289: My Nintendo Shame

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

it's not...BAD, but it is misguided. I myself have been a Nintendo stalwart for YEARS. And I don't feel abandoned by Nintendo due to their focus on expanding the admittedly fickle and narrow audience that is gaming. Nintendo makes just as many games for their systems as they always have. If I were to place a blame on ANYONE for the lack of "hardcore" software on the system, I'm going to blame the 3rd parties who don't put any freaking effort into it. There are exceptions like Vanillaware, Grasshopper Manufacture, and XSeed, but most of the BIG name publishers just throw something out there in the hopes of making a quick buck and the title they made usually turns out to be crap.

 

[BrunDeign]

Does the lady realize that literally EVERY franchise she mentioned that is "new" has at least two games in its franchise already? And except for Uncharted and Gears, everything else is getting one-a-year, two-a-year releases and being milked constantly.

 

[Shadeovblack]

I love my wii, of course, I only use it for homebrew programs such as watching movies and the original NES emulator.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Does the lady realize that literally EVERY franchise she mentioned that is "new" has at least two games in its franchise already? And except for Uncharted and Gears, everything else is getting one-a-year, two-a-year releases and being milked constantly.

But Nintendo is much better at milking franchises you have to admit.
Since the Wii launched I've been saying that they need to bring us a new mascot. Link, Samus, & Mario are cool but those of us who grew up with those characters need a new and more mature mascot. Someone who shoots people with guns, makes large explosions, and curses like a sailor.
I buy maybe one wii game a year. There should be more I want.

 

[felixader]

Well, the article deosn't exactly describe my feelings for the Actual Company known as Nintendo, but it's pretty damn close. (i have finally sold my Wii to my parents at the end of 2009)

Just that i don't flock to there titles any more. I just see if i cen get something of the same quality on tzhe 360 then i decide if i want to write the Nintendogame's name onto my "get it later" List.
So far not many have managed that althougth i would have Hailed approbiately them in past times.
Wich means not in a blind way.
I was never really a fanboy, always gazed and aknowledged that there were amazing games on every console.
But it is this not beeing blind wich makes me unable to look past it's biggest flaws, that Nintendo apparently isn't really trying to bring up really new and fresh experiences.

As an Example: I really loved Legend of Zelda - Twilligth Princess. It was epic and immersive.
But God Damn It, the world was still mainly static and like a beautifull picture, you can look at it a long time but more sooner then later it just got boring.

Wind Waker's world felt WAY more dynamic and alife than that of Twilligth Princess and that's just a shame.

 

[xyrafhoan]

I admit that my gaming capabilities have dropped significantly in the past few years. I own a Wii, but it's currently sitting in a bag at my boyfriend's house because I can't use my TV to play games at home without my mom unceremoniously turning the screen off while I'm in the middle of gaming, nagging at me every 5 minutes that I'm "wasting my time". But my Wii library is actually pretty strong, with not a single game I disliked. I even took a chance on some 3rd parties! No More Heroes was a fun hack n slash romp. Rune Factory Frontier was the best farm sim/dungeon crawler I've played, with vibrant visuals that are simple yet engaging. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn was my favourite FE game to date and the battle save made longer campaigns a lot more manageable (as well as enabling Nintendo to push the game's difficulty up), Metroid Prime 3 capped off a great trilogy with a control scheme that helped the person hopelessly unable to master dual analog (ie myself) play a FPS-Adventure fusion game. Wii Sports was one of the few games I can still play with my dad since his arthritis makes it difficult for him to use a traditional controller, and he doesn't have the dexterity level or hand-eye coordination to master dual analog to play the FPS games he used to like so much in the N64 games. New Super Mario Bros Wii may feel like a rehash in single-player mode, but it is a cruel, merciless game designed to destroy friendships and thus is pulled out at all get-togethers to see how far we can get without resorting to throwing each other into spiked walls or bottomless pits. You honestly can't replicate that same mischievous feeling with online play. Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 redefined the scope of possibilities of 3D adventure games, and I was glad to see that the games were more streamlined and stage orientated than Super Mario Sunshine's enormous (and sometimes overwhelming) sprawl.

Sure, I miss out on games like Halo or Modern Warfare, but coupled with a PC, I don't really feel like I'm missing much. And I've only touched on games I've played, when my friends are fervently discussing Trauma Team, Sin and Punishment 2, Monster Hunter Tri, Red Steel 2, Kirby's Epic Yarn (which abandoned Kirby's usual schtick so much that Kirby is really only used for familiarity's sake for the box art), and Donkey Kong Country Returns. And if you've been tracking all the games I've mentioned, the variety of genres is huge! Hack n Slash, Dungeon Crawl/Farm Sim, Turn-based strategy, FPS Adventure, Sports, 2D Platformer, 3D Platformer, Surgery Sim/Visual Novel, Rail Shooter, and MMO were all mentioned, even before I repeated genres. Whereas the article didn't seem to point out all the big-name games they were listing off were just FPS or adventure games. I remain unconvinced that the author of this article really gave the Wii a chance, instead lingering on EA's and Ubisoft's shovelware. I certainly wish that the Wii weren't my ONLY console, but the backlog of games on my PC, DS, PSP and PS2 are also so huge I can afford to bide my time waiting for the golden releases on the Wii. Throw in the concept of holding down a job and going to school, and suddenly that game library doesn't seem so sparse.

 

[Denizen]

I stopped supporting the Wii a little after I got into college. I was a major supporter of the system from launch where I purchased it day one where I bought into the hype and took my closest friends with it. It represented our desire to see nintendo reclaim glory just after the gamecube era where Nintendo fell into third place and now we would see nintendo reclaim it's number #1 spot - No matter what...

That was years ago, the zealous fanboy who would spread that idea is no more. I pawned the gamecube to buy Twilight princess at launch and felt my first moment of disappointment that I hid from my friends for a long time. I won't extend on all the things I felt from it but by the time Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and finally New Super Mario Bros. Wii came out, I couldn't deny how much disappointment I felt for all the Wii had to offer.

Spoiler: On the Prime series

My best friend who cherished Prime 1 and 2 was let down over prime 3 (after his 5th or 6th run through the game). I never finished it and never will but we both agreed there were certain sections that felt rushed while of course Prime 1 is the masterpiece, Prime 2 took it a risky direction that some fans disliked but he reasoned was the same case with OOT transitioning into Majora's Mask (2d-3d perfect jump becoming the harder/edgier sequel with greater challenging puzzles). In fact, he championed part two as better for rewarding those who could handle it's difficulty. Last note, he loved the whole soundtracks for part 1 and 2 while he could only praise one song out of Prime 3 and it was not the intro.

Spoiler: On Mario galaxy 1&2

Mario Galaxy was ok, the soundtrack was great and I did see the end-game and felt the urge to get all it had to offer but it became stale to me as I continued to play. My friend rejected it and I don't blame him, it's not as memorable as the last few iterations of Mario. Also this always bothered me in regards to mario galaxy 2, "Speaking with Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata, Mario's creator Shigeru Miyamoto said that he originally told his staff to think of the game as Super Mario Galaxy 1.5 so they wouldn't work themselves too hard, according to Andriasang." yahtzee explained this alot clearer). [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100611-Super-Mario-Galaxy-2-Started-As-Galaxy-1-5]

Spoiler: On Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Super Smash Bros. Brawl...where do I start. I bought this one at midnight, unlocked all the characters overnight and still got up midday so all of my friends could enjoy the game's offerings at another friend's house. I coordinated tournaments and daily events as fund-raisers for my school just for the sake of playing this game while at school . Previously, Melee had the throne of Brawl's honor and my friends and I supported the competitiveness of melee, it soon gave way that brawl was designed to oppose it. Evidence of other characters that should have been in the game were discovered through data-mining, subspace emissary was definitely a let-down, <a href=http://www.1up.com/news/masahiro-sakurai-reflects-super-smash> and of course:

Melee fans who played deep into the game without any problems might have trouble understanding this, but Melee was just too difficult."

Accessibility has always been a watchword in Sakurai's design style, and there's little doubt he learned a lot from the Melee development experience. "If we want new people from this generation of gamers to come in," he concluded, "then we need it accessible, simple, and playable by anyone. You can't let yourself get preoccupied with nothing but gameplay and balance details. That's where the core of the Smash Bros. concept lies, not on doggedly keeping the game the way it was before."

With all respect for what Sakurai has done, I believe melee was very acessible through my experience playing a variety of people who were new all the way to those who I tamed when I was at my peak with my best character who is and always will be Donkey Kong. I never knew about tier lists until after brawl and I continue to not trust them. Also I find something wrong when I have not played melee and brawl in a long time beat someone who is extremely dedicated to both while they're using a "top tier" character.

Spoiler: On New Super Mario Bros Wii and various nitpicks

Fast Forward a year and a half later... Im back into PC gaming at full force, Team Fortress 2 is still new to me even if I had been playing it for a long time by then (which is still the case now) and this game comes out. I no longer remember the expectations I had for this game but I find several things surrounding this game very odd:

By now it's packaged with the Wii in bundles. The new wii remotes have the wii motion plus built in where only a few games support it and that's fine. This game was amusing because it's doing the opposite of what "faithful" romhacks are doing, not confronting you with a challenge but putting together an almost lemming style of mario bros (no relation to rockstar's lemmings...or is it?!). I ran through the game and beat it on pure reflex and found none of the stages to be memorable. I've played it with friends and family and it turns out the single-most amusing thing in the game is to watch each other die. For me, this is the official signal of what the Wii was being characterized to be since launch.

I've held back from admitting what the Wii was at launch and what it is now. I could go on longer and flesh out several things mentioned above and will try hard not bash it but it's just not worth it. I don't demand it to change. I do see Nintendo differently from then and I find it ok. I've moved on from depending on Nintendo to shine through. I held back from so many details and thoughts of every thing I could throw into those spoilers but feel that mentioning it doesn't deserve a bigger wall of text once expanded (or looking at it now).

For those who read it, take what you will from it. I don't feel everyone should stop supporting the Wii altogether. I can do that on my own. Simply put, I'm not impressed with their recently past releases and certainly am not with their newer ones. For those that are, feel free to continue. For those who are hopeful about Nintendo's future, I wish you peace in doing so but I will wait.

Spoiler: And by waiting,

I'll be playing TF2, ignoring the hype for Skyward sword, dismiss DKC returns, and forget the other m.

 

[I forgot]

This article was irritating to read. The writer is being fickle. The complaints don't even have to do with Nintendo at times. Lack of 3rd party support for the wii is only evidence of a crappy narrow games industry, not the fault of Nintendo. I thought we were done with this kind of shit 2 years ago.

 

[Onionman]

This article was irritating to read. The writer is being fickle. The complaints don't even have to do with Nintendo at times. Lack of 3rd party support for the wii is only evidence of a crappy narrow games industry, not the fault of Nintendo. I thought we were done with this kind of shit 2 years ago.

No. It doesn't have to do with a narrow games industry but rather just poor communication between both sides. Developers would love to make a game on the wii (look at it this way. The biggest console base in the world is, the Wii). They ask for easier tools to work with, ability to port, an interactive online component for updating material and DLC. Nintendo doesn't feel like it needs to offer any support because it is already has the biggest pie of the console market so the developer should feel privaleged they get to be a part of it. Whereas developers feel the other way around and instead that attitude deters them from producing games on that system.

But the reality is, it is all about money. If I made a game for xbox 360, I have the tools to easily port it to PC and PS3. I also get support selling my game for the xbox / PS marketplaces and I can get support for my game from Steam for PC (steam is a very cheap reliable way to distribute your games). If I made a game for Nintendo, I can't do that

 

[blippity]

I fell out of Nintendo around the Gamecube time when the Ps1 was released. I too had loved Nintendo for many a year, but when the Ps1 was released with lots of RPG games, I moved over. Sure the DS has RPGs, but there are way too many games for me to catch up on and even then I don't like playing on a handheld.

But what they have done with the Wii has changed Sony and MS, so I don't deny they have had success with bits of innovation. I guess I want to relive the NES/SNES days today.

 

[Adzma]

It's nice to hear someone else talk ill of Nintendo rather than defending every single thing they do despite how god awful it is.

My Wii basically feels like a great big paperweight these days. Had it since launch day, can't even remember the last time I used it. Probably when SMG2 came out.

I suppose I should thank Nintendo though, they raised my early gaming habits and if it wasn't for their awful business plan now, I would never have bought a 360 and PS3.

 

[Ayjona]

The gaming world passes Nintendo by, offering things that the company hasn't touched - DLC, online gaming

Portable consoles that rely on WiFi for online play are one of the most pertinent examples. No wonder smartphones have gained so much ground over the past years. As someone with a life that does not make many allowances for gaming bouts, I've noticed first-hand just how convenient and fun being able to play online with my pals on the bus, while waiting, or between meetings can be.

As a tech journalist with a focus on smartphones, this first-hand experience has turned into an awareness of a whole culture of gamers, both casual and hardcore, new and old, who want access to multiplayer experiences all the time, regardless of circumstances. For this reason, among others, this article strikes a note, though the lack of handheld console connectivity is not limited to Nintendo alone...

 

[Deviluk]

Aw, this is actually quite sad. My first console was a PS1, but I always wanted a N64. Never got one. I have an emulator now but its not the same. I have a PS3 though and that is the best console for getting new and interesting IPs. We have a Wii...somewhere...probably in a cupboard. Only comes out when my girlfriend comes to stay but then again she is leaning towards guitar hero and cinematic games like uncharted...sorry Nintendo, but you signed your soul away for money.

 

[I forgot]

This article was irritating to read. The writer is being fickle. The complaints don't even have to do with Nintendo at times. Lack of 3rd party support for the wii is only evidence of a crappy narrow games industry, not the fault of Nintendo. I thought we were done with this kind of shit 2 years ago.

No. It doesn't have to do with a narrow games industry but rather just poor communication between both sides. Developers would love to make a game on the wii (look at it this way. The biggest console base in the world is, the Wii). They ask for easier tools to work with, ability to port, an interactive online component for updating material and DLC. Nintendo doesn't feel like it needs to offer any support because it is already has the biggest pie of the console market so the developer should feel privaleged they get to be a part of it. Whereas developers feel the other way around and instead that attitude deters them from producing games on that system.

But the reality is, it is all about money. If I made a game for xbox 360, I have the tools to easily port it to PC and PS3. I also get support selling my game for the xbox / PS marketplaces and I can get support for my game from Steam for PC (steam is a very cheap reliable way to distribute your games). If I made a game for Nintendo, I can't do that

Developing for the wii is easier than the ps3 and the complaints about online updating and DLC almost nobody gets are weak and is a habit the industry needs to get out of. You can make good games and good selling games without any of those.
If it was about the money or the games, the industry wouldn't be making fourth string teams develop on the Wii that don't sell or making AAA teams develop on the HD consoles forcing them to play it safe by making the same games with competitive multiplayer because it's so expensive.

 

[TPiddy]

I grew out of Nintendo a long time ago. Great console for kids, but I'm not a kid anymore. I've gotten occasional enjoyment out of games like Boom Blox, new Super mario Bros Wii and Mario Galaxy.... but... those were all bought with my girlfriend in mind, and she hasn't had a system since SNES, so for her it's like picking up where she left off.

N64 was the last Nintendo to offer truly good mature gaming experiences like Conker, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and some of the wrestling titles. The Wii? It's a kid console, and that's exactly what they wanted it to be. Hell, look at how much they focus on the DS now. The Wii isn't even Nintendo's #1 console.

 

[Electrogecko]

Man, I read this article and I couldn't stop thinking "that's exactly what's going on with me." I own a Wii. I've owned it since week 2. What Wii games do I have? Trauma Center, Twilight Princess, Super Smash Brawl. I think that's it. One of my friends offered to buy it from me since I haven't played it in years. I really want to, but then something inside me yells NO!!! What if something incredible comes out next month?? Also, you won't be able to play those Gamecube games you love so much!!

Truth is, there are some good titles on the Wii. I've meant to buy Metroid Prime 3 since i loved the first two, Donkey Kong Country Returns had some great reviews, and both Super Mario Galaxy's are some of the most creative platformers that came out in recent years. Problem is, for every one of these releases, something awesome came out on the Xbox 360. Something new.

Given the choice between two equally good games, one that is a great reiteration of a franchise and one that is an awesome piece of something never before seen... I'm going to pick novelty.

Needless to say that wasn't the Wii title.

Novelty? On 360? Enlighten me please.

 

[Evamarie]

When I see things like

As if the goofy games weren't shameful enough, now I had to be lumped into the casual "girl gamer" category because of Nintendo's sudden campaign to skip Mario and Zelda in favor of some balance boards and yoga mats.

the only thing I have to say is "get over yourself". Who are these mythical people sorting you into the "girl gamer" category and why do you give two squirts about their opinion?


AMEN! Why is this writer letting sexist douchebags define her existence? I read to the end and noted that her name is "Briana" so she IS a girl gamer. Instead of getting all offended about being called WHAT SHE IS - why not just redefine the title and tell those people to stuff it?
This whole article riled on me. So Nintendo is making games that sell and bringing in a wider market. Instead of blasting Nintendo and the people who play "casual" games - why not be happy that stuff like this makes games more mainstream and acceptable. If games hadn't become more mainstream and sold well - does she even think that those big ticket complicated "hardcore" games she brags about would even exist in the first place? No, games would be an obscure corner market and there would be no budget for any of them.

Also, she complains the whole article about Nintendo making the same game over and over again - and yet she buys them all. Why would Nintendo stop making stuff that people buy?

 

[Crazed_Puppeteer]

Although I do find the argument of whether Nintendo has lost sight of its "hardcore" audience to be intriguing, I would like to take it one step further. I believe that Nintendo has lost its creativity when it comes to publishing and developing NEW games. Now I'm not talking about SMG or SMG 2 being "uninspiring". Nintendo has been successful at re-imagining their old franchises. With that said, they are still Mario games. They are sequels to a game that came out 25 years ago.

To me, a successful system doesn't make the most profit, but invites gamers to be inspired by new franchises so that they could call themselves a TRUE fan of the series. In turn, these gamers will want whatever game comes from them, then you get the profit. For example, the first Super Mario Bros. came out, and people loved it. Then Super Mario Bros. 2 comes out, then 3, then Kart, then 4, then Party, etc, etc, etc... Point is, gamers that were fond of the FIRST game will be fond of most of the other stuff with the same character on the front, because they associate good memories to that character. This is also why when a game with a character gamers recognize suck, the whole franchise takes a hit in credibility (i.e. 3-D Castlevania games).

For older gamers, I'm sure Escapist members have fond memories of finding out about the warp zones in the first Mario, finding the master sword in the first Zelda, or getting first place in the first Excitebike. The list of "first" memories could go on forever. For my generation (N64 and Gameboy), there's Pokemon. Yes it was developed by Game Freak, but the first time defeating Brock was a blast, and going around Kanto in black and white can still be wistfully remembered by some members of the Escapist community (including myself). Even the next generation after that has Pikmin, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, and Animal Crossing to remember fondly of.

So, what does the Wii generation have to remember Nintendo by? Well, I've checked the list of games Nintendo has developed and released for the Wii, meaning that they were involved in the whole process of this game. I've taken out all of the games that are sequels or were not released around the world UNDER Nintendo's name (for example, Zack and Wiki was released under Nintendo's name in Australia, but under Capcom's name everywhere else). The results I have found are shocking.

Original Wii Games

Wii Sports (2006) - I consider the rest of the Wii series (Play, Fit, Music, etc) to be sequels.

Endless Ocean (2008) - Sequel released in 2010

Disaster: Day of Crisis (2008) - Never released in USA. Not positive it's original, but found nothing to contradict it.

Captain Rainbow (2008) - Japan only

Xenoblade (TBA) - Used to be called Monado: Beginning of the World, so I'll let it slide...for now.

The Last Story (Jan. 27, 2011) - Looks good, but developers are OWNED by Nintendo...

...as a matter of fact, other than Wii Sports, all of the developers are OWNED by Nintendo (Arika, Monolith Soft, Mistwalker, ARTOON, skip LTD), but aren't actually Nintendo, so due to this technicality the only ORIGINAL game that has been DEVELOPED AND RELEASED by Nintendo during the SIX YEARS the Wii has been released is a game that came with the Wii in the first place. Everything else is a sequel or developed by someone else.

Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_games_published_by_Nintendo#Wii

This is probably the source of everyone's frustrations. Yes, it is good to play Donkey Kong again, it's cute to see Kirby in yarn form, but for Nintendo to succeed it needs to give the current generation of young gamers something they could latch onto so that they could have their "first" memories of Nintendo. They've been more successful on the DS, but on the Wii they've done nothing but ride on "fan" money, supplying fans with games the they associate good things from, but never coming out with something new. There is nothing wrong with supplying fans, but there needs to be more than Miis available for the young consumer for them to stick with Nintendo. Otherwise, very dark days are ahead of this company.

 

[Magnalian]

Only Nintendo themselves have made most of the good games, and publishers are afraid of the Wii (Super Meat Boy).

'Afraid of the Wii'? Super Meat Boy was too big for Nintendo's filesize limits, a lot of stuff would have had to be cut and Team Meat didn't want to put out a shallow version of their game.

 

[edthehyena]

*snip*

According to the news article on this site, Team Meat looked into getting published on-disk for the Wii, and the publishers they spoke to advised against it because only Nintendo games do well on the Wii. I wasn't talking about the WiiWare store.