Superboy

Gimmicky connectivity and horrendously designed "bonuses"!

What's the deal with needing Metroid Fusion to unlock bonuses in Metroid Prime? you can't even transfer Metroid to the GBA as in Animal Crossing.

Tingle was a cool idea in Zelda, and it's a good thing i have 4 arms, 2 sets of eyes, and can successfully divide my attention between 2 screens.

...don't even get me started on Final Phantasy Star Online - i mean, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Although Penny Arcade had a good point (http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2003-08-25)

Totally new content in Super Mario Advance 4 aka Super Mario Brothers 3 that you can ONLY get through e-cards? nice, i'll just have to invest over $40 to unlock parts of a game i already own.

Link to the Past only having new content available through multiplayer?

Now what is this news (http://www.gamespot.com/gba/rpg/fire...s_6076471.html) of the Mario Kart: Double Dash bonus disk having bonus material for Fire Emblem?

young

word!

luckily, i don't feel the need to unlock every little secret in a game.

Homer Simpson

I thought the Tingle thing in Zelda was great. Since I have 4 arms and 2 sets of eyes (if you count my son in there) it worked out great for me. As for having to buy both the GBA and GCN versions of a game I have no problem with it, I bought both Metroids anyway.

So yes, most of them are gimmicky ways to get you to buy more games/hardware, but so what. If I don't want both versions I won't buy them.

There are some interesting uses that I've seen coming for the GBA, can't remember the game I saw, but it was in one of the mags allowing the players to control the game with the GBA and play against other players. That's the key use in my mind, allowing you to pick plays off the main screen in sports games and the like. Hopefully they'll start doing more of it and make the link a bit more useful.

jediwicz

That's the operative word, bonuses. I've unlocked both Classic Metroid/Fusion Suit and it's a cool added BONUS. Tingle in Zelda wasn't meant for you to sit there w/controller in hand and GBA in the other (that was Splinter Cell-well worth connectivity). It was meant for another player helping you or vice versa. Can't you go over to Lex's house and help him out with Dragon Roost? Right now connectivity is at the "bonus" stage. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Zelda: Four Swords and Zelda: Tetras Trackers will change all that. As far as the e-reader goes, if you own Animal Crossing and not the cards, you are missing out. SMA4 e-cards are another BONUS to e-reader owners. It isn't essential to the game but 30 extra level slots, new power-ups and demos does sound like a nice bonus.

Outlaw

I don't see how thats a flaw of the GBA, if you don't want the bonuses you can always play GBA games on your GBA .

Superboy

Bonuses from Nintendo usually mean "thanks for the money! here's something you should have gotten when you bought the game in the first place!"

tanman

I agree. They are not forcing you to get all that. It is in no ways necessary for the play to continue.

Even games that do sort of require it such as FF or Tetra's tracker or whatever utilize the connectivity in the gameplay and they advertise it as such. So if you don't have don't buy the game. They seem more like glorified mini games anyways.

As far as FF Crystal Chronicles goes you CAN play it without going through all the connectivity. You just can't play multiplayer because it is a live game so any actions that would be input by another player would go through the GBA which I think is a wonderful idea. You don't have to stop the action and wait for the other guy to input the commands.

Penny Arcade. Either they are making fun of the critics of FF or they really kind of destroyed their own joke by showing how ridiculous it is to complain about it. People act as if the GBA is an accessory only designed to play with this certain game.

Does anyone else think it is so juvenille how they think it is SO COOL that they can use F*** or S*** as everyother word. Reminds me of grade school when people would giggle when you said poop or sex.

spainlinx0

Yes, actually that's what I took that Penny Arcade for. I assumed they were making fun of the complaining done by the maker of this thread. I mean Lord knows it's criminal to actually have to own a system and tv to play games.

rayw69

So if there was no such thing as connectivity, and Nintendo didn't bother to offer bonuses, suddenly your GBA would lack it's "flaw".

I spot a flaw here, but it isn't with the GBA.

PixyJunket

PixyJunket

Do you cry like a 4 year old when McDonald's charges you 50 cents to super size your meal? Do ya? DO YA HUH?

young

oh, man... here we go again w/ the defensive attitudes.

darkside

That says it all.

spainlinx0

That's usually what happens when people try to be offensive.

trigun

GBA connectivity to unlock features does suck. Why not make them unlockable bonuses for achieving goals in the games? Oh wait, that wouldn't require you to purchase a lot more Nintendo-brand hardware and cards.

Joshic

Exactly my sentiment. Take a look at Panzer Dragoon Orta for Xbox. If you play the game, you can unlock the original Saturn version of Panzer Dragoon on your Xbox disc. You don't need to buy any additional hardware or software. That is how it should be with Nintendo games.

Josh H

No kidding. That's what I bought my GBA for. The bonus are just icing on the cake.

Gizmo

Nintendo already has a ton of bonus stuff built into there games. The 'extra' stuff is merley that, extra stuff. It's an extra incentive if you own a GBA (and with SO many Gameboy Advances in the world compared to GameCubes, PS2's, and XBOX's it shouldn't be a problem). If you seriously think its a flaw, you need to run back and play your atari where a 'bonus' was seeing some developers name on the screen.

tanman

Well alright I'll give you that. I think most people are thinking about the Metroid Prime Bonuses. That would have been very easy to just put it in as a nonconnectivitiy bonus. But it was mainly done because they want to put something in but didn't have the time to think of anything substantial. But games such as Animal Crossing, and the upcoming connectivity games FF, Zelda etc. really do need the connectivity feature as a unique way to game.

Galanthas

I love Metroid. I was pissed that Nintendo was *forcing* players to use GBA connectivity to unlock the original Metroid in Metroid prime. Of course like a good little sheep I gave in and purchased an SP in May. In a way it was a good thing really because I wanted to play the Castlevania games on the system but I held back buying the handheld. Of course I sold the SP because the screen annoyed me at a loss and then used that cash to buy a GBA player. First and last time I will buy a GBA just to unlock something like that. Unless the non SP GBA gets to $30 heh then they will sucker me outta $30 more.

Oni$yphon

A little off-topic but...

I personally cried when I realized I just brougt a $100 GBA when a couple of months later the GBA SP came out with backlit in other features for the same price and that it was already completed when the GBA hit shelves for the first time...but it's Nintendo...meh...

Josh H

The GBA SP didn't bother me, but I would have probably waited for the GB Player as I rarely play my GBA outside of my house. But I guess I get the benefit of the connectivity features/bonuses and having it on the rare occasions I want it for a car trip or whatever.

Joshic

And see what they did with the GBA SP colors? They released the Cobalt & Platinum colors, then released the Onyx & Flame colors later to try to get more people to return & rebuy GBA SPs. I bought a platinum one as soon as the GBA SP came out, but I really wanted a black one. But I'm not going to give in to Nintendo on this matter. No more free money for them! grrrr. I'll just deal with my platinum one.

Later they'll probably release the GBA SP2, which will have the missing headphone jack that should have been included in the first place.

Josh H

You'd have to be a fool to rebuy something because of the color. As long as the first option isn't pink or something, who cares?

Superboy

Do you cry when your bank charges you for services they should be providing for free for letting them use your money?

To re-iterate my point...i already paid for the game, why must i buy more accessories that aren't even essential to playing the game itself? buying a modem to play online games, that i understand; most people don't play online anyways, why bother charge them for something they won't ever use.