Specifically, ESPN NFL 2k5. I'm late to the party, but I'm working on getting my transfer kit and another copy of 2K5 from the internet so I can play updated rosters on my 360. I knew this sect of hardcore gamers existed (much like the freaks [read: excellent people] who create amazing rosters for the Fire Pro Wrestling series), but it's taken me a while to hop on the trolley.
After playing five games of All-Pro 2K8 today, I find myself wondering why I haven't done all of this sooner. Granted, I've poured hours of gameplay into Madden 09, which I don't regret. But, the 2K series nails the feeling of football so well. The physics of the Madden series are so wonky. Quarterbacking feels great with 2K, the running game makes more sense, the pass coverage is spot on, the AI can be forgiven for missteps compared to Madden's many AI follies, and the presentation of the 2K series is second to none.
My main issues with going forward with the 2K series as a long-term solution to my football cravings centered on roster issues and technical inferiority. I can now say (roster updates now a given, thanks again to the internet and the freaks who churn them out) that my roster issues are solved. My qualms with a game that is now more than four years old should involve graphical and gameplay insufficiency compared to newer titles.
I still find myself marveling over 2K5's prowess in those departments, though. It looks more like a game in action than newer Madden titles. It plays more like a real football game.
I can't, can't, can't say too many good things about the pinnacle of the series. Can't wait to get my hands on it again.
Granted, Madden's graphics have really pulled away from its four-year-old competition in many ways. The player models look better now. The grass is a lot better. There are more animations now.
I still maintain that the superior game is the one released in 2004.
In a perfect world, EA would buy Take-2 and release two NFL games every year: one 2K and one Madden.
Why not? They released Arena Football two years in a row.
Basically, I would shit and die.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Early Mega Man 9 Impressions
I've played the game for over half an hour now and have only defeated one boss.
That is definitely old-school difficulty. Not that I'm complaining, really. It's actually quite refreshing to see a game be so unforgiving.
More importantly, however, is how refreshing it is to see developers really think about what an old franchise means to its contemporaries. I don't dislike the post-NES Mega Man series, but it's certainly not nearly as well-loved and crafted as those NES installments. Even Mega Man 6 tickled my fancy, which can't be said for most.
Everything really is as I remember it on the NES -- save for achievements available for each console and forthcoming DLC (where you can play as Proto Man; color me aroused). The music is fantastically synthy and the visuals are spot on 1990 NES. It's quite lovely.
It is rather difficult, have I mentioned that? I mean fuck it's hard. I like this, mind you, but I'll be the first to admit I've played through many a Mega Man with cheats or a Game Genie.
As much as I admire Capcom returning to its Mega Man roots, I'm sad to see they've eliminated two Mega Man standard maneuvers from his repertoire: the slide and the charge shot. The slide has been there since Mega Man 3 and the charge shot has been there since the fourth installment. Most would say the two "classic" Mega Man games are the first and second, and they wouldn't be wrong, per se. But! I really think the series hit its gameplay stride, so to speak, on the third and fourth games. The inclusion of these two moves really opened up the games to more strategy and likeability. I'm disappointed the developers decided against putting these in the game, though I'm happy to read that Proto Man will be able to at least use the slide (I have yet to read if he'll be able to use the charge shot, but I remain hopeful). I don't think the slide and charge shot necessarily made the games easier, but they did make the games less frustrating. I like hard, but I'm not as fond of hair-pullingly frustrating.
Still, gripes aside, I'm very, very pleased with this newest old Mega Man.
That is definitely old-school difficulty. Not that I'm complaining, really. It's actually quite refreshing to see a game be so unforgiving.
More importantly, however, is how refreshing it is to see developers really think about what an old franchise means to its contemporaries. I don't dislike the post-NES Mega Man series, but it's certainly not nearly as well-loved and crafted as those NES installments. Even Mega Man 6 tickled my fancy, which can't be said for most.
Everything really is as I remember it on the NES -- save for achievements available for each console and forthcoming DLC (where you can play as Proto Man; color me aroused). The music is fantastically synthy and the visuals are spot on 1990 NES. It's quite lovely.
It is rather difficult, have I mentioned that? I mean fuck it's hard. I like this, mind you, but I'll be the first to admit I've played through many a Mega Man with cheats or a Game Genie.
As much as I admire Capcom returning to its Mega Man roots, I'm sad to see they've eliminated two Mega Man standard maneuvers from his repertoire: the slide and the charge shot. The slide has been there since Mega Man 3 and the charge shot has been there since the fourth installment. Most would say the two "classic" Mega Man games are the first and second, and they wouldn't be wrong, per se. But! I really think the series hit its gameplay stride, so to speak, on the third and fourth games. The inclusion of these two moves really opened up the games to more strategy and likeability. I'm disappointed the developers decided against putting these in the game, though I'm happy to read that Proto Man will be able to at least use the slide (I have yet to read if he'll be able to use the charge shot, but I remain hopeful). I don't think the slide and charge shot necessarily made the games easier, but they did make the games less frustrating. I like hard, but I'm not as fond of hair-pullingly frustrating.
Still, gripes aside, I'm very, very pleased with this newest old Mega Man.
The Redemption Process
With all of the fantastic DLC content out there for all three consoles, I think a better system needs to be put into place. Whether you're paying with LIVE Points, Wii Points, or just plain old Sony American Dollars, there should be a reward system for being a repeat customer.
I think you should be able to trade in an old DLC that you don't want anymore for a discount on the next purchase you make.
Example:
I bought Donkey Kong Jr. on my Wii the first week or so I had the system. It was a nostalgic little purchase -- I finished the game in half an hour or so and then promptly decided I'd never play it again. It was a mistake, more or less. I think I should be able to download Mega Man 9 for 900 points instead of 1000 if I trade in my Donkey Kong Jr. Nintendo should see that I'm a repeat customer and I should be rewarded if I want to trade in one of my shit games for a discount on a better one.
There are all sorts of economic reasons not to do this, I'm sure; none of which I would understand even if you explained them to me using flow charts and pie graphs.
I guess the one reason I would understand the most is how Nintendo would reconcile discounting a Capcom game because I bought a Nintendo game more than a year ago. They wouldn't, is what I'm saying.
I still think there's something to be done, though.
I'm just thankful every day that I didn't have to pay for that fucking Too Human demo.
I think you should be able to trade in an old DLC that you don't want anymore for a discount on the next purchase you make.
Example:
I bought Donkey Kong Jr. on my Wii the first week or so I had the system. It was a nostalgic little purchase -- I finished the game in half an hour or so and then promptly decided I'd never play it again. It was a mistake, more or less. I think I should be able to download Mega Man 9 for 900 points instead of 1000 if I trade in my Donkey Kong Jr. Nintendo should see that I'm a repeat customer and I should be rewarded if I want to trade in one of my shit games for a discount on a better one.
There are all sorts of economic reasons not to do this, I'm sure; none of which I would understand even if you explained them to me using flow charts and pie graphs.
I guess the one reason I would understand the most is how Nintendo would reconcile discounting a Capcom game because I bought a Nintendo game more than a year ago. They wouldn't, is what I'm saying.
I still think there's something to be done, though.
I'm just thankful every day that I didn't have to pay for that fucking Too Human demo.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Early Mario Kart Wii Impressions
Hi there.
I've had only a day or so with Mario Kart Wii as I write this (I finally caved and bought it from a seller off Amazon since I couldn't find a single copy in the Austin, TX area), but I already know for absolute fact that it's better than its Gamecube counterpart.
OK, that's not saying much. At all. I'm still not convinced, especially after extensive time with Kart Wii's older DS cousin and spending 1000 Wii Points on Mario Kart 64, that the latter isn't the best incarnation of the series. Maybe it's nostalgia, sure, but maybe it's simple design and an overall feeling that cart racing in the Mario universe is somewhat serious business.
Yeah, serious business in the Mario world. I know. Bear with me.
The new stage designs from Kart Wii are impressive and a hell of a lot of fun compared to the Gamecube and SNES versions, but they feature a lot of kitsch (half pipes and such). Maybe it's the Gran Turismo fan in me, but I get a rush when I make the final turn of 64's Mario Circuit playing online on Kart Wii with two or three of us jockeying for placement in the top three. Same goes for the rest of the N64 courses available on DS and Wii. They lend themselves better to competitive racing because less is left to chance. Rainbow Road on Wii seems almost broken to me. I recall fondly the Rainbow Road from N64 -- an epic track that dared you to take the inside on a turn and took upward of seven minutes or something to finish three laps. The newest Rainbow Road is short (about 4 minutes for three laps) and features many of the kitsch elements of which I wrote earlier. I don't know. I might be a jaded gamer of old who prefers a more "hardcore" experience. It's silly to talk about a cart racing game in this way, I agree. It's very possible I'm just itching for GT5's online experience.
I'll have to wait a while for that.
Anyway, the short of it is positive, really. I'm enjoying Mario Kart Wii quite a bit. It's a ton of fun to play online or with a friend. My wife, Lauren, seems to enjoy it as well despite being a massive fan of the more conservative Mario Kart 64. She's been using the Wii Wheel. She's unimpressed. I knew from my brief experience playing it at Best Buy that I would prefer something other than the Wii Wheel. I've been using the Wiimote/Nunchuk combination, but I'm leaning toward a switch to the classic controller. I wish to God they would release a Wiimote that just looks exactly like an N64 controller.
This is all making me feel old.
I will present one more gripe about the series, though. When did it become acceptable to make "baby" versions of every single conceivable Mario character? I mean Baby Mario was an actual character in Yoshi's Island, I know. But what the fuck is the deal with Baby Peach? I mean, really?
Really?
Don't even ask me about Baby Daisy or I'll shit a toaster.
Do we really need "baby" versions of our beloved adult characters instead of classics like Shy Guy, the Koopa Kids, the Hammer Bros, or even Wart from Mario 2? I gather we don't.
Make that two gripes:
Am I missing something or do the characters no longer have individual statistics? I looks to me like the carts and bikes have stats but the characters don't. That seems to take some character out of...the characters. I guess it makes the choice of cart or bike a more strategic one, but it still seems a bit odd after all this time to render the characters basically even. Not a huge issue by any means, but I do think it's worth mentioning.
I am quite happy with my Kart Wii experience thus far. Undeniably a vast improvement over the last console offering.
"Sky Is Open"
The Long Winters
I've had only a day or so with Mario Kart Wii as I write this (I finally caved and bought it from a seller off Amazon since I couldn't find a single copy in the Austin, TX area), but I already know for absolute fact that it's better than its Gamecube counterpart.
OK, that's not saying much. At all. I'm still not convinced, especially after extensive time with Kart Wii's older DS cousin and spending 1000 Wii Points on Mario Kart 64, that the latter isn't the best incarnation of the series. Maybe it's nostalgia, sure, but maybe it's simple design and an overall feeling that cart racing in the Mario universe is somewhat serious business.
Yeah, serious business in the Mario world. I know. Bear with me.
The new stage designs from Kart Wii are impressive and a hell of a lot of fun compared to the Gamecube and SNES versions, but they feature a lot of kitsch (half pipes and such). Maybe it's the Gran Turismo fan in me, but I get a rush when I make the final turn of 64's Mario Circuit playing online on Kart Wii with two or three of us jockeying for placement in the top three. Same goes for the rest of the N64 courses available on DS and Wii. They lend themselves better to competitive racing because less is left to chance. Rainbow Road on Wii seems almost broken to me. I recall fondly the Rainbow Road from N64 -- an epic track that dared you to take the inside on a turn and took upward of seven minutes or something to finish three laps. The newest Rainbow Road is short (about 4 minutes for three laps) and features many of the kitsch elements of which I wrote earlier. I don't know. I might be a jaded gamer of old who prefers a more "hardcore" experience. It's silly to talk about a cart racing game in this way, I agree. It's very possible I'm just itching for GT5's online experience.
I'll have to wait a while for that.
Anyway, the short of it is positive, really. I'm enjoying Mario Kart Wii quite a bit. It's a ton of fun to play online or with a friend. My wife, Lauren, seems to enjoy it as well despite being a massive fan of the more conservative Mario Kart 64. She's been using the Wii Wheel. She's unimpressed. I knew from my brief experience playing it at Best Buy that I would prefer something other than the Wii Wheel. I've been using the Wiimote/Nunchuk combination, but I'm leaning toward a switch to the classic controller. I wish to God they would release a Wiimote that just looks exactly like an N64 controller.
This is all making me feel old.
I will present one more gripe about the series, though. When did it become acceptable to make "baby" versions of every single conceivable Mario character? I mean Baby Mario was an actual character in Yoshi's Island, I know. But what the fuck is the deal with Baby Peach? I mean, really?
Really?
Don't even ask me about Baby Daisy or I'll shit a toaster.
Do we really need "baby" versions of our beloved adult characters instead of classics like Shy Guy, the Koopa Kids, the Hammer Bros, or even Wart from Mario 2? I gather we don't.
Make that two gripes:
Am I missing something or do the characters no longer have individual statistics? I looks to me like the carts and bikes have stats but the characters don't. That seems to take some character out of...the characters. I guess it makes the choice of cart or bike a more strategic one, but it still seems a bit odd after all this time to render the characters basically even. Not a huge issue by any means, but I do think it's worth mentioning.
I am quite happy with my Kart Wii experience thus far. Undeniably a vast improvement over the last console offering.
"Sky Is Open"
The Long Winters
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