I'm really getting tired of all of these game companies making games for all systems but giving Nintendo the short end of the stick. This disliking of Nintendo systems started on the N64, when people claimed that all it could do was the same as the Playstation. Don't get me wrong, I love the Playstation, a lot of my favorite games are on Sony systems, but it’s not as good as the N64. Playstation was a few grades above SNES/Genesis. N64 was doing full 3D graphics, all the time, not Mode 7, which was a trick started on early SNES games. I admit that the N64 was not a whole lot better than Playstation, but it WAS better.
It moved onto the GameCube, where everyone thought it couldn’t handle as much as the PS2 or Xbox because it had the smaller discs and many games that used Cell Shading. So, because people liked the “cartoonish” graphics, that’s all it can handle? The GCN was able to handle everything the others were. It handled them differently, but it could handle them.
Now, we’re on the Wii, with the main competitors being Xbox 360 and PS3. Once again, we are claiming the Nintendo system is inferior because Nintendo didn’t “focus” on graphics. While the Wii is not as powerful graphically, it is better than the GCN. And the DS is getting the same crap, with people claiming it is a portable N64! Just because one of the first games was a N64 remake, does not mean that’s all it can do. The DS is on par with the PSP, which is a bit below the PS2 and above the N64. It’s still revolutionary for portable systems, especially with the new DSi. And while the Wii is not focused on graphics, it still has amazing graphics, better than GCN. Take Zelda for example. Twilight Princess was pushing GCN to its limits, but barely scratches the Wii’s surface.
So, why am I getting so worked up over hearsay? Because it is now taking its toll on the game design. Now we have game companies making games on all systems, but leaving Nintendo in the dust.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, graphics dropped, (Okay, fine) abilities were limited AND changed, (Fine, maybe they couldn’t figure out how to do them with the new controls, though that is a weak argument) they removed half the items, changed the story a little, left out cut scenes, and COMPLETELY altered the first level making it far too hard to see and far too easy to get through without knowing how to play. That’s too much to change for a different system. Know what changed between the 360 and PS3 versions? Some effects were altered for hardware limitations.
Ghostbusters, the game quality didn’t just drop, it was CHANGED beyond recognition. On the 360 and PS3, we have true to movie graphics, a system that simulated Ghost Catching by slamming them into the traps against their will, and an engaging plot. What stayed on the Wii? The story. The system now feels like Ghost FISHING and the graphics are true to the CARTOON. This was meant to be an interactive third movie, not the next season of the cartoon. That’s why the actors were brought in. And the Wii controls were PERFECT for the job at hand. I was hoping for them to perfect the game on the Wii so I could really feel like I had the proton pack on and the gun in my hand, wrangling in these ghosts to save New York and the world. Instead, I got “Let’s Go Fishing with Dan Akroyd and Friends” on the Wii.
The Simpsons Game. Here’s an AWSOME example of Nintendo hating on EA’s part. On the Wii, you have a pretty fun game. You can only use 2 Simpsons at a time, but that’s better than 1, there are special powers, the game is funny and engaging, and I had no problem with it (apart from a bit of a control problem) until I saw what everyone else got. PS3? 360? Better graphics, (Again, I understand) more powers, (Why weren’t these in the Wii version?) all four Simpsons able to be used at once in some levels, (How hard would it be to allow two more controllable people?) and you can even WALK AROUND SPRINGFIELD between levels. What do you get on the Wii? You get to walk around THE HOUSE. Why? Was it a space issue? I thought they settled that by removing the extra voices, graphics, levels, abilities, and programming by removing SPRINGFIELD from the game. And what’s with the DS game? More babying of Nintendo systems! They didn’t even bother with the original game, they made a completely new game in 2D. The DS can handle 3D, so why didn’t they do that? With the stylus and touch screen they could have done something similar to the Wii version’s controls. Take away some graphics, and the Wii version could have BEEN the DS version, then put the cut content back for the Wii.
There is no excuse for this kind of system prejudice. These game companies need to step down from their golden palaces and see what’s really going on in the gaming world. Nintendo stopped focusing on graphics and started focusing on Gameplay, where the real money is. I don’t care how “realistic” the graphics get, how “intuitive” the controls are, how “engaging” the plot is, or how many “voice actors” you get, PONG is still PONG.
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