Posted 01 December 2006 - 05:38 PM
All right, I've gotta say something about this whole console thing that has been bugging me for a long time. It isn't directed at anyone, it's just something I think needs to be said:
It's fine if someone doesn't like the Wii or Nintendo, or console games at all, but the whole Nintendo is for kids stereotype is BS. The arguments that people make saying Nintendo consoles are for little kids are:
1. The graphics are childish/cartoony, or bad altogether.
2. Nintendo has kiddy games like Animal Crossing and Nintendogs.
The first argument I honestly don't see being an argument at all. It's not about pushing the system to its limits or pumping out the power trying to hit so many polygons, it's about the style of the game and the gameplay itself. The perfect example of a game like this is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It's cel-shaded, and looks like it's taken straight out of a picture book. That's the whole point. Zelda is a fantasy game, and in WW, they were trying to show that fantasy element in a unique and somewhat new way. Their answer was cel-shading. The game really is beautiful, though. The color palettes are just amazing and vibrant, and bright, and it's got an artistic quality to it. That's what Nintendo does. It doesn't try to push the most realistic graphics to impress people, it tries to make the graphics a form of art that match the mood of the game perfectly. This brings me to my next point, Resident Evil 4.
There is no way in hell this game would have the same feel if it was cel-shaded or really bright and colorful. This is the kind of game on the opposite side of the spectrum, where it has a dark feel and it's trying to draw you in to the game as much as possible through gloom and shadows. Thats what all these games try to do, pull you in, its just that in RE4's case, the graphics had to be as realistic as possible to capture the feeling it was representing. RE4, and the RE series in general is also a great example of how Nintendo isn't a kiddy company, it's got a broad range of titles, from preschool age all the way to adults. It's a company that tries to please all members of the family. It's just that, because Nintendo has some of the more well known and better children's games, that's what they have been branded as. The PS2 has just as many children's games if not more than the Gamecube, but it's not branded as a kiddy system because it's got more mature rated and kickass games like God of War, Metal Gear Solid (Which also has an excellent game on the cube, and the series started with Nintendo), and Devil May Cry.
So, basically what I'm trying to say is, if someone doesn't like consoles or Nintendo, or the Wii, that's fine, but one, don't rip on something 'til you've tried it, and two, look at the other consoles, they have children's games just like Nintendo does. Anyway, I'm done ranting, just felt like getting that off my chest. Again, this wasn't directed at anyone, I'm just saying this to anyone who thinks Nintendo is a company for little kids and little kids only. And also, Nintendo can actually build good, functioning pieces of hardware without recalls and months of their consoles being in production before things are actually fixed. They do it right the first time.
And just to prove I can back up what I'm saying, here's a list of some of the best Nintendo games ever made, that aren't childish:
1. Resident Evil 4
2. The early Final Fantasy games
3. Super Mario Series (Most of them aren't childish, albeit a few are)
4. Zelda Series
5. Super Smash Bros. Series
6. Metroid Series
7. Goldeneye
8. Perfect Dark
9. Conker's Bad Fur Day
10. Tales of Symphonia
11. Skies of Arcadia Legends
12. The Kirby Series (Again, this one isn't childish for the most part, it's for all ages, however a few are admittedly for a younger audience)
13. Phantasy Star Online
14. Chrono Trigger
15. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
There, 15 games/series right off the top of my head that aren't children's game that kick some major ass.
and alcohol. PERIOD. 
