Making video games longer and longer and longer is a huge mistake. A large portion of the audience who buys console video games are now adults. And wouldn't you guess, but adults don't have time to spend 300 hours on one game. Longer is not automatically better.
I'm a little bit skeptical about this game. Whenever people making a sequel say it is going to be "biggerer and betterer" than the previous one I'm always a little cautious. Because what it can often mean is the creators miss what made the first one so great and forge on to create something unwieldy and a little out of touch with its own series.
Could exceed 300 hours? Gosh I hope that's a very liberal estimate just being thrown out for marketing. I don't have time to spend 300 hours on something like a video game. And I'm sure plenty of other people don't either.
I hope so. He should be free to do whatever he pleases at this point. And I'd prefer him to do something new. He has so much talent and dedication that I don't think it should be siphoned by the Smash series anymore.
@PlywoodStick Absolutely, what you just described is what is broken about games criticism. Take a look at the critical spheres of other arts and they're nowhere near as terrible in this regard as video games are. Games journalists could benefit from just writing well thought out and insightful criticisms. They don't need to rely on numbers at all. Other industries don't (I give the Mona Lisa a 9/10). It's a problem inherent in video games and it needs to change.
If the critical sphere of video games decided to ween its audience off of reliance on arbitrary numbers, everyone would be the better for it. But when companies pay people based on metacritic scores and when major gaming sites are in bed with said companies it's not going to change.
Nor will it change when the audience only cares about scores, as this thread clearly shows, and the reviewers only care about hits as you described. If I were a writer, wouldn't I want people to read what I wrote? So then why would a reviewer only want people to look at a score, not read their review/writing?
This is why games criticism is broken on a fundamental level. Most of the people here don't give a rats behind about the actual content of the review itself. They want to see their favorite video game company and series win the useless game of who can get the most arbitrary scores.
Screw nuance man, let's just boil down every game to one of ten numbers. Then we can throw those scores back in the faces of the opposing fanboys. And heaven forbid then when a game doesn't get the score they want it to. I mean, it'll lower their enjoyment of said game if it doesn't get a 96 on metacritic, right?
@Zatioichi Probably not, because first off not everything that objectifies women is gone after. For example, you are saying we should just be brushing it aside in video games. We should not. Sexism should not be brushed aside in anything. It is an issue in our society, just like racism (Ferguson anyone?) that needs to be addressed. Video games, just like movies and literature and all media, have been very guilty of objectification when it isn't needed.
Absolutely society doesn't speak for everyone, I'm saying this is an issue for our culture right here right now today. Often times things such as racism and sexism seep out of people unconsciously without them even realizing how racist or sexist they are being.
The reason it is a seemingly one sided issue (in terms of male vs female I think you mean) in video games is because it is mostly a one sided issue for society as a whole. For every dollar a man makes a woman makes $.75 on average, and for the same exact job. Video games haven't objectified men nearly as much as women, so that's why this discussion is so seemingly "one sided" to you.
No, sexism isn't fun. Video games are not a scapegoat for an agenda. They are just a part of a much larger issue. Which is why talking about sexism in them is completely relevant.
@Zatioichi Going after anything that practices objectification of women is going to help. And video games absolutely do reflect our society's social issues. All media reflects our values and views as a culture, so saying we should let games off the hook because they are a separate entity from broader social issues is both incorrect and just trying to dodge the issue.
@antonvaltaz Absolutely. I really have to commend the author of this article. It's a great topic to write about, but unfortunately the majority of the comments here seem to be from people who have no clue at all about the issue.
If Nintendo is going to go ahead and do this then they should give Captain Falcon a speedo alternate. If you're going to appeal to male gaze and sexualize a female character why not appeal to female gaze and sexualize a stud like the Cap'n. Of course, Captain Falcon doesn't have a historically well developed character to be ruined by it either.
And actually, for an example of a company that does this quite well, look at Marvel. They've been very careful about not sexualizing their female characters in their movies. Or hell, look at the newest Tomb Raider game. Not once do you see her midriff.
@Kirk I'm with you on that. He did not do a great job of rebooting Star Trek.
I'm very indifferent towards this new trilogy to say the least. And I can't say I'm thrilled that a lot of awesome media are now not canon (such as the Thrawn trilogy, which was really top notch). But I can't say I'm too surprised.
@SCAR392 You cannot still do combos like that in Brawl. The decreased hitstun of brawl ensures that you cannot. You can keep saying you can do combos like that in brawl till you're blue in the face, it doesn't make it so. Notice how I posted actual video evidence and you didn't. Reread my prior post. Yes, in Brawl there are some preset combos that work. But you cannot improv combos like in Melee. Both examples I gave up there are not pre-figured out combos that work every time you pull them off. Here is another one, this one a team battle, to further prove my point.
There are aspects in Brawl that severely limit gameplay. Such as the horribly slowed down pace, decreased hitstun, and giant hitbox to grab the ledge. See, I can do it too. It's down to personal opinion. Your desire to degrade Melee and the people that prefer Melee is obnoxious.
So what's the deal? People like those techniques. They add more depth to the game. It's not complicated. If you would open your mind a little bit you'd probably get that. And whether it was initially planned into the game or not is completely moot. Sakurai noticed those and left them in. They add depth to the game. Some people would like him to add those back in because they add more depth. And here's the kicker, the people(you!) who wouldn't want to use them wouldn't have to.
@SCAR392 Let me explain more on why I said Brawl doesn't have combos. Does it have a few set attacks that can be followed up by each other? Yes. I do it with Game & Watch. Down throw followed by down smash. Does Brawl have combos in the sense that, if you are good enough, you can chain any number and any kind of attacks together? No it does not. Combos in Melee are like the Jazz of combos. You improv it as it happens, which is a huge appeal to the competitive scene. Watch the videos I've posted below. That is what I meant by a combo, and it is not possible in Brawl.
And a video on the game speed of Melee below. @Adams post is spot on. The games are different enough to warrant playing both, which is what I do. I love both games. Many people prefer Melee. I think if you went back to Melee after playing Brawl for years, you'd see just how different they actually are (I did, and couldn't believe how much).
@SCAR392 Your close-minded-ness is frankly appalling. So I suppose you'd agree that nobody should play any retro games ever because they are lingering in the past?
There's a reason the competitive scene is geared more towards melee. Your comments make it fairly apparent you don't know what you're talking about. L-cancelling and doing combos are not in brawl, nor are directional air dodges, wave-dashing (sakurai noticed it during development, but left it in), jump canceling, and a host of other minor things, such as sweet spot edge grabbing.
@astros75 Do you watch tennis? In individual sports/competitions it's impossible to always beat the top players every single time. The margins separating the best are just too narrow.
@NavySpheal I wouldn't say quite often. Take a look at a lot of the tournament results from the last three or four years. It's almost always the same like five guys who are in the mix at the top. He wouldn't be consistently up there if he was losing often to the best. And I haven't seen him proclaim himself the best at Melee anywhere. Yes, he is arrogant. Super arrogant? Now you're describing Mango.
@Valor Because he's one of the best Smash players in the world and this is a Nintendo fan site, where Smash bros is a big deal. It's not hard to see the point.
I also like the comments saying he's only skilled because he puts so much time into it. Uh, duh. That's how you get good at anything.
That's really my biggest gripe with Nintendo (well, besides that I haven't been impressed with their software lineup on WiiU). They pretty much bank on these hardware "innovations" and in the process ignore a lot of other areas they could improve on. And while they do seem to occasionally justify their existence with something such as skyward sword, to me when it gets down to it they aren't worth much more than that. With Wii they hit a home run. With Wiiu they didn't and now they're stuck trying to pick up the pieces.
I don't think the 3rd party situation for Nintendo is so bleak that nothing can be done. Nintendo hasn't done much, if anything to try and change the situation. If they don't change the situation there's pretty much no way they'll be able to keep making home consoles. I just can't see that happening.
As for the Dualshock 4, I was actually being sarcastic. But I applaud you if you caught that and went ahead and were mock serious. If not then never mind.
@JaxonH And I believe it's the wrong opinion. So there ya go.
Of course the gamepad is not barely used. It's the controller for the console. It needs to be used for pretty much every game buddy. But the operative word here is how. How the gamepad is used. And I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough in my prior post. As of now there are no games using the gamepad in a meaningful way to enhance gameplay that couldn't have been done some other way and by a standard controller.
Off tv play is the only upside to the gamepad, but a weak one at that. Unless you somehow happen to not have multiple tvs in the house, or just have many family members, I'd wager that most consumers would prefer to play on a large HD tv instead of a tiny low res screen. When I visit my brother and play his Wiiu i look forward to playing Nintendo games for the first time ever in HD, not on the gamepad screen.
When you take time and money and spend it somewhere, it consequently doesn't go somewhere else. They could have put resources that went into making the gamepad into attracting 3rd parties (or making the console more powerful, which, ya know, affects more than the visuals). Which is noticeably missing from your largely opinionated list of how Nintendo is ahead of their competitors.
I agree that games are largely why we buy consoles. But the gamepad is what separates the Wiiu from its competitors. At least that's what Nintendo was hoping. You notice how they unveiled the Wiiu a while back? Remember when all they did was pull out a controller and completely emphasize it? The wiimote set the Wii apart, the gamepad was supposed to set the Wiiu apart. Obviously it didn't work as well this time taking a glance at the sales. Nintendo has made very apparent that they are not following in their competitors footsteps. They are traveling their own path and not partaking in a power race. So yes, the gamepad is as big a selling point for the Wiiu as the games, because the competitors don't have something like it.
As for online: go play a PS4 and check out its different social stuffs (recording gameplay and sharing anyone?) and account system, compare it to Wiiu, and then get back to me.
As for your list, you got me there. You have shown me the light. Sony must be blithering idiots for only giving the Dualshock 4 ten hours of battery life.
@JaxonH Sorry, but it's not a heck of a good deal for a lot of people when you really break it down. That's merely your opinion.
The reason it's bad if the gamepad is barely used is because the money that went into the research and development of it could have gone to something more important. Like online infrastructure, beefing up the console, or making it as 3rd party friendly as possible. When Nintendo banks on a controller "innovation" to separate the console from the pack, and so throws resources at that over other things, and then it doesn't do anything to separate itself from the pack, that's not good. Especially because Nintendo is behind their competitors in basically every area.
I absolutely agree not every game should try and use it in some amazing way, but as of right now the thing setting Nintendo's console apart, the gamepad, doesn't have the software to sell it.
Just like with the Wii I get the feeling that Zelda will be the only thing on Wiiu to actually utilize the gamepad in a way that the gameplay couldn't have been done any other way by any other controller.
I wish they would save a lot of the material they throw into directs for E3. Where the whole gaming population will be watching and will thus have a chance of generating hype with more people than these directs reach.
Concerning the game, I hope they show off some new gameplay additions or tweaks that actually get me hyped. Because right now all I've seen is Brawl 2.0, which while that's probably enough for a lot of Nintendo fans, it ain't for me. Them bringing in Namco and the fact that it appears they've straight up lifted the Brawl engine, including character models, makes it seem like they just really want to get this game out quickly to their struggling console.
What tipped me off were the "innovative ideas" and "super reality" bullet points. As well as the font for the word virtual. It just didn't fit. Nonetheless, nice mock up, and happy April Fools everybody.
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.
Awesome. I checked out the Melee tourney at last years Evo, and since then have watched a lot of competitive matches.
From the looks of it right now, I don't think smash 4 would get more than one Evo appearance, if even that. The play looks way too familiar to Brawl's, which in terms of depth isn't close to Melee.
I like some of the categories they have, though specifically performer. It's easy to forget that gaming now owes some of its best characters to the actors that bring them to life.
And I'm willing to bet that the people writing the BAFTAs off because of a few Nintendo games not making the nominations haven't even played half of the games that were nominated. I don't know about everyone else, but I feel like I can never properly judge an awards show if I haven't played/seen at least most of the nominees. And even if I have and I don't agree, it's nothing to get worked up over, it's not like a game or movie or anything is discredited for not getting an award.
@JaxonH I agree with you on that. I usually end up most enjoying the games that didn't have me too excited before I actually played them. Which hopefully will be the case for some WiiU games. I also agree that the more consoles the better, within a person's budget of course. Less droughts and more game diversity. And expanding one's gaming horizons is only a good thing.
@JaxonH Well that's the thing, I'm not a diehard fan anymore. I will get a WiiU at some point, primarily for X, and I will of course pick up some of those other titles as well, I never said they don't interest me. But they don't excite me. They don't make me want to go out and buy the system. Nintendo has been playing it too safe in their game releases this generation so far. If that changes, and I hope it will, then I agree, people could be looking back at the WiiU's library in fondness.
Additionally though, at this point the WiiU is shaping up to have the worst third party support for a Nintendo home console ever, and that also dissuades me from wanting to go out and get one when I'm not sure it'll be a worthwhile investment on either the first or third party front.
And contrary to what the average Nintendo fan thinks, Nintendo cannot keep releasing home consoles forever that have paltry third party support and hope to remain in the business. Unless they somehow get as lucky as they did with the Wii now and again.
At this point I only want a WiiU for X. Nintendo have definitely lost the diehard fan in me. I may get a competitors console first in a console generation for the first time ever.
@Nintendude789: I agree, clearly you've played the game and know what you're talking about. Why would they have more cutscenes than gameplay? What were they thinking?
About what I expected from the comments section. The games that won deserved them. Nitpicking over every single award is useless, because not every single award is going to go the way you want it to. As a Nintendo fan you should be happy they won what they did, I certainly am.
And sorry to some of the commenters in here, but you're in the minority with your opinions clearly formed from actually playing the game. The Last of Us deserved the awards it got because most people find it a great game in every regard.
Hell, as an avid fan of cinema, I'm not exactly thrilled that American Hustle has even been nominated for Best Picture this year, but I'm not going to say that people were bribed off and that awards don't matter because of it.
What the gamepad did is effectively suck resources away from making the console itself more powerful/better. When designing the console money went into the controller versus going into whats under the hood of the console as well as features.
And seeing as the gamepad really isn't anything revolutionary or as yet worthwhile, or at least enough by itself to stand as a selling point, I'd say the Wii U shouldn't have had the gamepad to begin with, but at this point it needs it, because it really has nothing else the competition doesn't.
To me Nintendo is almost grasping at straws with its hardware "innovations." With Wii they hit a home run, and with Wii U they didn't. I think for their next console they should focus on winning over third parties first, and then whatever they want to do second. Because they cannot keep building hardware which only they will be able to utilize to its full potential, or which only satisfies them, and expect to stick around in the home console business.
Yeah, I don't see a WiiU zelda coming out next year. Historically Zelda games have had pretty long development times, and last I knew they weren't very far at all on the next console one.
Haven't played too much GTA V, so I can't really say whether it deserved it or not, but it probably did. I did play The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite, and both of them were great and deserved to be in the running for GOTY. Really glad Ni No Kuni won best RPG, it deserves it.
@LDXD I'm guessing you enjoy Mario, smash bros, and zelda, and nintendo's series in general. It's just as easy to say that they never change and are exactly the same each time. Of course an entry in a series is going to have similar gameplay to previous entries. Arguing about games is a matter of opinion and will get us nowhere. You can say The Last of Us forgot about the gameplay, but me and the millions of others who bought and loved it will say otherwise.
As for story, yeah most games don't have a very good story. That was my point, that storytelling is getting better and better in games. Not merely by traditional means either. Journey tells quite a story with not a single word spoken in the game. I personally love to pay money for a game that can have good gameplay, yet can simultaneously tell a tale. As for Hollywood movies, the majority of them aren't very good at telling stories either. xD
@CountWavula I suppose that's your opinion, because I don't believe we've seen it all. You can still innovate without making drastic changes to controller schemes. Hell, look back at Mario Galaxy. That game completely rejuvenated the 3D platformer, and it didn't even use the wiimote's motion controls to do it.
And another realm in which we're not even close to seeing it all is when it comes to storytelling. You can repeat all day till you're blue in the face that gameplay comes first in video games, which it does. But that doesn't mean a game can't have both amazing gameplay and an amazing story, and I mean come on, who doesn't enjoy a good story? We're finally starting to see what can be accomplished in this regard with games like The Last of Us, and I expect games will continue to push storytelling this next generation because the improved hardware will allow developers to more easily do so.
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Re: More Details Emerge on Xenoblade Chronicles X and Its Non-Linear World
Making video games longer and longer and longer is a huge mistake. A large portion of the audience who buys console video games are now adults. And wouldn't you guess, but adults don't have time to spend 300 hours on one game. Longer is not automatically better.
Re: More Details Emerge on Xenoblade Chronicles X and Its Non-Linear World
I'm a little bit skeptical about this game. Whenever people making a sequel say it is going to be "biggerer and betterer" than the previous one I'm always a little cautious. Because what it can often mean is the creators miss what made the first one so great and forge on to create something unwieldy and a little out of touch with its own series.
Could exceed 300 hours? Gosh I hope that's a very liberal estimate just being thrown out for marketing. I don't have time to spend 300 hours on something like a video game. And I'm sure plenty of other people don't either.
Re: Masahiro Sakurai Admits That Super Smash Bros. for Wii U May Be His Last in the Series
I hope so. He should be free to do whatever he pleases at this point. And I'd prefer him to do something new. He has so much talent and dedication that I don't think it should be siphoned by the Smash series anymore.
Re: Review: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
@PlywoodStick Absolutely, what you just described is what is broken about games criticism. Take a look at the critical spheres of other arts and they're nowhere near as terrible in this regard as video games are. Games journalists could benefit from just writing well thought out and insightful criticisms. They don't need to rely on numbers at all. Other industries don't (I give the Mona Lisa a 9/10). It's a problem inherent in video games and it needs to change.
If the critical sphere of video games decided to ween its audience off of reliance on arbitrary numbers, everyone would be the better for it. But when companies pay people based on metacritic scores and when major gaming sites are in bed with said companies it's not going to change.
Nor will it change when the audience only cares about scores, as this thread clearly shows, and the reviewers only care about hits as you described. If I were a writer, wouldn't I want people to read what I wrote? So then why would a reviewer only want people to look at a score, not read their review/writing?
Re: Review: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
This is why games criticism is broken on a fundamental level. Most of the people here don't give a rats behind about the actual content of the review itself. They want to see their favorite video game company and series win the useless game of who can get the most arbitrary scores.
Screw nuance man, let's just boil down every game to one of ten numbers. Then we can throw those scores back in the faces of the opposing fanboys. And heaven forbid then when a game doesn't get the score they want it to. I mean, it'll lower their enjoyment of said game if it doesn't get a 96 on metacritic, right?
You cannot measure art with numbers.
Re: Talking Point: A History of the Sexualisation of Samus
@Zatioichi Probably not, because first off not everything that objectifies women is gone after. For example, you are saying we should just be brushing it aside in video games. We should not. Sexism should not be brushed aside in anything. It is an issue in our society, just like racism (Ferguson anyone?) that needs to be addressed. Video games, just like movies and literature and all media, have been very guilty of objectification when it isn't needed.
Absolutely society doesn't speak for everyone, I'm saying this is an issue for our culture right here right now today. Often times things such as racism and sexism seep out of people unconsciously without them even realizing how racist or sexist they are being.
The reason it is a seemingly one sided issue (in terms of male vs female I think you mean) in video games is because it is mostly a one sided issue for society as a whole. For every dollar a man makes a woman makes $.75 on average, and for the same exact job. Video games haven't objectified men nearly as much as women, so that's why this discussion is so seemingly "one sided" to you.
No, sexism isn't fun. Video games are not a scapegoat for an agenda. They are just a part of a much larger issue. Which is why talking about sexism in them is completely relevant.
We live in a phallocentric society folks.
Re: Talking Point: A History of the Sexualisation of Samus
@Zatioichi Going after anything that practices objectification of women is going to help. And video games absolutely do reflect our society's social issues. All media reflects our values and views as a culture, so saying we should let games off the hook because they are a separate entity from broader social issues is both incorrect and just trying to dodge the issue.
Re: Talking Point: A History of the Sexualisation of Samus
I also agree with the author that Retro absolutely has a better handle on Samus' character than the Japanese developers.
Re: Talking Point: A History of the Sexualisation of Samus
@treeofmana Fully agreed. People who are saying it's just a video game or that it's no big deal have no clue.
Re: Talking Point: A History of the Sexualisation of Samus
@antonvaltaz Absolutely. I really have to commend the author of this article. It's a great topic to write about, but unfortunately the majority of the comments here seem to be from people who have no clue at all about the issue.
If Nintendo is going to go ahead and do this then they should give Captain Falcon a speedo alternate. If you're going to appeal to male gaze and sexualize a female character why not appeal to female gaze and sexualize a stud like the Cap'n. Of course, Captain Falcon doesn't have a historically well developed character to be ruined by it either.
And actually, for an example of a company that does this quite well, look at Marvel. They've been very careful about not sexualizing their female characters in their movies. Or hell, look at the newest Tomb Raider game. Not once do you see her midriff.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's GamePad Bet Could Pay Off
We'll see if the gamepad pays off or not if it manages to get Nintendo out of the hole it's in.
Re: Ninterview: Taylor Davis Shares Her Musical Journey and Love for Gaming
I love the interviews you guys put up. Keep em coming.
Re: Lucasfilm Decrees That All Star Wars Video Games Are Non-Canon
@Kirk I'm with you on that. He did not do a great job of rebooting Star Trek.
I'm very indifferent towards this new trilogy to say the least. And I can't say I'm thrilled that a lot of awesome media are now not canon (such as the Thrawn trilogy, which was really top notch). But I can't say I'm too surprised.
Re: Ninterview: Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman on Mastering Super Smash Bros.
@SCAR392 You cannot still do combos like that in Brawl. The decreased hitstun of brawl ensures that you cannot. You can keep saying you can do combos like that in brawl till you're blue in the face, it doesn't make it so. Notice how I posted actual video evidence and you didn't. Reread my prior post. Yes, in Brawl there are some preset combos that work. But you cannot improv combos like in Melee. Both examples I gave up there are not pre-figured out combos that work every time you pull them off. Here is another one, this one a team battle, to further prove my point.
There are aspects in Brawl that severely limit gameplay. Such as the horribly slowed down pace, decreased hitstun, and giant hitbox to grab the ledge. See, I can do it too. It's down to personal opinion. Your desire to degrade Melee and the people that prefer Melee is obnoxious.
So what's the deal? People like those techniques. They add more depth to the game. It's not complicated. If you would open your mind a little bit you'd probably get that. And whether it was initially planned into the game or not is completely moot. Sakurai noticed those and left them in. They add depth to the game. Some people would like him to add those back in because they add more depth. And here's the kicker, the people(you!) who wouldn't want to use them wouldn't have to.
@KeithTheGeek I agree with your post.
Re: Ninterview: Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman on Mastering Super Smash Bros.
@SCAR392 Let me explain more on why I said Brawl doesn't have combos. Does it have a few set attacks that can be followed up by each other? Yes. I do it with Game & Watch. Down throw followed by down smash. Does Brawl have combos in the sense that, if you are good enough, you can chain any number and any kind of attacks together? No it does not. Combos in Melee are like the Jazz of combos. You improv it as it happens, which is a huge appeal to the competitive scene. Watch the videos I've posted below. That is what I meant by a combo, and it is not possible in Brawl.
And a video on the game speed of Melee below. @Adams post is spot on. The games are different enough to warrant playing both, which is what I do. I love both games. Many people prefer Melee. I think if you went back to Melee after playing Brawl for years, you'd see just how different they actually are (I did, and couldn't believe how much).
Re: Ninterview: Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman on Mastering Super Smash Bros.
@SCAR392 Your close-minded-ness is frankly appalling. So I suppose you'd agree that nobody should play any retro games ever because they are lingering in the past?
There's a reason the competitive scene is geared more towards melee. Your comments make it fairly apparent you don't know what you're talking about. L-cancelling and doing combos are not in brawl, nor are directional air dodges, wave-dashing (sakurai noticed it during development, but left it in), jump canceling, and a host of other minor things, such as sweet spot edge grabbing.
Re: Ninterview: Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman on Mastering Super Smash Bros.
@astros75 Do you watch tennis? In individual sports/competitions it's impossible to always beat the top players every single time. The margins separating the best are just too narrow.
Re: Ninterview: Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman on Mastering Super Smash Bros.
@NavySpheal I wouldn't say quite often. Take a look at a lot of the tournament results from the last three or four years. It's almost always the same like five guys who are in the mix at the top. He wouldn't be consistently up there if he was losing often to the best. And I haven't seen him proclaim himself the best at Melee anywhere. Yes, he is arrogant. Super arrogant? Now you're describing Mango.
Re: Ninterview: Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman on Mastering Super Smash Bros.
@Valor Because he's one of the best Smash players in the world and this is a Nintendo fan site, where Smash bros is a big deal. It's not hard to see the point.
I also like the comments saying he's only skilled because he puts so much time into it. Uh, duh. That's how you get good at anything.
Re: Ninterview: Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman on Mastering Super Smash Bros.
Great get on the interview. He isn't my favorite smasher but I really respect him (unlike Mango).
Re: Feature: How A Team Of Dedicated Fans Is Fixing Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Only got to play it once, but it was fun. Amount of work they put in and what they managed to accomplish with it are quite impressive.
Re: Round Table: Let's Talk Endlessly About Mario Kart 8, Just Because
That's really my biggest gripe with Nintendo (well, besides that I haven't been impressed with their software lineup on WiiU). They pretty much bank on these hardware "innovations" and in the process ignore a lot of other areas they could improve on. And while they do seem to occasionally justify their existence with something such as skyward sword, to me when it gets down to it they aren't worth much more than that. With Wii they hit a home run. With Wiiu they didn't and now they're stuck trying to pick up the pieces.
I don't think the 3rd party situation for Nintendo is so bleak that nothing can be done. Nintendo hasn't done much, if anything to try and change the situation. If they don't change the situation there's pretty much no way they'll be able to keep making home consoles. I just can't see that happening.
As for the Dualshock 4, I was actually being sarcastic. But I applaud you if you caught that and went ahead and were mock serious. If not then never mind.
Re: Round Table: Let's Talk Endlessly About Mario Kart 8, Just Because
@JaxonH And I believe it's the wrong opinion. So there ya go.
Of course the gamepad is not barely used. It's the controller for the console. It needs to be used for pretty much every game buddy. But the operative word here is how. How the gamepad is used. And I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough in my prior post. As of now there are no games using the gamepad in a meaningful way to enhance gameplay that couldn't have been done some other way and by a standard controller.
Off tv play is the only upside to the gamepad, but a weak one at that. Unless you somehow happen to not have multiple tvs in the house, or just have many family members, I'd wager that most consumers would prefer to play on a large HD tv instead of a tiny low res screen. When I visit my brother and play his Wiiu i look forward to playing Nintendo games for the first time ever in HD, not on the gamepad screen.
When you take time and money and spend it somewhere, it consequently doesn't go somewhere else. They could have put resources that went into making the gamepad into attracting 3rd parties (or making the console more powerful, which, ya know, affects more than the visuals). Which is noticeably missing from your largely opinionated list of how Nintendo is ahead of their competitors.
I agree that games are largely why we buy consoles. But the gamepad is what separates the Wiiu from its competitors. At least that's what Nintendo was hoping. You notice how they unveiled the Wiiu a while back? Remember when all they did was pull out a controller and completely emphasize it? The wiimote set the Wii apart, the gamepad was supposed to set the Wiiu apart. Obviously it didn't work as well this time taking a glance at the sales. Nintendo has made very apparent that they are not following in their competitors footsteps. They are traveling their own path and not partaking in a power race. So yes, the gamepad is as big a selling point for the Wiiu as the games, because the competitors don't have something like it.
As for online: go play a PS4 and check out its different social stuffs (recording gameplay and sharing anyone?) and account system, compare it to Wiiu, and then get back to me.
As for your list, you got me there. You have shown me the light. Sony must be blithering idiots for only giving the Dualshock 4 ten hours of battery life.
Re: Round Table: Let's Talk Endlessly About Mario Kart 8, Just Because
@JaxonH Sorry, but it's not a heck of a good deal for a lot of people when you really break it down. That's merely your opinion.
The reason it's bad if the gamepad is barely used is because the money that went into the research and development of it could have gone to something more important. Like online infrastructure, beefing up the console, or making it as 3rd party friendly as possible. When Nintendo banks on a controller "innovation" to separate the console from the pack, and so throws resources at that over other things, and then it doesn't do anything to separate itself from the pack, that's not good. Especially because Nintendo is behind their competitors in basically every area.
I absolutely agree not every game should try and use it in some amazing way, but as of right now the thing setting Nintendo's console apart, the gamepad, doesn't have the software to sell it.
Re: Round Table: Let's Talk Endlessly About Mario Kart 8, Just Because
Just like with the Wii I get the feeling that Zelda will be the only thing on Wiiu to actually utilize the gamepad in a way that the gameplay couldn't have been done any other way by any other controller.
Re: Super Smash Bros. Direct Will Bring the Hype on 8th April
I wish they would save a lot of the material they throw into directs for E3. Where the whole gaming population will be watching and will thus have a chance of generating hype with more people than these directs reach.
Concerning the game, I hope they show off some new gameplay additions or tweaks that actually get me hyped. Because right now all I've seen is Brawl 2.0, which while that's probably enough for a lot of Nintendo fans, it ain't for me. Them bringing in Namco and the fact that it appears they've straight up lifted the Brawl engine, including character models, makes it seem like they just really want to get this game out quickly to their struggling console.
Re: Review: Young Justice: Legacy (3DS eShop)
At least you were provided the review copy.
Re: Exclusive: Nintendo Developing "Virtual U" VR Platform to Rival Sony's Morpheus and Oculus Rift
What tipped me off were the "innovative ideas" and "super reality" bullet points. As well as the font for the word virtual. It just didn't fit. Nonetheless, nice mock up, and happy April Fools everybody.
Re: Site News: Tom Has Evolved Into A New Form: Editor Tom!
Congrats! It is only fitting that your title now basically matches what you had already been.
Re: Nintendo Comes Up Empty at BAFTA Awards
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.
Re: Super Smash Bros. Melee Confirmed for Evo 2014
Awesome. I checked out the Melee tourney at last years Evo, and since then have watched a lot of competitive matches.
From the looks of it right now, I don't think smash 4 would get more than one Evo appearance, if even that. The play looks way too familiar to Brawl's, which in terms of depth isn't close to Melee.
Re: Console Wars Book Paves The Way For Movie Written By Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
@FireHorsePrime I pretty much agree. Not sure if I'd have Abrams or Favreau, but certainly not Rogen and Goldberg.
Re: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Only Sells Just Over 35,000 Units in Japanese Launch
I can't wait to see all the people claiming NL only posts negative news when the articles about how this game sold like crap in NA and EU go up.
Re: Review: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)
@Warbeard No I don't. You'll get more out of a review if you read the review itself rather than trying to add more specificity into the score.
Re: Wii U and 3DS Nintendo Direct Confirmed for 13th February
@WaveBoy xD You cracked me up.
My expectations are always pretty low for these. Don't think I'll be able to watch it live unfortunately.
Re: Super Mario 3D World and Animal Crossing: New Leaf Up For BAFTA Awards
I like some of the categories they have, though specifically performer. It's easy to forget that gaming now owes some of its best characters to the actors that bring them to life.
And I'm willing to bet that the people writing the BAFTAs off because of a few Nintendo games not making the nominations haven't even played half of the games that were nominated. I don't know about everyone else, but I feel like I can never properly judge an awards show if I haven't played/seen at least most of the nominees. And even if I have and I don't agree, it's nothing to get worked up over, it's not like a game or movie or anything is discredited for not getting an award.
Re: Talking Point: The Watch_Dogs Wii U Delay Demonstrates That Major Third-Parties Are Walking Away
@JaxonH I agree with you on that. I usually end up most enjoying the games that didn't have me too excited before I actually played them. Which hopefully will be the case for some WiiU games. I also agree that the more consoles the better, within a person's budget of course. Less droughts and more game diversity. And expanding one's gaming horizons is only a good thing.
Re: Talking Point: The Watch_Dogs Wii U Delay Demonstrates That Major Third-Parties Are Walking Away
@JaxonH Well that's the thing, I'm not a diehard fan anymore. I will get a WiiU at some point, primarily for X, and I will of course pick up some of those other titles as well, I never said they don't interest me. But they don't excite me. They don't make me want to go out and buy the system. Nintendo has been playing it too safe in their game releases this generation so far. If that changes, and I hope it will, then I agree, people could be looking back at the WiiU's library in fondness.
Additionally though, at this point the WiiU is shaping up to have the worst third party support for a Nintendo home console ever, and that also dissuades me from wanting to go out and get one when I'm not sure it'll be a worthwhile investment on either the first or third party front.
And contrary to what the average Nintendo fan thinks, Nintendo cannot keep releasing home consoles forever that have paltry third party support and hope to remain in the business. Unless they somehow get as lucky as they did with the Wii now and again.
Re: Talking Point: The Watch_Dogs Wii U Delay Demonstrates That Major Third-Parties Are Walking Away
At this point I only want a WiiU for X. Nintendo have definitely lost the diehard fan in me. I may get a competitors console first in a console generation for the first time ever.
Re: Watch_Dogs Delayed Again on Wii U, Will Arrive on the System After Other Platforms
Teh WiiU is doomed!!!1!
Re: Nintendo Scoops Two Awards at D.I.C.E
@Nintendude789: I agree, clearly you've played the game and know what you're talking about. Why would they have more cutscenes than gameplay? What were they thinking?
Re: Nintendo Scoops Two Awards at D.I.C.E
About what I expected from the comments section. The games that won deserved them. Nitpicking over every single award is useless, because not every single award is going to go the way you want it to. As a Nintendo fan you should be happy they won what they did, I certainly am.
And sorry to some of the commenters in here, but you're in the minority with your opinions clearly formed from actually playing the game. The Last of Us deserved the awards it got because most people find it a great game in every regard.
Hell, as an avid fan of cinema, I'm not exactly thrilled that American Hustle has even been nominated for Best Picture this year, but I'm not going to say that people were bribed off and that awards don't matter because of it.
Re: Talking Point: Is There A Future For The Wii U Without The GamePad?
What the gamepad did is effectively suck resources away from making the console itself more powerful/better. When designing the console money went into the controller versus going into whats under the hood of the console as well as features.
And seeing as the gamepad really isn't anything revolutionary or as yet worthwhile, or at least enough by itself to stand as a selling point, I'd say the Wii U shouldn't have had the gamepad to begin with, but at this point it needs it, because it really has nothing else the competition doesn't.
To me Nintendo is almost grasping at straws with its hardware "innovations." With Wii they hit a home run, and with Wii U they didn't. I think for their next console they should focus on winning over third parties first, and then whatever they want to do second. Because they cannot keep building hardware which only they will be able to utilize to its full potential, or which only satisfies them, and expect to stick around in the home console business.
Re: Site News: How was 2013 for Nintendo Life?
Great year, love the site, but I miss me some James Newton.
Re: Review: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Wii U eShop / Super Nintendo)
Probably the best Zelda game.
Re: Video: Meet The New Kings of Kong Documentary Shows Off Chien and Lemay Rivalry
Very interesting and fun video.
Re: Nintendo Confirms That Smash Bros. Isn't Lined Up for Spring
Yeah, I don't see a WiiU zelda coming out next year. Historically Zelda games have had pretty long development times, and last I knew they weren't very far at all on the next console one.
Re: Super Mario 3D World Picks Up Best Nintendo Game VGX Award
Haven't played too much GTA V, so I can't really say whether it deserved it or not, but it probably did. I did play The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite, and both of them were great and deserved to be in the running for GOTY. Really glad Ni No Kuni won best RPG, it deserves it.
Re: Soapbox: Even With The Arrival Of PS4 And Xbox One, I'd Still Pick The Wii U
@LDXD I'm guessing you enjoy Mario, smash bros, and zelda, and nintendo's series in general. It's just as easy to say that they never change and are exactly the same each time. Of course an entry in a series is going to have similar gameplay to previous entries. Arguing about games is a matter of opinion and will get us nowhere. You can say The Last of Us forgot about the gameplay, but me and the millions of others who bought and loved it will say otherwise.
As for story, yeah most games don't have a very good story. That was my point, that storytelling is getting better and better in games. Not merely by traditional means either. Journey tells quite a story with not a single word spoken in the game. I personally love to pay money for a game that can have good gameplay, yet can simultaneously tell a tale. As for Hollywood movies, the majority of them aren't very good at telling stories either. xD
Re: Soapbox: Even With The Arrival Of PS4 And Xbox One, I'd Still Pick The Wii U
@CountWavula I suppose that's your opinion, because I don't believe we've seen it all. You can still innovate without making drastic changes to controller schemes. Hell, look back at Mario Galaxy. That game completely rejuvenated the 3D platformer, and it didn't even use the wiimote's motion controls to do it.
And another realm in which we're not even close to seeing it all is when it comes to storytelling. You can repeat all day till you're blue in the face that gameplay comes first in video games, which it does. But that doesn't mean a game can't have both amazing gameplay and an amazing story, and I mean come on, who doesn't enjoy a good story? We're finally starting to see what can be accomplished in this regard with games like The Last of Us, and I expect games will continue to push storytelling this next generation because the improved hardware will allow developers to more easily do so.