Wow, a big multiplatform game with online modes for the Gamecube!

[OB1]

Well this is a first! From VE3D:

December 16, 2003 - The GameCube can do online games, but alas, Nintendo sees no market for it, and does not create first-party online titles. The reason for the lack of a market? Because no one makes online-enabled games. Catch 22. So, therefore, it is good to see Ubi Soft take a brave step forward, and announce that Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow will be playable, online, with the GameCube broadband adapter.
Lots of exclamation marks can be found on either G-Cube or Cube Europe. Thanks R-Z.

-- Andrew Burnes

Incredible. I salute you, Ubi Soft!

[A Black Falcon]

I was just at VE3D, how did I miss this?

I was wondering when companies like UbiSoft that already run their own online gaming networks (as opposed to using someone elses, like GameSpy ingame browsers, GameSpy Arcade, Zone, X-Box Live, etc) would take a chance and hook the Cube version in too as well as PS2 and PC games... it seems UbiSoft is first. Nice! :)

[OB1]

They didn't to it for XIII so I didn't expect them to do it with Pandora Tomorrow. I'll still get the X-Box version for downloadable maps and superior graphics, etc., but it's great that GC owners will be able to play this game online.

[A Black Falcon]

True, they didn't do it for XIII, but they finally decided it was a good idea, which is nice. :) I won't be getting the game, but it's a good move...

Oh yeah, but aren't the graphical differences between X-Box and GC games generally very minor if the developers know what they're doing?

[OB1]

Yeah, but with the first SC there's simply no comparison. The GC version was a port of the PS2 port which didn't look nearly as good as the X-Box and PC versions. PT is being made with all four platforms in mind so I'm sure there won't be the same problem, but I'm still going to get the X-Box version for the downloadable levels. Not even the PC version got that.

PoP actually looks slightly better on the cube than it does on the X-Box, but the X-Box version has better sound (thanks to the 1.5GB of disc space for the GC), load times, and PoP2 unlockable.

[A Black Falcon]

X-Box has both classic PoP games? Huh...

Oh yeah, and it's idiotic to not put the downloadables on PC too.

[OB1]

I'm sure that MS paid Ubi Soft plenty of money to get those exclusive downloadable levels. They're really good, too. Adds a lot to the longevity of a game.

[big guy]

i thought that in PoP, the xbox got PoP2 instead of 1

[A Black Falcon]

Yes, they must have done that to get exclusivity. Definitely.

[The Former DMiller]

Originally posted by big guy
i thought that in PoP, the xbox got PoP2 instead of 1

Correct. In my opinion Xbox got screwed with PoP because PoP2 doesn't come close to the greatness of the original game.

[OB1]

Actually that is incorrect. The X-Box got both PoPs. In the PS2 and GC versions you can play PoP1 by entering a secret room, while in the X-Box version that same secret room has PoP2, not the first game. However, once you beat the game the first PoP gets unlocked in the main menu, making it much easier to access the game than it is in the PS2 and GC versions.

[Great Rumbler]

Wooo!! Online Party!!

[OB1]

They're dead, GR. All of them.

[Great Rumbler]

Not their...twin brothers!!

[The Former DMiller]

Originally posted by OB1
Actually that is incorrect. The X-Box got both PoPs. In the PS2 and GC versions you can play PoP1 by entering a secret room, while in the X-Box version that same secret room has PoP2, not the first game. However, once you beat the game the first PoP gets unlocked in the main menu, making it much easier to access the game than it is in the PS2 and GC versions.

Are you sure about that? Because my contact at Ubisoft was dead-wrong then. He told me for my Prince of Persia review that the Xbox version doesn't have PoP1.

[OB1]

Looks like he was wrong. I know some guys that have the X-Box version and they told me about it. And for further prove, here's what IGN had to say in their head-to-head feature:

Features
There are scant feature differences between each version of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Ubisoft has crafted a splendid adventure on all of the platforms, and it didn't skimp on hardly anything...which of course means there is something that makes them different.

Only in the area of extra features -- the bonus stuff -- does Prince of Persia become a different game on each platform. Here's what they have:

* PlayStation 2 ExtrasPrince of Persia 1
* Prince of Persia 1 level remade in 3D

Not a whole lot, but it's the bulk of what you get on the other platforms. The real confusing part is exactly why certain things were excluded, like the making-of featurette.

* GameCube ExtrasPrince of Persia 1
* Prince of Persia 1 level remade in 3D
* Making-of Featurette
* GBA-GCN link-up: Alternate way (completing game will do the same thing) to unlock Prince of Persia 1. Hook up to regenerate Prince's energy.

You get a little more than you would on the PlayStation 2 version. The GBA-GCN link-up is kind of placebo when you think about it. You can buy Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time on the GBA, play through it, locate three special switches that will unlock Prince 1, then go back to your GCN and open the feature. Or, you can just complete Prince on GCN and open it. Likewise, the ability to regenerate energy is a neat feature, but you should be ashamed of yourself if you resort to such a thing!

* Xbox ExtrasPrince of Persia 1
* Prince of Persia 2
* Prince of Persia 1 level remade in 3D
* Making-of Featurette
* Xbox Live Aware: Let's your friends list know you're playing a game.

Xbox comes with one major extra feature over the other two: the entire Prince of Persia 2 game. Other than that, it also has the same making-of featurette that the GCN version has. As a tack-on functionality it has Xbox Live awareness, meaning if you're playing Sands of Time someone can invite you to take a break and, say, play Rainbow Six 3 or any other Live title.

Choosing winners then is quite easy. Xbox has the most trimmings -- Prince of Persia 2 is a substantial addition (even if it requires some searching to unlock) -- and GCN is right behind it.

Make the note, however, that playing the unlocked Prince of Persia classics can feel a little weird on the current-gen controllers. You may not find them as worthwhile an addition if you can't get used to the control.

Winner Ranking:
1. Xbox
2. GameCube
3. PlayStation 2

[A Black Falcon]

PoP2 isn't nearly as good as the original anyway. :)

[OB1]

Who cares? It's a bonus.

[OB1]

Originally posted by DMiller
Are you sure about that? Because my contact at Ubisoft was dead-wrong then. He told me for my Prince of Persia review that the Xbox version doesn't have PoP1.

So did you talk to your contact about this yet? That's a pretty huge error for someone at Ubi Soft to make. You sure he's not just a janitor or something? :p

[The Former DMiller]

Haha. I'm not going to call him on it. I'll just make sure I take everything he tells me with a grain of salt from now on. :)

[OB1]

Good thinking. ;)

And I got PoP last night so I've had a little while to play it. So far it's very, very good. It's a little like Zelda, a little like Blinx, and a lot like ICO.

[A Black Falcon]

I'll almost certainly get BG&E sooner as opposed to later (what with it being near the top of my list and all), but PoP? It looks fun, but not enough to justify me buying it...

[Dark Jaguar]

The second I heard of it, I thought "Blinx". Seems it took the very good but only fairly well executed innovation of that game and executed it flawlessly, and without the need for a hard drive at that. Good for them.

[OB1]

Alright, I'm about three hours into the game and I have to agree with everyone else that this is one of the best games of the year. So far WW is still my #1 favorite this year with KOTOR coming in second, but PoP is incredibly good.

When I read those interviews with the developer talking about how ICO was a huge influence on them, I had no idea just how much like ICO PoP would be like. It's like ICO but in a persian setting and with fewer puzzles and much more fighting. I still like ICO a lot more as it's one of my favorite games ever, but I'm really happy to see another developer take so many elements from ICO while still making it original enough. It's all about the acrobatics in PoP. The feeling I got once I was able to flip and jump all over a level with the greatest of ease is akin to the first time I played Mario 64 and felt that sudden rush of freedom.

Your partner (another similarity to ICO, although she doesn't need your assistance nearly as much as Yorda does)talks with you throughout the game, and it gives the game a great sense of realism. At one point I was running through some traps trying to get to the door before it closed but I was a bit too late, so my partner on the other side of the door said something along the lines up "great, now you'll have to do it again!" and my Prince replied in a sarcastic manner. I love that.

The only complaint I have about the game is the frequency of the fighting. The battle system is pretty good, think WW but slower and more repetitive. I would have been happy if I had five minutes worth of baddies to fight every so often, but the battles are much more frequent than that and seem to last forever. It's also not a very good fighting system for the amount of baddies they throw at you at once. It certainly can't match Mark of Kri's incredible multi-person fighting system. So far, that's my only gripe with the game. Everything else is incredible, so I highly suggest that everyone buy it as soon as they can. Sure the reason I got it was because I was able to buy it for only $26, but it's definitely worth $50.

[A Black Falcon]

Your partner (another similarity to ICO, although she doesn't need your assistance nearly as much as Yorda does)talks with you throughout the game, and it gives the game a great sense of realism. At one point I was running through some traps trying to get to the door before it closed but I was a bit too late, so my partner on the other side of the door said something along the lines up "great, now you'll have to do it again!" and my Prince replied in a sarcastic manner. I love that.

Reminds me of Lost Vikings and the funny things the guys say when you lose a level over and over and over... :)

[OB1]

I beat it! Just under 8 hours, which I do admit was pretty short, but what a ride it was! This really has put Ubi Soft Montreal on the top of my list of favorite U.S. developers. They've created so many amazing games in such a short amount of time, with each new game being better than the last. This was one of the few games this year that I played pretty much non-stop since I got it.

I still stand my my complaints above, as the fighting does get pretty tedious at times. So really, if the fighting was less frequent and faster, and if the game were a few hours longer I'd probably place it above KOTOR as my second-favorite game of the year. So hopefully these problems with be addressed with the next game.

[A Black Falcon]

I love Gauntlet... playing Dark Legacy more... it's definitely in my top five 'most fun' Cube games, with F-Zero, ED, Skies of Arcadia, and Zelda WW. Quite challenging (especially on Hard, which is what I'm playing it on most of the time... Easy must be pathetic, because Normal is only moderately challenging), so much fun... sure half of the levels (over half actually) are from the N64 game, but most of them are improved and anyway, even if thirty of the levels are old that means that the other twenty are new...

Still, Skies of Arcadia is my favorite Cube game of the year.

[OB1]

Uh... I was talking about PoP.

[A Black Falcon]

I know.

...

What? You mentioned favorite games of the year... and I'd just spent a while playing Gauntlet... :)

[OB1]

Well it was as if I had said "I like hot dogs" and you replied with "yeah, my bike is great. I like cheese.".

[A Black Falcon]

So? It had some kind of connection with your post... :)

I know I usually try to stay on topic, but isn't it kind of silly here to complain about that? I mean, this isn't exactly the best forum to be at if you want people to focus on the subject at hand... ;)

And I just wanted to say how good that game is.

[Great Rumbler]

And just because the topic is on Prince of Persia:

[Great Rumbler]

And I just wanted to say how good that game is.

If we don't know by now how much you like the Gauntlet series we never will.

[OB1]

Haha, that is so true.

[A Black Falcon]

Did you know I also like Warcraft?

...

I mentioned it again because I think the series is vastly underrated...

[Great Rumbler]

Did I mention that you have a habit of mentioning a lot of things that you don't need to mention and when mentioned cause people to mention how often you mention things that don't need to mentioned?

I think the series is vastly underrated...

:confused2

[OB1]

Warcraft or Gauntlet? Because Gauntlet is rated just as well as that type of shallow and repetitive game can be.

[A Black Falcon]

Both. :)

Gauntlet (Dark Legacy) mostly got scores in the mid-6'es and below... I personally think it deserves between a B+ and A-. Legends and Dark Legacy may not exactly be deep, but they just are so much sheer fun to play... As for Warcraft, it gets good scores but not good enough, darnit! IMO War3 should have gotten a 98%, not a 92 or something...

[Great Rumbler]

IMO War3 should have gotten a 98%, not a 92 or something...

98% would put it 1st or 2nd best game ever. As it is it's the 37th best game ever.

[A Black Falcon]

Your point? It IS one of the one or two best games ever...

[OB1]

You say that as if it were objective fact.

[A Black Falcon]

It is a fact, in my opinion.

[OB1]

Well guess what? Your opinion is just that, and just because you think it's the best game ever does not mean that it is.

[Great Rumbler]

OB1, haven't you figured out by now how useless it is to call down ABF for stating his opinions like they are facts?

I think Warcraft 3 it right where it should be, it's a great game, but I've played better.

[A Black Falcon]

I've played better too... Starcraft... :)

Well guess what? Your opinion is just that, and just because you think it's the best game ever does not mean that it is.

Since everyone knows what I am doing is stating my opinion I really don't get why you must make an issue out of it...

[OB1]

Because you didn't say "IMO WC3 is the best game ever", you said "People are crazy for not calling it the best game ever".

[A Black Falcon]

I think anyone who likes RTS games a lot and doesn't think Blizz makes the best RTSes is somewhat nuts, but if you don't like the genre as much then I can't expect you to think that a game in it is the best game ever...

[OB1]

[A Black Falcon]

Uh, what kind of problem do you have with that statement?

[OB1]