140°

Is Experimentation in Nintendo Games Really a Good Thing?

Nintendo has so many iconic franchises, it’s ridiculous. Out of the big three companies, only Nintendo has unique franchises that are hitting their 25th anniversary. The Ratchet and Clanks, Jak and Daxters, and Sly Coopers of the PS2 era were phenomenal while they lasted, but eventually waned in popularity or just ceased being made altogether. Somehow, Mario, Link, and even Fox McCloud with his rather small staple of games have managed to stay relevant to gamers and maintain enormous fanbases. For a game series to survive decades, it has to evolve with the times, right?

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PopRocks3594098d ago

The thing is those games do experiment to some degree. The overall formula is the same but here's where I see the differences;

Where in Majora's Mask were you sailing across a gigantic ocean map? Where in Mario Galaxy were you cleaning the world and using a water powered jetpack? One could also argue that the Metroid Prime trilogy was to Super Metroid what Super Mario 64 did after Super Mario World.

I never really thought it was that difficult to see. These franchises do new things with old formulas and present them in newer ways, often complimenting the older gameplay style and making them work in more modern times.

It is sort of like how people continue to enjoy 2D games despite us being a decade into the 21st century; there are some things that just work and don't require an exponential amount of change. Forcing change for the sake of it will only hinder that franchise's evolution. I cite Sonic, Spyro and just about any modern sequel to a Rare game since the Xbox era as examples.

TruthbeTold4098d ago (Edited 4098d ago )

It's kind of like Disney characters and general story formula arsenal. So many great games have been made using those characters, that those characters now are expected to, and do appear in a variety of situations, and attract a lot of great talent to their development teams. Furthering their appeal to people across the decades.

Sony and MS came along a bit later in the gaming business. But if the kids who grew up playing and loving Ratchet and Clank and Halo still love them enough once their adults, or now that they are adults, then they will work to bring that sort of depth of history to those franchises by getting into the business and furthering it with their own development efforts. Mario is indeed King though. He's become exactly what Miyamoto first envisioned him as. The character you can use for just about any type of game.

CouldHaveYelledUiiW4098d ago

"Well Said" (But I wish that I could vote more)

I add that this is also reason that their are so many Mario titles.
When Nintendo makes a successful change like to 3D or Galaxy or PaperMario people want new versions of the old style of play.

People wanted a new 2D sidescroll Mario and they got it and soon a 3D Mario will follow-
Will it be like Galaxy or will it be something that Maximizes the unique properties of the WiiU?
But even if it is different people will probably want to revisit Mario Galaxy.

Some people still want a new 2D Metroid despite how great Metroid Pime was. So, if Nintendo gave us both, that would be two Metroid games on market per Gen. (I have even seen a rare few want a new but better Other M style Metroid).

Technically, If I look at Zelda games their are many IPs that could be spun from it. Just because the game has changed so much over the years.
-Zelda Majora Mask
-Zelda 2D
-Zelda 3D
- Zelda RPG (Adv. of Link 2)

BUT if this happened the Nintendo Haters would yell, "MILK!" & "NEW IPEEEEEEEEZZZZ!"

And I would follow, "But you haven't even tasted the old IPs."

TruthbeTold4098d ago

Yeah, some non-Nintendo gamers often love to scream for new IP's, but don't even play what's available. Or, an old unused IP will come back be it like Kid Icarus, or the buying of Monolith Software and the Xeno series that comes with it, and people act like that's no good either. Fortunately, their numbers aren't as many as they'd like to believe, and as long as they aren't even playing these games they love to knock, who cares what they think?

lfclee4097d ago

Wii u rocks and the gamers on Wii u community are the best I have ever meet really mature nice people .

tweet754098d ago

its always important to innovate at least try some will win some will loose. Look at metroid , metroid prime hugely innovated and was succesful. Metroid other M innovated and failed.

3-4-54098d ago

Yes, because even if the idea doesn't work in the game it was intended to, it's now out there as a known idea for other people to tinker with and include in their game.

What might not work for one game, might be perfect for another.

I have a ton of respect for those willing to try and be creative.

MidnytRain4098d ago (Edited 4098d ago )

No, they should just do the same thing for the next 100 years.

AWBrawler4098d ago

All I have to say is Mario 3 is nothing like Galaxy which is nothing like Mario 64. They always change the style. Look at Mario like an actor who starred in many movies. Nobody complains saying sean connery movies are all the same

Show all comments (22)
80°

Nintendo's Massacre Of The 3DS And Wii U Is Finally Complete, Regrettably

Hanzala from eXputer: "The cruel hammer of Nintendo has fallen. Farewell, 3DS and Wii U, you surely brightened my life and many others; you won't be forgotten."

280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple10111d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref10d ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde10d ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander197210d ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville10d ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff218310d ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos9d ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 9d ago
isarai11d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref10d ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan10d ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis0079d ago (Edited 9d ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander197210d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

10d ago Replies(3)
Einhander197210d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

10d ago
10d ago
Zeref10d ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde10d ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander197210d ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander197210d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier10d ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto10d ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff218310d ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto9d ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 9d ago
Hofstaderman10d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts10d ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts9d ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic9d ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

Show all comments (43)
90°

Nintendo's War Against Player-Made Content Will Hurt The Company In The End

Danish from eXputer: "Nintendo has historically gone against player-made content and emulation of its games. This has done much to harm the company's image."

XiNatsuDragnel17d ago

I agree nintendo hire some these folks to help in your games it'll help imo.

banger8816d ago

They need to stop announcing these mods and fan remakes until they're finished. Finish it, upload it, and then if Nintendo dmca's it tough shit. Once it's online, people can share it around, even if the original download gets taken down.

Jingsing16d ago

True, but most modders need constant admiration during the process to motivate them.

PRIMORDUS16d ago

Yup, once it's a torrent nothing can be done Nintendo is helpless at that point. But it would be wise if they just had a site on the dark web, it's also easy to use with Tor and no one will bother you.

mastershredder15d ago

This is all coming from the mouth of short-sighted fandom and grifting madness.
No.... it wont. There is a clear defined reason why they don't. This is nothing new. Make your own shi7 from your own original ideas especially if you are trying to capitalize of it it. Duh.

Yeah, hire people that have zero respect or understanding for an established process. Wow. Yep. Totally makes sense.

shinoff218315d ago

Those guys that made that sonic game got a gig from sega or something along those lines and that game was dope as hell. One of the best sonics as of late.