Best Games Designer Ever?

[yamangman]

As a fellow brother, I knew I could rely on your support.

Did someone seriously suggest that the bloke who designed the IL-2 games has done more for video game design than Miyamoto?

I hope he's done about 30 other games, all of which have sold in the millions, all of which were released to mass critical acclaim, all of which introduced new features which became standards in their type of game. (Miyamoto has done far more, but his main body of 'famous' work is about this size)

I hope he is regarded as a creative genius in the industry without exception.

I hope people other designers say things like "To me, Miyamoto is like God." about him, like Toshihiro Nagoshi said at a recent E3.

I hope his games are the yardstick to which all other games (of a certain genre) are aiming for.

I hope you could make a credable Top 10 games of all time list using only games he is responsible for.

I hope there is hardly a gamer in the world who hasn't played one of his games.

If not, that claim is looking as thin as Posh Spice on the Atkins diet.

If it wasn't him, it'd be someone else. There is no "greatest game designer of all time".

[Stewart]

If it wasn't him, it'd be someone else. There is no "greatest game designer of all time".

Yes there is, its Miyamoto, in my opinion and a lot of others. There is more than enough to go on to say that he has done more than anyone else, created brilliant works time and time again, and just been at the top of his game for such a long time.

Anyway, what is it about Japanese games that you don't like? Also, what games do you like?

Your comment 'If it wasn't him it would be someone else' shows that you clearly haven't played these games you dismiss as boring nonsense. There have been countless attempts to copy what Miyamoto has done with the Mario and Zelda series, yet how many better platformers than the Mario series are there? How many better adventure games than the Zelda series?

If Miyamoto wasn't a games designer, then there simply wouldn't be those sorts of games done that well. This isn't something any average Joe could have done, any more than I could write some Mozart, or you paint a Van Gough.

Seriously, don't dismiss a large collection of the finest video games of all time, designed by the finest video games designer of all time as boring nonsense. Go back and play them again, play them to the end, see all the nice touches, all the clever features, all the perfect level design that makes a Miyamoto game just that little bit more. Then maybe you'll see what 100 million people and mass critical acclaim can't be wrong.

As for the other Japanese games you dismiss:

How many better RPGs than the Final Fantasy series? (Which is, by the way, pretty much without exception considered a work of complete genius) Final Fantasy VII is the single greatest RPG ever; only Chrono Trigger is even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.

How many better action games that the Metal Gear series? Metal Gear Solid on the Playstation was superb, and they have now become as slick and engrossing as a high budget Hollywood movie.

Really, I don't think you can dismiss all of them as nonsense with any sort of credability. Feel free to expand on your opinion though.

[yamangman]

You may well think that, but I'm certain various persons in the industry as a whole over the years contributed to the successes he's had with those titles.

Other than that, I simply don't find the games I metioned enjoyable. Sure I played mario bros way back when on my first NES, but now, to me, they are just infantile games. But other than that, you'd be hard-pressed to find a topic I could strive to care less about.

[BEANFro Elite]

I must confess, when Miyamoto made all these classic games, I was busy playing the rip-offs and clones inspired by him on the Amiga 500 (Gina Sisters, The New Zealand Story etc.) my point is, even if you've never played his ACTUAL games, you've surely along the way experienced his inventiveness somewhere in your gaming career...Oleg Maddox isn't really in the same ilk as Miyamoto as the IL-2 series, as ownage as they are, are factual games so one only needs the mind to point out whats in real-life that wouldn't hugely detract from the game...

As Stewart pointed out, without him, we'd have no shoulder buttons on controllers, no analogue stick on a controller, no rumble feature on a controller, no light guns, no wireless controller, no concept of console upgradeability...

He IS really amazing, I never say this about anyone but if there was anyone who is amazing it has to be Miyamoto...

How could he not be, even if you hate Japanese flavoured games, his influence is so widespread that in some cases its not even overtly noticeable...


It seems unfair that, someone who has contributed SOOOO much for the cause of gaming cannot be labelled a "gaming god"...

However, the few are no match for the masses and this truly is the case here

[Deadlight]

The New Zealand Story etc.)

I'm pretty sure TNS was a conversion of a Taito coin-op.

[smtkr]

How many better RPGs than the Final Fantasy series? (Which is, by the way, pretty much without exception considered a work of complete genius) Final Fantasy VII is the single greatest RPG ever; only Chrono Trigger is even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.

I've already admitted to worshipping Miyamoto, but I have trouble swallowing this statement. I've played through 4 FF games and played significant portions of several others and I have trouble calling FFVII the best. I'm not prepared to say it is not the best either. I liked FFVIII almost as much (once I figure out the whole junction system). I guess my point is that while the aggregate of Miyamoto's games distinguish him as the best designer ever, to pick out FFVII as the best RPG of all time is hyperbole.

[Spud1]

To pick out FFVII as the greatest RPG ever is laughable though tbh. I admit to not being a fan of the series, (although i do like the first few) but how can you even compare it to the likes of baulders gate, Neverwinter nights (easily my fav RPG ever) etc?

Sure it has a great storyline, but gameplay wise..i just find the later FF games boring as hell ;/

[Stewart]

Well, I'm suprised you lot don't rate FF7 to be honest. I really do think its the best RPG ever, by a long way. Its epic and its slick from the first battle to the weapon fights and Sepiroth right at the end of disc 3. Only Chrono Trigger comes close for me.

I think, in general, a lot of people would agree that FF7 is the yardstick RPG as well. Reviews of the game all tend to agree that FF7 is the best game of a brilliant series.

Its the most fun I've had playing an RPG anyway, and thats the only way I can judge these things.

FF7 is class. And its by far the finest RPG of all time on any system. In my opinion.

[smtkr]

Reviews of the game all tend to agree that FF7 is the best game of a brilliant series.

gamespot seems to agree with me, that FFVIII is neck and neck with FFVII. I really like X too. I just can't seem to bring myself to call one a winner (not to mention a host of other RPGs that I liked a lot like A link to the Past, Morrowind, Chrono Trigger, etc.). In fact, now that I've stopped to consider games outside of the series, I would rate the Final Fantasy series the best TURN BASED RPGs, but A link to the Past is the best RPG I've ever played. There, I actually said it.

[Stewart]

gamespot seems to agree with me, that FFVIII is neck and neck with FFVII. I really like X too. I just can't seem to bring myself to call one a winner

GameSpot also say 'Never before have technology, playability, and narrative combined as well as in Final Fantasy VII'

IGN said 'The RPG by which all others are to be measured, FFVII is a cinematic wonder'

Now, even if you think the better games came after, this still shows that both thought pretty much what I said - this is an amazing RPG and the yardstick, so better than all before and likely to be the best for a very long time.

In fact, now that I've stopped to consider games outside of the series, I would rate the Final Fantasy series the best TURN BASED RPGs, but A link to the Past is the best RPG I've ever played. There, I actually said it.

Ah. Now there we have our wires crossed a bit. I wasn't considering the Zelda games and the Final Fantasy games to be of the same type. I see Zelda as a fantasy adventure game and Final Fantasy as an RPG.

If you count them as the same type of game then everything you said is correct; Final Fantasy is the best turn-based RPG and a Link to the Past is the best RPG of all.

That has Miyamoto behind it and so has all the little touches and brilliant game design that even Square can't quite match. And Square were as good then as Capcom were when they were giving us Street Fighter II \ Turbo.

Even the always quailty (Well used to be in the case of Capcom) Japanese developers like Capcom and Square can't match the quailty of the big 1st party Nintendo titles. And nor can SEGA, Sony, Microsoft, or anyone else, by the way. (Just to spark another disagreement )