Snake Pass, and how a bad home menu icon drags down my enjoyment of a game

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If you wanna do the old Sonic games should they ever come to Switch, this is what they look like on my sons Kindle

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Keep in mind on mobile the names are constantly displayed on them and also these aren't on potentially 52inch screen TVs.

Our point also is that usually these companies have art ready to be used!

Stupid thing about Sonic is there were already multiple viable options:

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...and they simply chose to go with the worst one possible.
Really off-putting tbh, still haven't bought the game yet.

If you still feel then in your opinion the top icons are better for the Switch UI then..ok, there's opinions for everything.
 
I'm not arguing that. Minimalism is still design.
We're discussing the design of the library tile, the purpose of that first and foremost. You can argue minimalism but not at the detriment of that purpose. You can achieve both. I don't know how you can argue that dropping the title isn't counter to almost every point I mentioned in my post, and if you wish to I'd like to see you break it down a bit further than leaning on personal taste.
 
The ๖ۜBronx;248815121 said:
We're discussing the design of the library tile, the purpose of that first and foremost. You can argue minimalism but not at the detriment of that purpose. You can achieve both. I don't know how you can argue that dropping the title isn't counter to almost every point I mentioned in my post, and if you wish to I'd like to see you break it down a bit further than leaning on personal taste.

I have said multiple times that it would be better to always have the logo in the icon, I'm just saying that *personally* I don't mind minimalism. I don't understand what part of this is getting you so riled up lmao
 
Sure, but I don't think minimalist designs are totally antithetical to what you detailed in your post. I think it *is* a matter of personal taste as, even if the tile was completely blank, it is still just a matter of highlighting it to see what the game is. Logos on the tiles are obviously the ideal, but in the case of the Sonic Mania icon I think it works perfectly fine without a logo at all.

So if I had a library of twenty titles and they all had blank icons, you feel it would be good UI that I have to hover over every single one until I find the one that I want?
 
So if I had a library of twenty titles and they all had blank icons, you feel it would be good UI that I have to hover over every single one until I find the one that I want?

No, I'm saying if they were all blank there would still be avenues to identify which game is which, not that that would be good. What an absurd conclusion to draw, it's extremely obvious that is not what I was saying
 
I have said multiple times that it would be better to always have the logo in the icon, I'm just saying that *personally* I don't mind minimalism. I don't understand what part of this is getting you so riled up lmao
I said this earlier; "Unless you're just saying "that looks nice" as opposed to "that's a good library tile". I was requesting clarification for that exact reason, as you repeatedly referred to the quality of the icon as just being down to personal taste.

I'm not sure how I'm "riled up", I'm having a discussion on a discussion forum.
 
While we're at it, can we also talk about the huge dropoff in quality off the boxart in mario and luigi?

In the US for the first two games, they had great boxart that made the games look like epic adventures.

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Then starting with Bowser's inside story, they started using the boring, lame japanese boxart that makes the games look generic.
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What are you talking about. The jp box arts are vastly superior.
 
The ๖ۜBronx;248815400 said:
I said this earlier; "Unless you're just saying "that looks nice" as opposed to "that's a good library tile". I was requesting clarification for that exact reason, as you repeatedly referred to the quality of the icon as just being down to personal taste.

I'm not sure how I'm "riled up", I'm having a discussion on a discussion forum.

Why is "that looks nice" and "that's a good library tile" mutually exclusive? I think the minimalistic approach of something like the Sonic Mania icon is both.
 
No, I'm saying if they were all blank there would still be avenues to identify which game is which, not that that would be good. What an absurd conclusion to draw, it's extremely obvious that is not what I was saying

What are your thoughts on the Sonic examples above? Keep in mind normally they are on a phone/tablet screen as opposed to TV and names are always displayed. Also keep in mind that none of them have a logo, as opposed to the Switch where 90% of the games do and Nintendo have recommended it.
 
Why is "that looks nice" and "that's a good library tile" mutually exclusive? I think the minimalistic approach of something like the Sonic Mania icon is both.
How are you not trolling right now, when I asked you this earlier; "I don't know how you can argue that dropping the title isn't counter to almost every point I mentioned in my post, and if you wish to I'd like to see you break it down a bit further than leaning on personal taste".
 
What are your thoughts on the Sonic examples above? Keep in mind normally they are on a phone/tablet screen as opposed to TV and names are always displayed. Also keep in mind that none of them have a logo, as opposed to the Switch where 90% of the games do and Nintendo have recommended it.

I think they bad and they're all inferior to the Sonic Mania icon, and yet I still understood what each game in the icons were for. I don't understand how those icons are relevant to the conversation, though, especially when there is already a minimalist Sonic icon on the Switch that I think works perfectly fine.
 
I think they bad and they're all inferior to the Sonic Mania icon, and yet I still understood what each game in the icons were for. I don't understand how those icons are relevant to the conversation, though, especially when there is already a minimalist Sonic icon on the Switch that I think works perfectly fine.

You've missed the point completely, never mind.
 
The ๖ۜBronx;248815523 said:
How are you not trolling right now, when I asked you this earlier; "I don't know how you can argue that dropping the title isn't counter to almost every point I mentioned in my post, and if you wish to I'd like to see you break it down a bit further than leaning on personal taste".

How is you asking a question I've already answered me trolling? I have never said that *dropping* a title from an icon makes it better. But when an icon is designed *without* a title, nothing has been dropped? If you're claiming that my argument is "we should remove all titles from icons" you've clearly misinterpreted every post I've made, *including* the multiple instance in the last two pages where I have said having the logo on the icon should probably be a requirement.

You've missed the point completely, never mind.

In what way did I miss the point? You asked for my opinion on those icons and I gave it to you?
 
How is you asking a question I've already answered me trolling? I have never said that *dropping* a title from an icon makes it better. But when an icon is designed *without* a title, nothing has been dropped?

Going to reiterate this:

The ๖ۜBronx;248813807 said:
As you're asking in earnest and not belittling people here, I'll take the time to try and break it down a little. Remember we are discussing an element of design, not a piece of art or illustration. It has a purpose, and should be evaluated against that.

The Library on the Switch is a place that is designed to house all of your games in a single space, as well as populating a 'most recent' list of titles that have been launched. It is meant to be scalable, so that it caters for anyone from a person that only has two games, to someone that has two-hundred. It is designed to account for a lifetime's use of the system, and the growing library of games most users will have over the course of that time.

So, in order to achieve the above we ideally want to aim toward the following:

  • Accessibility - Users of any age or ability should be able to navigate through the list of all of their games, regardless of the amount held.
  • Ease of use - As this is the primary location to find a game you wish to play, this system must be easy to use and allow for the user to find the game they're looking for with as little difficulty or frustration as possible.
  • Elegance - The design should maintain and support the standard of design kept elsewhere in the System UI. It should be clear, uncluttered and simple to navigate.

So, when it comes to the icon tiles, what are their main purpose? They sit within the library and aim to offer a visual representation of the game they're from, allowing the user to easily find and select said game among potentially hundreds of others without issue.

As above, this boils down to:

  • Accessibility - Ensuring that it is clear at a glance, by users of any age or ability, what the game the tile related to, so that it can be identified when sat among numerous others.
  • Ease of use - It should be obvious while skimming (which is how people digest information in digital spaces) what the game is, so that the user doesn't have to spend more time than necessary finding what they're looking for.
  • Consistency - To bolster the above, and also present a tidy screen to the user that's easy to navigate through and upholds the strong design sensibility of the Switch. The game has been sold, standing out at this stage is about arrogance and ego at the expense of consistency.
So, for the above to be true we can imagine the minimum an icon should require is:
  • The title of the game
  • Recognisable artwork that is specific to the game, and distinct from others

So when people fail to meet that bare minimum it's frustrating as they're compromising the function of the tile for the sake of 'looking pretty', when it's entirely possible for both to be achieved. It's akin to having a bookcase of books, but there's only icons on the spine. It's fine if you have four books but once you start to have many it becomes harder to find the one you're looking for.

Design is about fulfilling a purpose, and looking for improvement toward that purpose, not simply looking nice. It's objective and has a purpose, which is what sets it aside from standard art and illustration.

In specific this:

So, for the above to be true we can imagine the minimum an icon should require is:
  • The title of the game
  • Recognisable artwork that is specific to the game, and distinct from others

Feel free to explain why the first bullet isn't important considering the above, which is what I've been trying to get you to do. I hope that makes it more clear.
 
I didn't ask you what you thought of the design of the icons themselves. Honestly just read the topic, I think you're misunderstanding the whole thing. It's completely irrelevant if the Sonic Mania icon is better or worse than the other ones. No one here is saying the Sonic Mania is a bad icon...for a mobile device. Yeah it's great. That's not the topic.
 
I didn't ask you what you thought of the design of the icons themselves. Honestly just read the topic, I think you're misunderstanding the whole thing. It's completely irrelevant if the Sonic Mania icon is better or worse than the other ones. No one here is saying the Sonic Mania is a bad icon...for a mobile device. Yeah it's great. That's not the topic.

What are your thoughts on the Sonic examples above?

I don't think I'm the one misunderstanding anything here. I am saying the Sonic Mania icon is a good icon for the Switch. I haven't been talking about mobile icons *at all*. You inserted mobile icons into this conversation and then ask what my thoughts are and then get dismissive when I give them to you? Like what argument are you even trying to make

Why ask my thoughts on something if you're not asking my thoughts on something?

The ๖ۜBronx;248815835 said:
In specific this:

So, for the above to be true we can imagine the minimum an icon should require is:
  • The title of the game
  • Recognisable artwork that is specific to the game, and distinct from others

I've agreed with this specifically multiple times and have just said that *personally* good minimalist icons *without* a title/logo are fine with me. You're just arguing against personal taste at this point for no good reason other than to be right.
 
I also agree with Sonic Mania, both this one and Snake Pass look terrible to me.
Not that I care so much though. But still.
 
I've agreed with this specifically multiple times and have just said that *personally* good minimalist icons *without* a title/logo are fine with me. You're just arguing against personal taste at this point for no good reason other than to be right.

Honestly I was just trying to distinguish what you considered to be elements of personal taste and elements to critique the purpose of the design by as it seemed to change from post to post. If that was me misreading your posts fair enough but that was the intention of the line of questioning. It wasn't about being right it was about getting to clarify, and then elaborate on your view if you did think that it wasn't an important part of the design for a library tile.

It's hard when you phrase it this way; "I am saying the Sonic Mania icon is a good icon for the Switch", and then go back to saying you're talking about personal taste. You can surely appreciate how it can be read that you think the design of the icon is good for the purpose of a library tile on the Switch, and not just that you like the look of the tile.
 
I don't think I'm the one misunderstanding anything here. I am saying the Sonic Mania icon is a good icon for the Switch. I haven't been talking about mobile icons *at all*. You inserted mobile icons into this conversation and then ask what my thoughts are and then get dismissive when I give them to you? Like what argument are you even trying to make

Why ask my thoughts on something if you're not asking my thoughts on something?



I've agreed with this specifically multiple times and have just said that *personally* good minimalist icons *without* a title/logo are fine with me. You're just arguing against personal taste at this point for no good reason other than to be right.

I thought from the topic it was clear I was asking your thoughts about all of those icons being on the Switch because that is the equivalent of having the Sonic Mania icon there (an icon without a logo).

I don't know how else to explain it. I hope you aren't trolling :(

Your last paragraph says you are ok with having 6 Sonic icons on the Switch like the ones above (as long as they are "good"). Is this the case? If it is that's fine and that'll end the conversation there.
 
I thought from the topic it was clear I was asking your thoughts about all of those icons being on the Switch because that is the equivalent of having the Sonic Mania icon there (an icon without a logo).

I don't know how else to explain it. I hope you aren't trolling :(

Why would I give opinions of icons on the switch for icons that aren't on the switch?

You ask my opinion of something and then say you never asked my opinion, claim I was talking about sonic mania being a mobile icon when I haven't discussed mobile icons *at all* in this thread, and then claim the opinion you were asking was for what i thought about icons being on a platform that aren't even on that platform

and you're accusing *me* of trolling?
 
Why would I give opinions of icons on the switch for icons that aren't on the switch?

You ask my opinion of something and then say you never asked my opinion, claim I was talking about sonic mania being a mobile icon when I haven't discussed mobile icons *at all* in this thread, and then claim the opinion you were asking was for what i thought about icons being on a platform that aren't even on that platform

and you're accusing *me* of trolling?

I'm asking about your opinion of having 6 Sonic heads on the Switch UI on a 52 inch TV where the names aren't always displayed surrounded by games with logos because that's what this is leading to. Just say you will be ok with this and we can agree to disagree because that's what the topic and me posting those icons was all about. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear enough.

If you think it's better to not have the logo there then that's fine. I know you didn't particularly say that but that's what this topic is about! Having the logo vs. not having it. It's not about good icons vs. bad icons. The original Lego Worlds icon was nice, they changed it when adding the logo which is a shame but that's a different topic. The logo is now there.
 
For the longest time I've wished custom icons were a thing.

Create a handful of icons for each game, and let me pick one to display in my menu.
 
For the longest time I've wished custom icons were a thing.
Create a handful of icons for each game, and let me pick one to display in my menu.

This really would be an ideal solution and a nice piece of functionality. Have a consistent look as the default that adheres to design sensibilities for all users, but with the option for people to change them to suit their personal tastes.

It's just a shame I feel like developers probably wouldn't make the effort to give much choice, could be wrong. Honestly I'm still waiting for more avatars from Nintendo themselves. You could produce quite a number in an afternoon.
 
I'm asking about your opinion of having 6 Sonic heads on the Switch UI on a 52 inch TV where the names aren't always displayed surrounded by games with logos because that's what this is leading to. Just say you will be ok with this and we can agree to disagree because that's what the topic and me posting those icons was all about. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear enough.

If you think it's better to not have the logo there then that's fine. I know you didn't particularly say that but that's what this topic is about! Having the logo vs. not having it. It's not about good icons vs. bad icons. The original Lego Worlds icon was nice, they changed it when adding the logo which is a shame but that's a different topic. The logo is now there.

I won't say I would be okay with it because I'm not okay with it because those are bad icons. I also don't think it's better to not have a logo which I have said multiple, multiple times.

The ๖ۜBronx;248817518 said:
This really would be an ideal solution and a nice piece of functionality. Have a consistent look as the default that adheres to design sensibilities for all users, but with the option for people to change them to suit their personal tastes.

It's just a shame I feel like developers probably wouldn't make the effort to give much choice, could be wrong. Honestly I'm still waiting for more avatars from Nintendo themselves. You could produce quite a number in an afternoon.

At a minimum they should allow you to choose from a certain number of preset icons. Kind of how physical cases will put a different design on the inverse of the cover.
 
I won't say I would be okay with it because I'm not okay with it because those are bad icons. I also don't think it's better to not have a logo which I have said multiple, multiple times.



At a minimum they should allow you to choose from a certain number of preset icons. Kind of how physical cases will put a different design on the inverse of the cover.

So you would be ok with 6 different Sonic icons without a logo as long as you liked those icons? And even though you're not saying it's better to not have a logo, you basically think it doesn't really matter?
Or do you agree it makes more sense to have the logo in the Switch UI? (I'm not sure why you keep bringing up that those icons are bad whilst the Sonic Mania one is good because that really is irrelevant).

I'm trying to understand how you feel about the topic at hand exactly and it's really tough for some reason lol.

Again with your cover example whilst I don't disagree, that brings into the conversation whether we like the particular cover or not. But you're forgetting that every cover has a logo on it! If all these icons had a logo then this topic wouldn't exist... I'm sorry I still feel there is a disconnect but sometimes I have trouble explaining myself through writing so I might just stop.
 
So you would be ok with 6 different Sonic icons without a logo as long as you liked those icons? And even though you're not saying it's better to not have a logo, you basically think it doesn't really matter?
Or do you agree it makes more sense to have the logo in the Switch UI? (I'm not sure why you keep bringing up that those icons are bad whilst the Sonic Mania one is good because that really is irrelevant).

I'm trying to understand how you feel about the topic at hand exactly and it's really tough for some reason lol.

Why are you talking about six sonic icons? That has nothing to do with the topic at hand, it's just the way you're spinning the thread.

I've said *from the beginning* that it would be better to have logos on Switch icons, but if a minimalist icon without a logo is still designed well I *personally* don't have a problem with it.

No one other than you has brought up unnecessary mobile icons that don't exist on the switch and that is not the topic at hand. The topic at hand is switch home menu icons which I have *exclusively* been talking about

Again with your cover example whilst I don't disagree, that brings into the conversation whether we like the particular cover or not. But you're forgetting that every cover has a logo on it! If all these icons had a logo then this topic wouldn't exist... I'm sorry I still feel there is a disconnect but sometimes I have trouble explaining myself through writing so I might just stop.

I am not forgetting that covers have logos on them, that is my entire point. I have never once made the argument that icons *shouldn't* have logos, just that their exclusion if specifically designed that way isn't immediately a deal breaker. You are placing words into my mouth that are very evident by my posts that I haven't said.
 
Why are you talking about six sonic icons? That has nothing to do with the topic at hand, it's just the way you're spinning the thread.

I've said *from the beginning* that it would be better to have logos on Switch icons, but if an minimalist icon without a logo is still designed well I *personally* don't have a problem with it.

No one other than you has brought up unnecessary mobile icons that don't exist on the switch and that is not the topic at hand. The topic at hand is switch home menu icons which I have *exclusively* been talking about

Have you read the whole topic? The Sonic icons isn't even my post and it has everything to do with the topic. We are talking about the Switch user interface and how not having a logo affects it now and in the future. Please have a read through the topic. None of those images are even mine. The topic didn't start with you coming in and it seems you are discussing something completely different.

There's a clear disconnect in the understanding here and I'm not sure I can really add anymore to it without repeating myself so I don't really have much else to say.
 
Have you read the whole topic? The Sonic icons isn't even my post and it has everything to do with the topic. We are talking about the Switch user interface and how not having a logo affects it now and in the future. Please have a read through the topic. None of those images are even mine. The topic didn't start with you coming in and it seems you are discussing something completely different.

I'm not misunderstanding the topic and I have read through the thread, there is no need to try and be condescending just because I don't agree with you. You keep bringing up the argument about the sonic icons but it's entirely irrelevant because:

a) those icons do not exist on the Switch

and b) I have said when you asked my opinion of them that they are bad icons, which obviously shows you that I would have a problem with them

and, *again*, I have said from the beginning that it should probably be a requirement for all icons to have a logo

Like how many times do I have to repeat myself jesus christ
 
Why is "that looks nice" and "that's a good library tile" mutually exclusive? I think the minimalistic approach of something like the Sonic Mania icon is both.
Because something can look nice but still not tell you what it is for. Which those mobile icons (where the title is below it) used as posters without logo exactly do on Switch (where one has to select it first to show the title). The look is a matter of taste, the lack of information isn't.
 
The legendary thread returns.

This should be made into the OT for Switch thumbnails.
I think about this thread every time I see Snake Pass in my menu...

...and think I will go back to the game sometime. But given the icon and the filesize, it's going to be the very first thing I delete to make space on my system, ahead of things like the non-functional Splatoon and ARMS demos which I now own the full game of.
 
Because something can look nice but still not tell you what it is for. Which those mobile icons (where the title is below it) used as posters without logo exactly do on Switch (where one has to select it first to show the title). The look is a matter of taste, the lack of information isn't.

Sure, but things can still look nice, be minimalist, *and* tell you what it is. If something looks good while giving no indication of what the game is then I would argue that's a bad icon (like what the Implosion icon is for example)

These also aren't the icons in the storefront, these are presumably for games that you have already purchased, so you should at least have *some* idea of what a bad icon relates to

I think about this thread every time I see Snake Pass in my menu...

...and think I will go back to the game sometime. But given the icon and the filesize, it's going to be the very first thing I delete to make space on my system, ahead of things like the non-functional Splatoon and ARMS demos which I now own the full game of.

I was cleaning up some things on my switch so the library wasn't so cluttered and I couldn't believe how big the file size for Snake Pass was

(the only thing that was more shocking was that the save data for this Disgea 5 demo is 100mb for some reason)
 
I think about this thread every time I see Snake Pass in my menu...

...and think I will go back to the game sometime. But given the icon and the filesize, it's going to be the very first thing I delete to make space on my system, ahead of things like the non-functional Splatoon and ARMS demos which I now own the full game of.
Yeah it is a huge game considering what it is. Kind of ridiculous it is bigger than the whole of Splatoon 2.
 
This probably sounds super silly, but Sumo has lost all my sympathy due to the icon change and refusal to go back on it. A good amount of people that bought the game have voiced them their displeasure about it, even directly, and they flat out refused to go back just because they want the same icon on all platforms (why?).
 
And why can't it? Do you really look at the Sonic Mania icon and think "now what could this be all about"?
At some point there are going to be multiple Sonic games on the system. Sonic Forces is next. It's going to look increasingly messy, aside from how messy it already looks being inconsistent with the other icons.
 
I think the Sonic Mania icon design is visually descriptive of Sonic Mania, not just Sonic the Hedgehog

It's design is a deliberate throwback to Genesis era Sonic box art. If they get ported to Switch, or the inevitable Sonic Mania 2, 3, and Knuckles happen, it's going to be a lot less descriptive looking as is.
 
To those that know the difference, absolutely. But that's also why every other OS makes sure to put test next to a logo-less image so that confusion doesn't happen.

Why would someone who owns the game not know the difference

It's design is a deliberate throwback to Genesis era Sonic box art. If they get ported to Switch, or the inevitable Sonic Mania 2, 3, and Knuckles happen, it's going to be a lot less descriptive looking as is.

It's designed to be a throwback while still being easily distinguishable from the things it's throwing back to

I refuse to believe he argument of "but we're all going to get confused if there's more than one hedgehog picture :(". It's insulting at best
 
And why can't it? Do you really look at the Sonic Mania icon and think "now what could this be all about"?
Relying on the art to trigger previous knowledge that may not be there or even be completely misleading is very bad design. Please take the Switch with any icon without logo and ask a random person on street what it depicts.
 
Relying on the art to trigger previous knowledge that may not be there or even be completely misleading is very bad design. Please take the Switch with any icon without logo and ask a random person on street what it depicts.

Those random people did not buy Sonic Mania for their Switch. It's a false argument. If the Sonic Mania Switch icon was also the store icon, you might have a point, but it isn't.
 
The primary purpose of these icons is to make it easy for the user to locate the game they're looking for. How nice the icon looks is not the primary goal. It would be objectively better for a game to simply have its title on a black background than to have an awesome piece of artwork with no logo.

Those random people did not buy Sonic Mania for their Switch. It's a false argument. If the Sonic Mania Switch icon was also the store icon, you might have a point, but it isn't.

You're assuming every Switch is only ever going to be used by one person. A game should be easily discoverable by anyone who picks up the system to use.
 
The primary purpose of these icons is to make it easy for the user to locate the game they're looking for. How nice the icon looks is not the primary goal. It would be objectively better for a game to simply have the game's title on a black background than to have an awesome piece of artwork with no logo.

I'd take it over current Snake Pass...
 
I refuse to believe he argument of "but we're all going to get confused if there's more than one hedgehog picture :(". It's insulting at best
Those random people did not buy Sonic Mania for their Switch. It's a false argument. If the Sonic Mania Switch icon was also the store icon, you might have a point, but it isn't.
You are talking about yourself and pretend only owners will ever touch any Switch. Considering how Nintendo pushes Switch as a social system with strong focus on sharing and multiplayer your argument is reaching. Also it's bad design to keep design ambiguous, there is no way to defend this from a design theory pov.

If you think this is a false argument you are in the wrong thread.
 
You're assuming every Switch is only ever going to be used by one person. A game should be easily discoverable by anyone who picks up the system.

I'm not assuming that at all. Thankfully games are easily discoverable by anyone who picks up the system, so we sure dodged that bullet

You are talking about yourself and pretend only owners will ever touch any Switch. Considering how Nintendo pushes Switch as a social system with strong focus on sharing and multiplayer your argument is reaching. Also it's bad design to keep design ambiguous, there is no way to defend this from a design theory pov.

If you think this is a false argument you are in the wrong thread.

I am not talking about that whatsoever. And it's a false argument. A social system does not consist of going up to strangers and asking "hey what does this icon mean do you know?"
 
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