Nintendo has always been selective in how they adapt to the ever changing medium of video games. Their early N64 games were utilizing 3D space in joyous ways previously unheard of to users, the Gameboy line set the standard for portable gaming, and it is hard to say they did not do the same thing with motion control. However, Nintendo has also shied away from industry standards like high definition graphics and has yet to fully embrace online gaming. It can be baffling how forward thinking they are in some areas while simultaneously being stuck in the past in others.

 

This history only makes the coming of the Wii U all the more interesting because it may end up being Nintendo's most ambitious hardware yet. Although I'd never deny Nintendo's rich tradition of innovation, they have normally chose to focus on one primary innovation at a time. The Wii is Nintendo's introduction to motion control on consoles (outside of a peripheral here and there). The N64 had some new side features like the rumble pack, but the major challenge was developing games for 3D environments. The Wii U, on the other hand, will be their first swing at high definition graphics, a fully featured online community, and a brand new control method. In this article, I'll take a look at the challenges these new features will present.

 

 

Screen resolution seems like such a trivial detail at first glance. We've all enjoyed classics released before HD buzz words ever tantalized a single technology fetish and I can personally attest to the wonders of revisiting a Hyrule in Ocarina of Time that still clings to its magic long after seven years or the guilty pleasure of beating up thugs in Streets of Rage. However, development has expanded along with new hardware and it changes how games are made. Even the fabled Final Fantasy creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi, has confessed to HD malaise. Nintendo will have an even bigger hardware gap to cross with the Wii U due to their decision to avoid a competition of horsepower against the PS3 and 360 with the Wii.

 

Nintendo has recently hired new employees with experience on high definition capable hardware. Hopefully, these new hires will help them come to grips with the complexity of engines they will need to be familiar with. Expanding their staff also means they seem to be facing the additional manpower needs that have become the standard for major releases. However, there is more to high definition development than new engines and more collaborators. Certain art directions, wonderful as they are on past hardware, don't translate to HD in ways gamers are accustomed to. For example, showing the gritty detail of every pore on skin or every stitch of overalls would not compliment the fast moving fun of a Mario platformer. Obviously, Nintendo wouldn't slap a red cap on Marcus Fenix' head and let him jump around, but it raises the question as to whether or not the next Super Mario game will still be considered among the best looking games on its hardware.