"Nintendo isn't out trying to make citizen kane when they make it,"

Why is it always Citizen Kane? That film just pleases critics. You want general acceptance in gaming, shoot for gaming's Godfather or Casablanca.

That was for most gamers who want games to be art, not just you.

"So a game where a fat plumber jumps platforms and gathers powerups and coins somehow equates to an epic long form medieval poem?"

In terms of a hero overcoming odds and slaying monsters.

Tsk. tsk. oh IGN...

Great point. One of Ign's biggest bitches about Nintendo is that they don't "listen" to their fanbase... When a game sells over 10 million in roughly 8 weeks, I think that proves they obviously HAVE listened to their fans, who are responding in droves with their wallets.

It is hard for me to imagine anyone who has been a Nintendo fan for years (all the way back to the NES) not to agree with this editorial.

Is there a moment for those in doubt where you secretly realize that this editorial makes perfect sense, but then just blocks that rationality out?

IMO if you dont agree with this editorial, then you never liked the N64 for what it was when it was in its prime. That was Nintendo.

The wii is not.  (for the most part anyways... the wii does have exceptions which are great)
Dont get me wrong, I love Nintendo, but I also miss Nintendo.

In the latest bit of news, we are now witnesses a fanwar breakout on the boarder of Wii-Are-Casualania.  People are taking this FAR too seriously here.  Wii fans are saying places like IGN are hating Nintendo, while the HD crowd fires back with threads like the "Bitterness in the Wii fandom?" .  In the end you see a fragmenting, where the HD crowd is realizing that the masses don't care about HD for their gaming at this time, and they are flushed the resentment that the masses won't get on their HD train.  And then you have some in the Wii camp who keep insisting that the masses MUST see the brilliance of The Conduit, or at least the hardcore might.

"IMO if you dont agree with this editorial, then you never liked the N64 for what it was when it was in its prime. That was Nintendo."

More passing off opinion as fact. For many of us, the late NES to mid SNES was their prime, and that's what some of these Wii games are recapturing. Don't you tell us we aren't true fans because you have a different favorite era.

I was just saying that the N64 (in its prime) encapsulated Nintendo. Not that the N64 represented Nintendo in its prime

I guess thats a little confusing.

I remember back in my day, when arcades matter, we had things called "arcade games".  We also had things called "pinball games" to.  Neither one of these needed "a good story", "worthwhile characters" or a "narrative".  I also have found numerous BOARDGAMES which don't have any of these either.  All these do have GAMEPLAY that is engaging.

People can try to use games as a device for storytelling, if they like.  And that is fine.  HOWEVER, can we at least remember what games ARE before there is a need to feel they have to be superior means of TELLING stories?  In games, as I remember them, you CREATE your own story, if that.  It at least gives you a feeling of accomplishment when playing them, and beating the pre-made world. 

And I disagree with Mario being the "literary equivalent of something like Beowulf".  Mario isn't trying to tell a story.  It is trying to provide people an entertaining experience to PLAY in.

These cry that games must somehow advance storytelling has me having to hide under a desk when I watch WiiFit or Brain Age get fragged for not having stories.  And I hope no one attempts to make a movie based on Tetris.  The Black20 spoof trailer is all I need.

It's still not a good ecapsulation. Just a handful of games that weren't enough to put the system on top (however awesome those games were) is what the prime of the N64 was. How can you think that's a good representation of Nintendo's prime?

It's basically saying you want Nintendo to just please those who agree with the gaming critics, and follow the same train wreck that the other gaming companies are doing.

On the wii's behalf, I submit that Damon Hatfield probably would not have the urge to write this editorial if it was not for NSMBwii's success.

The game is a good game. It exists on the wii. The wii is a Nintendo console.

I think the author just feels like he has already seen this, and for a "rehash" to receive such sales somewhat undermines what he does for a profession, or for me, what I love as a passion.. (video games)

but again these are all just opinions, which provide no base for anything he or I have to say.