Nintendo News and Nintendo Direct Catch-All

I would be really hesitant to call a combined platform a complete win. Both the handheld and home systems have a historical downward trend in terms of hardware sales.

There's a lot of factors that could make the NX a success or a failure. I want the NX to be a success but I don't think it's possible for them to hit it out of the park like they did with the Wii and DS unless they do something really special again.

Putting this here because it should apply to both systems: Miiverse getting a redesign "this summer". The activity journal looks like something I might use more often or at least for fun screenshots.

Club Nintendo is now officially dead in North America.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Club Nintendo is now officially dead in North America.

Pour out a Lon Lon Milk for our fallen companion.

Demyx wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

Club Nintendo is now officially dead in North America.

Pour out a Lon Lon Milk for our fallen companion.

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/Obf6EJw.gif)

That has to be one of the most specific reaction gifs I've ever seen

Technically not a Lon Lon Milk since Link doesn't ever pour those out.

SixteenBlue wrote:

Super Mario 3D World is better than Galaxy 2.

I'm late in QFTing this; blame it on the site redesign.

For me, the WiiU has been a much, much better experience than the Wii. I still don't like the Wiimote and nunchuck setup, even though I'm decently proficient with it.

I'm pretty sure I've already bought more games for WiiU than Wii, with more on the way.

I love the off-TV play the gamepad enables.

Importantly, the eShop is light years better than the virtual console, and is approaching what Nintendo needs it to be, though it's not there yet. This is part of the WiiU experience, even though it's easy to overlook.

And nothing to do with Nintendo, but the WiiU is the console I'll always associate with teaching my kids to play games (even though we played Mario Kart Wii and Galaxy 2 on Wii before we got the WiiU). So it will always be super-beloved in my gaming memories. This is also one reason why Galaxy 2 can't hope to compete with the incredibly well-designed, kid-friendly co-op of 3D World. I truly think I'd prefer World even as a bachelor (I preferred Land, which is single-player), but this feature and the experience of playing through the entire game with my daughter is a mountaintop experience in my gaming life. We're still working through the bonus levels, too.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

I truly think I'd prefer World even as a bachelor (I preferred Land, which is single-player), but this feature and the experience of playing through the entire game with my daughter is a mountaintop experience in my gaming life. We're still working through the bonus levels, too.

You would indeed. 3d World is the pinnacle (so far!) of that design team's work on the Mario franchise. I really enjoyed 3d Land, you can see in that one where they were experimenting with some of these design ideas. But 3d World is where they took the confidence they built up in the former game and went bugnuts crazy.

3d World is my favorite of the 3d Mario games, right up there in gaming perfection with SNES Yoshi's Island, my favorite of the 2d Mario games. They both are among a very exclusive group of games I consider a perfect 10/10.

I don't know how to tell you this, but I didn't like Yoshi's Island.

Part of that might be that I loved Super Mario World (my favorite 2D Mario to this day), and then they ridiculously slapped "SMW2" on Yoshi's, which was a completely different game.

I actually didn't like Yoshi's Island at first for much the same reason. I hated that Mario & Luigi were relegated to crying babies, and wasn't initially enamored with the art direction (didn't dislike it, just didn't find it particularly appealing), and was really torn on the whole "vehicle Yoshi" stuff.

But the more I played it, the more I realized that it was a really inventive and ingenious evolution of the Super Mario Bros/World game designs. It is a solidly designed game with a superbly crafted learning curve if you are playing simply to reach the end and roll the credits. And I would argue that if you are playing to 100% the game, it is the most perfectly balanced high-end challenge in 2d platforming history.

The GBA port doesn't do it justice due to the cramped dimensions of the screen and the slightly hampered controls. The game was built for SDTV resolution and mapped perfectly to the SNES control pad.

The reason the Yoshi games will always be below the Mario platformers for me is that you lose the kinetic movement of the Mario games in favor of stopping and shooting eggs. It's just not as fun to me.

I'm painting with very broad strokes here.

Farscry wrote:

But the more I played it, the more I realized that it was a really inventive and ingenious evolution of the Super Mario Bros/World game designs. It is a solidly designed game with a superbly crafted learning curve if you are playing simply to reach the end and roll the credits. And I would argue that if you are playing to 100% the game, it is the most perfectly balanced high-end challenge in 2d platforming history.

And my axe! It's my favorite 2D Mario game as well.

Spoiler:

I really don't like Yoshi's Island at all. I'm holding out for a true sequel to Mario Bros. 3. ;)

Pulling out from spoiler tags because it's an interesting discussion.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I really don't like Yoshi's Island at all. I'm holding out for a true sequel to Mario Bros. 3. ;)

That would be Super Mario World.

Now, if you've been waiting for the true sequel to Super Mario World, it would be Super Mario 3d World. Even though the gameplay has been translated into three dimensions rather than a side-scroller, it retains the design sensibilities of SMW. I could elaborate on this if you're actually interested.

If you've been waiting for a true side-scrolling sequel to Super Mario World, though, you're also mostly in luck. New Super Mario Bros U fits that bill, with the caveat that the level design in NSMBU is not quite as refined or inspired as SMW. It's almost as good, though.

But you are correct regarding Yoshi's Island. It may be my favorite side-scrolling Mario game, but it was an experimental game that sidestepped the design of the prior SMB/W games, in particular due to this change in the pace and gameplay of the core Mario games:

garion333 wrote:

The reason the Yoshi games will always be below the Mario platformers for me is that you lose the kinetic movement of the Mario games in favor of stopping and shooting eggs. It's just not as fun to me.

You might be right, Fars, considering that World and 3D World are my favorite Marios.

I also liked NSMB on the DS quite well. I just haven't thought the level design of NSMBWiiU is remotely as good. And the second DS game had some kind of coin-gathering theme, which is my least favorite thing to consider in Mario games. I mean, I don't really go after coins at all. The marketing materials also seem to imply that the color gold is used for about half to 3/4s of the art, and that's just not the colorful Mario world that I love.

Farscry wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

I really don't like Yoshi's Island at all. I'm holding out for a true sequel to Mario Bros. 3. ;)

That would be Super Mario World. :)

I'm being tongue-in-cheek with the "true sequel" thing, but no, Super Mario World isn't really a good sequel for someone looking for more gameplay like Super Mario Bros. 3. Super Mario World feels slow and clunky, a charge that could never be leveled at Mario Bros. 3, and the levels are mostly focused on sedate exploration over platforming. Super Mario World was the first game in a continuum of exploration and collection focused Mario games that encompasses Mario World, Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, and parts of Mario Galaxy.

Farscry wrote:

If you've been waiting for a true side-scrolling sequel to Super Mario World, though, you're also mostly in luck. New Super Mario Bros U fits that bill, with the caveat that the level design in NSMBU is not quite as refined or inspired as SMW. It's almost as good, though.

New Super Mario Bros. U is a better Super Mario World in feel and implementation of many of the same mechanics, but it's level design is considerably more straight-forward and less meandering than Super Mario World (to its benefit).

Edit: Nevermind.

Is this an appropriate time to bring up how Super Mario Sunshine is underappreciated?

Oh man, I totally forgot until this conversation that I still have NSMB U to play. And NS Luigi U! Too much Mario!!!!!!

Oh, and Galaxy 2. I have a lot of games on my Wii U.

Demyx wrote:

Is this an appropriate time to bring up how Super Mario Sunshine is underappreciated?

It's crap. The only levels worth playing are the 8 (?) "underground" levels.

sunshine is my favorite mario

Demyx wrote:

Is this an appropriate time to bring up how Super Mario Sunshine is underappreciated?

Incredibly under appreciated. I loved the whole water/island theme. I would say it's my second favorite after Mario64. I haven't been able to get into any of the new 2d Mario stuff.

Demyx wrote:

Is this an appropriate time to bring up how Super Mario Sunshine is underappreciated?

I made the mistake of showing my kids a Let's Play of Sunshine. Now my daughter keeps asking about playing it.

Edit: Which is a problem since I don't own it.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

I also liked NSMB on the DS quite well. I just haven't thought the level design of NSMBWiiU is remotely as good. And the second DS game had some kind of coin-gathering theme, which is my least favorite thing to consider in Mario games. I mean, I don't really go after coins at all. The marketing materials also seem to imply that the color gold is used for about half to 3/4s of the art, and that's just not the colorful Mario world that I love.

Did you play NSMB2? I was turned off by the money chase aspect until I played the game and then found it to be a good addition. The thing is that NSMB2 was enjoyable without the coin chase aspect. I highly recommend it.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Edit: Nevermind.

Awww.

I don't know what this was, but just want to say I enjoy our discussions and always appreciate the thoughtfulness you bring to the conversation.

Thanks, Farscry. It was a comment about a different subject. Entirely unrelated to the Mario discussion.

garion333 wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

I also liked NSMB on the DS quite well. I just haven't thought the level design of NSMBWiiU is remotely as good. And the second DS game had some kind of coin-gathering theme, which is my least favorite thing to consider in Mario games. I mean, I don't really go after coins at all. The marketing materials also seem to imply that the color gold is used for about half to 3/4s of the art, and that's just not the colorful Mario world that I love.

Did you play NSMB2? I was turned off by the money chase aspect until I played the game and then found it to be a good addition. The thing is that NSMB2 was enjoyable without the coin chase aspect. I highly recommend it.

Didn't play it, and don't presently need any single-player Marios, but I will keep this in mind!

Stele wrote:
Demyx wrote:

Is this an appropriate time to bring up how Super Mario Sunshine is underappreciated?

It's crap. The only levels worth playing are the 8 (?) "underground" levels.

Are those the ones with the floating, rotating blocks? Those were an abomination. One of those totally roadblocked me 2/3 of the way through the game, and is 100% the reason that I never finished it. I liked everything else about Sunshine.

Clock, I'm going to disagree with you on whether Super Mario World is a "true" sequel to Mario Bros. 3 or not. Perhaps I've just never been as attached to Mario 3, but I feel like Mario World takes what was learned in that game and expands upon it. You're correct, there is a much greater exploratory element to Mario World, but that element is also largely optional. Each level can still be that quick run through a map.

The major difference between World and 3 is honestly that World had the ability to save your game, and therefore affords the ability to go back and revisit levels and worlds you've already completed in order to find more stuff. However, everything established in Mario Bros. 3 is built upon. You can not only fly, but you can glide. While Mario Bros. 3 had the occasional hidden exit to get you a Flute or to a Warp Pipe, Mario World has several hidden exits to get you to all kinds of secret locations, including shortcuts throughout the game (which both call back to the first game for). Each world has a theme in both games, changing the visuals and what enemies show up.

The only thing missing from Mario World are the airships and sub-fortresses, but those are replaced by each enemy castle and the ghost houses.

I honestly feel like most people's love for Super Mario Bros. 3 is similar to so many people's love for Final Fantasy VI. It's the game that came at a certain point in their lives and wowed them. I never owned Mario Bros. 3 until we got Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES, so Super Mario World made that impact on me before Mario 3 did. I'm certain if I sat down and replayed both games today I'd find a lot of other major differences between the two, but to me, World has always been an evolutionary step forward from where Mario Bros. 3 was.

Now if you want to question if there's ever been a "true sequel" to 3 or World, no matter your perspective, well, I think you're going to have a rough time of it. The move to 3D meant priorities had to shift, and once Nintendo hit Mario Galaxy the emphasis became an ever-increasing set of obstacle courses. This is true for the New Super Mario Bros. series as well. It's all about obstacle courses. So no, there's no "true" sequel to 3 or World, but one has to wonder if there really ought to be.