Nintendo: Project Cafe - Wii U

[NeverGoBak]

Guys.

Pokemon Snap 2.

[NeverGoBak]

just want to throw this in here..

At last night's Q&A session for Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto said he gave the development team for Skyward Sword a warning before development started.

According to Miyamoto, he told the team the game would be the best game ever made for the series, or there would be no more Zelda games.

He added that he told the Star Fox 3DS developers the same thing.

It isn't known if he was joking when he said it or not, but it's doubtful he was serious about canning two of the company's most successful franchises.

I was following the Q&A live, and the guys at IGN all seemed certain that he was just joking. I'd imagine it has to do with his tone of voice or something.

[SwooshBear]

Guys.

Pokemon Snap 2.

I would shit bricks if that happened

[crux]

I don't understand those that think Nintendo needs to go in a more "serious" direction. Am I the only one that have been disappointed that there are so few distinguishing factors between Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, as far as hardware is concerned? I think the amount of cross-platform games this generation is proof of that. What is so serious about a console that simply does nearly the exact same thing as the generations before, save for a new optical format and prettier graphics?

Wii was a mixed-bag, to be sure. I saw potential, but it was marred by limited technology (surely no Wii fans were excited that Move was an upgraded version of what the Wii could do) and Nintendo perhaps grabbing too much focus on its own first-party titles. I still think the controller could be used in many ways that few developers have taken advantage of, and whose fault that is I don't know. Whatever happened to that demo I saw of hobbyists who made a head tracker using the Wii controller in the opposite way as originally intended? Why haven't more good FPS games or adventure games or RTS games come out for the system? Regardless, it was the only system this generation to stand out. They did something new and they changed the industry in at least some capacity. The old "hardcore" games are still being released, yet new types of games have emerged as well. Whether you enjoy motion controls or not, is it hurting you in any significant way that they merely exist?

Furthermore, I see WiiU controller already as less of a gimmick as the Wii controller was before it. First, as a parent and husband, being able to play a next-gen game on a small screen while they watch or play what they want is already brilliant. But I see so much potential to use the screen for gaming too, and I don't understand those that merely pass it off. Chase Mii is already an amazing example, because it's a tried and tested example. It's a reiteration of Pac-Man Vs., one of the best multiplayer games I've ever played. What about Silent Scope? We'll never have a giant gun joystick, but that aside we could have a nearly arcade perfect adaptation that wouldn't be possible on any other console, right out of the box. No peripheral needed (though a clamshell gun seriously helps). Imagine the typical adventure game, that has you point and click around a room for clues. Why not search for the clues with the second screen? Imagine a first-player game, and being able to turn the camera to the left while simultaneously looking right with the second screen, to look for incoming enemies. Imagine Four Swords-esque co-op games, where each player gets their own screen. Never mind all the obvious and trivial uses, like menus and HUD displays.

I'm just a gamer. If I can come up with these ideas, surely developers could come up with more. I just don't see it as a gimmick. It's tried and tested technology, released right out of the box so that every single WiiU owner can take advantage of it.

[J T]

I am not dismissing it at all, but all those screens are basically using the Wii U to replace an on screen map or HUD, which seems much more cumbersome than just having an on screen map or HUD. I want to see some innovative and interesting things done with the Wii U, and so far I haven't seen anything that isn't smoother when done on screen or more interesting with a multitouch pad.

Several ideas that just pop off the top of my head easily:

-First person combat on TV screen, overhead map tactical strategy on the tablet. A game like Sanctum would be great on this because I could set my towers on the tablet while I defend from a first person perspective on the TV.

-Any game that utilizes taking pictures. Fatal Frame and Pokemon Snap have already been mentioned, but you can even get more creative with this concept with games like the upcoming indie game Snapshot.

-Multiplayer games where one person has access to secret information on the tablet that other players on the TV don't see. Perhaps a game like Spy Party where the spy needs to keep their identity secret and work their way through a room of NPCs while the other players on the TV try to find clues and ultimately hunt down the spy. It would even be good for a trivia game where one person has the answers in front of them and the other is blind to what's on the tablet, like $10,000 pyramid or something.

-Any game with a scope, secret decoder, x-ray specs, night vision, heat vision, etc. For example, Batman Arkham Asylum could have benefitted from a separate screen for some of the visual changes because it always bothered me that I could not longer appreciate the graphics of the main game because I was at a disadvantage if I didn't run around with night vision on all the time, which made the game uglier.

-Any game that uses drawing will be better with a stylus. Crayon Physics, Arx Fatalis, Okami, Mario Paint, Max and the Magic Marker all could have benefitted from a controller like this and the use of drawing as a means of controlling the game can be further expanded with this larger pad and a stylus.

-And yes, separate screens for HUDS, maps, character info, dialogue decision trees would all be nice. I've never liked having a cluttered screen when I don't need one. You're right that this doesn't add new functionality though, just better organization and utility.

[YoshiEgg25]

-Multiplayer games where one person has access to secret information on the tablet that other players on the TV don't see.

Madden will never be the same.

[Pulsar_t]

Just how many games did utilise the second DS screen in unique and innovative ways? Please don't expect the WiiU to be revolutionary, yes some titles will be tailored for the system but don't go expecting miracles.

[Ack]

To add to what JT mentioned, think about it being used as a drawing pad for a game like Jeopardy, so we could write our final answers. I know, lame idea that would require us to play a Jeopardy game, but it would give the game a more "realistic" atmosphere in relation to the show.

Also consider the possibility of games which don't really work split-screen, such as an RTS. Starcraft 64 had considerable issues, one of which was that fog of war was meaningless, as you could look at your opponent's screen at any given time to see what he was up to. But with this system you could actually play off the controller while the television shows highlights of the action which other folks simply watching the game might enjoy, sort of like a spectator mode. Or what about multiplayer FPS doing the same thing, where the television is used to show kill cam views for the crowd's amusement.

[J T]

-Multiplayer games where one person has access to secret information on the tablet that other players on the TV don't see.

Madden will never be the same.

Yes, a huddle screen could be cool in a multiplayer context. This would even be good for a capture the flag kind of game too.

[Inazuma]

The Wii U can do games in HD with traditional controls, just like the other consoles.
It can also do new and unique stuff involving all the features on the tablet controller.

If someone dislikes the Wii U because it brings with it the added possibility for new and different gaming experiences, you shouldn't like the PS3 or 360 either because they are just more restricted versions of the Wii U.

Which sounds better?

A) Cops & Robbers every time
or
B) A choice between Cops & Robbers and Hide and Go Seek?

When the Wii U is released, we will have three different consoles that can all do HD games with traditional controls, or with motion controls. The only difference is one of those consoles can also do unique stuff with its 6" touchscreen.

The funny thing is, the people who complain about the new Wii U controller will change their tune when Sony and Microsoft release their own versions of it.