I used to love a challenge, and felt incredibly proud changing the over world colours of super mario world , and completing the "main" portion of past games as well. lately its felt as though the "main" part is an overly easy (accessible) grind to get to that one tricky stage i.e. champion's road or the perfect run (mario galaxy 2 though did not have a difficulty issue in general). Is it just me or have the games been getting easier? most notably is yoshi's new island. I got it on sale and it felt like a much easier version of the original game. The optional collectible hunt was a nice touch and i loved the secret level for world 5 but i feel like it shouldn't be just the extra stuff that provides moderately difficult content. The story should be fulfilling and rewarding, not a grind to one or two tricky areas.
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nintendo games getting too easy?
- Thread starter kikotoot
- Start date
uwuzumakii
memento mori
I completely agree. It seems that games have just become more of a chore to complete. Games like A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, and Super Metroid were all challenges and they felt rewarding once complete and always had something new to find that you missed on the last play through. Nowadays, games like Kirby Triple Deluxe, Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam, and A Link Between Worlds (not as much on this one but definitely easier that A Link to the Past) all seem boring by the standards of what Nintendo games used to be. I hope Nintendo fixes what they did in X&Y and learn from their mistakes, because I don't want Sun and Moon to become the previous games. My play through of X took me a total of 2-3 days. My play through of Emerald a few years ago took me about a month. That's because Emerald had a challenging story that felt rewarding at the end. X just made me feel like I wasted a bunch of time when I completed that one.
TL;DR: Yes, Nintendo games have been easier recently, in my opinion.
TL;DR: Yes, Nintendo games have been easier recently, in my opinion.
ShinyYoshi
🌺🌺🌺🌺
I've felt like this many times with Pokemon X, Alpha Sapphire, Yoshi's Wooly World, newer Harvest Moon games, new Super Mario games, and others I'm kind of forgetting. I don't know if they want to appeal to younger crowds with the ease of these games, but it does get really annoying. Especially when these games start forcing you to play through ridiculously long tutorial periods that are super boring (Harvest Moon: A New Beginning).
I don't think it's because I've gotten older and have better understanding of games since I can go back to older games and still experience their difficulty. There are some games that have kept their difficulty though (at least to me) like Donkey Kong games, Pikmin, and Mario Kart stepping it up with mirror and 200cc. I just wish some games would go back to their original level of difficulty sometimes.
I don't think it's because I've gotten older and have better understanding of games since I can go back to older games and still experience their difficulty. There are some games that have kept their difficulty though (at least to me) like Donkey Kong games, Pikmin, and Mario Kart stepping it up with mirror and 200cc. I just wish some games would go back to their original level of difficulty sometimes.
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Maybe the games have gotten a little easier, but maybe that is because I've gotten older. A lot of the old games which seemed impossibly difficult when I was a kid are now not very difficult for me when I go back and play them now. I think Nintendo games are easier than games on other systems in general though.
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Mars Adept
Defense is the best offense!
Aren't Kirby games supposed to be easy though?
Here's my perspective on this.
Remember, everyone has a different view on easy, and hard. I don't think an easy game automatically means a game is bad, although I would like a bit of challenge. A short and easy game, though, would be pretty boring, in my opinion.
Now, I bet there are plenty of "easy" Nintendo games out there that are still fun. Take Densetsu no Stafy for the GBA, for example. It's a 2D platformer, with about the same difficulty as a Kirby game, but it's a decent length of playtime to finish 100%, has a good chunk of bonus content, and the tutorial isn't that bad or overly long. Although the game was released in 2002, and this argument is about very recent Nintendo titles, so...
As for the whole "Have recent Nintendo games been getting easier?" thing, I think the answer might be yes, it's been made easier so kids can enjoy them to the fullest. I don't really have a word on this though, as I'm only 13.
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I honestly don't mind it. I've grown up with Nintendo and have played many games over the years. Some games were hard, some were easy, but the notable thing was that I was young. I had a different way of thinking than I do now. As such, my approach to games has changed, and I feel comfortable with a slightly easier setting now.
For example, I played a lot of Pokemon when I was young, most notably Gen IV- Diamond and Platinum, then eventually LeafGreen and Ruby/Sapphire when I needed to import Pokemon. My approach back then was to make the starter powerful and just catch new Pokemon as I go- don't train anyone else, just pick them up as needed. It worked so well for me. The game had never been easier. Nowadays I want a BALANCED team, so I try to train everyone individually. Again, this is because my thinking has evolved and I'm wanting more options should the starter fall. I replayed LeafGreen about a month ago and it was so hard. I could not train everyone equally without wasting hours grinding wild Pokemon just so everyone was level 15. I literally had to hack Rare Candies countless times just to bump everyone up to the correct level. It was awful. My second playthrough of White was no better, although the improved EXP system helped a lot. But how awful was it endgame when suddenly all the opponent Pokemon were level 60+ and my highest was 51?!
Sometimes easy games are a good thing. I've never actually beaten a Mario game before (not even current ones) because they're all way too hard for me. I had to cheat to do the whole green star thing in SMG2 and even THAT was challenging. Dunno, I feel like things should just stay the same. So long as they don't start babying us, I don't have a problem with it.
For example, I played a lot of Pokemon when I was young, most notably Gen IV- Diamond and Platinum, then eventually LeafGreen and Ruby/Sapphire when I needed to import Pokemon. My approach back then was to make the starter powerful and just catch new Pokemon as I go- don't train anyone else, just pick them up as needed. It worked so well for me. The game had never been easier. Nowadays I want a BALANCED team, so I try to train everyone individually. Again, this is because my thinking has evolved and I'm wanting more options should the starter fall. I replayed LeafGreen about a month ago and it was so hard. I could not train everyone equally without wasting hours grinding wild Pokemon just so everyone was level 15. I literally had to hack Rare Candies countless times just to bump everyone up to the correct level. It was awful. My second playthrough of White was no better, although the improved EXP system helped a lot. But how awful was it endgame when suddenly all the opponent Pokemon were level 60+ and my highest was 51?!
Sometimes easy games are a good thing. I've never actually beaten a Mario game before (not even current ones) because they're all way too hard for me. I had to cheat to do the whole green star thing in SMG2 and even THAT was challenging. Dunno, I feel like things should just stay the same. So long as they don't start babying us, I don't have a problem with it.
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bloomwaker
NOHRIAN SCUM
Nintendo tries to be as inviting as possible, so this wouldn't be surprising. As someone who generally isn't that fantastic at video games, this doesn't bother me all that much, haha. That aside, games that typically have an easy way out make that said thing optional, like being able to turn off the EXP share, not grabbing the super special power-ups in Mario games and all that. There is also the matter that some games are difficult for the wrong reasons, lacking some streamlining that maybe wasn't possible back then but is now, stuff like that.
YOU SHUT YOUR DIRTY TRUTHFUL MOUTH
Jokes aside, Nintendo games have gotten a little more easier while at the same time I think a lot of it deals with just growing up. There's games where I was a kid when I played them and could never get far, but when I revisit them now it's easy peasy.
debinoresu
you foolish fool
yea theyve gotten easier but the old games, like link to the past, had far less content than modern day games, so they made up for it with brute challenge to make the game runtime seem longer, when infact a speedrun can complete the game relatively quickly if you dont encounter much difficulty. throw in some enemies, game takes longer to beat, it seems like you have more bang for you buck. my opinion is that older games were a little TOO hard. however, games were never a thing of pride or challenge for me, i liked to be in for the story or have something to fill my time. yea it feels good to complete a difficult puzzle, but in a link to the past i found myself stuck on the same puzzle for hours on end and i just had to look it up, and it isnt really fun anymore for me when its just raw challenge. i prefer content > difficulty. i can definitely see how you could interpret it as "a grind to the top" when your main goal is to get through to the difficult stuff, but for me i like it being a little easier bc i can take my time and i wont be sweating and shaking my ass off from stress from a dang nintendo game, i feel i can relax and enjoy the content better.
i can understand why some gamers would want the option to have a more difficult experience, though, and i think more nintendo games should have a difficulty setting.
i can understand why some gamers would want the option to have a more difficult experience, though, and i think more nintendo games should have a difficulty setting.
Part of the reason why games from the same franchise were getting "easier" is that the technology has considerably improved from each generation and the experience that Nintendo developers gained while they were working on the older games. And by "easier", I mean "more convenient".
NES games often tended to be much more difficult than today's games.
During the NES era (late 80s and early 90s), the cartridge's capacity didn't offer enough memory to provide a lengthy-enough experience to match with the game's high MSRP, should the game be as easy as those found on today's market. The solution to that problem is to increase the difficulty by a lot, to the point you'll repeatedly lose until you finally master said game. And that's assuming that you're a newcomer. The same practice can be observed to the arcade games of the 80s and 90s, albeit much more pronounced just to eat your quarters pretty quickly.
It's worth mentioning that the NES era is among the first few opportunities Nintendo (and also many other gaming companies) has gotten to learn on how to design a video game to appeal to the masses. They might not be fully aware on what would their consumer considers as too difficult, so there were instances where the difficulty curve is steep.
Once the fourth generation of video games kicked in, the games began getting easier by being better designed than the previous generation thanks to the developer's experience and the improved technology.
NES games often tended to be much more difficult than today's games.
During the NES era (late 80s and early 90s), the cartridge's capacity didn't offer enough memory to provide a lengthy-enough experience to match with the game's high MSRP, should the game be as easy as those found on today's market. The solution to that problem is to increase the difficulty by a lot, to the point you'll repeatedly lose until you finally master said game. And that's assuming that you're a newcomer. The same practice can be observed to the arcade games of the 80s and 90s, albeit much more pronounced just to eat your quarters pretty quickly.
It's worth mentioning that the NES era is among the first few opportunities Nintendo (and also many other gaming companies) has gotten to learn on how to design a video game to appeal to the masses. They might not be fully aware on what would their consumer considers as too difficult, so there were instances where the difficulty curve is steep.
Once the fourth generation of video games kicked in, the games began getting easier by being better designed than the previous generation thanks to the developer's experience and the improved technology.
PoizonMushro0m
Nintendo GameCube fan
I definitely feel like the games of today have became a lot more easier, leading me to return to older games for a bit of difficulty. At least indie developers know how to make a good challenge!
oath2order
#Porygon2024
True that.
I was absolutely terrible at Dire Dire Docks and the jumping for red coins, **** at Rainbow whatever in that game, and abysmal at Wing Mario Over the Rainbow and now it's like "okay dis easy".
Except for Wing Mario Over the Rainbow. **** that **** level.
I don't think they've totally gotten easier, I think that for a variety of different reasons I'm just better at games than I was years ago. I've seen these mechanics many times, I've played significantly harder games, I've recognized the cliches that I'll see time and time again. Like, Super Mario World was a challenge for me back in the day but if it was released now, I would likely fly through it with little issue.
To an extent, I think people are also overestimating the difficulty of old Nintendo games. There used to be the phrase "Nintendo hard" referring to how difficult a lot of games on Nintendo systems were, but a lot of the time people weren't actually talking about games by Nintendo. It was mostly stuff like Ninja Gaiden, Megaman, Contra, Castlevania, Ghouls and Ghosts. Stuff on Nintendo systems, but not Nintendo games.
But I do think Nintendo, as Nintendo typically tend to be, are behind the times stuck in their own little world. They've not gotten easier, but they've not gotten harder either. Their games are stuck at the same level of difficulty they were 15 years ago. Heck, for a lot of games they practically are the same game they were 15 years ago but with a single new mechanic you've mastered after an hour.
The biggest flaw in Nintendo difficulty though is that they try to be accessible to everybody, which often means catering to the lowest common denominator; the people who suck at games. This wouldn't be an issue, but one thing Nintendo fail to do is add a some sort of hard mode to 95% of their games. Heck, they've even started adding "impossible to fail" modes to games such as 3D World and Starfox Zero for the people who have absolutely no gaming ability, yet a majority of their games lack a hard mode...Or with something like Fire Emblem, they've started selling the hard mode separately for ?40.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is pretty much one of the only platformers as well as Nintendo games in recent years that I've found legitimately challenging at times. I have always seen the Donkey Kong Country series as Mario's hard mode though.
I've not played it yet so I have no opinion on it's difficulty but; one game out of however many games Nintendo have released in the past decade is an exception to the norm, not evidence that the average Nintendo game isn't astonishingly easy.
To an extent, I think people are also overestimating the difficulty of old Nintendo games. There used to be the phrase "Nintendo hard" referring to how difficult a lot of games on Nintendo systems were, but a lot of the time people weren't actually talking about games by Nintendo. It was mostly stuff like Ninja Gaiden, Megaman, Contra, Castlevania, Ghouls and Ghosts. Stuff on Nintendo systems, but not Nintendo games.
But I do think Nintendo, as Nintendo typically tend to be, are behind the times stuck in their own little world. They've not gotten easier, but they've not gotten harder either. Their games are stuck at the same level of difficulty they were 15 years ago. Heck, for a lot of games they practically are the same game they were 15 years ago but with a single new mechanic you've mastered after an hour.
The biggest flaw in Nintendo difficulty though is that they try to be accessible to everybody, which often means catering to the lowest common denominator; the people who suck at games. This wouldn't be an issue, but one thing Nintendo fail to do is add a some sort of hard mode to 95% of their games. Heck, they've even started adding "impossible to fail" modes to games such as 3D World and Starfox Zero for the people who have absolutely no gaming ability, yet a majority of their games lack a hard mode...Or with something like Fire Emblem, they've started selling the hard mode separately for ?40.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is pretty much one of the only platformers as well as Nintendo games in recent years that I've found legitimately challenging at times. I have always seen the Donkey Kong Country series as Mario's hard mode though.
I've not played it yet so I have no opinion on it's difficulty but; one game out of however many games Nintendo have released in the past decade is an exception to the norm, not evidence that the average Nintendo game isn't astonishingly easy.
This. Rainbow Cruise was harder than the final boss. And the Wing Cap was just like no. I could barely fly through the seven rings in the first world.
Don't forget that most nintendo games are geared towards children. Back when nintendo made challenging games like Majoras mask and stuff they didn't really have a defined demographic, whereas now they do, and it's children.
Of course there are exceptions, like Corpse Party, Monster hunter and Fire Emblem, which I'd say are more geared towards a mature market.
Of course there are exceptions, like Corpse Party, Monster hunter and Fire Emblem, which I'd say are more geared towards a mature market.
Nintendo-games were never hard.
Never.
Well, maybe Super Mario Bros. 2, but I've yet to play through that one.
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But those aren't made by Nintendo, no?
Never.
Well, maybe Super Mario Bros. 2, but I've yet to play through that one.
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But those aren't made by Nintendo, no?
I'm not entirely sure they've gotten easier but I can attest the theory that we just get more experienced and so everything feels easier.
Nintendo is notoriously a family oriented company, but they 100% recognize they have adult players. What has drastically changed rather than "difficulty" is story, game mechanics, and visuals.
Most particularly, story. If you started up the original Legend of Zelda, or even Animal Crossing, there's a lack of story, guidance, or even possibilities to know how to proceed.
Game developers put a lot of work into a good story, which in turn, gives you a pretty good idea of how to get through a game. Not to mention, with the rise of the internet and forums much like this, your resources are vast and it's not difficult to learn how to overcome an obstacle.
Games have changed alongside technology, and though there may be a few games that are "broken" (i.e. Pokemon XY and others like it), I doubt that games have been made easier ~
Nintendo is notoriously a family oriented company, but they 100% recognize they have adult players. What has drastically changed rather than "difficulty" is story, game mechanics, and visuals.
Most particularly, story. If you started up the original Legend of Zelda, or even Animal Crossing, there's a lack of story, guidance, or even possibilities to know how to proceed.
Game developers put a lot of work into a good story, which in turn, gives you a pretty good idea of how to get through a game. Not to mention, with the rise of the internet and forums much like this, your resources are vast and it's not difficult to learn how to overcome an obstacle.
Games have changed alongside technology, and though there may be a few games that are "broken" (i.e. Pokemon XY and others like it), I doubt that games have been made easier ~
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