The overwhelming majority of you out there like your games to feature a complete narrative from start to finish. That's understandable, but I'm surprised how many of you voted that way. Maybe it's because of the era in which I grew up when games did not have the technical capability to pack loads of spoken dialog or animated cutscenes into an adventure, but for as much as I love an involved RPG, I'm perfectly happy with a narrative framework that provides a kickstart to the action and a suitable closing scene when the game is over. Is it any wonder that my favorite gaming franchises include Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, and Castlevania? While those worlds have grown over the years and can now provide constant storytelling from start to finish, all I really need to know is that Princess Peach is in trouble or Dr. Wily has created eight new Robot Masters or that Dracula has been raised one more time.
Speaking of having one's hand held from beginning to end, last week we finally learned more about Nintendo's new Super Guide assistance system that will appear for the first time in next month's New Super Mario Bros. Wii. If you fail a level enough times, you'll have the option to let the Wii play through the trouble spot for you. The idea behind this is to let less skilled players or even life-long Koopa stompers get a break when the going gets tough. Do you expect to use Super Guide when the action becomes a little overwhelming? Or is it a crutch that blurs the line between skilled pro and confused amateur? Let's hear your thoughts.
