Nintendo: Not as good as they were.

[mechamonkey]

Forum poster : infinately more jaded than they were

Personally I adore nintendo atm , VJoe, WW, Prime, SMS, Worms, Fzero, MK, MParty, Monkey Ball soo much goodness.

[bowser123]

Its probably the worse one in my opinion due to the courses not really having much to do with mario

Have you actually played the game?
What you have typed is utter ****e.
1st course is full of chomps and warp pipes from Mario.
2nd course is based around Gelato Beach from SMS.
3rd course is possibly based around the Theme Park from SMS but has enough Mario style scenery.
4th course is the Desert levels from any Mario game, complete with the walking yellow Cactus type things from Mario 64.
5th course doesn't really have anything to do with a Mario game but is obviously Mario Kart 64 inspired.

I could carry right on and name every track and how it is tied into the Mario theme but frankly I can't be arsed and it would spoil the game for others who haven't played all the tracks yet. Go back and play the game mate.

As for the original posters point well its simple: don't buy them anymore if you don't like them. Sure the new games aren't quite as good as the likes of Mario 64, OOT or Goldeneye but frankly these 3 games are in the top 5 of all time IMO. Just because the likes of Pikmin, SMS, Luigi and Wind Waker fall short of absolute brilliance doesn't mean they aren't supremely enjoyable and quality games. I'd also draw your attention to Animal Crossing and MKD as examples of Nintendo's brilliance of late.
I think it's possibly down to the fact that they don't allow the games developers the unlimited time to create a masterpiece that they were allowed with the likes of OOT that we are getting excellent games as opposed to ground breaking, genre defining software.

The point is I play games to have fun and no other games company can make games that are as playable and fun as Nintendo do.
I bet nobody can name a company with a better output of games either.

[Manta Ray vs Guitar]

I agree that Halo is very different to Metroid. Metroid was really good, but nothing i hadn't seen before.

I hope the part you left unsaid here isn't 'in comparison to Halo, which was a total mind**** and a paradigm shift in space-orc-shooting-sim technology'.

[Crispin]

I agree that Halo is very different to Metroid. Metroid was really good, but nothing i hadn't seen before.

I hope the part you left unsaid here isn't 'in comparison to Halo, which was a total mind**** and a paradigm shift in space-orc-shooting-sim technology'.

Hey, my homies. You be dissing my ho' Master Chief? Cause she be givin' me grief about it.

Translation: Don't diss Halo. T'was brilliant.
Between the lines translation: Don't anybody diss Goldeneye either.

[Staplehead]

I'm aware of your crappy opinions that suck.

Is this turning into 'History Today'?

'You see that puddle of crumbs on the floor, where you dribbled your tea soaked biscuit onto the carpet when having one of your turns?'

'I am aware of the stain in question.'

'That's your Mum, that is.'

Anyway, back on track.

......

Oh, sod it, I've spent ages trying to put into words how the new GC games seem a little 'off', but I can't, because I still love TWW & SMS & MP and all the other abbreviations a million times* more than any other games I've played this generation. Like the guy said, SMS is still the second-best platformer in the world. If I only had enough money for F-Zero GX

*possible exaggeration

[Manta Ray vs Guitar]

Hey, my homies. You be dissing my ho' Master Chief? Cause she be givin' me grief about it.

Translation: Don't diss Halo. T'was brilliant.

How great do I have to say Halo is before I'm not dissing it? I didn't make any comments about the quality of the game, implied or otherwise.

[iloveannie]

I half agree. The trouble with opinions is that they are so damn personal. I tend to think of the Colonel from Boogie Nights, and I misquote, "...and some people like lolly pops up their ass."

A few new IPs from Nintendo wouldn't go amis though. Remember the days of the NES/SNES when Nintendo's titles were original. Or at the very least radical departures.

The family laughter from multiplayer MK64 hasn't been heard over MKDD. Why?

[edit]Played a bit more MKDD this weekend. I eat my words once more. Bastards have done it again! Yes I'm a Nintendo whore

[NemesisX]

Blimey lads!!

Don`t b 2 hard on Paul.

I don`t really agree with most of what he`s said but I think I might have 2 side with him on the MKDD point. I don`t think that putting 2 people in the cars is enough of an improvment over the N64 version. This is of course just my opinion. I hated the way on the N64 one that if u redshelled a computer character when u were near the finish, they would race past u and win, the cheating bastards!!

The GC version is no xception 2 this, except multiply the cheat factor by 10. This is even worse when u play against a human opponant who u know is not very good but they still beat u cos u get punished 4 being good. As if it isn`t bad enough that cos ur leading all u pick up is a bannana and ur mate gets infinate red shells, turbos and lightning. U can`t even defend urself against attack like u could on MK 64 by dangling ur bannana (oooh er missus!!) 2 deflect the odd red shell that ur cheating mate keeps firing at u.

On the whole I am dissapointed but like many of us, I`ll b paying my money 4 a copy and helping the Big N gaffers get richer.

Nintendo r still and will always b the daddy`s though!!

[bowser123]

I do agree that Nintendo need to try and innovate again.
However, maybe its because when people innovate and make original games they sink like lead balloons.
Ico, Rez, Pikmin and Viewtiful Joe are just a few examples of superb games that have been bought by about 3 people.
People love their half yearly updates of Fifa and haven't Core made 5 or 6 crap Tomb Raiders in around 6 years?

[Manta Ray vs Guitar]

Pikmin sold about a million copies worldwide - more than the latest Tomb Raider - so that's not a great example.

[bowser123]

Pikmin sold about a million copies worldwide - more than the latest Tomb Raider - so that's not a great example.

Really?
I thought most people hadn't even heard of it.
Pikmin is still under rated though and the other three are good examples.

[baad bwoy]

I actually think Metriod Prime is better than Halo,
Samus f*** ing wiped the floor with poor old Master chief,
and also while I'm giving my opinion, I didn't really get on with The wind waker (loved the cell shaded graphics though), but played Majoras Mask yesterday courtesy of MKDD, and it has blown me away, seems quite dark and Ive no idea what to expect next in the story which is a good thing.
Also I think nintendos best game ever is probably 'A Link To The Past'
And I don't think Nintendo have lost it, they seem to be fairly consistent in their production, and they generally offer a games experience far exceeding other software producers

[Pikman]

To add my 37 pence worth:

Smash Brothers offers nothing new over the N64 version and gets boring far too quickly.

Luigi's Mansion is great while it lasts but sadly doesn't last nearly as long as it should.

Waverave: Bluestorm looks fantastic but lacks the subtle dynamics of it's predecessor, track design is also not as good as the original.

Pimin is fantastic and very innovative. One of the few Nintendo releases that lived upto or surpassed my expectations.

Mario Sunshine is very enjoyable in it's own right, but falls some way short of the the four previous Mario Games. It's a step backwards.

Metroid Prime is my favorite Nintendo game and in my opinion is better than Halo. This one really went way beyond what I was expecting.

Wind Waker was a huge disappointment and easily the most boring Zelda game yet. Yes it looks beautiful, but it's all been seen before. Again, it's a step in the wrong direction.

Mario Golf is a great game, especially in multiplayer. Another of the few that lived upto my expectations.

F-Zero GX was pretty good, really addictive for the first month but somehow it lacks the replayability that F-Zero X offered. Though I blame Sega for that.

Mario Kart: Double Dash haven't played it, haven't seen any videos. I'm hoping it's going to be brilliant but because of Nintendo's recent record I'm keeping my expectations in check.

So though it pains me to say it, I would have to agree that Nintendo are not as good as they used to be. They are still the brightest, burning light in the games industry, but I can't help but feel they have lost a little of their magic.

Maybe it's a phase they are going through since Hiroshi Yamauchi left the company and soon they will settle down into the old groove, or maybe it's a sign of things to come. I sincerely hope it's the former because I only own one console, and it's a Gamecube

[/b]

[Max M]

Saying "Nintendo isn't as good as they were" is a little harsh. You need to remember that Nintendo is a huge worldwide publisher now. Games like Eternal Darkness, Golden Sun and many more all come under the Nintendo umbrella.

"EAD isn't as good as they were" would've made more sense. Ok, it's easy to pick holes in games like Smash Brothers (Hal Labs) and other games I guess, but EAD is the team who some people feel are losing the plot, I think it's because them and Rareware single handedly saved the N64 from nothingness.

Personally I think Nintendo's just putting more emphasis on other teams and third party partners this generation, maybe a little too much. Three EAD developers have gone to work at NST, others are at Silicon Knights, others at Retro Studios... then we have Miyamoto over-looking Namco's games and even helping EA Sports with their connectivity... I could see how things could be rocky there if they're not really one unit anymore. They're also passing on their knowledge to younger staff who aren't up to the standards of some of the older guys. Mario Sunshine in particular was made mainly by newer EAD members.

You've also got some people (often those who started getting in to Nintendo with the N64) who seemingly have ridiculously over the top expectations and expect everything EAD puts out to be as innovative as Zelda OOT or Mario 64.

I'd like to see more experimental games like Luigi's Mansion, Animal Crossing and Pikmin. Things like Wind Waker and Sunshine are always going to have problems and unfair comparisons, but it's not just a Nintendo thing. Games like MGS2, Tekken Tag, Project Gotham and others don't blow you a way like the first time you saw their predecessors.

[Paul3704]

Yeah, thats true. I honestly can't remember when i was blown away by a game. Something that made me pay attention, and wonder at the genius of it.

I think the last one was Animal Crossing, it's just brilliant.

Before that? probably Kuri Kuri Mix.