I like mini games — there I said it.
Thursday, December 6th, 2007 at 3:01pm by Blake
When Ninja Reflex was announced yesterday for Wii and DS, I was excited with the prospects — a game that combines my love of ninjas and the chance to enhance my reflexes. Yes, I’m easily amused (though I only expect this to be a fun diversion when it’s released in March).
Oh, it doesn’t sound glamorous by any stretch of the imagination, and it doesn’t contain a suffix of 2, 3, 4, or 5; something that seemingly plagues several high-profile games these days, Zelda included. It may end up being a flop, I don’t know. But one thing Ninja Reflex is not, is a rehashed idea — at least a palpable one.
Sadly, it seems as though many gamers will overlook this title given its party game moniker. Heaven forbid we play traditional games and something new that at least promises an original idea — even if it shares shelf space with other Wii mini games.
Shacknews may have put it best in their impressions of the game, which they apparently enjoyed, saying: “Regardless of how the game ends up being received, I must give credit to [the developer] for putting a fresh take on what has suddenly become a painfully overplayed genre.”
Ideas make original games, not genres.
But I guess most traditional gamers don’t want original ideas — they want game of the year type games all of the time. They belittle enjoyment if it’s not derived from an epic, proven adventure.
I don’t hope for Oscar material for every movie I see, I only hope that I’m entertained. The same holds true for the games I play. Are ye not entertained?
Point is, Metroid, Mario, My Word Coach, and Master of Illusion can all be “fun,” though obviously at varying degrees and for varying amounts of time.
The insecurity of our industry continues ad nauseum…
December 6th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
But Blake, when the mainstream blogs say “mini games suck, the Wii has too many of them,” it automatically becomes super cool and we must all repeat it verbatim to feel cool too!
What you’re saying is that bandwagon analysis isn’t fun. Boo!
December 6th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
I don’t know man, all these Wii minigame compilations are really upsetting me. It’s the first time that I’ve started to doubt being a Nintendo fan. Nothing on the horizon looks at all interesting to me. I’ve been a Nintendo fan since day one in the 80’s, but the direction that they’re paving with games like Wii Sports and Mario Party is not something I want to follow, as well as defend.
I’m sure there will be one game here and there that will wet my appetite on the Wii, but for the most part, most of my money is going towards 360 and PS3 games. Which is the complete opposite of my spending habits before this generation.
I’m sure this Ninja game will be fun, I’m not calling out it’s merits, but it just doesn’t interest me, as well as the ten million other mini-game compilations, which is what is defining the Wii right now. And remember: these games aren’t free. I do have to spend my money on these things, even if they do have a degree of fun to them. Most of them do not justify the expenditure of my finances (of course, this is just me).
It’s the simple fact that publishers, on Nintendo platforms, are more interested in making casual gaming experiences, with no time put in to make games for hardcore players. It’s like eating too much corn. Yeah, it might taste good for a little while at the beginning, but moderation is key, and after awhile that corn is going to screw with your body. And no one seems to realize that.
I realize I have other avenues for gaming, and there are people that enjoy playing casual games like this on the Wii, but as a loyal Nintendo fan, I find it troubling that it’s come to this.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
While I do wish that developers would get off the mini game kick this game does sound intriguing. While I don’t think that there is any lack of tradition titles for the wii I will say that it seems like some developers think their games wont sell unless they include a “party” mode and I sometimes wish they would just make the game not the extras.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
@cronotrigger913
“Complete opposite of your spending habits before this generation?” So I can assume you were a big GC fan and bought a lot of GameCube games?
OK then, there’s a fault in your theory. If you ignore all the minigames, the Wii has the same variance of games that the GameCube did, if not better.
You’ve got -
1. AAA Nintendo titles. In one year since launch, we got 2 great mario games, the best metroid ever, and a great zelda. In the space of one year that’s not bad at all, especially considering Kart and Smash are on the way.
2. Some scattered 3rd party outings that are worth looking into. Godfather, No More Heroes, MOHH2, GH3, etc. It’s actually turning out to be better than the GC in this regard.
3. Minigames. Lots of them.
Simply ignore category 3 and there’s nothing to complain about. It’s like the existence of minigames is clouding people’s perception of all other games, even if we don’t play the minigames. I don’t get it.
They’re just in addition to the usual crop, not replacing it. Yet we all act like they’re taking over the industry.
December 6th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
What irks me is spending 50 bucks on games that don’t hold more value than playing them once. I guess I want more value for my dollar than just a few hours of “fun”. It doesn’t matter the genre as long as my dollar to fun ratio has been met.
I bought Mario Party and played it once. I just traded it in (for $32) for a down payment on Guitar Hero.
Guitar Hero could be considered a “mini game” (70 songs and they are all the same on the fret board), but GH is “fun” and I just want to keep playing more and more.
I feel that I got more value out of GH (at 90 bucks) vs. what I got out of Mario Party. If the game is really fun then it doesn’t matter what genre it is so long as I’m entertained.
As the old saying goes, “If Nijas are fun, buy my product.”
December 6th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
So because someone says they are tired of the Wii minigame fad, that automatically means they are jumping on a bandwagon? No….couldn’t be because said person is in fact tired of the mini-game fad! Impossible!
“They’re just in addition to the usual crop, not replacing it. Yet we all act like they’re taking over the industry.”
No not the entire industry, just seems like mostly what 3rd party developers are going for on the Wii. And many like myself see it as anything but “fresh”, “new” or “innovative”, I see it a cheap attempt to cash in on the Wii Sports success. Meaning, they see that Wii Sports, WarioWare, and other Nintendo labeled “minigame” games doing well, so they say “Heck, that’s what we need to do” and we end up with games like Carnival Games. You see it as cool and fresh, I see it as lazy because they are merely following a trend. Which when it’s on another system, people around here tend to point and and lament, but since it’s on the Wii, that seems to be ok - there I said it.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
I like mini-games also.
BUT, I don’t like the super saturation of these games, nor the crap quality of many of them.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:09 am
minigames for the loss (in my bandwagon-brainwashed opinion). it’s really a big reason why I don’t have a wii.
but go get ‘em if you like them.
by the way. one moment infendo is praising the consumer for embracing this crazy new-fangled wii product, now youre upset about the insecurity of the industry (industry, of course, should be read ‘consumers’, here)? i’m having trouble reconciling these viewpoints. these counter-trend consumers, all those bowling grannies and wii-golfing dads, are suddenly brainwashed and on a bandwagon? teh horror!1!
really, why do you already think this game will be overlooked? and thus the need to defend it and criticize the ‘industry’? honestly, you just created an issue to gripe about. weak.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:23 am
Let me know when Picross Wii releases with puzzles up to 500×500 i size. I will totally eat that up at a Guitar hero 3 price, even though I’d refer rE4 or lower level pricing.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:36 am
We all realize there are several writer at Infendo, each with their own thoughts, opinions and brains, right? Perhaps that’s why there are differing viewpoints on this issue.
Also, as is the case in elections, people can change their minds about something without becoming a “flipflopper” — it’s called human nature. We aren’t static creatures, we really are quite dynamic.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:41 am
So?