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View Full Version : Starting an NES review site/blog. Need Suugestions



allyourbase
02-04-2010, 03:00 PM
Recently I've had to take time off of work for surgery and I realize just how bored/how much free time i have sitting around the apartment. It's a blessing because I'm so backlogged on my NES 'games played' list that it's ridiculous. In response to my free time and boredom I've decided to start playing through my NES library and posting reviews for them. Since I so much enjoy browsing other people's reviews yet find myself disagreeing them fairly often, I've decided to get some feedback from the players for the players. What do you like seeing in a review? What do you find helpful?

I'm going to be playing them through on my licensed top-loader mostly with a dog-bone or NES Advantage pad for nostalgia (bubble bobble etc.) So I'm basing my control/gameplay/graphics/sound ratings proportionately using this set-up. I also might use a game genie to breeze games based on time-constraints, not sure yet. But so far I'm thinking of running down the following points on each game:

Overall rating (possibly based on total averaged game scores?)
Sound
Graphics
Control Scheme/Gameplay
Fun Factor
Challenge/Difficulty


The ratings like sound and graphics will obviously be based on the systems capabilities based on good/poor examples from the systems library (games like Kirby's Adventure and SMB 3 would stand as high standards for certain categories etc. while Urban Champion etc. would be used as graphical low points on the scale) with chronology taken slightly into consideration based on game quality.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how/what to include in the reviews, or how it should be presented? I want this to be as clear and easy-to-use as possible while offering tons of useful and pertinent information for the gamer trying to find out the essentials of each title before buying/trying any game they might be curious about. what do you look for in a review site? any info would be great towards making this project useful and successful.

This isn't going to be a video review like all of those idiot AVGN rips, yet I'll try to inject as much tasteful humor as possible in the reviews to keep them interesting. I'm probably going to just do reviews in text so keep that in mind when considering recommendations.

i understand that it isn't the most original idea that i have ever had, so at the very least it could at least be GOOD and it should fill some sort of void that most review sites haven't done yet. Although I only have about 120 titles, I am fancying going after a complete US cart-only collection and i add about 5-8 titles a week to my collection. So I was hoping to review EVERY title released for the NES state-side ultimately over the next few years. That could be where I can stand out as an individual reviewer, with just the sheer amount of reviews done hopefully. Usually right when I get into a particular reviewer's site, I run out of reviews to read and realize that there are only about 20-40 games reviewed. i was hoping to accompany my journey to a complete cart collection with an equally impressive amount of reviews as well. Currently i am big into Chrontendo's video reviews which is an excellent idea, if anyone hasn't seen his work. Maybe I could chronologically review titles as I acquire them rather than chronologically review them as they were released as he does. That way collecting the carts is emphasized and plays a large role in the review process. I could post games as I bought the game and for what price I paid as well as a few sentences from a collector's standpoint about the game to distance myself from others. So the site could follow a collector's journey as I review games as they enter into my collection? Any thoughts?

I thank the collective knowledge of the digit press masses and will gladly post a link to my reviews if anyone is interested as soon as I have at least several written up, just let me know.

pseudonym
02-04-2010, 03:13 PM
I think that there are already a ton of these review sites out there. If you're going to do it, you need to find a way to be different- possibly lesser known ones?

One thing I was toying with before I thought it was a bad idea was to do review and/or Let's Play of some of those terrible NES pirate games out there like Somari, Kart Fighter, and that Mega Man clone (Thunder Warrior?) who's name escapes me at the moment.

allyourbase
02-04-2010, 03:17 PM
I was considering that, ironically. Maybe tackle obscure titles, then? I was going to start with Monster Party anyway only because who hasn't played Tetris, SMB, Kirby, Dragon Warrior etc. if that's the case, any title recommendations?

Shadow Kisuragi
02-04-2010, 03:25 PM
I would do a "Hidden Gems" type of deal as well, or at least review obscure games. Crappy/broken games and popular games have been beaten to death by now. I've thought about doing so now for a while for all platforms, since I love playing titles that everyone says suck...there are some that just aren't understood. Monster Party fits into that role perfectly :)

It also helps if you have a gimmick/schtick to hook the user, but that can backfire as well. I'm personally a fan of letting the gameplay do the talking.

neuropolitique
02-04-2010, 03:52 PM
I would forget the ratings all together. Just give details, "this game controls well", "The game isn't a graphics powerhouse, but it's still fun as hell".

Ratings scales usually drive me nuts. a 8.3 doesn't tell me shit about the game.

Steven
02-04-2010, 04:08 PM
My only suggestion is to follow your own heart and desires. At the end of the day it will be you who cares most about your project.

Don't get caught up in what you need to do to be "different" from other blogs/sites or what would be most interesting to the reader. Just be yourself naturally. Otherwise, one's writing can really come off forced and thus, a bit on the lame side. Don't worry about what everybody else has already done. Of course don't steal, but just write them up as you please. Focus on doing it the way YOU want to see it be done, and the rest will fall into place.

Just have fun!

Kitsune Sniper
02-04-2010, 05:04 PM
I also suggest reading through this thread (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140138).

I asked for advice on doing my own reviews (for Youtube) a few weeks ago. Most of the posts deal with video issues, but there's some good writing advice as well.

allyourbase
02-04-2010, 06:01 PM
deleted

allyourbase
02-04-2010, 06:04 PM
Thanks for the response so far everyone, Kitsune I had seen your thread not too long ago and I guess sub-conciously considered that when coming up with this idea. I'm re-hashing through that thread now for anything useful.
Steven, thanks as well for your advice, I'm leaning towards your idea and hoping for feedback to help out any potential readers. i am way into your obscure SFC reviews and have used your insight often to import some SFC goodness.

Are there any games out there that anyone feels is overdue for a review or overlooked pretty often in reviews? I am in the process of playing NARC, Monster Party, Metal Storm and Bugs Bunny Birthday Bash right now which seem more obscure than commonplace so... Please feel free to recommend what you like seeing included in reviews still and thanks for the feedback so far

pseudonym
02-04-2010, 06:10 PM
How about Mr. Gimmick / Gimmick? A criminally underrated game IMO. A couple of Hudson's titles to look at possibly are Mendel Palace and Princess Tomato In The Salad Kingdom, two solid games that don't really get much coverage.

Good luck, I'd like to see whatever you write when you're finished though.

Flack
02-04-2010, 07:56 PM
Results 1 - 10 of about 40,900 for review "monster party". (0.33 seconds)

Kitsune Sniper
02-04-2010, 11:04 PM
Results 1 - 10 of about 40,900 for review "monster party". (0.33 seconds)

Results 1 - 20 of about 15,100 for review "monster party" -DVD -"mad monster party" -wikipedia -wiki. (0.29 seconds)

There's a movie called "Mad Monster Party" that clutters up the results. And a lot of those "reviews" were just Wikipedia harvesting sites. There's other results in the mix, including soft drinks, records, and party supplies.

Adding and removing a few words to the mix...

Results 1 - 20 of about 1,130 for review "monster party" nintendo -DVD -"mad monster party" -wikipedia -wiki -rom -"consumer reviews". (0.26 seconds)

"consumer reviews" killed about 1500 repeat pages. A lot of the remaining ones are even more ad harvesting sites.

allyourbase
02-05-2010, 02:29 AM
Interesting to note, the search "player hater" yielded 86,600 results in 0.17 seconds... Hmm.

That Mad Monster Party looks like it might be interesting though, huh? Anyone ever see it?
+1 on Mendel Palace, it reminds me of alot of obscure SFC puzzle-ish titles that the japanese knew wouldn't sell so well over here. Lots of fun and sitting on my shelf due for a review!


I feel pretty good about where I should start with this, after maybe a bump or two more the next post I'll have will put up a link to what I've got so far. Thank you guys for the feedback and for any further recommendations!

Mysterio3000
02-05-2010, 02:40 AM
Interesting to note, the search "player hater" yielded 86,600 results in 0.17 seconds... Hmm.

That Mad Monster Party looks like it might be interesting though, huh? Anyone ever see it?
+1 on Mendel Palace, it reminds me of alot of obscure SFC puzzle-ish titles that the japanese knew wouldn't sell so well over here. Lots of fun and sitting on my shelf due for a review!


I feel pretty good about where I should start with this, after maybe a bump or two more the next post I'll have will put up a link to what I've got so far. Thank you guys for the feedback and for any further recommendations!

mad monster party is sweet. Its a Rankin Bass Claymation special (rudolph the red nosed reindeer, year without a santa claus fame), but Halloween style of course. Theres also an animated sequel Mad, mad, mad, monsters!