Tag: Editorial - Page 2
Editorial An Ode To The Wii U GamePad, Nintendo's Mad But Brilliant Controller
Big, unwieldy, but occasionally innovative and exciting
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. In hindsight the GamePad has been a problem for the Wii U, a system that has stumbled as a result of multiple issues. It contributed to a higher-than-ideal launch price for the hardware, and has been largely underutilised for most of this generation. The Wii U,...
Editorial Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario 64 Were True Game Changers
For Nintendo, in particular, changing the game remains a key task
In the past week we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog and the 20th anniversary of Super Mario 64, two games that were hugely influential alongside their iconic systems. They were notable when they first launched not just for being excellent games, but for their...
Editorial Mighty No. 9 and High Profile Disappointments Don't Invalidate Crowdfunding
Kickstarter and others bring risks, but sometimes they're worth it
I'm yet to play Mighty No. 9, but I've been following the chatter around it with a sense of weary resignation. It's been getting a lukewarm response in PS4 reviews, and the publisher hasn't exactly been rushing to get Wii U code out to anyone other than those who have paid for it...
Editorial Nintendo Did A Solid Job at E3 2016, But That Didn't Ease Long-Term Concerns
An exclusion from the broader picture remains a worry
Well, E3 2016 is over. Done. Finished. It was a show that - broadly speaking - didn't seem to set the world alight, but it also had some strong moments. Nintendo can probably look back at its week with some satisfaction, too. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild not only dominated social...
Editorial With Lowered Expectations E3 Can Still Be Full of Nintendo Magic
Focused on the now, not the future
E3, at least in the years I've been following it, has been at its best when focused on the future and full of surprises. Nintendo's plans only fulfil one of those criteria, and partially at that. The latest breakdown of Nintendo's efforts contains a day devoted to games that are rather close, due typically within...
Pushing for new ideas doesn't always pay off
It's not so long ago I mentioned poor old Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. as a game that had been left with little hope of commercial success; it somewhat flopped, in case you'd forgotten . It struggled to make a dent in the West and failed badly in Japan, not even making the top 20 when it launched in the country...
Editorial Nintendo Should Shamelessly Exploit Its IPs to the Full
Tom Whitehead considers why Nintendo's IP management should loosen up
Just a few years ago I was largely against Nintendo going overboard with licensing its IPs, hesitant to see treasured franchises on cinema or TV screens, worried about the idea of spin-offs that failed to match the quality associated with their brands. Nintendo was cautious too,...
Dealing with daft dialogue, new controls and quirky ideas
Fans of films, TV shows, books and video games like to think their influence is significant in determining the general creative direction of a brand, especially in this era of social media and the very loud internet. To a degree they're right, too - when any IP becomes popular creators are...
Editorial Miitomo is Surprisingly Strange and Compelling
Adjectives perhaps used by bemused but entertained users
Miitomo is an odd app. Nintendo's pre-launch attempts to pitch it to investors left many scratching their heads, and even with its release plenty of commenters online have been relatively dismissive - lines like "I deleted after an hour" appear frequently. Yet on the flipside the app has...
Editorial The Weird World Discovered When Searching for Miitomo on Google Play
Emulators everywhere
After a storming opening week in Japan during which it led the download charts on iTunes and Google Play, Miitomo has started to slide back a little from those giddy highs. That's no surprise, as its regular rival at launch - the new Puzzle & Dragons title - has actually fallen further back; after the initial boom apps start...
Editorial A Week When NX 'Leaks' Were Thankfully Fake and New Tricks Were Used
Tom Whitehead was concerned, very concerned
The pre-E3 silly season is early this year, and it's all Nintendo's fault. We know full well that this year, likely at E3 or potentially a little beforehand, the company will reveal its next generation of hardware. It's potentially a 'third pillar' of hardware but, in light of declining 3DS momentum and...
Editorial Accessibility Through Optional 'Invincibility' Buffs Can Only Be a Positive for Nintendo
Let's try to be Super Guides and spread the gaming bug
So, Star Fox Zero will not only have a co-op mode that'll allow less experienced players to play as a gunner and pew-pew stuff through the GamePad, but also a friendly option where gamers will have an invincible Arwing and simply fly through a level regardless of their performance. In the very...
Editorial Nintendo's Virtual Console Revolution Must Wait as We Pay Once More for SNES Games
This cycle is surely ending...
In one sense Super NES games on the New Nintendo 3DS is rather exciting - it's the first (legitimate) time a lot of these games can be played on a portable device, after all. That's something to celebrate, but the reveal and pending line-up also comes with its own nagging issues and annoyances, some of which could...
Editorial Triple-A Third Party Games Will Need Creativity as Well as Marketing for NX Success
Nintendo's unique place in the market means dull ports won't be enough
Well, there are quite a few mumblings and rumours kicking around about the Nintendo NX once again. Talk of a release this year (again) and Nintendo pulling the Twilight Princess trick with the next main entry in the Zelda series (it being on both Wii U and NX) are doing the...
Even in a world-ending scenario Link and company find their humanity
Though it's a sore point for me, I'm now the wrong side of 30, and all of the gripes and complaints I dismissed from others in the past actually feel true. The grey hairs are coming, I can feel my body saying "nah, we're not doing that" at endeavours it would scoff at a decade ago,...
Editorial Game Localisation Isn't Just About Preserving The 'Pure' Original
It's also not always the same as 'censorship', either
Game localisation is a tricky business, and in some cases game publishers can't win. Leave content untouched and cultures can collide and some gamers get confused or, worst case scenario, are offended. Make changes and some fans bemoan the fact. It's a tightrope. Of course, often localisation...
Editorial Considering the Recipe For Successful Nintendo Remasters and Re-Releases
Are big names enough on their own?
Recently I was heavily focused on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, figuring out the focus for what would become our preview of the title. From a personal perspective it's proving to be a lovely experience replaying the GameCube / Wii title, and it is by most definitions a solid remaster. The graphics are...
Editorial Nintendo and Virtual Reality Aren't a Good Fit in 2016
Tom Whitehead suggests we talk again in a few years
Virtual Reality. VR. Oculus and so on. It's one of the biggest topics in the tech world and, particularly, in the dedicated gaming scene. Or perhaps that should be the enthusiast scene. I've read headlines saying 2016 is the year of Virtual Reality, make or break time. Is it really its final...
Editorial Nintendo's Next Generation of Experiences Needs to Engage With Our Day-to-Day Lives
Through NX, smart devices or both
Just recently I noticed that, despite playing some Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam earlier in the week, a gap of a few days had seen my 3DS battery go flat. This wouldn't do, and for one simple reason - I was nipping out and knew I'd be passing a StreetPass hotspot; I couldn't put it on charge fast enough. StreetPass...
Editorial Let's Make 2016 a Year of Nintendo Optimism
Tom Whitehead wants to see smiles on faces
Isn't it great when a new year rolls around? We can just dust off our hands, shrug and march forward with a skip in our step and smiles on our faces. We can - oh yes, we can. As 2015 drew to a close I had a Skype call with the Triforce of Nintendo Life Directors, my bosses that I try and boss around when /...
Tom Whitehead ponders a more open world for The Legend of Zelda
From now until the start of the new year we're going to be republishing some of what we feel are our best features of 2015. Hopefully this will offer the chance for newer readers to catch up on content they might have missed and allow long-time fans to reacquaint themselves with...
Editorial Satoru Iwata Embodied The Playful Brilliance of Nintendo, and His Legacy Will Endure
"In my heart, I am a gamer"
From now until the start of the new year we're going to be republishing some of what we feel are our best features of 2015. Hopefully this will offer the chance for newer readers to catch up on content they might have missed and allow long-time fans to reacquaint themselves with features they enjoyed the first time...
Editorial Gamers Remember and Celebrate Satoru Iwata in Their Own Special Way
​His legacy remains
We're going to kick off our run of year-end features with this touching piece by long-time reviewer and news writer Tim Latshaw. He reflects on the way gamers commemorated and remembered Satoru Iwata following his passing, and how his legacy lives on. An interesting form of tribute to Satoru Iwata was observed in the weeks...
Editorial Xenoblade Chronicles X Has Tiny Text - Time for an Update?
Tom Whitehead's not really seeing it, are you?
This week we received an interesting email from one of our readers, Victor, which made a very good point. The text in Xenoblade Chronicles X is too small, and it should be improved; it was a lightbulb moment when we realised we should have brought it up far sooner - I certainly should have. In my...
Editorial It's Not Fun to Criticise Nintendo Games, But It's Been Unavoidable in 2015
Tom Whitehead assures you he's not on a maniacal quest to destroy Nintendo
I love the first Jurassic Park movie, which combined perfect casting with terrific film-making flair and a script touched by genius. Memorable characters and one-liners are everywhere, and at the time of release the dinosaurs were a visual effects revelation and, to be fair,...
Tom Whitehead thinks it's time for more cohesion
If you'll allow this wistful 30-something to get out his pipe and slippers for some reminiscing, there was a time when game releases were a mystery and seemingly scheduled by the Marx Brothers. There could be months - or years! - between regional releases in the West, nevermind localising Japanese...
Editorial It's Far Too Soon to Go Download-Only, and Physical Retail Still Matters
Increases in downloads don't equal death for discs
Just recently Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water arrived in North America as a download-only game, making it a relatively high-profile retail title to be exclusive to the eShop. It's happened in the past with Ace Attorney titles, yet for fans of the niche horror series - developed by Koei Tecmo -...
Editorial A Wii U Price Cut is Still Worthwhile Despite Its Ongoing Woes
Nintendo's losing the 'value' appeal
In the last generation of home consoles the Wii was an innovative and fun budget option in the market, while the more powerful HD systems - PS3 and Xbox 360 - came with a premium price tag. As the generation wore on prices naturally dropped and bundles grew in number, but the basic market reality was that the Wii...
Editorial Nintendo is a Toy Company, and That Will Be Vital in a New Era
It's a company of diverse strengths
Nintendo is now 126 years old, on the face of it an extraordinary statistic. Its relevant history in terms of its current identity and status really begins in the early 1980s, however, while a case can be made to go back to its initial days in the toy market in the late 1960s. Even that truncated history is...
Editorial Paper Mario is 15 Years Old Today, and Provides a Reminder of Nintendo's Wonderful Whimsy
Silly and brilliant, what a combination
Paper Mario is 15 years old today, 11th August, in terms of its Japanese release in 2000. Intelligent Systems, a development company typically associated with Fire Emblem and Advance Wars, took a step back from serious strategising to produce what was, at the time, a bit of a revelation. Actually originally...
Editorial Super Smash Bros. Should be Integral to Nintendo's NX Future
Tom Whitehead attended a fighting tournament and had his eyes opened
As I'm somewhat reliant on Nintendo success to put food on the table and amiibo on the shelf - the clue's in the site's name - I sometimes ponder and get genuinely concerned about the company. I think Nintendo will be 'fine', courtesy of its talented staff and billions of dollars...
Editorial Nintendo's Strategy Needs to be Global, With a Western Touch in the Boardroom
Combine the vital Japanese culture with a broader outlook
Nintendo is, in the ongoing understatement of the ages, very Japanese. That can be a huge strength, and some of its key successes as a business have resulted from sticking to its core culture and, as a result, winning over legions of fans. In the current day the big N is well known for its...
Editorial Nintendo's Approach to amiibo is Increasingly Frustrating
Tom Whitehead wonders what the deal is
When amiibo was unveiled in 2014, and it was still relatively mysterious, I wrote a feature outlining the pros and cons of the platform. It was a hugely exciting project from Nintendo, and the concerns highlighted weren't in line with what's happened since the toys made their début. In fact, it's amazing to...
Editorial Cheer Up, There Are Some Exciting Games on the Way
Tom Whitehead looks on the bright side of life
It seems that the clouds are starting to clear after an E3 day one that was largely full of rancour, disappointment and online fury. By day two the feelings lingered but started to ease off, and my hope is that as E3 heads towards its conclusion - and we all return to something resembling normality - we...
Editorial Nintendo's Approach is Often Peculiar, Yet That's An Enduring Strength
Still treats video games as irreverent play-things
A thought has been rumbling around this writer's mind for the past few days - Nintendo is weird. It really is. Writing about the company on a daily basis brings on a permanent state of double taking, and it's when looking outside of the big N bubble it becomes clear how peculiar it is. It simply...
Editorial The eShop's Pricing Dilemma is the Fault of Many, But Damages Creativity and Risk Taking
More for less isn't sensible or fair
There's a worrying trend at present, in which ambitious and creative independent developers announce a sizeable Wii U exclusive, and then have to defend their pricing. That's happened twice in recent times with Affordable Space Adventures and - this week - Swords & Soldiers II. We've also had a reliable...
Editorial Nintendo's Problems With Trends and Modern Media Continue to Damage Its Image
Its need for control costs it vital audiences
We've argued the case before that Nintendo needs to modernise and drastically improve its attitudes to modern media, in terms of YouTube and social media platforms. It's easy to be defensive of its efforts, too, but we feel some recent statistics truly highlight the folly of Nintendo's current approach...
Editorial Nintendo's Heading For a Period of Major Change, and We Can't Fight It
The times, they are a-changin'
Until this week Nintendo's strategy for the future was particularly vague, especially in the area of smart devices. The company's supposed dedicated Mii-based app had been in the works for quite some time and had been due in 2014, but was delayed into this year with talk of finding the right solution for moving onto...
Editorial Nintendo's YouTube Creators Program 'Beta' Provides Vital Feedback - It Won't Work
Copyright is one thing, but YouTube power resides with the creators
Last week Nintendo launched its YouTube Creators Program, which had been long promised as a compromise between simply preventing monetisation of videos featuring its content and the alternative of leaving video creators with free rein. What's happened since is a typical clash of...
Editorial Addressing The Tomodachi Life Same-Sex Marriage Issue
Including our policy moving forward
As many of you are likely aware, Nintendo recently released a statement responding to a "Miiquality" campaign seeking the inclusion of same-sex marriages in Tomodachi Life. You can read it in full in our article on the subject, in which Nintendo states that it will not be including the option. The purpose of this...
E3 2010 Editorial: Nintendo's Competition
What does Nintendo have to beat to be crowned King of LA?
Before we launch into our live coverage of Nintendo's E3 Media Presentation, let's take a look at the competition, particularly Microsoft's opening presentation focusing on the accessory formerly known as Project Natal, the newly-rechristened Kinect. Unveiling the fifteen titles that will...
E3 2008 Nintendo Media Briefing Predictions
Tomorrow will see Nintendo announce their latest upcoming products at the annual E3 Media Briefing, but what do we think is in store?
Traditionally E3 is the place to reveal any new "killer app" in the gaming world, gamers and fans around the world will be waiting to hear Reggie spill the beans on the latest games that we'll all be playing...
