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tapedeck

Software surprises?

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Ever since Donkey Kong Country Returns saw release I've been wondering what else Nintendo have in the tank...

 

It's fair to say we've seen established franchises (and new franchises) release on Wii like no other Nintendo console before it yet due to technical inferiority (over PS3 and 360 tech) many titles have been lost on those who pride graphics over gameplay. And, yes, in some ways Wii has frustrated and delighted in equal measure yet in this moment here and now it has been up against excellent consoles each with strengths and weaknesses all of their own.

 

However, in time it won't be the friend code issues, lack of graphical power or deluge of poor third party games that will be remembered. Instead 'that' controller which was used like no other controller before it and the wealth of great games through Virtual Console, Wiiware and retail will be remembered.

Ultimately (for me at least) the machine has been a pleasure to experience in an industry rife with "me-too" principles.

 

Granted, Nintendo's focus will now be on the 3DS and, historically we've seen Nintendo able to balance both portable and home console development efficiently. It's part of their business model afterall as one console winds-down - another starts up. But something seems a little different here...

 

The Wii, by its very nature has been different. It has gone against the very ideals generated by all console manufacturers since the 1980's and even now, that little white box continues to sell.

And as much as certain titles prove to be evergreen, (Wii Fit, Mario Kart, Just Dance 1/2) it seems that Nintendo's "surprise!" policy will again bring Wii through 2011 into early 2012.

 

We've Zelda coming which is as exciting as ever and E3 holds more promise. Will we see the Vitality Sensor? Another surprise like Goldeneye or Donkey Kong Country Returns?

 

Which leads me to ultimately state: What would keep you playing Wii?

 

Sequels to existing games? Nintendo surprises? A specific new title that Wii hasn't had? Or would you prefer something entirely new?

Maybe you think that Wii has come to the end of it's shelf life?

 

Thoughts as ever. : peace:

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Personally, the RPGs Nintendo has cooked up in Japan would keep me playing the Wii. There hasn't been much in the way of truly great JRPGs on the Wii and bringing both The Last Story and Xenoblade/Monado would definitely keep me playing. Similarly Pandora's Tower, which I guess we'll find something about rather soon.

 

Yes, I'd like other franchises to make a return to the Wii, such as F Zero and Star Fox, but they'd really need to get the right development team together to do them, especially F Zero seeing as AV created such a fantastic game with GX. Pikmin 3 would also help but having not liked the second as much as the first, it's not a huge deal at this moment and probably wouldn't prolong the Wii's life long.

 

Going off of the JRPGs, and Pandora's Tower which could be an action adventure but most likely an RPG, I'd like some more original content from Nintendo rather than bringing back other franchises, although as I say I wouldn't snub them for doing that. Create some new partnerships with other studios (A Q? Entertainment partnership could throw up something really interesting), creating new IPs that can get a start on the Wii this year or early next and continue on to the next home console.

 

It's always a complaint that is made against Nintendo for relying heavily on their 3 main franchises but partnering up to create new and unique experiences is what they've seemed to be on about in recent years and this is something that, even this late in the Wii's life cycle, could push the console on for a few more years.

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So only things I'm waiting for are Zelda and Pikmin 3. I have Metroid, Little Kings Story waiting to be played and gonna pick up DK Returns nothing else interests me remotely and I don't think we will see any other major franchises on Wii...I'd love to see an F-Zero but they've seemingly forgotten about the series or would a 3DS version be more preferable?

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In all honesty, as much as I'd love to see a few new surprises appear on the Wii in 2011, there doesn't even need to be any new announcements to keep me playing the Wii :eek:

 

I intend to pick up Kirby's Epic Yarn and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword at some point this year but there are plenty of games that have already been released during the last 4 years that I still have to begin or return to.

 

Games like Okami, A Boy and his Blob, Punch-Out!!, NBA Jam, Mad World, Red Steel 2, Sin & Punishment: Successor of the Skies and Tatsunoko v Capcom, amongst a few others, are all sitting in my collection with several hours invested in them but I have to go back to finish each one.

 

There are also games such as Battallion Wars 2, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon and Monster Hunter: Tri that I have yet to delve into with others including Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros Treasure, House of the Dead: Overkill, Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Wario Land: The Shake Dimension that have already been cleared but still have other things to go back to :hehe:

 

Goldeneye 007, Mario Kart Wii and PES 2011 give me plenty of reason to compete online and Wii Fit Plus will hopefully contribute towards an attempt to improve my health and fitness in addition to playing football twice a week.

 

I have already mentioned more than enough but I still have a couple of VC games needing taken care of, namely Paper Mario and Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, as well as the simple fact that there are games that I would simply just like to go back and play again. Super Mario Galaxy, Excite Truck and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories definitely fall into this category..

 

The Wii is AWESOME :grin:

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FULL OF TRUTH

 

/Nando/, I really agree with you there. There's still so much to play!

 

So only things I'm waiting for are Zelda and Pikmin 3. I have Metroid, Little Kings Story waiting to be played and gonna pick up DK Returns nothing else interests me remotely and I don't think we will see any other major franchises on Wii...I'd love to see an F-Zero but they've seemingly forgotten about the series or would a 3DS version be more preferable?

 

I don't understand why the word 'waiting' is behind the game 'Little King's Story' . . . .?

 

Hoping we get to see Pikmin 3 on Wednesday

 

R U MEANING TO SAY THAT IWATA'S SPEECH FOR THE GDC IS COMING WEDNESDAY!!?!??!?

 

WHERE IS THE GDC THREAD WITH LIVESTREAM AND THE LIKE??!?!?!

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I have barely any time or money to play everything I want. I'm guessing I'll spend the next generation playing everything the Wii has to offer and I haven't played yet.

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/Nando/, I really agree with you there. There's still so much to play!

 

 

 

I don't understand why the word 'waiting' is behind the game 'Little King's Story' . . . .?

 

 

 

R U MEANING TO SAY THAT IWATA'S SPEECH FOR THE GDC IS COMING WEDNESDAY!!?!??!?

 

WHERE IS THE GDC THREAD WITH LIVESTREAM AND THE LIKE??!?!?!

 

The fact that the next big thing is out every month and it gets further behind in the backlog stakes.

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I'm just waiting for Skyward Sword, and then I really do think it's time to focus on the next console (which I expect to be released December 2012).

 

Whereas I think Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 are excellent, I don't feel anything else is of that calibre (maybe Metroid Prime 3). By that token, I'm not ignoring all the 2.5D releases like Kirby's Epic Yarn or Donkey Kong Country, but I honestly can't imagine they're worth £30+ (not to me), so I'm waiting until they're £20 or so. If they don't become that cheap, so be it. If they were on a handheld, I'd snap them up, but I really do expect top-tier 3D adventures for a full-price console game. At least, that's console gaming at its best. That's what consoles can excel at that handhelds can't.

 

Pikmin, F-Zero... let's see them in 1080p, to be honest. I can't say I want anything other than Zelda, but you won't see me complaining if that's the only game left anyway.

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Tapedeck, as always, you create the best posts around bar none... and again, as usual, I completely agree with the post in it's entirity (entirety..? I'm not sure how to spell it lol)!

 

I'd like to see Pikmin 3 as well as new IP's, one at least to be from Retro Studios! That'd make my day.

Edited by Kav

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Motion control starfox game - done well. In the style of Lylat Wars with co-op and no land mode (except tank). And it needs 500 planets so I can play it forever.

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Motion control starfox game - done well. In the style of Lylat Wars with co-op and no land mode (except tank). And it needs 500 planets so I can play it forever.

 

Exactly. Something like this. No shitty adventure on foot modes, no turn-based or "strategic" fighting that serves no point (I'm looking at you Starfox Command...wtf).

 

Basically, I want Lylat Wars, but taken to the next level. Give us Lylat Wars 2: The Empire Strikes Back.

 

Also, the only other game I truely want is F Zero. Take GX and again go further with that. GX had everything. Superb gameplay, excellent graphics and audio, rammed full of content, brilliant story mode, well designed courses, fuck loads to unlock and do outside of the main game...it had everything. Mario Kart could learn a thing or two from GX.

 

My dream game would be Electroplankton for the Wii. Mama.

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What would keep me playing Wii? Nothing, it seems, as I don't.

 

Why? Cos I play my 360 more(when I do play). Why? Cos it looks prettier? No. Cheap back catalogue, more accessible, wider range of games and for when I was a lot recently...much better multiplayer due to online capabilities. I feel like Halo and Live was definitely for my money just for what I got out of that game, what used to keep me playing the Wii the most? Brawl. I killed it to death with my friends, multiplayer I think is the biggest thing I need in games to keep me going. I feel like single player in a lot of stuff recently just doesn't hold me like it does a child who gets like 2/3 games a year, and has nothing else to do with one's free time.

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What would keep me playing Wii? Nothing, it seems, as I don't.

 

Why? Cos I play my 360 more(when I do play). Why? Cos it looks prettier? No. Cheap back catalogue, more accessible, wider range of games and for when I was a lot recently...much better multiplayer due to online capabilities. I feel like Halo and Live was definitely for my money just for what I got out of that game, what used to keep me playing the Wii the most? Brawl. I killed it to death with my friends, multiplayer I think is the biggest thing I need in games to keep me going. I feel like single player in a lot of stuff recently just doesn't hold me like it does a child who gets like 2/3 games a year, and has nothing else to do with one's free time.

 

Hmm, single player is quite under-rated these days. I'm not a huge fan of this online/clan culture, particularly with first person shooters. I'm also a little bit worried for that genre, especially if the games become solely about online.

 

I know the Wii is being touted as this party console, but the single player experiences on the system have been quite special for me. You played Other M, dude?

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Admittedly, no. I think maybe my problem might be...not a dislike of single player, but more drawn to multi with friends. I just don't feel there's time for me to sit down and play a lot of single player(and the amount of uncompleted games I have, I do mean a lot), whereas playing with other people kinda...forces you to? It's hard to explain. Hard to do now too, as I can't get my router to work for my 360 anymore :(

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One of the reasons I'm looking forward to Skyward Sword is to get into an in-depth single player adventure on Wii.

 

I've missed those vast single player games on a Nintendo console this generation but have LOVED the social vibe wii has brought.

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Which leads me to ultimately state: What would keep you playing Wii?

 

Simply put, more time and more batteries!

 

Like nando I have quite a backlog to get through but not enough time to get through it. I'm on playing Kirby at the moment, then probably Sin and Punishment before hopping to Okami, all before Okamiden arrives on the DS. This leaves me with the likes of Ivy the Kiwi, Goldeneye, Rune Factory Frontier, Fragile Dreams and Mario Sports Mix to plough through and that's just off the top off my head!

 

If you put the DS into the mix and i've got more than enough games to keep me going for quite a while. This is probably why i'm not that hyped about the 3DS. In my eyes both the Wii and DS haven't "died" yet so i'm not that ready for another console/handheld.

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Which leads me to ultimately state: What would keep you playing Wii?

 

Too me it's more like, what games outside of the Wii and DS will stop me from playing the Wii and DS. Wii is just truly awesome in every way. From new IP's to reborn franchises having another go and just the usual IP's you get on every Nintendo console.

 

Just picking up the control always makes me smile in knowing that gaming is changing, and in a good way, where I can enjoy gaming with people I know who used too despise gaming. Do guys know just how much fun Wii Party is with a group of boys and girls? It brings fun and entertainment that I have not had ever in a generation, I thank Nintendo from the bottom of my heart that I can share my love of gaming with other people. I may not be that hardcore gamer like I used to be, but dammit that child I once was still is within me and when I pick up the Wii controller wanting to go on another crazy ride, I make the most out of it. Bring me Pokemon, bring me Zelda, bring me Mario, bring me the 3DS and by God Nintendo, give me more well made Wii games, the Wii ain't dead, not by a long shot! :yay:

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My wishlist:

 

Return of the still MIA franchises. Excitebike (not Excitetrucks, Excitebots or Excitegnomes, I'm talking about a worthy successor to Excitebike 64), Pilotwings, Waverace, F-Zero, Starfox and that lot.

 

Players Choice: At least here in Sweden bestsellers like Smash Bros and Mariokart have only dropped like 5 euros in price since launch. Nintendo should release a Players Choice lineup where these games get their prices sliced in half.

 

A good Nintendo exclusive racer. I'm not talking about Mariokart, I'm talking about something similar to Gran Turismo or the old Need for Speed games. Of course since it'll be first or second party, the graphics will utilise the power of the Wii really well and a real effort will be put in to it.

 

Dreamcast collection: A big collectors box or a series of compilation discs where a bunch of Dreamcast ports and light remakes are included. Shenmue I&II, Daytona USA 2001, Metropolis Street Racer, Virtuafighter 3tb, Skies of Arcadia, Sega Rally, Sega GT, Space Channel 5, Crazy Taxi 2 and Jet Set Radio.

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What would keep me playing the Wii, beside Zelda, would probably be the following:

 

-a resurgence of third party support, with more GOOD titles from some of the developers who previously backed the system (Capcom, Sega, etc). I'm looking more for stuff like Sonic Colours and games on the quality level of RE4: Wii edition.

 

-Nintendo reviving some old "franchises" that could do with new entries. I'm looking mainly at F-zero here, but possibly others like a Luigi's Mansion sequel.

 

-an active use of motion-plus in innovative ways. When motion-plus was announced it seemed ESSENTIAL for the Wii's future, yet it's barely been touched. Zelda seems too late in the day to suddenly make it relevant, but if it somheow did, then there could be hope I guess. Someone give me a boxing game with 2 motion-plus controllers.

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-an active use of motion-plus in innovative ways. When motion-plus was announced it seemed ESSENTIAL for the Wii's future, yet it's barely been touched. Zelda seems too late in the day to suddenly make it relevant, but if it somheow did, then there could be hope I guess. Someone give me a boxing game with 2 motion-plus controllers.

 

Funny you should mention this as I was thinking about it the other day.

 

With the 3DS it seems as though touch control is in Nintendo's long term plans. It has certainly opened up a ton of new gameplay opportunities but will the same thing happen with motion control?

 

A few questions perhaps...

 

  • Did motion control change the videogame industry?
  • Did motion create 'new' types of games or just revitalise existing genres with new control?
  • Have Nintendo exhausted motion control innovation? Are they 'done' with motion?
  • Will Nintendo have motion control as standard from now on?

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Did motion control change the videogame industry?

 

Indeed.

 

Did motion create 'new' types of games or just revitalise existing genres with new control?

 

I think the Wii's real legacy has been to help create a genre I call "Living Room Games". At first I thought motion control might improve all genres. However, as the dust settles, it seems that it's most popular with an audience that likes to play as a group, in the living room, moving about a lot. If you look at Wii Sports, the reality is that you only have to move your wrist. However, many Wii owners believe you have to stand up to play it, or at least that's how they like to enjoy that genre.

 

I'm most impressed with Microsoft's Kinect. Like Nintendo's Balance Board, they have proved that a peripheral can be immensely successful (quite ironic when you consider the Wii Remote's origins...) And that's exactly why I quite like Kinect - it's a peripheral. They even admit you need a certain amount of space to use it. Many of my friends like Kinect, but admit they can't play it in their bedrooms, so have had to move it to their living rooms. I really think this is profound, because this says a lot about a new (equally valid) genre, rather than something that has improved traditional games.

 

Have Nintendo exhausted motion control innovation? Are they 'done' with motion?

 

If you look at some of the more recent big games - Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Metroid: Other M - they certainly seem to have cooled-off the idea, or at least cooled-off the idea that motion control is integral to all genres.

 

Will Nintendo have motion control as standard from now on?

 

If there's one rule I'd like developers to consider with traditional games, it's this:

 

Wrist = good

Elbow = bad

 

The motion control I've enjoyed is such as in Mario Galaxy, where it feels natural to extend your jump with a wrist shake, or latch onto something that will propel you towards a planet. Also, I think most people are quite fond of pointing. Conversely, I haven't enjoyed anything with MotionPlus, or any motion-using games like Wario Land: the Shake Dimension where you hold the controller with both hands, because that's not a wrist shake.

 

As such, I think it would be agreeable for any future controller to utilise pointing and gyroscopes. Imagine playing a Zelda where you could just tilt your left wrist to position the Mirror Shield. I think I'd like that.

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With the 3DS it seems as though touch control is in Nintendo's long term plans.

 

I was actually thinking about this the other day and I would actually see it that Nintendo will have much less emphasis on the touch screen with the 3DS, certainly in terms of playing certain games.

 

If you imagine something like Trauma Center: Under The Knife on DS, everything important is happening on the touch screen. The focus of the 3DS, however, is more likely to involve having the interesting things occuring on with the larger, 3D screen which, of course, doesn't have touch input available.

 

I'm sure there will be exceptions but I see the touch screen of the 3DS being used mainly as it is seen in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for easy selections and such.

 

That's fine in most cases, but looking at The World Ends With You and how well it makes use of the touch screen thanks to the 'Pins', you kinda wonder how they would make something like that on the 3DS..

 

As for the Wii, motion control is great in plenty of games but I often find that the pointer is overlooked by people when describing the Wii and it, in all honesty, is probably even more beneficial to games :smile:

Edited by nekunando

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