First year with the 3DS good for gamers and what does this mean for the Vita?

With the anniversary of the 3DS coming up soon I was lamenting the lack of titles worth playing available for the 3DS.

“I can count them on two hands and they are all remakes!”, I sorrowfully spoke. After carefully and scientifically tallying the titles worth playing using the objective ‘my opinion’ method I had to concede that just over half of the games so far are remakes. Still, I concluded, this has to be worse than the first year for the DS. The answer may surprise you. Although only three of the worthwhile games for the 3DS so far could be called new it was not far behind the original DS’s four offerings. Once you consider the totals including remakes the situation begins to look much nicer.

3DS games worth playing since launch: 8

DS games worth playing year one: 5

So why the initially poor perception of this first year?

A few things come to mind. First off it is hard to think of the system as having anything new to offer when more than half of the great games are remakes. This is compounded by the fact that Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 were only recently released and that once you look outside of a small must play games the 3DS has almost nothing game wise to offer.

So why haven’t we gotten more awesome games that are closer to the console experience like Nintendo promised?

There are a few likely factors here. The hardware doesn’t support easy ports of console games. This is an issue spec wise as well as the nature of the hardware. With only a single analog stick many console game types do not work on the 3DS. Perhaps the new thumb stick accessory will address this but I for one am not holding my breath. The other major factor is that development budgets for portable games are shrinking with the new expected low price point of the mobile market. I’d argue that the depth and playablity offered by the likes of Super Mario 3D Land justifies the price difference of $39.99 compared to the best iPhone platformer which likely has the price point of .99-2.99. This is becoming a hard pill for many consumers to swallow. The end result seems to be that we are getting mobile quality games on the 3DS at the 39.99 price point. This theory would explain the markedly large quality gap between the top tier 3DS games and the rest of the pack. Ugh!

So what does this have to do with the Vita?

The Vita has a hard road ahead. They have to do what Nintendo has so far failed to do and that is to create a software lineup that really offers a console experience on the go. The full priced Vita games must be full experiences even is this means relegating some decent size releases to the status of download only PS Vita Minis. Also first party support has to be stronger than Nintendo’s support for the 3DS to lure gamers away from both the 3DS and their cell phones. This means releasing handheld games made with a console budget at console quality. Can this be done? I sure hope so, and based on what I have seen so far I think the Vita is enough of a powerhouse and well designed machine to pull a console experience on a portable off. Even if they don’t I’ll still be happy with a pretty excellent first year of games on the 3DS.

Must play 3DS remakes so far

Legend of Zelda :Ocarina of Time

Kirby’s Adventure

Dead or Alive Dimensions

Rayman 3D

Star Fox 64 3D

3DS New fun titles so far

Super Mario 3D Land

Mario Kart 7

Ghost Recon Shadow Wars

Must play DS remakes worth playing Year One

Super Mario 64

DS New Fun titles Year One

Wario Ware Touched

Advance Wars: Dual Strike

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

Mario Kart DS

Netflix Streaming on DS Rumor

By far the best recent Nintendo DS rumor is one from Kotaku that speculates that Netflix is coming to the Nintendo DS. Read the full story at the link bellow.

Link!

Sony Now Shilling for Nintendo?

Go to http://www.pspgo.co.uk/ right now and you are in for a delicious treat. The page currently looks like this.
Rumor has it that Sony refused to buy the site from a registrant in China so the owner cloned Nintendo's site. Hilarious!

UPDATE: Looks like the DSi page is down :(. Still it was funny while it was up.

Double Lawsuit System released for iPhone.

In some sort of bizarre handheld gaming convergence a company called ZM2 has released an app for the iPhone that emulates the Nintendo DS. Not the games but the physical object and front end. I am counting the seconds before it is pulled when Apple gets a friendly call from Nintendo. It is available NOW from the app store, though probably not for much longer.



Check out the devs website bellow.
http://www.zm2dev.com/

UPDATE:
Video currently does not play and looks like this...

Zero Punctuation Reviews GTA Chinatown Wars.

Zero Punctuation does hilarious and somewhat foul video reviews. Check out the review for GTA Chinatown Wars.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/657-Grand-Theft-Auto-Chinatown-Wars

Definitive Gameboy Timeline.

I published a brief handheld gaming timeline quite a while ago but it does not begin to compare to the less inclusive but very slick timeline at Gizmodo. Check it out at the link. http://gizmodo.com/5222211/the-definitive-game-boy-timeline

Here is the less impressive, slightly updated, and more inclusive timeline from i am handheld.

1979
Milton Bradley releases the first cartridge-based handheld video game system MicroVision. Nothing much happens in portable gaming for the next 10 years.

1989
Nintendo releases the Game Boy system. It's boxy has a lousy screen and is ugly as hell but everyone loves it.
Tetris is arguably the most important handheld game ever. It is released for the Game boy which sells like crazy.
Atari Lynx is the first color handheld video game system but it does not have Tetris and eats batteries. System will hang around for years wishing it found Tetris first.

1990
Sega releases the Game Gear in Japan.
Turbo Express is released which plays TG 16 carts.

1991
Europe and US get Game Gear.
Japan gets Parodius on the Gameboy, while US gets boring old R-Type.

1992
Watura Supervision is released along with games like Recycle Design and, Untouchable which perfectly describe the game system.
25 million Gameboys have been sold.

1993
Mega Duck & Cougar Boy game systems are released in Europe. US suffers from never receiving these systems.
Zelda first appears on a handheld.

1994
94 is a slow year in handheld gaming due to "Grunge". Only game released is "Stop That Roach!" on the Gameboy.

1995
Nintendo releases Virtual Boy. It's totally 3D! Gamers develop a collective migraine.
Game Axe is released which is a pirate handheld Famicom player. Thanks to NES on a chip technology spawns many imitators.
Sega Nomad released. Genesis heads now have excuse to lug their Genesis cartridge collection around with them. System only fits in duffle bags.

1996
Neo Geo Pocket is released in awesome black and white!

1997
Tiger Electronics releases game.com. Someone better have gotten fired!
Sega stops supporting Game Gear format.

1998
Nintendo releases Game Boy Color.
Sony PocketStation is a mem card and a portable game!
Pokemon invade the Gameboy and millions of parents have no idea what the hell their children are talking about.
Games are still being released for the Lynx. Lynx users are like "In your face Nintendo!"

1999
SNK totally copies Nintendo and releases Neo-Geo Pocket Color. Metal slug now fits in your pocket as well as some awesome fighting games.

2000
Wonderswan is released. A couple nerds want it to come out in the US but nobody cares about their needs.
Majesco re-releases the Game Gear. It is called Game Gear Core System.
Neo Geo Pocket releases another Metal slug game then gives up when GBA appears on the horizon.

2001
Nintendo releases the Game Boy Advance handheld system.
Advance Wars, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, F-Zero, and others are released for GBA. GBA is looking good.
GP32 is released, only a few nerds care. Homebrewers rock.

2002
Wonderswan Crystal is even more beautiful than it’s predecessor. It has a great library of RPGs but all are in japanesse.
GBA gets Zelda and Metroid, bathes in the blood of defeated game systems.

2003
Nokia releases the N-Gage It’s a phone and a game system. Casual gamers don't care. Hardcore gamers care even less.
Puzzle Bobble VS is releases for N-Gage. This game should be impossible to do a bad version of but somehow manages to get an average score of 22%.
Tapwave releases the Zodiac, it's a PDA made for games.
Timetap releases Gameking, China throws a party.
Game Theory Admiral is released which plays famicom games. Nintendo does not seem to care.
Nintendo counters with GBA SP and all the other systems fail.

2004
N-Gage QD is released and still sucks, just not as badly, not nearly as bad as the Gizmondo which would have almost been ok if it was a cell phone and is released next year.
Leisure Suit Larry: Pocket Party is cancled. This is possibly the final nail in the failing N-Gage's coffin. The world breathes a sigh of relief as a game called "Pocket Party" will not be played in public.
Wonderswan stops getting games. Still none in English.
Nintendo releases the Nintendo DS, and Pokemon Mini. This duel strike knocks all other mo-fos out.

2005
Sony releases PSP and handhelds are finally legitimized.
Gizmondo is released, Sticky Balls makes gamers snicker, Colors is canceled and Erickson crashes his Enzo. The End!
EZ Mini is released.
Also released is the GP2X which makes the GP32 nerds screamgasm with delight.
Nintendo can't stop itself and releases a lite version of the GBA SP, and Gameboy micro.

2006
The Nintendo DS Lite ups the sex appeal of Nintendo. Handheld games have officially exploded. Girls, casual gamers, your parents, and jocks officially play video games and carry them around in their pockets.
OneStation brings probably illegal games to savy importers at low prices.

2007
PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite are released.
iPhone releases.

2008
Pandora is scheduled to release but does not.

2009
DSi is released, PSP Go is announced, Wiz and Dingoo are released, Pandora looks more like vaporware.

DS game Scribblenauts wins best in show at E3.

IGN, Gamespot, and Gamespy have all named Scribblenauts best in show at E3. This is significant because no handheld game has ever taken the honor (Although the PSP did take the Critic’s choice award in 2004). I am super jazzed about this game. The basic game is a typical collect the stars to finish the level format however, that is where the similarities end. The player can write almost any kid safe noun on the bottom screen and the actual object will appear in game. Every previewer has a story about some awesome, hilarious, or unexpected, happening demoing the game. Including traveling thru time, summoning God and, riding dinosaurs. Bellow is the rather hokie game trailer



More Scribblenauts coverage at the links.
http://kotaku.com/5291395/portable-game-beats-console-games-for-the-first-time-ever
http://ds.ign.com/articles/991/991132p1.html

Super Mario 3 is Best when You Can Rewind.

This week sit back and enjoy a relaxing video blog, otherwise known as a "vlog". In it I ponder the age old question, "What portable platform is best for playing Super Mario 3?"

What I’m Playing on Vacation: Casual Game Mini Reviews.

When I left for vacation I brought two bags, one full of clothes and toiletries and the other packed with books and electronics. Portable gaming machines do not take up a huge amount of space but maximizing your gaming oomph and minimizing the amount of gear that has to be lugged around is a concern. Additionally I have not had a lot of time to sit down with a more involved game so most of my vacation gaming has been distinctly casual. In my opinion a lot of casual games are of the lowest quality. With that in mind this is the best of what I have been playing on vacation and what I would recommend for your casual game playing.

Line Rider iPhone:

I have been looking forward to Line Rider making its way to the iPhone since I saw some of the fantastic videos of the original flash version on YouTube. The game has caused enough of a splash to be ported both to the DS and iPhone. The game is barely a game in its original and iPhone form. Upon load the player is presented with a screen that is blank other than having a few drawing tools. There is no point or goal other then to draw a downhill course for a guy on a toboggan to sled down. The simplicity and creativity allowed are wonderful. With all the versions players can share their courses with other players which is very cool. It is pretty easy to pick up and put down and the game appears to auto save whenever the program is exited. The only gripe I have is that it is difficult to draw precisely with a finger on the tiny iPhone screen. Watch the video below and be amazed.

Check it out for free online at http://linerider.com/

Mawasunda Nintendo DS:

Mawasunda is a Japanese only mini game collection from Taito similar to Wario Ware for the Nintendo DS. The game does have a lot of Japanese which makes the game more challenging and interesting for a non-Japanese speaker. The games fall into 3 categories (Power, Technique, or Brain) and use what the games refers to as the MawasunderPAD which is a portion of the bottom screen that is rotated to play the mini games. Games have goals such as raising and lowering elevators or cracking safes in addition to slightly more outlandish goals such as keeping people upright on the subway or preparing food. Perhaps directly attempting to cash in on Wario Ware there are bits of vintage games included such as Arkanoid. None of the Mini Games feel quite as absurdist as the ones included in a Wario Ware Game however the sense of style that the game has somewhat makes up for the lack of over-the-topness. The gimmicky MawasunderPAD does get old after a bit however there are alternate controls for lots of the games. The biggest difference seems to be the amount of time spent playing the individual games. While Wario Ware mini games are very fast Mawasunda has a much more leisurely feel. It is not the perfect mini game collection but is a fun worthwhile diversion.

Puzzloop iPhone:

Puzzloop for the iPhone is a touch version of the flash game Puzzloop which people may know as Zuma or Luxor. It is the first of the match three games that have pieces that are on a spiral track around the center piece thrower. The game is really easy to play on the iPhone due to responsive controls and a generally well designed UI. I rarely find my finger covering important gameplay elements or accidentally touching the menu button which is a concern for almost all iPhone Games. The Puzzloop clone Zuma can be played at http://www.popcap.com/games/free/zuma and will give you a pretty good idea of what Puzzloop is all about.

Clubhouse Games Nintendo DS:

Clubhouse Games has something around 50 classic board and card games including solitaire, mahjong, and chess. They are all easy to play, with a good UI, decent AI as well as the option to play multiplayer either thru Local Wireless or Nintendo WFC. These are classics thru and thru. Value has been added by having a couple bonus modes that include Mission and Stamp. Stamp mode sends the player thru all the games one after another and Mission sets players up with specific goals to complete during play. For instance in the Bullshit Mission (the Clubhouse Games refers to the game as “I Doubt It”) the player must “Accurately call Cheater! (Bullshit) 5 times before anyone else wins.” Nothing groundbreaking however it does extend game-play.

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters? PSP:

Honestly the PSP does not really have many quality casual style games and since the DS and iPhone are excellent platforms for casual gaming I had a bit of difficulty naming a quality PSP game. Lumines and Echochrome, neither of which I have played, may be the entire list of quality casual games for the PSP. I’d like to open up the comments for any opinions on what are some good casual games on the PSP. Come on lurkers, don’t be afraid to speak up. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is the only PSP game I’ve played for the PSP while on vacation. On the subject of vacation, check out what the 5-0 drive in the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. This should more then make up for the lack of casual games on the PSP…

Korg DS-10.

I obtained a copy of the Korg DS-10 sequencer synth software for the Nintendo DS. This software is not currently available in the US however, since the DS is region free, the Japanese version plays fine on any DS. I have not yet fully explored what it can do however it is very easy to use out of the box. Rather then writing about the software I decided to just video it in use.

Starting out with the default pattern it is very easy to build up and experiment around with the sequencer. I played this thru the external speakers that my music equipment is hooked up to however the video camera itself is pretty low quality. It does show more or less how easy it is to use.


Once you have recorded a few sequences you can string them together into a song. Keeping things video game themed I call the following "Mario Variations". This was recorded directly from the DS speakers.


For under $70 this is well worth importing. It qualifies as a musical instrument rather then a game or toy. Very cool! I totally want to start a musical group that performs entirely on DS. Along with Jam Session and homebrew programs like Protein and Nitro Tracker it's totally doable. Surely there are enough DS armed music nerds in the Seattle area to start this group? Who is with me?

Mid-Week Links:

Wow, it's actually about something handheld! The trailer for Final Fantasy Tactics A2 which will have a US release on the DS very soon.

Sonic the Hedgehog Handheld Roundup.

A true side by side comparison of handheld machines is often difficult. This is due to the fact that there are not many games that are on several systems. One of the few exceptions to the rule is Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic is on so many platforms that it’s ridiculous. How the hell many times is the blue hedgehog going to have to go up against Dr. Robotnik? Read on for a partial count.

DS and PSP: The New

I have not played any of the Sonic games for the current generation of handhelds but as I understand they are quite decent. They share a lot of qualities that the GBA version has which almost puts them in a different category from the older handhelds. If for some reason you are actually here to get information before making a purchasing decision for a current gen handheld game, I would recommend Metacritic as a good place to start your research. If you want to know how Sonic compares on ‘classic’ handhelds, read on.

Game Boy Advance: The Awesome

Sonic Advance 2 was released in 2003 so Sonic is a little taller, a little more svelte, and much more sassy. He is the edgy Sonic. Some people might be turned off by the visual style, and ‘cool’ Sonictude, remembering the repeated failed attempts to both edgy up and bring Sonic into the realm of 3D gaming. This Sonic deserves a chance because, as I like to say, game-play is king. Even if you are turned off by the art style and the almost painfully self conscious attempts to make Sonic hip, give the game a chance. It is undeniable that his animation is excellent and he has a large move set which is set against some really nice art. It’s almost unfair to compare this Sonic to the original Sonic since they are so different in attitude. But strip away the attitude and some extra mechanics and there is a pure Sonic experience. This is Sonic at his best. Since it is compatible with anything from the GBA to the DS Lite there can be a bit of visual variation. Honestly it looks good on any of the platforms. The Micro and DS Lite screens are super bright so the colors really pop and are clear even at high speed. This Sonic is fast, hella fast, fast enough that there is a special move where he ‘breaks the sound barrier’ and can run across water. The level design is great, the visuals are great; this is an excellent game. If you like Sonic and have a system that can play GBA games, you should pick this up. I really have no caveats about this version of Sonic. It’s newer and it’s flashier but it is at the same time Sonic. Sonic with more bells and whistles which some fogies might not like but they should give it a chance. Beware though: don’t accidentally pick up Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis for GBA on accident. It is supposed to be awful.

Neo-Geo Pocket Color: The Good

The most needs to be said about Sonic on Neo-Geo because it is so similar to the original and yet has its own identity. Neo-Geo Pocket Color does not have a backlight however it is still a pretty fantastic handheld. It is 16 bit which should be the right amount of power for the classic side scrolling Sonic we know and love. I booted up my copy of Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure which came out in 99’. The Sega logo pops up and the familiar “Sega” sound byte precedes the title screen. The title screen has bright primary colors that pop as much as they can under proper light without any backlighting. The screen resolution is a bit low at 160x152 and the sprites have serious color limitations of a mere 4 colors per sprite. These limitations don’t hurt this port at all. As a matter of fact the limitations hurt none of the Neo-Geo Pocket Color games. The games are all perfectly designed for the system. In any case, Sonic only needs blue, red, white, and black and once Sonic is in motion you don’t even notice the low resolution. The game features Sonic solo for the bulk of the game perhaps to keep things fast. If that is the case, I applaud the developer. The game starts with the late 90’s sounding stage named Neo South Island which looks just like Green Hill Zone. Many of the stages have old school design but with newer sounding names. For example, Casino Zone becomes Cosmic Casino and Aquatic Zone becomes Aquatic Relix (if the game was made today the level would have undoubtedly been called Aquatic Relicz). The levels are generally well designed with a very original Sonic focus on speed for the bulk of the game. There is a distinct flavor to the game which makes it feel expansive with many paths for the player to follow. There are a couple exceptions such as the Sky Chase level which features a cameo by Tails who pilots a barnstormer type airplane which Sonic must ride on top of thru a side scrolling R-Type type level. These levels only slightly detract from the game and, if a bit unnecessary, do not hurt the game. This Sonic has a very basic move list consisting of just the power rev that was introduced in the second Sonic game on the Genesis. Once things get moving Sonic moves at just the right speed with no slowdown and no visible ghosting. The game is very enjoyable and is nearly flawless in its execution. The game does not feel cheap, there are not too many platforming sections that lead to instant death, the rings are a bit oversized to make them easy to see, and the enemy sprites look great. The boss battles follow the classic “find a way to hit the Dr. in the head” format but have a fair amount of variety. The sound is not great but the familiar Sonic tunes are all there. This is truly Sonic at the top of his game. It’s not quite the original but it is one of the best Sonics out there.

Sega Game Gear: The Bad

I took a look at both Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Game Gear. I’ll be clear up front: the negatives outweigh the positives on these. The game itself is solid enough but the Game Gear was not the right platform for Sonic. Sonic had to be on the Game Gear as he was the flagship character of the Sega Empire when the Game Gear was released. Unfortunately, the Game Gear can’t quite keep up with Sonic. Not in any processing way, no he moves along at full regular super sonic speed, but the screen! The screen has terrible ghosting which makes it very difficult to tell what is going on once Sonic gets sprinting. Add to this issue the fact that these are not straight ports and other issues creep up. Both of the Sonic the Hedgehog games on the Game Gear are only somewhat based off the originals on the Genesis but the feel is somehow quite different. Primarily, both of the games have a large amount of dangerous sections where a player moving at full speed will fall into a pit of spikes, lava, or a bottomless chasm. Perhaps this is a design decision to encourage players to play a bit slower or perhaps the designers merely wanted to be more similar to the Genesis sequels which tended to have a greater focus on platforming over the raw speed of the original Sonic. Regardless it is frustrating. Fortunately, at least in the first Sonic for Game Gear many of the spike pits have a bit of questionable collision and death can be avoided if they are hit at full tilt. The developer did at least make the sprites for both rings and enemies nice and large but it doesn’t really manage to make the games easy to play. A true Sonic fanatic might want to play these but in general these games are hampered by the hardware.

Game.com: The Ass

Sonic Jam is ass. Take everything bad I said about all the other versions of Sonic and they are worse in this version. Game.com tried to make the game appealing by having Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic and Knuckles in one package. Unfortunately they all suck. Here is the bad: the screen is hard to see and has awful ghosting, the game slows down terribly with more than a couple sprites on screen at once which, combined with the sluggish controls, makes things frustrating. If you wanted, you could easily count the frames of animation for the sprites of the main characters. The good: tails can fly by repeatedly pressing the jump button. This is kind of cool in a completely game breaking sort of way. I wish this was in a good Sonic game. Also the developer had the good sense to make the sprites absolutely huge so that they can be seen on the totally crappy Game.com screen. Bottom line, I have pooped better games in my sleep. The truly unfortunate thing is that it is possible that there could be a good game buried under all the technical limitations of the Game.com. I highly doubt it but can’t stand playing the game long enough to tell.

Sega Nomad: The Best!

Sega Nomad is your best option. Why? Because it is portable Sonic in its purest form. In case you don’t already know, the Nomad is the official portable Sega Genesis. Sure the Nomad has its faults: it eats batteries and does not have the best screen. However the Nomad can double as a Genesis and be hooked up to a TV and used with an external controller. The Genesis created Sonic and there is a reason it was shipped with the Genesis. Sonic was so good he could sell systems. Sonic on Genesis is what all other Sonic games must be measured against. And Nomad is the closest you can get without using a home console… Well, almost.

Zodiac, GP2X, and Your Cell phone: The Rest

Want to play Sonic on the go in its original form without owning a Nomad? There are options. I can’t speak to the quality of the versions of Sonic I have heard about for sale on the I-pod or Cell phone, but I understand they are pretty straight ports. There are also some VG Pocket and Onestation type options. These are funny little systems that come either preloaded with games or feature proprietary cartridges of dubious origin. I haven’t seen Sonic on these systems, but I have found the VG pocket and Onestation products to have very nice screens and generally nice hardware. The other option involves emulation. Unless you own the original cartridge and have checked your local laws, I cannot recommend this option. If you do own the cart and can legally back up your games, your few options include the Tapwave Zodiac (a gaming optimized PDA) or the GP2X. If you are going to go down this path I would recommend the GP2X as it has a strong homebrew community, runs Linux, a lovely backlit screen, and excellent controls. You could always hack your PSP but while Sony actively discourages homebrew, GP2X thrives on it.