of thought from the artists. The Twilight enemies show an interesting contrast with Hyrule while hinting at the possibility of Twili magic having some technological backing.

Will the graphics look dated eventually? Sure. Do they look dated now? Maybe. It's a gamecube game, and I got what I expected. I can still enjoy Ocarina's muddy graphics anyways, so what little nitpicks I have with the graphics are something I can easily overlook. But that's just me.

Midna

I feel like some Hot Topic, Tim Burton-loving asshole when I talk about her, but Midna is probably the most well designed, most fleshed out character Nintendo's ever creative. She's got more personality in her stubby fingers than most mascots, and she's got some actual character growth.

In the beginning, Midna is a total bitch. She laughs at you, taunts you, and does everything to make you feel downright miserable, right down to laughing at your kidnapped girlfriend. She makes it very clear that you've started out helpless, and sighs whenever you need to rely on her. Later, Midna starts to grow and depend on Link/you more, and when it's time to find Zelda and bring Midna back to health, you can't help but feel a sense of urgency. The game climaxes with the duo learning to work together and become more than just two people who are stuck with each other, and it does it through natural progression.

She's also got fantastic mannerisms, from the way she floats around to how she slams her whole weight down on you when you transform. She's the only character who speaks (something I wouldn't mind being extended to the rest of the cast) and has some of the best lines in the game. She's also got one of the cooler character designs in a Nintendo game and looks nothing like something Nintendo would make.

Everyone who worked on making this character who she is deserves a raise.

I could go on and on about Twilight Princess. It's got flaws, but every game has it's issues. What I'm trying to get at, though, is that Twilight Princess is not a bad game. What people expected from all the E3 hype was the second coming of Jesus. Instead, we got a solid game that didn't meet our astronomical expectations. Is that our fault? Kinda, though Nintendo really road the hype train (can you blame them? Gamecube games had almost no hype). But if you just go into Twilight Princess with an open mind, I think you'll see that it does a lot of things really, really well. It's not the best, but it's a solid effort, and one I've appreciated thrice over.

Besides, how many of you assholes kept begging for a new Ocarina? Shut up and eat your dinner.

I have a confession: I never really "got" Miku. She's a robot thing, she sings, and she likes vegetables? I never understood you, Japan.

Anyways, the PSP game seems to be getting a bit of attention recently, and now that I'm back at my summer job, I've been getting a nasty case of the "Twitchy Rhythm Fingers". So I gave the game a shot in hopes of curing my hyperactive hands and maybe figure out why everyone loves this stupid anime chick so damn much.

I've been playing for a few days now, and I still don't get it. But I think I hopped on the bandwagon anyways. And by that, I mean "I've downloaded three albums and purchased her Figma."



It's clear from the beginning that this game is a love letter to its rabid fans; loading screens are populated by fan art (which can be viewed and saved on the memory stick in the gallery), Miku has over fifty costumes to unlock, and the tracklist features some of her more notable songs (though Black Rock Shooter is MIA. But that's what Edit Mode is for I guess).

Actually, I want to mention the quality of the music. Judging by the videos I've seen and the songs posted on Youtube, I had braced myself for some of the most boring, lame, overly cute J-Pop garbage. I was surprised, then, to see the first track available was World is Mine, which was as awesome to listen to as it was to play along with. The stage, a gothic church-like setting, was the opposite of what I was expecting, and Miku commanded the performance with all sorts of moves, poses, and winks. I started to like this Miku chick.


World is Mine is easily the best song in the game. This outfit seems to be channeling Etna from Disgaea, complete with wings, tail, and short pigtails.

The list of songs are pretty varied, from rock to techno, swing to polka, and the usual J-Pop. All of the tracks are sorted by artist, so if you like one kind of song, there are a few others nearby that you can try out. Personally, I'd say ryo's stuff is the best, though Oster Project brings some fun tunes as well.


There's a lot of variety in this game. Which is good, because you'll have to put those 50+ costumes to good use.

The gameplay reminds me a little of Gitaroo Man: your standard X, O, Square, and Triangle buttons fly around on screen, and it's your job to press them at the right time. You can choose to follow the moving symbols, or you can watch the little timers that they fly to, which tell you exactly when it's time to hit the right button. Easy Mode is a little too easy (it only uses O) but Normal and Hard provide a nice challenge. I'm a little peeved that the D-Pad got neglected; Taiko Drum Master lets you alternate which hand you use to hit notes, which makes it easier to keep with the rhythm and makes it easier on your thumbs. Here, your right thumb is going to be doing a lot of work.



If you get a good enough ranking, (good luck; Miku is a fickle bitch when it comes to grading) you can opt to watch the music videos for each song without having to play. This allows you to take snapshots of Miku in different outfits you unlock while she moves around on stage. If you're someone who's inter dress-up, you'll love this feature, and with outfits like Pirate Miku, Alicia from Valkyria Chronicles, Ulala from Space Channel 5, you'll find yourself taking lots of snapshots, if that's your thing. Luckily the character models look great, have believable movement and rhythm, and populate some very pretty stages.


Probably my favorite setting. Miku walks around a stage populated by cardboard cut-outs of people, dogs, puddles, and other clever props. It's worth watching over and over just to spot all of the clever details they added.

Probably the biggest feature in the whole game, however, is Edit Mode. Using MP3s in your Music folder, you can build custom levels from the ground up, using any stage and costume you have. Once you pick a track, it's all a matter of finding out the Beats Per Minute (the game has a handy tool to let you figure that out) and setting the button prompts, which is as easy as hitting the face buttons in tune to the music. You can also adjust her dance and expressions, though you'll need to know a lot of Japanese to figure all of this stuff out. Expect an online tutorial to show up in the near future.

When you finish your level, you can save it right on your memory stick, so I'm sure the internet will have a lot of fun exchanging files.


Miku goes for a "balloon" ride

Overall, Project Diva feels like something that's a little more than a rhythm game; the "game" part eventually becomes a means to unlock costumes and decorations for Miku's bedroom, and the edit mode has enough potential to gain a strong internet following with all sorts of crazy custom performances. It's a love letter to all of Miku's obsessed fans, and in that respect it's pretty successful. There are a few nitpicks here and there (I'd like to chose my costume after I chose a song instead of going back to the main menu and changing it there. Also, three or four songs are just still images. Not seeing Miku dance to Ievan Polkka is criminal.) but if you're a fan of the character, you can't complain about what's crammed into the disc.

That's pretty much all I can say about the game, but I have some more screenshots I want to share. Enjoy.


You can decorate Miku's bedroom using a variety of...M-Miku! What are you doing?!




Miku looks classy as she dances to "Miracle Paint".




It's hard to find a song that this outfit works with, which sucks, because it's so awesome.


Obligatory cat outfit


The camera loves Miku's ass, and she's not afraid to shake it. Do NOT play this in public.


Miku's quite expressive.


I never really understood the whole leek thing. Looks like Miku doesn't either.


Maybe I'm just being a snobby art student, but 80% of the fanart loading screens look kinda crummy. Luckily, the good ones are really, really good. This is one of my favorites.


Well, that's it for some of my better screenshots. I still want to watch a few more of the performances, so maybe I'll upload some more another day.

(All screenshots were taken by myself, with the exception of the shot of the gameplay, which is from IGN)

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=0&cId=3174587&p=44

Things to note:

-This is a full on collaboration. It's not Nintendo handing off their franchise to another company; the Metroid staff are working on this to make sure it's going to be a true Metroid game (so hopefully we won't hear Dyson complain about how this isn't a Metroid game :D). The staff is making sure there's plenty of exploration to balance out the action.

-As the trailer suggests, there's more focus on the Metroid lore; Adam's in the trailer, so we're going to see what happened to him prior to Fusion. The other solder we see is one of his solders as well.

-This takes place between Super Metroid and Fusion.

-The other female at the end of the trailer isn't Samus.

The staff seems to be really enthusiastic about the title, and I'm really eager to see what they come up with. Here's wishing them the best!