Wednesday, December 5, 2007

How much change to a Virtual Console game is too much?

Think of tonight's article as if this post crashed into this one, and somehow became readable. Best way I can describe it.



It was recently announced that Pokémon Snap would receive a Wii-specific update when it hits the Virtual Console. This is big news, because no Virtual Console game so far has seen such an change. But as I said in "Remakes: How much change is too much?", changing a classic game when remaking or porting it somewhat takes away from the nostalgia. However, I am not against this improvement to Pokémon Snap. Why is this? Allow me to explain.

Unlike adding new characters to Super Mario 64, adding the ability to send pictures taken in Pokémon Snap to friends doesn't take away from the classic aspect of the game. In the original Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo 64, players could print their pictures onto stickers at Blockbuster and Toys 'R' Us stores across the country. If anything, adding the online trading of images replaces the absence of sticker making.

Of course, this addition makes some think "Well, if they can add this, why not online play?". Well, as I said in "Should Virtual Console games be online?", adding online play to a Virtual Console game would not only cost extra money, it would spread Nintendo's resources even more thin. People working on other, more anticipated Nintendo games would instead be diverted to adding an online aspect to a game made over ten years ago. Do you really want to take attention away from Mario Kart Wii in order to play Mario Party 3 online? I don't.

Then you may say "Well, people have to be diverted to add this feature to Pokémon Snap, do they not?". Touché, worthy debating opponent, but adding a picture-sending aspect to Pokémon Snap is hardly a huge undertaking. After all, we're already able to send pictures and messages from Wii to Wii. All that's being added to Snap is the ability to save images to the message board, and they're sent from there. Really, very little is being added to the game.



So I think adding the picture saving to Pokémon Snap is great. I always loved showing off my pics to my family with the original game, and now I'll be able to take it even further. With this new aspect, as well as the refined textures Nintendo 64 games always receive, Pokémon Snap could become my favorite Virtual Console game yet. Heck, I haven't even played it yet, and I already love it!

The Duck Has Spoken.

2 comments:

WJUK said...

I like how the picture says 'Only For N64' when it's coming to the Wii.

I guess Nintendo didn't know back then that they would re-release it.

Anonymous said...

i personally think that they could at least add 1 character in a game like mario kart 64. they only need to make subtle changes to a game so that people who have played it before will want to download it again for reasons other than nostalgia. maybe nintendo could add the allstar versions to their nes mario games as an optional download.