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[Mejilan]

GAF search is broken for me, and a GAF-centric Google search yielded no results, so here I go:

Wii Reviews:
Madworld - 9.0
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time - 6.0
Marble Saga: Kororinpa - 7.5
Major League Baseball 2K9 - 6.0
MotoGP - 4.0
MySims Party - 5.0
Rune Factory Frontier - 7.5
Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers - 6.5
Ready 2 Rumble Revolution - 5.0

DS Reviews:
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix - 8.0
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure - 8.0
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time - 6.5
Flower, Sun, and Rain - 6.0
Trackmania DS - 7.0
Lux-Pain - 4.0
Peggle Dual Shot - 8.5
Suikoden Tierkreis - 7.0
Tokyo Beat Down - 6.0
Zubo - 6.5
Gardening Mama - 8.0
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume - 9.0
Avalon Code - 8.5

---------------------

Previews
Dead Space Extraction (Wii)
Nintendo DSi
Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 (DS)
Phantom Brave (Wii)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii & DS)
Pole's Big Adventure (WiiWare)
Klonoa (Wii)
Sands of Destruction (DS)
Knights in the Nightmare (DS)
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus (Wii)
Dokapon Journey (DS)
Overlord: Dark Legend (Wii)
EA Sports Active (Wii)
Roogoo: Twisted Towers (Wii)
Our House: Party! (Wii)
Pokemon Platinum (DS)
Excitebots: Trick Racing (Wii)
Boy and his Blob (Wii)
Grand Slam Tennis (Wii)
Rhythm Heaven (DS)

Misc:
Three-page interview with Junichi Masuda and Takeshi Kawachimaru, respectively the producer and director of Pokemon Platinum.
Power Profiles: Yasunori Mitsuda (!) - Two-page interview.
Playback: Metal Gear Solid (GBC)
Next month: Don't be left out in the cold. A chilling tale is coming exclusively to Wii, and Nintendo Power will bring you the scoop. Also, get the story on Sonic creator Yuji Naka's Let's Tap for Wii, as well as a few surprises.

I'll post some preview info and other goodies as I skim through it.

 

[Stumpokapow]

not much surprising there, really. i'm surprised zubo turned out so poorly, and that's mighty generous for oneechanbara.

what's the next month teaser?

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Shame about Moto GP, though I expected it.

 

[Cygnus X-1]

Madworld is destined to belong to the class of cult videogames. Appreciated, but eventually ignored.

 

[radioheadrule83]

Disappointed with that Echoes of Time score. Any gaffer impressions for that floating around?
I loved FFCC, and figured an online game playable on both DS and Wii would be cool :/

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

DS Reviews:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time - 6.5

Lux-Pain - 4.0

Ouch! was looking forward to both, what they say about Lux-pain? It looked like a nice visual novel game.

 

[SilverLunar]

FFCC is really low, I think i have to reconcider getting it...and get Avalone Code instead.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Disappointed with that Echoes of Time score. Any gaffer impressions for that floating around?
I loved FFCC, and figured an online game playable on both DS and Wii would be cool :/

I'm willing to bet that the review reads something like "Don't bother with the Wii version; buy the DS game" or somesuch.

Here's hoping that's why the score is so low.

Also, the Suikoden and Valkyrie Profile scores have me torn. I don't know which one to get. I wanted Suikoden, but...

edit: didn't notice the DS review. Ouch.

 

[timetokill]

GAF search is broken for me, and a GAF-centric Google search yielded no results, so here I go:

Wii Reviews:
Madworld - 9.0

DS Reviews:
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure - 8.0
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume - 9.0

very nice!

 

[Duxxy3]

"Suikoden Tierkreis - 7.0"

All credibility lost right there

 

[B.K.]

That's a surprisingly high score for Valkyrie Profile.

 

[Linkup]

not much surprising there, really. i'm surprised zubo turned out so poorly, and that's mighty generous for oneechanbara.

what's the next month teaser?

Teaser says something about "a chilling horror game excusively for the Wii, and we get the scoop, aswell as a few other suprises" something like that. Most people are thinking it's Cursed Mountain from Deep silver.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Teaser says something about "a chilling horror game excusively for the Wii, and we get the scoop, aswell as a few other suprises" something like that. Most people are thinking it's Cursed Mountain from Deep silver.

oh i thought this was the issue after that one

 

[timetokill]

That's a surprisingly high score for Valkyrie Profile.

IGN gave it a 8.5 -- http://ds.ign.com/articles/962/962027p1.html

Though I guess it is the highest major review so far... it has a 75 on Metacritic right now with RPGamer and Game Informer dragging it down a lot, overall not bad at all.

 

[Mejilan]

Updated OP with a cursory summary (including the blurb about next month's issue).

Biggest complaint regarding Lux-Pain is that there's a vast quantity of text to parse through with almost no interactivity of any kind. No real gameplay. A little touch-screen rubbing of evil worms here, a tap-sequence boss battle there, but largely no real gameplay nor any means to drive or affect the story or narrative.

Regarding FFCC, they say that they've updated the world map mechanic and streamlined the magic system, but beyond that, little's changed over Ring of Fates. Wii port is crude and inelegant, though the cross-platform online play was a nice touch. Visuals are nice by DS standards, awful by Wii standards. Same price for both, but portability gives the DS version the edge. Fans of Ring of Fates will be pleased. Online play is a great addition, puzzles are better, and there's a staggering number of goodies to craft. Simple but charming story. Platforming elements a bit crude, dungeon design a bit repetitive, and the soundtrack is underwhelming. Fails to live up to FF standards.

Regarding Suikoden, the number of characters (108) is impressive, but there's little for most of them to do. Heavily story-driven, good story with the expected political intrigue. Great/memorable cast. Possibly the most text and VA in a DS game yet, with largely decent VA, but a number of the most important cast featuring truly awful VA. More family-friendly adventure, compared to previous Suiko titles. Totally stand-alone game. Exploration very boring. Huge number of random battles triggering every few seconds, no challenge whatsoever, no strategic depth. Very clumsy interface. Gorgeous, hand-drawn backgrounds, beautiful music that occasionally outclasses earlier CD-based tunes. High-quality animated cutscenes here and there. Definitely not Suiko 6. Epic scope and engaging narrative save it.

 

[sykoex]

Is Valkyrie Profile DS good for turn based strategy newbies?

Edit: Basically is it FM3 level easy?

 

[Dedication Through Light]

I didnt expect FFCC to get that low, I thought it fixed the errors of the previous FFCC on the GC

 

[Mejilan]

The recent FFCCs have almost nothing in common with the GCN original, actually.

 

[leroy hacker]

GAF search is broken for me, and a GAF-centric Google search yielded no results, so here I go:

Wii Reviews:
MotoGP - 4.0

Five months late and terrible. Great job Capcom.

Of course, it was apparently also bad on the other platforms, but no other version received a score this low.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

Updated OP with a cursory summary (including the blurb about next month's issue).

Biggest complaint regarding Lux-Pain is that there's a vast quantity of text to parse through with almost no interactivity of any kind. No real gameplay. A little touch-screen rubbing of evil worms here, a tap-sequence boss battle there, but largely no real gameplay nor any means to drive or affect the story or narrative.

Well it's a visual novel game, duh...

Well probably will buy Valkyria Profile after all.

 

[Firestorm]

Next month: Don't be left out in the cold. A chilling tale is coming exclusively to Wii, and Nintendo Power will bring you the scoop. Also, get the story on Sonic creator Yuji Naka's Let's Tap for Wii, as well as a few surprises.

No he's not. Stop enabling that man to steal credit. Considering the amount of Sega die-hards on that magazine, I assumed they'd get this right.

 

[dragonlife]

Teaser says something about "a chilling horror game excusively for the Wii, and we get the scoop, aswell as a few other suprises" something like that. Most people are thinking it's Cursed Mountain from Deep silver.

I'd agree; I wouldn't mind it being Fatal Frame IV, though!

 

[grandjedi6]

Regarding FFCC ...... Fails to live up to FF standards.

That's the same thing they said about Ring of Fates when they gave it a 7/10. As far as I can tell its Nintendo Power's code for "its not a mainline FF game, kids".

Oh well, NP's review of Echoes of Time isn't that worrysome considering their score of RoF. Hopefully Echoes of Time is like RoF but with minor improvements like better loot, not having items getting stuck on your head and a story that isn't abysmal.

 

[donny2112]

I wouldn't mind it being Fatal Frame IV, though!

Only if they fixed the game, so you can use the IR Pointer for the flashlight. :/

 

[Mutagenic]

"Suikoden Tierkreis - 7.0"

All credibility lost right there

True. Definitely too high.

 

[adg1034]

"Suikoden Tierkreis - 7.0"

All credibility lost right there

Something something have you actually played it yet something?

 

[BarrelMakingPenguin]

What were some of the negatives of Tokyo Beat Down?

 

[Duxxy3]

Something something have you actually played it yet something?

Something something yes i have

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Regarding Suikoden, the number of characters (108) is impressive, but there's little for most of them to do. Heavily story-driven, good story with the expected political intrigue. Great/memorable cast. Possibly the most text and VA in a DS game yet, with largely decent VA, but a number of the most important cast featuring truly awful VA. More family-friendly adventure, compared to previous Suiko titles. Totally stand-alone game. Exploration very boring. Huge number of random battles triggering every few seconds, no challenge whatsoever, no strategic depth. Very clumsy interface. Gorgeous, hand-drawn backgrounds, beautiful music that occasionally outclasses earlier CD-based tunes. High-quality animated cutscenes here and there. Definitely not Suiko 6. Epic scope and engaging narrative save it.

Urk, pass.

No game in my entire gaming career has ever managed to win me over with story when I wasn't feeling the gameplay.

Anything on Valkyrie Profile?

 

[Mejilan]

What were some of the negatives of Tokyo Beat Down?

Extremely repetitive (apparently some stages repeat, and most stages look/feel the same), no real difference between the 3 playable characters (save for their throws), way too much text (occasionally humorous camp belies a story that takes itself too seriously), mechanics that are fundamentally unsatisfying.

 

[Hive]

FFCC is going to be a ton of fun in multiplayer~ The score doesn't concern or bother me at all~

Lux Pain reviewed okay in Japan, IIRC. So I don't know what's up with the reviews overseas..

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

Any new info in the Klonoa preview? Any scraps of information would be much appreciated.

 

[Mejilan]

Anything on Valkyrie Profile?

Successful marriage of traditional SRPG mechanics with the always-amazing Valkyrie Profile combat system. Other VP mechanics survive the transition, making it one of the most unique games on the platform. Very grim and depressing game, with a very flowery (occasionally too much so) localization, and a hint of redemption at the end, if you can stomach all of the misery. Killing off your own characters to help secure a successful mission, and the need to not just kill your enemies, but absolutely DECIMATE them make for very interesting mechanics, that tie in very well with earlier VP entries. Somber, detailed visuals and toned-down Motoi Sakuraba soundtrack are pluses.

 

[timetokill]

absolutely DECIMATE them

 

[HyperZone<3]

Ready 2 Rumble Revolution - 5.0
Lux-Pain - 4.0

oh dear, that's going to upset the applecart.

 

[MikeE21286]

Valkyrie Profile 9.0 huh

This month is DS overload...

 

[Mejilan]

Any new info in the Klonoa preview? Any scraps of information would be much appreciated.

Starts off with profuse praise of the original, mentions that all of the charm is intact in the Wii version, that despite minor tweaks, the successful formula was not mucked around with. Extremely happy that the edgy/pooch redesign was scrapped by Namco. Voiced completely in English, but a quick trip to the options restores the classic Klonoa gibberish-speak. Everything looks so much better than the PSOne original. Reverse mode (unlocked by beating it) is new to this version. All stages are reversed, and also each stage contains a portal to a new challenge room for the hardcore.

Tons of control options, from the classic controller, to the GCN controller, to the Wiimote + Nunchuck (complete with flick-toss enemy hurling). Worthy update to a timeless classic.

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

Starts off with profuse praise of the original, mentions that all of the charm is intact in the Wii version, that despite minor tweaks, the successful formula was not mucked around with. Extremely happy that the edgy/pooch redesign was scrapped by Namco. Voiced completely in English, but a quick trip to the options restores the classic Klonoa gibberish-speak. Everything looks so much better than the PSOne original. Reverse mode (unlocked by beating it) is new to this version. All stages are reversed, and also each stage contains a portal to a new challenge room for the hardcore.

Tons of control options, from the classic controller, to the GCN controller, to the Wiimote + Nunchuck (complete with flick-toss enemy hurling). Worthy update to a timeless classic.

Sounds great, thanks for the summary. Glad to hear there are some extra modes for those of us that have treaded the original multiple times. It's looking more and more like none of the previews for the game will bother to address whether the increased amount of health is optional or not. Oh well, can't win them all. Day one either way.

 

[Kandinsky]

I loooved FFCCRoF and im sure im going to enjoy this one much more, getting 3 copies (wii, 2xds) for me and my kids, this is going to be awesome!

 

[UraMallas]

Except the term also deals with the total subjugation of an army, toying with them and killing only 1/10th at will. In that context, the term decimate can mean totally humiliated by an overwhelming power. So... that cartoon sucks for more than just having too many words in each panel.

 

[Fuu]

I'm even more curious about Lux-Pain now.

Biggest complaint regarding Lux-Pain is that there's a vast quantity of text to parse through with almost no interactivity of any kind. No real gameplay. A little touch-screen rubbing of evil worms here, a tap-sequence boss battle there, but largely no real gameplay nor any means to drive or affect the story or narrative.

Considering I like Hotel Dusk, it will all depend on how engaging the plot and characters are to me. I hope it has good music!

 

[EvilMario]

GAF search is broken for me, and a GAF-centric Google search yielded no results, so here I go:

Wii Reviews:
Madworld - 9.0
Marble Saga: Kororinpa - 7.5
Rune Factory Frontier - 7.5

Yes, please. I already own Madworld, and it is as good as advertised. Very interested in these other two.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time - 6.0
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time DS - 6.5

What did Nintendo Power give the first FFCC game for DS? I kinda liked that game but felt that it was just missing a few polishing touches (such as internet multiplayer). I gotta say I'm pretty disappointed if this one is for some reason worse than the first.

 

[Mejilan]

7.0, IIRC, and the review mentioned that if you liked Ring of Fates, this one won't disappoint.

 

[Tiktaalik]

Yeah from the extra info you posted it actually sounds like this FFCC game is better than the earlier one despite the score. I guess the reviewer just wasn't a fan of the gameplay. I might pick it up if it drops price.

 

[Version 3.0]

Webster lists multiple definitions for "decimate". This one is relevant:

3 a: to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera decimated the population> b: to cause great destruction or harm to <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession>

Language evolves, sometimes even through misuse. Roll with it. Criticizing someone because a word used to mean something else before you were born is pretty silly.

Fight a battle that hasn't already been lost: bitch at people who use "then" when they mean "than". Or go with the ever-popular "I could/couldn't care less" instructional graph.

 

[Nintaiyo]

Any info on Excitebots besides what was posted online earlier this month?

 

[Andrew J.]

Webster lists multiple definitions for "decimate". This one is relevant:

3 a: to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera decimated the population> b: to cause great destruction or harm to <firebombs decimated the city> <an industry decimated by recession>

Language evolves, sometimes even through misuse. Roll with it. Criticizing someone because a word used to mean something else before you were born is pretty silly.

Ah, prescriptivism vs. descriptivism. It never gets old!

 

[jaundicejuice]

I'm almost tempted to pick up Rune Factory Frontier but the farming and social sim aspects do not sound appealing or interesting to me. It's why I've never played any of the Harvest Moon games and it's why I've passed on earlier entries in RF. I like the sound of the dungeon crawling, everything else, not so much

 

[Man God]

I'm almost tempted to pick up Rune Factory Frontier but the farming and social sim aspects do not sound appealing or interesting to me. It's why I've never played any of the Harvest Moon games and it's why I've passed on earlier entries in RF. I like the sound of the dungeon crawling, everything else, not so much

Yep, you don't want this game. You know what does have some decent dungeon crawling type gameplay though? FF:CC!