Godfather Sales (The Wii Factor)

[johnlucas]

vanguardian1 said: Damnit John Lucas, you almost made me need a change of underwear when you mentioned Blaster Master.... the thought of one for Wii is enough to do that, the things you could do things with the Wii's controls... yowza. The potential is enormous! I'm not a fan of these sandbox games, but I'm being sorely tempted to give it a rental... I almost always hate games where I "play the bad guy".

Yeah Blaster Master was the 'sheet'. That was one very well done game I must say. It's always about money like in every business but there's GOT to be an art behind this. There's got to be a passion for redefining, bringing out, creating something new & great. Digging into the possibilities of the system for more than just looks. That is so much what has been forgotten over the generations. I COME from the old school, baby! I remember when every game was almost a whole new genre that hardly ever played exactly the same. Or if it did added something fresh to the presentation & control. It's how the game makes you press the buttons & how those buttons relate the impact of what's going on in the screen. I've always played games with that in mind. Which is why Street Fighter appealed to me when it first arrived on the scene. The interface is always important. It's more than just the "video" of videogames. It's the "games" part. What's the quirk of this system? Donkey Kong: run, climb, jump with timing & a race against the clock. Donkey Kong Jr.: climb, jump, run with timing, positioning to strategize climb (on one vine to slide down faster/on two vines to climb up faster) & a race against the clock. Mario Bros.: run, jump 'n' underbump, dodge with timing with the complication of another player who can at will cooperate or compete with you for survival. Super Mario Bros.: run/run faster, jump 'n' underbump, swim, duck/dodge, step on, powerup & shoot with precision timing & a race against the clock finding secrets & tricks and advancing through the world to the ending. Super Mario Bros. 2 USA: run/run faster. jump, powerjump, duck/dodge, step onto, grab/pickup, throw, powerup & climb with precision timing finding secrets & tricks and advancing through the world to the ending. Super Mario Bros. 3: run/run faster, jump 'n' underbump, powerjump, swim, duck/dodge, step on, grab/pickup, throw/shoot, powerup, fly, float, roundhouse strike (tail), statue drop (tanooki) with precision timing & a race against the clock finding secrets & tricks and advancing through the world to the ending. The individual quirks glossed over in each of those games' detailings & how they are executed in the interface/controls are what sold the game to me upon sight. It doesn't matter if the game is gritty or cutesy. It's how the game & you interact and meld within the gameplay. I loved the idea of Grand Theft Auto when I first saw it on the PS1. The thrill of the chase & the rush to get away when you caused trouble. It tapped into what everybody wanted to do at one time or another when dealing with the fuzz. Bushido Blade's realistic fighting logic was a HELL of a draw for me back then. Real fights go that way. Sometimes it just takes the right hit to put someone down but the surprise of when that came about added a suspense element which made the game original & fun. Sometimes your first hit may just be your fatal blow. Demon Sword's growing blade and high flying treetop rushing fast action made that game a classic to me. Blaster Master's combination side scroll platform & top-down intricate gameplay made that one a keeper for me too. Futuristic look & nice graphics were the icing on the top of the cake but it was the way the game was played made it fun. The looks were just the framing of the whole thing. I remember the early 80's & how every game was almost totally different from one another. Asteroids, Defender, Galaga, Dig Dug I & II, Robotron 2084, Zaxxon, Donkey Kong & Donkey Kong Jr., Mario Bros., Pac-Man & Ms. Pac-Man, Frogger, Pitfall, Gauntlet, Spy Hunter, Joust, Jungle Hunt, Burgertime, Q*Bert, Berserk, Centipede/Millipede. The games were mostly distinct from one another & showcased the inventiveness of the designers. That's what makes gaming great. John Lucas