@wild homes is weathering cephalopod trouble!: I do think that Mario Kart was mostly "another entry", but after Double Dash, I think it's warranted- especially with its (less than?) stellar online, along with the Mario sports titles.
I think, however, that the biggest of Nintendo's Wii titles were necessary. Galaxy was innovative, due to its gameplay alone; Metroid innovated the FPS controls on the Wii (which arguably was the Wii's biggest innovation so far, as it's leading to "good" FPSes... Goodbye, Red Steel!); and Brawl innovated the Smash series with a huge magnitude of content (I'm not sure if it counts as innovation, but it sure caused me to play the game for over 150 hours... and it had online).

Zerbrechen

@kingmanic: After the Wii came out, in that first year and half, Nintendo released more "hardcore" games than I think any company has ever released in the history of video games in that span of time. It was ludicrous.

Can't really understand what more you could want.

dowingba

Good. I'm tired of people asking me which one is the first one. Yellow or Blue? I don't know, try just reading the title.

Rob

I'm getting an odd feeling that Nintendo is slowly shifting gaming away from games I enjoy. Wii Fit, Brain age, Cooking Mama are great for my GF but it means that much less resources Nintendo is spending on the next fire emblem. The whole flub about only otaku wanting HD's and the marsh of never ending shallow shovelware coming for the wii certainly makes me feel cautious. During the grand old days of Nintendo, Nintendo was a massive monopolistic bully. They toppled and gained some humility while their usurper became a colossal douchebag. History will probably repeat itself.

kingmanic

@thejakeman: visit my site!: Yeah people talk about Nintendo "whoring out" franchises like Mario Kart. Come on, there's a total of one Mario Kart game per platform. Look it up: SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, GBA, DS...they each have one Mario Kart game.

Same with Mario platformers. There were 3 on the NES. 1 on the SNES, 1 on the N64, 1 on the Cube, 1 on the Wii, 1 on the DS...

I can't fathom what the big deal is. Yeah some Nintendo franchises have like 7 sequels...after 20+ years. Wow!

dowingba

@Zerbrechen: You're right. There's a lot they could do to improve it. But we could say the same for every game. What we need to realise is that there is a very distinct difference between recognising we can improve a title, and needing to make a sequel to a title.

wild homes is weathering cephalopod trouble!

@griffinrider: It is more fun... but that's not the point, is it?
I would never think of describing Brain Age as "fun" (some parts are... but not the package in whole), but I think it's more geared to "help" you than BBA, which is more of a "game". BBA also seems to have been made to appeal more to kids, whereas it's hard to imagine a kid being hooked by Brain Age's white, sterile interface- broken only by the gigantic, angular face of one Dr. Kawashima.

Zerbrechen

@thejakeman: visit my site!: You're right. Nintendo really haven't, on average, churned out as many sequels as many other companies have done. The thing that seems obvious to me is that-- this generation especially-- there's very, very little by the way of compelling reason to make sequels for last-gen franchises. Especially given the fact that the Wii's somewhat lacking hardware is not significantly more powerful than the GameCube's. To be honest, adding motion control to the same game is just not worth it, so unless you've really found a compelling reason to make another Pikmin other than $$$$, just don't. The usual reasons we have for embracing next-gen sequels? The graphics, which entice us with a greater level of immersion than we previously enjoyed. And since the graphics aren't going to be doing it for us with the Wii compared to the GameCube, that's one down. And while motion control certainly promises us greater immersion, it hasn't actually delivered on the promise very often-- primarily because it's not truly representative movement at all.

I'm not saying the Wii can't, or shouldn't, have sequels of classic and less-than-classic Nintendo franchises, but I'd like to see Nintendo refrain unless they've really found a good reason to proceed.

wild homes is weathering cephalopod trouble!

@thejakeman: visit my site!:

I noticed that when I came back to the light side (leaving PS2 for Dds/Wii). I realized I only missed a few games by skipping over Game Cube.

I only missed 1 Mario Kart, 1 Mario Platformer, 1 Zelda, 2 Metroids, and so forth.

It isn't like they pop out sequels like crazy.

griffinrider

No, not Brain Age!!!

Cyanotic

This makes sense. Nintendo created a market for crappy Brain Training games with the first Brain Age. Now it's up to crappy third parties to make crappy "me too" brain training games for infinite years to come. Kinda like how they made Wii Sports and then just stepped aside to let crappy Ubizoft type companies continue the awful trend.

dowingba

Am I the only one who thinks Big Brain Academy is 100 times more fun than Brain Age?

Brain Age kinda sucks.

griffinrider

@wild homes is weathering cephalopod trouble!: I would agree with you, except for the fact that there's a lot they could do (and will probably end up not doing) to improve Animal Crossing.

I think their stance on this actually makes sense, rather than rehash and repackage the same game over and over and over and over again (I'm f***ing looking at you, Capcom. Thanks for polluting the GBA and DS with your retarded Megaman Battle Network/Star Force (they're really the same thing) games... 15 entries in only a couple of years?).
Besides, Brain Training isn't really something you can make fresh every year, can you?

Zerbrechen

cooking mama is a majesco game, by the way.

thejakeman: visit my site!

I believe that as a type G star, the sun will actually kill us by expanding into a red giant. It's not actually massive enough to explode in a nova or supernova.

psychicfriend

@wild homes is weathering cephalopod trouble!: the irony of it all is that people complain about the massive amount of sequels, but there really aren't that many games in most of the nintendo franchises. sure, there are 11 mario parties, but there are still only 5 star foxes, 7 metroids (not counting zero mission), three super smash bros, 7 zeldas, and 7 marios. and 2 pikmin. 2 animal crossing's. (ignoring the japanese ones) 4 advance wars, 5 mario karts, ah, that's all i got.

thejakeman: visit my site!

@drunkentyger: nope. 4chan.

thejakeman: visit my site!

It's funny, but it's true, and it's true, but it's not funny. There really isn't any need to keep churning out sequels to this franchise-- to be totally honest, though, I could say the same about many titles that we've already seen from Nintendo this generation. Many of Nintendo's newer franchises-- and newer installments in older franchises-- really aren't deep enough to justify continually churning out new iterations. Cooking Mama is a great example, as is Mario Strikers. Maybe even Mario Kart. People clamor for more Animal Crossing, but how different can the experience really be? A few new mechanics, sure, but the mass of the gameplay-- dig up bells, buy some crap, visit Nook, have some holidays, write your mum-- is going to be the same. Perhaps the way Nintendo are designing titles now, this new short-tail entertainment doesn't loan itself to repeat visits, in terms of sequels.

wild homes is weathering cephalopod trouble!

I for one am glad this whole brain training thing is nearly over. Played Brain Age for about an hour, never touched it again. I'm sure some liked it, but not for me.

yourenzyme

God damn you dr Kawashima you scary bastard!

Whenever I see that face it makes me think how scary it would be if they replaced the MCP from tron with his face.I mean,the MCP was scary enough as it was,but just imagine how terrifying it would have been if THAT was its faced...

Anyway enough of my rant against the evil face,good riddance brain training.....though im sure Dr Takimoto Mind Exercising will probly be invented to fill the gap that the game has left..complete with an even more horrifying face....

Tom Clancy's Samuraidino

Durrr... wait. I don't get it.

The game is stupid anyways. It thinks I'm like. 80 years old or something. Haha. Worst Coding Evar.

MetaKz

I stop reading at Nintendo of Europe. I always take what they say, and make it opposite.

kumuasata

Between death by imploding sun (there isn't enough mass to explode and I didn't learn this from BT) or more BT...I know what I'd hope for.

kspray-dad

im pretty sure the ds is over...

udiie

I'm sure that just means until the next handheld, the dual multitouch-screened motion-sensing thing I'm betting we'll hear about at E3.

InsidiousTuna

I love the "Itprintsmoney.gif". Is that a Kotaku original?

drunkentyger

smash brothers is hardcore... :/

thejakeman: visit my site!

@dowingba: For instance? Metroid prime 3? yes. Fire emblem? yes. Mario galaxy? not really. Zelda. yes. otherwise? Wario ware absolutely not. Mario party? nope. Wii Fit? nope. Mario kart? nope. Smash brothers? nope. Cooking Mama? nope. wii sports? nope.

Nintendo is big and thus releases more titles but most aren't aimed at me. Nostalgia isn't hardcore and I don't even require hardcore, I just want game that don't present everything they got in the first hour.

kingmanic

regardless of what you dolts think of Dr. Kawa and his game he is a pretty cool guy. He personally made gabillions off of the game and donated it all to his science research. Pretty slick move in my "better than you" opinion.

TakuFangirl

i'd like to see another pikmin merely based on the fact that the first two were fun, but i've already beaten them. i can't think of any particular innovations, except wii controls, whic are inevitable. i'd just like to revisit its beautiful world again.

thejakeman: visit my site!

The fact that there are two Brain Age games reminds me of how Coors comes in two different presentations; Original Flavour, and Coors Light. The original sells more, but the other one makes sure there's Coors for everyone

pikachumariachi

@Zerbrechen: I wouldn't argue with any of those examples. And Animal Crossing, while I'm definitely on the fence, I could certainly be persuaded of the game's necessity once I find out more about the next iteration-- and I hope Nintendo really wow me! I really like that franchise. My only point, which you seem to agree with, is that the Wii is an interesting, and more complicated, prospect when it comes to making sequels-- just because the newer system lacks a really graphical upgrade from its predecessor. I'm not railing against any specific games. Cheers!

wild homes is weathering cephalopod trouble!

Why do people refer to Brain Training as a "game"? I don't know what to call it, but it sure as heck isn't a game.

16bitman

@wild homes is weathering cephalopod trouble!: I'd say Animal Crossing deserves a sequel. Its last console entry was more or less a port of an N64 game, and the DS version wasn't that much improved over its original entry.
I do agree with the sentiment that these companies should "pick their battles", though, as evidenced by my Capcom tirade earlier.

Zerbrechen

Nonsense, we'll surely have left the planet by the time our sun gives out. That is, of course, assuming that fuckin hippies stop protesting nuclear research so we can get our ships off the ground. Srsy ppl, intersteller starships don't run on cooking oil. We need us some fusionz.

Horsefly

NO! How will i get smart now.

axiom

I haven't logged into my brain age account for a while. he's gonna be pissed!

SteveIsRad

@kingmanic:
Nintendo did NOT make Cooking Mama! It's by some Japanese developer called Office Create, and published by Majesco in North America.

And what defines a game as "hardcore" or not? Dumb argument, but if you're going to say certain games aren't, you should have a good reason why. Is it whether or not a "non gamer" can pick it up and "get it" instantly? I can tell you for a fact that Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros. are not that (excluding the 2P pointer mode in Galaxy). Mario Kart is debatable, but certain seems to be more enjoyed by long-time fans than "casuals"/"non-gamers".
Is it the appeal of the game, then? If that's the case, then "hardcore" favorites Halo and Grand Theft Auto are helluva more casual than anything Nintendo's done.

Additionally, no, the resources Nintendo spends on their "casual" games (a term they, publically, have never used) do not detract from their "hardcore" games. Miyamoto stated in a recent interview that the Wii Fit team was a mere 20 people, whereas his Zelda team has been about 100 people (can't confirm if it's been all recent games, or just Twilight Princess).

Don't like these "casual" games? Don't buy them. They're not going to kill off the "hardcore" market.

BPMμ

@Horsefly: you are 100% correct. We need nuclear research so we can power our intersteller spaceships for planetary exodus before the sun devours us.

marleycat

@kingmanic: Well no Nintendo title ever is aimed at "you". Live with it.

dowingba

Thanks, Nintendo, for not releasing anymore Brain Training. I got my grandmother into "playing" it. Wish I didn't. She bugs me every time I see her.

Ganonmaster

"and they'll just keep on selling them for millennia until our sun expands, killing us all in a blinding flash of white."

Brilliant.

Snake726

you're actually trusting nintendo europe at all? at least cover your groins.

eskimo-bob

I would have thought it would have been easy to distinguish between the two games, you know cause one is called "Brain Training" and the other "More Brain Training", the clue is in the tittle but you know whatever.

And yeah Nintendo Europe, are they even a real company???? I mean come on, just like Microsoft and Sony Europe, they just don't exist face it.

GingerMohawk

@BPMμ: On that topic, I recently tried to get my housemates to play Smash Bros, and after trying to explain the rules/buttons/concept of the game several times they got frustrated and came to a unaminmous decision that Mario Kart was more fun.

Though I think games can be both hardcore or casual. Mario Kart for example has a depth to make you keep playing, in the way something like Brain Training doesn't.

creepwood

How about you take their demos off of the Nintendo Channel and replace them with something else, then, Nintendo? Really, I've seen so many awesome demos come and go, only for those stupid Brain Age demos to remain.

kubevubin

@BPMμ: @dowingba:

Smash brother is decidedly button mashing friendly, the game is very shallow compared to other fighters. Even compared to other button mashers like Capcoms vs series, Soul Calibur or tekken. Mario Galaxy is also not a "hardcore" game although it's much deeper then most casual games. Galaxy is a solid platformer but smash brothers is just packaged nostalgia with a really weak game underneath.

Nintendo did make games I enjoy, I like fire emblem , Metroid prime, Zelda, and Advanced Wars. 2 of those are from smaller first party groups which will suffer as funding gets shuffled around.

kingmanic

Well thats unfortunate. Brain Training was actually one of the reasons why I bought a DS to begin with (the other being FF IV).

LeLoi

@kingmanic: Smash Brothers is a button masher?? No way friend, a button mashing game is a game whereby bashing random buttons you can win. Smash Bros is far from that. Soul Calibur is more button bashing friendly then Smash Bros as is Tekken

excel_excel

@excel_excel:
Seconding this. I've never played Tekken in my life. But I was able to easily beat a couple of experienced friends in the arcade version of Dark Ressurection using Steve.

Again, define a "hardcore" game. And how games like Galaxy fail to meet this definition (and do Sunshine, 64, Yoshi's Island, World, etc. also fail to meet it?).

If you don't like the game, that's fine. No game will appeal to everyone (because if it did, it'd have a 1:1 software attachment rate). But don't go about saying "HURR THE GAME IS FOR CASUALS"

BPMμ

Nintendo's actually just given up on people's intellect. The fact that people keep buying just the first one shows how stupid they really are. Complete sarcasm, by the way.

Ryodestined

@MetaKz:

I think this might be used to prove the credibility of the game.

I however, have a Brain Age of 20.

Ryuk

Good. I think the original game was sufficient enough.

I have yet to get back to it to do "daily training" but I am willing to try to go for it this summer.

CutePuppyz

The brain testing mini-games got old pretty quickly, but the sudoku games were outstanding, the best interface for sudoku games I've ever seen.

So even if there aren't going to be any more Brain Age games, how about some more sudoku games using that same interface?

LordKensington

Yes, but when it happens, our brains will be as fit as a 20 year olds!

Alucard