Gamecube console
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Well, I've just spent the first 24 hours with my new toy and I have to say that I am a little underwhelmed. At the end of the day it is just another console, and the core of it is the controller. That is where my problems start. I like the feel of the analogue sticks but the buttons just feel oddly plasticy and the thing as a whole is just to small for my big hands.
I did manage to spend two and a half hours with Animal Crossing and it was very sweet, but I get the sense I have seen all I am going to see. I can only imagine that you just get more of the same over and over again, almost like the village stuff in Zelda but without any narrative or dungeons or peril. P.N. 03 was a bit poor too. It looked great but gameplay wise it was like revisiting all the worst aspects of Gun Valkyrie.
All in all this just really confirms my respect for the Xbox. Best graphics, best controller, best music and video, just lacking the exclusives unfortunately.
gameFAQs
Well, I've just spent the first 24 hours with my new toy and I have to say that I am a little underwhelmed. At the end of the day it is just another console, and the core of it is the controller. That is where my problems start. I like the feel of the analogue sticks but the buttons just feel oddly plasticy and the thing as a whole is just to small for my big hands.
I did manage to spend two and a half hours with Animal Crossing and it was very sweet, but I get the sense I have seen all I am going to see. I can only imagine that you just get more of the same over and over again, almost like the village stuff in Zelda but without any narrative or dungeons or peril. P.N. 03 was a bit poor too. It looked great but gameplay wise it was like revisiting all the worst aspects of Gun Valkyrie.
All in all this just really confirms my respect for the Xbox. Best graphics, best controller, best music and video, just lacking the exclusives unfortunately.
gameFAQs
September 10, 2004
P.N. 03 (Gamecube)
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This things has so many similarities to Gun Valkyrie. A foxy heroine, in a pumped up suit, battling through short mapped missions. Great graphics but awkward controls.
As far as the aliasing goes, no more than in any other game, but the black and white nature of the level design just makes it more obvious. I thought full screen anti-aliasing was supposed to be the next big thing. You can get it on PC, do people just consider TV screens to be too fuzzy to bother with?
All in all an exercise in style over substance. Old school shoot 'em up it may be, but that is better left to spaceships than 3rd person characters.
gameFAQs
This things has so many similarities to Gun Valkyrie. A foxy heroine, in a pumped up suit, battling through short mapped missions. Great graphics but awkward controls.
As far as the aliasing goes, no more than in any other game, but the black and white nature of the level design just makes it more obvious. I thought full screen anti-aliasing was supposed to be the next big thing. You can get it on PC, do people just consider TV screens to be too fuzzy to bother with?
All in all an exercise in style over substance. Old school shoot 'em up it may be, but that is better left to spaceships than 3rd person characters.
gameFAQs
September 09, 2004
Microsoft Dual Strike
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I picked this little oddity up the other day from eBay. Another strange chimera to add to my collection of bizarre game peripherals. The gimmick with this game pad is a split design with a ball and socket type joint between the left and right halves. Ostensibly mirroring the pivot of the head for FPS games, the movement is actually over so wide an area as to give me wrist strain.
Robustly built and as configurable as any other of the Microsoft peripherals, but the fact you can't change the zone of transition between head turning and body movement. I may have to persevere but I never really thought the mouse and keyboard option were broken. In all honest I think two anaolgue sticks are a simple enough alternative and at least have the advantage of analogue sensitivity.
Nice idea then, shame about the reality.
I picked this little oddity up the other day from eBay. Another strange chimera to add to my collection of bizarre game peripherals. The gimmick with this game pad is a split design with a ball and socket type joint between the left and right halves. Ostensibly mirroring the pivot of the head for FPS games, the movement is actually over so wide an area as to give me wrist strain.
Robustly built and as configurable as any other of the Microsoft peripherals, but the fact you can't change the zone of transition between head turning and body movement. I may have to persevere but I never really thought the mouse and keyboard option were broken. In all honest I think two anaolgue sticks are a simple enough alternative and at least have the advantage of analogue sensitivity.
Nice idea then, shame about the reality.
September 07, 2004
ECTS 2004 - or excuse me, did I miss a game show?
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Man was that weak!
When a little surround sound booth is the highlight of the show, there has to be something amiss.
Reading the show programme for ECTS the guy totally slags off ELSPA for putting so much on at the same time. Tee hee. It seems that all the vaguely consumer stuff has been moved off site, and there is a fair bit of other stuff going on, undeniably to the detriment of the main show. One has to wonder if it will see another year. I would have checked out Game Stars but I boycott events featuring "Sports Stars" and the latest "Happening Bands". Ah well!!!
There weren't any lovely finds like last years Metal Arms. A cute little bongo drum game on the Gamecube was pretty much the biggest crowd puller. Not that there were any real crowds. Lots of CD cleaning manufacturers and shelving units. Ho hum!
I did wind up speaking to a couple of interesting people. The Xbox sound system guy was very interesting, and obviously knew his engineering. I would jump at the chance to get one of those setups, but again I simply don't have the house for it. Maybe when I own my own place I can make the committment.
Also a chat with a woman representing a speech recognition company. They bought out Lernout and Hauspie a few years back and are the only provider of speech products across the industry. I suggested that she talks to Microsoft as I am sure that speech control will be a must for the Media PC. Remote controls are all well and good, but speech and gesture are the way to go when you no longer see your PC in the house.
The Dare to be Digital bunch were down as well and got to see their finished projects. Finally saw Sally's City Scrawlaz game which was in fact very stylish and quite anarchic. Fantastic animation too. Interesting to see where they end up.
ECTS
Man was that weak!
When a little surround sound booth is the highlight of the show, there has to be something amiss.
Reading the show programme for ECTS the guy totally slags off ELSPA for putting so much on at the same time. Tee hee. It seems that all the vaguely consumer stuff has been moved off site, and there is a fair bit of other stuff going on, undeniably to the detriment of the main show. One has to wonder if it will see another year. I would have checked out Game Stars but I boycott events featuring "Sports Stars" and the latest "Happening Bands". Ah well!!!
There weren't any lovely finds like last years Metal Arms. A cute little bongo drum game on the Gamecube was pretty much the biggest crowd puller. Not that there were any real crowds. Lots of CD cleaning manufacturers and shelving units. Ho hum!
I did wind up speaking to a couple of interesting people. The Xbox sound system guy was very interesting, and obviously knew his engineering. I would jump at the chance to get one of those setups, but again I simply don't have the house for it. Maybe when I own my own place I can make the committment.
Also a chat with a woman representing a speech recognition company. They bought out Lernout and Hauspie a few years back and are the only provider of speech products across the industry. I suggested that she talks to Microsoft as I am sure that speech control will be a must for the Media PC. Remote controls are all well and good, but speech and gesture are the way to go when you no longer see your PC in the house.
The Dare to be Digital bunch were down as well and got to see their finished projects. Finally saw Sally's City Scrawlaz game which was in fact very stylish and quite anarchic. Fantastic animation too. Interesting to see where they end up.
ECTS
September 03, 2004
