Archive for IGN
No More Nintendo Power?
Rumors + IGN + Joystiq + Kotaku + Wii Fanboy + Nintendo
05.15.2007 at 8:43 pm
The news of the possible demise of Nintendo Power put a little gray cloud in my day today. I’ve been reading Nintendo Power since the first issue (when it was bi-monthly). IGN has reported that sources close to the publication are reporting layoffs are underway and that employees are being told to look for new work.
“This is most unfortunate! :(”
“I imagine the decline to being ‘old news’ by time it hits the doorstep. I would fathom that 90% of serious gamers have access to the internets and DO get their news from gaming websites such as this. Don’t feel guilty about having a small hand in this Joystiq. It’s evolution and saving some trees at the same time.”
“I’ve had a subscription for almost 10 years. This would be a real shame. While I frequent IGN, Joystiq, and a few other sites, I still really look forward to my issue every month.”
“Hm. No more free 9/10s for Nintendo games anymore, eh?”
“I already know all the news, but I look forward to it every month. I hope this is just a rumor. I don’t want to have to pay for new walkthroughs and player’s guides when I can get them as a gift.”
“Anyway, they ought to just make Nintendo power an eZine on the Wii if they want to stick around. If Nintendo is talking about putting the archives up on the shop channel or whatever, I’m sure they can do something like that, too.”
“sheds a tear for the magazine”
“The grim reaper now has his eye on you, Official Xbox Magazine”
“I still love my Nintendo Power magazine. Maybe cause the DS is my favourite system or maybe because subscribing to the magazine gets me free Player’s Guides. $20 sub minus $15 guide equals $5 for 12 issues. Good for car rides and waiting for haircuts. Either way, I really hope the magazine stays put.”
“I doubt this is true, they have a huge fan-base. Though one of the main writers did just leave… maybe a sign of things to come(?).”
“Or perhaps Nintendo Power is moving their headquarters to San Fran or NY, and employees that cannot move have no choice but to be laid off…”
“Aww.. yeah I may not have read an issue of Nintendo Power for nearly 10 years but it was my first magazine. Used to put it’s posters up on my wall and stuff. It really was out classed in almost everywhere by multiplatform mags but once in a while it would have some cool exclusive stuff. Not enough to deserve my money of course. Remember the Zelda and Star Fox comics? Heh Nester. Don’t really understand why Nintendo is gonna close shop on it, I mean it’s not like they are hurting for money. Even if it is little more than an advertisement for their products.”
“Some of my earliest gaming memories come from reading that magazine. It was one of the highlights of the month for a kid to get an issue of Nintendo Power in the mail. Every month that a new issue came in, I’d remember going to school and seeing a bunch of kids crowded around someone reading the new issue before class started. I’ve still got the first 50 or so issues in perfect, pristine condition. Boy, does that take me back. And now it might be shutting down? Damn…another piece of gaming history in the U.S. consigned to the past. How times change.”
“I think with the advent of the internet it’s been harder to sell magazines anymore, but i still get pleasure from receiving actual mail that I like via snail mail. Like a hand personal written letter or a good magazine. Anything that will get me off the internet and reading is great for me.”
“This is sad news. I remember reading Nintendo power ever since it first released! Although if I had to choose between video game blogs (such as this one!) and Nintendo power, I would choose the former.”
“It’s not even that it’s all Nintendo, though I agree with Suicide that it got annoying when there were 20 pages of Pokemon stats… it’s just that everything in there is old news. Magazines like People and Time etc exist with blogs and internet news by providing opinions and interviews. NP was totally just going deep into gaming news, which I can get on Joystiq, or if I’m interested in a Wii cake or something to that affect I can check out Wiifanboy. It’s sad, but they didn’t adjust. It’s their own fault for not providing something people CAN’T get anywhere on the net.”
“They should totally add a Nintendo Power channel to Wii (not just legacy content, but new stuff too). A channel devoted to previews, reviews and game tips of games on Nintendo systems would be very cool, even if it cost something to subscribe to.”
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Pokemon Review Wrapup
Review + IGN + 1up + GameSpot
04.28.2007 at 3:30 pm
The phenomenon that is Pokemon hit this week. Let’s start the Poke-coverage with a quick review wrap up.
“Yes, the series’ fourth generation is largely the same as the past three — but it’s also, without question, the best to date.”
“In short, the creators have gone out of their way to preserve the aesthetics of the series while quietly, subtly improving on them. The same also holds true for the underpinnings as well — for the gameplay. On the surface, Diamond & Pearl could be any other Pokémon: Players control an ambitious young monster trainer on an RPG-style quest through a small island infested with pugnacious creatures, collecting new critters as part of a mission to catch (or at least spot) them all.”
“Hardcore gamers tend to turn their nose up to the Pokémon series, but the secret of its success is that it isn’t designed for the hardcore. It’s for everyone else, and let’s face it: There’s more of them there are of us. But why does it matter? Sure, it’s easy to forget that the games themselves aren’t the same thing as the world-consuming, soul-destroying marketing juggernaut spawned by an unassuming pair of Game Boy cartridges so long ago. Look beyond the cheaply-made anime and the overblown collectible tie-ins, though, and you’ll find that the foundation upon which the whole endeavor has been constructed is an enjoyable and often addictive RPG with a fantastic social element.”
Score – 8.5
“Much to the delight of Pokémaniacs the world over, Nintendo and Game Freak have finally brought a proper Pokémon game to the Nintendo DS with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and it delivers much of what a fan would desire—a richer, more detailed presentation, the ability to battle and trade Pokémon over the Internet, and of course, more than 100 brand-new Pokémon to collect.”
“What’s probably the most significant new feature in Diamond and Pearl is online play, which lets you battle, trade, and chat with other players over the Internet.”
“Between the 100-plus new Pokémon, the improved presentation, and the online play, this is a must-have game for established fans. The new features also make this the most well-rounded Pokémon game to date, and if you’ve never dabbled in the world of Pokémon before, there’s no better game to start with.”
Score – 8.5
“For a game that’s literally sold countless millions of copies over the past ten years, it’s pretty amazing to discover gamers who have yet to experience what Pokemon is all about. Under its kid-friendly, thick sugary coating lies a deceptively deep and addictive design that encourages players to create collections of highly marketable creatures of various species. The core mechanic is an adventure with role-playing game battle mechanics — these creatures will fight for their owner using their abilities in a turn-based interface, where players choose the best mode of attack or defense that’ll get them through the brawl. Winning battles will earn these creatures experience which will, in turn, advance their levels and increase their capabilities…as well as earn their owners some coin for purchases at the shops.”
“The biggest issue is its hard-to-shake feeling of deja vu — most of what players do in the single player experience is identical to the adventuring laid out for the gamers in previous versions. That “explore the world, fight gym leaders, stop the evil Team” storyline progression hasn’t changed at all in Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl.”
“After ten years of Game Boy Pokemon catching and battling, the core game mechanic still holds up as an addictive game design — tons of strategic depth and gameplay that’s incredibly rewarding; it’s one of those games that offers an enormous sense of accomplishment for even the littlest things performed.”
Score – 8.5
Average score of the three – 8.5
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Really Hard Games
IGN
03.22.2007 at 5:26 pm
I believe the world’s landfills have a special area dedicated to destroyed controllers and a million years from now people will find these treasures and wonder why these hated controllers were so hated and, if they were a vile piece of machinery, why we made so many of them.
Anyway, IGN has compiled a list of the top 10 games responsible for many of these ill-fated game-controlling devices.
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Kick to the Balls
Review + IGN
02.26.2007 at 2:32 pm
If you like head to head gaming reviews check out the ‘FIFA vs. Winning Eleven 2007 Grudge Match‘ over at IGN. (subscription required)
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