Fierce_LiNk Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 We know that they've mucked up in certain areas this generation. Buuuuut, they're not complete idiots. Nintendo have got a fair few things right, too. 1. Super Mario 3D World I was hugely sceptical about this. Why bother releasing something that should have stayed on the 3DS on the Wii U? Thankfully, I was proven wrong. The game is pure magic on a disc. It isn't overly complicated or complex; neither does it have a supremely interesting storyline or premise. But, what it does it does well. It's easy on the eye (impressive in a lot of cases), controls like a dream and has many thoughtful ideas throughout. One can only wonder if the Wii U would have got off to a better start with this available at launch. 2. Pikmin 3 It was a long time coming and it almost seemed like this game would never ever reach fruition. However, Nintendo pulled it out of the bag and they did it with some style. Graphically, it is a masterpiece. It takes a lot of the useful and imaginative mechanics from the previous iterations and cranks it up some. Not only that, but the game plays better than it has done before, thanks to the awesome Wiimote controls. I also found it useful using the GamePad's screen as a map. Overall, a top quality title and easily a 10/10 game. 3. MiiVerse Ok Nintendo, we'll give you this one, too. Surprisingly charming and simple to navigate. This is what we should have had years ago, but it's still gratefully accepted now. Being able to post screenshots of your gaming moments to MiiVerse is a great touch and has led to some awesome laughs with some of the folk from here. Whether it's destroying @Rummy's time (again) on Need for Speed: Most Wanted or shitting bricks before entering a room on ZombiU, MiiVerse has made the experience somewhat extra special. More of this please, Nintendo.
Hero-of-Time Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Off TV Play I love this feature. I've said many times how I don't really need it as I don't have to fight for the TV, but being able to play console games while having the TV on in the background has been a fantastic addition to my hobby. Backwards Compatibility It's great that i'm still able to play Wii games on the Wii U and it got even better with the addition of the ability to play them on the gamepad. Yeah, it's not ideal having to set it up and still use Wii controls but it's a nice addition and allows people to go back experience some of the gems on that console.
Grazza Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Well, in all honesty, I haven't got round to playing the Wii U yet (apart from a demo here and there), so I'm going to say... The 3DS Last year had some fantastic games - Fire Emblem, A Link Between Worlds and Etrian Odyssey IV - but I especially loved the 3DS in the early days. I was excited ever since they announced it. Glasses-free 3D - was it really possible? And the intial games (the ones they showed in 2010) looked like they had so much effort put into them. It took a few years for all of them to be released, but it was the ambition that counted. Getting my 3DS a day before launch was magical. I played about with the Augmented Reality, and all the little characters popping up from my table seemed amazing. It was the most incredible piece of technology I'd ever owned - the launch model even seemed high-res. Then I spent all night flying about in Pilotwings Resort. The stereoscopic 3D really pulled me into that world. Ocarina of Time followed shortly, and it was just a perfect remake. The colours, textures, character models and smoothness - all 100% right. I'd walk about in local towns, and when I got a StreetPass I'd think "Someone else on the same wavelength!" Then there was the eShop, and the early 3D Classics seemed so special (a feeling Sega is still managing to create with its own 3D Classics) and WayForward gave us Mighty Switch Force. If there was someone I wanted backing the eShop, it was them. I'd take my 3DS on holiday with me, playing the eShop titles everywhere I went. Perhaps not very wisely, I boasted about my 3D camera to a girl in the Eden Project (she was very nice and pretended to be impressed!) Nintendo Video seemed worth bothering with. Letterbox allowed us to send friendly little scribbles (and some great artwork) to each other. So, whatever people say about Iwata, thanks for the 3DS.
Cube Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Wind Waker HD They chose the perfect time to re-release it, making the best Zelda have even crisper graphics and fixing the few problems the game did have. Pikmin 3 The GamePad was great for this game, and it looks really nice, too. It was a long wait from Pikmin 2, but it was worth it. Kid Icarus The first 3D Kid Icarus pretty much reinvented the game, and filled it with interesting characters and locations. I wanted to know more about the Kid Icarus universe and hope we see it again sometime.
Serebii Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Focus on Games & Gameplay I'm probably going to fought with here, but Nintendo's focus and dedication to games and gameplay are core to this generation. They don't advertise their consoles as media devices, they do it as a sole games console (which Sony has shifted to and Microsoft are now shifting to as well). Nintendo's edict is tried and true. They make games that are intended to be fun to play and replayed time and time again. They're not going for the cinematic dross that is now flooding the marketplace. It's all about gameplay. Graphically, they've also gone for a good thing. They have fine tuned their art styles and have got the power of the Wii U to actually make them look spectacular. Plus they have got it to a point where the framerate is locked at 60fps. Something that many PS4 and Xbox One games don't even do. This means the game will hold up in future times very well. It's all about how smooth a game is, not how pretty it looks. I play games to enjoy them, to have fun. To be emotionally challenged by a dark game with a dark story, focused on the narrative more than the gameplay, is not my idea fun and I am glad Nintendo hasn't followed the path the other main developers have gone.
Zechs Merquise Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Miiverse - it's awesome. The best community out there for gamers. Allowing you to comment, draw pictures, speak with the developers and actually influence corporate policy it has been great.It also managed to do all of those things but in a very 'Nintendo' way with creativity and artistic flair being at the fore. Truly superb. Super Mario 3D World - Pure gaming greatness. In world of cut scenes, hours of dialogue, hand holding and games that play themselves this is just what gaming needs - pure unadulterated fun and gameplay.
Sheikah Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 A Link Between Worlds. That shit was done right. They took an old style of game and mixed it up, letting you go where you wanted. It was basically a slice of a tasty old school, unadulterated Zelda pie. Yum.
tapedeck Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) Staying true to their roots Kind of alluded to by @Serebii it is often said that Nintendo are stuck in the past and in some ways they do lag behind their competitors. But what I think is important to consider is that Nintendo haven't let the industry change their identity or software. Local multiplayer has remained, fun is paramount and their efficiency remains. Playing games like DK:TF or SMW3D still feels like it was put together by a Swiss clock maker who fully understands every single component and how they fit together. In a world where pizazz is all the rage, sitting down to play something so 'solid' is testament to the continued power of Nintendo as a development house. In an industry where you get terms like 8GDDR rammed down your throat as the most important thing for gaming, the fact that Nintendo have quietly (in this gen certainly) got on with their business of making some of the best (and most unique) games in the industry is testament to their legacy and their future direction. Edited April 7, 2014 by tapedeck
Mandalore Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 StreetPass A brilliant feature which has been the catalyst in starting up loads of Nintendo meetup communities across the country.
Ashley Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Focus on Games & GameplayI'm probably going to fought with here Yes, for this; They're not going for the cinematic dross that is now flooding the marketplace. It's all about gameplay. Focusing on narrative/cinematics is a perfectly valid choice. To call it "dross" because you don't like it is nothing short of petulant rudeness that disrespects the hard work people put in. This was supposed to be a positive thread and you couldn't resist bitching. Aaaaanyway. I feel that Miiverse is the most successful Nintendo-esque thing they have done in a long time. In many regards, it's still one of the console's killer apps. Yeah!
Ronnie Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 Hard to choose between their excellent first party titles, Miiverse, Streetpass and their F U to the rest of gaming's depressing decline into soulless, generic eye candy. Ok, the latter.
M_rock Posted April 7, 2014 Posted April 7, 2014 I'm quite baffled they managed to turn some of their niche series into mainstream succes games. (Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem) It makes me rather happy Also I adore my 3DS, and I was the happiest guy on this planet when they released earthbound on the WiiU. I'm still hoping for mother 3 to make it over as well.
Fierce_LiNk Posted April 7, 2014 Author Posted April 7, 2014 Off TV Play I love this feature. I've said many times how I don't really need it as I don't have to fight for the TV, but being able to play console games while having the TV on in the background has been a fantastic addition to my hobby. Backwards Compatibility It's great that i'm still able to play Wii games on the Wii U and it got even better with the addition of the ability to play them on the gamepad. Yeah, it's not ideal having to set it up and still use Wii controls but it's a nice addition and allows people to go back experience some of the gems on that console. Strangely, these are two of the things that I like most about the Wii U. Yet, had you asked me before I bought the console, I doubt I would have cared that much about these features at the time. Not having to have the Wii connected to the TV in the living room is such a space saver. It means I can use that console in the bedroom. I can switch between playing a Wii U game and a Wii game whenever I want, meaning that I could get the likes of Xenoblade finished (finally). Off TV is just...nice. Convenient. Match of the Day on the telly, something like Sonic Transformed on the GamePad, boom, sorted. A Link Between Worlds. That shit was done right. They took an old style of game and mixed it up, letting you go where you wanted. It was basically a slice of a tasty old school, unadulterated Zelda pie. Yum. I really, reaaaaally need to get on this. I haven't touched Ine's 3DS in ages. Truth be told, I'm not a fan of handhelds. I would have loved it had Nintendo made this available on both Wii U and 3DS. (dat cross-platform play, hnggggg)
Clownferret Posted April 8, 2014 Posted April 8, 2014 GAMEPAD Off tv play has changed the entire concept of our living room now. We can play games whilst the tv is on, can watch a funny youtube clip and at the touch of a button show it on the big screen for the whole family to watch and for me the ability to take the Wii U camping and be able to play in a tent if it's raining is just so far removed from what a console could historically do is epic. Yes Mario 3D World is great, but that was expected right. You know when you buy a piece of Nintendo hardware that a brilliant Mario game is a given.
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