Nintendo Vs the rest

Nintendo games tend to exude joy in their style, palette and gameplay.

Does the Nintendo difference lie in those aspects?

Partially. Another difference is that they focus on gameplay first and generally have the most polished games on the market.

I saw a CoG Connected video that stated that Nintendo focuses on gameplay (and platformers, which is true) before going ahead and praising Microsoft for Halo and Gears.

It's like, what? What do you think made those two series popular, their stories? On balance, yeah, Nintendo games aiming for 60 FPS and good game feel helps make their weakest games have better gameplay than Sony or Microsoft's weakest, but acting like Nintendo in a broad sense understands gameplay "better" when they lack in the very genres Halo and Gears are in is as short sighted as booking Siberian AirBnBs with Hitler.

Anyway, I can get behind Nintendo having joy in the many aspects of their games. They know how to charm the **** outta you in their bread and butter genres, so when they actually do move to another genre like a turd person shooter and do it again, you understand what makes them so great in the first place.

@kmp: You mean like the Prime series?

No, it lies in the fanbase.

"Joy" is subjective is it not? Someone's idea of fun and joy may be Yoshi's Wooly World with its happy music and colors while anothers is hacking people up in the doom and gloom of Friday the 13th.

Lighthearted joy.

I feel that the difference between Nintendo and everyone else is their creativity and their overall fearlessness in the risks that they take. If Nintendo Switch was a serious flop they'd be right back at it trying the flip the industry on it's head all over again. They're always gonna come up with something completely different and this is their approach whether it's successful or not. It's what they do lol

They focus on gameplay while having the resources n platform to be in a position where their best work can have their best creators take their time, polish it to a mirror sheen, and absolutely wipe anyone else in their key genres off the map.

Arms n Splatoon aren't exactly Street Fighter n Unreal Tournament, but they are appropriately Nintendo spins on genres that could absolutely use some fresh and unique spins. Which is what helps Nintendo's cause, even in genres that have tons of entries, their own takes on the genre are usually distinct. Can't say the same for Sony's first part titles as often (if anything, it's usually the opposite of distinct), and I can't think of the last microsoft first party title I've enjoyed that isn't a Halo, Gears, Forza title. Though to their credit Sunset Overdrive (which was only okay), Quantum Break (which was bad), and Sea of Thieves don't exactly look or play run of the mill at first glance. But Nintendo's teams tend to get more out of their gameplay concepts, where as the stuff from MS tends to leave a lot to be desired while having the mechanics they have.

Their art teams get too much credit for just using a brighter color palette, and not enough for sheer consistency of vision. Any asshole can throw together brighter, vibrant colors to make the visuals less off putting (Final Fantasy 13 is an example of this, it has awful art direction if held under any scrutiny), but Nintendo makes franchises/universes that are visually consistent n coherent to boot. There is an elegance to how Mario is designed, how Link n Samus look, to the look of F-Zero, to even Splatoon which ....admittedly the internet has kind of ruined to be creepy.

The gameplay has often dictated how the "stories" (if there are any) work in the game, and that's pretty important to why their games are replayable and why their best games are rarely bogged down by bullshit (although Zelda has skated by for 2 decades by having needless filler).

What helps them stick out, is no different than what makes a Blizzard special. The gameplay is king, it's usually polished, and the game they actually make is distinct from what anyone else is doing. It's not just that they are gameplay focused, lots of studios are that. It's not just that they have the resources, a good chunk of studios have that. It's not just that they don't do run of the mill stuff, technically there are plenty of studios that do that as well. Nintendo can cover all 3, which puts them in rare company, now if they would just consistently do more fucking new ips.

I for one am glad that nintendo tries to mix things up. The Switch ended up being a genious idea. Now that I have one system that i can play on either the TV or take it with me on the go I wish that all the systems had that feature

Sure they dont take part in the hardware race. And they dont need to. But they never lost sight of what matters most: rock solid gameplay in their games. Nintendo games dont push any boundaries when it comes to graphics, but I will take gameplay over graphics anyday.

All this hardware spec war between MS and Sony does is make games increasingly more expensive to produce and more about the eye candy and less about the gameplay.

Take E3 this year. A lot shown by MS and Sony just looked downright boring. There was hardly anything to get me excited from either company. Oh look another brown shooter, omg another QTE heavy action game, yet another 'cinematic' game that you will play once and never touch it again. Nevermind that some things have been shown in previous years.

Nintendo is the go to system for parents with kids under 13. It's just good, fun, family friendly entertainment. You can count on them for that. And I for one am glad they still are around.

That said you grown people banging your chests about sales and it's your go to system are a little off to me. It's a children's console! Take your tablet and your juice box and go sit in the back of your mom's mini van!

I didn't really mean that. If Nintendo fans are loving it and happy who am I to rain on the parade? And I do stand by the statement if I had kids Nintendo would be their first console. It's doing great and long live Nintendo!

Another thing, every time I see the execs interviewed they always seem so happy and nice in a very playful way. They just make you smile from their enthusiasm.

Have fun! And let us know how you like the new Mario, looks hilariously fun.

It's also for kids. Several adults play Nintendo games.

So many Nintendo dick riders here now, as if this site wasn't bad enough

Eh. The familiarity of its IP goes a long way and routinely overshadows games that are equally charming and, occasionally, superior.

Also the neckbeards enjoy the hentai fandom as much as - if not more than - the games.

@Advid-Gamer: as if every other gamer here isn't riding their dick of choice.

Read the above and tell me this fandom isn't a cult.

@metalslimenite: I will live with that.

Okay first let's stop acting like every game Nintendo puts out is God's gift to mankind. They have some of the best games ever but also plenty of eh stuff to go with it.

It's a combination of talent (not for everything they make, but their numerous games that go in the top 100 games lists definitely had good talent on them), polish, and nostalgia that makes their games so great.

@the-a-baum: With condescending remarks like that I question your own maturity.

I don't know if their games exude joy but the colour palette and general style is quite clearly aimed at a very young audience (it doesn't matter how many adults play the games, it is what it is).

This is why their hardware is always crap. Kids don't care about latest graphics or performance etc, really they don't. So they have their niche and have accepted it and will never change and I suppose, why should they?

Some bitterness in this thread from the usual suspects, eh? Why am I not surprised?

To answer the question, others have basically covered it. Nintendo firing on all cylinders is a sight to behold (and they currently are doing just that), it's seeing ambition, mastery over game design and mechanics, and inventiveness in equal measure all come together to create a cohesively great experience. When Nintendo is good, it's amazing. Of course they have their misses too, but on the whole, they have a better track record than most in the industry while also having been around longer.

Come on man, you are the biggest nintendo fanboy, dont act like YOU are not a usual suspect, just on the other side of the fence.

Are you back to stalking me? Didn't I tell you to stop?

Well then Nintendo loses. As long as Nintendo will not get games like Dark Souls, The witcher series, Fallout 4, Titanfall, Resident Evil 7, RDR2, GTA5, and a plethora of others then they will not win any competition with other platforms that do as far as my money is concerned.

I don't give a crap how fun Arms, MK8, BOTW or Odyssey may be. I cant get the gaming fix I have come to expect for my dollars from Nintendo.

That's... not what this thread is about?

Based on all my observations of Charizard, which I've had plenty of, I see that he enjoys Nintendo as well as Playstation. I even noticed he's praised Microsoft and a hopeful desire they can pull out of the rut they're currently in.

Maybe he talks about Nintendo a lot, but hey, there's been a lot to talk about lately.

Maybe your ass is sore from all that dick riding, cause you can't bare the fact Nintendo can and will have a good day.

Nintendo games tend to exude joy in their style, palette and gameplay.

Does the Nintendo difference lie in those aspects?

LOL I, a human being experiences joy. And I do so incredibly more from the games I named than Nintendo games. This thread is about bullshit. A game is a game. Joy is something dependent on the human experiencer. Take the human away and Nintendo games, Sony, MS, anyone's do not exude joy.

@cainetao11: I don't know why you are choosing to miss the point as hard as you are (and I know you must be choosing to do so, you're one of the smartest folks on this board, so I know it's not like it's going over your head or anything), but eh. Don't let me stop you from having your fun, I guess.

Right now I have only had having a Gaming pc this gen, been thinking of getting a playstation 4 but I dont game as much as I used to and the PC gets alot of the must haves these days.

This is the first gen I have not owned every gaming system, since the N64 era.

Rockstar > Nintendo

They have more than 2. They just don't make them anymore lol. Max Payne, Bully, Midnight Club, Manhunt, Smuggler's Run, LA Noire (though they only published this one they do own the IP) even their Table Tennis game was good.

They seem to have all hands on deck for GTA Online these days though.

It is a choice to remain truthfully grounded. Games like all inanimate objects or constructs have no intrinsic good/bad/joy/sorrow in them. It is the human that decides based on their subjective experience of playing a game.

TC seems to say Nintendo has more "joy" in their games then asks if this is the Nintendo difference. My point is that is completely dependent on if TC enJOYs Nintendo games more. Reason being I don't enjoy Nintendo games more so therefore I do not agree they "exude joy".

Win according to you. Nothing Nintendo has in the above list is anywhere near as enjoyable to play for me as GTA.

Animal Crossing? Fire Emblem weaboo crap? LOL Metroid is finally in the works for a Prime and hopefully a good one for 3DS again? Mario? Yeah that's not been beaten to fvckin death. Zelda I enjoy, WTF is a Pikmin anyway?

All fun aside, I am not trying to attack you, I am merely pointing out the absurdity of what goes on constantly here and in life in general. Life, and games are a subjective experience. In my life experiences playing video games, Rockstar does indeed dump on Nintendo. I have never been in love with them as so many others are. And I am not wrong or right for it because its all subjective. Trying to prove one is > over the other is retardation.

Maybe it's the fact that Nintendo really doesn't release absolute shit. At least, I can't recall a Nintendo game in recent memory that wasn't at least considered decent. Sure, there have been questionable design choices that probably didn't please everyone, but they've maintained their Nintendo seal of Quality mentality since rescuing the gaming industry single-handedly with the NES.

I agree with this, but there's something more. I've seen other developers hit on all cylinders and they still can't match Nintendo. It's the difference between Great America and Disney World. I don't know if it's just passion, but I feel something tangible in their works transcending past the collective that elevates their games further. Hard to pinpoint but it's there.

Look, Nintendo have a rabid fanbase that still buy consoles with barely any content in their droves and it often feels like a cult to me. But what the company does its produce platformers and party games and aim it at that cult attittude. Having said that, those games are certainly fun however, a major problem they are facing in the modern market is the pricing of their games and I don't think the switch will ever come near the sales of something like PS4.

Well nintendo always has been associated with other kid toys.

There are a lot of games out there that match Nintendo's best.

The joy one gets from a game is going to depend on what they look for out of a game. Nintendo usually deliver on gameplay driven games that are both polished and unique. They make games that feel fun to play both because they usually get game-feel right and have tight mechanics.

The art directions they employ in their games often achieve charming aesthetics that are visually appealing and carefree. While this isn't always the case, certainly not for the Metroid series; even those games have great atmosphere for their respective intent.

Sometimes they let their desire to innovate get the better of them. They are very eager to seek out new ways for gamers to interface with their games. Sometimes this can lead to good things like the Nintendo DS and other times you wind up with confused and challenged ideas like Star Fox Zero, but they're always trying out new ways to view a genre and have successfully created unique ideas in familiar spaces with games like Pikmin (strategy), ARMS and Smash Bros (fighting) and Splatoon (shooter) for example. They could do with a wider array of IPs. They have a habit of employing existing IPs to new ideas, so it would be nice to get more IPs in future. All the same, they always aim for achieving quality games that are enjoyable to play first and foremost.

While I do agree with your points, it's too bad they are pretty bad at balanicing their games. It's a shame MK8 has car parts that are better than others (as in each stat is the same or higher) and Smash needs a huge list of illegal moves to be competitive. If you count balancing as part of polish, Nintendo has nothing on Blizzard, especially their RTS

Yes, you have a point, but I used the adjective "joy" not in respect to the gamer's experience/response to said games, but rather to the cheerful and colorful look/design in their characters, especially in games like Super Mario, Yoshi, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Wario (this one more like badass and cheeky kind of look) and so on.. Of course there are also third party games who do just that, Little Big Planet, Crash Bandicoot, Rayman...

That being said, I do find "joy" in playing games like Dishonored 2 - which I'm playing right now - but it's a different experience, certainly not jubilant in colors and cheerfulness, hence why I asked what aspects in your guys' opinion the "Nintendo difference" lies in.

In truth I wondered if there was this side. I understand what you mean. I know Nintendo fans, some at least get defensive about Ninty being called "kiddy" but there is validity in it. Cheerful, colorful look/design are things used in many kiddy type toys and games. There is no secret Nintendo tries to and probably does win that market.

@cainetao11:I think it's because the term 'kiddy' could be viewed as a derogatory descriptor; as though to insinuate naivety or a lack of maturity.

The language is, of course not always directed that way, but I think healthier language would be 'family friendly' or accessible than 'kiddy'.

It's the difference in language that categorizes animation like Toy Story, Moana and The Wind Rises from Peppa Pig and Dora the Explorer.

The video game equivalence is different. I don't feel the content of a video game should be 100% judged on its themes, the context, narrative or visuals but the gameplay also. So looking at something like Donkey Kong Country Returns or Super Mario Galaxy as a piece of media that can be enjoyed for all ages similar to Toy Story separates it from the use of 'kiddy' which I think is more applicable to a TV show like Peppa Pig.

I think the 'kiddy' label having negative connotations harms it from being reasonable language to describe these games, then. The context in which people use this term is typically used to disservice games like Super Mario Galaxy or Splatoon even if others would use it with the intention of describing something friendly or even persuasive toward a younger audience. Then, that's why I'd use 'family friendly' as a better term; it doesn't negate that adults are not only actively playing these games but are also a valid audience for them too.

@jumpaction: Nintendo is beyond kiddy there is no other way to spin it. None of the Nintendo games I grew up with matured with me. Can't blame gamers for getting bolder and out growing games made for 12 year olds.

It's funny to see grown men on here defend Nintendo like they do. It's made for kids plain and simple grown ups can still enjoy them but there main Target is Children.