This excited me at work today. Provided it happens of course!

I would so love to get this game instead of playing it on an emulator of some sorts. I wished more games would see reprints instead of buying them used (I don’t feel comfortable buying used games . . . ) or paying a fortune for an unopened one. It’s a shame, really, since gamers like me who are slow with the mainstream world do not hear about the good games until retailers stop stocking them. That happened to me with Hotel Dusk and older GBA games like Golden Sun 1 and 2.

What Nintendo games would you guys be interested in seeing as reprints?

I read an article the other day where Hideo Kojima said he was disappointed with the realiance on cut scenes for story telling in the Metal Gear Solid series. And obviously, this doesn’t just happen in the MGS series… it’s true for almost all types of story-telling games. Gamers often criticize certain titles (i.e. Xenosaga, Metal Gear Solid) for being more like a movie than a game. But let’s look at the other story-telling mediums out there — books, movies, TV shows — none of them come even close to being as interactive as a video game.

In any case, this got me thinking about just how game creators can start breaking the mold. Just off the top of my head, I think Shadow of the Colossus takes a great first step towards story-telling with minimal cut scenes. However… then you’re left with a game with a minimalist story

In other games, we usually see some sort of compromise: the Gears of War team pushes heavily for short sporadic cut scenes as to not break the flow of gaming; first party Nintendo titles usually take the no-story approach and relies on a basic save-the-princess brand of mischief. But you never truly see anything ground-breaking that takes game story-telling to the next level. Kojima tries to bring the gamer “into” the cutscenes by allowing them to move the camera or get “special” first-person shots of various scenes, but these additions are hardly revolutionary.

If someone can solve this problem (if it can indeed be solved), I think we’ll have the next great Miyamoto, Kojima, or Sakaguchi on our hands.

When I was replying to Robbie’s previous entry, it made me realize that my favorite games for the Wii really were all ports.

Let’s start with Twilight Princess, which was originally made for the Gamecube, and then released on both consoles. As a Zelda fan, I really enjoyed this game which was sort of reminiscent of Ocarina of Time. I didn’t find it a necessary port though. While it was nice to aim with the Wiimote for arrows and the clawshot, we already went through Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and Windwaker without it, and really, without trouble.

Next is my recent addiction, Okami, originally on PS2. This is a game where I wonder, how was this even possible without the Wiimote? Drawing brushstrokes fit in very well with the Wiimote, although it could have been done a little better. You cannot expect someone with a Wiimote to draw perfect lines and circles all the time. Ease up a little on that! Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful game with a lot to do.

Last is another game I’ve been into lately, Resident Evil 4. It was originally on Gamecube, then to PS2 with extra content, and then ported to Wii. Of the three, this one fits the Wii the best. I’ve played other Resident Evil games on Gamecube, and it always seemed like luck as to where your bullets will go. RE4 on Wii gives you great control over your weapons, making stocks pretty much useless. (Though, if you look at your crossfire, TMP is still more shaky than other guns, and the rifle aim will stray off when you are still.) It makes me sad that RE5 is not announced for the Wii. (Or will it be yet another port?)

While I have liked a couple other Wii games, these three are my current favorites. Perhaps it’s the fact that they weren’t originally made for the Wii, and thus were made without overthinking how to take advantage of the Wiimote and nunchuck, yet they still just… work well with them.

I thought it interesting that Nintendo didn’t win a single “Best of” award from E3 and very few nominations to begin with. Granted E3 has become the decrepit stepfather of industry trade shows, there remains a correlation between success at E3 and sales later on.

I wasn’t completely disappointed. Nintendo’s recent business strategies have not lent themselves to earning awards. They are very obviously plotting the eventual takeover of the entire industry by exploiting the non-gamer. They are convincing the non-gamer that in order to be hip, you should be playing games like everyone else. And non-gamers don’t follow E3. It’s a fine approach for Nintendo. Kind of reminds me of Apple.

During this continuous virtual proliferation of self-publishing, as anyone and everyone with a connection are welcomed a claim on the Internet, sifting through all the unfortunate ensuing shit and noise for something decent to read can get tiring. People with thoughts and opinions you may or may not care for. People with a careless grasp on the English language. Their disregard for the craft of words. Sometimes as long as the information is successfully passed along, it’s okay, but most of the time, I wish journalists and casual bloggers alike would take more care with what they say and how they say it — even if it’s just amongst friends.

With all that said, I really enjoy reading Chewing Pixels. Ever since I came across his faithful description of Asobi Seksu’s music, I think I’ve been completely captivated by his writing. If you never heard of CP before, he writes anything from music to life to all the things that drive our culture with a large focus on many aspects of gaming. And though his site may not be as informative as say Kotaku, his entries are insightful and beautifully crafted. Some of my favorites:

Sex and Tetris (WS, I promise)
My Virtual Sins: A Gamer’s Confession
What Will We Find?
Big Cats and Dark Woods
FFVII: Crisis Core – PSP Review
Nintendo: Con Generations?

Though gaming is only a small spoke on my morning star of interests, this is all something to aspire to nonetheless.

Which gaming blogs do you guys follow?