Nintendo DS launch titles

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 2:27 pm

Mine: Mario's Pinball is not the worst thing to ever happen to Mario. Not by a LOOOONG shot.

Wait, so you're defending Mario Pinball? Oh, that's right, you still play PokÃƒÂ©mon.

Post by **Popcorn** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 2:49 pm

I think he has a point, to be honest. You bitch on Mario Pinball like it's the first spin-off Mario's ever been in.

Ngangbius · Post by **Ngangbius** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 2:55 pm

Oh hush, GG!. I know plenty of decent, people, kids to adults who plays Pokemon but who wouldn't lay a finger Mario Pinball. =P

And that crappy edutainment software does count as those companies could have created an original charater to sell their shatware but no, instead they had to drag Mario into that crap.

There is just something so...wrong and betraying to see a video game hero made for pure, mindless, enterainment to be thrust in an second-rate edutainment title. It's like...Sonic telling kids to "Rock the Vote".

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 3:40 pm

You bitch on Mario Pinball like it's the first spin-off Mario's ever been in.

Can't imagine how I gave that impression. If it were only the first, it wouldn't bother me nearly as much as it does. I'm using Mario Pinball as the example because it's just so completely out of left field that yes, I do personally consider it the most retarded spinoff yet, but it's just the icing on the cake. I don't care about Mario Party 6 or whatever it is we're up to now. I don't care about all these tennis and golf games. I don't care about Luigi's fucking Mansion and Wario World 3 or whatever. I sure as hell don't care about all the Mario Advance games or even Mario 64 X4.

You could make an argument for Mario Sunshine, which I would argue against, but it really has been over 8 years since the last genuine, quality Mario game. I gave the single example of Mario Pinball as a scapegoat because that seems to be the most blatant, shameless cash-in yet. I think it's fucking absurd that I have to explain this.

Also, the Software Toolworks educational games are completely irrelevant in this argument because they were never marketed to the same audience or in the same manner as the recent deluge of plumber-licensed dreck. Those were sold by Software Toolworks to parents as educational tools. Mario Pinball is being sold by Nintendo to players as a game.

Post by **Popcorn** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 3:51 pm

Oh hey, we're actually having a serious debate about this? I just read 'Mario Pinball is undeniable proof of the end' and thought 'Wait, in that case, why wasn't Mario Kart undeniable proof of the end, too'?

Is this Pinball game actually pretty bad, then? I assumed it'd be at least kinda decent... most of the spin-offs have been thus far. I don't know why you think a pinball game, which at least has obvious ties to video gaming, is any more 'retarded' or 'left-field' a concept than one where the characters drive fuckin' go-karts around.

Post by **Esrever** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:00 pm

Wow. The most striking thing about the DS launch title list is how almost every single game on there is a port or a sequel of a game that works perfectly well on a console with only one screen. I'm glad to see they're getting some use out of the stylus, but come on! How can you launch the Nintendo "Dual Screen" without at least one game that needs two screens?

Not that there ARE that many game concepts that would need two screens in the first place... but they could have at least come up with one for the launch.

The big difference between Mario Pinball and all the rest is that Mario Pinball is awful. Mario Party, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf... they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they're good at what they do. But Mario Pinball is just plain awful, and it looks even worse because Nintendo has made really good pinball titles out of their other liscences before.

edit: Yes, Pop, Mario Pinball is really, really bad. Though, I couldn't tell you how relevant that is to Gibs' argument.

Post by **Segaholic2** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:07 pm

I have yet to see any game that makes use of the DS's dual screens in a remotely innovative manner.

Post by **Popcorn** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:21 pm

Dual screens are the new GBA-GC connectivity.

Spazz · Post by **Spazz** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:23 pm

Just like your mom is the new blow-up doll.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:23 pm

I just read 'Mario Pinball is undeniable proof of the end' and thought 'Wait, in that case, why wasn't Mario Kart undeniable proof of the end, too'?

No, that was Mario Kart 64.

Ngangbius · Post by **Ngangbius** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:31 pm

Eserver wrote:The big difference between Mario Pinball and all the rest is that Mario Pinball is awful. Mario Party, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf... they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they're good at what they do. But Mario Pinball is just plain awful, and it looks even worse because Nintendo has made really good pinball titles out of their other liscences before.

Thing is, Nintendo(at least EAD) isn't responsible for the creation of Mario Pinball. A newcomer, 3rd party company called Fuse Games created itand apperently Nintendo just published it. A past equivilant to this would be...the people responsible for developing those CD-I Zelda games.

Also what exactly was wrong with Mario Kart 64?

Post by **Popcorn** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:34 pm

Mario Kart 64 > Super Mario Kart, but don't tell anyone.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:43 pm

Also what exactly was wrong with Mario Kart 64?

Well, two things: most importantly, while Mario Kart was a good game, it was, as I like to say, a one-trick pony. There was no need for a sequel, let alone the establishment of a whole third-rate genre. I have very similar feelings toward Mario Party.

Plus, Mario Kart 64 just plain wasn't as good as the original. It just felt slower to me, and the cheap AI was the killing blow. It was easier to win a race by pulling ahead at the last second than by maintaining a lead.

Double Dash was better than 64, but I still think it's an unnecessary extension of a game that, really, was just fine the first time around.

Post by **Segaholic2** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:44 pm

Ngangbius wrote:Thing is, Nintendo(at least EAD) isn't responsible for the creation of Mario Pinball. A newcomer, 3rd party company called Fuse Games created itand apperently Nintendo just published it. A past equivilant to this would be...the people responsible for developing those CD-I Zelda games.

That's bull, because then why is Nintendo considered responsible for all those other games that they're not developing? Mario Party was Hudson, Mario Tennis and Golf were Camelot, both Paper Marios are from Intelligent Systems, the GameBoy Zeldas are Capcom, F-Zero GX/AX was Sega's Amusement Vision, and the next Star Fox is Namco.

I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting.

Post by **Segaholic2** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:47 pm

Green Gibbon! wrote:Plus, Mario Kart 64 just plain wasn't as good as the original. It just felt slower to me, and the cheap AI was the killing blow. It was easier to win a race by pulling ahead at the last second than by maintaining a lead.

Catch-up logic is the most retarded thing ever for racing games. I don't know why developers still program that.

I didn't like Mario Kart 64 much either. Actually, I didn't like Double Dash too much as well. I dunno, it just wasn't what I thought the next Mario Kart game would be like.

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:58 pm

DD wasn't too bad. It was just BLAND. The tracks, anyways. There just weren't enough of them. It's a damn GameCube. I'm sure they had room for more than 12 tracks. Most of which are incredibly bland - Baby Park? Fuck that! It's a damn plain circle.

If they had added more tracks to it - say, updated versions of all of the N64 tracks - 24 would give it enough variety to keep it consistantly interesting.

Post by **Popcorn** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 5:04 pm

MK64 fucking shits all over Double Dash, man. MK64 wasn't that great in single-player, but the multiplayer was divine; DD doesn't even have that.

Ngangbius · Post by **Ngangbius** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 5:07 pm

Segaholic2 wrote:
Ngangbius wrote:Thing is, Nintendo(at least EAD) isn't responsible for the creation of Mario Pinball. A newcomer, 3rd party company called Fuse Games created itand apperently Nintendo just published it. A past equivilant to this would be...the people responsible for developing those CD-I Zelda games.
That's bull, because then why is Nintendo considered responsible for all those other games that they're not developing? Mario Party was Hudson, Mario Tennis and Golf were Camelot, both Paper Marios are from Intelligent Systems, the GameBoy Zeldas are Capcom, F-Zero GX/AX was Sega's Amusement Vision, and the next Star Fox is Namco.

I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting.

I thought Intelligent Systems was a division of Nintendo like HAL or like how Sonic Team is a division of SEGA. What I mean by resposiblity in the context of my last post, I meant the group who developed the game. But Nintendo is responsible for allowing that game to pass and to distribute to consumers everywhere so they still won't get off easy for that.

GG! wrote:Plus, Mario Kart 64 just plain wasn't as good as the original. It just felt slower to me, and the cheap AI was the killing blow. It was easier to win a race by pulling ahead at the last second than by maintaining a lead.

Oh yeah, I forgot all about that. This game introduced that blasted spikey-blue shells that the 8th place racer would recieve and it would hit the first place holder, screwing with their lead and costing them the race. =(

I agree with Popcorn on MK64's Multiplayer mode though.

Baba O'Reily · Post by **Baba O'Reily** » Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:57 am

Popcorn wrote:Mario Kart 64 > Super Mario Kart, but don't tell anyone.

DUDE, YOU CAN DRIVE BACKWARDS!

Neo Yi · Post by **Neo Yi** » Sat Oct 09, 2004 6:35 am

I personally don't like Mario Kart 64. It's SO boring. Tracks don't interest me, only 8 playable characters (Later kart games having like 15, so yea...I perfer that), and the battle mode sucks and also boring (Only three tracks and all you do is hit each other and get rid of balloons the same three times). Plus, I hate the AI, it's pretty cheap (how many times have I seen poor Luigi in last place when I'm NOT playing him?).

To me, the BEST kart racer I have ever played so far is Crash Team Racing, pure and simple.
~Neo

Post by **Crazy Penguin** » Sat Oct 09, 2004 7:08 am

Mario Kart 64 was too damn ugly and blurry for me to even get into.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Sat Oct 09, 2004 11:19 am

Mario Kart 64 was too damn ugly and blurry

Most N64 games were, though. Remember the fog?

Locit · Post by **Locit** » Sat Oct 09, 2004 12:55 pm

I always fell off of that damn skyscraper vs. map because I couldn't see the edge until it was too late.

To me, the BEST kart racer I have ever played so far is Crash Team Racing, pure and simple.

I was under the impression that that game was pure unmitigated crap, but perhaps I'm confusing it with the rest of the latter half of the series. Incidentally, has anyone played the latest one yet? I saw an ad for it in egm where two gay men in spandex claimed it was great, and my curiosity was piqued in spite of myself.

Neo Yi · Post by **Neo Yi** » Sat Oct 09, 2004 2:51 pm

I was under the impression that that game was pure unmitigated crap, but perhaps I'm confusing it with the rest of the latter half of the series. Incidentally, has anyone played the latest one yet? I saw an ad for it in egm where two gay men in spandex claimed it was great, and my curiosity was piqued in spite of myself.

Play CTR sometime, it's THAT good, but avoid Crash Nitro Kart like the plaque because it sucks hard. As for the new game, Crash Twinsanity, I haven't played it yet, but count on me to play (I'm a surviving Crash Bandicoot fan) it sometime soon. So far, the game has gotten mixed reviews.
~Neo

Post by **Segaholic2** » Sat Oct 09, 2004 3:02 pm

I don't understand how Crash actually survived this long. I thought that only the first one or maybe two games were any good, and the rest were mediocre to crappy.