Blast Off: Windwaker HD

I’ve been playing loads of Windwaker HD lately. It’s sooo pretty in HD, and the gameplay hasn’t aged a bit. Plus it’s been long enough since I last played it that I don’t remember the puzzle solutions and am having fun re-figuring everything out.

I don’t have much else to say, just that it’s a really good game. And you should play it! It’s my personal favorite of the Zelda series.

Also, check out the latest Nintendo Direct: http://youtu.be/X8khWAH13fg There’s some great new footage of the upcoming Super Mario 3D World (free-roaming overworld whatwhat?) And in fitting with the topic of this post, Nintendo kindly provides QR codes for AC: New Leaf to get the shirt Link wears in the beginning of Windwaker, before he gets his green tunic. Skip to 20:46 for the codes. Or use this link: http://youtu.be/X8khWAH13fg?t=20m46s

Play By Play: Pikmin 3

Pikmin is such an odd property. I feel like it’s one of the few universes that exists solely to be a video game. In the same way that The Mushroom Kingdom is a really weird place when you think about it, the rules of the Pikmin universe too are designed to be a fun game first, and a cohesive place second. It’s what happens when, instead of grafting gameplay onto the world you created, you build a world around the gameplay. The results are absurd and fascinating, and something that no other medium can match.

Pikmin 3, the latest in the series, is a solid evolution of the franchise. I’ll admit, I never played the second game, but with this iteration the mechanics seem tuned to perfection. I’ve been playing with the Wiimote/Nunchuk combo, and wondering how I ever played any other way! It feels like the difference between playing an FPS with mouse and keyboard vs a controller. Ordering around my little helpers with the Wiimote is a breeze, and I attribute that in part to Wii Motion Plus. I always felt the original Wii pointer controls to be a bit on the squirrel-y side, but with motion plus driving the cursor it feels much more solid and accurate.

The game itself is extremely polished and fun—the levels in particular feel really well-designed. I get a true sense of exploration each time I venture out and push into uncharted territory. The levels are so dense I’m never bored replaying the same area over and over. Each time I discover something new, or open up a new path that I mentally note for the next in-game day. It becomes addictive, being broken up into twenty-odd minute chunks (days), there’s never enough time to do everything I want in a single play session, so I’m constantly diving back in to play just one more day. I’ve already had a good many late nights due to this; and I expect more.

The story is quite engaging too. It keeps the action bouncing along and gives me even more reason to keep playing one or eight more times. At the end of each day, Alph, Brittany, or Charlie write a report to give their perspective on what has happened. It’s a nice recap, and is made entertaining by the varying points of view and different personalities. The story is pretty silly so far, but I’m into it and can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Also at the end of the day, you analyze and process any fruit you collected on that day. This involves being able to look at and rotate all around the 3D models of the fruit; I spend an awful lot of time just looking at what I’ve gathered. They really did a nice job on the textures and reflections! In fact, the whole world finally being in HD is great. From the depth of field effects to the detailed environments and lighting effects—it’s all just really pleasing to look at.

Pikmin 3 is a really good game. Much more strategic and deep than I recall (compared to the first game at least). The added complexity of three characters to control, and five different types of Pikmin is certainly responsible for a bit of that. But it’s also due in large part to its expertly paced gameplay and superbly designed levels. I can’t wait to get back in and keep exploring its world.

Blast Off: New Leaf Nightmare Suite

I completed my Dream Suite the other day, and tonight finally visited my first dream. I was not prepared for what I would experience.

I did a quick search online to see where I should go. First page I found had several mentions of a place called Aika. They said it was really cool, and a little creepy.

Creepy was an understatement: this place is a full-blown nightmare. I won’t spoil anything, but will say that I haven’t been this legitimately creeped out in a long time. I think it’s only made worse by the fact that I’ve always felt incredibly safe playing Animal Crossing.

There are now a few items that I will never be able to look at the same again.

If you’re feeling brave, check out Aika: 2600-0218-7298

And then cheer yourself up with Nintendo’s village: 5700-2038-6151

Play By Play: How to Describe Animal Crossing to Someone Who Has Never Played It Before

First, let me get this out of my system: IT’S SO PRETTY!

Okay, that’s all squared away.

Now, I took a bit of a leap of faith preordering the special Animal Crossing 3DS XL. I was obsessed with the design of the thing (I don’t care if it’s a pop-tart!) but had never really played any Animal Crossing games.

I was aware of the series, and knew sorta kinda what it was about. I even picked up a used copy of Wild World (the DS version) a while back, but was never able to fully commit to it with the threat of a newer, better version on the horizon. Still, I played enough to get the gist. Plus I was big into Harvest Moon 64 back in the day, so I knew this was the type of game I could really like.

My verdict? Animal Crossing: New Leaf is a wonderful, wonderful game. One that I’m convinced will be in rotation on my 3DS for a long time. I’m obsessed. And at least in this initial honeymoon phase, am really excited to kick back and hop into the game whenever I can. But why? How do I explain the experience of the game to someone else?

How DO you describe Animal Crossing to someone who’s never played it? This is something I’ve had to do multiple times in the lead up to and in the wake of my acquisition of the game. I noticed that before I got New Leaf, I would explain the game by listing what you can do in it. You can walk around, go shopping, arrange your furniture, fish, catch bugs, chat with the villagers, hang out. I would say this with the qualifier that I hadn’t played it yet, so there was probably more to it I wasn’t aware of just yet.

Now, after having played the game, my answer sounds pretty much the same, but without the disclaimer. I can go into a little more detail than before about the activities, and I can add a few to the list (digging up fossils, designing your own patterns, donating to the museum collection—there’s actually a ton to do, and more things opening up every time I play) but yes, that is basically the game. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Like most things, it’s not so much about what is executed, it’s about how.

The word charming comes up a lot in reading about Animal Crossing, and that word is certainly apt. The game exudes charm at every turn. I think a lot of the appeal, at least initially, is this charm. Everything the characters say and do is funny or quirky in unexpected ways. And I can’t put my finger on why, but I’ve grown quite attached to my neighbors. I actually want to stop and chat with them, just to say hi.

Beneath the look and design, there are simple but addictive mechanics that keep me coming back. I really enjoy trying to catch elusive fish, or sneaking up on skittish bugs. And since it’s a living breathing world that happens in real-time, I always feel like there’s something different happening, something new to do. New residents move in, day and night bring out different wildlife, each new day the shops stock new different goods. The other day, for instance, it was summer solstice. So all the residents were chatting about that, and daylight in-game lasted all day. How fun!

Video games have always been a retreat. Kind of a mini-vacation from the mundane of day to day living. When you go on vacation, sometimes you go to a theme park and ride roller coasters and walk through haunted houses, other times you go to a beach and just sit there. Maybe get a massage, maybe not. If games are vacations, Animal Crossing is like the latter.

It’s just a nice place to visit. Great for short bursts to do whatever. Catch a few fish, start a new public works project, shake down some fruit from trees. And, I’ve barely scratched the surface, and I feel there is so much more to explore and discover. In trying to explain what the game is about, I don’t know that I’ve done it justice. It’s hard to explain what is fun about a game where everything you do sounds silly or mundane. But I suppose describing a game where you run around as a plumber squashing walking mushroom men and travelling through pipes sounds pretty silly too.

Perhaps, there are no words in the English language that more accurately or succinctly describe Animal Crossing than “animal crossing.” And perhaps you just have to experience it for yourself to truly understand its magic. But I whole-heartedly recommend you give it go. It’s certainly won me over!

Putting Opinion It: Controllers

The Wii U GamePad is the most comfortable controller I have ever used. It is the first controller I can play any type of game on and not feel compromised. Usually my main problem is with the d-pad. Too often modern d-pads are simply extra buttons in the shape of a d-pad, and are unusable for the type of precise control a d-pad usually affords. The only company that consistently gets it it right is Sony, since they’ve never stopped placing the d-pad front and center. But, Nintendo too has realized this need and I believe has rectified the situation with the Wii U GamePad. Because of the size of the controller, the d-pad is exactly as comfortable and usable as the typically more optimally placed analog stick. This is key for Virtual Console games, and a boon for newer titles like NSMBU.

I love everything about the Wii U GamePad. It’s large—but light—and the buttons are well-spaced. Even the weird humps on the back feel great when you grip the thing. It definitely becomes a covetable device in Nintendo Land when you get to trade up your Wiimote and bask in the glory of your own screen. The only improvement they could make would be to the screen itself. I wonder how much information the Wii U can stream to the controller because even if they just bumped up the screen’s resolution to 1280×720, it would look worlds better and I would opt for off-screen play almost exclusively. Now, if they could put a 1920×1080 screen in the thing I would—oh my—well, I’d certainly buy one for starters! Regardless, I think it looks good enough as is, and remains a joy to use. I just need more games to use it with!

I want to also plug my previous favorite controller—which I still hold in high regard—the GameCube’s WaveBird. I love the GameCube button layout in general, so the wireless version just made a good thing better. I really dig the idea of varying sizes of buttons. Every button not only looked different, but felt very different as well. Why has this been abandoned? Mashing that giant A button is one of the most satisfying things you can do! There were only two issues I had with the controller. First the springy triggers which, though I liked the feeling of, were a bit noisy. And second, as you may have guessed, the d-pad.

I hope a future Nintendo controller design (and console design for that matter) takes cues from the GameCube. Even if it wasn’t the most successful system, there were a lot of really fun and good ideas that should not be abandoned in favor of the more modern and, quite honestly, tired controller layout we’ve become accustomed to.

Dear Ninty: Mario Kart 7 DLC Plz!

One of my favorite parts of the recent entries in the Maro Kart franchise is seeing which tracks get picked for the “retro” cups. And I was quite pleased with the selection available in Mario Kart 7—Kalimari Desert, Maple Treeway, the original Rainbow Road! But, why stop there? What about Baby Park, Moo Moo Farm, DK Mountain? If you eventually released every track ever released in a Mario Kart game as DLC, I would buy them all! Even the bad ones! Heck, I’d buy them all if you ONLY released the bad ones.

You don’t have to design any new tracks, just repackage the old ones! Though it still probably takes a bit of retooling to make them work well with the latest mechanics. I know this is the first time that it’s even been possible for Mario Kart DLC, so I can’t expect too much. And I’m sure it would make matching up racers in multiplayer slightly more complicated. But by golly, I would give you my whole allowance for just one more cup!

Future Proof: Asymmetrical Gameplay

Nintendo Land has time and again proven to be an absolute hoot. Especially when maxed out with five players. They really have something figured out with this “asymmetrical gameplay” thing. And in typical Nintendo fashion, the polished and quirky presentation goes a long way toward making simple games like Mario Chase really shine. I rarely—if ever—am compelled to watch instant replays. But in Mario Chase I’m always excited to watch again how the near tackles and the clever jukes played out after each round.

The crowd favorite attraction around here, though, has been Animal Crossing: Sweet Day. It’s always riotous fun collecting, and then having to shed, way too much candy as you attempt to flee from the guards. Though, actually controlling the guards is my vote for most compelling mechanic. You control two guards: one with each joystick, and can tackle with the corresponding triggers. This test of mental dexterity is quite satisfying when you get it right, flanking the dirty candy thieves into a corner. But it also allows you to spread out your guards and cover more ground, which in turn lets you to see more of the map at once. This vantage point is particularly useful when someone keeps trying to lead you on a wild goose chase while his buddies pick up all the candy in the opposite corner of the map.

I’m really excited to see what else Nintendo has in store for the dual screens of the Wii U. There are the clear choices like Pikmin 3, the next Smash Bros., or a new Mario Kart that already have me eager with anticipation. But I feel like I know what those games will be like, and no one expects them to change the rules or use the gamepad in a revolutionary way (here’s hoping for surprises though!). What I’m really truly, and wholly excited by is the prospect of the next 3D Mario game. Having just revisited Super Mario Galaxy 2, I’m reminded of how honestly brilliant those games were in how they reinvented the 3D platformer for the Wii. And how they remain unmatched to this day!

I have no idea what Nintendo might have up his sleeve for this next installment, but my body is ready for something cool. And Nintendo always delivers. I know it’s dangerous getting too hyped up for something that nobody’s even seen yet, but man E3 can’t come soon enough. In the Galaxy games they were already technically experimenting with asymmetrical gameplay in how a second player could collect and shoot star bits with another wiimote. But asymmetry only works if both halves are equally compelling and fun to play. Galaxy’s player two option was unfortunately pretty lame—though it’s existence certainly didn’t hurt the actual game. Now with the Wii U’s Gamepad, there are so many more possibilities for a second player to not only join in, but to have as much fun as player one. I can imagine Mario and Luigi teaming up, while playing to their own strengths rather than being carbon copy run-and-jumpers.

Ah but this is all only conjecture. In the end, we’ll just have to wait and see. And to be honest, I’d be perfectly happy with a Super Mario Galaxy 3 that’s in HD and that I could play on just the gamepad in bed.

Get N or Get Out!