Nintendo games getting longer

JustLikeHeaven1 · Postby **JustLikeHeaven1** » March 8th, 2007, 9:50 am

We all know that Zelda is a monster of a game and that it takes about 40 hours to complete. I just finished reading an article saying that Super Paper Mario is another game that is gonna require taking two weeks vacation time to finish. The IGN article stated that it will take some people 40 hours to complete Super Paper Mario...

Why is Nintendo making all of its game long a hell? Game length doesn't make a game better. I would much rather play a game that only takes 15 hours to beat. If it only takes 6-8 I'm much more likely to play through it again (I'm looking at you Gears of War).

When I beat Final Fantasy X it only took 30 hours...Why should Super Paper Mario take me 40?

Nintendo games used to be fun, short, enjoyable and HIGHLY replayable. I can't tell you how many times I've beaten The Legend of Zelda: A link to the Past.

I'm not just pointing my finger at Nintendo...but games in general that are getting too long. Do you guys tend to finish 35+ hour games? Do you prefer shorter quests?

ActRaiser1 · Postby **ActRaiser1** » March 8th, 2007, 10:55 am

For me it depends on the game. Oblivion I didn't mind sinking 110+ hours into as it was just so darn good. But I've never finished FF X or Dragon Quest 8. I haven't touched Zelda in weeks and am no where near to even half way through it even though I've put in close to 20 hours already. I must suck at RPGs as the time it takes to me finish things always far exceeds the minimum needed to complete them. Short of walking step by step through an FAQ I tend to enjoy the wandering aspect until things just seem like a grind.

I'm with you though, most games need to end in 10 hours or so if there's any hope of me completing them. But then again if you're strapped under a budget, long games make the most sense from a consumer's financial perspective. I've stopped caring about that so I'd rather have 10 explosive hours than 50 so-so hours. Hence, the reason Gears of War remains so fun even after multiple play throughs.

Dennis · Postby **Dennis** » March 8th, 2007, 11:32 am

As long as it continues to hold my interest, I'm fine with it. I only buy a couple of games per year, so the longer, the better.

I feel the same way about long movies (if they're good) - more for your money.

Evan · Postby **Evan** » March 8th, 2007, 1:13 pm

Being a student I can only afford to buy so many games a year, so I actually prefer longer games if the quality remains consistent throughout. That said, some games just aren't meant to be long. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is a good example. I had alot of fun with it for the 6 hours it took me to finish, but the combat was so repetitive that it really started to get boring toward the end.

JustLikeHeaven1 · Postby **JustLikeHeaven1** » March 8th, 2007, 1:22 pm

Yea, there really is no right or wrong answer for this. Everyone leads different lives and enjoys games of different lengths. I work alot, plus trying to balance a social life in there does leave tons of room for gaming...thus I prefer shorter games I can actually finish.

It just makes me mad that a company like Nintendo would start making all these long/epic games. They used to be a safety net in games that I could make it through til the end. I've pumped 25 hours in Twilight Princess and I don't know if I'll ever get around to finishing it. I hope they decide to keep Metroid Prime in the 10-15 hour range. Anything longer than that is absurd for a FPS.

a1 · Postby a1 » March 8th, 2007, 1:29 pm

RPGs and adventure games are always long. Zelda is an adventure game, and Paper Mario is half RPG half platformer. Did you not like Twilight Princess JLH? I think the new Paper Mario game looks pretty good, and I thought the Gamecube Paper Mario was awesome. I'll be perfectly happy investing a long time in it. It's not like you have to buy the game. There are plenty of shorter games if you'd like to get those instead.

JustLikeHeaven1 · Postby **JustLikeHeaven1** » March 8th, 2007, 2:28 pm

[QUOTE=a]

RPGs and adventure games are always long. Zelda is an adventure game, and Paper Mario is half RPG half platformer. Did you not like Twilight Princess JLH? I think the new Paper Mario game looks pretty good, and I thought the Gamecube Paper Mario was awesome. I'll be perfectly happy investing a long time in it. It's not like you have to buy the game. There are plenty of shorter games if you'd like to get those instead.

[/QUOTE]

NO I Love Twilight Princess...I wasn't saying that I didn't like it. Its just that after spending 20+ hours on it I'm ready for something else. I've burnt myself out on Zelda and I just can't bring myself to keep playing it. I'm sure I'll go back to it, but for now I need a vacation from Hyrule. Maybe I'll hit the links with Tiger Woods this month...

Also I fear about Super Paper Mario because its described as 80% platformer and 20% RPG. 40 hours is a helluva long time for a game like that. Hopefully its closer to 25 hours and 40 hours incorporate all side quests and hidden crap.

a1 · Postby a1 » March 8th, 2007, 3:08 pm

Since when it the time a company says it takes to beat a game the same as the time it actually takes? I imagine that a more realistic estimate would be 15-30 hours depending on how much you collect. I actually think that a really long side-scrolling platformer would be awesome. They're probably my favorite genre, so I could definitely see myself playing it all they way through. I hope it's as great as the ign preview made it sound.

Anyway, I see no problem in taking a break from a game and going back to it later. I took several long breaks going through Ocarina of Time (I think I stopped playing for a year after finishing the water temple), but it didn't make the game any less great. I'm sure you'll still love Twilight Princess if you go back to it in a couple of months.

m0zart1 · Postby **m0zart1** » March 8th, 2007, 4:28 pm

[QUOTE=a]

... Paper Mario is half RPG half platformer.

[/QUOTE]

From what I've read, Super Paper Mario, unlike the other Paper Mario games, is far more of a platformer than it as an RPG. In fact, some things I read months ago made it sound as if the RPG elements were cut altogether.

I haven't read anything recently, so I can't say if the information isn't fresh. Just reporting what I read.

a1 · Postby a1 » March 8th, 2007, 4:55 pm

[QUOTE=m0zart][QUOTE=a]

... Paper Mario is half RPG half platformer.

[/QUOTE]

From what I've read, Super Paper Mario, unlike the other Paper Mario games, is far more of a platformer than it as an RPG. In fact, some things I read months ago made it sound as if the RPG elements were cut altogether.

I haven't read anything recently, so I can't say if the information isn't fresh. Just reporting what I read.

[/QUOTE]

I just read another preview on 1up. They said it is more like 80% platformer, 20% RPG. It has RPG like elements such as leveling up and gaining moves, but the action is all side-scrolling, no more turn-based battling. Basically, they took out my least favorite part of any RPG (battling), and made it the best part of the game instead. I'm really looking forward to it now.