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What does make them so good? It seems to me they are never beaten, and again and again they dliver some truly astounding games - MS may have been an evolution of M64, but its still better than any other game around and yet still remains seemingly fresh and new. Lets take a look at possible reasons as to what makes them so good......first, the rather beautifully illogical world of Nintendo.........
My oh my, what a mess of illogical, er, messes. Mario Sunshine for example. All the shines are missing - scattered! What are we to do?! Well, lets not nick them all off the bear in the Blue Coin Hut - because he only has about 40 with him. And lets keep them for ourselves, and only give them back when the player has completed a very frustrating (but still fun) challenge. Even though we are distraught at the problems the lack of Shines causes. Oh dear.
You see, logic is supposed to exist to create order and all that. I think this is what makes Nintendo so brilliant - they have a pretty slack dosage of logic, but still manage to be brilliant. Mario, Zelda, and many others hae little coherent logic involved, except from the basics - you jump means you go up etc. Other companies obviously use illogical situations to create fantasy worlds, but they never seem to pull it off with the same sheer excellence and apparant (almost) ease that Nintendo do it with. For example, lets take a point and click adventure, such as the really rather good Indiana and The Fate Of Atlantis. This has the strictest sense of logic involved, and therefore limits the player greatly - you have to turn on a light, to see a wall murial, to put a bead of orichalcum in it, to open a door. Mario on the otherhand, leaves you to do things, while based around a loosely logical storyline, that are slightly more illogical, yet still based in a fantastical atmosphere. If you want to get accross a goo covered landscape, you spray it with water. The fact that the goo is probably far thicker than water is irrelevant - but you really do not care. In many games I find myself picking holes for no reason. Halo is too boring for me, when logicaly its a violent actiony game. I prefer the game that creates a sense of suspended disbelief, through its slack use of logic. However, other games manage to do so, so lets take a look at other points......
Storyline. Or rather lack of. I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing overall, but in Nintendos case, it isn't bad. Eternal Darkness uses a very deep story, and therefore limits itself in its ability to present new and very different themes. Zelda, perhaps Nintendos most story led game, on the other hand, has a basic plot, but is deliberatly open enough to make the player feel like they can do whatever they want, when they want to, and the story does not limit or hinder the player in anyway - there is no 'you can't go through this door until you have 'investigated' the area' UNLESS you are looking for an object, not a story trigger. GTA3 uses the same style as this, in that it feautres a loose story, but that has a more rigid structure in its missions, even though it is still loose. Therefore, where I think Nintendo excel again is in their ability to perfectly balance the story and the gameplay. Both excel, but never hinder each other, as is apparent in games like Resident Evil - Both superb elements, in its story and gameplay, but often the need to 'do' something to continue the story (in a very limited space) means that people can get annoyed with it easily. Zelda on the otherhand, needs the same triggers, but balances it out with distractions and even a very well balanced difficulty system - you never feel the story is hindering your fun of the gameplay. Because there is a distinct lack of rigid narrative.
Lastly, however, I feel we have the old factor. Inventiveness. No other company seems to be able to match Nintendo on this. Mario 64 perfectly introduced 3-D collection. Sure, Banjo-Kazooie did a brilliant job of it too, but that was largely a copy - DK64 was essentialy a game based upon the hugely exagerated concept of collection, introduced so well in to the 3-D medium by Nintendo. I have many of the Mario games still today, and each and every one feautres lots of new elements that add extra life to them over other gaems in the genre - not just in the big gameplay changes (ie, the addition of FLUDD, and of Yoshi) but also in the simple little things, such as the card system in Mario Bros 3, and the scenary interaction in Mario 64 and in particular Mario Sunshine - the blue birds for example, and the bouncy awnings. Pikmin is also a prime example of the inventiveness. I reckon, under the hands of ANY other company, Pikmin would have been a terrible to good game. Essentialy a basic RTS, Rare or retro might have made a decent go of it, but Nintendo, with only three
types of unit and a very loose story, managed to create a hugely enjoyable game, even though its still a basic C&C. The setting, units and the elements of the game that are unique, however, are all pure Nintendo - pure inventiveness.
Those are the reasons as to why I think Nintendo make better games than anybodt else. And of course the most important factor. They are all, fun. They even make you laugh because they are just so that. Fun.
My oh my, what a mess of illogical, er, messes. Mario Sunshine for example. All the shines are missing - scattered! What are we to do?! Well, lets not nick them all off the bear in the Blue Coin Hut - because he only has about 40 with him. And lets keep them for ourselves, and only give them back when the player has completed a very frustrating (but still fun) challenge. Even though we are distraught at the problems the lack of Shines causes. Oh dear.
You see, logic is supposed to exist to create order and all that. I think this is what makes Nintendo so brilliant - they have a pretty slack dosage of logic, but still manage to be brilliant. Mario, Zelda, and many others hae little coherent logic involved, except from the basics - you jump means you go up etc. Other companies obviously use illogical situations to create fantasy worlds, but they never seem to pull it off with the same sheer excellence and apparant (almost) ease that Nintendo do it with. For example, lets take a point and click adventure, such as the really rather good Indiana and The Fate Of Atlantis. This has the strictest sense of logic involved, and therefore limits the player greatly - you have to turn on a light, to see a wall murial, to put a bead of orichalcum in it, to open a door. Mario on the otherhand, leaves you to do things, while based around a loosely logical storyline, that are slightly more illogical, yet still based in a fantastical atmosphere. If you want to get accross a goo covered landscape, you spray it with water. The fact that the goo is probably far thicker than water is irrelevant - but you really do not care. In many games I find myself picking holes for no reason. Halo is too boring for me, when logicaly its a violent actiony game. I prefer the game that creates a sense of suspended disbelief, through its slack use of logic. However, other games manage to do so, so lets take a look at other points......
Storyline. Or rather lack of. I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing overall, but in Nintendos case, it isn't bad. Eternal Darkness uses a very deep story, and therefore limits itself in its ability to present new and very different themes. Zelda, perhaps Nintendos most story led game, on the other hand, has a basic plot, but is deliberatly open enough to make the player feel like they can do whatever they want, when they want to, and the story does not limit or hinder the player in anyway - there is no 'you can't go through this door until you have 'investigated' the area' UNLESS you are looking for an object, not a story trigger. GTA3 uses the same style as this, in that it feautres a loose story, but that has a more rigid structure in its missions, even though it is still loose. Therefore, where I think Nintendo excel again is in their ability to perfectly balance the story and the gameplay. Both excel, but never hinder each other, as is apparent in games like Resident Evil - Both superb elements, in its story and gameplay, but often the need to 'do' something to continue the story (in a very limited space) means that people can get annoyed with it easily. Zelda on the otherhand, needs the same triggers, but balances it out with distractions and even a very well balanced difficulty system - you never feel the story is hindering your fun of the gameplay. Because there is a distinct lack of rigid narrative.
Lastly, however, I feel we have the old factor. Inventiveness. No other company seems to be able to match Nintendo on this. Mario 64 perfectly introduced 3-D collection. Sure, Banjo-Kazooie did a brilliant job of it too, but that was largely a copy - DK64 was essentialy a game based upon the hugely exagerated concept of collection, introduced so well in to the 3-D medium by Nintendo. I have many of the Mario games still today, and each and every one feautres lots of new elements that add extra life to them over other gaems in the genre - not just in the big gameplay changes (ie, the addition of FLUDD, and of Yoshi) but also in the simple little things, such as the card system in Mario Bros 3, and the scenary interaction in Mario 64 and in particular Mario Sunshine - the blue birds for example, and the bouncy awnings. Pikmin is also a prime example of the inventiveness. I reckon, under the hands of ANY other company, Pikmin would have been a terrible to good game. Essentialy a basic RTS, Rare or retro might have made a decent go of it, but Nintendo, with only three
types of unit and a very loose story, managed to create a hugely enjoyable game, even though its still a basic C&C. The setting, units and the elements of the game that are unique, however, are all pure Nintendo - pure inventiveness.
Those are the reasons as to why I think Nintendo make better games than anybodt else. And of course the most important factor. They are all, fun. They even make you laugh because they are just so that. Fun.
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yes we do
I still have some wax crayons left, i can share them with you, but you have to promise to be my friend
I still have some wax crayons left, i can share them with you, but you have to promise to be my friend
Hey, Cyclone, I'm not the one who's seeing people called Brian all over the place. You're the one in the Asylum. I know it may feel like you are on the outside of those bars, but, well, you are on the inside. We leave whenever we want, do you see?
Ahhhhh!
Its the Timesplitters 2 hopsital!
FLAMING ZOMBIES I TELLS YA!
Time to lock'n'load.
Ch-Ching.
MMMWWWWWAHAHAHAH!
Its the Timesplitters 2 hopsital!
FLAMING ZOMBIES I TELLS YA!
Time to lock'n'load.
Ch-Ching.
MMMWWWWWAHAHAHAH!
It's okay
I hear the nurses can be a bit rough when your new to the asylum, isn't that right Gerrid?
Don't worry Cyclone, you'll be fine in a few days
(he's crazy! mad as a hatter)
I hear the nurses can be a bit rough when your new to the asylum, isn't that right Gerrid?
Don't worry Cyclone, you'll be fine in a few days
(he's crazy! mad as a hatter)
Whitestripes wrote:
> BRIAN!
>
> FOOL!
>
> You're crazy!
And you can't see a poor joke when one stares you in the face!
I implied that you saw it as brian, whereas everybody else saw it as brain.
FOOL!
Or you knew that already..........
;)
> BRIAN!
>
> FOOL!
>
> You're crazy!
And you can't see a poor joke when one stares you in the face!
I implied that you saw it as brian, whereas everybody else saw it as brain.
FOOL!
Or you knew that already..........
;)
Absolutely bonkers, aren't you Cyclone?
BRIAN!
FOOL!
You're crazy!
FOOL!
You're crazy!
Poor misguided child.
It says brain. Quite clearly. I pity you. Don't we all (winks).
NOTE THE :P
:D
It says brain. Quite clearly. I pity you. Don't we all (winks).
NOTE THE :P
:D
Cyclone wrote:
>
>Your brian is faulty,
Brian!!
It says Brian!!
Whose crazy now? eh? EH?
>
>Your brian is faulty,
Brian!!
It says Brian!!
Whose crazy now? eh? EH?
See. Your brain really is faulty. You mis-read that word that obviously said 'brain'. Imbecile.
:P
Dringo, I agree about Luigis Mansion needing its triggers and all that, but it needs (more than ED and Starfox) a suspension of disbelief, and so creates a slightly more illogical feeling, even though ED is pretty unusual!
:P
Dringo, I agree about Luigis Mansion needing its triggers and all that, but it needs (more than ED and Starfox) a suspension of disbelief, and so creates a slightly more illogical feeling, even though ED is pretty unusual!
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