Game Masters Review: Almost possible at home

The last few days have been rough: my first two days back at work after a calming, romantic and expensive week in Melbourne with the love of my life. I could write a post about every awesome breakfast, lunch and dinner I got my hands on, but I'll spare you the gory details (read: if you want the best Eggs Benedict on Earth, go to Riverland Bar near Federation Square). I'll instead write about something more relevant to this blog's themes, specifically: vidyagaemz.

I had the good fortune to attend the Game Masters Exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image last Thursday. Don't get me wrong, I walked away feeling somewhat disappointed, but there is something here for everyone. For me, it was the Donkey Kong cabinet in impeccable condition and full working order that I would've hogged for an entire day if not for the siren call of Little Bourke Street's culinary delights. For you, it could be anything: the Metal Gear Solid series juxtaposed to great effect, a drool-inducing display of pretty much any console released in Australia since the dawn of the medium, or even the Dance Central 2 arena where many people required napkins after being served with righteous, piping hot dance moves.

There is something for everyone, but not a great deal to take away. You can't even take photos AND I WANTED TO TAKE PHOTOS OF DEM BEAUTIFUL YOJI SHINKAWA (of Metal Gear fame) PRINTS!!!

For starters, I own about sixty percent of the games on show. Worse still, my TV screen is larger than most of the displays that these games were channeled to. I couldn't escape the feeling that I could've done Game Masters better from my own living room. It would've been lacking the glorious arcade cabinets, a few large projectors, and a respectable crowd; but it would have been possible. Hell, a few years ago I would've had the small clutch of arcade classics lingering on my hard drive somewhere.  I guess I should note that I've been hoarding console games for the better part of two years and my Steam library is getting ridiculously large, so I'm aware that this isn't a criticism that'll be true for all.

Perhaps the greatest criticism I can level at Game Masters is that it almost completely disregards the 8 and 16 bit console eras. Yes, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2 are playable, as is Super Mario Bros, but the collection is missing some of the greatest games from two generations of hardware. It's not even as though you could argue that it's due to the setup of the collection: most games are grouped according to their creator but this isn't the case for the "Nintendo" display. Game Masters is primarily composed of recent releases, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that a big part of the gaming pastime is glossed over. 

It's also worth noting that some very notable franchises (and therefore "Masters") aren't on show. No Grand Theft Auto (Dan and Sam Houser), no Resident Evil (Shinji Mikami) and no BioShock (Ken Levine). I thought at first that it may have had something to do with assembling an exhibition that is "safe" for all ages, but the entire Metal Gear Solid saga is on display, and that is not suitable for children. The lyrics in your average Singstar (also on display) song probably aren't really suitable for children, so a little more viscera wouldn't have gone astray.

As disappointing as it was, I felt a certain buzz from seeing some of the greatest games ever made in the same space, being celebrated along with their creators. Yes, I feel the exhibition could've been bigger and that certain events weren't adequately advertised on site (read: forums and talks from industry legends), but it's a beautiful thing to see people of all ages playing the games that have defined your (read: my) life.I couldn't in good conscience recommend that you fly to Melbourne to see the show, but if you're in town, it's worth a look.

The Late List

In a time where Dutch is rating the top releases of 2011, I've decided to reminisce about my favorite gaming experiences of the year. Thanks to a new addition to a young family (which thankfully provides entertainment for a very time-poor me) I dont often get to play the newest releases; instead I play what I can, when I can.

Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
Although its giving me the shits at the moment, Donkey Kong Country spurred hope for the Wii. It's a true platformer, the style that Nintendo is famous for, and while the format is familiar (little has changed from the 90's SNES smash hit) it still provides a solid challenge.

New Super Mario Bros (Wii)
This one hasn't had a great deal of play yet but the chapters I've smashed out have been a world of fun. What the Wii lacks in pixel power, it definitely makes up for in unique controls that make rehashed and re-imagined childhood favorites such as Mario and DK interesting again. Incorporating hand gestures and new moves with twists and shakes of the controller as well as staying true to the franchise has made for some great gaming.

Bejeweled and Hexic (Xbox 360)
I don't know why I liked these but for some reason I was drawn to them for weeks on end. Despite being similar, they are far from new in terms of design or concept (in fact I think Hexic came with the 360 but I never played it). Anyway they've both been addictive and frustrating like any good puzzle game should be.

Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
This was my most anticipated game of 2011. Released around the time my son was born, I struggled through sleeplessness to battle the Horde and Remember the Fallen - once I woke at 3am sitting upright on the couch with the controller in my hand and very little happening on screen. In the end I claimed victory, not only with Marcus Fenix and co, but I managed to figure out what the hell was going on with what small amount if information I could retain in my sleep deprived state. The little wins are the best.

Street Fighter IV (iOS)
Picked up for a steal at $1.99, I was dubious at SFIV's translation to the mobile touch screen platform but it proved to be a winner. Far from a talented brawler, I could still manage a number of wins without great difficulty and, even for a button masher, I found the controls to be fluid and responsive with Blanka being my main source of frustration. Get a haircut. Hippy.

Other notable games played this year include COD: Black Ops (x360), Fruit Ninja (iOS), Tap Tap Muppets (iOS), Bulletstorm (x360) and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (x360).

I'm bummed to have missed out on a few such as MW3, Batman Arkham City, Alice: Madness Returns and Saints Row 3 but let's face it - I'll get to it next year.

3DS Ambassador Program fails to ease tension with early adopters

I concede that I'm making an assumption with the headline: I'm sure that there are some who are happy with the first batch of downloadable freebies that Nintendo has thrown to those who purchased a 3DS before August 12. The list started off promisingly enough: Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda and Ice Climbers were some of the first revealed in the lead up to the system's unprecedented - though arguably necessary - price drop. Then days before the program was set to launch, I was slapped with the rest of them.

Wrecking Crew, NES Open Golf, Mario & Yoshi...... how do these "classics" make up for the failed launch of the 3DS? They don't; and don't think that this was Nintendo's only jab at their loyal consumer base before all was said and downloaded.

Time has not been kind to this mediocre puzzler

The selection of titles was underwhelming, but I still had to download them before I could have a proper moan. Directions appeared on a great many gaming sites with some inconsistencies mixed in to make matters worse. Before I knew it, some even started claiming that the titles were live (to be fair, most of these were US sites and PAL territories have oft been known to get the short end of the stick). I clumsily opened my dusty portable and connected to the eShop, only to find that my nostalgia fix would go wanting. It didn't matter whose instructions I followed: no luck. It was September 1, where were my free games? It was September 1 here in Australia, but not in other territories: why were these lucky bastards indulging before I could!?

Later that night they finally appeared, but anticipation was to be replaced with frustration. After fumbling through the menus to start each download, I would then be ejected to the main menu after each game was received. I had to go through this process more than ten times so I could get my Ambassador Certificate as well. This was the thanks I got for spending an extra hundred dollars and enduring the worst console launch lineup in history? Please, allow me to raise my middle finger and aim it square at Nintendo.

While Super Mario Bros has aged immaculately, the truth is, not one of the other nine peace offerings is worth loading up (I should clarify that I am not a Zelda fan and still believe that Ocarina of Time is the most overrated game of all time). Worse yet, these emulations do not allow for use of the "Restore Point" feature that allow you to save and load games (and thus, repeat frustrating sections of play) on a whim. This is not what I signed up for!

This is not enough to buy my silence!

Worst of all was the revelation that the to-be-released Game Boy Advance reparations would receive even less support in terms of emulation. Forget about Restore Points: you can't even put the system to sleep when playing these games. Close the lid and nothing will happen. Who at Nintendo thought that this stripped-down compensation would appease anyone? It turns out that there is a reason that these GBA games won't be released to the general public: you'd be foolish to pay for them!

It's been months since I purchased a game on the 3DS, and Nintendo's half-assed attempt at an apology hasn't helped things. I'm not going to trade in this glorified paperweight because - let's face it - it's worthless anyway. Who knows, maybe Kojima can save the day with the release of Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater? Maybe Nintendo will clean up its act and clean up the GBA ports that are still forthcoming?

What are your thoughts on the 3DS Ambassador Program? Am I just an ungrateful troll?

Links:

1. Nintendo AU - Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program: http://gamesites.nintendo.com.au/nintendo3ds-ambassador-program/en_AU/detail.php
2. Kotaku - How Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors Can Download Their Free NES Games: http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/08/how-nintendo-3ds-ambassadors-can-download-free-nes-games/
3. Bitmob - News Blips: 3DS gets ambassadorial, BioWare's new game, Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition, and more: http://bitmob.com/articles/news-blips-3ds-gets-ambassadorial-biowares-new-game-modern-warfare-3-hardened-edition-and-more