The morning Inbox considers the problem with Super Smash Bros., as one reader recommends the Zelda Encyclopaedia.
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PLEASE NOTE: Now that were back from E3 and the schedules are getting back to normal we are running out of useable Inbox letters and Readers Features. If we do not have enough emails soon we wont be able to run an evening Inbox tomorrow or the usual four Readers Features at the weekend. The amount of submissions do usually slow down during the summer, but hopefully with all the E3 announcements recently youll have plenty to talk about…
MIA 2018
So now that its all over what does everyone think was the most disappointing no-show? In keeping with it not being a great E3 I think there was a surprising lot once you start thinking about, even if you say that Nintendo games like Bayonetta 3 and Metroid Prime 4 were never supposed to be there. No Final Fantasy VII or Shenmue III were particularly bad in retrospect and I am having grave doubts as to whether either of them will ever be finished. Heck, Im not really convinced Final Fantasy VII has even really started.
Red Dead Redemption II was a disappointment too, as I felt sure that it would show up at either Microsoft or Sonys event. I dont really understand why it didnt either, because that means were basically going to see hardly anything of it before its released. I know well all take it on faith but thats not really something we should be encouraging.
Splinter Cell was a bit of a surprise too, considering all the leaks, and I felt Ubisofts conference wasnt quite as good as usual as a result. Not sure why theyre holding that back but I assume it means it wont be out any time soon. It wouldve been more of a surprise than most though and I think this E3 was lacking that.
Yumps
Another good generation
Just read that Microsoft has confirmed theres never going to be VR support on the Xbox One. I guess that was kind of obvious by now, but its interesting that when they were talking up the launch of the Xbox One X they were clearly planning something. I guess they saw that the PlayStation VR hadnt been the breakout hit they expected and thought they might as well wait for the next gen?
I do look forward to the Xbox Two and I am surprise that Microsoft hasnt gone full speed ahead with it. I can only assume theyre holding back to make sure it has some great launch games, and figure they might as well kill time with the Xbox One until then. They probably dont want to come out too much before the PlayStation 5 either, as Im sure they dont want to give Sony the chance to claim the most powerful console crown again.
By that same logic waiting for VR headsets to be better and consoles to be more powerful also makes sense, so I guess we could even see it launch alongside the console or at least not long after. I hope Microsoft can turn things around because theyre only one out of three in terms of good generations so far.
Bobo
Museum of Nintendo
Been interesting seeing the different reactions to Nintendos E3 which basically boils down to whether you like Smash Bros. or not. My problem with the game is that I love it as a Museum of Nintendo but I dont particularly enjoy it as a game. Its fine, I can see that its good, but the single-player has always been rubbish and playing it online, like any fighting game, is never anywhere near as fun as playing someone in the same room.
But I dont know anyone thats any good or it, or even is particularly interested in playing it. I can usually get just about anyone interested in Mario Kart or even Mario Party (so looking forward to the new one of that) but causal gamers just seem to get bored and confused by Smash Bros. and Im not sure I blame them as its a hard game to get your head round at first.
I think if Smash had been another Nintendo top tier game like a Zelda or Super Mario everyone would have agreed they had a good E3, but Smash Bros. doesnt have that wide appeal. Even though it always sells better than Zelda. Which I guess doesnt make any sense really, but hopefully you get what I mean.
Scott Sommers
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Back in stock
I missed the NES Mini first time around, so was very pleased to hear that Nintendo had decided to produce more and have keenly been checking regularly for the re-release pre-orders to go live.
I have now been able to get my pre-order in on Amazon for £49.99, the price it should be rather than pay more to someone exploiting the shortages. I will sit it proudly next to the Mini SNES for even more classic Nintendo quality gaming. I only wish the Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers game was included, I remember playing that at a friends house briefly and always wanted it myself but never owned it.
R1CH5TER
PS: Not sure if its already been mentioned but its now possible to pre-order Sony exclusives like Spider-Man and The Last Of Us Part II on Amazon again, I think I will get a Spider-Man pre-order in.
The hype is real
Have to agree with Galvanised Gamer, the PlayStation VR is one amazing bit of kit.
I was lucky enough to be able to afford one recently and after the usual rinsing of demos and shark-diving Ive acquired a few games that are genuinely exhilarating.
WipEout is a game Ive never gotten on with before but in VR… holy hell! And that Star Wars mission? It hurt from smiling so much.
My only let down was the Spider-Man demo. It stops literally as it just gets going. Looking forward to getting stuck into Driveclub and continuing with my seventh or eighth playthrough of Skyrim and, despite the graphics, its properly breathtaking in places. Its just a shame the Move controller option isnt more intuitive when moving around. But that first dragon fight!
If youre unsure, then seriously, go for it (after demoing it, my wife can barely watch the Within videos without getting woozy) and its defiantly something you have to ease into, so no eight hour Skyrim sessions from the off.
If this is the future of gaming, Im sticking around.
The_Deleted
PS: Given your love of dinosaurs, will you be reviewing Jurassic Park: Kingdom?
GC: Assuming you mean Jurassic World Evolution, the review should be up this morning.
Selfish love
I think the discussions over The Last Of Us ending are glossing over something fairly important.
Firstly, that Ellies sacrifice is discussed and she decides what she wants to do. You/Joel then go against that wish, murder lots of innocent doctors, and then lie to Ellie about it.
Even if you discount the whole saving the world angle (which is a little more significant than high and mighty ideals) he is still ignoring what she wants, murdering, and then lying to her… not for her, but for him. Its an entirely selfish act of murder and betrayal. Certainly not a good act or ending from my perspective.
Understandable yes, but its the action of a sociopath, and without any control over the choice it makes the ending feel jarring at best and contrived at worst.
Matt (He_who_runs_away – PSN ID)
GC: Wed agree with most of that, but we did think the ending was effective – in showing that Joels love for Ellie was entirely selfish. It has always rankled us though that the games best storytelling moments are entirely non-interactive.
BookCentral
Ive just received my copy of the Zelda Encyclopaedia, the final book in Dark Horses superb trilogy collating all the facts, trivia, and artwork from Nintendos legendary games series. I cannot recommend it enough either for diehards like myself or even those with just a passing interest. This final chapter is the best of the bunch in my opinion, incredibly detailed, beautiful and comprehensive.
The only downside is that as it is a translation of a Japanese original from a couple of years ago there is no Breath Of The Wild coverage, however hopefully this means they must have plenty of material for a fourth instalment! Seriously, just go online now and treat yourself to a copy. Your mantelpiece will thank me.
Ooccoo Jr.
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Change of management
Has anyone considered what Disneys purchase of 20th Century Fox might mean for video games. Most nerds (and I assume everyone reading this is a nerd of some sort) are excited about it because it means theyll get back control of X-Men and Fantastic Four, and that alone should have some effect on games in that itll mean Marvel will stop trying to only feature movie characters in their games. Something that couldve really helped Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite.
20th Century Fox have dabbled with making their own games in the past but they have a huge range of great franchises including Alien, Predator, Die Hard, and The X-Files. All of which have been made into games many times over.
The question is whether being owned by Disney will make it more or less likely that these films will be made into games. Its actually kind of hard to tell because Disney was very quick to make a Star Wars deal (which hasnt really worked out for EA) but has obviously been dragging its feet for years with Marvel.
The problem is that all of these are from adult-rated movies so theyre not going to make family-friendly games either, but Id love to see a decent Die Hard game (rather than a decent game that just happens to have the Die Hard name attached to it) and a definitive Alien and Predator adaptation (it would make up for the recent films). Maybe even Mulder and Scully could be brought back in game form, now theyre getting a bit long in the tooth on screen.
Theres lots of potential here, and Im sure lots of other game-worthy movies Im forgetting, so itd be a shame if they just ended up getting locked in Disneys vaults along with all the LucasArts games.
Dick Turpin
Inbox also-rans
So, I had a message to say I can pick up my NES Mini this weekend, thank goodness Nintendo saw sense and re-issued a great product. However, my attention now turns to the rather natty looking Neo Geo mini. Did GC get to try it at E3?
Animated Jak
GC: We didnt, no. But we will try and cover it when its released here.
Shadowrun Returns is free on Humble Bundle for the next 48 hours starting from this evening (Thursday at time of writing). They give you a Steam code to download the game on Steam. Heres the link.
Andrew J.
PS: The Steam Summer Sale has just started too.
This weeks Hot Topic
This years E3 has just ended and so theres only one obvious subject for this weekends Inbox: what did you think of it and what game do you think looked the best?
Dozens of new games were seen in detail for the first time but which ones were you most impressed by and what did you find a disappointment? Which company do you think put on the best E3 conference and do you think there was a definitive winner of E3 2018?
How do you think this E3 compared to previous years and what were you the most disappointed to find wasnt at the show? Please make it clear in your email whether your message is intended for the Hot Topic itself or just the weekday Inbox.
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
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