New Super Mario Bros. Wii Introduces "Demo Play"
During a few E3 interviews, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that New Super Mario Bros. Wii will introduce something currently called "Demo Play."
"In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, if a player is experiencing an area of difficulty, this will allow them to clear troubled areas and take over when they're ready" confirmed Miyamoto, through his translator. "And yes, we're looking into this for future games, too."
Nintendo applied for patents a while back which demonstrated something similar, so it appears as that's finally being applied to their games. While it sounds like the main purpose of this is to help people with single player, I could see it being useful in multiplayer too. For example, you could turn this on if you had to get up to talk on the phone or make a bag of popcorn without making your friends wait.
Anyway, you're free to get riled up about this if you like, but I just can't conjure the energy to get upset by it. I've watched YouTube walkthroughs when I'm just too stuck to go on, and I've asked friends to play through parts of games with giant creepy spiders, so if I'm killing games too, sorry about that. Do I think I'll use demo play? Probably not, at least not for NSMBWii, but I have no problem with someone who isn't as fluent in gaming using it to get by an occasional rough patch. Keep your "rules" out of our living rooms and just let other people play or not play as they see fit.
Nintendo Confirms Secret "Help" Feature [USA Today]
[via: Destructoid]
Dawdle
Posted to Video Games on 13 June 2009
· Comments (11)
Other stuff like this: demo play, new super mario bros. wii, nintendo, shigeru miyamoto, wii
People getting angry about this sort of feature are just being ridiculous. Who cares if someone else gets some help with a tough part of a game? How does that possibly detract from your own enjoyment?
I don't see myself using it... well, unless I die right after a really annoying spot that I don't feel like doing over again.
I think the existence of this feature is fine, as long as you can prevent it from accidentally engaging and I also think the "best ending" should be reserved for a no-cheats playthrough.
What I can't wait for is the glitches people should be able to induce using this and then post on Youtube.
Reminds me of -
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/images/090423.jpg
Reminds me of -
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/images/090423.jpg
It does take away from the people who legitimately beat the game. Proof of speedruns and junk will be no more, and "Pics or it didnt happen" will be made a dirty lie. Unless "Help" mode has a big old red thing on the screen that cannot be removed that says "HELP MODE ENGAGED"
People who are upset at this stuff are generally the kind of people I don't like to associate with, anyway. I actually enjoy it when games help me out if I'm having a problem, it keeps me from getting overly frustrated and getting through the game. Rhythm Heaven will occasionally pop up and ask me if I want them to open up another song if I"m having a problem with any given one, and I like that. Silent Hill 3 gave me a sympathy offer to drop the game to Easy after I died 5 times in the same spot. Personally I do prefer a game offer the option, I don't want it being a mandatory "big brother takes the controller and says 'let me do it'" scenario, but I don't think that's what this mechanic will be.
Also: I don't think this game will have big "display screens" for speed-run fans to take. They'll have to record the whole mess for proof. And even still, I think if you have to resort to the help mechanic (which, like Rhythm Heaven, only takes effect after a couple of losses)... well I think that'll effect your record pretty significantly.
I don't mind this kind of thing at all, actually, the important thing is that it's optional.
I DO mind when they just make the game easier so that it appeals to younger gamers or newer games. But this way the game is, or at least can be, difficult but allows less experienced people to play just for fun.
Not really that different than making your older brother beat the water temple for you in Ocarina of Time
That's fine. Maybe they'll stop watering down some game play toughness/elements now.
A lot of games have gotten way too easy.
Not really that different than making your older brother beat the water temple for you in Ocarina of Time... >_>;
Why do most people always say water temple is hard shit? I don't get it...
You wanna know what's hard?
Doing Legend of Zelda Dungeons in the first game, after getting past the 4th dungeon. And Metroid Prime 2, Sky Temple - you think you had it hard in the Water Temple? That stage/area is like 100x worse than Water Temple...
NOW THAT'S HARD.
I don't want a bastardized version of an awesome game, during a climatic and challenging section and it gets totally ruined for me when I accidentally press... "help!"
@Abaddamn,
I'm pretty sure it's not going to be as simple as your finger slipping and hitting a big red "EASY" button.
From the patent information that was out earlier, you have to do it from the pause menu, and it confirms that you want demo play turned on before taking over.
The water temple wasn't hard, per se, it was just unreasonably obnoxious.