It seems to be Nintendo's Christmas...

Shiminay

I've seen several people now say that the WiiU is the best option if you wanted a new console this Christmas because of the Mario game.

Similarly I've seen such hype for the latest Zelda game on DS' that it seems that this Christmas is Ninty's for the taking.

So as someone who considers Nintendo devices as "kids toys with some average offerings for their parents too" has the game (*ahem*) really changed that much?

Context (and with a note that tongue is firmly in cheek as I type all this):

I'm a PC Gamer first and foremost, until consoles offer me a mouse and keyboard as an interface, this will always remain so. I have a 360 which was gathering dust until a couple of months ago when I played GTA V on it. It's now gathering dust again cause I don't want to pay to play multiplayer. I don't regret owning a 360 one bit, it served it's purpose admirably when I worked a minimum wage job and couldn't afford a gaming PC. The last Nintendo item I owned was an original GameBoy and I don't mind admitting I played it all the time.

However, if I'm missing out on what seem to be absolute masterpieces of the gaming art because I have mistakenly labelled Nintendo as the haven for filthy casuals and children, then I owe it to myself to at least investigate

I played the Wii, it was grand, but it became nothing but a dust gatherer for almost everyone I know who has one. It was never anywhere near accurate enough for me to take it's control interface seriously. I couldn't understand why Wii Sports Golf was about 100 times more accurate than Tiger Woods (which insisted on the additional accuracy thingy) and so I said "this is all horse-sht and doesn't work" and moved on. This belief was re-enforced by how much better Kinect and Move did these motion gimmicks, but it was never anything more than a gimmick for me and was never going to be a real means to play a game for me.

I've not owned a handheld of any kind since my Gameboy with the exception of my phone. I play quite a few games on the move on my phone, but having to carry around another device would annoy me, so that sorta rules out even the idea of a DS of any flavour. However, everyone I know with one swears by it and there's no denying they've made an incredible device.

So I ask you gamers of Boards, do you think that Ninty really has the best to offer this Gamer this Christmas?

Mr E

Shiminay wrote: »

I play quite a few games on the move on my phone, but having to carry around another device would annoy me, so that sorta rules out even the idea of a DS of any flavour.

I don't have a Wii U, but I'd love to get one.

With regards to the DS/3DS, people need to get it out of their heads that the 3DS is exclusively a travel device that can only be played on the move, and one that they have to make room for. I play my 3DS almost entirely at home, on the couch or in bed for a half an hour at night.

If ... IF ... I'm travelling, I'll take it with me, but 90% of the time, it doesn't leave the house.

NTMK

Shiminay wrote: »

So I ask you gamers of Boards, do you think that Ninty really has the best to offer this Gamer this Christmas?

Best Next gen experience this christmas? yes probably
Best handheld experience? Yes
Long term? probably not

Nintendo have the games for this christmas in the bag the XBone/PS4 have a poor line-up this christmas (understandable) esp if youre a pc gamer.

Next year it will be different though

Id have bought a Wii U except for the fact i have to fly home for christmas so funds are tight but ill prob pick one up in the new year:)

Retr0gamer

Shiminay wrote:

However, if I'm missing out on what seem to be absolute masterpieces of the gaming art because I have mistakenly labelled Nintendo as the haven for filthy casuals and children, then I owe it to myself to at least investigate

Don't think of Nintendo games as kids games. If movie terms they are like the best Pixar movies. They can be enjoyed by both kids and adults and often can be surprisingly mature and deal with some very emotional subject matter.

I swapped my ps4 pre order for a wiiu and couldn't be happier. That's not to say the new consoles are crap, it's more that just like a year ago with the wiiu there's nothing worth playing on them. The wiiu had a 1 year head start and has now got a fabulous small library of games.

As for dismissing the wii, it had some amazing games on it. The problem is most of those games that were genuinely good you'd have to be on the ball to even know they exist. For me the wii is a far better console than the n64 for example.

Don't go dismissing the DS and 3DS either. The DS is my favourite console ever with a massive library of absolutely cracking titles. After a slow initial 9 months the 3DS has picked up speed and now has a big library filled to the brim with amazing games, it's well on its way to being a contender with the DS.

It's definitely worth exploring Nintendo games. While most triple a games now are filled with awful writing and cutscenes that break up the game Nintendo games are kind of that last bastion of 90s gaming were the games don't over load you with nonsense and really just let's you explore the game mechanics to their fullest.

Corholio

Shiminay wrote: »

I've seen several people now say that the WiiU is This belief was re-enforced by how much better Kinect and Move did these motion gimmicks, but it was never anything more than a gimmick for me and was never going to be a real means to play a game for me.

I'd disagree with this, when the Wii did the motion best it was better than both Kinect and Move did it in proper games. If it was just the gimmicky games you were referring to, then yes they both were probably deeper in scope then the Wii.

From pretty much right now the Wii U will start gathering steam with it's release of games. It really depends what you're looking for in the end I suppose. I wouldn't have automatically said going from a PC Gamer to a Wii U would be a natural choice, but as I said it's what you're looking for. As Retrogamer basically said, Nintendo let you play the games first and foremost. In an era where a lot of even the really good games are quite bloated, it's still incredibly refreshing to see a company who doesn't give you a game to just watch it or mod it, they just give you a game to play it. It's how it should be.

super_furry

Best handheld experience, without a doubt. Best console experience? Not even close. The Wii-U is just a really bad investment right now and its best game remains a port of a decade old Zelda game. With the PS4 selling more in one day than the Wii-U has sold in a year, I just don't think there's any future for the console. Sure Nintendo will probably end up putting out another four or five classics on it, but I can wait a couple of years until it's discontinued and pick them all up for next to nothing.

CiDeRmAn

I couldn't disagree more, with good support from Ubisoft and Nintendo providing plenty to play, not to mention an ever improving online store.
If you buy into Nintendo as a home console you are buying into something different and often better than the other two, it's been that way since the N64.
Ninty may not produce a vast number of games for their platforms but they are often best in class.
The Wii U is simply going to stretch its legs over the next year, Nintendo haven't produced a dud since the Virtual Boy, I have one and its still an innovative piece of tech with some lovely games.

abbir

I grew up mainly a PC gamer. I loved graphic adventure games, the X-Wing games, Wolfenstein, Prince of Persia, Sim City, Championship Manager etc. I also used to always play Fifa and whatever other games I could on PC. Even younger had a machine that could only output in CGA and played Frogger, QBert and others on it. I still consider myself mainly a PC gamer, as I love my mouse and keyboard and I like wasting money on graphics cards

However, saying that, I always wanted a Nintendo console alongside my PC. Simply because my favourite game series have been, and still are, Mario and Zelda. The only place to get those games was on a Nintendo machine. Nintendo always seem to be able to make fun and unique experiences that aren't on the others. So I eventually got a NES as a present, then a SNES and an N64 to go alongside whatever PC the family had at the same time.

When the Dreamcast/Gamecube/PS2/Xbox generation came around, I could afford to buy my own ones so I started with the Gamecube as again I wanted Mario and Zelda. I eventually got the other 3 as well, but the one I played by far the most was the Gamecube. Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Pikmin were just amazing games that none of the other consoles had and neither did my PC.

Of the current gen (i.e. Wii, PS3 and X360), I have the three of them. Mainly I've played PC games, but of the consoles I've spent a lot more time on the Wii than the other two.

Handheld wise, the DS and 3DS again have fantastic games that you can't play on any other system. The 3DS lineup this year has had some of the best games I've played, Luigi's Mansion, Zelda Link Between Worlds, Mario and Luigi, Pokemon and Fire Emblem all came out this year.

As a PC gamer the Nintendo consoles have been the best ones to have, as the Xbox, PS games are reproducing experiences I can get on my PC while the Nintendo machine games I can't get anywhere else. The idea that Nintendo is only for kids is ridiculous, they're just family friendly and suitable for all ages. If you rule them out because they're not dark and gritty and they have some colour in them, you're being foolish and denying yourself fun games. Just like Pixar films.

CiDeRmAn

What that guy just said....

CiDeRmAn

I'm shocked by how many are impressed with a Killzone game, genuinely shocked.
Next thing they'll be raving about a Resistance title.
But, I suppose, this is where it is at for Sony and fps, very poor indeed

Shiminay

Yea, there's a lot of logic in what you say abbir. It seems that for us Glorious PC Master Race people, a Ninty console as a "play" device (with it's uniquely appealing 1st and 3rd party exclusives) seems to fit the bill just perfectly. I shall maybe keep an eye out for some future bargains - I'd say there could be a nice run of things after Santy's made his deliveries in a few short weeks.

Dcully

I remember when my kids got a wii for xmas a few years back and i spent the whole Christmas playing Super Mario galaxy,im also a PC gamer at heart, i just love having a high end PC that can do a ****load of stuff and all at once if needed but SM Galaxy goes down as one of my ten 10 games ever without question.
If we saw more games of similar quality for the WiiU id definitely buy one.
Id love to see Nintendo do really well.

richymcdermott

I never get excited for mario games and only got the wii u for platinum games and sonic 2014 is a solid year for nintendo its always going to be a good secondary console

Sarky

The Wii justified my purchase through Zelda, Brawl and a couple if Mario titles. Also, Muscle March for the sheer homoerotic surreal multiplayer craziness.

First console I owned was a second hand ps2, which was nice and all, but once I signed up for Glorious PC Gaming Master Race I never used it. But there's just something about Nintendo that kept me coming back to the Wii. There's nothing on an Xbox or Ps3/4 you can't get on PC, unless you get hard for generic non-threatening exclusives. Nintendo though, there's always something delightful and fresh. Soon as I can afford a WiiU, I'll be replacing my clapped out Wii to complement the PC.

Antar Bolaeisk

I'd be a PC gamer and have never owned a console for various reasons. The new xBox1 and PS4 don't interest me in the slightest, another way to play the same or similar games that I can already play on the PC. However, I recently bought a 3DS and it's a brilliant little thing, initially I bought it just for travelling but I've found myself playing on it for hours on end at times.

The main draw is that the games are different from what I can play on the PC, the Marios, Zeldas, Pokemons and Donkey Kongs to name a few. The games can be more expensive which is a bit off putting but so far they've been of a high enough quality to warrant the higher outlay. Nintendo could also do with sorting out their store/account system as it's a bit rubbish to have your games tied to a machine rather than an account.

Seriously been toying with the idea of getting a Wii-U now as well based on my 3DS experience but think I'll hold out for a while yet until I'm through the backlog of 3DS games I've just got.

GTR63

Apparently Knack outsold the new Mario 3D World title in the UK, Jesus H. Christ some people will buy anything at launch to justify a purchase.

CiDeRmAn

I started with a Spectrum in 84 before moving into Gameboy territory in 1990.
I got into pc gaming in 96, with games like Quake, Mechwarrior 2 and 3, the first waves of graphics cards with a beautiful version of Tomb Raider, I stuck with pc gaming until around 99 or so, it got too expensive to be at the cutting edge!
Console gaming really is the cheaper, easy to digest 2nd option but, as pointed out, Nintendo produced games no one else does, even on the pc, so they are always worth investing in.

CiDeRmAn

GTR63 wrote: »

Apparently Knack outsold the new Mario 3D World title in the UK, Jesus H. Christ some people will buy anything at launch to justify a purchase.

If the other games in the Mario series are anything to go by, no one will remember Knack in 6 months but Mario 3D World will be in top 20 game lists for the next decade or two.

CastorTroy

I'm a Nintendo fan. Have PS3 and recently upgraded my PC. Alternate between the 3 systems. Also have the 3DS. Would never say there were no games for the Wii. I've got a backlog of games on it to play.
Nintendo also have one thing that a lot of games seem to forget these days: Fun.

I don't get why there are so many people online(not here) who want Nintendo to fail.

Turtwig

It never ceases to confound me how many people dismiss Pixar and Nintendo as for Kids only. Nintendo are still among the best developers out there. Their own in-house stuff usually represents the pinnacle of gaming for a given generation. Mario Galaxy 2 is a game that is just ridiculous. It's actually incredibly difficult to describe a single level of it without sounding disorientating. Yet, at no point during play does such a moment occur. Every death that occurs is because of you and almost always feel that way. It's never cheap or frustrating. Any mistake you make is your fault and there's always the notion that you can do better. I actually think that's Nintendo's speciality. Too many games throw you into elaborate scenarios only to disorient the player too much and load the die with cheap deaths punctuated by unlimited respawns until you get it right. Not Nintendo games (as of yet anyway) the scenario is always clear and you die because of bad timing or bad judgement never bad game scripting. Any gamer worth their salt owes it to themselves to keep Nintendo games as part of their play experiences.

My current model is Laptop, steam et al (play games generally a year to two years old PC generation wise.) and then Nintendo stuff. Just after getting a 3DS XL. Like others have mentioned the DS was possibly the best console ever. So many unbelievable quality games on the system. I'm expecting similar from the 3DS. That isn't to say the Wii was a slouch there were some unbelievable gems released on that. If you have a PC, then Nintendo really do seem the best fit. If you don't then tbh Nintendo still are the best fit nobody makes games like they do. That isn't saying they're the best developers, they're certainly one of the best. They are, however, very unique developers.

johnny_ultimate

I'm always left a little confused about the perception that Nintendo games are for kids. Many of them are considerably more mature than any bloody, foul-mouthed shooter one could care to mention. True depths can exist beneath any type of aesthetic or presentation, on any format, in any genre. Some of the most engaging, challenging and intelligent games ever made have existed in bold primary colours: many of which were from Nintendo.

I recently decided to pick up Pokemon Y (which is technically a Game Freak game as much as Nintendo, but anyway) - a series I always associate with my childhood, and one I felt I had somewhat grown out of. Consider me taken aback by the game I found. I always knew Pokemon was an RPG of notable depths, but I was genuinely impressed (and ultimately absolutely engrossed) by the game. It's a game of peerlessly polished mechanics, extraordinarily vast scope and just generally irresistible charm. That's the Nintendo magic, as they so frequently games you just get utterly swept up in. And that's just one in a truly special year for the 3DS for both first and third party releases - I could gush equally passionately about Fire Emblem, Attack of the Friday Monsters, A Link Between Worlds, Virtue's Last Reward (technically last year, but I only caught up after Christmas ) etc... There's several more I just haven't had a chance to get around to.

Also, what Nintendo know better than anyone is the raw power of accessibility. This, despite what the internet will sometimes have us believe, is not a dirty word; quite the opposite. That company excels at making their games inviting to everyone - warm and welcoming for casual players, but regularly offering huge depths for the committed. These often exist side by side in individual games like Mario, Fire Emblem, Pokemon etc... They're constantly trying to open up gaming for everyone: they might have made a few missteps along the way (Wii Music, Pilotwings Resort) but really they've had more success than failure. This is something to be celebrated, especially as they continue to make games of the greatest imagination and invention. Great games do not always need the player to commit hundreds of hours to get the most of it or even just adjust to the rules: the great Nintendo games are a grand representation of that, often telling you exactly what you need to know what such haste and fluency that you're not even aware they're teaching you anything. The hardcore gaming community is so regularly insular, overprotective and unwelcoming: why in the hell would anyone want that? Nintendo's open arms is exactly the sort of attitude our hobby needs for 'outsiders' to start taking it seriously.

If you still proudly associate yourself as solely a 'PC gamer', shake it off. Seriously, you're only shutting yourself of to much of the best gaming has to offer. Life's too short to get caught up in such pointless format piss-match-ery: they're all just boxes at the end of the day, and the happiest gamers are the ones who respect the strengths of all boxes equally. If you can afford a Nintendo console, do it - whether that's or a Wii-U or a 3DS or even a Wii or DS, just do it. Gaming is too diverse a medium to pigeonhole yourself into a single format, even if you believe there's nothing you're interested in elsewhere. There's plenty for every taste and experience. If you give one of Nintendo's countless masterpieces a chance, they will almost certainly reward you handsomely.

ShadowHearth

I think it all boils down to games you want to play now or do you want to invest in to more solid platform. For most gamers Wii u might be a great secondary console for those few exclusives.

If there are plenty of games that you want to play on Wii u and you know that you will get good entertainment value from it, then go for it. I personally don't see a reason to get Wii u as there is only one game I actually would love to play - MH3. The rest of those games do not interest me at all.
Then again I am one of those crazy idiots who has a lot of fun and a lot of games to play on ps4.

NTMK

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

If you still proudly associate yourself as solely a 'PC gamer', shake it off. Seriously, you're only shutting yourself of to much of the best gaming has to offer. Life's too short to get caught up in such pointless format piss-match-ery: they're all just boxes at the end of the day, and the happiest gamers are the ones who respect the strengths of all boxes equally. If you can afford a Nintendo console, do it - whether that's or a Wii-U or a 3DS or even a Wii or DS, just do it. Gaming is too diverse a medium to pigeonhole yourself into a single format, even if you believe there's nothing you're interested in elsewhere. There's plenty for every taste and experience. If you give one of Nintendo's countless masterpieces a chance, they will almost certainly reward you handsomely.

id extend that to any solely "X gamer" tbh. there is no reason not to get a wii u as a secondary console i was going to buy one this evening as i had spare cash but i totalled my runners and needed to buy new ones which as it turned out cost more than a wii U :mad:

and nintendo seems to be the only console that does ****ing splitscreen and games to play with friends in the same room now:(

Pac1Man

Damn you johnny_ultimate. You just cost me €300.

CastorTroy

Pac1Man wrote: »

Damn you johnny_ultimate. You just cost me €300.

Could be worse, you could somehow spend over €300 on a pair of runners. :eek:

:pac:

Greyfox

Nintendo are a very special company who provide unique gaming experiences that you can't get anywhere else, their a company that has a very deep understanding of what exactly great gameplay is and as someone else says their all about fun. I think they do the addictive just one more go better then anybody else and theirs a huge amount of challenge in the majority of Nintendo games.

For me someone saying Nintendo games are for kids is the same thing as the older generation thinking all computer games are for kids, a misguided and totally wrong perception but you can understand how the mystake is made.
It's been a brilliant year for games, my GOTY so far is the Last of us but I'm sure a link between worlds will overtake it as it's the sequel to a game I love as much as I love my parents. I agree with the DS been the best console ever and it looks like the 3DS could be on its way to been even better.

Their isn't a good reason yet for getting a PS4 or Xbox one, the really great games in development are a long way off, Mario 3d world looks amazing and makes me really really want a WiiU, with the backlog I have though I'll try to wait until the summer to get it...wish I could head out my back garden now and cut a few bushes or find some treasure chests and build up to 300 rupies and get a WiiU with that

Pushtrak

Greyfox wrote: »

I think they do the addictive just one more go better then anybody else and theirs a huge amount of challenge in the majority of Nintendo games.

I've been a Nintendo fan all my life, and I'm looking forward to getting a Wii U... But this above? Civilization 5 says hello.

Turtwig

Pushtrak wrote: »

I've been a Nintendo fan all my life, and I'm looking forward to getting a Wii U... But this above? Civilization 5 says hello.

I would say Nintendo do the "just one more go "thing best after you've failed a goal e.g. died.

chrislad

I'm getting a 3DS Zelda Edition for Christmas. The only thing that's bugging me about Nintendo is the apparent lack of effort in the virtual console. I could be wrong since I'm going off a Wiki page, but all those 3DS ambassador games *still* aren't available to buy? Once I finish the new Zelda, I'll probably want to dip into the NES, GB(C), GBA and SNES ones again, and I still can't get The Minish Cap, even though it's actually downloadable for some? Mental!

Overall though, I suspect that's one minor complaint for a fantastic console. I'l probably have to avoid a few games, like Pokemon X/Y, until after exams in May!

ShadowHearth

Even Jim Sterling is for Wii U.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OzoB4lHBK8

deathrider

I've never gotten around to the Wii myself. I mostly play on the Xbox 360 and PS3. However, my DS gets a hell of a lot of attention. I've only got about 20 games on it, but they serve their propose and then some. They're so good that I've never needed to buy tons and tons of DS titles to keep me coming back to the machine. It's an incredible device, and easily one of my favourite ways to game. It's portability just makes it even more assessable. I fully intend on picking up a 3DS in the future, as I know damn well that I'll get my money's worth out of it.