That's the main reason why the Wii U should've had support for multiple gamepads. Nintendo has a great idea and they squandered it
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Now second screen gaming is dead, can we agree it was a bad idea in the first place?
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That's the main reason why the Wii U should've had support for multiple gamepads. Nintendo has a great idea and they squandered it
DarkConfidant
Member
This answer nails it.
However, I will still add on:
Punchout Arcade was not a mistake. More screen real estate allows for HUD to pushed out of the way, and larger sprites to be used.
Giant bosses in the handheld Zelda received the same benefit.
Pausing to look a map is inferior to always having it up, and such Splatoon 2 will suffer a tad for it.
Nintendo Land multiplayer was dope. Was shocked how good it was when I finally tried it a month ago.
Flame Lord
Member
I can only think of a couple that really had any benefit from it besides convenience. It seems like all it was ever used for was maps and stats, and the only reason it would have been a problem showing that on one screen is because they had to have small ass, low res screens to make up for having two of them.
Foxy the Fox
Member
Botton touch screen is the best for FPS games on the go.
So no, it wasn't a mistake.
So no, it wasn't a mistake.
BarringGaffner
Member
For Wii U, was a terrible idea for at least single player. Constantly looking back and forth was very annoying.
DS is less annoying because less distance to look.
DS is less annoying because less distance to look.
Imp the Dimp
Member
No, I loved the DS and 3DS and I found the second screen for map or inventory purposes perfectly fine and very convenient. Just imagine what Etrian Odyssey would look like with one screen.
Exactly.
Which also says the Gamepad should have been a separate accessory.
I mean even as a main controller how do you not have it support multiple Gamepads?
Thats the first vision I had when the Wii U was revealed.
I strongly disagree with OP. Just because the Wii U was a failure doesn't mean that asynchronous gameplay was. There's a lot of benefits that a second screen brings to gameplay (extra customizable buttons, easier inventory management, better co-op/local versus experiences, etc.). There was supposed to be support for one Wii U to connect to two gamepads. It would've be cool to play Madden on Wii U locally against someone else and we can each select our plays on the gamepad so we couldn't see the plays the other person was about to run.
Also, think about playing a game like Call of Duty free for all versus someone else locally. The experience is kind of spoiled because I can see the other person's screen but with the gamepad the person I'm playing against can keep his location secret.
Had Wii U been a success we no doubt would have this feature on all the consoles. I remember Microsoft came out with Smart Glass and Sony touted that Vita could also hook up to the PS3 for dual screen experiences. Both companies backed away quickly after the Wii U failure though. I hope to see Nintendo or someone else bring this back eventually to consoles.
Also, think about playing a game like Call of Duty free for all versus someone else locally. The experience is kind of spoiled because I can see the other person's screen but with the gamepad the person I'm playing against can keep his location secret.
Had Wii U been a success we no doubt would have this feature on all the consoles. I remember Microsoft came out with Smart Glass and Sony touted that Vita could also hook up to the PS3 for dual screen experiences. Both companies backed away quickly after the Wii U failure though. I hope to see Nintendo or someone else bring this back eventually to consoles.
zombieshavebrains
I have not used cocaine
No? DS did it right, Wii U not so much. Hell even some PC games can be considered "second screen gaming" if you have a map/youtube/wiki open on the other screen.
potatohead
Member
I personally did not experience it very much but I did enjoy off screen gameplay on the wiiu I did not use it as a supplement screen much though
Version 3.0
Member
Well, you've got me there.
I meant in terms of game design, but yes. They undoubtedly saved money by only having one small touchscreen, too.
Indeed the Wonderful 101 used it fantastically. As long as you combined it with the stick, draw when it was easier, steer with stick when that was easier. And I loved the game modes where you go inside buildings and that is on the second screen LOL, or one screen the inside of the ship/cube the other screen the outside
. Those were some nice things .The way Nintendo tried to push second screen for their own games often felt forced. Splatoon is the most egregious example; taking your eyes off the main screen in a competitive game to look at the minimap is really stupid, looking at the minimap in a competitive game is already risky enough in single screen.
I still feel like the VMU did second screen the best with incidental stuff during gameplay and non-essential minigames you can play when the Dreamcast is off.
I still feel like the VMU did second screen the best with incidental stuff during gameplay and non-essential minigames you can play when the Dreamcast is off.
Night.Ninja
Banned
I loved using my psp as a wing mirror in the f1 games
IrishNinja
Member
we can agree this is a bad thread, sure
This is a terrible opinion. Dual screens enabled some gameplay experiences entirely (for example, Etrian Odyssey, one of my favorite series of all time, will not be the same without a second screen). And even when it wasn't being used innovatively, simply having a constant map or something for JRPGs hugely reduced UI clutter and just made for a tighter experience.
The most successful excuse for poor UI design on a single screen of all time. Second screen gaming is a testament to the power of a gimmick to drive sales. Nintendo and co. convinced the world it's a good idea to keep looking between two screens instead of uninterruptedly focusing on one. Hilarious yet admirable.
Brawly Likes to Brawl
Member
Absolutely not, the DS and 3DS made great use of it and one of my favorite IPs of the last gen is basically never going to be the same without it.(Etrian Odyssey).
SciencePilot
Member
No, it was good for some games on DS and 3DS. It helped clean up the top screen, made menu navigation better, and provided useful maps, etc.
I think that games which required you to focus on both screens simultaneously in real-time didn't work well. But games games where you could switch you focus back and sensibly worked well. Turn based games like Pokemon worked really well, for example.
I think that games which required you to focus on both screens simultaneously in real-time didn't work well. But games games where you could switch you focus back and sensibly worked well. Turn based games like Pokemon worked really well, for example.
TheMoon
Member
OP, you're so wrong, it's not even funny.
The second screen is the thing I'm already missing most right now. It made so many games undeniably better and more comfortable to play. Maps, extra UI space, dual viewpoints, quick-select shortcuts, viewing area spanning two screens, touch interfaces on top of regular interfaces, splitscreen-without-splitscreen aka two-screen co-op...
It's a huge loss we're taking into the future.
Nah son, it wasn't bad anywhere.
The second screen is the thing I'm already missing most right now. It made so many games undeniably better and more comfortable to play. Maps, extra UI space, dual viewpoints, quick-select shortcuts, viewing area spanning two screens, touch interfaces on top of regular interfaces, splitscreen-without-splitscreen aka two-screen co-op...
It's a huge loss we're taking into the future.
Nah son, it wasn't bad anywhere.
stan423321
Member
Thank you for hidden list of games, as one of things I wanted to do was asking about Jump Ultimate Stars's title. Wasn't there another game with similar title and licenses and apparently completely different gameplay? Oh well, I'll research that myself.
However. I honestly don't see what would make these viewpoints majorly worse on single screen unless you have some serious inexplicable dislike of split screen but not of multiple screens. Multiple screens may have been a great way to come up with them, but that's a different matter entirely. Now before you say that proportions would be off, let me clarify that I allow my single 16:9 screen to be rotated into vertical setup for simplicity. What would I lose?
Personally the only thing I really liked about DS setup was that top screen was not smudged. Functionally it wasn't really that interesting (though it didn't hurt either), the infamous "ah-ha" trick with closing the device couldn't be a part of regular gameplay for obvious reasons, and in action stuff which I was playing interface tended to leak into action screen all the time. Viewpoint rotation in a few titles was cool, too bad Nintendo didn't bring better support for that onto Switch (say, extra JoyCon slots on top and bottom of the main unit).
Some of these games could have been done with splitscreen, sure. But I can't think of a single example off the top of my head that does anything like that, so...
IIRC, not even the mobile port for 999 does it despite it being so important.
Just the Vita?
Also funny you say that when Sony just announced Play Link....
For a company thats also been into mobile phones, mobile gaming for years using a 2nd device for a 2nd screen doesnt seem like something they would wait for others to pioneer.
MS, not sure. They were on the right track very early with tablets and motion control but Apple launched the iPad and many called others that came after copy cats. Even tho MS were consultants on the movie Minority Report. That movie came out in 2002...
zenspider
Member
It's a compromise - it works fine, but it's not nearly as good. I think most seasoned vets would cheer for Wii U Gamepad compatibility for Splatoon 2.
I disagree with the OP, though outside of Splatoon, Mario Maker, and Xenoblade Chronicles X, I didn't see a lot of compelling content for the Wii U, but I think that was a lack of imagination on the developers part. Asymettrical gameplay is still an untapped space for innovation. Sony's PlayLink initiative has some fantastic possibilities - I'm particularly interested in Hidden Agenda.
The DS had so many great games that took advantage of two screens as well.
It's not bad, it's function is just limited since if you have 2 different camera angles or separate gameplay, it's taxing on the hardware in the same way VR, 3D, or splitscreen gaming is, meaning there must be compromises. It also means that unless games are made with it in mind, it's extra development for what may just be minor QoL features. The best ideas aren't necessarily game changing, but have specific use for certain types of games, not unlike motion control, which means some games just won't use it well.
I think assymetrical multiplayer was great, which is something people gushed over with PSVR and Playroom. Anything were people need separate (secret) screens can make for interesting gameplay, but there are better platforms for executing that (tablets, devices connecting online, or even separate Switches) but having that sort of functionality for a game on one device for local mutliplayer is at least intriguing.
Second screens for maps and inventory are usually pretty useful, as is removing HUD elements or creating extra shortcuts or buttons. The DS and 3DS have proved the concept well over the years. If anything, it just proved that looking between two separate screens an equal distance from your face are better than trying to shift focus between a Gamepad screen and a TV quickly.
For the record, playing Splatoon with a map on the Gamepad feels better than having to use a button to check on Splatoon 2. You'd think it would be quicker, and maybe it is when you don't want to take your eyes off the screen, but it's just as disorienting.
Again, I think these are idea that might work better if it wasn't a console and instead was a peripheral that can work like the Wii U but with a PC, or having tablets that everyone has that have games built with assymetrical multiplayer in mind. At this time, I think it's something Nintendo could, and should revisit, but some time in the future. The Switch can do some of that and maybe there is a cool way to bring back the Wii U concept but have it be reversed where the TV is the dummy display while the Switch is the console Gamepad.
I think assymetrical multiplayer was great, which is something people gushed over with PSVR and Playroom. Anything were people need separate (secret) screens can make for interesting gameplay, but there are better platforms for executing that (tablets, devices connecting online, or even separate Switches) but having that sort of functionality for a game on one device for local mutliplayer is at least intriguing.
Second screens for maps and inventory are usually pretty useful, as is removing HUD elements or creating extra shortcuts or buttons. The DS and 3DS have proved the concept well over the years. If anything, it just proved that looking between two separate screens an equal distance from your face are better than trying to shift focus between a Gamepad screen and a TV quickly.
For the record, playing Splatoon with a map on the Gamepad feels better than having to use a button to check on Splatoon 2. You'd think it would be quicker, and maybe it is when you don't want to take your eyes off the screen, but it's just as disorienting.
Again, I think these are idea that might work better if it wasn't a console and instead was a peripheral that can work like the Wii U but with a PC, or having tablets that everyone has that have games built with assymetrical multiplayer in mind. At this time, I think it's something Nintendo could, and should revisit, but some time in the future. The Switch can do some of that and maybe there is a cool way to bring back the Wii U concept but have it be reversed where the TV is the dummy display while the Switch is the console Gamepad.
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
Would love a companion app for PUBG so you can mark the map and not have to constantly hit m.
stan423321
Member
The basic problem with Wii U is that any single player concept that just uses two viewpoints is realizable without the need of the GamePad using split screen and whatnot, and that local multiplayer is not a selling point at the moment (information control is less of a problem in online games, though lag limitations exist, and then there's the obvious question of game cost).
PlayLink may end up being interesting depending on implementation details. Do the Jackbox games require an app, or do they work in-browser?
BigTnaples
Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Not at all. Loved it on the 3DS.
Though I prefer the Vita, the second screen was great for OoT and MM3D
Though I prefer the Vita, the second screen was great for OoT and MM3D
AusRoachman
Member
Whilst not true second screen gaming , I am glad Microsoft killed off companion / game integration shit they tried for awhile there .
Such a waste of time
Such a waste of time
alexbull_uk
Member
Asymmetrical multiplayer with the gamepad was dope. I got my money's worth just in Nintendo Land.
It always sounded cool - and honestly, a couple of its uses, like Rayman Legends on Wii U were awesome - but it always managed to feel tiresome pretty quickly. In local multiplayer I often felt that we were disjointed as a group if we weren't looking at the same screen together. Really took away from the overall experience and segmented us.
One of the expanded uses I liked was Jackbox Party Pack on PSN. Everyone scribbled their answers on their phones and transmitted them to the main TV for the big reveal each round. That was hilarious.
One of the expanded uses I liked was Jackbox Party Pack on PSN. Everyone scribbled their answers on their phones and transmitted them to the main TV for the big reveal each round. That was hilarious.
Polioliolio
Member
It's a gimmick. It does nothing that a single larger screen doesn't do, except range in quality and yellowness.
Gamegeneral
Member
I never hated it. TBH I still enjoy it as a means to menu and map on the fly. I'm glad we ditched the low quality screens in favor of a higher quality one, though.
Cave Johnson
Member
After playing 999 on the NDs, I would have to severely disagree.
Spyder_Monkey
Banned
So I notice many of you haven't played Nintendoland because that would shut up anybody who complained "it doesn't work on the Wii U".
SilverLunar
Member
OP, you can't have an opinion and ask the participants if they agree with you or not without a poll! A yes/ no one would suffice to garner a collective response.
I would add my vote to the no crowd, I loved dual screens honestly.
I would add my vote to the no crowd, I loved dual screens honestly.
Adam_Vania
Banned
did you play Mario Maker by drawing on your tv?
This cannot possibly be emphasized enough. I don't think I could express how deeply I would appreciate Wii U tablet connectivity to the Switch just for this exact purpose.