Do you ever feel like maybe our digital theme park turned out better than our real one
Remember when Nintendo perfectly demonstrated the asymmetric multiplayer potential of the Wii U with a free launch game and then did nothing with that?
Big Nintendo Land defender over here. A lot of folks dunked on it for not being Wii Sports but I honestly think Nintendo Land is more of a proper game than Wii Sports was even if it's not as groundbreaking. I genuinely think Nintendo Land was a great launch title to show what the Wii U was capable of.
Classic Nintendo fun with the lads, especially the Metroid, Mario, Link, Luigi's Mansion and Pikmin multiplayer levels. Unfortunately, Nintendo spent every possible idea they had with the Wii U Gamepad in this one, and spent the rest of this console generation making games which would work exactly the same on the Switch.
i really loved this game. tho one problem i had was when my little cousin screamed and cried at the luigis mansion game that was fucking funny
Nintendo Land is a great anthology of asymmetrical multiplayer games and neat controller gimmicks. Like all anthologies, it's inconsistent at times. The asymmetrical stuff steals the show; while the controller gimmick mini-games are fun, there's just no way they could ever match the rest of this package.
But as much as part of me wants to say that it's an issue, it's really not. All it means is that Nintendo Land is less fun for one person. But if you decide to play with anyone else, this is a blast. Mario Chase is a goofy tug-of-war type scenario reminiscent of the flag-pulling games we played in P.E., while Luigi's Mansion might be the only stealth game Nintendo has ever made. Pikmin and Animal Crossing are also enjoyable, even if they don't stand out as much. Metroid stands out on its own as a pretty neat Co-Op experience but is admittedly less fun in a party.
Nintendo Land sold me on the Wii U almost ten years ago, and it still impresses me. I almost wish that it had as much fanfare as something like Wii Sports, but whatever.
But as much as part of me wants to say that it's an issue, it's really not. All it means is that Nintendo Land is less fun for one person. But if you decide to play with anyone else, this is a blast. Mario Chase is a goofy tug-of-war type scenario reminiscent of the flag-pulling games we played in P.E., while Luigi's Mansion might be the only stealth game Nintendo has ever made. Pikmin and Animal Crossing are also enjoyable, even if they don't stand out as much. Metroid stands out on its own as a pretty neat Co-Op experience but is admittedly less fun in a party.
Nintendo Land sold me on the Wii U almost ten years ago, and it still impresses me. I almost wish that it had as much fanfare as something like Wii Sports, but whatever.
It gave us a Pikmin game when no one else would...
GOOD AS FUCK SHIT!
I miss the Wii U so much man. Play this and tell me there wasn't such potential.
deeply sad that this will probably never get a rerelease but it’s understandable. Regardless, super fun and unique
Ele não tem a simplicidade e o apelo casual de Wii Sports, mas Nintendo Land é um prato cheio pra qualquer um que gosta dos jogos da empresa vai se apaixonar pelo parque de diversões. Boa parte dos jogos são divertidos (principalmente os multiplayer), ele usa muito muito bem as mecânicas assimétricas e é muito divertido. Uma pena que o console não vingou e não teremos algo novamente parecido.
this game is actually pretty fun if you can manage to get together a group of friends to waggle wiimotes with. shows off the gamepad's capabilities pretty well, albeit still being a gimmick, and some of the games like the metroid and zelda minigames could have honestly been games in their own rights, but aren't really fully realized in what is just a collection of minigames. not bad, just gets boring if you play it alone or with the same group of people over and over
I'd kill to have a switch port of this, or a sequel but that's probably never gonna happen, sadly
this is the best introduction one could ever hope for the Wii U, I can't understand how it didn't came bundled with the system. So good memories with the 3 or 4 minigames that were actually unique, genuine and fun.
A great pack-in title featuring different types of minigames in a Nintendo theme park environment to ultimately showcase the features of the (then) recently released Wii U console.
As with any minigame collection, some are better than others but for the most part they were fun. The same concept applied to the Wii U specific features, with the Ninja-star throwing minigame being one of the best implementations of the game pad. Overall, a fun package and a nice way of testing the Wii U system with friends.
As with any minigame collection, some are better than others but for the most part they were fun. The same concept applied to the Wii U specific features, with the Ninja-star throwing minigame being one of the best implementations of the game pad. Overall, a fun package and a nice way of testing the Wii U system with friends.
I could not get enough of that Luigi's Mansion minigame.
Played as part of my 2023 Summah Games series.
Summah isn't just about spendin' your days on the beach, sifting sand through your fingers, catchin' you some hermit crabs and poppin' them in your mouth like popcorn chicken from KFC. It's also about amusement parks, and roller coasters, and gettin' bored and stickin' your head through the railing of the line queue for Indiana Jones Adventure and havin' Mickey Mouse come hack ya free with a buzzsaw. It's about tossin' a cigarette butt into a bush near the Haunted Mansion and watchin' the fire grow as Disneyland fire fighters struggle to push through the crowds to vanquish the blaze. Summah!
What? You can't go to Anaheim? You're sayin' they ran you outta town because you cosplayed as a Storm Trooper and triggered a territorial dispute in Frontier Land? That's a little bit strange. I don't know why you'd want to break the illusion like that.
Thankfully Nintendo has a game designed for the criminal element, a Summah simulation known as Nintendo Land. Much like Astro's Playroom, Wii Sports, and Pilot Wings 64, Nintendo Land is a pack-in game designed specifically around its controller, making use of all the features one might expect to use during the duration of the generation. That said, I don't think I need to tell anyone that the Wii U's gamepad was seldom used by third parties for anything more than inventory screens and maps; knowledge which makes Nintendo Land interesting as a retroactive review of the console's potential.
Each attraction is built around a specific gimmick, like Donkey Kong's Crash Course, which thankfully does not involve putting a monkey in a car and setting him loose. Rather, you need to tilt the gamepad left and right to control your character as they slide around an obstacle course, occasionally blowing into the mic to raise platforms, tapping the bumpers to trigger gates, and cranking the right analog around to set tracks into place. At times it feels like you're controlling this with Joe Rinaudo's Photoplayer, but there's really no better way to learn every part of the gamepad. I also enjoyed Octopus Dance, which similarly requires you to juggle a bunch of different inputs as you match the timing and moves of a mime. Occasionally you'll even get jumpscared by your own face, which floats around in the background projected on a screen. I didn't consent to turning the camera on! I don't need to see myself slack-jawed, eyes wide and bulging as I try to match the beat-- I look like a freaking meatball!!
The real meat of Nintendo Land is its multiplayer attractions, which unfortunately can only be played locally. I suppose it's possible to try to set something up with friends through emulation, but doing so would mean forgoing the gamepad, which almost feels like too much a compromise given the whole conceit of Nintendo Land. None of these mini games are strong enough on their own to warrant a playthrough without the gamepad coloring the experience, and even if you were to map everything to another controller, I'm not sure how good it would even feel given how varied each game is. Unfortunately, this puts me in a position where I can't enjoy half of Nintendo Land's content. I can't even ride the train around for chrissake. Why wouldn't they at least put bots in the game to play against? I've seen the way Nintendo fans talk on Twitter, they've never interacted with another human being in their lives. know your audience! I hope someone was jailed for this oversight.
But, sometimes you spend Summah alone, stuck in the cigarette haze of a Nintendo themed pachinko parlor, spending all your coins on ? boxes that contain that piece of shit bird from Balloon Trip Breeze, or drawing dongs on the touchpad in Yoshi's Fruit Cart while everyone else is livin' it up in Pikmin's Adventure. Not that they'd let me into that smorgasbord anyway...
Now is the part of the review where I must run the numbers and determine if Nintendo Land is a Summah game. How well does it capture those Summah vibes? Can you feel the heat of the hot Summah sun beating down on you, the weight of the churro in your hand and the agony radiating from your feet as hour two of waiting to board Star Tours creeps on by? The only way to tell is by subjecting Nintendo Land to the usual Summah modifiers and a battery of tests, including how long it takes to get sunburned, if it can sustain rollercoaster velocities, and taste.
Nintendo Land scores a 4.8 on the Summah Index Scale. It is a game with slightly below average Summah vibes. Its fruity notes allowed it to pass the taste test, but it regrettably failed to complete velocity testing, having flown out of my hands during a sharp turn on Space Mountain. They refused to turn on the lights and let me look for it, so we can only speculate as to how Nintendo Land would have fared in further testing. Weighing all factors within our power, it was determined that Nintendo Land fails to capture the scope and splendor of the amusement parks it so desperately seeks to emulate, and you would perhaps be better served enjoying a game of Roller Coaster Tycoon.
Summah isn't just about spendin' your days on the beach, sifting sand through your fingers, catchin' you some hermit crabs and poppin' them in your mouth like popcorn chicken from KFC. It's also about amusement parks, and roller coasters, and gettin' bored and stickin' your head through the railing of the line queue for Indiana Jones Adventure and havin' Mickey Mouse come hack ya free with a buzzsaw. It's about tossin' a cigarette butt into a bush near the Haunted Mansion and watchin' the fire grow as Disneyland fire fighters struggle to push through the crowds to vanquish the blaze. Summah!
What? You can't go to Anaheim? You're sayin' they ran you outta town because you cosplayed as a Storm Trooper and triggered a territorial dispute in Frontier Land? That's a little bit strange. I don't know why you'd want to break the illusion like that.
Thankfully Nintendo has a game designed for the criminal element, a Summah simulation known as Nintendo Land. Much like Astro's Playroom, Wii Sports, and Pilot Wings 64, Nintendo Land is a pack-in game designed specifically around its controller, making use of all the features one might expect to use during the duration of the generation. That said, I don't think I need to tell anyone that the Wii U's gamepad was seldom used by third parties for anything more than inventory screens and maps; knowledge which makes Nintendo Land interesting as a retroactive review of the console's potential.
Each attraction is built around a specific gimmick, like Donkey Kong's Crash Course, which thankfully does not involve putting a monkey in a car and setting him loose. Rather, you need to tilt the gamepad left and right to control your character as they slide around an obstacle course, occasionally blowing into the mic to raise platforms, tapping the bumpers to trigger gates, and cranking the right analog around to set tracks into place. At times it feels like you're controlling this with Joe Rinaudo's Photoplayer, but there's really no better way to learn every part of the gamepad. I also enjoyed Octopus Dance, which similarly requires you to juggle a bunch of different inputs as you match the timing and moves of a mime. Occasionally you'll even get jumpscared by your own face, which floats around in the background projected on a screen. I didn't consent to turning the camera on! I don't need to see myself slack-jawed, eyes wide and bulging as I try to match the beat-- I look like a freaking meatball!!
The real meat of Nintendo Land is its multiplayer attractions, which unfortunately can only be played locally. I suppose it's possible to try to set something up with friends through emulation, but doing so would mean forgoing the gamepad, which almost feels like too much a compromise given the whole conceit of Nintendo Land. None of these mini games are strong enough on their own to warrant a playthrough without the gamepad coloring the experience, and even if you were to map everything to another controller, I'm not sure how good it would even feel given how varied each game is. Unfortunately, this puts me in a position where I can't enjoy half of Nintendo Land's content. I can't even ride the train around for chrissake. Why wouldn't they at least put bots in the game to play against? I've seen the way Nintendo fans talk on Twitter, they've never interacted with another human being in their lives. know your audience! I hope someone was jailed for this oversight.
But, sometimes you spend Summah alone, stuck in the cigarette haze of a Nintendo themed pachinko parlor, spending all your coins on ? boxes that contain that piece of shit bird from Balloon Trip Breeze, or drawing dongs on the touchpad in Yoshi's Fruit Cart while everyone else is livin' it up in Pikmin's Adventure. Not that they'd let me into that smorgasbord anyway...
Now is the part of the review where I must run the numbers and determine if Nintendo Land is a Summah game. How well does it capture those Summah vibes? Can you feel the heat of the hot Summah sun beating down on you, the weight of the churro in your hand and the agony radiating from your feet as hour two of waiting to board Star Tours creeps on by? The only way to tell is by subjecting Nintendo Land to the usual Summah modifiers and a battery of tests, including how long it takes to get sunburned, if it can sustain rollercoaster velocities, and taste.
Nintendo Land scores a 4.8 on the Summah Index Scale. It is a game with slightly below average Summah vibes. Its fruity notes allowed it to pass the taste test, but it regrettably failed to complete velocity testing, having flown out of my hands during a sharp turn on Space Mountain. They refused to turn on the lights and let me look for it, so we can only speculate as to how Nintendo Land would have fared in further testing. Weighing all factors within our power, it was determined that Nintendo Land fails to capture the scope and splendor of the amusement parks it so desperately seeks to emulate, and you would perhaps be better served enjoying a game of Roller Coaster Tycoon.
Wii Sports who?
Underrated is a term that gets thrown around a lot with games. But this overlooked pack-in title from Nintendo's commercially failed follow-up to the Wii is the epitome of underrated.
Not only does this game support all that the Wii U was capable of, showcasing unique ways of utilizing the Gamepad, asymmetrical gameplay, and co-op/competitive/single-player modes, it's absolutely gorgeous. From a certain point of view, this is Nintendo's first HD game, and they KILLED it.
--- I'll revisit this with more time to address each game in the collection ---
Underrated is a term that gets thrown around a lot with games. But this overlooked pack-in title from Nintendo's commercially failed follow-up to the Wii is the epitome of underrated.
Not only does this game support all that the Wii U was capable of, showcasing unique ways of utilizing the Gamepad, asymmetrical gameplay, and co-op/competitive/single-player modes, it's absolutely gorgeous. From a certain point of view, this is Nintendo's first HD game, and they KILLED it.
--- I'll revisit this with more time to address each game in the collection ---
for a brief period of time, i believe that i was the greatest Animal Crossing: Sweet Day mini-game player in the world (playing as the dogs). my friends and i easily put in over 100 hours to this game in one winter alone.
better than it has any right to be for a game that's basically a tech demo.
better than it has any right to be for a game that's basically a tech demo.
As the previous user said, "you had to be there". I spent some of the best gaming evening of my life playing Nintendo Land, it is a beautiful soulful game that still stands today as a proof that the Wii U was great. The Mario Chase and Luigi's Mansion minigames especially are genius.
One of my favorite Wii U games. I have so many memories from playing these games with my brother or friends. I would always play the Zelda one when with my brother because of how good he was at it (and I was just a dumb 5 year old or however old I was) but I would always play the pikmin and meteoroid alone. I loved the pikmin one but kinda hated the meteoroid one unless I was playing with someone else. And I would always play the Mario, animal crossing and especially the Luigi’s mansion one with my childhood friends. So many memories with this game, especially watching WiiLikeToPlay play this game. 5/5
"Your light... shine it on me..!"
TIRED: Port Mother 3!
WIRED: Make Nintendoland 2!
WIRED: Make Nintendoland 2!
Nintendos own launch showcase proof-of-concept tech demo game for the Wii U is also conversely probably the game that most comprehensively explored what the Gamepad could add to video game designs. There were like 2 other games besides this, everything else just slapped a touch menu on it.
Fun tech demo for the Wii U, with most games being at least a little enjoyable. Good time in a multiplayer setting
a fun game to play with family every now and then
i will wash you fools on mario chase any day of the week
Had no right to bang as hard as it did despite being a minigame collection tech demo. Ended up being one of the few games that showcased how fun the Wii U gamepad element can be, and one of the few games that really took advantage of the asymmetrical multiplayer
This is a mini game collection that is pretty good actually. Single player not so much but playing zelda co-op, mario chase with 3 other people and 5 player luigis mansion is a blast. This game is slept on.
If most games on the Wii U were this considerate of the console's quirks then the Nintendo Switch might not have ever come out.