Are Games Crippled By Easy Modes?

[Venks]

When you start up some games for the first time you have a very important decision to make (once you've passed the loading screens and company logos). What difficulty to play on? Take it easy and make your way through the story? Or play it on hard to truly challenge yourself?

A rose by any other difficulty would smell as sweet?

Rayman games are known, by the few people who play them, for their difficult platforming. Many platformers allow you to jump at various heights depending on how long you hold the button down, but Rayman is one of the games that will send you to the game over screen if you use your high jumps too frequently.
For a long time, in games, it has been a common principle that there needs to be obstacles for the player to overcome. By learning the rules of a game and honing their abilities, players can surpass any challenge.
But what if there is no challenge?

The original Final Fantasy XIII, which I wish was the last story of its saga, was the worst game I think I've ever played in my entire life. And I've played Barbie Super Model for the Super Nintendo.
In an attempt to make the game more accessible to new gamers, Square Enix cut out practically everything that makes a RPG a RPG. There are essentially no NPCs to talk to in the game, the bulk of exploration takes place in narrow hall ways, and each character only has three stats. The only thing the game has going for it is that its probably the most aesthetically pleasant game on the PlayStation 3. The lack of challenge and depth left me completely appalled and keeps me hesitant from trying newer titles in the Final Fantasy franchise.

There are games without challenge that I find myself able to enjoy. Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing are both games that I enjoy even though I don't have to dodge bullet fire.
These games do a wonderful job at presenting unique themes, introducing interesting characters, and placing the player in a role that generally can't be found in other games. In Animal Crossing I found myself really enjoying coming across the random villagers that made up my neighbors. These creatures all have their own odd behaviors and choice of words.
I could tell the game had a powerful hold over me when one of my favorite neighbors had moved away to a friend's town. I was so sad to see her go, but as an awesome last gesture she had sent me a letter along with a piece of furniture. That piece of furniture just so happened to complete the set I was going for. I couldn't of asked for a better memento to remember my virtual friend.

Master Of Your Own Destiny​

The white tanooki suit in Super Mario 3D World seems to be generating some distaste amongst 'retro' gamers. For those of you who don't know, the white tanooki suit is an item that appears after dying multiple times in a row within the same level. The item makes you invincible from enemies and spikes that would normally knock you out. The complaint I see the most is that people who beat levels using the white tanooki suit didn't 'earn' their victory. I honestly look at this as a very out dated line of thinking.
Back in the NES days there were a lot of very difficult games. Not everyone wants to spend hours upon hours learning the exact positioning and timing required for intense platforming moments. In today's age of gaming, developers try their best to make their games as accessible as possible so players of any skill level can have fun.
A very young player might get frustrated with a particular difficult challenge and the white tanooki suit is there to assist him. A more patient player who finds themselves failing a few too many times will also see the white tanooki suit appear, but by no means is the item mandatory. If you prefer the challenge and want to learn from your mistakes you can ignore the power-up and focus on the problems ahead. It's simply a choice for you to make.

It's not always apparent to most players, but ignoring certain items is a great way to ramp up the difficulty if it fits your fancy. I've yet to try a 'No Mushroom' run of a Mario game, but I have tried the 'Three Heart Challenge' in Zelda and 'Minimum Level' boss fights in Kingdom Hearts II. By keeping my health low in one game and my experience down in another, I'm able to turn simple hindrances into nightmare inducing spawns of true evil.
Player created challenges like these really require you to learn the ins and outs of the mechanics of the game. A single missed dodge or mistimed attack can be your last. This maybe exactly what you're looking for if you feel you need more challenge from your games.

Pick Your Poison​

Now some developers literally have you choose between modes of difficulty. Far too few games actually change the game in meaningful ways when you choose a difficulty setting. More times then not the game merely alters a few values such as damage and health.
I really enjoyed playing Tomb Raider with my partner in love and crime. When ever she was silly enough to put the controller down I'd steal it for myself and shoot some arrows through some unsuspecting hats. I eventually decided to give the game a go by my lonesome on the hard difficulty. It took me quite some time to figure out what the changes were. I was really hoping for end game enemies and attack patterns to turn up early alongside new threats. Much to my dismay the only differences I could note were my opponents dealt more damage and had more health.
Having already played the game a bit I was more then accustomed to dodging molotov cocktails and enemy projectiles. Increasing the damage of these attacks literally has no effect on me since the attacks are unable to land. I'm no Robin Hood but I was having no problem aiming for instant kills with my bow and arrow. Increased health, or not, a killing blow is a killing blow. Even on hard mode action scenes felt too easy and had become repetitive.

Then we have the beautiful game Catherine. This game has you climbing up a tower of blocks as it slowly collapses. You have to utilize several block pushing/pulling techniques in order to ascend. Trick blocks and annoying fellow climbers will slow you down as the tower seems to collapse that much faster.
If puzzles aren't your strong suit I heavily suggest playing it on easy. This game is definitely one of the more challenging ones made now a days. Rather then just changing the amount of time you have to climb the block towers, the difficulty settings actually have their own puzzles. The techniques you have to employ in order to rise from one level to the next change with each difficulty setting.
I really wish more games had differing content between modes. Not that I'd cheat on Catherine to be with them. That would be wrong.

 

[Captain Fabio]

For reference, I am reply to the topic question, instead of replying to the content. :)

I don't think games are 'crippled' by easy modes at all, I think they are needed to satisfy a wide range of gamers. Not everyone can complete games on the hardest difficulty and not everyone likes flying through an easy game. The difficulty modes allow for players to adjust their gaming experience to how they want to play it.

I think they are a good thing for the gaming community. What I do like about some games, is that if you want achievements, you have to do them in medium+ difficulties. It means that people who want to play on those higher difficulties, won't feel cheated out of their efforts, because people on the easiest difficulty won't have the same achievements for the minimal effort.​

​

 

[machomuu]

Yeah, actually...what did that bit about FFXIII have to do with the difficulty discussion? I mean, you say that there's a lack of challenge, but it doesn't really fit it with the rest of the article...just kinda seems like it's there to harp on FFXIII under the guise of relation.

Also, going with Fabio's initial statement, there's a real point of dissonance between your title and your content. You don't actually talk about "Easy Mode" at all or whether it's crippling games, it seems more as if you're talking about hand holding and easiness in gaming rather than the mode itself. In fact, when it comes to modes you only talk about it in the end, and the only one you about is Hard Mode and the differences between modes in games.

 

[T!M]

Easy modes indeed cripple a game, along with "deathstreak" bonuses and spoon-fed information to the player. When you die and lose, one shouldn't be "rewarded". Or given any type of forgiveness. You get enough of that when you get a game over and are brought to the start menu instead of your handheld/console/PC self destructing. When you lose, its time to reflect , learn and adapt to your loss and turn the next encounter or attempt into a victory. Nintedo is clearly the worst perpetrater when it comes to "helping" the player. A white suit that grants invincibility? Are you joking... Disgusting.
Detouring from the subject of death and loss. How about games that teach you as if you are gaming neanderthal. Again, Nintendo takes the cake, what with Pokémon for example. And I've brought this up elsewhere, remember in RBY when you literally had yourself and the NPC around you? Now, you have a NPC that stops you at almost every town and offers you a detailed idea of what you need to do.

Enough about Nintendo and their shoddy games.

My point in all of this is that games have truly degraded, tending to the weak gamers who want story. If you want a story with no challenge. They have movies and books.

It needs to be Normal/Default or Hard as a selection.

Lastly, this easy mode for games had made gamers incredibly more whiny. Now, when faced with a challenge, you either quit or look up a guide. Sometimes the average gamer is so narrowsighted that they say the game is bad because its hard. And every other game in that series had been shelved from that gamer forever. And the team that made that game for story, gameplay and challenge has lost a sale to a game that only allows the gamer to enjoy the story and an easy game. worst case; That gamer who is weak and dislikes challenge will infect one of his friend that will never look at the game and hasn't even played it, because his friend has said it was bad. Then he says it to his friend and his friend to another. We of an outbreak of short sighted, unadventurous gamers who will always pick the easy games.

and that is our community today.

edit... Cap didn't mean to like your post, just Vents up there, stupid phone won't lemme undo it. xD Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

For reference, I am reply to the topic question, instead of replying to the content. :)

I don't think games are 'crippled' by easy modes at all, I think they are needed to satisfy a wide range of gamers. Not everyone can complete games on the hardest difficulty and not everyone likes flying through an easy game. The difficulty modes allow for players to adjust their gaming experience to how they want to play it.

I think they are a good thing for the gaming community. What I do like about some games, is that if you want achievements, you have to do them in medium+ difficulties. It means that people who want to play on those higher difficulties, won't feel cheated out of their efforts, because people on the easiest difficulty won't have the same achievements for the minimal effort.​

But back in the old SNES days, if you don't beat the game on the highest difficulty setting, you won't get the true ending and will be mocked by the game itself for choosing an easy or normal setting. Those who believed games are being crippled by Easy Mode are the same people who want newcomers to have the same experience they had when they were kids back in the NES/SNES days, where games were unforgivable. It's games like the above user the reasone why they praised games like AVGN Adventures, Super Meat Boy, and I Want to Be the Guy and despise the White Tanooki Suit and Healers in caves.

 

[machomuu]

But back in the old SNES days, if you don't beat the game on the highest difficulty setting, you won't get the true ending and will be mocked by the game itself for choosing an easy or normal setting. Those who believed games are being crippled by Easy Mode are the same people who want newcomers to have the same experience they had when they were kids back in the NES/SNES days, where games were unforgivable. It's games like the above user the reasone why they praised games like AVGN Adventures, Super Meat Boy, and I Want to Be the Guy and despise the White Tanooki Suit and Healers in caves.

I wouldn't say that's something that's completely lost. Games still do that, with the True Ending being locked (or harder to get to) when choosing easier settings. Don't see this much in the west, though, it's more of an eastern practice.

 

[Spinosaurus]

Easy modes indeed cripple a game, along with "deathstreak" bonuses and spoon-fed information to the player. When you die and lose, one shouldn't be "rewarded". Or given any type of forgiveness. You get enough of that when you get a game over and are brought to the start menu instead of your handheld/console/PC self destructing. When you lose, its time to reflect , learn and adapt to your loss and turn the next encounter or attempt into a victory. Nintedo is clearly the worst perpetrater when it comes to "helping" the player. A white suit that grants invincibility? Are you joking... Disgusting.
Detouring from the subject of death and loss. How about games that teach you as if you are gaming neanderthal. Again, Nintendo takes the cake, what with Pokémon for example. And I've brought this up elsewhere, remember in RBY when you literally had yourself and the NPC around you? Now, you have a NPC that stops you at almost every town and offers you a detailed idea of what you need to do.

I honestly feel like Nintendo games these days are one of the few that doesn't treat me like an idiot, but whatever.
EDIT: Wow I just read your whole post. No, man, no, let off that pride. The term "weak gamer" is absolutely stupid.

I honestly don't get the obsession over games being hard. Actually, **** hard games that are hard for the sake it, I'd much rather play a game that's easy over one that is downright infuriating. I don't play games because they're hard (and I don't brag about beating hard games either), I play to have fun. I have no problem if the game is challenging, as long as it's fair, but I don't mind if the game is easy too so long as it's fun.


But what grinds my gears are people who complain about options. I have seen way too many people complain about the addition of an easy mode, or something like "super guide". These people to me have no rights to judge how someone should play a game, and are absolutely disgusting. I'm not gonna knock my brother or sister or whoever for using the white tanooki suit or going for the newcomer mode for Fire Emblem. (OK, the latter is very hypocritical of me lol) If someone actually does that, and I know there are several, then they can **** off for all I care.

 

[machomuu]

I honestly don't get the obsession over games being hard. Actually, **** hard games that are hard for the sake it, I'd much rather play a game that's easy over one that is downright infuriating. I don't play games because they're hard (and I don't brag about beating hard games either), I play to have fun. I have no problem if the game is challenging, as long as it's fair, but I don't mind if the game is easy too so long as it's fun.

Well for some people difficulty is part of the fun. I probably wouldn't like Touhou Project as much if it were easy, and Osu! certainly wouldn't be as much fun if I wasn't being challenged. It's not that I don't like easy games, though, I'm perfectly fine with them; however, I don't play challenging games or challenging modes to showboat, I do it for the thrill and excitement of it all. It doesn't really matter what game it is (except, say, in Turn Based RPGs where higher settings just mean more grinding), I usually have more fun playing on harder difficulties because it forces to look at the game to the fullest extent and think out how I will play more carefully, as well as be more diligent about how I play. It just makes the game more fun to me, and the fact that I lose (assuming the game isn't broken or its hard modes isn't just lazy ramping up for the sake of luck-winning) pushes me to do better next time. I know why people play on easy modes and I don't see anything wrong with it, but for me I just have a lot of fun playing difficult games.

But I agree with you, I don't think there's anything wrong with giving the player a choice of difficulty. Gaming isn't a contest in its own right, and if a player wants assistance, by all means. If they don't, they can just reject it. I don't see any reason to make someone feel bad because they prefer playing the easy way or can't get past a part without help, just seems elitist to me.

 

[Dragon]

I honestly don't get the obsession over games being hard. Actually, **** hard games that are hard for the sake it, I'd much rather play a game that's easy over one that is downright infuriating. I don't play games because they're hard (and I don't brag about beating hard games either), I play to have fun. I have no problem if the game is challenging, as long as it's fair, but I don't mind if the game is easy too so long as it's fun.


But what grinds my gears are people who complain about options. I have seen way too many people complain about the addition of an easy mode, or something like "super guide". These people to me have no rights to judge how someone should play a game, and are absolutely disgusting. I'm not gonna knock my brother or sister or whoever for using the white tanooki suit or going for the newcomer mode for Fire Emblem. (OK, the latter is very hypocritical of me lol) If someone actually does that, and I know there are several, then they can **** off for all I care.

I agree; I really don't like it when people judge another who decided to play under an easy mode on a video game. Heck, I do it most of the time when I play fighting games, because I'd prefer to learn more about the controls and mechanics first. People play video games for enjoyment, and difficulty settings are a part of that enjoyment. If they decide to play on easy mode because it's more fun for them, then yes, they should! In fact, sometimes I really don't like playing hard mode on video games because I don't have much enjoyment on struggling to keep up with the games expectations. @_@

Well, strictly, looking at the other foot, probably the only games where I'd probably enjoy a harder setting are the games from Fire Emblem and Persona 3&4, because, well, I always find Fire Emblem games fun to play, and I love to challenge myself on those games to have different experiences. Persona 3&4 are the same thing, but mostly because I don't mind doing some grinding on those games while trying to build up the power of new personas.

All and all, I don't think games are being crippled at all - it just adds to new experience and enjoyment.

 

[Spinosaurus]

Well for some people difficulty is part of the fun. I probably wouldn't like Touhou Project as much if it were easy, and Osu! certainly wouldn't be as much fun if I wasn't being challenged. It's not that I don't like easy games, though, I'm perfectly fine with them; however, I don't play challenging games or challenging modes to showboat, I do it for the thrill and excitement of it all. It doesn't really matter what game it is (except, say, in Turn Based RPGs where higher settings just mean more grinding), I usually have more fun playing on harder difficulties because it forces to look at the game to the fullest extent and think out how I will play more carefully, as well as be more diligent about how I play. It just makes the game more fun to me, and the fact that I lose (assuming the game isn't broken or its hard modes isn't just lazy ramping up for the sake of luck-winning) pushes me to do better next time. I know why people play on easy modes and I don't see anything wrong with it, but for me I just have a lot of fun playing difficult games.

On don't get me wrong, I agree with you. I love games that constantly challenge the player. I play F-Zero GX every time, which is one of the most difficult games (in a fair way..maybe) ever. I do have problems with heavy trial and error games or ones that are hard in a very unfair way. Games like Dark Souls, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne (one of the hardest RPGs, but doesn't even require grinding? YES) and Donkey Kong Country Returns do this right because every death/loss is the player's own fault and they reward the player for adapting, learning from their mistake, and being patient, and it's why I like these games for their challenge.

It's just that, I don't agree with the mentality that difficulty makes or break a game.

 

[Mana1]

Some games are designed to be a challenge, some are more story orientated - it's incredibly annoying to have to rewatch the same cutscene, or get stuck on a boss and be unable to continue a story.

Let's also remember that not everyone is of the same ability. Children may struggle with some games, people with bad reaction times (or medical problems) may also be unable to keep up with the demands of a 'hard' mode or even the 'normal mode'.

Easy mode, or at least an easier option than 'hard', is always a good thing IMO.

 

[T!M]

Some games are designed to be a challenge, some are more story orientated - it's incredibly annoying to have to rewatch the same cutscene, or get stuck on a boss and be unable to continue a story.

Let's also remember that not everyone is of the same ability. Children may struggle with some games, people with bad reaction times (or medical problems) may also be unable to keep up with the demands of a 'hard' mode or even the 'normal mode'.

Easy mode, or at least an easier option than 'hard', is always a good thing IMO.

But what about the players who have no conditions or bad reaction times, what's their excuse for playing on easy?

____
@Spine: What are you talking about "pride"?
That has nothing to do with it.

And if you're insinuating I brag about beating hard games than your dead wrong.

A weak gamer is someone who plays video games seeking an easy run through. That's not a gamer. Half of being a gamer Is expecting challenge.

I'm not obsessed with difficulties in game but I do think people who don't challenge themselves in games shouldnt be playing games at all.

What's the point?

Inb4 "I play for fun. "But if your idea of fun is breezing through a game, then that's sad and I would suggest good movie or book rather than wasting developer's and team's hard work by pressing Easy everytime you start a game. Believe it or not I believe easy modes subtract from the final game. At least in Normal everything's default , in easy they probably took out simple things, a few extra enemies, a few notches from the boss' life, when you play it on easy, you're not actually experiencing the entire game.

 

[Spinosaurus]

But what about the players who have no conditions or bad reaction times, what's their excuse for playing on easy?

There's plenty of reasons. Maybe they don't have time or patience?
What if they're not particularly good at gaming?
Maybe they prefer their games to be easy so they can experience the story without a bother?
What if they just want a good time without worrying about it being hard? Maybe they just want to play relaxed?
Maybe they're back from work, and want to play an easy game to relieve the stress?

Not everyone has so many time for video games. Not everyone cares for video games as much as you do. If someone wants to play on easy, they have every right to do so.
Don't knock them for not playing games the way you do. That's ridiculous.

Actually aren't you the same guy who played Street Fighter 4 on very easy, and then complained it was too hard? What's your "excuse"?

@Spine: What are you talking about "pride"?
That has nothing to do with it.

And if you're insinuating I brag about beating hard games than your dead wrong.

...


You really don't think this mentality

A weak gamer is someone who plays video games seeking an easy run through. That's not a gamer. Half of being a gamer Is expecting challenge.

I'm not obsessed with difficulties in game but I do think people who don't challenge themselves in games shouldnt be playing games at all.

What's the point?

Inb4 "I play for fun. "But if your idea of fun is breezing through a game, then that's sad and I would suggest good movie or book rather than wasting developer's and team's hard work by pressing Easy everytime you start a game. Believe it or not I believe easy modes subtract from the final game. At least in Normal everything's default , in easy they probably took out simple things, a few extra enemies, a few notches from the boss' life, when you play it on easy, you're not actually experiencing the entire game.

Isn't driven by pride, and that there isn't a problem with that kind of thinking?

And

wasting developer's and team's hard work by pressing Easy everytime you start a game.

Isn't ironic, considering the developers put that mode themselves?

 

[machomuu]

But what about the players who have no conditions or bad reaction times, what's their excuse for playing on easy?

____
@Spine: What are you talking about "pride"?
That has nothing to do with it.

And if you're insinuating I brag about beating hard games than your dead wrong.

A weak gamer is someone who plays video games seeking an easy run through. That's not a gamer. Half of being a gamer Is expecting challenge.

I'm not obsessed with difficulties in game but I do think people who don't challenge themselves in games shouldnt be playing games at all.

What's the point?

Inb4 "I play for fun. "But if your idea of fun is breezing through a game, then that's sad and I would suggest good movie or book rather than wasting developer's and team's hard work by pressing Easy everytime you start a game. Believe it or not I believe easy modes subtract from the final game. At least in Normal everything's default , in easy they probably took out simple things, a few extra enemies, a few notches from the boss' life, when you play it on easy, you're not actually experiencing the entire game.

I can't agree with this. The mentality behind this is that people shouldn't be allowed to play they want, and that they should play a certain way to be qualified for that fun, and I don't think that's true. If people want to play through easy and have fun with the game, I say that's fine. You can't define "fun" to one specific mode of play ("mode" metaphorically, not literally), and I'm not going to tell someone who enjoys playing Persona 3 on easy that they should play a certain way because they're not having fun right. That's pretty elitist.

Games are games after all, they're made to be fun. The fun isn't in the challenge for everybody. Some people just like to play the game for its mechanics and the features, and it's only through bad game design that that should be completely lost in easier difficulties; that's just bad game design. If you play harder difficulties because that's "the fun", and the easier settings are what you prefer but they aren't "what you should be playing"...that's not gaming, that's just plain horrifying. When games stop being fun for a person and become obligatory, they've lost their purpose.

T!M, please tell me you don't seriously think this. The more I consider the mentality, the more it boggles the mind. I couldn't possibly consider a world where gaming is closed off to people just because they're not good enough or because they just want to play the games for what they are, it just isn't right. It's not just ridiculous on a video game level, but on a fundamental level of pretty much any type of gaming (tabletop, sports, cards, etc.) It's just...

 

[Dragon]

But what about the players who have no conditions or bad reaction times, what's their excuse for playing on easy?

____
@Spine: What are you talking about "pride"?
That has nothing to do with it.

And if you're insinuating I brag about beating hard games than your dead wrong.

A weak gamer is someone who plays video games seeking an easy run through. That's not a gamer. Half of being a gamer Is expecting challenge.

I'm not obsessed with difficulties in game but I do think people who don't challenge themselves in games shouldnt be playing games at all.

What's the point?

Inb4 "I play for fun. "But if your idea of fun is breezing through a game, then that's sad and I would suggest good movie or book rather than wasting developer's and team's hard work by pressing Easy everytime you start a game. Believe it or not I believe easy modes subtract from the final game. At least in Normal everything's default , in easy they probably took out simple things, a few extra enemies, a few notches from the boss' life, when you play it on easy, you're not actually experiencing the entire game.

What exactly is a gamer then? I thought it was just someone.. who plays video games. The term 'fun' is only subjective. What I think is fun might not be fun for someone else. Going back to the easy vs hard debate, some people don't actually see the 'fun' on struggling on hard mode of video games, but would generally like to relax on easy mode to have a better time that way. I respect your opinion, but I also respectfully disagree with you on saying there shouldn't be anything wrong with that, imo. @_@

 

[Melody]

Nintendo games are notorious for being highly difficult, requiring ridiculous amounts of skill to navigate through.

So no, I don't lament the fact that they install an "Easy" way to complete their games. Not everyone has the patience for hard mode, or completion for that matter. In fact I have no respect for games that don't provide a suitably easy mode for first-time or casual gameplay.

 

[Cura]

While this thread is a discussion, I have to say that this picture made me laugh in all honestly. In all seriousness, flash games really don't have a say in the realm of video games since they are basically scripted programs that load through a web browser and have interaction. Still on the topic at question, 'Are video games being really crippled by easy modes?' The answer in most situations IS opinional, some will feel this is true, while others are more so not feeling this way. In all honestly, my opinion is that some games need the easy mode to be used as a teaching tool, but after that level or stage, the game grows in difficulty.

Again, Nintendo takes the cake, what with Pokémon for example. And I've brought this up elsewhere, remember in RBY when you literally had yourself and the NPC around you? Now, you have a NPC that stops you at almost every town and offers you a detailed idea of what you need to do.

Enough about Nintendo and their shoddy games.

I want to say something about this comment. In Pokemon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow, the only NPC who stops you in the beginning of the game is Prof. Oak from wandering into the tall grass without a Pokemon. Then takes you to the lab, where you get one of the three starters or Pikachu, then you battle your rival and then the game becomes an open-world where only certain events happen in the story when you near or reach it. This NPC you mentioned that stops you are almost every town doesn't exist [And I've been replaying Yellow again to double-check].

Secondly, in today's generation of games, most games don't really have difficulty. Most are straight up violent, mostly-multiplayer, or have little skill. Games that have this for example is the Call of Duty series, most people play it for the multiplayer, the fast pace battles, same with Halo, Gears of War and Medal of Honor [which finally got the plug pulled on its series]. Nowadays, Halo and Gears multiplayer is set up like CoD's to make players be familiar to the interface, and again no uniqueness.

However, on the topic of Nintendo. Have you stopped and looked at the Miiverse posts? People who play Super Metroid, Super Mario World, The LoZ: Link to the Past....what is some of the top questions on this games?

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I USE THIS ITEM?

CAN I IMPROVE THE GRAPHICS?

Seriously. Most of those titles are straight forward and their controller schemes are mostly simple to understand as well. The last question down right depresses me, in a generation of gaming that its primary appeal is HD 1020 Graphics and that gamers want their games NOW; you'll see that most developers are forced to reduce quality, appeal and even playability just to make sure games come out faster and faster. Thus creating a easy mode default in many games, its why when I play older games like Pokemon Yellow, Super Metroid, Dragon Warrior VII and a few other titles, I have a retro gamer feeling for the quality and the actual playability of games, and that is why I look at Nintendo. They haven't changed a lot in 10 years and when I play their games, newer and older I feel like the game is solid and has weight to it.

I would go on and on, but the text limit wouldn't let me either, but here is one final statement. I recently purchased Company of Heroes 2 and I was eager for it since I loved the first RTS game, and in all honestly, CoH2 is a good title for the PC. Sadly, it falls short because it left me wanting more and the Threatre of War only provided an little bit of more; this and the micro-transactions for Commander Loadouts and Vehicle skins. Again, this is saddening that games are so lacking nowadays...

EDIT:

Nintendo games are notorious for being highly difficult, requiring ridiculous amounts of skill to navigate through.

This. This statement right here is very true. Take example of Fire Emblem: Awakening. Try playing it on very hard and on classic. Its quite difficult.
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[Captain Fabio]

A weak gamer is someone who plays video games seeking an easy run through. That's not a gamer. Half of being a gamer Is expecting challenge.

Woh, hold on. That isn't really true as none of us can truly define or definitely say what a gamer is. But my take on being a 'gamer' is simply someone who enjoys playing games. A skill level shouldn't have to come into it to define yourself as a gamer or not, that's why there is also another category of gamers called 'hardcore gamers'. Don't make out gaming is some elite club that only the very best of people can be a part of; why do you think casual gaming is so popular?​

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[machomuu]

This. This statement right here is very true. Take example of Fire Emblem: Awakening. Try playing it on very hard and on classic. Its quite difficult.
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I think Fire Emblem's a bit different in that it knows exactly how hard it is, and that's part of the reason it names that one "Lunatic" and adds the Casual option. I would go as far as to say that, in a sense, FE:A (and New Mystery of the Fire Emblem) is an aversion to "Nintendo Hard".

 

[Cura]

...my take on being a 'gamer' is simply someone who enjoys playing games. A skill level shouldn't have to come into it to define yourself as a gamer or not, that's why there is also another category of gamers called 'hardcore gamers'...

This is my mindset in a nutshell, you like to play video games, you are a gamer. There is no special rules or anything of that nature, but like Capt. Fabio said, there is categories.

Hardcore gamers are people who take their matches or levels seriously and try to be number one or the best of the team. Sometimes this can lead to shouting matches between these gamers if their rhythm is disrupted. When I was younger, I played a lot of Halo 3 and Modern Warfare [1] when they first came out and you'd hear a lot of shouting when something goes wrong or elsewise.

Casual gamers are people who just play games to pass time, if they are bored and have nothing else to do, or just looking for a quick pick-up and play type of fun that'll last them a while til they find something like to do. Casual gamers also can fall under that of normal gamers while just playing commonly and not being upset if they lose a game or match. In a nutshell, Casual gamers are the opposite side of the spectrum of hardcore.

I think Fire Emblem's a bit different in that it knows exactly how hard it is, and that's part of the reason it names that one "Lunatic" and adds the Casual option. I would go as far as to say that, in a sense, FE:A (and New Mystery of the Fire Emblem) is an aversion to "Nintendo Hard".

Forgive me for using that title as an example, it is a Nintendo published game, but yes... there is a casual option instead of playing hardcore. Lets use another example, the Legend of Zelda series, they are all known for their difficulty. In the recently rerelease of Wind Waker, there was a new Hero mode that upped the difficulty further. Super Mario Galaxy 2 and its original were difficult at times as well, during daredevil runs and time limit challenges.