Post by: Webmalfunction on December 18, 2013, 08:37:27 PM
At least they didn't end it by ruining Mario again.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/36246
As a Nintendo fan who is often extremely critical of Nintendo, I had pretty low expectations for this monthly Direct (at least, they seem to be monthly now). I expected the big Nintendo Wii U Direct to come in January, I expected no more than one announcement, and I expected Mario Golf and Kirby to be their Spring releases. I ended up being wrong on at least two accounts, and when I'm wrong about Nintendo, it usually means they're doing something right. Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly of today's (North American) Nintendo Direct.
The Good
New Game Announcements: It ain't quite X or a Fire Emblem crossover, but Zelda Dynasty Warriors (under the working title Hyrule Warriors), NES Remix, and Dr. Luigi is way better than nothing. The first is a good opportunity for newcomers to try the Warriors series as well as the positive reassurance that Nintendo will allow other developers to give classic franchises a crack, and the latter two pad out the Wii U's eShop catalogue for the near future.
Specifically, NES Remix: You are completely justified to be wary of the price tag, but I bought the game earlier today and can report that it's a lot of fun. The visuals look pretty sharp, and the mini-challenges are a good time and surprisingly plentiful (I estimate that the game probably has at least five hours of content). It feels like 9-Volt from WarioWare got his own game.
Sonic DLC: I kind of liked Lost World on Wii U despite its flaws, and the new Yoshi's Island level is pretty fun (as I'm sure the next Nintendo-based one will be). The YI level has the look of what I expect Yoshi Yarn to look like (very fabric-y) while featuring Shy Guys, collectible flowers, eggs, and a version of the Flower Garden song from the original game. Also, it's free!
Yoshi's Island Looks a Little Better: Yoshi's New Island came out of the gate looking a little rough thanks to its somewhat questionable new art style and the fact that the remnants of Artoon is making it, but I was pleased to find out that the game is at least being produced by YI creator Tezuka and is at least being partially made by the crew at EAD. I'll have more to say on this one in the coming days, but it looks like it could turn out to be an okay game.
The Bad
Kirby Triple Deluxe: Considering the game is coming out in January in Japan, I was hoping that the North American release date wouldn't be far behind. Unfortunately, the fact that it was given a vague 2014 release date makes me think this thing isn't going to hit before April, and it probably won't release until summer in the West (I know it was a spring Direct, but I'm imagining this as an Animal Crossing scenario). At the very least, the game continues to look great.
Kart Babies: For a character roster that needs as much diversity as it can get, I'm pretty disappointed that at least four of the playable selection is made up of baby characters. Unless there are 30 characters in the game, using playable baby characters seems like a lazy way to fill the roster out. I want Mario Kart, not Yoshi's Island DS Kart.
Rosalina: I don't know why Nintendo is under the impression that Rosalina is such an impressive character. Her first appearance as a character this year (I think you know the one) felt like it was shimmied into the game, her Mario Kart reveal today isn't even her first appearance, and likely a third of the Smash Bros. cast is now going to consist of characters either from the Mario series or spun-off from it.
The Ugly
Luigi's Mansion Diorama: They're charging 1500 coins for a Club Nintendo reward that should have been the Platinum prize all along. Instead, we get the soundtrack for a Zelda game that hasn't been properly re-released since the Wii virtual Console. Come on, Nintendo.
Where is Mario Golf?: This is not coming out in spring. It should, but it isn't.
Wii U Situation: Outside of the "plentiful" Dynasty Warriors fanbase, nothing in this presentation will sell a single Wii U. It's a nice presentation for those of us that own one, but none of these 33 minutes showed a side of Nintendo that was even remotely prepared to react to the desperate Wii U situation. Maybe in January...
Post by: Adrock on December 18, 2013, 09:05:52 PM
Quote
Wii U Situation: Outside of the "plentiful" Dynasty Warriors fanbase, nothing in this presentation will sell a single Wii U.For realsies? Not even Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U? Ehh, disagree.
This all seems pretty over-dramatic and nitpicky, but I suppose that comes with being an opinion piece.
I don't think Rosalina was really the point of the Mario Kart 8 trailer. They showed some really nice new tracks. The airport one looks especially insane in the membrane with the speed ramp and the plane flying overhead. Anyway, I really like the addition of Rosalina in Super Smash Bros. I think Sakurai approached the character in a way that most weren't expecting. She could have been to Peach what Luigi is to Mario in the series, but the addition of Luma is a nice twist.
The only thing that seemed "bad" per se was showing Hyrule Warriors, only due to how unpolished and early it looked. Comparatively to X earlier this year, it didn't look ready to be shown. X looked holy-****.
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 18, 2013, 09:17:39 PM
Post by: ShyGuy on December 18, 2013, 09:35:46 PM
Post by: Axe23 on December 18, 2013, 09:36:49 PM
Well, for one thing Rosalina is from one of the highest rated and best regarded Mario games ever made. For another her character design is TONS better than either Peach or Daisy. For a third, in that one game she had more character development than Peach has ever gotten over the ENTIRE series, not to mention her little story was actually very well written and sweet.
Anyway, I'm glad to see her getting more attention from Nintendo.
Post by: Luigi Dude on December 18, 2013, 09:46:07 PM
Quote
Rosalina: I don't know why Nintendo is under the impression that Rosalina is such an impressive character. Her first appearance as a character this year (I think you know the one) felt like it was shimmied into the game, her Mario Kart reveal today isn't even her first appearance, and likely a third of the Smash Bros. cast is now going to consist of characters either from the Mario series or spun-off from it.
She's a popular character among Mario fans who's been in enough recent games to be known by the general gaming pubic as well. Just because we get some characters like the Ice Climbers and Wii Fit Trainer doesn't mean Sakurai just throws in whoever he wants. He does take fan popularity and character request into account for many of the characters who get added and considering how popular Rosalina has become and the mostly positive her reveal has been, it looks like he was right to include her.
Post by: Webmalfunction on December 18, 2013, 10:02:27 PM
Well I certainly cancelled my preorder!The only reason I didn't announce that I was cancelling my Mario Kart pre-order was that I never pre-ordered it to begin with!
Smash Bros and Mario Kart will sell some consoles, but they won't sell consoles because of this Direct.QuoteWii U Situation: Outside of the "plentiful" Dynasty Warriors fanbase, nothing in this presentation will sell a single Wii U.For realsies? Not even Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U? Ehh, disagree.
This all seems pretty over-dramatic and nitpicky, but I suppose that comes with being an opinion piece.
I don't think Rosalina was really the point of the Mario Kart 8 trailer. They showed some really nice new tracks. The airport one looks especially insane in the membrane with the speed ramp and the plane flying overhead. Anyway, I really like the addition of Rosalina in Super Smash Bros. I think Sakurai approached the character in a way that most weren't expecting. She could have been to Peach what Luigi is to Mario in the series, but the addition of Luma is a nice twist.
The only thing that seemed "bad" per se was showing Hyrule Warriors, only due to how unpolished and early it looked. Comparatively to X earlier this year, it didn't look ready to be shown. X looked holy-****.
Post by: broodwars on December 18, 2013, 10:35:20 PM
I look forward to the January Panic Nintendo Direct, but this "Please do not look at the Mario behind the Curtain" Direct was just more of what I already don't care about. Hopefully Nintendo actually shows up to play in the New Year.
Post by: Adrock on December 18, 2013, 11:40:06 PM
Post by: azeke on December 18, 2013, 11:55:48 PM
Post by: HairyChest on December 19, 2013, 12:02:22 AM
I was ready to cry out in a chant if they showed ANY of the following:
A proper HD mario (not a handheld sequal)
Zelda wii u video
Metroid 4
Majoras mask 3D
Starfox
Mariokart with other nintendo characters (like link and kid icarus)
N64 games on virtual console
Post by: Weetrick on December 19, 2013, 12:09:17 AM
Post by: Adrock on December 19, 2013, 12:14:21 AM
This was not a video showcasing info from a company whos fighting for the existance of their home console. It was a video from a company whom seemed to ignore the facts of their situation and showcase software that is the bare minimum required for a consoles existance.You say, "this was not a video showcasing info from a company whos fighting for the existance of their home console," then most of the things you list fall into that same category, namely Majora's Mask 3D which wouldn't even be a Wii U game.
I was ready to cry out in a chant if they showed ANY of the following:
A proper HD mario (not a handheld sequal)
Zelda wii u video
Metroid 4
Majoras mask 3D
Starfox
Mariokart with other nintendo characters (like link and kid icarus)
N64 games on virtual console
Also, Metroid 4 is Metroid Fusion.
Post by: Kytim89 on December 19, 2013, 12:31:36 AM
Post by: ShyGuy on December 19, 2013, 01:03:07 AM
I like videogames!
I like big budget cinematic interactive experiences... child
Post by: ciscod on December 19, 2013, 01:08:11 AM
Post by: broodwars on December 19, 2013, 01:15:46 AM
Give me a break... For a Nintendo based site, you really look for negatives... Several games announced, new info on upcoming games .... Sports club golf .... Not bad for a " monthly " type of presentation.... How often are Sony and Microsoft doing these types of announcement
Quite often. Ever heard of Major Nelson or the PlayStation Blog (w/ associated weekly podcast)?
Post by: Enner on December 19, 2013, 01:24:01 AM
It's the little things that made me happy: Chibi Robo 3DS coming to North America and the Bravely Default side-story demo. Also, I really like Rosalina so seeing her in Smash 4 and Mario Kart 8 is great for me.
Post by: azeke on December 19, 2013, 01:24:47 AM
(http://images3.alphacoders.com/146/146909.jpg)I like videogames!I like big budget cinematic interactive experiences... child
Do you... Do you really?
Post by: HairyChest on December 19, 2013, 02:07:47 AM
By metroid 4 im talking about a mainline console metroid. Not a handheld sequal.
Post by: Adrock on December 19, 2013, 03:10:13 AM
I had fun watching the Direct live (even if Ustream crapped out for the NA stream).I rarely ever actually watch the entire Nintendo Direct. I'm usually at work so I read the news them just watch the trailers when I get home so I don't have to use data. I've had a few close calls in recent months where I almost went over 2 GB.
It's the little things that made me happy: Chibi Robo 3DS coming to North America and the Bravely Default side-story demo. Also, I really like Rosalina so seeing her in Smash 4 and Mario Kart 8 is great for me.
I'm almost always fairly content with what's shown in these things. I don't expect earth shattering news because those are typically reserved for GDC, E3 etc. Any new game, even something that doesn't immediately call to me such as Hyrule Warriors or NES Remix, is pretty interesting to me. I don't know if I'm simply easy to please or just have realistic expectations or maybe it's because I have more important things to think about, but my reactions are neutral to good. There's next to no hype for Nintendo Direct since Nintendo announces them a day or two in advance. They're mostly just updates and I remember when no company did these. Even further back, I had an EGM subscription before the Internet was so readily available and you wouldn't hear news for months. E3 was in May and the July/August issue would have all the news and pictures. I just think it's really neat that Nintendo even has Nintendo Directs so frequently.
The list i wrote was what would make me happy about the nintendo direct, not the list of things that would make wii u a success.So, just to be clear, if they announced any of those things, you'd be be happy yet you'd still have something to complain about since your list is not a list of things that would make Wii U a success. It just seems terribly inconsistent to essentially say Nintendo isn't doing enough in the Nintendo Direct to help Wii U, but then wish for things from the same Nintendo Direct like a Majora's Mask port that wouldn't actually help Wii U at all. That's a rigged game. Unless Nintendo announced something you want AND a variety of things for Wii U, you'd still be in here complaining about things. Fine.
Quote
By metroid 4 im talking about a mainline console metroid. Not a handheld sequal.You can't just change what Metroid 4 is to suit your purposes.
Post by: Soren on December 19, 2013, 09:30:33 AM
Meh.
Post by: Ceric on December 19, 2013, 09:54:47 AM
Post by: eggface123 on December 19, 2013, 12:00:05 PM
Post by: eggface123 on December 19, 2013, 12:01:56 PM
Post by: lolmonade on December 19, 2013, 12:45:17 PM
Quote
Kart Babies: For a character roster that needs as much diversity as it can get, I'm pretty disappointed that at least four of the playable selection is made up of baby characters. Unless there are 30 characters in the game, using playable baby characters seems like a lazy way to fill the roster out. I want Mario Kart, not Yoshi's Island DS Kart.
Lies. Kart Babies is the best thing that was announced yesterday.
Post by: Bman87301 on December 19, 2013, 12:57:28 PM
Quote
By metroid 4 im talking about a mainline console metroid. Not a handheld sequal.
I'm pretty sure what you actually meant was Metroid Prime 4. Metroid Fusion IS a mainline cannon Metroid, regardless of being handheld (same as Metroid II). It's important to note that the Metroid Prime series was always presented as its own mini-series, not part of the mainline.
Post by: ShyGuy on December 19, 2013, 02:32:39 PM
I trade my wii u for a PS vita. Nothing in this direct is making me regret that. ;)
Do you like the 3DS, eggface?
Post by: Kurtis the Red on December 19, 2013, 02:45:14 PM
[/size]
[/size]I didn't think the Direct was that bad. True I wanted to hear things about X and perhaps something unannounced, but I can't really blame them for waiting till the time is right. The main thing I got from this Direct is how much Nintendo is embracing their own online platform.
[/size]Correct me if I'm wrong but Chibi-Robo might be the first, original, exlusive, eshop only release on the Wii U. That in itself is good news.
Post by: eggface123 on December 19, 2013, 04:09:21 PM
Do you like the 3DS, eggface?
LOVE my 3ds!
Post by: HairyChest on December 19, 2013, 10:28:39 PM
Wii had both
Is wii u incapable of doing that? No but this nintendo direct did nothing to prove that.
Just cuz u love nintendo doesnt mean u should be blind when they make bad decisions. You have the right to expect the company you back with your money to make you excited for the investment you made
Post by: KeyBilly on December 20, 2013, 12:32:05 PM
The Hyrule Warriors game just made me sad. It looks super generic and bland, like a student project, and I'm worried that the Zelda franchise is going to be as heavily milked as Mario. When that happens, people no longer get excited for the next big game in the franchise, because it is lost in the sea of spinoffs.
Post by: Khushrenada on December 20, 2013, 12:51:54 PM
Adrock let me explain it so you can understand. With the wii, was releasing just dance make you as a hardcore nintendo gamer happy? NO Yet it sold like hotcakes and help make the wii successful. Now, was there games that made you happy as a nintendo fan? YES mario galaxy, metroid prime 3, xenoblade, etc .
Wii had both
Is wii u incapable of doing that? No but this nintendo direct did nothing to prove that.
Just cuz u love nintendo doesnt mean u should be blind when they make bad decisions. You have the right to expect the company you back with your money to make you excited for the investment you made
Alright! HairyChest laying down the law with Adrock and finally setting that guy straight! I love it! HC seems to have the best ideas so far of what would make fans happy. Can't say I've seen anyone else come up with something better.
Post by: Adrock on December 20, 2013, 02:05:42 PM
Adrock let me explain it so you can understand. With the wii, was releasing just dance make you as a hardcore nintendo gamer happy? NO Yet it sold like hotcakes and help make the wii successful. Now, was there games that made you happy as a nintendo fan? YES mario galaxy, metroid prime 3, xenoblade, etc .First, don't ask me a question then answer it for me. To answer that first question though: Yes. A game I may not want or play selling well on the platform I invested money in ultimately (yet indirectly) benefits me by making the platform stronger.
Wii had both
Is wii u incapable of doing that? No but this nintendo direct did nothing to prove that.
Just cuz u love nintendo doesnt mean u should be blind when they make bad decisions. You have the right to expect the company you back with your money to make you excited for the investment you made
Regardless, I knew what you meant so there was really no need for that condescending tone. The point is that no matter what Nintendo does, many of you chuckleheads are still going to whine about something as if they never do anything right which, quite honestly, gets exhausting, especially on a Nintendo forum. If they announce A, it's still disappointing because they didn't also announce B. I'm not above or beyond criticizing Nintendo for things, but I like to give credit where credit is due. There's a reason I regularly give them money and signed up for a message board to talk about them.
I'm simply taking issue with the constant negativity around here. Every discussion goes right for the bottom with complaints, often without ever acknowledging any positives. Take Hyrule Warriors, for example. Not only do some people **** all over it, they **** all over the people who like those games. This isn't sour grapes as I'm not even one of those people. While I may not like particularly like the genre, I'm not about to denigrate people who do.
See, you made zero suggestions for how the Nintendo Direct could help Wii U be more successful. It just seems like you're complaining to complain. You point out problems, but don't offer any solutions. Sure, you're within your rights to do so, but so am I when pointing out how ridiculous you sound.
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 20, 2013, 02:14:10 PM
Post by: Khushrenada on December 20, 2013, 09:07:06 PM
"Planet GameCubeNWR, where gamers go to BITCH about EVERYTHING..."
I don't agree with that and I have a major problem with you assuming that is an absolute fact with everyone on here. You don't see me complaining about stuff.
Post by: Ceric on December 24, 2013, 09:40:00 AM
Yeah, Seriously."Planet GameCubeNWR, where gamers go to BITCH about EVERYTHING..."
I don't agree with that and I have a major problem with you assuming that is an absolute fact with everyone on here. You don't see me complaining about stuff.
And why has Elmo been hogging the potty for so long?
