Misc Missed potential of the Wii U

Zense

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Not exactly sure what you're saying, but generally you look to the past to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Nintendo obviously learned a lot of lessons from the Wii U and partially thanks to this the Switch has been a success.

Anyways, disregarding the thread title, this thread is more about looking to the future and what homebrew could eventually try to do rather than dwelling in the past.
 

MikaDubbz

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Now that you mention it: Perhaps you weren´t originally meant to be able to pause the game in fights and heal every few seconds (kind of like in Zombie U). Would have made combat more challenging and exciting.


This feature actually exists for the 2 Call of Duty games.

So what if the framerate takes a hit? Just reduce graphics quality. Way better than getting minor changes to the same game over and over again. They really didn´t take enough risks on Wii and Wii U. How about a Smash Bros game where a 5th player can manipulate item drops or stage hazards etc...

In general, we should have seen more Coop with asymmetric gameplay... instead they even cut out the Tingle feature in The Wind Waker HD... a crime against humanity.
Love that Smash idea. Seems so obvious in retrospect.
 

MikaDubbz

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That's like talking about the "potential of my first failed marriage".

Nintendo's "second" marriage was successful however, and as they say, that means the first (WiiU) didn't really fail.

If there isn't really a effect on the present n future, dwelling in the past is a waste...
Again, I'm not talking about missed potential in terms of the system being a commercial success or not (in fact the success of the system actually holds no weight in regard to what we've actually been talking about), I'm talking about all the missed potential game experiences that the 2 screen (potentially 3 screen if they ever implemented that ability to connect a second gamepad) home console experience could have seen, but didn't. As it is, we got a lot of great experiences, but they left so many lying on the table unexplored, and likely to remain unexplored unless maybe we see another 2 screen console at some point down the line, but I'm not holding my breath on that. Hell, even successful systems have plenty of this kind of missed potential, like why didn't they ever port or remake Virtual Boy Wario Land to the 3DS?

Beyond that, I kinda want this thread to exist as a bit of a place for potential ideas for homebrew devs to maybe explore for the system down the line. Sure, not every example listed will be feasible for the homebrew scene, but I do believe some of them are.
 
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FAST6191

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I still don't see a path for the success from a hardware perspective (it was way too long in the tooth on the hardware front at this point) but I can handwave that I guess and assume they got a nice PS4/xbone a like power system in there at a price people were willing to pay (but also somehow maybe stuck with the third parties say meh thing).

Still potential of gameplay with hidden screens* or it acting as a faux camera/massively limited augmented reality. Dual screens is but a minor tweak on that from where I sit.
Inventory management, maps and touchscreen menus is certainly nice to have but is mostly a solved issue elsewhere, and it is unlikely to grant PC MMORPG style 900 spells/abilities/potions type play either.

Minigames to cast spells is also usually of dubious merit (see seals in Castlevania DS) unless it is the main conceit (see one of my favourite DS games in doodle hex).

*in game theory terms this is asymmetric gameplay (different goals sought and means by which to achieve them) and imperfect information (you don't know all the moves up to this point). No screen looking and ability to have useful fog of war without making your players get up and walk out the room/put on a blindfold for turn based things being the general practical applications here.
Such things are explored somewhat in handhelds, and naturally PC games too. Whether I want to do RTS on a touchscreen and controller I don't know.

I would also note most companies at E3 that year announced similar abilities to speak to phones, the vita and tablets, and technically speaking would have been nothing too major there at the time. That nobody really did much other than a few throwaway chat applications, maps and minigames says most of what I want to know really, though I can still see a path to something.

To that end I would say most of the list at the start is pretty boring. I had Crystal Chronicles with 3 players on the gamecube. Was OK but nothing was really added by the GBA stuff other than having to talk to read a map and "hold on I am fighting, which way are we going" usually happens in co-op dungeon crawlers. I don't see a particular way to make that oh so much more.

Advance Wars fog of war on handhelds is pretty nice.

FPS games seem to manage on consoles well enough. Screenlooking is a thing that is less fun about them but dealbreaker is harder there.

Some of the pac man cedx stuff was from a game theory perspective the more interesting thing. Imperfect information, split attention, different gameplay styles... wonderful.

Battlemaster stuff with the tablet(s) having more potency than the controllers and either there to help or hinder things. Plenty of PC games that do this very well, and limited aspects in other things (see commanders in battlefield). Less enthused by the platformer stuff we did see where it occasionally got to draw a platform or drop an extra life. Could see some more things there, though I imagine that is going to be more fun in the restrictions and enforcing communications.

To that end even in fantasy land with devs that like the innovation buzzword (that was popular back then, even if I am not convinced it is in any way a synonym for good or thing that fairly readily ensures it) I am not seeing a path to the land of milk and honey.
 

MikaDubbz

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To that end I would say most of the list at the start is pretty boring.
To each their own. I would have loved most of that stuff, and still would. Not for you? That's OK, I didn't make this thread to appeal to every gamer ever. But I know I don't stand alone in wanting more from what the Wii U could have offered.
 
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FAST6191

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To each their own. I would love most of that stuff, and still would. Not for you? That's OK, I didn't make this thread to appeal to every gamer ever. But I know I don't stand alone in wanting more from what the Wii U could have offered.
Not saying it would not be enjoyable at some level, however if you are going to try to sell people on it being a massive missed trick then that is doing a bit less than would be ideal.

For my money there is nothing that the Wii U could not have done, save maybe with a bit more grunt, that the PC and handhelds did not do prior to that, maybe modern phones* if you want the pokemon snap thing.

5 player Mario Kart? The GC had 8 with local LAN play (that could also be dumped over a VPN). Nobody seems in a tearing hurry to replay that today like they do for say Saturn bomberman with all the multitaps. Similarly good 4 player local co-op back then was a bit like good online multiplayer team is... any time since we have had online -- wonderful when it happens and something to treasure but hardly can be assumed to be the default mode of play. We were also witnessing the true death of local play and local co-op by now as well (not like the Wii was the last bastion of it, indeed I am more likely to point at a 360 than it and the 360's efforts were pretty paltry compared to the original xbox, n64 and whatnot) but much like the asterisk below we could possibly handwave that assuming devs would have got it together and not wanted to sell everybody a copy of a game.

*granted "like the GBA and DS but on a phone" I would have thought the braindead simple option for game makers on phones to do, indeed many of the GBA and DS' finest third party devs ended up there, but no we have the return of coin-ops, except maybe those coin ops like that golf game that saves your score and allows you to log in in new places.

To sell it as a missed trick then from where I sit you would have to lean so much more into the asymmetric play and incomplete/imperfect information angle. Not knowing where someone is, what they are doing, having someone essentially playing a different game with radically different goals to you... that way the best stuff lies rather than minor UI conveniences (map overlays, radial menus, macros... imperfect solutions for UI but at least 80% of the way there) and perks of emulation few enjoy to this day despite its ease -- ignore the "I want to trade pokemon" set and how many really go in for the absolutely amazing multiplayer libraries of the GBA, GB/GBC and maybe DS (though that is harder to pull off) in these circles? Repeat process also taking out Advance Wars.
 

MikaDubbz

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Not saying it would not be enjoyable at some level, however if you are going to try to sell people on it being a massive missed trick then that is doing a bit less than would be ideal.

For my money there is nothing that the Wii U could not have done, save maybe with a bit more grunt, that the PC and handhelds did not do prior to that, maybe modern phones* if you want the pokemon snap thing.

5 player Mario Kart? The GC had 8 with local LAN play (that could also be dumped over a VPN). Nobody seems in a tearing hurry to replay that today like they do for say Saturn bomberman with all the multitaps. Similarly good 4 player local co-op back then was a bit like good online multiplayer team is... any time since we have had online -- wonderful when it happens and something to treasure but hardly can be assumed to be the default mode of play. We were also witnessing the true death of local play and local co-op by now as well (not like the Wii was the last bastion of it, indeed I am more likely to point at a 360 than it and the 360's efforts were pretty paltry compared to the original xbox, n64 and whatnot) but much like the asterisk below we could possibly handwave that assuming devs would have got it together and not wanted to sell everybody a copy of a game.

*granted "like the GBA and DS but on a phone" I would have thought the braindead simple option for game makers on phones to do, indeed many of the GBA and DS' finest third party devs ended up there, but no we have the return of coin-ops, except maybe those coin ops like that golf game that saves your score and allows you to log in in new places.

To sell it as a missed trick then from where I sit you would have to lean so much more into the asymmetric play and incomplete/imperfect information angle. Not knowing where someone is, what they are doing, having someone essentially playing a different game with radically different goals to you... that way the best stuff lies rather than minor UI conveniences (map overlays, radial menus, macros... imperfect solutions for UI but at least 80% of the way there) and perks of emulation few enjoy to this day despite its ease -- ignore the "I want to trade pokemon" set and how many really go in for the absolutely amazing multiplayer libraries of the GBA, GB/GBC and maybe DS (though that is harder to pull off) in these circles? Repeat process also taking out Advance Wars.
Again though, this isn't about how the Wii U could have been a bigger success, it's just about experiences I'd love to see it having via its unique setup that we're likely to never see at this point barring another 2 or 3 screen system releasing in the future

Heck, I'd say it's a small shame that Nintendo hasn't made a bigger deal of 2 Switchs being able to accomplish a similar Wii U setup. They've stated they want multiple Switchs in the same households and have seen a rise of this as much as well. So why not offer optional Wii U control schemes for games that could benefit from it? It could help entice Switch owners into buying say a Lite model on top of the one they own if they were considering getting one for another sibling and just need a little push to make that second purchase, if they miss the little things like the always on map in Splatoon to much more quickly jump to teammates, or reimplement the scrapped BOTW functionality. Of course these would all need to be optional control schemes so they can still be played as designed for a single Switch. And it might require a similar download play kind of ability that the DS and 3DS saw for single cart multiplayer experiences, which might be a bit larger of a file size, but probably wouldn't need to be the full game for stuff like always displaying a map or your inventory.

I digress. Clearly I'm a fan of what the Wii U could offer and just bummed that we're not really gonna see much more of what could have been.
 
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FAST6191

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Again though, this isn't about how the Wii U could have been a bigger success, it's just about experiences I'd love to see in having via its unique set up that we're likely to never see at this point barring another 2 or 3 screen system releasing in the future

Heck, I'd say it's a small shame that Nintendo hasn't made a bigger deal of 2 Switchs being able to accomplish a similar Wii U setup. They've stated they want multiple Switchs in the same households and have seen a rise of this as much as well. So why not offer optional Wii U control schemes for games that could benefit from it? It could help entice Switch owners into buying say a Lite model on top of the one they own if they were considering getting one for another sibling and just need a little push to make that second purchase, if they miss the little things like the always on map in Splatoon to much more quickly jump to teammates, or reimplement the scrapped BOTW functionality. Of course these would all need to be optional control schemes so they can still be played as designed for a single Switch. And it might require a similar download play kind of ability that the DS and 3DS saw for single cart multiplayer experiences, which might be a bit larger of a file size, but probably wouldn't need to be the full game for stuff like always displaying a map or your inventory.

I digress. Clearly I'm a fan of what the Wii U could offer and just bummed that we're not really gonna see much more of what could have been.
I was not really going for it being a bigger success. I am quite happy to be one of a few hundred that got in on something good - I regularly go for new and interesting gameplay experiences even if others don't care, and is one of the things I seek.
I don't see crowbarring a fifth player into racing, some truly minor UI conveniences, lame augmented reality version of camera that is basically lightgun take 2, limited takes on official emulators or worse versions of gameboy player being that.
Hidden actions, inventories, forcing communications, quite radically different modes of gameplay for the different players* that would not be possible otherwise (griefing as it were, though griefing is arguably not an aspect of desired gameplay, or aiding... all good)... that is how you do it for me.

*call of duty did a fun one with one player in a plane and another on the ground when in splitscreen. Something like that wound up to 11 without the need to split the screen would be amazing. Battle commanders in various games I have played (Battlefield would be the most familiar to people today, the name of an older fantasy game where you did similar and could ask the command for upgrades if your faction had the resources, which you also mined, escapes me but is also fun). Perfect Dark back on the N64 had counter operative and no screen looking there would be wonderful.
 

MikaDubbz

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I was not really going for it being a bigger success. I am quite happy to be one of a few hundred that got in on something good - I regularly go for new and interesting gameplay experiences even if others don't care, and is one of the things I seek.
I don't see crowbarring a fifth player into racing, some truly minor UI conveniences, lame augmented reality version of camera that is basically lightgun take 2, limited takes on official emulators or worse versions of gameboy player being that.
Hidden actions, inventories, forcing communications, quite radically different modes of gameplay for the different players* that would not be possible otherwise (griefing as it were, though griefing is arguably not an aspect of desired gameplay, or aiding... all good)... that is how you do it for me.
You downplay all of that, yet again, I think it would all have been great. I'm not saying this shit would have lit the world on fire, but I've found myself with 5 friends having to trade controllers in MK8. I recognize that the GBA had a lot of great multiplayer experiences that go almost entirely unappreciated today. I love Spy vs Spy and no system was better equipped for a reboot of the series than the Wii U. New Pokemon Snap is a lot of fun, but I do believe it would have been more fun on the Wii U. There is no good reason that DS VC games couldn't communicate with actual DSs for multiplayer. These little things add up, and if none of that speaks to you, that's cool, but that doesn't change how much I would have loved to see these things all the same.

Also, Pokken and Hyrule Warriors did the same thing with 2 player multiplayer as the CoD games, and it was fantastic there too.
 
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Zense

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From what I understand you both do agree on the core of the topic, which is that the Wii U did offer some experiences that aren't present or as easily accessible/doable on other consoles right now. Of course not everything is gonna be according to everyone's tastes. I believe if you don't find game modes like Runbow's Wii U specific mode called Colormaster (?) nor Nintendo Land's Mario hide n seek etc, then there isn't that much for you to gain from this thread.

Personally I wouldn't have cared for games to come to the Wii U if they were just gonna be the same experience as elsewhere with no use of the gamepad. If the Wii U had been made without the gamepad and gone for simple brute force and topped the specs of the PS4 and Xbone, I would have cared very little for the system since it would just have been a weak to average PC. The only redeeming point over PC would be getting quicker into the games.

So yes, the main benefit I personally see with consoles over PC is the ease of getting into a game. Yes, you can always setup a PC to stay constantly connected to your TV but to me it still isn't as quick and accessible as a console. Sure boot times might be slower etc. but if I could choose between playing a game on a mediatower PC or on a console and they would have the same quality and performance then I would pick the console.

Going back then, any experience you can have on the Wii U is replicable on PC. You can always program lr setup to make a game use a secondary screen either on a tablet, phone, VR or whatever. That's the nature of the versatility of a PC compared to a console. But you can almost always bet that setting stuff like that up on a PC will be take more effort from the user than if it were tailor-made for a console. I'm personally quite done with spending more time setting up games than actually playing them. Not saying people who are fine with that should stop - more power to them. It's just not for me anymore.
 

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I wish we got some RPGs to take advantage of the second screen. Managing inventory in Twilight Princess on the Gamepad was so comfy.
 

ital

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Dual screens could've changed the game if they matured into a more evolved state beyond the tech demo Wii U offered. Inventory on the 2nd screen, AR features, "hide and seek" on two screens, evolution of the VMU/Switch hybrid where you could take a cut down version of the game around with you.

Possibilities were endless and instead we got the dumbed down Switch that people ate up because they're dim. Personally I believe the Wii U could've done DS levels of innovative gameplay had devs and Nintendo actually given it a chance.

If they'd made it so you could just plug in your DS/3DS games and play them on the big screen alone that would've sold like crazy. As I said before Nintendo made the Switch out of spite for fools who didn't get the Wii U and they repay them (literally!) by spending money hand over fist on shoddy tech and a regressive step.

Now a Wii U2 which had an actual home console aspect and the portable aspects of a Switch that came home and docked with more power would've been an awesome evolution and practical too by this time. Instead they removed all of the character and uniqueness to give soy faced neckbeards reason to pose like pornstars in their faked bliss for clicks.
 

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The Idea with the mobile Gaming Pad was a good idea to play also without a TV. But its really bit uncomfortable.
- Every time its starts up with the WiiU if needed or not, its annoying. For entering the Configuration the Pad is recommended, wtf why? Maybe there is stuff for homebrew to disable this, so that the hole Wiiu can used without it. And It has no full Power off.
- The WiiU Gamepad as automatic alternativ option to display ingame Maps or other ingame related stuff would be an good option.
- The size of the screen in relationship to the size of the pad is to small. From the otherside the hole Gamepad is to big, there is a lot of Air inside. And could have really better designed in the way of PS Vita or GBA.
- Other thing is the Range of it. A option to connect external antenna like Router have to extend the Range is missing.
- The WiiU is a Console for home use, so the WLAN is a quite comfortable, but a ethernet adapter could build in, instead to connect to an external device over USB. Or could be included if a WiiU is buyed.
- The 3DS is a good piece of hardware and has good spezifikation to be used as Gamepad alternativ (except 5,2Ghz WLAN missing). This would be cool where the hole content is displayed and can controlled with. As Example the PS4 supports this with PS Vita.
 
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Well i think the main point of Wii U is PPC soc compatible with GC,Wii.

First they should have given us vGC and GC ports with gc to usb adapters. Really... Some dvd laser and some adapters would not have added so much to its cost....

Also, the problem is gamepad dependency, it is fine, but they could have included additional pro controller for tv play in the box and make console not gamepad dependant, or support usb dinput controllers like ps3 does..

Also they could have made native upscale for GC, Wii games hardware was natively supported.

Another thing, they should have included native wii/gc controller plugin/remap to support wii,gc games, gyroscope and all hardware was already here... Why they did not do it i do not understand.

Most of my listed problems are solvable with software and cheap 2dollar laser/ adapter why they did not do it i do not understand.
 

MikaDubbz

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Dual screens could've changed the game if they matured into a more evolved state beyond the tech demo Wii U offered. Inventory on the 2nd screen, AR features, "hide and seek" on two screens, evolution of the VMU/Switch hybrid where you could take a cut down version of the game around with you.

Possibilities were endless and instead we got the dumbed down Switch that people ate up because they're dim. Personally I believe the Wii U could've done DS levels of innovative gameplay had devs and Nintendo actually given it a chance.

If they'd made it so you could just plug in your DS/3DS games and play them on the big screen alone that would've sold like crazy. As I said before Nintendo made the Switch out of spite for fools who didn't get the Wii U and they repay them (literally!) by spending money hand over fist on shoddy tech and a regressive step.

Now a Wii U2 which had an actual home console aspect and the portable aspects of a Switch that came home and docked with more power would've been an awesome evolution and practical too by this time. Instead they removed all of the character and uniqueness to give soy faced neckbeards reason to pose like pornstars in their faked bliss for clicks.
Ya know, I almost wonder if Nintendo is setting themselves up to have another go at a new (completely optional) era of 2 screen at-home gaming. I think most of us would agree that the next Nintendo system is likely going to be essentially a Switch 2, and the original Switch and its variants are now at about 100 million units sold. That's 100 million people with a handheld gaming device.

The Switch 2 alone will likely be it's own single screen hybrid system like the original Switch, just more powerful. But Nintendo will know that a huge portion of the people that will be buying a Switch 2 will already have an original Switch, sure some will probably sell their original to buy the Switch 2, but even still with over 100 million of them out there, it's a safe bet that they'd still have many millions holding on to their original model as well as buying the next gen version.

So, why not have the Switch 2 able to optionally connect to the original Switch, where the OG Switch acts in the same was as the Wii U GamePad did for the Wii U, you hold it portably and control the Switch 2 with it, while also being able to use the touch screen of the Switch 1 with what is happening on the Switch 2. Hell, this can already happen with 2 Switchs as it is, with Namco Museum and the Pac-Man Vs. Companion app, where one screen plays as Pac-Man and the other plays as the ghosts. They could reimplement Wii U features for Wii U ports or dropped features that were planned like the on-the-go inventory in BOTW and the always on map for more quickly fast traveling, etc. etc.

It would have to rely on companion apps on the Switch 1 and whatnot, which probably could get a bit larger in size depending on the game they would be connecting with and how many assets of it the Switch 1 would need access to, but this is still totally feasible. And it's kinda a clever way to get everyone (that would want it) the GamePad controller without feeling like they had to pay extra for a controller with a screen built into it.

Frankly this all just makes too much sense to me not to do, it couldn't hurt to try, especially since some implementation of this kind of stuff would probably take very little additional programming per game, as really all it is, is wireless LAN multiplayer. So if Nintendo doesn't even give this a try when the iron is hot with the launch of their next device, I would say that's a sign that Nintendo is just done entirely with the idea of dual screen gaming. I hope that isn't the case.
 
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If they'd made it so you could just plug in your DS/3DS games and play them on the big screen alone that would've sold like crazy.
I thought this for years. The fact the SD card slot was only there because wii backward compatibility with managing the limited 512MB storage. It would have been nice to just have a DS/3DS wii u card slot to play games on there. It would just be like how nintendo made gameboy player or super gameboy. Both allowing portable games to be played on big screen. Weather it was built into the system or a separate purchase, total bummer. Especially when your console has two screens to make it work perfectly.
 
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ital

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Ya know, I almost wonder if Nintendo is setting themselves up to have another go at a new (completely optional) era of 2 screen at-home gaming. I think most of us would agree that the next Nintendo system is likely going to be essentially a Switch 2, and the original Switch and its variants are now at about 100 million units sold. That's 100 million people with a handheld gaming device.

The Switch 2 alone will likely be it's own single screen hybrid system like the original Switch, just more powerful. But Nintendo will know that a huge portion of the people that will be buying a Switch 2 will already have an original Switch, sure some will probably sell their original to buy the Switch 2, but even still with over 100 million of them out there, it's a safe bet that they'd still have many millions holding on to their original model as well as buying the next gen version.

So, why not have the Switch 2 able to optionally connect to the original Switch, where the OG Switch acts in the same was as the Wii U GamePad did for the Wii U, you hold it portably and control the Switch 2 with it, while also being able to use the touch screen of the Switch 1 with what is happening on the Switch 2. Hell, this can already happen with 2 Switchs as it is, with Namco Museum and the Pac-Man Vs. Companion app, where one screen plays as Pac-Man and the other plays as the ghosts. They could reimplement Wii U features for Wii U ports or dropped features that were planned like the on-the-go inventory in BOTW and the always on map for more quickly fast traveling, etc. etc.

It would have to rely on companion apps on the Switch 1 and whatnot, which probably could get a bit larger in size depending on the game they would be connecting with and how many assets of it the Switch 1 would need access to, but this is still totally feasible. And it's kinda a clever way to get everyone (that would want it) the GamePad controller without feeling like they had to pay extra for a controller with a screen built into it.

Frankly this all just makes too much sense to me not to do, it couldn't hurt to try, especially since some implementation of this kind of stuff would probably take very little additional programming per game, as really all it is, is wireless LAN multiplayer. So if Nintendo doesn't even give this a try when the iron is hot with the launch of their next device, I would say that's a sign that Nintendo is just done entirely with the idea of dual screen gaming. I hope that isn't the case.

Remember the original patents with the external processor box? Its pretty much Wii U 2 but using the Switch as the gamepad. I think they knew exactly what the Wii U could be but wanted to see if devs could see it rather than spreading their seed to the wind and then having them mimick but not innovate. Thing is they ruined the marketing and missed the boat as iPads came along. 1 year earlier on the release and it would've been a different story.

I thought this for years. The fact the SD card slot was only there because wii backward compatibility with managing the limited 512MB storage. It would have been nice to just have a DS/3DS wii u card slot to play games on there. It would just be like how nintendo made gameboy player or super gameboy. Both allowing portable games to be played on big screen. Weather it was built into the system or a separate purchase, total bummer. Especially when your console has two screens to make it work perfectly.

Such a strange omission. That alone would've shifted some units and extended the lifecycle of already withered tech. Nintendo do win but they often leave so much money on the table in the process.

Custom Joycons being one. Virtual Console Dreamcast is so easily doable and they could've whipped up the controllers as well as GC or gimmicky ones like a fishing rod etc... but they played it super safe and ultra boring with the Switch. Everything about it feels so soulless compared to the Wii Us overflowing charisma.



Thing is I'd be willing to bet we'll see no more crazy innovation from them now. There is no need. They've walked away from the home console battle and (aside from mobiles) have no competition handheld plus super strong IPs and a very dedicated fanbase. Considering Nintendo is now being ran by an accountant I wouldn't expect creativity as Iwata was a gamers gamer as Yamauchi was a gangsters gangster.

What you're going to get from them now is middle of the road hardware that you'll buy anyway because of the games you liked since a child and they'll ration the releases like crazy as they want to be the Japanese Disney now. See Mario World. And why not? They've got the IPs and finances and have done enough diversion to make their losses/exit from the competition seem like wins so what else is left?

Apart from VR/AR that is. Thats the only curveball they could roll out as a resurrected Virtual Boy but the proper tech is too expensive (see PSVR2 specs and pricing subsidies) and they're too cheap to do that. Most likely you'll get a NewSwitchXLProIITurboHyperNerding with a similar spec bump to extend the product lifecycle and actually allow the original titles to run properly.

Don't expect any more crazy waggle, dual screens and all that experimentation they had when they finally realized they had some real competition. They've found their niche and its exceedingly profitable with very little investment on their part.

This is the new Nintendo. Gone are the days of an Italian plumber tossing a genetically mutated turtle king into a land mine while commenting on his sexual preference. Literally. Gone.
 

MikaDubbz

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Remember the original patents with the external processor box? Its pretty much Wii U 2 but using the Switch as the gamepad. I think they knew exactly what the Wii U could be but wanted to see if devs could see it rather than spreading their seed to the wind and then having them mimick but not innovate. Thing is they ruined the marketing and missed the boat as iPads came along. 1 year earlier on the release and it would've been a different story.
That would be the smart thing about it, like a backdoor way of ushering in 2 screen gaming for the people who strongly resisted it during the Wii U. Like well, you have 2 Switchs now anyway, here's some stuff you can do with that second earlier model paired with your new one if you want to keep it around. Would be a great way to test if there is any real interest to giving the concept another real go or not, by having a few launch Switch 2 games optionally support it and pushing some patchs for already released OG Switch games on that same launch day to optionally support it.

That is ultimately what it would have to be though: optional. Which is fine, it was pretty much optional for Wii U devs as it was anyway. But I guess it wouldn't really be smart to build any game around the ability as the only way to play. Though I'd argue with the right optional controls for the right game, it could seem like the only way to play the game. I keep thinking of Pokemon Snap and what a missed opportunity it was that the new game was on the Switch and not the Wii U, where you could use the GamePad as essentially the real camera. A simple patch could enable that with 2 Switchs, and likely become the only way I'd prefer to play the game at that point.

I digress, I know it seems like fantasy, but there were those indications that Nintendo wasn't completely done with 2 screen gaming with the Switch, like those patents you mentioned, so maybe it's been in the back of their minds, "If the Switch is a big success, we can have another go at 2 screen gaming with its successor and large built in audience of the first model." Am I holding my breath on the thought? No, but I'm definitely not counting it out either.
 
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ital

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It would be interesting if they did it as a lot of Wii U titles used that second screen so well.

Don't see it though. Its like how Sony messed up Vita remote play by not having enough buttons. What is it with Sony releasing handhelds without enough inputs? PSP was missing an analog and Vita could've so easily had double shoulder buttons but nope.

Just another in the list of "Weird things computer games companies do" for a thousand, Alex.

It would be interesting if the Switch is modular in the sense that they released the first version with a "dumb" dock only to come back round for the reup with a "smart" dock with its own processing/eGPU. Then you'd truly be playing with power and the underspecced standard unit would make a lot of sense.

Either way BC is a given as they've got loads of people locked into their ecosystem and the hardware is flimsy which encourages upgrading as evidenced by the OLED.

If we're going fantasy what I'd really like to see is them punt out a specced up version of the 3DS with a slick design as a season stocking filler ala SNES Mini. Pretty sure they could whip something like this up for £100 and get it out there:

nintendo_3ds_3.jpg


As it would sell, not just for nostalgia (esp if they actually give it a decent eShop) but for those that still play the old hardware as the titles at 2x internal res look phenomenal and there is nothing like it on the market.

More likely we will see a GBA Mini though, thats what those Zelda/SMB handhelds were obviously a test run for to see how hacker proof the concept was.

Bring back the third pillar!
 

MikaDubbz

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Well to each their own. I'm personally good on the 3DS at this point haha. Don't feel there is too much left to explore there, and I really do like all Nintendo games going to a single system instead of being split between 2. Now if they want to give the Switch 2 an optional glasses-free 3D effect when played portably, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to that. That effect has always felt a bit magical to me, even now over a decade later.
 
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