First of all, I would like to point out that the above strapline was written by our other (great) editor-in-chief, Andrew Hsieh, and that I don’t have a superiority complex. I do however think Andrew needs some kind of counselling about his Imagine: Party Babyz addiction, though.
Second of all, allow me to welcome you to Issue 59 of Nintendojo, “Sugar-Coated.” The notion of sweetening the deal for consumers (whether it involves polishing a turd of shovelware gaming or pushing out box after box of sucrose-encrusted breakfast cereals that depict gaming’s biggest icons) seems to be stronger than ever in the gaming industry. With a diabolical game capable of selling phenomenally if the marketing is right or the industry pushing something onto relatively unwilling gamers if the hype is big enough, sugar-coating appears to an important part of our pricey pasttime.
This week, we take a look at some games and gaming trends that seem to forgo original thought for sheer jumping on the bandwagon to make a quick buck. Andrew Hsieh looks at Dance Dance Revolution’s brief leap into the world of well suited portable gaming, Kevin discusses why the original Animal Crossing has yet to be bettered by its sequels and Michael muses on whether Ocarina of Time‘s 3DS remake has made him become a bigger fan of the game.
To round all that out, I discuss my disillusionment with JRPGs. While I can talk about Pokémon til the Milktank come home, if you gave me a Spellcaster, an Onion Knight or a Moogle, I’d be clueless. Why aren’t JRPGs engaging? Recent offerings into the genre such as Final Fantasy XIII wowed me with their cinematic video sequences but can the gameplay hold a candle to it? Or is it just a case of making something rather benign appear like a must-have with glitzy visuals and a Leona Lewis soundtrack?
With all our articles this week, it’s worth bearing in mind that it doesn’t matter how much you polish brass, it’ll never turn into gold.
Enjoy,
Adam
Send your Mars Bars to nintendojo.mailbag@gmail.com.
Issue 59: Sugar-Coated
Dance Dance on the Go by Andrew Hsieh
You’ve played Dance Dance games at the arcades (before they all shut down) but Andrew is way too cool to do that.
Operation: Get the Plumber by Aaron Roberts
“I’ve called this meeting of the Koopa Council to deal with a certain blockage in our pipes…”
Dojo-Show-Go! Episode 152 by Matthew Ward
Do you know who the 152nd Pokémon was when I was a kid? Crystal Onix, old school.
My Two Bells by Kevin Knezevic
You know how each iteration of the Animal Crossing franchise is incredibly varied? (Play along, now.)
The Visual Novel, a Reborn Genre by Mel Turnquist
Forget manga, think more Phoenix Wright.
I’m a (RPG) Virgin by Adam Sorice
Adam’s gaming credentials take another hit as he discusses his bad blood with Final Fantasy.
Time’s Up: Giving Ocarina a Second Chance by Michael Edwards
Mike’s gaming credentials take a massive hit when he announces he didn’t like Ocarina of Time. Will its remake help?
Additional features in this issue…
Tuesday
- Industry Chatter by Lewis Hampson
Thursday
- Now Playing by Dustin Grissom
Saturday
- Week: End Game: On by Kevin Knezevic
Sunday
- Weekly News Roundup by Andy Hoover
Coming Up Next Week…
Issue 60: Magnetic Personalities
MAG. NE. TON.