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AngryCaterpillar
Feb 1, 2007

I DREW THIS
This is how I play Pullblox:

1. That one looks simple. One more won't hurt.
2. How the hell do I do this
3. Killed it. I'm the master.
4. See step 1

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Waldorf Sixpence
Sep 6, 2004

Often harder on Player 2
I logged in to the eShop today to see if anything new had been released since I stopped playing (there hasn't) and I was greeted with a message telling me that 18 rated games are only available between 11pm and 3am to come into line with Germany's censorship policies. What is this hilarious bullshit? Not that there are any 18+ games on the eShop as far as I know but seriously, what the gently caress?

For reference, Germany is the country that took all the zombies out of Left 4 Dead.

Atlas Hugged
Mar 12, 2007


Put your arms around me,
fiddly digits, itchy britches
I love you all

Waldorf Sixpence posted:

I logged in to the eShop today to see if anything new had been released since I stopped playing (there hasn't) and I was greeted with a message telling me that 18 rated games are only available between 11pm and 3am to come into line with Germany's censorship policies. What is this hilarious bullshit? Not that there are any 18+ games on the eShop as far as I know but seriously, what the gently caress?

For reference, Germany is the country that took all the zombies out of Left 4 Dead.

Your country has a long history with opposition to violence in video games. This is really nothing new from Germany. I've never heard of this regulation, but it isn't surprising in the least.

StevenM
Nov 6, 2011

Haraksha posted:

Your country has a long history with opposition to violence in video games. This is really nothing new from Germany. I've never heard of this regulation, but it isn't surprising in the least.

I may be wrong, but I'm assuming from the tone of his post that he doesn't live in Germany and by extension, this is some weird bullshit restriction that's going to affect Europe in general.

EDIT:

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/10/wii-us-european-late-night-eshop-restriction-due-to-german-law/

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
Yeah, NOE is based in Germany so that stupid law has affected everyone in Europe.

Atlas Hugged
Mar 12, 2007


Put your arms around me,
fiddly digits, itchy britches
I love you all
OH, my mistake. I thought he lived in Germany and somehow just realized they have really strict laws on video games. That is utter bullshit then.

Regy Rusty
Apr 26, 2010

StevenM posted:

I may be wrong, but I'm assuming from the tone of his post that he doesn't live in Germany and by extension, this is some weird bullshit restriction that's going to affect Europe in general.

EDIT:

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/10/wii-us-european-late-night-eshop-restriction-due-to-german-law/

Wow that's what the reason was? So that idiotic thing somehow managed to be even stupider.

StevenM
Nov 6, 2011
Not that I'm condoning their decision, but I'm just glad it's only restricted (hurr) to purchasing software from the eShop. Now if we were talking about an additional time window in which you could play those games, that would be massively hosed.

Katana Gomai
Jan 14, 2007

"Thus," concluded Miyamoto, "you must give up everything you have to be my disciple."

I made a big effort post on this in the Wii U thread, but basically there are two things wrong about the way it's presented in the media:

a) The law states the appropriate time window is 11pm-6am so Nintendo needlessly cut it further for no apparent reason.

b) The law also states that you can fulfill it by either making 18+ content available only during the aforementioned timeframe or using "technological or other means" to make it "impossible or reasonably hard" for kids to access this. Basically, any form of verification would do and it doesn't have to be 100%.

So Nintendo just solved "the problem" the easiest way they could, cut the allowed time by three hours needlessly and didn't bother to keep it Germany-only via IP tracing or anything. Our law is strict but I'd appreciate it if people didn't just look at it and say "oh those Germans did it, poor Nintendo!" because they went about this in the absolute dumbest way possible.

InspectorCarbonara
Jul 2, 2010

Evening, patrolmaaan.

Katana Gomai posted:

I made a big effort post on this in the Wii U thread, but basically there are two things wrong about the way it's presented in the media:

a) The law states the appropriate time window is 11pm-6am so Nintendo needlessly cut it further for no apparent reason.

b) The law also states that you can fulfill it by either making 18+ content available only during the aforementioned timeframe or using "technological or other means" to make it "impossible or reasonably hard" for kids to access this. Basically, any form of verification would do and it doesn't have to be 100%.

So Nintendo just solved "the problem" the easiest way they could, cut the allowed time by three hours needlessly and didn't bother to keep it Germany-only via IP tracing or anything. Our law is strict but I'd appreciate it if people didn't just look at it and say "oh those Germans did it, poor Nintendo!" because they went about this in the absolute dumbest way possible.
So if the verification doesn't have to be 100% fool proof what's stopping them from just having an "enter your date of birth" field when you try to access 18+ content like every other thing that cares about age ratings does?

Katana Gomai
Jan 14, 2007

"Thus," concluded Miyamoto, "you must give up everything you have to be my disciple."

I had a look at the text again and translated it more closely; in essence, you can fulfill the requirement of the law by "making it impossible or at least severely hinder minors from accessing the content via technical or other means" and I am pretty sure a simple age verification wouldn't fit the bill in terms of "severely hindering" minors. Pretty much any other form of verification would, such as asking for the number or your driver's license, passport or ID card (we all carry those, unlike the US) though.

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.

Pyrovile posted:

So if the verification doesn't have to be 100% fool proof what's stopping them from just having an "enter your date of birth" field when you try to access 18+ content like every other thing that cares about age ratings does?

Nothing, it's just Nintendo being Nintendo. In fact, they actually used the in-built age ratings as their justification for the region lock, but they're not even using it in the one situation where it might ostensibly be justifiable.

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
Japan is getting a bunch of discounted Megaman games as part of Capcom's Megaman 25th anniversary celebrations; MM1-6 on 3DS VC (yes, Japan has all six of them already!) and MM9/10 on WiiWare will be 20% off until January 7.

No word on whether any of these discounts will be made available internationally, but Capcom-Unity said they'll be announcing some MM-related stuff later today, so here's hoping...

FanaticalMilk
Mar 11, 2011


PaletteSwappedNinja posted:

Japan is getting a bunch of discounted Megaman games as part of Capcom's Megaman 25th anniversary celebrations; MM1-6 on 3DS VC (yes, Japan has all six of them already!) and MM9/10 on WiiWare will be 20% off until January 7.

No word on whether any of these discounts will be made available internationally, but Capcom-Unity said they'll be announcing some MM-related stuff later today, so here's hoping...

There was an interview with some Capcom USA guys, and they were asked if the Mega Man games were coming to the US 3DS Virtual Console and they gave a definitive "I can't talk about that now" response.

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
PAL-land has the first MM game on the 3DS VC, does NA not even have that yet?

Maybe they're gonna be uncharacteristically generous and make 'em all available at once.

FanaticalMilk
Mar 11, 2011


Nah, none of the NES Mega Man games are available on the US 3DS Virtual Console, and Mega Man 6 is still not available for the Wii Virtual Console. Though Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge for the Game Boy is available for the 3DS Virtual Console.

StevenM
Nov 6, 2011

PaletteSwappedNinja posted:

PAL-land has the first MM game on the 3DS VC, does NA not even have that yet?

Maybe they're gonna be uncharacteristically generous and make 'em all available at once.

Maybe they're going to be characteristically Capcommy and release a Megaman Classic Collection cartridge. Alternatively, that 3D Classics library IS looking a little slim...

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
Capcom announced that MM1-6 are coming to the NA 3DS eShop - MM1 will be out on the 27th, MM2 on February 7, the rest "at regular intervals" ie not all at once and no quicker than the average VC release. No introductory / anniversary sale or any of that crap. Joy.

Balcony
Sep 8, 2005
Dear Deidre...
The e-shop age restriction is a big gently caress you to those who work shifts during the night.

Atlas Hugged
Mar 12, 2007


Put your arms around me,
fiddly digits, itchy britches
I love you all

StevenM posted:

Maybe they're going to be characteristically Capcommy and release a Megaman Classic Collection cartridge. Alternatively, that 3D Classics library IS looking a little slim...

Are any of the 3D classics really worth it? I'm a pretty big Kirby platforming fan, but I'm not sure if the gimmick of 3D is going to be worth it.

Katana Gomai
Jan 14, 2007

"Thus," concluded Miyamoto, "you must give up everything you have to be my disciple."

Haraksha posted:

Are any of the 3D classics really worth it?

3D is never worth it, you use it once and then go back to playing the game in 2D.

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
I use 3D all the time, and it looks particularly good on 2D games with lots of parallax (which there aren't nearly enough of, incidentally).

3D Classics Kirby's Adventure runs without the slowdown of the NES original, so that alone makes it a good alternative. The 3D is quite shallow for that particular game, no idea why.

RMZXAnarchy
Sep 9, 2011

*Insert Sailor Jupiter joke here*

PaletteSwappedNinja posted:

Capcom announced that MM1-6 are coming to the NA 3DS eShop - MM1 will be out on the 27th, MM2 on February 7, the rest "at regular intervals" ie not all at once and no quicker than the average VC release. No introductory / anniversary sale or any of that crap. Joy.

I wouldn't be surprised if MM2 is the only game they release in February. What a loving waste, I would be happier if they just gave us three at a time, that way I could get MM3 right away, that's my favorite one.

I wouldn't be surprised if MM6 doesn't come out until mid-2014 or never at all, since we still don't have it on the Wii Shop either. Though, that one was pretty mediocre, I wouldn't really miss it.

Anyway, on the topic of 3D classics, you want "Shallow" 3D? Kid Icarus. The 3D may as well not even be there.

EDIT: my mistake, the backdrops have multiple layers. Still, they don't really mesh well at all with the 8-bit graphics. Might be because they look 16-bit, and really colorful.

RMZXAnarchy fucked around with this message at 12:26 on Dec 17, 2012

Obeast
Aug 26, 2006
Õ_~ ANIME BABE LOVER 2000 ~_Õ

Haraksha posted:

Are any of the 3D classics really worth it? I'm a pretty big Kirby platforming fan, but I'm not sure if the gimmick of 3D is going to be worth it.
I only have 3D Classics Xevious and I really like it since the 3D effect makes it a lot easier to distinguish land and air enemies. I would wait for it to go back on Club Nintendo so you can use coins to buy it, though, since I doubt anyone outside of Xevious/SHUMP/Namco fans would pay $6 for it.

A True Jar Jar Fan
Nov 3, 2003

Primadonna

Haraksha posted:

Are any of the 3D classics really worth it?
Kid Icarus 3D Classic adds some nice new background graphics, a save function, and an ability to slow fall, making the game noticeably easier. Sadly it also removes New Game+. I think it's a nice alternative to the original game.

StevenM posted:

Maybe they're going to be characteristically Capcommy and release a Megaman Classic Collection cartridge.
I'd like that because if literally every Capcom collection to date is proof, it would cost consumers less money than paying $5 a piece for the individual games on the Virtual Console.

Chumbawumba4ever97
Dec 31, 2000

by Fluffdaddy

Haraksha posted:

Are any of the 3D classics really worth it? I'm a pretty big Kirby platforming fan, but I'm not sure if the gimmick of 3D is going to be worth it.

Some of the 3D classics are amazing, like the Excitebike and Xevious ones. The 3D looks incredible, and you can tell they completely rewrote the game.

Kirby though? What the hell? It looks like they just used an NES emulator. It even has the stupid 4:3 border. The 3-d is almost non-existent, too. However, the odd thing is that it doesn't appear to be emulated, because the sprites are razor-sharp. This is a stark contrast to all the NES Virtual Console games which in my opinion have very ugly upscaling filters on them.

Speaking of which, I really hope they give us alternate upscaling options for the Virtual Console games. I know it's a really spergy complaint but everything just looks so drat blurry. Surely they can implement simple2x or something instead of this interpolation crap they've been giving us?

AngryCaterpillar
Feb 1, 2007

I DREW THIS

Miyamotos RGB NES posted:

Kirby though? What the hell? It looks like they just used an NES emulator. It even has the stupid 4:3 border. The 3-d is almost non-existent, too. However, the odd thing is that it doesn't appear to be emulated, because the sprites are razor-sharp. This is a stark contrast to all the NES Virtual Console games which in my opinion have very ugly upscaling filters on them.

Apparently it's because the NES was already ten years old when the game came out.

Wikipedia posted:

IGN remarked that "by 1993, the programmers of the world had learned how to unleash every last ounce of power hidden inside the original Nintendo system. Kirby's Adventure was one of those late-generation games, and probably the best of them". The game features special visual effects, pseudo-3D backgrounds (including towers that appear to rotate in three dimensions) and parallax scrolling. At 6 Megabit, it was one of the largest games ever released for the NES; even so, it did not use Nintendo's most powerful mapper chip, the MMC5, but rather the older, more common, and less expensive MMC3.

Chumbawumba4ever97
Dec 31, 2000

by Fluffdaddy

AngryCaterpillar posted:

Apparently it's because the NES was already ten years old when the game came out.

No I mean it looks like Nintendo ported the game for the 3DS rather than just emulated it, but that doesn't explain why the 3-d is barely there and the game runs in 4:3 (compared to all the other great 3-d rereleases Nintendo has done so far).

elf help book
Aug 5, 2004

Though the battle might be endless, I will never give up
All the 3D versions are complete rewrites of the entire game. Which is probably why they stopped doing it.

Astro7x
Aug 4, 2004
Thinks It's All Real


Pretty good Club Nintendo lineup for games this week!

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
PAL update (December 20):

quote:

WII U eSHOP
    Chasing Aurora - €5.99 / £5.39 until January 3! (standard price €11.99)
    Little Inferno - €9.99 / £8.99 until January 3! (standard price €14.99)
3DS eSHOP
    escapeVektor - €9.99 / £8.99
    Gunman Clive - €1.99 / £1.79
    Rising Board 3D (price reduction) €1.99, previously €2.69
3DS ADD-ON CONTENT
    New Art Academy DLC Lessons - €1.99 / £1.79 each
  • Glass and Light
  • Expressionism
DSIWARE
    Cake Ninja: XMAS - 500 Points / €4.99 / £4.49
    Castle Conqueror: Heroes 2 - 500 Points / €4.99 / £4.49
"VIDEO GAME HEROES" SALE: MARIO (ends December 27)
    Dr. Mario (Game Boy) - €2.99 / £2.69 - 25% off!
    Super Mario Bros. (NES) - €3.49 / £3.19 - 30% off!

Blackbelt Bobman
Jul 17, 2004

I don't need friends! I've been
manipulatin' you since the start!
All so I can something,
something X-Blade!


Is Twinbee any good?

Akileese
Feb 6, 2005

Astro7x posted:



Pretty good Club Nintendo lineup for games this week!

Wow! I'm a bit shocked they had that good of a lineup. Gonna pick up Twinbee and Metroid II.

homeless snail
Mar 14, 2007

Blackbelt Bobman posted:

Is Twinbee any good?
Its pretty cool for an early SHMUP. Could be a hard sell if you already have 3D Classics Xevious, though. Its pretty much a slightly more sophisticated version of that game, with power-ups, better enemy patterns, and a cuter art style. Too bad its not one of the later, more distinctive, games like Detana or Moero Twinbee. Still not bad for a free game.

Blackbelt Bobman
Jul 17, 2004

I don't need friends! I've been
manipulatin' you since the start!
All so I can something,
something X-Blade!


what's a SHMUP?

thexerox123
Aug 17, 2007

Blackbelt Bobman posted:

what's a SHMUP?

Shoot-em-up.

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
Sega Japan posted a bunch of info on Space Harrier 3D (click), here are the details:

-Choose between original resolution, 4:3, full-screen and "cabinet mode"
-Supports circle pad, d-pad and touchscreen for movement; options to invert y-axis, set rapid-fire and change "range of movement" (not sure what this is... bounding box, maybe?)
-Basic dip-switch settings; difficulty, lives, extend numbers, etc
-Stage select that lets you begin from previously completed stages
-Some sort of time attack mode?
-Supports savestates (only one, I think)
-Replay saving/playback
-"Cabinet mode" emulates the feeling of the original arcade cabinet by tilting the screen to match your movement and playing the outside-the-game sfx
-Sound test includes an equaliser function that lets you adjust individual sound channels (!)

tldr: this is how all the 3D Classics should have been handled. Comes out in Japan on the 26th for 600yen, and we know they're working on more of 'em, too.

RMZXAnarchy
Sep 9, 2011

*Insert Sailor Jupiter joke here*

PaletteSwappedNinja posted:

Sega Japan posted a bunch of info on Space Harrier 3D (click), here are the details:

-Choose between original resolution, 4:3, full-screen and "cabinet mode"
-Supports circle pad, d-pad and touchscreen for movement; options to invert y-axis, set rapid-fire and change "range of movement" (not sure what this is... bounding box, maybe?)
-Basic dip-switch settings; difficulty, lives, extend numbers, etc
-Stage select that lets you begin from previously completed stages
-Some sort of time attack mode?
-Supports savestates (only one, I think)
-Replay saving/playback
-"Cabinet mode" emulates the feeling of the original arcade cabinet by tilting the screen to match your movement and playing the outside-the-game sfx
-Sound test includes an equaliser function that lets you adjust individual sound channels (!)

tldr: this is how all the 3D Classics should have been handled. Comes out in Japan on the 26th for 600yen, and we know they're working on more of 'em, too.

Well, Sega goes above and beyond with this stuff.
Look at the Game Gear VC for example:
-Ability to change resolution on the fly without having to hold a button down when booting the game up.
-Motion Blur option.
-Multiple different colors for the "Game Gear" shell in Dot by Dot mode.
-Option for "Original Performance" or "Special Performance", I think this means if poo poo flickers or not.
-All the features Nintendo VC games have.

Why can't Nintendo use Sega's program? its better.

Obeast
Aug 26, 2006
Õ_~ ANIME BABE LOVER 2000 ~_Õ

PaletteSwappedNinja posted:

Space Harrier 3D info
That sounds pretty awesome. I was thinking it was gonna be like 3D Classics Xevious (I dunno about the other ones since I haven't played them), but this sounds really neat.

I'd like to see the Cabinet Mode in action though... Because, even though it sounds neat (especially to people who played a shitload of it on the actual cabinet), the description makes it sound like it could be a good source of motion sickness.

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PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
First off, the last set of NSMB2 DLC has been announced:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igOFOEA4q3k


Secondly, the TVii launch is confirmed to be part of this week's update in NA. Here's the press release:

quote:

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 19, 2012 – The company that changed how we play is about to change how we watch. On Dec. 20, Nintendo will introduce Nintendo TVii, a free, integrated service for the recently launched Wii U console that combines what you watch and how you watch into one seamless, second-screen experience on the revolutionary new Wii U GamePad controller.

The rapid increase in both the quality and availability of video entertainment content – hundreds of satellite and cable channels, a seemingly endless amount of video-on-demand options – has made finding something to watch a complex and occasionally frustrating process. The solution to this problem is coming from perhaps an unexpected place: a video game console.

"After Dec. 20, you'll never look at your TV the same way again," said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. "Wii U owners have already experienced the transformative effect that the GamePad has on game play and social interaction. Nintendo TVii shows how the integrated second screen of the GamePad can also transform and enhance the TV viewing experience. Welcome to the new world of TVii."

Nintendo TVii maximizes Wii U owners' current cable, satellite and video-on-demand services by pulling all of their available content sources – such as a Comcast cable package or Hulu Plus subscription – into one place. This empowers Wii U owners to focus on what they want to watch and not how they want to watch. And once users find the show, sporting event or movie they want, they press an icon and Nintendo TVii does the rest.

In addition to greatly simplifying finding and watching video content, Nintendo TVii also includes a series of social features that enable Wii U owners to share experiences and exciting moments with friends as they are happening on live TV. People can engage with others by commenting and sharing on Miiverse, Facebook and Twitter. Or they can comment, post or tweet about an incredible touchdown, a remarkable performance or a shocking plot twist, all using the personal screen of the Wii U GamePad.

Nintendo TVii requires no additional equipment and can be enjoyed with very little setup, demonstrating what's possible when the second screen is truly integrated with the TV. Wii U owners can also discover more information about what they're watching by easily accessing information on the GamePad via an Internet connection, including cast details, movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes and sports data such as live stats and scores.

Nintendo TVii launches in the United States and Canada on Dec. 20. At launch, the service will support cable and satellite providers in both regions, as well as direct integration with Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus subscriptions in the United States. Further integration with Netflix subscriptions and TiVo are expected in early 2013 in the United States. Wii U owners with a Netflix subscription can still access the Netflix application from the Wii U system's main menu and enjoy their favorite content accordingly.

All elements of the Nintendo TVii service are included in the purchase price of the Wii U system. Users will define which services they currently subscribe to – including the channel lineup in their cable package and video-on-demand service subscriptions – as part of the setup process.

Nintendo TVii observes the Wii U system parental controls, and additional options specific to the Nintendo TVii features can be chosen in the Nintendo TVii settings. Every member of the family can create a different viewing profile. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.

They're even doing a "Reggie Asks" on the topic tomorrow. This oughta be good.

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