General Gaming Discussions

[Linkachu]

I'm kinda surprised by this, but I'm starting to get really excited about New Super Mario Bros. Wii's release in a couple of days. I read through some preview/reviews of it and watched the latest videos on IGN, and it's shaping up to look and sound like a really fun one-player or multiplayer experience.

The concept of being able to put yourself in a bubble while other players keep playing through difficult areas is excellent for anyone who lacks the same skill level as their friends (or family members). The ability to join-in and drop-out at any time seems really nicely refined, too. It also amuses me that you have to pop your buddies out of their floating bubbles if they die during the stage (heavily reminds me of Yoshi's Island).

The lack of WiiConnect24 with that game is a shame, but I'm honestly not too bothered by it. Maybe it's because I have friends and family members to play with co-op IRL, so I don't need to rely on online play to enjoy the feature. I will need to finally buy a couple of new Wiimotes, though...

I think I'm going to enjoy the strict co-op play best. As fun as the competitive play modes are, that's generally not what makes co-op play in platformers fun - at least, not for me XP

 

[Blisk]

For my free NES download from Nintendo on VC (because the internet channel is free and everyone that bought it got their 500 points back, like me) I got punch-out and i think it's awesome. I love how simple yet complicated it is. At first glance it looks like all you do is punch the guy into submission, but thats when you realized that you could have beaten the guy a lot faster with uppercuts (personal experience). I just love this game now and every so often just start playing it when I'm bored. Only gotten past the first or second guy if I remember right because i'm still figuring it out.

 

[Linkachu]

... Lufia II is being remade into a 3D action RPG on DS? I can't say I saw that one coming o.o

Source: http://ds.ign.com/articles/104/1046816p1.html

November 18, 2009 - Square Enix and Famitsu.com teamed up last week to tease a revival of the classic Lufia RPG franchise. We now have solid details on the game thanks to this week's Famitsu.

Titled Estpolis, taking after the Japanese name for the Lufia franchise, the new title is a DS remake of Lufia II. Released for the Super Famicom/NES in 1995, Lufia II was actually a prequel to the original Lufia, so it seems to make some sense to have it come out first.

This isn't your father's Lufia, though. In addition to 3D visuals and a full voice cast, the basic gameplay is seeing some major changes. Instead of the encounter-based RPG of the original, the game is now an action RPG.

For the most part, the action takes place on the top screen. The bottom screen shows a map of the current area along with face panels for members of your party. Tap a face panel, and you can swap your current character out with a party member. It's possible to swap out in mid combo.

Boss fights change the formula a bit. When facing off against the game's massive boss characters, the action expands to fill both screens. You control your character on the bottom screen.

Estpolis looks like it has all the staples of a solid action RPG, including puzzle-driven dungeons. It already has a potential sequel, so let's hope we get a quality product!

Japan will get Estpolis in its new DS form on February 25. There's no word yet on an international release. In the event of such a release, would you prefer the Estpolis name, or should Square Enix stick with Lufia?

I'm not even sure how to feel about this. I ADORED Lufia II, but... these aren't small changes. Guess if it does ever get a release outside of Japan I'll just need to give it a spin and judge for myself.