UltimateIke
Member
Has anyone mentioned making an official thread for Golden Sun? Do people usually do those for Virtual Console releases?
I would like to do it if no one else has plans.
I would like to do it if no one else has plans.
NA : Virtual Console line-up for April (GBA games + SMB3 finally coming)
- Thread starter L~A
- Start date
Feel free to make one. There have been some OTs for VC games (just recently for Super Mario Kart).
Zen_Arcade
Banned
Not really. There are things in NSMB that weren't being done in old Mario games. If they wanted to imitate the old Mario games then they wouldn't have added extra moves in the game and updated the graphics. If you see it that way then any 2D side scrolling game is a retro game to you. No matter what differences and updates it may have.
2D platformers are a genre. They've been around in every generation of video games. It's like saying fighting games are retro games because they have similar design choices.
Not just you. Nintendo is charging way too much for straight-up ports of mostly ancient games. I mean some of their earliest games from the mid-80s cost $5 and some of them aren't very good in the first place. There are bigger, newer titles for far less on storefronts like Steam. $8 for old portable games in non-portable format? It's insane.
Given that they offer nothing new, pricing should roughly be:
-$.99 to $1.99 for NES games.
-$1.99 to $3.99 for SNES games.
-$2.99 to $4.99 for GBA games.
-No fucking charge for the bad joke of "upgrading" your game from Wii to WiiU.
-Available on all platforms with save syncing: 3DS, WiiU, Wii for already released VC titles.
And I think this is generous for certain games, but I'm trying to be realistic. Anyway, at current prices, I'm buying nothing.
I paid the $20 for this in 2004 because it's one of my favorite games and I wanted to play it on the go. It still felt really bad because I own a copy of this game. Paid around $5 in Funcoland back in '96-'97. Fucking Nintendo. They know little kids want their games and they charge as much as possible and keep prices high forever. :[
Iwata mentioned recently about them having had issues with the Virtual Console process and that they have now overcome them.
That's why we've suddenly shifted to this (in regards to consoles)
NES: First release - April 2013
SNES: First release - April 2013
Then, we got
MSX: First release - December 25th 2013 (Japan)
PC Engine: First release - December 25th 2013 (Japan)
GameBoy Advance: First Release - April 3rd 2014
Nintendo DS: 2014
Nintendo 64: 2014 (if still happening. They promised it was coming, though)
Seems they've managed to overcome this issue, as stated by Iwata in January, and are starting to push the service more. In Japan, there are now at least 2 new titles each week, too. The US and EU side of things really need to ramp up their service.
Nintendo understands business (to an extent
) and those sell very well.Besides, there was no Virtual Console back then, and no Steam or Smart Device which have both since devalued the price of games.
outunderthestars
Banned
LegendofLex
Member
There are 2D side-scrolling games that - apart from being 2D and side-scrolling - do relatively little to imitate games from 20-30 years ago. Sure, those exist.
NSMB is a new game, but it's made from old bits.
Not denying it. I'm just saying that Nintendo has outlined their plans for future platforms, and it includes full portability of the Wii U architecture. That's an entirely novel proposition in the dedicated game hardware business, basically of which have run on disparate platforms so far. Sure, there's been occasional hardware BC, software emulation, and cross-buy, but never a single platform like Android or iOS running on different devices.
They're also sales you have to get into at the right time, otherwise they're like $20 at the cheapest. That's something to remember too, you can't treat a sale price as the equivalent of a full price, or else games on a whole have spiraled into complete devaluation when that isn't QUITE the case.
Zen_Arcade
Banned
You could say the same thing about Street Fighter. The button combos to do the moves are even the same in a lot of cases. Still doesn't mean it's a retro game. It's a new game in a game series. Of course a new Mario game takes influence from old Mario games. Would you also consider Galaxy to be a retro game because it has a lot of similarities with 64?
The VC development part of Nintendo is not big, maybe between 2-3 small teams I'd guess. Most of the VC development wasn't Nintendo it was Hudson on TG16, Sega on Master System and Genesis, D4 Enterprise on NeoGeo, and some other spread between other systems and arcade.
Here's what likely happened:
Late 2010 - Nintendo releases final Wii VC games, starts on 3DS VC
Mid 2011 - Nintendo finishes GB and GBC support, starts on NES, GBA
Q3 2011 - Nintendo get NES and GBA betas for Ambassadors
Early 2012 - Nintendo finishes work on NES, GBA not going as well as planned
Q2 2012 - Teams start ramping up Wii U VC
Q1 2013 - Early games done, issues linger
Q2 2013 - Finish NES, SNES, move on to GBA, N64 and DS (probably others)
Q4 2013 - Get prototype of DS games working
Q2 2014 - Finishes GBA games
As the system get more complex they take more time also they continue to support systems that have already released with updates to working game lists. I also think that there are other things they are working on, I'd suspect they are actively attempting GCN even if it never happens.
I think the breadth of VC simply started outpacing the team. It's very clear they have been focusing on certain things and moving in a relatively linear fashion from new project to project. Still, the overall volume is highly dependent on 3rd parties. Konami doesn't seem to give quite the same shit as Hudson and that may continue to dampen release lineups. Sega too.
From the 52 games thread:
Game 45 (Mar. 16, 2014): Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA, 3DS VC) - 11:38
Started this when it came out on Ambassador, but didn't "get" it. Just kept going around in circles in the same area, so just quit. Having now gone through a lot more Kirby games, this one is still an oddball. It's nothing like the other Kirby's I've played in structure. It's essentially a big exploration game where you have to just go to every room and find all these exits, and oh by the way, Kirby's there and so are his traditional enemies/abilities. Definitely not a Metroidvania, as the abilities are there from the get-go. Is a big-time exploration game. Would've liked it more if there were less enemies in my exploration game, but it wasn't too bad in the end. Guess would have to call it a grinder, since you're just going to each level and trudging through to just find all the rooms exits again and again. Final boss was typically for a Kirby game ridiculously hard with several successive fights. Still a jarring contrast to the rest of the main game. Not too difficult with a lot of lives and figuring out the shortest way to kill it each time. Still a jarring experience, though. Decent timewaster for GBA, but of the Kirbys, still think Dreamland 2 is the best of what I've played (single-player). Still playing through Return to Dreamland, though, so we'll see how that one finishes.
I consider it second-best 2D Metroid after Super Metroid.
That's not a quality or longevity indication, though. That has to do with there being ZERO appetite for content above that price on handhelds. That has nothing to do with this.
I think just one SPD team (SPD4?) at Nintendo handles all their VC stuff except for N64 which NST was in charge of. All Sega's stuff was done by M2, from arcade to consoles to 3D classics. Hudson did their stuff internally and presumably what's left of this team is still doing TG16 and maybe MSX for Konami. I have no clue who did most of the work on the arcade games for Namco Bandai, Tecmo Koei, Taito, Capcom, Hamster and so on. D4 was in charge of NeoGeo under license from SNK.
Colonel Mustard
Banned
Production cost of cartridges alone makes $20 pretty reasonable for a physical release of anything.
Yeah on GBA, $20 was the bargain level. Anything lower was clearance. The NES games couldn't have come out one to a cartridge for less than that, reasonably for the market.
+ Save states + Miiverse
There are extras outside of the main game that make this more than a straight port from GBA. Still hoping for that Super Mario Kart + Mario Kart 8 bonus in the U.S. like in EU, but with GBA/SMB3 taking over April, it may not happen.
Wait, PS4 has backwards compatibility? So I can play my PS1, PS2 and PS3 games on PS4? Awesome.
fredrancour
Member
I want to get excited for these games but I just can't bring myself to accumulate a backlog any more. It'll be fun to replay golden sun in 2015 or 2016.
Oni Link 666
Member
I already own all of these games in carts except Kirby and have most of those GBA games on 3DS, but I might get Metroid Fusion to replay on the big screen with a Pro Controller.
I might be interested in Advance Wars, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and Golden Sun. Or I could play them on my GB Player. I'd be more interested in Golden Sun 2, since I never played that and I just got the 3DS game.
I'll buy Super Mario Bros 3 for 3DS.
I might be interested in Advance Wars, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and Golden Sun. Or I could play them on my GB Player. I'd be more interested in Golden Sun 2, since I never played that and I just got the 3DS game.
I'll buy Super Mario Bros 3 for 3DS.
Well, there is the angle that if you can't release them alone affordably then bundle them. Would have been pretty nice to have something like Super Mario All Stars on the GBA admittedly.
With the prices in other territories, I was hoping for prices to be a little cheaper for GBA. I guess they consider the GBA to be an SNES equivalent, so therefore the pricing is too. It is worth noting that some titles are $1 cheaper, so maybe they're experimenting. The $7.99 seem to be more the desirable entries. When DS comes out, I'm expecting $10 since that's kind of like a portable N64 equivalent.
fredrancour
Member
Oh wow, I hadn't noticed the variable pricing....
F-Zero is definitely a buy for me. Racing games are pick-up-and-play enough that I don't need to take backlogs into account.
F-Zero is definitely a buy for me. Racing games are pick-up-and-play enough that I don't need to take backlogs into account.
There were price complaints at the time and it wasn't exactly unjustified. I mean, I know that wasn't the point of the Famicom Mini anniversary but overseas we didn't even get the cool packaging or a third the releases for NES Classics. It'd have been nice if they bundled several games on each cart and done volumes instead or something but the games still sold incredibly well anyway.
Hibiki Kurosawa
Member
What's really strange about this is that I haven't played my Wii U in a really long time (I think last time was first or second week of January), but now that I'm super excited about playing some of these GBA games on it, I want to start playing my Wii U again. Not sure what I'd play while I wait for them to release though...
Donkey Kong!
From the other thread: North American trailers for the VC games.
Maybe I'm just going crazy, but the games look a lot brighter in these vids
Maybe I'm just going crazy, but the games look a lot brighter in these vids
That actually looks pretty damn good. Getting excited to revisit Mario & Luigi, and try both the Golden Sun and Advance Wars franchises for the first time!
Hibiki Kurosawa
Member
Nah, I'm not much of a platformer gamer. I got my Wii U for my backlog of Wii games (primarily operation rainfall games) and to be ready for X and SMTxFE. I would have got a regular Wii, but the stores phased them out here in Canada and were/are only selling Wii Minis which are completely useless, so I just got a Wii U.
EDIT:
Alright, so uh, my body felt things of wonder when watching the trailers for Advance Wars, Golden Sun, and even Wario Ware and Kirby! The nostalgia tears!
Phire Phox
Banned
Way too much for those games. But its Nintendo so no surprise....
D
Deleted member 74300
Unconfirmed Member
Gotta get 32-Bit games first yo.
Davey Cakes
Member
So, just talking about the hobby, you're saying the value of experiences like Advance Wars and Metroid Fusion is less than that of....lunch?
"Those games" are some of the best to ever grace the GBA.
I'm looking forward to reading people's impressions of Metroid Fusion, particularly those who've never played it before. I remember being annoyed by its dialogue, overt linearity and beacons on the map at the time. I think it's actually a bit closer to Other M than Super Metroid and wonder if anyone will reach the same conclusion.
I actually didn't care much for Metroid Fusion back when I first played it. I had just finished Super Metroid for the first time and though I was aware of its more linear structure it still surprised me. But in the years since I've grown more fond of it, and very much look forward to seeing it on my TV for the first time.
But I was definitely hoping for Zero Mission way more...as I already have Fusion as an ambassador game for 3DS, and though it's a bit short, it's easily the better game.
But I was definitely hoping for Zero Mission way more...as I already have Fusion as an ambassador game for 3DS, and though it's a bit short, it's easily the better game.
Davey Cakes
Member
Metroid Fusion is really good. Not my favorite Metroid but in the middle of the pack. There's way too much guidance and narration. Thankfully, there are moments of isolation to offset that. The SA-X parts really add to the atmosphere and sense of fear and dread.
I much prefer Metroid: Zero Mission, however. The world design, the music (remixed mostly, I know) and the controls are all preferable. The game also has that problem of guiding you but it's just like a light hint system rather than a full on narration explaining where you're supposed to go. Think Metroid Prime's hint system but used even more sparingly.
Speaking of Metroid Prime, both that game and Fusion released on November 18th, 2002 if I remember correctly. Man, what a day.
I much prefer Metroid: Zero Mission, however. The world design, the music (remixed mostly, I know) and the controls are all preferable. The game also has that problem of guiding you but it's just like a light hint system rather than a full on narration explaining where you're supposed to go. Think Metroid Prime's hint system but used even more sparingly.
Speaking of Metroid Prime, both that game and Fusion released on November 18th, 2002 if I remember correctly. Man, what a day.
sixteen-bit
Member
It's a good game
I bet we'll see N64 late 2015.
That's exactly what I felt. At the time it was easily my least favorite Metroid game, now only surpassed by the insultingly bad and just plain insulting Other M.
Gonzo The Great
Banned
Wow, you're right. I guess they uploaded some shitty ass uncompressed screenshots after all.
Davey Cakes
Member
It's almost crazy just how good Metroid had it until Other M.
Nintendo revived the series IN STYLE by releasing a 2D and 3D entry on the same day, with both games being quite good (Prime being arguably the best Metroid game). Then the Prime trilogy happened, all good games. Prime Hunters was a miss in the sense of SP but for MP it was actually one of the better online DS games. Pinball was good for a pinball game. Obviously Zero Mission was spectacular.
Then Other M effectively killed the franchise.
This is why I want Fusion and ZM to kick ass on the GBA VC. Maybe that'd signal Nintendo to make Metroid Dread, hopefully the follow-up to Fusion, a reality.
And I wanted to play Kid Icarus and an OoT remake on a console. I've learned to accept it. I recommend the same thing.
Why just these games? Why not EVERY game? Where is your line being drawn in the sand?