Nintendo: core games in development News

Enough Nintendo. If you gave a shit that much you could at least give us some indication of what these titles are going to be about, throw some alpha footage or concept art our way or something.


Honestly, in this day and age there is no excuse for this closed-doors crap.

Nintendo have lost the plot! All they seem to be doing is releasing no end of shite for kids! I used to be a major Nintendo fan but my Wii is now gathering dust whilst the XBOX360 gets non stop use.....

In a way, I almost wish Nintendo hadn't given us this (good) news, just so that my eyes wouldn't have to be soiled with ignorant comments like the first 2.

They need some decent new IPs - surely people don't just want another Mario and Zelda (especially the latter)? It's about time they pulled their finger out and resurrected some older ones too, ie. Pilot Wings.

Who gives a damn about Mario and Zelda these days? I couldn't bother finishing Twilight princess, and I'm waiting for Mario galaxy to hit the bargain bin. Too many other new and exciting games to consider.

Just so people know, I play my Wii a lot, including Wii Fit, but Okami and No More Heroes are t3h r0fl b3st!

@YoshiIsland
Exactly what "shite" have they been releasing? As far as I know Nintendo haven't released anything 1st party lately. I'm also puzzled how your reaction to them "developing core games" means they have lost the plot.

Honestly though, it is frustrating to not have a glimpse of anything.

@Machewman: What was ignorant about it?

Stop it Nintendo. These statements are counter-productive, they just remind "core" gamers they're not getting anything anythime soon. I respect the fact they need time to develop the kind of games "core" gamers expect, but just develop them. Don't keep reminding us they're on the way! We know that, you've said it already, the next news should be either release dates or cancellation.

We'd be pissed off if we had to wait 3 to 4 years after a game's announcement (Zelda: Twilight Princess) - especially if there was absolutely nothing to say other than "this game has just started development" on the initial announcement. For that reason, I understand the secrecy.

The games will come - they always do, I don't see why people suddenly thought that because they've not been announced that we're not going to see another Mario/Zelda, a Starfox game, a Kirby game, a new IP or two... Etc. With new IPs they really have to keep it quiet because people have a habit of going "OH MY GOD WTF WTF THIS IS DIFFERENT THEREFORE IT WILL BE SHIT" when it comes to new stuff from Nintendo (Pikmin, the Wii controller and the name 'Wii', the DS, etc.)

I'd rather they keep it quiet then announce and release within a few months, rather than do a Twilight Princess or that murderous wait for Smash Bros Brawl, with the blog handing out teeny tiny bits of sweet sweet information per day.

"new projects based on existing IP"

aka: Mario [insert activity]

My hand is up in asnwer to the question from dr_faulk!

I'd really like to see another Zelda on DS, even if it's just an Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask bumper fun bag.

Actually, forget the "even if" part. I REALLY want to see remakes of these two games on DS.

Colour me retro.

"Nintendo has denied neglecting core gamers and claims to have new projects based on existing IP in development with "all development teams"

There is something fishy about that sentence but I can't put my finger on it...

What I actually want from Nintendo is a bunch of new IPs - and I don't mean the likes of Wii Fit or Wii Music.

A new Zelda would be nice, so long as they change the format a little. I'm getting tried of playing out the same premise with the same ideas for the last 20-odd years.

They should also make the effort to bring back some of their older, forgotten IPs.

Coin-Op, I think that is the problem. When was the last time that nintendo created a totally new franchise for core gamers? When I look at sony and ms, they come up with at least one or two new franchises a year or so. 99.999% of all nintendo games released are mario, zelda, donkey kong, etc. In the N64 days they had a much broader selection for everyone.

I concur with everyone else who's calling for new IP. Mario was never that lovable, Zelda games are done to death, Wario was always annoying, and Metroid is faceless. The games are okay, but we need some new stories Ninty!

I just want them to pull their finger out of their arse and make sure third parties embrace their machine.

Looked at the line up for this year and there wasn't a single game that got me really excited. Why has the most sold console got a release list that sucks furry balls? Anyone? I'm thinking everytime someone tries to develop a game Nintendo go round to their house and stick pins in their eyes. Why is no-one developing decent games?

Surely for every family that gets out Wiifit for the grandparents there's a young lad that wants a Timesplitters or something like Forza, there are so many games for the old X-box and PS2 that are far superior to anything on the Wii - driving games, FPS's, a Soul Calibur that's not shite. Do developers not realise that for every home that has a casual gamer who bought the Wii, there's probably a 'serious' gamer that can't be arsed to buy a 360 or PS3 but would snap up a really good driving game or Timesplitters clone. Do these games just not sell or what?

@YoshiIsland
"Nintendo have lost the plot! All they seem to be doing is releasing no end of shite for kids! I used to be a major Nintendo fan but my Wii is now gathering dust whilst the XBOX360 gets non stop use..... "

Oh the irony, "non stop use" until you go back to school next Monday.

"And in other news: General Motors are still producing cars."

Off course they're producing core-games. What did you expect? Their employees can't reach their computer because it's under a pile of money?

And Nintendo's free ride comes to an end.

From here on in it's time to work for your money. People want games of all varieties not just the current sea of gimmickry.

/looks up from Rhythm Tengoku Gold

Ah. That's nice to know. I look forward to seing what they have in store.

/continues playing RTG

Your PR trol says "yes we care", but your line up says "no we don't".

How about this? Maybe Nintendo is doing this for strategic reasons? Perhaps they are trying to entice third party developers back onto their console platform by holding off from releasing their (usually huge selling) core gamer titles for a year-or-so.

@canIdoyabombsforya

FYI - I have a PS3, 360 and Wii. The Wii was purchased on the day of release and, granted, it does have some top games but Nintendo have obviously seen a market and, IMO, have let the 'hardcore' gamers down with this system. Yes, the controls are intuitive but who really wants to play games like Pro Evo with the Wii controls when it is so much better on the 360? I have been buying and playing Nintendo games since the days of the Game and Watches and feel that the company has forgotten it's hardcore fan base. The DS though is a different matter, great system , many great games...

How about this? Maybe Nintendo is doing this for strategic reasons? Perhaps they are trying to entice third party developers back onto their console platform by holding off from releasing their (usually huge selling) core gamer titles for a year-or-so.

Here's hoping. There are potentially interesting games in developement such as The Conduit, Cold Mountain, de Blob, Little Kings Story, Mushroom Men and MadWorld. Plus there are more obscure titles published by Nintendo such as Fatal Frame and Captain Rainbow so perhaps they are looking to establish those franchises a bit more too.

However, most of these won't see the light of day this year so I'm hoping they'll be something interesting from Nintendo soon to keep the little white beauty occupied.

...who really wants to play games like Pro Evo with the Wii controls when it is so much better on the 360?

You've obviously not played it as the Pro Evo Wii is significantly different from Pro Evo 360 and happily sit alongside each other rather than being an either/or decision that you have with the PS3/360 version.

Anyone who believes Nintendo are ditching games for hardcore gamers really needs to wake up. They've already confirmed Zelda, Pikmin and Mario are being worked on and we'll see Metroid, Starfox, DK etc... in the future. What's dissapointing is Wario Land Shake is basically the only solo game released this year and it doesn't look that exciting. All we needed is just one of the ones I've mentioned above being released this year as well and that would have shut everyone up! At least Animal Crossing will have me busy each day waiting for next years releases once it's released.

@ DFawkes. Don't forget to bear in mind the lead time a lot of magazines have before they're out in stores. The comments could well have been made to EDGE, shortly after E3.

What Nintendo needs isn't a mass announcement of new internal projects but one that shows other publishers being fully on board for the course - even if the Wii caught them off guard with its success there's no excuse for the mayor publishers not having awoken 22 months post release.

RE4 and Red Steel selling over a million copies each on the platform is proof of an audience being there, but almost no one is making a serious effort of reaching them. Lazy.

Edit: I put a bit of blame on Nintendo for this situation, actually. I'm sure they could have gotten some more support if they would have tried harder and being more supportive (not that I know how much support they are giving at the moment :P)

/\ Missed the point /\

Good call scouserfuller9!

Or maybe they've developed a hardcore title so groundbreaking in its use of motion controls that they're keeping it secret so the other two Microsofts don't just roll out their photocopiers? Perhaps they're going to surprise us and do an Apple-style launch, without any prior warning? It's clear that Nintendo has learned a lot from Apple with the Wii, not just the aesthetics of the thing.

I have enough Wii/ GC games to go through anyway. In fact, if they announce F-Zero wii everything will be perfect...

To be fair on Nintendo's first party output they've always had a drought at this stage of their consoles' lifecycles.

The GameCube certainly went through a barren period once Wind Waker had come out and Mario Kart was the only big 1st party title for Christmas 2003. The N64 went through a similar phase too but had the benefit of frequent Rare releases.

Far from being a sign of Nintendo having gone for the so-called casual gamer it's just a predictable part of owning a Nintendo console. Perhaps Nintendo need to spend more time courting potential 2nd party developers or securing decent 3rd party exclusives for these periods when their own creations dry up.

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=269

WTF are you lot talking about?

You're all demanding core games from nintendo.. So they're making them.. but those types of games take a LONG time to make (unless you're churning out a halo every other year).

As for the comments going "we dont want another mario/zelda/whatever". Speak for your fucking selves. I dont want another halo - all 3 have played exactly the fucking same. Mario galaxy has some of the most innovative game design/levels i have ever played. Only a complete fucking moron would say it wasnt a great game and something we want more of.

Seems to me that the people who'll complain endlessly about nintendo doing lots of (very different) mario games - are the first people in line to buy the next carbon copy fps game which is the same as every other fucking fps before it.

Besides, everyone here seems to be quick to jump on nintendo for not making "enough" 1st party games.. How many 1st party microsoft games has the 360 had? Or the ps3 for that matter...

As for 3rd party games.. Didnt strongbad just get a good score of 8/10 this very day?

...who really wants to play games like Pro Evo with the Wii controls when it is so much better on the 360?


Metacritic:

Pro Evo Soccer 2008 360 - 76%
Pro Evo Soccer 2008 Wii - 83%


So erm.. how do you judge the 360 version to be (in your words) "so much better on the 360"? I presume you obviously havent played the superior wii version?

I agree, Nintendo shouldn't equate 'catering to core gamers' with 'another mario or zelda'.

Unfortunately, I think this is exactly what they do.

Jesus christ you fucking whinebabies shut the fuck up.

Do you know why Nintendo doesn't show off their new games like three years before they're released? In the process of letting their creative minds flourish, they change the game maybe even for the better but everyone gets their panties in a wad because they wanted another cookie cutter Zelda game, and when they finally do cave in and release Twilight Princess and Smash Bros. Brawl they bitch about how they don't change enough while praising Halo 3 for being the exact same bullshit that was released in 2004 but with prettier graphics and a new gun.

Everyone acts like it's the worst thing in the world that you have to wait a whole year before Nintendo releases another game, god forbid you actually have some patience and play other games in the time being, or even maintain some sort of contact with the outside world, it's not like games are the only source of entertainment. I mean for fuck's sake.

mario galaxy 2? awesome.

@Yash: +1
@Santino: +1 .. Although bare in mind this is nintendo.. I dont expect a direct sequel - i'm expecting completely new mechanics and stuff too!

It's not all Nintendos fault, it's easier for other companies to make gimmicky games. Although granted, Nintendo are encouraging it with stuff like Wii Fit.

"Everyone acts like it's the worst thing in the world that you have to wait a whole year before Nintendo releases another game, god forbid you actually have some patience and play other games in the time being"

Talk about willingly missing the point. I pay for a machine. They should give me the games or the machine doesn't warrant the purchase. You may be happy with waiting, I'm not. If I have to shell out some money, I expect several new HQ 1P games a year. If they fail in that, it is fair to criticise them when they attempt to hold up this blatant pr lie. Fair enough that they cut themselves off from their roots and went casual but please don't insult people.

"surely people don't just want another Mario and Zelda (especially the latter)?"

Umm... actually, I do. Especially Zelda. More than anything else Nintendo have in their stables. Zelda is pretty much one of Nintendo's most bankable titles, and Twilight Princess - although more a Greatest Hits than a fresh take on the forumla - is still one of the better games of the past few years.

Next Zelda I hope really pushes the series forward again though.

As for the odd comments angry that Nintendo has nothing good coming out - okay, guilty as charged for now. Games take time to put together. This year I think will be the turn of the 3rd-parties to show some muscle, and damn right they need to be showing it as well - there's plenty of really nice stuff coming out on the Wii if you look beyond the cheapp stuff (which is infecting everything right now, Nintendo aren't the only guilty party!).

Basically, Nintendo have thrown out some damn fine first-party titles. Now they need time to work on new stuff. And for now, the third parties are jumping into that gap (you'd almost think they were waiting for Nintendo to take a break from their big names!).

Of course, I'd love to have some idea of what Nintendo have in store, but at the same time - when you're trying to get other developers releasing stuff, it's not always good to announce something like a new Zelda (which would get blanket coverage to the point of inducing orgasms).

It sucks, I know. I hate it too. But Nintendo have the interests of the Wii at heart, and getting third parties to release stuff now is important. When Nintendo are ready, they will be ready, but I will say this. if they have a new Zelda in the pipeline, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NINTENDO DO NOT RUSH IT!!!

Like most Nintendo core gamer, i only bought nintendo consoles, after nintendo consoles, after nintendo consoles & so on & avoided other consoles, by having faith with nintendo pulling someting better out of the hat for us core gamers.

When I 1st heard that the wii's coming with it's hype, I thought WOW motion controls, they're really gonna take our core games to the next level & leaving console lovers gelious.
BANG!!! they concentrate on crap like wii music & get over the top with wii fit lol. It's all toooooo casaul for me.

So I think for the 1st time I'm gonna give microsoft ago (Since nintendo is taking time out). On the plus side my little girl is amost 3 & shes starting to enjoy the wii. So not a complete total lost lol.

WAKE ME UP WHEN THE CASAUL CRAP ENDS!!!

>So I think for the 1st time I'm gonna give microsoft ago

I wouldnt ... after my 6th (?!?!) repair from microsoft i'm selling the fucking unstable piece of shit and buying a ps3.


>I pay for a machine. They should give me the games or the machine doesn't warrant the purchase

So.. where are all these great first party xbox games that microsoft are giving you?

Be thankful nintendo still make games.. and are the biggest (and i say best) games developers out there. If they'd gone the microsoft/sony route and just relied on 3rd party games - gaming would be a bit boring and shit by now (only so many fps games one person can play!)

"Talk about willingly missing the point. I pay for a machine. They should give me the games or the machine doesn't warrant the purchase. You may be happy with waiting, I'm not. If I have to shell out some money, I expect several new HQ 1P games a year. If they fail in that, it is fair to criticise them when they attempt to hold up this blatant pr lie. Fair enough that they cut themselves off from their roots and went casual but please don't insult people."

You paid for the machine with the prospect of playing Nintendo games in the FUTURE, unless you bought Mario, Metroid, Zelda, Smash, etc. all at launch. It's called an investment. Don't worry, your machine isn't going to spontaneously combust if Nintendo doesn't release a new game for it every month. Within a six month time frame, Nintendo launched Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Mario Kart Wii. Their resources are exhausted and they're making your fucking core games. Tell you what, when the amount of "casual" games that Nintendo has made outnumbers the amount of "core" games you can start claiming that they've strayed from their original intention. Actually you can't, because Super Mario Bros. on the Famicom had the same purpose that Wii Sports does today, to attract new players to a medium that they weren't interested in before. If you're telling me that Super Mario Bros. isn't Nintendo's roots then you're either fucking crazy, stupid, or even both, which I'm betting is most likely.

"Do you know why Nintendo doesn't show off their new games like three years before they're released?"

Twilight Princess: first appearance - E3 2004, release date - December 2006. Just making a point, although I personally think they deliberately held back the GC release to make it a Wii launch title.

Also, we know that 1st party games take time to make, but it's been friggin' years since we've had a new F-Zero, Kid Icarus, Luigi, Pikmin, etc. What are these development teams doing then? The Wii has been out almost 2 years now; I think it's fair to expect more decent 1st party games on the way than there is.

As for the odd comments angry that Nintendo has nothing good coming out - okay, guilty as charged for now. Games take time to put together.

It is not a new surprising fact that games take time to put together. If Nintendo has no proper games out this Christmas, or at all in the forseeable future before next E3 time, it's because 18 months ago they decided it wasn't worth bothering to have any ready.

NOW, they've noticed that there's a tide of displeasure at this, and are paying lip-service to resuming business as usual, whilst producing zero evidence. Nintendo have vaguely said that they're working on new Mario / Zelda / Pikmin things, but knowing Nintendo there's up to a 50 percent chance they won't even be made. Remember the follow-up to Mario 64 for the gamecube? No you don't, because it never happened.

@ Mentalist - yeah, the elusive 'Mario 128', which Miyamoto never wanted to show incase competitors stole his ideas. Personally I reckon much or most of the game got shoved into Mario Galaxy.

If this is true and they don't have waggle then I'll be a happy man.

Perhaps it was the kick-off at E3? It'd be nice to think they listen to fans.