Defending the Nintendo of 2012

johnny_ultimate

I've seen a bit of a trend recently, both here and on other, less sensible websites. The argument takes a few forms: at its most extreme ranging from the claim that Nintendo 'abandoned' their fans, and the common complaint that the Wii was a worthless piece of crap for children. There are various alternative arguments along the same lines, too, from logical disappointment to the irrational hatred. I, as you might guess from the thread title, disagree, even if there is some truth in some of the more rational arguments.

Nintendo, above all, has always been the designer of brilliant games. Forget the hardware for a second - it's the games that we remember Nintendo for. In this respect, they still deliver. Of course they've started making games at a range of audiences, from instantly disposable and gimmicky yet fun party games (Wii Sports) to failed experiments (Wii Music) to endless Mario spin-offs. If you don't like these games, fair enough (I'm fairly indifferent to most of them) - but they sell bucketloads, and ultimately help fund the games we, the self-proclaimed gamers, want to play. And Nintendo have continually delivered, albeit perhaps with strange release pacing. Still: the two Mario Galaxy games are amongst the most perfectly designed games I've ever played. Skyward Sword was a sprawling, thrilling mix of tradition and invention. Kid Icarus Uprising was a joy. Mario Kart 7 and 3D Land bite-sized gems that remind us of the joys of traditional handheld gaming. Plenty of their upcoming titles - from Luigi's Mansion 2 to Pikmin 3 and Paper Mario Sticker Star - look great. A lot of sequels, yes, but brilliant ones at that. I'd be the first to hope Nintendo commit to more original IPs in the coming years, but they continue to wring further potential from their long-existing franchises.

Not to mention their commitment to publishing niche titles in Europe. The Wii has to many people's surprise become the JRPG console of choice in the last year. Nintendo were responsible for publishing Sin and Punishment 2 in Ireland, for which we should be endlessly grateful. And they alone were willing to save the great Bayonetta from purgatory. The 'hardcore' are well served by Nintendo going into 2013. That's not to mention the consistently rich third party libraries for all their current consoles.

Motion control seems to be a sticking point for a lot of people, as well as a continued uncertainty over the Wii-U's uses. And yes, a lot of bad Wii games have forced you to waggle the Wiimote unconvincingly. And yet... in the best games the console has to offer, the control scheme has enhanced the experienced in both subtle and obvious ways. From the complex motion of Zack and Wiki to the light shakes demanded in Mario Galaxy, plenty of games have genuinely benefited from the hardware. Sure, even at its best and with the addition of the Motionplus the Wiimote can seem like a first draft, but Nintendo aren't afraid to innovate, warts and all. Traditional control schemes haven't gone away on the Wii, nor should they - the classic controller is the optimal scheme for many of the console's best games, and even the Wiimote and nunchuck can prove an excellent combo in a well-designed game such as Mario Galaxy. But Nintendo aren't afraid to offer inventive new ways to play, and while it can take them a while to find their feet, we should be grateful someone is challenging the status quo even when it doesn't directly appeal to us. And it's undeniable that Nintendo's most interesting experiments with motion have been massive successes in comparison with their competitors - Skyward Sword IMO is a great indicator that there is potential in motion control yet.

Of course Nintendo make mistakes. While it's a brilliantly designed console, the 3D of the 3DS was a mistake, as was the baffling decision to not include a second analogue stick. They could have done a much better job explaining the potential and uses of the WiiU tablet. And, of course, it's taken them years to realise the potential of online gaming and digital marketplaces, and are still stuck behind their competitors in this regard (hopefully finally rectified with their upcoming hardware launch).

Despite their missteps, Nintendo remain amongst the boldest hardware and software designers. They've truly made gaming more accessible, and while we don't have to like the games they managed that with (even if some are unfairly demonised), we should be grateful that they've allowed more people to experience the real joys of our oftentimes stubbornly elitist hobby. I also have to commend their recent attempts to address PR issues - the Iwata Nintendo direct streams have been a particularly welcome form of communication with the playerbase. They've continued to produce games that can amaze and entertain long-term, committed players, and are responsible for several of the most brilliant games of the last five years. The future is looking bright. If anything, Nintendo hasn't abandoned its fans: many of their fans abandoned them. And, TBH, said 'fans' are missing out.

TL;DR: Nintendo - **** Yeah.

Magill

The Wii is for me,a worthless piece of ****... that had 3 or 4 games that i enjoyed(JRPG's for the most part aren't for me). Motion control ruined skyward sword for me. The lack of HD hurt the console a lot imo, most of the games look disgusting on my TV.. the biggest advance this generation on the consoles was the online aspect.. so yeah, the wii was a massive disappointment.

Im not a fan of handheld consoles, never have been, so couldn't care less about the 3DS.

I will definitely be getting a wii-u at some stage.

Star Lord

I love my 3DS.

I loved my Wii too, but save for (the fantastic) Skyward Sword, hadn't gotten all that much use over the past couple of years. Itching to get my hands on the Wii U!

super_furry

I think they're caught in a tough position but that they spend too much time looking back and not enough looking forward software wise.

Their hardcore fan base is so vocal and loud about what they want - updated versions of the games they've been playing for the last 20 years - they want new Mario games, new Zelda games, new Mario Kart games and new Smash Brothers games. So it's understandable that they continue pumping these out but I think it may be stunting their growth.

Nintendo's biggest strength has always been their first party games but I'm starting to feel that they're resting on their laurels in terms of creativity. How long is it since we've had a new Nintendo AAA franchise? Mario and Zelda are system sellers to an extent, and will be very good games but I just get a sense of deja vu when I look at the Wii U launch titles. Sooner or later game fatigue sets in and you find yourself not really caring as much about the latest Mario or even Zelda game as you did.

For many gamers, motion controls are a busted flush. How many people, myself included have a Wii sitting under the table just gathering dust? Mainstream console gamers have left the Wii and motion controls behind and Nintendo are going to have a very tough job winning them back. I look at the Wii U and don't see anything different, new or exciting. Touchscreen and motion controls, combining the DS and Wii control schemes just doesn't get me excited. I appreciate that Nintendo are taking an alternate approach to console gaming but it's not one that convinces me I need to buy a Wii U.

Retr0gamer

I'd like to correct some misconceptions about the Wii first.

1. The Wii looks terrible since it's not a HD console.

Well that's your own fault for using the pack in composite cables. Get yourself a RGB cable or a component cable and the Wii looks a hell of a lot better and has the benefit of most games running in 60 FPS. A lot of so called HD games like Call of Duty don't run in 720p run in resolutions very close to the Wii's 480p

2. There's no games on the Wii

Again another absolute fallacy. The Wii has a tonne of great games. Most people only see the third party shovelware but dig beneath that and there's plenty of excellent games, a lot of which are far more interesting than the safe games on the big two. Sure you might think that these games aren't for you and to you I say you are missing out.

Now the Wii doesn't have the sheer volume of games the other two have or the online infrastructure but it makes a great compliment to one of them. To say it's a bad console is just wrong.

Then there's Nintendo's Handheld side of things and quite frankly they have been superb. They are still supporting the DS with incredible games and it has overcome the SNES as my favourite console ever. The 3DS is turning out to be an amazing console too (people complaining about the poor launch are forgetting how terrible every console launch is). The lack of two analogue sticks is an over sight but one that doesn't bother me, I don't see any point in playing the types of games that require one on a handheld device and so far only Resi Revelations really needs it. The region locking debacle however is a very poor move by nintendo.

I like how nintendo handles it's franchises as well. The mario franchises and off shoots always offer something new, while Kirby has been the franchise Nintendo uses to try out its wilder ideas. The only franchise that really needs a shake up is Zelda. As for the lack of new IP, I have to disagree there as well, we had hotel dusk, another code, Xenoblade, Last Story, Pandoras Tower, Elite Beat Agents, Nintendogs, Electroplankton, etc. Nintendo is always quietly innovating.

Nintendo don't make enough games anymore? Rubbish. Find me more prolific developer this generation. You won't find one.

While I think Nintendo have made big mistakes with stuff like region locking the 3DS and I'm a little worried about the WiiU what matters most is that they are still pumping out a silly amount of amazing games from their first and second party teams.

While Sony and MS have stuck to the same old formula Nintendo opened up the videogame audience with the Wii and DS introducing more people than ever to videogames. Not many people know many girls their age that play games but you'll have loads when the DS and Wii generation grow up. They introduced motion controls, a gimmick but one that worked for them. They made the 2D platformer profitable again. They totally rewrote how JPPGs should work with the superb Xenoblade. They changed how 3D platformers work with Galaxy and 3D Land.

If you feel you don't like nintendo games, well I pity you.

hightower1

The Wii is this generations most expensive board game... you take it out once a year when family is over then dont even look at it for the rest of the time.


The Wii U is more of the same with this gens gimmick of a second screen, first party games will actually make use of it and try novel ideas using it but 3rd party arent going to devote time or effort to it and you'll see it devolve into a map / inventory screen and thats all.

The graphical power of the Wii U is current gen so come next xmas when the next gen come out developers are again stuck with a Nintendo console running old visuals / engines with the other big boys on similar graphical levels / engines to each other meaning 3rd party support will dry up just like it did with the Wii. If your not going to run with the crowd dont expect the same level of support dedicated to you as the crowd from devs.

I respect Nintendo trying to innovate but they could innovate their control schemes without lacking in engine / graphical power as the rest of the manufacturers. Its their Achilles heel. You cant expect devs to have two separate teams and devote more time and resources to accommodate 1 of 3 manufacturers hardware.

johnny_ultimate

As I said, I would most definitely welcome major new Nintendo IPs. Overall, though, I think Nintendo are quite simply the best developer of sequels. After two and a half decades, Mario and Zelda are overfamiliar. And yet it's amazing how fresh and invigorating those titles still are. Skyward Sword was just joyous - comforting in its familiarity but exhilarating in its scale and execution. I don't think I have a bad word to say about either Mario Galaxy game - genuine perfect tens, no doubt about it. Yes, the 'quantity' of truly great Wii games may be relatively low - although there are lots of fantastic first and third person games on it, many of which have already been mentioned here - but I don't care when the quality is so high. There's a reason why there's only one or two full-scale or 'proper' Mario and Zelda titles per console generation. I wouldn't have it any other way when the quality control is so high.

I would definitely disagree that the lack of HD is a console killer, even if it would be nice. 480p is more than servicable when art design is strong. The stark black & white hyperviolence of Mad World. The colour and vibrancy of Skyward Sword's worlds. The manic, busy screens of Sin & Punishment. The rich fantasy backdrops of Xenoblade. The Wii is home to a variety of fantastic looking games, and IMO the pixel count barely matters when the imagination is high enough.

Princess Peach

I enjoy the 3D aspect of the 3DS I also rarely leave the house without it!

hightower1

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I would definitely disagree that the lack of HD is a console killer, even if it would be nice. 480p is more than servicable when art design is strong. The stark black & white hyperviolence of Mad World. The colour and vibrancy of Skyward Sword's worlds. The manic, busy screens of Sin & Punishment. The rich fantasy backdrops of Xenoblade. The Wii is home to a variety of fantastic looking games, and IMO the pixel count barely matters when the imagination is high enough.

For me graphical fidelity does matter but its superficial and it wont matter to everyone but where it killed the Wii and will kill the Wii U is on the dev front.

For example if your Activsion and your releasing COD, it will cost you millions to create , you have to devote a huge amount of time and resources to the undertaking but now you have the Wii U... where you now have to use a totally different engine to the other two versions, you'll need a separate team working on this and perhaps reshape the entire experience to accommodate memory limitations compared to the other two consoles. This happened with this gens COD where ps3 and xbox where identical but Wii had so many limitations the game was massively different and sold (user base wise) disproportional lower amounts and was quality wise far far worse than xbox or ps3.

While USERS might not mind having less memory in console, less of an expansive experience on one console as opposed to the other 2 or having poorer graphics ; the developers and publishers certainly will and they in turn will focus on the other two rather than Wii U. It happened with the Wii over and over and is going to happen the Wii U also.

Like I said, innovation doesnt have to mean less power but Nintendo seem to thinik it does.

ShadowHearth

i like how fan need to make threads and defend their beloved console!


Who is next? lets defend PS vita next? who will pick that one up?

richymcdermott

Lets leave what people think about nintendo for a sec aswell as there games and hardware aside

The big thing in all of this is nintendo has made gaming popular and not just a pass time that makes us violent and we are wasting our time with.

Nintendo has made games accessible and your grandmother could pick up a controller and have fun , bringing familys together is what its all about and i dont see the harm in that.

The wii has some of the best games you will ever play as people have mentioned galaxy games, zelda tp, skyward sword, sin and punishment , metroid prime 3 , metriod other m , xenoblade, last story, pandora tower, zack and wiki, nights journey of dreams , sonic colors

Lets also mention alot of people , myself included complained about the dlc model this generation and developers having the option to patch games could leave them buggy at launch and fix them later , there was no such option on the wii so you felt the developers had to bring some new and eye catching or they wouldnt see any sales on the wii.

Also the term casual gamer and hardcore gamer i hate when is used, we are all gamers at the end of the day but if the term hardcore gamer means blood and guns then you can keep them because theres a hell of alot more variety on the wii than ps3 and 360.

There is no arguments that nintendo have the best first party , the other other company that rivaled them was sega . If nintendo can secure 3rd party developers back then i feel sony and microsoft are going to have an awful hard time keeping their fanbase around.

Tipsy McSwagger

If Nintendo did not have the juggernaut that is the DS & the 3DS then they would be making games for Sony & Microsoft in the next couple of years. I hope the Wii U is a success but it looks too gimmicky to me.

johnny_ultimate

ShadowHearth wrote: »

i like how fan need to make threads and defend their beloved console!


Who is next? lets defend PS vita next? who will pick that one up?

No I'm not simply defending my "beloved console" (which, TBH, I think is a slightly condescending simplification of my argument), I'm defending the output and spirit of innovation and quality of a well-established gaming company I've seen unjustly maligned recently.

CastorTroy

I'll back Nintendo as well. I have a PS3 and Wii and I've got about the same amount of games for both.
Anyone who complains about the Wii not having games either isn't looking or does enough gaming to get through all the good games available.
I also have the 3DS which lets me play both 3DS and DS games. Just waiting for new Zelda and Metroid titles now.

I don't understand why people complain about "Oh look, another Zelda game". A new IP would be good(Pullblox is excellent from the 3DS eShop) but as long as the gameplay is different then what does it matter having a familiar character on it.

I will get a Wii U. Won't be right away as I have a large backlog of games on both Wii and PS3 but I'll get it sometime

the groutch

Nintendo have always been innovators, trying to tell people what they want rather than asking what they want.
Apple do it very well, Nintendo not so much so.

Deano7788

the groutch wrote: »

Nintendo have always been innovators, trying to tell people what they want rather than asking what they want.
Apple do it very well, Nintendo not so much so.

Sales of the Wii and DS would beg to differ.

hightower1

Deano7788 wrote: »

Sales of the Wii and DS would beg to differ.

Sales do not equate to quality, by that logic MW3 is the best game ever made and Avatar is the pinnacle of the silver screen - Hardly :rolleyes:

I have nothing against the big N, I have so many fond memories of my NES but THATS how far I have to go back to actually remember the last nintendo product that I felt really was the best in class.

Sure Nintendo brought gaming to the masses with the Wii but it sacrificed quality to do that, arguably the playstation 1 brought gaming into the mainstream media and they certainly didnt sacrifice quality to do so, they kept the mature and hardcore audience catered for so well we seem spoiled in comparison to the likes of kid friendly games like nintendo titles on the Wii. Yeah lots of people bought a Wii but Id bet dollars to dough nuts more actual time has been spent playing games on the original playstation rather than the amount of total hours spent playing games on the Wii worldwide.

I guess we'll see this time next year how the Wii U is doing but I wouldnt be expecting a massive 3rd party line up in their future. Hell, even their starting line up (a time when your meant to be showcasing the best you can offer) has year old games like Arkham city and darksiders as selling points. Come on Nintendo the whole world and their dog has played them already, bring us something mature and new and so far only bayonetta has answered that call and thats a launch window game not a launch day game.

The hardware doesnt help things, mixing in old Wii remotes will confuse casuals as to is the Wii U new or not, the second screen so far lacks any killer app to justify its high price, the graphical rift that will be present in 12 months between them and the competition will hurt badly and their online services are very unclear as to their vision. With weeks to launch for a console manufacturer every single games media outlet should have had all of these things addressed but Nintendo havent.

Magill

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'd like to correct some misconceptions about the Wii first.

1. The Wii looks terrible since it's not a HD console.

Well that's your own fault for using the pack in composite cables. Get yourself a RGB cable or a component cable and the Wii looks a hell of a lot better and has the benefit of most games running in 60 FPS. A lot of so called HD games like Call of Duty don't run in 720p run in resolutions very close to the Wii's 480p

2. There's no games on the Wii

Again another absolute fallacy. The Wii has a tonne of great games. Most people only see the third party shovelware but dig beneath that and there's plenty of excellent games, a lot of which are far more interesting than the safe games on the big two. Sure you might think that these games aren't for you and to you I say you are missing out.

Now the Wii doesn't have the sheer volume of games the other two have or the online infrastructure but it makes a great compliment to one of them. To say it's a bad console is just wrong.

Then there's Nintendo's Handheld side of things and quite frankly they have been superb. They are still supporting the DS with incredible games and it has overcome the SNES as my favourite console ever. The 3DS is turning out to be an amazing console too (people complaining about the poor launch are forgetting how terrible every console launch is). The lack of two analogue sticks is an over sight but one that doesn't bother me, I don't see any point in playing the types of games that require one on a handheld device and so far only Resi Revelations really needs it. The region locking debacle however is a very poor move by nintendo.

I like how nintendo handles it's franchises as well. The mario franchises and off shoots always offer something new, while Kirby has been the franchise Nintendo uses to try out its wilder ideas. The only franchise that really needs a shake up is Zelda. As for the lack of new IP, I have to disagree there as well, we had hotel dusk, another code, Xenoblade, Last Story, Pandoras Tower, Elite Beat Agents, Nintendogs, Electroplankton, etc. Nintendo is always quietly innovating.

Nintendo don't make enough games anymore? Rubbish. Find me more prolific developer this generation. You won't find one.

While I think Nintendo have made big mistakes with stuff like region locking the 3DS and I'm a little worried about the WiiU what matters most is that they are still pumping out a silly amount of amazing games from their first and second party teams.

While Sony and MS have stuck to the same old formula Nintendo opened up the videogame audience with the Wii and DS introducing more people than ever to videogames. Not many people know many girls their age that play games but you'll have loads when the DS and Wii generation grow up. They introduced motion controls, a gimmick but one that worked for them. They made the 2D platformer profitable again. They totally rewrote how JPPGs should work with the superb Xenoblade. They changed how 3D platformers work with Galaxy and 3D Land.

If you feel you don't like nintendo games, well I pity you.

Can you list me your top 10 (doesn't have to be in order) wii games ?

Unfortunately not everyone has money to burn on random JRPG's, and since most of these games do average critically, its hard to know whats worth buying.

Deano7788

hightower1 wrote: »

Sales do not equate to quality, by that logic MW3 is the best game ever made and Avatar is the pinnacle of the silver screen - Hardly :rolleyes:

I have nothing against the big N, I have so many fond memories of my NES but THATS how far I have to go back to actually remember the last nintendo product that I felt really was the best in class.

Sure Nintendo brought gaming to the masses with the Wii but it sacrificed quality to do that, arguably the playstation 1 brought gaming into the mainstream media and they certainly didnt sacrifice quality to do so, they kept the mature and hardcore audience catered for so well we seem spoiled in comparison to the likes of kid friendly games like nintendo titles on the Wii. Yeah lots of people bought a Wii but Id bet dollars to dough nuts more actual time has been spent playing games on the original playstation rather than the amount of total hours spent playing games on the Wii worldwide.

I guess we'll see this time next year how the Wii U is doing but I wouldnt be expecting a massive 3rd party line up in their future. Hell, even their starting line up (a time when your meant to be showcasing the best you can offer) has year old games like Arkham city and darksiders as selling points. Come on Nintendo the whole world and their dog has played them already, bring us something mature and new and so far only bayonetta has answered that call and thats a launch window game not a launch day game.

The hardware doesnt help things, mixing in old Wii remotes will confuse casuals as to is the Wii U new or not, the second screen so far lacks any killer app to justify its high price, the graphical rift that will be present in 12 months between them and the competition will hurt badly and their online services are very unclear as to their vision. With weeks to launch for a console manufacturer every single games media outlet should have had all of these things addressed but Nintendo havent.

I was actually just referring to Nintendo's ability to sell to people what they think they want, not the quality of the machines in question. (Although I actually love my Wii and DS/3DS. My favourite games of this generation have appeared on these machines)

Deano7788

Magill wrote: »

Can you list me your top 10 (doesn't have to be in order) wii games ?

Unfortunately not everyone has money to burn on random JRPG's, and since most of these games do average critically, its hard to know whats worth buying.

1. Super Mario Galaxy 1/2
2. Donkey Kong Country Returns
3. Xenoblade
4. Super Smash Bros Brawl
5. Zack and Wiki
6. Muramasa
7. Skyward Sword
8. Sin & Punishment 2
9. Little King's Story
10. Metroid Prime 3

I know it wasn't addressed to me but these are 10 (ok 11 I put both Galaxy games together) that are quite outstanding games and offer tremendous variety. These are just off the top of my head so there may be others I'm forgetting.

Retr0gamer

To add to the above list:

Fire Emblem
Last Story
Pandoras Tower
Shiren the Wanderer
Opoona
Fragile Dreams
Baroque
Batman: Brave and the Bold
Beat the Beat
Punch Out
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Warioland Shake Dimension
The 3 Trauma Centre Games
Endless Ocean 1 and 2
Sonic Colours
Resident Evil Umbrella/Darkside Chronicles
Another Code R
Boom Blox
A Boy and his Blob
De Blob
No More Heroes 1 and 2
Mad World
Lost in Shadow
Klonoa
Kirbys Adventure
Kirbys Epic Yarn
Contra Rebirth
Castlevania Rebirth
Gradius Rebirth
Lost Winds 1 and 2
World of Goo
Zangeki no Reginleiv

So yeah, no good games on the Wii :rolleyes: and I haven't even really touched Wiiware.

Most of those games are excellent. A few like Baroque and Fragile Dreams are slightly flawed but very interesting games that gave me some of the best experiences of this generation.

Magill

Deano7788 wrote: »

1. Super Mario Galaxy 1/2
2. Donkey Kong Country Returns
3. Xenoblade
4. Super Smash Bros Brawl
5. Zack and Wiki
6. Muramasa
7. Skyward Sword
8. Sin & Punishment 2
9. Little King's Story
10. Metroid Prime 3

I know it wasn't addressed to me but these are 10 (ok 11 I put both Galaxy games together) that are quite outstanding games and offer tremendous variety. These are just off the top of my head so there may be others I'm forgetting.

I've played 6 of those, will look at the rest tho, thanks.

Retr0gamer wrote: »

To add to the above list:

Fire Emblem
Last Story
Pandoras Tower
Shiren the Wanderer
Opoona
Fragile Dreams
Baroque
Batman: Brave and the Bold
Beat the Beat
Punch Out
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
Warioland Shake Dimension
The 3 Trauma Centre Games
Endless Ocean 1 and 2
Sonic Colours
Resident Evil Umbrella/Darkside Chronicles
Another Code R
Boom Blox
A Boy and his Blob
De Blob
No More Heroes 1 and 2
Mad World
Lost in Shadow
Klonoa
Kirbys Adventure
Kirbys Epic Yarn
Contra Rebirth
Castlevania Rebirth
Gradius Rebirth
Lost Winds 1 and 2
World of Goo
Zangeki no Reginleiv

So yeah, no good games on the Wii :rolleyes: and I haven't even really touched Wiiware.

Most of those games are excellent. A few like Baroque and Fragile Dreams are slightly flawed but very interesting games that gave me some of the best experiences of this generation.

I got about half way through this list on metacritic (I know its not the most accurate measure of quality) and with the exception of one or two, most of them are very average rated (60-70's)... so its hard to tell if they're actually good games or not because i know you've got a bit of a different taste than i do. I'll take a detailed look through it tho and see if anything sounds appealing to me.

Retr0gamer

Some of those games are severely under rated by critics. A bit like Nier or Enslaved they are far better than the critics said they are and user reviews from people I trust have been in agreement that the are excellent.

From that list the ones I'd classify as above are Opoona, Baroque, Shiren the Wanderer, Fragile Dreams (deserved criticism for a crappy battle system but overall it's a very emotional journey), Endless Ocean games.

The rest though are excellent, not sure they got bad reviews but if they did they didn't deserve them. The only Marmite games there would be Mad World and Lost in Shadows.

Mr.Saturn

I wouldn't, for a moment, suggest that the Wii is the greatest, most-varied console going, the DS, PS2 and SNES have that, but I must say, a lot of my most rewarding hours as a games-enthusiast came courtesy of the much-maligned little white box.

From the number of Sega lightgun ports that found their way, bringing the arcade home in the most accessible fashion, to first and second party flawlessness of the likes of Mario Galaxy and DKCR, I've not once regretted my investment.

ahnowbrowncow

Where is the innovation with pokemon? They're really and truly just milking that cash cow. Moooooo

I'd love if they made it into an open world game for the wii u but I can't see that happening.

Gunmonkey

hightower1 wrote: »

Hell, even their starting line up (a time when your meant to be showcasing the best you can offer) has year old games like Arkham city and darksiders as selling points. Come on Nintendo the whole world and their dog has played them already, bring us something mature and new and so far only bayonetta has answered that call and thats a launch window game not a launch day game.

On the bolded part, if thats your opinion never Google "Playstation 3 launch titles".

As to new, mature titles, ZombieU says hello.

Mr.Saturn

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

Where is the innovation with pokemon? They're really and truly just milking that cash cow. Moooooo

I'd love if they made it into an open world game for the wii u but I can't see that happening.

They did that with Colosseum and XD's adventure mode on the Gamecube. Granted, it wasn't best example of Pokemon going, but it didn't sell, or even pique interests enough to warrant Nintendo to keep going, so it'll be a while before it's even brought to table again.

The actual innovation in the main series tends to focus on the battle system, which can make even the most-dedicated RPG nut spin their goggles in amazement, with its level of customization and whatnot. Couple that with new critters, environments and that breeding system that's finally starting to catch up with Dragon Warrior Monsters, and boom, you've your innovation. Or, well, something that does a serviceable job passing for it.

Actually, back on the Wii, it pains me that Captain Rainbow never made it West. It looks like a brilliant combination of the Sir Digby Chicken Caesar sketches, crossed with the Tick, that charges you aiding the fortunes of forgotten Nintendo characters.

ahnowbrowncow

Mr.Saturn wrote: »

They did that with Colosseum and XD's adventure mode on the Gamecube. Granted, it wasn't best example of Pokemon going, but it didn't sell, or even pique interests enough to warrant Nintendo to keep going, so it'll be a while before it's even brought to table again.

The actual innovation in the main series tends to focus on the battle system, which can make even the most-dedicated RPG nut spin their goggles in amazement, with its level of customization and whatnot. Couple that with new critters, environments and that breeding system that's finally starting to catch up with Dragon Warrior Monsters, and boom, you've your innovation. Or, well, something that does a serviceable job passing for it.

That's not really innovation, they've just added a few things in each new installment, I'm an rpg fan and my goggles do not spin in amazement

Fundamentally the gameplay, story and visuals haven't changed or developed much in the past 15 years which is quite disappointing.

If they pushed the boat out made a new pokemon game similar to xenoblade chronicles I'd get the wii u on day one

hightower1

Gunmonkey wrote: »

On the bolded part, if thats your opinion never Google "Playstation 3 launch titles".

As to new, mature titles, ZombieU says hello.

Zombie U just seems like a left 4 dead clone with no co-op tbh.
I'd like to see the Wii U be a success, as a gamer Im sure no one wants to see a founding father like Nintendo take a hit but lets face it... the Wii was hardly the core gamers choice now was it?

I loled when I watched the Batman arkham city armored edition announced at e3, its exactly the same as the 1 year old title everyone has already played with an extra suit and an inventory screen on you controller. As far as i can see thats the kind of title Wii U owners can look forward to until the next gen is released then one by one 3rd parties stop developing serious games for it then the shovel ware avalanche sets in just again.

Retr0gamer

hightower1 wrote: »

Zombie U just seems like a left 4 dead clone with no co-op tbh.

It's got some pretty interesting rogue like elements as well.

K.O.Kiki

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

Where is the innovation with pokemon? They're really and truly just milking that cash cow. Moooooo

I'd love if they made it into an open world game for the wii u but I can't see that happening.

Why radically change what ain't broke?

There's something to be said for a developer NOT adding everything including the kitchen sink to their systems.
And having said that, Pokemon is SUBTLY innovative, something I noticed when I skipped 2 generations -- there was some familiarity, but you see a lot under the hood.

*Also*
The Pokemon series resides on handhelds, so keeping it simple (2D) is better.