The Nestlekwik Happy Hour for August 2, 2008
Nestlekwik: It's that time of the week again and the podcast you have to read is now live with a new edition featuring a new review, our first dual-opinion top five feature and the return of our first impressions feature! We have some first looks for Soul Calibur IV and a variety of systems are covered this episode, so sit back and enjoy the ride! To help this parade along, I have with me, as always, my GemuBaka cohort, MixMasterLar.
MixMasterLar: How dare you go against my top five opinions, you jerk.
Nes: Well, we are gamers of different tastes. Plus, it changes up the show a little bit. We have to keep the sponsors happy, you know.
Lar: I thought we established last week that we don't have any sponsors.
Nes: My mother gave me five bucks this week. Soooo ... The Nestlekwik Happy Hour for August 2, 2008 is sponsored by my mother.
Lar: That's just a "your mom" joke waiting to happen. Anyway, let's get to the goods. I'm super stoked about this week's review title.
Nes: Ah, yes. The NES makes us quite happy campers so we're going back to the cartridge format this week and looking at one of Capcom's forgotten gems.
NES Review: Gun.SmokeLar: The Nintendo was (and in our honest opinion, still is) a system that housed some of the best, timeless games to ever hit the market. A lot of them are still being released today, with some even being completely unchanged, while others failed to catch anyone's eyes and died out. And then there's games like Gun.Smoke that remained popular yet doesn't ever seem to be mentioned anymore these days. Released during the heyday of the NES, Gun.Smoke managed to surpass its unoringinal title and brought classic sh'mup gameplay with a Wild West twist to the living room.
The game is played like any shoot 'em up of the time: You see the action from above while your Lone Ranger-in-training character constantly moves forward. Enemies apper from all around the screen and you must shoot them before they do the same to you. While this is standard for any game of this genre, Gun.Smoke adds in three gameplay changes to spice things up and make it unique.
First is the ability to shoot 45 degrees left or right or just down the center. Most shooters force you to aim only ahead of your character/ship/aircraft but here you can simply hold A for the right, B for left or press both for straight ahead firepower. The controls are simple and help keep the game fun.
Next is the ability to collect your enemies' money and buy weapons. While other games have done this, Gun.Smoke was one of the first and did it right the first time. You have two "shops" per level: One where you buy weapons such as shotguns, magnum guns, or even the life-saving Smart Bomb (a shield of sorts) and the other where you can buy bullets for your extra guns, a horse (which acts like a shield) or a Wanted poster (more about that later). The Weapons play a
huge role in the game, as some areas are near impossible to complete without them and they also add some replay to the game.
Most of what you can buy is laying around somewhere in the level for free, but it can be hard to find and get to it at times. Next is the restraint of having to know who the boss is via a Wanted Poster. Without one, you'll simply loop through the level over and over again until you either find one laying around or you get one from the local vendor. Once you have one then the AI kicks up a bit and you'll able to reach the end and fight the Boss. The requirement of having this can make the game take a couple of hours to complete until you either learn where they are all located or you're good enough to buy them fairly quickly.
And since the difficulty is on par with shooters of the time, the game can get really long at times. While it's no Metal Gear, it can get really boring after about four levels of play unless you really just like shoot 'em ups. The weapons add a lot to the game as there's different ways to mow down the baddies but I doubt most people not into classic gaming will care enough for beating the game more than once. The game is presented nicely, with the graphics being what you'll expect from an NES game yet not that tiring to look at and the music being a little catchy at times. But in the end it all depends on rather you care to shoot stuff or not. If you do then this game is more than worth the time looking for as it's one of my personal favorites (better than anything Namco has done, IMO).
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/MzPlGJ85jCM&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/MzPlGJ85jCM&rel=1</a>]]> Nes: Gun.Smoke - the tale of a gunslinging hero aiming to save the Western town of Hicksville from the Wingates outlaws in 1849. As the hero walks into town to set the people free, he dies from gunfire within five seconds ... well, that's what happens in the game's demo but when players are at the controls, Gun.Smoke is a bunch of rootin', tootin', shootin' fun.
While the premise of Gun.Smoke is about as stereotypical of the Wild West as a Japanese company could make it and the title nearly avoids a lawsuit, arcade and shooter fans will be nothing short of pleased with the game. While Gun.Smoke is essentially an offspring of Capcom's Commando title, a number of differences make it stand out from the crowd. The screen scrolls upward automatically and, making for easier movement and while Billy Bob the bounty hunter (ugh ...) can only face forward, Gun.Smoke was an early adopter of multi-directional shooting - B shot to Billy's left, A to his right and both buttons shot straight forward. When you add in shops with extra weapons and items, power-ups and more, Gun.Smoke more than stands on its own and is definitely a classic shooting title.
As was typical for its time, a Capcom NES creation usually originated as an arcade title and Gun.Smoke was no different. While the NES version took a huge graphical and memory-based hit (the arcade version has 10 stages while the NES version only has six), the game play is all there and the extra development time allowed for many of the differences Lar already pointed out such as the shops, wanted posters and extra items. Gun.Smoke isn't shy about being difficult as a number of enemies can be present on the screen, spraying bullets, explosives and melee weapons at players. The title is definitely a challenge and forces players to make good use of the shooting mechanics and extra weapons. Thankfully, slowdown really isn't an issue with the amount of characters onscreen, however, when the screen is crowded, flicker occurs en mass and can obscure some of the shrapnel.
While the flicker can be quite a distraction, overall, the graphics are all quite well done for an NES game of the area, being very reminiscent of Commando, but with a Western theme. While the natural environment might be a bit drab, the buildings, mountains, cacti and other items are fairly detailed and help bring the West to life. Gun.Smoke's audio department, on the other hand, while it isn't terrible, doesn't live up to Capcom standards. With players hammering on the buttons to mow down varmints, the gun fire tends to overpower most of the other audio. The game's music doesn't feature any beats, but accurately fits what one would expect from a Western, aside from a few tunes I found to be quite irritating.
Overall: Although there are a few minor qualms to be had in the graphical flicker, audio and, for some, the overwhelming challenge, Gun.Smoke wins in its NES showdown at sunset. Even though it reeks of obvious Western sterotype cliches, the action is frantic and Capcom's signature challenging game play is intact even in its limited NES conversion from arcades. While the game is nearly cut in half through the conversion, Capcom gives players a lot to do in those stages with the additions of the wanted posters, shops and items. The bottom line is Gun.Smoke will keep trigger happy enthusiasts entertained as long as they wish to uncover the hidden items and gun some justice into the legions of Wingate followers. This mileage may vary per player, but the most hardcore will play through the game three times straight to be rewarded with "THE END" text - it's 1942 all over again!
Lar: That's almost worst than playing through 1942 to get a congratulation text. You have to play a game three times just to have it tell you "THE END?" That just sucks. Technically, getting a game over is a "THE END" as well.
Nes: Very true. What hasn't ended, though, is the evolution of gaming controllers. And, here, for the first time, both Lar and I have our own top five opinions:
The Top 5 (10?): Our Favorite ControllersLar:
5. Nintendo's WiiMoteOf all the controller setups on this list, The Wiimote is the most "hit or miss" of the controllers I love. You either like using the motion sensors and that joystick-on-a-leash of a attachment or you don't. Most of the GemuBaka staff fall in category one and enjoy playing games more interactively using the point and click style gameplay that many Nintendo games have you do.
4. The MVS/AES Neo-Geo Arcade StickThe Neo-Geo definitely brought arcades home with its Neo-Geo AES and CD systems and its awesome arcade control configuration also come home with the systems' controllers. The four buttons are arranged in a straight line and are just the right size so you can press them easily and the layout is the meaning of "one size fits all" arcade controls: We've seen everything from fighters, beat 'em ups, shooters, RPGs, puzzles and almost everything else on it and it's worked every time.
3. Microsoft's Xbox ControllerThe one thing both the Wiimote and the Neo Geo lack are good first-person control, and that's where the Xbox controller steps in. Placing the familiar left stick where the D-pad would have been on other systems, the controller gives you 360 control without lowering your hand and the face button layout make the controller usable for other types of games as well. Add in shoulder triggers and we have a pretty decent controller. The two downfalls are that it's a bit big to hold and it's tricky to pull precise joystick movements on it (like in a fighter).
2. The Wii Classic ControllerNintendo isn't stupid: They knew people don't want to swing their arms around all the time and thus made a controller with a more "classic" design. The results equal something that reminds us of a cross between the SNES controller and the Sony DualShock while making the entire package light and small. The controller suits most every type of game well and most of the buttons are easy to reach (the middle shoulder buttons are a tad too small). The Joysticks are very nice and control beautifully during gameplay. The major downfall is that it's small for adult gamers and can break at the drop of a hat.
1. The Sony DualShock ControllerThe perfect size, the perfect amount of buttons, the perfect weight and the perfect design for any and all genres. Put Short: I believe that the Sony DualShock Controller Rivals the NES design for timeless controller award. The first to bring multi-analog gaming to your hands, the Dualshock's layout was the first to have more than just two shoulder buttons and refined the now-everywhere Diamond layout. Quality is also a high point as all the sticks, D-pads and face buttons keep on working even after seven-plus years of hardcore gaming (for some reason, R1 does mess up after five though).
Still, the only game that we have ever, in our entire lives, had a problem with the layout of the Dualshock are six-button Capcom Fighters ... and frankly, only the arcade machine will ever nail those down.
Nes:
5. NESSometimes simplicity is the best way to make games fun and while I have fond memories of the single-button joysticks of the Commadore 64 and VCS, my childhood was essentially built around the digital pad and two candy-red buttons that have provided me with two decades of entertainment. The d-pad kicked the crap out of the one featured on the comparable Master System and was far more suitable for current gaming than the standard Atari 7800 controller. Current gamers going back to the controller will immediately notice the controller isn't rounded and the rectangular design may poke into gamers' hands these days but if something as simple as that is going to detour you from playing awesome games, you should stick to your Xbox 360.
4. Xbox 360Speaking of which, if the current generation of systems gave us anything, it was this stellar example of wireless technology. The Xbox controller was a complete clusterfap of button mapping and the debate of whether the mammoth original controller or the minimized S-type was superior, but its flaws were made evident in a number of fighting games and any time players needed to fumble around for the black or white buttons. The evolution in the controller, however, has brought us wireless as a standard in a comfortable to hold controller that fuses ideas from the original Xbox controller with popular facets from the Dual Shock and other great controllers from the past. I love the 360 controller, but when it comes the D-Pad, I'm sorry, but you still suck ass. Maybe the Xbox 720 will have a D-pad that makes 2D fighters and arcade classics playable.
3. Super NintendoNothing showed evolution more than the jump to Super, however, as the controller become more comfortable to hold than the NES device and added a mind-blowing four more buttons. While it seemed unnecessary at its time with simple games such as Mario World, it took the Super Nintendo to prove that we needed six buttons to keep playing current hits such as Street Fighter II. The introduction of shoulder buttons has stuck with every controller since the inception of the system and many a classic gamer holds the controller dear to them as it controlled a number of titles amid what many claim to be Nintendo's golden era.
2. DualShockIt seemed Sony enjoyed its time with Nintendo so much that when it released the results from its time developing with Nintendo, the controller was a sturdier version of the Super Nintendo controller with an extra pair of shoulder buttons. However, with twin analog sticks and built-in vibration, games were finally set to go into a more immersive 3D experience. While the D-pad was fine and dandy for 2D games and, actually, some 3D games, Sony was impatient. It wanted the evolution of 3D and it wanted it now (well ... I guess it would be "then" now). While Sony was late to the analog and vibration party, the Playstation offered a library of games more potent to the controller than the Nintendo 64 whose controller was more seemingly built around Super Mario 64 than anything else - even if none of the Playstation One titles really even used that right analog stick. The controller is now a mainstay in video game culture and has hardly changed all the way from Playstation to Playstation 3.
1. Sega SaturnSimply put, this controller is a 2D gamer's wet dream. While titles such as Burning Rangers proved 3D wasn't an impossibility and Nights provided us with a "Dreamcast controller prototype," this slim-lined controller has been the only one to do most 2D fighters justice and featured the same amount of action buttons as the Playstation in a more convenient format. The Saturn controllers were slim and sleek, most likely influencing the nature of the Playstation 2 and 3 controllers, and features a responsive D-pad that puts current ones such as the Xbox 360's to shame. The controller is so influential in Japan, there are actually Playstation 2 controllers you can buy in that territory that are manufactured in the Sega Saturn controller design (most specifically for fighting games). Once you venture into the 32-bit era and beyond, you won't find a system that overall does 2D games more justice than the Sega Saturn and given the time frame of the system's release and the then very awkward transition from 2D to 3D gaming, the Saturn served all dimensions quite well with its controller until it was abandoned by Sega.
Nes: Moving along, we'd like to note with next week's gaming releases, we've found the release list to be slim and lacking hype-able titles, so we won't be featuring a Picks of the Week feature this time around.
Lar: We would like to point out, however, that a previous Pick of the Week candidate, B-Boy for the Playstation 2, was delayed the week of its release and will now be releasing this upcoming week.
Nes: If you're talking about new titles, however, you still have to be playing Soul Calibur IV from last week. Let's take a look at some impressions from not only Namco's fighting game beast, but also, a new entry in my favorite sports series.
First Impressions - Swords and SpitballsSoul Calibur IV (Xbox 360)While the home release of Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast really turned some heads, the series has seemingly not been able to achieve the same standard since that 1999 release, but fast-forward almost 10 years later and in 2008, with Soul Calibur IV, the series has seemingly finally hit its console potential. Namco has balanced and refined all of the lazy additions made to Soul Calibur III and by giving players even more, Soul Calibur IV may be sitting in our systems for longer than we even anticipated.
Those following the title will have undoubtedly noticed the graphical detail, but the game looks even better in motion. The fast-paced strategic action hasn't changed a bit since the original, but the addition of armor breaks and soul gauges punish turtling players and adds even more strategy. The game's audio returns in full effect as well, including the painfully bad English language character voices, but players also have the option to output the game's Japanese dialog as well.
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/um-qyep9cIQ&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/um-qyep9cIQ&rel=1</a>]]> The Xbox 360 version features Yoda as the special guest Star Wars character along with The Apprentice, adding yet another fighting style to the mix. Because of his small stature, Yoda must jump to make all of his attacks and it really mixes up the game play along with The Apprentice's very unorthodox fighting style. While their presence still makes no sense other than to cross promote licenses, they do add to the game and round out a very unique cast.
If the characters already in the game aren't to your liking, you can just create your own in the expanded creation mode in which equipment actually affects your stats in abilities in certain modes. The Internet is already ablaze with custom characters, showing the overall mode has quite a bit of flexibility. Players can take their characters or any of the default characters through story modes, arcade modes, scenario modes, training, online battles and versus modes and, of course, the museum makes a return and there are a huge number of creation items to buy, so players will be quite busy with the title and the replayability is quite big here. So far, we definitely recommend this title.
MLB Power Pros 2008 (Playstation 2)We were able to get a small heads-up on the title thanks to Robert Nelson, producer of MLB Power Pros 2008 at 2K Sports, and, thankfully, so far the team has crafted a game that builds upon the great game play of the title's initial entry last year.
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/u2gdk3TZPPI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/u2gdk3TZPPI&rel=1</a>]]> Given the success of the "Success" mode, the player's simulation options have greatly expanded with the return of Success mode, which guides players through a choice-based ride through the AA and AAA leagues, and a new MLB Life mode, which, allows players to follow an entire 20-year career of out-of-game choices and at-bats in the Major Leagues. The Success mode retains its charm and random nature as seen last year, but, thankfully, removes the fate card system that twisted players' arms and forced them into choices they don't want to make. If victorious in Success mode, players can import their created player in MLB Life mode as they work on a Major League career that focuses more on your players' at-bats than off-field choices (kind of like the inverse of Success Mode). While Success mode is more about building up your characters' stats, Life details a lot more personal and career choices with players' money buying a lot more such as houses, cars, clothing and hobby items.
The game still looks great on the Playstation 2 and the character models are just as charming as ever. There unfortunately seems to be no new commentary but the rest of the sounds are straight from the ballpark and the customization and statistic options are just as engrossing as ever. If you're looking for a simple, yet fun trip to the ballpark, don't miss out on MLB Power Pros 2008.
Nes: Now that we've rounded the bases for the week, that's our cue to end the show for the week. We hope you've enjoyed the show and come back next week for even more reviews, top lists and features.
Logged
