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The 20 Best Games at TGS
As Tokyo Games Show wraps up for another year, Edge looks at the 20 Japanese games that we feel represent what's best about Japanese development right now. Here are our favorite games of the show...
20. 7th Dragon
Sega, DS
Phantasy Star designer Rieko Kodama's return to gaming is a cute little RPG on the DS, directed by Kazuya Niinou, designer of the Etrian Odyssey games. Like Etrian Odyssey, Seventh Dragon is a relentlessly difficult exercise in visual mathematics - "difficult" as in, you enter a dungeon where the enemies have 100 hit points, you have 30, they can do 20 damage, and you can do 10. A certain type of person loves this kind of game with all of their soul. Seventh Dragon might not work any miracles in terms of getting absolute newcomers interested in mathematical masochism, though its 16-bit RPG throwback graphical presentation and its simple premise -- receive a mission, enter a dungeon, kill the dragons, get money -- might endear it to fans of the more entertainment-focused RPGs. Sega seems pretty intent on distributing copious amounts of downloadable missions, which could be cool: the dungeon demoed at TGS was, in fact, created just for the purpose of the TGS demo.
19. Infinite Space
Sega, DS
The first game by Platinum Games -- the former Clover Studio -- to be presented in playable form is this little space RPG with sparkly music and a booming, serious plot. It's apparently based on a novel by Arthur C. Clarke, and may or may not be released outside Japan with the title "Infinite Line". The player can customize an interstellar battleship and then battle against other battleships using a combat system that resembles poker in zero-gravity: the closer you move to your opponent, the easier it is to hit them, and the easier it is to be hit, and your guns require rest time between every few shots fired. It could be interesting, and Sega was right to require showgoers to play it while seated, with headphones on, though maybe TGS isn't the best venue to glimpse the true depth of the game.
18. Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Square-Enix, PSP
Square-Enix's continuing effort to make Big Money off the Final Fantasy franchise without doing anything precisely new has finally produced interesting results: an action game. I personally have had a fantasy since about the Dreamcast era that Square would hand the Final Fantasy characters to Namco's Soul Calibur team, though now that Soul Calibur has Darth Vader and Yoda, I guess that isn't going to happen. Dissidia, previously touted as a fighting game, was recently outed as having a story four times longer than Square-Enix's recent Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, which was an actual RPG. So now they've changed the "genre" tab of the info box to read "Dynamic Progressive Action". Whatever you guys say! The game is actually kind of fun, with a battle system that doesn't entirely feel up to luck, and with plenty (tons) of little numbers and gauges and baubles all over the place. The environments are huge, and the action is actually rather crisp. It is with a sigh that I decide I might actually buy it, because, hey, Final Fantasy characters.
17. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Square-Enix, PSP
Stop the presses: I liked a Kingdom Hearts game. To be honest, I consider the majority of the series to be utter trash and/or one huge missed opportunity. On the one hand, people are buying the games, so who can complain? On the other hand, they're all pretty insultingly badly executed. Square-Enix has two new entries coming -- one for PSP and one for DS -- and it looks like someone managed to convince the rest of the game designers that they can safely presume that most of their customers, previously believed to consist mainly of casuals attracted by the Disney license, are now what you would call "experienced" at playing games. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (which is still a horrible title) adds an actual feeling of friction to the battles by way of a parry button. Things like parry buttons go a long way: all at once, you no longer feel so much like you're just pressing the O button until "THE END" -- now, it's more like you're playing a videogame. Truth be told, in the demo, I spent a lot of time standing in front of an enemy, waiting for them to attack -- which sometimes took more than thirty seconds -- just so I could parry it, and the attending booth girl was literally shocked when she saw I'd died. Anyway, it's nice to die in games sometimes. And hey! If either the Disney or the Final Fantasy kept you from liking any of the other Kingdom Hearts games, you might be pleased to know that the demo of Birth by Sleep didn't seem to have anything immediately Disney or Final Fantasy in it, aside from, eventually, a defamiliarized Magic Kingdom looming on the horizon.
16. Chrono Trigger DS
Square-Enix, DS
Chrono Trigger is probably the best Japanese RPG ever made; Squaresoft poured so much money, talent, and attention to detail into the game that analysts must have later warned them to never do that again, to instead ready one good feature per game for maximum profit, rather than make a game where everything is great and everyone is satisfied. Now, in the face of Level-5 becoming the new Square-Enix, spinning out new franchises and taking big risks, Square-Enix has seen fit to pause for a break in their remaking of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games and instead remake Chrono Trigger. Reportedly, the remake will be quite minimalistic, which is good enough for the fans. Truth be told, the game wasn't even playable at TGS, or even shown in video form. However, the Square-Enix booth did feature a gallery of all the original watercolor paintings produced by artist Akira Toriyama as concepts for the game. As one of the more unabashed Chrono Trigger fans in existence, it was something of a religious experience to see the art up-close, and with a sigh, I decided, sure, I'll pay 5,000 yen to play it again.
This list also fails for not having Oboro Muramasa Youtouden or Sky Crawlers or Fragile or Little King's Story included, but we can all see the obvious bias so it's natural not many Wii games would make the cut, at least not without a fair share of bashing (in a best of list, ha) like Monster Hunter 3 got.
Can we stop talking about Monster Hunter yet? I've been turned off from this site and these forums for the last two days from the Never Ending Story that is Monster Hunter and its many defenders. Please make your peace with this article and move on. Can I get a 2nd?
Here's an idea, don't visit this page.
Dude, we spent all day yesterday further "debating" the "Nintendon't like hardcore" and "Wiimote Motion-Plus"articles of, like, a month ago. You wanna talk about making peace with articles.........slow news days require beating dead horses, I guess
Well, 108, from all your responses it does sound like you're mostly bitter AND overracted with your statements within the article ("exactly like the PSP" isn't the same as "I wanted HD") so my advice is to get a Wii and some of its great games. Namely No More Heroes, a rough diamond, and Metroid Prime 3, one of the most polished gaming experiences ANY GEN period. Expand your gaming horizons a little bit, you know? Don't just try them out in the office for an hour, EXPERIENCE THEM.
Also, do you often lie in the comments area to justify your statements within an article? I just read it again to see if I was wrong to say you stated there's no online mode. It turns out, you did say it has no online mode. Did you even proof read your article? Not to mention you only bothered to respond to one or two points you thought you could one up.
Anyway, here's the quote:
"I mean, it's Monster Hunter where the only local multiplayer requires you to share"
"the only local multiplayer"
"only local multiplayer"
"ONLY LOCAL"
"ONLY"
This does NOT imply there is online multiplayer you merely did not get to experience as you now claim. It states there's none of that because there's ONLY LOCAL MULTIPLAYER. Perhaps you MEANT something else or THOUGHT about something else but the syntax and grammar used says this. Lose the word "only" and it becomes a correct and truthful statement, though you still NEED to mention there's ONLINE TOO.
You'd think a Monster Hunter fan would be FRACKING GLAD that mode returns after years of absense, and also FRACKING GLAD they didn't forget about local multi player either. Yeah, the view is restricted. What do you want them to do, offer a multi screen setup and give away a flat panel TV and appropriate custom cables with every copy of the game? This is how offline multi player on home consoles works.
Also, the word limit prevented you from saying that classic controls are offered after trashing the motion controls? You not only pollute the game's preview with your personal bias but you mislead people into thinking hard factual features are not present. THAT'S NOT GOOD WRITING. If word limit was the real problem, you could delete a sentence or two from the Dissidia preview, the stuff about your Dreamcast era fantasy, or statements of how grown up you are(n't) during the White Knight Chronicles preview, or other such babbling, instead of lead people into all the sycophantic statements about this.
In any case, Monster Hunter 3 looks gorgeous (and at least twice as good as on PS2, and yet you hate it, and yet you're content with 2ndG which looks worse than any PS2 effort, ok then) with zippy load times and adds a LOT to the series in terms of new features and scope and major improvements in mechanics. Even if you want to skip on it you should realise any sequel on any system will be a better game thanks to 3 and the effort they're putting into that, much more than in any of the (still great) PSP parts.
And yes, I know of your "HD" experiences also, I do have a great gaming PC and have played through the likes of Gears of War, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4 and Mass Effect but as a damn GAMER I can also appreciate the BEAUTY of less technically (and ONLY technically) advanced experiences like The Witcher, Aquaria, Cave Story and Mount & Blade (ok, the last one is not beautiful, but still a damn awesome game).
You should be able to too, considering your job. Also, in the future, try to write what you mean and what you want to say and the truth. Three out of three please, don't pick one or two to follow, and if they contradict, for example if you want to say something that is not the truth again, just don't write at all instead.
Actually, my blurb on Monster Hunter 3 was originally about twice as long as what made the cut into this article.
The "only local multiplayer" in Monster Hunter 3 is the screen-sharing mode. The "only local multiplayer" of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G requires every player to have a PSP -- his own screen, his own copy of the game.
Playing Monster Hunter on the PSP is the best way to experience the game, at least in Japan. Kids carry their PSPs everywhere; every kid in school plays Monster Hunter; when they're sitting around after school or riding the train, they'll take out their PSPs and play, while talking to one another about various things.
Monster Hunter, yes, was originally an online game for the PlayStation 2. However, in this form, it was not nearly as successful sales-wise as it was when it was ported to the PSP.
Monster Hunter on the PSP was a revelation for the Japanese games industry because it was a cooperation-heavy action-based, skill-reliant experience that should have, according to common belief at the time, put off casual gamers.
It did not do this, because it was fun, and the multiplication of the fun that resulted when you let people play it together, using their imaginations and creatively forming tactics using common sense, was not at all predicted. This is because "the human element" or "the social element" of something is always downplayed in Japanese marketing strategy. In Tokyo at least, humans are perceived by marketers to be islands. Companies want to make a product that first and foremost appeals to a person as a single entity.
The Nintendo Wii broke down that specific wall with Wii Sports (et al) -- three years after Sony Computer Entertainment Japan shrugged at the EyeToy and told Phil Harrison "people in Japan don't play games together".
Monster Hunter already existed on the PSP at the time of the Wii's arrival; however, once the sequels rolled out, the sales went up.
I believe -- and many others do as well -- that the PSP local multiplayer is the heart and soul of Monster Hunter. It's the perfect fit. (I will not rule out the possibility that it could work as well (if not better) on the DS!)
The PSP is "the perfect fit" because people in Japan tend to ride lots of trains, or spend lots of time standing around waiting for friends, and polishing one's skills in Monster Hunter tends to always feel (in the best possible way!) a little bit like work. Work -- once it's done, it's greatly satisfying.
You get new items or armor or weapons, and then, the next time your friend is around, you ask, "Hey, do you have your PSP?" If he has his PSP, you play a quick quest.
I was drinking coffee with a friend in Starbucks last night, and two guys -- college friends, maybe? -- and one of the guys' girlfriends were playing Monster Hunter on PSP and talking about the latest Hayao Miyazaki movie while drinking their coffee.
WHAT I AM SAYING IS: You won't be able to do this with Monster Hunter 3 on the Wii.
The latest trends in Japanese game design are slowly pushing toward gaming as a social experience, and Monster Hunter is in many ways the flag-bearer. It is a "hang-out game": a game you play while hanging out in real life.
Monster Hunter has singlehandedly taken the common perception of an "online game" -- that being that games like Monster Hunter are played exclusively by mute shut-ins spending all of their spare time huddled over a computer in their tiny apartment -- and turned it on its ear.
Monster Hunter has made wilderness-traipsing, hack-and-slashing, beast-blasting action with heavy emphasis on item management something "normal" "adults" will gladly and unashamedly partake of in amazingly public places, the way elementary school kids play with their Yu-Gi-Oh cards at McDonalds.
IT HAS BEEN SAID: that Japanese people don't go to one another's houses, most of the time, to "play". Adults in Japan tend to not make "friends" after graduating from college. Monster Hunter on PSP is loosening people up to a point where, when they meet a friend they haven't seen in months, they do something more than sit around a table in a bar saying "It's so hot outside". For that, Monster Hunter is a social force to be reckoned with.
IN OTHER WORDS: I love Monster Hunter as much as you do, if not more. I quite honestly believe it's the second coming of the Japanese Videogame (the "first coming" being Super Mario Bros.).
It's just that -- well. It's not a perfect game. With the tiniest tweaks, it could be.
I have heard many, many people say that the IDEA of Monster Hunter intrigues them to no end, and it pains them that they "just didn't get into it" when they tried playing it.
In fact, the people I've heard say this FAR outnumber the people I know who regularly play Monster Hunter.
What I'm saying is that Monster Hunter 3 for Wii, though it will sell morbidly well, will NOT pull in nearly as many of the people as it could.
Now, a simple exercise: play the original Castlevania. Savor the way the character moves, the feeling of weight when he falls. If you're like me, you love that heavy feeling.
Now play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Feel the stark difference, the semi-weightlessness of the character.
Monster Hunter, right now, is like the original Castlevania.
Symphony of the Night, however, is the one everybody puts on their "Best Games Ever" list.
(I'd choose Castlevania: Bloodlines, though that's just me.)
Well I can only judge the article I see here, I have no way to know what else you might have written and some random person who clearly didn't have a clue edited all the important bits out. If it's so different to what you actually write maybe you should consider asking for them to not put your name on these. And maybe not defend the article here by stating things readers can't see.
Monster Hunter however was a phenomenon in Japan long before it hit the PSP, while it's obviously nowhere near as popular anywhere else so you can't have the train experiences and such you describe here therefor the online mode is extremely important to offer that multi player experience the games build off of. Perhaps living in Japan, your personal experience is different to other regions. Here we struggle to find people to play with (actually, I have not played MH2 multi player at all) and the online mode is the one thing we wished Capcom would add back all this time, and probably the one thing needed to make the series popular here. Maybe impressions of a game should go beyond such particular personal experience you know.
Still, even though you put so much emphasis on this aspect after being questioned, you certainly seemed much more willing to play a Monster Hunter on PS3 without even mentioning such gripes. Still, putting a home console game down for not being portable isn't exactly good writing either. Judge things for what they are, not what they aren't. Otherwise Little Big Planet would be a shitty FPS and Metal Gear Solid 4 a sub par platformer.
Besides, don't tell me you'd be so very indifferent to the announcement of an online mode for a PSP Monster Hunter. Sony certainly aren't since United (2nd G for US) will be one of the first titles supported by some PS3 thingie which makes previously ad-hoc only games playable online (I don't know details).
As for your last paragraph, Monster Hunter is unique how it is and is insanely popular as it is. Why would Capcom change the game so much just to bring even more people in, as they could likely put off more of the previous fans? Were you looking for the Wii version to be easier to play so that it becomes more mainstream in the west? I have the feeling you would criticise it further if they did that, for not being the Monster Hunter you love and for becoming a cousin to Phantasy Star Online outings. You can always play that if you want a simple online action RPG which allows you to beat down huge monsters with your friends you know, why should Monster Hunter risk losing its place to take over that place?
I can guarantee they wouldn't change the formula regardless of the system they put it on (they didn't change it for PC). I can also guarantee you wouldn't be so hard on the game if it was on PS3 and was identical to this version with some normal mapping added on top. You just come off as that shallow. Long shorty short, you aren't quite convincing me.
Excellent article, as always. I really like Tim's articles. I like the way he expresses his opinions. I think it is good when you can have more than facts, because there are already too many sites to get just news. I think some people should be more mature to read things like this and not feel offended for what it is just an opinion, really.
this is to deep for me. i'm going.
"this guy doesn't like my favorite game, hes stoopid."
Dude, get over it. You will one day want that time back you spent on expressing your love for Monster Hunter.
Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one.
This is the first and last time I make a post on this site. And this will be the last time I come to this site. But I got something to say.
I love Monster Hunter. It's one of the best original video game series to come out this decade, and if not for Monster Hunter, I would have abandoned video gaming a long time ago. But over the years I've had to endure the unparalleled ignorance that the so-called "professional" video-game reviewing community shows this series. I just don't know what to think.
What I do know is that your portion of the article regarding Monster Hunter Tri is filled with fallacies, and unsubstantiated rhetoric. I actually know people that are at TGS that are reporting back to me and my friends about this game. What they (and many others on the internet) are reporting back in great detail heavily contradicts your vagueries.
First off, overall the consensus has been pretty unamimous that the Wiimote controls for the game are surprisingly simple and intuitive, but offers the option of using the Classic Controller. It was already well-known before TGS that MH3 would have online multiplayer. The two-player split-screen was a shocking surprise that I don't think any fan of the series could have anticipated, including myself. And I'm not even gonna go into that inane remark of the PSP games and 3 looking the same. That's just an insult.
Now, as for your trite remark that Capcom is treating MH like Dynasty Warriors....Have you even played any Monster Hunter games? Not changed much? EXCUSE ME?! I played the original North American Monster Hunter for two years. One year offline, another year online. After quitting that to play Monster Hunter Freedom for the PSP, I can tell you, that MHF is by leaps, bounds, astronaumical units and light-years a much different game for a variety of reasons. First off all of the improvements that were made, such as improving the quest-interface, making all the weapons more balanced, and more importantly, by allowing the player access to multiplayer quests even if he has no one to play the game with. Which thereby addresses the major issue with the original for the PS2.
Let's not even go into having your Felynes cook or you at your home for buffs which was only online on the original game, or the fact that you could see your skill ratings on your armor now, instead of just having to guess and pray as you did on the original.
If MHF took the series in terms of gameplay out of Earth's orbit, then MHF2 sent it zooming out our galaxy, because that's how much the game changed. Not only did the game look much better, but it played even better. The weapons all got new moves, on top of all the new weapons added. New monsters to fight, with several unique to the portable MH games, such as Narugakuruga and Ucamulbas. The areas from MHDos for the PS2 were used, which meant the old areas from the prior games (MH/MHG/MHP/F) were thrown out. The village was a brand new area, unique to the series, because it had never been used in any of the prior games, or the following ones. Not to mention the high level of customization thanks to decorative slots for armor and weapons that allowed you to augment and customize skills for your character. And let's not forget how the devs went out of their way to address loading times, first with background-loading, and then with the Media Install on 2G. These guys have taken the PSP architecture to the limits, and not just graphically. The MH devs could take a Commadore 64 and make it run Half-Life, or take a pack of matches and build the Sistine Chapel out of them.
Really, as far as the series not ever changing goes, I could spend all day proving how much of a fallacy that is, but let's talk about that remark you made regarding how clunky the games' controls are. Actually, if we compare your prior statement involving Kingdom Hearts a few pages back, where you decried the series for having simple controls and gameplay that's too easy, then how can you resolve that with your remarks about Monster Hunter?
Now, I'm not gonna say they're perfect. But given what they have to work with, the devs have always impressed me with how intuitively they mapped out the control scheme on the games. Especially on the PSP versions of the series, given how few buttons they have to work with, and yet they pulled it off flawlessly. And as far as the original game and MHDos (and probably 3 with the Classic Controller) using the right analog stick to use your weapons. That took balls. I LOVED that layout. It was much easier on the thumbs than tapping buttons.
What I think a lot of you so-called professional reviewers seem to be missing here as far as the control scheme goes, is that Monster Hunter isn't a button-mashing game. I suppose since you can't level up, you would just assume as such, but that's not the issue at all. Monster Hunter is a contemporary take on Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Only instead of fighting boxers, you fight psuedo-mythical prehistoric beasts. That's literally the very soul of this series. When you fight the monsters, you're waiting for the creature to give you an opening to lay in a bunch of hits, and then back off without getting wailed on yourself. You have to block, you have to dodge, and you have to improvise and adjust to changes on the field.
But that's what makes this game so great compared to other games these days. You actually have to get better at the game. You can't level-grind, and you can't just expect to put in thousands of hours and expect the game to show leniency. You have to get better at the game. And that's how you can tell a vet from a newbie, because a vet can take a weak weapon and use it so well that it doesn't even matter, whereas a newb will wield a great weapon poorly and never get the most out of it.
When you understand how the game really works, then the controls make absolute and perfect sense. I'm sorry, but this isn't WoW, or Devil May Cry, or Halo. This is Monster Hunter. There is no other series like it out today, and that's why the fans love it so much. And that's why we get so frustrated when people trash talk the game, and in your case, obviously do so without actually doing any objective research into the subject matter, and filling your comments about the game with inaccuracies that anybody that has been casually keeping tabs on the game can tell your just aren't true.
I don't mind criticism, especially when someone backs it up with facts and common sense. I only read one fair review for the original Monster Hunter back in the day, of all things on OPM. Which didn't shower the game with praise, but said that it was a good game, with a lot of potential, that just had a few flaws holding it back. They backed this up with sound reasoning, and facts. And despite being a rabid MH fanboy, I stand by what they said 110%, because it was true. Unlike here where we got a lot of hot air and nothing of substance to back it up. And I made an effort to bring constructive criticism over this matter with a mature attitude, and if this post gets deleted rather than address these glaring errors, not just with Monster Hunter but with several other games on here, well, journalistic integrity really is dead.
Sorry for that, but I'm sick of this series getting trashed for no good reason except that it refuses to dumb itself down for a broader audience. And that's precisely WHY the game is so popular in Japan, and why so many fans abroad (myself included) are so devoted to it. But with that said, have a goodnight.
Well, I actually do like Monster Hunter a great deal. I like it so much I wrote a really long review of Portable 2nd G on my personal website, calling it the 23rd best game of all time!
I'm just a little disappointed that they're not taking the Wii version as an opportunity to tighten up a few of the looser things. Like the clunky menus. Seriously, the menus could be a lot better. Faster, at least.
Maybe I'm just bitter because I wanted it to be on PlayStation 3. I wanted 1080p Monster Hunting. Maybe that's it. Who knows.
I wanted a hi-res monster hunter too, but the 128bit look also works. It's nice having great textures than just aiming for realism.
The in-game models always looked better to me than in the opening CG's. More 'complete', or like the artwork I guess
why in the world would u bash someone for having their own opinion... everything YOU stated to be a fact, is an OPINION. "the controls make absolute and perfect sense" TO YOU no matter how much you believe it to be true, its an opinion! and apparently the article feels otherwise and if thats the case then so be it, everyone has their own different tastes, and this article's opinion doesn't affect how much YOU enjoy the game which is the only thing that matters. "Have you even played any Monster Hunter games? Not changed much? EXCUSE ME?! I" "What I think a lot of you so-called professional reviewers." whats up with this nonsense, you guys act like if someone doesn't like your favorite game its some direct insult to yourself.. people need to relax and let people have their opinions..because thats all it is...we don't need to make it personal and accuse people of losing "integrity" and what not.
Why do you bash this guy for having the opinion that the writer's opinion was bash worthy? He did the same thing the writer did when he trashed the game just because he personally doesn't like it and you do the same thing in sequence while saying it's wrong, lol.
Also, many of the writer's statements go beyond a mere opinion like saying the series is handled like Dynasty Warriors which shows he simply doesn't play the series as this commenter shows they actually add substantial new content and features per release which can't be ignored even if you hate it.
Also the fact he states Monster Hunter 3 in particular loses appearl for having no online mode (even though none of the PSP games had it) when in fact it does have it.
Also the fact he says it looks identical to the PSP version when the real fact is that the game and all assets have been rebuilt so even if he's in the Wii graphics hating business he can't just state it's identical to PSP, he could have said the graphics suck or whatever his opinion is but are still different to PSP, not identical.
Similarly for the controls, even if he dislikes them he should still be able to recognise simplicity and intuitiveness as well as the fact the classic controller is supported. Surely even if someone hates Tetris he can't tell you his opinion is that the controls are complex and unintuitive.
All this just shows that despite what the writer said, he doesn't play Monster Hunter on any level enough to judge a new entry in the series and he also didn't experience the game at TGS but just googled random facts from questionable sources, thus missing many facts about the games and even writing false accusations as facts (again, the controls and the multi player).
It's just clear you bash this guy not because you have experienced the series and know the writer is right but merely because you're an Edge fanboy who can't take someone having a different opinion about its writing quality than you.
Granted most of it is opinion, but he has actually picked up a few reasonable points in there as well.
"This is the first and last time I make a post on this site. And this will be the last time I come to this site."
Sorry for stating the obvious, but you put so much effort into this 'article', so you will come back definitely (or just stalking around here, which is the same).
However, nice to meet you / so long!
Yeah, this guy can't write an article without inserting a dig on MGS4.
Anyway, I think Naruto:UNS is going to be a sleeper hit. It doesn't get much attention except the occasional "wow the graphics are nice" blog posts, but versus mode in the demo is quite fun when you're playing with a friend. If the adventure mode is good, the game has the potential to be a solid package of single player and versus gameplay. Plus it features an option for Japanese voice-overs, for those of us who can't stand the American voice acting.
Just wondering, does Edge not have any Japanese reporters? I thought I saw one a few months ago...
It'd just be interesting to get a non-western perspective on these things, would add more value to being a 'Global Game Industry Network'
as far as a japanese perspective adding "value to a global game industry network." race is irrelevant, whether your white living in America, or Japanese living in japan, whatever your race or demographic, we all have very diverse or similar tastes in gaming and if you specifically want a certain race's perspective, just ask any Japanese guy you see what he thinks about your favorite game, chances are many many "westerners" share the same view and if not, good for you, you found someone that shares your opinion, you found a friend. race should be highly irrelevent in reviewing games because we live in an era where the whole world enjoys the same games, whether it was made in japan or the u.s.
It's more like cultural differences than racial you know, nobody wants this place to become racist as you imply by feeling the need to state races are equal and/or the same.
But the whole world doesn't enjoy the same games, it varies from place to place. This doesn't mean it's impossible for Asians to play FPS's and westerners to like RPG's, but it's not uniform around the globe.
I'm not saying race as in genetics, but where one grows up, that culture and society. Somebody who grows up in Japan will have different experiences than one in America. Taste varies from place to place, like say Monster Hunter being a huge hit in Japan, while getting mediocre reviews in the US, or the popularity of FPS's in one country vs another.
SNES games had art redone to suit America, Ratchet has huge eyebrows in Japan, just to list some little differences that occur.
Hey Andy,
We do work with Japanese reporters. Tim actually has been a Japan resident for some years now (not sure how long) and works in game development over there.
OMG Final Fantasy is so going to rock! I can hardly wait!
Jiff
www.privacy.de.tc
The person who wrote the article was at TGS to see the both babes, or he actually saw the games?
Little Big Planet wasn't in TGS?
How about MGS4, Gears2, Fable 2, Killzone 2, Resistance 2? I can't believe that none of this games have top 20 quality.
Well, maybe this is the best bottom top 20.
Sonic Unleashed in the top 20? The booth babe must have been pretty hot at the Sega booth.
You know, if the theme of this article were "best games of TGS", #1 would have been the new Prince of Persia.
However, I figured it would be more appropriate to focus on Japanese games.
Also, Sonic Unleashed isn't bad!
I consider the last couple Sonic games to be actual terrorism, so hey!
There'll no doubt be a demo of Unleashed when it's ready -- give it a shot, really.
msg4 is already released as you already know, and millions of people have already beaten it so why would they display that at the TOKYO game show... the article is based on japanese games that the writer apparently feels deserve to be in the top20. Gears is american made, fable is american made, killzone is american made, resistance is american made, otherwise they would definitely have made the list.
"Edge looks at the 20 Japanese games that we feel represent what's best about Japanese development right now."
I didn't realise Little Big Planet was a Japanese Game.
nor gears, or fable, or resistence.. lol
And yet the title is "The 20 Best Games at TGS" as you can see. Surely it wasn't hard to add the word "Japanese" somewhere in there.
yea like maybe "the 20 best games at japanese tokyo game show" even though the whole world knows that Tokyo is a major city in japan, they should add japanese before tokyo in case someone might think it happened in Little Tokyo in LA.
Wow, something's wrong with you. It's already explained that games of any origin were displayed at TGS, that's why people rushed to defend the article not having some better games in the list by saying it's only Japanese games list. The title does not state that, it only states TGS where, again, loads of western games were shown.
Forgot to say, they have also stated classic controller is supported so even if someone dislikes the simple and intuitive motion controls he can use that instead. That's also not mentioned in the article which spends all that time to bash the game.
hey, i had a word limit!
Monster Hunter 3 is stated to have no online mode when in fact it has been confirmed it will be included. I don't know how anyone can think the 2 player split screen is all it will have when they displayed the game's 4 player single screen mode at TGS. There are no Wii link cables to consider that possibility so where did that "no online mode" statement come from? Certainly not from Capcom's facts & features sheet or any hands on experience.
Also, the game has been rebuilt from the ground up for the first time in many years and that is evident with the beautiful visuals they displayed. It certainly doesn't look identical to the PSP version and only someone who, again, didn't even view the game would say that, judging it by youtube videos or low resolution photos from the event.
They also have announced many new feautures even though the game is only 30% complete. That includes expanded ecosystem AI, monster stamina, underwater hunts, torches for dark areas, and more.
The motion controls are actually intuitive since they're barely used. You mostly attack with the A button, able to do simple combos and charge attacks by holding it down. If you press A while the remote is tilted way to the left then it does a horizontal swing while the opposite direction causes a back swing. These can also be worked into combos. Hardly confusing is it?
The only valid criticism is the ranged weapons' first person aiming not using the IR sensor but it is still early days for the game.
Also, the game's loading is very brief, unlike the PSP versions, so even though you get the brief loading relatively often, every time you switch a "room" within the whole map, it probably ensures a smoother online experience as the game will only have to track your immediate surroundings.
Besides, this is a top 20 games list and yet the aurhor spends all of those paragraphs trashing a game with imaginary facts as he has apparently barely seen the actual game.
You have facts about other games wrong also and it is evident that the images were acquired via a quick google image search as the Sonic image is of the old 360/PS3 game, the Chrono Trigger image is of a canceled fan made remake (duh, it's a 3D screenshot, the DS port is very faithful to the original), the 7th Dragon image is Tales of Vesperia and not that game at first glance.
Again, where did all this come from? Was the author even at TGS or just googled for his false facts? Even worse, how much actual research was done for this article?
Thanks for your notes about the pics. The author of this piece did not post the pics. They have been changed.
So you fixed the pics but you won't fix the false facts? Even if he's blind and can't see the game is rebuilt from scratch and looks beautiful and no PSP/PS2 asset is reused (so it doesn't look identical) he can at least mention there's the option of a classic controller (even though the motion controls are intuitive and not "jerky at best" as a person who didn't experience them states) and that the ONLINE MODE IS INCLUDED and not oly the split screen mode as he clearly falsely states. It's sort of a big thing to have all the new features, visuals and the return of the online mode for a series which did get stale over the last three+ releases as all that finally moves it forward again, and not to the "Dynasty Warriors" direction the PSP games (and not this) could have perhaps been accused for by someone who hated the series and didn't "get" all it offers. Also, again, it's a top 20 list but in that instance he sounds like he's trash reviewing a game that is 30% complete (and isn't mentioned) rather than be writing about a game that looked good @ TGS.
I'm not saying the assets are reused; I'm saying it doesn't look good. As I posted in an earlier comment, I am perhaps merely disappointed that the game isn't on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and in high-definition. None of the people I play Monster Hunter with own Wiis, and none of them really want Wiis; many of them are content to just keep playing Portable 2nd G on the PSP.
As am I, probably.
And I did not say the game had no online mode -- I said that I did not get to play the online mode, because the wait time at the Capcom booth exceeded five hours and I didn't have that much time to spend. So I played it solo in a private Capcom PR area.
It was really depressing, playing it alone after spending so much time playing it with friends on local multiplayer.
No, you said it looks "exactly like the PSP" and you said there's "only local multiplayer" so, don't lie to justify yourself.
Chill out Alex.
I have deleted the comments from Alex. We will not tolerate abusive language on this site.
Wow, Alexander sure loves his Monster Hunter.
I think you would be better suited to state your argument/statements in a more intelligent fashion. There are more clever ways to call someone a moron. The caps lock must have given you brain damage.
Alexander,
I'm all for being passionate about gaming (I consider gaming more than just a past time) but bro, you could probably take it down a notch. As for your points, I know little about Monster Hunter so what you're saying could very well be true. Either way, the game you love will turn out just the same whether the article was wrong or not, right?
I was pretty sure that i played the demo of chronotrigger on the DS at the GC. It might have been me though, i didn't pay it much attention, as i feel that RPG's are best played sitting down in a long car journey, or just by yourself, not in a crowded convention. Still looks good.
I'm suprised about the sonic game too. I thought it was rather solid when i played it. can't wait to play resi 5.
Was there any mention of a console version of king of Fighters 12? I've been stuck playing King of Fighters 2001 for the last few years and am looking for something newer. I will definitely get Street Fighter 4, but KOF 12 looks pretty amazing. If done right, high-res 2d will always beat 3d IMO (for fighting games anyway).
The fact there is a Sonic game on the list makes me question the quality of the other games...except for the obvious winners like Chrono Trigger.
I was pretty sure that Phantasy Star Zero does have WiFi modes from the previews and translations I saw.
Also, Bayonetta looks awesome
"It's trying to be a big dumb B-movie of a game, and it's succeeding, which I suppose is a lot more applaudable than trying to be literature and ending up Metal Gear Solid 4."
Interesting list, but seriously. You sold your soul for THIS punch line? MGS4 was the biggest, dumbest B-movie you and I ever played, and you know it. (And it was f***kin' great.) It's sooo trendy to bash on the series these days, huh?