Breaktime

I am taking a break from posting here. It has less to do with the Holidays and more with writer's block, but Happy Holidays nonetheless.

Separating the Wii in the WiiU

Do you remember this commercial at all? This was during Gamecube’s final major push to convince the hardcore crowd that they indeed have some incredible games to satisfy the subculture. Now, we all know Gamecube would become Nintendo’s biggest failure not named Virtual Boy, and would ultimately force Nintendo to totally alter their strategy in terms of hardware and software. While the advertisement then did fail to push sales of the Gamecube, this was exactly the type of commercial that Nintendo needed to air this month.

The WiiU didn’t outsell the other systems during Black Friday simply because Nintendo could not separate the Wii reputation out of the new system that is clearly reaching out to the hardcore audience. The WiiU and the Wii were still joined hand-in-hand when the WiiU is essentially the 2006 system on HD steroids. I can guarantee you that the majority still see the WiiU as a simple update to Nintendo’s most successful system. There should be no reason that despite the WiiU selling nearly 450,000 copies on opening week, the original Wii managed sales of over 300,000.That’s at least 125,000 owners that will probably not consider buying the next generation system for at least a year.

The marketing failed miserably in showcasing the talent of the new system by not revealing the new features, not revealing Nintendo’s actual push for online gaming and the hardcore titles that feature Nintendo exclusives (unlike the Gamecube commercial displayed above), instead showing the world this:






It is not a bad commercial, but what separates Mario Bros. WiiU…. …from the Wii version? Aside from the tablet? They look virtually the same.It doesn't even seem like a next-gen game (although the game is partially to blame for that one too).

There is still no WiiU ad that shows that the tablet can become a full universal remote control (it just shows you can switch the game to the tablet), or pull off HD graphics, or allow for you to be able to see online videos while navigating away from the page into something else. The WiiU is a gaming system that can imitate a remote control, a movie player, and an interactive internet browser---at the same time!!!! 

We still don't really have an ad that even shows some of the exclusives available at launch or the holiday season. Remember this tease earlier this year?





If you even showed an abridged version of that video on television, it would have been far more effective than merely showing the families playing with Wiimotes and the only change is a gaming tablet attached. How could that warrant a $350 purchase? How would they know its HD, backwards-compatible, data-from-Wii transferrable, and extremely online friendly? How would they possibly know any of this?


Nintendo, you have a nice machine, I am enjoying it, but your advertising is going to result in the WiiU having a bumpy first couple of months.

10 Gamecube Games in Need of an HD Rerelease

The Nintendo WiiU has hit stores and one of the biggest questions concerning the system is the backwards-compatibility. But we aren’t talking about the Wii (even though I have discussed that the service has to stop bullspitting and truly blow up), but actually on the Nintendo Gamecube. Believe it or not, it’s been 10 years since the cube hit stores and became a financial disappointment although it delivered some of the best video games of the new millennium. Now, while I have been strongly begging and pleading for HD remakes and re-dos of past Nintendo classics, there has not been word on just how the Gamecube games (and if) will look once they do eventually arrive to the Virtual Console.


Nonetheless, I will remain faithful that Nintendo will do the right thing and enhance the Gamecube games a bit before putting them in the online store. I am personally willing to shell out a little extra for the HD touch—after all, look how that improved Perfect Dark and Marvel vs. Capcom on Xbox Live. Here is my list of the 10 Gamecube games that most definitely needs the HD re-release for new gamers to enjoy.

Honorable Mention


1)      Super Smash Brothers Melee: I do actually doubt that this will happen, because why spend $60 on the new upcoming Smash Bros. when you can spend $15-$20 on the HD remake of arguably the greatest fighting game of all-time? Melee is pure action perfection and remains the quickest, most responsive, most rewarding, and deepest fighter in the franchise and in the business.


2)      Viewtiful Joe: Capcom deserves no positive fame or fortune whatsoever for being one of the shadiest gaming companies out there. So although this is a fantastic game and can use an HD touch, I’d rather not see this game at all. Remember Capcom was the company that backed off a guarantee of releasing 5 exclusives to Nintendo only to dismantle the entire deal slowly but surely.


3)      Resident Evil 4: See above answer.

Now to the Top 10!





#10) Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Now, this game was a hybrid of the first two games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise that helped Sony become the king of gaming for 10 years. Enhancing this one with an HD touch would give Nintendo its first foray into the Metal Gear world in full definition. It was a slick game that improved upon the few flaws of the original Metal Gear Solid and combining with some extra goodies, became one of the best mature titles of the generation. Add the HD, add some MGS2 mayhem, and I promise you this $20 game will sell like hotcakes.

P.S. Snake’s appeal in Smash Brothers should improve the chances Nintendo gets an actual Metal Gear Solid game in the future.



#9) Soul Calibur II

Not sure what happened to this franchise, but it doesn’t hold the gamers’ attention like it used to back when it hit the Dreamcast and achieved that rare IGN perfect score. Soul Calibur II is arguably one of the best fighting games out there, and then throwing in the ability to fight as Link only made things all the sweeter.  Bringing this back, throwing in the HD, throw in some more playable characters, and smooth out the controls will make this a gem worthy of revisiting. The Marvel fighter series was saved because of MvC2 on Xbox Arcade, and Soul Calibur II on the WiiU can achieve this same type of revival.

P.S. In case you argue that Nintendo gamers don’t purchase fighting games: Smash Brothers Brawl is the only fighting game in history to sell over 10 million copies. Nuff’ said.


#8) Tales of Symphonia

The Tales series is an interesting one, for it holds an interesting relationship with Nintendo. Despite having two of their biggest hits on Nintendo systems, the Tales games see more spotlight in the Sony systems. Nonetheless, bringing back the surprise-surprise hit Tales of Symphonia would definitely improve relations amongst all the parties involved if done right. This is the biggest Tales hit, and by far the one with the most room for improvement and refreshment. Tidy up the graphics, improve the animation, and give it a big-screen feel will certainly lift this epic story and game into new heights that you couldn’t achieve all those years ago. With being one of the better Nintendo RPGs in the last decade, there is nowhere to go but up with this one.

P.S. I find it odd that Nintendo didn’t attempt to milk this installment in the franchise.



#7) The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

If you ever ponder what Link to the Past or Link’s Awakening would look like with the HD touch, then this game would be a nice experiment. The puzzling Zelda entry in the history of the fabled franchise, Four Swords came off as a game that required far too much to fully enjoy. After all, you had to fine three other people with Game Boy Advance systems in order to get the full treatment. Now, we can fix this by just making it a good ol’ fashioned 4-player game. There was a good game to be found in all the hardware muddle, and putting HD graphics and perhaps some new material on it would give this game a new life and a second chance at obtaining an audience.

P.S. Anyone else up for remaking Oracle of Ages/Oracles of Seasons for the WiiU?


#6) Eternal Darkness

Let’s have fun with this story: this game was well-received by critics to the nth degree, loved by gamers, but was purchased by essentially nobody. To make matters stranger, Nintendo holds the patent to the gameplay style, which remains a style that’s used…..never. And the patent has been renewed….recently. So, is the sequel going to happen? Or is this a mere ploy into being able to produce an HD remake or re-release? Whatever the reason, it has to be done. Eternal Darkness was a psychologically engaging game with plenty of twists and scary moments. It was Nintendo at its most mature, and at times its most creative. Just making it HD would be enough, but throwing in some more scares and moments that will warp your mind would make this one of the most essential purchases in the entire run of the WiiU.

P.S. I am surprised the patent to screw with your game hasn’t been used anywhere else, not even in the recent ZombieU.


#5) Super Mario Sunshine

Hands-down the most underrated Gamecube gem (Seriously, why don’t we talk about this game?) in the history of the machine, Super Mario Sunshine is a modern platform classic that was a great blend of music, gameplay, animation, and style. This game is literally just one HD update away from transforming into a purchase worthy of every penny. Seriously, that’s all it takes. Give it the Mario Galaxy polish, HD it up, and honestly, you are set.

P.S. While I prefer the open-style exploration of Mario 64, I would not mind a waterpack resurgence in the future.


#4) Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader

The best Star Wars video game of all-time (Nobody say KOTOR, I will scream), Rogue Leader from the Gamecube launched displayed how powerful the system was. As a matter of fact, few games ever topped it in terms of visuals as well as gameplay throughout its run. Now with Disney at the helm, they can fork over the big bucks, totally upgrade the entire game visually, add more levels and ships, and re-release this excellent game on the WiiU. Introducing this to a new generation of gamers and Star Wars fans would be nothing short of a great idea.

P.S. I am still waiting for Rogue Squadron IV. Just saying.


#3: F-Zero GX

The fastest, toughest, and craziest racing game I’ve ever played, F-Zero GX is the franchise fully realized and nearly hitting its full potential. This game would benefit greatly from getting the HD treatment and having the ability to run on a much more powerful system. While most skipped out on this game when it had first come out, this game is too good to not get a second chance. Give it the high definition upgrade, add all the characters and courses from the arcade version of the game, and I will buy this day one. And should every racing fan or anyone that enjoys a challenge.

P.S. If we don’t get an announcement for an F-Zero game within the next year, I will be royally disappointed.




#2: Metroid Prime

Without a doubt one of the greatest games of all-time, Metroid Prime should become an HD game as soon as possible so we can a) relive this wonderful experience and b) showcase everyone how a Metroid game SHOULD be done, instead of the light/dark theme in Prime 2, the rather Halo-ish turn it took in Prime 3, and the abomination that eventually became Other M. All that is needed here is a visual upgrade, nothing more. This game is perfection and shouldn’t be fiddled with too much.

P.S. A downloadable Metroid Prime Trilogy HD upgrade would be fantastic, especially now that the original game package is out of stock.








#1: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker



This isn’t the best Gamecube game in history, but its definitely the one that will most benefit from an HD upgrade and a move to a larger system. Back in the early 2000s, this game was so huge it was almost a chore to churn through when collecting the final pieces of the Triforce. But there was so much space and so many little islands in between major areas, this game could keep you entertained for hours. This essentially predates the Elder Scrolls transformation into 100-hour games.
Wind Waker wasn’t my favorite art style in a Zelda game, but the gameplay more than made up for it, and there’s plenty of room for even more enhancement. Imagine not only giving it HD, but also throwing in more islands, more secret places to go, and more sidequests. A Skyrim-style expansion would make this remake, this return to the Great Sea a worthwhile one.

P.S. If Nintendo really wanted to win the hearts of gamers, they would package Wind Waker with an upgraded Phantom Hourglass