-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Is Nintendo EAD still the best developer in the world?
- Thread starter Shikamaru Ninja
- Start date
Most certainly yes. You may have companies which have put out a better library altogether (Sony comes to mind with their Ratchet & Clank games, Ico, Mark of Kri, and Gran Turismo games), but when you split them up, no one really can hold a candle to them. Insomniac's made two of my favorite platformers this gen, but they haven't done anything else outside of that. Nintendo EAD has made platformers, adventure games, racing games, and strategy games which have been consistently high quality and fun for the past four years. I honestly cannot think of another company to be quite as good in a variety of genres except maybe Nintendo's Intelligent Systems. Even there, it's varieties of RPGs they are involved with (except for the two Metroid games they've done).
This year they've made two great games in Pikmin 2 and Four Swords Adventures. These games tell me that when EAD is not being rushed, they prove to the world that they are the best.
This year they've made two great games in Pikmin 2 and Four Swords Adventures. These games tell me that when EAD is not being rushed, they prove to the world that they are the best.
well, i'm just saying that there isn't any point in comparing ead to, say, amusement vision. that ead releases so many more games is simply because they're so much bigger. and that they're so much bigger is just an artifact of the way nintendo is organized. so i guess you could make the case that ead is the best development team in the world, but if they don't make any of the best games in the world, is that at all meaningful?
i don't really keep on which studio does what, but i'm sure kcet has been better than ead this gen. mgs 2 and 3, contra: ss and neo contra, zoe 2. gradius v falls under their umbrella as well, even if they didn't develop it. if they did the gba castlevanias, it isn't even close.
i don't really keep on which studio does what, but i'm sure kcet has been better than ead this gen. mgs 2 and 3, contra: ss and neo contra, zoe 2. gradius v falls under their umbrella as well, even if they didn't develop it. if they did the gba castlevanias, it isn't even close.
Mama Smurf
My penis is still intact.
I don't think there can be any doubt that EAD are the best when it comes to making so many different genres, some of which they've never even come close to touching before, and coming out with good, fun games.
Hell, they can even do cool better than most when they want to (see new Zelda and 1080).
Hell, they can even do cool better than most when they want to (see new Zelda and 1080).
TheGreenGiant
Banned
YES.
drohne said:
Since you know all the titles that are planned for the DS, kindly share so the rest of us can draw our own conclusions. Or were you talking about the tech demos? Of course, every system is going to have a Zelda, Mario/Kart, and Metroid being developed for it as they are Nintendo's flagship IP's, but it's what is announced after those that will show the dedication Nintendo has to the DS.
EAD's problem is a simple one to fix. Tell the producers/directors to stop trying to mimic Miyamoto. There is only one Miyamoto, and the sooner they accept this and bring their own ideas and concepts to the table, the sooner they'll be producing exciting games again.
Hell yes, Super Mario Sunshine is easily the best platformer this generation and one of my favourite games ever, and Wind Waker is amazing, its such an amazing game to look at and play, it has the best graphics i've ever seen and it really brings the world alive. Pikmin, the most innovative game in years, is also brilliant, and I can't wait to play Pikmin 2. No other developer comes close to EAD.
yeah, i think i'm going to duck out of this topic. :lol i've made my case, but i don't expect to change anyone's mind. particularly not the sorts of minds that have only been exposed to nintendo games.
i will say this: sales and critical appraisals won't immediately reflect a franchise's decline. those indicators tend to lag. if nintendo's games have gotten worse -- and they have -- the sales and reviews will follow in several years, not now.
and anyway, the most successful and critically acclaimed publisher in the business right now is ea. and their games all suck. to the last one.
i will say this: sales and critical appraisals won't immediately reflect a franchise's decline. those indicators tend to lag. if nintendo's games have gotten worse -- and they have -- the sales and reviews will follow in several years, not now.
and anyway, the most successful and critically acclaimed publisher in the business right now is ea. and their games all suck. to the last one.
drohne said:
Yes, let's all talk about open-minded people. You know, it is possible to enjoy Nintendo games, think they're the best at it, and not be a moron.
It's also possible to not enjoy Nintendo games, not think they're the best at it, and not be a moron (like a good friend of mine).
You brought up a good point with KCET. They have brought out consistently good games across different genres as well. I was thinking hard about who was as good as EAD this gen, and I honestly couldn't pick one single developer. Sony as a whole, I'd say can counter Nintendo as a whole, but not just one small part vs. EAD.
UbiSoft Montreal's another I'd pick too (that I had not thought of). Beyond Good & Evil, Sands of Time, Warrior Within (which should be at least good despite the "controversial changes"), the Splinter Cell games, Rayman 3 (I at least enjoyed it
), and more were all pretty damn good this gen (if they did in fact make all those games- GameFAQs' company listing and my memory only go so far).drohne said:
The simple fact is that Nintendo's "decline" in quality is still better than most developers' best. It's like watching Michael Jordan play for the Wizards. Ubisoft is more highly rated than Nintendo this generation. So is Sony. So why would you give such a stupid example as Konami?
you know the spot nintendo occupies in your gaming worldview? no one occupies that spot in mine. i don't claim to be completely open-minded, but yes, my mind is more open than a nintendo fan's is likely to be. i bring less baggage to a game. we've all got our biases, but not all biases are equal. to believe otherwise is the laziest sort of relativism.
edit: oh man anihawk, you lost the "hank hill's urethra" jibe. i think that was the closest you'd ever come to cleverness, and lord knows you try. quick: put it back.
edit: oh man anihawk, you lost the "hank hill's urethra" jibe. i think that was the closest you'd ever come to cleverness, and lord knows you try. quick: put it back.
Kobun Heat
Member
AniHawk said:
Speak for yourself, pal. I spend my days eating paste and drooling on my shirt.
Kobun Heat
Member
drohne said:
Well, aren't you special.
Speevy said:
a couple things:
1. i don't particularly like metal gear solid.
2. have you played metal gear solid? kojima is nothing if not perverse. he delights in upending expectations. he isn't even capable of making a game as conventional as the most recent marios and zeldas. you know speevy, i like your earnestness, but you're really out of your depth when you compare nintendo to other developers. you end up saying very silly things.
and no, kobun my point is that you're special. nintendo fandom warps opinions the way a very heavy star warps space-time. and not every cosmos contains a star of that magnitude.
Virgin Wii
Banned
Let's end this little game of "Why My Opinion Is Better Than Yours" please.
drohne said:
So does that make you better than me? That you don't have a favorite video game company? I honestly don't think so. If I became a huge fan of Namco or Capcom (like CVX is a huge fan of Capcom), I doubt you'd care a whole lot.
I'm sorry that my posting Nintendo sales and Sega sales gets under your skin. I'm a fan of math as well, and it's fun for me to work with numbers. Outside of that, I don't know what else could really bother you. I'm one of the more pessimistic fans on the board, and I've been that way for damn near two years now.
What was the hardest part of honestly replying in this topic with a "yes" or "no" wasn't explaining myself, it was thinking about which developer has done as good a job, and at the time I couldn't think of any- so I replied accordingly.
I'm sorry about the comment. I was trying to add a bit of humor as I always try to in a post since I hate being serious.
Kobun Heat
Member
Oh, I'm aware of what your point is. I just think it's adorable that you think that the reason that our opinions and tastes differ is because you're more open-minded than I am. You're right, of course, I'm the brainwashed zombie and you're the independent thinker.drohne said:
that's a lovely caricature of my views. so i take it you can't discuss nintendo bias without taking personal offense? fair enough, i guess.
and the comment about open mindedness was a direct reply to a comment of anihawk's. which he edited out. and which i genuinely found amusing.
and the comment about open mindedness was a direct reply to a comment of anihawk's. which he edited out. and which i genuinely found amusing.
Kobun Heat
Member
Thank you, I made it myself.drohne said:
In any case, painting all people who say Nintendo is their favorite game company with the same flat, wide brush--that's not a caricatured view in and of itself? "Favorite" or "best" doesn't equal a "bias."
EDIT: And just as long as we're all editing away, regardless of how you came to insert the open-mindedness jab, you didn't just direct it at AniHawk, you said you were "likely" to be more open-minded than any Nintendo fan.
You seem to be going out of your way to try and convince people that EAD aren't the best. Guess what, some people, including me, think they ARE. I love their games so much, and yes I own a PS2 as well and dont ONLY play Nintendo games, not that makes a difference anyway, but to you apparently it does. Just say "i dont think EAD are the best" and be done with it, no need to keep posting reasons why they aren't, do you have a list written up or something?drohne said:
TheGreenGiant
Banned
john tv said:
IAWTP. Haters in this thread won't be happy til we it it this way too.
Kobun Heat
Member
drohne said:
Oh, good thing we got THAT cleared up.
The fact remains that if two people have differing opinions or tastes, it's not necessarily because one of them is open-minded and the other is biased.
Dont we all? Everyday I think of something new to put on the list, if I cant its like missing a meal and my whole day is ruined.
I dont think EAD is the best. Who is? Hell If I know. Maybe it technically is EAD and im just being cynical, but IMO their games have had less of an impact on me and have gotten progressivly "worse" since Star Fox 64, which is probably the last EAD game I really really liked. My guess, maybe, is with companies like Sony and Microsoft breaking the bank to bring the hollywood experience to games Nintendo games just dont have as much of an impact. :/ Who knows. I always have hope though. I still love Zelda even if the recent N64 and GC games havnt impressed me. Everytime I see new Zelda stuff I get excited and hopeful, at least untill I play it
Pedigree Chum
Banned
Of all time? Yes.
In the last few years? No.
Mainly thanks to their Gamecube sotware, which has been good, but not up to my usual standards of a AAA Ninty game. And also, as of late, I've preferred IS games over EAD's stuff.
In the last few years? No.
Mainly thanks to their Gamecube sotware, which has been good, but not up to my usual standards of a AAA Ninty game. And also, as of late, I've preferred IS games over EAD's stuff.
Kobun Heat
Member
Yeah, getting back on topic, I'm still waiting for somebody to come up with a single developer whose lineup for this gen can go up against Pikmin, Animal Crossing, Sunshine, Wind Waker, Mario Kart, FSA, and Pikmin 2 and win.
It's a little hard to determine whom the single best studio is because for some companies it's hard to determine, who made which game. I think if EAD isn't the best, they're definitely one of them.
As far as best overall developer this generation (Dreamcast on) I think two companies stand above the rest, Nintendo and Capcom (I would put Sega in there, but in the last few years they've fallen off a little).
As far as best overall developer this generation (Dreamcast on) I think two companies stand above the rest, Nintendo and Capcom (I would put Sega in there, but in the last few years they've fallen off a little).
Pedigree Chum
Banned
Kobun Heat said:
Most development houses (not publishers) have the man power to churn out so many unique, great games in one gen. I bet if Ubi Montreal were as big as EAD we'd see a better list.
Pedigree Chum
Banned
I think the best way for Nintendo do get their EAD software up to their standards pre-Gamecube era, is the have Miyamoto focus on a few internal titles more rather than being an overseeing all of Nintendo's titles. I mean when Miyamoto is busy overseeing EAD titles, Retro, some 3rd party collabs (Capcom Zelda's, MGS:TTS), etc, it dilutes the efforts of EAD's games. It was seriously dissapointing that Sunshine was the most unpolished title EAD ever developed...If miyamoto was more hands on with the game, that shit would have never happened. It's sad too, cause the game was quite fun, but held back by not having that little something that SMB3, Yoshi's Island and Mario 64 had.
Pedigree Chum
Banned
Spike said:
I'm going to make a prediction that by the end of next gen, Clover Studios will be the best dev house in the world... they just seem to have the right focus to make interesting, compelling software. Just look at the talent there, and even the game design philosophy mentioned it the flash on their homepage (dunno if it's still there anymore, I think it's gone since their redesign). They will be a dev to be reckoned with next gen (and even this gen, they are showing promising games that have inspired aesthetics and game design).
Kobun Heat said:
That depends on personal preference dude. IMO. Pikmin was mediocre, Animal Crossing was terrible and boring, Sunshine was decent at best, Wind Waker was a major dissapointment, Mario Kart was mediocre, FSA was pretty good, and Pimin 2 was an improvement on the first one but still not anything amazing. IMO, just to randomly pull out a developer Ive enjoyed this gen, Insomniac has put out R&C 1 and 2 and soon to be 3 makes them better the EAD this gen, by my preference.
R&C 1 and 2(soon to be 3 also) >>> Evey game you mentioned
So there I answered your question IMO, opinions may be different naturally.
You obviously prefer EAD.
Similar threads
- Poll