IGN Nintendo Voice Chat - podcast summary

- Matt catching up on Monster Lab, MySims Kingdom, Spyro, Celebrity Sports Showdown
- 3 weeks without a podcast, they did one last week but it failed, crashed, etc.
- Bozon’s been working on SmackDown vs. Raw, playing Call of Duty World at War reviews (should go up tomorrow)

Tales of Symphonia

- Daemon’s reviewing the game, says fans of the first game will like it
- Nothing new or original about it
- Bozon thinks it didn’t click like the first Tales game
- No overworld, just clicking around
- Slower combat
- Daemon enjoyed the combat, but it’s very linear
- Main character is winy, always complains

Quantum of Solace

- DS version is okay, Wii version not so much
- Controls aren’t great on the DS version
- Bad framerate issues on the Wii version, visuals aren’t even too impressive
- Has a bunch of technical issues on Wii
- Online mode is somewhat fun
- Not attacking the Wii version just for the fun of it
- Bozon wanted a cool Bond game with IR precision

Call of Duty World at War (multiplayer)

- 16 player max, like the 360 and PS3
- Missing some modes (headquarters, conquest, CTF), probably because they’re complex
- Bigger maps MIGHT be cut out
- Runs really smooth, Bozon was surprised
- Main game is really fun too, but not perfect
- Overall package is pretty decent

WiiWare games

- Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam has cartoon blood on it (ESRB rating)
- Both are $10

IGN’s most recent Nintendo Minute

- Denise danced around her answer a little bit
- Didn’t touch on relaunched 360 interface
- Sounds like Nintendo isn’t too worried
- Monday morning, Matt sends 5 questions and Denise can choose which question she wants to answer (She didn’t choose Fatal Frame 4 question)

Cursed Mountain

- Game has some potential, still early in some regard
- Trying to save your brother in the Himalayas, the mountain is cursed
- Kind of cool
- Matt likes the idea that you traverse a giant mountain
- Using the Wiimote in some interesting ways - ex: Find a walkie-talkie, sound comes out of the Wiimote speaker
- Game could go either way (still too early to tell)
- Not survival horror
- Bozon says more should be done with particles

Castlevania Judgment

- The newer version is much more complete, deeper, has come together a bit more visually
- Won’t be a bad game, but Matt still not convinced about 3D level design where you’re running all over the place
- Camera never locks onto the main character, a setter point instead - View can sometimes be blocked
- Wiimote waggle forced at times, classic controller supported
- Online mode, DS to Wii connectivity
- Better than Matt + Bozon thought it would be

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party

- Formula doesn’t feel fresh
- One hook is the balance board, other hook is the comedy factor
- Some graphics look pretty nice
- Interface not quite there
- There are probably doesn’t of games they haven’t put in this one that can be used in the next one
- Has some fun minigames

No More Heroes 2 publisher

- Apparently XSEED won’t be publishing the game
- News is based on some information that Matt received from a few sources
- Ubisoft likely to pick it up
- Ubisoft wouldn’t comment
- Details previously discussed were reiterated (more complex overworld, darker game, etc.)

DSi

- Bummer that menus can’t run in English (Japanese DSi)
- Matt just started using it, likes the interface, changing games without turning off power, matte finish
- Camera pretty nice
- Doesn’t feel like the next big DS but Matt is happy to have it
- Bozon wants to see what will happen with the camera in games
- Size doesn’t seem too different
- A little bigger but a little thinner

- Daemon reviewed Robocalypse - 8.9, KORG DS-10 (Impressive but limited) - 7.1, Rock Revolution - 4.1
- Moon delayed, no special reason other than they need a little more time to finish the game
- Nintendo making an economical game for the DS. Supposed to teach people in a fun way how the economy works.
- More coverage on Blue Dragon, reviews this week

Bozon questions (didn’t have reader questions in front of them)

- Matt believes Nintendo is influencing the market. At the same time, Epic and other developers won’t change their ways and will cling to traditional values.
- Wii would have sold well with a $299 price tag and some HD capability, still might have been the market leader. Wii Sports motivated more people to buy the Wii, same goes with Wii Fit
- Wii is more like a DVD player in that people buy it, then look at the back catalogue
- Pack-ins add value to the box (Ex: Mario Kart with Wii Wheel)
- Gamers expect certain things from Nintendo - Good share of Nintendo games where it feels like nothing has changed

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