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+--- Thread: Nintendo Direct for January (/showthread.php?tid=6799)
Nintendo Direct for January - Dark Jaguar - 15th January 2015
There's a lot to digest here, and I like a lot of it.
Firstly, let me get this out of the way. Amiibo are really getting pushed hard with the upcoming games. This is to be expected, but it's starting to go the direction I feared, with Amiibo functionality basically working as $13 DLC. Project S.T.E.A.M. (probably won't add the dots in the future when I type that name) for example uses Fire Emblem amiibos to put the character in the game. It's just an unlock for additional characters. Borrowing them just to unlock isn't even a solution, as you need to scan them in every single level. It's not exactly a good solution for "on the go" gaming... Captain Toad will use the amiibo to unlock a whole treasure hunting sub-game in the game. This sort of use is basically what I don't like about these game compatible toys, they don't really add anything except something to monetize right now. As I've said before, I really wish they'd do this the other way, make games that add things to the TOYS (meaning, better quality toys that actually move around and do stuff).
Okay, that's out of the way. The new 3DS (called the "new 3DS", because apparently Nintendo didn't learn from Apple that ambiguous names just confuse consumers) is coming along next month. Actually, the vast majority of game announcements in this direct are 3DS releases. I am very likely to pick one up. The downsides? Firstly, Nintendo isn't including an AC adapter with this model. It's a cost cutting measure, but I think not a very good one. It's true that, in my case, I can just grab one of my 3 older DSi/3DS adapters (I have a problem) to use with this thing. In fact, that's exactly what I'm going to do. However, those with the original DS, say, that are only just now deciding to upgrade to a 3DS (perhaps they've been waiting for just such an upgrade) won't be able to use those adapters. The Gameboy line didn't include AC adapters either, but then again they weren't exactly needed until the Advance SP, when Nintendo first decided to switch to rechargeable batteries. Japan's 3DS models have already stopped including the adapter, and the US 3DSs no longer include the recharging cradle, so I guess this was inevitable, but it's still a bitter pill to swallow for those just now getting on the 3DS train. The good news is the new model includes a 4 GB SD card. The bad news, for some, is Nintendo decided to commit to microSD rather than the "full size" variety. Frankly, this was a long time coming. Pretty much everyone else is using microSD, and at least from Sandisk, the same capacity and speed costs the same amount either size factor. In fact, for me this is a non-issue. I'm currently using a 64 GB "Ultra Speed" microSD in my current 3DS. Seeing these sitting on a store shelf, noting that the prices were identical, and that ALL of Sandisk's microSD cards come with an adapter for the normal size, I had no reason whatsoever NOT to just go the micro route. Also, better compatibility with other devices (I have "priority levels" for my stuff, so as I get newer microSD cards, I end up shuffling every other one around down to the one I least care about having high capacity (my DSi, for the record, and yes, I always get microSD so I've got enough size adapters lying around to accommodate Wii, Wii U, 3ds, and DSi needs, and one I tossed into my PS3 SD slot because... well otherwise it would have ended up in some drawer, it might as well go somewhere).
So those two downsides aside, I'm hearing a lot of praise for the remodel. Everyone is talking about how wonderful the eye-tracking 3D is. It's great and all, but I have one nagging fear. I have no idea what light conditions or contrast I need for the eye tracking to work. I tend to do a lot of playing at night, with my room's lights out, in my bed. Is this thing set up so that it can track with nothing but the glare of the screen reflecting off my eyes? If not, well that could be a problem. The new "nub-as-C" design is a little odd as well. I still wish a full fledged circle pad had been put in, but all reports say it works well enough. The extra shoulder buttons are sure to help a lot though. I actually like their positioning, using one index finger to press both of either side's shoulder buttons works very well, as I can attest from the original Wii classic controller (non-pro). A few extremely recent 3DS games actually take a good long while to "load". Even more odd, when these "long startup" 3DS games are closed, it goes through load times with a black screen just to reload the system OS again. My instincts tell me it's likely due to newer 3DS games using some sort of programming trick to free up extra RAM (very likely, it's removing large chunks of the base OS stored in the system's RAM and loading that up with game related data, then when someone quits, it has to remove chunks of the game data and reload those sections of the OS, explaining the "unload times"). The system is a must if only for the exclusives that require that extra horsepower, but mainly I would recommend this as the one to get for those who haven't already picked one up yet.
Alongside this system, well games. Majora's Mask 3D seems to be a more extensive overhaul than OOT 3D was. Ocarina of Time had very slight graphical updates, while the gameplay (other than new interface options that I still haven't really gotten used to) was essentially identical, block for block, backflipping trick to backflipping trick (on top of Dodongo's Cave) to the N64 original. Majora's Mask is not only a bit more extensive on the graphical updates (only a bit more, still not exactly a full graphical redo), but they've been working on a lot of other features. From what I've seen, aside from the UI changes (the bomber's notebook is a bit easier to navigate with a touch screen, although most reporting sites are describing it as though it didn't even exist in the original), they're relocating a lot of things, like NPCs, and changing some maps up. The save statues are now expanded, with no "auto delete on continue" mechanic. One can still save anywhere using the song of time, if they wish. They've also added some new gameplay features like a fishing mini-game straight from OOT. This thing is getting it's own special edition new 3DS (sadly, they dropped the ball here, as the special edition Majora's Mask 3DS does NOT come with Majora's Mask). As of now, every place everywhere forever is sold out of the special editions of both the game and the 3DS itself. Good luck finding it NEVER!
(Preorder Project STEAM and you'll get a Majora's Mask pin. That's... a little weird. Why not give us a clockwork stovepipe hat?)
Monster Hunter 4 is coming out too, with it's own special edition 3DS. This 3DS DOES include the game it is based on. Consistency Nintendo, look it up! Also, this 3DS (but not the Majora's Mask one) is a gamestop exclusive. So, yay? I think these weird Gamestop exclusive deals are how Nintendo managed to quell Gamestop's requests for "preorder exclusive DLC" (which Nintendo has so far not engaged in, thankfully).
I think I really want that squid style paintgun game a lot now. Like, a bunch of a lot. Nintendo managed to Nintendo themselves up a replacement shooter franchise after the loss of Rare (Rare, subsequently lost to everyone ELSE in the world as every interesting person at that company left).
Mario has been in puzzle games (Dr. Mario, Yoshi, Yoshi's Cookie), and he's been in RPGs (Super Mario RPG, Paper, & Luigi), but hey, here's a Mario puzzle RPG! It's Bejeweled, no wait it's Puzzle Quest, but I still just must play it. It looks very addicting.
Yet another Lemmings style Mario vs Donkey Kong game... Why won't this series try something different? No, turning "Upvotes" into currency doesn't count. At least it'll be an interesting experiment in getting creators more interested in the opinions of other players.
Hmm, so Nintendo ripped off Candy Crush, but with Pokemon? I gotta say, if they put this on a cel phone I'd call this a brilliant move. As it stands, I don't think it'll take off very well. In fact, I really hope it fails. I don't want Nintendo to learn that "microtransactions" work. I want them to try it, fail with this game to get ANYONE to "buy" retries, and never try microtransactions again. Seriously, this is probably the most worrying of Nintendo's newly announced games, in that if it actually succeeds, we're all in trouble.