Voice acting... Ugh. I know lots of people are excited by this, but don't blame me when you have to hear Beedle jabber at you over and over every time you need some freaking bombs. (Or, God help us, Tingle...)
IPs coming out too frequently I would argue can be a bad thing. With all but the biggest franchises (Mostly Mario and its spinoffs) Nintendo is pretty good about waiting until they have a compelling reason to make sequel before they do it. This way you don't end up with a platformer version of Madden, where annual updates are basically just level packs. I agree that we can count things like Gyromite as effectively dead, but F-Zero had 64 and Gamecube entries, and Punch Out!! got a Wii entry.
You're also not considering non-smash roster IPs (or Smash Assist trophy IPs if you want to look at it that way). Sin & Punishment, Nintendogs, Chibi Robo, Golden Sun, Dillon's Rolling Western, Pushmo, Advance Wars, Steel Diver, Pilotwings, Codename STEAM, and probably more. Now you may not like all those IPs, but they all have had various degrees of release in the last few generations.
I guess my point is that no other gaming company maintains even close to as many IPs as Nintendo does, yet Nintendo is the only company that people regularly claim needs new IPs. I agree that more new IPs from Nintendo is a good thing, just because they have such creative ideas that don't need to be boxed in by franchise expectations. But in the end, it's just one company that is working to maintain a steady stream of first-party releases for two platforms that it also creates and maintains. At some point, they can stretch themselves too thin, and the quality starts to suffer. I, for one, think they have done a good job of doing this virtually all on their own without watering down their biggest IPs with too many releases (with the arguable exception of the New Super Mario Bros. franchise, but even that hasn't seen a release since NSMB U).
It's a delicate balance, and everyone's got an opinion, but I think statements like "Nintendo needs more new IPs" need to be qualified to include the idea that Nintendo already has more than anyone else, and acknowledge that more new IPs means less focus on the ones people know and love.
I'm glad people like Smash this much, but holy moly do my eyes glaze over when they start using the "lingo." I like Smash and generally consider myself good at it, but getting into this level of obsession just isn't fun to me. Play with 4 or more players in the room, and everyone gang up on whoever is spamming Bayonetta, and you will have lots of fun solving this problem.
I don't typically mind games being pushed back as long as it's for good reason. Nintendo pushes back every Legend of Zelda release at least once.
Still, this one is not coming from a studio with the solid reputation of Nintendo or its various second-part publishers. The fact that it came about as a Kickstarter project makes me concerned that the problem is not just little technical details, but rather that the whole team and project may be a giant mess.
Why can't Inafune just go back to Capcom, use their resources to make the game, and turn the hero blue? I mean, was anybody ever hyped for this for any reason other than it's basically a Mega Man reboot? Why is Smash Bros. still the most recent game where I can play as Mega Man?
...Man I really miss Mega Man. [hugs Mega Man Amiibo] [sobs uncontrollably]
I've only got 4 friends on there right now, mostly friends of friends that I don't know in real life. Funny that I now know things about those people that I do not know about many of my close real life friends. That's kind of what's cool about the app, and I wish more of my real life friends had it so I could be more interested in their answers.
Still, good first effort at a phone app by Nintendo. It's not for everyone, but it's for a lot of people.
People keep saying "needs to be more powerful than PS4.5 or it's dead," without thinking about the cost that might entail. Nobody wants a $600 Nintendo console. Nintendo always tries to keep costs down. Expect something that is roughly as powerful as PS4/XB1 but has some unique features. It's that latter thing that will be interesting. Do they go with some high concept hardware like they have done since the DS, or do they start looking to focus on the software side, unifying the software platform across multiple devices and exploring interoperability between home and mobile devices? Or do they try to do both simultaneously?
On the subject of the name and design, I wish they would incorporate more retro elements. There's no doubt that a lot of Nintendo love is driven by nostalgia, so I think it would be great to call it something like "Ultra Nintendo Entertainment System" (UNES), and call any handheld element an "Ultra Boy."
The design of the systems could incorporate some elements of older systems, like the gray and purple aesthetic of the SNES, or the gray/black/red aesthetic of the NES, or the gray/purplish aesthetic of the Game Boy. We don't need more things with kooky marketing-focused names and shiny space plastic.
The system itself doesn't need to be retro-focused, but just make the design/marketing a clear call back to what most of today's buyers view as the golden era of video games. I maintain that one of the problems with the Wii U is that it doesn't have a lot of "curb appeal." Without the controller It's a pretty boring rounded rectangle that isn't even as statuesque as the Wii was. It is without a doubt the most boring-looking Nintendo system ever made. When I have people at my house, it just doesn't jump out as "this is a neat thing that you should be interested in." Every other Nintendo system has done this better.
@rjejr I think you have identified some solid ways to improve the app, and I suspect further integration of all of these things is in the medium-term plan. I strongly suspect that Miitomo will eventually overtake Miiverse (or they will combine into a single app/system) if the downloads and engagement continue as they have so far for Miitomo. I'm sure the NX will have its own My Nintendo and Miitomo apps.
Basically, my sense is they are building out structure for future Nintendo products/systems, but we're viewing things through the lens of the current products, and it hasn't quite come together yet. But I'm hopeful that this will all work together to make the next Nintendo hardware a much bigger success than Wii U has been.
So far, I like Miitomo better than I thought I would. It's good for killing a couple minutes waiting for an appointment or something. I do wish it would incorporate Miiverse a little bit more.
My Nintendo rewards are a little confusing because of the weird multiple currencies, but I got a Zelda Picross game, which combines two of my favorite games, so I'm pretty pleased so far.
I'm also curious whether I would get gold points for buying another Fire Emblem game. I have FE Fates: Conquest on a cart, but if I download Birthright or Revelations, they are treated as DLC, so my understanding is that I do not get any gold points for that purchase, even though they are sold in the eShop as distinct games. That kind of distinction is a little silly, and it's pretty bad timing to release a game that blurs the lines between standalone releases and DLC at the time that you release a somewhat complex rewards economy.
It's early days, and I'm favorably inclined so far. As long as the games are still good, I'll buy them regardless of rewards I earn for doing so.
Got those points that put me over the top for that sweet, sweet Picross game. As a lover of Picross and Legend of Zelda, I'm so pumped for this first reward. Hope it's a sign of the kinds of future awards they'll have.
I'm intrigued. Although I doubt I know many who will use it (the few gamer friends I have trend more toward the dudebro side). That will ultimately limit the appeal for me. Still, it's Nintendo's first real foray into mobile (outside of Pokémon) and I can't help but want to see what it's all about.
It's good to see so much support on this board for the Wii remote. I had a feeling it would be filled with the usual "just make a PlayStation that has Zelda" crowd. I love that Nintendo is always trying to push the envelope, even if it doesn't always catch on.
I'm 98% certain that we have seen the last of the Wii remote and motion-focused gaming, but I bet we'll see continued use of supplementary tilt motion control as used in Splatoon and various other 3DS and Wii U titles.
I wholeheartedly agree with this article. I think Nintendo only really mastered the concept right at the end with Skyward Sword. Once we had a good prototype of how motion control could/should actually work, there were many ideas left unexplored. A Wii HD (I like "Super Wii") with a new, sleeker, rechargeable controller that maybe incorporated a small, simple touch area for swipes/shapes, etc. Basically, something more like the most recent Apple TV remote, but bigger, with more/better buttons.
And people don't seem to recognize that the Wii came out in 2006 and was a massive hit; the following year Apple incorporated the basically the same accelerometer technology into the first iPhone, and now an accelerometer is basically a standard feature in all mobile devices, for gaming or otherwise. It's included in a lot of "traditional" gaming controllers as well. It's another example where Nintendo normalized a mode of control that was later widely adopted as a standard.
This was actually my first Advance Wars game. I liked it so much, I went back and bought pre-owned versions of the first two on GBA. They were simpler, but I still enjoyed them. I never actually finished Days of Ruin. I liked the darker approach (which was more fitting for a war game), but just didn't have the time for it, I suppose.
I also played the related spinoff Batallion Wars games. They were fun, but I never felt like I had as much real-time control of my troops as I wanted. And I thought the WWII-type setting was a little overdone.
Obviously this implementation isn't very good, but I still like the concept of screen-as-controller. I really like the idea of putting visual cues around the inputs. For example, in a 3D Zelda game, you often get a prompt onscreen with a picture of the button you should hit to trigger an action. It would be neat if the screen could actually light up the button itself, or put a little highlight around the button. Some games put a HUD on screen that has pictures of the relevant buttons and the assigned actions. In a concept like this, you wouldn't need such a thing.
If you make some ergonomic/layout adjustments and put physical buttons on the controller, there are some ideas to be explored here. Or if as a potential alternative to physical buttons, maybe just include some kind of bump on the screen with haptic feedback, sort of like Apple's "taptic" feedback on its newest Mac touchpads. The glass never moves, but I swear it feels exactly like clicking a button. It's virtually indistinguishable from a real button press.
Basically, to do away with physical buttons, you need two things: 1) the ability to feel the input area without looking at it, and 2) some kind of feedback to register a successful input.
Yeah, I'm with @JaxonH. It's just a bonus for those of us NLifers who were going to buy a lot of this stuff anyway. Obviously I like more free thingies, but any free thingies is better than no free thingies.
Really, I feel like programs like these mostly work at the margins, to try to more fully win over those folks who aren't as engaged with their gaming brands. Those of us who go to a dedicated Nintendo site already tend to know what we like, and we make our decisions based on various gaming preferences, not bonus prizes.
I buy enough Nintendo stuff that I'm sure I'll benefit from this, and I was probably going to buy that stuff even without a reward system, so I might as well use it. Still, this seems overly complex.
Is Shadow Dragon a remake of this same game with a lot of the fancier mechanics added in? I've recently started paying Shadow Dragon again because I didn't finish it back when it was released.
If you redcoats love shenanigans like this with your sports, you all need to be more invested in minor league baseball. Minor league teams often struggle with attendance, so they do all kinds of wacky promotions to generate interest. See the @dkxcalibur post upthread.
@rjejr lol, yeah the text in XBX is legitimately hard to read, but the fix for that is easier than hiring actors. Just roll your crazy complicated developer mouse up to the text editing field and pick a size larger than 8pt. Seriously, the text in that game is WAY too small.
Also, yes Tatsu is terrible. And frankly, the constant alternating exasperated and wistful tones in Elma's voice are annoying too. The best characters, in my opinion, are my avatar, who says nothing outside of battle, and the NPCs who talk in text.
I just think its very nearly impossible to pull off serious voice acting in games. With rare exceptions, gaming companies can't afford top shelf actors or writers. At this point, the models cannot be as carefully blocked and synced as they can in CG movies. Then you've got the challenges of translating it across continents. In my experience, it's more expensive and the final product just never comes together well enough to make it better than the much cheaper and easier option of using text.
The interesting thing about Kid Icarus: Uprising, is that most of the talking happens while you're playing. So the issue of the blocking and syncing of the models is not a problem. In fact, they synced the discussion more with the gameplay, which is neat. Like, an object is headed toward you, and Pit or Palutena will comment on it, having the conversation act as an actual gameplay element. This works when the game is on-rails and the developer knows what the player will do. It's an interesting take incorporating voice acting as an actual gameplay element, and it mitigates some of the annoyances I described earlier. It also could get annoying and distracting at times, but they gave you the option to turn it off.
So it's not that voice acting could never be good in video games, it's just that I find it rarely is, and I would rather the developer spend the money they would have spent on actors by just hiring better writers and investing more in localization (see, e.g., Mario & Luigi games).
@abbyhitter Well that's fine. Zelda should move forward. We both agree on that, albeit we may differ in the directions we would want it to go.
You and I will probably never agree on voice acting, but it's unfair to argue that my position is "archaic." If voices were always better than text then books would be a dead medium, and no one would ever say "the book was better." I simply find text more immersive than mediocre acting. In my experience, for every Kid Icarus: Uprising, there is a Riki from XBC or a Tricky from SFA.
@pabloff9 I disagree with your characterization of my position.
I dislike voice acting in all games because I find it's just not very good, and reading to me is more immersive than hearing some clown actor who couldn't get a real movie gig reading mostly mediocre-at-best writing. This same phenomenon is why when books are made into movies, the people who read the books like the books better than the movies.
Also, I'm 100% in favor of gender options. I don't think I would want a fully customizable character because that would do away with the series mascot, but gender options is okay since Link is already pretty androgynous.
I don't know what "lack of surprise goals" means, but it sounds like something I would be in favor of.
I'm just saying that when someone says, "Zelda should be completely different from everything it has ever done," maybe the problem isn't the franchise itself. Maybe you just don't like the franchise. It's like saying, "I really would like kung fu movies better if they were set in the American old west and the protagonist was a pistol-toting cowboy." You just prefer a different kind of movie. That's perfectly fine, but it's no reason to pretend like the movie you really want is a kung fu movie.
Reasonable people can differ on what makes a Zelda game a Zelda game. But at some point, if you change enough things about the game, it's not a Zelda game anymore. You end up with a "Star Fox Adventures" type creation, which was a perfectly enjoyable game about dinosaurs that inexplicably featured Fox McCloud.
You're casting me like I just want new iterations of Ocarina of Time with better graphics. I am 100% in favor of evolutions in the Zelda series (except for full voice acting, which I dislike in all games of almost any franchise unless it is intentionally campy).
Let me describe for you my demands in a new Zelda game: I want a game featuring Link in which I explore a fantastical land full of interesting characters and dangerous enemies/obstacles. I want to discover the land's secrets through clever use of my character's abilities, while gaining new items and abilities which I can also use in clever ways to open up more of the land to explore.
Oh, and no voice acting unless it's for minor "umph" and "Hyaaaahh!" noises. I mean, is it that hard to read, people?
Give me a large Hyrule to explore, a solid art style, quirky characters, and a lot of item puzzling, and I'm happy. I hope there's not a substantial amount of voice acting, but it won't turn me off to the game if it's there.
I generally hate voice acting in video games because it is almost never good unless it's being self-referentially silly (see, e.g. Kid Icarus: Uprising; Codename STEAM). I don't mind it for the occasionally short phrase or noise (see, Fire Emblem: Awakening; Battle Commands in XCX) to help give color or trigger an in-game action. But one thing you get from Xenoblade Chronices (and to a lesser extent XCX) is that the already mediocre writing becomes a bigger problem when voiced by mediocre actors and performed by a set of polygons. When I'm reading, the actors in my head are always good, even if the writing isn't.
The only Pokémon game I ever played in my life was Diamond until I decided on a whim to pick up Red on VC. I am totally addicted. I am not playing for nostalgia, and I can attest that the game holds up well. It's refreshing to be dumped into an adventure without an hours-long tutorial. New Pokémon are added in slowly enough that a new one feels like an exciting find, and leveling up feels worthwhile. And the whole experience feels more manageable than sprawling modern RPGs.
There are a few mechanics that are unfortunate. Menus are not snappy, and accessing certain frequently used actions is clunky, but that's just because it's old. Overall, great game. I highly recommend it WITHOUT being blinded by nostalgia.
Agree with the article. I didn't mind paying a buck or two to "upgrade" my VC purchases from Wii to Wii U, but I am absolutely NOT re-buying VC games that I have on one platform on another platform at full price.
I think the generation 1 Pokémon games are an example of Nintendo doing a good job integrating the old games into a new infrastructure, allowing for wireless local trading and using the Pokemon bank service to move the Pokémon to newer games. You can quibble with the price, but as VC content goes, they did a good job with it. More VC releases should add in features like this.
This all seems like fallout from Nintendo's dual platform approach that I suspect will be going away in the NX generation. Apple has cross-buy because it has one platform operating on multiple devices. Nintendo doesn't have that yet, but likely will in the future. These SNES titles on New 3DS are their last efforts to squeeze as much as they can out of the old model.
Love the look of some of the new gunner skills. I hope there's a lot to explore. I love Monster Hunter to death, but I do sometimes feel like gunners are an afterthought—especially bow users. I try to mix it up with all the gun types, but I just don't really enjoy running blade very much.
There's so much Monster Hunter on NintendoLife today. I've spent too much of my life in Monster Hunter 4U. It took me almost a year to kick the Monster Hunter habit and finally work on my massive backlog, and now NintendoLife is about to send me into relapse!
My prediction was that the next western Monster Hunter release would be for NX, and arrive on both home/portable versions of the platform. The "Generations" moniker might work well for this.
If it's just a western release of X, I'd love to see a cross 3DS/WiiU western release à la MH3U, but I feel like if they were doing that, Japan would already know about it, and the announcement wouldn't be in a western direct.
I'll tell you though, that no company knows how to make its series release names/numbers confusing like Capcom. I want Monster Hunter Super Turbo Ultimate Championship Edition Generations!
It's funny to think that this time last year, I was excited for New 3DS, Monster Hunter 4U, Majora's Mask 3D, Codename STEAM, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, and Splatoon through the spring. This year... Fire Emblem & Twilight Princess HD.
Oh well. Maybe this direct will offer something to get hyped about. I'm thinking Mother 3 is a possibility (hope springs eternal), otherwise, I'll settle for some new Zelda U footage and a little more info on Star Fox. Expectations are pretty low, because I'm certain at this point they're saving all the new ideas and announcements for NX. Maybe we'll even get some info on Mighty No. 9, but it's telling that this game, along with Zelda and Star Fox are all games we already know about, but have been repeatedly delayed.
I originally played this on Wii. I didn't mind the waggle too much because it was so new at the time, but after playing Skyward Sword I could never go back to the straight waggle-for-button-press schematic.
I would love to play this in hero mode because I thought the original was too easy, but I also would like to play it in left-handed GCN mode, since I have never played it that way. Sounds like you can't play hero mode in left-handed Link mode? That's a shame.
Still, I'll probably check this out at some point.
@DefHalan I tried AC3 when I got it on sale for $15 a year or two ago. I got a little ways into it before I realized I found it clunky and boring—and I'm a little bit of an American Revolution nerd.
I will never understand why there is no version of this game using the balance board. Shaun White was good, but the Nintendo attention to detail could have added a ton to a balance board snowboarding game.
I'm no EA fan, but pushing Nintendo to do more advertising during some of the most widely viewed televised events (sports) is a good idea even independently of selling sports-themed games. For many of us, sports is the only live television we ever watch; everything else is streamed commercial-free.
Sports viewers these days are largely the group that grew up on Nintendo hardware, and I suspect they will be receptive to advertising for Nintendo products, especially if it is pitched as a retro revival of branding from the 80s/90s. People eat that stuff up.
I am a big time Blue Bomber fan (if you encounter me online in Smash, chances are, I'm him). But I already bought these games for the VC. Can't really justify a purchase.
Still, I love the Mega Man games (2 and 3 are the best), and if you don't already have the VC versions, I would recommend you buy this.
@mjharper I agree. Skyward Sword's motion controls were so good that I have been a bit disappointed at the return to classic controls in more recent entries (which have mostly been remasters, of course). Skyward Sword is currently underrated because people remember too much waggle on the Wii in general, and it has led people to generally knock "motion controls," without regard to whether they were well implemented.
When motion controls were good, they were really great. The Wii had too many cash-in titles that were waggle-happy and it spoiled all the really good implementations. There was Skyward Sword, Zack & Wiki, Wii Sports Resort, Metroid Prime (along with other FPS titles), and various games that made great use of the pointer, such as Trauma Center: Second Opinion.
In fact, I've been disappointed at the lack of use of better-implemented motion controls in Wii U games. It doesn't need to be in every game just to have it, but the system supports Motion+, and very few games have made much use of it. Nintendo (or a third party, lol) could have used some niche franchises to keep good motion gaming alive. At this point though, other than a little use of tilt-to-aim mechanics (which I like, btw), motion gaming is pretty much dead.
@MoonKnight7 I agree that breaking weapons really never felt that critical to the game. There were always a few important weapons that were durable anyway, and as you get more characters later on, you have so many weapons that you just end up selling the old junky ones that are almost broken. Stocking each unit's inventory for a fight was always more about getting them the right weapons for their class and the way you plan to use them. The only items for which breaking was ever an issue for me were the staves and healing items, so they pretty much hit the nail on the head here.
However, Robin in Smash Bros. is surely annoyed by this change, since he/she is the only character in Smash saddled with breakable weapons.
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Re: Random: This Game Boy Zero Uses a Raspberry Pi for Lovely Retro Gaming
I'm throwing money at the screen, but nothing is happening.
Re: Rumour: More Claims Made For New Legend of Zelda on Wii U and NX, Gender Choice For Playable Character
Voice acting... Ugh. I know lots of people are excited by this, but don't blame me when you have to hear Beedle jabber at you over and over every time you need some freaking bombs. (Or, God help us, Tingle...)
Re: Art: If Nintendo Ever Took Zelda Into The Future, We'd Want Link To Look Like This
@Ogbert I have a few quibbles:
IPs coming out too frequently I would argue can be a bad thing. With all but the biggest franchises (Mostly Mario and its spinoffs) Nintendo is pretty good about waiting until they have a compelling reason to make sequel before they do it. This way you don't end up with a platformer version of Madden, where annual updates are basically just level packs. I agree that we can count things like Gyromite as effectively dead, but F-Zero had 64 and Gamecube entries, and Punch Out!! got a Wii entry.
You're also not considering non-smash roster IPs (or Smash Assist trophy IPs if you want to look at it that way). Sin & Punishment, Nintendogs, Chibi Robo, Golden Sun, Dillon's Rolling Western, Pushmo, Advance Wars, Steel Diver, Pilotwings, Codename STEAM, and probably more. Now you may not like all those IPs, but they all have had various degrees of release in the last few generations.
I guess my point is that no other gaming company maintains even close to as many IPs as Nintendo does, yet Nintendo is the only company that people regularly claim needs new IPs. I agree that more new IPs from Nintendo is a good thing, just because they have such creative ideas that don't need to be boxed in by franchise expectations. But in the end, it's just one company that is working to maintain a steady stream of first-party releases for two platforms that it also creates and maintains. At some point, they can stretch themselves too thin, and the quality starts to suffer. I, for one, think they have done a good job of doing this virtually all on their own without watering down their biggest IPs with too many releases (with the arguable exception of the New Super Mario Bros. franchise, but even that hasn't seen a release since NSMB U).
It's a delicate balance, and everyone's got an opinion, but I think statements like "Nintendo needs more new IPs" need to be qualified to include the idea that Nintendo already has more than anyone else, and acknowledge that more new IPs means less focus on the ones people know and love.
Re: Art: If Nintendo Ever Took Zelda Into The Future, We'd Want Link To Look Like This
Looks like a boss from Mega Man X.
Re: Competitive Super Smash Bros. Scene in Spain Prepares to Ban Bayonetta
I'm glad people like Smash this much, but holy moly do my eyes glaze over when they start using the "lingo." I like Smash and generally consider myself good at it, but getting into this level of obsession just isn't fun to me. Play with 4 or more players in the room, and everyone gang up on whoever is spamming Bayonetta, and you will have lots of fun solving this problem.
Re: Mighty No. 9's Release Date Remains A Mighty Mystery
I don't typically mind games being pushed back as long as it's for good reason. Nintendo pushes back every Legend of Zelda release at least once.
Still, this one is not coming from a studio with the solid reputation of Nintendo or its various second-part publishers. The fact that it came about as a Kickstarter project makes me concerned that the problem is not just little technical details, but rather that the whole team and project may be a giant mess.
Why can't Inafune just go back to Capcom, use their resources to make the game, and turn the hero blue? I mean, was anybody ever hyped for this for any reason other than it's basically a Mega Man reboot? Why is Smash Bros. still the most recent game where I can play as Mega Man?
...Man I really miss Mega Man. [hugs Mega Man Amiibo] [sobs uncontrollably]
Re: Miitomo Continues Early Momentum in Leading Download Charts and App Engagement
I've only got 4 friends on there right now, mostly friends of friends that I don't know in real life. Funny that I now know things about those people that I do not know about many of my close real life friends. That's kind of what's cool about the app, and I wish more of my real life friends had it so I could be more interested in their answers.
Still, good first effort at a phone app by Nintendo. It's not for everyone, but it's for a lot of people.
Re: Rumour: Nintendo NX Source and Details Gain Some Traction
@Vineleaf Didn't think of that. I guess my idea is a little too old school. Ultra NES still works though!
Re: Rumour: Nintendo NX Source and Details Gain Some Traction
People keep saying "needs to be more powerful than PS4.5 or it's dead," without thinking about the cost that might entail. Nobody wants a $600 Nintendo console. Nintendo always tries to keep costs down. Expect something that is roughly as powerful as PS4/XB1 but has some unique features. It's that latter thing that will be interesting. Do they go with some high concept hardware like they have done since the DS, or do they start looking to focus on the software side, unifying the software platform across multiple devices and exploring interoperability between home and mobile devices? Or do they try to do both simultaneously?
On the subject of the name and design, I wish they would incorporate more retro elements. There's no doubt that a lot of Nintendo love is driven by nostalgia, so I think it would be great to call it something like "Ultra Nintendo Entertainment System" (UNES), and call any handheld element an "Ultra Boy."
The design of the systems could incorporate some elements of older systems, like the gray and purple aesthetic of the SNES, or the gray/black/red aesthetic of the NES, or the gray/purplish aesthetic of the Game Boy. We don't need more things with kooky marketing-focused names and shiny space plastic.
The system itself doesn't need to be retro-focused, but just make the design/marketing a clear call back to what most of today's buyers view as the golden era of video games. I maintain that one of the problems with the Wii U is that it doesn't have a lot of "curb appeal." Without the controller It's a pretty boring rounded rectangle that isn't even as statuesque as the Wii was. It is without a doubt the most boring-looking Nintendo system ever made. When I have people at my house, it just doesn't jump out as "this is a neat thing that you should be interested in." Every other Nintendo system has done this better.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think of My Nintendo and Miitomo?
@rjejr I think you have identified some solid ways to improve the app, and I suspect further integration of all of these things is in the medium-term plan. I strongly suspect that Miitomo will eventually overtake Miiverse (or they will combine into a single app/system) if the downloads and engagement continue as they have so far for Miitomo. I'm sure the NX will have its own My Nintendo and Miitomo apps.
Basically, my sense is they are building out structure for future Nintendo products/systems, but we're viewing things through the lens of the current products, and it hasn't quite come together yet. But I'm hopeful that this will all work together to make the next Nintendo hardware a much bigger success than Wii U has been.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think of My Nintendo and Miitomo?
So far, I like Miitomo better than I thought I would. It's good for killing a couple minutes waiting for an appointment or something. I do wish it would incorporate Miiverse a little bit more.
My Nintendo rewards are a little confusing because of the weird multiple currencies, but I got a Zelda Picross game, which combines two of my favorite games, so I'm pretty pleased so far.
I'm also curious whether I would get gold points for buying another Fire Emblem game. I have FE Fates: Conquest on a cart, but if I download Birthright or Revelations, they are treated as DLC, so my understanding is that I do not get any gold points for that purchase, even though they are sold in the eShop as distinct games. That kind of distinction is a little silly, and it's pretty bad timing to release a game that blurs the lines between standalone releases and DLC at the time that you release a somewhat complex rewards economy.
It's early days, and I'm favorably inclined so far. As long as the games are still good, I'll buy them regardless of rewards I earn for doing so.
Re: Miitomo Tops iOS Chart in the US and Hits Three Million Global Downloads
@JaxonH Just followed you on Twitter. I'm @kennethbledsoe. We can be Miitomo friends.
Re: My Nintendo Platinum Points Are Being Gifted to Former Club Nintendo Members in North America
Got those points that put me over the top for that sweet, sweet Picross game. As a lover of Picross and Legend of Zelda, I'm so pumped for this first reward. Hope it's a sign of the kinds of future awards they'll have.
Re: Review: Miitomo (Mobile)
I'm intrigued. Although I doubt I know many who will use it (the few gamer friends I have trend more toward the dudebro side). That will ultimately limit the appeal for me. Still, it's Nintendo's first real foray into mobile (outside of Pokémon) and I can't help but want to see what it's all about.
Re: Random: Metroid Resurrection - The Super Mario Maker Series With a Plot and Marketing
This kind of thing is why I purchased Super Mario Maker, despite never being a big level-editor guy in the past.
Re: Soapbox: Nintendo Was Wrong To Turn Its Back On The Wii Remote
It's good to see so much support on this board for the Wii remote. I had a feeling it would be filled with the usual "just make a PlayStation that has Zelda" crowd. I love that Nintendo is always trying to push the envelope, even if it doesn't always catch on.
I'm 98% certain that we have seen the last of the Wii remote and motion-focused gaming, but I bet we'll see continued use of supplementary tilt motion control as used in Splatoon and various other 3DS and Wii U titles.
Re: Soapbox: Nintendo Was Wrong To Turn Its Back On The Wii Remote
I wholeheartedly agree with this article. I think Nintendo only really mastered the concept right at the end with Skyward Sword. Once we had a good prototype of how motion control could/should actually work, there were many ideas left unexplored. A Wii HD (I like "Super Wii") with a new, sleeker, rechargeable controller that maybe incorporated a small, simple touch area for swipes/shapes, etc. Basically, something more like the most recent Apple TV remote, but bigger, with more/better buttons.
And people don't seem to recognize that the Wii came out in 2006 and was a massive hit; the following year Apple incorporated the basically the same accelerometer technology into the first iPhone, and now an accelerometer is basically a standard feature in all mobile devices, for gaming or otherwise. It's included in a lot of "traditional" gaming controllers as well. It's another example where Nintendo normalized a mode of control that was later widely adopted as a standard.
Re: Video: Nintendo UK Would Like To Remind You That The 3DS Has Some Amazing RPGs In 2016
That list represents approximately eleventy bazillion hours of gameplay.
Re: Review: Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Wii U eShop / DS)
This was actually my first Advance Wars game. I liked it so much, I went back and bought pre-owned versions of the first two on GBA. They were simpler, but I still enjoyed them. I never actually finished Days of Ruin. I liked the darker approach (which was more fitting for a war game), but just didn't have the time for it, I suppose.
I also played the related spinoff Batallion Wars games. They were fun, but I never felt like I had as much real-time control of my troops as I wanted. And I thought the WWII-type setting was a little overdone.
Re: Rumour Buster: Let's Have A Good Look At That "Leaked" NX Controller
@Churchy Funny, to me it looks like the canyon level from F-Zero. New F-Zero on NX CONFIRMED!
Re: Rumour Buster: Let's Have A Good Look At That "Leaked" NX Controller
Also, Nintendo always reverses its A & B buttons, so the button layout here is extremely un-Nintendo, suggesting, as others have said: FAKE.
Re: Rumour Buster: Let's Have A Good Look At That "Leaked" NX Controller
I think this is a fake, BTW, but I still think the concept is neat.
Re: Rumour Buster: Let's Have A Good Look At That "Leaked" NX Controller
Obviously this implementation isn't very good, but I still like the concept of screen-as-controller. I really like the idea of putting visual cues around the inputs. For example, in a 3D Zelda game, you often get a prompt onscreen with a picture of the button you should hit to trigger an action. It would be neat if the screen could actually light up the button itself, or put a little highlight around the button. Some games put a HUD on screen that has pictures of the relevant buttons and the assigned actions. In a concept like this, you wouldn't need such a thing.
If you make some ergonomic/layout adjustments and put physical buttons on the controller, there are some ideas to be explored here. Or if as a potential alternative to physical buttons, maybe just include some kind of bump on the screen with haptic feedback, sort of like Apple's "taptic" feedback on its newest Mac touchpads. The glass never moves, but I swear it feels exactly like clicking a button. It's virtually indistinguishable from a real button press.
Basically, to do away with physical buttons, you need two things: 1) the ability to feel the input area without looking at it, and 2) some kind of feedback to register a successful input.
Re: Feature: Breaking Down the My Nintendo Loyalty Economy
Yeah, I'm with @JaxonH. It's just a bonus for those of us NLifers who were going to buy a lot of this stuff anyway. Obviously I like more free thingies, but any free thingies is better than no free thingies.
Really, I feel like programs like these mostly work at the margins, to try to more fully win over those folks who aren't as engaged with their gaming brands. Those of us who go to a dedicated Nintendo site already tend to know what we like, and we make our decisions based on various gaming preferences, not bonus prizes.
Re: Feature: Breaking Down the My Nintendo Loyalty Economy
I buy enough Nintendo stuff that I'm sure I'll benefit from this, and I was probably going to buy that stuff even without a reward system, so I might as well use it. Still, this seems overly complex.
Re: 3DS System Update 10.7.0-32 is Now Live
You're just floating through life with no direction. Why can't you be more like your 3DS?
Someone's mom, probably
Re: Review: Fire Emblem: Mystery Of The Emblem (SNES)
Is Shadow Dragon a remake of this same game with a lot of the fancier mechanics added in? I've recently started paying Shadow Dragon again because I didn't finish it back when it was released.
Re: Weirdness: Minor League Baseball Team Is Making Its Players Wear Game Boy Jerseys
If you redcoats love shenanigans like this with your sports, you all need to be more invested in minor league baseball. Minor league teams often struggle with attendance, so they do all kinds of wacky promotions to generate interest. See the @dkxcalibur post upthread.
Re: Poll: Which Is The Best Mario Spin-Off Series or Game?
@Luffymcduck 200cc my friend. If you think that is slow, then you, my friend, are an impressive game racer indeed!
Re: Poll: Which Is The Best Mario Spin-Off Series or Game?
I voted for Mario Maker, but is it really a spinoff?
(also voted Mario Kart and Mario&Luigi, which barely edged out Paper Mario)
Re: Fans Should Expect "Something New" With Zelda Wii U, Says Eiji Aonuma
@rjejr lol, yeah the text in XBX is legitimately hard to read, but the fix for that is easier than hiring actors. Just roll your crazy complicated developer mouse up to the text editing field and pick a size larger than 8pt. Seriously, the text in that game is WAY too small.
Also, yes Tatsu is terrible. And frankly, the constant alternating exasperated and wistful tones in Elma's voice are annoying too. The best characters, in my opinion, are my avatar, who says nothing outside of battle, and the NPCs who talk in text.
I just think its very nearly impossible to pull off serious voice acting in games. With rare exceptions, gaming companies can't afford top shelf actors or writers. At this point, the models cannot be as carefully blocked and synced as they can in CG movies. Then you've got the challenges of translating it across continents. In my experience, it's more expensive and the final product just never comes together well enough to make it better than the much cheaper and easier option of using text.
The interesting thing about Kid Icarus: Uprising, is that most of the talking happens while you're playing. So the issue of the blocking and syncing of the models is not a problem. In fact, they synced the discussion more with the gameplay, which is neat. Like, an object is headed toward you, and Pit or Palutena will comment on it, having the conversation act as an actual gameplay element. This works when the game is on-rails and the developer knows what the player will do. It's an interesting take incorporating voice acting as an actual gameplay element, and it mitigates some of the annoyances I described earlier. It also could get annoying and distracting at times, but they gave you the option to turn it off.
So it's not that voice acting could never be good in video games, it's just that I find it rarely is, and I would rather the developer spend the money they would have spent on actors by just hiring better writers and investing more in localization (see, e.g., Mario & Luigi games).
Re: Fans Should Expect "Something New" With Zelda Wii U, Says Eiji Aonuma
@abbyhitter Well that's fine. Zelda should move forward. We both agree on that, albeit we may differ in the directions we would want it to go.
You and I will probably never agree on voice acting, but it's unfair to argue that my position is "archaic." If voices were always better than text then books would be a dead medium, and no one would ever say "the book was better." I simply find text more immersive than mediocre acting. In my experience, for every Kid Icarus: Uprising, there is a Riki from XBC or a Tricky from SFA.
Re: Fans Should Expect "Something New" With Zelda Wii U, Says Eiji Aonuma
@pabloff9 I disagree with your characterization of my position.
I dislike voice acting in all games because I find it's just not very good, and reading to me is more immersive than hearing some clown actor who couldn't get a real movie gig reading mostly mediocre-at-best writing. This same phenomenon is why when books are made into movies, the people who read the books like the books better than the movies.
Also, I'm 100% in favor of gender options. I don't think I would want a fully customizable character because that would do away with the series mascot, but gender options is okay since Link is already pretty androgynous.
I don't know what "lack of surprise goals" means, but it sounds like something I would be in favor of.
I'm just saying that when someone says, "Zelda should be completely different from everything it has ever done," maybe the problem isn't the franchise itself. Maybe you just don't like the franchise. It's like saying, "I really would like kung fu movies better if they were set in the American old west and the protagonist was a pistol-toting cowboy." You just prefer a different kind of movie. That's perfectly fine, but it's no reason to pretend like the movie you really want is a kung fu movie.
Reasonable people can differ on what makes a Zelda game a Zelda game. But at some point, if you change enough things about the game, it's not a Zelda game anymore. You end up with a "Star Fox Adventures" type creation, which was a perfectly enjoyable game about dinosaurs that inexplicably featured Fox McCloud.
You're casting me like I just want new iterations of Ocarina of Time with better graphics. I am 100% in favor of evolutions in the Zelda series (except for full voice acting, which I dislike in all games of almost any franchise unless it is intentionally campy).
Let me describe for you my demands in a new Zelda game: I want a game featuring Link in which I explore a fantastical land full of interesting characters and dangerous enemies/obstacles. I want to discover the land's secrets through clever use of my character's abilities, while gaining new items and abilities which I can also use in clever ways to open up more of the land to explore.
Oh, and no voice acting unless it's for minor "umph" and "Hyaaaahh!" noises. I mean, is it that hard to read, people?
Re: Fans Should Expect "Something New" With Zelda Wii U, Says Eiji Aonuma
Give me a large Hyrule to explore, a solid art style, quirky characters, and a lot of item puzzling, and I'm happy. I hope there's not a substantial amount of voice acting, but it won't turn me off to the game if it's there.
I generally hate voice acting in video games because it is almost never good unless it's being self-referentially silly (see, e.g. Kid Icarus: Uprising; Codename STEAM). I don't mind it for the occasionally short phrase or noise (see, Fire Emblem: Awakening; Battle Commands in XCX) to help give color or trigger an in-game action. But one thing you get from Xenoblade Chronices (and to a lesser extent XCX) is that the already mediocre writing becomes a bigger problem when voiced by mediocre actors and performed by a set of polygons. When I'm reading, the actors in my head are always good, even if the writing isn't.
Re: Fans Should Expect "Something New" With Zelda Wii U, Says Eiji Aonuma
@abbyhitter you seem to dislike all of the Zelda conventions. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you just don't like Legend of Zelda Games?
Re: Review: Pokémon Red and Blue (3DS / GB)
The only Pokémon game I ever played in my life was Diamond until I decided on a whim to pick up Red on VC. I am totally addicted. I am not playing for nostalgia, and I can attest that the game holds up well. It's refreshing to be dumped into an adventure without an hours-long tutorial. New Pokémon are added in slowly enough that a new one feels like an exciting find, and leveling up feels worthwhile. And the whole experience feels more manageable than sprawling modern RPGs.
There are a few mechanics that are unfortunate. Menus are not snappy, and accessing certain frequently used actions is clunky, but that's just because it's old. Overall, great game. I highly recommend it WITHOUT being blinded by nostalgia.
Re: Editorial: Nintendo's Virtual Console Revolution Must Wait as We Pay Once More for SNES Games
Agree with the article. I didn't mind paying a buck or two to "upgrade" my VC purchases from Wii to Wii U, but I am absolutely NOT re-buying VC games that I have on one platform on another platform at full price.
I think the generation 1 Pokémon games are an example of Nintendo doing a good job integrating the old games into a new infrastructure, allowing for wireless local trading and using the Pokemon bank service to move the Pokémon to newer games. You can quibble with the price, but as VC content goes, they did a good job with it. More VC releases should add in features like this.
This all seems like fallout from Nintendo's dual platform approach that I suspect will be going away in the NX generation. Apple has cross-buy because it has one platform operating on multiple devices. Nintendo doesn't have that yet, but likely will in the future. These SNES titles on New 3DS are their last efforts to squeeze as much as they can out of the old model.
Re: Monster Hunter Generations is Heading to 3DS This Summer
Love the look of some of the new gunner skills. I hope there's a lot to explore. I love Monster Hunter to death, but I do sometimes feel like gunners are an afterthought—especially bow users. I try to mix it up with all the gun types, but I just don't really enjoy running blade very much.
I'm super hyped for a new Monster Hunter.
Re: Nintendo Download: 3rd March (North America)
There's so much Monster Hunter on NintendoLife today. I've spent too much of my life in Monster Hunter 4U. It took me almost a year to kick the Monster Hunter habit and finally work on my massive backlog, and now NintendoLife is about to send me into relapse!
Re: Rumour: Monster Hunter Trademark Points to Potential Nintendo Direct Reveal
My prediction was that the next western Monster Hunter release would be for NX, and arrive on both home/portable versions of the platform. The "Generations" moniker might work well for this.
If it's just a western release of X, I'd love to see a cross 3DS/WiiU western release à la MH3U, but I feel like if they were doing that, Japan would already know about it, and the announcement wouldn't be in a western direct.
I'll tell you though, that no company knows how to make its series release names/numbers confusing like Capcom. I want Monster Hunter Super Turbo Ultimate Championship Edition Generations!
Re: A Wii U and 3DS Nintendo Direct Is On the Way
It's funny to think that this time last year, I was excited for New 3DS, Monster Hunter 4U, Majora's Mask 3D, Codename STEAM, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, and Splatoon through the spring. This year... Fire Emblem & Twilight Princess HD.
Oh well. Maybe this direct will offer something to get hyped about. I'm thinking Mother 3 is a possibility (hope springs eternal), otherwise, I'll settle for some new Zelda U footage and a little more info on Star Fox. Expectations are pretty low, because I'm certain at this point they're saving all the new ideas and announcements for NX. Maybe we'll even get some info on Mighty No. 9, but it's telling that this game, along with Zelda and Star Fox are all games we already know about, but have been repeatedly delayed.
Re: A Wii U and 3DS Nintendo Direct Is On the Way
Mother 3. Monster Hunter X to the west. Either one of these will attack me right in the wallet.
Re: Review: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
I originally played this on Wii. I didn't mind the waggle too much because it was so new at the time, but after playing Skyward Sword I could never go back to the straight waggle-for-button-press schematic.
I would love to play this in hero mode because I thought the original was too easy, but I also would like to play it in left-handed GCN mode, since I have never played it that way. Sounds like you can't play hero mode in left-handed Link mode? That's a shame.
Still, I'll probably check this out at some point.
Re: Ubisoft Discounts Galore in 2-Week North American eShop Sale
@DefHalan I tried AC3 when I got it on sale for $15 a year or two ago. I got a little ways into it before I realized I found it clunky and boring—and I'm a little bit of an American Revolution nerd.
Re: Review: 1080° Snowboarding (Wii U eShop / N64)
I will never understand why there is no version of this game using the balance board. Shaun White was good, but the Nintendo attention to detail could have added a ton to a balance board snowboarding game.
Re: Rumour: EA And Nintendo Looking To Rekindle "Unprecedented Partnership" On NX
I'm no EA fan, but pushing Nintendo to do more advertising during some of the most widely viewed televised events (sports) is a good idea even independently of selling sports-themed games. For many of us, sports is the only live television we ever watch; everything else is streamed commercial-free.
Sports viewers these days are largely the group that grew up on Nintendo hardware, and I suspect they will be receptive to advertising for Nintendo products, especially if it is pitched as a retro revival of branding from the 80s/90s. People eat that stuff up.
Re: Review: Mega Man Legacy Collection (3DS / 3DS eShop)
I am a big time Blue Bomber fan (if you encounter me online in Smash, chances are, I'm him). But I already bought these games for the VC. Can't really justify a purchase.
Still, I love the Mega Man games (2 and 3 are the best), and if you don't already have the VC versions, I would recommend you buy this.
Re: Talking Point: At 30 Years Old The Legend of Zelda is Well Placed to be Nintendo's Most Influential Franchise
@mjharper I agree. Skyward Sword's motion controls were so good that I have been a bit disappointed at the return to classic controls in more recent entries (which have mostly been remasters, of course). Skyward Sword is currently underrated because people remember too much waggle on the Wii in general, and it has led people to generally knock "motion controls," without regard to whether they were well implemented.
When motion controls were good, they were really great. The Wii had too many cash-in titles that were waggle-happy and it spoiled all the really good implementations. There was Skyward Sword, Zack & Wiki, Wii Sports Resort, Metroid Prime (along with other FPS titles), and various games that made great use of the pointer, such as Trauma Center: Second Opinion.
In fact, I've been disappointed at the lack of use of better-implemented motion controls in Wii U games. It doesn't need to be in every game just to have it, but the system supports Motion+, and very few games have made much use of it. Nintendo (or a third party, lol) could have used some niche franchises to keep good motion gaming alive. At this point though, other than a little use of tilt-to-aim mechanics (which I like, btw), motion gaming is pretty much dead.
Re: Review: Fire Emblem Fates (3DS)
@MoonKnight7 I agree that breaking weapons really never felt that critical to the game. There were always a few important weapons that were durable anyway, and as you get more characters later on, you have so many weapons that you just end up selling the old junky ones that are almost broken. Stocking each unit's inventory for a fight was always more about getting them the right weapons for their class and the way you plan to use them. The only items for which breaking was ever an issue for me were the staves and healing items, so they pretty much hit the nail on the head here.
However, Robin in Smash Bros. is surely annoyed by this change, since he/she is the only character in Smash saddled with breakable weapons.
Re: Site News: Welcome To The Brand New Nintendo Life!
I feel like that .gif of Vincent Vega.
I'm sure I'll figure out the new layout eventually.