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[rohlfinator]

Promoting the idea of Nintendo majeeek that other developers can only deign to accidentally brush up against is not going to help discourse around here.

Agreed.

It seems sort of disrespectful towards a lot of these developers to suggest that. As much as I appreciate a good Nintendo game, a lot of the games mentioned have gone above and beyond what Nintendo would do in many ways. And Nintendo is hardly immune to making poor or unpolished games (though the latter is rarer from them).

. . . Which part?

They're making a port/remake of Cave Story for the Wii.

 

[pakkit]

. . . Which part?

Most of it.

 

[Black-Wind]

They're making a port/remake of Cave Story for the Wii.

I know. But thats not out yet and it's not a Nintendo game . . . unless Nintendo is the pub.

 

[Tain]

Promoting the idea of Nintendo majeeek that other developers can only deign to accidentally brush up against is not going to help discourse around here.

Seriously.

 

[tino]

Only handful of non Nintendo games fall into this category, and they are all made by Japanese devs.

So really most of the titles thrown out in this thread don't fit the description.

Flower? Give me a break me. Even from the philosophy level is so un-Nintendo.

 

[milkyjay20]

nothing, nothing at all

nobody can touch the masters

 

[UraMallas]

feels like a nintendo game ? Not really.

I always thought it did.

Beyond Good & Evil, maybe?

 

[reggieandTFE]

The half-life series has a string Nintendo feel to me in the way that they establish a universe that seems huge an limitless while taking gamers on a specific, detailed journey. For the most part people playing Halflife or a Zelda game are going to do the same exact steps to finish the game but what players take away varies so much.

 

[TheGrayGhost]

No one thought of this?

I couldn't believe it when I heard of Atari aping the successful Nintendo arcade games.

 

[C4Lukins]

Most post Nintendo Rare games. XBLA games like the Maw, Castle Crashers, Kingdom for Keflings, and Cloning Clyde.... The Ratchet and Jak series... Monkey Ball is another good one. Rayman 2, Gex, and Beyond Good and Evil.... Crackdown would also work with this topic.

 

[Coolio McAwesome]

It seems sort of disrespectful towards a lot of these developers to suggest that. As much as I appreciate a good Nintendo game, a lot of the games mentioned have gone above and beyond what Nintendo would do in many ways. And Nintendo is hardly immune to making poor or unpolished games (though the latter is rarer from them).

I don't think it's disrespectful to talk about games with Nintendo-esque qualities. If anything, it's the ultimate sign of respect for a game to be compared to one made by Nintendo. Like it or not, there is an unmistakable quality to most of Nintendo's games that seems to resonate with most gamers. For instance, if you were to look at a list of the 100 best selling games of all time, Nintendo's name would appear more than any other company. If you were to look at a list of the best reviewed games of all time, you would also see Nintendo's name listed more than any other developer. So whether we're talking about success on a commercial level or success on a critical level, Nintendo is basically in a league of their own. Being compared to Nintendo should in no way be viewed as a sign of disrespect.

In any case, I'd list Beyond Good and Evil and Tomba! as two games that had obvious Nintendo-esque qualities to them.

 

[FSLink]

Gurumin for PSP seems Nintendo-esque to me...*shrug*

 

[Replicant]

Someone's giving Nintendo way too much credit here. What is a 'Nintendo-esque' games anyway? It's like saying every good games out there is inspired by Nintendo games, which is humbug.

I don't think it's disrespectful to talk about games with Nintendo-esque qualities. If anything, it's the ultimate sign of respect for a game to be compared to one made by Nintendo.

Whether you like it or not, not all of us think that Nintendo = Quality stuff.

 

[rohlfinator]

I don't think it's disrespectful to talk about games with Nintendo-esque qualities. If anything, it's the ultimate sign of respect for a game to be compared to one made by Nintendo.

I guess I don't disagree with your intentions, but this insinuation that "Nintendo-esque quality" is the pinnacle of game design achievement is what strikes me as a sort of backhanded compliment towards these other developers.

A lot of my favorite games are Nintendo games, but personally I think that games like Halo, Shadow of the Colossus, and Katamari all accomplish their respective strengths far better than any Nintendo game. It comes across as a knock against their developers to imply that Nintendo could have done them just as well.

 

[StuBurns]

I guess I don't disagree with your intentions, but this insinuation that "Nintendo-esque quality" is the pinnacle of game design achievement is what strikes me as a sort of backhanded compliment towards these other developers.

I agree, this thread almost feels like it's based on the idea that Nintendo are the best developers and being compared to them should be a complement. I think saying that about Team ICO or Valve would actually be an insult.

 

[Coen]

Dark Cloud 2 always striked me as a game Nintendo could have made. Same thing goes for Skies of Arcadia, even though Nintendo doesn't seem too big on RPGs.

 

[Provider]

-Kameo on xbox360

I cannot stand that game.

Halo felt like a game Miyamoto could have made.

HaHAhahA

I feel Loco-roco is very Nintendo-like.

 

[Slavik81]

No way. Okami is far too much bullshit-filled. The annoying "YOU FOUND XXX!" at every one of the countless items you can find around the world, the spoiler-laden Isshun handholding and the headache inducing gibber jabber make it seem like a parody of the Zelda games.

Ahh, so it's StarFox Adventures.

 

[pakkit]

Ahh, so it's StarFox Adventures.

Let's not throw around insults, now. Okami is pretty decent.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

katamari damacy is the closest thing i've seen mentioned that rings 100% true. in terms of style, accessibility, concept, creativity. . . all of these things fall squarely under what nintendo tries to accomplish in its games.

Yeah, I've thought this since not long after getting the game.

I've always found "this feels like a [company] game" as quite an obnoxious snub of whoever the publisher and developer is, as if its impossible for them to have made it without channeling the spirit of that other company, as if that company has some kind of patent on "fun". Its nostalgia-based thinking, and it can't be quantified in any way.

Pffft. Saying that Company B is succeeding at providing a set of qualities I usually appreciate from Company A's top products is no disrespect.

 

[ksamedi]

Pretty much any Capcom game. Square in its old days used to be like that too. I can't think of any Western developer though besides Valve.

 

[pakkit]

I can't think of any Western developer though besides Valve.

What? How are Valve's games Nintendo-like in any way?

 

[badcrumble]

This thread is certainly an interesting new twist on the perpetual resentment against people daring to have fun with non-Nintendo consoles. You might as well call accessibility, polish, and personality Appleness, or pick your fanboy flavor.

Also,

Promoting the idea of Nintendo majeeek that other developers can only deign to accidentally brush up against is not going to help discourse around here.

 

[ksamedi]

What? How are Valve's games Nintendo-like in any way?

They're groundbraking and focus heavily on (fun) gameplay.

 

[beelzebozo]

What? How are Valve's games Nintendo-like in any way?

this was discussed on an old episode of gfw radio in which shawn elliott was giving his play impressions of mario galaxy. he extrapolated from the game, quite rightly i think, that the perfect pacing & excellent gameplay were something that nintendo tested and refined over a long period of development, carefully tweaking these things so that just when something starts to get old you're doing something completely different; you can see this effect in the half-life series quite clearly, where long firefights are followed up by a driving segment, or a few puzzles, or a quiet moment with alyx.

i kind of figured the concept behind this thread would draw some ire, since some long ago abandoned the idea that the intangible "feel" of a great nintendo game is something worth admiring, and something other developers should aspire to. but all it implies is accessibility with depth, ageless design, and a dedication to making something polished like few other games are. and, sorry, but it takes an extremely talented developer to bring all those elements together in one package, and acknowledging that by saying the finished product would be something very akin to a nintendo product is not an insult. it's like listening a friend's musical composition and saying it's worthy of mozart.

 

[Gabyskra]

Little Big Adventure 1 & 2 on PC.

Only it's better than anything ever created.

 

[badcrumble]

Honestly I wonder how people were even able to stand to live before Shigeru Miyamoto invented fun, color, and endorphins.

 

[rollingstart]

Promoting the idea of Nintendo majeeek that other developers can only deign to accidentally brush up against is not going to help discourse around here.

seriously

people labeling themselves as nintendo fans instead of video game fans suddenly makes a lot more sense. Goddamn, people.

 

[Pojo]

Final Fantasy is the closest thing in terms of polish, but it's also the anti-Nintendo with all of the cutscene nonsense.

As someone said, Katamari Damacy is (was) really close. Can't think of much else. The old SEGA will always be the closest to Nintendo that I can think of.

 

[nincompoop]

seriously

people labeling themselves as nintendo fans instead of video game fans suddenly makes a lot more sense. Goddamn, people.

Yeah seriously, how DARE they like games made by Nintendo? RAGE!!!!!1

 

[beelzebozo]

i don't see how the question is any more silly than asking for people to present examples of first person games that have valve-like qualities. that doesn't make someone some wacky, out of their head valve fanatic. it just means they recognize a set of excellent design qualities and a game aesthetic that valve typically brings to the table, and that they want more of it.

 

[rollingstart]

Yeah seriously, how DARE they like games made by Nintendo? RAGE!!!!!1

did you pick your username or was it given to you based on past post? serious question. How doesn't Nintendo fit into "video games"? The difference between the two is that you see people here trying to classify other great video games as "nintendo games" based on some arbitrary set of guidelines they have. They're great games, just like Nintendo makes great games; And when you start trying to separate great games from Nintendo games, then that is when something is up with how you judge games.

 

[nincompoop]

It's not that hard really, most people recognize Nintendo as the premiere game developer, so it would make sense for them to try and hold non-Nintendo games to the same standard.

 

[beelzebozo]

the misunderstanding is happening because the criteria which some are applying to qualify something as a "nintendo-like game" is too broad. just saying, "this is a great game, and therefore is like something nintendo would make" is a mildly crazy--and altogether useless--statement, and presupposes (as many are reading it) that only nintendo can make great games, and that anyone else doing so is an anomaly.

if you narrow that down to a very specific set of principles and qualities that typically show up in nintendo games and ask for examples of that, your answers will be much more pointed and useful. i still imagine there'd be a lot of rage from people who've strayed from their admiration of what nintendo accomplishes in the best of their best, though, regardless of how precise you are with your wording.

 

[Buttseckslol]

The difference between the two is that you see people here trying to classify other great video games as "nintendo games" based on some arbitrary set of guidelines they have.

Most people in this thread are just saying that some games remind them of other Nintendo games or feel like something Nintendo might release. What's the big deal? That's a compliment as far as I'm concerned. Nobody's claiming that Nintendo is the de facto awesome game developer that all other must be judged by. Some games feel similar to others so they're compared to those games or the companies that makes those games. Again, what's the big deal?

 

[badcrumble]

Nobody's claiming that Nintendo is the de facto awesome game developer that all other must be judged by.

It's not that hard really, most people recognize Nintendo as the premiere game developer, so it would make sense for them to try and hold non-Nintendo games to the same standard.

.

 

[TheGrayGhost]

Hehehe, such bitterness.

 

[Alphahawk]

The original Ape Escape.

 

[FatalT]

Hey have you guys played Wii Music? It showcases pretty much all the innovation and creativity of Nintendo. It almost felt like they were expanding on the song creator in Mario Paint way back in the day. There really needs to be a Non-nintendo game that copies the innovation of Wii Music.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

the misunderstanding is happening because the criteria which some are applying to qualify something as a "nintendo-like game" is too broad. just saying, "this is a great game, and therefore is like something nintendo would make" is a mildly crazy--and altogether useless--statement, and presupposes (as many are reading it) that only nintendo can make great games, and that anyone else doing so is an anomaly.

if you narrow that down to a very specific set of principles and qualities that typically show up in nintendo games and ask for examples of that, your answers will be much more pointed and useful. i still imagine there'd be a lot of rage from people who've strayed from their admiration of what nintendo accomplishes in the best of their best, though, regardless of how precise you are with your wording.

Um, it's the "soul", I think the brilliant first posts by the OP covered that.

 

[barkers crest]

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts.

Replace the wacky Rare characters with Nintendo characters and you have a sequel to Super Mario Sunshine.

 

[Archie]

.

He certainly lives up to his username.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

I really can't think of any.
I also looked through the examples in this thread and I don't agree with any of them.
Sorry.

 

[MisterHero]

seriously

people labeling themselves as nintendo fans instead of video game fans suddenly makes a lot more sense. Goddamn, people.

that's not true because I enjoy lots of 3rd party games on my Nintendo systems

now only if they made more with more effort! *shakes fist*

 

[beelzebozo]

Um, it's the "soul", I think the brilliant first posts by the OP covered that.

the best way to have a discussion is to respond to the lowest common denominator and never consider there might be something to the question, even if it was originally phrased inelegantly.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

if you narrow that down to a very specific set of principles and qualities that typically show up in nintendo games and ask for examples of that, your answers will be much more pointed and useful. i still imagine there'd be a lot of rage from people who've strayed from their admiration of what nintendo accomplishes in the best of their best, though, regardless of how precise you are with your wording.

Pretty much. When I say Katamari felt like something of Nintendo's, it's due to some combination of
*new gameplay concept that can be boiled down to something VERY basic, but adds enough twists to not get boring fast
*not directly aimed at one existing demographic
*original IP
*inoffensiveness
*colorful look
*lack of wannabe-extreme Poochie-type characters
*high quality

 

[djtiesto]

The DQ series fits perfectly in line with Nintendo... the old, NES/SNES era Nintendo rather than nowadays.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

the best way to have a discussion is to respond to the lowest common denominator and never consider there might be something to the question, even if it was originally phrased inelegantly.

If you say so. Sometimes on a forum, when a foolish issue is raised inelegantly, in such a manner that it pretty much ignores the issue that other people make games with every facet that's been mentioned so far, it's better to lightly mock the topic rather than call the person a dummy. I know you're familiar with this idea as well.

 

[Wallach]

Um, it's the "soul", I think the brilliant first posts by the OP covered that.

my western-made game just wants to be a real boy

 

[pakkit]

Hey have you guys played Wii Music? It showcases pretty much all the innovation and creativity of Nintendo. It almost felt like they were expanding on the song creator in Mario Paint way back in the day. There really needs to be a Non-nintendo game that copies the innovation of Wii Music.

I'm so confused on GAF's feelings regarding Wii Music that I can no longer tell whether this is sarcastic or not.

It's interesting to see everyone different interpretations with the OP's "Nintendo-esque" games. I took it as games that seemed most fit for the spirit and audience that Nintendo attracts, whereas other focused on Nintendo's ability to compel or the amount of polish many of their products have. Is this thread a bit shallow? Certainly, but, fellows, we are arguing on the internet. Lighten up! Play some Super Mario Galaxy.