Nintendo Comes Up Empty at BAFTA Awards

Videogame BAFTAs are a load of dung.

I believe that no nominations for Nintendo's 3DS titles, is an indication that these awards are organised by a bunch of toffs who know NOTHING about gaming.

About as much credibility as the stupid BRIT music awards.

well, well, BAFTA awards are as fishy as Oscars, it seems.
I mean... it was an amazing year for 3DS, Fire Emblem Awakening and Legend of Zelda should have been nominated.

Not surprised at the last of us winning best game but vita game tearaway winning the three big mobile game awards was a bit of a surprise as I could not get into it when I played it maybe I need to give it another go

You know something's amiss when Nintendo have no nominations in the mobile/handheld catagory. Lucky for us, sales mean more than awards and you only need to see how well they sold to see how much they're loved. Still playing Fire Emblem and building relationships- 50+ hours in and still haven't finished the story, side quests or downloaded maps i have. Well sod them- as long as Nintendo keeps producing excellent titles i'll be just fine

More feelings in your games Nintendo, and you'll success at winning awards!

BAFTA is a complete joke. How the heck does GTAV with its laughably broken online win out over Mario 3D World?

Lol....Like I Care...
Nintendo needs MK8 And SSB4 Soon...Besides...I didn't even know These awards existed!
Looks like Games that are More like Movies are More Popular Than Actual Games sometimes,,,

If The Last of Us was a Nintendo developed game, Nintendo fans would hail it amongst their very best work ever.

... however, because it isn't on a Nintendo console, it is either 'crap' or provokes comments like 'Super Mario 3D World should have won'.

The Last of Us will be fondly remembered in ten years time, Super Mario 3D World less so.

It is nice to own all three consoles by the way as I used to be a blinded Nintendo fanboy who knew no better.

... perhaps some of you should go down this route too.

@Memeboy3

... and there we go. A perfect example of somebody who has NOT played The Last of Us.

As they say, may the best win, and Nintendo faced off with some classy competition this year. It's always nice to see Nintendo games being recognized but for me BAFTA's are probably the most fair awards show out there.

@Peek-a-boo ... The Last of Us is a great game. Its story is awesome... but don't make it sound like the game doesn't have flaws. Its also pretty overrated. The story is great and people overhyped it cuz of that.

Finally I could be proud being vita gamer (and also 3ds gamer)

GTA5 won several awards. What Nintendo does best is offer games that are pure, they don't need sex and violence to sell their products.

@Peek-a-boo I have played The Last of Us and it was a good story but one which falls into many videogame pitfalls as it has to allow for gameplay. I doubt Mario 3D World was up against it in many (if any) categories? For me though neither of the above will probably be the first game that leaves my lips when talking about current and.past gen, that would probably go to demon/dark souls.
@Honelith again that's what demon/dark souls does for me it's not the violence that makes it compelling, it the immediate fear of possible violence you would rather avoid.

Ignoring Nintendo is pure ignorance, no excuse!

@Peek-a-boo I agree that TLOU is excellent and deserves to win.

Well, this is disappointing to say the very least. However, i'm not surprised Last of Us won. Anyone played the Last of Us? I enjoyed Uncharted, and does it play similar to that?

Nintendo's franchises are too long running, enjoy too much pop culture and in most cases just too "kiddie". I'm sure this is what the committee must say to themselves.

Hey @Peek-a-boo , some of us, like you, do have more than one system. And have played The Last of Us. And did not enjoy it. I had an Xbox 360, but after two RRODs, I got rid of it. I also had a PS3. Until MGSIV and TLOU killed my interest in it. I probably would have liked the storyline, but I only managed to get 4 hours in. Then the game sat in my PS3 until October while I played The Wonderful 101, MH3, Lego City Undercover and Pikmin 3. My gf then asked 'why do you have two of those?' I chose not to correct her and simply got rid of the PS3. Some guy offered me $100 for the system and that game and well, here we are now.
Were I to have finished the game, I doubt I'd ever want to play it again. Like, how seeing graphic rape in cinema doesn't make me watch a particular movie a second time, the Last of Us isn't a game I'd want to play a second time. And surprise! Alot of critics that gave it GOTY awards said the same thing. The storyline may be fondly remembered, it just won't inspire another playthrough. And if you enjoyed the things you did in the game, then any conversation to be had is done.

I suppose, in retrospect, DID have more than one console would have been more appropriate, but it's kind of beside the point. A fanboy follows certain trends because he or she is too weak to show deviation. You hype the Last of Us without acknowledging any of it's flaws for that exact same reason, so stop preaching and start reasoning.

@NodesforNoids

The Last of Us is an 18 rated game.

... what on Earth were you expecting?

Sounds like you just didn't enjoy the grown-up premises of the game, which is fair enough! It doesn't let up, that's for sure.

p.s. Your 'graphic rape' comment is not only totally bizarre, it also makes zero sense whatsoever seeing as there is absolutely no rape (scenes) in the game ... at all.

@DiscoDriver43 It's not very similar to Uncharted, but still a great game. There is a lot more emphasis on stealth, and it's much more tense and creepy. Uncharted is a fun romp by comparison

I thought it was a solid line up of nominations and winners, and I thought the actual show was very good too. Dara O'Briain is a proper gamer (as shown in the excellent Charlie Brooker documentary about games changing the world), unlike that Joel guy that the VGX felt the need to use.

I think The Last of Us was an outstanding game, while it may have areas that could be improved, I think it was one of the best integrations of Cinematic and videogame elements I've seen within a big mainstream title, and I started gaming with the Atari 2600... As for Nintendo not winning anything, I dont hold award ceremonies as a general measure of quality anyway.

@Peek-a-boo
They act like this in nearly all of the post here

@Peek-a-boo The Last of Us will be completely forgotten once somebody manages a game of consistent quality throughout in the same genre. (It might not have been if they had waited until the whole game was as good as the first level). Even more so if they manage a reasonable amount of choice so that there are loads of possible paths and endings.

@SuperCharlie78 Mario 3D World gave me feelings. I haven't played Last of Us, but if the story is bad, well, then no feelings.

@Sanqet

Oh, I got Tearaway packed in with my new Vita, how were you not able to get into it? I hope I find it ok, as I've yet to play it.

I'm really surprised Tearaway won over the 3DS games that came out last year. I can appreciate other platforms winning awards, but to have no Nintendo handhelds even nominated is just blatantly ignorant. Awards mean very little to me, I play what I enjoy and sales mean more and that's what the 3DS has.

@ledreppe I think at the time I started playing it I had to many games on the go and I was to distracted to focus on it properly that why when I finish bravely default I'll give it another go

Not having the 3DS in the mobile/handheld category was enough proof that the whole of the awards was a joke.

I honestly fail to see why The Last of Us garners so much praise. I can understand its high production values, cinematic presentation, well developed characters and such but as for the all essential element of having fun gameplay I found it falling far, far, far short. The story was what kept me going and even then I decided to stop around half way through for a break and its now been over 6 months. Every time I think about it I say, do I really want to actually 'play' the game. No not really. Are you really that bothered about the characters. Kinda, but its not like they're going anywhere. In the end I pop in something else that just gets me smiling through sheer enjoyment like a good shm'up or a fast paced game or perhaps a bit of exploration in an adventure or RPG game.

Maybe it is time I just finish it, then I can finally put it to pasture.

GTAV winning best online pretty much discredits any good work the bafta awards might have done and 3DS not having games competing against the Vita makes me wonder if it was sponsored by Sony. Other than that I can't complain because I don't think Nintendo had any contenders for GOTY except maybe Sports Club deserves to be best sports game because it is up against mediocre identikit sequels and a couple of pretty racing games.

I am not going to be critical of the winners because I have not played them all.

However, a nominations list in the mobile/handheld category without a game from a Nintendo platform does seem, how do you say, a bit odd.

To me, as someone on the left side of the Atlantic, it smacks of the fact that Nintendo does not seem to hold the same place of reverence and respect in the UK as it does in US. (And appears to be thought of in the mainstream in a much less favorable light — which is saying something given how the mainstream in the US has been treating Nintendo lately).

If it's any consolation, the Nintendo games that missed out on the awards or nominations are still just as enjoyable as they've always been.

@Peek-a-boo
Who are you attacking exactly? You seem to assume that: 1)No one else here can own more than Nintendo consoles 2)Even if they only have the big N (like me), they can't appreciate games on other platforms.

Most of the comments concerning that here only seem to say "I really enjoyed X-game, I wish it would've won. Oh well." And no idea how you came to the conclusion that SM3DW would be forgotten; Sunshine and 64 are still looked upon fondly by many.

@Peek-a-boo no if Nintendo developed Last of Us I'd think they sold out and gave in to the point and shoot genre the game feeds to. All of the games best assets like the adventure, exploration of abandoned neighborhoods for survival items, hunting the deer and character/story development were fantastic but in the end it is just a run of the mill shooter with boring hide from the clicker segments. If anything if Nintendo had developed the game play around good parts of the game already there the game would have been vastly better.

@mike_intellivision Nintendo is a well loved brand among consumers in UK but for some reason people think the Wii U's struggles means that UK must not like Nintendo. Mario Kart Wii is the top selling UK single-format game of all time (I think). The only reason there is no love for Nintendo in these BAFTAs is because Nintendo have barely hyped a single game in Britain since Mario Kart Wii. Even the major 3DS games haven't had anywhere near as much as DS games used to get. Nintendo's EU marketing is so poor it almost feels like they've not got a new console in shops. There also does seem to be a bit of an anti-Nintendo vibe from some of our major media outlets but only in the sense that they ignore Nintendo and criticise Nintendo for their faults while excusing and promoting Sony and MS for similar things like lack of launch software or bundling an expensive accessory into a new console.

lol I like how the BAFTA awards are a joke all of a sudden because Nintendo didn't win anything.

@Peek-a-boo That's a big load of balloney. I enjoy any platform, and I found The Last Of Us to be terrible.

By the way, Fire Emblem Awakening is also one of the worst in its series.

Didn't Assassin's Creed Liberation win the handheld bafta last year? Credit where its due however there were some superb games nominated this year.

"BAFTA does not receive any funding from the government, so instead relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work."... so basically an industrial back patting exercise... ignore them.

Is SONY an official sponsor of the BAFTA? Just wondering.

@Peek-a-boo I'm sure some Nintendo fans would act the way you said they would if The Last of Us was a Nintendo game, but not me.

I really tried to like some of the movie-like games with stress on ultra real graphics, "mature" themes, and linear storytelling...but I'm always left feeling like I would have rather watched a good movie or a season of a good show.

Also, as sort of a side note, can we stop calling games like The Witcher, Bioshock, and Mass Effect "RPGs". Adding a crafting menu or an occasional dialog tree does not constitute a role playing game.

/rant

@Peek-a-boo The truth is hard to swallow sometimes.

_{Let's not poke the users here. -Lz}

So what? They still make great games, and they don't need award shows to prove it.

@Yasume
You mean the Mobile & Handheld category not having a single 3DS game nominated after a year like 2013 ISN'T a joke then?

@johndevine Pretty much this. Tearaway being nominated but not Fire Emblem, Zelda or Animal Crossing? HA!

**** the BAFTA. Videogames, just like sci-fi or fantasy movies, don't need awards at all.

@Peek-a-boo Sorry to disappoint you, but that'll not be the case. Realistic games have much less chance of being "fondly remembered" than stylized, whimsical games like Super Mario 3D World.
i.e: Wind Waker vs Twilight Princess.

Also no, if it was a Nintendo game, we would still hate it. Nintendo fans don't like interactive movies. Fact.

@Melkac well I'm a Nintendo fan and I would love for Nintendo to make games like The las of us, Skyrim and so on...when all is said and done that type of gaming experience is what Nintendo is painfully lacking...Nintendo would be a really great company if they would try to please most type of gamers not only those who are happy with kid oriented games...

I think some users are being a little too harsh on The Last Of Us, it's a good game and have seen my brothers playing, I didn't play and I'm not interested since it doesn't appeal me and it's not my genre - it doesn't suit my own personal tastes.
just because a game it has good quality, doesn't mean you have to like it.
there is many critically acclaimed games I didn't played because it wasn't my cup of tea and that's from platforms, FPS, TPS, action, adventure genres.
the only genres I'm into it's "cartoon-ish" JRPG, fighting games, puzzles, card games (I love Yu-Gi-Oh).

@Peek-a-boo Bah. Naughty Dog hasn't made a great game since since the Crash Bandicoot days.

Well, I just arrived home to see a dozen e-mails in my inbox regarding my comment(s) on Nintendo Life.

To whoever said Nintendo would 'sell out' if they made The Last of Us, I and many MANY other people would proclaim it to be the bravest, boldest and brilliant new direction if Nintendo could actually tell a story (within a game) let alone making a game as tremendous as The Last of Us.

... I still doubt 95% of you have played the game because the words 'cliche', 'boring', 'unoriginal' and 'terrible story' keeps getting thrown around and yet the industry - and more importantly, those who work within the industry - proclaim The Last of Us as being the new benchmark.

And that was in the very same year we had BioShock Infinite too!

I thoroughly enjoyed Super Mario 3D World and played The Wind Waker HD with a silly grin on my face, but there's something about The Last of Us that took ahold of me and wouldn't let go for months after completion.

It also has one of the greatest closing scene in any videogame ... ever.

That's fine if some of you disagree however, my original comment(s) stand:

The Last of Us deserves all the plaudits that was dished out at the BAFTA Awards last night, whether there was a Nintendo game in sight or not.

@Peek-a-boo I definitely agree with you. The Last Of Us DEFINITELY deserved the awards that it has. Just like SMB3DW deserves awards. However, TLoU came out on top. Nothing wrong with that.

@Dr_Corndog

I disagree very much. Uncharted 2 is my favorite Naughty Dog game as is Jak and Daxter. Crash Bandicoot is still good, but i prefer the racing game over the troliogy.

Correct me if i am wrong, but isnt Sony like the only thing Europeans play over there? TLOU for me was boring and NOT innovative. I wouldn't give it game of the year tbh, but all these awards and such are based off opinions and said judges just happen to be Sony fans. And I am sorry, but when your awards show has a "Best British Game" on the list, there is so MAJOR favoritism going on here.

@Peek-a-boo I how ever DID play TLOU and thought it was boring and not innovative at all. I own all three consoles and tbh, there are other games beside TLOU and SM3DW out there that should win GOTY. On THAT list I personally thought AC4 or atleast GTA5 won over both games.

@Nintenjoe64
As I noted, I am in the US so my info just comes from observing postings on various websites, reviews/articles posted by sites/periodicals serving the UK market, and the actions of trade groups - like BAFTA.

I do think we both agree that not having a single Nintendo game nominated for that category is "strange" to say the least.

@Peek-a-boo Also agree Last of Us was a game deserving of its recognition, Left Behind also impressed me.

While awards may help publicise a title, I dont put much faith in them, taste is a subjective thing, I found Skyward Sword so dull it took me nearly a year to complete it, while I really enjoyed Twilight Princess...

As an aside, I think Nintendo characters may hold less retro nostagia in the UK then perhaps they do in the US, the Master System was pretty big here in addition to the C64, The Spectrum and various other 8-bit mircos.

They were an absolute disgraceful joke.
How is Tearaway a family game? You can't play it as a family?

BAFTA is full of bull anyway. Much worse than that SpikeTV game awards show.

Agreed with LUIGITORNADO.
What a total joke the whole thing is.

I can do it too. I played Super Mario 3D World and it was boring and didn't deserve to win. Which is why it didn't. The gameplay was alright, but really just rehashed previous Mario games. And it's overrated. Nintendo fans overhyped it because it's the only game on WiiU.

@hylianhalcyon Yep gotta agree with you. SM3DW was a good game, but nowhere close to the hype it got. Nintendo should really just drop moer traditional Mario games for a decade to make it feel fresh again. They gotta come up with something more immersive...