MP2 demo disc

[Great Rumbler]

Or salt.

[Dark Jaguar]

Salt isn't nearly as effective on them as it is on slugs.

Soft bodied creatures like that are just so harmless seeming. Even the blood sucking leeches almost seem cute. They are like frogs, there's just not a single person alive who's ever said "Oh look, a frog!" in a horrifying manner. It's always more excited, hopeful. Maybe it will hop over here, and settle next to me, so I can put it in a jar, with a twig and a leaf, to simulate it's natural environment. I mean, a frog can't do a single thing to defend itself, at all. It can't scratch, or bite, or sting, or anything. All it can do is wet itself, and rabbits do a much better job of that (plus rabbits can bite, and scratch). The only frogs that can defend themselves in any way aren't even in America. Those golden arrow frogs are the most poisonous creatures on the planet, yes, but you won't be seeing those anywhere near here, hence, frogs are the most benign creatures in America.

[Great Rumbler]

Even the blood sucking leeches almost seem cute.

You probably wouldn't think that if you had twenty of them stuck to, pumping you're body full of paralyzing fluids. Maybe marginally not-bad looking, but not cute.

[Dark Jaguar]

Paralysis? Last I checked they only managed to keep your blood from clotting and numb your sense of pain, and also they can be used to get blood pumping in reattached thumbs whereas otherwise the blood would clot and the thumb would have to be removed.

I... suppose just like it's hypothetically possible for a kitten to die if it's infested with enough fleas, a human covered in enough leeches could bleed to death...

[OB1]

Nintendo's whole way of handling the MP2 demo disc distribution is so incredibly inane and idiotic that it's difficult for me to think of any bizarre reasoning on their behalf for doing it this way.

Nintendo makes a demo disc for Metroid Prime 2 because that's a good way of advertising your games. There really isn't a better way of making people want to buy your game than letting them actually play it. There really isn't. So obviously, one can conclude, the demo was made to garner interest in the title and let people who aren't guaranteed to buy the game become interested in it. Makes absolute sense, right? Okay, so how do they decide to distribute the demo discs? By making people register their Gamecube and five eligible Nintendo titles... basically something only a hardcore Nintendo fan would want to waste their time on... who is probably the only type of gamer guaranteed to buy Metroid Prime 2 with or without having played the demo. ...*blinks* Instead of doing something like say, packaging the demo disc for free in an issue of their official gaming magazine Nintendo Power, or packaging the game with one of their big Gamecube titles like Four Swords Adventures or Pikmin 2 so that more casual gamers can get a chance to see how great MP2 is, they make it so that only the most hardcore Nintendo fans will be able to get it. Woah, what a genius marketing plan!! No wonder Nintendo is number fucking three in the console race.

Their marketing incompetence never ceases to amaze me. It really doesn't.

[A Black Falcon]

Yes, you are absolutely right. This is the PERFECT Nintendo Power insert! I don't understand Nintendo at all...

[Dark Jaguar]

Nintendo Power? Forget that, try doing something that will actually let people GET it! :D

Including it in new systems is a nice move. Sending it for free to people is also smart, but it takes buying a whole lot of stuff to get it... Sending these demos to pretty much anyone who's registered at Nintendo.com, regardless of registering... anything... would be a better option. Sony does it all the time. I registered there a long time ago and forgot about it until I started getting all these PS2 demos in the mail. I mean, like I said, you have to buy more than you did to get the Zelda Collection to get this demo, when in reality, demos are game advertisements and should be sent out as freely as such.

Nintendo did used to put game MOVIE demos in their first GCN games, but they stopped. Playable demos right on the game disk in the options menu would be great, though of course they'd have to get both the full game they are packing it with and the demo done at the same time. Some companies, Konami for example, pack in a lot of game demos with their games as seperate disks. Nintendo could do this too.

[A Black Falcon]

You'd buy that NP issue if it included this demo-disk, I bet. :)

[Dark Jaguar]

No I wouldn't. I have never bought a magazine for a demo. I have never bought a demo, period. I ONLY get free demos, ever. When I get get a demo for free, I do, but if they are charging for it, I just wait for the full game. Otherwise, it's wasted money.

[OB1]

*golf claps for DJ*


Well I'm certainly buying this month's OPM for the MGS3 demo. Since it's $8 I am splitting the cost with a friend, but still.

[big guy]

i liked it when nintendo sent out those video tapes in the N64 days with videos of their upcoming games. that was cool.

[Great Rumbler]

I've bought a few of the PS2 demodiscs.

[OB1]

Man I remember those videos! They were made for two-year-olds and had those insanely annoying hosts, but it was cool to see new Nintendo games!

[A Black Falcon]

I have one of the N64 ones... incredibly bad production values yes, but it definitely was cool to see the games in it.

[Great Rumbler]

I've got this one Nintendo tape from around 1995-96 and it's pretty awful except that it has some old commercials from around that time which are quite funny. :D

[Dark Jaguar]

I remember the DKC tape I got in the mail. That's the only one I ever got though... Yeah, in retrospect that thing was clearly over the top blatent and mentally offensive marketting. However, since at the time I was a blind fanboy, I didn't realize it... Still, it did show me that game in action long before it came out, and pretty much sealed the deal. Shortly after that, I got that game for Christmas in a ridiculously large box filled with mostly packing foam, and the game.

[A Black Falcon]

The one I have is the N64 one with Mario 64, Pilotwings, and Shadows of the Empire...

[big guy]

i just liked that they were free and came to me without me having to put in any effort. and i got to see new games which was nice.

[OB1]

Yeah. But you see, Nintendo's new way of marketing is by making people work hard to play demos that they should be giving out for free.

[lazyfatbum]

In Turok every pit was a bottomless pit and it was cool except you died. Totally died. And you were sent back to your last save location.

made for a more challenging game me thinks.

I agree though that in a Metroid game, if a pit says its bottomless it's obviousely holding some kind of secret.

[Dark Jaguar]

Exactly! *jumps down there*

Besides, considering how they handle the pits, the idea of just showing a really short cinema scene of Samus saving herself from the fall makes perfect sense.

[OB1]

Only an infant would need that! Again, the only "bottomless pit" in the MP2 demo was the edge of a cliff that was overlooking a big 2D background. If you couldn't figure out that you'd fall your doom there then you have no business playing video games at all. Now if there turn out to be big black holes in the full game, where you're not sure if it's a secret opening or not, then you can complain. But in the demo you can only blame your own stupidity if you fall off the cliff.

[A Black Falcon]

I'm not complaining about there BEING a bottomless pit, I'm complaining for it not killing you... :)

[Dark Jaguar]

Yeppers, the idea is these pits are there, way out on the side, with a big ol' warning message before you even think about trying it to see what happens (honestly, I'm surprised GR managed to do it on accident, at least I did it of my own accord fairly sure of the consequences :D). So, the problem comes up that these things serve NO real danger at all. Thus, they add nothing to the game. So, I submit that if they aren't going to be a danger, and if the end result is EXACTLY the same, (small amount of damage and you end up where you were standing when you fell), why not just add a cut scene explaining exactly how you ended up back where you were? I mean, saving herself and flipping back up would still do that damage, it'd just actually make sense.

[Great Rumbler]

I didn't really think it'd let me fall in the pit. That's the way it was in MP1.

[OB1]

You guys are a a bunch of babies who should have virtual nannies in every game you play to hold your hand and tell you what to do.

[Dark Jaguar]

I think in MP1 there just weren't any open cliffs like that anyway. Isn't it true that every single open expanse leading to awesome territory that you pretty much knew you couldn't actually get to was either blocked off by a window or a forcefield? Oh wait, there was the Ridley battle. Yeah, that one just plain blocked you with an invisible wall. There might be others I'm forgetting.

Oh wait! In addition to my idea of a little scene to at least make the whole falling thing make sense, how about the cool ability to ledge hang? In fact, replace my little cut scene idea outright WITH that. When you jump off a cliff, Samus automatically grabs the cliff and hangs there, then looks away aiming her gun. You can sorta move along the cliff, but more importantly, if you are facing pirates or something flying around out there, you can now hang from the edge and shoot at them when they try flying below your platform or whatever.

[lazyfatbum]

*nods*

Oh and I really like OB1's whole "infant" take on the subject; way to add depth, OB1!

Also, as in Turok 1, Both Turok and Samus can fall from any height without taking damage. But when falling from a 'bottomless pit' you get an instant 'falling to death' scene. I think an invisible wall that, when you walk in to it, triggers the computer to say "you need to find a better way down" would be much more interesting.

Unless she's nude when she falls. Penis penis penis. *winks at OB1*

[Dark Jaguar]

Wait wait, are you suggesting Samus has some other secret she's hiding?

[OB1]

Oh and I really like OB1's whole "infant" take on the subject; way to add depth, OB1!

My pleasure.

[lazyfatbum]

DJ/ Tell me with a straight face that her right arm isn't a penis. :(

[Dark Jaguar]

.....

I refuse to dignify that with a response.

[OB1]

Sshhh! DJ is a girl, so saying "penis" around her is like saying "vagina" around... uh... Mr. Rogers. When he's on the air. If he were still alive.



Oh I don't know.

[Great Rumbler]

he were still alive.

:(

[OB1]

Yeah...

[Great Rumbler]

Mr. Rogers was cool. :(

[OB1]

Indeed.

[Dark Jaguar]

Mr. Rogers did eat children though... I think that's how he maintained his youthful glow all those years.

Everyone: *gasps*

DJ: ....too soon?

[Great Rumbler]

GR: Eating children? Phht. That's lamer than FDR's legs!

Everyone: *gasp*

GR: ...Too soon?

[OB1]

Pfft... Family Guy copier...

[Great Rumbler]

There's nothing wrong with copying Family Guy.

[OB1]

You we-..stle..d...ton...

[Great Rumbler]

Yeah, well I am in dem...lop...vent...what?

[Dark Jaguar]

....

*rolls over Tendo City*

various Tendites: What's going on?!! Aaaaaaagg! .... hey....

[Great Rumbler]

Hey! That's my house you just rolled up!!

[Dark Jaguar]

*hears GR yelling something about a house*

Whoops, missed one.... *turns around and rolls back*

[Great Rumbler]

Well...at least I can get to my house now. Oooh, they picked up a Best Buy too! Awesome!

[Dark Jaguar]

It's got everything you need to live, all mushed up in one big sticky mess!

[Great Rumbler]

Yay!

[Dark Jaguar]

lazyfatbum: *innuendo commences* Bite my glorious golden arse!

DJ: Such an act would be most unpleasent for both of us!