Some Wii Third Parties have some balls...

[johnlucas]

windbane said:
johnlucas, every version of the game is pretty bad. Not everything is about Nintendo and someone's bad game for them, heh. But hey, at least you are one of the few that argue that graphics matter for gameplay.

Windbane, you gotta understand something. I'm not a Nintendo fan out of being a herded sheep. I'm a Nintendo fan for the decades of good work they have done and continue to do. And if you look at my post history you'd realize that I know not EVERYTHING is about Nintendo (I've played and enjoyed plenty of systems). I just recognize that the game industry exists because they are still here. Just know my history, that's all. No one has shown up who could fill the position to carry the industry like they have so until that happens if the foundation ever leaves so goes the industry.

I hope that makes my position on Nintendo clear because I've seen you get a little agitated in the past when I talked about them.

I had to clarify the graphics argument because a lot of people don't recognize what graphics are for.

I explain it here as well.

Why Graphics Don't Mean As Much Anymore

http://www.popzart.com/?page=view&topic=73

Keyword being "ANYMORE". They DID matter at one time but that time of their monumental importance is on the wane now. And most of that had to do with how graphics influenced gameplay and the types of games that could be produced. They ARE important, yes. But the priority isn't with them anymore like it once was. That's the position I wanted to explain. We can't be using Atari Jaguar graphics because it limits the gameplay as well as the presentation.

Tetris doesn't need much more than a little shine and gloss. There's only so much you can do with a block.

Artstyle is REALLY what makes graphics graphics. Did Miyamoto and Co. need to put those happy smiling eyes on the clouds and bushes of Super Mario Bros. 1? No. But that little touch made the bushes more noticeable and enhanced the relevance and distinction of the ground and sky which we had to focus on running and jumping. There's a technical reason for it as well as the pretty pretty reason. (Humans relate to human based things so putting eyes and smiley-faces, humanizing objects is one way to make us care about them more). Bland backgrounds/foregrounds harm immersion and depth of gameplay.

I can't focus as well on the buildings because they look like hunks of rectangular faceless carbon. I don't feel I'm on a building so my reaction to climbing the building won't be the same. You put a little texture and gloss on it and I know when I'm on a glasswindow building, when I'm on a concrete building, when I'm on a marble building. Can I break through this window, can I break through this wall? How much force would I have to use to do it depending on structure? And I can recognize my place in my travels if I had to go backtrack. Little neon signs and flags and plants and delapidated looks create more distinction and a more immersive world. Different building numbers may aid in adventures where you have to pinpoint what building to stakeout. Landmarks.

See? All that? Gameplay as WELL as presentation.

Yes, graphics matter. HD graphics debatable at this point. And 7th gen isn't much more over 6th gen in distinction so it's lost its importance as far as THAT comparison goes. But they DO INDEED make a difference and depending on art direction chosen graphics must be made well enough to get point across. That is what is meant by "good enough". More realistic looking ventures need more detail. Cartoony ones need more vivid distinct color. That's graphics too you know.
Graphics don't ALWAYS mean anal-retentive detail on grains of sand. It doesn't ALWAYS mean greyed-out, browned-out, toned-out layout. It's about creating a distinct look based on artstyle chosen to make gameplay more inviting and easier to follow.

Why was Pac-Man chosen to be yellow? Why not blue? Why not gray? Why not white? That's graphics too. The ghosts were vividly different colors denoting their attack style. Dots and power pellets were differently sized to show distinction in purpose. And the power pellets flashed to draw your eyes toward them more. That's graphics too. Ghosts were given eyes to give cues on direction they were headed in as well as making humans take notice (ghosts with faces make people recognize them better than ghosts without faces in this type of game).

I hope this clarifies what the purpose of graphics is. So many people talk about the issue backwards or omit the important details.

John Lucas