ok insomniac how bout you shut the fuck up cuz you havent made a game that holds a candle to any nintendo game ever. flattered...go suck a d***. cant stand these people with their ridiculous disrespectful bs comments. rfom and ratchet and clank both suck, insomniac is one of the most overrated studios ever.

Im forced to agree with Insomniac, simply because nintendo fanboys accuse Sony of copying Nintendo even though prior examples of EVERYTHING existed before Nintendo got to it. Hell Sony even had an analog controller for PS1 before the N64 even came out (its not the dual shock)

While prior examples existed, Nintendo was more than likely inspired by the more recent successful example.

Watch out, God, Insomniac's copyrighted SPHERICAL WORLDS.

OH CRAP.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's island had a circular world boss battle. I don't know the exact timelines, but since this was from a SNES title, I think it was before a PS title.

This is where I thought it was inspired from. (This is a clip of the hand-held port.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHR7hbvEvdU

Erm, Tahiri, can you link me to this pre-N64 analog PS controller? Because I, uh, don't think it actually exists.

Fatass of Kickassness,

Sure, here is a link to the flightstick which is considered the FIRST analog stick, announced in august 95 and relesed on april 96

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Analog_Joystick

or the dual analog sticks, which was announced on november 96 and released on april 97

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_Analog_Controller

fatass & noshino:
The Dual Analog Controller definitely exists. I have one, still in box! Although since mine is a US model, it is from after the N64 came out.

The Dual Analog stick for the PS1 is far from the first analog stick.

I had an analog stick for my (well, my parents') Apple ][ in the 70s. Also, the Atari 5200 from about 1980 was the first console with an analog stick I think.

Yoshi's Island rules.

*sigh*. You're not going to save Sony from the general criticism that the dual-shock is nothing but the original ps1 controller (which is the SNES controller) plus the thumb analog of the n64. The supposed counterargument you present above, the flight stick, is irrelevant - neither Nintendo nor Sony invented analog control in general, and no one is claiming that. The N64 did, however, introduce the small, thumb-analog to a gamepad style controller, which Sony them promptly followed, and which eventually became the standard for controllers (replacing the directional-pad, which could also be largely attributed to Nintendo).

Also, Mario Galaxy has been in development for quite some time, and some of its early ideas showed up in the space areas of Mario Sunshine (released before the R&C; games in question), which did not involve altered gravity yet, but did involve running across huge, rotating objects in space, a concept whose natural further development would be the worlds and gravity of Galaxy.

"The supposed counterargument you present above, the flight stick, is irrelevant - neither Nintendo nor Sony invented analog control in general, and no one is claiming that. The N64 did, however, introduce the small, thumb-analog to a gamepad style controller,"

The flightstick is not only NOT irrelevant, but has a small, thumbstick on the right analog stick. Therefore Sony did NOT get the idea from Nintendo, when they did it BEFORE Nintendo. The flightstick also works as a dual shock, I have even used it to play PS3 games. Dualshock was a natural progression of Sony's existing flightstick.

Oh, and the Vectrex had the small thumbstick like a decade before Sony and Nintendo.

Nintendo was the first console to use a thumb analog stick on the default controller. Arguing against that is just retarded.

Just like the Wiimote is the first motion controller to be introduced as the main input device. Sure, we've had light guns and accelerometers and all kinds of stuff as a random periphreal or an arcade game or whatever. But Nintendo was the first to make that the default for their console.

If you don't think Sony was copying Nintendo's successful analog stick idea, or their rumble idea, or the face button pattern and d-pad prevalent on the SNES before the Playstation brand, you are an idiot.

It doesn't mean Sony sucks. In fact, it means Sony is giving gamers what they want. Nintendo certainly copies ideas from other companies too. You would be stupid not to.

With that said, Insomniac's claim is kinda lame. They aren't the only company to have spherical worlds in a game. But the way Nintendo has made Galaxy is certainly unique, if for the pointer element alone. Just look at the vids. The game is not a basic platformer or basic Mario game.

Just chill everyone.

@Tahiri - my reply to your 'rebuttal' is on page three, thanks to some (perhaps user) error with the reply-button. But that's better anyhow, no need to waste another huge chunk of space here on pg. 1 with our very picky debate.

Nintendo created the directional pad with the Game and Watch.

"The flightstick is not only NOT irrelevant, but has a small, thumbstick on the right analog stick. Therefore Sony did NOT get the idea from Nintendo, when they did it BEFORE Nintendo. The flightstick also works as a dual shock, I have even used it to play PS3 games. Dualshock was a natural progression of Sony's existing flightstick."

although that controller may have been out b4 the N64, its not like nintendo was super far away from releasing their game system. and im sure their gamepad was pretty much set in terms of design. its not like they were like "Oh crap, you see this thing, we should add it, its the next big thing!"

gee thats funny i think sony just got done doing that not that long ago...

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/09/new-ps3-controller-loses-dualshock-vibration/

"The flightstick is not only NOT irrelevant, but has a small, thumbstick on the right analog stick."

Holy shit, was that a triple negative?

Actually, Ignatius....

The D-Pad was originally used in a Mattel handheld except the buttons were seperated from each other. The configuration, however, was the first time it was used in an electronics device. Game&Watch; merely took those buttons and collected them. Gumpei even stated this once.

So the DPad was NOT Nintendo's invention, merely a progression of anothers thought.

Holy shit, was that a triple negative?

The triple negative is proof positive, er, I mean negative! Oh, forget it.

Hahaha- it NEVER fails. Whenever Sony rips off Nintendo and gets called on it, the Sony Fanboy Army comes in with that stupid fucking flight stick saying Sony invented modern analog.
Damnit! If you clowns can't see the difference between a fucking FLIGHT SIMULATOR CONTROLLER and the N64 controller, there's no damn hope for you.
Nintendo invented analog control as we know it today. There's NO If's, And's or But's about that.

@Tahiri & Noshino

I tried the same argument a few weeks ago saying that Sony had the analog tech going on in its control before Nintendo and just like now I was assured by the batshit crazy Nintendites that it was irrelevant.

Even though Sony already had analog sticks in a dual configuration for the flightstick out to market BEFORE the N64 controller they stole the idea for analog controls from Nintendo instead of just evolving their own existing concept. All that matters is that Ninty made it popular first so Sony copied.

If any member of the hive admits that the big N didn't invent the heavens and the earth they get kicked out of the cult so save some keystrokes this argument won't go anywhere.

Just look at the schmuck above me.
=)

All of you are wrong. Halo was the first game ever to use an analog controller.

@cc123
Don't try to pull that 'everyone arguing against me is a fanboy' shit. What a fantastic way to get yourself out of the debate - you can't argue the points, so you skip out and say that everyone else is hopelessly biased. Why is it that those running around shooting off the 'fanboy' accusations are in fact the least impartial?

I already clearly stated above the obvious reasons why your flight stick argument is absolutely irrelevant. Yet you ignore that and pull out the old fanboy accusations. Bravo, you are a credit to your race.

I didn't use the word fanboy once in my entire post!

You just did though a bunch of times...hmmm

Another stroke of brilliance, and another rebuttal which betrays your inability to read.

So, you avoided the actual word 'fanboy', but varied it up with astonishing wit and verbal playfulness, giving us phrases such as:

member of the hive
Nintendites
cult [of the] big N

I'm glad you've found so many clever ways to say absolutely nothing of substance; the retreat to an attack on your interlocutor's impartiality is the last refuge of one who simply can't hold his own with regards to the subject matter.

Actually.... the thumbstick on the right analog on that PS1 joystick is called a HAT SWITCH, and it's not analog, just a 4 or 8 way switch, very common on flight sticks.
Even current ones have it.

So.... denied!

Toot their own horn? What fucking year are you living in?

Sonic Adventure 2 did indeed have a spherical planet level, with multiple planets no less. It was one of Rouge's, if I remember correctly.

But damned if the concept wasn't shaky in that example; you couldn't even walk on the underside of the planets.

yes you could, and im pretty sure knuckles could ge there too. also it was a multiplayer map.

i dont think its so bad, they just said they would like to believe that miyamoto got the ideas from them and not "OMGEE MIYAMOTO STOLE OUR 1337 IDEAZ, LETS SUE!!!!!1111oneone".
of course they are just dreaming. Miyamoto probably never played ratchet and clank... knowing him he just thought "hey, we walk around a planet, how cool would it be to be able to jump to the moon and walk around it too, and heck, even mars"

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 had them in 1994!!!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Universe have them too?

Way back in 0?

OBJECTION!
The universe didn't exist in the year 0! It was invented in 1924!

First thing I thought too. Galaxy, just like Halo 3, will sell regardless of it potentially being a bad game. It will sell more than Insomniacs platform games.

Hey, shouldn't Nintendo feel flattered for all these 3D platformers copying... well... the first proper 3D platformer, aka Mario 64?

Does anyone even play that Rachet and Clank series any more?

I think it's being taken way out of context, they can't possibly think they were the first to use spherical worlds in-game (Yoshi's Island used them in 2D and Sonic Adventure 2 did it in 3D), but that they were just flattered that an idea that they had is being used by the great Miyamato

The alternative is to think them more arrogant than anyone should ever get (like, Dennis Dyack arrogant)

Yeah, Mr Khan. I really don't understand how people are reading it differently than that.

He says it would be amazing to think that Miyamoto thought something we did was cool.

They did a really good job on the spherical areas in R&C; and if Mario Galaxy's design was inspired by them, great. If it wasn't an inspiration, then he hasn't accused them of anything, in fact, he doesn't even claim R&C; was the inspiration, just that he'd be flattered if it was.

you win

he wins indeed! looks awesome :)

That made my day.

God I loved Yoshi's Island. What a phenomenal game.

Haha. Awesome.

Yoshi's Island is a circular world, not a spherical world. Getting the camera to work decently as you move around a small world is a really big deal in 3D, not so much in 2D.

UR MR. GAY BUT UR ALSO MAH BRO

SUP

They are flattered...Did you actually read the article?
@Everyone
Game designers are always drawing inspiration from other games, that's how the industry works, any designer that doesn't is a horrible designer.