Blog:Game Builder Garage (The Dunkman version)

Game Builder Garage is a programming game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch on June 11, 2021. The game revolves around players that have the ability to create their own games with official USB mouse support.

Gameplay
The goal in the game is similar to that of Super Mario Maker, except you create a game using "Nodons", which are characters that follow what you do, there are several types of Nodons, such as Red Nodons, Green Nodons, Blue Nodons and the Orange Nodons, the Red Nodons are the Input Nodons, the Green Nodons are the Middle Nodons, the Blue Nodons are the Output Nodons and the Orange Nodons are the Object Nodons. Altogether, the game has over 86 Nodons. The game also has touch screen support, which allows the players to use their fingers to move the Nodons to a different area, if uncomfortable, players can use a USB mouse to move the Nodons if playing on TV mode, making it the first game to use USB support.

If done making the game, then players can share the game by sharing “friend codes” with each other, however, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required to do so to play each other’s games using friend codes.

Development
On May 5, 2021, Nintendo released a trailer for the game, the game was said to be developed by Nintendo EPD 4, the same division as for Miitopia, Ring-Fit Adventure, mh:crappygames:1-2 Switch and most famously, the Nintendo Labo and many more. The game also directed by a programmer at Nintendo named Naoki Masada, who worked for other games such as the Pikmin franchise and the afromentioned Nintendo Labo.

According to a developer interview, Masada said that the game was inspired by the Nintendo Labo series, more specifically the VR Kit, the game then came into fruition when Masada discovered that non-Nintendo programmer employees used the Toy-Con garage to create their games.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It is essentially Nintendo’s version of Sony’s Dreams as both are games where you can create any game, whether it’s a fangame or an original one.
 * 2) The Nodons are pretty cool and interesting characters, with them having personalities while being useful towards gamers.
 * 3) Colorful and nice graphics for a programming game, especially for the 2d sprites, which look like they’re from mh:besttvshows:The Amazing World of Gumball with the 3D sprites resembling a DreamWorks film.
 * 4) There are over 86 Nodons to choose from, and they actually work.
 * 5) All of the games by the community are amazing, in fact, the community even recreates famous games as well, for example, one user made a remake of P.T and one even remade Minecraft, even better, one user remade the sequel to BOTW 2 and another one even remade FNAF!
 * 6) The game is also educational as it can teach younger players on how to create a video game, in a good way.
 * 7) Pretty good controls for a programming game, as the touch screen functions nicely, in fact, the game actually has mouse support, which is really neat.
 * 8) The demo also only plays the first part of the game, which is kinda cool.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Due to using too many Nodons, the graphics may look dull in some games like the afromention P.T.
 * 2) Some might find the game as a Dreams knockoff due to being the fact that you can create your game.
 * 3) Like Super Mario Maker 2, you need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to play each other’s courses, which is ridiculous.
 * 4) Some of the games have disturbing content or might be NSFW despite being rated E10+ or PEGI 7.
 * 5) Unlike the American and Japanese versions of the game, this one is only digital exclusive to Europe, which might be unfair for people who prefer to buy physical copies.

Reception
The game received positive reviews with praise for it’s programming skill but with criticisms for it’s use of Nintendo Switch Online to play other players’ games, many gamers and critics compared the game to Nintendo Labo, due to both games having the same features and graphics.

Alex Oney from Nintendo Life gave the game a 7/10 stating "Game Builder Garage is a frighteningly powerful game creation tool dragged down by a few limiting factors. The lack of an object creation tool (and pyramids) means that most games are going to look like they were made in a game creation suite, but the sheer scope of what’s possible helps to take the sting out of the tail. This will actually teach you how to make games, the tutorials that lead you through are by-and-large excellent, and the inclusion of USB mouse support is a godsend. We’re probably unable to even conceive of half of what Switch owners will be able to create using this software, but we’re certain this is going to help propagate the next generation of game developers."

Trivia

 * To see how interested everyone was with programming, the developers then secretly tested the game on elementary schools for the students to ensure the lessons were accessible to beginners.

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Catgeory:Nintendo