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| john ricciardi's home page - www.nokonoko.net |
Last September, I wrote about how I'd gotten hooked on online console gaming with the U.S. release of Sony's Network Adapter and SOCOM for the PS2. A few weeks later, I got into Phantasy Star Online for GameCube, and then about a month after that, Xbox Live hit. It was an interesting period in videogame history, but the excitement cooled down soon after when the realization set in that there weren't many good, fun games available for online play. Not yet, anyway.
Fast-forward to now, nine months later. As I type this, I'm waiting for the PlayStation BB Navigator update to download to my Japanese PlayStation 2 so I can proceed with the installation of my first big online game since PSO: Minna no Golf Online. I've been a huge fan of the Mingol series since the original version (it's known as Hot Shots Golf in the States, or Everybody's Golf in Europe), and I even wrote a little translation guide for the previous version so importers with no knowledge of Japanese could play it. It's an alarmingly fun game, and being able to play it with the gazillions of hardcore Japanese players out there online sounds extremely enticing, if also a bit terrifying (I expect to get my ass handed to me quite readily over the next few weeks). Japanese players take their games way too seriously...
Anyway, the point is, it looks like the whole online fever thing is about to kick in again, so obviously, I'm excited. I might even give Final Fantasy XI another go. All that chatting will probably be good for my Japanese, so maybe I'll try starting that up tonight as well. よし、がんばるぞ！
PS -- Rainy season (and summer) has arrived. It's all downhill from here...
Posted by john tv at June 14, 2003 11:03 PMare the minnanogolf games still fucking hideous and developed by claphanz? i remember playing HSG2 and being more or less entirely appalled at the characters.
with mariogolf coming up i can't see myself giving HSG much of a chance...even if mario isn't going to be online. it seems like the kind of game i'd rather play with people anyway.
Depends what you mean by hideous -- the characters are always changed in the U.S. and Euro versions to appeal to the lowest common denominator; the Japanese designs are much better.
As far as gameplay goes, Mingol is top-notch. Mario Golf and Mingol come from more or less the same parents; Camelot made Mingol 1 and then a bunch of that team left to form Clap Hanz, who went on to make Mingol 2, 3 and Online. 1 and 2 haven't aged well but 3 is awesome, and Online is basically just an extension of 3.
These types of games are meant to be played with friends, which is why it's perfect for online play -- especially since you can compete in massive tournaments, just like in real golf. I'm a sucker for golf games, so I'm sure I'll get Mario Golf GC, but I'm pretty sure that if it doesn't have online play, there's no way it'll be able to compete with this. It's just too good.
Posted by: john tv at June 15, 2003 11:41 AMi really don't care about online play, i can't import and play this online, and it'll be horrific in the US, probably. pass. not spending $100 on golf games this generation.
I on the other hand, do care. It's too bad that other regions probably won't see it until next year though (if ever)...
Posted by: onigiri at June 19, 2003 06:32 AM9/3/03
Help!
I just dropped many a Yen on a brand spankin new playstation BB unit and a copy of Minna No Golf online addition. My limited, no, very limited knowledge of japanese has prevented me from going through the process of actually playing the game. I am a big fan of the series as well and I would love to simply swing away. However, I think I need a Feega membership to get online and play the game. Besides being a international football star named Louis I have no Idea what Feega is. I Imagine like most Japanese purchases I can pay in cash at the post office or at a 7eleven or something. I do not have a credit card, but that is probably not the issue I'll have to deal with. I am very lost and I would appreciate a little assistance with turning my little Fukushima apartment into a gaming paradise.
Posted by: matthew (Ma-shu) at September 3, 2003 09:21 AM| ©2003 john ricciardi - all rights reserved - the only constant is change. |