Wii Wanna Play

subjectivism vs objectivism: can a game suck?

courtwell101 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:39:19 +0000

I had a fascinating conversation with my one of my professors Thursday.

She is always a treat to speak to, and this day was no different. Yet as interesting as discussing the finer points of philosophy can be, it will always be usurped by the mid-evening need for pizza and french fries. My mind’s thirst for intellectual nourishment slowly lost ground to the growling demands of my vacant stomach, and in accordance with my physiological needs, I trudged across campus to the university dining hall.

While my dinners are usually a solo affair, I was pleasantly surprised to find a few friends and acquaintances had also just answered their bellies’ call to action. We gathered at a dimly lit corner table and, as always, began discussing the most indispensable component of college life:

Video games.

As is perhaps the case in most college dining halls, paramount early in our discussions were comments easily summarized as “Call of Duty 4 split-screen this, Halo 3 online that.” But later, between insightful quips about the industry, specific consoles and gaming trends, our conversation shifted into a discussion of the best games of the last few years. And as I listened to grandiose proclamations about the greatness of Heavenly Sword and Assassin’s Creed, I recalled my earlier philosophical discussion and made a profound realization:

They were wrong. Indubitably, irrefutably, unquestionably wrong.

“Whoa, Andy,” some of you may reply. “Maybe to them, Assassin’s Creed is one of the best games ever. To each their own, right?”

And you wouldn’t be alone with that belief. Many argue the concept of a “bad game” is inherently broken, and what defines a “bad game,” or even a “good game” for that matter, is entirely based on personal preference. For example, these folks might point out that while Katie J. Fragger considers one DS game awful, Johnny B. Gamer may feel it is the best game in years. In philosophy, subjectivism maintains the value of a given variable – perhaps an object, ethical view or, in our case, video game – is wholly determined by the individual. Like the cliché “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” subjectivists argue a person can never be wrong about a value judgment.

For consumers, subjectivism is an easy and seemingly logical means to assess the value of games, essentially allowing them to justifiably label any game they enjoy as a “good game.” So pervasive is this view, it seems, that a rising movement of subjectivists has negated the validity of the journalists and critics who serve them, suggesting gaming journalists are nothing more than hype-inducing amateurs who cannot be taken seriously. But my criticisms of subjectivism are not entirely focused on this pervasive view of gaming journalism.

Rather, I take issue with the assertion that a given game’s value can be decided simply by whether or not someone likes it.

For a moment, consider the fundamental basis of the subjectivist argument. Is someone who sings the praises of Super Mario Galaxyreally assessing its value no more accurately than a person who calls it Nintendo’s worst effort of all time? What about Katie J. Fragger, who tells Johnny B. Gamer that Ubisoft’s universally panned Red Steel is the best Wii game to date?

What if someone insists Chicken Shoot is a better shooter than Metroid Prime 3 simply because s/he liked it more? Are we actually willing to grant the subjectivist claim in these situations, in which even a hardened subjectivist must acknowledge the approach loses some appeal?

To embrace a subjectivist view of gaming is to award critical merit to any uninformed bargain shopper browsing Wal-Mart’s Wii section, even if s/he thinks Ninjabread Man is more impressive than Twilight Princess.

Fortunately, there is an opposing view, though it may seem a slightly tougher pill to swallow. Objectivism contends value judgments of a given variable can be wrong. Furthermore, an objectivist thinker would also argue there exists not only an incorrect value assessment of a given variable, but also a correct one. Unlike the alluring, all-pleasing simplicity of subjectivism, objectivism takes some fairly controversial positions. It can also be complicated and, quite frankly, can describe two very different positions. In fact, objectivists fall into one of two distinct categories: realists and relativists.

Realists believe there are universal, intrinsic features that determine the value of a given variable and these features alone are the criteria by which something can be considered “good” or “bad.”

This proposition begs an obvious question: what are these intrinsic value features, exactly, and how do we identify them? The realist is admittedly vague, but insists they are the sole means of accurately determining value. In an argument that initially seems preposterous, the realist also claims only a select group of people have senses of value judgment heightened enough to detect these value features.

In other words, some people get it and others just can’t.

The realist defends this position with interesting arguments, asserting these intrinsic value features – the traits that make a given game good, for example – exist in the same way smell, color and taste does, as entirely tangible aspects of the universe. The fact that some are physically unable to detect them, they argue, does not negate their existence. Just as a color-blind person cannot accurately view color and a deaf person cannot clearly distinguish sound, so too exist those with an inability to sense these value features.

Relativists, however, take a very different approach to determining value. Unlike the subjectivists, they feel a person can be wrong about his/her value judgment. But the relativists also disagree with the realist view that value can only be determined by an intrinsic set of value features. Essentially, relativists take the middle road; they maintain value is prescribed not by some intrinsic trait, but by the designation of value through a community agreement.

The relativist/realist split is perhaps most clearly explained in the case of Super Smash Bros. Brawl:

Each of the two objectivist positions face a difficult problem, however.

The realist faces the aforementioned evidential question; color, for example, has a physical story to tell in regard to its judgment, involving light meeting the human retina. But the realists’ supposed intrinsic value features are left with no reliable, physically explainable access. With what faculty do we make these decisions?

Relativists are confronted with a more pressing issue. If asked why a community reaches an agreement on value, their argument could quickly change into to a realist proposition. For the relativist, unless s/he answers that the community decision is completely arbitrary, their argument asserts the community designated something as goodbecause it is good. Their proposition is suddenly rendered obsolete; the relativist would then be supporting a decidedly realist claim.

Like Pit’s Centurion-calling final smash, these pieces of philosophical ramblings bounced feverishly through the corridors of my mind as I quietly chewed my tasty Greek pizza, sipped my crisp, refreshing Cherry Coke and listened to five reasons Assassin’s Creed is the best non-Halo 360 game. I made it to reason three before I interjected.

“Nope,” I quipped. “You’re wrong.”

Surprised looks were shot at me from every direction; I rarely interrupted someone on a ranting roll, understanding full well the value of a healthy pontification. After a second or two of silence, my friend, taken aback, asked me why I felt he was flawed in his leg-humping assessment of Assassin’s Creed.

“Because I am a realist,” I replied. “And you are wrong.”

Tell us what ya think

courtwell101 — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:37:59 +0000

Epic Games doesn’t like Wii. Here’s what president Mike Capps had to say in a gang-bang interview with IGN.

“Pffffffffft…[when asked by reporter Nate Ahearn what the chief officer thought of Wii, to which Ahearn replied, “I think the same thing!”] It’s a virus where you buy it and you play it with your friends and they’re like, ‘Oh my God that’s so cool, I’m gonna go buy it’. So you stop playing it after two months, but they buy it and they stop playing it after two months but they’ve showed it to someone else who then goes out and buys it and so on. Everyone I know bought one and nobody turns it on.”

Capps then proceeds to call Wii a great business investment but that his company will not be investing. “We go forward, not back,” he said, suggesting that any company that develops Wii games are digressing the medium, not progressing it.

Sounds like someone is scared Nintendo will eat into their lucrative middleware business, which makes its money selling pretty graphics tech to game developers. It’s one thing to dislike Wii for what it is, but another to dislike it due to conflict of interest.

Beware of anyone who brags about buyer’s remorse.

Critic: Nintendo declining

courtwell101 — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:46:18 +0000

MSNBC’s Levi Buchanan writes in hisgushing review of Smash Bros. Brawl:

There really is so little to complain about in “Brawl” that you almost worry if from this point on, Nintendo has nowhere to go but down. Besting this achievement — and the stellar “Super Mario Galaxy,” will be a tall order for the company.

Wii has been a raging success, as have been the majority of first-party games released thus far. So is Buchanan right? Will things start to simmer down?

Classic are coming!!!!

courtwell101 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:33:12 +0000

Interplay Entertainment Corp. announced that four of its franchise titles for the classic Sega Genesis videogame system will soon appear on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console.

Earthworm Jim, Earthworm Jim 2, Boogerman, and Clayfighter, all popular Interplay titles on the Sega Genesis in the 1990s, will be available later this year on the Wii Virtual Console.

Nintendo’s Virtual Console makes some of the greatest video games in history available for Wii. Users can download and play many favorite NES, SNES, N64, NEOGEO, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16 titles.

ToP 10 SuPeR mArIo GaMeS

courtwell101 — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:33:07 +0000

Now that we’ve had some time to digest his latest adventure, the Infendo offices have been buzzing with debate. It spilled over into last week’s edition of Infendo Radio and has since been the subject of countless e-mails from listeners, readers and tipsters all week long:

Which Mario games stand the test of time? Which are the cream?

We’ve set some parameters for debate, and the qualifying criteria for a “Mario game” were fairly rigid during the development of this list. We avoided including entries from the countless Mario spin-off franchises, such as Mario Kart and Mario Party, with one obvious and deserving exception. We are referring to proper Mario platformers.

After all, this is serious business. Place your bets, friends.

10. Super Mario RPG
Mario purists could justifiably scoff at our inclusion of Square’s 1996 SNES masterpiece, Super Mario RPG.

I certainly concede that Super Mario RPG is anything but a proper Mario game. Still, there is something to be said for unabashed merriment, and at its most basic purpose, any serious best-of list should pay reverence to relentless, unfaltering awesomeness.

And incidentally, Super Mario RPG is both relentlessly awesome and bursting with irresistible merriment. The spiritual predecessor of the Paper Mario series, Super Mario RPG successfully marked Mario’s first foray into the world of role-playing games. In addition to pushing the SNES to produce the most beautiful simulated 3D graphics this side of Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario RPG also proved the versatility of the character; whether platforming, kart racing or, as Square proved, teaming up with Bowser for turn-based battles, it seemed there was almost no genre in which Mario couldn’t excel.

9. Super Mario Land 2
Given his absurd ability to drive console sales, Nintendo wanted to release a five-star Mario exclusive alongside the Game Boy in 1989. Enter the original Super Mario Land, which sold more than 18 million copies and stands as the third best-selling Mario game of all time.

And one of the worst. Don’t be fooled by nostalgia; the game is lousy.

Fortunately, Gunpei Yokoi’s Super Mario Land 2 was a monumental improvement over his original, perhaps most obviously in terms of its aesthetic refinement. Mario was plump and jovial, a monochromatic clone of his SNES model, and enemies were large and detailed, rendering the awkward animations and microscopic sprites of the original even less appealing. The sequel also gained enjoyability from the introduction of Wario, far more compelling a villain and more memorable a character than the original’s Tatanga, as time has proven. Super Mario Land 2 was everything a sequel to a sub-par game should be: good enough to render the first forgivable.

8. Super Mario Bros. 2
The original Super Mario Bros. had made Nintendo a household name across the globe. Even then, before “sequelitis” came to define the industry, Nintendo was eager to deliver more Mario to the masses.

Nintendo released Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan less than nine months after the original. However, the company feared the sequel was too similar to the original and difficult beyond necessity. Afraid it would harm Mario’s popularity among Western audiences, Nintendo reworked 1987’s Doki Doki Panic into the oddball adventure we’ve come to know as Super Mario Bros. 2.

Given its characters were merely masked with Mario sprites, the vegetable-tossing premise seems obtrusive within the context of the Mario canon. But it introduced several characters that have since become Mario staples, including Shy Guy and the egg-spitting Birdo, while the platform-heavy gameplay had enough in common with the original to make the sequel a convincing, competent Mario title. Ironically, it has since transcended its original form to become one of Mario’s most beloved and inexplicably addictive adventures.

7. New Super Mario Bros.
There is no better example of “right place, right time” than 2006’s DS masterpiece, New Super Mario Bros.

Long after Mario’s groundbreaking leap into three dimensions, it had been 15 excruciatingly long years since Nintendo released an original, side-scrolling 2D Mario platformer. As the 13 million who bought the game can attest, it was worth the wait.

The plot is all-too-familiar: Bowser kidnaps the Princess, chase ensues. The moves hadn’t changed, almost becoming second-nature for seasoned players: jump, run, jump, warp, flag pole. Even the faces are the same: Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Blooper, Luigi. But~~trendy~~ obligatory demands for innovation aside, these familiarities are precisely what make New Super Mario Bros. so damn special. Though a throwback to simpler times, it also happens to be one of the most beautiful and polished DS games ever made. Inspiring to play and impossible to put down, it shines amidst hooker-beatings and sniper-deaths to prove that the best video games are still about fun.

6. Super Mario Sunshine
I have always worn my adoration for Super Mario Sunshine boldly on my sleeve. My very first article for Infendo, in fact, was a gushing love letter detailing why it is “the greatest Mario game you’ve ever hated.”

Sunshine will always hold a special place in my heart, and to be honest, it has less to do with nostalgia than with how truly spectacular it is.

Controlling Mario through Isle Delfino was a revelation, as Nintendo refined Mario’s controls to perfection in Sunshine. Refinements were also abound in the visual department; from sparkling beaches to grassy mountain villages, playing Sunshine was like watching art in motion, offering one of Mario’s most visually appealing landscapes.

In terms of platforming, few Mario games can rival the ease of control and perplexity of challenge prevalent in Sunshine. The FLUDD waterpack gave Mario more diverse and satisfying moves than ever before; from towering sections of Noki Bay and Bianco Hills to the challenge of the secret stages, each Isle Delfino locale was a joy to explore. Sorry haters; the problem was with you, not Sunshine.

5. Super Mario Bros.
What can be said about a game with a theme song that has done more for gaming than most other games have done in their entirety?

I wouldn’t be writing about video games had I not received Super Mario Bros. for my fourth birthday. I’d also be willing to wager most of us wouldn’t even be playing games if not for Miyamoto’s original masterpiece.

As undemanding as the gameplay may seem, it is deceptively deep and grants players unique possibilities. The 32 levels and eight worlds of Super Mario Bros. also made the game uncharacteristically epic for its time; Mario’s journey through the Mushroom Kingdom spanned daylight and nightfall, grassy flats and subterranean caverns, enemy-filled oceans and mushroom-top heavens.

Super Mario Bros. is timeless. It survives not only because of nostalgia, but because of how immaculately well-designed it is. The level design is still consistently impressive; each flows perfectly into the next. The gameplay is as precise and responsive today as it was 20 years ago. The characters are still charming and lovable, and most impressively, have permeated our culture and given rise to one of its most beloved fictional worlds. After all…you’re here, right?

4. Super Mario 64
You know you’re playing something special when the very first scene becomes etched into your memory.

Perhaps even more iconic than the first screen in Super Mario Bros. and the epic camera pan of Kokiri Forest in Ocarina of Time is the opening scene of Super Mario 64, when Mario first appears in stunning 3D. We all remember, and we’ll never forget.

Because in gaming circles, images simply do not come any more memorable. The instantly impressive opening area of Super Mario 64 set the stage for what many gamers maintain is the greatest game of all time. Hell, simply exploring these initial Castle grounds was enough entertainment for some. My sister would climb trees, swim through the moat and launch Mario gleefully through the air for hours, it seemed, without so much as entering the castle.

Had she progressed enough to experience the complexities of masterfully designed levels like Tick Tock Clock, Whomp’s Fortress and Rainbow Ride, her head might’ve exploded.

3. Super Mario World
Some minor objections have been raised to my placement of Super Mario World above Super Mario 64. So before praising the SNES classic, brief justification is in order:

Super Mario World has even better level design, even better progression and is even more fun than the Nintendo 64 magnum opus. Don’t blame me; blame Yoshi.

This game has aged remarkably well, a statement which cannot be applied as confidently to Super Mario 64. The innovative level design prevalent throughout the game is as refreshing today as ever; from the simple Donut Plains through the perplexing Forest of Illusion and into Chocolate Island, each cleverly designed world is a treat to play through. Along with multiple objectives within levels, infallible stage design and progression, new power-ups and countless secret areas, Super Mario World gives Mario a cape. That seals the deal, for me.

2. Super Mario Galaxy
It hasn’t been out long, but 15 minutes with Super Mario Galaxy is enough to prove its classic merit.

Upon arriving in the Good Egg Galaxy, I knew I was playing something special. But once I hit the Honeyhive Galaxy, my giddy enthusiasm bubbled over into pure astonishment at first-sight of the Bee Suit. After twenty years of Mario games in which we thought we’d seen it all, Nintendo somehow found a way to surprise us, to reach that inner child who was just as thrilled to first discover the Raccoon Leaf, Feather Cape and Fire Flower all those dusty decades ago.

By the time I reached the final confrontation with Bowser, I had experienced more in a single Mario game than any prior could offer: an incredible musical score, masterful gameplay mechanics, fun level design and more imagination than any game I’d ever played, for starters. Not only is it the most goosebump-inducingly epic Mario game of all time, but Super Mario Galaxy is also the most beautiful Nintendo game ever. They cannot possibly outdo this one, can they?

1. Super Mario Bros. 3
I’ve been watching the Rocky ~~films~~epics a lot lately, and I’ve learned something very important.

Sometimes, it just comes down to heart; who has done it the best, and who wants it more? So sure, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago were younger, fresher, lethal and more toned. Big deal. Rocky had freakin’ heart.

This game is kinda like Rocky.

After all, Mario and Rocky are both Italian stallions. And in Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario pulled a Rocky; he just did it right. Prettier, faster and bigger challengers to the throne have come and gone, yet this game stands, battle hardened and proudly showing its scars, as the definitive Mario experience. The premise was familiar; eight worlds, countless levels, run and jump, save the Princess. But never before had it been as fully realized as it had with Super Mario Bros. 3. While other Mario games have edged by it in specific areas, none have been able to match its overall excellence and classic feel. When someone asks what Mario is all about, slap them and hand them a cartridge copy of Super Mario Bros. 3.

New Game Boyyyeeee

courtwell101 — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:31:49 +0000

Not a huge surprise, but it’s nice to know the title is well underway. EA did a fairly good job with the Wii version of Order of the Phoenix last summer. Controls worked almost perfectly and it was the first 3rd party developer to do more than average on the graphic side of things. Give me more spells, duel mode, sandbox world, tighter controls, and improved graphics. Hit the jump to read the entire press release.

Guildford, U.K. – April 22nd, 2008 – EA’s Casual Entertainment Label and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™ video game will be released later this year to coincide with the Warner Bros. Pictures film based on J.K. Rowling’s sixth Harry Potter book.

“We believe that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game represents a milestone in the movie tie-in genre,” said Harvey Elliott, Head of EA Bright Light studio in the UK where the Harry Potter franchise has its home. “Building on the technological advancements of previous games in the series and with a particular focus on the unique control system of Nintendo’s WiiTM, the team here is working closely with the filmmakers to create an immersive interactive experience that captures the story, the action, the excitement and, above all, the fun of the film. ”

“Working with EA, we look forward to offering fans a compelling Harry Potter video game, one which captures the thrilling storyline and high visual quality of the movie,” said Scott Johnson, Vice President, Business Development for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The adherence to the rich fiction is a trademark of this franchise and with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince fans will experience the most authentic and enjoyable game in the series to date.”

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

In the game of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players will return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron’s romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.

Under development by EA Bright Light Studio, the team behind the worldwide success of the Harry Potter library of games, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is scheduled for release in time for the movie launch this fall for the Wii„§, PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360™, PlayStation®2, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo DS„§, Windows PC, Macintosh and mobile devices.

Sonic vs. Mario

courtwell101 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:28:27 +0000

Sega today revealed details of the upcoming game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the DS and Wii. The game is set to include 20 Olympic events (detailed below) played in different arenas.

As we posted the story a few days ago, the game will include 16 characters, 8 from the world of Mario and 8 from the world of Sonic. The Wii controls are created specifically to replicate the actions that offer the best results for each event which include:

Fencing – Individual epée
Archery
Shooting – Skeet
Gymnastics – Trampoline
Gymnastics – Vault
Field – High Jump
Field – Pole Vault
Field – Long Jump
Field – Triple Jump
Field – Javelin Throw
Field – Hammer Throw
Rowing – Single Sculls
Table Tennis – Singles
Aquatics – 100m Freestyle
Aquatics – 4×100m Freestyle
Track – 110m and 400m Hurdles
Track – 4×100m Relay
Track –100m and 400m

The controls are simple swinging the Wii Remote to execute a Hammer Thow and replicating swimming strokes using both controllers.

With four playing styles to choose from, players can decide their strategy: all-around, technical, speed, and power similar to what we saw in Mario Strikers – for example: Mario and Amy (All-around), Peach and Tails (Technical), Sonic and Yoshi (Speed), and Knuckles and Bowser (Power).

Players will be able to choose and try out, in both single and multiplayer mode, each event individually with Single Match mode (where players can choose their event and play until they score top marks). They can also compete for the highest overall score in a series of events in Circuit mode (where players can either create their own circuit by choosing the individual events, choose a pre-determined circuit, or randomly generate a circuit).

If you still want more there’s the single-player Mission mode where you can earn top marks on challenges. Additionally, gamers can learn about the history of the Olympic Games through trivia, quizzes, and mini-games and unlock all-new facts and figures from past Olympic Games in the Gallery – not sure we’ll be spending too much time on that.

Manhunt Yeah!!

courtwell101 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:27:32 +0000

Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 could release in the UK, but as a digital download, it’s emerged.

It’s all to do with a legal loophole in the UK’s 1984 Video Recordings Act, which only covers physical products. An age-certification rating is apparently not required for online digital downloads.

Manhunt 2 has been refused age-certification twice by the BBFC. Following the original refusal, Rockstar submitted a revised version of the game but not enough was done in the eyes of the classification body.

However, while the release of Manhunt 2 is theoretically possible, we very much doubt the console companies would allow a game without to BBFC rating to grace their machines.

And of course, how the hell would you get the digital download onto PS2 and Wii anyway?

Make some MONEY baby!!

courtwell101 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:26:48 +0000

In the words of Wii owner JJ Hendricks:
“I am considering selling my Wii now for the going rate of $590 and then buying another one back in January for the average price in August through October of $350. After fees I would have enough money left over to buy Smash Bros. Brawl and 10 NES virtual consoles games. A very tempting possibility.”

Pulling ads!

courtwell101 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:26:06 +0000

There have been reports that Nintendo of Europe may pull their TV ad campaign in the UK because of the Wii’s overzealous popularity and the Big N’s struggle to meet demand during the holiday season. Personally, it makes sense to pull ads right now because word of mouth is free!