I irony of Doom being his first choice for that statement is the fact that Doom is coming to Switch next month (I know they didn't make Doom still, but I did hear a lot of people saying it would never go near a Nintendo platform)
This may be my favourite video you've done yet. It's the beauty of simplicity. I really, REALLY like the idea that Luigi's Mansion is "about the vacuum cleaner." From my own experience, that resonates because it's exactly the same way one of my bands makes our music, weirdly. We're a heavier, more aggressive band, and started off with wild, complex arrangements. As time went on though, we pared everything down until most of our songs had the basis of being literally one note repeated throughout. The challenge then became "how do we make this interesting?" The answer - messing with dynamics, rhythms, downbeats and accents. Ironically, our music feels far more varied and surprising now that we've focused on that core note and how it is played, and used that to inform how we create the rest of the song. It's also connecting with far more people - it's interesting, it's different. As you touch upon, modern games lack focus, just like a lot of modern heavy music. Our aims may be different (our music is very deliberately about confrontation rather than fun) but our "one note" thing is Luigi's vacuum cleaner. Everything that makes the music interesting spawns from that core, focused approach. That was probably totally uninteresting to most people, but essentially what I'm saying is this - what you conveyed in this video helped recontexualise the way I view simplicity in other forms of media that I interact with and create. That's the sign of some good-ass writing. Excellent, excellent work.
That's all pretty interesting to me as both a fan of games and music and as a musician. The only music I've heard from you has been your solo stuff in your videos, I'd be really interested to hear this stuff, care to share a link?
Hey, I was wondering if you'd give me your opinion on an idea of mine, as I aspire to be a game designer when I'm older. One of the main points in your video was how games approach stories. Many companies approach it by making the story first, which may lead to an interesting story, but the gameplay is lacking. Nintendo has great gameplay, but is lacking in story. This makes me wonder, what if a game's gameplay WAS the story? The game industry has seen this on a small scale, like with the Stanley Parable, but I'm talking about a gigantic adventure game. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how the mechanics of such a game would work. The story would be important, but should be delivered heavily through gameplay. Most of what I'm looking at is the actions of characters in fantasy novels and movies, and the kind of actions they perform. Another idea I have is that when you start up your file on this hypothetical game, the game asks whether you are male or female. In most games, this simple means changing the appearance of the character. In my game however, there are two main characters who are each gender respectively. This means the player can better associate with the character, and the character can be developed much easier throughout the story. As time passes in the game, eventually the male and female character meet, and then you can do multiplayer. I have toyed with the idea of having more playable characters, but I want the two protagonists to take center stage. In single player, you would be able to swap between characters depending on which one you need to complete a task (this is akin to how Lego does their games). Sorry for rambling on so long, but I have one last thing to ask your opinion of. Something I think an unbelievable number of games are lacking in is exploring religious themes in the story. The only game I've seen do this in a profound way is strangely enough, the drawn to life series. The problem is, I am deeply afraid of backlash from gamers at having these kinds of elements in a game. What do you think?
I was just waiting for when explaining what all those more "mature" games were all about, he'd come right out, speaking as Nintendo, and say "Super Mario Bros. is about jumping!"
1. All of your ideas have already been created, numerous times. Play more "walking simlulator", visual novel (Persona), and RPG's (Summonnight) 2. All of those ideas are fine, but are nothing you'll be capable of making until almost 10 years of experience in game development. 3. Religious themes are explored in almost every game, most gamers realize it and don't mind. Have you ever played Final Fantasy?
awesome astronaut Try playing Dark Souls, it's a great game that combines gameplay with narrative. Also for your first game think small and think simple to get the hang of games development first before jumping into the deep end with your God of War meets Skyrim, trust me on this.
Just putting an online mode with tournaments or leagues with the rival system would be a unique addition and great feature that drive the way online race mode is played. (because in a race your ennemies ares players who have similar position).
Yeah, online play would definitely be a justifiable reason enough for an F-zero sequel. There's also the option to update the game with more tracks and cars instead of releasing future sequels to it as well (I know people generally don't like DLCs, but it's the best way to get more content without spamming sequels).
if he doesn't want to make a new one, just re-release GX. i won't mind. and it's not like all their new games have whole new mechanics that revolutionize the way the game is played.
I think this again really shows in the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I am not a fan of all the gigantic open world games because they often just turn out bland and empty with very simplistic gameplay systems and mostly a ton of walking. In Breath of the Wild you can already see that there's a ton of added mechanics all supporting the idea of an open world: you can climb on everything, you can "snowboard" on your shield, you can float down with your sail cloth, even the stamina bar supports this.
Couldn't agree more. Another thing I've heard in a video is how well BotW does collectibles- Instead of just getting the collectible like a star piece in Paper Mario or a star coin in New SMB games, you have to figure out a mini-puzzle. But it's not the puzzle that matters, there's not much thought you have to put in. What matters is how, when you solve the puzzle, you're telling the game "I know what's up. There's a Korok here, isn't there?". You find baskets with apples and one apple is missing and you realize you have to put the apple in, and by doing that, you're telling the game that you know what's going on, and then the game responds with "So you know. Here's your Korok seed.", unlike some games where you might just stumble across a collectible and press a button. This time you have to pay attention to what you find. It's some really good game design.
@@anintendofankindaguy1368 I had a something similar with Baby's First Blocks. I can't describe the unparalleled sense of achievement I experienced from completing it 900 times over.
@@anintendofankindaguy1368 I especially love the Korok seed puzzles because they sort of encourage world exploration--something I think Nintendo absolutely nailed in Breath of the Wild. They're dotted all over Hyrule, so you really have to go over every inch of the land if you're ever going to find them all (unless you get cheeky, and just Google them). I think the heart of Nintendo's genius is with the puzzles that utilize the physics engine. You're given tools (like Magnesis, Cryonis, etc), and you have to use them for an array of different puzzles, and they're all pretty much about manipulating the world around you in order to progress forwards. You might use Magnesis to lift heavy, metallic objects up in a bid to bridge your way across quick mud, for example. Even without those tools, there are still acomplishments to be had. In the Great Plateau, there's the River of the Dead, just up the mountain, and it's too freezing to set foot in. There's a jetty, or a bridge, or something, with a raft at the end of it. There's seemingly no way of reaching there, but I realized that you're actually able to cut down a tree, have it land in the river, and let it be carried downstream over to the broken jetty/bridge, allowing you to get across safely. In these instances, the puzzles themsevles are the most satisfying element to the gameplay because they require resourcefulness, and there are surely not many games out there (if any) that require you think about, for instance, how a tree might land in the water, and get carried off by the current. It's so satisfying, and it's pure simulation, rather than, like, a set-piece that was specifically designed to turn out this way.
@@Cooperal then don't do it lol If you don't want to.. Just don't They literally give you a piece of Poo as an award for collecting them all and the devs themselves said that they were never meant to be fully colldcted
Just a little note for any aspiring developers around here: this is a good way, but not the ónly way to do it. Good artists aren't the ones who have found the magic formula to poop out miracles, they're the ones with a wide arsenal of methods, know what kind of product they produce, and can use that to figure out the best way to make the thing they want to make. This particular method works well for the particular emotion Nintendo wants their players to feel. Other goals might be better produced using different methods and workflows. Don't restrain yourself to working in one way just because someone you like does it.
thank you for commenting this. ik this comment was from 4 years ago but while i love the video i hate how he makes it seem like this is the only way to design games
exactly, having no unity between the mechanics might seem stupid at first but it can add more unpredictability and variety to the gameplay, which is kind of what Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze did. that game barely has a central mechanic, but it has tons of surprises.
Another aspect of this is that Nintendo games tend to follow the "final exam" philosophy on final boss/final level design. Even in cases where you don't physically go through little reminders of all the levels before, you do typically have to run back through all the mechanical ideas you learned, often swapping in an out of them on a second's notice, to finally beat the game. Some examples... - Metroid Prime in Metroid Prime. I think that you use every single power-up in the game over the course of that boss' two phases. - Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time: The big twist in the first half of the fight is that you can't use Z-Targeting, the game's central mechanic. The big twist in the second half is that you can't use your sword, the game's central weapon/tool for interactivity. - Bowser in Super Mario Galaxy: You hurtle between several planetoids over the course of the fight, and it's all about predicting where he'll end up after traveling the length of the planetoid. - Cackletta's Soul in Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga: It's perfectly possible to finish that fight without taking a single HP of damage, but it requires absolutely perfect button-press timing and the ability to focus on both brothers at the same time. - Yuga in A Link Between Worlds: There's a reason that you have to think laterally about how to get the final three hits in on him in a 2D world.
Yuga boss fight was such a pleasure. Best I've experienced in a great long while. Most other games just amounts to how long can I spam healing and wail on the boss?
The final boss in Splatoon is another great example. You use everything you learn in the campaign in that one drawn out ten minute fight. Its so great, I'm smiling just thinking about it.
I'm thinking through the Metroid Prime fight, and yeah, I think you actually do use every item in the game... except, I believe, the morph ball bombs or power bombs. You *do* use missiles, all four beams, probably some beam combos (I know I usually used at least the Super Missiles - obviously - and the Wave Buster), the morph ball, the grappling hook, some stuff with Phazon, all visors, the space jump (for dodging, yo)... not sure about the spider ball or boost ball though. I think you might use the boost ball for dodging if you so choose, but I think the spider ball goes unused.
PositiveBlackSoul It's certainly okay to not like Nintendo games, but some people dismiss them as being childish just because of their playful aesthetic. Personally, my most beloved gaming memories have come from Nintendo. Who cares if they're not as "edgy" as other companies.
They've always tried to be very family-friendly and it was especially in the wii era, where most advertisements were directed at families with young children. I do like their game philosophies though, I just wish their games weren't as mainstreamed today compared to their older games. Would be nice to actually have difficulty settings, but they've never added that in their 1st-party games as far as I can remember (except hero mode in the HD Twilight princess. Would like to see more of that in non-remakes).
kabeltelevizio smash kinda has that skill in it. Melee for example required skill to pull of the advanced techniques in it. although a majority of it was unintentional, the game has requires high skill to perform and do well in
This Is why I consider Nintendo the greatest of all time and It seems to go over so many peoples heads. It's why Indies have been destroying the big 3rd party publishers In terms of quality content this whole generation. Bring on the Switch! where the greatest of all time and the most inspired developers (Nindies) around will be creating games that are meant to do more than make you count pixels and check how many pores the generic protagonist has on his face. Fantastic video!
People forget that Nintendo can make so many different games and try and make those genres accessible to everyone, including kids (I think the most ironic insult is "nintendo is for kids", why is that an insult? age appropriate is much better than a 6 year old playing GTA or a 12 year old cussing on Halo COD). Nintendo's own IPs range from adventure, party games, FPS, fighter, racing, sports, life simulation, cooking, pets, open world, linear, rpg, platformer, puzzles etc. I don't know which developer does that and do it so well.
Michael A. Robson And that's the problem Sega is facing with the Sonic franchise. Catering to multiple platforms doesn't expand possibilities: it limits them. It means that the same game has to work AND deliver the same intended mechanic / experience / feel on platforms that don't always get along. Example: the many versions of Sonic Unleashed / Sonic World Adventure. Some platforms used motion control, others used the analog-stick-and-buttons combo.
One of the few people who actually understands how they build games and respects it. Though I am fine with people developing games the way they want to, I'm not about telling everyone that they have to do it the same way like many others have.
Nintendo resisted the push towards more cinematic, story-focused games when FF7 came out and developers were all hailing the optical disc for its ability to store cutscenes. But we had FMV adventure games on PC long before that, some of which were very well made and successful. Really, these two camps have always been around, it's just Nintendo has been the flagship of play-focused game design (leading the indie revival), while other developers have pushed past the likes of Square into new territories of movie-esque games, and even what appears to be a revival of FMV adventure games with how Telltale is doing it. Both approaches are legitimate, and both have produced some amazing games, but at the end of the day a game is a game, and if the core gameplay sucks you're likely to put it down early feeling unsatisfied.
Clouvas I can agree with that. I just don't like people saying one company should be exactly like another company in how they go about things. Everybody does things differently, which is how it should be.
The Game Idea Guy A thriving industry is one that is diverse. I'm a huge Nintendo fan but I always wind up buying all the other consoles just to see what I might be missing. Glad this year to have played Doom, Dark Souls III, and Abzu.
@ShankYaWITdaskang SYWIT Oh... It's never too late to play them now, if you ever get the chance. (Assuming you still don't play Nintendo games, which may or may not be true.) :D
This is a great analysis, but I think this does leave out one key point: as a result, Nintendo's stories can be kinda weak. Pikmin is "get stuff, get home" with additional flavor text. Mario is "rescue princess and/or get the magical artifact which is probably star-themed, also here's some other characters depending on the spin-off". Zelda is arguably the most advanced storyline they've got going, but the individual games are not usually story-heavy--it's more about how all the games fit in sequence. Basically, thanks to this approach, they mostly do bright, cartoony games with sparse narrative. Which is great--I actually love that--but it's not what I want 100% of the time, and it's not everybody's jam. On the other hand, I also don't want to play a story-heavy but gameplay-deficient slog through muddy controls and glitchy cutscenes for 40 hours. I feel like there has to be some approach that lets you reliably get both your story and your gameplay well-developed.
That would be the Tim Schafer approach, where both the story and gameplay are conceived simultaneously and developed alongside each other. But that's harder to come by because it all but requires that your lead designer and your lead writer be the same person, and that simply isn't how the industry works most of the time. Another way is to have an existing gameplay formula that can easily be shaped and molded to accommodate different narratives, which is essentially how the JRPG and adventure genres work.
I think that stems from a lacking of brilliant writers. Shigesato Itoi is who I would consider the pinnacle of story telling through gameplay and gameplay driving the story at the same time. He wrote everything in Earthbound. He is a terrific story teller and it doesn't get in the way of the core gameplay. It simply has breaks for humor and funny quirks. And Nintendo needs more writers like that. Sadly, writers like Itoi are EXTREMELY few and far between.
That's still an issue for the whole industry. Because as the story becomes more important the gameplay becomes narrower for the story and character to make sense. In contrast as the gameplay becomes more important the story mainly needs a beginning and an ending with the game being unrestrained by the story needing to tell something. In the end it's execution like how Until Dawn does more with the cinematic storytelling than the Order 1886 by actually closing the story and giving several outcomes to it and how Super Metroid or Dark Souls reward players who dig deeper into the game's lore than a Kirby or Mario. I like the notion games can grow by having powerful ideas more than powerful stories.
I think that sparse story can be good by creating a blank canvas for the player to project onto. Sure Nintendo didn't write Ocarina of Times story with the goal of resonating with players on themes of childhood and adulthood but it happened anyways. I'll admit the ending of Mario Galaxy still strikes an emotional core with me to this day even knowing what I know now. Many times the artist has a meaning in mind with their art but sometimes I think it can be up to the audience to create their own meaning. So while many Nintendo stories can be forgettable, their light story can also be their own strength too.
This hybrid you speak of exists in the Metroid Prime series. Not only is the story wonderfully complex on a game by game basis, but the gameplay is 100% solid as well. The developers at Retro Studios knew how to blend a complex story INTO the gameplay. Rather than feeding stuff to you via informational cutscenes, most of the story, if not all of it, is found by the player via the gameplay. That's ingenious design IMO, and I wish more developers did that.
I think Nintendo's design philosophy is pretty much the best one there is, however sometimes you don't need a new way to play, sometimes all you need is take something that's already perfect, like Super Mario 64, Super Metroid or F-Zero, and make a new one in the same style so that more people can get to play it and enjoy! And Nintendo themselves are no strangers to that, as they've done it with the New Super Mario Bros. games, which as generic as they seem, they are still quality games none the less...
Right. They have no qualms milking a franchise that sells millions of copies and can be shit out really easily. If f-zero sold 5 million copies I’m sure Nintendo would be singing a different tune about a sequel.
Yeah... Nintendo are like the safety net of gaming in my honest opinion. When other developers fail and let you down, they're just almost always good. They make games you can come back to and play many times and still have things to do. There's often a reason to play the games, whereas some games don't add that necessary incentive. It's the main reason I dropped Uncharted The Nathan Drake Collection and Fallout 4 so early on. I need a reason to play, I need appeal.
i think fallout is a game where you have to play in in a certain mindset i think. that happens outside the game but it still can be fun because you invent the way you want to play. altough fallout 4 was less rpg and more an action rpg it still felt good to build settlements etc
LOL what? There IS a reason to play Uncharted or Fallout, they both have compelling enough gameplay AND stories in their games in order for you to enjoy them, that's the WHOLE REASON for why you play them. Both those games HAVE reason to play AND they have appeal, you just want the nintendo style of appeal but those games aren't trying to be like nintendo at all, they're their own games and their own style and REASON to play; for story incentive and compelling gameplay incentive that all Uncharted games have AND Fallout 4 has as well. Simple as that!
I think the gameplay is the story of the mother series (not literally but as close as you can tie the two) . It was conceptualized by an author after all.
So that explains their issue with paper mario and mario party. They have to think of a new gimmick for every game... and sometimes it isn't recieved well.
Heck, think about the older Mario Parties too! Day/Night cycles, growing big and small, capsules, microphones, even items in general! They've been doing this since the very beginning! MIND. BLOWN.
That's a good way to describe it really quickly. It's better than getting the same shit over and over because even if one game is pretty meh, you can look forward to the next game being different. It's better than watching AAA franchises slowly die as they repeat themselves, even if they were once great.
+ZFighter1011 In the case of the new Paper Marios. People are more annoyed that they did away with interesting and unique characters,/companions and a good progressional system.
This video is incredible. I’m an escape room owner and designer, and your analysis in this has inspired a new room concept we will be developing this year. Thank you so much for creating your thoughtful, passionately crafted content.
Superb! Really enjoying the evolution of your aesthetics, like the flickering titles. And yeah I agree, I've always enjoyed simple games polished right down to a diamond, probably why I'm more of a retro gamer. Thanks for these videos!
Thank You! **Some** gamers like to pick on Nintendo fans accusing them of of fanboyism, you eloquently explained why their presence is essential to the game industry.
It is certainly not essential, and will go away if they keep going down that path. I adore their style, but video games are currently a business and an industry, and you need customers to keep making art. It sucks but it's true. And people have voted with their wallets, that they like more the yearly updates on graphics and season passes and pre order bonuses, than they like new ways to tackle problems (which is what nintendo offers). I don't want them to embrace that, but they must find a way to be more profitable, or be a software developer only.
And yet the amount of money Nintendo has made by taking risks like the Wii has made it so they can go years without making any money back and not go bankrupt. Often people need devs like Nintendo to show them new ways because, frankly, not a lot of people know what they want. As long as their future exploits keep them on the good sides of the 3rd Party Devs, Nintendo's got nothing to worry about
the video itself is very Nintendo leaning, the guy either pretends or actually does not like things outside the Nintendo and indie bubble. Theres quite a handful of games that even if they are something done before with extra twists they are fun, just as every Mario game is the same Mario with extra twists. (Mario Kart, NSMB, M Party, etc)
Dude do you ever see his other videos? And it's not considered leaning towards something when you just state facts. Of course there are other developers who do stuff right and he talks about them every now and then.
There's absolutely nothing essential about Nintendo because it exists in its own bubble. It could go down any day and that would be completely inconsequential for the industry.
A great way to see this mentality at work is looking long and hard at common Mario mechanics. Most of the enemies and objects in the original game can be answered with two questions: -What happens when I jump on (or at) this object? -What happens when I touch this object normally? Every game object deals with these questions, with maybe one or two exceptions.
That was an excellent video which reminds everyone of the way Nintendo indeed do things: creating the world and story around the gameplay and not the reverse. And for video games, which revolves around gameplay more than anything else, it's pretty odd that there are not more devs following this simple principle
This is clearly the most interesting episode of GMTK.The way Nintendo make games is very interesting and can lead to games which are as crazy as fun to play. This and the episode about Versatile Verbs in video games really changed the way how I think about game development and video games in general. They should be watched by everyone who really is interested in video games. Thank you Mark Brown!
You just managed to put into words what I've been feeling about the gaming industry in general for most of my life, but I could never figure it out. I've always wondered why I liked some games, hated others, and at first liked the concepts of some others but not liked to actually play them. "Why do I love most games from Nintendo, Rareware (the old ones), or Valve? Why do I like most racing games? Why do I hate most FPSs, while loving a few of them? Why do I find most RTSs goddamn boring and cofusing, while I could play some of them until the next sunrise? Why do I hate playing MMORPGs so much, yet I keep going after every other game, always ending up loathing the next one, and the next, and so forth?" Now I think I know. From what I can recall, most (if not all) games that get me hooked have one central mechanic that all the others revolve around. All of those FPSs and RTSs that I love are mostly like that, and the ones that I hate are the ones that have too many, distinct, and equally important mechanics. And I never figured out why I'd never play MMOs for too long, despite the fact that I love (to this day) the concept of, inside a constantly living world, having a lasting, non-ephemeral character, who can because of that grow with your time invested in them. I guess no MMORPG never made it quite right for me. Really, I think your video made me have an actual epiphany about my relationship with games.
As someone that just started going through Nintendo's vast library of games for the first time recently, I can certainly already see the simplicity of the fundamental designs creating opportunities for further complexity on top of that in their games rather than the other way round. It's such an approach to game design that means even games 20+ years old still hold up fairly well today in terms of the basic gameplay inputs. Great video as usual!
YES!! This is spot-on! Another great example of gameplay driven design from Nintendo I want to add here are the Tiki enemies in Donkey Kong Country Returns. An enemy designed entirely around platforming gameplay, intuitively designed to attract a jump, yet also designed with a angry jack-o-lantern face to convey to the player that this thing is dangerous, yet its flat bongo head acts as a perfect platform to jump off of. This one enemy type is plastered everywhere throughout the game, and I feel, is a perfect example of Nintendo's 'form follows function' game design philosophy.
This must be one of the best videos, I've ever watched on TH-cam. You are already making such a good content, but still keep doing better and better with almost every new video. Keep up the good work :)
Mark, I've been greatly enjoying your video catalogue for a few months now (particularly Boss Keys), and I must commend you for astutely pinning down not just why I still find myself coming back to Nintendo games but to strong mechanics-driven experiences in general. I think it all comes back to a sense of grace: that a simple idea belies the communicative complexities it radiates and that what a game gives back can be greater than what the player puts into it. Keep up the good work. Also, really digging the synthwave-y music choices here. Feels like HOME's "Resonance" has been getting a lot of circulation lately...
As the Wii U production comes to a close, it's nice to see a bit of retrospective on how they make games. Though the system wasn't a success, games like Splatoon& Pikmin 3 really showed promise and inventive ideas. If they keep games like that up, I certainly can't wait to make the Switch in March. Great video dude! Keep it up!
That pop-in of Miyamoto doing a victory pose when he was mentioned was an excellent example of good video editing. I love this series. I know people who don't even care that much about how video games are made that love your presentations. Biggest thing that keeps me personally coming back is the fact that Mark is better behaved than your standard youtuber. I'm very glad he avoids "HEY, GUYS, ITS ! !"
I want to take a second to praise your work here. I was already aware of Nintendo's game design philosophy, but watching your video showed me just how much of it I took for granted. I thought the Luma in Mario's hat was just a nice aesthetic flair; I never consciously acknowledged it as a recharge meter. I thought shooting doors in Metroid Prime just helped to mask load time (which it does), but that could easily be done with any door interface, not just shooting. Furthermore, I had NO IDEA that Super Mario Bros was the first game to use jumping on enemies to defeat them as a mechanic; I grew up on platformers, so the fact that so many games were doing that just made it seem normal. I have a renewed appreciation for the games I love, and you have a new subscriber.
I've been researching what is the best way to design a game, and recently I realized that the most important thing is the main game mechanic. This video just confirmed that idea and expanded on it. Thank you for making this video, I loved it !!
I'd argue there is no "best" way. It all depends on your goals and vision for your game. This MIGHT be the best approach for you. And others might be best for other games. I do like this concept for game design and it can clearly be very successful, but I hope you don't limit yourself by thinking this is objectively the best way to do it :)
i subscribed to you back when you were at around 7k i hardly watched any of your videos but i felt you deserved it, and now it seems as if youre channel is about to expand big time. good luck to you!
"Making another racing game with more attractive graphics is unfathomable" And here I thought I couldn't respect Miyamoto more then I already do :D I was wrong
I've always idolised the way Nintendo does things. I have spent years trying to use the same method and let ideas evolve. Ever since this video first dropped. No matter how hard i tried, i physically couldn't. Turns out i have "hyperthymesia".... Meaning even before the prototype, i can see the "finished product" or at least the initial idea of one in my head as if i was playing it. Then, the creative process is more like printing while changing things here or there. Even though it's helpful as an artist, not so much as a designer who wants to come up with new and interesting concepts naturally.
Damn. Guess I've just realized why outside of Nintendo games, I only pretty much like Portal (literally my favourite game ever along with Skyward Sword) and a handful of truly well-designed indie games. Essentially, I believe Nintendo's philosophy of video game design is just the best, and I'd almost go as far as to say the only possible one. Being honest, the fact that these guys basically invented video games and have literally been the torch-bearers ever since just proves my point (let's not kid ourselves, who showed EVERYONE how to do 3D games first? And most recently, why are so many people claiming that Breath of the Wild is the first TRUE open-world game, and the one that other developers are going to look at as a blueprint from now on?). So yeah, as Mark says, we shouldn't consider Nintendo as game design gods while all the other developers just get it wrong... though maybe?
I love how every 6 months or so I always come back and binge your videos, I don't know why but there's something cosy about hearing someone so passionate talking about what he loves, keep up the great work man
I always found the "I don't know what to do for F-Zero that's new" quite odd when he released 4 or 5 New Super Mario Bros. where the "new" factor is really small (multiplayer in Wii, some transformations here and there in the others...). It's not that difficult to find something new in F-Zero or to do it better. New cars, new type of level design for the race (more vertical action or multi-layers stage), online action, more customization, a better editor stage... There's a lot to do but oh well. Apart from that, it's a really good video so good job, Mark Brown. I really like the graphical design you make for your videos, it really sublimate your message.
I think Nintendo needs to actually feel passionate about making a game before setting out to do it - something like NSMB2 might feel dull and repetitive but the developers still had a ton of fun making it and retained a core idea behind it ("let's play with coins"). The core idea might seem like a small change from its predecessors but it results in a major change in how the developers approach and design every single level. This doesn't always work out for them but it's good to see they are in it, not for the money but, for the content they produce. Sadly games like F-Zero just isn't that important to them :/, one day someone at Nintendo might have a fresh idea on how to make a new F-Zero. TL;DR It's about passion and inspiration, not about forcing new ideas in a sequel.
Well, then, I would have prefer Miyamoto saying "We just don't feel like it" than saying the "no new idea" excuse. I mean, if he doesn't wake to make one, no problem, they can give it to somebody else. If nobody at Nintendo wants to do a F-Zero game, well that's sad but okay. But at least, they remain honest. Not saying they're dishonest, just this particular bit. Well, that's just my opinion after all. They do what they want. Haha.
ＺＥＢＵＬＯＮ９２ To be fair he said how he felt about the game, he has no new inspiration or ideas for a sequel so to him it feels like there is no new ground to tread.
Every now and then, I come across a video so high quality, I wish I could drink it. An in-depth analysis on what makes one of my favorite game developers so good and gives me advice on how to design games of my own? Oh, heck yes! This also gives me a great jumping off point for studying other games and seeing what play mechanics they were built around. Love your work, and I really appreciate videos like this!
This is why I love Nintendo games. They feel great to play and honestly for me it having fun gameplay helps make the story feel more immersive. Normally when I get frustrated playing a game any feeling for story for me is lost and all I hear is "blah blah blah". Not to say I hate difficult games but we all know that one boss, level, or enemy in a game that made you think the game was out to get you. Part of the reason you'd play a game is for some kind of tactile interaction with a world more than reality. So if that game actively hates the player or treats them like a joke then the play of the game sucks cause it's like playing tag with either an Olympic sprinter or a paraplegic in a wheelchair. Impossibly hard or insultingly easy.
I just fell in love with your videos again. You seriously inspire me more than any other channel on youtube, because you explore important ideas about creating games to the fullest. As a game developer myself, every time I watch one of your videos I feel the creativity wanting to burst out of me. I hope you will always continue these videos. You have my deepest and most sincere gratitude. Thank you.
10:35. I've been trying to figure out what made The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild feel different from all the other open world games out there. And this is exactly it! Thank you Mark.
Love the commentary! I've done quite a bit of reading about Nintendo and their design process, but it's very nice to see it all bundled up in a package. Good job!
My only problem with Miyamotos approach to F-Zero is that F-Zero was always just a series about racing and going fast and doing it with extreme precision. Sure there's only a handful of games but its been 10+ years since we've gotten a game. And while GX is pretty much perfect, no one is going to say to a straight up no non-sense F-Zero sequel in HD. Just throw in some goofy story mode again and a track editor and some online play and people will eat it up. F-Zero doesn't need innovation when it's already perfect, it just needs another goddamn game. People just want to go fast Shiggy, it's not that hard to figure out
Reminder that just about every franchise gets routine rereleases, remakes and HD versions of their games except for Starfox and F-Zero. If you're not Zelda, Mario or Pokemon Nintendo won't be showing you any love anytime soon.
If they do the whole remake the same game thing, it won't attract the people who may not like Fzero. The reason they want to innovate their games is to broaden their horizons and attract more people than the last game. The Wii was a good example of getting new customers into the gaming mix.
I highly recommend Fast Racing Neo, it's nothing but the speed and precision of F-Zero GX turned all the way to 11. The game gave me heart palpitations lol.
This was tremendous Mark, really enjoyed it. I've been saying the same kinds of things in long-winded comments on forums, and out loud to friends for years, trying to explain to others why some people are baffled at the notion that all Nintendo games are different, or baffled at the notion that people think their games are all the same. This video will be a lot easier to demonstrate the points. Keep up the great work.
I apply this same method to my record label and my artists. We strive to keep things "simple" but really it's the way you go about adding depth to the simplicity. Adding something new while it still being familiar. A new context like you mentioned. Anyways your videos inspire me to keep at it with what we're doing. I wanna thank you for these videos honestly.
I know this is a year old, but the last real New Super Mario bros game was back in 2013 with New Super Luigi U and there are only 5 New Super Mario Bros games made (I was curious so I checked). Super Mario Maker 1 and 2 don't really count imo since they're level creators for people and that's it. And Deluxe that released on Switch is just a rerelease of the 2012-13 games. So really it's been 7 years since the last entry with 5 total entries to date.
If you made a Nintendo video and it was 6 hours long I would watch it without a break. Love your videos, you have such an amazing understand of this medium. I hope you continue to work on this platform and eventually thrive once people understand how true your content is. Stay safe during the quarenteen and keep your creativity alive.
Great video. I always thought the gameplay in Nintendo games felt special but I didnt think so deep into it. That even the whole story and world comes after the mechanics are created is weird but makes total sense thinking about it. That indirectly also helps me to formulate why I dislike most open world games. So often they feel like they just wanted to create a beautiful world but they had no idea how to put a good game into this world. Feels like 2 seperat parts of the game while in Nintendo stuff it all flows together.
Hey, Mark! I've been working on the spanish subtitles for a time now. I really appreciate your work and I hope more people know your channel in the future. I only want to say thank you, and another thank you for the acknowledgment. (I apologize if I have some error, but, well, I swear I understand english very well, but I have some problems producing it.) If you have some other recommendations of quality YT channels, or anything else on Internet, I would appreciate it so much.
"To Miyamoto, the thought of making another racing game with more attracted graphics is unfathomable." Meanwhile Mario Kart has 9 iterations now that don't really differ much in terms of mechanics (at least not since double dash)...
I find Twilight Princess very fascinating. Nintendo crafted such a wonderful story after something very simple. Aonuma had a dream that he was a wolf locked inside a prison cell, Miyamoto tought that Link being alone in the wolf form would be boring, so that's how they created Midna and the story is basically her growth with Link. One of the best duos or chemistry between characters ever made which makes Twilight Princess my favorite videogame of all time.
(Don't get me wrong Mario Kart is good but the differences it offers are relatively small, and it's even worse with their other non-racing franchises like Smash Bros)
sergiocast345 Yes, but each MK has a new mechanic every time, you didn't watch the video? they said even when they use the same IP they look to expand the basic premise of preview games.
I think mariokart, like smash bros, is more of a flapship title to show off their IPs on the latest platform. Because of this they basically become a standard for the next console like windows having a solitare. They should just make them f2p and pre-installed on the switch.
Androzz Senpai: Then, they can just make a F-Zero with some new mechanic. If they still come up with new ideas for MK that justify creating new games, while they don't even try it with F-Zero, is just because Mario sells a lot better.
Great video! As a Nintendo fan, I'm happy to see such praise for their way of creating games. They are toy makers, not necessarily artists, storytellers or tech enthusiasts, and that's part of what makes them unique. The only problem is when they try too hard on a concept that doesn't really work, like in Star Fox Zero, and when they get so fixated on the "gameplay first" that they end up neglecting other aspects that are also part of the fun, like what happened in Paper Mario Sticker Star, where Miyamoto actually instructed the team to put "less story" in the game, and its overall quality suffered for that. Anyway, keep up the great work!
Could underwhelming game branded by Valve hurt the company? 🤔 Is it possible that it is better for Valve employees to make games that are NOT branded by Valve, just because of risk evaluation, and how big their store is compared how big the game could be? Maybe just it is not worth to make 100.000.000$ on silly game, if there is a chance that steam as a platform get hit by that?
My favorite thing about Nintendo games is that they have something for all types of players. In Mario Odyssey, if you're a more casual player, you can just pick it up and follow along with the story, get just enough easy moons, and not put much effort into it. If you're more serious about it, you can go through and hunt down every single moon. In Smash Bros, you can just pick it up and play with a couple friends and just play as your favorite characters, or get deeeeep into the competitive scene. There's something in there for everyone, which greatly expands their demographics.
Tremendous video, subscribed! This captures the sentiment of why Nintendo was and remains my favorite Publisher and among my favorite developers in video games.
Love this approach to games, but I like the Saints Row IV model too. Take a bunch of shit that you know works, shove them all together, add in velociraptors. Maybe that's just me.
butr there is something cohesive about saint's row's mess: people enjoy fooling around in open world, so let's embrace the sillyness, and put everything in the game at its service. That's a pretty good approach.
The thing is it's a bit polarizing among the fanbase with SR2 to SR3 and 4 because it doesn't actually IMPROVE or innovate on SR2's angle. It just offsets it with pure zaniness while imitating what's more popular for open world currently. SRIV is still a good game as it freely slapped on everything it could that worked, but SR3 just destroyed any sense of variety or pacing outside theme park esque set pieces.
SenpaiSamaKun In SR2 you could just randomly assault someone with a garden gnome, just grab it off a lawn and beat someone with it or throw it at someone. Why that didn't come back in SR3 is beyond me.
I've been playing Splatoon recently and this really explains how everything in that game seems to just fit together to create something so original. Nothing feels out of place
That Splatoon footage looks freakin' INCREDIBLE! Am I losing my mind? Why does it look so clean? 60 FPS combined with a super-clean aesthetic? (That's just a guess. >_
***** Glad, I could help. :) I can recommend HOME too (especially their track called "Resonance" and for some deeper and calmer style (dreamwave) you can try a guy called "hello meteor" (soundcloud.com/hellometeor). There is also a channel on TH-cam called NewRetroWave , that has plenty of synthwave. Lastly you should definitly check out the original score of Stringer Things (Netflix series) (it's avaliable on Spotify and Apple Music for example), because it has a really good synthwave soundtrack :)
Also, if you want something more energetic and "violent", check Carpenter Brut, Dance with the Dead, Perturbator, and everyone involved with Hotline Miami soundtrack
Hey Mark, i've just watched your 41 videos over the course of 41 days. Whilst loving every video, this one was by far my favourite considering Nintendo is my number one games developer. I am surprised that you didn't mention the Nintendo 64 controller being a huge part of the Nintendo ethos with the analog stick basically being developed for Mario 64. Anyway, keep up the great work.
9:02, couldn't be further from the truth. AAA developers usually have a pipeline for games that only integrates narrative halfway through development. Where they fail is by treating narrative and visual design as something disconnected from gameplay. Like a paint job on a car, while also having a totally different set of objectives for gameplay, for visuals and for narrative. So the objective for gameplay will be to be thrilling and fun, the objective for visuals will be to convey mystery and grandeur, and the objective for narrative will be to create poignant emotion... no wonder the result is a dissonant mess.
Do you have proof of this? A lot of AAA games feel like they're so built around the narrative that kinaesthetically, they can often feel the same because they didn't do enough to differentiate the mechanics.
I live in a city with a few big AAA studios and I want to be a writer for games, so inevitably I ended up having this conversation with a lot of AAA friend-devs. For linear games, those big teams usually start with the designer outlining levels linearly and working with that template to create environments and later on to write the narrative unfolding in the levels. For big open world games, it usually starts with game mechanics and environment outlines, then the quests are added gradually throughout development. Basically, if there isn't a lot of variety in terms of mechanics, it's because big studios are very risk averse and anything that's a little out of the norm is not going to be considered serious for development unless it's a mechanic added to a more conventional title (like a hacking puzzle in a big shooter game, or a speed booster item in a medieval sword fighting game, etc.).
I work in triple-A and can confirm this often the way its done. Story is added late. The thing to note too is that most triple-A developers don't experiment with mechanics in the first place. Its not like naughty dog considered making Uncharted something other than a parkour shooter by the time they got to Uncharted 2. The mechanics are predestined before development even begins.
Nice video, Mark, but I would also have liked to see it show the other side of the coin. How you must ensure not only to build around gameplay but make sure said gameplay is FUN. Look at the new Star Fox. Their focus on gameplay around the Wii U second controller made that such a terrible project they should've stopped to look at the core they were focusing on and ask themselves how fun that was. (I'm not bashing on Nintendo, just using a game of theirs for this as the video was pretty much focused on the company)
***** No need to be so defensive. The game had good overseas sales but did very poorly at home. I don't have the game nor have I played it myself so indeed opinions are opinions, but I'm just saying what the market reflected in sales numbers, not some personal hatred/vendetta. jay kj Yes he did! But just like his other analytic videos, I sort of expected him to cover both sides of the coin. Like I said (and apparentely was too subtle for some folks), not picking on Star Fox Zero, just chose to name that one since the video was so Nintendo heavy. Heck, think the Wii U itself would make for some great analysis, specially when compared to the 3DS in how the company chose to use the unique assets of both platforms.
@@ZFighter1011 I personally think, that Star Fox Zero's controlls are more of an obstacle, than an actual good control system. I mean, they actively weakened the TV-Screen to make the Gamepad-Screen more viable, but you usually don't have the time to look at the Gamepad. I think this could have worked on the DS, where looking on the second screen is much more intuitive and takes far less time, but playing Star Fox Zero just doesn't feel good. That being said, I only played the demo, so maybe you get used to it on the long run.
this is excellent and thorough and interesting and we'll edited with great sound. glad I found you thru an article previously recorded tweeted about channels to check out :-) will definitely check out more
Nintendo is great. It proves that you can be a successful company by making quality games and by utilizing innovation, rather than just copy-pasting old, well, everything, with only minor edits.
NINTENDO: Putting *play* first
EA: Putting *pay* first
Alright guys, we finally finish the micro-transaction store, now what kind of game that could fit for this store ?
@@reamuji6775 We could try a new star wars game, people love to throw money at us for those games!
SIR!!!!! WE FORGOT THE PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION!!!!!!!!
@@SonOfSparda3139 To unlock the store, right?
and it also unlocks the ability to play the game!
I feel like Portal is one of the most Nintendo non-Nintendo game. Shovel knight too.
I irony of Doom being his first choice for that statement is the fact that Doom is coming to Switch next month (I know they didn't make Doom still, but I did hear a lot of people saying it would never go near a Nintendo platform)
Your Lord and Savior, I would completely agree with this statement.
Portals and Shovel Bouncing.
Fun Core Mechanics are the foundations of a Fun Game.
Shovel Knight isn't a Nintendo Game?
@@Haggis_67 Thats exactly what the comment is saying
This may be my favourite video you've done yet. It's the beauty of simplicity. I really, REALLY like the idea that Luigi's Mansion is "about the vacuum cleaner."
From my own experience, that resonates because it's exactly the same way one of my bands makes our music, weirdly. We're a heavier, more aggressive band, and started off with wild, complex arrangements. As time went on though, we pared everything down until most of our songs had the basis of being literally one note repeated throughout. The challenge then became "how do we make this interesting?" The answer - messing with dynamics, rhythms, downbeats and accents. Ironically, our music feels far more varied and surprising now that we've focused on that core note and how it is played, and used that to inform how we create the rest of the song. It's also connecting with far more people - it's interesting, it's different. As you touch upon, modern games lack focus, just like a lot of modern heavy music. Our aims may be different (our music is very deliberately about confrontation rather than fun) but our "one note" thing is Luigi's vacuum cleaner. Everything that makes the music interesting spawns from that core, focused approach.
That was probably totally uninteresting to most people, but essentially what I'm saying is this - what you conveyed in this video helped recontexualise the way I view simplicity in other forms of media that I interact with and create. That's the sign of some good-ass writing. Excellent, excellent work.
That's all pretty interesting to me as both a fan of games and music and as a musician. The only music I've heard from you has been your solo stuff in your videos, I'd be really interested to hear this stuff, care to share a link?
Hey, I was wondering if you'd give me your opinion on an idea of mine, as I aspire to be a game designer when I'm older. One of the main points in your video was how games approach stories. Many companies approach it by making the story first, which may lead to an interesting story, but the gameplay is lacking. Nintendo has great gameplay, but is lacking in story.
This makes me wonder, what if a game's gameplay WAS the story? The game industry has seen this on a small scale, like with the Stanley Parable, but I'm talking about a gigantic adventure game. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how the mechanics of such a game would work. The story would be important, but should be delivered heavily through gameplay.
Most of what I'm looking at is the actions of characters in fantasy novels and movies, and the kind of actions they perform.
Another idea I have is that when you start up your file on this hypothetical game, the game asks whether you are male or female. In most games, this simple means changing the appearance of the character. In my game however,
there are two main characters who are each gender respectively. This means the player can better associate with the character, and the character can be developed much easier throughout the story.
As time passes in the game, eventually the male and female character meet, and then you can do multiplayer. I have toyed with the idea of having more playable characters, but I want the two protagonists to take center stage. In single player, you would be able to swap between characters depending on which one you need to complete a task (this is akin to how Lego does their games).
Sorry for rambling on so long, but I have one last thing to ask your opinion of. Something I think an unbelievable number of games are lacking in is exploring religious themes in the story. The only game I've seen do this in a profound way is strangely enough, the drawn to life series. The problem is, I am deeply afraid of backlash from gamers at having these kinds of elements in a game. What do you think?
I was just waiting for when explaining what all those more "mature" games were all about, he'd come right out, speaking as Nintendo, and say "Super Mario Bros. is about jumping!"
1. All of your ideas have already been created, numerous times. Play more "walking simlulator", visual novel (Persona), and RPG's (Summonnight)
2. All of those ideas are fine, but are nothing you'll be capable of making until almost 10 years of experience in game development.
3. Religious themes are explored in almost every game, most gamers realize it and don't mind. Have you ever played Final Fantasy?
awesome astronaut Try playing Dark Souls, it's a great game that combines gameplay with narrative. Also for your first game think small and think simple to get the hang of games development first before jumping into the deep end with your God of War meets Skyrim, trust me on this.
I understand why Myamoto doesn't want to make a new F-Zero.
But still. Make a new F-Zero. Please.
Just putting an online mode with tournaments or leagues with the rival system would be a unique addition and great feature that drive the way online race mode is played. (because in a race your ennemies ares players who have similar position).
Yeah, online play would definitely be a justifiable reason enough for an F-zero sequel. There's also the option to update the game with more tracks and cars instead of releasing future sequels to it as well (I know people generally don't like DLCs, but it's the best way to get more content without spamming sequels).
Hell ,they barely have to do a thing to it, maybe just port it.
Exactly, it could just as easily be a straight port of F-Zero GX with online.
if he doesn't want to make a new one, just re-release GX. i won't mind.
and it's not like all their new games have whole new mechanics that revolutionize the way the game is played.
I think this again really shows in the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I am not a fan of all the gigantic open world games because they often just turn out bland and empty with very simplistic gameplay systems and mostly a ton of walking. In Breath of the Wild you can already see that there's a ton of added mechanics all supporting the idea of an open world:
you can climb on everything, you can "snowboard" on your shield, you can float down with your sail cloth, even the stamina bar supports this.
Couldn't agree more. Another thing I've heard in a video is how well BotW does collectibles- Instead of just getting the collectible like a star piece in Paper Mario or a star coin in New SMB games, you have to figure out a mini-puzzle. But it's not the puzzle that matters, there's not much thought you have to put in. What matters is how, when you solve the puzzle, you're telling the game "I know what's up. There's a Korok here, isn't there?". You find baskets with apples and one apple is missing and you realize you have to put the apple in, and by doing that, you're telling the game that you know what's going on, and then the game responds with "So you know. Here's your Korok seed.", unlike some games where you might just stumble across a collectible and press a button. This time you have to pay attention to what you find. It's some really good game design.
@@anintendofankindaguy1368 I had a something similar with Baby's First Blocks. I can't describe the unparalleled sense of achievement I experienced from completing it 900 times over.
@@anintendofankindaguy1368 I especially love the Korok seed puzzles because they sort of encourage world exploration--something I think Nintendo absolutely nailed in Breath of the Wild. They're dotted all over Hyrule, so you really have to go over every inch of the land if you're ever going to find them all (unless you get cheeky, and just Google them). I think the heart of Nintendo's genius is with the puzzles that utilize the physics engine. You're given tools (like Magnesis, Cryonis, etc), and you have to use them for an array of different puzzles, and they're all pretty much about manipulating the world around you in order to progress forwards. You might use Magnesis to lift heavy, metallic objects up in a bid to bridge your way across quick mud, for example. Even without those tools, there are still acomplishments to be had. In the Great Plateau, there's the River of the Dead, just up the mountain, and it's too freezing to set foot in. There's a jetty, or a bridge, or something, with a raft at the end of it. There's seemingly no way of reaching there, but I realized that you're actually able to cut down a tree, have it land in the river, and let it be carried downstream over to the broken jetty/bridge, allowing you to get across safely. In these instances, the puzzles themsevles are the most satisfying element to the gameplay because they require resourcefulness, and there are surely not many games out there (if any) that require you think about, for instance, how a tree might land in the water, and get carried off by the current. It's so satisfying, and it's pure simulation, rather than, like, a set-piece that was specifically designed to turn out this way.
@@Cooperal then don't do it lol
If you don't want to.. Just don't
They literally give you a piece of Poo as an award for collecting them all and the devs themselves said that they were never meant to be fully colldcted
Just a little note for any aspiring developers around here: this is a good way, but not the ónly way to do it. Good artists aren't the ones who have found the magic formula to poop out miracles, they're the ones with a wide arsenal of methods, know what kind of product they produce, and can use that to figure out the best way to make the thing they want to make.
This particular method works well for the particular emotion Nintendo wants their players to feel. Other goals might be better produced using different methods and workflows. Don't restrain yourself to working in one way just because someone you like does it.
This is so true. The actual creative process is unique to both the artist and the creation. No, one size fits all approach exists.
Yep definitly an important point. Like "Gris" is completly build around their art style, Journey around the atmosphere and and and
thank you for commenting this. ik this comment was from 4 years ago but while i love the video i hate how he makes it seem like this is the only way to design games
@@sarinabina5487 rewatch the intro. Mark goes out of his way to say otherwise.
exactly, having no unity between the mechanics might seem stupid at first but it can add more unpredictability and variety to the gameplay, which is kind of what Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze did. that game barely has a central mechanic, but it has tons of surprises.
"Doom migth be the most Nintendo game that Nintendo would never, ever make"... that was brilliant, well at least the reboot Doom
Another aspect of this is that Nintendo games tend to follow the "final exam" philosophy on final boss/final level design. Even in cases where you don't physically go through little reminders of all the levels before, you do typically have to run back through all the mechanical ideas you learned, often swapping in an out of them on a second's notice, to finally beat the game. Some examples...
- Metroid Prime in Metroid Prime. I think that you use every single power-up in the game over the course of that boss' two phases.
- Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time: The big twist in the first half of the fight is that you can't use Z-Targeting, the game's central mechanic. The big twist in the second half is that you can't use your sword, the game's central weapon/tool for interactivity.
- Bowser in Super Mario Galaxy: You hurtle between several planetoids over the course of the fight, and it's all about predicting where he'll end up after traveling the length of the planetoid.
- Cackletta's Soul in Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga: It's perfectly possible to finish that fight without taking a single HP of damage, but it requires absolutely perfect button-press timing and the ability to focus on both brothers at the same time.
- Yuga in A Link Between Worlds: There's a reason that you have to think laterally about how to get the final three hits in on him in a 2D world.
Yuga boss fight was such a pleasure. Best I've experienced in a great long while. Most other games just amounts to how long can I spam healing and wail on the boss?
The final boss in Splatoon is another great example. You use everything you learn in the campaign in that one drawn out ten minute fight. Its so great, I'm smiling just thinking about it.
I absolutely loved Splatoon's final boss fight, probably the best Nintendo boss fight I've done in a good long time.
KoolAidManOG Yeah, that boss fight is a masterpiece.
I'm thinking through the Metroid Prime fight, and yeah, I think you actually do use every item in the game... except, I believe, the morph ball bombs or power bombs. You *do* use missiles, all four beams, probably some beam combos (I know I usually used at least the Super Missiles - obviously - and the Wave Buster), the morph ball, the grappling hook, some stuff with Phazon, all visors, the space jump (for dodging, yo)... not sure about the spider ball or boost ball though. I think you might use the boost ball for dodging if you so choose, but I think the spider ball goes unused.
I think ea is following the same principle
they focus their game around dlcs
snippy surprise mechanics
And money. Nintendo has so many 60 dollar games!
I cant even count!
@@finnthomas7014 it's worth it
function follows money
@@finnthomas7014 it's better than being tricked to pay for what you already paid for.
Anytime someone tries to convince you Nintendo games are for babies, come back to this video and remember why you love them so much.
I'm not saying Nintendo Games are for "babies", but they never really appealed that much to me.
PositiveBlackSoul
It's certainly okay to not like Nintendo games, but some people dismiss them as being childish just because of their playful aesthetic. Personally, my most beloved gaming memories have come from Nintendo. Who cares if they're not as "edgy" as other companies.
They've always tried to be very family-friendly and it was especially in the wii era, where most advertisements were directed at families with young children.
I do like their game philosophies though, I just wish their games weren't as mainstreamed today compared to their older games. Would be nice to actually have difficulty settings, but they've never added that in their 1st-party games as far as I can remember (except hero mode in the HD Twilight princess. Would like to see more of that in non-remakes).
Not every game HAS to be about sending a message or skill, it can just be plain simple fun.
kabeltelevizio smash kinda has that skill in it. Melee for example required skill to pull of the advanced techniques in it. although a majority of it was unintentional, the game has requires high skill to perform and do well in
This Is why I consider Nintendo the greatest of all time and It seems to go over so many peoples heads. It's why Indies have been destroying the big 3rd party publishers In terms of quality content this whole generation. Bring on the Switch! where the greatest of all time and the most inspired developers (Nindies) around will be creating games that are meant to do more than make you count pixels and check how many pores the generic protagonist has on his face.
Fantastic video!
ActiveGamerLife You someday Sega might gather a few Indies together and make a comeback with something like the Switch....call it the Dreamcast Go lol
People forget that Nintendo can make so many different games and try and make those genres accessible to everyone, including kids (I think the most ironic insult is "nintendo is for kids", why is that an insult? age appropriate is much better than a 6 year old playing GTA or a 12 year old cussing on Halo COD).
Nintendo's own IPs range from adventure, party games, FPS, fighter, racing, sports, life simulation, cooking, pets, open world, linear, rpg, platformer, puzzles etc. I don't know which developer does that and do it so well.
Michael A. Robson And that's the problem Sega is facing with the Sonic franchise. Catering to multiple platforms doesn't expand possibilities: it limits them. It means that the same game has to work AND deliver the same intended mechanic / experience / feel on platforms that don't always get along. Example: the many versions of Sonic Unleashed / Sonic World Adventure. Some platforms used motion control, others used the analog-stick-and-buttons combo.
Spectral Gatekeeper What do you mean 'art'?
One of the few people who actually understands how they build games and respects it. Though I am fine with people developing games the way they want to, I'm not about telling everyone that they have to do it the same way like many others have.
I am, with my wallet. lol.
Nintendo resisted the push towards more cinematic, story-focused games when FF7 came out and developers were all hailing the optical disc for its ability to store cutscenes. But we had FMV adventure games on PC long before that, some of which were very well made and successful. Really, these two camps have always been around, it's just Nintendo has been the flagship of play-focused game design (leading the indie revival), while other developers have pushed past the likes of Square into new territories of movie-esque games, and even what appears to be a revival of FMV adventure games with how Telltale is doing it. Both approaches are legitimate, and both have produced some amazing games, but at the end of the day a game is a game, and if the core gameplay sucks you're likely to put it down early feeling unsatisfied.
Clouvas I can agree with that. I just don't like people saying one company should be exactly like another company in how they go about things. Everybody does things differently, which is how it should be.
The Game Idea Guy A thriving industry is one that is diverse. I'm a huge Nintendo fan but I always wind up buying all the other consoles just to see what I might be missing. Glad this year to have played Doom, Dark Souls III, and Abzu.
Clouvas I can see that we agree then. There's not really much more to say at that point.
This is not a video, this is a love letter to the videogame culture! A love letter to our childhood.
Thank you!
@ShankYaWITdaskang SYWIT We are all deeply sorry for you... 😔
(Jk btw, it's completely fine that you play other games than me.)
@ShankYaWITdaskang SYWIT What is?
@ShankYaWITdaskang SYWIT Oh...
It's never too late to play them now, if you ever get the chance. (Assuming you still don't play Nintendo games, which may or may not be true.) :D
This is a great analysis, but I think this does leave out one key point: as a result, Nintendo's stories can be kinda weak. Pikmin is "get stuff, get home" with additional flavor text. Mario is "rescue princess and/or get the magical artifact which is probably star-themed, also here's some other characters depending on the spin-off". Zelda is arguably the most advanced storyline they've got going, but the individual games are not usually story-heavy--it's more about how all the games fit in sequence.
Basically, thanks to this approach, they mostly do bright, cartoony games with sparse narrative. Which is great--I actually love that--but it's not what I want 100% of the time, and it's not everybody's jam. On the other hand, I also don't want to play a story-heavy but gameplay-deficient slog through muddy controls and glitchy cutscenes for 40 hours. I feel like there has to be some approach that lets you reliably get both your story and your gameplay well-developed.
That would be the Tim Schafer approach, where both the story and gameplay are conceived simultaneously and developed alongside each other. But that's harder to come by because it all but requires that your lead designer and your lead writer be the same person, and that simply isn't how the industry works most of the time. Another way is to have an existing gameplay formula that can easily be shaped and molded to accommodate different narratives, which is essentially how the JRPG and adventure genres work.
I think that stems from a lacking of brilliant writers. Shigesato Itoi is who I would consider the pinnacle of story telling through gameplay and gameplay driving the story at the same time. He wrote everything in Earthbound. He is a terrific story teller and it doesn't get in the way of the core gameplay. It simply has breaks for humor and funny quirks. And Nintendo needs more writers like that. Sadly, writers like Itoi are EXTREMELY few and far between.
That's still an issue for the whole industry. Because as the story becomes more important the gameplay becomes narrower for the story and character to make sense. In contrast as the gameplay becomes more important the story mainly needs a beginning and an ending with the game being unrestrained by the story needing to tell something.
In the end it's execution like how Until Dawn does more with the cinematic storytelling than the Order 1886 by actually closing the story and giving several outcomes to it and how Super Metroid or Dark Souls reward players who dig deeper into the game's lore than a Kirby or Mario.
I like the notion games can grow by having powerful ideas more than powerful stories.
I think that sparse story can be good by creating a blank canvas for the player to project onto. Sure Nintendo didn't write Ocarina of Times story with the goal of resonating with players on themes of childhood and adulthood but it happened anyways. I'll admit the ending of Mario Galaxy still strikes an emotional core with me to this day even knowing what I know now. Many times the artist has a meaning in mind with their art but sometimes I think it can be up to the audience to create their own meaning. So while many Nintendo stories can be forgettable, their light story can also be their own strength too.
This hybrid you speak of exists in the Metroid Prime series. Not only is the story wonderfully complex on a game by game basis, but the gameplay is 100% solid as well. The developers at Retro Studios knew how to blend a complex story INTO the gameplay. Rather than feeding stuff to you via informational cutscenes, most of the story, if not all of it, is found by the player via the gameplay. That's ingenious design IMO, and I wish more developers did that.
I think Nintendo's design philosophy is pretty much the best one there is, however sometimes you don't need a new way to play, sometimes all you need is take something that's already perfect, like Super Mario 64, Super Metroid or F-Zero, and make a new one in the same style so that more people can get to play it and enjoy!
And Nintendo themselves are no strangers to that, as they've done it with the New Super Mario Bros. games, which as generic as they seem, they are still quality games none the less...
Right. They have no qualms milking a franchise that sells millions of copies and can be shit out really easily.
If f-zero sold 5 million copies I’m sure Nintendo would be singing a different tune about a sequel.
@@denimchicken104 NSMB sold a lot, and I mean a lot more than that.
legrandliseur tri your point?
@@denimchicken104 That F-zero wouldn't have gotten a sequel even if it sold 5 millions of copies.
legrandliseur tri I doubt that very much, but whatever.
Outstanding work as always! You've really zoned in on the perfect balance of education and entertainment. Thanks Mark!
Honed in?
Thank god you're back Mark. The only VG journalist with anything interesting to say that isn't a top ten or a lame rant.
Yeah... Nintendo are like the safety net of gaming in my honest opinion. When other developers fail and let you down, they're just almost always good. They make games you can come back to and play many times and still have things to do. There's often a reason to play the games, whereas some games don't add that necessary incentive. It's the main reason I dropped Uncharted The Nathan Drake Collection and Fallout 4 so early on. I need a reason to play, I need appeal.
i think fallout is a game where you have to play in in a certain mindset i think. that happens outside the game but it still can be fun because you invent the way you want to play. altough fallout 4 was less rpg and more an action rpg it still felt good to build settlements etc
they are so safety they takedown free fangames.
the reason to play is story/world/aesthetics, etc...
@@pedrogomezid Maybe that's your reason to play, not everyone's.
LOL what? There IS a reason to play Uncharted or Fallout, they both have compelling enough gameplay AND stories in their games in order for you to enjoy them, that's the WHOLE REASON for why you play them. Both those games HAVE reason to play AND they have appeal, you just want the nintendo style of appeal but those games aren't trying to be like nintendo at all, they're their own games and their own style and REASON to play; for story incentive and compelling gameplay incentive that all Uncharted games have AND Fallout 4 has as well. Simple as that!
So was mother 3 based on a rolling health system and a timed button press combat system rather than making me empty my tear ducts
I think the gameplay is the story of the mother series (not literally but as close as you can tie the two) . It was conceptualized by an author after all.
They came up with trans people to explain PSI attacks
Jocky J no, it was based on not releasing in the states
not about mother 3, but I think mother's main concept is about making an RPG in a modern setting as most RPGs in the past are fantasy settings
mother 3's gimmick is not releasing outside of japan
This channel is head and shoulders above most.
Whenever your work comes up in searches, I'm always happy to see it.
Well done
So that explains their issue with paper mario and mario party. They have to think of a new gimmick for every game... and sometimes it isn't recieved well.
Heck, think about the older Mario Parties too! Day/Night cycles, growing big and small, capsules, microphones, even items in general! They've been doing this since the very beginning! MIND. BLOWN.
Kingston White Mario Party 2 and 3 were awesome! They went downhill though...
That's a good way to describe it really quickly. It's better than getting the same shit over and over because even if one game is pretty meh, you can look forward to the next game being different. It's better than watching AAA franchises slowly die as they repeat themselves, even if they were once great.
+ZFighter1011
In the case of the new Paper Marios. People are more annoyed that they did away with interesting and unique characters,/companions and a good progressional system.
It's really not a gimmick, but a mechanic that has the ability to provide a certain depth.
There is a difference. Gimmicks are superficial.
Thank you for exploring these concepts- it’s really helping me to find my voice as a developer
This video is incredible. I’m an escape room owner and designer, and your analysis in this has inspired a new room concept we will be developing this year.
Thank you so much for creating your thoughtful, passionately crafted content.
What's it like?
Superb! Really enjoying the evolution of your aesthetics, like the flickering titles. And yeah I agree, I've always enjoyed simple games polished right down to a diamond, probably why I'm more of a retro gamer. Thanks for these videos!
Thank You! **Some** gamers like to pick on Nintendo fans accusing them of of fanboyism, you eloquently explained why their presence is essential to the game industry.
It is certainly not essential, and will go away if they keep going down that path. I adore their style, but video games are currently a business and an industry, and you need customers to keep making art. It sucks but it's true. And people have voted with their wallets, that they like more the yearly updates on graphics and season passes and pre order bonuses, than they like new ways to tackle problems (which is what nintendo offers). I don't want them to embrace that, but they must find a way to be more profitable, or be a software developer only.
And yet the amount of money Nintendo has made by taking risks like the Wii has made it so they can go years without making any money back and not go bankrupt. Often people need devs like Nintendo to show them new ways because, frankly, not a lot of people know what they want. As long as their future exploits keep them on the good sides of the 3rd Party Devs, Nintendo's got nothing to worry about
the video itself is very Nintendo leaning, the guy either pretends or actually does not like things outside the Nintendo and indie bubble. Theres quite a handful of games that even if they are something done before with extra twists they are fun, just as every Mario game is the same Mario with extra twists. (Mario Kart, NSMB, M Party, etc)
Dude do you ever see his other videos?
And it's not considered leaning towards something when you just state facts.
Of course there are other developers who do stuff right and he talks about them every now and then.
There's absolutely nothing essential about Nintendo because it exists in its own bubble. It could go down any day and that would be completely inconsequential for the industry.
A great way to see this mentality at work is looking long and hard at common Mario mechanics. Most of the enemies and objects in the original game can be answered with two questions:
-What happens when I jump on (or at) this object?
-What happens when I touch this object normally?
Every game object deals with these questions, with maybe one or two exceptions.
That was an excellent video which reminds everyone of the way Nintendo indeed do things: creating the world and story around the gameplay and not the reverse. And for video games, which revolves around gameplay more than anything else, it's pretty odd that there are not more devs following this simple principle
This is clearly the most interesting episode of GMTK.The way Nintendo make games is very interesting and can lead to games which are as crazy as fun to play.
This and the episode about Versatile Verbs in video games really changed the way how I think about game development and video games in general. They should be watched by everyone who really is interested in video games.
Thank you Mark Brown!
You just managed to put into words what I've been feeling about the gaming industry in general for most of my life, but I could never figure it out. I've always wondered why I liked some games, hated others, and at first liked the concepts of some others but not liked to actually play them.
"Why do I love most games from Nintendo, Rareware (the old ones), or Valve? Why do I like most racing games? Why do I hate most FPSs, while loving a few of them? Why do I find most RTSs goddamn boring and cofusing, while I could play some of them until the next sunrise? Why do I hate playing MMORPGs so much, yet I keep going after every other game, always ending up loathing the next one, and the next, and so forth?"
Now I think I know. From what I can recall, most (if not all) games that get me hooked have one central mechanic that all the others revolve around. All of those FPSs and RTSs that I love are mostly like that, and the ones that I hate are the ones that have too many, distinct, and equally important mechanics. And I never figured out why I'd never play MMOs for too long, despite the fact that I love (to this day) the concept of, inside a constantly living world, having a lasting, non-ephemeral character, who can because of that grow with your time invested in them. I guess no MMORPG never made it quite right for me.
Really, I think your video made me have an actual epiphany about my relationship with games.
As someone that just started going through Nintendo's vast library of games for the first time recently, I can certainly already see the simplicity of the fundamental designs creating opportunities for further complexity on top of that in their games rather than the other way round. It's such an approach to game design that means even games 20+ years old still hold up fairly well today in terms of the basic gameplay inputs. Great video as usual!
This was a fantastic watch. Thank you!
This is the best episode of game maker's toolkit, the edit and the content harmonize perfectly
YES!! This is spot-on! Another great example of gameplay driven design from Nintendo I want to add here are the Tiki enemies in Donkey Kong Country Returns. An enemy designed entirely around platforming gameplay, intuitively designed to attract a jump, yet also designed with a angry jack-o-lantern face to convey to the player that this thing is dangerous, yet its flat bongo head acts as a perfect platform to jump off of. This one enemy type is plastered everywhere throughout the game, and I feel, is a perfect example of Nintendo's 'form follows function' game design philosophy.
This must be one of the best videos, I've ever watched on TH-cam. You are already making such a good content, but still keep doing better and better with almost every new video. Keep up the good work :)
Videos like this is why I like Nintendo.
Nintendo is why I like Nintendo.
Mark, I've been greatly enjoying your video catalogue for a few months now (particularly Boss Keys), and I must commend you for astutely pinning down not just why I still find myself coming back to Nintendo games but to strong mechanics-driven experiences in general. I think it all comes back to a sense of grace: that a simple idea belies the communicative complexities it radiates and that what a game gives back can be greater than what the player puts into it. Keep up the good work.
Also, really digging the synthwave-y music choices here. Feels like HOME's "Resonance" has been getting a lot of circulation lately...
As the Wii U production comes to a close, it's nice to see a bit of retrospective on how they make games. Though the system wasn't a success, games like Splatoon& Pikmin 3 really showed promise and inventive ideas. If they keep games like that up, I certainly can't wait to make the Switch in March.
Great video dude! Keep it up!
That pop-in of Miyamoto doing a victory pose when he was mentioned was an excellent example of good video editing. I love this series. I know people who don't even care that much about how video games are made that love your presentations. Biggest thing that keeps me personally coming back is the fact that Mark is better behaved than your standard youtuber. I'm very glad he avoids "HEY, GUYS, ITS ! !"
"if the game's not fun, why bother?"
I want to take a second to praise your work here. I was already aware of Nintendo's game design philosophy, but watching your video showed me just how much of it I took for granted. I thought the Luma in Mario's hat was just a nice aesthetic flair; I never consciously acknowledged it as a recharge meter. I thought shooting doors in Metroid Prime just helped to mask load time (which it does), but that could easily be done with any door interface, not just shooting. Furthermore, I had NO IDEA that Super Mario Bros was the first game to use jumping on enemies to defeat them as a mechanic; I grew up on platformers, so the fact that so many games were doing that just made it seem normal. I have a renewed appreciation for the games I love, and you have a new subscriber.
I've been researching what is the best way to design a game, and recently I realized that the most important thing is the main game mechanic. This video just confirmed that idea and expanded on it. Thank you for making this video, I loved it !!
I'd argue there is no "best" way. It all depends on your goals and vision for your game. This MIGHT be the best approach for you. And others might be best for other games. I do like this concept for game design and it can clearly be very successful, but I hope you don't limit yourself by thinking this is objectively the best way to do it :)
i subscribed to you back when you were at around 7k
i hardly watched any of your videos but i felt you deserved it, and now it seems as if youre channel is about to expand big time. good luck to you!
"Making another racing game with more attractive graphics is unfathomable"
And here I thought I couldn't respect Miyamoto more then I already do :D
I was wrong
I've always idolised the way Nintendo does things. I have spent years trying to use the same method and let ideas evolve. Ever since this video first dropped. No matter how hard i tried, i physically couldn't. Turns out i have "hyperthymesia"....
Meaning even before the prototype, i can see the "finished product" or at least the initial idea of one in my head as if i was playing it. Then, the creative process is more like printing while changing things here or there. Even though it's helpful as an artist, not so much as a designer who wants to come up with new and interesting concepts naturally.
Amazing analysis, sometimes it can be hard to explain how a simple thing truly works !
You are currently my favorite subscription on TH-cam. Your videos are awesome, thanks for sharing your perspective.
Damn. Guess I've just realized why outside of Nintendo games, I only pretty much like Portal (literally my favourite game ever along with Skyward Sword) and a handful of truly well-designed indie games. Essentially, I believe Nintendo's philosophy of video game design is just the best, and I'd almost go as far as to say the only possible one.
Being honest, the fact that these guys basically invented video games and have literally been the torch-bearers ever since just proves my point (let's not kid ourselves, who showed EVERYONE how to do 3D games first? And most recently, why are so many people claiming that Breath of the Wild is the first TRUE open-world game, and the one that other developers are going to look at as a blueprint from now on?).
So yeah, as Mark says, we shouldn't consider Nintendo as game design gods while all the other developers just get it wrong... though maybe?
I love how every 6 months or so I always come back and binge your videos, I don't know why but there's something cosy about hearing someone so passionate talking about what he loves, keep up the great work man
I always found the "I don't know what to do for F-Zero that's new" quite odd when he released 4 or 5 New Super Mario Bros. where the "new" factor is really small (multiplayer in Wii, some transformations here and there in the others...). It's not that difficult to find something new in F-Zero or to do it better. New cars, new type of level design for the race (more vertical action or multi-layers stage), online action, more customization, a better editor stage... There's a lot to do but oh well.
Apart from that, it's a really good video so good job, Mark Brown. I really like the graphical design you make for your videos, it really sublimate your message.
I think Nintendo needs to actually feel passionate about making a game before setting out to do it - something like NSMB2 might feel dull and repetitive but the developers still had a ton of fun making it and retained a core idea behind it ("let's play with coins"). The core idea might seem like a small change from its predecessors but it results in a major change in how the developers approach and design every single level.
This doesn't always work out for them but it's good to see they are in it, not for the money but, for the content they produce. Sadly games like F-Zero just isn't that important to them :/, one day someone at Nintendo might have a fresh idea on how to make a new F-Zero.
TL;DR It's about passion and inspiration, not about forcing new ideas in a sequel.
Well, then, I would have prefer Miyamoto saying "We just don't feel like it" than saying the "no new idea" excuse. I mean, if he doesn't wake to make one, no problem, they can give it to somebody else. If nobody at Nintendo wants to do a F-Zero game, well that's sad but okay. But at least, they remain honest. Not saying they're dishonest, just this particular bit.
Well, that's just my opinion after all. They do what they want. Haha.
ＺＥＢＵＬＯＮ９２ To be fair he said how he felt about the game, he has no new inspiration or ideas for a sequel so to him it feels like there is no new ground to tread.
Every now and then, I come across a video so high quality, I wish I could drink it. An in-depth analysis on what makes one of my favorite game developers so good and gives me advice on how to design games of my own? Oh, heck yes! This also gives me a great jumping off point for studying other games and seeing what play mechanics they were built around. Love your work, and I really appreciate videos like this!
This is why I love Nintendo games. They feel great to play and honestly for me it having fun gameplay helps make the story feel more immersive. Normally when I get frustrated playing a game any feeling for story for me is lost and all I hear is "blah blah blah". Not to say I hate difficult games but we all know that one boss, level, or enemy in a game that made you think the game was out to get you.
Part of the reason you'd play a game is for some kind of tactile interaction with a world more than reality. So if that game actively hates the player or treats them like a joke then the play of the game sucks cause it's like playing tag with either an Olympic sprinter or a paraplegic in a wheelchair. Impossibly hard or insultingly easy.
I just fell in love with your videos again. You seriously inspire me more than any other channel on youtube, because you explore important ideas about creating games to the fullest. As a game developer myself, every time I watch one of your videos I feel the creativity wanting to burst out of me. I hope you will always continue these videos. You have my deepest and most sincere gratitude. Thank you.
10:35. I've been trying to figure out what made The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild feel different from all the other open world games out there. And this is exactly it! Thank you Mark.
Oliver Misbach I absolutely agree with you
Love the commentary! I've done quite a bit of reading about Nintendo and their design process, but it's very nice to see it all bundled up in a package.
Good job!
My only problem with Miyamotos approach to F-Zero is that F-Zero was always just a series about racing and going fast and doing it with extreme precision. Sure there's only a handful of games but its been 10+ years since we've gotten a game. And while GX is pretty much perfect, no one is going to say to a straight up no non-sense F-Zero sequel in HD. Just throw in some goofy story mode again and a track editor and some online play and people will eat it up. F-Zero doesn't need innovation when it's already perfect, it just needs another goddamn game. People just want to go fast Shiggy, it's not that hard to figure out
Reminder that just about every franchise gets routine rereleases, remakes and HD versions of their games except for Starfox and F-Zero.
If you're not Zelda, Mario or Pokemon Nintendo won't be showing you any love anytime soon.
If they do the whole remake the same game thing, it won't attract the people who may not like Fzero. The reason they want to innovate their games is to broaden their horizons and attract more people than the last game. The Wii was a good example of getting new customers into the gaming mix.
I highly recommend Fast Racing Neo, it's nothing but the speed and precision of F-Zero GX turned all the way to 11. The game gave me heart palpitations lol.
rawblink Yeah, but how strong is the IP? Not strong enough.
So Nintendo nor any company would focus on IPs that wont generate revenue.
millieman76 IP's don't tend to get stronger when you neglect them for a decade.
Editing was awesome here! The way the information was presented catches what I've been trying to say for years in such an accurate way. Nice work!
Brilliant and insightful perspective, and helps with deciding my next gen purchase.
This was tremendous Mark, really enjoyed it. I've been saying the same kinds of things in long-winded comments on forums, and out loud to friends for years, trying to explain to others why some people are baffled at the notion that all Nintendo games are different, or baffled at the notion that people think their games are all the same. This video will be a lot easier to demonstrate the points. Keep up the great work.
Dude, very nice choice having HOME's Odyssey album playing, it's one of my favorites.
I apply this same method to my record label and my artists. We strive to keep things "simple" but really it's the way you go about adding depth to the simplicity. Adding something new while it still being familiar. A new context like you mentioned. Anyways your videos inspire me to keep at it with what we're doing. I wanna thank you for these videos honestly.
"What do you want that we havnt done before ?"
Me looking at the New Super Mario Bros games questioning why are there so many of them.
I know this is a year old, but the last real New Super Mario bros game was back in 2013 with New Super Luigi U and there are only 5 New Super Mario Bros games made (I was curious so I checked). Super Mario Maker 1 and 2 don't really count imo since they're level creators for people and that's it. And Deluxe that released on Switch is just a rerelease of the 2012-13 games. So really it's been 7 years since the last entry with 5 total entries to date.
If you made a Nintendo video and it was 6 hours long I would watch it without a break. Love your videos, you have such an amazing understand of this medium. I hope you continue to work on this platform and eventually thrive once people understand how true your content is. Stay safe during the quarenteen and keep your creativity alive.
“Coming up with a new way to play”
New Super Mario Bros. and Pokémon: _Allow us to introduce ourselves_
These videos keep getting more slickly produced. Good stuff!
Great video. I always thought the gameplay in Nintendo games felt special but I didnt think so deep into it. That even the whole story and world comes after the mechanics are created is weird but makes total sense thinking about it.
That indirectly also helps me to formulate why I dislike most open world games. So often they feel like they just wanted to create a beautiful world but they had no idea how to put a good game into this world. Feels like 2 seperat parts of the game while in Nintendo stuff it all flows together.
I'm too fond of open world games as well, so let's hope Zelda Breath of the Wild adheres to their philosophy.
The sheika slate is their way of saying to the other open world games that they can do stuff differently.
*cough* Ubisoft/Warner Bros. *cough*
You are probably the best TH-cam-Channel in general! Just perfect and always interesting
Hey, Mark! I've been working on the spanish subtitles for a time now. I really appreciate your work and I hope more people know your channel in the future. I only want to say thank you, and another thank you for the acknowledgment. (I apologize if I have some error, but, well, I swear I understand english very well, but I have some problems producing it.)
If you have some other recommendations of quality YT channels, or anything else on Internet, I would appreciate it so much.
Thank you Iván! Check out Errant Signal, Turbo Button, Writing on Games, and hbomberguy to get you started
This video was beautiful. Thank you Mark Brown from Gamemaker's Toolkit
Hey Mark!
@3:20 when you're quoting a source.
How do you do that bloody sexy scroll-down animation?
Just have the text as an image and move it up. Easy peasy - though throw on a nice ease-in curve to make it slide into view all silky like.
Mark Brown
Love it, adds flair to an educational video.
Keep up the good work!
Literally listening to this on loop, this is becoming my mantra, solving so many game design problems following this train of thought.
"To Miyamoto, the thought of making another racing game with more attracted graphics is unfathomable."
Meanwhile Mario Kart has 9 iterations now that don't really differ much in terms of mechanics (at least not since double dash)...
Mario Kart Wii added bikes and motion control
Mario Kart 7 introduce hang glider, underwater, and kart customization
Mario Kart 8 added anti-gravity
This video's editing was superb! Really amazing stuff, it has the looks of a documentary accompanied by some great content. Congratulations!
I find Twilight Princess very fascinating. Nintendo crafted such a wonderful story after something very simple. Aonuma had a dream that he was a wolf locked inside a prison cell, Miyamoto tought that Link being alone in the wolf form would be boring, so that's how they created Midna and the story is basically her growth with Link.
One of the best duos or chemistry between characters ever made which makes Twilight Princess my favorite videogame of all time.
This is the single greatest thing I've ever watched about gaming. Seriously. So insightful and amazing
I’m very happy that Nintendo is with me since my childhood.
cool, a cool video. Thanks for the love you put into it! Cant wait to see what you post next :D
"Why another F-Zero game, what could we do that we haven't done before?"
Yet you make another Mario Kart...
(Don't get me wrong Mario Kart is good but the differences it offers are relatively small, and it's even worse with their other non-racing franchises like Smash Bros)
sergiocast345 Yes, but each MK has a new mechanic every time, you didn't watch the video? they said even when they use the same IP they look to expand the basic premise of preview games.
I think mariokart, like smash bros, is more of a flapship title to show off their IPs on the latest platform. Because of this they basically become a standard for the next console like windows having a solitare. They should just make them f2p and pre-installed on the switch.
They could easily do that with F-zero too, that's just a bs cop-out
Androzz Senpai: Then, they can just make a F-Zero with some new mechanic.
If they still come up with new ideas for MK that justify creating new games, while they don't even try it with F-Zero, is just because Mario sells a lot better.
Great video! As a Nintendo fan, I'm happy to see such praise for their way of creating games. They are toy makers, not necessarily artists, storytellers or tech enthusiasts, and that's part of what makes them unique.
The only problem is when they try too hard on a concept that doesn't really work, like in Star Fox Zero, and when they get so fixated on the "gameplay first" that they end up neglecting other aspects that are also part of the fun, like what happened in Paper Mario Sticker Star, where Miyamoto actually instructed the team to put "less story" in the game, and its overall quality suffered for that.
Anyway, keep up the great work!
which developers would you recommend that follow the same method of making games ?
Well... good question! Studios like this don't really exist much anymore. You're mostly looking at indie games like Braid, Limbo, Hue, and so on.
Pascal Grüger Valve comes closest.
Or at least they did when they still made games
Jordan3D heh, true
Team ICO is a great choice, these people are just amazing.
This might be the most satisfying video I've ever watched. Gameplay is always king, otherwise we're not talking about a video game anymore.
VALVe also follows a lot of these philosophies... or used to anyway...
To think it's been almost 6 years since Valve's final game. RIP Valve, we Steam now boyz
Now we know why Valve can't count to three.
Could underwhelming game branded by Valve hurt the company? 🤔
Is it possible that it is better for Valve employees to make games that are NOT branded by Valve, just because of risk evaluation, and how big their store is compared how big the game could be?
Maybe just it is not worth to make 100.000.000$ on silly game, if there is a chance that steam as a platform get hit by that?
My favorite thing about Nintendo games is that they have something for all types of players. In Mario Odyssey, if you're a more casual player, you can just pick it up and follow along with the story, get just enough easy moons, and not put much effort into it. If you're more serious about it, you can go through and hunt down every single moon. In Smash Bros, you can just pick it up and play with a couple friends and just play as your favorite characters, or get deeeeep into the competitive scene. There's something in there for everyone, which greatly expands their demographics.
You got exactly what makes Nintendo so unique... Amazing video! Congratulations!
Tremendous video, subscribed! This captures the sentiment of why Nintendo was and remains my favorite Publisher and among my favorite developers in video games.
Love this approach to games, but I like the Saints Row IV model too. Take a bunch of shit that you know works, shove them all together, add in velociraptors.
Maybe that's just me.
The only thing I didn't care for in later SR games was the doing away with improvised weapons.
butr there is something cohesive about saint's row's mess: people enjoy fooling around in open world, so let's embrace the sillyness, and put everything in the game at its service. That's a pretty good approach.
The thing is it's a bit polarizing among the fanbase with SR2 to SR3 and 4 because it doesn't actually IMPROVE or innovate on SR2's angle.
It just offsets it with pure zaniness while imitating what's more popular for open world currently.
SRIV is still a good game as it freely slapped on everything it could that worked, but SR3 just destroyed any sense of variety or pacing outside theme park esque set pieces.
SenpaiSamaKun
In SR2 you could just randomly assault someone with a garden gnome, just grab it off a lawn and beat someone with it or throw it at someone. Why that didn't come back in SR3 is beyond me.
Also Stilwater's way more enjoyable and lively than the mess that is Steelport
I've been playing Splatoon recently and this really explains how everything in that game seems to just fit together to create something so original. Nothing feels out of place
That Splatoon footage looks freakin' INCREDIBLE! Am I losing my mind? Why does it look so clean? 60 FPS combined with a super-clean aesthetic? (That's just a guess. >_
You always use songs that I already love in your videos. Great taste in music, dude.
「ｎｉｃｅ ｍｕｓｉｃ」
N O I C E
It's called Synthwave and is basically a hole genre, about music, that sounds like something from the 80s^^
Just started listening to Le Matos after watching Turbo Kid. Had no idea there was a name for the genre. You made my life so much easier, thanks! :)
***** Glad, I could help. :) I can recommend HOME too (especially their track called "Resonance" and for some deeper and calmer style (dreamwave) you can try a guy called "hello meteor" (soundcloud.com/hellometeor). There is also a channel on TH-cam called NewRetroWave , that has plenty of synthwave. Lastly you should definitly check out the original score of Stringer Things (Netflix series) (it's avaliable on Spotify and Apple Music for example), because it has a really good synthwave soundtrack :)
Also, if you want something more energetic and "violent", check Carpenter Brut, Dance with the Dead, Perturbator, and everyone involved with Hotline Miami soundtrack
Hey Mark, i've just watched your 41 videos over the course of 41 days. Whilst loving every video, this one was by far my favourite considering Nintendo is my number one games developer. I am surprised that you didn't mention the Nintendo 64 controller being a huge part of the Nintendo ethos with the analog stick basically being developed for Mario 64. Anyway, keep up the great work.
wow this was really eye opening
The production value and direction of this analysis is fantastic. Well done!
I will watch this every day of my life until the day I die.
This channel has the best video game talk ever.
9:02, couldn't be further from the truth. AAA developers usually have a pipeline for games that only integrates narrative halfway through development. Where they fail is by treating narrative and visual design as something disconnected from gameplay. Like a paint job on a car, while also having a totally different set of objectives for gameplay, for visuals and for narrative.
So the objective for gameplay will be to be thrilling and fun, the objective for visuals will be to convey mystery and grandeur, and the objective for narrative will be to create poignant emotion... no wonder the result is a dissonant mess.
Do you have proof of this? A lot of AAA games feel like they're so built around the narrative that kinaesthetically, they can often feel the same because they didn't do enough to differentiate the mechanics.
I live in a city with a few big AAA studios and I want to be a writer for games, so inevitably I ended up having this conversation with a lot of AAA friend-devs.
For linear games, those big teams usually start with the designer outlining levels linearly and working with that template to create environments and later on to write the narrative unfolding in the levels.
For big open world games, it usually starts with game mechanics and environment outlines, then the quests are added gradually throughout development.
Basically, if there isn't a lot of variety in terms of mechanics, it's because big studios are very risk averse and anything that's a little out of the norm is not going to be considered serious for development unless it's a mechanic added to a more conventional title (like a hacking puzzle in a big shooter game, or a speed booster item in a medieval sword fighting game, etc.).
I work in triple-A and can confirm this often the way its done. Story is added late. The thing to note too is that most triple-A developers don't experiment with mechanics in the first place. Its not like naughty dog considered making Uncharted something other than a parkour shooter by the time they got to Uncharted 2. The mechanics are predestined before development even begins.
This still is the best video of your channel. Congratulations and keep up the good work.
Nice video, Mark, but I would also have liked to see it show the other side of the coin. How you must ensure not only to build around gameplay but make sure said gameplay is FUN. Look at the new Star Fox. Their focus on gameplay around the Wii U second controller made that such a terrible project they should've stopped to look at the core they were focusing on and ask themselves how fun that was.
(I'm not bashing on Nintendo, just using a game of theirs for this as the video was pretty much focused on the company)
Didn't Mark already make a video on how the controls for the new Star Fox were poorly designed?
*****
No need to be so defensive. The game had good overseas sales but did very poorly at home. I don't have the game nor have I played it myself so indeed opinions are opinions, but I'm just saying what the market reflected in sales numbers, not some personal hatred/vendetta.
jay kj
Yes he did! But just like his other analytic videos, I sort of expected him to cover both sides of the coin.
Like I said (and apparentely was too subtle for some folks), not picking on Star Fox Zero, just chose to name that one since the video was so Nintendo heavy.
Heck, think the Wii U itself would make for some great analysis, specially when compared to the 3DS in how the company chose to use the unique assets of both platforms.
Skyward Sword was built around the Wii Remote's motion control swordplay. It exposed the inherit limits of motion controls instead.
@@ZFighter1011 I personally think, that Star Fox Zero's controlls are more of an obstacle, than an actual good control system. I mean, they actively weakened the TV-Screen to make the Gamepad-Screen more viable, but you usually don't have the time to look at the Gamepad. I think this could have worked on the DS, where looking on the second screen is much more intuitive and takes far less time, but playing Star Fox Zero just doesn't feel good.
That being said, I only played the demo, so maybe you get used to it on the long run.
this is excellent and thorough and interesting and we'll edited with great sound. glad I found you thru an article previously recorded tweeted about channels to check out :-) will definitely check out more
Nintendo is great. It proves that you can be a successful company by making quality games and by utilizing innovation, rather than just copy-pasting old, well, everything, with only minor edits.
This video is awesome. Your work is amazing, Mark! If I wasn't already a Patreon I would definitely become one after this video.