Anybody played Pikmin? What a gorgeous, lovely little game. Three "days" in and already a sense of complete dread that I'm falling behind. Lost 82 Pikmin last night in a freak pond accident.

Yep, it's an excellent game. Because it plays out over a set number of "days," you really have to be as efficient as possible.

82 Pikmin in one go? That's harsh. But then, the same thing happened to me when I encounted a cute little clam. Poor little guys. *sniff*

I remember talking with Brett Sperry about RTS games on the console and he said there was probably some way to do them well, but it won't look or play a whole lot like PC RTS games.

I think Pikmin is as close as anyone's come. It's a bit of RTS, puzzle solving, and action.

And dare I say, Super Smash Bros Melee is the best fighting game of the year.

-> 82 Pikmin in one go? That's harsh. <-

I sent them flying into the water. How was I to know they can't swim? Supposedly some other Pikmin CAN swim, and they will shortly avenge the loss of their brothers.

(Actually, I didn't save that day, so those 82 guys were only lost "on paper".)

I don't find that clam cute! For God's sake: it eats Pikmin.

I've been generally disappointed by the GameCube launch, but games like Pikmin are exactly why I keep buying Nintendo hardware. The first time I threw a yellow one and watched him drop a bomb and scurry back in a panic I stopped worrying about the money I spent on the bundle.

The dry, barely serious scientist's journal that the game uses as a tutorial/record-keeping device is fun too.

Don't the blue ones swim? I don't have the game (or a Cube...yet) but I remember reading about it in one of the previews or something?

--Dave

Are you saying my blue Pikmin are supposed to swim but can't? Are you saying they are retarded?

Cause a bunch sure did drown. Maybe the things that were swimming in the water ate them? I guess I can crack open the manual, but that seems lame.

By the way: If you're bored, send your alien into the water and try to catch one of those things. It is hilarious how they are always JUST out of reach. And the splashing they make to get away. Very silly.

Is there any way to self-destruct the whole lot at once? Sorry, Lemmings nostalgia kicking in. *heh*

- Alan

"And dare I say, Super Smash Bros Melee is the best fighting game of the year."

Gayest. Fighting. Game. Ever. EVER! I'm not sure I would admit owning any game where Princess Peach is a selectable FIGHTING character. Maybe if it was an advanced slap-fighting simulator. Which is the only kind of fighting I excel at.

"And dare I say, Super Smash Bros Melee is the best fighting game of the year."

Please ignore Wumpus and tell me more.

Just read the GameSpot review. Four pages. (who determines which games get 4+ pages, by the way? It's annoying that Erik's RTCW review was super-condensed into two pages where the second page was almost unreadable, and fluffy console titles like this get a friggin' novella?)

Two impressions I got from this review:

1. More of a party game than an involved fighting game

2. The game is targetted to the N fanbase, and the reviewer seems to fall into said fanbase.

http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/reviews/0,10867,2829090,00.html

"That's provided you're into the game's fighting system, of course. There's really no question about it: Smash Bros. is very fast and loose compared with most other fighting games--so much so that many consider it a traditional party game, rather than a genuine fighter. Be that as it may, there is a bit of technique to the game. It's just that it's very easy to get by without bothering to learn it very well. The game revolves around the concept of smash attacks--moves that will send your opponents flying with the sheer force of their impact (entirely off of the map, ideally). In order to score a proper smash move, you have to damage your opponents heavily--otherwise, they won't fly very far. Every character has a set of these attacks, and they're executed by "charging" the analog stick for a second or so prior to inputting an attack command. Depending on your character, you can perform smash attacks in many different directions, on the ground, and in the air."

"Super Smash Bros. Melee has clearly been designed to appeal, foremost, to Nintendo's die-hard fans. Those who are familiar with the company's long and illustrious history will no doubt enjoy the game much more than the casual passerby."

That last paragraph sums up both GameCube and Super Smash Bros, as far as I'm concerned. Throw in the little kids, and you have a complete marketing portfolio to hand over to an ad agency.

I have fallen in love with GameSpot's user reviews all over again. Jimmy Irvine's review of Super Smash Bros Melee:

Rating: 10 (perfect)

I dont know about you, but whenever i get a chance to display my thoughts publicly, I get really excited. I dont even really understand this videogame thing, but i read about a cubegam and a box of x or something like that in the paper, so i went to this site and thought i would put in my eight and a half pesos. Ive never even heard of this mario thing, why is it so exciting? i usually am pretty smart abot these things, so please bear with me. The please bear is a little bear i made and on his shirt it says 'I am the please bear".

I'll admit I have a soft spot for Nintendo. The games they create are always fun, and always a good value. But c'mon Wumpus, have you even played it? There's a great deal of fun to be had in slapping Pikachu silly.

With Smash Bros. they added several wrinkles to the traditional fighting game. Yes, the game is initially simple to learn, but any button masher who goes up against someone who's learned the technique of the game will lose.

Instead of the health bar, every character starts out with 0% damage. The more you get hit, the higher your percentile climbs. However, you can only get knocked out of the match by being hurled off the screen either by an attack from another player or by falling off due to your own ineptitude. Players who are knocked over the side still have a chance to save themselves with some well placed jump combos. The trick is, the higher your damage percentile (it can go to 500% I hear), the further your opponent can hurl you when their smash attack connects. Simply put, it's not just a matter of beating someone until their health bar reached zero. To win a match, you have to take many things into account. Your position on the playfield, the distribution of random powerups (imagine you're badly damaged. Should you go for that weapon on the other side of the stage, or stay where you're safe), and obviously the strengths/weaknesses of your character. In many ways, it's like Powerstone 1+2 but with more control and many more options.

In addition, the number of extras they included in the game is amazing. Like the N64 version, 1 to 4 player can fight at one time. There are a slew of hidden characters and stages. And unlike most fighting games, the stages are more than pretty backdrops. Perhaps my favorite part of the game is the fact that the fighting system is very customizable. If you wish, I can list the changes you can make, but it's too extensive to list off the top of my head.

Throw in an excellent adventure more (plays like a platformer/beat 'em up)and a trophy room that showcases the entire history of Nintendo and their games and, yes Wumpus, you've got one heck of a fighting game.

But Bottom line. It's fun. Really fun.

"Is there any way to self-destruct the whole lot at once?"


No, but is sure is easy to send them to their doom.

"In addition, the number of extras they included in the game is amazing."

Yeah, it definitely has a lot of replay value, unlike many fighting games. I was definitely intrigued by the large number of alternate play modes.

Then I remembered that Princess Peach should never be a selectable character in a fighting game. It's like eating an entire valu-size pack of sugar-free gum at once: saccharine overload.

"Then I remembered that Princess Peach should never be a selectable character in a fighting game. It's like eating an entire valu-size pack of sugar-free gum at once: saccharine overload."

Just finished the single player mode with Peach. She is not a force to be reckoned with. You see how she uses Toad to deflect attacks? Cold, man. That's just cold.

First this:

---

Quote:

In addition, the number of extras they included in the game is amazing.

---

---

Quote:

Like the N64 version, 1 to 4 player can fight at one time.

---

"Please don't tell me you have to UNLOCK 4 player mode, or have 4 players to unlock certain things. That would be grade-A retarded."

Poor paragraph construction on my part...
You can play 4 player from the get go. I do not know if you need 4 players to unlock any of the extras. Things like extra character and stages appear to be unlocked by playing the single-player mode.

I have the original Smash Bros, and think it's great. I think the part I like the best is that there's only one set of controller movements to learn, so learning a new character only means learning what its moves are, rather than having to learn that and a new group of controller movements as well.

Btw, 4 pages for that review did seem like at least one too many, OTOH, the original was so popular that people would be wanting to read all about the sequel.

"Things like extra character and stages appear to be unlocked by playing the single-player mode."

Yeah, that's how the original was, and I doubt they'd make it so you needed 4 ppl to access some of the secrets. That'd be downright mean.

---

Quote:

I think the part I like the best is that there's only one set of controller movements to learn, so learning a new character only means learning what its moves are, rather than having to learn that and a new group of controller movements as well.

---

Well, the last fighting game that I owned was Street Fighter II for the SNES, and all I remember about it was having to try and learn all the different combos for not only the special moves, but for the "regular" hand to hand moves that also varied from character to character. I suppose things could have changed since then. :)

Crap. Kool Moe Dee, I meant to mention that I heard a Special Ed song on 97.5 here last week. And I thought of you. They have a great "old school" radio show every wednesday evening. Good stuff.

I don't know why there are a few early 90's rap fans in here, but whatever.

One thing I like about living in NC versus living in Denver, CO-- there are actually black urban radio stations here. Noooot a whole lotta brothers in Denver, if you know what I mean.

Thanks, man. I don't know why there are so few other rappers in here, but whatever.

Seeing as how this thread has gotten completely off track, I figure I'll throw out something to make sure that it stays that way.

Are there any black Pikmin?

-> Are there any black Pikmin? <-

No, but if you dismiss them they turn sort of translucent and stare at the ground sadly until you retrieve them.

Let me just say it: The "villains" in Pikmin are a billion times more villain-y than the generic RTCW baddies. You haven't felt true rage until you've seen a giant beetle stomping through a crowd of screaming Pikmin, chomping away. His eyes even wobble -- and he SWALLOWS.

Also, to Dave: Yes, the blue ones swim. But I don't have any blue ones yet. Sigh.

---

Quote:

You haven't felt true rage until you've seen a giant beetle stomping through a crowd of screaming Pikmin, chomping away. His eyes even wobble -- and he SWALLOWS.

---

Hmm, if Molyneux were behind Pikmin the game would not be fun.

Chris

No, if he were behind it, it wouldn't be a game

You're both right.

Yes, back to Pikmin. I'm well into the 3rd area now and have noticed that there are several ways to approach getting the parts for your ship. It's nice to know there's some replay value here.

The challenge mode that opens up initially looks lame, but I actually played it a few times and it's fun. You basically have a day (in game time)to create as many Pikmin as possible. It really does require a bit of planning to use the Pikmin to the best of their ability.

Favorite critter in the game? The beetle that marches up and tries to steal the food pellets your pikmin are dragging back to the ship. They get in a nasty tug 'o war until you put more Pimin to the task.