The Video Game Critic

How's Heat Seekers?  Anyone play this yet?  Ninendo Power gave it a 7.5 and said it uses the wiimote well, and it looks a lot like After Burner.  Also, it's from Codemasters, and their N-Gage work earned me as a fan for life.  An After Burner game, from a quality developer,that is in the tradition of After Burner sounds like an incredible thing to me, yet I hear no one else mentioning it.

I'm going into the city in a couple weeks, and that'll be the first time I've been to a game store in a couple months, so I'm hoping to pick this up then.

[QUOTE=Atarifever]An After Burner game, from a quality developer,that is in the tradition of After Burner

[/QUOTE]
That should say "A jet fighting game, from a quality developer..." 

Here's what I have so far. Take my mini reviews for what they are worth:

Metal Slug Ant: A
I like 7 games for $30. These games are challenging, great for one or two player, and a hell of a fun ride for 30 minutes at a time sessions. I like shaking the controller for gernades too.

Godfather BE: B+
I am totally addicted to taking the whole city over for the Corleones. It's like GTA, but with better controls, graphics and story. The city is not as "alive" as a GTA and the clever radio stations while driving are missed. However, the game features quality voice acting, a great license and the Wii remote fighting controls are unbelieveably fun.

Wii Sports: B+
The Wii was made for this game. Alone, it is OK. With friends, it can't be beaten. If you love pick and play style games similar to the Atari 2600, hold onto your hat.

Rayman RR: B
This may be a series of mini games, but the demented humor and the quality of these games proves the Mario Party series needs a new coat of paint.

Trauma Center: B-
The most interesting use of the Wii-mote so far. Great fun, but like someone said before... a little nerve-racking to relax to. Also, tracing stars to freeze time grates the nerves even more.

Zelda: B-
I'm through with Zelda... just over it, sorry.

Excite Truck: B-
When are games going to let 2 players go through the Grand Prix/ Single mode at the same time? What a pain. Still, a very imaginitive racer with some interesting ways to determine winners that encourages different race philosophies.

Sonic and the Secret Rings: C-    
What a great, fun, beautiful game that is completely ruined by cutesy voice acting and a dear god kill me storyline. I also don't understand the leveling system in this game and don't care to.

Super Paper Mario: C-
Kiddie dialouge and no real challenge. I was bored out of my mind and I don't understand why Mario has to level up in a game like this. Switching to 3D is cool as hell at first but after awhile this is a one trick pony that ran it's course.

Cooking Mama: D-
Bought it for my wife. Yep. $50. We still play Wii Sports and Rayman, though

FUNK

[QUOTE=Funkmaster V]

Zelda: B-
I'm through with Zelda... just over it, sorry.


[/QUOTE]

I was tempted to go into some real hyperbole, but then I'd be doing the same thing that the folks who called me a crack user for not giving Gears of War an A++ did (I gave it a friggin' B+ too!!!).

All I will say is that Zelda games are not for those who want instant gratification, or even relatively quick gratification. It does take some degree of patience to fully enjoy the game. Sort of like reading Tolkien: Sure, it does get tiresome reading through page after page of prose (c'mon JRR, get me to Helm's Deep already, enough with the songs!) but you always feel very glad that you did in the end.

I've been playing Ocarina of Time and FFVII side by side, and the differences between the two are interesting. FFVII holds your hand and gives you lots of "service." That is, lots of little scripted sequences to bolster the action, and even lets you see where to go next if you hit the select button (the little red arrows)!!! Ocarina, on the other hand, has that patented slow Zelda beginning, puzzles that have to be solved (and very few hints given, even by Navi the "help" fairy). I like both games equally, but it's surprising the Zelda games have been as popular as they are, seeing as they require a good deal of patience compared to most other post 1994 video games.

-Rob

The problem Feilong, with Zelda is that I beat Ocrana of Time and the original Legend of Zelda. After that, I have played Windwaker, Four Swords, Twilight Princess, and Majora's Mask and I just can't get into them. The first time I see a dungeon, I just sigh and slump my shoulders and stop the game.

I've done it! I don't want to do it anymore. I don't see how people keep playing the new ones.

FUNK

Your reasoning is perfectly understandable in regards to your own individual choice. But using newness as a larger arbiter of merit is always tricky and ultimately bankrupt (overall; you can decide to play a game or not for any reason you want, obviously).

By the "newness" doctrine, all art forms would cease to be relavent: Why go to an art museum and look at Renaissance paintings, for instance? Why listen to jazz, or Mozart? Why should New Super Mario Bros. been succesful at all? New is cool, but it's also overrated. New has flaws. Old has been refined.

The reason why people still enjoy Zelda games now and will in the future is because whenever something is beautifully and artifully done (and done as close to perfection as humans can be reasonably expected to achieve), it always has worth on its own merits, whether it is iteration number one or fifty. To use a less highbrow example, AC/DC has made many albums. They are all the same. Yet they all rock! Because they are one of the finest rock n' roll bands on the planet, and therefore the music always has value.

That's not to say that Zelda shouldn't grow, that Miyamoto-san and Aonuma-san shouldn't add and change the series. And I think they will. Obviously the Ocarina of Time 3D Zelda aesthetic has been perfected, and some change is needed. But the core gameplay elements: Carefully balanced adventure, thoughtful puzzles, and (in recent games) compelling narrative, will and must remain.

-Rob  

[QUOTE=a]Kiddie dialogue? Give me a break. First off, I take no value in someone's opinion of a fun game designed for younger players when they criticize it for being designed for younger players. Secondly, the dialogue is actually hilarious, and constantly pokes fun at video games and video game players. The amount of subtlety really surprised me. Either it went over your head, or you haven't really played very far into the game and are judging it off of the opening dialogue.[/QUOTE]

Indeed.  Some of the jokes aren't even verbal.  I really liked that first boss battle with the dragon for instance, when he "thinks" hard and computes, his eyes do that thing (along with the sound) that the Wii does when you are connecting to the Wii Shopping Channel.