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

[Gaiacarra]

Yeah, when he mentioned the third and fourth players were two Toads the first thought that came to my head was "What? What? Is it really possible for an entire dev team to be that uncreative?" I can brainstorm for thirty seconds and come up with some cooler ideas than just slapping on two generic red-shirts.

I think he pretty much hit the nail on the hammerhead when he said Mario team are deliberately opposed to new ideas, though. I remember hearing that when Nintendo asked Miyamoto to make a new franchise he went all sad and said "But I want to make a Mario game." GOD FORBID you challenge your creativity right man?

 

[achilleas.k]

Wow. Yahtzee's certainly mad at Nintendo. Mad enough that I didn't quite get if L4D2 is actually good or not. I've been on the fence for buying it for a few weeks. I played the demo, it was fun. I didn't own the first one but I was already under the impression that they are very much alike.
So for someone who didn't have the original, is L4D2 worth buying? Yahtzee played a multiplayer game so I guess that's at least a few points+.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Bowser vs tank: Bowser--Tanks susceptible to repeated firing from normal bullets, while Bowser more or less requires Lava, bombs, and turtle shells flying up and knocking his flying bucket thing to fall into lava. And even then he doesn't die, just comes back after a few tries and does it all over again. (Unless a horde of Mr Game and Watch come around, then Bowser is screwed. Cookies for reference.)

 

[Jennacide]

The L4D2 bit was way off base honestly. That's how the game would seem if you were never really into the first one. And if you weren't, why do you care about the second? L4D2 is about appealing to the fans of the first game. If you liked the first game, you'll buy 2 and never go back to 1, because the changes are too far reaching as to make the first game feel unplayable again. Environment design is better, the SI add a whole new array of mechanics to deal with and play as in versus, the two new modes (Realism and Scavenge) are a blast, and the melee weapons change a lot of the game that you don't initially realize.

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.

 

[Ophiuchus]

I have to admit that I'd be tempted by the Mario thing if it were possible to control it with the proper control pad instead of the waggle stick, but otherwise no.

Actually you just turn the "waggle stick" sideways and use it like the old school Nintendo controllers.

Ehhh, that's not really a lot better. They could at least give the option. I've got a Virtual Console game (something from the Master System) that can be controlled by turning the waggle stick horizontally like that, but it's a bit too narrow to hold comfortably so I just use the control pad.

 

[TimeLord]

I don't mind the TF2 extra, yes where is Episode 3!!

I have yet to play L4D2 as I played L4D and didn't like it.............. and this review didn't convince me to change my mind.

On the other hand, as much as I dislike me Wii, I loved Super Mario Bros on my Gameboy and actually want New Super Mario Bros.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Wow. Yahtzee's certainly mad at Nintendo. Mad enough that I didn't quite get if L4D2 is actually good or not. I've been on the fence for buying it for a few weeks. I played the demo, it was fun. I didn't own the first one but I was already under the impression that they are very much alike.
So for someone who didn't have the original, is L4D2 worth buying? Yahtzee played a multiplayer game so I guess that's at least a few points+.

I'd say it is worth buying. But you should probably read the reveiw [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/6810-Review-Left-4-Dead-2.2] of it here on the Escapist. Or look up some reviews from other websites.

 

[cordeos]

i think one of my major problems with L4D2 is that it came out only a year after the original. normally a sequel comes out 2-3 years after the first game. It has better graphics, new maps, new gameplay etc and revives that games community. But i also thought L4D was overpriced considering what you got.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Bowser.
He got them spikes.

 

[Over_Krill]

Nice ep, but I think L4D2 is better than he says, definitely worth buying, on PC of course

It sounded like he played the 360 version playing with a kid from Alaska and the lag issue and yes it's definitely worth buying on PC.

 

[historybuff]

Hahaha, a cheeseburger spider! \o/

 

[LeonLethality]

response to the bowser vs tank thing I think bowser would win, how many times has mario shoved bowser to his doom in magma? HE KEEPS COMING BACK!

 

[Elm3r666]

Boswer vs Tank?
Better question, "who fucking cares?"
Why don't you just ask "Campbell's Soup vs a Porcupine".

 

[Punisher A.J.]

Change the titles to:
L4D: melee weapons edition
Super Mario Bros 3..... o wait that already exists.

 

[Manicotti]

1) Much more detailed review than I was expecting for a video on two games in the same time budget, and I welcome back Yahtzee's voice. Good insight, especially on the overworked numbers deal.

2) L4D2 does not rely on online multiplayer to be any more or less worth playing. You get the same stuff as in co-op with the extra benefit of being able to be an asshole to some prepubescent hobo in Alaska, and then get him killed by feeding him to zombies. It's like a watered-down hybrid of Saw and 30 Days of Night.

3) Bowser would win because he has way cooler toys and can make basically anything explode.

4)I'd be as mad as Yahtzee, too, for the same dual reasons of having to review Nintendo's 20 years of wasted potential and for having to review a game that's been censored exclusively in his part of the world just because the government decides to treat zombies like sentient, self-aware people and not just extremely lively punching bags with gangrene (which is a major driving part of their marketability in today's post-Shaun-of-the-Dead social context). Besides, Yahtzee's vitriol is the main thing fueling his comedy, which in turn fuels his analysis of video games.

Yeah. my whole post here doesn't really say anything new and interesting. Just my 2c on an excellent review.

 

[Bogulmon]

I can't agree any more. L4D2 is just an L4D expansion, nothing more. Its just a a bunch of new maps, a few useless melee weapons and thats it. And about New Super Mario Bross Wii, well, its a ripoff from New Super Mario bross DS wich is a ripoff from Super Mario 3, so its not a big surprise that it dont have anything new(as the title says, btw)

I'm assuming you have actually played L4D2, correct? Because over 20 maps, melee weapons that are anything but useless, a completely new setting, 2 new game modes and an improved AI director would tell me that you probably played for 5 minutes before realising that either A: You aren't very good at it, B: You don't have any friends to play with, or C: You aren't very good and don't have any friends to play with.

Also, how can a Mario game possibly rip off another Mario game? It makes no sense. It's called a sequel, they sometimes do them to extend a series. It's a very complex idea that I'm not sure you completely understand.

 

[Artemicion]

I was actually a little worried that that was going to be the case with L4D2v3 - that is would simply be more like an expansion than an actual game. After playing the demo months ago I felt pretty much the same way; new campaigns, new weapons and characters with new(but ultimately unimportant)back stories. It was new and shiny and made my processor work hard but there wasn't really any distinguishable upgrade from the original (except, I guess, the new melee weapons, which could have easily fit into an expansion), and by that merit I don't feel that it's worth the price of a full game. I felt the same way about Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Assassin's Creed 2, and (this one especially)Modern Warfare 2. The graphics are updated a lot but gameplay remains relatively untouched. Nothing particularly new is added that warrants an entirely new game besides the graphical enhancement that couldn't just be stapled on as an addon.

GTAIV, as much as I ignore it in favor of it's much better little brother, Saints Row 2, actually does expansions correctly. Rockstar made two expansions to their game that, combined, are close to the size of the original campaign, but instead of releasing them as an entire new game, they remained expansions - They don't add enough new content to call for a whole separate game. And when I think about, I believe Rockstar did slightly touch up the graphics for The Ballad of Gay Tony.

So thanks for confirming my suspicions, Yahtzee.