Solving Nintendo's Emulator Issues

It appears like Nintendo is a perpetual victim when it comes to emulator software and piracy. Every week or so, there's a report of a new emulator or game remake in which people try to play a Nintendo game without paying for it. We don't hear about this often with Playstation or  Xbox games despite some games being wanted forever (e.g. Mega Man Legends which finally did release). In one sense, it ticks me off because Nintendo is still selling the software and is one of the selling points of its hardware. Not only are they selling it, they are putting money into the software (even Quality Assurance costs money).

Sure that gets into the debate about what rights do we have when it comes to games we own. One problem is that people always use that software for games they don't own, and once they play it, they won't go out to buy it. Now one valid question is, "How is this different than renting or borrowing from a friend?" The quick answer is that it the other two still encourage purchasing the game in the end. Perhaps that will be a topic for another time. The other part is that to pirate games is to feed your own ego and selfishness. If you have to have it so bad, then go and buy it even at the excessively high prices on ebay.

So my idea is that Nintendo starts licensing the emulators. This way, when one comes out, they can justifiably claim that it is lost profits (to be fair, emulating their code is already a violation of their rights). However, the license will cost a certain amount based off the library it can play and the average price of such a game if Nintendo would put it on the eshop. That would mean the NES emulator alone would cost quite a bit. However, it has to be high so that the developers of the emulators pay to make up for the thousands of downloads they encourage.

Just Having Fun: NX is the Power Glove Theory

To a certain extent, this is a serious theory, but really it's just for fun. I don't know anything about the NX. However, if they can pull this off, I might buy it fairly early after all.

I've previously was of the opinion that the NX will be a hybrid console, which would be nice. I also thought that it would have power stations to upgrade the performance, sort of like the promise of modular computers and phones. However, Nintendo appears to look at history and sees products like the 64 DD and 32X were failures. Sure, the problem was the lack of games and the timing, but I doubt they will try that market after Reggie said that Sony and Microsoft can fight over that red ocean.

Based off other comments, specifically Ubisoft's, it sounds like Nintendo is going back to the Blue Ocean strategy. Since the dual screen technology of the Wii U failed to catch on like it did with the DS, this means they are probably trying something else for the casual crowd. The fact that Breath of the Wild gameplay appears to be focused more on the TV instead of the gamepad, the NX might be utilizing only one screen.

The fact that Just Dance is coming to the NX indicates that either Nintendo is going to still use the wiimotes or it will be using a new controller. Ubisoft claimed that they believe the NX will bring back lapsed wii owners, so the controller needs to be intuitive. Apparently Nintendo wasn't thinking about VR when designing the NX, but now it's a possibility also seems to suggest that it is something to can do VR, but isn't required.

If the NX is a new experience, still motion controls, but it's not VR, I think it might be the Power Glove returns. The product was technically a failure from Mattel, but that was due to a lack of games developed for it. When a game was actually designed for it, it was highly praised by the blue ocean audience. If Mattel could produce that glove for $25 over 20 years ago, it's probably easier to do now and even with more advanced technology.

The glove can offer a few benefits. One is that it's more intuitive than the wii remote. Two is that it should be more comfortable to use than the wii remote. The major example is that you should be able to point your finger instead of bending your wrist, as Neo was lamenting in his piece about various controllers and game design. Three, it can offer new gameplay experiences. For instance, you can make a motion to hold a baseball and then throw it like one.

The glove would actually probably reach its full potential in combination with other Nintendo controllers. For example, the Wii U gamepad could still be used like in Pikmin 3.  Or it can be a stand to display where you can grab balls, simulating a holographic display. Now if Nintendo actually releases a holographic display, that would be awesome. The technology exists thanks to ultrasound, so it's possible.

What do you think? Is my theory sound? Have I done something horrible by building hype for something that may not exist? The only thing I request is that you don't get your hopes up. This is just a fun theory. I'd be satisfied with a hybrid console as well. I think possibly having a DS you can take on the go, then plug it in for better performance at home would be sweet. Since they have more patents for that sort of idea, that might be more likely. The power glove thing would require licensing from other companies unless their patents expired. However, if a company can pull the glove thing off, it's Nintendo.

Game Design and Controllers

Lately, my gaming activity has been limited by a sore wrist. However, I recently picked up a game on the PS4 and was playing it for longer periods than I should, but I noticed something; my wrist wasn't bothering me. In combination to how long it took me to adopt the controls, I realized that game controllers are really important, not only for comfort, but also game design.

If you want my opinion for the best controller, you won't get one. This is because each controller has its positives and negatives. None of them is perfect for all games, but the games that were best for console used the controller perfectly.

You may know that I love playing games on the Wii U gamepad. Even though I hear the Pro controller is great, I haven't bought one because I like the second-screen/off-tv experience. Of course, the controller is far from perfect. The position of the right stick is perhaps one of Nintendo's biggest blunders with its design. Though, when I hold it, I can understand why they chose that layout.

Layout is slightly annoying, but it is perhaps the best it can be due to that screen

My problem with the right analog stick is that the player's thumb naturally rests on the right control stick if he is going to use the left control stick. If Nintendo made a lot of twin-stick games, that's perfect, but they don't. A corollary to that is the thumb is on the D-pad if the player wants to use the buttons. Great for 2D games like Fire Emblem and a lot of virtual console titles, but not ideal for 3D games. The layout on the New 3DS XL is slightly better, but it's countered by the bad ergonomics of it being flat like a phone (which is also bad).

So the PS4 controller has good ergonomics, and being light makes it easier on the wrists, but it has two problems. First, the design makes it so the + buttons are never used on the left side. It's very rare that I touch them. This also makes it so that 2D platformers are not ideal for the system. However, my main complaint is the X, O, etc. buttons. They aren't intuitive and never were. They may become second-nature regular gamers, but never to newcomers or casual players. I recall playing a PS2 game and when the parts that required a random sequence appeared, I would always be at the disadvantage because I didn't know where they were located without looking at the controller. This problem is most profound on the Playstation controllers, but it's the same everywhere.

When I played Dungeon Defenders, I often mistook X for Y which would make my friends laugh because of how often I got it wrong. What I eventually realized was that since I was playing Batman Arkham Origins on the Wii U at the time, I was used to the buttons being switched. This is because A, B, X, and Y are also relative though this time it's Microsoft's fault for making the change in the first place. The best solution is actually the easiest and most baffling it hasn't been done; arrow buttons. The original C buttons on the Nintendo 64 controller are the most intuitive button layout when dealing with four buttons.

In a game like this, you don't need to look at the controller to know which button is which

Of course, that is one way to do it, and perhaps is best when you need to press button combinations of more than two quickly. I say that because there is a good layout for when you quickly need to press between two buttons; the Gamecube controller. That massive A button was brilliant to a certain degree. This is because it made the most important button the easiest to press. The button you press the most should be the easiest to access. That is where the player's thumb should naturally be. That is why the X button on the Playstation controllers (the bottom one) is the key button. It's the same on the Xbox controllers (the bottom one).

Not completely intuitive, but for 3D games, it's a good layout

If you think about the Gamecube layout, it's similar, you want to be able to easily access all the buttons from where your thumb naturally rests. There, the A button gave easy access to the other three main buttons. On the Xbox and Playstation controllers, it trades a button for the right control stick. The Wii U gamepad is similar, but it's the opposite. You thumb rests on the top button instead of the bottom one. This is mostly a problem because the most common buttons to press in Wii U games are still A and B (Right and Bottom).

Something you may have noticed if you look at controllers is that some aspect tends to always be ignored or not nicely designed. I mentioned the PS4's left side. The Gamecube's d-pad was also a pain to use, and the C-Stick (the yellow one) was better but not perfect. The Xbox controller's d-pad is also pretty bad. The Nintendo 64 almost never used the d-pad as well. I also did not care for the Super Nintendo's L and R buttons. I did not even knew they existed for a long time.

Still the preferred controller for Super Smash Bros. because the design is good for it

Controllers are incredibly important. They help guide game design for a specific console. The Wii Remote made it easy to play bowling, tennis, and swordfighting, but a bit painful in games that required a lot of pointing. So while Rodea the Sky Soldier is a fun Wii game, it can be a bit uncomfortable for long periods of time. Nintendo's best solution would be to develop a controller that is slightly bent so that players don't have to bend their wrists all of the time for pointing games. Of course, that would sacrifice access to some buttons which is a balancing act.

When you design a game, it's important to take into account the controller the player will be using. This is one of the many reasons why Wii U games are a different experience than the Xbox and Playstation versions. You also need to understand the accessibility for controls. As I mention before, the most important button should be the one your thumb rests on naturally. You can actually get away with the button the players uses the most not be the main button. The main button should be pressed the most, but it's more important that it's the button pressed in times of instinct.

To illustrate that last point, consider Mario and look at the Gamecube controller. In that game, B is Run while A is Jump. You will probably hold down B the most on because that's how you will run. However, Mario is a platformer, meaning you might not need to run, but you must jump. This means your finger may be on B longer, but A is still the most important. When it comes to timing, you don't want to look at your controller to find that important button. In addition, A's size and location also makes it easier be the button to advance through dialog.

Another aspect to consider is your button sequences. If your game often requires three different buttons to be pressed in order, you want to make that smooth. This means you want to start maybe with the main button and work clockwise if it's for a Playstation or Xbox. On the other hand, if it's the Gamecube, you want to start with B and then work your way to A and the X. 

I hope you enjoyed this look into game controllers and how important they are to game design. While no controller is perfect for all games, good games know how to use a controller effectively. The result is that the player may not even look at the controller, but still maintain complete control of the game. When this happens, he is better able to master the game and the game becomes a classic. 

Pokemon Co-Master Impressions

So the Pokemon Company released a new spinoff Pokemon game in Japan. It's a board style game where the goal is to reach your opponent's goal. The board itself looks fairly simple, but as I've played it, I've noticed it can actually be quite a complex game that's interesting to play.

Pokemon Co-Master! Because it would be lonely at the top?

I was able to download a copy of the game and try it out. However, the game itself is fully Japanese so I tend to act like former 5 year-old self and skip past dialogue and rules. I simply guess the effects and remember what I see. In the process, I've learned a few things but still confused on a few others. As a result, I cannot give a full review, but I'll get as close as I can for the bit I've played.

Reading through some comments on Polygon, this is apparently a video game version of some board game that came out quite some time ago but was short-lived. I actually like the board game. It's an interesting twist on the Pokemon formula as every Pokemon is useful, unlike in Pokemon Shuffle. By useful, I mean, you might want to hold on to your starter set and weak Pokemon, because they can be quite powerful. Yes, little Weedle can hold its own against a Charizard, probably. That's how awesome it is. Spearow is also perhaps the deadliest foe in the game where I'm at.

So here's game setup: You can have 6 Pokemon figures and you take turns placing or moving them across the board. Each side has 2 spawn points. If your figure gets defeated in battle, it gets sent to the Pokemon Center. If 3 Pokemon are sent there, the one that's been in there the longest gets sent back to your hand, allowing you to place it again after 1 turn.

Here: the board is showing where Pikachu can move to as well as its roulette wheel

For Battling, both sides spin a roulette wheel for their respective figures. The higher number wins, but it's not always that simple. There are effects which trump attacks. For example, Pikachu can spin a 100, but it's useless if Chespin guards. If the numbers are the same, nothing happens. Taurus' special ability can force its opponent to move back 2 spaces and have to wait 2 turns. This would also beat out Pikachu's 100 spin. On the flip side, if your special has more stars than the other figure's, then your special takes priority.

So what do I mean about Weedle defeating a Charizard? This is because if a Pokemon lands on a Miss, then Weedle only needs to land on a 10 and it will defeat its opponent. Each roulette wheel is specific to a Pokemon species so the value of Miss differs greatly. There are at least 2 Pokemon I've gotten where Miss is like 4% while others has it at like 60%.

Charizard may have power, but there's also a good chance he can miss

There's another thing that needs consideration when building your team: Movement Points. The highest I've seen is 3 and those are for the weaker Pokemon. The stronger your Pokemon, the more likely it'll be a 2 or 1. If you have all 1's, then you might lose to a team of all 3's.

Now just because there are roulette wheels doesn't mean this isn't a thinking game. Luck certainly has it's place in the game, but you definitely need to plan your actions. I've made a few silly mistakes that certainly cost me the match. However, if you are uncertain what to do, just tap the AI button.

That's right, you have an AI partner. If you tap it, then the AI will move for you. So far it's done a fairly god job and I've learned some neat tactics from it. However, I have seen a few moves that I think made no sense or were highly risky. I tend to use it when I see 2 valid moves but unsure which to choose. The benefit is that the AI tends to select one of those 2 rather than a 3rd. I also use it when I don't want to bother looking at every figure's roulette wheel in order to figure out which Pokemon to send out.

There is one thing I have noticed that the AI never does and that's play your "plates". These cards grant bonuses for your team. For example, I can increase attack power of Torchic by 20, cure a poisoned figure, etc.. Some cards end your turn as soon as you play while others allow for movement as well. Both have their places as sometimes you need to move, but it would cost you the game if you did move a figure. Sometimes the best thing to do is force your opponent to attack first.

Getting interested? How do you obtain new figures? The 2 ways I've seen so far is win a match or "purchase" one. Both are difficult as the match option has you spin another wheel with the odds not in your favor. The shop option requires either golden tickets or diamonds, the latter of which can be purchased with real money. The result is that it's difficult to get free figures, but I have managed to get quite a few with quite a bit of patience. There are some duels where the odds of getting a figure is a bit higher and sometimes you can win within 2 moves, so it's possible to collect the figures. There are also matches where you are guaranteed a good prize when you win the first time, like diamonds or a Pikachu figure, in addition to the roulette wheel spin.

This game totally explains Ash's Pikachu and how it can lose to easy opponents while taking down strong ones

It is possible that you just keep getting stuck with obtaining the same figure again and again. Those figures can still be put to good use. If you fuze them with another Pokemon, the base figure gains a lot more experience than you get from winning a battle. After leveling up, you can deplete the Miss sections and increase the odds of landing on something you want. It's a slow process, but the results can make your figure better than another of the same model.

You can also play online against other players in ranked battles. To do this, you first need to obtain special tickets by playing the campaign mode. When you go to play, there's ranked mode and room mode. I assume room mode is to play against nearby opponents. In ranked mode, you have a chess clock where your time goes down during your turn. This adds a sense of urgency to every action as you want to make sure you have more time on the clock than your opponent. It also forces you to try and plan your move while your opponent is making his.

If you have doubts that you are playing against a human due to the AI nature of the game, my doubts were resolved when my opponent stopped playing as soon as it was guaranteed that I had won. Luckily, if your opponent doesn't move for 1 minute, then you are declared the winner. I could see a desire for the time to be 30 seconds, but sometimes it really does take more than 30 seconds to figure a good strategy.

Uh-oh! Time is running out on my side

Something I find weird, which might be on Google's side, is how the game is rated for 3+. Does that mean they expect 3 year-olds to play this game? That's pretty bad considering that most of the text is kanji and there are quite a few currencies, making this a money trap for those who aren't careful.

In summary, I'm so far enjoying this free to start game. The progress can be slow, but it is fun when you have a good match.  It's a nice strategy game with good replay value and I could see them using this as a means of reintroducing the board game. Perhaps they can use all of those Pokemon Rumble figures that didn't become a hit. I do have one last warning and that is this app does drain the battery pretty fast, even as fast as you are charging. So you might want to limit playing when you don't have access to a charging station.

P.S. The app does crash occasionally. I haven't seen too many, but I have gotten a few. The good thing is it looks like the app handles it nicely so I didn't lose anything. Hopefully it doesn't get worse as I progress towards the end. I'm still only at the 2nd tower.

Interesting things about Twilight Princess

So yesterday, I wrote my review of how the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was ported to Wii U. In my analysis, it's a good port. Now as I played it, I noticed a few things that I found interesting.

1. Midna's hand gesture is the Japanese one for "Come": In the west, the palm would be face-up, which I saw one boss do in a fight (won't spoil for those who don't know who). However, in Japan (where the game was developed), the palm is face-down and looks like you are digging.
   
2. The Hidden Village shootout is awesome and inspired a spinoff game. However, you can also play a Cat-hunt version by talking to the cucco. The goal is to talk to every single cat in the village and you get a piece of heart.
   
3. This is the only Zelda game where someone looks at you as a hero: In most games, you are called the hero, but no one looks up to you as one. This makes Twilight Princess interesting, because you have the character Collin aspires to be like you.
4. The shaman can't stand the bar owner :D
5. The Gorons go from Sumo to Boxing. If this game was made in the US instead of Japan, it probably would have been deemed controversial.
6. I didn't try it, but you can make the oocca fly forever, making it look like they are trying to attack you Video on youtube. I wonder if they'll attack you like the cucco.
7. The wolf form is more powerful than the Master Sword.
   
8. When you reach the temple of time, it kinda looks like the Wii U tech demo. Makes me wonder if they have been developing this port since then.
   
9. Midna may have an interesting story and dialogue, but she stinks when it comes to giving you advice about what to do next.
10. The game is a bit inconsistent about whether some items should be in the fancy chest or just a normal chest.
11. When playing the balloon popping minigame, get the minimum high score and slowly increment each round in order to get money fairly easily.
12. There are mini-dungeons hidden in Hyrule Field.
13. The yeti's mansion is filled with paintings of various characters and locations, including some I don't expect he could reach.
14. When you switch to Zora armor, you can't swim faster like you can in human or wolf form.
15. Some of the howling stone songs are from OoT.
16. The developers seem to like Westerns. Not only do you have the joust and herd, but also the Hidden Village shootout and this pose.
    
17. Rutela's theme is the Serenade of Water from OoT.
18. The Hidden Village is likely the Kakariko Village from OoT due to the information provided by its inhabitant, which had a shooting game.
19. You can play fetch with the dogs in Castle Town by picking up a bone and throwing it. The dog will bring it back.
20. Even though it's dogs that are known to have good smelling senses, it's Telma's cat that says she could tell you're Link based off your scent 
21. Possible Spoiler: Your trainer for Hidden Skills call you his Child
    
22. The Wii U version adds a touch button to let you switch between Wolf-Link and Human Link on the fly.
23. You don't need to talk to Midna in order to warp on the Wii U version. Just open the map, press L to turn on portals, and touch your destination.
24. The Wii U version starts you off with a wallet to hold 500 rupees and the next one holds 1000. Much better improvement over the Gamecube's 300 start. However, if you can't hold the rupees, you won't put them back into the chest anymore.
25. If you plug in headphones to the gamepad, the audio will stop playing on the TV automatically
26. In some of the dungeons for the Wii U version, you can't access some chests until later. First one I noticed was in Death Mountain
27. The Wii U version has a special lantern to help you find Poes.
28. If you want to make a bow combination on the Wii U, you have to pause the game.

Bonus one: Concept art for Ilia had a fairy image on her forehead. That could possibly mean that she was intended to be Navi from OoT incarnate (I recall seeing this in Hyrule Historia).

Extra one: This is the only Zelda game that has an explanation as to how Link can carry all of that equipment

Update 6/16/16
The character who repairs the cannon is a reference to Mario. Using cannons to reach new locations such as a sky world or desert world appeared in New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS in 2006, the same year Twilight Princess originally released.

Port Review: The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess for Wii U

First things first, I should apologize for not writing a review for a long time. The simple explanation consists of two things. First, I've been busy with life changing events. Second, I haven't been buying as many new games but instead been playing Pokemon Shuffle with the little spare time I had. However, I did pick up Twilight Princess for the Wii U for a few reasons. First, I wanted the soundtrack that came with it. Second, I cannot play my Gamecube version for a while as I do not have access to a Wii or Gamecube to play it on. Third, I wanted to check out the Wolf Link Amiibo and I hope that it has some neat feature in the new Zelda game. So how does the game hold up as I went through effectively my third playthrough? Pretty good and it gives me some hope for how the new game will turn out.

Good Job, Nintendo

Of course, I should clarify but what I meant by the word "hope". There are some good features that I want them to carry over and there are features I want them to make/improve. All of these have to do with the gamepad implementation.

Twilight Princess used the gamepad to an okay level. You can play the full game using the gamepad only, but I found that out by accident rather than being told how to do so. For those who want to know, pause the game with the + button and then press the - button to switch displays. As a warning though, the resolution takes a hit. It still looks nice, but not as nice as on a 32-inch 1080p HDTV. To make up for that, Nintendo included a feature that's nice for "need to be quiet" time: Audio Source Swap. If you plug in headphones into the gamepad, the game audio will automatically stop playing on the TV, switching completely to the headphones. It sounds so trivial, but I utilized that feature quite a bit during the 30 hours I played.

So I can listen to the Hidden Village song without disturbing my family

Now the gamepad can be used for both items and map display and you can use either in real time. I found that neat for the times when I wanted to swap items when waiting to reach a destination. A good example is when you are sinking in the water and want to pull out the clawshot or water bombs. It may not save a lot of time, but it's a lot of the little moments like that where you can determine if a feature is good or not. If you are in big trouble, then you can always pause the game and change your items that way. It's good, but it could be better.

Twilight Princess is an interesting Zelda game in that it does try to utilize old items later on, but those occasions are sometimes only for one-time use.  As a result, I find it annoying to assign one item to button and then change it back to something I'll actually need. For instance, the bombs are sometimes used everywhere, but not often enough to keep a button assign to them. There are two things I would like done here. One is to follow the example of Ocarina of Time 3D in which there were 2 touch buttons that you could assign items to. That way, you just tapped that button and the item would be used. The second option, which I think would be better, is a double-tap activation for the item on the touchscreen. It's perfect for the often one-time need, and by making it a double-tap, the chances of wasting precious resources becomes smaller.

I know that Nintendo can do that, because they implemented it to do one awesome feature: the change between human and wolf-Link! It's perhaps one of the best additions to the game as it makes things so much smoother than having to talk to Midna to transform every single time, only to find out that you can't do it. Once you gain the ability to transform on-demand, that icon is fantastic. No longer are you bound to fighting either as a wolf or as swordsman because it's too inconvenient to switch. Two thumbs up for this feature!

As a side note, everything that is selectable in the menu screens works with the touchscreen as well. I could select portals to warp to without talking to Midna, change my equipment, save my game, etc. So bonus points for that as well, Nintendo and Tantalus.

There is a another worry aspect and that's the hub on screen. You can have the map displayed on the gamepad, but you are still forced to have the hub on your TV. I looked at the settings, but I couldn't turn it off. Maybe I do want to keep them on screen, but sometimes it's in the way, especially since I did actually look at the gamepad map most of the time. It's a handy tool though I'm not sure if the tab design for switching between map and items was best practice. I might have liked a 3rd option that had the mini-map with some items to pull from.

One improvement I would like added here would be to be able to write notes like in Phantom Hourglass. The reason for this is because I found some treasure chests, but was unable to access them until I found an item. I would have liked to make a note for myself, which I could do with the 3DS built-in game notes, but the Wii U doesn't have such a function.

To be fair, you can share pictures like this on Miiverse with your notes.

Back to the improvements, I'll claim that Amiibo was implemented fairly well. Since Link is one of the most popular Amiibos, it's generally safe that the player has Link or maybe Toon Link. Using the Link (or Toon Link) amiibo restocks arrows, which is a useful function without being game-breaking. The only caveat is that you cannot do it more than once a day (I don't know how it works if you have multiple Link Amiibos).  Now if you bought the edition with the Wolf-Link Amiibo (a.k.a. the Midna Amiibo), you can play a special gauntlet of enemies as Wolf-Link. What I've learned form doing that is that the wolf form is more powerful than the Master Sword and sometimes easier to defeat some enemies.

Last improvement to note is the option to use motion controls. You may not want them, but I found to be using it more often the the control stick. Why? Because I could move the camera at just the right speed and precision for my target. It is on by default, but turning it off is as simple as going to Collection screen (Down on the D-Pad) and then Settings (lower-right corner). However, I do suggest to try using them for the whole game. The same rule applies here as with every Nintendo motion controlled game: the game initializes its tracking based off your controller's location at the instant you regain control. So if you use the clawshot to reach a location, it will re-initiliaze after you reach that location so you need to make sure that your controller isn't at a funny angle. It was like this for Wii Sports Resort, Skyward Sword, and Splatoon. I think most of those who hate motion controls really just don't pick up that this is how it works.

Now, if you already know you don't like Twilight Princess, this port probably won't change your mind. The story and pacing is still the same. While some of the core gameplay has been improved thanks to the gamepad and motion controls, you still have to deal with the mandatory mini-games and side-quests. On the other hand, if your complaint was the graphics, they look nice here. At least as nice as I recall them back in 2006. If you were wondering about picking this up, then hopefully this analysis proved to be helpful.

Does this make anyone else think about the Wii U tech demo? The room here was very nicely done

Impressions: Rodea the Sky Soldier for the Wii (not Wii U)

I've been busy the past few weeks and will continue to be so. Therefore, I do not know when I'll be able to write a full review after beating Rodea the Sky Soldier. However, since I do have time today, I can write most of my impressions for the Wii version. The consensus I have found online is that this is the best version even though it's only available in the Wii U for the first run. Can you still find it? I say most likely since I was able to get it as well even it's been weeks after the release. I believe that until the publisher says something about the game, there won't be a second run. The shame is that the Wii version is a neat game even with my critiques.

Rodea is an important game for a number of reasons. First, it was announced at the end of the Wii's time and the beginning of the 3DS lifecycle; a time where there were no real support for either. Second, it was by the man behind Sonic the Hedgehog and NiGHTS. When you realize who the developer was, it isn't surprising to see the influences from those two series. Now I haven't played NiGHTS, but I hear it's good and the images I've seen of gameplay show the influences it has on this game.

The basic summary of gameplay is you flying to reach a destination. You collect things called gravitons and when you hit a chain at a specific angle, your flight is guided to complete the chain. Collect 100 and you get a 1-Up. Special stages require certain amounts of gravitons with the goal being to collect a shiny object. You can find item boxes with extra gravitons, 1-Ups, and even a barrier to protect you from 1 hit. Guided paths can be speedy loops, launch points, grinding experiences, speed boost panels. Enemies consist of machines trying to attack living organisms. To attack foes, you perform an homing spin attack which also acts as your boost to reach your destination faster. Sound familiar?

Wii U version screenshot since I can't find official Wii ones

That being said, the gameplay actually works nicely and tries a few new ideas. The game is played with just the Wiimote without the nunchuck. You use the wiimote to point to your destination and then press B to fly. If you just press B, you'll fly in a small but fairly straight arc, but if you swing a bit, the arc will grow. This allows you to attack from the sides or change directions without having to change the camera angle. The latter being useful for gravitron chains. I do advise that you take breaks every stage or two to let your wrist relax from the pointing position.

The damage system is close to Sonic's but not as mean. Each level starts with you able to take 2 hits before death, but you generally can find a flight upgrade which are fairly generously placed throughout the level. The upgrade not only grants you one more hit, but doubles your attack power and distance you can fly with one press. Add the barrier and you can take up to 4 hits at a time. Also, weapon upgrades count as flight upgrades, so you'll almost always be at maximum power. However, once you are down to 1 hit, you are in danger since your flight ability is very weak and you cannot attack anything.

Remember that I said the primary gameplay is when you are flying? When you are in the air, things are fairly smooth and neat. However, once you land, the gameplay feels slow. You move Rodea by using the d-pad on the wiimote while moving the camera by pointing the wiimote at the borders of the screen. This camera movement is incredibly slow and there's no option to speed it up. You also control the camera the same way in the air, but generally the game does a good job in getting it close enough to the right angle for smooth gameplay. That being said, I feel like the game would greatly improve if the d-pad could quickly control the camera when you're in the air, especially during boss battles.

When you are fighting a lot of foes, sometimes it is best to completely give up controlling the camera and switch to automatic view. By pressing the (-) button on the wiimote, you lock on to the nearest enemy and switches when it's defeated until there are no enemies close enough anymore. This is helpful because the camera will shift fast, allowing you to more effectively chain and attack. There is one power up that allows you to quickly lock to multiple foes and attack quickly but I found it slightly hard to master. Luckily, you only need it for a few sections and there you have plenty of time to use it.

It's the Saiyan Scanner thing

Speaking of time, you generally don't have to worry about it, unless you are allowed only to play for 15 minutes at a time. Levels are fairly long which is why I suggest you take breaks. Keeping your wrist at the point position for a long time will make it hurt. There are unfortunately a few sections where you have to race the clock or you lose a life. On the bright side, you generally have a lot of lives and checkpoints are fairly well placed. So far, there's only one time where I had to start back further than I wanted to and I'm on section 22 or 24.

Perhaps the most annoying feature besides the camera is the voice acting. However, NIS America was gracious enough to include 4 languages, including the original Japanese. Once I switched to Japanese, I can totally stand the story now and practice my Nihongo. From the amount of knowledge I have, they pretty much translated everything literally, which is good. Also, if you want more Sonic similarities, I see the same attitude vibe from Rodea every now and then.

Multiplayer is included in the Wii version, but the stages need to be unlocked and are pretty much standard Sonic competition. In other words, they aren't so great. It's a split screen experience and can be played with up to 4 players, but you may want a big TV if you want to try. My TV is pretty small so it's no good for me to get 3 of my friends to even attempt.


So what's my recommendation? I like it so far and do want to play it more often than I have. However, I'm quite busy and when I have free time, the TV is in use. Luckily I can use the Wii U gamepad as my "TV" and play it that way when I really want to, assuming it has a charge and my sister isn't playing Splatoon. If you like Sonic the Hedgehog or NiGHTS, give the game a try if you can find the Wii version. I picked up the game brand new on Amazon for about $32 or $37 and I consider it worth it. If you are worried about the fact that Rodea looks like a Devil, I haven't seen any reference to that yet. The story is that Rodea is a machine who thinks he has a heart and wants to stop the evil robot empire. Anyways. Happy flying!

Accessibility

    When Nintendo released the Wii, they were onto something with the reduction of buttons and change in design of the controller. The original NES controller also had very few buttons and this made it easy to learn controls. Something we must remember is that back then, there weren't any tutorials. Instead, the first level was where we experimented with the controls and then just started playing. I consider this important as this was how accessibility was defined, but we've lost that in modern gaming.
    Today's AAA games tend to be complicated with hours of gameplay or text devoted to explaining how to play. This actually hurts the game's value as those who quickly understand the controls don't want to sit through long tutorials. I know that every time I picked up a new Mega Man Battle Network game, I was annoyed by the tutorial stages that just seemed to go on forever. These levels are nice for new players, but they frustrate veterans and kill the reply value of the game. This actually brings about the ironic situation where the game may be accessible to newcomers, but not accessible to experts.
    On the flip side, if there is no explanation for a complicated game, then the developers risk isolating any new players. The solution is a proper balance. If the game is simple enough in gameplay, then no tutorials are needed. A good example is Super Mario Bros. where you move or jump. World 1-1 gave newcomers perfect environment to learn how to play the game while also not being annoying for experts to play. In fact, there are so many secrets in that level, experts would replay just to find them.
    Now what about complicated games? Fire Emblem: Awakening did a good job here as well. Instead of a time consuming tutorial, the player was given screens of text with picture examples with the option to skip and view later. This means new players can read the tutorials whenever they want to, making it a prime example of accessibility while not impeding those who already know the gameplay.
    Accessibility has a bad connotation in gaming to mean adding tutorials. However, it really means just making it so more people can enjoy and easily understand the game. It's a good goal, but it must be important to realize that it affects not only the novices, but also the experts. When that balance is achieved, the game is allowed to achieve greatness.

Inazuma Eleven First Impressions

Normally, I’d write a full review but that is unlikely to happen soon. I bought Inazuma Eleven as part of Nintendo’s eShop sale and I even reach Chapter 4, but now that Xenoblade Chronicles X has come out, my full focus has shifted to my most anticipated title of the year. However, Inazuma Eleven is not too shabby even if there are some minor annoyances in gameplay.

To start off, Inazuma Eleven is a Soccer RPG developed by Level 5.  The game is also primarily controlled by the stylus which is the best way to play but you may want to invest in a bigger stylus lest your hands cramp. When moving around the world, you can use the circle pad and buttons to move, which I often do, but once a battle or match starts, you need the stylus. In these modes, you draw lines for your team to follow and tap in order to pass or kick the ball. It is important though that you still use the circle pad to move the map so that you have a better view of your team. It’s the map aspect that makes me wonder if the game is better suited for the iPad but the stylus is pretty important.

Matches are the major battles. You have a full 11v11 match but these are also what progresses the story meaning you don’t always play to play soccer and you have a ton of cutscenes. The first few matches make it clear you can only succeed if you perform certain special moves. However, when you first start playing, it’s likely difficult to accomplish the one simple goal and failure means going through a lot of cutscenes again and pointless “gameplay”. This makes it annoying that you cannot save halfway through or the lack of checkpoints. However, once you get the hang of the gameplay, things start getting better. 

Battles are the Random Encounters of this JRPG. They consist of either scoring the first goal or stealing the ball within a time limit in a 4v4 format. They occur fairly often and reward you with 2 currencies and experience if you win. However, if you lose or run away, you lose some of both currencies. On the plus side, winning one round can make up for losing 7. The problem I have with the battles format is that the AI is dumb. Your teammates tend to go where you can’t see them, meaning you have to constantly move the map while defending the ball somehow. The map is also fairly small as it’s a 4v4 but its width is no different. This is annoying because your teammates also like going along the edges instead of actually towards the goal. This means that even if you pass to them, you have to move them back in order to be in range of the goal. With the Steal the Ball, your goalie will keep running back to the goal instead of actually helping you, resulting in a 3v4. In Matches, the AI is better but it’s still long.

To help with the bad AI, you have the ability to pause the game and draw routes for your players to follow. This is perhaps the game's best Risk-Reward implementation as they will continue to follow those lines even if things don't go the way you expected. You can change the lines, but that will have to be in real time as you have to wait before you can use another "timeout". It is important to note that any time the action is paused that you can draw routes, this includes during action decisions and kickoffs. When you master using these opportunities, things get to be pretty fun.

The next annoyance would be the Special Moves cutscenes, they get tiresome after a while and I wish that there was a "Turn Off Animation" like in Fire Emblem. These special moves are also somewhat of a gamble as you don't know when your opponent will use one.

Anyways these were my quick and poorly written impressions. I actually have found myself wanting to keep playing even when my wrists hurt. I really enjoy playing soccer and found myself as a strategist when playing, so this game is almost a perfect match for me. If you want more information about the story, there's an anime with a few episodes on the eShop that appears to follow the game's plot pretty well. Enjoy!

Games and Violence

I originally wrote this piece on my Philosophy Blog, but I feel like it deserves a place here as well as the ideas behind it haven't changed. Enjoy.


               Lately, video games are receiving the bad rep of leading to an increase of violence. This idea has been exaggerated to the point of games being blamed for shootings. Yes, these are terrible crimes and we should work to prevent them in the future, but in order to do that, we need to make sure our attention is in the right place.

                Games are only the latest to be blamed for violence. Before that, it was television. Then it was movies and comics. Books and stories have been blamed for a long time for inciting the people. That is why there is a thing called censorship, but that is an argument for a different time. As I was indicating, placing the blame on a single part of society has been around for quite a long time, and it’s always the “latest” thing.

                While some people agree that it cannot be pinned on just video games, they merely extend it to all of media. They are on the right track, but still are missing key information. They are still making broad generalizations in this modern day “witch hunt,” which also is another topic for another day.

                One of the causes for this mob is the lack of understanding. There’s that old saying that “people fear what they do not understand”. They cannot explain it, thus it is illogical and evil. Some people misunderstand it, and combined with the other group, a mob is formed. For the case of “witch” hunts, some people attributed resurrection and healing to black magic and the devil. In a Christian world, this cannot be done because it acts against the nature of their religion, considering the story of their savior healed people and raised them from the dead. Thus people need to first try to understand the issue correctly, hence my essay on the Allure of Video Games.

                In the case of video games and many aspects of the media, there is this tendency to paint everything under the same brush. Since the news generally reports only the bad stuff that happens, most of the public only hears of the bad stuff. They get the impression that video games are only Call of Duty and since they feature guns, they lead to real life shootings. I don’t know of anyone whose skill with a controller means they can handle a real gun.

                Now it is certainly possible that first person shooters can lead to real life shootings, only because we are human and thus stupid. But even then, there are two major prerequisites. First, there needs to be a disregard to the value of life, especially of innocents. Second, the guy needs to be crazy. And of course, people can argue the first implies the second or vice versa.

                Why those two? Because even with the abundance of violence in the media, that should not make it easier to kill people if we value the concept of life. And as long as we are not insane, we can maintain that view. As long as our heroes still show a respect for life, even of the criminals, then I would think that would prove my point. To my knowledge, the nature of Batman and Superman is still to let the law handle it, and the versions that don’t do that are turned into insane villains.

                While I acknowledge the possibility of causation, that's all it is. A possibility. A 1 out of 5 billion chance that someone will go crazy and somehow that is the cause. Do video games lead to increase of aggression? Not as much as just bringing up the idea of politics does. Politics are the cause of many innocent killings and shootings, and they get funding, but we haven't banned that yet. Is it fair for me to paint all political activity under the same brush?

                On that note, most games are not Call of Duty. There is still Mario, Portal, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Minecraft, etc. In fact, in Nintendo games, the player rarely encounters another human-like foe.  I remember being told, “Don’t go into video games, because those are dens of evil.” Uh, no. Video games are art, the formation of something created in someone’s mind. Just like a movie or a painting, whether requested or not. There may be an abundance of bad art, but that doesn't mean there are not good ones. Even then, I wouldn't necessarily say Call of Duty is bad art per se.

                Is there an over abundance of violent video games? Probably, but since I don't play them so often, that leads to another thing. I've already mentioned there are alternatives, and they are popular. That means the consumer and gamer has choices in what games they play. Parents have choices in what games they let their children play. If they are buying primarily "Mature" content for a 10-13 year-old, then I would think there are far more fundamental problems going on there than the kid playing a game.

                One last thing I will address. I heard someone say that there is a “study” that playing video games cause people to be more irritated. Everyday life causes people to become irritated. If we were to ban games based off that idea, sports would also be gone (remember that obsessed fans really go crazy). Then again, traffic, politicians, and bullies would also be banned, which could eliminate so many problems, though cause new ones. The thing is, we cannot disprove the idea that games are what kept shooters from acting earlier.

                There’s actually one more thing that came to my mind. I don’t know what are the real motivations of these shooters. Did they just not have any value for life? Was there a specific message they wanted us to see?  With all the attention that is given to shooters, you’d think there would be some focus on what made them snap. Too bad our society decides to focus on debating guns and burning video games instead.

Game On,

N. D. Moharo

What Makes a Game a Classic?

A while back, I wrote about Nintendo and its efforts to find its next One Game for the Wii U. When you think about it, that's one big difference between the Wii U and the 3DS. The Wii U has great games, but the 3DS has Classics. Why do I make that claim? Perhaps it's best to examine what makes a game a classic. (By the way, feel free to comment. I could use some good minds to bounce ideas off of) When we think about the classic games of older generations, you tend to think of only a few titles. They also tend to be normally only one game per series (games that aren't true sequels can buck this trend like in Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda). In these titles, there is something spectacular about them. Yes, most of them are innovative, but some are actually the perfect realization of an earlier game (like Crash Bandicoot 2, Mega Man II, or Mega Man X).

Just because a game is fairly innovative and unique, it doesn't mean it will achieve classic status. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a neat game and twist on the Puzzle Genre, but as I mentioned before, I don't hear of people clamoring for a Wii U just to play it. In contrast, Portal became a phenomenon that made a lot of people call in sick in anticipation for its sequel. Both are fairly unique puzzle games but Portal makes you want to replay through its appeal. Captain Toad, on the other hand, has the puzzle genre problem. Once you solve the puzzle, you remember the solution and so replaying doesn't feel as satisfying. Portal, though, has a mastery element to it and gives you a feeling of success as you play again and again.

Thinking with Portals

That mastery element is key to crafting a classic. Some gamers seek challenging games, but even the seemingly simple game can have levels of mastery. Pokemon Red and Blue could be beaten by anyone, but those who wanted to be the very best were free to do so. Similar could be said of the original Super Mario Bros. Many people who enjoyed it probably never beat it, but they loved it and those who wanted to go further could do so. Because that game has become so ingrained in our culture, we forget that it's actually a fairly difficult game. Speaking of Super Mario Bros. that game is essentially the key to every classic title. There's a reason why people talk about it so much and why it could be played on almost every Nintendo platform since. It is the classic of classics. The first level is referred to as the best example of how to do a first level. Its design is set so that you learn the mechanics quickly and yet at your own pace. The music is so catchy that even those who never played it would recognize it. However, you don't need to listen to me go on and on about that game, just to see the lessons you could learn from it and other great titles.

When I say mastery is key, I mean it. This is because a classic game is not only easy for beginners to pick up, it does not insult the intelligence or capability of those who wish to master it. Super Mario Bros World 1-1 is essentially a tutorial level but not many would realize it. Likewise, the original Legend of Zelda allowed you to figure things out on your own, placing you in a safe environment but allowing you to explore despite how dangerous it is to go alone. Ocarina of Time also made it quick and easy to pick up and play while Twilight Princess took ours before you finally felt like you were playing.

Another important characteristic of classics is they stick to their core gameplay. This is one of the faults of Skyward Sword; a good game, but packed too much side content and made it mandatory. This distracts from the core gameplay and makes it a barrier for those who who want to replay. For example, the silent realm may have been a neat concept, but it stresses me out and the main reason why I haven't replay it. A characteristic of classics is that even when you lose all of your data, you want to play it again. Even if you can't beat the game, you are fine playing it again and again. I remember not being able to progress far in Super Mario Bros. 3 but I also spent many joyful hours replaying the first world over and over. And that boot level... who could ever expect the amount of joy that comes from one level?

 

Best Level Ever! :D

So what games does the 3DS have that I consider classics? It would be cheap to call Ocarina of Time 3D a classic since it's really an N64 classic but the 3D version is still great game and, in my opinion, the best version for someone to pick up. As for classics that originate on the 3DS, Kid Icarus: Uprising is the first I think of. The second and possibly my favorite original 3DS title is Fire Emblem: Awakening. While both latter have a considerable amount of content that is online based, meaning they will be lost after the internet support is gone, they have plenty of gameplay and enjoyment within their built-in single player campaigns. Even without their online components, I would not find it difficult to recommend either of those two games.

 

What do you think? This certainly isn't a perfect view because through this, I wouldn't consider Metroid or Metroid Prime as classics. However, those are highly regarded as classics so perhaps I am too picky in my assessment.

Game Review: Pokemon Shuffle for 3DS

Nintendo has tried its hands in many things. Some of its attempts at F2P were pretty cool. We got Rusty's Real Deal Baseball and Steel Diver: Sub Wars. While the former required to buy each individual game, you could haggle in-game and just buy the ones you thought were interesting. The latter gave everyone an awesome Strategic First Person Shooter with the full purchase granting more single-player content and more access to subs and crew. However, I never felt as if I needed to purchase the full title to really enjoy the game. Pokémon Shuffle can be thought of similarly, but it does require a different mindset.

Pokémon Shuffle for the 3DS is a variation of the match-3 gameplay that was popular facebook and then smartphones. The "twist" is that you match three or more of the same Pokémon to unleash an attack against another. Once you defeat a Pokémon , you have a chance to capture it and then use it in your team. Many Pokémon traits carry over from the main games, such as elemental weakness, leveling up, and Mega Evolution. I still even feel the need to continually tap the screen or A while trying to catch a Pokémon . However, the limiting factor the Pokémon Company has placed on the game is the heart limit which in turn determines your play time per session.

Either wait or pay up if you want to play more

You start off with 5 hearts and each stage you play requires you to use one. Once you use the first heart, a 30 minute timer counts down to replenish that heart. However, you can only recover one heart per 30 minutes. In my initial playtime, a match can take an average of 1-2 minutes, longer as you progress, so you have to wait 2 hours and a half just for about 10-30 minutes of gameplay. Either that, or you can spend some jewels to replenish your hearts. If you run out of jewels, then you can actually purchase more from the eshop, with a limit of 150. Another way you can obtain jewels is to streetpass with other people who own the game. If you defeat a trainer for the first time, you receive another jewel. There is also a "Check In" feature that can grant you some items but you can only do it once per 24 hours. To be honest, I saved 10 out of the 12 jewels the game gives you within the first 150 stages. You can beat the game without them.

When you do battle, you are given only a certain number of moves to defeat a Pokémon . Some Pokémon like Eevee will grant you 15, others like Torchic only give you 5 moves to win. However, if you plan your moves right and if you are super lucky, you can pull off a large enough combo to win within a couple of moves. If you run out of moves during a fight, then the game will ever-so-kindly ask if you would like to spend a jewel for five more turns.

Few moves and many disruptions

It's easy at first to dismiss the game as exceedingly simple but I've found a few layers of complexity and strategy hidden beneath those smiling faces of monsters. In addition to the move restriction, different Pokémon will use various disruptions to make your game more difficult. One disruption freezes an icon in place while another replaces Pokémon with blocks or even other Pokémon . Now more Pokémon might sound good, but this game is actually where having less Pokémon is better, hence the Complexity -1 item costs 9000 coins. I certainly needed it to defeat Mewtwo at the very end. Speaking of items, if you use the in-game currency of coins before a battle, you gain a respective boost whether it be 5 more moves or starting with Mega Evolution. However, that strategizing begins even sooner than that. When you select a stage, you can edit your team to try and take advantage of various weaknesses or abilities. There is handy optimization button which has the same pick a team for you based of power and elemental strengths. I tend to use that a lot, but I also make fine changes to my team from time to time. For example, the optimization button likes me to have Audino for support, but I like to use Kangaskan and try to Mega Evolve him. Eevee is slightly weaker than Audino, but his ability speeds up the Mega Evolution process. On the other hand, if there are only 3 moves, then I might as well use Audino.

To add to the challenge, there is an expert mode that has you fight Pokémon under a time limit instead and in that case, spending a jewel at the end grants you only 15 more seconds. If that sounds messed up, I will agree with you. While you could argue that the extra chance gives you a chance to catch that Pokémon , I find it hard to argue that it is worth the equivalent of 5 hearts. It's even worse when you consider the alternative is spend a jewel beforehand, get 3000 coins, buy the extra 10 seconds and you probably also have enough for a great ball to increase the odds of catching that Pokémon . On the bright side, if you do obtain enough jewels, you end up with enough gameplay for a while (12 jewels gives 80 hearts). When looking at the cost, that's about $9 when you buy the package set, roughly the cost of a fully downloaded title like Pokémon Battle Trozei. To be honest, I probably would buy that game before buying so many jewels for this title. At least streetpass in combination with the Nintendo Zone gives another way to obtain jewels, I just think they could have at least made you start with 7 hearts instead of 5 since starting with 10 would probably mean no one would ever buy the jewels.

the middle one is slightly more expensive than Pokemon Battle Trozei. Just get that instead and play in tandem

If you do need a reason to connect online, I would say the main reason would be the 500 coin bonus and the special events. For example, the "Daily Pokémon" event allows you to capture a different Pokémon once a day. In addition to that, there are competitions often where you can obtain Mega Stones. Another common event is to capture a legendary Pokémon like Mew! I'm curious to see what other special events the Pokémon Company has planned. It's certainly a reason to open the game every day.

It might be tempting to try and catch every Pokémon the first time around. My advice is to resist the urge. Great Balls are expensive and that money can afford two helpful items in the hard battles. Save your coins for when you require those items. Also, I count on those missed Pokémon to add replay value after beating the 150 stages. Also, some Pokémon just never get used. After catching Pokémon there was never a good opportunity to use him. There were only 3 more fire types, and by then, I had better Pokémon to use.

So how is the best way to enjoy this game? I found watching a TV show and playing during the breaks work nicely. If I feel like waiting the full 2 and a half hours, then I can easily play Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate during that time. Or I can play a stage or two and then go for a quick jog. So the only thing this game is not conducive to for the tightly-budget or more fiscally responsible is long play sessions. On the other hand, it's easy to start up and play for 2 or 5 minutes at a time, meaning it's a good game for small periods of waiting like for your girlfriend to use the bathroom in a mall. Perhaps you'll even get some streetpasses. After all, it's not a horrible game, it's just annoyingly designed as an F2P to try and make money from the impatient. So parents, I highly suggest limiting the online purchasing feature for this game or at least make sure your kids don't have access to a credit card.



Update 4/18/16
The game has been steadily updated since its initial release over 1 year ago. Since then, there have been a few neat improvements

• More items have been added to assist in leveling up your Pokemon and speeding up Mega Evolution
• A lot more stages have been added
• There is now a recommendation system for if capturing a Pokemon is a good idea
• There is a mission system that unlocks bonuses
• Extra hearts can be saved for later instead of used before your timed ones
• You now see how powerful a Pokemon is right after you caught it
• Some stages make use of weaker Pokemon you never use
• You can now see how much experience is required to reach the next level
• You now see how much experience is gained from a battle
• Saturdays are Victini days where battling against him can get your Pokemon lots of experience; Also, he's a powerful Pokemon so it's useful to be able to capture him once a week 
• You can face off against Meowth on Sundays to earn lots of coins. I generally gain 2000 or more. Useful to use Mewtwo so that you can pull off more combinations
• If you want a challenge, you can try the new gauntlet-mode 

So I haven't received many jewels when I get a streetpass. However, if you don't streetpass with someone for a few days, once you finally do, you get 2 bonus hearts. If you streetpass a lot, then you get hearts for every 10. I like to save these for escalation battles as you battle the same Pokemon a lot for bonuses. These tend to be good Pokemon as well

So I gave it a recommendation before and now it's even better. The same suggestions apply so if you can hold to them, this may be the game you play the most

The Allure of Video Games

I originally wrote this piece on my Philosophy Blog, but I feel like it deserves a place here as well as the ideas behind it haven't changed. Enjoy.

           Video Games have been getting attention lately. This attention will probably spike up too since E3 is around the corner. This event is considered one of the biggest video game conferences of the year. Also, details surrounding the successors of two popular consoles are expected to be given. So what makes video games so popular?

           While visiting another country, I asked a female college student how she plays. She told me how she does not spend money on the hobby and plays for maybe three hours a week of Dance Dance Revolution or Mario Kart. However, her motivations were just as important. When I asked her why she played games and the language barrier got in the way, she wrote on my paper the words “Reality Escape.”

            In my own experience, the phrase “escape from reality” addresses many issues. It can deal with boredom, stress, or depression. For example, when I was writing a research paper, I would feel the urge to go and play my Nintendo 3DS instead when I could not think of anything to write. Then after I had relaxed a little, I would return to writing. Similarly, in an interview with a Japanese student, she mentioned video games were something pleasant to do on the train rides. It is not uncommon to see Japanese people of all ages playing some sort of game in their commutes; In Tokyo, I saw a businessman playing Dragon Quest on a Nintendo 3DS.

           In that same discussion, she discussed how the games would be set in various places, from mythological to historical. While this relates to the idea of “Reality escape,” it also links to the idea of experience. Each game provides a certain experience for players to enjoy. Similar to my previous interviewee, she likes Dance Dance Revolution and music games. In contrast, she also enjoys action games like Monster Hunter. When I talked to one of my “hardcore gaming” friends in America, he said, “Maybe the biggest reason they are so much fun is they allow me to experience a lot of different things without as much investment.” This perhaps plays into why gamers look forward to “new games.” Games help fill the desire for new experiences, especially when bored. However, one game can only provide a certain amount of “new experience” before the gamer needs something else.

          What sort of experiences could make games appealing? One explanation would be dreams. Dreams are the aspirations of an individual. They encourage and drive a person to do many things. However, we, as humans, have a variety of desires and passions. Games allow us to tap into each and every one of them, even the ones that are impossible. In a video game, I can be Superman. I can fly through Metropolis. Of course, a video game is therefore a safer way of living that dream for a five-year-old than the top bunk bed and a towel for a cape.

          How do games provide these “experiences”? They borrow techniques from other mediums. Most games have art and strive to make it appealing. They contain music to help substantiate the experience and create a mood. They also have narrative and some have fantastic stories. Looking at these elements, there is nothing different between video games and movies. However, there is one and that is the level of immersion.

          Whether or not people think about this, the aspect of controlling a character as if it was you is very important. My Japanese source from before mentioned in her interview that she “can play video games like I am in the video game.” This helps enforce the escape from reality. Whether are on a train or in the living room with nothing to do, games provide an “alternative you” to control. The player is able to make choices or perform actions as if it was them. Movies allow the audience to see the world created, but they need to work hard in order to have the audience feel involved. By giving the player some control, games are easier to become immersed.

           Of course, all of this is not to take away from games’ initial and source of appeal. Games are made to be enjoyed. All of these qualities and more are taken into account with the purpose of determining how fun is a particular game.  If games were not enjoyable, then there probably would not be any games. However, the popularity of something like the Wii for families help cement the idea that many people will buy and play something that they might consider fun

The term “fun” comes into play more when discussing the two major groups of gamers; Casual and Hardcore. I asked my gaming friend, who served as a president for a “Game Club” in college, about what he considered to be the difference between these two terms. His response was “the reasons people play. Casual people are more interested in experiencing the games and having fun. A hardcore gamer likes to put their skills to the test and wants challenging game play.” This challenge that players seek in their games can be related to how some members of a sports team practice very hard, simply to be the best.

            While there are these two groups of players, it is important to remember that the titles cover mainly the two polar sides. Many players find themselves in the middle. In my interviews with the Japanese student and an American counterpart, both described themselves as not really being a part of either camp. They would talk about how they play a little more than “casual” gamers, but not to the extent of or as competitive as “hardcore.”  

             So why do people play video games? Are they dreamers? Do they desire competition? Or maybe they just want some fun instead of being bored on a train? There is no single answer to those questions. Gamers are part of a global race called “humans,” in which everyone is unique and possess different tastes. As a result, any of the reasons given or not or combination of any could explain the mass appeal of video games. Thus, perhaps the main reason for the love of games is there are many reasons.

Game On,

N. D. Moharo