This one had a lot of potential, but I was disappointed with it.
This original Genesis game was MUCH better.
Comments?
2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Damn, I was really hoping this would be a killer ap for the 3DS. The original game is still one of my favorite Genesis games and to hear that the sequel turned out to be only "average" is kind of disheartening. Still, I think I'll probably give it a try since it seems to have some redeeming qualities. Thankfully the new Fire Emblem game comes out next month and I think that'll be the game I end up buying a 3DS for.
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Yeah, I was VERY excited about this one. Then I played the demo (which actually is that boring dialogue part and the first bit of the game). I was floored that a demo of a 2D game could bore me so very badly. The touch screen stuff is like something from the first year of the DS (pointless busywork that adds nothing except hassle). This is 2012. There have been touch screen handheld systems for years now, and one of the biggest gaming platforms on the planet ONLY has touch screen controls. There is no excuse for pointless "look a touchscreen!" busy work now. It impresses no one, anywhere, at all. All it does is annoy people.
And the platforming itself, at least in the 20 minutes after that first 15 minute borefest talking bit, is straightforward to the extreme. It's like they assume you haven't even played a videogame before, let alone that you won't understand a platformer. I try not to let a demo completely turn me off (as that encourages publishers to not make demos), but when it's this bad, I don't know what else you can do but lose interest.
And the platforming itself, at least in the 20 minutes after that first 15 minute borefest talking bit, is straightforward to the extreme. It's like they assume you haven't even played a videogame before, let alone that you won't understand a platformer. I try not to let a demo completely turn me off (as that encourages publishers to not make demos), but when it's this bad, I don't know what else you can do but lose interest.
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
I wonder if 2D platforming has become a lost art.
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
I think Orion makes a valid point. It seems like game developers have a heck of a time getting the 2D formula right. I've especially noticed this with the "indie" and mobile games.
The thing is, it's very easy to program a 2D platform game. However, making one that's fun is another story. Back in the NES/16-bit era, developers would take great care in designing stages and tuning the controls and play mechanics.
Today it seems as if they just throw something together to make a quick buck.
The thing is, it's very easy to program a 2D platform game. However, making one that's fun is another story. Back in the NES/16-bit era, developers would take great care in designing stages and tuning the controls and play mechanics.
Today it seems as if they just throw something together to make a quick buck.
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
[QUOTE=videogamecritic]I I've especially noticed this with the "indie" and mobile games.
[/QUOTE]
I don't know about that. Braid and Super Meat Boy are indie games and they're products of the few developers who got this right who aren't Nintendo. I'm hard pressed to name more than two or three "big publisher" platformers not from Nintendo that's got it really right lately. Sonic Colours, Rayman, and Kalona maybe I guess. Actually, I'd argue that there are far more indie projects that "get it" than big publisher games.
Mobile games, sure. I guess a lot of those suck.
[/QUOTE]
I don't know about that. Braid and Super Meat Boy are indie games and they're products of the few developers who got this right who aren't Nintendo. I'm hard pressed to name more than two or three "big publisher" platformers not from Nintendo that's got it really right lately. Sonic Colours, Rayman, and Kalona maybe I guess. Actually, I'd argue that there are far more indie projects that "get it" than big publisher games.
Mobile games, sure. I guess a lot of those suck.
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
A 15min intro? That's longer that the first Mickey Mouse cartoons! They should have cut it down/split it up.
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
I wonder how many people they have on the production teams of modern 2D side-scrollers compared to the size of the teams that developed during the 8 bit/16 bit era. Something tells me they use skeleton crews for the newer games, because the companies don't take 2D seriously, so they don't spend a lot of money on them.
I don't actually know though, just speculating. Also, there's some games like New Super Mario Bros U the obviously have a large development team.
I don't actually know though, just speculating. Also, there's some games like New Super Mario Bros U the obviously have a large development team.
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
[QUOTE=Orion]I wonder how many people they have on the production teams of modern 2D side-scrollers compared to the size of the teams that developed during the 8 bit/16 bit era. Something tells me they use skeleton crews for the newer games, because the companies don't take 2D seriously, so they don't spend a lot of money on them.
I don't actually know though, just speculating. Also, there's some games like New Super Mario Bros U the obviously have a large development team. [/QUOTE]
Yeah, but team size would only be a small problem. Super Meat Boy is a pretty great platformer, and Braid is a pretty great and innovative platformer, and they had teams of two and one respectively. It's not the number of people who work on the game, but the number of good people who work on the game. If you put Miyamoto on a game by himself, told him he had to do what the guy who did Braid did and make something new and cool basically all by himself today, using the toold available today, he'd probably produce something new and cool. If you took 100 people who would rather be making a new FPS for a company that would rather be making a FPS and told them to make a platformer, they'd make junk.
I don't actually know though, just speculating. Also, there's some games like New Super Mario Bros U the obviously have a large development team. [/QUOTE]
Yeah, but team size would only be a small problem. Super Meat Boy is a pretty great platformer, and Braid is a pretty great and innovative platformer, and they had teams of two and one respectively. It's not the number of people who work on the game, but the number of good people who work on the game. If you put Miyamoto on a game by himself, told him he had to do what the guy who did Braid did and make something new and cool basically all by himself today, using the toold available today, he'd probably produce something new and cool. If you took 100 people who would rather be making a new FPS for a company that would rather be making a FPS and told them to make a platformer, they'd make junk.
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2013/1/13: Nintendo 3DS: Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
But, I thought this was the best game on the 3DS so far.