I honestly feel Mario Kart would benefit from ditching the babies, metal and minor characters for different Nintendo characters entirely.
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Nintendo Switch Presentation - January 12th
- Thread starter robotrock
- Start date
I honestly feel Mario Kart would benefit from ditching the babies, metal and minor characters for different Nintendo characters entirely.
Song of Fire
Member
I suppose, after turning down F-Zero, he felt a gaping hole in his soul, a driving need for speed.
And no boost power.
And now F-Zero seems perfect for the Switch. At home; on the go; in a circle, systems standing on the floor, with eleven random other people trying to send you flying off the track.
$7,000,000 in revenue is pretty bad for a Mario game.
Dagobert Duck
Member
What if Mario Kart got a 2 player mode ala Double dash, you basically can play on one screen with two players....
Song of Fire
Member
Also known as Mario Kart Switch, as the players switch between driver and fireball thrower. Basically, the return of Double Dash would have been perfect for this console. If it had the bob-omb battles, that would make it even better.
Dagobert Duck
Member
We already know that you can hold 2 items...
I agree Mario Kart 8 is pretty much perfected. I can't see what else they can add. I think they should continue treating it as a platform and add new and retro tracks.
But obviously Nintendo will need another Mario Kart especially now that they don't have the luxury to release a handheld one and a console one. Smash Kart makes sense. Bit only with music and tracks from other franchises. But they should change up the items and use items from other franchises instead of the Mario themed once. Samus Ice Missile etc.
Father_Brain
Banned
What the fuck could Nintendo be hiding?
They have repeatedly made it crystal clear that besides the Nintendo Switch being a hybrid gaming system, there is also something else about the hardware that makes it unique.
Furthermore, this hardware secret seems to be so pivotal that they refuse to discuss it whatsoever until January (approximately 2 months before the NS's launch).
What could it be and why are they keeping it a secret? Are they possibly concerned that even though they don't have to be concerned about Sony copying the idea (as PS4 Pro is now released), that Microsoft may try and steal the idea and implement it into Scorpio?
There's no big secret. It has motion control, it has a touchscreen, but the trailer and initial PR have been perfectly clear about what the USP for Switch is intended to be, and it doesn't involve any input or display gimmicks.
At the end of the day, it's still going to be the most conservative, red-ocean gaming hardware Nintendo has made in a decade and a half. And that's fine, it fits where the market has gone, but it doesn't make for sexy PR.
AtomicShroom
Member
Yes, but it was profitable and exceeded sales expectations. Metroid Prime: Federation Force, on the other hand, was not profitable and did not even come close to meeting sales expectations.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
If Nintendo releases a good Metroid then it will sell. It's that simple. Nintendo knows this. We will see Metroid on the Switch. I'm going with announcement at the January event full reveal at E3.
Hopefully they have somebody in place to make a Switch F-Zero
TheDinoman
Member
Meh, that's just Nintendo being dumb for the sake of being dumb. If you ask me, there's still plenty of unique Mario universe characters they can add: Bowser Jr., Diddy Kong, King Boo (already in!), Kamek, E. Gadd, Pauline, Nabbit, and hell, if Funky Kong could be in MKWii, why not throw in Dixie or even Cranky in there?
VendettaRed07
Member
It's not that simple though. A good Metroid game may sell but it isn't guaranteed to be worth the investment. It will be incredibly expensive and they will have to market the shit out of it. Remember Prime 3 when they pretty much forgot to market it at all? It sold over a million eventually but coming so early in the Wii's lifespan on a system with such a large install base it should have done better.
Nintendo's mentality with Metroid seems to be, "Why sink all this money into a Metroid game that may just break a million units when we can develop a Donkey Kong game at 1/4th the cost that will sell 4 times as much?"
It's almost like one of them had realistic expectations for what they could get just from trading on a franchise name while producing a spin-off game that has nothing in common with what is actually loved about the brand, while the other sunk years of effort into something that no one had ever wanted or asked for.
Didn't Tropical Freeze disappoint too?
Anyway, if that's Nintendo's mindset, they deserve to bomb out of the market. You can't just support a console by only making super-sellers in a narrow range of genres. You have to diversify your offerings and build your audience with your own efforts. The good news with the Switch is that the consolidated platform should allow their dev studios to branch out into the development of new and/or underexplored IP.
Yes, good call. We need Nabbit in there. After all, it can be good cross-promotion for the Nabbit eShop stealth game that uses the Captain Toad engine.
With Kamek, there was a MK emblem or something in the code for MK8 indicating he was considered for inclusion, right?
I agree with you, Vendetta. I think at this point when we see another Metroid (whether it's in January or sometime down the line) it will be either (a) because a producer (Tanabe or another) has taken significant reins and interest in spearheading a 3D Metroid revival (Prime or something completely different) or (b) Sakamoto or someone with his blessing has been put in charge of a "New Metroid" 2D game, something moderately more accessible than Super Metroid, in the vein of the NSMB/Yoshi's New Island philosophy, developed with an eye to expanding the fanbase. I could definitely see Nintendo trying other new or revitalized IP for the 3D T-rated game space next time around in the meantime.
TheDinoman
Member
Nintendo does fund and support many "vanity projects" that they most likely know isn't going to sell a whole lot. Sin & Punishment Star Successor, Bayonetta 2, Wonderful 101, Xenoblade Chronicles X, all that stuff. And we supposedly have Beyond Good & Evil coming in the pipeline as well. It goes without saying that Nintendo funds these projects as a way to gain some goodwill from the "hardcore" audience. To me, I could see Metroid Prime 4 being made on the basis of having another big and meaty core game on the Switch.
WhiteWaterM00se
Member
A few random thoughts
First it may be worth it for Nintendo to explore porting arcade games to the Switch. Luigi Mansion by Capcom, Star Wars arcade battle pod by Namco, the new Daytona racing game by Sega, Pokken arcade edition, and Cruisin by Nintendo all seem like obvious choices.
Second, exploring third parties acting as second parties would be interesting. Metroid souls for example. This would be a larger budget game. EA making Mario American football for example would be another, and probably would be a lower cost game.
Third, I would exploit the heck out of HD ports. Game cube, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 and 3DS all seem like an easy way to fill up the catalog and take a look at forgotten franchises and revisit all-time games.
Fourth, approach current third parties with an evergreen strategy. Fifa Switch for example, update over time with patches to gameplay. No need yearly versions. Charge for additional roster updates and new games modes as DLC. I know it won't generate a much money as yearly updates. But with third party games not selling well on Nintendo platforms, it may be way to experiment and see what happens. Less third party releases, but games that last an entire generation. Also considering allowing mods on some games. Keep people coming back.
Fifth, If you can beat them, steal from them! Take others ideas and make them better. Make games that keep us coming back. Full House Poker and 1vs100 were excellent examples on 360.
Finally, don't follow trends, be the trend setter. If you think esports is way too go. Show me why Nintendo is best for esports after Smash, Splatoon, and MK8.
Now I'll shut up and just be a post reader. To me the more someone touches a device, and uses it in their daily life, the more opportunity you have to build your brand and system success.
First it may be worth it for Nintendo to explore porting arcade games to the Switch. Luigi Mansion by Capcom, Star Wars arcade battle pod by Namco, the new Daytona racing game by Sega, Pokken arcade edition, and Cruisin by Nintendo all seem like obvious choices.
Second, exploring third parties acting as second parties would be interesting. Metroid souls for example. This would be a larger budget game. EA making Mario American football for example would be another, and probably would be a lower cost game.
Third, I would exploit the heck out of HD ports. Game cube, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 and 3DS all seem like an easy way to fill up the catalog and take a look at forgotten franchises and revisit all-time games.
Fourth, approach current third parties with an evergreen strategy. Fifa Switch for example, update over time with patches to gameplay. No need yearly versions. Charge for additional roster updates and new games modes as DLC. I know it won't generate a much money as yearly updates. But with third party games not selling well on Nintendo platforms, it may be way to experiment and see what happens. Less third party releases, but games that last an entire generation. Also considering allowing mods on some games. Keep people coming back.
Fifth, If you can beat them, steal from them! Take others ideas and make them better. Make games that keep us coming back. Full House Poker and 1vs100 were excellent examples on 360.
Finally, don't follow trends, be the trend setter. If you think esports is way too go. Show me why Nintendo is best for esports after Smash, Splatoon, and MK8.
Now I'll shut up and just be a post reader. To me the more someone touches a device, and uses it in their daily life, the more opportunity you have to build your brand and system success.
This is what has me hoping that two-person karting might be coming back.
I've been wanting this feature to return for the longest time...
We'll see Metroid on the Switch, yeah, but that alone might not help it sell. Remember when Mario Kart 8 came out and everyone said that that was going to be the game that saved the Wii U, and then it didn't? And then when Smash Bros Wii U came out, everyone said that that was what was going to save the Wii U, and then it didn't? Metroid Switch would be great, but they need to have more on offer than just that to boost sales.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
No one that I saw, and certainly not the post you quoted, was suggesting that a good Metroid would be a system seller. The series never has been a mass appeal, system selling type of game. And as you note, even strong games like MK8, Smash, Splatoon aren't going to save a console/concept that the market just didn't want like the Wii U.
People are just saying that a good Metroid game would sell respectably to whatever base the Switch has at the time it comes out and thereafter--just like Prime 1, 2 and 3.
TheDinoman
Member
Did people say that MK8 and Smash 4 would save the Wii U? I'm pretty sure most agreed that the system was pretty much fucked by that point.
Give it to that one dude who made Axiom Verge
I'm not really sure that the argument applies to Nintendo with some of the stuff that they did fund on the Wii U. I mean, shit, we got a Fire Emblem/Shin Megami Tensei combo spin-off that was set in the world of Japanese pop idol culture as one of the system's last send-off titles.
Yes, it sucks that Metroid is in a tough place as far as financial justification is concerned, but that's because of three decades worth of heartache of a largely great series never catching on in the mainstream like their other IPs. Metroid underperforming isn't something new: it's practically the status quo.
Adding a robust adventure mode or bringing battle mode back would be great.
I think there is probably an unique OS / Software / network feature or two they are hiding, but if there were any major hardware features it would have leaked by now.
Skittzo0413
Member
As long as they don't end any presentation with NintendoLand fireworks I'll consider than an improvement over their last console launch.
Squid sisters concert at the end is a guarantee.
VendettaRed07
Member
It did, but depending on it's budget, it likely did not lose much money, or if any at all. I'm not saying I agree with their thinking here at all, because I think that a Metroid Prime 4 or w/e brings more to the table in regards to what it does for your system as a "show piece" or system selling rather than the raw units sold. Like I think Metroid Prime brought more to the gamecube than just how many units sold. It really made a statement at what the Gamecube was capable of and what was possible on the system.
I wish Nintendo's thinking was more along these lines but I don't anticipate we will get the MP4 most people on here want. I think at most, on Switch someone like NLG or w/e will try a 2.5D Metroid.
Pretty much. With Federation Force and Other M, I think we at least know Nintendo does want to continue making games in the series, but doesn't believe it has the track record sales wise to justify a Zelda like investment for a new first person game. A new 2D game like you said that tries to make it more accessible in someway is probably the most logical avenue for them to attempt here. I don't really want a "simplified" Super Metroid really but I'll take what I can get I guess.
LegendofLex
Member
When all of the niche titles you're funding are focused on the Japanese market, that doesn't exactly help the argument.
TheDinoman
Member
To be honest, if we can't another Prime, a 2.5D Metroid in the style of Super Metroid or Zero Mission would suffice.
Fun fact: Other M actually WAS going to be a 2.5D game until Team Ninja requested they made it fully 3D. That's why Sakamoto was hellbent on designing the game around the Wiimote on its side, wanting to make it a "NES game made with modern technology".
Fun fact: Other M actually WAS going to be a 2.5D game until Team Ninja requested they made it fully 3D. That's why Sakamoto was hellbent on designing the game around the Wiimote on its side, wanting to make it a "NES game made with modern technology".
Dark Cloud
Member
This is what I'm thinking. What's the one thing Nintendo is able to hide and keep secret?? It would be the OS and online. I think there's going to be something good there and maybe something for online on the go too (other than Wifi).
I still think Nintendo could sell the Switch as a subscription. Either paying monthly or having a subscription with their online to discount the Switch. You get what I'm saying something of that sorts.
Ring ding ding ding. We have a winner! Lol
This is why I and others have said they need to expand in the western market. They're Japanese games are great and good. They are severely lacking in the western side and that's contributed to Nintendo getting smaller and smaller console buyers.
The one thing I would love is a GC VC released on launch day.
I have a feeling it's going to happen too lol. Kimishima seems like the person who knows the western audience has asked for it he will push for it for launch.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Another Metroid prediction! We're getting a Metroid game at the launch of thr system in the form of the Gamecube Virtual Console. Metroid Prime will be among the first wave of Gamecube Virtual Console titles.
Amusingly, TMS sold substantially better in the west than it did in Japan.
TheMoon
Member
They don't do Sundays anymore. The last Sunday release was The Wonderful 101. All software and hardware released since then came out on a Friday in the US. People need to move on form this outdated "Sunday release" notion.
if it really is region free, why not buy it in good ol' japan?
Ha really? Good.
I wonder if Nintendo will continue with collaboration games. It would be neat to get more crazy out of nowhere projects.
Glass Rebel
Member
I don't think there's gonna be two "Mario Karts" on Switch.
I think they're gonna do exactly what the trailer showed and build upon MK8 and support it with DLC over a prolonged time. Same with Smash Bros. and Splatoon. It makes no sense to abandon the groundwork they laid for these games on Wii U and it will allow them to allocate considerable resources to other projects. Not saying it's gonna be F-Zero or Diddy Kong Racing tho...
I think they're gonna do exactly what the trailer showed and build upon MK8 and support it with DLC over a prolonged time. Same with Smash Bros. and Splatoon. It makes no sense to abandon the groundwork they laid for these games on Wii U and it will allow them to allocate considerable resources to other projects. Not saying it's gonna be F-Zero or Diddy Kong Racing tho...
Reading this I was struck by how awesome it is to see another spin / fresh thoughts on genre conventions (not that it is easy). I would LOVE to see more efforts like Splatoon or 5th Cells third person shooter Hybrid that could be on the small side. It would be great to get Sakarai on some smaller efforts (even though he overdoes everything). He is awesome at deconstructing game conventions and turning them into something fresh.
TLDR - Fresh spins on western tropes, even in small doses would really help flesh out the appeal for those genres on Switch
TheDinoman
Member
I could see MK8 and Splatoon keep being updated, but Smash is a little more iffy in that regard. Sakurai has worked on Smash 4 for years at this point, and I'd imagine at some point he's probably wanting to move on, onto a new IP like Meteos or maybe another franchise revival like Kid Icarus Uprising (or hell just maybe a sequel to that game if he changes his mind). I could see him working on Smash 4.5 for Switch as a retail product, adding new characters, modes and such, and then calling it quits for a couple of years until he's ready for a proper Smash 5.
Obviously, they could just simply find a new project leader for this hypothetical Smash 4.5 once Sakurai is done, but I get the feeling they might not feel comfortable continuing it without him in charge...
ArchedThunder
Banned
YES PLEASE! Throw the babies and metal characters in the trash and give us characters like Kirby and Pikachu.
Tom Nook Sawyer
Member
Mostly true, but the 2DS was released on Oct 12th in the US, a Saturday
Make it in the style of Diddy Kong Racing and I'll consider being a little more patient as far as DKR2 is concerned.
You know, that's probably a completely solid bet. I would believe that. Bring on a bunch of GCN VC titles and you get a smidge more goodwill amongst Metroid fans. (Though, I suppose since they already did the re-release of Metroid Prime Trilogy as one of the initial Wii download games it might have less of an impact for fans.)
Skittzo0413
Member
Kid Icarus: Uprising was probably one of the most overlooked games from the last gen. Such an incredibly deep game packed with so much content... that got a bad rap for a control scheme which gave you more precision than dual analog would have. I'd love to see a sequel or port at Switch launch. Sakurai working on anything besides Smash would be awesome to see for me to be honest. Not that I don't like Smash, but I feel like he has so much more to offer in other genres.
For fresh spins on western tropes, they already have all the right IPs. They just need to use them correctly:
StarTropics could be Nintendo's answer to the Uncharted/Tomb Raider genre.
Eternal Darkness for survival horror.
Geist could be another very interesting take in the FPS/TPS genre if executed well.
I'm sure there are more, but I'm having a brain fart right now...
TheDinoman
Member
It's obviously not western, but I'd like to see Mysterious Murasame Castle be worked with. It's sort of the long lost sibling of Metroid, Legend of Zelda and Kid Icarus, being born on the Famicom Disk System in the same year. Like how Kid Icarus was essentially a sister game to Metroid, Murasame is kinda seen as a sister game to Zelda, both being made by EAD and even sharing a similar top-down perspective.
It has gotten a little more exposure over the years. It's protagonist, Takamaru, made a cameo in some Wii games like Samurai Warriors 3 and Captain Rainbow, and he even appeared as an assist trophy in Smash Wii U/3DS. Hell, his game isn't even JP exclusive anymore, considering it got rereleased on the 3DS eshop.
Maybe Platinum could make it? Hideki Kamiya said he'd like to develop it.
But, on the subject of western oriented stuff, I wish this ended up being true:
Sounded badass, but alas, it wasn't real.
LegendofLex
Member
This says more about the Wii U's situation in Japan than it does about who that game was ostensibly targeting, of course.
dampflokfreund
Banned
True. One Smash and one Mario Kart (the WiiU versions but enhanced and supported) are more than enough. Put the resources in new games.
Gonna make a guess: there is a good chance of an HD remaster collection of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. Reasons:
- FE is much more popular now than when those games were released, plus it does better on portables than consoles. So they will likely sell better this time.
- It helps bring the 3DS JRPG crowd on board.
- They're expensive and difficult to get a hold of, like $80+. They're the only English FEs not easily available.
- Nintendo will want a companion release to the FE mobile game next year. There probably isn't enough time to release a brand-new FE game, and definitely not stateside.
- Radiant Dawn is not on the Wii U eShop, while minor and probably lower-selling Wii games like Pandora's Tower are. Is it possible this is just an oversight because Nintendo's virtual console policy doesn't always make sense? Sure, but it's also possible they're holding it back because they have plans for it.