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6/2/08 5:12 P

i know. i am just re-asserting. I am wii-hater (simply cause I don't own one).

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6/2/08 3:18 P

I'm not arguing.

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6/2/08 3:16 P

to quote an article:

"The fault of this lies both in the hands of Nintendo and the gamers. Nintendo as a corporation should want to protect the image of its console. Right now, Nintendo has to enforce some quality control measures. Sony has a nasty reputation amongst developers for declining projects that didn’t show off the power of the Playstation brand. If Nintendo wants the Wii’s garbage collector reputation to improve, they should take a trip back to the 16 bit era when they were a bit stricter."

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6/2/08 3:11 P

ok...it's just the ideas we had, and I was typing it out the same time that you answered. So it's all Nintendo's fault...got it.

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6/2/08 2:44 P

honeslty, its because Nintendo does not review the 3rd party games released for it. Developers are taking advantage of the Wiis popularity and pushing out crap games. If you ever noticed, Games made by Nintendo....are pretty rocking.

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6/2/08 1:12 P

My Hubby says because it's the most popular. (I had to ask him what shovelware was--hadn't heard of the term before.) I say it's because there's parents buying for their kids and not paying attention to the fact that it's crap (and probably not what the kid asked for--as in petz instead of Nintendogs).

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6/2/08 1:09 P

microsoft has a concept review board. they won't let games made that do not fit into their divine plan. Sony is the same way.

gamefunk.net/?p=57

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6/2/08 12:49 P

I was wondering why there was so much Shovelware on the Wii and not the other systems (as much). Does that mean that the 360 has some kind of control in place to keep the shovelware down?

As for graphics, I do love my pretty games. Mass Effect, Gears, etc. are some nice ones. But if I don't have fun with it, it probably won't get played much. It is always nice when the two combine though (such as the two games mentioned).

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6/2/08 12:15 P

graphics are nice. but i would much rather enjoy a game for its challenging gameplay design than its pretty pretty shinies.

Unfortunately, Wii doesn't have a concept approval phase for game production. So while they have a large percentage of their games being in the 90 percentile, the remainder of their games do far worse then the other consoles.

Of course, if you are a Wii owner, you should know what Shovelware is.



Edited by: BYTE4D45 at: 6/2/2008 (12:16)

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6/2/08 11:58 A

Cool! I love game commercials. I may have to You Tube it.

The graphics can't compete with the 360, but it is still fun. I have a couple friends that refuse to play anything on the Wii because the graphics are HD. I think they have lost the sense of what being a gamer is all about. If they wanted to look at something they should go watch a movie.

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6/2/08 11:56 A

i saw the commercial for this yesterday. If I had a Wii, I would play this.

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6/2/08 10:50 A

Someone had highlighted a few of the review quotes for this game. The one I like is how it talks about the combo of throwing, jenga, and shooting. A little of everything.

“The game’s impressive physics makes the blocks bounce off one another and tumble to the ground with convincing realism.” - Martin Kitts (Games Radar)

“Best of all, though, is that the game very accurately measures the velocity of your motions so that if you throw with all of your force, you will in turn add significant power to your on-screen pitches. If you make a light toss, you will lob the ball at the block formations.” - Matt Casamassina (IGN)

“And whether you’re tossing balls to knock over point blocks, carefully sliding individual pieces out from a larger stack — Jenga-style — or setting off elaborate, Rube Goldberg-esque chain reactions, the motion controls are subtle, responsive, and impeccably precise.” - Nick Suttner (1UP.com)

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5/30/08 9:01 A

It does take some effort. There is a sample of a created level that is amazing. It is really just a big Mouse Trap type of concept. One bomb goes off, levers move, things slide, other things go boom, and the cows are trapped (or something like that). You just watch it, but it might be fun to try and create something similar.

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5/30/08 8:02 A

he's created a few levels, but not saved them (to my knowledge). While it's a nice to have, it's not something he's really into (if that names any sense)

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5/30/08 12:23 A

Have you two created any levels? Anyone else play this too?

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5/29/08 10:49 P

taggy still plays this thing :d it's his favorite!

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5/29/08 1:12 P

I made the plunge and picked this one up. Very nice game to add to the collection; I would recommend it to anyone...especially if you have more than one person to play with.

What is nice too is the level creator. Has anyone made any levels they would like to trade with me?

As for the lasers, I don't mind them too much as long as the stage isn't called "quick draw" or something. I can get by, just I'm not fast enough to get gold.

The puzzle solving is fun and some of the stages are a great challenge. There is even a created stage sample for checkers (can't play against CPU, only against someone in the room with you), but I imagine you could probably create a chess one if you unlock enough of the characters.

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5/19/08 2:41 P

That is awesome. I may have to rent this one. I also may have to play during the night for those lazers. My screen has some glare during the day and can really mess up using the pointer feature of the wiimote.

Thanks again for the cool review.

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5/19/08 2:38 P

Actually, it has the best and worst.

The Lazers are HORRIBLE. Accuracy is of paramount importance with the lazers and the Wiimote simply cannot respond fast enough - even with the enhanced sensor bar. I've found it less frustrating to find the "sweetspot" on the lazer stage and just keep firing there (editorial note: it's not MY fault that just HAPPENS to be where the COW is standing and he will occasionally be blackened by a wayard strike.)

For *every other stage* the Wiimote controls are AMAZING. The ability to line your shot up to hit a weak point where 4 blox converge and watch the whole thing come down is nothing short of a thing of total beauty. The rubber hand control is remarkably responsive.

so, short of the Lazer - yup - agree totally

as for the write up - my pleasure :D anything to spread the addiction

Edited by: MISSWASHUU at: 5/19/2008 (14:40)

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5/19/08 2:31 P

I've heard a lot of good things about this game; you have just added to the positives. This is a big summer for Stephen Spielberg. First this game, then Indiana Jones. Go figure.

One thing I heard about this game is the control scheme. Apparently this is one of the best uses of the Wii's controls for any game. Would you agree?

Thanks for the excellent write-up.

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5/19/08 2:20 P

Ok, I don't know if it's my horrible, sadistic nature or if it's my joy of puzzlers, but this game had Taggy and I hooked at "Go"

In a nutshell, You have to figure out how to clear these puzzles (made up of "Blox") to get to the next stage.

It starts out innocently enough. Kind of like a circus throwing game. You take a baseball and throw it at the blox. Doesn't seem like it would keep your attention for very long does it? It gets better.

Upgrade your trusty baseball to a bowling ball, a Lazer, an exploding "bomb" ball or Taggy's Favorite - the rubber bouncing ball of DOOOOOM.

And the Blox, yea, they upgrade too. Start with point blox (so called because when you knock them over you get points) and Gem Blox (knock them over to collect gems) and move up to Vanishing blox (touch them and... yea, you get the picture) Bomb Blocks and Chemical Blocks.

The Chemical blox are fun cause when two of them touch, they explode... and if there are bomb blox around ... hehehehehe BOOOOOM

Taggy loves it because of the geometry and the puzzle aspect. You really need to think to get some of these puzzles down in one or two shots!

I like it cause if a *ahem* "Stray" ball should end up heading towards the onlookers, they get tossed about on the screen before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Hey, who doesn't find a chicken clucking in anguish or a cow mooing in protest because they got exploded by a wayward bomb funny?

There is a "party" mode but Taggy and I haven't tried that one yet.

Caution: For those true sick and depraved people out there, this game is addictive. It would not be uncommon to say, be driving to dinner, and have a conversation that starts with "I bet if I banked a rubber ball off that awning there that I could TOTALLY hit that guy in the back of the head!"

not that, you know, I would know or anything.

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