By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Define "Nintendo Magic"

spemanig said:
Tootylicious said:

Well, Bioshock is a more mature title. Kill Bill certainly is more mature than The Little Mermaid as well.
The vast majority of Nintendo characters have a cartoonish look and the tone is light-hearted. The games are made for children just like the Disney movies. This does not mean that adults can't enjoy them, often there are still mature themes hidden in it or the gameplay is just to well-polished. But you won't see blood splattering all over the screen. Instead they concentrate on creating their own world with (mostly) cuddly characters you just have to like.I think the way children lose some of their imagination when they grow up, games or movies directed to this older audience also loses that magic.
Nintendo and (since you brought them up) also Disney manage to make games/movies that still keep this "magic" for the older audience to enjoy.

And I disagree that this is something exclusive to Nintendo. It's just that no other company might have done it as consistently over the years due to business decisions. And most likely not all of Nintendo's titles will have this magic either.

"You can play a Nintendo game, not knowing it's a Nintendo game, and know for sure after 10 minutes that it's a Nintendo game. You can feel that. "
You might know that because you recognise a pattern, certain game mechanics or something that reminds you on other games, but that's about it. Someone not that familiar with Nintendo would only be able to guess it by luck, because Nintendo might be the most likely answer for the kind of game.

So your Smash Bros. example basically explains Nintendo "magic" as fun. Is that it? Plenty of games not made by Nintendo are fun. And I am sure that you can't convert every person to a Nintendo-fan, no matter how long you let him play. If that'd work this easily Nintendo would sell more consoles and games nowadays.


It has nothing to do with maturity. Metroid has Nintendo's magic even without being a children's game. It has absolutely nothing to do with age catagories. It absolutely is exclusive to Nintendo. That doesn't mean that other games don't have special qualities, which is why I brought up Bioshock, but those qualities are not comparable to Nintendo's magic. Sonic 1, 2, and 3 are another example. Three great, kid friendly games that clearly feel special. There's obviously something to them, but they don't have Nintendo's magic. That doesn't mean that they are worse games. It just means that they don't have the touch that many Nintendo games have.

Of course I recognise Nintendo games because I'm familiar with them. I also recognise Disney movies because I'm familiar with them. Obviously someone not used to playing Nintendo games would not be as able to recognise that feel, but you'd still feel it.

No, it doesn't explain Nintendo's magic as "fun." 

Welp, I don't feel it then. When I play the old Sonic titles, I feel similar emotions as to when I play some old Nintendo platformer. There is no exclusive feeling to Nintendo games for me. I've been playing Nintendo games since I was young and I still do. I have a special feeling towards Nintendo as a brand and I have special feelings towards Sony and SEGA and each console they released.
But the same magic feeling for any game that just happens to be developed or published by Nintendo? No. Neither the developers or the executives have been the same over all these years.

I'm sorry but I'm not buying it. You might believe that it exists and I'm not going to change it, but it's like trying to convince someone that god exists by saying "He's just there. At this one point in my childhood I felt him. When I was 18 and in hospital, I had this warm feeling and I knew he was there. Oh, and all other religions are wrong."



Around the Network

Same games years after years and still loved by their fan... That seems pretty magical to me.



If you would dismantle "magic" it isn't any longer. So I'm doing a favour to mankind by not doing it



It's mostly nostalgia. While warm at times, it's nothing but a yearning to the past and unhappiness with the present. Not an alien phenomena.



bubblegamer said:
It's mostly nostalgia. While warm at times, it's nothing but a yearning to the past and unhappiness with the present.

How can I have nostalgia for Metroid when I didn't play one until I was 20? Or Xenoblade when I didn't play it til I was 22? These were not the games of my childhood, yet they still hold the magic for me.



Around the Network
curl-6 said:
bubblegamer said:
It's mostly nostalgia. While warm at times, it's nothing but a yearning to the past and unhappiness with the present.

How can I have nostalgia for Metroid when I didn't play one until I was 20? Or Xenoblade when I didn't play it til I was 22? These were not the games of my childhood, yet they still hold the magic for me.

So your experience represents that of every Nintendo fan? Nostalgia doesn't mean decades ago, it could be 6 months ago. There is no time definition.



I assume gameplay above all else.



"Trick shot? The trick is NOT to get shot." - Lucian

bubblegamer said:
curl-6 said:
bubblegamer said:
It's mostly nostalgia. While warm at times, it's nothing but a yearning to the past and unhappiness with the present.

How can I have nostalgia for Metroid when I didn't play one until I was 20? Or Xenoblade when I didn't play it til I was 22? These were not the games of my childhood, yet they still hold the magic for me.

So your experience represents that of every Nintendo fan? Nostalgia doesn't mean decades ago, it could be 6 months ago. There is no time definition.

I never claimed I spoke for every fan.

What about Splatoon, then? Totally new IP, not even out yet, but everything I've seen of it oozes Nintendo magic.



It's unique charm + level design + gameplay + polishing + long lasting excitement (replay value)

Gameplay has to be specified: The smooth flow of the game, the positioning of the enemies, the perfect balance of challenging but never frustrating.

Actually, in more recent times I love Nintendo games because with my limited time, I know I can play them through (with 100%) and will have lot's of fund doing it. There are other great games out there but often at some point their getting boring/frustrating/uninteresting. I mean, I'm sure Dark Souls 1 and 2 are great games and I actually would love this challenge but I will never play them because I don't have the time for such things.

Yeah, I could play through a shooter in a few hours but tough I love adult/bloody action games, just no.



curl-6 said:
bubblegamer said:
curl-6 said:
bubblegamer said:
It's mostly nostalgia. While warm at times, it's nothing but a yearning to the past and unhappiness with the present.

How can I have nostalgia for Metroid when I didn't play one until I was 20? Or Xenoblade when I didn't play it til I was 22? These were not the games of my childhood, yet they still hold the magic for me.

So your experience represents that of every Nintendo fan? Nostalgia doesn't mean decades ago, it could be 6 months ago. There is no time definition.

I never claimed I spoke for every fan.

What about Splatoon, then? Totally new IP, not even out yet, but everything I've seen of it oozes Nintendo magic.

Correct on Splatoon. Remains to be seen if a good game, but it's a new IP and that is a step in the right direction. I was once a very happy Nintendo gamer, they just lost me because i changed and they didn't.

 

Newer games and IP's could bring in new people who get tired of the old formula. Which is why i cheer on change, but that's a topic for another discussion.