Nintendo Power Struggle

When you're this radical, you don't get your Nintendo news from the Internet. 

In the early 90's I used to love it when my mom took me to the library.  She'd be off doing Goomba-only-knows while I'd head over to the magazine section.  You see, I was not fortunate enough to have a subscription to any of the "Premium" game magazines like Nintendo Power.  Actually...I couldn't even get access to the cornball ones either *ahem* Gamepro *ahem*.  But luckily for me, our local book depot gave free access to them (albeit tethered to wooden racks like we were in prison).

My favorite part was flipping to the middle and reading the Legend of Zelda comics.  At that time, it was telling the story of A Link to the Past.  I didn't care much about reading it out of order, because at that time I only had a NES.  Still, it was a really exciting time for me.

If you were a radical Octorok like me, well, I have some troubling news for you today:

Nintendo Power Is Officially Cancelled

According to Cnet, the magazine's parent company, Future Publishing, allegedly lost it's contract with Nintendo to continue.  If you're like me and had no idea that the official Nintendo magazine wasn't even run by Nintendo, you probably just took a Birdo egg to the face.  In 2007, Nintendo threw in the towel for publishing the magazine, mainly due to the omnipresence of the Internet, and said "I choose you" to Future Publishing.  Now, 5 years later, they've decided to just let the magazine quietly phase out.

What Does It Mean?

Nothing that we already didn't know.  When was the last time you called the Nintendo Power Hotline for all the latest "Hot Tips and Tricks?"  Decades!  When was the went looking for a game related comic in a magazine?  The 90's!  When was the last time you trimmed your mullet?  Don't answer that...

The dirge of the magazine is a surprise, but what's even more of a surprise is that it didn't happen years ago.  Nintendo Power had nothing to offer than the Internet didn't except for the prestige of being in that in-crowd.  

I'm a bit sad that they decided to end the 24 year legacy of NP, but feel they're completely justified in letting the old dog go to sleep.  Nintendo is a company that sets their designs on staying on the edge of the frontier of the industry and, as such, it's natural that they'll focus their efforts in more lucrative mediums like Youtube.  Still....it's a shame to see it go.

Oh, and I'm sorry if I made fun of your mullet.  You're radical, don't ever change.

Why I love Simpsons Games

The Simpsons Tapped Out manages to maintain the personalities of all the characters of the series

Okay, so they aren't pushing any envelopes when it comes to game development, but there is a certain air of quality that games under the Simpsons franchise seem to have.  Their main formula seems to be cloning whatever is most popular at the time, but placing the Simpsons world and familiar array of characters into those formats.

Today I downloaded the new iOS game The Simpsons Tapped Out and instantly began giggling like a 13 year old watching the show.  

Or maybe a 30 year old watching the show.  It makes no difference.

After the hilarious intro cutscene we're brought to a post-nuclear explosion Springfield where Homer is alone and not so ready to take the owe up to his mistakes.  He repeatedly breaks the fourth wall, acknowledging that this is a town building sim game and even pokes fun at the "freemium" business model.  The way he denounces the fact that he doesn't want to spend real money for a game is so brutally honest that it kept me playing more...mostly for the hilarious banter that he and the other characters begin.  I quickly realize the danger of this because the game's premium currency - the iconic pink glazed donuts - can be bought with real money; the most expensive denomination being worth an absurd $99.99!  Ahaha, a true comedy game, through and through.

I suppose you've judged me for playing these kinds of games.  First, stop that.  Second, I've never hopped on those time-sync Farmville-esque Facebook games before.  I know they're wastes of time and time is something I can't afford at the moment.  Regardless, I decided to give it a go because of the franchise. 

Though I haven't seen any of the recent episodes, I've always enjoyed playing the Simpsons games.  Of course, the outlandish Konami arcade game was, in itself, a legendary tenant during the decline of the arcade era, however, I'm talking mostly about the EA developed/published "franchise clone" games.  For example, during the height of Crazy Taxi's popularity, Simpsons Road Rage came out.  SRR managed to keep me interested far longer than Taxi because of the unique character interactions.  That's what's key here: humor.  

The people behind the Simpsons recognize their fans as a fiercely loyal bunch.  There is little need for a unique game experience when they can take a proven game model and build the Springfield on top of it.  It's good for them because they make all that money that they care so much about.  For me, too, it's a pleasant experience because I treat it as an extension of the show.  Each game is like an interactive episode to me and I'm thankful that the Simpsons writers and voice actors take part in these games: 1) because of the quality and 2) I think they deserve the extra work for what they do.

Whether you thought this was Worst. Article. Ever. or you exclaimed "GLAVEN," I'd like to hear your opinion on the subject.

Woo-hoo.

The Silent Protagonist

"Your name is...'Pokemon Trainer?'  Um...do you have a first name?  .....hello?"

"It's a-me....Mario!" 

In 1996, Nintendo fanatics got their proverbial minds blown when they slammed Mario 64 cartridges into their brand spankin' new Nintendo 64's and heard their beloved mustachioed icon greet them in broken English via a glorified E3 face pulling demo.  Throughout the early 90's, we got to know him, not by his intricate dialogue, but by his tendency to squash critters and freak out on star power.  Why the sudden jump to speech?  What's the purpose of being silent?

Putting Mario aside for a moment, let's take a look at silent protagonists in general.  Video games are an interactive media, meaning people can project themselves into a simulated universe and do anything they wish within the confines of said reality.  Just like our brains control our functions, our hands utilizing our controllers manipulate the actions of our "other me" in the game world.

Having total control over our game avatars results in jarring confusion when other game world characters speak to ours.  Game designers go about this gap in reality in different ways: they make silent, semi-silent and automated protagonists.

Silent Protagonists

A silent protagonist, such as the tactician in the early Fire Emblem games, has absolutely no dialogue.  Other characters in the game world will have conversations with them, even responding to things that were not said, to give the illusion that the human player is actually conversing with the character.  I have not seen it firsthand, but I bet somewhere out there, someone is talking to their Gameboy out loud and feeling not so lonely.

Semi-silent Protagonists

Another way developers get around this gap is by having an otherwise silent protagonist who will speak in certain situations when the user is prompted.  Prevalent is nearly every Japanese dating sim it is done by way of multiple choice.  Being terrible at multiple choice questions in the past, I usually hated this method, as I always wished there was a "D. All of the above."  This is done to give the human a sense of freedom in adding their own personality to the character they are playing.  However, the freedom is an illusion because all of the choices are already pre-determined with several story arcs written into each game.

Automated Protagonists

The third main sort of protagonist is the automated one.  Characters like Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7, which have their own story and personality, give their own dialogue independent of the human playing the game.  While the user will control the character's movements and battle decisions, they are at the mercy of the character's own speech and attitude.  Despite being a hindrance to the aim of assimilating the player's mind into the avatar, this is done when the protagonist has their own backstory, wit, etc. that the story arc of the game depends on.

Which faction did Mario fall under?  In his early iterations, he was completely silent.  The story of Super Mario Bros. was sufficiently told through the now-cliche "Our princess is in another castle."  And, oh what tragic comedy it was!  After the first castle, we begin to feel the angst of our avatar as we again and again toil for the kiss of a princess only to be cock-blocked by mushroom dudes.  If Mario had any lines in the game, it would get in the way of that very real feeling!

1996 was a new year for Nintendo.  Things were changing.  Mario HAD to be in 3D, they must have decide.  Nintendo had the technology for speech and they intended to use every trick up their sleeves to combat the new player on the block - Sony.  What better way to make commotion then to have the, arguably, most iconic video game character leap into our ears as well as our eyes....and hearts?  

Since then, they've kept him tastefully quiet.  Certain things aside, he interacts silently with loquacious mushrooms and other fauna, only adding a "Woo-hoo" and a "Ha-ha!" where needed in his gymnastics.  In certain situations, he's a semi-silent protagonist, with peripheral characters discerning what he intends through his actions. 

Are there any other ways to get around the problem of dialogue with main characters?  Perhaps.  I'm more than eager to try them out.  Until then - "Thanks-a so much for-a reading my article."

Death Knell for Chrono Break?

A winged imp discovers the real reason Chrono Break will never come to fruition - Turkey dinner induced coma

Brace yourselves.  It's been 17 years since Chrono Trigger.  17 years!  That's almost a Senior in High School.  Right now Chrono Trigger is preparing for Calculus.  It's putting off the summer reading of To Kill a Mochkingbird.  It's getting drunk for the first time at a party and telling everyone it's fine while it's actually puking on the shoes of the girl it likes.

...no?  That didn't happen to you?

Well, regardless of your pubescent origins, if you were born sometime around the 80's, odds are Chrono Trigger held a special place in your gamer soul.  It was a powerhouse masterpiece RPG sculpted from the clay of the heavens by none other then a dream team of immortal god-kings from House Square and House Enix.

Then, as Square was heading into it's "Golden Age of Localization," a somewhat less badass team united to bring us Chrono Chross in 1999.  Don't get me wrong, I loved CC and still swear it's in my top ten PS1 titles, but the general consensus among gamers was and still is that it was a lackluster follow-up to the kind of in your face presence CT had.

Two years after Chrono Cross, the murmurs of a third were already adrift in gaming currents.  In December of 2001, Square registered a trademark for the title "Chrono Break" in the US, Europe, and Japan (Japan's version being spelled "Brake").  Today, the final trademark, will expire with not so much as peep of it's return.

Let's take a look at some of the possible causes for the demise of Break.

Video Game R& D Teams are like Bacteria

Bacteria reproduce by binary fissure.  Remember that?  17 year old Chrono Trigger is probably learning that in Biology as you read this.  If you don't remember, it's a process where a single cell bacteria splits into two identical new bacterium and go off to lead different lives.

I don't mean to infer than Japanese developers split at the torso and a new dude jumps out (although, you know...I can't honestly say that's not awesome).  What I mean is that during a development cycle there are a pool of potential workers that are chosen akin to choosing teammates for dodgeball at recess.  Programmers, musicians, artists, producers; they all work on a project together day after day, sharing the same direction for the game.  Once the game ships, they get allocated to new projects and it's very possible they won't see their former coworkers again.

So, despite the inevitable (or...evitable?) unification of Square and Enix, getting the team that really poured every last drop of their miso shiru into Chrono Trigger back together would be a Herculean task.

Square-Enix Merger was Bad Timing

Takashi Tokita, the director of Chrono Trigger, mentioned in this 2003 interview that it was possible there were talks of a "Chrono Trigger 2" but the level of motivation between the executives and the developers was different.  In the newly fused company, people were making plans and budgets for it but there really was no interest in pursuing the sequel at that time.  

It's possible Break got lost on the cutting room floor as the main cash cow franchises were given priority.

Shinji Hashimot's Spooky Ultimatum

There's another camp that believes that Squeenix has the capability to develop and release the game but refuses in order to milk what it can out of the previous iterations.  

Senior Vice President Shinji Hashimoto famously said at the 2009 E3, "If people want a sequel, they should buy more!"  He was referring to the newly released Chrono Trigger DS port.  Was this just a ploy to get generate more sales for the DS game?  According to VGChartz it sold more than a million units worldwide.  You're not hurting, Hashimoto-san.

Whatever the cause, the last bastion of hope for Chrono fans has just slipped away.  Perhaps we need to buy another million copies to show them how much we want a new title.

McDonald's + Monster Hunter

At 100 yen per soda, McDonald's is the most inexpensive way to lurk around hoping to meet other players

It's January 2011.  I'm sitting in a solo partition underneath an unnecessarily hot light, my bald pate glistening.  In the air is an uncensored Akon song with lewd lyrics slipping through patrons' ears under the armor of being lost in translation."  Suddenly, a hunt begins.

I had just purchased Monster Hunter Portable 3rd and, with no one to play with, set my designs upon a popular "Macudo" ("McDonald's" in Osaka dialect) in hopes of joining in on a game.  To my delight, when I started up the game I noticed there were two other players in the vicinity.  Wordlessly, I joined their hot spring - the games main meeting place for WiFi play - and followed them off on a quest.  I died three times, forcing us to forfeit the mission.  Sorry, guys, wherever you are.

Find passionate gamers for the price of a small coke.

Granted, this is a high-traffic 24-hour McDonald's in the heart of Osaka's "party" district.  However, similar sights can be found across Japan, even in the hearts of rural communities.  As long as you buy something on the menu, you can be given (almost) indefinite access to a seat and exposure to similar cheapskate WiFi gamers.  McDonald's further beckons handheld gamers with a joint venture with Nintendo: offering Internet connection to DS and 3DS users.

Many groups plan gaming meet ups called "off-kai."  These offline meetings, scheduled on forums and websites, usually involve an application and screening process.  When applying to a Monster Hunter Tri(G) group, I was grilled on my tenacity for the serious by what I found out to be a 12 year old.

Though there may be a rigorous process to get in with a group, it's a tacit understanding that anyone can join as long as they show up to the correct McDonald's.  One thing I noticed was it's a slight faux pas to engage in conversation with your allies at any time.  Perhaps it's a stereotype, but Japanese gamers of oftentimes timid and reluctant to speak to strangers, even if they're playing a game with them.  Despite this, I like engaging them, even if it's just a "Gold Ratholos is tough, eh?"

If you ever want to find players for handheld games in Japan, I fully recommend the economical option of Macudo.

Fire Emblem: Awakening

Though not recommended, fighting while sliding downhill is the preferred method by Irizians.

The latest installation of military strategist fantasy series "Fire Emblem" made it's debut on the 3DS in Japan last month.  It was an instant hit with the action/RPG crowd as interest in Monster Hunter Tri(3G) began to dwindle - it sold a quarter million in it's first week.(Vgchartz)  U.S. fans of the series emitted simultaneous squeals of joy and moans of death as Dear Leader Reggie Fils-Aime, at last month's E3, gingerly announced it would be released stateside in 2013 but failed to give a specific date.

While not the first jaunt into 3D (Gamecube's Path of Radiance takes that honor), it does herald the beginning of a myriad of new features to the franchise.

• The new Dual System allows a chance for units to attack together given a certain amount of affection has been reached between them.  In addition, they will be given stat boosts that stack as more allied units surround them.  
• A landmark to the series is the addition of a commandable personal unit.  In the past, the "player" has assumed the role of a speechless tactician who, through interacting with the main lord, plays their own part in the story.  Imagine if every main character was Timmy's father and you played as Lassie "What's that?  Timmy fell down the well?  And he's surrounded by dragon-riders?"  The new customizable unit actually has scripts and interacts with almost every character in a way dependent on how you created them (a tough guy, a young girl, etc.)
• CHANGE CLASS ORBS!  I can't stress how awesome these are.  In the past you only had one track that your character could be on.  Advancing to the master class would require a master orb.  Now you can change any character to (almost) any class using the change class orbs.  After certain requirements are met, you can purchase an indefinite amount from the shops.

At Game Bunka, we'll keep you updated on the status of the release date.  Until then, you can check out my other blog as I slowly translate pieces from the game.