#wii menu hd

[newfalco]

Menú Wii en "Dolphin". Descarga, instalación, canales y wads en el menú.

[melonthesprigatito]

Everybody's talking about how they want the Switch 2 to have Ultra HD Super Special 60FPS Graphics or whatever but what I REALLY want for the Switch 2 is for them to bring back fucking customisation and PERSONALITY.

The fun stuff like Face Raiders or Badge Arcade. The little jingles that played when you selected a game on the Wii. The way that the 3DS built on that jingle idea by including 3D dioramas with the game's title on the top screen that spun around when you blew into the microphone.

The backgrounds you could buy that played music in the 3DS's home menu. The way the activity log on the 3DS was a little book.

And the E-Shop music! And when you downloaded a game from the 3DS E-Shop you could check your progress by watching the little cubes be dropped into the game's home screen icon. The way when the game finished downloading, it was wrapped in a present that you had to unwrap in the home screen.

And the Miis. Miis were awesome.

The Switch was so lifeless in comparison, I want it all to come back. :(

Update: LMAO someone on Reddit called me an "ungrateful little shit" for *checks notes* expressing disappointment that the Switch 2 only comes in monochrome black. Wow.

[hashtag-anthems]

Okay the controls took some getting used to in MySims but were a little more intuitive in MySims Kingdom. I think they’ll be well-suited to an Agents port if they decide to do one, since that game focused more on the platforming than the building. If anything I want an Agents port so I can get those comic style scenes in HD. I still love that art style.

Overall it’s a good port! I haven’t encountered anything new (other than that EULA and a couple tutorials to replace the instruction booklet we no longer get) or missing, so it really does seem to be a 1-to-1 port to Switch.

I do wonder if we’ll be getting an update to add multiplayer functionality at the hotel the way the PC version of MySims had, or if they’re just going to leave it how it was on the Wii.

Also, if anyone has figured out how to get the czczbaba code outfit in Kingdom in the cozy bundle, lmk. The other three codes still work because they only involve the d-pad, but that one used the c and z buttons on the nunchuck on Wii and now the b button closes the pause menu so idk how to input that one 🤔 it’s a shame bc I liked that outfit.

[dandelionsprout42]

The Nintendo Switch has become a bloody joke

Still no GameCube games on Virtual Console after 18 years.

No Nintendo DS or Wii 1 games despite how the Wii U had no problems with either of the 2 at all.

Even Nintendo can't get their own Switch games (e.g. Princess Peach: Showtime!) to run at 60fps from 2021 onwards.

Nintendo Music, an app that requires a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, isn't available on Nintendo Switch.

They never released more than 2 Home Menu background themes. (The 3DS themes were in the triple digits).

The number of competent games that have touch controls can be counted on 2 hands, possibly on 1 hand.

The docking functions don't work if the Switch thinks the USB-C cable doesn't charge fast enough.

Lacks 4K. Nintendo is notorious for failing to predict future TV trends. Wii 1 legendarily embarrasingly lacked HD, Wii U lacked 3D (let alone 4K), and now this.

I shall now proceed to see how hard Nintendo is going to mess up Nintendo Switch 2 in the same ways.

[mememan93]

Differences between Sws HD and Sws Wii I've noticed

Part 1: Intro and Skyview temple

Obvious but let's get it down: The save file menu is no longer feathers, but instead brown boxes

The skyward sword keyboard is replaced with the switch keyboard

The 25th anniversary logo no longer appears when starting a new file, instead it's just "Nintendo presents: the legend of zelda, skyward sword" (booooring)

You can now skip cutscenes in normal mode

Fledge no longer interrupts you when you pick up the barrel

There are new tooltips to tell you how to move the camera and how to dash

Horwell no longer interrupts you after you dash up the box to tell you about the auto-jump

Horwell no longer tells you to push the box to get to Mia

You now get 20 rupees for helping Mia, which when combined with what fledge gives you is enough to buy the first shield of you don't get it from owlan

After groose's introduction, Keet no longer tells you to find pipit, instead he tells you to go to the goddess statue (pipit is not there)

The wii version offers to save the game after you get your loftwing, after you get the goddess sword, and after you beat skyvies temple

The wii version starts the cutscene for falling into the sacred realm immediately after you dive, while the HD version waits a while

Less subtle but they removed my boy the sheikah stone :(

The dialogue between you and Fi when you first see a kikwi is removed. Meaning you no longer get the option to ask if the kikwi is zelda.

In the Wii version, Fi talks to you before the skyview temple entrance, asking if you're ready. If you say yes she tells you not to be overconfident

Could be my sound system fucking up but i'm pretty sure skyview temple has a bit more of an echo in the HD version

[floatingcatacombs]

It’s the Tar Taking Over That Came Unexpected

12 Days of Aniblogging 2023, Day 2

Back when it was a frustratingly rare Wii exclusive, I braved a storm to hunt down a used copy of Xenoblade Chronicles, and it still surpassed my every expectation. So finally sinking my teeth into Xenoblade Chronicles X earlier this year felt right.

This was a Wii U game and it’s still nuts that this was a Wii U game. The only change I made when emulating it was bumping up the internal rendering resolution, and it’s crazy how good it still looks. The highest-fidelity games I play are FromSoft so my frame of reference is busted, but even still, it’s frequently breathtaking. Monolith Soft has always had a reputation for building impressive open worlds on underpowered hardware, and their first foray into HD might be their greatest feat. Or maybe I’m just easily impressed by pretty skies. Emulated at 1080p 60FPS, the experience really clicks, with snappy menus, fast loading times, and the ability to alt-tab to the map on the gamepad. For once I didn't feel like I was missing out at all by not playing on original hardware.  

After starting a new game you're immediately dumped into a character creation screen, which means I already have to navigate an old stupid censorship debate. See, there was a whole internet shitstorm back in 2015 when this game released stateside because the English version removed the bust slider from the character creator. This was the era of GamerGate and “localization versus translation” and Fire Emblem Fates taking out a waifu-touching minigame and everything surrounding Tokyo Mirage Sessions – things got really heated for a second! In hindsight, it was weird mixture of niche game publishers misreading their target audiences and hypervigilant right-wing provocateurs gearing up for larger culture wars, using titty games as a nexus for radicalizing nerds.

Things have cooled down a lot since then, as Japanese games generally release unaltered these days, rendering it a non-issue. When controversies do happen, it’s not in Nintendo's court anymore, it’s usually Valve removing Japanese visual novels from their store page in an act of laughable double standards. Anyways, thanks to the wonders of PC emulation and memory editors, I was able to restore the boob slider to Xenoblade Chronicles X, and valiantly used it to make my character flat.

XCX’s design sensibilities are a pretty sharp contrast from the direction the series went afterwards, instead dealing in guns, gritty sci-fi, and a more realistic color palette. The storms and forlorn mecha on the box art tell you all you need to know. It’s all very western, with the designers definitely taking cues from Halo and Mass Effect in a lot of places. The hub city is also based on Los Angeles, further cementing the American influence in everything but the mechas.

Ultimately, I think this all worked out well. The original Wii release of Xenoblade Chronicles isn’t particularly “anime”, after all. Its aesthetic sensibilities are closer to Final Fantasy X than, say, any given Tales. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3, as well as the Switch remake of the first game, hew much closer to games like Genshin in terms of colors and character proportions, but Xenoblade X takes the original’s artstyle and places it in a more serious context. I’m glad the series didn’t commit to this direction (it would have gotten bland fast), but it’s cool that we got it exactly once. Despite the more western stylings though, this is still fundamentally a niche anime game, much more so than the first Xenoblade. There’s titty armor and fanservice outfits as quest rewards, a young moe girl in the main cast, and the occasional pervy sidequest. A lot of the localization conflict may have been Nintendo attempting to clean up Xenoblade X in order to pitch it as a mainstream release at a time when the Wii U really needed a hit. While it’s a solid game, it was never going to be able to appeal to a very large audience.

Also, the story’s a bit of a mess. The tone is all over the place, with both comic relief and serious moments frequently failing to land. What starts off as a surprisingly grimdark sci-fi about the last remaining humans trying to survive on an alien planet as their crashed generation ship-city runs out of power quickly morphs into Star Wars levels of goofy aliens. Plot twist after plot twist ensues, defusing a lot of the tension because you know that they’re just going to pull something even crazier out next. Though the main story struggles, the emergent narrative of New Los Angeles is actually pretty good. A lot of the player’s side questing is dedicated to resolving interpersonal conflicts and helping make the city feel like a real home for everyone. Gradually, NLA begins taking on alien immigrants and the mutual fish-out-of-water situation between human and alien refugees leads to some funny moments and the occasional surprisingly thoughtful quest about cultural tolerance.

But for the most part, the story takes a backseat to exploring planet Mira. Through the gameplay loop I’ve come to understand Xenoblade X as something of a single-player MMO. The combat system is based around positioning, auto-attacks, skills that go on cooldown, and extremely customizable character classes. There’s a nightmarish amount of skill trees to keep track off, to the point where I’d forget about them alone until I was having trouble with a fight, and then remember an entire system I’d forgotten to take advantage of. There are item collections to fill out and side quests of all flavors and secret areas and difficult raid bosses yada yada yada…

Okay I can’t hold off from discussing the music any longer. The combat theme for Xenoblade X is the stuff of legends. Terrible, terrible legends.

Putting vocals in your RPG’s regular battle music is a bold move. You really have to make sure you knocked it out of the park, because singing is going to grate on the player far more quickly than any instrumental. Because of this, the battle themes of Persona 5, The World Ends With You, and Get In The Car, Loser! are all something of a flex. Black Tar is not that. I’m just going to link the song, because it really has to heard to be understood.

Xenoblade X’s battle theme starts off strong, the grim sci-fi tone clearly communicated through the moody synths. Soon enough the guitars come crashing in, giving way to a distinctly nu metal sound. That stylistic choice alone pissed people off in 2015, to which I say grow up, it’s great. But if you let the battle run on for 50 seconds, someone starts rapping.

Black Tar has some of the most nonsensical lyrics ever put to pen, delivered in the jankiest way possible, with words just kind of crammed in without any regard to flow. It’s not even a case of “non-proficient English speaker comes up with shoddy lyrics” as occasionally happens with Japanese songs. Every single word of this is an act of malicious fluency, and if I singled out all the lines I had questions about, I’d be here all day. Opening the first verse with “We’re stuck on a whole different planet” tricks the listener into thinking that the lyrics will to tie into the game’s events and setting, but this is a fool’s errand. The titular tar has no in-game corollary, so to make any sense of it you have to go metaphorical and claim that maybe it stands for losing your squadmates and giving up hope. That's still pretty flimsy! Maybe it really is just be about heroin.

Eventually though, we reach the chorus, and it’s actually a great hook! Except for the fact that it’s sung by a Japanese singer in English. The lyrics were clearly written with no regard for which syllables he’d have difficulty with, and making this guy utter the phrase “Black tar’lll” was an open act of cruelty.

In a 2015 interview, Black Tar rapper and lyricist David Whittaker brings up that the he wrote the words for his first video game song in about two hours, going for “just foolishness”. I imagine his work here was a similar situation.

It’s so, so easy to harp on Black Tar. Everyone did at release, and everyone who hasn’t played the game still does. The thing is, it’s impossible to keep that antagonism up when you’ve got an 80-hour game ahead of you where this is the standard battle theme the whole way through. For the sake of your own sanity, you have to learn to love Black Tar, and pretty much everyone who finishes the game comes around to it. Much to the chagrin of my girlfriend, I quote Black Tar constantly, with less of a sense of irony each time. Eventually, you too will find yourself shouting along with David Whittaker as he raps about being on a sea of dark matter. And of course, the instrumental was always a banger if you weren’t a coward. The theme for New LA also gets a lot of flak for its gibberish vocal samples and St. Anger snares, but I’ve always been a fan and think it holds up great as an endless-looping hub area theme. It’s so…. Sawano zeitgeisty.

The entire soundtrack is actually a Hiroyuki Sawano joint, and he does a pretty good job. It very much all sounds like the kind of music he’s known for, with the exception of the overworld themes, which instead try to mimic the compositions of the first Xenoblade Chronicles. Primordia’s theme is an excellent response to the first game’s Gaur Plain, with a more techy and ominous tone that nevertheless still evokes the sense of grand exploration ahead.

The edgy atmosphere, the washed out palette, the Sawano tunes….Xenoblade Chronicles X is extremely of its time, in a way that comes across as deeply charming 8 years later. It’s kind of terrifying that something can already be an early 2010s period piece! The Sawano music alone will shoot you back to the days of Kill La Kill and Aldnoah Zero, when Gen Urobuchi was absolutely everywhere and the default crap anime genre was magic school instead of isekai. The mere idea of early 2010s nostalgia sets off alarms in my head, but it’s definitely real, and will only become more of a thing in the next few years. Brace yourselves for the flow of time.

Last, but certainly not least, the mechas! They’re one of the main reasons I tried the game out in the first place. Giant robots are often part of Xenoblade worldbuilding, but they don’t really factor into the gameplay. X is the exception. From the first preview trailers to the title screen to their first step into New LA, the player is made to want a Skell. They’re so cute! The Skells were designed by Takayuki Yanase, one of the people who worked on Gundam 00, and I can see the similarities in the combination of curves and blocky elements. There’s quite a few mecha otaku who work at the NLA hangar out of love for the Skells. Most of them are women, a detail that made me really happy!

Adding even more to the player’s desire is the fact that Xenoblade X withholds Skells for a very long time. You have to make it more than halfway through the story and substantially explore the first three continents on foot before receiving your piloting license. And it’s Xenoblade, so these places are massive. Even with an extremely generous jump, you’ll run into countless clifftops out of reach. They really make you work for it, but at least the core gameplay loop of exploring to setting up waypoints and mining devices is a lot of fun on its own (I was curious if the plot would ever get around to problematizing the resource-extraction gameplay loop, but no dice).

party members next to the Skell for scale purposes

When you finally get a Skell about forty hours into the game, everything changes. One of the major challenges facing mecha games is getting the scale right –it’s pretty easy for the giant robot to feel human-sized if all the player is ever doing is piloting. Xenoblade X avoids this by making your human pace painfully clear before giving you a ten-meter robot to traverse those same landscapes. It’s night and day how much more quickly you can navigate. Skells are also wildly stronger than characters on the ground, and being able to take on behemoth creatures as well as pulverize the human-scale enemies you’ve been fighting all this time keeps the scale relevant. It provides a real power fantasy and makes them feel believable in-setting. Being able to get in and out of your Skell at will goes a long way towards making it truly feel like yours, and this mechanic also acts as something of an on-the-fly difficulty modifier for the remainder of the game. A few chapters later you get a flight pack for your Skell, and the world opens up all over again.

not pictured: the j-pop earworm that plays every time you start flying

After spending so much time hanging out with the mecha pervert mechanic girlies in the NLA hangar, the back half of Xenoblade Chronicles X finally lets you be one of the mecha pervert girlies. Customization is on the lighter side, as you can’t mix and match body parts like in Armored Core, but there’s still plenty of color customization and weapons fine-tuning to do. I totally fell in love with my robots, and that alone makes it a victory of a mecha game.

A new song plays during Skell combat, and it’s…. more verses of Black Tar!! There truly is no escape. The backing has more of an EDM sound to it, and the lyrics are even more laughable than before. “Shoot them with your guns” still gets me every time. And yet, I would be lying if I said I’ve never headbanged to the part about being stuck on a different planet. You learn to love these things.

So that’s Xenoblade X. It’s a weird-ass game, a real triumph but also absolutely the wrong thing for Nintendo to have to put out in 2015. It’s easily the most impressive Wii U exclusive and I’m glad Monolith Soft took this detour. You’d be disappointed in it if you went in with purely the expectation of a mecha game, but as a Xenoblade fan who’s been gradually falling deeper into mecha, it was a great genre blend. Xenoblade X’s servers will shut down next year, and while I didn’t partake in any of that (the multiplayer elements seem fairly minor anyways), it will be the end of an era for sure. Just in time to start fondly reminiscing.

[windor-truffle]

man they weren't kidding about adding "quality of life" improvements for the remaster, you can handicap and customize just about everything right out the gate--- for example, you can toggle a button to run, or have running set as default. in the og you needed to eat certain dishes to speed up or purchase that ability from the grade store in a new game+--- but as advertised, you can choose certain grade store upgrades right out the gate! and even if you didn't pre-order the game is still throwing tons of free stuff at you, like improved armor for the child arc if you want it. it's really a great feature to be able to make your game as easy or challenging as you'd like, especially since Graces always had a bit of dissonance between its somewhat childish story and surprisingly difficult combat.

also, they really did a great job on the graphic improvements, it doesn't even look like a Wii-original game anymore 👍 even the menu front and icons are just sharper, it's like i put on a pair of glasses i didn't know i needed 😂 too bad i don't have an OLED screen so i can enjoy the HD in handheld mode but nevertheless it looks good on the Switch dock

[thegardengrows-infrozenrain]

A Small Collection of Archived Wii Message Board Official Nintendo Messages

from my Wii Family Edition (black) - it was used when my family got it in March 2013 to replace our other Wii (disc drive died) and apparently the former owners got some system messages - as did we, one message being from when we first obtained the system.

Images:

excuse the quality, automatic shutter speed on iOS is a bitch when attempting to get pictures of CRT screens. (inb4 just use a capture card)

Full texts:

under cut as they are incredibly long, sorted (as best as i can tell) chronologically.

1.

[Nintendo]

Nintendo Channel Update Notice

March 16, 2011

The channel that delivers exclusive previews and information about Wii(TM) and Nintendo DS(TM) games has just been updated!

This update provides quicker navigation for information about the Nintendo 3DS system.

Don't have the Nintendo Channel?

Want to know more?

Access cool game previews, in-depth interviews, and more! See what hot new games are on the recommendation list! Download the Nintendo(R) Channel today!

To receive an update or to download the Nintendo Channel:

Press the Start button near the bottom right of the screen to start up the Wii Shop Channel. On the first Notices screen, select Start Shopping and then Wii Channels. Find the Nintendo Channel, and then press the A Button to download.

* The Nintendo Channel may be downloaded for 0 Wii Points(TM). Nintendo

2.

[Nintendo]

Wii Menu version 4.3 has been improved. This update provides a behind-the-scenes fixes that will not affect features but will improve the overall system performance. To update your Wii Menu to the latest version, please select the Update button at the bottom of the screen or select the System Update option in Wii System Settings.

Because unauthorized modifications to save data or program files may impair game play or the Wii console, updating to Wii Menu version 4.3 will also check for and automatically remove such save data or program files.

**Please note: If you've updated your Wii Menu after 9/7/10, you may not need to update again.

Thank you for updating your Wii console!

Nintendo

3.

[Nintendo]

Play your Wii games and accessories on Wii U

Did you know that you can play nearly all of your existing Wii games on Wii U? Your Wii controllers and many Wii accessories can also be used with a new Wii U console—along with any downloaded games, save data, and other info stored in your existing Wii console.

It's time to discover Wii U

Wii U is the all-new home console from Nintendo. It's not just an upgrade—it's an entirely new system that will change the way you and your family experience games and entertainment.

The second screen on the included Wii U GamePad controller enables never-before-seen ways to play games and enjoy TV. And for the first time ever, you can see Mario and your favourite Nintendo franchises in glorious HD.

Learn more about Wii U at Nintendo.com/WIIU < http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu/what-is-wiiu/ >

[game-boy-pocket]

What was your least favorite Nintendo home console?

Wii U

I had faith in it. I thought the gamepad gimmick wasn't bad.

But then it took so long between releases, third party support was not there, it was the second time we had the virtual console but the first time we went back to square one and had to wait for them to drip feed us the games again, and if you already bought it on your Wii, you had to pay a fee to get it on your Wii U menu?? What??

When I had a Wii U, every Nintendo Direct I found myself gradually resenting the 3DS because it felt like the 3DS kept getting all the good stuff, but I wanted games for my nice new HD console. I bought an HD TV for the first time just for my Wii U but we barely got any games...

and not to mention, while a lot of the games were good they still felt a bit half baked compared to other games in their respective franchises ( Except Mario Kart 8, that's still the best game in the series ), we didn't even get an original Zelda for the Wii U. BOTW was developed for Switch, but nobody associates it with the Wii U. Much like nobody associates Twilight Princess with the Gamecube.

I didn't want to dislike the Wii U, but I really do hate it. And the fact that almost all the games worth playing have switch ports, or sequels that render the originals obsolete, it's really hard to say the Wii U has any redeeming qualities.

All it really has going for it is Nintendo Land, and Game and Wario... it didn't even use the gamepad all that well outside of those two games.

[satoshi-mochida]

Some thoughts and details on my last Gamefly rental, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.

Taking place at the start of the Zelda series timeline, this Link and Zelda are from the floating town of Skyloft, a landmass sent to the sky by Hylia to keep Her people safe.

After winning the Bird Riding Ceremony to become a knight, Link and Zelda go out for a flght on their Loftwings, but a tornado appears out of nowhere, knocking them off.

Waking up back in his room in Skyloft, Link is told Zelda is missing, and decides to go look for her.

Led to a room inside the statue of the Goddess by Fi, Link pulls out the sword she is bound to, and is shown a way to open a hole in the clouds to use to go search for Zelda.

This version of the game has an option for a control scheme similar to the Wii versions' motion controls using the joycons, or having it all mapped to buttons/the control sticks to play a bit more like other Zelda games. The new control scheme is what I used, so I'll be referencing that.

Basic Controls with this control scheme are:

Swinging your sword with the Right Control Stick, and pressing it will have Link stab with it. How it's moved will affect your sword strike. Holding it straight up will charge a Skyward Strike, will will fire a wave the next time you swing. This also activates Goddess Cubes and some other switches.

A to interact.

B will have Link move/run/crawl faster(doesn't work while swimming). Like in BotW, Link has Stamina that that'll go down as you do this, but can't be increased like in that game. It can be 'boosted' with a potion from Skyloft, though.

ZL is lock-on

Holding L will let you move the camera with the control stick. This is the only way to move the camera, and you can't attack while doing this.

Pressing ZR while falling will have Link open his Sailcloth, which works slightly like the paraglider in BotW, but only in that it'll slow your fall and can maneuver a bit if you're falling long enough.

Pressing the Left Control Stick with a Shield equipped will have Link bring it out and parry an attack if timed correctly. All Shields except the Hylian Shield which you need to do part of a sort of optional Boss Rush later on, have Durability like in BotW, and can break if they take too much damage(one later Shield can also auto-repair if it's not destroyed). A potion you can get in Skyloft will repair any damage to a Shield it's used on, plus another shopkeeper can also repair them.

Holding R will open Link's pouch menu, which can hold a few items like Bottles, Medals and the like, and can be increased by buying more pouches. If you tap R, it'll have Link bring out certain items that were last selected, which is good if you need to use a Bottle quickly.

Holding ZR opens the menu which will have his items he gets from dungeons, such as Bombs and his Bow. Like the Pouch menu, tapping the button will quickly bring out the currently selected weapon.

Some bosses/minibosses will be sword fights where you'll need to swing in a way to get past their blocking to hit them, and parry to knock them off guard. It took me a bit to get that down, but those were pretty fun.

I'm not sure if it was a bug or what, but sometimes when I was frantically using the control stick to swing, Link only moved his sword around and didn't attack. Maybe it was from spamming it?

Scattered around the surface are many Goddess Cubes, which when struck with a Skyward Strike, makes them rise to the Sky, and turn previously unopenable treasure chests into ones that can be opened, and will be marked on your map. They usually aren't too hard to find, though here's a guide if you need one(and Fi later gains a Dowsing option to search for them easier).

A main feature of this game is being able to fly around on Link's Loftwing bird. To do this, Link needs to do a diving jump off a ledge while in the Sky and then press Down on the D-Pad. Aside from Skyloft, there's a few other areas in the Sky to head to. While flying, you can:

Press A to gain altitude, which can also be done by pulling back on the Right Analog Stick. Pushing it forward will have the Loftwing dive to also gain a speed boost

Pressing X will have the Loftwing charge forward, later becoming a spinning attack. Like the carrot boosts for horses in other Zelda games, these have a limit of 3 and need to recharge after being used, which takes a few seconds.

As you find Save Points on the surface, you can use them for fast travel, but only when decending into an area from the Sky.

May pieces of Link's gear can be upgraded with Treasures he finds at a shop in Skyloft. This includes making Shields more durable, making the Beetle go faster, and more. Fi eventually gains an ability to Dowse for these. Here's a list of all of the Treasures you can find.

A little ways into the game, you can start doing some sidequests that will give you Gratitude Crystals. Giving these to Batreaux, who you get introduced to during this, will get you some nice rewards depending on how many you've found. Here's a guide to finding them all.

A nice detail to the Dungeon Maps for this game is that Treasure Chests are automatically marked without needing to find something like a Compass.

Finishing the game lets you start a new file in Hero Mode. This mode is more difficult, as enemies do more damage, among other factors, for more of a challenge.

Link's facial animations feel really well done in this, like times when he is really angry or his infamous disgusted face if you get a Rupoor.

I'd heard about Groose before playing this, and he really grew on me by the end. Same for Fi, she wasn't quite as annoying as I heard, imo, and really grew on me, too.

I'd been wanting to play this one for a while, missing my chance to back when the Wii version came out. Maybe it was just because of the Wii controls, but I remember it having a mixed reception back then. Despite a few issues, I think it's pretty good, and was worth playing through.

Next game being sent is: Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition.

[agirlinsearchof]

I just got The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. Nostalgia, baby!

And honestly, they handled motion controls much better than Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario 3D World! Usually you aren’t controlling a cursor, but rather, your sword, and even if you are controlling your cursor, it’s a simple press of the Y button to recalibrate!

This comes, however, at the expensive of camera controls in button-only mode. You see, you have to press R and move the right stick… to move the camera. Without the R button, the right stick controls the sword.

Why couldn’t they have that be the other way around?! Most other 3D games use the right stick for the camera! Why screw with that now? At least let us reverse that in the options menu!

Overall, the smoothest experience, in my opinion, is when you’re standing up and using two Joy-Cons. Incidentally, that also resembles how you’d play the Wii version.

Funny, out of the three Wii ports (Metroid Prime was ported from GameCube, technically, but the motion controls had to come from the Wii Play Control/Trilogy ports) I’ve played, Super Mario Galaxy is basically unplayable for me outside of handheld mode because of the forced motion controls for the cursor, Metroid Prime Remastered, I refuse to use the motion controls for because there are more reliable options, but Skyward Sword HD, I find, is best with motion controls.

If I were to fix button-only mode, I’d have the right stick move the camera by default, have R draw the sword, and then while Link’s sword was out, the right stick would move the sword.

Overall, though, it’s been a fun time!

You know, I wonder something now. The original Skyward Sword was apparently planned at one point to have an alternate story mode where you played as Zelda adventuring on the surface. I wonder if her initial outfit was an artifact from this idea? It looks like something cool you could go adventuring in, if you had to wear a dress while you were at it. The boots in particular lend something of an adventurous vibe to it.

[newfalco]

Menu de Gamecube en Dolphin (Windows)

[miloscat]

[Review] Sonic Unleashed (Wii)

The better Sonic Unleashed?

In between Secret Rings and Black Knight, some subset of Sonic Team was working on a version of Unleashed for SD consoles: the underpowered Wii and the last-generation PS2. To create this companion game they also subcontracted Dimps, who had just made the excellent Rush and Rush Adventure which Unleashed itself cribs from. While much of the design and concepts are shared between the HD and SD games, the actual game content here is all new, with Dimps handling level design for the Day stages, and the Sonic Team team covering the Night ones.

If you missed my Unleashed HD review, I think the game while flawed represents a confident direction for the series after the high profile misstep of Sonic 06. It gets the tone right, has high production values, and a killer soundtrack (identical in this version, down to the unfortunate choice of combat music overtaking the night stages). It sets the template for a new era of Sonic games with boosting, a combination of 3D and 2D sections, etc. It does have problems with pacing, difficulty, and performance… all areas that the SD version actually does better!

At least on Wii, loading times are fairly quick and I never had issues with lag or slowdown which is more than I can say for my experience on PS3. Part of this is the general streamlining and cutbacks in this version. But it’s hard to mark it down for constraints when they produce a more stable and dare I say enjoyable game.

SD Unleashed cuts a lot out. The explorable towns are now just a menu, with static dialogue screens. Mazuri just has the town and a boss fight, and Empire City is missing entirely. Tails's boring plane levels are gone. There’s no NPC quests, inventory, experience system, or collectible-gated progression. But these mechanics felt superfluous anyway, and besides it’s not all cuts.

New in this version are modelled interiors for the Gaia Temples that act as the level hubs. These aren’t too exciting but they include puzzle rooms unlocked by sun and moon medals (now given as end of level rewards). These rooms are the only time that switching between Sonic and his Werehog form is actually used as a game mechanic which is novel. They also award extra life stocks in the reworked life system; you won’t earn 1-ups during a stage, but each time you start a level with your maximum amount. This works pretty well, especially because levels are shorter and easier than their HD counterparts.

Levels being broken up is a natural consequence of the weaker hardware, but it also makes for a smoother game experience as your lives get restored and you can take a break between Night stages and come back to them. The quantity of Night gameplay still overwhelms Day, but it feels better balanced especially with the integration of side missions, some of which feature original level segments. The way these are handled for the most part feel like the Storybook games, with your main level giving rise to smaller challenge missions within that level. It's a better approach than HD's hot dog missions, that's for sure. Breaking up levels also makes for more distinctive level units in Night areas built around particular set pieces, and it certainly makes Eggmanland a much more bearable non-abomination.

Toning the difficulty down in general only helps the game in my opinion. This may have arisen as a concession to the controls: on Wii, the default control scheme uses the Remote and Nunchuck, with much swinging for basic game actions; similar to the approach Black Knight would take immediately after this. But since they were building for PS2 as well, the game also has a traditional scheme even on Wii, accessed via Classic Controller or Gamecube pad. Unlike on HD, homing attack is on Jump as it should be, and I prefer the Werehog controls here where you alternate attack buttons.

There's other tweaks that I think work better in this iteration of Unleashed. The Werehog does still level up, but in a linear progression by points earned from defeating enemies and breaking environmental objects (so there's a much better reason to engage in that now). The way Sonic controls in the daytime feels better, and there's less memorisation, quick time events, and cheap deaths. Progression is more straightforward. The Shamar boss is a real fight—albeit a short one—instead of a weird gimmick fight. The final boss isn't complete ass; it feels very similar to the Storybook final bosses actually... so it's still bad, but not as bad.

On the other hand, boosting is done in discrete short-term units which I think isn't as satisfying. But it's a small price to pay. And you may turn your nose up at the 480p (at best) visuals of SD Unleashed, but it does its best with art direction to still look good. Overall I think that by trimming the fat and generally making smarter choices this version ends up a more solid package than the HD game! It's certainly not just a tossed-off port to be overlooked. Of course the true Unleashed experience is holistically playing both, with their individual strengths and weaknesses, especially since you get distinct levels in each. And of course, don't miss the J2ME versions either!

[wscgamescourse]

Coding Week 1: Sidescrollers

This genre is defined by several conventions, including:

The camera views the characters from the side.

The camera "scrolls" left and right with the action.

The game world is a large area to accommodate for the camera.

Celeste is a 2018 platformer focusing around Madeline, a young woman who attempts to climb Mount Celeste on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in an effort to overcome her anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. Along the way, she meets a colorful cast of characters, including "Badeline", a personification of her various mental issues who aims to stop Madeline. It sits at Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam, with a 97% approval rate.

The game uses very simple mechanics: Madeline can run, jump, climb walls for a limited time, and perform a mid-air dash in one of eight directions - the dash cannot be performed again until Madeline either touches a green crystal or lands on solid ground, indicated by her hair changing colour to blue. Different levels also use various gimmicks - for example, the ruined city (seen in the video above) features blocks that move whenever the player dashes.

The level design is very good, with gimmicks combined in ways that test the player's knowledge of the game mechanics and their skill with platforming. Gimmicks are introduced in simple, easy-to-clear rooms, then gradually combined to create difficult platforming challenges which test the player's mettle. Additionally, while the platforming is tough and brutal, the game is also very forgiving: a variety of assist settings allow you to customize the experience if you are feeling stressed, and death is a slap on the wrist: you are sent back to the start of the room within seconds, throwing you right back into the action.

Like many other indie games, Celeste features beautiful pixel art that creates an atmospheric and stunning environment, combined with HD assets and character art for dialogue and menus. The pairing works surprisingly well and is very pretty to look at.

Super Mario Bros. is perhaps THE sidescroller. The original NES game in 1985 helped to revitalize the gaming industry following the great arcade crash, and popularized the entire sidescroller genre. The fat Italian plumber has gone on to become the icon of not just Nintendo, but perhaps all of gaming.

In this blog, we will be focusing on the New Super Mario Bros. series, specifically 2019's New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, a compiled HD remaster of New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, both released for the Wii U in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Like most Mario games, there isn't really a serious plot - Bowser has kicked Mario and friends out of Peach's Castle and claimed it for himself, transforming the surroundings into a volcanic landscape. Go and save Peach (AGAIN).

Mario games have always been simple in design: navigate to the end of the level and lower the Bowser flag. Along the way, you run into various different enemies, collect power-ups to regain hit points and unlock new abilities, and search for the three hidden star coins (although the latter was added in the NSMB games). The game uses limited lives, regained through earning enough points/coins or collecting 1-Up Mushrooms: lose them all, and its a game over and an additional Continue stamp on your profile.

The game features tight and precise controls (although not as precise as Celeste), with a variety of enemies, gimmicks, and power-ups that vary as you trek across the Mushroom Kingdom, from the classic Super Mushroom and Fire Flower, to the game's newest power-up, the Super Acorn, which gives Mario a flying squirrel suit that lets him glide across the landscape. Yoshi also returns, and this time you can babysit his children: the Purple Baby Yoshi inflates like a balloon to let you hover across gaps, while the Yellow Baby Yoshi emits bright light that illuminates dark ghost houses.

Overall, the game is very polished and works well, although it has long been criticized for lack of innovation. New Super Mario Bros. games are notorious for lack of innovation, feeling almost identical every time with the exception of new power-ups. New Super Mario Bros. Wii did add 4-person multiplayer, and New Super Mario Bros. 2 was focused around collecting coins and accumulating a large amount, but U only added the infrequent Baby Yoshis. Nintendo appears to have listened to the criticism, with the latest 2D Mario game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, featuring an all-new artstyle and allowing for more variety and gimmicks using the Wonder Flower.

Sonic the Hedgehog. A storied franchise with a notorious yet dedicated fanbase, home to some of the best games of all time, yet also some of the worst (Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic '06). But that's another story. This blog post will look at Sonic Mania, one of the more better-received games that took a step back to celebrate a time when SEGA were a legitimate contender in the console wars.

Sonic games revolve around speed - at least, usually - and Mania is no different. It's all about going fast, collecting rings, scrambling to collect said rings when you inevitably smack into something and drop them all, rolling through abnormally curved terrain, and saving cute animals. Along the way, you search for hidden giant rings and enter the special stages to gather all seven Chaos Emeralds, in order to both get the true ending and unlock a handy super transformation that renders Sonic (almost) invulnerable. The player can choose from Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, each with their own unique abilities (Sonic's drop dash, Tails' flight, Knuckles' gliding and climbing)

The game features enhanced 16-bit pixel art from the sprites used in the classic SEGA Genesis games, and the levels consist of classic Sonic worlds - Green Hill, Chemical Plant, and so on - each with their own gimmicks and enemies, as well as unique boss fights and Eggman constantly forgetting that attempting to harness the latest eldritch abomination's power will always backfire horrendously.

[altercontrollerproject]

--Initial investigation--

20 types of alternate game controllers and games.

Geometry dash: Geometry dash is a rhythm based platformer that uses songs from the website newgrounds. You navigate through the level without hitting any obstacles whilst a song plays in the background. The game offers only a single input which is either click, space bar or the up arrow key.

Nintendo Wii:

The Nintendo Wii is a games console developed by Nintendo that is controlled by a 'wii remote.' The wii remoted is able to be used through the use of infrared radiation, meaning that when you point the remote towards the screen, it is able to track where the remote is facing. Both vr controllers and wii remotes come under the 'motion controller' category

Xbox Kinect:

The Xbox Kinect was a ground breaking motion-sensing device developed by Microsoft for their Xbox gaming console. Released in 2010, it revolutionized the way players interacted with games by eliminating the need for traditional controllers. Instead, the Kinect used an array of cameras and sensors to track the movements of the player's body, allowing for a truly immersive gaming experience. Players could control games, navigate menus, and even use voice commands, all with natural gestures and spoken words. Beyond gaming, the Kinect found applications in various fields, from fitness and rehabilitation to interactive art installations. It was eventually discontinued in 2017.

Nintendo joycons:

The Nintendo Joy-Cons are a pair of versatile controllers designed for the Nintendo Switch. Released alongside the console in 2017, these controllers offer a unique gaming experience. Each Joy-Con can function independently as a standalone controller, allowing for multiplayer gaming without the need for additional hardware. They also feature motion-sensing technology and HD Rumble. Additionally, the Joy-Cons can be attached to the sides of the Switch console for handheld play, or used with various accessories like the Joy-Con Grip for a controller feel. The controllers have wide array of buttons, including the iconic ABXY buttons and shoulder buttons, providing ample control options for a diverse range of games.

Flight simulator:

Flight Simulator, developed by Microsoft, is renowned for its innovative approach to realism in aviation simulation. One of its outstanding features, is its adaptability to a wide range of alternate controllers, enhancing the immersive experience for players. While traditional joysticks and yokes are widely used, Flight Simulator's versatility extends to more, including throttle quadrants, rudder pedals, and even high-end flight control systems. These controllers replicate real-world aviation equipment, allowing players to finely tune their flight inputs and experience a more authentic piloting sensation.

Face Raiders:

Face Raiders is a quirky and entertaining augmented reality game developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. Released in 2011, the game utilizes the 3DS's front-facing camera to capture images of the player's face or those of their friends and family. These images are then incorporated into the game as floating, animated targets that the player must shoot down using the handheld's motion sensors. The gameplay is not only engaging but also showcases the capabilities of the 3DS's augmented reality features. "Face Raiders" combines elements of traditional gaming with innovative use of the device's camera technology.

Donkey Kong Bongos:

The Donkey Kong Bongos controller is a distinctive peripheral developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube console. Released in 2004, it was designed specifically for rhythm-based games, with Donkey Konga being the most prominent title associated with it. The controller is shaped like a pair of bongos and features responsive pads on top that players can hit to create in-game actions. These actions are synchronized with the rhythm of the game's music, allowing players to immerse themselves in a unique gameplay experience.

Dance Dance Revolution:

Dance Dance Revolution is a wildly popular rhythm-based video game series developed by Konami. It made its debut in the late 1990s and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. The game requires players to step on designated arrows on a dance pad in sync with the on-screen prompts, which are synchronized to the beat of various songs. DDR's gameplay encourages physical activity, coordination, and a keen sense of rhythm. It gained immense popularity in arcades and was later adapted for home consoles, allowing players to enjoy the experience in the comfort of their own homes.

Power glove:

The Power Glove, a pioneering piece of technology introduced by Mattel in 1989, holds a special place in the history of gaming. Designed for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the Power Glove aimed to revolutionize the gaming experience by allowing players to control on-screen characters using hand and finger movements.

Shoot a duck:

This game typically involves players using a toy gun to aim and shoot at moving duck targets as they traverse across a mechanized backdrop. The objective is to hit as many ducks as possible within a limited time, showcasing both skill and precision. The nostalgic appeal of "Shoot a Duck" lies in its simplicity, offering players of all ages a chance to test their marksmanship in a friendly and competitive setting.

Duck hunt:

Duck Hunt is a classic video game that left a mark on the landscape of early gaming. Originally released in 1984 as a launch title for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the game combined the simplicity of a light gun with the excitement of hunting virtual ducks. Developed by Nintendo, Duck Hunt utilized the NES Zapper, a gun-shaped controller that players aimed at their television screens to shoot down ducks as they flew across the pixelated sky.

Jackbox:

Jackbox Games has become a household name in the realm of party and social gaming. The company is known for its innovative approach to multiplayer entertainment, creating a series of party packs that bring together a diverse collection of hilarious and engaging games. What sets Jackbox apart is its use of smartphones or other internet-connected devices as controllers, allowing a large group of players to join in using their personal screens. This unique setup eliminates the need for additional controllers and makes Jackbox games accessible and easy to set up for gatherings of friends or family.

Guitar hero:

Guitar Hero revolutionized the gaming industry by putting players in the shoes of a rockstar. Developed by Harmonix and initially released in 2005, Guitar Hero allowed players to wield a guitar-shaped controller, emulating the experience of playing popular rock songs. The game's success lay in its immersive gameplay, where colored notes flowed down the screen, synchronized with the music, challenging players to hit corresponding buttons on the guitar controller. The franchise's eclectic soundtrack featured a mix of classic and contemporary rock hits, further enhancing the immersive experience. Guitar Hero not only appealed to avid gamers but also attracted a broader audience, turning living rooms into virtual concert stages.

Pokémon lets go:

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! represent a delightful fusion of nostalgia and innovation within the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch in 2018, these games transport players to the beloved Kanto region for a reimagined Pokémon journey. What sets "Let's Go" apart is its unique integration with Pokémon Go. Players can capture Pokémon by physically mimicking the act of throwing a Poké Ball using the Joy-Con controllers, mirroring the immersive catching experience from the mobile game. Additionally, the optional Poké Ball Plus accessory, acting as both a controller and a Poké Ball, adds another layer of interactivity. The device also serves as a Pokémon Go Plus accessory, allowing players to interact with the mobile app and catch Pokémon in the real world.

Robotron 2084:

Robotron 2084 is a classic arcade game that emerged in the golden age of video gaming in 1982, created by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar for Williams Electronics. Renowned for its intense and fast-paced gameplay, the game is a twin-stick shooter that places players in a dystopian future where they must battle waves of relentless robots. The innovative control scheme, featuring two joysticks- one to move the character and the other to fire in any direction.

Mario Kart Wii:

Mario Kart Wii is a beloved installment in the iconic racing game series developed by Nintendo. Released in 2008 for the Nintendo Wii console, the game quickly became a favorite among fans for its exhilarating gameplay and innovative features. Building upon the success of its predecessors, "Mario Kart Wii" introduced motion controls, allowing players to steer their karts by tilting the Wii Remote. The game featured an extensive roster of characters from the Mario universe, each with their unique karts and attributes. The introduction of motorbikes added an extra layer of strategy and variety to the races. The inclusion of online multiplayer brought a social dimension to the experience, allowing players to compete against friends and opponents worldwide.

Doodle jump:

Doodle Jump is a mobile gaming phenomenon that captivated players with its simple yet addictive gameplay. Developed by Lima Sky, this vertical jumping game was initially released for iOS devices in 2009 and later expanded to various platforms. The game's premise is straightforward: guide a character as it jumps from platform to platform, avoiding obstacles and enemies while aiming for the highest possible score. The intuitive tilt controls and endless, progressively challenging levels contributed to the game's widespread appeal.

Sim racing wheel:

The sim racing wheel is an integral component of the immersive experience in simulated racing games. Designed to replicate the feel of a real steering wheel, these peripherals enhance the level of realism and precision in racing simulations. Sim racing wheels typically feature force feedback technology, providing tactile responses that simulate the resistance and nuances encountered while driving a real car. Pedal sets accompanying these wheels further contribute to the authenticity.

osu:

osu! is a widely acclaimed rhythm game renowned for its engaging gameplay and thriving community. The game involves players interacting with on-screen circles, sliders, and spinners in synchronization with the rhythm of the music. Notably, "osu!" provides alternative control methods beyond traditional mouse and keyboard inputs, accommodating various playstyles. Some players opt for graphic tablets or touchscreens to enhance precision, while others use specialized peripherals like mechanical keyboards or gaming mice.

Wii Fit:

Wii Fit is a pioneering fitness and exercise game developed by Nintendo for the Wii console, released in 2007. It introduced the innovative Wii Balance Board, a pressure-sensitive platform that players stand on while engaging in various activities designed to promote physical fitness and well-being. The game includes a range of exercises, yoga poses, strength training routines, and balance games, all of which leverage the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote and the unique input provided by the Balance Board.

[mememan93]

Happy Birthday Skyward Sword! Hot take the wii version is the definitive version of the game