@rarerichz: I know that this is a slight derailment from your comment, but I really wonder about this constant d*ck measuring, which seems to be an obsession for many, over which system can push the most polygons. I read an interesting opinion piece a few months ago (it might have been on Kotaku or in my Edge magazine) which pointed up an issue around ever-expanding numbers for processors, screen resolutions, and so on. It said that several developers had voiced concern over the fact they were now spending a disproportionate amount of time focusing on creating assets (textures etc), rather than concentrating on core gameplay. And that demand for such high visual fidelity was threatening their resources, so that more and more money was getting siphoned towards this aspect of development rather than (perhaps) the main reason people enjoy playing games: because they are good when they are fun and involving.
Nintendo have a rather impressive track record when it comes to ignoring the spec-sheep and triumphing anyway. They did it with the Wii, and they did it with the 3DS, and some would argue - with the GameBoy too (in terms of unit sales.) Interestingly, they've also succeeded with consoles like the GameCube, which wasn't a hit seller, but the games created for it were some of the best of that generation (Wind Waker and Resi 4, Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros. Melee spring to mind immediately.) Even the much lampooned Wii U, whilst by no means a triumph, carved its own niche with exclusives that, arguably, made the console worth the outlay (Bayonetta 2, Super Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Super Mario Maker.) I have a very strong feeling that the Switch will triumph. This last sentence isn't wishful thinking, it's just common sense.
Give me a console/system any day that provides me with value for money (meaning I get my £££'s worth from the initial outlay), and, more importantly, it provides a platform for some really great, immersive and rewarding games, rather a super-computer that offers pretty pictures and little else.
@silv3rst0rm: "I've had more fun with Zelda, Splatoon 2 and Mario + Rabbids than I got on any PS4/Xbox One game in the past 6 months and Mario Odyssey looks like it might add another point to big "N"!"
My feelings too, in a nice, neat nutshell.
Nintendo have a unique ability to make a man like me, in his early forties, smile like an over-excited kid in a toy shop. No other developer can do this in the way Nintendo can, year after year and decade after decade. The only other developer that makes me regress in this really enjoyable manner is Media Molecule (LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway etc.)
Seeing and being a part of Nintendo's resurgence yet again is a smashing thing. The fact they are bringing to the table some of the best games of this generation, is not only great for Nintendo, it helps to push forward and innovate all console developers and software houses.
@timmyp1982: Many, many games can be called "over-rated" but this is not a term I could ever realistically apply to BotW. I've been playing video games since the late 1970's and, for me at least, BotW has given me more pleasure and immersion than almost any other game I can recall. That the consensus about this game from gamers and journalists who have played it is in absolute concert - which doesn't mean the same thing as being 'over-rated.' It just means that the majority are in complete agreement about its many merits.
@fig56: I wish I'd read your comment before I posted my own reply, because you've managed to say in one very neat paragraph what I was attempting to say in four paragraphs!
@Redsyrup: Just to put it out there first - I'm not a Nintendo fanboy. I play PS4, Switch and PC, and they all offer something different and good.
I have to respectfully disagree with your slightly strange remark about Gamespot's "rose tinted" BotW review. A review can't really be called "rose tinted" if 99.99 percent of other people reviewing in other outlets hold the same opinion, surely? You would have to be in some kind of denial to not agree that BotW received universal acclaim. If Gamespot had been the only ones who had given BotW an amazing review, then I would agree that it might be described as "rose tinted."
I don't even think a reviewer's opinions matter in cases like marque titles such as Super Mario. Everyone know what they are getting to a greater or lesser degree. Perhaps we should trust our own intuitions a bit more sometimes. I already know without a shadow of doubt that I will like this game - I've seen enough hours of footage and exposition for this fact to be obvious.
On the point about gimmicks - again respectfully, I'd be interested to hear of any game that doesn't invoke gimmicks or novel ideas. I can't think of a single one.
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