Topic: Let's Play GC on the Wii!

[Halbred]

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=18286

 

For Cthulhu's sake, developers. How lazy can you get? The Wii is already backwards compatible with GC games. Did you not know that already? Why are you re-issuing GC games on current hardware? I'm not just looking at you, Capcom. You'll port anything that moves. How many times do you want us to suffer through the original Resident Evil? Nintendo, you're just as bad these days. New Play Control games are great, but they should not be significant releases. It's not like you guys are throwing a lot of effort into these ports.    

Now, granted, I never played the original Pikmin when it was on the GC, so I'm glad I was able to get the opportunity to play it on the Wii. But you know what? Pikmin on the Wii is $30. It's on the GC (used) for like $10. The graphics are the same, the gameplay is a bit improved with the pointer functionality, but is it twenty dollars better? I'm looking forward to Metroid Prime on the Wii because I loved Corruption, but honestly, I'm just fine with the GC controls. These efforts would be improved if you included the entire GC "series" of a franchise on a single disk. Give me Pikmin & Pikmin 2 on one disk, or Metroid Prime & Echoes on one disk. Is that so much to ask?    

And what about you, Capcom? You guys are releasing REmake and RE:0 on the Wii with to-be-determined Wii Remote functionality. I imagine that escaping from zombie grapples will be accomplished by furiously waggling the Remote. The only thing that would make me seriously consider re-buying REmake and/or RE:0 is if you totally redesigned the controls and camera angle to imitate RE4. And get rid of the ink ribbon saves. For RE:0, you could add split-screen co-op. That would renew my interest.    

You know what? Here's a better suggestion. Instead of releasing REhashes (snicker), why not give us a new canonical RE game? Oh wait, you are. Darkside Chronicles, a sequel to Umbrella Chronicles that will cover the events of RE2, RE:CV, and according to Game Informer, a bonus mission with Leon S. Kennedy in South America. I guess that's nice, but let's face it: it's not exactly the follow-up to RE4 that Wii owners have been hoping for.    

Look at it this way, dear readers: you buy a PS3 and are all excited about the potential for new kinds of gaming experiences. Sony re-releases God of War on a single disk with no significant upgrades besides lame online leaderboards for Challenge of the Gods playthroughs. You'd be writing Sony an angry letter! In a way, Tecmo did this with Ninja Gaiden. That's an Xbox game that they basically ported to the 360 with a few throwaway missions featuring Rachel, and then again on the PS3 (with DLC). It's a joke, and gamers deserve better.    

So here's my plea, developers. Get on the goddamn ball and make NEW games for the Wii. I'm sick of going into Best Buy and seeing a mountain of shovelware and half a dozen good games that I already own. And now I'm beginning to see shovelware, good Wii exclusives, and...GC remakes. This is not an ideal situation. I want good, NEW content for my console, not recycled stuff from the last generation. I can already play those games--the Wii is backwards compatible, remember?

[BeautifulShy]

I don't really feel like addressing these points but I will because I am in a bad mood right now so you are going to hear it from me.

First of all the Play on Wii series. The Gamecube wasn't a really popular system. Many gamers didn't get to play lots of these underated and unique games such as DK Jungle Beat and the Pikmin series. There is an audience for these games. I recently learned that these Play on Wii games aren't being developed by Nintendo's Big teams.So it isn't like the games are distracting Nintendo from other games.

About Darkside Chronicles: The game was announced a few months back. News for the title is somewhat limited.The game is slated for a Winter 09 release.As far as I know that is 8 months away at the latest. So please wait for more info before writing a limited blog about it.
It sounds as if you are trying to find something to gripe about.

[NWR_pap64]

I said I was going to counter this and by all that is good I will...

This would have been a fine post and would have agreed with this... If we were in 2006 or 2007. Back then there WERE GC remakes, along with the occasional PS2 re-release. But its 2009 and in my honest opinion this argument is old and beaten to death.

First off, you mention that many developers are doing this, yet in your blog you only mention Nintendo and Capcom, offering no other example of developers crapping out on Wii this year. Capcom has always re-released their games on every gaming platform conceivable. The original Resident Evil was released on the Playstation three times and Street Fighter II is the mother of all milked franchise. So to Capcom this is business as usual. Its nothing exclusive to Nintendo. if it can be re-released again Capcom will do it.

As for Nintendo's New Play Control series I find it laughable how you say that Nintendo consider this major releases. So far only two games have been released, only one will be released next month and no word on the other titles. Why? Because Excite Bots was released this month and Punch-Out will come next month, and Wii Sports Resorts will be out in July. The NPC never prevented the release of new, original titles. They were mainly filler releases, games whose production never halted the creation of bigger, far more profitable title.

Finally, you do realize that you are writing this blog at a time where the Wii has seen the most original software releases since launch, right?

Let's see what was released between January till May of 2009...

Tenchu Stealth Assassins
Marble Saga Kororinpa
House of the Dead Overkill
Deadly Creatures
Sonic and the Black Knight
Dead Rising Chop Till you Drop
Rygar
Major Minor's Majestic March
Madworld
New Play Control Power Tennis
New Play Control Pikmin
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Echoes of Time
Rune Factory
Excite Bots
Punch-Out
My Sims Party
Ultimate Shooting Collection
NASCAR Kart Racing
We Ski and Snowboard
Trivial Pursuit
Ready to Rumble Revolution
Broken Sword Shadow of the Templars
Guitar Hero Metallica
Pro Evolution Soccer 09
Dance Dance Revolution Disney Grooves

That's 25 notable titles released between January and May of 2009. Of these 25, two belong on the New Play Control line (Pikmin and Mario Power Tennis), one is a XBOX 360 port (Dead Rising), one is a Playstation 2 port (Rygar), one is a multiplatform release (Guitar Hero Metallica) and is basically the console version of a DS title (Echoes of Times). So that's six titles that are ports in a list of 20 original, brand new titles released in the year so far. And we still have titles like Grand Slam Tennis which are made to feature original Wii content and controls.

I may not have all of my facts correct and I did my best to check all releases, but the fact remains. We have seen a lot of original titles on Wii since the year started and only a handful of them were ports of older titles. And the rest of the year promises to bring even more new titles.

So it seems that when you wanted to criticize Capcom for not stepping up Wii support you wanted to bring down everyone else, making you look like an old dog barking as his own reflection. Really, the only one guilty of this is Capcom, and this is something they have been doing for YEARS. Nothing they do remains exclusive, the fact that they are doing this on the Wii doesn't prove anything about the Wii as a console.

[Jonnyboy117]

REmake/Zero controls aren't TBD.  They've been out in Japan for a while and have no Wii controls whatsoever.

Play on Wii may not be internally developed, but they certainly are distracting Nintendo from other games, when they make up the entire first-party Wii lineup for Q1 2009.

[NWR_pap64]

REmake/Zero controls aren't TBD.  They've been out in Japan for a while and have no Wii controls whatsoever.

Play on Wii may not be internally developed, but they certainly are distracting Nintendo from other games, when they make up the entire first-party Wii lineup for Q1 2009.

I'm sorry, but if you honestly believe that NPC has gimped all Nintendo releases then you are exaggerating. I honestly believe these were released in order to fill up a release caused by Motion Plus and the long development time of core titles. And even then, the ones who shined through were third parties who made brand new, original titles on Wii.

Have you noticed that starting in April Nintendo has only announced ONE NPC Game and the rest were new? April saw release of Excite Bots, May will see Punch-Out and July will see Wii Sports Resort with Motion Plus.

I think Nintendo knows that with Motion Plus a reality soon they really can't just release NPC games. They will try to release as many original titles as possible that use the new unit. NPC may truly be on hold by the time the year is over.

Oh and one last thing, the RE ports are the worst. The NPC series at the very least has true widescreen support, compelling Wii controls and new content and gameplay additions. The RE ports is just that; ports. No new features, no neat uses of the Wii controls and no new additions. Nothing. Even the DS remake of RE 1 received a lot of new content.

So you should be damning the RE ports rather than trying to prove an old point about Wii releases.

[Smash_Brother]

At least give us some of the GC games that didn't get their fair chance to shine.

Eternal Darkness, Twin Snakes and Geist are just begging for rereleases.

[NWR_pap64]

At least give us some of the GC games that didn't get their fair chance to shine.

Eternal Darkness, Twin Snakes and Geist are just begging for rereleases.

That's another thing. The first set of Wii releases were made up of games that were never that popular, save for the Metroid Prime games and Mario Power Tennis.

I think the Metroid games and Pikmin were purely promotional. The Pikmin games were never that popular, even if they gained a solid audience. If its true that a brand new Pikmin is heading for Wii it makes sense to re-familiarize players and newcomers with the franchise and release compelling, attracting version of the classic games.

The Metroid Prime games were likely ported because the controls in 3 were so well received that it created the urge to create a Wii MP trilogy with Wii controls.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and Chibi-Robo were great titles that didn't do as well as they should have, especially Chibi-Robo, so its great that they got chosen to be part of the first batch.

[Halbred]

Wow, the REhashes don't have any Wii-specific features at all? Shame on you, Capcom. Pap64, that list is your counter? Aside from House of the Dead and the NPC games, I'm flabbergasted as to how you can call any of those Wii-specific games "notable." All of the games on there that I've seen reviews for (again, aside from HotD/NPC) have gotten poor reviews. Chop 'Till You Drop, Wii Ski & Snowboard, Sonic & the Black Knight...it's just sad. Guitar Hero: Metallica is great, but it's just another Guitar Hero game.

Look, I don't want to debate the list. I'm saying that we're playing GC games on the Wii. GC games are being released FOR THE WII. I CAN ALREADY PLAY GC GAMES ON THE WII. Give me new content, guys.

[BeautifulShy]

Review scores can be skewed to send a message. Black Knight is a good game.The reviews that say it is bad need to learn how to play properly.
You say you want new content. There is new content coming from Nintendo.
Haliberd what games do you have for your Wii?

[jakeOSX]

i still want NPC for geist. it was a great game and lost because FPS on a GC, well, frankly sucked.

i do agree though, give us NEW games, not ports. seriously is there a gamer left who doesn't have at least one port of RE one? it was a good game, bu tnot that good.

[broodwars]

The problem with the glorified ports GC->Wii isn't that they exist (If you own them already, it doesn't affect you.  If you don't, you have an opportunity to play them for the first time.).  The problem is that developers aren't releasing good new original Wii titles to coincide with the old, so the old takes on a much greater focus.  In the past 7 months or so we've gotten what...2 quality releases, none of which having tremendously-great lasting appeal (Madworld, HotD: Overkill)?

I just don't know about the Wii these days.  Especially after getting that PS3 earlier this month, I've just been increasingly less interested and disenchanted with my Wii.  These days the thing basically just serves as a platform for me to play old games from my childhood and the rare good original WiiWare title.  I bought into the dream with the Wii: that the thing would revolutionize how we play games, that we'd be seeing the cutting edge in game design to coincide with the future of interface devices.  Instead so far we've gotten maybe 3 games that couldn't be done easily on one of the other consoles that really took advantage of what the Wiimote can do (those being Zack & Wiki, Umbrella Chronicles, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption).  Honorable mention to No More Heroes as well.  Aside from those, the vast majority have just been traditional designs that poorly attempt to graft button mashing onto the Wii's waggle functionality, old games I already own, and games made for people who don't care about games.  It's sad when my first 5 PS3 games (Dead Space, Alone in the Dark: Inferno, Valkyria Chronicles, Mirror's Edge, Bioshock) do more to try to advance game design within their respective genres than anything I've played on Wii.

[NWR_Neal]

Review scores can be skewed to send a message. Black Knight is a good game.The reviews that say it is bad need to learn how to play properly.

Black Knight has mixed reviews/perceptions for a reason. It's a not a bad game, but if that many people "don't get it," then it's probably not the reviewer's fault.


As far as this goes, I really could care less about Capcom re-releasing Resident Evil games. If you don't want the games, don't bother buying them. I like the NPC games because they're bringing back games to a wider audience. Once again, if you don't want the games, don't buy them.

Personally, I've been fine with the Wii releases this year. I don't think all of the games on Pedro's list are really quality, but there's still a good amount of games.

If you're not happy with Wii releases right now, then go get a 360/PS3, or grab some of the outstanding DS games that have come out. Since last fall when I basically just got review copies and 360 games, I've gotten two 360 games (Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection and Namco Virtual Arcade), a couple DS games, and a good amount of Wii games. I've been very happy with my Wii. I'm sorry if a lot of other people haven't been.

I mean seriously, if you don't like Excitebots, you must be allergic to fun.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

If one doesn't like what you're seeing on Wii, sell it off and leave the site for good.

Pre-tendo Fans and unfit soccer grandmas don't care for third party non-casual "efforts" anyway.  Once they realize Zelda and Mario and all their milked derivatives aren't a big deal, the reality that they've wasted their time with this company will sink in.  In fact, just leave gaming altogether.

[broodwars]

If one doesn't like what you're seeing on Wii, sell it off and leave the site for good.

Why?  I don't have a problem with the Wii as a console, just that so few developers on the system are taking any advantage of what the system is truly capable of.  I do my part and support 3rd party releases on the system even if I think they are inherantly flawed just to keep the hope alive, but it's so frustrating to see the Wii's potential continue to be unfulfilled (even by Nintendo) year after year.  We were promised true innovation and we got waggle!  Are we ever going to see what this system is truly capable of, or is waggle the best it has to offer?

[Urkel]

Are we ever going to see what this system is truly capable of, or is waggle the best it has to offer?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=18275

[Ian Sane]

Eh, I've been complaining about this for probably at least a year.  I agree with you, Halbred.  I agree with you completely but I find it odd that you waited until now to write this.

Nintendo realistically started this all with Twilight Princess.  It's a Gamecube game.  Or at best you could call it a multiplatform game.  But the truth is you didn't have to buy a Wii to play it but many Cube owners did anyway.  Nintendo noticed that.  Third parties noticed that.

Now I often hear the argument that the Cube wasn't very successful so there's a whole new audience for those games.  Okay, but why should we get those IN PLACE of new content?  Why should those be sold individually at the price they're at?  Why can't Nintendo just re-release the Cube versions when EVERY Wii owner has the ability to play Gamecube games?  And most important of all WHY SHOULD I GIVE A ****?!  I owned a Cube.  I supported Nintendo.  And now I've had to deal with about six months or so of NOTHING unless I want to rebuy games I already own.  Note that when Square re-released the old Final Fantasy games on the PS1 they did it around the same time Final Fantasy VIII came out.  Note that REMake and Resident Evil 0 came out on the Cube in the same year.  The new content and old content was released around the same time.  With Nintendo the NPC series has been released by itself with no new content at the same time.

To me it just all fits with Nintendo true focus with the Wii.  The non-gamers are the priority.  We're just an afterthought that they assume will support them no matter what.  The NPC series and the sorta-ports like those Mario sports games and Animal Crossing?  All of that is for non-gamers who are too ignorant to notice their Wii can already play these games.  It's not a service for people who missed out on the Cube, it's not about giving old games a second chance, it's a SCAM.  It's taking advantage of non-gamers who don't know better and Nintendo fanboys that will buy the same game multiple times.

Recycling content is done because it's lazy and cheap.  Don't ever fool yourself into thinking otherwise.

[GoldenPhoenix]

n the past 7 months or so we've gotten what...2 quality releases, none of which having tremendously-great lasting appeal (Madworld, HotD: Overkill)?

ExciteBots, Tenchu 4, Deadly Creatures, Marble Saga, PES2010, and a few multiplatform games that are quite good if you like the genre such as Trivial Pursuit. Pretty sad when an example of a genre pushing game is Alone in the Dark on PS3. Also I find it extremely silly that you point to 3 games only that can't be done on other systems, really shows you are reaching to bash the Wii. You forget Boom Blox, PES, Dragon Quest Swords, Red Steel, MoH2, Wii Fit, Wii Play, Madworld. I do like your little statement "For people who don't care about games", great way to create a strawman for your Wii bashing argument. There are PLENTY of games of all types on Wii that have taken advantage of the motion controls in ways that other systems could not. Just because you don't like them doesn't make them bad games.

Also Mario Galaxy didn't try to advance its genre? What about Madworld? What about Little King's Story? Also there is nothing wrong with more traditional game designs that don't integrate Wii controls, we see it on the DS all the time, but that does not mean the DS hasn't innovated things does it? If you aren't excited for Wiis upcoming lineup, I question whether you really want to like the Wii in the first place. Has this been a slower time? Sure but we still got 4 or 5 good to great games in the last 4 months from a variety of sources and it is getting better from here on out.

The Wii's potential has been realized with pointer functionality in a variety of games. Motion controls haven't been fully realized because of the lack of precise control, but even then we still got Tiger Woods 09 which was fantastic and utilized it well. With Wii Motion plus we are already seeing a few titles that look fantastic that could ONLY be done on Wii such as EA Tennis, Sega's Tennis Game (Maybe), and of course Tiger Woods 2010.

[broodwars]

Time unfortunately (and the fact that I'm on the clock at work) prevents me from properly refuting your post, Goldenphoenix, but I will in full later on when I'm on my dinner break.  Suffice it to say I'll give you Boom Blox.  While it's not a game I particularly cared for, it could only be done in its current design with the Wiimote.  The rest...well...not so much, and that wasn't a really stellar lineup you put there anyway.

As for Mario Galaxy, it was a good game but hardly revolutionary.  That game could have been played with the GameCube controller and it might actually have controlled better.  As for the 3D space w/ sphere world concept, I never thought Mario Galaxy made great use of it and its made especially limited use of its gravity mechanic (I feel World of Goo did more with that than Mario Galaxy did).  I just completed Prince of Persia Next-Gen last night, and it makes Mario Galaxy's use of 3D space look like a joke.  Granted, Galaxy laid the foundation but I never felt it made the best use of it.

[TJ Spyke]

Super Mario Galaxy was controlled perfectly with the Wii Remote and would have been vastly inferior on a standard controller. Still the best platformer this gen.

[broodwars]

Super Mario Galaxy was controlled perfectly with the Wii Remote and would have been vastly inferior on a standard controller. Still the best platformer this gen.

Well, to each their own.  I found Prince of Persia to be a more memorable game than Mario Galaxy, and a much better platformer (and to be honest, better-looking).  But I've always been into that series more anyway since Sands of Time, as it's much more daring in its platforming and story.

[D_Average]

Super Mario Galaxy was controlled perfectly with the Wii Remote and would have been vastly inferior on a standard controller. Still the best platformer this gen.

I completely disagree.  I'll take a button press over waggle any day for that spin attack. 

[broodwars]

Super Mario Galaxy was controlled perfectly with the Wii Remote and would have been vastly inferior on a standard controller. Still the best platformer this gen.

I completely disagree.  I'll take a button press over waggle any day for that spin attack.

Exactly.  Not to mention using Waggle for the Fire Flower.  Ugh, the premature arthritus...

[Ian Sane]

Super Mario Galaxy was controlled perfectly with the Wii Remote and would have been vastly inferior on a standard controller. Still the best platformer this gen.

What did it actually need the remote for?  I know it used it for collecting Star Bits and there was the spin move.  But what did it NEED the remote for?  The spin move was just waggle and could have just as easily been assigned to a button and the Star Bits are a pretty superflous part of the game.  Yeah you couldn't just port Super Mario Galaxy to the classic controller without some change in design to the game.  But never for even one second did I think "they could NOT have done this game on the Gamecube."  It wouldn't have been exactly the same but the differences that required the remote were so minor that the game would likely have been equally enjoyable with a traditional controller.

If Wii Sports didn't exist and Nintendo had to use Super Mario Galaxy to "sell" the concept of the remote I think Nintendo would have been a laughing stock.  The implementation of the remote is pathetically minor.

[Mop it up]

Of the 7 games in the New Play Control lineup, I own only the two Metroid Prime games, so I don't mind the simple concept of these games being re-released. What I do mind is that I think they are overpriced, since most of them add little more than a new control scheme and widescreen support.

I would only buy the ones which would cost about the same to get the GameCube version used, so I'm passing on Pikmin because it is fairly cheap. I might get Pikmin 2 when it is released though as it is hard to find the GCN one for a good price. Metroid Prime 1 and 2 on GCN could probably both be had for less than $30. I've not looked up Chibi-Robo so I'll see on that one. Donkey Konga would probably be the best value of the bunch since the GCN version required a special bongo controller, and the Wii version has some redesigned/new stages.

The only one which disappoints me is Mario Power Tennis, as it pretty much kills any chance of a sequel being released.

[Flames_of_chaos]

The only one which disappoints me is Mario Power Tennis, as it pretty much kills any chance of a sequel being released.

I wouldn't assume that, Nintendo could always make a sequel especially as another first party title with Wii MotionPlus.