Now that Nintendo has changed the world and how we play yet AGAIN! It's time to get back to the basics. Nintendo has basically gave birth, and mastered the "casual" gaming experience, now it's time to combine it's old powers with the new.
Nintendo's next console, the Wii U, will be a Wii, with the idea of it's older systems..... but WITH MORE POWER!.... PLUS MORE even! Ah, what every one has been waiting for, even developers. An HD, POWER PACKED Nintendo console. The possibiltys are limitless. Especially with the new "tablet esc" controller for the new system. A controller with a touch screen right smack dab in the middle of a normal controller's buttons that we all know. But.......... although new is good, a lot has evolved on the hardcore scene since the GameCube.
Not the that Wii is a stranger to hardcore games even, but we all can admit (even me, the most hardcore Nintendo fan) that some things that we've come to love about systems like Xbox 360, were not as prevalent on the Wii. And we want to see it, we want Nintendo to reach it's full potential. So if Nintendo is going to put in the true potential of their other side (the "hardcore" side) back into their new system, now-a-days, a lot of people will raise the question - "How will Nintendo do achievements?"
Achievements are not important to everyone, but theres no doubt that there is a HUGE amount of people that they do mean something to today. Maybe Nintendo will make achievements exclusive to each game. Well, if they did do a console wide achievmenet system, there's SO much potential. Imagine this:
"The Nintendo World Channel"
Prizes
Awards
Medals
Nintendo World Channel:
A place for Mii's to gather, show off the gifts they have received for their achievements, and a place to start a voice chat. Also, a function or channel that can run in the background, so you can run other apps in front of it.
Prizes: Little gifts for your Mii for accomplishing tasks in games. A game specific hat, or shirt for your Mii? Maybe a posters to hang on your Nintendo world hang out spot. Little models to place around your hang out?
Awards: Imagine, beating Batman: Arkham City, and receiving a letter and a box from Alfred himself in your Nintendo World, and having a Batman suit pop out of the box for your Mii to wear? Or even receiving a new "hang out", a Batcave for your Mii's to hang out in? How cool would it be to feel like you've actually taken something "home" from the journey you've been on in your games, as if you had really been on an adventure. Like a war vet, now you can litterally say "I got this back in NOMMM", if you've scored "achievements" in a certain Call of Duty game you've played on Wii U.
Medals: Lets face it, game developers make some achievements a pain. So how about receiving a less cool gift to show off, but something that is more prestigious at the same time. Medals, for the most deserving gamer. for maybe completing 100% of a game? Something meaningful for those who like to go all the way, and something that wouldn't mean too much for people that just want to have fun and get the cool gifts that the prizes and awards would serve.
"Phsycal" items are way more fun then simple score board. Imagine, instead of having a 50,000 gamerscore, you can have a whole city filled with artifacts you've received from your gaming journeys. Games would mean something again, instead of running through a game, not even enjoying it, just for some points......... that get you nothing but bragging rights. But instead, imagine receiving letters, or boxes at your Mii home of things you can actually don on your Mii. Use. Swings swords, drive Mario Karts, maybe even play little mini games to be active while your chatting with your friends.
Imagine - "This Mini game requires a sword to play", so then you say to yourself "Hmm... I need to visit the Sand of Time in Prince of Persea!" Even from a buisness perspective, then people want to go out and buy a Prince of Persia game, or rent it, to collect a sword. Go on that journey, bring something back from it that you can use, and make it mean something.
For me, games are a place I go to save a world, do something that I might not be able to do in real life, but then still be able to do it... because i'm playing the game ;). Ya know what I mean? Why do you think people used to LOVe to push graphics as "true game advancement" back before this past gen? Cause ALL people that play prob think like this on some level, and want to feel like they're looking at something that actually puts them "there". So now lets have an achievement system that we can look back on, or show off, that allows us to say "Wow! You really did take down Darth Vader! Because you have his lightsaber!"
- JcM
joeyjcm.com
Now onto Sonic Rush. Another TRUE Sonic series, that took advantage of the DS' two screens in SUCH a RADICAL way! Yet even more "advancement" over the Sonic Advance GBA games, in the best way that it could.