Wii Shop Channel Thread - 12/29 StarTropics II, Maboshi's Arcade, Cue Sports: Pool

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Yes, there are many places it can freeze. Although for me the only time it froze completely is after I beat the game, in extended play mode, I talked to Coach Z. Haven't tried switching to fullscreen. My advice? Unless you got less than $20 Wii Points, get it on PC. Since they are probably using the same engine as Sam and Max, it should be less buggy, and you save money too. I also would have rather played the game using a keyboard and mouse than the Wiimote.
 
I do not get the doom and gloom re: Strong Bad that seems to be infesting this place.

There are some negatives to be pronounced, sure. I don't like that I can't press the +/- buttons to scroll through the map/How Much I Rule/Objectives thing, even though it would make perfect sense to do so. I also didn't like how many of the environments feel like sets - they are small and confined, which is a little disheartening when I consider that the flash cartoons actually seem to overcome this problem, giving the illusion that the Homestar world is vast and ongoing, and not restricted to the bits and pieces that show up in the 'toons.

And yes, there are a few places where the game can crash. I didn't get the seemingly widespread one, but during Extended Play (as I think Doomed mentioned), I got it to crash when I tried to talk to Coach Z.

Do you need to be a fan? No. It certainly helps. The humor the Brothers Chaps create is something that's zeroed in on a particular niche, and you'll either enjoy it or you won't. It's kind of like Venture Brothers. I hate Venture Brothers - I have made Herculian efforts to understand it, and have watched it many times, but it just doesn't click with me. It's not even a situation where I don't understand the humor - I get the parody, I get the overall mood of the show. It simply doesn't make me laugh, which means it comes down to a subjective thing.

Such is the case here. I'd stress that if you are unsure you'll like the game purely from the humor standpoint, head over to the website and watch some e-mails (I like the most recent one), some Cheat Commandos (an excellent parody of 80s action cartoons), and some of the other tunes (the Halloween ones are great). If you like what you see, you'll like the humor in the game.

Which brings me to another point of contention - is it as funny as the site? I'm going to say yes. It's exactly what you get from the original source - botched words, repeated phrases, some slapstick, and generally a character who loves himself and insults everyone around him.

I don't get this mantra that "it's not as funny as the site" as if that were something fair to say. The vehicles for humor are different - one is a site of cartoons, where all the attention can be given to the humor, as that would be the only reason to spend time there. The other is a game, where the main attention has to be given to the story/goals and gameplay mechanics. To say that the humor is "less" in the game is kind of like saying a book-adaptation-movie is "less" than the movie. By nature of it transversing into a different medium, it has to be, otherwise nothing would ever succeed as a movie based on some written text.

In other words, the priorities are different, and as such, the humor intrinsically is going to take a little bit of a backseat. Pretending that it was going to be the same level as the site is pretty laughable, really, since by all means it really can't. The designers have to guide players through a world and give them a reason to continue on - not just treat it all as a backdrop for more Chaps-esque humor.

So, does the gameplay work? Indeed. This is pure oldskool point-and-click. I will say that it is pretty simple. This genre is my baby and I am its daddy, and as such I got through the game in maybe 2 hours without any problem. I attribute this to the knowledge that comes with playing this genre. It's kind of like someone who plays a lot of FPS games can pick up a new one with relative ease - I just happen to recognize the puzzles and the criteria inherent in solving them pretty easily.

That was just the "main" portion of the game though. I still have collectibles to find and assert, which I'm guessing could take another 1-2 hours, bringing the entire package to 4 hours or so depending on how well you know how to play a PnC adventure.

I'd say it is overwhelmingly worth it for the price - this is a game that actually is polished, plays well, and has some incredible attention to detail. It incorporates a lot of the Homestar mythos, and as such, a fan of the world will enjoy it much more than someone who isn't. You'll either understand why Trogdor is hilarious or you won't, and that's simply a question of knowledge (and, I guess, "ignorance" in the purest sense of the word's definition).

The point I'm getting at is that the game is actually worthy, which is something you should understand as a gamer, especially when we're all elitist pricks about the crap on Wiiware in general. If you don't like the genre, I can't help you, but the point is simply that this is a superbly executed game, built very well and hitting on several pistons that most software (even in the Wii retail scene) simply doesn't even acknowledge.

I highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of either A) Strong Bad, B) point 'n clicks, or C) both. You really owe it to yourself to play it, even if you resort to playing it on the PC (which I wouldn't blame you for, especially if you're hurtin' on space).

Finally, I will say that this is a fairly easy PnC game, so if you are new to the genre and/or think you might want to see if this sort of game is to your liking, this would be an excellent starting point. Sam 'n Max is from Telltale also, but it can be a little...eclectic when it comes to in-game puzzles. Strong Bad is a little easier for the noob, and really is a great way to transition into this genre. Feel free to hit me up on these types of games if you are interested - I'm quite the conniosseur.

Please note I have got a goddamn headache and am still suffering from jet lag, a full week after returning, and as such I don't really know where I am or what I am doing half the time. I keep waking up and wondering if I've missed a train, or missed a flight, and also wondering simply where the hell I am.
 
Was going to PM you but someone has too many PMs.
[quote name='Strell']Feel free to hit me up on these types of games if you are interested - I'm quite the conniosseur.[/quote]
The only PaC games I've played are
Pajama Sam
Pajama Sam 2
Pajama Sam 3
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney: Justice For All
Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
Sam & Max Season 1
Sam & Max Season 2 episode 1 (the rest don't run on my crappy PC)
SBCG4AP episode 1
Zack and Wiki
I've heard good things about many many PaC games but don't know where to start beyond the modern games I've been playing.

---
In case my meaning wasn't obvious in prior posts: SBCGFAP is a good game. It's just very glitchy, and probably less glitchy on PC than Wii. You can save $15 buying the entire season now and when the season is over you can get a disc and case for just the cost of shipping.
 
Cleared up a little space. Didn't know I was approaching the limit.

I'm going to send a PM now since I don't want to be accused of derailing the thread.
 
Just played through the tutorial on Strong Bad. Not that I expected to have any challenges playing the game, but because I want to milk the game for all it's worth. The tutorial gives me high hopes for the game, that it's definitely going to be true to the Homestar Runner universe and have all the great stupidity I've come to love.

Also, I love the options for subtitles. Back when I used to visit the website, I would be challenged, sometimes, to catch everything the animated characters were saying.
 
[quote name='Doomed']The only PaC games I've played are
Pajama Sam
Pajama Sam 2
Pajama Sam 3
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney: Justice For All
Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
Sam & Max Season 1
Sam & Max Season 2 episode 1 (the rest don't run on my crappy PC)
SBCG4AP episode 1
Zack and Wiki
I've heard good things about many many PaC games but don't know where to start beyond the modern games I've been playing.[/QUOTE]

You, my friend, have some work to do.

Not to undercut Strell's PM (actually, I'd love to see his list too - post it here, maybe?), but the short version is that anything made by LucasArts is pure gold. The Monkey Island series is hilarious, the original Sam and Max is just as good as (and arguably better than) the new series, and there's a damn good reason why Grim Fandango is a game that's at the top of a lot of "favorite games" lists.
 
[quote name='yukine']Pajama Sam... wut?
[/QUOTE]

Dontchu be knockin' Pajama Sam in my presence, pedestrian foo. He got a posse in the form of Ron Gilbert, and that's all you need to know.
 
[quote name='Gothic Walrus']
Not to undercut Strell's PM (actually, I'd love to see his list too - post it here, maybe?), but the short version is that anything made by LucasArts is pure gold. The Monkey Island series is hilarious, the original Sam and Max is just as good as (and arguably better than) the new series, and there's a damn good reason why Grim Fandango is a game that's at the top of a lot of "favorite games" lists.[/QUOTE]

To greatly paraphrase what I PM'd, I more or less said to play all the Lucasarts greats, which I tend to think of as DoTT, GF, FT, SnM, and MI. Sure you can include Maniac Mansion, The Dig, and all the Indy games, but those first eight games (if you include all four MIs, which I know causes distress among fans, but can shove it because all four are great) are about the cream of the crop.

The rest of the PM included talk about the history of the genre, which basically included some of the names to recognize (almost everyone from Lucasarts, though some from Sierra are notable) and a synoposis of how there's basically two camps in the PnC realm - Lucasarts vs Everyone Else, where Everyone Else generally means Sierra, which generally means games you can die/get stuck in.

The list of titles to play encompassed all the Lucasarts games worth mentioning, the token Sierra series (Police/Kings/Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, potentially Phantasmagoria), and "the others" which generally includes things like Beneath a Steel Sky, I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream, Myst, Ripper (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Get this one for all your Christopher Walken and Blue Oyster Cult/Don't Fear the Reaper needs! but be warned it is brutally hard), 7nth Guest/11nth Hour, Runaway 1/2 (which are much more modern), and two oddball games I need to play in the form of The Dark Eye (based on Edgar Allen Poe stories) and Bad Day at the Midway (murder at a warped circus).

I also included the Zork series and the original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but really you could torture people with how difficult those games are.

There's probably a few glaring ommissions depending on who you talk to - Quest for Glory series, Gabriel Knight, Broken Sword, The Longest Journey, Little Big Adventure (aka Twinsen's Odyssey), Lighthouse, Freddie Pharkus....

Oh yeah. Thy DungeonMan and Peasant Quest are two great quirky games from the HomestarRunner guys that you can play at their site. Thy DungeonMan 3 left me in tears when I played it. "Sorry sir, we are closed on Todays." >You check your pocket calender and it is indeed Todays!

I'm currently trying out "5 Days a Stranger," which is a small game made by Yahtzee of "Zero Punctuation" fame. It's pretty good so far - I might finish it tonight.
 
Little known fact: the only piece of clothing Strell wears when posting on CAG is a button that reads, "Ask me about LOOM."

EDIT: Oh, and play Beneath a Steel Sky. Good shit, man.
 
I love how the Wii Shop Channel goes completely off-topic once in a while.

And yeah I love Beneath a Steel Sky. I had it as a signature for a while on these forums a few years ago.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Little known fact: the only piece of clothing Strell wears when posting on CAG is a button that reads, "Ask me about LOOM."
[/QUOTE]

That's only 'cuz some little bastard stole my underwear when it got caught in the elevator doors.
 
[quote name='Strell']Dontchu be knockin' Pajama Sam in my presence, pedestrian foo. He got a posse in the form of Ron Gilbert, and that's all you need to know.[/quote]
Pajama Sam kicks all kinds of ass. And the reason I've played so few PaC games and the reason I've played Pajama Sam is the same: I was on the very lowest end of Pajama Sam's target audience when the first one came out. I've missed out on a lot of great movies and vijagames.

Pajama Sam is in the same kind of style that a lot of Pixar movies use with lots of puns and jokes that the main target wouldn't get. It's full of charm and thankfully I'm smart enough to beat it without GameFAQs. :) The first one is also coming to Wii in 6 days, but it has a different publisher. Hope they haven't bastardized it.
 
Bet Strong Bad today but I have not collected everything. I must say it is short, but on the other hand if the other games are the same length, it would be $50 for around 20 hours of gameplay. Seems like a pretty ok deal to me. I don't know if I am going to get all of the Strongbad games yet, but I will at consider episode 2.
 
Today Europe got My Aquarium - WiiWare, (which should also be coming to the American Wii Shop this month), and Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People - Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner - WiiWare.
 
Pardon me I haven't been here in a while, but has anyone tried the Air Traffic Controller DS game demo in the My Nintendo [soiler]commercials[/spoiler] channel? It's pretty odd. The demo is pretty boring because it's very easy and slow because it's the beginning of the game, but it seems like it could be interesting.
 
[quote name='pete5883']Pardon me I haven't been here in a while, but has anyone tried the Air Traffic Controller DS game demo in the My Nintendo [soiler]commercials[/spoiler] channel? It's pretty odd. The demo is pretty boring because it's very easy and slow because it's the beginning of the game, but it seems like it could be interesting.[/QUOTE]

Wikipedia says that the game's actually a series in Japan, with the first title releasing in 1998. If it's had that longevity, there must be something to the game. :)

As for this week's titles, no confirmation yet, but I'd LOVE to see some of the Interplay title start showing up. We still haven't seen Mega Man or Ys I & II show up either, and we've still got Super Mario RPG coming...someday.

Of course, there's always the chance that Nintendo will just go back to throwing darts at a list of games and give us Captain Novolin and Operation Wolf.
 
We already got Operation Wolf, but I wouldn't put it past Nintendo to release it again at this point and pretend we'd never gotten it before.

SMRPG...ho ho ho. I might have to place it in the same "we're never getting it" category that Earthbound currently resides in.
 
[quote name='Strell']We already got Operation Wolf, but I wouldn't put it past Nintendo to release it again at this point and pretend we'd never gotten it before.

SMRPG...ho ho ho. I might have to place it in the same "we're never getting it" category that Earthbound currently resides in.[/quote]
1) First SMRPG isn't coming to the VC at all, and now just not coming to our VC... tricky. You can't rewrite history! Unless you edit your prior posts!

EarthBound also currently resides in my Wii. :bouncy:
BTW thanks for the PaC recommendations. I need to finish (and start:roll:) DotT before school starts in a week.
 
[quote name='yukine']Is it anything like the Aerobiz games? I loved those. :D[/QUOTE]
Didn't seem there was anything about business, just clearing planes for landing and takeoff. I could see it getting pretty hectic though, but they left that out of the demo :whistle2:#
 
Your history is my history, mortal. Rewriting mine might cause hilarious hijinx to ensue in what is your functioning present, as I might choose to give you an extra arm or something.

That would be to my amusement.

'Sides, as much as I know I could have them on my system within a matter of moments, I still hold out the non-existent hope that they will arrive in a reachable manner. It's just that such hope is basically retarded a bit more each passing week, eroding my faith in a company having a damn clue about the whims and wants of the world.

Again, DoTT is generally regarded as the best point 'n click of all time, and easily holds up to that regard. As much as the Lucasarts library is made out of pure gold, DoTT is still at the apex.

If you come back telling me it's no good, then you are no longer invited to my birthday party. And I guess I'll have to hunt you down in order to sell your pelt, even though it would have been greatly devalued by such atrocious comments spawned from poor taste in games.
 
[quote name='Doomed']EarthBound also currently resides in my Wii. :bouncy:[/QUOTE]

Don't talk like that around here. You'll get everyone in trouble.

I finally did this, too. Here's hoping the endgame bug doesn't kick in.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']Don't talk like that around here. You'll get everyone in trouble.

I finally did this, too. Here's hoping the endgame bug doesn't kick in.
[/quote]

What
endgame bug? Can you pm the details? I don't want to invest 40+ hours and not get to the end.
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']Any confirmation on Monday's games?[/QUOTE]

My guess:

Wii-Ware:
My Aquarium

Virtual Console:
Barbie The Video Game (NES)
Superman 64 (N64)
 
[quote name='blueweltall']What
endgame bug? Can you pm the details? I don't want to invest 40+ hours and not get to the end.
[/quote]
It's not a bug, it was an antipiracy feature. When you got to the last battle (on a pirated copy), it would freeze and erase your save data. http://starmen.net/mother2/gameinfo/antipiracy/ (Actual game spoilers contained on the website)
 
I saw the preview for Wii Ware in one of my gaming magazines, and it sounds far too boring, more like a virtual aquarium you turn on through your Wii. Then you carry on with your life and have the aquarium running in the background. I'm thinking I can pass.
 
My guess':
1 WiiWare game that we never heard of OR one of them WiiWare games we've only heard of like once.

2 VC games, 1 of them NOT being Super Mario RPG.
Mega Man?
 
via GAF:

One WiiWare Game and Two Virtual Console Games Added to Wii Shop Channel
Fans of '80s platforming action have something to shout about this week—namely, the Virtual Console™ debut of a true classic: Mega Man™. Whether you're experiencing this vintage robot adventure for the first time or reliving the fun of your NES® heyday, you'll find all of the game's side-scrolling thrills intact. Meanwhile, players with a passion for sinking the perfect shot can rule the table with a new WiiWare™ pool title or conquer the links in a challenging, globetrotting golf game.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare

Midnight Pool (Gameloft, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, 800 Wii Points): Take a trip across America to make your dreams come true in a pool tournament worth millions. Visit the most colorful bars and meet seven of the coolest players on the circuit, from country music star Travis to Alison the biologist and John the sheriff. Learn the tricks of the trade through tutorials along the way, while advanced players can take on challenges to show off their trick-shot abilities. Keep things interesting with three sets of rules.

Virtual Console

Mega Man (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Join the blue bomber in his first-ever adventure as he battles the evil Dr. Wily and his robotic henchmen to restore peace to a troubled world. Mega Man is a super-robot created by the genius scientist Dr. Light. When Dr. Wily goes rogue with an army of six of his own devious robot masters, it's up to Mega Man to put a stop to his nefarious plot by traversing a series of stages rife with enemies, traps and perilous platform challenges. At the end of each stage, conquer one of the robot masters and claim his weapon as your own, using it to your advantage in subsequent fights.

NEO TURF MASTERS (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points): This is a golf game that was first released in 1996. The player picks one of six available golfers and competes on a number of golf courses around the world, including Japan (Fujiyama Oriental Golf Club), America (Grand Canyon Golf Course), Australia (Blue Lagoon Golf Course) and Germany (Baden Golf Course). The game features two modes of play. The first is Stroke Play, in which the player attempts to get the best score by playing all 18 holes. The second is Match Play, in which two players compete to see who can win more of the 18 holes. Grab a friend and get ready to hit the fairway.
Click to expand...

lilboo wins
 
Mega Man- Very good

Neo Turf Masters and Midnight Pool- Did we just have a pool game last week and Turf Master already available on the Neo-Geo Collection Vol. 1?
 
[quote name='Foo228']lol...gameloft? The cell phone company now makes wiiware games?

Another tried and true disappointing week on the wii.[/quote]
You overlooked Mega Man?

Think I might pick that up (and eventually Mega Man 2). Those would just about take up what I sold the Anniversary Collection for.
 
[quote name='lilboo']Man, I'm getting pretty good at this! Second week in a row that I was dead on :cool:[/quote]

Now predict something stupendously ridiculously awesome and it'll come out.
 
[quote name='botticus']You overlooked Mega Man?

Think I might pick that up (and eventually Mega Man 2). Those would just about take up what I sold the Anniversary Collection for.[/quote]

I guess I did. I'll take my psp remake (mm:pu) over it anyday though, even includes the classic :)
 
[quote name='Foo228']lol...gameloft? The cell phone company now makes wiiware games?

Another tried and true disappointing week on the wii.[/QUOTE]

They also made TV Show King and Wild West Guns. TV Show King is alright. but Wild West Guns is pretty bad ass!

[quote name='botticus']You overlooked Mega Man?

Think I might pick that up (and eventually Mega Man 2). Those would just about take up what I sold the Anniversary Collection for.[/QUOTE]

This.

[quote name='EXStrike']Now predict something stupendously ridiculously awesome and it'll come out.[/QUOTE]

I can only calls them as I feels them :(
 
[quote name='lilboo']They also made TV Show King and Wild West Guns. TV Show King is alright. but Wild West Guns is pretty bad ass![/quote]

I've yet to play either one...Midnight Pool isn't an exception either

Wish we (or wii...:whistle2:#) could get Ready At Dawn games...
 
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