Do you think you could expand more on your collection? So I can see the kind of games you have and didn't like.
Done. Every game I have ever owned is now in my profile. You can see the Nintendo problem is worse than you thought.
Yes it is.
With this information, I can help you. But ou have to level with me:
Are you willing to expand outside of Nintendo games if the rewards are rich and bountiful?
Lol. The answer is yes. I'm not obsessed; I've just had no experience with non-Nintendo games.
Excellent. A man after my own heart.
I'm going to go eat lunch now, but when I return I will make a list of games you should consider looking into. There are, however, two pieces of information I will need:
1. Are you averse to hard games? Few (if any) of the games in your profile could be called that, so I guess the better question is how well you handled certain Purple Coin challenges in Super Mario Galaxy.
2. How old are you? This is important to gauge the kind of humor and content that would be appropriate to recommend to you.
Lol. The answer is yes. I'm not obsessed; I've just had no experience with non-Nintendo games.
Excellent. A man after my own heart.
I'm going to go eat lunch now, but when I return I will make a list of games you should consider looking into. There are, however, two pieces of information I will need:
1. Are you averse to hard games? Few (if any) of the games in your profile could be called that, so I guess the better question is how well you handled certain Purple Coin challenges in Super Mario Galaxy.
2. How old are you? This is important to gauge the kind of humor and content that would be appropriate to recommend to you.
1. No, as long as a) the game provides enough incentive to keep trying, and b) the difficulty is due to me not being good enough, not the controls or bad design. The game has to be relatively easy to get into, but I don't mind it getting hard later on. I got 120 stars on both SM64 and SMG, and the Purple Coin challenges weren't too bad.
2. 16, though I do not like violence for the sake of violence (well-placed violence is fine) and like games that appeal to intelligence.
It's list time. Lets see how long I can make my recommendation.
Strategy: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS) - as Advance Wars games go, this is a significant improvement in the series. I'm not sure about the storyline, but the graphics and gameplay have been significantly improved (sadly, I do not have a DS anymore to play this)
Got it. Wasn't as good as the original DS one, unfortunately - graphics may have got more "real" but the quality was down (battle backgrounds look like they were badly scaled up). Storyline tried to be both deep and AW-like and failed at both. Gameplay was pretty similar, except for the CO powers which were certainly more realistic although I don't know if they were better. The game was harder though, which was good.
Fire Emblem (GC and Wii) - Fire Emblem is based on the grid system of Advance Wars, but is a completely different type of gameplay. Instead of buying troops, you have a set party you go into battle with, and if one dies he/she is gone forever. Also, there is more variety in attacks. You have ranged units that can move and attack at the same time (and some archers with ridiculous defense. I never figured that out). The only thing to watch out for is that the supposedly high defense low speed characters are the most likely to die. This is because 1) They get targeted by AI a lot 2) They do not dodge attacks well and they usually get hit twice per round (speed). The Wii FE is a sequal to the GC FE. The Wii version is much harder but is basically a GC game as it does not use any of the Wii's motion sensing. It does look better IMO.
I'll look at it. Certainly AW is a great game, and FE is made by the same team, so...
Nintendo games only severely limits my list.....
As pikmin goes, you don't really need motion controls, and it really isn't an RTS, but more of an adventure game. You don't really control the pikmin, but you kinda throw them like weapons. The analog stick does well enough to point your character in the right direction to start throwing pikmin.
Oh. It looked like an RTS to me. I'll wait for the Wii version anyway, unless it's going to cost twice as much or something.
You don't like Zelda games in general? I have some issues with the series too and I would like to know what you opinion is on it.
I think it gets a little repetitive and doesn't give enough incentive to continue. I can't handle the sheer amount of items it gives you either. The puzzle solving is good, but since there are very few hints as to where items are, I can never find them (unlike Metroid). Also, the medieval setting means there is little variety in scenery and locations, whereas Metroid's sci-fi setting means anything goes. I liked Lttp because it was the most Metroid-like.
Regardless, if you are going to get a Zelda game, I would get the Twighlight Princess
At various times, I have bought Ocarina, TP and WW. WW was the best, but they were all basically the same game and I gave up halfway through even WW because I just wasn't enjoying it (though I appreciate how well designed it is).
first as it is the result of several generation of Zelda making skill put into one game. If you like challenge, however, you should go with Ocarina of Time, as I remember it as being the hardest. Wind Waker is a good game also. Many people got turned off by the whole ocean thing, but I enjoyed the exploration. You never know what you will find by just sailing around.
The sailing took too long to go places, so I never wanted to spend 5 minutes sailing to remote islands that might contain nothing at all.
Batalion Wars 1 & 2: I beat Batalion Wars 1. It is a fun game if you like shooting things with a rock-paper-scissors type of strategy directing units. It is very comparible to Advance Wars, and many people refer to it as the console version of Advance Wars, just without the grid based strategy. It was fun taking control of a tank and wiping out a bunch of infantry. However, the controls can be a bit annoying at times, as it is hard to keep your bombers from going to far into enemy lines and getting hit by anti-air rockets. I have never played Batalion Wars 2, but I heard it was basically BW1 with more units and less challenge.
I think RTSs are hard enough without mouse/pointer controls, so if I get anything I'll get BWii. But I will take a look at it now, thanks.
Just like how I don't consider Pikmin an RTS, I don't consider Batalion Wars an RTS. It is more like squad based action. You control one soldier that you can fight with, but you can also give simple commands to other units. In this particular situation, mouse and pointer would be worse than the joystick. With the joystick, you would move with the left stick and select unit groups with the right. Aiming would be lock on system. The mouse could not really substitute for the right stick very will. Regardless of what I just said, I still stand by the fact the controlls are a little ackward.
Tales of Symphonia: It is a good RPG. Solid in most of it's aspects, but doesn't really excel at anything. The combat is action based if you like that kind of thing. I own a copy of TOS, but never got around to getting more than 15% way thru.
I'll try BK first since you seem to favour it.
Baten Kaitos 1 & 2: These games come highly reccommended on my list as it is a refreshing deviation from turn based and action based RPG styles. Other card based RPGs have tainted many people's opinion of the genre, but I assure you that BK did it right. I would recommend getting BK2 (called Baten Kaitos Origins) before playing BK1 as it has better combat, better storyline, better sidequests, better characters than the original. Besides the point it is a sequal to BK1.
Thanks. Is it easy to get into for people who haven't played any serious RPGs? Paper Mario and Pokemon are my only experience.
Baten Kaitos has a unique battle system, so playing other JRPG's really doesn't help you with this one. The game is challenging, however, as you need to plan ahead with your battle card decks and have to think "on the fly" in battle since it is not turn based. You may want to take a look at some Baten Kaitos Origins youtube clips before buying, however I don't think you will have a problem.
I don't want you to go into this game with too high of expectations because when people do that, it is inevitable that they are let down. Baten Kaitos is great, especially for a console with so few JRPG's. However, there are games out there that are better. Baldurs gate comes to mind. Also, the storyline is above average in both games and do have some plot twists, but does conform to the general "we need to save the world" plot. Basically what I am saying is that BK is better than 80% of all the JRPG's I've played, and definately beats Tales of Symphonia. I might just have too high of standards.
I deviated form Nintendo games a little. If I had a better idea of what genre you like, I could recommend more games.
Any platformer/adventure game that in any way approaches Mario would be wonderful. I loved Banjo-Kazooie, but I no longer own it and it won't come to VC due to MS. I will take a look at any well-designed game with a certoon like style* but not for 'kids'. I don't like realistic games (I want escapism), and I don't enjoy violence (but I'm not anti-violence; if it enhances the gameplay like Metroid then I will tolerate it. I just don't like games based around it.)
*Metroid counts. It's not trying to be realistic.
When I think of platformer, I tend to think of Prince of Persia. The Two Thrones comes to mind, as I have beaten it and is a good mix of the platforming of the first and the combat of the second. There is violence, but it isn't bloody and all against sand monsters, and the ability to kill the monsters by sneaking around them and attacking from behing/above is very fun. Prince of Persia is platforming incarnate IMO.
Okami: It's like Zelda, but more originality and less challenge. Still, I enjoyed the artwork and setting.
Trying unpopular "cult classics" has let me down before. I bought Zack and Wiki and it was... bad. I can't see why anyone would like it.
I would not call Okami unpopular. The only drawback of the game is it's lack of challenge, but I say that about a lot of games. If you take Zelda, put in more style, humor and more interesting abilities, you get Okami.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted: I am not a big racing player, but NFSMW is a gem in unrealistic street racing, mainly with the police chases. Need for Speed: Carbon is good too: It incorperates differences between tuners, muscles (my fav) and exotics. However, the police chases are not nearly as fun. For simulation racing, I would recommend Forza Motorsport, but you would have to get a XBOX to play that.
I'm not into realistic racing. Mario Kart is fun, but that's it.
Need for Speed is not realistic racing. In fact, me and my friends tend to make fun of it's attempt to look realistic, but is in fact not. For example, when you jump Dukes of Hazard style and your suspension isn't shot. But Need for Speed's goal is fun, not realism.
Madden '08 (Wii): I am not a big sports player either, but Madden impressed me with some of the best use of motion controls I've seen. They feel natural, and reduce the complexity of the buttons you have to press. To Juke, you just twitch the nunchuck where you want to go. Same thing with the stiff arm, but you use the Wiimote. Passing is made easier too.
I don't do sport in general, but American football is completely alien to me as I am British (though I did live in America). Sports games just aren't my thing.
Yea, I forgot you were British.
Super Mario Galaxy: Like Legend Of Zelda TP, this game is the result of Nintendo's experience with thier other 3D Mario games and the surpass all of them with this game. It takes a lot for me to say that, because I have a very high opinion of Mario 64.
I did put that on my first list. I too think it is one of the best ever, behind SM64 (can't beat the originality though I agree SMG came close) and Metroid Prime (best game ever).
I have many more recommendations, but I should probably get to work. Take a look at my game list. It's too bad you did not finish Metroid Prive 3, the last boss was fun.
It seemed like MP3 tried too much to be a generic FPS. I loved MP because it was Super Metroid, not because it was Halo.
"Also for the DS you can find Yoshi's Island 2."
Yes; I have it but it wasn't as good as YI and all of the best ideas were taken from the original.
"1. You've missed a lot of games."
Well, I haven't listed my entire collection. Not even my profile has everything - I only list the games I enjoyed enough to get most of the way through.
"2. Girl friends help with time consumption. 3. Jobs are time sink holes - get one if you think you have too much time."
I'm still at school? I don't think girlfriends are really a good thing at this stage. As for jobs - I have no use for money. I don't buy clothes; I don't buy music; there are no games out...
"4. In my opinion; Castlevania Judgement, Tales of Symphonia and FFCC:MlaaK"
What's Castlevania like? I've heard it compared to Metroid; is that true?
Traditional Castlevania is a 2D platformer like mega man with a whip. After playstation, it turned into a 2D RPG hybrid. Castlevania Judgement is not a traditonal Castlevania game in that it is a fighting game. Judgement is a good game, but not up to other Castlevania games in quality (from what I have heard)
"You really won't play games if they're violent?
Some of us just aren't into violent games. I realized the other day that I don't own a single M rated game. It's not that I'm anti-violence; I just can't get into really violent games. I tried playing GTA 3 and Half Life 2 a couple of years back and they really stressed me out, which overpowered any fun that I could have had."
This. I've tried Half-life 2 and didn't like it for the reason that killing people wasn't very fun. I don't have an objection to (well-designed) violence though.
Well designed violence....want to put that to the test? Try Killer7. At least you're not killing humans
I know I seem to disagree with everything you said, but that's the point of asking for an opinion right?
I know I seem to disagree with everything you said, but that's the point of asking for an opinion right?
Yes. Thanks for your opinion: I'll look at some of the games you mentioned. I'm probably being selective when I say a game is bad - I only mentioned the parts I disliked, but in most of those games it was 90% good.
I'm going to recommend a few gamecube games first, see how you like them. But there are some caveats to each of these, and they are pretty important.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - this one is the one I have the most hesitations about recommending. It is a psychological thriller with the spice of a horror game. It is very violent where appropriate, but not senselessly so: all of the violence is supposed to be frightening or disturbing, and it is never minimalized in any way. You do not commit violence against any opponents who are human: everything is some Lovecraftian horror basically out to drag you screaming into the shadows.
The plot of Eternal Darkness is very cerebral and fast-paced, each of the characters is very interesting and unique (you play as a dozen or so), and nothing about it feels cheap or as if any punches were ever pulled. This is my most recommended game on the entire Gamecube, but it is difficult to find nowadays (though inexpensive) and is probably the most legitimately adult game on the market. There's no sex or anything like that, but this is not a kid's game by any stretch of the imagination.
The difficulty is a bit steep in spots, but fair: if you panic, the combat system will leave you in the dust and then stab you. There are dozens of tiny details that people may not notice at first (like if you swing your sword in the wrong direction when you are by a wall, it will get stuck in said wall and not connect with your hated enemy). The magic system is intuitive, and the premise of the combat is about asserting your dominance over your perceptions.
I could ramble about how awesome this game is for a long time, and it is, but I have to stress that it very much may not be for you. It's scary, it's violent, it likes to play tricks on people...
But Miyamoto did produce, and his touch is apparent in certain areas.
F-Zero GX - this is, without doubt, the most awesomest, bone-crushingest, slap-banging rip-roaring best racer ever made ever and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. The level design is absolutely insane, the sense of speed is unparalleled in any other game, its multiplayer is a blast, and the game looks absolutely gorgeous either on a standard TV or running in 480p.
Since you like F-Zero Advance, I am almost positive you will like this, but there is one caveat:
If you buy this, it will be the hardest game you have ever played, bar none. Now, I'm not saying that the Grand Prix mode itself is hard - it is, though - I am saying that the Mission Mode or Story Mode or whatever is so bone-crushing that there are some who claim it is outright unfair and even some who acknowledge its balance never manage to finish it. This is not so bad: for the experience, it's worth it.
But completing the Mission Mode is necessary for unlocking some of the levels.
I recommend this game wholeheartedly, no hesitation. But if it is too hard (and it may be) download a save off of the internet and stick it on your Gamecube memory card. You will save yourself a lot of heartache and heartburn.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - this is a very good game and not a terrible intro to the Fire Emblem series, but if you want the best of the best in terms of intros you might honestly be better off picking Fire Emblem on the GBA, which is the best possible introduction you're going to get. Hector 4 life!
I am not as enthusiastic about this one as the rest, but Fire Emblem as a rule is rock hard but completely fair.
Harvest Moon: Magical Melody - All right, this game is an acquired taste pretty much like no other. I am not even kidding. It is, however, arguably the ultimate entry in my second favorite game series.
Harvest Moon's concept in every game is simple: you inherit your father or grandfather's farm and you are supposed to take care of it. That's it. No monster battle, no fancy item collecting, none of that stuff. You clear your property, you tend the land, you water your crops, you pick them so that they can be sold at the market. It's a very simple, almost relaxed game that is nonviolent, upbeat, and pure fun.
I say it is "almost" relaxed because it is also unlike pretty much any other game out there in that there is a definite time limit on everything you do. Days are only about ten to fifteen minutes long (though time stops when you are inside a building, if I remember) and your crops will wither and die if you go too long without watering them. Add in animals to take care of, townspeople to befriend, the possibility of trying to marry a girl (or boy, if you play as a girl), the ability to buy and build extensions to your house, and the ability to buy more land, and you suddenly have a game that can be so very busy that it is why I am so easily bored by Animal Crossing. This game waits for no man, and though its rewards are sweet and its tone is gentle it is not going to pull any punches about the mistakes you make.
The simplicity of the game, though, the earnest fun of it and its quiet dignity and its simple humor, are what make it endlessly charming. Any game in this series is good - if not this one, grab Harvest Moon 64 because it is wonderful - but this one is probably the best. I recommend this without hesitation. It may take you a while to get into, but there is nothing not to love about this game. Period.
Pikmin - if you're picking up the Play on Wii version, cool. If not, grab the Gamecube version! Others have explained why this game is so awesome so I will leave it to what they said. It is pretty awesome.
Pikmin 2 - Also awesome.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - All right now we are getting into the really good stuff. Generally underappreciated and completely masterful, this game may be a bit tough to find but if it interests you even a little bit, I am begging you, look into it.
Prince of Persia's primary strength comes in its fluid, intuitive platforming, where every environment becomes a puzzle and the solution lies primarily in one's ability to traverse the area without falling into the abyss or onto a bed of spikes. In terms of platforming, this game is pretty much unmatched, and there are few games more satisfying to beat just for how radical the platforming can be.
The combat is a bit repetitive but it is not needlessly violent: everything you fight is a monster made of sand which can be absorbed into your dagger, which can be used to control time in various ways (as you may have heard). The ability to manipulate time is very important - particularly the (awesome) ability to rewind time. As the platforming is often very difficult and it is sometimes easy to make a mistake in combat, the ability to rewind time for about ten seconds at a time can mean the difference between simply trying that same jumpm again and having to redo a whole area. It really cuts down on the frustration factor!
One of the primary reasons I recommend this game, though, is for the writing and the acting. The voices are a bit tinny-sounding in the Gamecube version, but the actors themselves do excellent jobs of bringing to life chaacters abotu whom it is easy to care and defend. Everyone has motives that are easy to believe, they grow in ways that one might not expect in a game of this type, and yes, it pulls off what is arguably one of the best romance-ish plots in recent gaming memory.
If you enjoy this game (I hope you do, I am almost sure you will) then consider looking into Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, which was also released on Wii as Prince of Persia: Rival Swords or somesuch. It's actually the third game in this particular story, but the second game, Warrior Within, is not worth your time and is more or less intellectually bankrupt along the lines that you prefer.
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle - GASP, I hear you say, A Sonic game! How impudent, to suggest sullying my home with the long-dead rival of the company I love so much.
Now hold your horses, hold your horses, this game ain't bad at all, and it's definitely better than the alternative Gamecube title, Sonic Adventure DX. There are three kinds of gameplay in this game:
Knuckles/Rouge levels, which ae basically treasure hunting levels using a hot/cold system for finding treasure. This sounds simple, but the levels are huge and the treasure is often hidden in very odd places (facilitated by the characters in question being able to climb all over the place and burrow into surfaces). This is a pretty fun level type!
Tails/Eggman levels, which are pretty straightforward shooter levels. You're placed in a mech which has the ability to shoot down many of your robotic targets as you walk along. You shoot enemies, you dodge out of the way, that's pretty much it. Good mindless fun.
Sonic/Shadow levels, which are the entire reason to own this game. Theese are pure high-speed platforming at its best, and the whole reason they had to break this game up into different types is because each of the Sonic and Shadow levels are so huge and complex. These level types are endlessly replayable and very fluid, and I would recommend these games for them alone. The sense of speed you'll get in some parts is ridiculous (though still not F-Zero GX ridiculous), and if you haven't played a Sonic game and don't want to spring for one of the new releases, this is one to look into.
Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II - You probably already know about this game, since it was a launch game for the Cube and you pobably had to choose between this and Luigi's Mansion (not a hard choice for you or me, but we went in opposite directions). There is a Penny Arcade strip that does a pretty good job of explaining how this is basically the best arcade-style space shooter ever, but really, you have to try this for yourself.
It's hard as nails in some missions, and if you don't like Star Wars that's going to be a tough hurdle to jump over, but this is honestly one of the most fun and rewarding games on the Gamecube, as well as still being the most beautiful title on the platform in many respects (it looks better than many first-year Wii games).
There are something like a dozen different ship types to fly and fifteen different missions you can partake in, each of them with a very real story relevance and tending to be set in or between the movies.
You may have heard of this game's sequel, Rebel Strike, including pooey on-foot missions that broke up the gameplay and basically shot it in the foot. None of that here! This game is pure unabashed S-foil-locking awesomeness.
Really I don't see how I can recommend this one in a way that it doesn't already recommend itself. It's the ultimate Star Wars flying game that isn't on the PC. And it's fun. And pretty.
Viewtiful Joe - I'm not going to be able to do justice to this one, so I'll just give you a premise and a video.
You are Joe, a movie buff who loves superheroes. He is, through a wacky twist of fate, sucked into the movies, where he has to save "Movie Land" using his crazy Viewtiful Joe transformation and its powers, including Slow Mo, Zoom In, and Speed Up, all of which sound very silly but all of which are very fun.
