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I bought my Gamecube not using money but using faith. The company that nurtured me from games playing tot into a hardcore software-splicing teenager is a powerhouse of innovation, fun and hard line business sense. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to read “Game over” by David Sheff will know that Nintendo doesn’t give a dam about what people think, like the black sheep of the family Nintendo has always been somewhat alienated from the gaming industry.
As a self confessed Nintendo zealot I sit here with my Gamecube knowing how lucky I am to be one of the privileged who can afford such a great peace of kit. I have spent long hours defending my console from the “casual” gamer and repeated release lists so many times they are etched into the marrow of my skull. The classics like Mario and Zelda are the only reasons that you need to own a Gamecube; at least that’s what I though.
I bought an N64 along with my brother quite late into the consoles life; during the “Golden years” when classics like Goldeneye were the freshest eye candy. After stupidly acquiring a copy of South Park 64 I hastily made a trade for Super Mario 64, the best decision I could make considering my circumstances. From the moment I realised I could manipulate the moustachioed super hero’s face to resemble a pineapple I fell in love with this game. The regal splendour when you first open the doors to the mushroom kingdom castle was like when you looked under your pillow for the first time to find the tooth fairy left you a quid. The animation for a first generation console game was phenomenal, transparency effects and lush backgrounds were all there, it was a gamers paradise.
The sense of freedom was a breath of fresh air, as was flying through hoops after you don the wing cap and shot yourself out of a cannon for the first time. The gameplay was unparalleled, stars were never hard to acquire but more than running around shooting a shotgun was required to grab the golden treats and reveal the secrets of the never-ending staircase.
After reminiscing of such fond memories I find it with great disappointment that I receive Super Mario Sunshine. Being on an island shooting oil slicked bad guys with a water blaster, is a novel enough concept, but throw in bulging purple creatures in hula skirts and you are removing the bottom brick from the single most popular Nintendo franchise in history.
Innovation is a trademark Nintendo principle, but at the expense of a world-renowned figure I think we can give it a passing glance. The public don’t like change, we may think we do, but in the midst of our mind familiarity is a key phrase, if you remove most of that familiarity you lose its charm.
Likewise the monumentally successful Zelda holds a similar grasp on my heart. I was never really into the Zelda franchise until amazing reviews prompted me to purchase Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Heralded as the greatest game of all time I would have to say I agree. Zelda launched a whirlwind assault on the senses, it was an epic of unfathomable proportions mixing real time battles with RPG elements to deliver one of the most satisfying 60 hours I’ve spent glued to a TV set.
It came to great surprise when I seen the new screenshots of Zelda to such an extent I was left in stunned silence. What happened to what we saw at Spaceworld? What about the ultra realistic Link and Gannondorf? I reserved my judgement until I could see some in game footage. When it came I was unmoved, the character that is now called link is just so far removed from how he is portrayed in all other games it is incredible.
The cell-shaded look, which is innovation, has removed all familiarity that followed the series, and without the familiarity it is like a different game. The warmth and bond that I felt to Link and the other characters is lying in shattered pieces on the floor.
It is therefore with trepidation and relief that most of Nintendo’s other major franchises have been licensed out to other software houses. I am all for innovation, it is what makes the industry evolve and be reborn. It can inject new interest into a 30-year-old past time and that is great. But when innovation alienates the consumer from the franchises they love, I have my concerns.
Thanks for reading.
As a self confessed Nintendo zealot I sit here with my Gamecube knowing how lucky I am to be one of the privileged who can afford such a great peace of kit. I have spent long hours defending my console from the “casual” gamer and repeated release lists so many times they are etched into the marrow of my skull. The classics like Mario and Zelda are the only reasons that you need to own a Gamecube; at least that’s what I though.
I bought an N64 along with my brother quite late into the consoles life; during the “Golden years” when classics like Goldeneye were the freshest eye candy. After stupidly acquiring a copy of South Park 64 I hastily made a trade for Super Mario 64, the best decision I could make considering my circumstances. From the moment I realised I could manipulate the moustachioed super hero’s face to resemble a pineapple I fell in love with this game. The regal splendour when you first open the doors to the mushroom kingdom castle was like when you looked under your pillow for the first time to find the tooth fairy left you a quid. The animation for a first generation console game was phenomenal, transparency effects and lush backgrounds were all there, it was a gamers paradise.
The sense of freedom was a breath of fresh air, as was flying through hoops after you don the wing cap and shot yourself out of a cannon for the first time. The gameplay was unparalleled, stars were never hard to acquire but more than running around shooting a shotgun was required to grab the golden treats and reveal the secrets of the never-ending staircase.
After reminiscing of such fond memories I find it with great disappointment that I receive Super Mario Sunshine. Being on an island shooting oil slicked bad guys with a water blaster, is a novel enough concept, but throw in bulging purple creatures in hula skirts and you are removing the bottom brick from the single most popular Nintendo franchise in history.
Innovation is a trademark Nintendo principle, but at the expense of a world-renowned figure I think we can give it a passing glance. The public don’t like change, we may think we do, but in the midst of our mind familiarity is a key phrase, if you remove most of that familiarity you lose its charm.
Likewise the monumentally successful Zelda holds a similar grasp on my heart. I was never really into the Zelda franchise until amazing reviews prompted me to purchase Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Heralded as the greatest game of all time I would have to say I agree. Zelda launched a whirlwind assault on the senses, it was an epic of unfathomable proportions mixing real time battles with RPG elements to deliver one of the most satisfying 60 hours I’ve spent glued to a TV set.
It came to great surprise when I seen the new screenshots of Zelda to such an extent I was left in stunned silence. What happened to what we saw at Spaceworld? What about the ultra realistic Link and Gannondorf? I reserved my judgement until I could see some in game footage. When it came I was unmoved, the character that is now called link is just so far removed from how he is portrayed in all other games it is incredible.
The cell-shaded look, which is innovation, has removed all familiarity that followed the series, and without the familiarity it is like a different game. The warmth and bond that I felt to Link and the other characters is lying in shattered pieces on the floor.
It is therefore with trepidation and relief that most of Nintendo’s other major franchises have been licensed out to other software houses. I am all for innovation, it is what makes the industry evolve and be reborn. It can inject new interest into a 30-year-old past time and that is great. But when innovation alienates the consumer from the franchises they love, I have my concerns.
Thanks for reading.
cookie monster wrote:
>
> But it is so different, the fact you have stated he has one new move
> to undermine my criticism is irrelevent. This IS a different Mario, it
> is not in the mushroom kingdom, even the natives look different.
MArio 64 was set in one single castle.
I didn't hear anyone complaining that it didn't span a multi-island world like Super Mario World!
And Dringo is right, all that's changed is that Mario is carrying a water jet on his back, AS WELL as all his N64 moves.
You think that's changed too much?
Lets look at Mario 64 again.
Before that, Mario got bigger when he ate a mushroom, smaller when he hit an enemy, could fly if he had a cape and killed enemies by doing one simple jump.
We put in the N64 cart to find that he's punching, kicking (jumping on enemies has become obselete), he has an "energy bar" (no more mushrooms!), he no longer kicks shells - he rides on them, no more getting to the end of the level - nowdays you search for stars, a several different jump moves and everything has just changed.
Now if THAT didn't throw you off the series, then the minature tweaks and adjustments in Mario Sunshine should be NOTHING!
>
> But it is so different, the fact you have stated he has one new move
> to undermine my criticism is irrelevent. This IS a different Mario, it
> is not in the mushroom kingdom, even the natives look different.
MArio 64 was set in one single castle.
I didn't hear anyone complaining that it didn't span a multi-island world like Super Mario World!
And Dringo is right, all that's changed is that Mario is carrying a water jet on his back, AS WELL as all his N64 moves.
You think that's changed too much?
Lets look at Mario 64 again.
Before that, Mario got bigger when he ate a mushroom, smaller when he hit an enemy, could fly if he had a cape and killed enemies by doing one simple jump.
We put in the N64 cart to find that he's punching, kicking (jumping on enemies has become obselete), he has an "energy bar" (no more mushrooms!), he no longer kicks shells - he rides on them, no more getting to the end of the level - nowdays you search for stars, a several different jump moves and everything has just changed.
Now if THAT didn't throw you off the series, then the minature tweaks and adjustments in Mario Sunshine should be NOTHING!
Dringo wrote:
> 2 points to make on this subject, Zelda hasn't really changed its
> always be an animi world, the game feels the same and after a while
> yeah initially shocking but now it is what i expect.
It hasnt really changed? You must be joking. From a pretty realistic world in OOT and MM to a cell shaded world is a marked difference.
> As for Mario Sunshine all i can say is um, this game is really the 3D
> Mario World, sure we have a new ability involving water but that is
> it. Mario had wall jump, high jump, fire flower and now water power
> WOW one addition and its breaking away from the norm ignoring the fact
> similar baddies, landscape and colours are used as well as all if
> Mario's old moves. and yep there are a few oil slicks a new arch
> nemesis and new inhabitants of this island but this is the next Maruo
> and everyone is well aware of it.
But it is so different, the fact you have stated he has one new move to undermine my criticism is irrelevent. This IS a different Mario, it is not in the mushroom kingdom, even the natives look different.
> 2 points to make on this subject, Zelda hasn't really changed its
> always be an animi world, the game feels the same and after a while
> yeah initially shocking but now it is what i expect.
It hasnt really changed? You must be joking. From a pretty realistic world in OOT and MM to a cell shaded world is a marked difference.
> As for Mario Sunshine all i can say is um, this game is really the 3D
> Mario World, sure we have a new ability involving water but that is
> it. Mario had wall jump, high jump, fire flower and now water power
> WOW one addition and its breaking away from the norm ignoring the fact
> similar baddies, landscape and colours are used as well as all if
> Mario's old moves. and yep there are a few oil slicks a new arch
> nemesis and new inhabitants of this island but this is the next Maruo
> and everyone is well aware of it.
But it is so different, the fact you have stated he has one new move to undermine my criticism is irrelevent. This IS a different Mario, it is not in the mushroom kingdom, even the natives look different.
2 points to make on this subject, Zelda hasn't really changed its always be an animi world, the game feels the same and after a while yeah initially shocking but now it is what i expect.
As for Mario Sunshine all i can say is um, this game is really the 3D Mario World, sure we have a new ability involving water but that is it. Mario had wall jump, high jump, fire flower and now water power WOW one addition and its breaking away from the norm ignoring the fact similar baddies, landscape and colours are used as well as all if Mario's old moves. and yep there are a few oil slicks a new arch nemesis and new inhabitants of this island but this is the next Maruo and everyone is well aware of it.
As for Mario Sunshine all i can say is um, this game is really the 3D Mario World, sure we have a new ability involving water but that is it. Mario had wall jump, high jump, fire flower and now water power WOW one addition and its breaking away from the norm ignoring the fact similar baddies, landscape and colours are used as well as all if Mario's old moves. and yep there are a few oil slicks a new arch nemesis and new inhabitants of this island but this is the next Maruo and everyone is well aware of it.
I bought my Gamecube not using money but using faith. The company that nurtured me from games playing tot into a hardcore software-splicing teenager is a powerhouse of innovation, fun and hard line business sense. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to read “Game over” by David Sheff will know that Nintendo doesn’t give a dam about what people think, like the black sheep of the family Nintendo has always been somewhat alienated from the gaming industry.
As a self confessed Nintendo zealot I sit here with my Gamecube knowing how lucky I am to be one of the privileged who can afford such a great peace of kit. I have spent long hours defending my console from the “casual” gamer and repeated release lists so many times they are etched into the marrow of my skull. The classics like Mario and Zelda are the only reasons that you need to own a Gamecube; at least that’s what I though.
I bought an N64 along with my brother quite late into the consoles life; during the “Golden years” when classics like Goldeneye were the freshest eye candy. After stupidly acquiring a copy of South Park 64 I hastily made a trade for Super Mario 64, the best decision I could make considering my circumstances. From the moment I realised I could manipulate the moustachioed super hero’s face to resemble a pineapple I fell in love with this game. The regal splendour when you first open the doors to the mushroom kingdom castle was like when you looked under your pillow for the first time to find the tooth fairy left you a quid. The animation for a first generation console game was phenomenal, transparency effects and lush backgrounds were all there, it was a gamers paradise.
The sense of freedom was a breath of fresh air, as was flying through hoops after you don the wing cap and shot yourself out of a cannon for the first time. The gameplay was unparalleled, stars were never hard to acquire but more than running around shooting a shotgun was required to grab the golden treats and reveal the secrets of the never-ending staircase.
After reminiscing of such fond memories I find it with great disappointment that I receive Super Mario Sunshine. Being on an island shooting oil slicked bad guys with a water blaster, is a novel enough concept, but throw in bulging purple creatures in hula skirts and you are removing the bottom brick from the single most popular Nintendo franchise in history.
Innovation is a trademark Nintendo principle, but at the expense of a world-renowned figure I think we can give it a passing glance. The public don’t like change, we may think we do, but in the midst of our mind familiarity is a key phrase, if you remove most of that familiarity you lose its charm.
Likewise the monumentally successful Zelda holds a similar grasp on my heart. I was never really into the Zelda franchise until amazing reviews prompted me to purchase Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Heralded as the greatest game of all time I would have to say I agree. Zelda launched a whirlwind assault on the senses, it was an epic of unfathomable proportions mixing real time battles with RPG elements to deliver one of the most satisfying 60 hours I’ve spent glued to a TV set.
It came to great surprise when I seen the new screenshots of Zelda to such an extent I was left in stunned silence. What happened to what we saw at Spaceworld? What about the ultra realistic Link and Gannondorf? I reserved my judgement until I could see some in game footage. When it came I was unmoved, the character that is now called link is just so far removed from how he is portrayed in all other games it is incredible.
The cell-shaded look, which is innovation, has removed all familiarity that followed the series, and without the familiarity it is like a different game. The warmth and bond that I felt to Link and the other characters is lying in shattered pieces on the floor.
It is therefore with trepidation and relief that most of Nintendo’s other major franchises have been licensed out to other software houses. I am all for innovation, it is what makes the industry evolve and be reborn. It can inject new interest into a 30-year-old past time and that is great. But when innovation alienates the consumer from the franchises they love, I have my concerns.
Thanks for reading.
As a self confessed Nintendo zealot I sit here with my Gamecube knowing how lucky I am to be one of the privileged who can afford such a great peace of kit. I have spent long hours defending my console from the “casual” gamer and repeated release lists so many times they are etched into the marrow of my skull. The classics like Mario and Zelda are the only reasons that you need to own a Gamecube; at least that’s what I though.
I bought an N64 along with my brother quite late into the consoles life; during the “Golden years” when classics like Goldeneye were the freshest eye candy. After stupidly acquiring a copy of South Park 64 I hastily made a trade for Super Mario 64, the best decision I could make considering my circumstances. From the moment I realised I could manipulate the moustachioed super hero’s face to resemble a pineapple I fell in love with this game. The regal splendour when you first open the doors to the mushroom kingdom castle was like when you looked under your pillow for the first time to find the tooth fairy left you a quid. The animation for a first generation console game was phenomenal, transparency effects and lush backgrounds were all there, it was a gamers paradise.
The sense of freedom was a breath of fresh air, as was flying through hoops after you don the wing cap and shot yourself out of a cannon for the first time. The gameplay was unparalleled, stars were never hard to acquire but more than running around shooting a shotgun was required to grab the golden treats and reveal the secrets of the never-ending staircase.
After reminiscing of such fond memories I find it with great disappointment that I receive Super Mario Sunshine. Being on an island shooting oil slicked bad guys with a water blaster, is a novel enough concept, but throw in bulging purple creatures in hula skirts and you are removing the bottom brick from the single most popular Nintendo franchise in history.
Innovation is a trademark Nintendo principle, but at the expense of a world-renowned figure I think we can give it a passing glance. The public don’t like change, we may think we do, but in the midst of our mind familiarity is a key phrase, if you remove most of that familiarity you lose its charm.
Likewise the monumentally successful Zelda holds a similar grasp on my heart. I was never really into the Zelda franchise until amazing reviews prompted me to purchase Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Heralded as the greatest game of all time I would have to say I agree. Zelda launched a whirlwind assault on the senses, it was an epic of unfathomable proportions mixing real time battles with RPG elements to deliver one of the most satisfying 60 hours I’ve spent glued to a TV set.
It came to great surprise when I seen the new screenshots of Zelda to such an extent I was left in stunned silence. What happened to what we saw at Spaceworld? What about the ultra realistic Link and Gannondorf? I reserved my judgement until I could see some in game footage. When it came I was unmoved, the character that is now called link is just so far removed from how he is portrayed in all other games it is incredible.
The cell-shaded look, which is innovation, has removed all familiarity that followed the series, and without the familiarity it is like a different game. The warmth and bond that I felt to Link and the other characters is lying in shattered pieces on the floor.
It is therefore with trepidation and relief that most of Nintendo’s other major franchises have been licensed out to other software houses. I am all for innovation, it is what makes the industry evolve and be reborn. It can inject new interest into a 30-year-old past time and that is great. But when innovation alienates the consumer from the franchises they love, I have my concerns.
Thanks for reading.