Category Archives: Nintendo

Best of 2006, Games, GOTY, Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox

GOTY Late Additions

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It’s always a risk when deciding on your games of the year before 31st December (and especially before 25th December) that something will come along that could or should have made the list, had you only played it a month before. So instead of going back and messing with the whole list, here’s a handful of latecomers that deserve a mention and had a shout of making the list:

  • Final Fantasy V Advance (GBA) – The first of two Final Fantasies, and one from back in the glory years which FFIV began a year earlier (yes, they used to make one a year). RPGs and portables often aren’t the best of bedfellows, but couple this with a Game Boy Micro and you have a top combination. A machine small enough for you to forget that you have it and a deep game that actually lets you make decent progress on the commute go together nicely, and it helps that this is one of the stronger instalments in the series. Bring on FFVI Advance in February!
  • Final Fantasy XII (PS2) – FFXI aside, this is probably the biggest breaks from the formula for a major series that I’ve ever seen. At first I wasn’t completely convinced by the MMORPG influence (MMO combat is completely inane, and the only reason to do it is because it’s with real people – why would I play it with AI characters?), but a few hours in, once you have a party and the Gambit system in place, it just clicks. Had I played it earlier this could probably have made the top five.
  • Viva Piñata (360) – If I was doing special awards this would have been a shoo-in for both surprise of the year and best game nobody played. I certainly expected it to be rubbish, but quite the contrary. Playing like a cross between The Sims and Animal Crossing (neither of which I’m a massive fan of, oddly), it’s surprisingly addictive and paced well enough that you never go long without unlocking a new Pi?ata or other item, ensuring that you have an incentive to keep playing. Best of all, it’s an Animal Crossing-style game that doesn’t use a real-time clock, so you sidestep the issue of having to go back to a weed-filled garden after a few days of downtime.

All of those are worth a look. And I’m so glad that bloody feature is out of the way for another year.

Best of 2006, Games, GOTY, Nintendo

Best of 2006 #1: Zelda: Twilight Princess

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

There was some question over whether or not this would even make the list this year, but once I got it the result was never going to be in doubt. I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again: there’s nothing like a new Zelda.

Admittedly Twilight Princess doesn’t really do anything new to those who’ve played one of the three previous 3D Zeldas, but why mess with a winning formula? It’s ultimately the same classic game with nicer graphics (considering the hardware, at least), a good story, and a nice long quest to work through. If they can deliver a new Zelda every few years with only those tweaks, I’ll be very happy.

But what this game did for me more than anything is that it validated the Wii controller as being usable for more than minigames. This couldn’t be further away from a minigame and yet I find it hard to imagine playing the GameCube version of this game. Some things, I thought, don’t work as well as others (the fishing, for example), while some such as drawing a sword and aiming work seamlessly and intuitively, which is what Nintendo seem to be aiming for with the Wii as a whole.

So, out of the many games to come out in 2006, Zelda gets the nod from me. When the only area that I can really think of any room for improvement is in the graphics, it’s clear that they’ve made something great.

Happy new year, everyone!

Best of 2006, Games, GOTY, Music, Nintendo

Best of 2006 #8: Elite Beat Agents

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Elite Beat Agents

The almighty Ouendan’s sequel/remake/bastardisation (take your pick) may not manage those heady heights, but it certainly deserves a place on here. What could easily have been a cynical rehash of a cult classic kept what made the original great and managed to forge a personality of its own.

I don’t like it as much as I did Ouendan, possibly because that game came out of nowhere without any expectations whatsoever, and to be fair I was probably predisposed to not liking this as much. Inis did a great job of keeping it faithful to the style of Ouendan but just having English text and Madonna and Avril Lavigne over impenetrable Japanese and bands you’ve never heard of takes something away from it. I maintain that all an English version needed was a menu translation, but that’s probably why they don’t let me make games for Nintendo.

Despite the shortcomings, EBA makes the list because it builds on an extremely solid base and still does a good job at something that – let’s be honest – was never going to please all of the fans who imported Ouendan. It’s still a hell of a lot of fun and well worth picking up, especially if the original was a bit too “out there” for you.

Best of 2006, Games, GOTY, Nintendo

Best of 2006 #10: New Super Mario Bros.

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New Super Mario Bros.

The debate over originality in games kind of becomes moot when we’re talking about a game like this, doesn’t it? It’s quite possibly one of the least innovative games of 2006…and that’s a good thing?

When it’s something as timeless as a 2D Mario game, yes. While this might have lacked the simple perfection of the NES games or the sense of wonder that came with turning on Super Mario World for the first time, it threw in a couple of new abilities to mix things up and then essentially let the gameplay do the talking. This is Mario; what does he have to prove?

The extra power of the DS was put to good use with assorted scaling tricks and almost subconscious use of the two screens (did you notice how subterranean sections are played out on the bottom screen?), and what it lacked in speed compared to its sprite-based progenitors it made up for in good clean fun and the novelty of a new 2D Mario. Did I mention it was one of those?

Best of 2006, Games, GOTY, Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox

Best of 2006

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It’s that time again. There are only ten days of 2006 remaining and, as I did last year, I’ll be running through my top ten of 2006. These are my favourites of the year, with the rule being that they had to be released in one of the three major territories and played by me at some point between 1st January and 31st December 2006, Anno Domini.

This time last year I’d spoken about the unusually high number of hardware launches making it a particularly strong year, but now that 2006 has brought with it the DS Lite, PlayStation 3, and Wii – as well as the 360 really hitting its stride – last year looks almost anaemic by comparison.

There was quite a scuffle for top spot and some debate over whether Street Fighter Alpha Anthology should get a spot (it didn’t: as great as it was, excellent value for money doesn’t hide the fact that the newest of those games is pushing ten), but the best of this year almost picked itself for me, with some great next-gen titles and the old guard looking for a good send off as well. I welcome all feedback as it comes.

Games, Impressions, Nintendo

Zelda: Twilight Princess Impressions

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Link and Epona

That warm feeling that Ocarina of Time gave me almost exactly eight years ago? I’ve got it again. I can’t remember the last time I started up new game and then proceeded to sit there playing it for six beautiful, uninterrupted hours. There’s nothing like a new Zelda.

Lest this turn into a gushing account, let me get the controls out of the way first. These were my main concerns about this game, especially with the GameCube version out now, and at this point I’m about 80% won over. My first concern was that they wouldn’t work but they absolutely do. Movements like a flick of the wrist to draw the sword is natural and satisfying, and aiming with the remote is a quantum leap beyond fiddling with a stick. The ability to move your hands almost completely independently while still controlling things is an unexpected pleasure, neatly avoiding a lot of potential hand cramps.

However, it’s not all roses. Combat can easily degenerate into wild flailing of the nunchuck and remote which, I suppose, isn’t much different to wild hammering of the attack buttons, only this time you’re physically waving like an idiot. It’s something that can be worked through, though. Likewise the loss of the 3D camera on the GameCube’s C-stick can be an annoyance, even if it’s reasonably effective to just tap the Z button to centre the camera behind you.

That’s really the only criticisms I can give. Technically it’s obviously not next-gen – although I’d struggle to name more than a couple of 360 and/or PS3 titles that are so artistically strong – but when it comes with such a long and satisfying quest, perfectly-pitched puzzles, and intriguing storyline. And Nintendo have really raised their game with regard to the storytelling: although voice acting is missed (by all means keep Link as the silent protagonist but your games are on DVD now – use it), an ability to direct in a cinematic fashion has been discovered. It just makes this seem like possibly the most polished Zelda yet.

So I’ve had the game since Friday and have so far clocked up just over 15 hours. The marathon sessions haven’t abated yet, and I swear that they’ve somehow coded a time warp into it. Try to play for a few minutes without it slowly stretching into hours as the game exerts its inexorable pull. It can’t be done. And as good as Okami was, it’s been outdone at the wolf-adventure-with-annoying-sidekick thing by the very game that so patently inspired it.