Leveling Down

Everyone knows Rock Band is a huge hit, but what else appeals to non-gamers?

Last week I started the conversation about the types of games non-gamers (specifically, wives and girlfriends) could enjoy or at least tolerate. After laying out some general principles and looking at some broad areas of gaming, this week I’ll be narrowing my focus and talking about some specific genres that might appeal to non-gamers. I’ve organized the games from most appealing to least, in general. As always, your mileage may vary, and I’d love to hear others’ ideas as well!

More »

New lead character, same objections!

My love for the Ace Attorney is no secret to regular readers of this site, although the number of you who have actually played an Ace Attorney game is probably below 10%. See said love here and here. Last month, Capcom released the latest in the Ace Attorney series, this time putting Miles Edgeworth, former antagonist and current friend of Phoenix Wright (he’s like Apollo Creed!) in the driver’s seat. The game leaves the courtroom while retaining some aspects of it while focusing more on the investigation aspect. I’ve long said that Ace Attorney games are basically adventure games with a lot of text, and Miles Edgeworth continues the series growth in that direction. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

More »

You haven’t played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney yet? OBJECTION!

I’ve finally just about finished Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations, and it’s such a solid piece of work that I decided to re-sing my praises of the series. What makes Phoenix Wright so popular, and why is it worth checking out? Since the series has started to be re-released on Wiiware, I figured it’d be a good time to answer that question.

More »

I decided to drop the PSP from this article because, frankly, I know nothing about it. For the record I’d be interested in WTF and the Metal Gear games on that system and that’s about it.

The Wii and DS operate in a completely different stratosphere when compared to the 360 and PS3. Yes, the PS3 price drop has helped a lot, especially in Japan, but Nintendo’s consoles just appeal to such a wide variety of gamers (young and old, casual and hardcore, male and female) that it’s tough to break down what really sells systems. But hey, I’ll give it a shot.

Nintendo Wii

System Seller: Wii anything
I was tempted to put the Wii itself as its own system seller, because that’s pretty much true. The Wii moves so many units because of all they hype generated around it. People gravitate to all the “Wii” games, Wii Fit sells a lot of systems, but many people are just content getting the Wii for Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. Even Wii Play sells tons of units, although that isn’t really a system seller as much as it is something that people pick up when they get a Wii (for the extra controller or whatever). The Wii, unlike any other gaming system, sells to the average consumer with its accessibility, which is why it is destroying the competition.

Must Haves: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime: Trilogy, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Brothers: Brawl, Wii Sports: Resort (or equivalent)
The sad thing about this list is that two of the games came out around launch (Trilogy is all the Metroid Prime games with the new Wii controls though, so I guess it’s technically new) and Galaxy came out like 2 years ago. For serious gamers, there’s not a lot to offer on the Wii, especially 3rd party content. That being said, Zelda and Mario, like all Nintendo first party games, are excellent, and Metroid Prime is one of my favorite video game series ever. Metroid also uses the controller very effectively and is the best first person experience I’ve had on the Wii. I threw Wii Sports: Resort on there because if you own a Wii it’s almost mandatory that you own a good party game, but really there are a lot of choices out there: Boom Blox is pretty fun - you could even get away with a game like Warioware: Smooth Moves, and of course almost everyone owns Mario Kart (just check the NPDs). Thankfully, Nintendo is releasing a couple of new Mario games this year and next, so hopefully there will be a reason for me to dust off my Wii soon.

Upcoming: New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy 2, Wii Fit Plus

Nintendo DS

System Seller: Pokemon (kids), Brain Age (adults)
It’s no surprise that the average owner of a handheld console is much younger than the average owner of a home console. What better way to keep the kids occupied on long car trips than have them “catch them all”? I played Pokemon on the GBA, and it was a surprisingly deep game, and according to reviews the DS versions are still decent. Regardless, Pokemon probably sells the most DSes to kids, whereas older adults, including very old adults (like my parents) like the DS for games like Brain Age, simple brain exercises that people like to play to keep themselves young. If you’re old, you buy the DS, if you’re young, you buy the DS. No wonder it’s sold the most units in the current generation.

Must Haves: Square-Enix RPGs, Professor Layton series, Phoenix Wright series, Elite Beat Agents (Ouendan in Japan)
The crazy thing about the Nintendo DS is that there is something for everyone. For the most part, the “casual” stuff sells systems, and that’s what a lot of people focus on. But if you like old-school RPGs, there are the re-releases of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, for people who like puzzles, there is Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright tickles one’s adventure fancy, and Elite Beat Agents is for rhythm game fanatics. And if none of those genres floats your boat, there are legions of other game types out there (I’m sure I’ve forgotten a bunch of excellent games). As espion4ge has stated elsewhere, the DS really is one of the best values in gaming and a great investment for any gamer, especially if you’re on the go. If you spend time shopping with your wife (check), take public transportation (check), or like to play games before you drop off to sleep (now outlawed in my household), the DS is a great buy. Just do yourself a favor and go with the Lite over the DSi, so you’ll save yourself some money.

Upcoming: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Ace Attorney: Miles Edgeworth

So that’s my take on the best games out there for the current systems. Of course, most of it is based around my preferences, so I’d love to hear what games you all love to play on your systems! Especially if it’s the PSP…haha.

When I was young, I remember playing all text adventures on the Commodore 64. They drove me crazy, and I absolutely hated them for forcing me to use my imagination. A few years ago, Capcom started a new series of games called Phoenix Wright, which is basically a linear text based game following a young attorney and his budding law practice. It sounds incredibly boring, which is what I thought, but after finally trying it out, I love this game and consider it a must try for any DS owner. Let me try to articulate why.

The game follows Phoenix Wright, the attorney, through a bunch of cases where he serves as the defense lawyer trying to get an innocent suspect acquitted. Each case follows the same formula, Wright searches for clues and evidence, interviews witnesses, and then goes to trial (sometimes multiple times in the course of a three “day” trial). What’s great about the game is its characters – they are funny, they all have unique personalities, and they all are incredibly charming. It’s almost like you are watching a television drama unfold, except you get to take part in it and you feel the same connection to the characters as you might in a long running program that you enjoy.

My favorite part by far of the game are the trials, where you cross examine witnesses by trying to use clues and testimony you have heard to discredit their testimony. In that sense, the game is a bit of a puzzler, you need to use logic to figure out what evidence discredits what statements, and the game is funny when you choose the wrong bit of logic. All in all, this game reminds me why I love the DS: I can take it in bite size chunks but I always end up playing more than I bargained. It’s the kind of game that makes you look forward to taking the train. I hear the sequels for the most part are not as strong, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking them up anyway.