For those that don't know, Nintendo have been working on a successor to the Wii U for quite some time now, but not very much information at all is known about it (beyond the fact it's codename is the NX). This has obviously led to people speculating as to what the console is, how it will work and what games will be on it. I would assume that Nintendo have a lot to say about the NX at this year's E3 event, but for now, I thought I would throw some of my thoughts onto the table. So below is a list of things (in no particular order) I want to see from Nintendo's new console.
1
Trophy/Achievement Equivalent
As much as this is quite a mundane
thing to want from the new Nintendo console, it is still something I
would be very pleased to see. I like to look at my completion records
across games I've played and it gives me an extra sense of
satisfaction to know that the things I've accomplished are recorded
and available to view by my friends. But what should Nintendo do with
the Trophy/Achievement system to make it different? And what would
they call it? Well...
Miiverse stamps are already featured in
plenty of Nintendo games, Twilight Princess, Mario Kart 8 and Super
Mario 3D World to name a few. While this isn't the same as
Trophies or Achievements, it could still be a way of showing your
progress in a game. The stamp system could be kept exactly the same
(the stamps being collectibles or earned by doing something specific)
but they are now stored and available to view by you and your friends
on a list of games where you can see how many stamps you've got in
specific games and compare your stamps with friends.
Plus, Miiverse stamps would
have an added benefit of actually being used in some way rather than
just being earned for the sake of it, because you can use them to
make pictures on Miiverse. Using a hard to earn stamp on Miiverse
would be an interesting way of showing off how good you are at a
particular game.
Of course, having a stamp system like
this would mean that mostly only Nintendo games would have this
feature, because of how stamps are mostly actual collectibles in the
game as opposed to a specific action being completed like in the case
of Trophies and Achievements, which is now a universal system across
Playstation and Xbox. But really, I wouldn't care about this. It will
most likely only be Nintendo games I play on the NX anyway!
2
Eighth Generation Hardware
This point kind of goes without saying. The new Nintendo console should have hardware that matches or
even surpasses it's competitors (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One).
Nintendo know how to do good graphics.
Even with the technologically inferior Wii U, I would argue that
Nintendo make Wii U games look far more appealing than most PS4 and
Xbox One games. Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. And Yoshi's Wooly
World are just three examples of games that look absolutely
fantastic. And yes, they are all cartoony, but what if we look at
Twilight Princess HD? Sure it's not fully photorealistic, but it's
not vibrant either (plus Twilight Princess HD is a remaster of a
Gamecube/Wii game and it still looks very good). My point is: Nintendo know exactly how to
create good looking games. So imagine what they could do with
hardware that matches or even surpasses the PS4 and Xbox One.
3
More Social Integration
While I certainly don't want the NX to
become anything more than a games console (more on that point later),
I would like to see the NX have more social options. For example,
streaming to YouTube and Twitch, uploading gameplay clips to YouTube
and posting screenshots to Twitter and Facebook.
But perhaps more importantly than that,
the option to chat with friends while playing a game is absolutely
essential. Why this isn't a feature already on the Wii U I have no
idea.
Oh and keep Miiverse. Miiverse is
great. Don't lose Miiverse.
4
Keep the Second Screen on the
Controller
Although sometimes not used to great
effect, I love the Wii U Gamepad. Sure, it can be gimmicky, like
having to blow into the mic to make platforms move in Super Mario 3D
World. But when it's used right, and with certain games, it's far
better than any other controller compatible with the Wii U.
Hyrule Warriors (and more recently Pokken Tournament) features multiplayer
where one player uses the screen and one uses the TV. This is simple,
but genius. This means that instead of splitting the screen in half
or sharing the same screen, you can have a screen all to yourself and
move freely where ever you want regardless of where the other player
is.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
and Twilight Princess HD both use the Wii U Gamepad amazingly, you
can play the whole game just on the Gamepad, or you can use the TV as
the main screen and the Gamepad screen as a mini map and an inventory
screen. A simple concept but one that changes the pace of the game completely. No longer do you need to navigate menus, it's as simple as looking down, and simply dragging and
dropping, all without having to pause the game at all.
Not only this but the Gamepad enables DS and
potentially even 3DS games to be played on the NX (by using the TV as
the top screen and the Gamepad as the bottom screen). Without a
second screen of some kind, DS, 3DS and even some Wii U games wouldn't
work.
Of course, with most games it can just
be used as a second screen to play the game on instead of using the
TV, which is still really good for if someone else is using the TV or
for playing the Wii U in bed. Just make the range on it better.
5
Don't Make Us Purchase Games We Already
Own
One issue with the Wii U is that if you
have previously purchased a game on the original Wii store, that game
doesn't copy over to the Wii U. Although. That isn't entirely true.
You can access your previously purchased games by copying your
original Wii's data over to the Wii U and then by accessing the
original Wii menu on the Wii U. But then you still can't access those
games through the Wii U menu, and you can't use Wii U controllers
(the Gamepad or Pro Pad) unless you re-purchase them (albeit at a
lower price than buying the game without owning the original Wii
version).
This is confusing, and although I
understand the logic behind having to re-purchase the games (because
of the extra effort gone to to make them work with new controllers
and make them compatible with the second screen), I do think it's a
little bit unfair asking your customers to pay for something they
already own.
The new Nintendo Account system should
automatically register what games you own and make those games
playable across all your Nintendo consoles (obviously providing they
are on more than one system).
Also make the NX region free. Region
locking is stupid on anything and it's absent from the Xbox One and
PS4, so it kind of goes without saying that it should be absent from
the NX.
6
Better Line Up of Games at Launch
One of the things that caused the Wii U
to be less successful than the Wii was a lack of launch title games. With enough major launch titles being announced for the consoles
release, the NX would sell itself just based on the hype surrounding
Nintendo's major titles.
For instance, a new 3D Mario game in a
similar fashion to Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Wii U (which is probably going to be The Legend of Zelda: NX), a new
Metroid game. That's not to mention the possibility of enhanced
versions of Wii U titles, such as Super Smash Bros. For NX or maybe
even a definitive edition of Hyrule Warriors with all the DLC
available on the 3DS and Wii U versions?
Hopefully Nintendo will have a lot up
their sleeves for this E3 and not make the same mistakes they made
with the Wii U. No matter how impressive the features of a console
are, it comes down to the games as to whether or not it's a good
console.
7
Backwards Compatible
This is something Nintendo are normally
very good with, the Wii could play Gamecube games, the Wii U could
play Wii games, the original DS can play Game Boy Advance games and
the 3DS can play DS games. That's not to mention the Virtual Console
which allows you to purchase NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy and DS games.
But I want Nintendo to go a step
further with this. I want the NX to play Wii U, Wii, Gamecube and
perhaps even 3DS and DS games, and keep any online functionality for
the Wii U/3DS games (quite a large part of games like Mario
Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U and Splatoon are the online
modes). Then, with the selection of NES, SNES and N64 games on the
Virtual Console, it would be the ultimate Nintendo console.
Obviously having this much backwards
compatibility would mean also being functional with a lot of
controllers, Wiimotes, Wii Pro Pads, Wii U Gamepads, Wii U Pro Pads,
Gamecube controllers, etc. It would be a lot of work and I doubt it
would happen, especially to the extent I've described here, but at
least some backwards compatibility should be expected.
8
No Paying For Online
I hate how the PS4 started to do this.
I'm fine with the PS+ service, but the fact you have to pay to play
your games online is unethical in my opinion. I also hate this about
the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. You should not need to pay to gain access
to any part of a game you have already bought (unless it's DLC obviously, and
even then sometimes certain DLC can be questionable). To have substantial
content unavailable to you after paying full retail price for a new
game, is atrocious. Luckily, Nintendo have yet to implement a system
like this, and I hope it stays that way.
9
Don't Bother With Other AAA Publishers
Most AAA publishers don't seem
to do very well when supporting Nintendo consoles (there are some
exceptions, such as Capcom and Bandai Namco). At the start of the Wii U's life, quite
a lot of attention was put on the fact that AAA games were
now being released on a Nintendo console on a bigger scale than ever before.
This didn't last long, and before you
knew it games like Watchdogs were getting the Wii
U versions canceled, and games that were going to be exclusive
(Rayman Legends) were then made multiplatform. Why this is could have
something to do with these developers not liking the fact that extra
work was required to make games compatible with the Gamepad and
probably didn't like the Wii U being less powerful than the other eighth gen consoles. Also, the Wii U not selling as much as anticipated
probably left a lot of developers wondering whether it was worth
putting the games on what was seen as a failing system at the time.
But really. The whole point in getting
a Nintendo console is to play Nintendo games. In present day the Wii
U easily has the best exclusive line up of games out of the three big consoles
(Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U) and that's entirely because of the Nintendo made exclusive games, or games developed specifically for the Wii U (like
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate). Sure it would be nice to have other AAA games, but this shouldn't be a focus.
10
Do Bother With Indie Developers
Following on from my last point, what
should be a focus is indie games. Very often, indie games fit in with
Nintendo's ethos towards making games, this is probably due to the
fact that most indie developers grew up with Nintendo and as such
the games being created by these indie studios now mirror those games
they loved as children. Games like Runbow, New 'n' Tasty, Shovel
Knight (which even has an Amiibo), Stealth inc, A Hat in Time,
Mutant Mudds, etc. These are games that not only reflect the same
image and style as Nintendo games but they also appeal to the same
audiences as Nintendo games, so if anything, the focus that was put
on third party games at the Wii U's launch should be put on indie
games for the NX's launch.
Also. Where's Spelunky on Wii U?
11
A 3DS/Wii U Hybrid
While this seems too good to be true, a
lot of people seem to be speculating that the NX will be some kind of
home and portable console in one package. This is an appealing idea
and the rumors and speculation make me anticipate the NX's reveal
even more.
Imagine if the NX Gamepad could be
taken as far away from the NX console as you want without it
disconnecting. If the NX itself didn't even need to be turned on in order to
play an NX game because you can just play it entirely using the Gamepad.
This will most likely not happen, and
if it did, I imagine there would need to be a system where you buy a
game, and it not only has a disc but also either a download code, or
a 3DS style card which you can slot into the Gamepad itself for
portability. Most likely, playing just on the NX Gamepad would lower
the graphical capabilities of the console, but has the advantage of
being fully portable. Or you can stick the disc in the actual NX
console and play it to its full graphical potential on a TV. It's an
interesting idea, but it may be complicated for Nintendo to actually
pull off.
Going back to my backwards compatible
point, if the NX was to be the successor to not only the Wii U but
also the 3DS, that would mean the NX would be fully expected to have
backwards compatibility with the 3DS. I would love to play Pokemon,
Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, etc on the NX, it would give
the games a new lease of life and might even sell more 3DS games
because of some people not already owning a 3DS but being interested
in the NX.
I somewhat doubt the 3DS backwards
compatibility theory though because the 3DS still seems to be heavily
supported by Nintendo, with the recent release of Hyrule Warriors
Legends and the upcoming release of Fire Emblem Fates, Monster Hunter
Generations and the highly anticipated new Pokemon games, it would
seem strange for the NX to then come along an effectively make the
3DS redundant. But you never know.
12
Do Not Make it a Media Centre
I don't care if it can play Blu Rays, I
don't care if it has a Netflix app, I don't care if it can even play
DVDs. I want the NX to play games. The less attention a games console
has on games, the more it loses it's focus. Just look at the Xbox and
it's unfocused dashboard. It doesn't know what it is. It displays
adverts, it has music and movies sections. Is it a games console or a
TV box? The Wii U has done a fantastic job at remaining almost
entirely a games console (the only things I can find that say
otherwise is a Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Crunchyroll app, but you have
to actually dig around to even find these apps). I love how Nintendo
know they are a game company and nothing more, it isn't alienating
it's main audience by pretending that games aren't the main focus.
13
More New IPs
Splatoon is an example of how Nintendo
can still make fantastic new franchises. Pikmin was an example before
Splatoon came along, but the gap between these two franchises is too
long. I know having a plethora of pre-existing franchises is good,
and using those is fine (in fact that's what most people want), but
if we saw a brand new game announced for the NX, it would get a lot
of interest just because it's something new, then of course there's
the potential to build on that new franchise.
14
Amiibo Situation
I don't even think it's questionable as
to whether the NX will support Amiibo. Of course it will. They would
be fools to not make them compatible with the NX after how much
success Nintendo have had with them.
Having said this, I am one of the
people who are quite on the fence about Amiibo. To put it simply I
don't like the fact that Amiibo can lock players out of content
completely. I think the content gained by using Amiibo should be able
to be earned in game without the Amiibo but be very difficult to do
so.
For instance. The Mii suits in Mario
Kart 8 should be unlockable with coins, but only after unlocking
every other item in the game (or for getting 3 stars on a certain
number of cups). The Cave of Shadows in Twilight Princess HD should
be accessible by getting 100% completion in the game, etc.
This would
mean there is a big advantage to having the Amiibo for use in games
(because it will give you early access to that content) and obviously
you get an actual figure too. But for those that don't want the
Amiibo or don't have the funds to buy the Amiibo, you can still
access the content through progression.
15
Don't Make It Too Different to
Pre-Existing Consoles
A lot of online reports talk about how
Nintendo are going to make the NX break away from the Wii and Wii U
and will be different in some unknown way. So we are apparently
looking at something that's unlike the older Nintendo consoles.
I hope what is meant by this is that
there's a massive hardware improvement over previous consoles and
it's going to break away from the Wii and Wii U in terms of naming
conventions. Nintendo were quite brave with the release of the Wii,
having an entire console devoted to the use of motion controls and a
very unconventional controller was a gamble, a gamble that paid off
massively, but a gamble nonetheless.
Nintendo will hopefully keep a normal
controller and not focus too much on any kind of gimmick if that
gimmick doesn't actually improve the experience. The implementation
of VR is something they might do, but in VR's current state it's too
expensive and the technology is still very new. Also, VR would in no
way make a Nintendo game's experience better, who wants to play Mario
VR? No one.
The only games Nintendo have that could
potentially use VR effectively are; Metroid, F-Zero and Star Fox, but
Star Fox has a game out very soon, I doubt we'll be seeing an F-Zero
game in the foreseeable future and if the next big Metroid game was a
VR game, I think the fanbase would riot.
So that's my list of 15 Things I Want
From the Nintendo NX. I know some of them probably won't happen,
but in an ideal world most of the things on the list would come to
fruition in some form or another. What are your thoughts? Is there
anything you disagree or agree with? Do you have anything else to add
to the list? Leave me a comment down below!
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