Why Can't We Be Friends?

Unfortunately, there was no author or website labeled on this webcomic. But this shows that, just perhaps, all gaming platforms will one day live in harmony without petty fanboy squabbling.

One day.

You can check out more past the break along with the link to the rest of the comics.

Source: IGN via Kotaku

Read more...

E3 2008: Nintendo's Casual Gaming Focus

Courtesy of Penny Arcade

Despite constant reassurances from Nintendo that they haven't forgotten about the "hardcore" gamer that got them through the rough times, it seems like their immense casual market has them reevaluating their priorities. While last year's E3 showed them focusing on both markets with announcements on games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, another forgotten accessory (Zapper), and Wii Fit, this year showed them entirely developing for their burgeoning casual audience. Despite rumors of classic franchises returning such as Kid Icarus or Punch Out, they instead gave a very disappointing press conference that showed more new accessories, more casual games, and very few innovative titles.

While third-parties have been struggling to find the Wii's audience, Nintendo has been putting out a mix of hardcore and casual games and a constant slew of accessories. It has been joked that the Wii has more unneeded peripherals than games, and Nintendo has once again revealed a pair of new accessories that will seemingly force consumers to buy them in order to get the most up-to-date gaming experience. The first one is being bundled together with the sequel Nintendo said wasn't going to happen, Wii Sports Resort. Back in September 2007, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata firmly denied the development of a Wii Sports sequel. While the game still remains the most popular and perhaps most-played Wii game to date, he was quoted saying, "We're not going to take such an easy way" and "We're not closing our doors to the possibility of a sequel, but it's definitely not coming out soon." With their desire to innovate, expand the gaming market, and provide "true entertainment", they seemed opposed to making cheap cash-ins just to make more profit. In less than a year, they simultaneously continued their trend of new accessories and put out some new cash-ins.

The MotionPlus add-on will increase controller accuracy and come with an expanded Wii Jacket.

Wii Sports Resort is coming with the MotionPlus add-on, which is a multi-axis gyroscope that attaches to the Wiimote to give increased accuracy and true 1:1 motion. While this sounds great for improved control, it's going to cause a lot of developer problems for those who don't buy it. The game itself sounds very unimpressive with three games revealed so far. The demonstration felt very hokey and lame, with a dog frisbee game, jetskiing, and a sword dueling game revealed. The frisbee game looked uninspiring, but the other two seemed decent. Either way, they seemed to fit more in the Wii Play tech demo than to sit along side the games in Wii Sports. The game will arrive in Spring 2009 at a $50 pricepoint, which will probably see sales similar to Wii Play due to the MotionPlus accessory rather than the game itself. The often-rumored Wii Music was officially unveiled, but it became a much different from the orchestra mini-game from the Wii's big E3 2006 debut. Much like the DS title, Jam Sessions, it's more of a simulation rather than a game. With various public-domain and Nintendo music on the disc and over 50 instruments featured, you get to jazz up and alter the music rather than making your own unique tunes. First impressions of the motions for the instruments were questionable, and Nintendo seems to be focusing more on creating and sharing video performances rather than DLC.

The Wii Speak community microphone will expand communication features in titles such as Animal Crossing: City Folk.

The other big accessory is a "community microphone" for a new feature called Wii Speak. It's a speaker/microphone combination that goes on top of your sensor bar and was seen demoed with the newest iteration in their life simulation game series, Animal Crossing: City Folk. Besides the new setting, it looks to be very similar to the original GameCube game with the new communication feature, similar graphics, and very limited Wi-Fi features. Besides those announcements, there wasn't much else that was noteworthy. They showed off some extreme sports titles using the Balance Board, but that was expected. The DS received its own share of news with the surprise announcement of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Besides the new game engine, characters, and the series' trademark sandbox gameplay, nothing else is known about the game. Air travel and cookbook applications were shown off, but they didn't look very useful or exciting. The DS version of Sims creator Will Wright's Spore is still looking impressive. And perhaps as no surprise to anyone, they have already announced a sequel to Guitar Hero: On Tour, which only released a few weeks ago. Entitled Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades, the game will feature song sharing and expanded microphone functionality. There may be some scattered third-party gems out there, but first-party announcements were very disappointing.

Overall, the general consensus of Nintendo's E3 outing is very underwhelming. The Mario and Zelda teams are supposedly "hard at work" on new titles, but nothing else was revealed. Outside of a side comment from Shigeru Miyamoto about a new Pikmin game and rumors of the M-rated action game Dead Rising coming to the Wii, there's nothing to really get excited about. The Wii Speak feature seems to be mostly for Animal Crossing and pointless Wii messages, while the MotionPlus add-on might end up becoming a mandatory accessory in order to accurately play future titles. The Balance Board has shown little outside of extreme sports titles and Wii Fit, and there's nary a real "hardcore" game to really sink your teeth into. It seems like third-parties aren't focusing on those kind of games, so we'll just have to wait once again for Nintendo first-party to deliver the next Mario, Zelda, and Metroid titles for some real gaming experiences.

Read more...

Chrono Trigger Makes Triumphant Return on the DS

One of the most beloved, innovative, and lauded console RPGs of all time is finally making a return. Before the merger between Square and Enix, Squaresoft assembled a "dream team" that consisted of big names such as Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, composer Nobuo Uematsu, and Dragonball/Dragon Quest artist Akira Toriyama. Originally released on the SNES back in 1995, the game pushed the limits of the console and the genre. The original Playstation saw a re-release of both Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV in Final Fantasy Chronicles, and now both games will be making their big North American DS debuts this year. The recently announced CT remake is slim on details, but the game is looking to retain the original’s 2D look and feel. New features include full touch screen functionality, dual screen presentation, and a wireless play mode. A new dungeon has also been announced, but there is no word yet if it will simply be a side quest or an addition to the story. With the remakes of FFIV set to come July 22 and CT this Holiday season, there is no better time to own a DS.

One of the first screenshots of the DS remake from Japanese magazine, Shonen Jump.

Chrono Trigger’s time-traveling story, innovative gameplay, and multiple endings are only a few reasons why the game is critically acclaimed. The story begins in 1000 A.D. with the silent protagonist Crono, mechanical genius Lucca, and princess Nadia disguised as Marle. As they meet at the Millenial Fair and witness Lucca’s teleportation device, that soon begins an epic adventure that spans across multiple eras, a wide variety of characters, and the discovery of a global catastrophe that needs to be stopped. The game’s overall focus on time travel and large scope allowed for pioneering devices such as character-driven subplots, side quests, and multiple endings. The gameplay was unique for traditional RPGs because it discarded random encounters for visible enemies on the field map. Battles occurred directly on the map rather than a separate screen, and utilized a new version of the Active Time Battle System created in Final Fantasy IV. The magic/skill system was called Techs, which allowed for a wide array of character skill combos to create Double or Triple Techs. Much like the previously released Square action RPG, Secrets of Mana, Chrono Trigger was a part of the classic 16-bit era of RPGs that also saw multiple games from the Final Fantasy and Breath of Fire series.

Crono, Marle, and Lucca unleashing the Triple Tech, Delta Force.

The game’s re-release on the Playstation saw newly animated anime cutscenes by Akira Toriyama as well as a slew of unlockable bonus features like a bestiary and art gallery. One of the other innovative features Square introduced in Chrono Trigger was the New Game Plus option. After completing the game once, this feature allows future playthroughs to retain certain character stats and non-story related equipment for easier run times and unlocking other possible endings. A PSone sequel was made called Chrono Cross, which featured many innovative ideas of its own. Some confusing story elements, pacing problems, and a large departure from the original CT were some of the more negative criticisms fans had with the game. Despite these issues, the game was almost universally praised for breaking convention. While Chrono Cross may not have stood well as a sequel, the game was great as a standalone title.

With a return as large as this, there is excitement buzzing throughout the community. It may not be receiving the 3D overhaul that Final Fantasy IV is receiving, but keeping the classic feel may be better for the game. Since Chrono Trigger is one of the most demanded RPGs for a proper sequel, hopefully this is a good sign for things to come.

Read more...

Square Enix Recreates FFIV Splendor

Dark Knight and Red Wings Commander Cecil with his crew aboard their airship from the SNES (left) and DS versions.

Originally released in the US as Final Fantasy II, the fourth title in the series is getting a DS makeover with a graphical overhaul and many enhancements. Final Fantasy IV is one of the more highly regarded FF titles, as it made its debut on the SNES with a sweeping story, new Active Time Battle combat system, amazing music score, and impressive graphics. The game’s original release and subsequent localization was met with many roadblocks, as game difficulty, edits, script changes, censors, and other changes were made. While some of these issues were resolved in subsequent re-releases for the original PlayStation and Game Boy Advance, the new DS remake is getting a complete overhaul. Three quarters of the script was left out of the original game, so some of this content will be worked in through new scenes and flashbacks. With the game running on the FFIII DS engine as well as a slew of new features and additions, this looks to be the definitive version of the game.

Cecil Harvey and girlfriend Rosa Farrell.

Final Fantasy IV takes place on Earth with an Overworld mostly populated by various human character classes and a rocky, magma Underworld filled with dwarves. They live with races from the planet’s two moons, the humming-speak Hummingway and the wizard-like Lunarians. The story begins with the Dark Knight Cecil as he commands the kingdom of Baron’s Red Wings, their army of airships. Ordered to seize the planet’s four elemental Crystals, he gradually uncovers a plot by the evil Golbez as his childhood friend Kain, lover Rosa, and other warriors join him throughout the adventure. FFIV’s wonderful character-driven story is what caught the attention of many gamers. As the first game in the series to really exhibit the amazing gameplay, story, and presentation that Final Fantasy is known for, it holds significance especially for those who played before FFVII popularized the genre into the mainstream. The DS version looks to only magnify the game’s presentation with its 3D upgrade, FMV cutscenes, and its seemingly solid English voice acting. The fact that they managed to fit all of this on a single DS ROM card is truly amazing.



While gameplay retains the original ATB system, some additions were made. The Augment System was added to allow character-specific abilities to be learned to other characters as well as full command-menu customization. Standard control inputs are preserved, but there are optional stylus inputs as well. A new summon monster mini-game, New Game Plus mode, Namingway sidequests, a bestiary, and a music/video player have all been added with the new scenes and story segments. Small changes, like viewing the party leader’s thoughts on the current story are nice touches. They have also added personality and uniqueness to each location, which they couldn’t do in the original because of space limitations. Compared to the size of the DS version of FFIII, Final Fantasy IV is a much bigger game. While FFIII DS developer, Matrix Software is handling the game, original members of the SNES FFIV development team are also supervising the project.

Although FFVI still remains my favorite game in the series, I can’t wait to see what all this new Final Fantasy IV will have to offer. The enthralling story will be amazing to see in its reworked fashion, with new flashbacks and scenes looking to only enhance the experience. The lush graphical design and new game features also make this feel like a worthy re-release rather than a cheap ploy to gain sales. With a scheduled US release date of July 22 and European date of September 26, it can’t come soon enough. For those that are impatient, especially those in Europe having to wait even longer, importing is always an option. If you’ve been turned off by classic 2D RPGs, perhaps the new DS version of Final Fantasy IV will change your mind.

Read more...

Guitar Hero Just Doesn't Understand

Activision simply doesn't get it. Since taking over Guitar Hero from original developer Harmonix, they have used the brand as a cash cow with celebrity endorsements, product placements, and sequels galore. While Harmonix has kept things simply about the music with Rock Band's gameplay, formula, and weekly song downloads, Activision is the exact opposite. Any company's bottom line is profit, but you don't see that passion and overall music knowledge Harmonix infused into Guitar Hero and now Rock Band. With most of their staff also acting as part-time musicians and apart of local bands in Boston, you could see why and how they made Guitar Hero so successful. From the atmosphere to the note charts, it just felt genuine.

Since Activision officially took over the series in 2007, they have been taking advantage of their new title with many sequels and spin-offs. After releasing Guitar Hero III, a portable DS version called Guitar Hero: On Tour and another guitar-based expansion for all major consoles entitled Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will see release this summer. Cheap cash-ins such as the small electronic key chain game Guitar Hero Carabiner have also taken advantage of the brand name. And to top it all off, they are basically borrowing Rock Band's proven success and current formula and incorporating the GH name in Guitar Hero World Tour. Don't get me wrong, GHWT looks like a good game in the increasingly crowded music/rhythm genre. But their lack of cooperation to allow instrument compatibility across rival games shows how greedy they are. With the slew of new drum sets on the way, they are determined to force consumers to choose where their loyalties and hard-earned cash lie.


Guitar Hero World Tour's current interface looks very similar to Rock Band.

And Activision is recruiting even more celebrities to their Guitar Hero PR bandwagon. This video from the All Things Digital 6 conference shows Activision CEO Robert Kotick bringing out American Idol judge Paula Abdul and Tony Hawk from their skateboarding franchise to judge and play the game live. The video does show some of the first in-game footage, which looks similar in layout to Rock Band. The host takes a jab at Kotick by mentioning Rock Band, but I can't help but feel like Activision is being disingenuous. With these music games following the same basic premise, you can't really help the similarities that will arise. But their attitude about the subject is what's bothersome. Rather than giving credit to their predecessors or even a sly reference to competition, they instead act like they created this revolutionary new idea to simulate a realistic band experience. While Konami's Rock Revolution looks weaker than Guitar Hero or Rock Band, I can at least respect what they're doing and their somewhat unique approach. It just seems like Guitar Hero is losing its integrity.

However, the bottom line is whether or not the games are fun. If they can make their many spin-offs into enjoyable, worthy experiences, then their business tactics shouldn't matter in the bigger picture. Their release of Call of Duty 4 has earned the game numerous awards and was the top-selling game worldwide in 2007. If all of these Guitar Hero sequels turn out to be great experiences, then that is all that should matter. But it looks like Activision wants gamers to either be broke, litter their living rooms with fake instruments, or choose sides & create divisions within the community much like the console wars.

Read more...