Posted on: 01/17/17 06:15PM
#666 said:
Whoa there buckaroo! Don't go lumping the DS and 3DS with that Wii trash. Those are actually GOOD systems with GOOD game libraries. Two screens with touch technology at the bottom ended up being a not-shit gimmick with useful, practical applications towards gameplay. Probably the only good hardware concept Iwata ever had in his lifetime.
Don't get me wrong, boyo. I ain't trying to say that the DS or 3DS had a complete lack of any worthwhile games. Hell, Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow and The Dark Spire somehow managed to make it into my top 15 games of all time. My point is that neither the DS or 3DS were systems that were particularly comfortable to hold for extended periods of time.
When I was a kid, I would lug around my GB/ GBC/ GBA/ SP all over the place, playing whenever I got the chance (which was quite often due to the extensive time I spent in the back seat of the family car on a daily basis). When the DS initially came out, my preteen self noticed a huge difference in overall comfort while playing games. What's worse was the games available towards the beginning of the DS's life cycle were FAR from ideal; generally setting up Nintendo's modern day fascination with appealing to "casual" gamers/ non gamers above all else. The decision to incorporate dual screens never appealed to me, whatsoever. I would prefer one large higher resolution screen instead of two tiny ones. This led me to purchase the Psp once it released. Unfortunately for me, the Psp suffered from similar lack of quality titles towards launch, not to mention how horrendously uncomfortable the analog nub was to manipulate.
With the advent of the DS Lite, Nintendo seemed to forget about the concept of ergonomics entirely in favor of presenting sleek and stylish -looking hardware. Honestly, my black DS Lite was probably the most attractive videogame handheld I have ever seen. Aesthetics don't really count for much when it comes to the functionality of a device meant for playing videogames, however. It's funny how I actually find myself playing my old fat DS above either my DS Lite or 3DS these days. While I had initially thought the former was uncomfortable, after playing their newer systems year after year, it makes you appreciate the rounder design of the DS fat. The GBA SP may have been a rigid design and all, but the much narrower body of the system made a WORLD of difference over that of the DS Lite & 3DS lines.
The Nintendo Switch will likely be far more comfortable than the majority of systems I have mentioned here, but it still bothers me to see Nintendo pushing these clearly unergonomic controller designs as their MAIN controllers. In other words, the Pro controller should clearly be included with every Switch if you ask me. I also cringe at the idea of even attempting to play a game with the Joycons held sideways; not so much due to the size of the controllers as I myself have fairly small hands, but moreso due to the absolutely horrendous button and analog stick placement.
smackmybitchup said:
And the Wii had good games, too.
Again, I am not discussing lack of "good games" on any of these system I have mentioned. I am talking about inadequately ergonomic controllers, atrociously underpowered hardware, and UNAMBITIOUS games. The Wii may have been innovative, but it is clear that pushing the boundaries of game design was not Nintendo's priority at this point. Evidenced clearly by how nearly all their games (first-party titles included) began to become more and more simplified and streamlined. In a recent interview with Shigeru Miyamoto which took place just after the Nintendo Switch presentation, he admitted that Super Mario Galaxy was an attempt to simplify Mario game design to appeal to more casual audiences.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qewTRj2BbK4Personally, I feel as though the Gamecube was the most ambitious of Nintendo's consoles in terms of pushing nuanced game design. Their previous systems helped lay the groundwork for many conventions which are integral in console/ p.c. gaming to this very day. What can you say the Wii inspired, besides half assed production values and annoying motion controls?