NGamer Issue 2

Ten years ago today, according to the "next issue" page of issue one, issue two of NGamer released!



It opens with a lovely message from Greener about the NGamer community that was starting to build... and here we are in 2016.

Lots of Wii speculation again. Haven't read far yet (this is a brand new mag for me) but a couple of amusing things I've spotted so far:

• A british mag went to Germany to see two games: one about football and one about the war
  
• The idea of Twilight Princess having waggle sword controls is met with joy
  
• Is this the first mention of Sadness? That game was on its way for pretty much the Wii's whole life
  
• Wii didn't have a date, even this close to launch. I guess that's not a new phenomenon then. . .
  

Cor... the GBA was on its last legs judging by the Top 10 sellers that month.
I used to love that big Release Schedule the Future mags always did. It's crazy to see 123 Wii games announced two months before the launch - we'll never see that again.

At least we knew what the Wii was at that point... *kicks stone away disconsolately*

I didn't get the joke on page 110 until years later.

I remember being confused as to why NGamer got so excited about the sequels to Batallion Wars and Super Mario Strikers - they were hardly classics when they first came out, and that was only about half a year before this issue was printed. I was more excited about the idea of the Virtual Console than the likes of those two games.

Speaking of which, NGamer really got my hopes up about the Virtual Console back before the Wii came out. Those Download History articles got me imagining playing all of these games that I'd never heard of before (though for NGamer to say "No Sonic. No Golden Axe. Because we have an imagination" before gushing about Ecco the Dolphin and Streets of Rage II was definitely a bit rich).

The "Best budget gaming find" question on the Meet The Team page is a belter, seeing as I'd already got Snowboard Kids, Mischief Makers and PN03 for each of those prices beforehand.

I've read up to the Rayman Raving Rabbids preview. It still feels odd to read the mag and know the future, and it definitely lacks the Castle touch. Still, it must have felt amazing to know about all those upcoming Wii games - the hype train that NGamer #2 was part of must have been a massive mag-lev beast.

I haven't started reading this yet - looking forward to it. I'm just desperate to get Cappa's joke on page 110! But I agree with you about the Virtual Console, Cappa - having grown up at that stage with only Nintendo consoles, the possibility of the Turbografx and MegaDrive allowing me to play potentially missed classics was an exciting thing. Didn't really happen (my big gripe in a couple of issues' time).

DoPoMoFo

Got to the BitGenerations Review:

Not really a spoiler:

Excellent use of "Galvatronned". I approve.

Apologies for bringing this one back whilst #3 is on the go, but I've been thinking about the LEGO Star Wars game review. Greener emphasises the excellent level design a fair bit in his review, but that's not moved on in ten years. Are any of youse LEGO fans? If so, I'm not being unfair, am I?

I'm a big Lego fan, but I agree with you in that I don't think the Lego film tie-ins ever got any better than LSW2; that's certainly true. It's when Lego get let off the leash that things turn out for the best - Lego City Undercover was a corker.

We are in total agreement, Jimster. The current crop of LEGO titles feels a bit like it's just being churned out on a production line. I also reckon they lost a bit of sparkle when voice acting was allowed. Having to communicate important film plot points through mime was somehow funnier.

Lego games are good fun, but very much identikit. Each individual game is made with a huge amount of love, but if you play more than one or two a generation they all feel the same. So far, I've only put much time into the first two Star Wars ones so there's room for me to grab another. Currently very tempted to play Harry Potter, but also considering getting Force Awakens so I can play with my family.

Drunkalilly wrote:

Lego games are good fun, but very much identikit. Each individual game is made with a huge amount of love, but if you play more than one or two a generation they all feel the same. So far, I've only put much time into the first two Star Wars ones so there's room for me to grab another. Currently very tempted to play Harry Potter, but also considering getting Force Awakens so I can play with my family.

Did Harry Potter come to Wii?

Dimensions is real good, just expensive

Yes, mas, they certainly did! In fact, for my money, LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 is the best LEGO title after Undercover - it really captured the magic (both kinds) of the franchise.

Cool, Drunka should be able to get them from the local ganeshop for pretty cheap.

I've spotted one of them in the local a couple of times, probably will grab it eventually.