December 2014 - Jeff's Gaming Blog

Today I held my third Mario Kart 8 get-together. Since the release of DLC Pack 1, I’ve been using Link and his bike, the Master Cycle. When I opened the lobby this afternoon, I was joined by Khalid188, Poizon (Mike), Meli, and Ash.

Cup #1

The first cup started out with N64 Rainbow Road: I did awful and came in last place, while Ash picked up the win. The next track was the regular version of Rainbow Road. Khalid188 won this time, and I got 4th place. The third course was the Electrodome, which is one of my favorite (and best) tracks. Wendy joined in here, so we had six racers. I was in 2nd place headed into the last turn, but Meli zoomed past me and I finished in third. Ash won the race. The final race of the first cup was GBA Mario Circuit. Khalid188 won the race, and I finished in 4th. The final standings for the first cup were:

Ash – 22 points
Khalid188 – 19 points
Meli – 12 points
Poizon – 11 points
Jeff – 10 points
Wendy – 2 points

Cup #2

The second cup started out in Toad Harbor. Khalid won the race; I made lots of mistakes and finished in 5th. Twisted Mansion was the next course. I benefited from some lucky power-up grabs–a few invincibility stars to be more specific–and I did well. I was actually in 2nd place as I crossed the finish line, just barely beating out Khalid188, who was using a Bullet Bill. But the game apparently saw things differently, and it awarded 2nd place to Khalid while I had to settle for third.

DS Tick-Tock Clock was next, and it was a close, frantic race. At the end, I hit Khalid (who was winning) with a red shell, and Poizon and I overtook him right before the finish line. The cup finished off with Bowser’s Castle. Here, I was in 2nd place going into the final turn, but then I got hit by a Bullet Bill and finished in 4th. Here are the final standings:

Ash – 22 points
Khalid188 – 18 points
Poizon – 17 points
Jeff – 14 points
Meli – 13 points
Wendy – 4 points

Here is a gameplay video of the second cup:

Cup #3

We had some turnover after the 2nd cup: Khalid, Meli, and Wendy all left. But Jose and Danny joined in, so we had five racers. The first course of this cup was Sunshine Airport. I was actually in the lead for most of the race, but I got overtaken in the final lap and finished third. Next up was N64 Royal Raceway. I was in third place heading into the final turn, but a Bullet Bill hit me and I ended up in last place. The next two tracks were Rainbow Road and SNES Donut Plains 3. In both of them, I finished in third behind Ash and Poizon. The final standings were:

Ash – 22 points
Poizon – 16 points
Jeff – 10 points
Jose – 10 points
Danny – 6 points

Cup #4

Jose and Danny left after the third cup, so we were down to just three racers for the fourth cup. Here, we raced in Wii Moo Moo Meadows, 3DS Music Park, Cloudtop Cruise, and Mount Wario. Ash dominated here, winning all four races. Poizon and I each got second place twice to finished tied. Here are the final standings:

Ash – 16 points
Jeff – 6 points
Poizon – 6 points

After that, everyone left. The get-together fizzled out just one hour after it began. But I had a good time, so thank you to everyone who came. See you next time!

I received NES Remix Pack (for Wii U) as a Christmas present. It’s a combo pack of NES Remix and NES Remix 2 (which were previously only available in the eShop) together on one Wii U disc. From the title screen, you can choose which one you want to play. I would have preferred if they were all integrated into one interface, but it’s not a big deal switching from one to the other.

Each game provides a collection of old-school challenges taken from classic NES games. Many of the challenges only take a few seconds, but they’re often presented one after the other in quick succession. In that respect, it’s reminiscent of Wario Ware.

NES Remix features many earlier NES games, starting out with Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Mario Bros., Excitebike, Balloon Fight, and Super Mario Bros. NES Remix 2 has some later NES games: Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Dr. Mario, Kirby’s Adventure, and Wario’s Woods. Other games can be unlocked as you progress through the game; I’ve already unlocked Punch-Out, and I’m looking forward to seeing more.

There are several challenges from each game, and they start out very simple. For example, you may need to jump over three barrels in Donkey Kong or do a wheelie in Excitebike. Even if you’re not familiar with a certain NES game, you’re taught what to do one step at a time. There are also short demo videos that show how each game is played, in case you have trouble getting the hang of things. Of course, the challenges gradually get harder as you advance to higher levels.

But the highlight of the game is the remix stages. The remix stages may take elements from one game and place them into another, or it may add completely new challenges. For example, Kirby may need to collect coins in a Mario level, or you may need to race on an Excitebike track in the dark. Each challenge has a time limit, and you can earn 1-3 stars depending on how fast you complete the task.

I’ve spent nearly two hours with NES Remix Pack so far, and I’m not blown away or anything, but I am enjoying my time with the game. I particularly like seeing each new spin on the existing NES games, although the regular (non-remixed) challenges feel a bit like filler. And you’ll have to clear a number of regular challenges before you can unlock each new remix level. Granted, these challenges don’t take long to clear (especially if you’re familiar with the game already), but I wish the remixes made up the bulk of the gameplay.

Between challenges, you may see some general hints displayed. But some of these “tips” are just common sense. Really, Nintendo?

One other note. I know Miiverse can be helpful and fun at times. But I’ve long questioned why Nintendo feels a need to actively display other people’s comments within a game. I mean, is this really necessary?