GS Gaming

Your favorite Nintendo games!

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:38:57 +0000

Well, a certain other forum that I frequent is doing a vote for the 50 best Nintendo-developed games, which is being conducted by everyone putting in a top 10 vote. I participated, and I figured that I may as well share my list here too. Yeah, I know we do top 10s every so often here...well, one more can't hurt, right? right? Here's mine:

1. Mother 3 ; I laughed, I cried! It's no exaggeration to say that this game has been one of the most emotional experiences of my life. It feels Shigesato Itoi gazed into my soul and made this just for me. It's more than a game to me. It's a very special game that I've formed a deeply personal bond with, that I try to convince everyone to play because it means so much to me, and I earnestly wish it could mean the same to them.

2. EarthBound ; This game really spoke to me. I could hardly stomach RPGs when I played this, but I was so impressed with everything about the game that the genre became a complete non-issue. It has this incredible warmth to it; few games are as lovingly crafted.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; This was the first truly dark story that I ever appreciated. It's made me adore time loops as a plot technique; not only are they a great way to breath life into a world and to deepen the impact of its characters, but I'm also really into the theme of giving it your all for the sake of overturning a predetermined destiny.

4. Super Mario 64 ; Nostalgia colors my opinion of this game probably more than any other, but I do believe it's still a great game that stands up today, to the point where I'd say it's still one of the best platformers around. Very imaginative game full of ideas, and superbly playable thanks to Mario controlling like a dream.

5. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door ; Terrific game that -- well-loved as it is -- I think deserves even more recognition than it already gets. This game has been showing up in my personal top ten lists ever since its release, and it still sticks. It's huge fun even if you don't like RPGs, and it's set in such a rich world with a great cast. I was looking forward to this before it came out, and it managed to constantly surprise me with how good it was. In particular two of the chapters (3 and 6 I believe) initially seemed like they were gearing up to be a little on the dull side because of their premises, and yet they surpassed all expectations and ended up becoming the most memorable parts of the game. In both chapters I found myself wishing that they would actually last forever. I suppose with this placement I'm calling this my favorite game Nintendo made for the Gamecube.

6. Super Metroid ; Great game for an exploration junky like myself. I'm not even one of those Metroid purists who revels in total nonlinearity (loved Fusion), but the masterful level design makes the world a joy to navigate. The music is really nice as well; sometimes I would just stand around and let it wash over me. The whole ending sequence is a huge thrill too.

7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl ; I have doubts that I will ever be as hyped for another game as I was for this, and I wasn't let down at all, except I guess for the online play being kind of bad. After growing fatigued by the super fast pace of Melee, I was delighted to see this game get dialed back a little more towards the pace of the first game. As a lifelong Nintendo fan, Brawl is just the best fanservice ever (you have no idea how excited I was when Lucas was announced). My favorite thing about it is the fact that every single character is viable to use -- finally you can actually use your favorite characters without fear of being at a disadvantage.

8. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island ; This game really surprised me when I played it a few years ago. It's bubbling over with ideas that still feel fresh today, it looks fantastic, and the music is right up there with the other catchy Mario tunes.

9. Kirby Super Star ; Game's just jam-packed with stuff, even moreso in the DS remake, which I would have listed if it didn't lame up the cutscenes with CG. This game plays host to some of the most fun transformations in the series, not to mention the ability to turn enemies into sidekicks. Each game within the game is great; I especially loved the cinematic and melodramatic Revenge of Metaknight.

10. Animal Crossing: City Folk ; So this one's not as 'gamey' as the other ones on this list. So what? This series has been a part of my day to day life in a way that nothing else has. I think this may actually be the best form of escapism in a game. I've grown attached to my village and and its citizens, and…these have got to be the most pleasant games ever to exist. Sure, this game and the one before it are only incremental upgrades to the first, but I may as well put down the latest one. Unless something goes terribly wrong, this spot on my list will probably be replaced by the 3DS version when that comes out.

I don't care if you rank them or not; I would have preferred not to, myself, but that was the format I had to use. Do talk a bit about your games, though! You don't have to write as much as I did, but you're more than welcome to if you like.

IGN's Best FF Characters

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:58:09 +0000

So I read this article today on IGN about The Best Characters from the Final Fantasy series, and thought, "Oooo! I know people who can legitimately talk on this subject and it won't get fan girl/boyish at all!" And then I thought about how nice it would be to have a mature conversation on the internet, and said to myself, "Man, I love those guys." And so here I am! I'll post up what they think.

Please note: I reckon they deliberately kept out Main Characters. They did do villains and heroes alike, but conveniently left out Sephiroth. Perhaps because they wanted to start a flame war. IGN is like the troll of internet magazines, after all! So here's their list. Minus the reasons. (You can find the original article here; if you're interested in their reasons and such.)

FFIV
Edward
Golbez
Porom and Palom
Tellah

FFV
Faris

FFVI
Celes
Edgar
Kefka
Locke
Ultros

FFVII
Cid Highwind
Tifa
Vincent

FFVIII
Laguna
Quistis

FFIX
Vivi

FFX
Auron

FFXII
Ashe
Basch

FFXIII
Lightning

I'm not content with this list. But I won't add anything except, that at least they got two things right: Kefka and Vivi. No list could be complete without them on it. Pure and simple. After someone comments, then I'll give my further thoughts on the matter. Make up your own list too. Try and keep mains out, maybe? Just to keep it harder. hehe

(Sorry, Jeeves! I'll come up with a topic you can comment on later.)

Times you've been embarrassed for a game?

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:03:36 +0000

I'm sure some of us have much to say about this.

I'm just going to start with one really strong example of mine that I was thinking of earlier. I love the Ace Attorney series, but the localization team for the second and third games is not to be left unsupervised. The games have a bunch of clumsy references to memes and pop culture stuff that already seems really outdated. The one that got the loudest groan out of me was the third game's incredibly ham-fisted attempt at inserting a "This is Sparta!" joke into an optional scene that really had no use for it at all. I assume the Japanese version had a more reasonable joke in its place that wouldn't localize well, and that the localization team just wanted to replace a joke with a joke, but...that was just painful to sit through.

It must be seen to be believed.

SwapNote

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:43:56 +0000

Here we go! SwapNote is a free app on 3DS for doodling and sending postcards to your friends. You can draw in two layers (background and 3D foreground), include multiple pages, and spice things up with audio or photos. Recipients can also see how you drew the lines as your note gets drawn in front of their very eyes, which I think is pretty cool.

I've already had a lot of fun with it. Again, it's free on the eShop, so everyone should get it. Then I can spam you with my silly comics or whatever.

The Legend of Zelda Timeline

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:05:37 +0000

For those into the whole Zelda timeline thing, Hyrule Historia has apparently confirmed the real order. A triple timeline split at OoT.

1. The Hero of Time succeeds, is sent back as a child. --> Majora's Mask
2. The Hero of Time succeeds, adult time. --> Wind Waker
3. Hero of Time fails. --> LTTP

So basically...

Quote

This is what's going around since the book was released but a few people have confirmed it. I think I like this. Except I kinda had (preferred) the idea that where ever Link's Awakening was, it was the last in that time. But at least this makes sense. I really need this book. ):

RIP Final Fantasy Music

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:39:04 +0000

I thought this deserved its own thread for some reason. I'll accept the abuse.

Fortune Street? Fortune Street.

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:14:33 +0000

Well, I don't know too much about this game! But I do know:

It looks fun.
It's online.
We should play it.
I already ordered it. :x

It's not Mario party! It's more like Monopoly if anything. Um...have a video!

I actually want to play as the Dragonlord.

Anyway, I'll have a friend over to play with soon, so...personal impressions then.

3DS Ambassador Game Discussion

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:13:59 +0000

I was going to ignore the GBA list until I got back to Vegas but these are awesome. Seems to be confirmed for everywhere on December 16 but NA for now. That may change later today.

F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Wario Land 4
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames

I might have to get them as soon as I can now. It's a great list. I'm very happy I got a launch 3DS.

Anyway, talk about the ambassador games in this thread. :U

What keeps you playing subpar games?

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 19:35:19 +0000

We have all bought games where we realized they were just bad, not your type, or below your standards but you kept playing anyway. What are your reasons?

I'm sure a huge majority keep playing because they want to find reasons to like it in the end. I'm that way too, really. But I look more into the characters to find my reason for completing the game. Once I find a REALLY good/interesting character that I may happen to relate to or find some kind of connection with, I feel obligated to continue. This happens for me with really good games fairly often, but I'm happy I can find some in games I don't care for. A good example would be Kaldea from The Bouncer. The game is pretty awful, but I finished it for her. Also, I enjoyed Fang to a certain extent for me to finish FFXIII.

In a rare instance, I had to finish Oblivion for the music. :/

Xenoblade coming to NA: Gamestop Exclusive?

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:06:35 +0000

I'll just link this thread.

Awesome if it's true because I'll get to play it. Gamestop exclusive though lolwat?

EDIT: Seems true that it's coming since Nintendo just uploaded official Xenoblade art on their facebook. WELP, I'M HAPPY. <333

EDITEDIT: Yey omg.

Available in April from Gamestop and Nintendo.com so far.

GameInformer reveals South Park RPG

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:27:48 +0000

Quote

Thanks to a collaboration with THQ and Obsidian, Parker and Stone are writing the script, performing the dialogue, and overseeing the development of South Park: The Game. Unlike the cash-in Acclaim titles from over a decade ago, this ambitious project is a full-scale RPG for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. As the new kid in South Park, it'll be up to you to make friends and defend the town from a wide range of threats.

Source + GameInformer cover

Interesting idea, but I'm not too crazy about South Park. I'd try it out since I thought the N64 FPS South Park game was hilarious back in the day. Also what the crap at Kenny's reflection being female.

Zelda 3DS: Which Link will show up!

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:38:11 +0000

Well it is bound to happen. A new Zelda will grace the 3DS at some point. But what I want to know from everyone is what type of graphics do you want this thing to be in. The 3DS has already proven it can handle a remake of Zelda: OoT, and that looked awesome. And of course it can handle the Windwaker style of graphics. So what type of Link do you want in your next Zelda game for the 3DS?

I would like to see something NOT like toon Link in the previous DS versions. I'd perfer something similar to OoT or even Skyward Sword. But I am kinda tired of my handheld Zelda games being toon Link. I know some people here love toon link. But after seeing what they could do remaking OoT, I'd like it something like that.

Real Mario Karts!

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:44:31 +0000

Hell yeah! I want a Yoshi Kart one but I'd take that Mario one! They should do a whole line of it.

Quote

During its L.A. Auto Show presentation today, Nintendo revealed life-size Mario Karts built in collaboration with West Coast Customs. Two karts were recreated from vehicles seen in Mario Kart 7. The first is based on Mario's Standard Kart and features a glider attachment, and the second is based on Luigi's Bumble V Kart and features a rear propeller for swimming underwater.

"We've played Mario Kart games for years, so it's a dream come true to bring these karts to life," said West Coast Customs CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus. "We think people will be blown away by seeing these cool video game vehicles in person."

The karts will be on display throughout the week at the L.A. Auto Show, which runs from November 18th through November 27th. Fans will have the opportunity to win one of the karts through GameStop's PowerUp Rewards program. Members of PowerUp Rewards Pro will receive two entries with each purchase at GameStop or gamestop.com through December, and a winner will be announced in February.

Square Enix Licenses Unreal Engine 3

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:11:13 +0000

Seems that Epic Japan is teaming up with Square Enix for a couple of games. No word yet on what these games could be but I think this could be a shot of fresh air that SE needs to make their games a bit more interesting. Now they just have to do better stories and characters. I wouldn't mind seeing what SE could do with this engine. Action/Adventure game would be a nice change.

Quote

�It is a pleasure to provide Square Enix with an exceptional game engine that will help them bring thrilling new experiences to legions of fans all over the world,� said Taka Kawasaki, territory manager of Epic Games Japan. �Many Western games have achieved great success with the Unreal Engine, and this milestone reflects the Japanese development community�s trust in our technical prowess.

"We can�t wait to see how Square Enix fuses the power of Unreal Engine 3 with its beautiful characters, enthralling storylines and fantastic gameplay.�

Grand Theft Auto V Trailer

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:30:48 +0000

Looks like it's back to San Andreas, but oh my God, day negative one if that's an older Tommy. jxzfgbnfsgdkjhfgkjhdsgf I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER IF IT IS.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 03:03:34 +0000

Hmm... how do we not have a topic for this? Well here is one now! Share your hype for the newest edition of the Legend of Zelda franchise with us. I am actually looking forward to this one! Most times I am not as excited for new Zeldas. Sorry, I can't lie but this one seems awesome in all the screen and trailers I've seen so far. I think I will have to play it right when it arrives here, sorry Heather. So yeah, share your thoughts and hype and news if you know any!

Release date is 11/22/2011

Now here is a trailer.

Favorite Mario Power-Up!

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:44:37 +0000

Well with the new Super Mario 3D out, and all this Mario love going around with its 25 year anniversary that just happened, I figured I'd make this topic. So with all the different Power-Ups that Mario has had over the years, which one(s) do you enjoy the most?

For me the ultimate one was when I was playing Super Mario Word for the SNES, and I finally got a hold of the Cape! It is very simple in design but man did I love flying across a level. And you could keep doing it just as long as nothing got in your way. All you had to do was time it right for each dip. I love that cape!

Another one for me was the Frog Suit in Mario Bros. 3. It made going into the water fast and fun! But I always got a little too confident in it and lost it each time. I think I may have beaten a water level twice with it on all the way through. Still, it was fun and unique and I enjoyed it.

And finally the all around Power-Up item that was always fun to see is the old Fire Flower. When I first played Mario Bros. for the NES and got it, I thought I was invincible (until I got the star!) and loved shooting my way past Goombas and Koopas. I even made it a point at one time to kill each Bowser by using only the Fire Flower and if I got hit I would just restart until I got it right. And I also love seeing all the other alterations it has gone through from game to game.

Anyway, so pick which one(s) you love! Discuss.

Best Next Gen Console is....

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:03:42 +0000

So yeah, this recent batch of consoles that we have been playing for well over 4 or 5 years is slowing down, and talk of newer consoles is on the horizon. So I ask you this good folks of GS, which one of the big 3 consoles was your overall favorite to play with. I don't want to get too technical and people bringing up which console sold more and blah blah blah, but in your own opinion, which console did you enjoy the most and the one you felt was simply the best for you. So what will it be? The Wii, PS3 or X Box 360?! The choice is yours! And as always try to explain why.

And hey, this game me a reason to make a poll! We haven't made a poll in such a long time. It needed to be done. Hope you enjoy the poll.

Minecraft for 360

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:06:24 +0000

Minecraft was announced at E3 that it was going to be headed to the 360, but no time frame was given for it. Well now a time frame has been given! Mojang (Markus Persson's Company) has now revealed that they will release Minecraft for the X Box 360 sometime in the Spring of 2012.

A playable version of of this Minecraft can be played Nov. 18 and 19, in Las Vegas at MineCon. This even in Vegas will celebrate the official PC launch of the game.

Now the question will be, "How much will it cost!?"

Mario Kart 7

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:02:44 +0000

The latest edition of the Mario Kart franchise is coming to the 3DS on December 4th guys! And from what I hear they are going to have some pretty cool features for the game aside from making it 3D, putting underwater type tracks, and being able to air glide!

Nintendo will also host a new online feature called Communities. Communities are online groups formed around customizable play styles, and provide players with options to determine which karts, power-ups and tracks will appear in their community's online matches. If you only want to play with lighter karts at 150cc, there can be a Community for that. If you prefer 50cc races only on a Luigi's Mansion DS track, there can be a Community for that, too. Creating a Community generates a 14-digit code, which can be shared with other players. Unless otherwise specified by the Community creator, they will also be visible publicly, and all of them will include online leaderboards.

I can't wait to try out these communities! I was thinking we could make like a GS community or something and maybe we can make the top 100 and get put on the Mario Kart channel! Although I think we need to buy straps for our 3DS's because knowing us, fits of rage will be had.