Topic: Steven Kent: "Nintendo is like a wonderful old friend who has a drinking problem."

[couchmonkey]

Oh, that's hot.  Especially the hoof and mouth part...

[GoldenPhoenix]

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Originally posted by: couchmonkey
Galford is right, the Wii remote is not very friendly to certain types of games.  That's why the classic controller exists.  Just like arcade controllers exist for people who really want that authentic fighting game feel.  And Joysticks exist for people who won't play flight sims any other way.  And instruments exist for music games.  And that huge-arse control console exists for Xbox fans that want a more immersive Mech game.

However, the argument from Nintendo's end is that this is going to become the new standard, just like the NES pad replaced Joysticks 20 years ago, and analog practically replaced the d-pad 10 years ago.

Is Nintendo right?  Maybe, maybe not.  Many previews have surprisingly praised the controller in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, in spite of the fact that it's a very traditional style of game.  Racing games, Rayman, and Madden have also all gotten good previews.  FPS's are having trouble, but IGN's last Metroid Prime 3 preview was really positive - maybe it doesn't beat a keyboard and a mouse, but if it can beat old-fashioned controllers, that's a start.  If one or two genres fall by the wayside but it provides a better experience overall (and especially for "non" games) then it won't matter except to some hardcores...who, once again, can buy the classic controller.

Maybe it was IGN or something but they said that each control method has its pluses and minuses (personally I think the control pad has a TON of them for FPSs). With the Wiimote I can't help but thing that there is a good chance the controls in Red Steel are fine if you become experienced with the game which is why Ubisoft has not changed them (Sensitivity options may shake things up too).

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane Pikmin 2.  Majora's Mask.  Metroid Fusion.  Metroid Prime.  These games are all sequels that built on the original formula while still feeling like a sequel should without being a rehash or a nostalgia trip.  It can happen and Nintendo until recently was really good at it.  I would even consider Super Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker as games like these, they're just not as good.

(Pikmin 1 - timer) + product placement = Pikmin 2.

Majora's Mask was Eonuma's (spelling) first Zelda game, hence why it felt so different.

Prime was an effort by an American company to make a game that would appeal more to Americans.

Fusion was Metroid, + more story and some bells and whistles.

These games were VERY few and far between, but I think you're missing the big picture here when it comes to the DS...

As far as 1st party titles go, the DS has offered us basically everything a standard Nintendo console has: Mario, Metroid, Starfox, Kirby, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Advance Wars and soon Zelda.

If you're asking that Nintendo themselves put more overall "effort" into their games, then why aren't you sending in criticisms to Nintendo rather than posting them here?

[wandering]

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I really don't get this.

So you are saying that someone who has played neither game is going to choose the version of the game with less graphical flair, fewer characters to play as, and fewer levels and challenge to explore.  Not to mention drop the aspect of multiplayer battles, which if you had better control would be amazing.

Let's start with the begining of the game (since I haven't played that much of it!) You pop out of a pipe as mario. There's a castle in front of you that you intuitively know is your destination - but you start by running around in the grassy field. Swimming. Doing a triple jump to mario's woo-hoos. This is one of the classic videogame openings, and they botch it in the DS version. There's crap about four characters coming to the castle, and you have to chase that bunny thing. It's a mediocre, Mario Sunshine-esqe way to start a game.

In my opinion, shoving peripheral characters down your throat from the beginning flies in the face of the spirt of the game. As does complex character switching. Letting me play as Luigi? Great...but let it be a temporary power up that Mario discovers.

As for the improved graphics, I think they have the special edition Star Wars problem. They're just improved enough that it becomes hard to appreciate the simple beauty the creators were able to squeze out of the N64 hardware, but they aren't so good that they don't look dated by today's standards. Nevermind that I think the simpler visuals of the original are often more evocative than the updated version's.

I don't have a problem with the added modes. I didn't think the multiplayer battles were anything special, but the minigames were a lot of fun (actually, I think the minigames were the game's sole redeeming feature. But now that they're also on New Super Mario Bros, there's thankfully no longer any real reason to own Mario 64 DS.)

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And the opening of ROTK is definitely superior, as is the confrontation at the gate.

I can't begin to tell you how much the ROTK EE dissapointed me. I can't think of a single addition to ROTK that I liked, and I was really looking forward to all of them. I thought the impalement of Saruman was horribly cheesy. And the confrontation of the gate - nice as it was that we finally got an explanation for Sauron suddenly shifting his gaze - really interrupted the flow of that overall scene, making it awkward where it once was powerful. This was all the more dissapointing for me because I thought the EE of TT made the film better (and the EE of FotR at least had some really great additions, even if some horrible ones meant the film wasn't an overall improvement over the original.)

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That set has been out for awhile now...

Ah, right, I knew that. I should probably get around to picking it up one of these days...