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Top 5: Multiplayer Experiences
As someone who writes on the Internets, I do a lot of reading as well. As just about any successful author will advise, if I want to be a better writer then I should be reading as much as possible. Thus, I tend to spend a good amount of time scouring the gaming websites and reading commentary from just about anyone. I wouldn't insult anyone by pointing out flaws in their work (as I'm host to many of my own), but it is sufficient to say that there is great diversity in the quality and other general attributes of gaming commentary. One source that I do consistently enjoy comes from GoNintendo's head honcho, known as RawmeatCowboy. Equal parts Nintendo fan and beard enthusiast, RMC has a passion for gaming unmatched by nearly anyone else in the entire industry. Whereas some journalists and commentators may give off an impression of jaded cynicism, this particular blogger is a bundle of video game-loving joy. Though he's not quite the wordsmith of a Jerry Holkins, his joy and optimism transcend any potential criticism. And after all, that should be the reason we play video games: for happiness.
Stepping away from worshipping his shrine, I'll get back on target. In a recent post, RMC discusses offline multiplayer via a get-together involving several friends of his trying out Guitar Hero: World Tour. He states that multiplayer is more enjoyable in person than online, and I find it difficult to disagree. That is not to say that online multiplayer is garbage; quite the opposite is true. Aside from the obvious pragmatics of not always being able to round up a few friends to play a game you enjoy, there's the global aspect behind online gaming. Though I've been battling people online via chess years before any major console had such capabilities, the enormous power of the technology didn't register with me until very recently. As I was connecting to an online race in Mario Kart Wii, the identification of racers on the globe really hit home. Realizing that I was simultaneously connecting with individuals from Japan, China, Germany, and England was strangely beautiful.
Despite the fascinating global implications of such connections, I remain a bit of a luddite in that I don't think there's anything better than having your friends in the same room with you while fighting with or against each other. Here's the Top 5 ways we recommend that you enjoy such opportunities.
The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up. Revolutionary: Capturing the Moment
Every (other) week, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.
Segueing from last edition's topic: you've just built a sick Smash Bros. Brawl level, and you're ready to share it with the world. You upload it to your website and throw up some pics from the game's handy built-in photo mode. Everybody can see your creation without needing to first go through the trouble of downloading the level, putting it on an SD card, and loading it up on their Wii. Of course, your level looks like so much fun, they won't be able to resist trying it for themselves. But what if, like so many other games, there was no photo mode? How would you display your masterpiece? Or maybe seeing a still pic isn't enough to really sell the dynamics and spirit of your build. Then what? Read on as we delve into the art of video capture and photo composition -- for games!
Wii Fanboy Weekly: Mar. 6 - Mar. 12
Oh, and we're giving away a free copy of Dragon Quest Swords! Hit up our contest post for the skinny on what you need to do.
Features:
- Wii Fanboy Review: Nyko's wireless nunchuk adapter
A lot better than we hoped - Wii Fanboy Review: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
We point out the flaws, but think it's the best game the Wii has yet - Another Week in ...
Our weekly sales analysis expands from just Japan to Europe - Virtually Overlooked: Flashback (SNES)
Yours truly hijacked the feature this week - Revolutionary: A musical revolution
Our main man Mike is at it again with Audiosurf - VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 3/10/08
We check out the pair of imports on offer this week
- Mario Kart tracks make the jump from DS to Wii, look awesome
How long until this releases? - New Mushroom Men trailer sprouts
Nifty!
- Wii World 1-1 Super Mario Bros. mod
Seriously sweet mod based on the iconic SMB level - We Love Golf even more more now that it supports online play
Fore! - Wii Fanboy poll: Best way to play Brawl?
What's your weapon of choice?
Gripes and Glees: One week with Smash Bros. Brawl
Of course, a game as massive as Brawl is bound that have hidden its imperfections somewhere. So let's go hunting, listing the game's many gleeful points, each followed by a gripe that may have been overlooked in our fanboyish devotion to the franchise. No facet of the game will go untouched here, so be warned that spoilers may abound. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let's play Gripes and Glees!
Glee: The opening cinematic to Brawl is gorgeous as always, and even updates as new characters become unlocked.
Gripe: The initial load-screen for the cinematic lasts around ten to fifteen seconds, a wait time normally unheard of in first-party Nintendo titles. The unskippable load time feels even longer due to the lack of music and an almost entirely black screen.
MIT catches Brawl fever with newest 'hack'
We have to admit that we're a bit disappointed with the simplicity of this gaming prank. Hanging little trinkets is nothing compared to arming and helmeting a statue to resemble Master Chief. While we appreciate the thought, this prank would seem tame at a community college, much less one of the most competitive schools in America. Of course, we're willing to forgive and forget, if MIT's student body can manage to come up with something a little better. You raised the bar yourselves, ladies and gentlemen. Now here's your chance to meet it.
Smash Bros. Brawl not working on some Wiis, Nintendo responds
While we're sure most of us would describe Wii fanatics as the most lighthearted of the console enthusiasts, we can only imagine that being forced to wait nearly two years for the most highly anticipated game on your console, only to come home from a midnight launch to discover you cannot extract the frenzied multiplayer mayhem stored on the disc you've purchased might incite one's dander to "get up". Alas, many a brawler-to-be recently found themselves in this lamentable situation, as Super Smash Bros. Brawl has reportedly had performance anxiety in a number of Wii consoles.
Nintendo has swiftly replied with a North American repair form, explaining that the double-layer disc can only be read by a squeaky-clean disc drive lens. They implore you not to try to clean said lens on your own, and to send in your crudely adhered Gamecubes to Nintendo HQ for a thorough purging. We're sure they'll get your newly spruced console back to you in a timely manner -- which will likely offer little consolation to a Nintyfan scorned.
[Thanks to all the unlucky souls who sent this in. Our thoughts are with you during these trying times.]
Nintendo announces North American Smash Bros. Brawl tournaments
The regional tournaments will take place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and New York City, with a maximum of 256 participants at each location. The winners from each tournament will meet in New York for the finals, with the grand prize winner walking away with a crystal-coated Wii, home theatre system, and (of course) a copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The three finalists will win non-crystal-coated Wii consoles, extra Wii remotes, copies of Brawl, and Best Buy gift certificates ranging from $250 to $1,000. Regional tournaments register players on a first-come, first-serve basis, so we'd recommend getting there nice and early to compete. The first tourney is this Saturday, February 16 in Los Angeles. Full regional tournament details after the break.
Smash Bros. Brawl sales exceed 1 million in Japan
There aren't many weeks left between us and the game's American debut, but by then it'll be our turn to become targets for an entire continent's hatred and jealousy.
Just blow: Smash Bros Brawl disc problems blamed on dust
Brawl is uniquely affected by this problem due to the game's size, which makes it the first title on the Wii to be pressed on a dual-layer DVD. The special disc requires a more fine-tuned read from the optical sensor, which is causing problems in systems clogged with dirt and tobacco smoke. Rather than suggesting they "blow," Nintendo has set up a cleaning service for players affected. Japanese owners who send their Wii consoles, copies of Brawl and warranty cards to a service center in Kyoto will have their systems repaired within one week, and Nintendo will cover all cleaning and shipping costs.
While we're happy Nintendo is taking responsibility for the problem, we're also personally hoping that those affected kept their consoles in squalid conditions. If even small amounts of dust can affect the playability of the Brawl discs, then we're looking at a lot of impatient, unhappy customers in the States come March 9th.
[Via Eurogamer]
Rumor: Resident Evil 4 to blame for no Capcom in Brawl
Kotaku has reportedly spoken with insider sources at Nintendo, who claim that the lost exclusivity of Resident Evil 4 caused Nintendo to reconsider the inclusion of Capcom characters in Brawl. RE4 was originally meant to be exclusive to the Gamecube, but concerns over sales led Capcom to release the title on PS2, and later on PC, with additional content.
While Nintendo has the right to be peeved about the broken exclusivity agreement, the addition of Capcom's franchises to the Brawl lineup could have only benefited Nintendo, and created more hype for the title (if that's even possible). While we're a bit unsure whether to buy into this rumor, if true then we can only hope that Capcom and Nintendo kiss and make up in time to offer some new characters as downloadable content (hey, we can dream, can't we?).
Update: Slight factual error corrected; Capcom announced the PS2 version prior to the release of the Gamecube version. [Thanks, 2bit]
Nintendo teases PAL regions with Brawl release date
A few days ago, Nintendo updated the Brawl page of their UK site, posting a release date of June 1st for the game. Once word had gotten out of the posted date, Nintendo quietly removed it, replacing it with the super-helpful time frame of "2008."
What's even weirder is Nintendo's denial of the slipped release, claiming the update is likely a mistake as June 1st is a Sunday. Keep in mind that the official Brawl release date in the US is March 9th: a Sunday. So either it's a flimsy excuse for an unannounced release date, or the date really doesn't mean anything. Either way, we'll keep you updated on whether Nintendo ever decides to "set a date" with our PAL pals.
Smash Bros. Brawl shortages imminent
Game|Life theorizes that Japan's expected shortages explain Brawl's delay in North America, as it will take until March for Nintendo to manufacture an ample shipment of units for the territory – not to mention, fulfill the rest of Japan's demand. Others speculate that Nintendo is intentionally withholding supply to give its WiFi Connection service a chance to adapt to the inescapable surge of online Brawl players. This isn't the first time Nintendo has been accused of such tactics, and – if someone don't fix that damn supply chain – it won't be the last.
Japanese Brawl intro hints at unannounced characters, looks sweet
Surprisingly, the game's intro sequence even reveals a couple of unannounced old favorites returning to the fray. We won't give away any names here, but suffice it to say that a lot of you will be happy. Check out the full intro after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Smash Bros. Brawl footage reveals story mode details
We're (supposedly) nearing the release of what could arguably be considered the Wii's most anticipated title ever, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and we're all drowning in a deluge of information about the game. However, as much as we hate to add to the noise, you simply must watch the above video, which shows a few short, but sweet, gameplay clips from the Subspace Emissary story mode.
It looks like Nintendo has improved the side-scrolling gameplay featured in Melee, and has crafted personalized single-player (or co-op) stages for a number of characters in the game. With videos like this dropping regularly, and with only a month and some change until the game drops, we're going to need to invest in a fairly sizable drool guard to preserve our poor, saliva-covered computer monitors.
Video introduces the new Smash Bros. Brawl fighters
The worst part is that some of our now mentally unstable staff can't even remember what fighters are in the game anymore. We're sure that we've seen a Wu-Tang Clan costume or two, and at least one of our staff has taken to dressing as Chun Li. Thankfully, GameTrailers has put together this video profiling some of the new fighters from the game to help us keep them straight. It pulled us back from the edge, we hope it does the same for you.
