Skyward Sword review thread [Newest Reviews - Cubed3 10/10, GC: A, AusGamers: 7/10]

GregLombardi said:
I'm fairly certain it has been shown somewhere that Famitsu gets paid for higher scores. I can't recall where though...
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It was probably in a post by some other Gaffer who makes stuff up.
 
Green Scar said:
Their history of exclusives and just a general air of being in the pockets of most Japanese game companies. Their recent 40's all seem highly predictable too- Metal Gear, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Smash Bros, Pokemon- I dunno, they do a poor job at seeming reliable. In the 90s, the only perfect scores they gave out were for Ocarina (of course), Soulcalibur and Vagrant Story (both a bit unusual but highly understandable). Then no perfects for another 3 years. After Nintendogs got 40/40, they seemed very off to me.
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Hmm, I don't see any problems with their perfect scores. I think it's just a matter of differing tastes between the East and West. You question their reliability based on the games they give perfect scores to, but I see a ton of Western publications giving out 10s left and right to games I feel have massive flaws but those flaws are easily overlooked because it matches the tastes of the reviewers more.

Also, Nintendogs getting 40/40 is reasonable if you understand the climate that that game released to. The DS being the hottest system and Nitendogs was the jumpstart of that. And honestly, it was hard to find someone that year without a DS and Nintendog cartridge.
 
I played Nintendogs for awhile, but I forgot to play for a few days and knew if I turned it on my dog would have fleas and be depressed, so I was never brave enough to do it.
 
Bit-Bit said:
Hmm, I don't see any problems with their perfect scores. I think it's just a matter of differing tastes between the East and West. You question their reliability based on the games they give perfect scores to, but I see a ton of Western publications giving out 10s left and right to games I feel have massive flaws but those flaws are easily overlooked because it matches the tastes of the reviewers more.

Also, Nintendogs getting 40/40 is reasonable if you understand the climate that that game released to. The DS being the hottest system and Nitendogs was the jumpstart of that. And honestly, it was hard to find someone that year without a DS and Nintendog cartridge.
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I don't trust any Western publications that do that too. My mistrust stems from all the accusations of them getting paid-off. There's no way there can't be some truth to that, IGN over-rate stuff constantly too and no-one ever says they're getting 'moneyhatted', they just say it's a shitty review.

I don't agree with rating something highly just because it's going to be a zeitgeist of popularity either. I don't think Nintendogs deserved that score, even for what that 'game' was.

EDIT: That Wired article sums it up, basically. Kohler knows his shit.
 
Empty said:
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/08/famitsu-monster-hunter/
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Such an empty article. First, never telling us which of those games he thinks would have gotten a lower score if they were reviewed actually objectively. If he's not saying that, why bring them all up as something that backs the article up? Seems they were there just for readers to see games they dislike (most likely MonHun the most prominent dislike in the West, which sparked the article too) to be inclined to agree with him. Personally I see nothing wrong with any of those scores. Secondly, he pretends this issue doesn't happen in America. Bad games get bad scores? Yeah, right, tell that to GTAIV. Plenty Famitsu reviews are low too of course, so I find it hard to believe anyone there needs to hear a testimony to beleive such an occurence. Third, he presents the word they have for the positive-write-up (which we all believe happens everywhere, so many games get super positive previews even if the reviews end up being low), as, once again something peculiar, Famitsu/Japan exclusive and in a manner that makes it include reviews, when the source for the word never indicated that. Was it all just to say MHTri is a bad game? It reviewed well in the West too btw, despite the hurdles and being a slightly lesser version than the Japanese game. I thought it was brilliant but that's irrelevant to the discussion too.
 
Green Scar said:
I don't trust any Western publications that do that too. My mistrust stems from all the accusations of them getting paid-off. There's no way there can't be some truth to that, IGN over-rate stuff constantly too and no-one ever says they're getting 'moneyhatted', they just say it's a shitty review.

I don't agree with rating something highly just because it's going to be a zeitgeist of popularity either. I don't think Nintendogs deserved that score, even for what that 'game' was.

EDIT: That Wired article sums it up, basically. Kohler knows his shit.
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Yeah, I just got done reading that Wired article. I had no idea that "moneyhatting" has it's own word in Japan. It is rather odd that over the last few years there's been more perfect scores from them than ever before. I always chucked that up to them having different reviewers.
 
Bit-Bit said:
I had no idea that "moneyhatting" has it's own word in Japan.
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Why? You just gave an English word for it too. Why wouldn't they have one?


And btw I'm not saying this doesn't happen. Just that the article does nothing to indicate it as a higher possibility than before reading it. It's really quite empty.

For example, the report given about the power of review scores isn't unlike what people say of Metacritic scores for this end of the industry. In the end such things probably occur everywhere, not just in Japan, in Famitsu, or Monster Hunter in particular, but outside outing opportunities like the GameSpot debacle there's rarely any evidence to present. This article doesn't provide anything to that end either. In games writing the risk of conflict of interest is always obvious yet proof is very rare. Why was Famitsu in particular this guy's target, and why's the article nothing but pointing the finger with no evidence outside a word from the 50s and thus completely irrelevant to the video games writing industry? The only critical part is his personal doubt that the increased amount of perfect scores isn't a concious editorial decision. With no real explanation.
 
Bit-Bit said:
Yeah, I just got done reading that Wired article. I had no idea that "moneyhatting" has it's own word in Japan. It is rather odd that over the last few years there's been more perfect scores from them than ever before. I always chucked that up to them having different reviewers.
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I think in comparison, Western review scores should be looked at to see if more perfect 10s have been given out here as well. I'm almost positive Game Informer has a lot more perfect 10s than they used to. I remember when Metal Gear Solid 2 came out, they gave it the first 10 they had given in years (if I'm remembering correctly) but they've since given lots of 10s. Anyone ever looked into this?
 
stealthpengu said:
I think in comparison, Western review scores should be looked at to see if more perfect 10s have been given out here as well. I'm almost positive Game Informer has a lot more perfect 10s than they used to. I remember when Metal Gear Solid 2 came out, they gave it the first 10 they had given in years (if I'm remembering correctly) but they've since given lots of 10s. Anyone ever looked into this?
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I'm sure it's a combination of advertising incentives and a general rise in the quality of games that has lead to an inflation of scores and a noticeable increase in the frequency of 10s.

You can't credit any one thing. For some people, it can be as simple a matter as falling into a swell of hyperbole. That's one thing IGN is famous for.
 
DrForester said:
TooT was their first 40/40

Wind Waker was the 4th.


SS is their 16th.
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Hmm, its quite interesting to compare this with Edge:

Mario 64 was their first 10

Halo was the 4th


SS is their 14th



I guess it could just mean games have improved? Personally I think reviewers are a little too easy to please these days (though this is no reflection on SS, which I have not played as yet)
 
RPGCrazied said:
Anyone know what Nintendo Power gave it? Still don't have my issue this month.
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The next issue should have the review. They noted that they were loving it though in the latest issue. I wouldn't be surprised if they devote most of the issue to it.
 
krYlon said:
Hmm, its quite interesting to compare this with Edge:

Mario 64 was their first 10

Halo was the 4th


SS is their 14th



I guess it could just mean games have improved? Personally I think reviewers are a little too easy to please these days (though this is no reflection on SS, which I have not played as yet)
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I feel like perfect scores should be delegated to games people will likely fondly remember decades later. Wind Waker, despite having its share of haters, is deeply loved by many to this day. 40/40 justified.

Nintendogs? Uhh...FFXII? err....mgs4? Probably not.
 
guek said:
I feel like perfect scores should be delegated to games people will likely fondly remember decades later. Wind Waker, despite having its share of haters, is deeply loved by many to this day. 40/40 justified.

Nintendogs? Uhh...FFXII? err....mgs4? Probably not.
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Many of us fondly remember FFXII, and I'm sure there are a few who feel the same about MGS4. Pretty much every Zelda game is going to be "fondly remembered" years later simply because of the size and importance of the franchise; I don't think that necessitates a 40/40 for every game. I don't have any problem with reviewers critiquing and scoring a game based on the context of its release date and the state of games at the time. It makes much less sense to try and guess whether a game will or should be remembered "decades later".

Never did get Famitsu's bizarre love affair with Nintendogs, though.
 
Bit-Bit said:
Famitsu has one of the best review styles in gaming. Their overall scores being a collection of four reviewers allow readers to find the reviewer that they most commonly agree with. At the same time, this keeps them from handing out perfect scores like there's no tomorrow. I wish every gaming publication adopted this style of review scores.
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God I feel old...never heard of EGM?
 
GameSpot Review

7.5 ... Tom McShea.

I saw this coming lol - I haven't read it ... but I usually always disagreed with his reviews regarding Wii controls and I'm pretty sure this will be no different.
 
Haziqonfire said:
GameSpot Review

7.5 ... Tom McShea.

I saw this coming lol - I haven't read it ... but I usually always disagreed with his reviews regarding Wii controls and I'm pretty sure this will be no different.
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LOL.. hilarious. It's very, very difficult to believe that score isn't meant for page views and to be attention whores. Pretty pathetic, but the meltdowns should entertain.
 
Haziqonfire said:
GameSpot Review

7.5 ... Tom McShea.

I saw this coming lol - I haven't read it ... but I usually always disagreed with his reviews regarding Wii controls and I'm pretty sure this will be no different.
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woooooooow


first sub 8 review from a major site.

oh well,
haters-brother-mario.gif
 
Haziqonfire said:
GameSpot Review

7.5 ... Tom McShea.

I saw this coming lol - I haven't read it ... but I usually always disagreed with his reviews regarding Wii controls and I'm pretty sure this will be no different.
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IT BEGINS!

Most troubling of all is how the infrared aiming works.
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Wasn't it said the game doesn't use infrared aiming?
 
Ok, I've only read the 1st 2 paragraphs and this is the most fucking spoilerrific review I've ever read. And it's obvious its on purpose. What an incredible lack of professionalism. It's pretty much outlining every step of the fucking game with specific names, places, objectives, etc. Why? It serves the reader absolutely no purpose and the point can be made without giving specifics.
 
Here's what I read that seemed off compared to almost everything else i've read:

There just aren't enough new ideas to separate Skyward Sword from its predecessors, and the few additions come with mixed results. Even with many bright spots, Skyward Sword still feels like a nostalgic retread. Those yearning for something new will be disappointed, but anyone thirsty for another exciting adventure will find plenty to enjoy here.
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Yeah that GS review sounds in direct opposition to other reviews we've seen before. This is interesting, innit boys? I'm not saying it's a bad thing, mind you. Diversity is cool and I'm buying this game no matter what.

I'm predicting a little bit of a kerfuffle but nothing compared to the 8.8.
 
Paradoxal_Utopia said:
Ok, I've only read the 1st 2 paragraphs and this is the most fucking spoilerrific review I've ever read. And it's obvious its on purpose. What an incredible lack of professionalism. It's pretty much outlining every step of the fucking game with specific names, places, objectives, etc.
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yeah, the link starts at the top of the second page. i was confused at first too.

it's good to know that stuff about the boss fights though. i hate that obvious padding shit. i will temper my expectations accordingly.
 
BY2K said:
Well, you're the only one so far so...
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1up said the controls were "broken" too.

Opinions are great and fine but cotnrols aren't an opinion in the way these guys are stating it.

I'm sure they're not perfect but most say they are better than good.
 
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