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Sun 21/03/04 at 02:25
Regular
Posts: 18,185
I got Blink 182's album in November last year. Amazing it is, in fact I'd say one of the best albums I have ever heard. Sadly, although many do, not everyone thinks so. There are 2 sources of criticism, the first are from the anti-pop punk crusaders claiming the album is nothing more than "generic pop punk". The problem with this criticism is that bar first release "feeling this" the album is nothing like any traditional Pop punk. The second source of criticism is the current Blink fans claiming they wanted something "like the old stuff".

I can name 5 people in my small friendship circle who wanted a more, "cheery pop-punk album and not this good but depressive mature-punk album". My reply to them is simple: "If you want cheery Punk listen to Blink's other 4 albums".

Fans of the group have to agree that despite the greatness of fourth album Take Off Your Pants And Jacket, it was VERY familiar to previous album Enema of the State... almost identical in style. So in my more optimistic eye this change is good, it is still the greatness I expect from Blink BUT it is also totally fresh and new.

Now comes to the point of the post.

Recent anti-Resident Evil 4 claims have been pointed at the more "Action" aspect of the gameplay. What no puzzles? No dumb Zombies? Less scares more action?

Yes get over it. Resident Evil 4 has changed the series just as Blink 182's new self-titled album has changed Blink 182. You see just like Blink 182's previous 4 albums, Resident Evil has endured 5 almost identical games. Resident Evil, 2, 3, Code Veronica and Zero play almost identically too each other (bar some minor gameplay twist in some titles). The games were great, but even I, an avid Resident Evil fan, were starting to get a little bored. So Resident Evil 4 COULD be a successful change in the series, sure less scares maybe BUT just as much fun and the series can continue. Blink 182's latest album have kept the immature Punk Pop outfit alive into this new generation, Resident Evil was becoming stale. It needed a change.

Most of you I'm sure would agree with the above. But now I bring in my next set of examples. You see I've been defending Zelda: Wind Waker and Mario Sunshine to the grave lately against an endless supply of critics. And in this I'll also defend the game I don't enjoy too much, Metroid Prime. You see my defense of Wind Waker is thus, the combat system and the graphics have changed the style of game so much that the title rules. The aggressors to the title claim "The lack of epic storyline, length and interaction have damaged what Zelda used to be and therefore is not as good as the previous games".

Nonsense.

If I want interaction I'll play Majora's Mask, just as if I want pop-punk I'll listen to older Blink material. If I want an epic storyline then I'll play Ocarina of Time. If I want an addictive control system, an emphasis on collecting and a great comic adventure then I'll play Wind Waker. But why can't they include all three I hear you cry? Well Nintendo can make an epic adventure, they proved that with OOT. They can make a fantastic interaction filled adventure, they proved that with MM and they can adopt amazing graphics, controls and comedy as they did in WW. But Majoras Mask's interaction is VERY complicated and took nearly a year to implement entirely. Ocarina of Time took nearly 4 years to make mainly due to it's size, and the graphics and gameplay of Wind Waker took the majority of it's development time. Do you think Nintendo have deep enough pockets to waste their most talented development team on what could be a multi-million 7 year project? Of course not! So Nintendo opted to give us something slightly different instead, a different Zelda experience.

The same applies to Super Mario Sunshine. Yes you are TOTALLY right, the game is missing Koopa's etc... the game does include a back pack changing Mario's ideas. The recent Edge magazine asks to put the Italian back into his old games. That is what we want. But the thing is we ALREADY have Mario 64. Yes we all really wanted a Gamecube edition of Mario 64, but instead Nintendo gave us a new option. They gave us a new game, different to IMario 64 but somehow similar. We've already got a fantastic 3D platformer that is like Mario titles, now we wanted the similar level of fun but in a different way. And we got it.

Metroid Prime is my final example because I can't really be bothered to go into Double Dash (I'm sure you've got my point anyway). Yes a third person platformer would be fantastic but then there have been countless third person Metroid games. Isn't it about time things changed?

My point is thus, and I'm sure you got it, game series' evolve in order to survive. Moods and opinions change. Playing Ocarina Of Time with my Gamecube Bonus Disc was fun for five minutes. I soon realised it wasn't for today's market. Neither is any of the Resident Evil games we have got. The lack of epic story in Wind Waker maybe cleared up for next time, but the emphasis on light hearted fun with stella graphics and gameplay will still exist. Maybe Samus will appear more out of her suit in the next Metroid but the new first person adventure idea will continue to apply. Mario 128 may return to more familiar surroundings, but expect similar new ideas to the ones we got in Sunshine.

Resident Evil 4 is more action based because it has to be in order to survive and keep us interested. We are never really happy with what we get even if we didn't really know what we wanted in the first place. We are constantly evolving, games are constantly evolving. Goodbye Resident Evil, you were fun for a while but now I need a new experience. Gracefully give up your Survival Horror King status or change.

You choose.

I’m off to listen to Blink.

Dringo.
Fri 26/03/04 at 21:09
Regular
Posts: 9,848
Rare too.

Number One second party develloper (until now, although I expect they'll be Microsoft's best the moment Kameo come's out).


But hey, they MIGHT read it, and if they took on board the idea...
Can only be a good thing.


If the worst comes to the worst, they don't read it, and that's about 20 minutes of my life that I won't get back! :-D
Fri 26/03/04 at 13:04
Regular
Posts: 18,185
EA are one of the only companies I know that listens to consumers.

They are also the number one third party developer.

Does this tell you anything?
Thu 25/03/04 at 21:41
Regular
Posts: 9,848
Hehe.

It's nothing I could claim credit for, or if I could, they could change it JUST enough to make it theirs, or something.

Anyway, I'm sure they're not that petty, and my ideas are so good, I'd probably be an exception! :-P
Thu 25/03/04 at 11:50
Regular
Posts: 18,185
They do not except other peoples ideas...

They say that so if they like them they won't have to pay you :P
Thu 25/03/04 at 08:31
Regular
Posts: 10,437
Next stop: ActRaiser 3D.
Thu 25/03/04 at 01:43
Regular
Posts: 9,848
Hehe.

I went to Retro's website and emailed them.
It was addressed to Nintendo but I asked them to pass it on to Retro, and then went into the gameplay ideas of a third person view, asked if the feature on Super Metroid of turning off your upgrades (the Varia Suit just looked cooler than the Gravity Suit! ;-D) could make a return, and suggested a cheesy little feature called the "Battle Simulation" in Samus' ship so that you could play past Bosses and Set Pieces that you'd overwise have to start over to meet again.

Here's hoping the atleast read it! :-D
Thu 25/03/04 at 00:45
Regular
Posts: 9,848
I'll see you tomorrow! :-)

I'm going to try their site.
I'm going to pester them for this one! :-)
Thu 25/03/04 at 00:44
Regular
Posts: 9,848
It wasn't failed because it worked, but it did seem a bit cut down.

Going into and out of morphball from a FP view was one of it's few pains.



I think that the TP view was REALLY close to making it, but was left out due to complications or time restraints.
Or maybe SOME of the devellopment team wanted it while others decided against it.

I think that the camera got a bit much for them, along with everything else. But seeing as the sequel will have most of it in place, they'd be able to have a second go with the camera.
Thu 25/03/04 at 00:43
Regular
Posts: 18,185
Right need my sleep...

I will be back tomorrow night... as always.
Thu 25/03/04 at 00:38
Regular
Posts: 18,185
I feel it is more of a cross breed they tried and succeeded in making... rather than a failed Third person Shooter (why does not one put TPS?).

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