Why I love Nintendo

[Woodsey]

"Maybe the Wii was a gimmicky fad, but at least it had the decency to cost less than half the PS3 did."

Well duh, it was run by a hamster in a wheel. Should have cost a tenth of what the PS3 did.

People like Nintendo because they liked them when they were kids, that's about the thrust of it.

Actual professionals at rating video games have rated this game higher in general than other games of the generation, even Arkham City and Skyrim. It has been awarded Game of the Year over 10 times. So yeah, I think anyone who passes on the Wii U is going to miss out.

Writers are paid to be professional writers because they're good at writing, not because their opinion means anything more than anyone else's.

 

[Jonathan Mattheys]

After getting a Wii U during the holiday season and playing it for awhile, I feel the console is a solid platform regardless of its hardware. If Nintendo can push out some really polished exclusives and release more virtual console games, I'll feel happy with my purchase. As of now however, I feel unsatisfied with it. I'm okay with waiting due to the fact that I play on my PC primarily, but I'm really wanting to get my hands on another exclusive that's fun and interesting. Maybe I'll pick up Lego City Undercover.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

The only thing I really dislike Nintendo for is Monster Hunter, Bayonetta 2 and the improved Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Partially, of course, because I hate exclusives, and partially because I was an avid player of the series/games beforehand. But the main thing is that isn't their market. They have a hard enough time convincing anyone that a serious game will sell on the Wii U enough to justify the cost of accomodating the system, and they have no intention to make serious games for the Wii U. They just have these few to convince people who aren't generally interested in the classic franchises and shovelware that is expected of a Nintendo console to buy one. And that annoys me.

This way of thinking is the one that bugs me the most on the internet that is related to Ninty.
"I dislike Nintendo for not having games I like"
Nintendo gets games people like
"Those games shouldn't be on a Nintendo console because I dislike it".
It's a devils circle without an exit for Nintendo. People dislike Nintendo for not having M rated game but at the same time those people don't want their M rated game on a Nintendo console because they dislike Nintendo.
That makes no fucking sense. You dislike Nintendo for a specific problem but you dislike Nintendo for trying to fix that specific problem.

P.S.
MonHun moved from Sony to Nintendo because Sony's retarded business practices. They made an ultimatum to the MonHun dev. team. They either had to put trophies and achievements in the game (plus some other things which I can't currently recall) or they wouldn't allow it on the PS3.
Nintendo on the other hand told them to do as they wish, sent free dev kits, few Ninty developer to help if needed, payed of the localisation, distribution and advertisement.

Sorry, but if anyone is to hate here, it's Sony.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

snip

This way of thinking is the one that bugs me the most on the internet that is related to Ninty.
"I dislike Nintendo for not having games I like"
Nintendo gets games people like
"Those games shouldn't be on a Nintendo console because I dislike it".
It's a devils circle without an exit for Nintendo. People dislike Nintendo for not having M rated game but at the same time those people don't want their M rated game on a Nintendo console because they dislike Nintendo.
That makes no fucking sense. You dislike Nintendo for a specific problem but you dislike Nintendo for trying to fix that specific problem.

My problem is not that there are mature games on the Wii U. It is that those particular games should be on other platforms as well. Where in anything I have posted did I say I disliked Nintendo for having mature original content? No-fucking-where. If they want to build a mature audience, that's fine. Don't do it with games from other platforms that already have playerbases. If the Wii U could compete with either of the other consoles in quality and quantity of mature games and didn't consist mainly of their flagship franchises and shovelware, the Wii U would be worth buying for its own games. It's not that I don't want to see Monster Hunter or Bayonetta on the Wii U because I don't like Nintendo, it's because they should have been on the systems their predecessors were on (or more) and don't justify buying a Wii U whilst also depriving their playerbases of games. So yeah, real witty, "Those games shouldn't be on a Nintendo console because I dislike it". Care to read the post next time?

 

[OldNewNewOld]

snip

snip

My problem is not that there are mature games on the Wii U. It is that those particular games should be on other platforms as well. Where in anything I have posted did I say I disliked Nintendo for having mature original content? No-fucking-where. If they want to build a mature audience, that's fine. Don't do it with games from other platforms that already have playerbases. If the Wii U could compete with either of the other consoles in quality and quantity of mature games and didn't consist mainly of their flagship franchises and shovelware, the Wii U would be worth buying for its own games. It's not that I don't want to see Monster Hunter or Bayonetta on the Wii U because I don't like Nintendo, it's because they should have been on the systems their predecessors were on (or more) and don't justify buying a Wii U whilst also depriving their playerbases of games. So yeah, real witty, "Those games shouldn't be on a Nintendo console because I dislike it". Care to read the post next time?

Bayonetta 2 - Sega didn't think the franchies can bring in cash. Neither Sony nor MS cared a bit. Other publisher neither. Nintendo pays for development, publishing and advertising. Without Nintendo, the game wouldn't exist. So what is exactly the bad thing Nintendo did in this case? They gave the fans a second game. Whether they will pick it up or not is on them. But Nintendo did nothing wrong and there is absolutely no reason to dislike them for this.

MonHun - Sony made an ultimatum that the MonHun dev. team found unreasonable. They didn't want to change the game to fit Sony's view of the franchise (Achievements and trophies). Nintendo on the other hand offered help, gave the dev team as much freedom as they wanted, payed for the localization and advertisment. Again, how is Nintendo bad here again? Sony made a mistake, Sony forced the franchise to move to Nintendo. Without Nintendo we wouldn't have gotten a western release of neither Tri nor 3U.

Deus Ex: HR - WiiU version will most likely be at full release price. So WiiU owner will pay more than owner of other consoles. Is it really unreasonable to expect to get more when you pay more? Considering other games, I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo even payed for the port and to fix all the complaints that the fans had. But sure, I give you this game. Even if it's SquEnix's decision in the end and not Nintendo's.

So yea, hate Sony and MS for not stepping in and saving franchise and not Nintendo for doing a good and reasonable thing.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

I love Nintendo, but they can sure can be stupid. They made the statement that CD's were a failed thing and you'd never see them using CD's. Then they said that online would never go anywhere and wasn't important in gaming. That and they're control freaks. They stuck with cartridges on the N64 to have more control, the Game Cube had small discs also so Nintendo could have more control and the NES has a chip in it that could make it harder for you to play games over time(but that one was justifiable, considering the damage Atari did)

They removed the Game Cube backwards compatibility, but didn't lower the price. >.<' Seriously? There was a 150$ Wii bundle that had backwards compatibility, a game and the Wii Plus controller, then they released the new model for 150$ with nothing added, except a sound track for Mario Galaxy.

Then they made the Wii Mini, which was a complete joke.

I still think the guy naming the consoles "Wii" needs to be fired or given a different job.

They're bad at marketing the Wii U, I've only seen the adds start to show up recently.

Oh, and they intended to release the 3DS XL without a freaking charger, what the hell?!

They're not really evil, but they do make a lot of stupid decisions. They also refuse to release certain games from Japan to America, even if there's a demand.

Also, I still hate them for Region locking the 3DS, when Sony didn't region lock the PSP and Vita(when it comes to physical games, so don't counter this with "but they region locked movies on the PSP", etc)

 

[New Frontiersman]

It's not just you, I like Nintendo too. They make games I enjoy on systems I find fun to play, and I don't need any reason other than that. There are other Nintendo fans on the site too like [user]j-e-f-f-e-r-s[/user], who I find to be a bastion or reason in a sea of unreasonable hate. I see he's already commented here actually.

But really, the reason it might seem to you like no one likes Nintendo is just because the community of this site is pretty anti-Nintendo in general. If you're looking for a place that you can get news of conversation about Nintendo without all the hate you might be better off looking at a site like Nintendo Everything [http://nintendoeverything.com/]. I find they have pretty good coverage, I don't really go to the forums, but I bet you'd find them a tad more Nintendo-positive than here.

Don't let other people's opinions get to you too much. It can get discouraging seeing people be unnecessarily hateful towards something you like, but everyone has different tastes, and you can't let someone else's negativity get you down. It's just an opinion, you don't have to defend what you like to anybody else, if you enjoy it that's all that matters.

 

[gamernerdtg2]

Man, Nintendo was the first console to bring quality arcade gaming into the home - Super Mario Brothers, Excitebike, and Castlevania were all arcade games before NES brought them to our living rooms.

Nintendo could potentially wipe all other consoles out, but because of their approach, it's not happening. I respect Mario, but it's time for another character and another game. I mean, perhaps the success of SMB was blessing and a curse creatively speaking?

Nintendo could easily drop "T" and "E" rated titles that are just as engaging as DmC, God of War, Killzone, Halo, FarCry, and Bioshock.

I have PS3 and 360, but I've not been motivated enough to get a Wii, even with some of the games I've seen. It's not a bad console at all. I think growing up with Mario, Zelda, Kid Icarus, Metroid, Castlevania, and Mike Tyson's Punch out has really spoiled me. I'm not gonna knock the Wii-U, but Nintendo in general could be OWNING all of our imaginations and wallets. They have that much potential. Like I said, perhaps SMB was blessing in the 80's and 90's, but a curse now b/c they can't do anything new without another Mario game.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

snip

Like God of War? Like Halo? Nintendo worked hard to make the Wii U, and they have every right to get whatever exclusives they can. As a business they have to give incentive for people to buy it. You say you don't hate Nintendo, but you do seem to have a problem with them trying to get games you actually enjoy. Does sound a lot like baseless hatred.

Every console gets exclusives, even from third parties. Yeah, you have to make a choice as to witch console will be the best for you; but Nintendo is showing that they would appreciate your business. You're the one being difficult. What, are you crippled by the fact that deciding between the WiiU and PS4 might actually be difficult?

Well actually no it won't. And that's why in my case the Wii U having games I would have liked to play (and in my opinion could have reasonably expected to play) is unfortunate. Because I can't justify buying one, seeing as the Wii U is unlikely to have very many other mature games (which is my point) due to Nintendo not regularly targeting that audience, I am left with a clear choice to not buy one and still lose out on sequels to games I enjoyed. Nintendo is trying, as far as I am concerned, to lure a mature audience into buying their console by using established games on other platforms and achieving the minimum possible to tap into that demographic. Not trying to build a mature playerbase. Believe me, I would love for the Wii U to be a serious option when it came to which console to buy. But I'm not happy with the amount of content I can expect to enjoy and I'd much rather it appealed to me and players like me without resorting to making exclusives out of games for other platforms. And besides, seeing as you seem to think it's perfectly fair for Nintendo to get exclusives from other consoles, how do you feel about them maybe having an original, mature exclusive? Would that not be appealing to the same market without appearing backhanded? Perhaps have a few of them? I do have a problem with Nintendo trying to GET exclusives, I have no problem with them trying to MAKE them.

As for me having baseless hatred, while I can't fault Microsoft for releasing mature content and making that their focus, I would have the same sentiments as I do towards Nintendo were MH or Bayonetta 2 Xbox-only, and would be on the side of the Halo playerbase were it to become a Playstation exclusive. I would also not mind God of War becoming multiplatform. In short, I am in favour of any moves from exclusivity towards multiplatform, against any moves from multiplatform to exclusivity, and against changes in exclusivity within series.

To clarify: I've heard replies that explain the nature of the exclusivity deals of the games I've mentioned that paint Nintendo as the only saviour of games that others don't want or would rather change. I've already said as far as Bayonetta is concerned that appears to be the case, so I don't blame them as such for that. But Monster Hunter Tri was being developed as multiplatform, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, and only became exclusive fairly late in the process, and I don't believe for a second both Microsoft and Sony delivered ultimatums that late and then decided not to support the game when Capcom declined.

 

[Terramax]

'I like them because they're the lesser of two evils' isn't really a very logical persuasive opinion IMHO.

 

[tahrey]

I'm just afraid that the WiiU goes the way of the Wii in terms of power relative to the other competitors this generation. I'm also worried about 3rd party games. Having weaker hardware isn't going to help with the low amount of 3rd party games.

I won't agrue with you, because everyone has their own opinion, and opinions need to be respected.

They're following their own path re: "console generations", as far as I can see. And treading a path of lower cost and focus on software and novel experiences instead of raw pixel pushing horsepower, as per almost every other big-N system save the SNES and maybe N64 (...well, OK, the NES was itself pricey, but c'mon, it was 1983 and the only realistic competitor was the VCS). It's not necessarily wrong, or bad... just different.

I'm not really a fan of theirs so much, their "style" and mine don't often intersect, but I do have respect for them and think the gaming landscape would be very much poorer, cynical and boring without their presence and influence. It's hard to get a credit card between the 360 and PS3 after all (they even have the same basic processor fer cryin' out loud - at least the (S)NES and SMS/Genesis used competing architectures and the N64/GC, Saturn/DC were reasonably different...)

Captcha: Multi Pass. Indeed.

 

[Galen Marek]

They do there thing and whatever it doesn't effect me.

This part kinda interests me. Do you game? If yes, Nintendo has probably had an affect on you in some way.

But never the less, your choice.

 

[Terramax]

Sony and Microsoft seem to be in a competition of who can make the dumbest decision for their consoles

And you lost me right there. Let's see what awesome decision's Nintendo's made:

They stuck with cartridges when nobody wanted them.
They used mini discs when nobody wanted them.
They added a handle to their console.. because... Nintendo consoles are portable?
They refused to enable DVD playback on their DVD enabled Wii
They tied all digital purchases to a single console, not a user account.
They removed Backward Compatibility, Internet connectivity and Component Video from the Wii Mini.
FRIEND CODES!
That's all the time I've got right now, sorry.

Don't forget the double punch Nintendo used to screw Europeans over the years. For instance, during the Gamecube years, Nintendo took years to bring games in the US and Japan to Europe. Some games were seemingly not being released over the EU at all (i.e. Animal Crossing, that came out about 3+ years later than other territories.

When Nintendo found out European shops were importing American and Japanese games, they took measures to sue stores that imported games.

In fact, the reason why Sega dominated the European market during the 8bit and 16bit years, was because Nintendo pretty much completely neglected the region.

Also during that same era, many 3rd parties complained Nintendo cared less about their games being on the system.

Finally, there's the mistake of that decade, which was to let Rareware be bought out by Microsoft.

 

[lapan]

To clarify: I've heard replies that explain the nature of the exclusivity deals of the games I've mentioned that paint Nintendo as the only saviour of games that others don't want or would rather change. I've already said as far as Bayonetta is concerned that appears to be the case, so I don't blame them as such for that. But Monster Hunter Tri was being developed as multiplatform, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, and only became exclusive fairly late in the process, and I don't believe for a second both Microsoft and Sony delivered ultimatums that late and then decided not to support the game when Capcom declined.

In the end, it's capcoms decision. If you have to blame someone, blame them.

Also:

With Monster Hunter 4, it actually just came down to timing - we were developing a new Monster Hunter and the 3DS hardware had just come out, so we figured it was probably the best platform for us to develop it on. You have two screens, with action on top and menus on the bottom, and there?s the 3D view as well. It just made sense to put it onto 3DS.

MH3Us reasons for being on those consoles were likely similar.

 

[EstrogenicMuscle]

It seems that Nintendo fans in this day and age are an endangered species.

Nintendo fans are not an endangered species. They're just not the norm here on the Escapist. Which does not speak for the majority of the gaming community as a whole at all. Nintendo games sell millions of copies. And is much more popular than SEGA, a company that was once in the limelight of gaming.

It was once claimed that the PS Vita would beat out the 3DS in terms of sales here at the Escapist. Because of biases towards Nintendo products and because the PS Vita was an easily more powerful system. Instead, the PS Vita turned into a complete failure. The 3DS, on the other hand, is a vast success.

The reality is that Nintendo sits on a mountain of first party content. A heck of a lot more than Super Mario and Zelda. Though those, too, are powerhouses that aren't going anywhere.

Hardcore gamers love Nintendo. It just depends on what you mean by hardcore gamers. It is hard to be more hardcore than a massive Zelda fan who buys up ever Zelda product including the recent Darkhorse book. To some, "hardcore" means the person who buys the latest shooter. But it isn't. Nintendo fans are a sizeable piece of the hardcore gaming market.

In fact, if you are to look at the majority of entertainment on youtube pertaining to the subject of video games, most of it is about Nintendo. NintendoCapriSun, Game Grumps, Jon Tron, Did You Know Gaming, Lore in a Minute, GaijinGoomba, Peanut Butter Gamer. All huge Nintendo fans. In fact the vast majority of youtube commentary on video games is about Nintendo products.

Nintendo has Super Mario, Zelda, Earthbound, Fire Emblem, Metroid, Xenoblade, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Pokemon, Pikmin, Panel de Pon, Pilotwings, Drill Dozer, and a huge, massive list of other games and IP. They're not going anywhere. A huge piece of gamers are Nintendo gamers. Their first party software has a staying power like no other.

 

[Freddy]

I love Nintendo because they are the company that made me become a gamer in the first place.

Also, I think Nintendo's franchises are unrivaled: I would rather play any Mario, Zelda or Metroid (except for Other M)title than most of the games the competition has to offer.

Furthermore, they revived the whole industry back in the day after the big video game crash.

Lastly I think they made the best console of all times, the Super Nintendo. So many amazing games for this system, a lot of which still hold up well even today.

 

[EstrogenicMuscle]

Seriously, what the fuck?


Two players somehow get Mario to run half the level on bubbles without touching the ground, then Luigi swaps in and carries on the run without either of them missing a beat? That's absolutely nuts. The level design in this game is just incredible to allow for this sort of experimentation.

New Super Mario Bros., is, bizarrely, a pretty underrated game franchise.

It's a bold return to 2D and quality 2D platformer gameplay in an industry that says 2D gameplay is dead.

People go that the games are boring and a cash in on Super Mario. And that it is basically a "rehash of the same old boring Super Mario tale" and "overly nostalgic". 2D platformers are timeless. And this game franchise in particular has been incredibly innovative. They're taking the 2D platformer and the Super Mario franchise and doing some really nice things with it from a gameplay standpoint.

I keep hearing that gameplay is the only thing that matters in a game is gameplay. Well the New Super Mario Bros. certainly take a gameplay first philosophy. They're a simple joy to play because of the mechanics. Of which are highly polished and quality.

 

[MetalDooley]

But Monster Hunter Tri was being developed as multiplatform, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, and only became exclusive fairly late in the process, and I don't believe for a second both Microsoft and Sony delivered ultimatums that late and then decided not to support the game when Capcom declined.

I'd love to know where you're getting your info from.As far as I know Tri,just like all the previous MH games,was originally supposed to be a Sony exclusive.The combination of high dev costs,difficulty of developing for PS3 and poor PS3 sales were what convinced Capcom to switch to Wii.To the best of my knowledge there was never an Xbox version planned

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Seriously, what the fuck?


Two players somehow get Mario to run half the level on bubbles without touching the ground, then Luigi swaps in and carries on the run without either of them missing a beat? That's absolutely nuts. The level design in this game is just incredible to allow for this sort of experimentation.

And this is why Nintendo eats their competitors for breakfast in terms of quality. Seriously, good level design is RARE, mostly because there are no tricks or shortcuts for it. Good level design is HARD which is why we such a lack of it in games nowadays due to money being eaten up by presentation.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I know right? There's another video which absolutely floored me, and that made use of the Gamepad's ability to add platforms as a fifth player. Honestly, I didn't see the appeal in being able to add extra platforms before, but after watching this:


...holy goddamn! Just look at how the game lets you use extra platforms to completely play around with the level. The players in the video aren't even close to following the regular layout of the level, but because the person holding the Gamepad has got such godly reflexes, they're all able to jump around like a... I mean, just try and keep up with everything that's going on there. It's insane.

I'm a huge fan of other 2D platformers like Origins, but watching these videos has made me realise how restricted they are by comparison. In Origins, there is a right way to make it across a level, and that's pretty much it. If you fuck up, you die. Still huge amounts of fun, but watching these videos has made me appreciate just how open the Mario games are by comparison. The only other 2D platformer I can think of that is similar in that respect is the old-school Sonic games, but they never had the same focus on multiplayer that the NSMB series does.

It's not even just Mario that does this as Zelda, Metroid, Starfox, and even Luigi's Mansion levels are clearly meticulously designed right down to the finest detail. It's why I had to scoff at the idea of the next Zelda being open-ended becuase it would come at the cost of the pacing, challenge curve, and balance thus nullifying it being a ZELDA GAME. Too many games try to play smoke and mirrors with level architecture in order to make them APPEAR more complex and interesting than they really are as most of them just have the bare basics of differentiation. Heck, when playing in the sections of Bioshock Infinite where you have access to the Skyline (which are too few) I suddenly realized how generic and boring most FPS level design is. And the reason that happens is because good level design takes time, effort, and TALENT to do well and if devs were to try and do that, at least 50% of the developers in existence would be exposed for mediocre frauds.