Well, I wouldn't say it's not a downside, I'd say the usually great gameplay makes it not matter.
Like you said, games are about progression. And I recognize that Nintendo makes games where gameplay alone makes us want to play. And I do agree with you too, that overly complex stories can kill games.
But a decent story (more than, say, go rescue the princess) that is presented well (better than, say, scan artifacts that you may or may not find for a total of like 20 lines of story) will certainly make a game more enjoyable. Like Uncharted, it was a nice story, not overly simplified, maybe not too original but at least not too cliché.
I disagree with megaman79 though, that trying to earn more stars counts as a narrative. It's definitely motivation to keep playing, but it doesn't really tell you anything as a story should, and so I dont think it should count as a narrative.
PSN: chenguo4
Current playing: No More Heroes
