Topic: Games Nintendo Should/Need to bring Online for 2007/2008

[Spak-Spang]

Ok, this is a different kind of online discussion.  I don't want to get into bashing or praising of the Virtual Console or how Nintendo has handled online so far.

Instead, I want to look at games coming out in the future and discuss whether they must go online or not.  What games does Nintendo really need to push online play in to not only compete but possibly even take a strong stand beside their competition in offering great online experience.

Mario Party 8:  Although this seems like a perfect online game, I don't think it is necessary to be online.  This game is more about the social party than the online party, and as such it is not a big deal if online is not an option.  Would it help the experience, sure but it won't break the experience.

Battalion Wars 2:  This game is a must for online.  For one it is a game that defines Nintendo perfectly.  Great game play and experience that is playable with all ages but not just for children.  The art style is unique and fantastic.  2-4 player online would be brilliant.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl:  I would not have said this game MUST be online, but Nintendo did, and as such it is the biggest most important game Nintendo can make online...and it must play perfectly.

Nintendo First Person Shooter:  Most people (including me) believed Metroid Prime 3 would be the game to go online...however it is debatable if this franchise has what it takes to be a great online experience.  However, a game that almost everyone agrees would be great online experience is Geist.  With work in balancing the system better than the original series, and pushing the ghost elements further you can have a very unique and exciting online experience.  But, will this game happen?  I think Nintendo realizes the potential of Geist and Battalion Wars even if they didn't sell well...and I believe Nintendo will give both franchises another chance on Wii.  

Wii Sports 2:  I can't tell you how important it is to get Wii Sports 2 out for 2007 holiday season.  Wii Sports is the title that has brought the casual gamer to the living room to play games.  Wii Sports 2 needs to happen sooner than later, and it needs to be the game that introduces casual gamers to online gaming.

Animal Crossing Wii:  The Animal Crossing experience has already done online with a handheld system.  Not allowing the console to go online is a push in the other direction.  

Pokemon Wii:  The consoles need a TRUE Pokemon game.  This hasn't happened yet, because the franchise started as a communal experience for portable gaming.  With the Wii online potential this is the first Nintendo console that can bring a communal experience to a Pokemon game, and therefore it should happen...and must happen.    


Any thoughts and suggestions?  What games do believe Nintendo must bring online?  Why? And what games can leave the online experience out of the equation.

[Kairon]

How about Forever Blue?

~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Smash_Brother]

Agree across the board.

The reason I want to see Nintendo utilize online capability is because I love THEIR franchises, especially the multiplayer ones, but I don't always have people to play against.

MK and Hunters online meant that I could have competent opponents ready to baptize me by fire with a few button presses, and that equated fun. I'd like to see that on the Wii.

[Spak-Spang]

Smash:  Thanks for reminding me about Mario Kart.

Mario Kart must have a better online experience than the DS game with actual online battle mode available this time.

I would also like to see F-Zero Wii go online.  I am willing to sacrifice graphics for the ability to have as many online players as possible. I want F-Zero to have 12-24 online players and have a complete feeling of racing in huge crowds just like the single player experience.

[ryancoke]

Are we talking stricly Nintendo made games or are we including 3rd party as well?

Nintendo Developed:
Warioware Wii 2
DK Bongo blast
Big Brain Acadamy
Pikmin 3
Starfox Wii

3rd party:
Manhunt 2
No more heroes
Half Life 2 (i'm crossing every finger I have for this one)
The next Need for Speed game.
All EA Sports titles, including Tiger Woods (although this years version won't have online)
Grand Theft Auto (if any get ported)
Call of Duty 4

I can't think of anymore right now but i'm sure I will later...

[Rhoq]

Quite honestly, with the slowness of connecting just to the Wii Shop Channel I don't have much faith that Wii will be able to pull-off any form of on-line gameplay.

[KDR_11k]

Anything that has multiplayer and gets released during that period.

[Artimus]

Quote
Originally posted by: Rhoq
Quite honestly, with the slowness of connecting just to the Wii Shop Channel I don't have much faith that Wii will be able to pull-off any form of on-line gameplay.

Everybody Votes connects very speedily. The slowness of the wiishop isn't actually the Wii but the Nintendo server. The Opera browser is pretty speedy too considering how slow the actual software is.

I think it's important that Nintendo make these games have robust online, not just online. Mario Kart DS has very good multiplayer for a DS game. For a console game, however, it isn't enough. 4 players is good but is 8 possible? I think so. Battle needs to be there (it's time to really innovate battle and expand it) and there need to be a ton of modes in addition to the core mode. Things like team play (two players on a team, their cumulative placings must beat the other teams cumulative) are a must. The single player online is always good so they need to work HARD on the line. It has to be stellar.

Furthermore, Animal Crossing needs to be MMO. It just does. Otherwise there's almost no reason to buy it if you own either of the other two. It won't have NES games, I'd wager, and the basics have already been done. There need to be online communities that go well beyond the current version. Wii is about community so this becomes even more essential. Add in shops, travelling, services, etc. Also, give players on the same system the option to either have separate houses OR live in the same house. At bare minimum the game would be just as fun with the offline elements put online, so put it online.

I'm just concerned the games will have online but it won't be worth talking about. They need to make the online amazing or it's pointless.

[BigJim]

I would actually like to see some kind of Pikmin-like cooperative game, rather than just competing against people.

Or at least some kind of team-based game against another team.

[Spak-Spang]

Well.  Third Party is hit or miss.  Once Nintendo starts getting their games online 3rd parties should follow suit.  So I am not worried about them as much.

Just discussing which franchises Nintendo creates need online play.

An example of a game that doesn't in my opinion is:

Big Brain Academy.  I don't need to play that game over an online service to be cool.  I wouldn't mind something like an online stat linked to your Mii storing how good you are at the game...but even that is fluff.  I don't really care to share with strangers how good or probably poorly I am doing at educating my brain.

Star Fox Wii definitely could use a good online mode.  I would love the single player experience to go through each level 4 times and then allow you to choose which character to play as throughout the game.  Then go online with friends and everyone play a different path and experience everyone working together to play the game.  This type of CO-OP would perfectly fit the Star Fox game and universe.

Pikmin 3 and DK Bongo Blast are games that are not necessary for online play.  It really wouldn't make or break the experience...so I could do without...sort like a Fire Emblem game or Mario doesn't need to go online to enhance the experience.  

[Ian Sane]

"Anything that has multiplayer and gets released during that period."

I agree completely.  At the very least online should always be considered in this situation and only be rejected if it doesn't seem feasible.

I think though Nintendo shouldn't force online into any game that doesn't need it.  No implementation is better than lousy implementation.  So unless it's a Four Swords game I don't see any reason to even think about it for Zelda.  I also don't want Nintendo to completely neglect the offline playability.  Mario Kart should still be just as fun with four people at home as it is with four people online (though online can have more people).  I wouldn't want a Nintendo game that is currently offline to be designed so specifically for online that the offline multiplayer isn't any good.  Online really should just extend the experience by allowing more than four players if possible and allowing one to enjoy multiplayer even when no one is over.

I'd also like to see more co-op which is rarely focused on in online games.  Star Fox doesn't need a four player deathmatch as much as it needs the ability to play through the whole game with four pilots at once.

[Smoke39]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I'd also like to see more co-op which is rarely focused on in online games.  Star Fox doesn't need a four player deathmatch as much as it needs the ability to play through the whole game with four pilots at once.

Yes.  Please.  Playing the single player game in coop is my favorite multiplayer mode, but games hardly ever seem to implement it anymore.

[Kairon]

I have ALWAYS been a co-op gamer!

I always want to do 2-player MK grand Prix, I am almost always a PvE player in MMOs, and I can immensely enjoy FPS games with co-op as well! Heck, I HATED PSO on the GC, but played up to level 42 because it had split-screen offline co-op I could do with my yougner bro!

... and since I'm such a big co-op gamer, BWii is A MUST BUY and most anticipated online game for me DESPITE the fact that I consider the first game highly flawed to the point that I badmouthed Kuju on these forums.

~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[SixthAngel]

Warioware and wii sports 2 are games that I think should not be online.  The second wii sports is more feasible but Warioware would gain nothing from it.  The fun of these games is playing with an actual group of people and would get stale pretty quickly playing against someone far away.  Not to mention the fact that there will probably quickly develop a group of hardcore players that figure out certain wrist flicks and other stances work better causing them to dominate, ruining the game for people who want to play it online, especially casuals.  Think snaking in Mario Kart x 100.  I also think that bringing out a second wii sports by the end of the year is a bad idea.  Spacing out sequels is a good thing and that is far to quick.  

[Kairon]

I honestly can't think of many...

Spore?

~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Ian Sane]

"The fun of these games is playing with an actual group of people and would get stale pretty quickly playing against someone far away. Not to mention the fact that there will probably quickly develop a group of hardcore players that figure out certain wrist flicks and other stances work better causing them to dominate, ruining the game for people who want to play it online, especially casuals."

Who says you have to go online if you don't want to?  If you think it's more fun to only play with people in the same room then do it and never use the online features.  The hardcore strategies problem can happen with any online game.  It can be avoided by only playing with people you know, which I would prefer to do anyway.  I've never been interested in finding random people to kick my ass.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
I have ALWAYS been a co-op gamer!

I always want to do 2-player MK grand Prix, I am almost always a PvE player in MMOs, and I can immensely enjoy FPS games with co-op as well! Heck, I HATED PSO on the GC, but played up to level 42 because it had split-screen offline co-op I could do with my yougner bro!

... and since I'm such a big co-op gamer, BWii is A MUST BUY and most anticipated online game for me DESPITE the fact that I consider the first game highly flawed to the point that I badmouthed Kuju on these forums.

~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Not nearly as flawed as Far Cry.

[Kairon]

RRRAAAAAAAAEDRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH
!!

KAIRON SMASH!

~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Invincible Donkey Kong]

I'm the only one who does smashing around here.

*Kairon punted*

[Spak-Spang]

Shecky:  I agree that Wario Ware should not go online.  Just like Brain Age Academy shouldn't...there is just no reason to go online...I can't think of even very many wii24connect ideas for either game.

Wii Sports 2 should go online, because if done right it would be the easiest game to introduce people to online gaming.  Simple, clean, and very safe game play to get the entire family involved in online participation.

[Dirk Temporo]

So let's talk about how all those games except Wii Sports 2 and the shooter are already announced, and all of them except for Mario Party are already confirmed to be online.

[ViewtifulJoe]

wii sports 2 wont be online and i would give my LEFT NUT!!!!!!!!!!!! for a 2-24 FZERO WII

[Edfishy]

Um, about Nintendo's on-line service, why aren't they using GameSpy to host the multiplayer games?  I mean if they've already got the setup and the years of experience, lett'em at it.

I'd deffinitly say F-Zero gets my vote for "most wanted on-line game" from Nintendo, especially if Nintendo were to give it the full work-up.  Weekly tournaments, rank based match-up systems, 30-player races, course designer + downloadable courses, customizable vehicles(As seen in GX), monthly patches, everything.  I'd prefer however if the game were a Pay-To-Play game when competing in the on-line tournmanets or 5 player+ matches, to ensure quality and continued support.  Go ahead and charge me a few bucks(nothing more than $10) or advertise in-game if it means a dozen guys can keep the game on its toes.

[Smash_Brother]

Quote
Originally posted by: Smoke39
Yes.  Please.  Playing the single player game in coop is my favorite multiplayer mode, but games hardly ever seem to implement it anymore.

I have been searching all my life for the ultimate four player co-op game, but have sadly never found one which truly makes co-op a worthwhile experience.

[Kairon]

Paid Billboard ads in F-Zero WX?

... wow ...

~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com