Do Nintendo games really need online?

Take a look at the great multiplayer games that have come to Nintendo consoles. Goldeneye. The Mario Sports games. Wii Sports. And, of course, the legendary Super Smash Bros. franchise. None of these games had online (except the recent Mario Strikers), but they were extraordinary in splitscreen.

With these types of games, half the fun comes from all your buddies in the room with you. That's why I can care less about Smash Bros. online: I'll have plenty of fun with three friends on the couch, thanks very much. I know online is becoming standard, but ask yourselves this: do Nintendo games need it to be fun? A Nintendo multiplayer experience has always been about the splitscreen, so why do they need online? I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to have, but the splitscreen experience should definitely come first.

I know there's others out there who agree. People still play Super Smash Bros. Melee today, and no online. That says something, doesn't it?

The reason those games didn't have online is because online wasn't standard back then. In this gen, you need to have a good excuse for no online, and most Wii games don't have the excuse.batistafan99

But again, they were still great fun without online play.

I wouldn't say that it's a necessity, but at this point, it will certainly help.

Depends on the game really. BWii will benefit immensely, and so would Brawl and Pikmin. Games like Metroid, I can live without.
MoldOnHold

It really doesn't matter to me one way or another with Brawl. I've had tons of fun with my buddies just playing four-player. Of course, I'm one of those guys who refuses to let go of the splitscreen era. :lol:

Stop living in the past. A serious multiplayer game of todayhas online. Thats all.peter1191

So a multiplayer game cannot be fun at all if it doesn't have online?

And maybe I am living in the past. But online still can't measure up to the insanity of people actually being in the room with you, and until it does, I'll keep livin in it.

I wouldn't say that it's a necessity, but at this point, it will certainly help.

Depends on the game really. BWii will benefit immensely, and so would Brawl and Pikmin. Games like Metroid, I can live without.
MoldOnHold

Pikmin...Online?

That's kinda wierd.

[QUOTE="MoldOnHold"]I wouldn't say that it's a necessity, but at this point, it will certainly help.

Depends on the game really. BWii will benefit immensely, and so would Brawl and Pikmin. Games like Metroid, I can live without.
-The-G-Man-

It really doesn't matter to me one way or another with Brawl. I've had tons of fun with my buddies just playing four-player. Of course, I'm one of those guys who refuses to let go of the splitscreen era. :lol:

[QUOTE="MoldOnHold"]I wouldn't say that it's a necessity, but at this point, it will certainly help.

Depends on the game really. BWii will benefit immensely, and so would Brawl and Pikmin. Games like Metroid, I can live without.
sexy_chimp

Pikmin...Online?

That's kinda wierd.

Online is a good back up.

If its late at night and your bored, what would you do? Obviously your friends arent coming over. So you play online.

I understand where you are coming from. Yet, when your alone (lets say your friends can't come over that day) online makes the game so much better. I just hope nintendo can pull off the sense of community onegets by playing online.......online is a necessity, and no online is just one more negative, not a positive, especially for a game like SSBB which begs for onlinepeter1191

Yeah, but considering no voice chat and the whole friend code song-and-dance...

Fighting games have never really been ideal for online, at least i figure players get fussy over every frame in a fighting game so any lag is unacceptable. But for every other genre theres no excuse not to have online worth playing in every game, they have a real opportunity to make an online community thats easy and works but as always they'd rather not do something to benifit gamers. The reason they don't pursue online isn't because hotseat play is somehow better but they do not understand the appeal of online games and have no real desire learn why, god forbid they may spend money without a direct return the next quarter.

I'm having a ton of fun with my non-online Wii. I agree that Wii games are much more fun when played in the same room with someone rather than online. They are after all mostly party games. Though MP needs online (AS any shooter does in my opinion to keep the users interested.)BumFluff122

Have you played Metroid Prime 2 multiplayer?

Multiplayer DOES NOT WORK with Metroid.

[QUOTE="sexy_chimp"]

[QUOTE="MoldOnHold"]I wouldn't say that it's a necessity, but at this point, it will certainly help.

Depends on the game really. BWii will benefit immensely, and so would Brawl and Pikmin. Games like Metroid, I can live without.
MoldOnHold

Pikmin...Online?

That's kinda wierd.

Was the multiplayer in Pikmin 2 actually praised or was it just considered a time-extending extra.

I think all games would benefit from it. But the local multiplayer needs to remain strong as ever.

[QUOTE="peter1191"]Stop living in the past. A serious multiplayer game of todayhas online. Thats all.-The-G-Man-

So a multiplayer game cannot be fun at all if it doesn't have online?

And maybe I am living in the past. But online still can't measure up to the insanity of people actually being in the room with you, and until it does, I'll keep livin in it.

Well how often do you have people over? Every day? Probly not. Online for games like SSB will be extremly revolutionary since that game is basically only good playing against others.

Fighting games have never really been ideal for online, at least i figure players get fussy over every frame in a fighting game so any lag is unacceptable. But for every other genre theres no excuse not to have online worth playing in every game, they have a real opportunity to make an online community thats easy and works but as always they'd rather not do something to benifit gamers. The reason they don't pursue online isn't because hotseat play is somehow better but they do not understand the appeal of online games and have no real desire learn why, god forbid they may spend money without a direct return the next quarter.

ChinoJamesKeene

I can name a few people, myself included, who would argue that offline multiplayer is superior. Not saying online is a bad thing, but I don't think it's quite surpassed its counterpart.

[QUOTE="BumFluff122"]I'm having a ton of fun with my non-online Wii. I agree that Wii games are much more fun when played in the same room with someone rather than online. They are after all mostly party games. Though MP needs online (AS any shooter does in my opinion to keep the users interested.)sexy_chimp

Have you played Metroid Prime 2 multiplayer?

Multiplayer DOES NOT WORK with Metroid.

Hunters wasn't bad. At least the local download play. My friend and I played it a ton.

Was the multiplayer in Pikmin 2 actually praised or was it just considered a time-extending extra.sexy_chimp

I don't know about everyone else, but I was never a fan of the mulitplayer. But now co-op, there's some possiblity.

Take a look at the great multiplayer games that have come to Nintendo consoles. Goldeneye. The Mario Sports games. Wii Sports. And, of course, the legendary Super Smash Bros. franchise. None of these games had online (except the recent Mario Strikers), but they were extraordinary in splitscreen.

With these types of games, half the fun comes from all your buddies in the room with you. That's why I can care less about Smash Bros. online: I'll have plenty of fun with three friends on the couch, thanks very much. I know online is becoming standard, but ask yourselves this: do Nintendo games need it to be fun? A Nintendo multiplayer experience has always been about the splitscreen, so why do they need online? I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to have, but the splitscreen experience should definitely come first.

I know there's others out there who agree. People still play Super Smash Bros. Melee today, and no online. That says something, doesn't it?

-The-G-Man-

At this point, I think online should be standard for multiplayer-focused games. That said, nothing beats playing with your buddies next to you, split-screen. Sure,youcan look at each other's screens,but the social experience is much better--and that is an important part of gaming.

[QUOTE="sexy_chimp"]Was the multiplayer in Pikmin 2 actually praised or was it just considered a time-extending extra.-The-G-Man-

I don't know about everyone else, but I was never a fan of the mulitplayer. But now co-op, there's some possiblity.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

Wasn't there co-op in the challenges?

[QUOTE="sexy_chimp"]

[QUOTE="BumFluff122"]I'm having a ton of fun with my non-online Wii. I agree that Wii games are much more fun when played in the same room with someone rather than online. They are after all mostly party games. Though MP needs online (AS any shooter does in my opinion to keep the users interested.)MrDziekuje

Have you played Metroid Prime 2 multiplayer?

Multiplayer DOES NOT WORK with Metroid.

Hunters wasn't bad. At least the local download play. My friend and I played it a ton.

Hunters isn't anything like the Primes though.

[QUOTE="MoldOnHold"]I wouldn't say that it's a necessity, but at this point, it will certainly help.

Depends on the game really. BWii will benefit immensely, and so would Brawl and Pikmin. Games like Metroid, I can live without.
-The-G-Man-

It really doesn't matter to me one way or another with Brawl. I've had tons of fun with my buddies just playing four-player. Of course, I'm one of those guys who refuses to let go of the splitscreen era. :lol:

its true

nintendo consoles usually have the ultimate party games