The Nintendo Wii U is Great Thread

[Thrik]

I did misspell "hate" as "have", but if you mean the Mario 3 Part 3, it was pretty obvious that the game takes mostly elements from Super Mario 3 in almost every aspect except now it's 3D. It feels like a Super Mario 3 sequel to me at least, in the same way the 3DS was, which practically spelled it out with the raccoon suit theme?

 

And yeah, the  Mario Bros. levels in NES Remix were the worst, but at least the game doesn't force you to play all the games, you only need a certain number of stars to unlock the ending, so maybe it's possible to skip one whole game all together?

 

That's cool. I intentionally hold out on watching footage of Nintendo's main franchises because I love experiencing the wonder for myself, so I didn't have much of an idea of what the game's overall theme is.

 

My personal favourite Mario game of all time is Super Mario World closely followed by its sequel, so I've been really hoping that a game will return to that setting one day. I'm not even sure what it is that makes that game's feel so unique, because objectively it's not that different to the Bros games. I guess the enemies are all fairly different, aside from the Koopas. Maybe it's also good old-fashioned nostalgia.

 

Anyway, I loved Super Mario Bros 3 too (certainly much more than its predecessors) so it's all good. I kind of feel like New Super Mario Bros was a spiritual sequel to that though, so I was hoping for another visit to my beloved Dinosaur Land.

[JonCole]

Capcom is juicing their VC selection this year (Source):

 

Capcom doesn't have dates ready, but they should release before the end of 2014. This is the list of confirmed titles coming to North American Wii Us:

• Breath of Fire (Wii U)
• Demon's Crest (Wii U)
• Gargoyle's Quest II (3DS, Wii U)
• Mega Man 5 (Wii U)
• Mega Man 6 (Wii U)
• Mega Man 7 (Wii U)
• Mega Man X3 (Wii U)
• Mega Man Zero (Wii U)
• Mega Man Battle Network (Wii U)
• Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge (Wii U)
• Mighty Final Fight (3DS, Wii U)
• Street Fighter 2010 (3DS, Wii U)

 

Zero with a proper controller should be fun, and I haven't played X3 much despite playing X like crazy and X2 a bit.

[N1njaSquirrel]

I wonder how many of them will be coming over to the UK?

 

Currently I'm playing Earthbound, as I've never played it before. I don't even have the foggiest idea what makes this game so great, but I guess I'm finding out? Just got to the Happy Home Village and I'm kinda creeped out. Still enjoying it though.

[Merus]

By the Happy Home Village you should have a good idea of what makes Earthbound rad; you have no idea what could possibly be coming next, but it still feels like part of a whole.

[Tanukitsune]

Does anybody have a cover for the tablet? I'm not sure it will shatter to pieces if I drop it, but it's black and it's summer and it's getting.... sweat smudges... :|

[Justin Leego]

Towel?

[tegan]

Gaming Towel.

 

Oh yeah, Tanukitsune, be sure to check out the Deluxe Digital Promotion. Deluxe Wii U owners get a 10% credit rebate for everything they get in the Wii U eshop (including games that they get for free through other promotions), and I'm pretty sure that includes Europe as well. It's a limited time thing that started when the console launched and ends in December, so act fast.

[Tanukitsune]

If I understand it well, I get the 10% off get turned into point and once it reaches 500 I get a 5€ discount on my next purchase?

 

You're right about the free games, I reached 500 points with the free Pikmin 3 I got from Mario Kart 8!

[tegan]

Thank fucking goodness.

 

Aonuma: Yes. When we created Skyward Sword, I really felt the need to make sure that everyone playing the game understood it. But I also understand now, in hindsight, that when you go out and buy a game, you buy the game because you want to play it, and you don't want to have any obstacles in the way.

 

When he says "obstacles," I hope Aonuma means "giant-ass Wii remote overlay onscreen at all times that you weren't allowed to turn off until several hours into the game."

 

[RubixsQube]

Sometimes, I think it must be hard to be Modern Nintendo, since you've got to deal with the fact that you have such a broad range in ages you have to appeal to. I don't need my hand held in a game, but I also know that if I were to pick up Skyward Sword right now I'd probably have forgotten a lot of the weird controls. But, there are younger fans who played with their parents and they probably needed the giant overlay. I am hoping that Nintendo learns from their own past - early Nintendo did a great job of walking people through how to control their games in a natural way, without repetitive tutorials. In Super Mario Bros 1, you learn to jump and run naturally in level 1-1. There are ways to incorporate the how-to-play portion of the game into the gameplay without it feeling like an hours-long tutorial. Maybe even give us an option from the outset: "have you played a Zelda game before?" to determine how much "this is how you swing a sword! This is what a rupee is!" bullshit they present. 

[SecretAsianMan]

The article itself mentions how they did it in Link Between Worlds.  In that game, there were hint ghosts that were totally optional (I didn't use any of them myself when I played).  That meant they didn't have to flood the game with needless tutorials for those that already knew how to play, but still had the information available for those that needed it.  I don't think that was the most elegant solution because you'd still have to find the ghost who could give you the info you need, but it's better than endless text boxes telling me to push A a thousand times.

 

Also I want other developers to start saying this too.  I don't need a tutorial level for every game.  I've played a shooter before.  I know that left click/right trigger shoots the gun.  It's just like every other game made for the last 10 years.

[undermind9]

i forgot about that HUD overlay, ugh.  i was playing The Legend of Zelda (NES 1986) the other night...actually on a NES...

 

he game is still great, but the lack of hand-holding is the best part.  if someone doesnt realize that in the opening screen the small black box in the wall is a door - foreseeably you could die repeatedly for a long time never gaining a rupee or items.  The old man shows up with some cryptic hints...but nothing like a bold-colored text saying exactly what to do next

 

Also, the bosses are ridiculous. The dungeon-4 Hydra kept crushing me and i couldnt remember a 100 rupee treasure location to get the damage reduction ring, i am going to have to get my brothers garage code to get back in and finish =D

[lobotomy42]

In Super Mario Bros 1, you learn to jump and run naturally in level 1-1. There are ways to incorporate the how-to-play portion of the game into the gameplay without it feeling like an hours-long tutorial. Maybe even give us an option from the outset: "have you played a Zelda game before?" to determine how much "this is how you swing a sword! This is what a rupee is!" bullshit they present. 

 

I don't know, I'm glad they're moving away from tutorials, but I think there's an element of nostalgia at play here.  When I was 8 years old, I thought Super Mario Bros was the coolest thing, but I don't think I ever learned all the controls or made it past world 1-3 until I was in high school or college, playing it as a "retro" throwback.  And the control cruft on Zelda games has piled up over the years.  If I were just starting my first game at Skyward Sword.....oof, I don't even know.

[Griddlelol]

I don't see how the broad age range has much to do with the need for over-tutorialisation. When I was a kid I picked up games instantaneously because I pressed every button until I got it working. Which generally took about 5 minutes. Now I'm more timid with jabbing at buttons, but already know the gaming language and so there's no need to worry about tutorials. 

Tutorials in my mind are basically for adults who don't game/haven't gamed in a long time. 

 

ALBW was great at tutorials. It pretty much just asked "Do you know how to play? Cool, you do? Let's go." That's how every game should do it. 

[coaxmetal]

I did just buy a Wiiu (got the 2 hundo refurbished one from nintendo). I bought it specifically for Bayonetta 2, but that isn't out yet of course. I got Mario Kart 8 and as my free game got Windwaker HD. I never played the original, so I will probably play that. The tablet is actually pretty neat, even though its gimmicky. Might have to get a pro controller or whatever they are calling it now to play Bayonetta though, we'll see.

[RubixsQube]

I'm skeptical about using ALBW as a template for 3D Zelda games, and I think that I do agree with lobotomy's point about retro games being buoyed by nostalgia. They were simpler games, overall, and you tended to stick with a game and learn it's nuances because you had no other choice. I wonder what type of games testing Nintendo runs - do they ask people who've never played a game to playtest the game? How often do the playtesters and designers actually play the start of a Zelda game? Whenever I encounter something tedious in a game I'm playing, I always wonder who it's for, and why was it left in. Are there people hired specifically to try to edit this sort of thing out? There should be. Listen to me naively spout nonsense about game programming!

[N1njaSquirrel]

From what I remember of the info that's been teased out of Platinum games, the touch pad is used to perform some sort of special climax attack. climax overdrive. I think?

 

So I doubt the pro controller will work very well.

 

I just finished WWHD, and it's ace. My only problem with it is that using any button which isn't R for weapons that require aiming is really hard, especially the bow and arrow. This is because the stick used to aim is above the face buttons, so you kinda have to press x, aim, then press x again with the same finger, if that makes sense. As for the bow and arrow, loading an arrow is the best way to get accuracy, as the tip of the arrow is where it'll hit. You can only load an arrow by holding down the weapon button.

[SecretAsianMan]

From what I remember of the info that's been teased out of Platinum games, the touch pad is used to perform some sort of special climax attack. climax overdrive. I think?

 

So I doubt the pro controller will work very well.

 

I just finished WWHD, and it's ace. My only problem with it is that using any button which isn't R for weapons that require aiming is really hard, especially the bow and arrow. This is because the stick used to aim is above the face buttons, so you kinda have to press x, aim, then press x again with the same finger, if that makes sense. As for the bow and arrow, loading an arrow is the best way to get accuracy, as the tip of the arrow is where it'll hit. You can only load an arrow by holding down the weapon button.

 

I played Bayonetta on the 360 and the special attacks were performed by pressing two buttons at the same time plus some kind of quick time event thing if necessary.  Presumably you could do the same with the pro controller.

 

I still haven't finished Wind Waker HD yet, but I ended up using the motion sense for aiming specifically because it avoids the issue you described.

[Griddlelol]

I love the tablet as a controller. It feels so nice to use! I bought the pro controller but still prefer the tablet.

In other news. OMG the levels after the final boss in 3d world are SO HARD. I feel like a complete baby now. My platforming ability has always been bad but even the first level took me to school and basically said "you suck at this game, uninstall and kill yourself."

Fuck Nintendo, you've done good.

[tegan]

In other news. OMG the levels after the final boss in 3d world are SO HARD. I feel like a complete baby now. My platforming ability has always been bad but even the first level took me to school and basically said "you suck at this game, uninstall and kill yourself."

Fuck Nintendo, you've done good.

 

Some of the final levels of that game are absolute motherfuckers. Protip: You'll want to go back to 3-1 to Collect Tanooki Leaves and either 1-1 or Mushroom-2 to collect Bells as often as possible since those two powerups are invaluable.

[Griddlelol]

I always feel like I'm cheating when I use power-ups. Maybe I need to ditch that mentality because the levels are so incredibly hard. It's like, if the level gives me a power-up, I'll use it, but I feel like I shouldn't bring one in because the level wasn't designed with me using that in mind.

[N1njaSquirrel]

I played Bayonetta on the 360 and the special attacks were performed by pressing two buttons at the same time plus some kind of quick time event thing if necessary.  Presumably you could do the same with the pro controller.

 

I still haven't finished Wind Waker HD yet, but I ended up using the motion sense for aiming specifically because it avoids the issue you described.

 

Sorry, I meant a new special attack. It's more powerful than the one in the first game. I think. Or it's been reimagined? I can't remember, but I do remember them saying it'll use the pad.

 

Whether it will also support the pro pad, i don't know. I assume the first bayonetta game will, which comes with it.

 

I didn't use the motion sensor coz I don't like any movement whilst playing games XD How is it?

[coaxmetal]

Sorry, I meant a new special attack. It's more powerful than the one in the first game. I think. Or it's been reimagined? I can't remember, but I do remember them saying it'll use the pad.

 

Whether it will also support the pro pad, i don't know. I assume the first bayonetta game will, which comes with it.

 

I didn't use the motion sensor coz I don't like any movement whilst playing games XD How is it?

 

from what I recall of the nintendo's e3 stream of bayonetta, I think that the tablet is optional, I want to say they were using pro controllers, but i'm not sure. I'll see how I like the feel of tablet anyway, maybe ill get used to it and wont need a pro controller. It doesn't feel bad as a controller, all the inputs are great. Just kind of unweildy.

[tegan]

Personally I find that the gamepad motion controls are the ideal way to aim in Zelda. I use the stick for big sweeping motions like turning all the way around, but the motion controls are subtle and tailor-made for fine aiming.

[coaxmetal]

can you use the motion controls without a sensor bar?