AndrewTS

I still make threads for games I care about, even if other people don't (post or care, that is). People have been trained well by Mole, I'm afraid. Plus we're in a bit of a drought on all 3 systems. Games that encourage interesting discussions and don't have "Guitar Hero" in the title appear to be in short supply.

The "Producer" credit is deceptive because he's just got his name on it because of the characters/world/etc and likely presented the ideas/concept to the Sega bigwigs. Naka didn't actually program anything or direct the project. Izuka did. Take a look at any interview concerning any of the recent 3D Sonic games. Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes and Shadow are Izuka's babies. Izuka is the guy that gets interviewed because he's actually doing the (shitty) work. Naka *isn't even a part of Sega* anymore. I didn't know Nakamura headed up Sonic Next Gen. I guess my first clue should have been that it's a bigger POS than Izuka's projects. BTW, Yojiro Ogawa is the lead on Sonic and the Secret Rings--he's the ex-Smilebit member who headed up Panzer Dragoon Orta.

Incorrect. It's Takashi Izuka to blame for those travesties. He's also going to be to blame for NiGHTs 2's awfulness. Naka didn't actively direct/develop those. I've never heard anyone call it gaming perfection. I don't see the problems with MGZ's design. Carnival Night Zone's problem is the level's too damn long and the music utterly sucks. It's about the only level I ever timed out on in a Sonic game ever. Sandopolis 2 and Carnival Night combined don't tick me off as much as Metropolis Zone in Sonic 2. THREE ACTS of that??!!? Good Lord. Angel Island, Ice Cap, Lava Reef, Hydrocity, and Mushroom Hill are some of my favorite Sonic levels ever, though. But since they're not in one true standalone game I still think Sonic 2 is better. On the whole, yes, I do think S3&K is a mixed bag. Everybody knows this. The two games by themselves are acceptable length for a Sonic title. So while, yeah, it's basically an expansion pack and a product of Sega's utter greed, you don't *need* Sonic 3 to run it. This is correct. The worst traditional Sonic platformer is, by the way, Sonic Blast on Game Gear/Master System.

There's a good reason for that--it began development before Sonic 2 did and was developed by a different team. It appears during the course of development Sonic Team/STI saw the Super Peel Out and the proto-spin dash Sega CD employed, and combined them in Sonic 2 to create the Super Spin Dash we know today. Bull. And rarely, if ever, is lamenting a game's "overratedness" ripe grounds for an interesting discussion.

As I said, no good exclusives. The only good games are compromised translations not worth messing with today. VF, NBA Jam TE, and Doom weren't exclusives, and even though the 32X versions have become obsolete since you can play NBA Jam TE and Doom on PS1 in superior forms. Even if VF1 wasn't obsolete there's Remix, VF2, and the newer titles. NBA Jam TE had the player scaling, but still had terrible sound. Wrestlemania Arcade was basically Genesis version with more color. Mortal Kombat II " " " " " " " Primal Rage " " " " " " " WWF Raw and Brutal: Paws of Fury added one extra character to each game plus more color. However, SNES versions still looked and sounded better (and Brutal still sucked; Brutally). 32x was the Sega CD Part 2: Now with More Color, Shittier Sound, and no Japanese Development Support. The glowing things on the armor? Lack of a helmet despite the thick armor? Ginormous jaw? He's too badass to wear a helmet despite being shot at all the time?

Your spelling of "Sonic CD" is atrocious.

I had no attention span for Oblivion or FFXII either. Just wasn't having any fun.

Don't think so. Crap happened and I didn't finish the list, tho I was close. I could resume it at any time; I have a few more reasons scribbled down somewheres. I should stop at 99 and wait until NiGHTs 2 is released. As far as bang for buck, the Saturn is the 2nd best system I ever bought. $25 at a pawn shop in like '97. #1 was the 10 dollar Dreamcast I got several years later.

It looks even crappier when you combine it with a Model 1 Sega CD--the front tray-loading one: http://www.gooddealgames.com/articles/Game...20Sega%20CD.jpg

As someone who owned that piece of shit, it's every bit the nightmare to hook up as he made it look like. And just like it appears, typically a game would have the Genesis do part of the work, and the 32x the other. See: INVISIBLE Primal Rage. Or INVISIBLE Virtua Fighter. Oh, and depending on what model of Genesis you would use, sometimes you needed to have an attached *adapter* slide between the 32x and Genesis to make it fit right, and an *additional* connector would need to be used on the cable that connects from the 32X to the Genesis. Not a problem if you got a boxed retail unit. However, if you were insane enough to pay whatever asking price the local flea market wants for it, chances are slim you would get all the cables. Oh, and there was something that you'd attack to the expansion slot on the Genesis as well if it wasn't already connected to a Sega CD. You'd just jam it on there and it would stick out of the system uncomfortably, like a catheter. The 32X is also the only Sega system with no good exclusive games. Chaotix is really lame, honestly. And that's what I thought when I'd played back in Jr. High. I couldn't deny it even though I had my parents drive all around the Pittsburgh area to *find* a copy of the game, then paid for it out of my own money. There's not a single 32X game worth hooking the damn thing up today. I've played basically every damn one of the games that came out here. Ask me about any one, seriously. After owning it for about a year I dropped it off my roof and watched it smash apart on the concrete below. Then I whacked it with a sledgehammer. This was long before any sort used game market or any large secondary market was big, though. My 32X and the set of games I had with it might be worth a whopping...um...$30 today. And like 20 of that would be for Chaotix.

"So what if there isn't anything good on PS3 coming out for a while! I don't really need to buy any PS3 games for a long time, as I've got such a huge backlog of PS2 titles already." ^^---I want to read/hear somebody say that some time and mean it earnestly.

Joystiq put together some vids for quick perusal (it's on Gamevideos though, so they may not all work): http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/24/uber-ubi...-video-roundup/

Naw, other folks/reviews have pointed that out too.

Songs *confirmed* for the game, not a complete song list...

1up previews on... SC:C: http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3159766 Assassin's Creed...'s trailer (not playable until Min-e3, bah): http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3159770

There's rumors Assassin's Creed may not make 2008. Haze is supposed to be a timed exclusive for 2007, and considering that was just confirmed at Ubidays I'd say it should stick. Granted, you can't really blame Sony if 3rd party stuff doesn't make a target release period. Maybe they knew, maybe they were BSing. It's more likely they just gave you the info they were told. It's not as if they told you a 1st party release was going to make it for a certain period and then pushed it back.....then pushed it back again... You know, like some companies. I don't think PS3 owners totally need exclusives. At this point surely they just want great games, and when those other games come it will be just gravy. How many people actually own a 360 *and* a PS3? They're pretty redundant consoles, and even Japan thinks so.

Splinter Cell: Conviction Gameplay: http://www.jeuxfrance.org/Xbox_360/Tom_Cla...onviction_2.wmv

Play Tekken 5 DR.

IGN is reporting that Final Fantasy XIII (the real one) isn't going to make this fiscal year, i.e. it's hitting April 2008 or later. Chances of KH2 Final Mix hitting NA just rose in my estimation. OTOH, Metal Gear Solid 4 is expected to make it--so, it could come out anytime before end of March, an official delay notwithstanding.

I got the game, no thanks to EB's typical never-gets-stuff-in-on-ship-date tendencies. 4 copies recieved at that the store, 2 were preorders. I'm planning to turn in early tonight so I haven't played it yet, but will have impressions up when I do.

Danke.

1up's Jeremy Parish got this, apparently official Nintendo swag: http://www.gamespite.net/verbalspew/archiv...ry_323.php#comm Doesn't seem they thought that out terribly well...

It's PS2 only for now, but I wouldn't rule out a 360 variation--it sold very well. Not unless you count the ones you can download for 360 GH2.

It's being developed by Ubi Montreal as well, so I doubt that. Obviously the unknown factors are how big the studio is and how much they'll be occupied on Splinter Cell/Assassin's Creed, the quality of the staff being used on it, etc. However, the game was announced a long time ago, and isn't a quick cash-in like the weaksauce TMNT console game (their worst game in ages). My only concern is how well the fight engine will work. Historically, that's been the biggest problem with Ubi Montreal's games--poor combat. Negligible in Splinter Cell, problematic in PoP (but forgivable with the high-quality platforming), and shallow and repetitive in TMNT. However, maybe that will turn around for them as well (sees Splinter Cell vid). Plus, the combat doesn't appear to be restricted by the sandbox environments, as they seem to have their own seperate screens and engine. The biggest surprise for me is Splinter Cell. I haven't been a fan of the series ever, as I've only really enjoyed stealth in MGS. However, considering the switch in focus I'll have to look into this one for sure.

Splinter Cell: Conviction (currently 360 only) Trailer: http://www.exophase.com/industry/splinter-...ootage-1077.htm Pics: http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/902/902601/imgs_1.html Preview: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/790/790720p1.html Some animated gifs for the speed-impaired: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/191/5099619...0ee99e117_o.gif http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/5099619...29862f174_o.gif Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (360 exclusive) Preview / Trailer / image link: http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/nar...tml?sid=6171339 Haze (PS3 timed exclusive, PC and 360 later) http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2007/05/22/haze-b...on-3-exclusive/ Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 http://www.jeux-france.com/news20340_rayma...2-en-video.html New Assassin's Creed trailer: http://www.xboxyde.com/news_4376_en.html Dark Messiah (PC to 360 port) Info: http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=76769 Blazing Angels 2 Trailer and pics: http://www.xboxyde.com/news_4382_en.html Beowulf Art / Pics : http://www.ps3land.com/preview-50.php Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Preview: http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1616...lls-Highway/p1/ Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, most of these titles are PS3/360/PC.