Saturday, March 21, 2009

How Metal Gear Solid ruined gaming

Yes, yes. Direct your hate to the comments section (preferably not before you actually read the rest of the article). And yes, I am talking about the Metal Gear Solid, the classic 1999 PlayStation epic that started the hugely popular and critically acclaimed series. (It is also, I might add, one of my top favorite games of all time, before anyone starts accusing me of being "unfair" or "hating" the game.) Well, actually, Metal Gear Solid is the third game in the series, which makes the recent Metal Gear Solid 4 the sixth game in the series. Confused? Tough, because since the series history is not the topic of this article, that's all the explanation you're going to get.

So what is the topic of this article? Cutscenes. When MGS premiered it pioneered a new style of story-telling in video games. While cinematic cutscenes had been used in games prior, they were usually brief and found mostly at the beginning and/or end of a level. Ninja Gaiden is often recognized as the first game to feature cutscenes, and RPGs have featured in-depth storylines and long-winded conversations since their heyday in the early 90s, but MGS was the first game to combine stylized cutscenes with live-action quality direction and lengthy dialog, which were used (in combination with considerably less visually interesting CODEC conversations) to move the story forward in a much more cinematic way than ever before. The result was not only an amazingly immersive game experience, but also a groundbreaking advancement in video game storytelling.

After MGS's success, many game makers followed suit, filling their games with full voice-acting, deep character development, and twisting storylines, trying to duplicate the Metal Gear Solid formula. Nintendo jumped on the bandwagon, as second party developer Rare filled its next two N64 titles, Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day, with cutscenes and tons of dialog using the then-revolutionary MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 format (more commonly known as MP3).

It didn't stop there. By the time MGS2 came out, the market was filled with dozens of cinematic imitators. The general belief seemed to be that the closer a game got to motion pictures, the more accessible, and therefore profitable it would be. Even series like Grand Theft Auto and Super Mario, neither of which had ever been focused on story or character development before, featured cutscenes in their following games, causing several long-time fans of both series to raise their eyebrows.

These cutscenes often try to insert plot where it is not needed. At the start of Super Mario Sunshine, Mario is en route to a tropical vacation, when a shadowy impostor appears and starts spraying inky goop all over the island, causing the locals to suspect Mario himself. Mario is arrested (???) and sentenced to clean up the mess. Along the way he discovers the impostor is Bowser Jr. (NOTE: not one of the original Koopalings), who kidnaps Princess Peach, believing she is his real mother (???). All this is made even more ridiculous by the fact that, even though Mario has an official voice with Charles Martinet, in typical Nintendo fashion, he never speaks any actual dialog. A great game thrown off track thanks to a nonsensical plot.

Cinematic cutscenes also remove an element of individuality from the game. Take the second GTA game for PS2, Vice City, for example. You were no longer a voiceless avatar, free to be however you wanted to be in the game. You were now Tommy Vercetti, a loud, short-tempered, Italian mobster with a plan to take over the city. That works well for a GTA game, but what about its portable prequel, Vice City Stories for the PSP? In that game you play as Vic Vance, a corporal in the U.S. Army who is somehow manipulated by his drug addict superior to do illegal jobs until he is dishonorably discharged, then goes to work obediently for a wife-beating gun-runner. The illogic of the whole situation pulls the player out of the game and causes him to wonder "why?"

The biggest violator, in my recent experience, is Grand Theft Auto IV. In the latest entry to the series, you play the game as Niko Bellić, an Eastern European immigrant who leaves his war-torn home to find solace, success, and revenge in Liberty City (The GTA equivalent to New York City). The underlying theme of the campaign is redemption. Niko is looking to leave behind the terrible things he's seen and done for a chance at a new life in America. This is reflected in decisions the player must make at certain points in the game, for example, whether to spare the life of your mission target, or murder him/her, or even choosing which character you'll off, knowing you'll eventually have to kill one of them. This creates an ironic juxtaposition when the player decides to have Niko spare the life of someone who may have done him wrong, then turn around and kill a random stranger just for his car. While the story on its own has its merits, it seems force-fed into a gameplay style which does not support the concept of altruism.

Fortunately, not every game feels the need to include cutscenes. Both BioShock and Portal managed to tell their story entirely in first person, without using a single cutscene, save for an intro and a conclusion (Portal didn't even have a cinematic intro). Conversely, not all games with cutscenes are made worse by them. The Halo series juggled movies and gameplay with a near-perfect balance. Most of the story was delivered through the game's action, while cutscenes filled in the gaps that would be difficult to produce as an interactive media. These methods are difficult to implement effectively however, leaving developers to use cinematics as a shortcut.

It's an epidemic that shows little sign of slowing, and with Metal Gear Solid 4 still fresh in gamers', and game developers', minds, it probably won't again for a while. And with games getting more like movies, it's encouraging movie producers to make more movies based on games, which, as history has proven, is rarely a good thing. What worked great for MGS does not necessarily work well for every game. I believe it is time games return to focusing on what games do best: providing innovative, engaging gameplay, and leave the movies in the movie theaters.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

(More) Classic Nintendo games that haven't been remade, but should be; Part II

If you haven't read Part I, click here.

When I started this list, I had no idea it would grow to such a length that it would need to be split up into multiple parts, but every game I already had on the list reminds me of another game that I think should be on the list. Then comes the process of narrowing them down, choosing their order, and deciding what will stay, and what will be held until the next part.

Just to clarify some confusion on what defines a "Classic Nintendo Game" for the purpose of this list, here are the necessary criteria I've used: 1) It must be published by Nintendo (though not necessarily developed by). 2) It must have originally been released on a system that is now extinct. 3) It must have been released, in some form, in the U.S. (otherwise the list could be a lot longer than it already is!). Please note that, while I do know lot about Nintendo's history, I do not have encyclopedic knowledge of all the games they've published for all their systems. Therefore, while this list will only be made up of predetermined games I am personally familiar with, I welcome your own additions in the comments sections!
  1. Donkey Kong Country — Sure, Donkey Kong Country has been released several times... as in many, many times, but it's never really been remade. At the time of its release, DKC was acclaimed for its revolutionary graphics, pleasing audio, and tight gameplay. (Many years later, some would negate these rave reviews with harsh criticism, though most "non-professional" gamers would refuse to detract.) It was marketed, and often accepted, as proof that a new generation of hardware was not yet necessary for great games, and along with its two sequels, "Diddy's Kong Quest" and "Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!," helped keep the SNES alive for three more years. Time has not been kind, however, to this once breathtaking platformer. Higher resolution graphics, true CD quality sound, and more innovative gameplay have come and stayed, leaving DKC shrouded in nostalgia. I think it is time for Nintendo to resurrect this classic, sprucing it up with full 480p graphics (the Wii can only output in ED, after all) taken from the original CG elements, 16:9 support, and a newly remixed soundtrack (I recommend OverClocked ReMix, a long-time favorite of mine, and the ones responsible for the SSF2THDR soundtrack).

  2. Donkey Kong Land — After the initial success of Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, there was a bit of a backlash which continues even to this day. Criticism arose, insinuating that DKC was a sub-par platformer hidden under a beautiful coat of paint, and that it was only successful because of its fancy graphics and sound… Okay, most of that criticism came from Cranky Kong, but sounds like something you've read in EGM in recent years, right? (Incidently, EGM gave the game a near perfect score in their original review… but I digress.) When Rare decided to squeeze its SNES cash cow onto the GameBoy, some were skeptical, but Donkey Kong Land turned out every bit as fun and challenging as the game that inspired it. Unlike future entries, DKL 2 & III, which were basically GameBoy ports of the SNES originals, number 1 was a completely unique game, with new enemies, environments, and music. All the more reason it should be remade alongside its console big brother, as it is a true sequel and not a port.

  3. Super Mario Advance 4-e — Say what? Okay, let me explain. In 2003, Nintendo intruduced the e-Reader, a peripheral for the GameBoy Advance which read dot codes off of standard deck size cards as data for games, or game add-ons. One of the games with e-Reader add-ons was the fourth entry in the Super Mario Advance series, a GBA remake of Super Mario Bros. 3. Packs could be purchased that included power-up cards (including the rare Tanooki and Hammer Bros. suit, and Super Mario World's feather), demo movie cards, and new level cards. These levels were exclusive to their respective cards, and were not on the cartridge data. 10 new levels were released (20 in Japan) out of a proposed 30, plus a recreation of the original SMB's World 1-1. These new levels were not only completely original, some of them incorporated elements from other Mario games, such as the throwable vegetables from SMB2, and Chargin' Chuck from SMW. These elements were combined into a new überMario game which was cut short due to the e-Reader's commercial failure in the US. Wouldn't it be a nice treat to get all these levels, and maybe even some never before released, in a Wii- or DSi- Ware exclusive release? Now that would be a real Lost Levels!

  4. The Legend of Zelda — This is a game that requires no introduction. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto as the antithesis of Super Mario Bros., (SMB is side-scrolling, LoZ is top-down; SMB is linear, LoZ is free-roaming; SMB's power-ups are temporary, LoZ's are permanent; and so on) The Legend of Zelda, along with its hero, Link, have become as synonymous with Nintendo as the iconic plumber and his own adventures. This first game set the stage for nearly all future adventures in Hyrule: Princess Zelda is captured by Ganon, who is searching for the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link has to explore the kingdom and its dungeons to find the artifacts required to defeat the evil wizard/monster. The first game was very light on storytelling, and NPCs outside of enemies, are scarce, and not always helpful. While the game is still very much playable today, some enhancements to the gameplay would be most welcome to less than hardcore gamers. Let Link move diagonally. The sword stabs Link uses in this game could be replaced with the 90° slashes of later games. His hearts could deplete at half the rate they do in the original, reducing the need for restarts. Allow players to save their game without dying. Give players some kind of clue of where to go next. Then, of course, there's the obvious graphical enhancements and orchestration (even if it is synthesized) of the music, and you've made Zelda more than just playable, you've made it near perfect!

  5. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link — Much like Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Japanese version, not the version we got over here), Miyamoto was not involved with Zelda II. Unlike SMB2, his absence would result in a radically different game. Zelda II is by leaps and bounds the black sheep of the Zelda series. It is primarily a side-scrolling adventure, and it uses experience points, not items, for leveling up. It did, however, add a few elements that became series standards, such as magic powers, and towns Link could visit for information and side-quests. A well-thought-out remake could fix a lot of this flawed classic's problems. First and foremost, give Link a much bigger sword, and a much faster strike animation. Less damage would make for less frustrating battles, and more exp. points would make leveling up less of a grind. Finally, like its predecessor, a little nudge in the right direction would make for less blind exploration.

Well, I was hoping to finish this list in two parts, but I keep thinking of more games! I guess you'll have to wait until Part III to find out the rest!

UPDATE: Part III is up! Click here to read it!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned — First Impressions


"The Lost and Damned" (not "The Lost and the Damned," as several outlets have been calling it) is the first expansion for Grand Theft Auto IV. It was released as DLC on February 17th exclusively for the Xbox 360 on Xbox Live for 1600 points ($20). While I did stay up for its release (which was an hour-and-a-half late, by the way), I (as usual) have had limited time to play it until recently. I have now played through a couple of hours and maybe 10 missions or so and feel as though I have enough material to give my first impressions.

Let me get this out of the way first: If you loved GTA4, you'll find little to complain about here. If you hated GTA4, this will not convert you. Also, if you are not one of the gamers who played all the way through Niko Bellic's storyline, chances are you are not going to immediately jump onto an entirely new campaign. That said, it does make a few minor, yet perceptible alterations to the overall gameplay. Most prominently, the motorcycle controls and physics have been tweaked, making them easier to control, and harder to fall off of. Helmets, however, no longer exist, so in the event of a crash, your noggin will take the brunt of the force.

Also, much criticism was dealt to Niko's first few hours in Liberty City, specifically the lack of gunplay and overabundance of mundane chauffeur quests. This has been addressed in TLAD. Right from the start you are not only equipped with a sawed-off shotgun, usable while driving, but you'll very quickly be thrown into an old-fashioned GTA4 shootout where you'll pick up your familiar Glock 17 pistol.

There's very little tutorial, as it's safe to assume most, if not all, of this game's audience is already familiar with the nuances of GTA4's controls and gameplay elements. New elements, such as driving your gang-exclusive bike in formation, will be explained when applicable. The driving in formation is a nice way to make getting yourself from point A to point B a little more interesting, but can be annoying if you get separated from the group, or fall too far behind, as you cannot hear your fellow gang members' dialog if you're too far away. Occasionally you'll be given the option to race your partners to the destination, which helps to mix things up a bit more.

Finally we come to the characters. The playable character, Johnny Klebitz, is the vice president of the Lost MC, a motorcycle club based in Alderney, who are at war with rival gang, the Angels of Death. At the opening of the game, the club's president, Billy Grey, has just gotten out of rehab and reassumes his position as leader of the pack. Immediately things start going down hill for Johnny, who seems to be reaching something of a mid-life crisis. He has worked hard to put the Lost on a constructive track, and Billy's wild ways are threatening to unravel Johnny's efforts. Billy's dead set on rekindling the conflict with the Angels of Death, and Johnny tries futilely to dissuade him. Thus far, I find Johnny a less interesting character than Niko, though he does have more interesting things to do from the outset.

Well, that should do it for first impressions. I'll be back with my Extended Play after I've logged in a few more hours.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

How my reviews work

As I begin writing my first "review," I figure I should give some explanation as to how I will go about reviewing games. First of all, I have precious little of both spare time, and spare money, so don't expect reviews to be prompt or plentiful. I will review what I have, when I have it, and when I have time for it. Sorry, but unless someone plans on hiring me to write about video games exclusively (PLEASE?!), that's how it's got to be.

Secondly, my reviews will be delivered in three parts:

1) First impression — First impressions are the most important, especially with video games. If you're not pulled into a game immediately, chances are you'll put it away in favor of more interesting games. In my case, first impressions help me determine if a game was worth the purchase or not. Here I'll let you know how excited I am (or am not) about continuing a game after the first hour or so.

2) Extended Play — Once the initial novelty (if there is any) has worn off, you hope the game continues to provide an engaging and original experience. In this section I'll give you an idea of how much the game has held my interest, and how eager I am (for better or for worse) to reach the conclusion.

3) Final Thoughts — You've poured x monetary units and y hours into a game. If you're really lucky, it was a memorable and enjoyable experience to which you'll want to return soon. If you're really unlucky, you'll wish you hadn't rescheduled that root canal your dentist recommended so you'd have more time and money for gaming. While I can't tell you what you'd like, per se, I can tell you whether I thought it was worth my precious resources, and if I feel it's worth a repeat play-through.

I've got a couple of partial reviews in the works right now, so stay tuned!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Classic Nintendo games that haven't been remade, but should be; Part I

I know what you're thinking. Doesn't Nintendo already remake everything? Well, yes, Nintendo is notorious for releasing, re-releasing, and re-re-releasing many of their more popular titles. Take Metroid for example. Excluding its original release on the Famicom Disk System and Nintendo Entertainment System, Metroid has been rereleased four times in the past few years (the Classic NES Series for the GameBoy Advance, as a bonus feature on Metroid Prime, as a bonus feature on the Zero Mission remake, and its Virtual Console release) most of which were within a two year span.

But I'm not talking about Virtual Console style, bare-bones rereleases. I mean full-on overhauls, akin to Super Mario All-Stars, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland, or Metroid: Zero Mission itself; new versions of the originals that look better, sound better, and maybe even play better, with new features and new incentives to play again. WiiWare and the upcoming DSiWare seem like perfect outlets for some much needed attention to these oft-ignored gems. What follows is a list, in no particular order, of some of the games I think are most worthy of remaking:
  1. Metroid II: The Return of Samus — I figured since I used Metroid as an example already, I may as well start off with this one. Metroid II for the GameBoy is one of the earliest examples of Nintendo trying to turn its fat, green-screened portable into a genuine platform for new content and series extensions. Probably the least popular of the Metroid series due its confusing monochrome graphics and minimal, mostly forgettable music, it is also an integral chapter of the Metroid storyline. It introduced several elements to the series that its successors would turn into standards, and a unique gameplay style which still allowed the aimless exploration of the first game, while providing a more direct, linear pathway to the ultimate showdown with the Queen Metroid, and the surprising, foreshadowing conclusion which would be exploited in Metroid 3: Super Metroid. While Project AM2R is working on an impressive unofficial remake of this one, it would be nice to see Nintendo's own R&D1 team take on this forgotten chunk of Metroid history themselves in a future release.

  2. Star Fox — This game was truly groundbreaking for its time. It was one of the first 3D polygonal games, and the first 3D polygonal game on a console, ever, thanks to the revolutionary Super FX microchip. While the graphics don't really hold up to today's standards, the classic on-rails shooting and unforgettable music still do. While Star Fox 64 and Star Fox Assault have taken the formula to more modern consoles with more impressive graphics, and Star Fox Command put a new spin on a concept from an abandoned SNES sequel (we're going to pretend Star Fox Adventures never happened), none of them have really captured the feel of the original. Just imagine the same levels, enemies, and music, remade with hi-res, hi-poly, textured graphics (of course, Andross would remain the same boxy face he always was), full voice acting, and analog controls. The thought of it almost makes me wanna "do a barrel roll!" (Sorry.)

  3. Kid Icarus — This entry will be brief, as I've never actually played the game for more than about 40 seconds (thank you, Smash Bros.). I am, however, familiar with the fan base this game has, and before Nintendo pours the resources into the oft-rumored, full-fledged, 3D sequel to this classic, they should first consider giving it the Zero Mission treatment. As a bonus, they could throw in the lesser-known GameBoy sequel. (There really do seem to be a lot of those.)

  4. Super Mario Land — You knew that a Mario game would eventually appear on this list. It was inevitable. There are so many of them, Nintendo was bound to forget a few. Super Mario Land was another attempt to put an established NES game on the GameBoy, while still keeping its library original. Super Mario Land took everything that made the first Super Mario Bros. popular, and shrunk it down to fit on the little green screen. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto stepped down for this entry and allowed his mentor, Gunpei Yokoi, father of the GameBoy as well as many other Nintendo products, to take the reigns of Mario's first portable adventure. While the basic gameplay, several enemies, and even some of the graphics stayed true to the original, most of the rest of the game was completely new. New worlds to explore, new power-ups (for example, the Flower now gives Mario the ability to throw "superballs" which ricochet at 90° angles, rather than the traditional fireballs which bounce across the ground), and some strange new enemies to compliment the old ones make this a familiar, yet unique, Mario platforming experience, and one that would greatly benefit from, if nothing else, color graphics and improved sound quality. (Though a save feature would be nice too.)

  5. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins — As long as we're on the topic of remaking portable Mario games, we may as well tackle this one now. While Super Mario Land proved a Mario game could work on the GameBoy, its sequel, this time helmed by Metroid II director Hiroji Kiyotake, greatly expanded on the formula, adding an overworld map screen (à la Super Mario Bros. 3), unique power-ups (collecting a carrot gives Mario bunny ears which he can use to slow his descent from a jump or fall... crazy Japaneses), a battery-backed auto-save feature, and a new villain. Wario would go on to infamy and fortune in his own spin-off series, as well as appearances in pretty much every Mario themed competitive game from 1996's Mario Kart 64, to the present, and probably well into the future. While the game itself still holds up quite well, as with the other GameBoy games on the list, it deserves to be brought out of its 15+ years of monochromatic obscurity, and into the modern era of color, hi-res gaming.

Well, that will wrap up Part I of this list. I'll return to it soon, but for a first post, I feel it would be better not to exhaust you, the reader. Aren't I nice? Stay tuned for more Video Game related editorials on "Fear The Claw's" Video Game Blog!

UPDATE: Part II is up! Click here to read it!