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Game Review / Air Hockey-e (GBA)
09.06.02 / 04:27PM / Joe
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This may be one of the silliest video game reviews you'll ever read. Certainly it's one of the silliest I've ever written. Perhaps a tad pointless as well. But this game may end up being something of a minor landmark, and I wanted to talk about it before the moment passes.
Air Hockey-e is a gratis release for the GBA e-Reader. It was available at Toys R Us locations when the e-Reader was released, completely free for the taking. The -e games are an interesting experiment from Nintendo, the same people who brought you the Game Boy Camera, N64 Microphone, ROB the Robot, and the Game Boy Printer.The good news about Air Hockey-e is that it's only one card, two scans... unlike most of the e-Reader games.
So that's two points for Air Hockey-e. It's free. And it's fully contained on one single trading card.
The third bonus may be less obvious: This is a brand new game. This isn't a re-release of a classic NES game, like Balloon Fight or Pinball or the rest of the initial -e games. Somebody somewhere deep in Nintendo actually wrote an entirely new game, specifically for the dot code technology. Sure, you're not getting much at first glance... one screen of an air hockey playing field, some typical sound effects, a "first to 10" scoring system, 1P only... but you didn't pay much for it either, did you.
At second glance, you'll realize that the computer player is tough. Really tough. He's not just randomly moving or blocking through luck... he follows the puck and he attacks it when he needs to. He's smart. He's fast. Sure, he'll score on himself at least three times a game... but I'll wager you'll own-goal more. After getting your keister kicked a couple times, you'll be staring at the dot code wondering how such an aggressive AI can issue forth from such an inoffensive series of dots.
But is it fun? Sure, it's fun. Simple fun. The puck physics are believably smooth (IE, there's no weird hang-ups, stuck pucks, or unrealistic bounces). The A button gives you a dangerously quick puck attack, which is nice for a surprise score or just to get some speed behind the puck. Just don't walk in expecting NHL 2003 and you'll be fine.
Here's why I think this is a landmark. The potential for free or nearly-free games like this is amazing. Games in cereal boxes. Games in magazines. Games in the mail. Games that all cost less than $5 each. It's a brand new distribution channel, and it could be a marketing bonanza. If Nintendo Power guaranteed me a brand new -e game every month, my subscription check would be in the mail the day before yesterday.
What's especially promising about the -e games is the incredible show of good faith that Nintendo is proffering. The launch of the e-Reader is a much more robust and savory than, say, the Game Boy Camera. The Game Boy Camera worked with almost exactly nothing. Rumors abounded for N64 interactivity. Third parties created software to download pics to your PC. But, as a video game peripheral, it was less game and more gimmick. On the other hand, the e-Reader is being supported by a full assortment of classic Nintendo games, the GameCube mega-title Animal Crossing, and the Expedition series of Pokemon TCG cards.
And Air Hockey-e. A tiny little game that could herald a new style of marketing.
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e-Basics
P'raps you're new to this brave new e-Reader gizmo. Here's a quick breakdown.
Each -e game exists on paper cards, in the form of intricate miniature dot codes along the sides of the card. You buy a set of cards, use the e-Reader to scan them all in, and then you get to play the game. It's actually very similar in concept to the punch cards that ran computer programs back in the dark ages.
Classic NES games seem to average five cards per game, with two scans per card. Game-and-Watch style games can fit into one card.
Now, scanning up to five cards twice each may seem like a big drag... especially when you just end up with something like Donkey Kong Jr., but it's not as bad as all that. Scanning is very easy, and the e-Reader can permanantly remember one app at a time, so you don't necessarily have to scan every time you want to play. I'd even be willing to scan a lot more cards if I'd end up with something bigger like a rare old Game Boy game... Balloon Kid! Mr. Chin's Gourmet Paradise! Although games of a larger caliber than, say, NES Excitebike seem unlikely at this point. 5 cards is fine; 25 cards is bad business.
But here's hoping Nintendo lets other companies into the e-penthouse, because I would love collecting NES and arcade re-issues in easily storable and portable card format. Kind of creates a whole new problem for the emulation scene, doesn't it? I mean, for years, emu fans have been moaning that "Company X isn't even doing anything with these game ROMS, so how can emulation be hurting their business?" Well, slappy, Company Nintendo just found a new way to milk it.
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