Nintendo Updates - Page 2 - Video Games Forum

codePhoenix · #11 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:35 PM

From GamerFeed: F-ZERO GX Impressions
From GamerFeed, I have some impressions from reporter Andy Cheng on the new F-ZERO game:

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From Andy Cheng, GamerFeed Reporter:
F-Zero has always been one of my favorite racing titles, and I was uber-excited about F-Zero GX on the GameCube. Turns out I wasn't disappointed.

After the guy standing in line of me handed me the controller, I entered the level select screen... only to have it freeze. Oops. One of the Nintendo representative guys came and reset the machine, and then I was ready to go. Hopefully that was just a freak event.

But after that little hiccup, F-Zero GX was smooth butter. I chose the level with a storm raging in the background and lightning flashing every so often to add so much atmosphere to the level. Right from the get-go, I was immediately comfortable with the game, leaning into the turns and taking out other racers with spin moves. The game moves so blisteringly fast that the first time through the level I hit a wall dividing the track that I hadn't even seen a second ago and fell plunging into the ocean. The Nintendo guy watching me said, "It's fast, huh?" Oh yeah.

The track retains the familiar feel of the F-Zero series with twisting loops and vertical climbs. What's especially impressive is the breathtaking visuals. The wire-mesh of the track streaks under the vehicle while you try to speed past 29 other racers. All the while rain was falling and lightning lit up the sky.

That's a brief synopsis of my experience with F-Zero GX thus far. Rest assured I'll spend plenty more time with it and come back with a full in-depth impression.

codePhoenix · #12 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:37 PM

From GamerFeed: Billy Hatcher Impressions

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From Justin Davis, GamerFeed Reporter:
I unfortunately didn't get to spend a lot of time with Billy Hatcher, but I did get to play it long enough to provide some more insight into the title.

The controls are extremely intuitive, something that seems to be the theme of almost all the GameCube games I got to try out. When you see an egg all you have to do is simply run into it, and you'll begin rolling it in front of you -- no button presses necessary. The A button throws your egg boomerang style, returning it to your hands after a couple of seconds. The B button allows you to jump.

The demo that I played had me fighting a water-based boss. He's appeared in many pre-release screenshots of the game. To defeat him you just had to pick up one of the eggs strewn around the arena, and once you learned his pattern, you just had to time your throws right. It was possible to hit him twice with one shot, since the egg comes back to you. It was fun, but quite easy. Health and other power-ups were encapsulated in bubbles which your egg could pop, and there were enough of them around that I never once came close to dying.

Graphically, Billy Hatcher was impressive, but not overly so. The draw distance is extremely impressive, though. Perhaps even more so than Mario Sunshine. Right now the title is in a spot where it could be great, or it could sink to mediocrity. It was fun to play, but it didn't wow me. I'll be sure and spend some more time with it and give you more in depth impressions later on in the show.

codePhoenix · #13 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:39 PM

[b]From GamerFeed: Kirby's Air Ride Impressions:

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From Justin Davis, GamerFeed Reporter:
Let me get one thing out of the way first: Kirby's Air Ride is not a good looking game. It doesn't look like an N64 game or anything, but it's not going to be turning any heads.

I can't quite understand why Nintendo chose to demo the game the way they did. You were supposed to be in a race, but there was no track; it was just one very very big world that you could cruise all around in with the computer players. That made it very hard to visualize what the finished product will be like.

As has been previously reported, the game's controls are intentionally very basic. B is your gas, and the innovation comes with the A button. It acts as your brake, but it also acts as a turbo. Pressing A slows you down but the longer you hold it the bigger boost you get when you release it. This keeps the gameplay fast because you can immediately be back up to speed after a sharp turn.

Many elements of the environment are destructable. Running into something once might make it crack. After a couple more times it will crumble and disappear completely. Sometimes there would be powerups hidden inside these objects, although they could also be found scattered liberally around the play area. They came in all the standard varieties, including increased cornering and speed boost.

All in all, it would have been nice if we could have actually raced someone in this racing game. It appears the demo was mostly meant to show off the game engine, which is shaping up nicely if one is willing to overlook the graphics.

codePhoenix · #14 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:40 PM

From GamerFeed: Mario Golf Impressions:

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Written by Justin Davis, GamerFeed Staff:
The impressive thing about Mario Golf was the fact that you could pick up the controller and mess around and be hitting the greens like a pro after only a couple of practice shots. That's a hard thing to do for a golf game if it still wants to include any kind of depth.

When setting up a shot the best angle and the best club are automatically chosen for you. No doubt once the game is released players will develop strategies of their own to improve on those given to them, but it still helps make the game accessible to everyone. Once you've lined up your shot a power bar appears at the bottom with an arrow indicating where the player should try to stop it. Then there's a second bar for your shot's aim, and the farther off the more you slice.

Once nice thing about the game is that the player has pretty free control over the camera. It's an important feature in any golf game to be able to look at things from any angle you like. Besides just having the standard behind-the-player and overhead views, the C-Stick can be used to manipulate and place the camera almost anywhere you like.

One aspect of the game that needs some work is the putting. I mentioned the power bar earlier, but I didn't mention how fast it moves. You have to have extremely good reflexes to stop it right on the nose, but normally that doesn't matter. If you miss a putt and your ball ends up close to the hole, the stopping arrow for your power bar is very very close to the starting one, since you're mere inches away. That makes it hard to stop the power bar without it going way way over. Closer putts should be easier to make, not harder.

Mario Golf featured two full courses, and it was a lot of fun, but the simplistic gameplay is slightly worrying. It's unknown at this time how much depth the title has. That's going to be the aspect that either raises this game above the pack, or keeps it squarely in the middle.

codePhoenix · #15 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:42 PM

From GamerFeed: Wario World Impressions:

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Written by Justin Davis, GamerFeed:
Wario World plays almost exactly like it looks. If you've seen the game in motion you have more than a good idea of what to expect when you get to play it for yourself. With A and B you can jump and punch, and punching multiple times allows you to execute simple combos. Some of the smaller baddies can be dispatched with a few simple kicks, but the real fun begins with the bigger guys. Hit them enough and they get knocked unconscious with stars buzzing around their head. Wario then has a few seconds to pick them up. You can then toss the baddie to dispatch him, or better yet toss him into another group to take them all out. Coolest of all, if you rotate the control stick when carrying an enemy, Wario begins to spin him around by his feet, eliminating anyone else around you, and giving him some major distance when you let go and toss him. It's all very very simple to execute.

Any time you hit an enemy a few coins are released, and when one is eliminated you're rewarded with several. I was one of the first people to try out the game at that kiosk and over 1100 coins had already been collected. It's unknown what they're used for at this time, but the game gives them out quite liberally.

Wario World isn't just about punching and tossing bad guys though. In the short time I had with the demo I experienced a couple of simple puzzles as well. In one spot there was a sphere floating in the air, so out of curiosty I jumped at it. Wario grabbed the sphere and before I knew it it was floating through the air. You could crawl all over all 360 degrees of it and you'd have to quickly move from once side to the other to dodge various things. It was cool because it seemingly came out of nowhere. At the end of my spherical/aerial quest I was awarded with some "big" item, which then showed up on the status screen. It really gave the impression that there are quests and things to do everyhere.

Wario World impressed me, and it's definitely a title I'll be spending a lot more time with later in the show.

codePhoenix · #16 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:43 PM

Mario Kart: Double Dash Character List:
Here is the official lineup of characters for the upcoming Mario Kart installment on the GameCube:

Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Daisy, Princess Toadstool, Baby Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Bowser, Koopa Troopa, Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Birdo (from Super Mario Bros. 2), Waluigi, Wario, and Yoshi.

Remember, all E3 news is coming to us from GamerFeed.

codePhoenix · #17 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:47 PM

From GamerFeed: More Billy Hatcher Impressions:

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From Aldo Merino, GamerFeed:
There really hasn't been much said about Billy Hatcher, but the demo we got a chance to play lifted a lot of the mystery behind the game. You simply play as Billy and, when you see approach an egg nearby, he automatically begins to push it. Since Billy has no abilities beyond the scope of the egg save for jumping and hatching full-grown eggs, the egg serves as an offensive method to destroy obstacles and kill enemies, which yield a bubble-enclosed fruit.

There's a variety of fruit like cherries, melons, and bananas, and what you feed the egg by rolling over it determines what sort of animal will ultimately hatch out of it; this is quite similar to the Chao ability absorbtion seen in the Sonic Adventure series. When the egg is full, the lower right hand meter fills up and the egg glows (and it visibly grows when matured), indicating that players should use the hatching call with the R button to hatch it. Once the animal hatches, players simply walk up to the animal to have it join your party.

The animals themselves have various abilities and can be used by simply pushing the X button. However, prior to hatching, the eggs can be used to roll down ramps by simply pushing forward on a downhill slope, jumping, and a type of bouncing when in the air. They'll also be used to solve simple puzzles along the way, which may involve a number of eggs obviously.

The game itself looks amazing well put together with vibrant colors, well animated characters, and some nice special effects, like the water transparencies. While it doesn't seem overly complicated or engaging, Billy Hatcher is one of those simpler addictive games that could prove to be a possible starting point for a new series if it pans out well enough.

codePhoenix · #18 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:48 PM

From GamerFeed: Sonic Heroes Impressions:

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From Aldo Merino, GamerFeed:
Been wondering how Sonic Team is going to manage controlling three characters simultaneously while being able to maintain the speed of the Sonic series? The answer is apparently a lot simpler than you'd expect.

Sonic Heroes has players controlling Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles throughout the game in a formation. Like previous Sonic Adventure games, the controls are overly simple: A jumps, B attacks, and X and Y change the formation. Essentially, one character leads the formation (which is somewhat triangular, as the the other two characters run side by side a bit behind the leading character); whoever leads the group determines the abilities the player can control. So, there are three formations: Power (Knuckles), Fly (Tails), and Speed (Sonic). While somewhat self-explanatory, the obstacles presented in the rapid-paced Sonic Adventure style levels require players to change the formation as needed.

If there's a huge block that can't be jumped, players will have to use Tails to fly the group (who hold each other in a chain) over it by simply putting Tails at the helm and hitting the Jump button; conversely, if the block can be destroyed Knuckles will be used to destroy it. And if there are long stretches of the path with speed blocks, Sonic would be best suited, although the other players can lead here as well.

The entire gameplay is extremely simple and instantaneous; there's absolutely no loading or delaying. Sonic Heroes certainly boasts that radical sense of speed we saw in the first Sonic Adventure game, with the same mindless simplicity of gaping at Sonic run into the camera away from a killer whale destroying the pier he's running on (and the killer whales return!).

The game itself looks like a natural evolution for the series, although it's a lot more polished; the camera problems of the first two games don't seem to be as much of an issue anymore, perhaps because of the lack of complete control players have. Considering the nauseating speed of the first two games that were complicated by camera problems, this is a huge relief. The game also just....goes. Players will be entranced by the speed, rapidly switching the formation to adapt, and then suddenly stumble onto a ramming vehicle that has all three characters jump in and go down a wild, twisting course, only to be tossed into a series of launch pads that rocket players for what seems like miles.

Although the simplicity of the game may lead to a shorter game, Sonic Heroes feels like the right direction for the series; it cuts out all the extraneous characters down to the Big Three and makes no real compromises for the speed of the series. We're certainly looking forward to the final game.

codePhoenix · #19 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:50 PM

From GamerFeed: Enter The Matrix Impressions:

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Written by John Benyamine, GamerFeed:
Movie-licensed names may have a bad reputation when it comes to video games, but Shiny's The Matrix game comes off surprisingly well. It offers players the ability to choose between characters, either Jada Pinkett's lead or a male derived one (and since we're closing ourselves to movie information prior to the opening, we can't say who that is), and then they jump to a choice of levels, which are fairly non-linear in design.

Players can run around trying to complete their objective, and as they do so, they'll find a very easy game to pick up and play. By simply using the L button, players can harness their Matrix-enhanced abilities that allow them to, basically, do all the cool maneuvers you see in the movie. So, rather than simply running up to a wall, by holding L, players will run up the wall (or along it) and do a backflip. Similarly, charging a firing opponent and holding L thrusts players at the enemy, complete with the slowed down bullet time effect, and then go into a combative fight off between the two characters.

The fighting is seamless and stylish; the martial arts seem to have been motion captured to maintain consistency and quality, and it works well whether there is one enemy or multiple ones. There are some mild transitional issues however, as players are sometimes kept in the fighting stance pose when they simply want to get away, or the game pauses and loads after opening a door into a new segment of the level.

Still, the game seems to readily capture the feel of the movie with its instanteous ability to pick up and play, along with darker, grittier looks of the movie. It's a bit hard to determine how well the objectives and, inherently, level design mesh, as the game seemed a bit ambiguous in telling players precisely where to go and where not to, but we can only presume that the final product will have a better indication of that.

codePhoenix · #20 (**permalink**) 05-14-2003, 03:51 PM

From GamerFeed: More 1080 Avalanche Impressions:

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Written by Aldo Merino, GamerFeed:
1080 has done a 180...for the better. For those who attended Cube Club or heard of the game then, you may have heard the deserved criticisms of the game. It was graphically bland, unexciting, and in real need of some reworking to even compare to the enjoyment of the first game. Seemingly, Nintendo has listened.

The E3 version of the game has come a long ways since the Cube Club demo; the front end alone has been beefed up. Fans of the original will be pleased to see the log cabin character selection menu return, as well as a few familiar faces, including Ricky Winterborn and Akari Hayami, although they're a long ways from the preppy appearance of the original. This version also allowed us to pick boards and select from two tracks, or play with 2 or 4 players.

For those who don't recall the gameplay system of the original, in order to do tricks players held down the A button, which brought up a circular display that slowly filled up; when the display peaked, players could let go to get maximum air and execute either grabs (with the B button) or twists (with the R button). This changes things a bit as players now have to time their jumps better off ramps with some time allowed beforehand, and if players have a shaky landing they'll be off balance, and will have to rotate the control stick either clockwise or counterclockwise to avoid falling down and losing precious time.

The game itself has far better levels, including a steep descent through a mountainous village, with the same two choice shortcuts appearing along the way. Avalanche comes off with a brand new look this time around, as when players crouch to pick up speed, the anime-influenced speed effect of slanted lines pointing towards the player appears, and the screen subtly shakes to emphasize the speed. It comes off very nicely, and along with the edgier look of the characters, combined with the classic stylings of the original, Avalanche could be a resurrected promise in Nintendo's line-up.