I love Miyamoto, but I think Nintendo have done a great job in allocating different franchises to directors and producers who work well with them. You only have to look at Zelda to see how richly one of Miyamoto's games can thrive without his direct guidance. And the company have recently done great work forming young teams, completely removed from the NES and SNES-era superstars. I think they're all very conscious of the desire to live up to the legacy of the great developers associated with Nintendo, especially after Iwata's passing, and I don't think it undermines Miyamoto's talent or unique vision to say I think they'll be able to do it. I think it's directly because of Miyamoto's influence that they will.
It's a little deceptive crediting Yuzo Koshiro for Sonic the Hedgehog. He did the 8-bit version for Master System and Game Gear. Still great music, but likely not the game that most would think of.
I really loved Miiverse, but I don't think it would be as good a fit for the Switch. The GamePad was a great device to draw on, and even with a stylus, the Switch isn't. Miiverse was also launched when social media was a little different. You couldn't embed a game screenshot in a tweet back then. I don't think there would be much interest in a closed console-only platform today. I do miss privately sharing doodles with friends though. Maybe Swapnote/Nintendo Letter Box would be a better fit for the Switch.
I think the Gamecube Remake and Deadly Silence should be listed as separate games. They're purposefully different, and appeal in very different ways from each other. They'd both get votes from me, anyway.
The main thing that bothers me when going back to the Wii U these days are the loading times. It takes dramatically longer to start playing a game on than any other system I own, especially the Switch. I think if it had been marketed better, and perhaps if Sony and Microsoft hadn't rushed consoles out the gate to bury it, we might have seen a Wii U revision in 2017 instead of the Switch.
It's still a really interesting and versatile system, and I find the GamePad much more comfortable than playing the Switch in handheld mode, but two years into the Switch's life, I don't miss it too much anymore. Nintendo have done a great job in proving the Switch is just as fertile a device for innovative and distinctive software, with Labo and Ring Fit Adventure, but it's much more appealing to third-parties too. I do think it's a shame that we can't get more games like Nintendo Land, and I don't think games like Mario Maker or Captain Toad are nearly as well-suited to the Switch.
The Switch has been the least solid Nintendo console for me, but it's also likely the one I've played the most intensively. I had Game Boys when I was a kid, and they ended up with fairly scratched screens, but still work. My DS Lite's top screen stopped working after a while. My NES and N64 have the most trouble reading cartridges these days, but that's likely down to the age of the component involved.
The Gamecube's been the hardiest Nintendo console I've owned. It's gone through a lot and the worst wear it has to show are some of the controllers' analogue sticks are a little dirty. I also have to shout out the Game Boy Pocket, which still looks about as good as when I bought it (though I only really played a lot of that for around a year and a half, before I got my Game Boy Color).
Even with all of this, I tend to think of Nintendo consoles (especially home systems) as being really well built. I've had a terrible track record for all the Sony consoles I bought early in their lifespans. My 1996 PlayStation broke, my 2001 PS2 broke, my 2005 PSP broke, my 2007 PS3 broke and my 2014 Vita broke. I'm fairly concerned about my 2014 PS4, but it's still working right now.
This has kicked off more controversy than is deserved. Keita Takahashi has often said that he finds most videogames boring, and only really stuck with the industry because he liked making silly stuff and releasing it to a global audience. Following his tweets, he seems to have some affection for games, but isn't personally excited to play many of them. He bought a NES Mini to play with his sons, but the only game he really liked was Balloon Fight, because he doesn't like his kids playing games about killing.
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Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl #42 - Pikmin 2
I went out of my way to pick up the Australian Wii releases of Pikmin 1 & 2 because I liked the US art for 2 so much.
Re: Fans And Analysts Ponder The Eternal Question: Can Nintendo Survive Without Shigeru Miyamoto?
I love Miyamoto, but I think Nintendo have done a great job in allocating different franchises to directors and producers who work well with them. You only have to look at Zelda to see how richly one of Miyamoto's games can thrive without his direct guidance. And the company have recently done great work forming young teams, completely removed from the NES and SNES-era superstars. I think they're all very conscious of the desire to live up to the legacy of the great developers associated with Nintendo, especially after Iwata's passing, and I don't think it undermines Miyamoto's talent or unique vision to say I think they'll be able to do it. I think it's directly because of Miyamoto's influence that they will.
Re: Video: Latest Streets Of Rage 4 Trailer Reveals Final Fighter And Four-Player Co-Op
It's a little deceptive crediting Yuzo Koshiro for Sonic the Hedgehog. He did the 8-bit version for Master System and Game Gear. Still great music, but likely not the game that most would think of.
Re: Talking Point: Would You Like Miiverse To Return On Switch?
I really loved Miiverse, but I don't think it would be as good a fit for the Switch. The GamePad was a great device to draw on, and even with a stylus, the Switch isn't. Miiverse was also launched when social media was a little different. You couldn't embed a game screenshot in a tweet back then. I don't think there would be much interest in a closed console-only platform today. I do miss privately sharing doodles with friends though. Maybe Swapnote/Nintendo Letter Box would be a better fit for the Switch.
Re: Random: Did Geoff Keighley Really Just Hint That A Death Stranding Character Is Coming To Smash?
"Ludens Fan" was the name of Geoff Keighley's character in Death Stranding. He's almost certainly joking.
Re: Poll: Vote For The Best Resident Evil Games
I think the Gamecube Remake and Deadly Silence should be listed as separate games. They're purposefully different, and appeal in very different ways from each other. They'd both get votes from me, anyway.
Re: What Year Is It? Nintendo's Wii U Is Getting A New Game Today
The main thing that bothers me when going back to the Wii U these days are the loading times. It takes dramatically longer to start playing a game on than any other system I own, especially the Switch. I think if it had been marketed better, and perhaps if Sony and Microsoft hadn't rushed consoles out the gate to bury it, we might have seen a Wii U revision in 2017 instead of the Switch.
It's still a really interesting and versatile system, and I find the GamePad much more comfortable than playing the Switch in handheld mode, but two years into the Switch's life, I don't miss it too much anymore. Nintendo have done a great job in proving the Switch is just as fertile a device for innovative and distinctive software, with Labo and Ring Fit Adventure, but it's much more appealing to third-parties too. I do think it's a shame that we can't get more games like Nintendo Land, and I don't think games like Mario Maker or Captain Toad are nearly as well-suited to the Switch.
Re: Poll: Have You Ever Had Problems With Nintendo Hardware?
The Switch has been the least solid Nintendo console for me, but it's also likely the one I've played the most intensively. I had Game Boys when I was a kid, and they ended up with fairly scratched screens, but still work. My DS Lite's top screen stopped working after a while. My NES and N64 have the most trouble reading cartridges these days, but that's likely down to the age of the component involved.
The Gamecube's been the hardiest Nintendo console I've owned. It's gone through a lot and the worst wear it has to show are some of the controllers' analogue sticks are a little dirty. I also have to shout out the Game Boy Pocket, which still looks about as good as when I bought it (though I only really played a lot of that for around a year and a half, before I got my Game Boy Color).
Even with all of this, I tend to think of Nintendo consoles (especially home systems) as being really well built. I've had a terrible track record for all the Sony consoles I bought early in their lifespans. My 1996 PlayStation broke, my 2001 PS2 broke, my 2005 PSP broke, my 2007 PS3 broke and my 2014 Vita broke. I'm fairly concerned about my 2014 PS4, but it's still working right now.
Re: Random: Katamari Director Wasn't Impressed With Mario Or Zelda On Switch
This has kicked off more controversy than is deserved. Keita Takahashi has often said that he finds most videogames boring, and only really stuck with the industry because he liked making silly stuff and releasing it to a global audience. Following his tweets, he seems to have some affection for games, but isn't personally excited to play many of them. He bought a NES Mini to play with his sons, but the only game he really liked was Balloon Fight, because he doesn't like his kids playing games about killing.
Re: Weirdness: Legendary Composer Koji Kondo Drew Inspiration From '70s Rock Bands
"Emerson, and Lake & Palmer"