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5. Elder Scrolls
Ah, Elder Scrolls, why must you be so damn good. There’s a reason why Elder Scrolls is a wildly successful franchise, and I’m inclined to believe it’s because the series cuts no corners and pulls no punches. It’s a gamer’s game through and through, and is without a doubt one of the most engrossing experiences you can find on a home console. The breadth of the game is so incredibly vast that once you’ve dove headfirst into it– and trust me, you will– it’s hard to remind yourself that the real world exists. For example, the universe presented to us in Skyrim is one that feels organic, like a living, breathing planet littered with the subtle nuances of life, meaning, and wonderment only found on our own. There’s something to be said about video games allowing us to press the pause button on real life to enter its own constructed reality and how therapeutic this escape can be (if done so in the appropriate dosage). It’s games like Elder Scrolls that give meaning to that entire concept, and it’s a game like Elder Scrolls that Nintendo should pick up.
Nintendo is known for a very particular style of game and game console, and often times giant, sprawling sandbox games that incorporate those elements found in, say, Skyrim are not congruent with that conventional style. But it should be. The Wii U is touted as a machine built for casual gamers, but with a specific emphasis on the “core” audience. If the Big N wants those traditionally jacked into their Xbox or PS3, it needs the heavy hitters, the instantly recognizable namesakes often associated with those other “core” systems. With the GamePad present, the level of immersion found in Skyrim can be extrapolated upon and ultimately taken to the next level. If nothing else, let me simply manage my massive inventory with the GamePad’s touch screen– that would be enough for me.
What about the Conduit? I know it had problems but, it could have a good chance to be alot better graphically and story-line wise if it was on Wii U or if the title was purchased by Nintendo and messed with by Retro
I think the Conduit is a solid series, however, I wanted to focus on franchises that hadn’t really made an appearance on a Nintendo console ever, or at least for quite some time. Since Conduit was just last generation, I avoided it. It’s a great game, though!
One game I wish I could’ve fit on there was the Souls series (Demon’s/Dark Souls). Now that’s a fantastic franchise that I think would really fit in line with Nintendo’s new focus on the “hardcore”. Talk about a game that is truly hardcore…
Another writer here shares my love of Shenmue!!! I would love to see a Yakuza title on Wii U as well. Better yet… Nintendo should team up with Yu Suzuki and Sega to finally release Shenmue III on Wii U. This could also accompany HD re-releases of the first two games on Wii U with the ability to continue your save file. The possibilities… I’m almost crying.
A fellow Yu Suzuki loyalist! There are far too many people who don’t know about Shenmue! I’m in the process of constructing an article idea for why I think Shenmue III belongs on Wii U. In the meantime, though, I agree whole heartedly with everything you said. I assume Sega is preparing a Shenmue HD release, however, as they’ve been slowly releasing their biggest titles on XBLA and PSN (Jet Grind Radio, Sonic Adventure, Virtual On, Daytona, etc.). So, I suspect Shenmue is coming. My hope is it’s released on the eShop.
So many issues with Borderlands would be fixed if all of the menu stuff was on the gamepad! It would seriously improve the game sooooo much.
I would absolutely LOVE to see the Persona series come to Wii U. Persona 4 is my all-time favorite rpg ever. Persona 5 for Wii U?
Third party games — I want them all. The Wii missed out on almost all good-quality 3rd party games. If Microsoft and Sony gamers gets something from third party companies, why not Nintendo gamers? There was no problem on NES, and there definately wasn’t any major problems with third party support on Super NES (N64 and Gamecube were largely ignored).
It’s a shame that people moved away from Nintendo, but hopefully, we Nintendo console owners, especially those has just a Nintendo console, can be equally as excited and happy as the rest of the gaming world.
Speaking of “world”, I’d love to see more come out of Japan. I’m not talking about your everyday action game or rpg. There’s far more, and they’re holding back so much, it’s not even funny. Nevermind the excuse about their games being “culturally different”…if games like Harvest Moon, 999, Phoenix Wright, and Persona can make it over (with pretty much all Japanese references intact), why not more?
Niche titles have grown into popular fan favorites in past generations. I wish there were more (I’d love to have the Densha de Go/Railfan series in English).