It's an old complaint -- Nintendo games are too "kiddie" and the systems don't feature enough mature fare. The problem is that all gamers tend to define mature games in a different way. For some, it's all about the violence and gore, while for others, deep, thoughtful gameplay is what makes a "mature" title, whatever the rating may be. Ishaan Sahdev has an interesting little post up over at Games.net that delves into this, in which games like Super Paper Mario and Zelda titles are examined as examples of mature titles -- as are Hotel Dusk and Trace Memory for the DS. Maybe they seem like lighthearted fare, as in the case of Super Paper Mario, or feature a youthful protagonist, as with Trace Memory, but they offer a memorable gameplay experience that can pull gamers into another world. Maybe that's not something maturity has a lock on, but Sahdev is right when saying that it usually equates to an enjoyable game. Is that really the kind of mature that we need more examples of? We're not one to shun blood and gore, but a game doesn't have to be Halo to be as engrossing as Halo. Sometimes, all it takes is an Ace Attorney, quirky characters, and interesting dialogue ... blood not required.
[Via GoNintendo]
_thumbnail.jpg "Prince of Persia: The Fallen King")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-15-2007 @ 8:19PM
Talon said...
Well, the DS seems to be maturing fairly well. There are a lot of meaty titles coming out for it, and it's already got a lot in its library. I don't think there's much to worry about there.
My concern is with the Wii. Aside from Nintendo itself, not many developers seem to be taking the Wii seriously as a hardcore gaming console. An article by the same author (Ishaan Sahdev) called "Why do Wii games look like crap?" really digs into the effort (or lack thereof) that's being put into a lot of the recent third-party Wii games. It's a good read. Check it out.
Personally, I'd like to see something like a TimeSplitters or a Forza Motorsport on the Wii. I think the system would work really well with those genres, but developers seem to be hesitating to put out games that take major resources to develop, like racing sims or polished shooters. Hopefully, this will change in the near future, once developers see that there's real substance to the Wii and that quick-and-dirty ports just don't work.
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8-15-2007 @ 9:04PM
Middlemoor said...
I agree. There's a difference between cute in a childish way and cute in a classic way, like Mario. Games don't need to be gory to appeal to mature audiences, they just need a depth of gameplay and challenge that suits an elder intellect.
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8-15-2007 @ 9:53PM
hvnlysoldr said...
As much as I liked House of the Dead and Final Fantasy's I always turn to Mario and pals for the deep immersion into their worlds.
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8-15-2007 @ 10:20PM
NeoteriX said...
They mention Phoenix Wright... I guess it's not "Mortal Kombat" violent, but some of the murder scenes did make me gasp out loud. :)
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8-16-2007 @ 3:21AM
Alisha Karabinus said...
Me too, NeoteriX... especially the second case of the first game! But the shock factor was half of what hooked me.
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8-16-2007 @ 7:18AM
exolstice said...
Super Paper Mario is mature? HA!
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8-16-2007 @ 9:06AM
hvnlysoldr said...
You've obviously haven't beaten the 7th or 8th chapters.
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8-16-2007 @ 9:10AM
Trogdor said...
Ummmmm...Well. I don't really think games like Super Paper Mario are "mature". Sure there are puzzles and things, but when a game is called "Mature", that means that it's for an older audience. And considering little kids can easily get to play games like Phoenix Wright, Mario Bros., and Hotel Dusk (I personally found Hotel Dusk repetitive after 4 or so hours), you don't see many kids playing Gears of War. Some, but not many.
I'm also waiting to buy a Wii until it has a few solid shooting games and a ton of good Wi-Fi games. Right now it just has Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, and in a liittle while Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (HOO-RAH!). That's all that looks interesting on there right now.
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8-16-2007 @ 11:23AM
phanboy_iv said...
What kills me is that most people don't seem to realize that maturity has absolutely nothing to do with violence, blood or sex.
Violent games aren't "mature". Violence isn't "mature". Many M-Rated games are gratuitous, not mature. There's a difference.
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