Zero Punctuation: Left 4 Dead 2 & New Super Mario Bros Wii

[Gutterpunk]

good to know that 5=20, each section of a map is not a map. 20 weapons, a few new enemies and some minor AI and graphics improvements and one new game mode. I dont see how this justifies a $50 game.

It's 20 maps still. (well 18 maybe, seeing as Hard Rain reuse two of them)

Call the grouping of those maps "Levels" or "Campaigns" if you will, but they aren't "maps". Those 18 maps still needed to be modeled, and it was done by people asking for money to do such things.

 

[J.theYellow]

Yahtzee hates multiplayer, again. Not especially inspired but not that surprising either.

 

[cordeos]

In any other game, each map would count as a map. Just because they run into each other, doesn't make them one map.

can you play the sections independently of each other? do they use a lot of the same models and color pallet?
In Oblivion when i would go to another floor of a dungeon there was a loading screen, doesn't mean i was in a new dungeon, just a different part.

 

[The_Toony]

Reviewing a Mario game AND Valve game? Without watching I predicted it would go something like this "Grrr Mario game! I HATE YOU! I shall nitpick you for being a long running series! Oh haidare Valve game. I shall gloss over your faults and not focus much on you. I would not want to offend Valve. Now where is the 5th Halflife game?! Also, long running series suck!"

And I watched it and it seems I was right. Look, I normally like Yahtzees reviews but his nintendo game reviews follow the same formula of "I hate the Wii, I hate all nintendo franchises for being old, I hate the Wii. I hate the Wii. Mario Sucks" and his Valve game reviews are generally bare. Rarely pointing out the games faults and instead praising Valve for random things not relating to the game.

I think when it's a Nintendo or Valve game review, I'll just tune out. Yahtzee is too biased to have a decent review when it comes to these two companies.

 

[Gutterpunk]

Why was it cheap to use 2 pallet-swap characters for players 3 and 4? The same reason it was cheap to use pallet-swap characters in the Mortal Kombat games and give all the characters the exact same fighting moves except for specials and finishers.

Relax, take a deep breath, and realize that I was actually defending the game.

You didn't answer my question. Which character from the Mario universe should they have used instead of a palette swap?

 

[ducktapemax]

Watching him flip back and forth between the two makes it hard to know what he is taking about. If he completed one before the other, it would make more sence. insted it sounds like a little kid stuggling to explain them to you.

 

[huntgod]

Tank beats Bowser.

Glad you're voice is back to normal.

Another great review.

 

[MowDownJoe]

So, we're mostly in agreement? Bowser barbecues tank?

And let's face it, Yahtzee... if they tried to change Mario too much, people would complain about it not being what they've come to expect from Mario. If they don't change it, they get people like you complaining that every game is the same. It's a lose/lose for Nintendo.

 

[johnman]

More L4D is hardly a bad thing

 

[Outlawhero]

Hit the nail on the head with the points on the games. L4D2 was pretty much a expansion pack and Mario for the wii was just a upgrade from the DS version with four player co-op.

 

[BlueInkAlchemist]

When I wasn't paying attention, was Team Mario replaced by second-stringers from Team Madden? I don't know why innovation is such a scary thing. I mean, look at the film industry. We've had stories where humanity comes to an alien planet and plans to bulldoze the locals into submission so they can feed the fat war-mongering pie-eating bastard rulers back home, but James Cameron is at least taking the idea into new territory. Instead of making a movie out of Battleship of all things.

At least the review was good.

Also, Bowser wins.

 

[Nirkit]

Aren't ALL sequels more or less expansions? It's ALWAYS new weapons, new maps, new enemies, and perhaps it's a bit shinier. When they're in the same universe with the same control scheme (ie: Fallout 1&2 the Turn-Based Strategy RPGs, compared to Fallout 3 the FPS) the argument that "it could/should have been an expansion" can almost always be made.

I'm kinda surprised that Yahtzee didn't talk a bit more about the changes to L4D2's gameplay. Yeah, the few new crescendo events are cool, as is Scavenge mode, and melee weapons help out a bit, but none of that shit would have changed anything if it weren't for the spitter, the charger, and the addition of multiple rooftops. The jockey's nice, but he accomplishes the objective of separating the survivors much like the smoker did. The spitter and the charger, on the other hand, keep the survivors from clumping together all the damn time.

L4D1 was, after the first two weeks it was out, BORING AS SHIT. I pity the fools who bought it any time after that, because all the experienced players were telling them to hide in corners and closets and live inside of one another as much as possible. It made the crescendo events boring, especially in Versus mode where you had to sit through that crap twice without any variation to it. Zombies run down alleys and hallways in neat single-file lines so you just have to aim at one or two points with your crosshair at head-level to not get harmed at all.

L4D2 has yet to get boring because the spitter and charger will kick your ass if you stay stationary and clumped together all the time, as will the zombies coming from all directions, now that there are multiple avenues (read: the aforementioned rooftops) for them to come from.

That said, L4D2's not an expansion, L4D1's just a beta.

The only downer to L4D2 is that Rochelle is the worst character Valve has ever created. Ellis is adorable, Nick is awesome, Coach is kinda funny, and Rochelle has the character depth of a thimble.

Now that you mention it, I don't think I've heard Rochelle speak (scripted dialogue, as opposed to "PILLS HERE!") in the entire game except to respond to one of the other characters.


...Oh, and I've always liked playing as Toad. Mario's overhyped and Luigi's tall (read: bigger target) and gay.

 

[joshthor]

FIRST!!! i like it how at the end he says he only has 2 freinds . it made me giggle.

 

[BlueInkAlchemist]

Reviewing a Mario game AND Valve game? Without watching I predicted it would go something like this "Grrr Mario game! I HATE YOU! I shall nitpick you for being a long running series! Oh haidare Valve game. I shall gloss over your faults and not focus much on you. I would not want to offend Valve. Now where is the 5th Halflife game?! Also, long running series suck!"

And I watched it and it seems I was right. Look, I normally like Yahtzees reviews but his nintendo game reviews follow the same formula of "I hate the Wii, I hate all nintendo franchises for being old, I hate the Wii. I hate the Wii. Mario Sucks" and his Valve game reviews are generally bare. Rarely pointing out the games faults and instead praising Valve for random things not relating to the game.

I think when it's a Nintendo or Valve game review, I'll just tune out. Yahtzee is too biased to have a decent review when it comes to these two companies.

Your cleverness is absolutely astounding. Bravo.

 

[gamegod25]

Hey Yahtzee what was wrong with Yoshi's Island? Yes it was essentially one long escort mission and baby Mario's crying was like nails on chalkboard but it was still a great platformer. The DS remake was kinda shitty imo but the old NES version was one of my favorite games for the system.

 

[funguy2121]

I don't get all the New SMB bitching. Galaxy 2's on the way, as is a second Zelda and a second Metroid. That's quite a bit more than a nintendo system's seen in the last 2 generations.

The problem is that it's been seen already. Your post is suicidal.
As in, it kills it's own point by containing the words "second" and the number 2 in it.

Imagine Valve or someone working like this. Now imagine 20 Left 4 Dead titles that have minor improvements like L4D2. Maybe even less so.

How long could it go on before someone finally bitchslaps them? And someone should slap Nintendo, while I'm at it. Maybe even find a hobo who has the balls to be creative and insert a cheeseburger-spider into a game.

In that case, I'd like to introduce you to EA and Bungie and Activision and Rock Star Games. They can tell you all about remaking the same game over and over again without adding a shred of newness or originality (every EA sports title, Halo, Guitar Hero, Grand Theft Auto A Million!).

Mario 1, 2 and 3 were all very unique and certainly broke new ground in the genre. Super Mario World was more of an upgrade, but it was a fantastic title anyway. Mario 64 gave us 3d gaming in general and set new standards. Sunshine was, well Sunshine was shit except for the classic faux-2D levels. Galaxy was absolutely brilliant and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel, which Miyamoto has said will be more challenging.

The improvements are not in any way minor. New Super Mario Brothers is an upgrade in the way that Super Mario World was an upgrade. If I were wrong and you were right, it wouldn't be the top selling game well into next year, which it will. People are hungry for more classic 2D Mario. If it's not your thing then guess what? You do not have to play it.

 

[gutterball17]

Glad to see the return of the triple cunted hooker.

And I wish valve weren't so anti-PS3. I like zombies and I'd like to give L4D a go but they seem to have dismissed it as an unworthy platform. Why I can't really tell. They may sell more copies on the 360 but there's certainly money to be made on the damn thing.

The only reason I can think of is that PSN doesn't run as smoothly as XBox Live for Online play. Not to say I don't love my PS3 to death. Plus the XBox has done online since day one, whereas Sony hails from that golden age of playing by ourselves, not associating with other human beings, and sitting in a dark room while everybody else goes out to play in the sun.

OT: I really enjoyed this review. Was skeptical when I saw it was two games in one, but did a good job. found it more hilarious then usual. And I think Half Life 2: Episode 3 has joined Duke Nukem Forever in the realm of things that will never exist.

 

[Taerdin]

Oh Nintendo... cashing in on the epic nostalgia as per usual.

I pretty much agree with everything in this video, and I quite enjoy L4D2! Then again I wasn't done enjoying L4D so it makes sense that L4D with new paintjob/weapons would be great

 

[funguy2121]

Why was it cheap to use 2 pallet-swap characters for players 3 and 4? The same reason it was cheap to use pallet-swap characters in the Mortal Kombat games and give all the characters the exact same fighting moves except for specials and finishers.

Relax, take a deep breath, and realize that I was actually defending the game.

You didn't answer my question. Which character from the Mario universe should they have used instead of a palette swap?

Dear God, are you trolling me? Am I being punked? Surely you get this. Where's Ashton? Where is he?

In october 1988, Nintendo of America released a video game entitled Super Mario Brothers 2. The original sequel to Super Mario Brothers had been deemed too difficult for North American audiences, so a very different game, Doki Doki Panic! was transformed via character-swapping. The playable characters in the platformer were Mario, Luigi, Toad AND PRINCESS FRIKKIN TOADSTOOL, LATER RENAMED PRINCESS PEACH.

Are we clear now? Ha ha, Ashton, ya got me. How's Demi doing? Ok, I gotta go swallow a gun now.