Toadthemushroom
Member
Oh wow. That's actually pretty cool that they made a specific icon for the Switch version. It'd just fit in better on OSes that use icons like this in general to display a large grid, like the 3DS or Wii U.
Snake Pass, and how a bad home menu icon drags down my enjoyment of a game
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Oh wow. That's actually pretty cool that they made a specific icon for the Switch version. It'd just fit in better on OSes that use icons like this in general to display a large grid, like the 3DS or Wii U.
Little Inferno and Human Resource Machine are like this also, I wonder why nobody seems to have brought them up (probably because so few people bothered to pick them up on Switch, which is a real shame).
It's not that they're bad, but...it's super inconsistent with other games' icons. It'd be nice if the icons for these two, Snake Pass, and Sonic Mania were more consistent with other Switch icon designs, I agree.
Holy shit. Those are embarrassingly bad. Hard pass. The Sonic Mania one looks like shit too, but it's nowhere near these and Snake Pass.
Retro City Rampage is also just an ugly crop of the main character without any logo.
The devs read this topic and decided to fuck with us 😱
The à¹ÛBronx
Member
Are you intentionally trolling or just shifting the goalposts of the discussion to suit you? There is no outrage in this thread, your original point is moot. If you're incapable of sticking to the topic then perhaps ignore the thread next time.
- People discussing an icon
- Someone unrelated coming in, calling people toxic and referring to 'outrage culture' when there's no sign of it in the thread.
Pretty apparent which is of more detriment to a mature community. You're either trolling or just missing the part where you're engaging in the thing you claim to dislike.
Little Inferno and Human Resource Machine are like this also, I wonder why nobody seems to have brought them up (probably because so few people bothered to pick them up on Switch, which is a real shame).
It's not that they're bad, but...it's super inconsistent with other games' icons. It'd be nice if the icons for these two, Snake Pass, and Sonic Mania were more consistent with other Switch icon designs, I agree.
I'm convinced. This needs to go. BOOOO.
Joey Jo-Jo Jr
Member
The ๖ۜBronx;246248284 said:
Not trolling. Perhaps I misjudged the tone of this thread. If so, please accept my apologies.
You don't say.
The à¹ÛBronx
Member
It's fine. Criticisms don't mean outrage and people are free to criticize whatever they like. We should be critical as well, it leads to better products and expectations.
The switch to outrage is if it were approached as "Whoever did this needs to die in a pit, how could someone be this fucking dumb", or "Can't believe they would ruin their game like this".
OP may indicate that it affects the game negatively but it's in a calm manner and referencing himself and his own views. He is aiming to foster a discussion instead of making a strong statement and that being that.
For me outrage culture is the inability to discuss issues beyond repeating what you don't like and instead maintaining a level of hatred and venom that's entirely out of perspective compared to the issue involved. It's about being the loudest and most disruptive, not looking for discussion or a solution.
Mech.E. Risarovi
Neo Member
But details make perfection. And we cannot understand what makes you (in case you are from Sumo Digital) change from a great looking icon to a really awful one (and it's not even a discussion, everyone thinks it looks terrible).
Of course the important it's the game itself. But people (and I am one of them) usually care about aesthetics and they like their Switch Homescreen to look as great and neat as possible.
If most icons (I don't know if it's a Nintendo's recommendation or not) have the name of the game and a nice and charming image, I can't see why break that rule.
And I don't like the Sonic Mania icon, it's way nicer, but it's annoying too.
TheGreatMightyPoo
Banned
I find that less offensive than the Sonic one, at least theres art gone into the whole tile and it isn't just a big face slapped onto a background
Is it that hard to make something more than a slapdash render on a colored background?
ZombiePlatypus
Member
I think the reason Sonic's and Snake Pass's icons might look jarring to some is that they don't have any text or logos on them. (I personally don't mind and like them both. I'll never not enjoy Noodle's goofy af face, and Sonic's just ooze's that 90's pop art aesthetic.)
The à¹ÛBronx
Member
As a designer I find the mild arrogance on some of these icons to be quite irritating personally. Like, yeh, it's your game but you're also putting your tile in a space that will go alongside many others that you have no influence over. Your goal should be consistency and format, not just whatever you think looks cool.
At some point the icon was designed and a conscious decision was made for it to not follow guidelines or the prevailing style. Either that or they didn't think about in what capacity it would be shown, which is probably worse.
D.Lo
Member
RCR at least has art, but needs the damn game title. In a few years in the inevitable sea of 8-bit looking indie games on the Switch it will be lost in a sea of them in the 'show all software' screen.
The ridiculous part about Snake Pass is it had a perfectly great, normal, nice looking icon, and it was updated to the POS.
Yep, it gives me the impression they want to feel like they're artistic geniuses for their 'iconic minimalism'. But if fucking Mario Kart can have the title in the icon, cookie cutter retro indie game 37 can too.The ๖ۜBronx;246248856 said:
The Neo Geo games do have crap icons too actually, they look like the barebones emulator shovelware they are (and I have bought three of them like a sucker...)
I'm agree, but it still looks like an avatar between games. They have alternative icons more appropriate.
Retro Edge
Member
Nitpicking? In the age where more and more people buy digitally, the icon is all what is left of the feeling "this is my collection, these are my games and these are the cover of my games". If they looks like shit, or like a phone app, they ruin the last surviving factor of collecting.
One of the first big supporter of downloadable games, Microsoft, with the Xbox 360 got this right from the get go.
I'm agree, but it still looks like an avatar between games. They have alternative icons more appropriate.
Yeah don't get me wrong the one you posted is way better and it should be that, but it doesn't scream mobile game as much as Sonic or Snake Pass
That's the icon for Human Resource Machine (also by Tomorrow Corporation, and pretty great, too); Little Inferno's icon is to the left of it in the image I posted.
stan423321
Member
I think something bigger is going on here. Basically it appears that indie games (including indie developed ones like Sonic Mania) overwhelmingly ignore those recommendations, which would normally not be particularly shocking, but combined with Snake Pass icon changing instead of just shipping "ugly" I can form two outlandish theories.
Theory one, developers started to read into docs and realize that "you accept the risk of your title standing out with simple icon" sounded more like an opportunity to them. The fact more of them did that made it not work, but they went with it nonetheless as that's the style used mostly everywhere else.
Theory two, Nintendo's recommended style actually changed because of planned UI changes or consumer usage analysis, and we're seeing it first on indie titles because they do this thing last, while big parallelised devs submit them earlier.
Theory one, developers started to read into docs and realize that "you accept the risk of your title standing out with simple icon" sounded more like an opportunity to them. The fact more of them did that made it not work, but they went with it nonetheless as that's the style used mostly everywhere else.
Theory two, Nintendo's recommended style actually changed because of planned UI changes or consumer usage analysis, and we're seeing it first on indie titles because they do this thing last, while big parallelised devs submit them earlier.
ItalianJoe83
Member
Reading the thread title I thought for a moment that Konami was shittyfing on Metal Gear franchise even more...
Sonic Mania's icon could be better, but the problem is that to this day Snake Pass is the only game that updated its icon making it worse. All those other games had the bad icon from the start.
Also no good reasons were given and the devs refused to change it back even after it was universally panned.
Also no good reasons were given and the devs refused to change it back even after it was universally panned.
ScientificPizza
Banned
that looks very bad but retro city rampage is a very bad game so it's fitting
The_Endgamer
Member
Not having the name of the game and that big ass head irks me.
I haven't played it since they've changed it so maybe subconsciously hated the change. I would seriously consider deleting it soon if I saw it too much but luckily its not on my recently played list so not displaying on the left side.
I haven't played it since they've changed it so maybe subconsciously hated the change. I would seriously consider deleting it soon if I saw it too much but luckily its not on my recently played list so not displaying on the left side.
I know you were already called out for this and apologised, but this was still such a ridiculous statement even if you "misjudged the tone of this thread".
The toxic elements of "gaming culture" involve criminal elements like harassment and swatting. This thread is just a critique on a small element of a game. Not even close to the same ball park.
If anything, the more toxic element I've noticed of late is this need for others to shutdown any form of negativity in gaming discussion. You know what they call that? Censorship.
Aw, I like RCR. It's great value for the price too! It's always surprising to see so much negativity around the game on GAF when it's positively received almost everywhere else.
Messofanego
Banned
Oh ok, my bad! I saw the familiar character and thought why is he holding a cube? lol
Waluigilicious
Member
So much better! I wish Nintendo made it mandatory that a logo is necessary.
JODOROWSKY51
Member
I can't quote everyone as there's a lot, but thanks for the responses, even if some came off as rude.
Personally though, I love gameplay. It's art to me. If I could sacrifice everything other than just pure gameplay I would. So if you were to put the worst icon on the best playing game, I wouldn't care for he slightest, but obviously that's just me.
I worked on De Mambo by the way as someone above thought I was from Sumo!
Personally though, I love gameplay. It's art to me. If I could sacrifice everything other than just pure gameplay I would. So if you were to put the worst icon on the best playing game, I wouldn't care for he slightest, but obviously that's just me.
I worked on De Mambo by the way as someone above thought I was from Sumo!
-shadow-
Member
Seeing this bumped I knew it would be because if Sonic. I think it's alright, but really hope that they'll change to to either just the logo, or the one with all three characters on it. It's weird that they went with this one on the Switch when on Xbox they use a different one, and on the official Nintendo website also.
I think it's this if they hasn't changed.
If thats the case then would love to hear from JODOROWSKY51 about the thought process behind going with that instead of the one I posted which is pretty good
Waluigilicious
Member
Which group of games look more appealing? Keep in mind physical games seem to always use the logo of the game but I didn't use any.
In the first image I purposefully put Sonic first because I didn't want the other games to get away with their title being displayed at the top, to showcase how silly it is to not have the logo there when your game isn't iconic.
In the second image I purposefully put Use Your Words first as technically it also uses a single image - but it happens to also be the logo. This does look a bit cheap but not as much as the ones above.
In the first image I purposefully put Sonic first because I didn't want the other games to get away with their title being displayed at the top, to showcase how silly it is to not have the logo there when your game isn't iconic.
In the second image I purposefully put Use Your Words first as technically it also uses a single image - but it happens to also be the logo. This does look a bit cheap but not as much as the ones above.
The à¹ÛBronx
Member
The second, by far. The first is a nice novelty but not practical over time and with larger amounts of games. The second can, and often does, look just as nice in its presentation (may require some level of effort on the part of the designer though) while still being cohesive and giving you the information you need to quickly access.
I'd say the 1st image is a profile icon select screen, and the 2nd image is a game select screen
Sorry JODOROWSKY51 but that icon for De Mambo is terrible, i'd delete the game just so my 3 year old didn't have to look at it as I think its actually a bit scary
The_Endgamer
Member
The 2nd where you can see the logos is way more attention grabbing. You are more informed by just looking at the picture whereas you can't say the same for the 1st collection of games.
Why do designers want to willingly give less information about their products? All seems weird to me. The whole 'tiles' trend on MS systems is one of the most useless + unnecessarily confusing formats/styes ever. Nintendo products don't need it.
The à¹ÛBronx
Member
It doesn't, but it can be irritating. As for how, I believe that's covered in the OP. He explains why he finds it annoying, as others have done in the thread.
Oh man, Snake Pass one is even more irritating than I thought.
Thought the point was about logos being removed, but I can now see it appears a smaller square than the others and what looks like an empty space around the white border too.
That De Mambo one is terrible too for not having a logo, I had no clue what that game was just looking at the icon.
Thought the point was about logos being removed, but I can now see it appears a smaller square than the others and what looks like an empty space around the white border too.
That De Mambo one is terrible too for not having a logo, I had no clue what that game was just looking at the icon.
Has anyone considered that Nintendo has released (misguided) guidelines for developers of certain 'value' games to be iconed in a different way to retail games. I'm not suggesting there's a rule, as there's too much inconsistency, but possibly there's some developer help information somewhere about the best way to design icons. The only reason I considered this is because its weird that so many of these small indie titles (yes including sonic mania) are doing this. Unless its a design trend born out of app icons,
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