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Indeed there are few things in the world that can be described as “bigger” than what created it. Bat out of Hell is bigger than Meat Loaf, the I-pod is bigger than Apple and Pokémon is bigger than Nintendo. At the event in Milton Keynes there were no cheap plugs for the Wii that is out in little under a month, there were no other Nintendo related franchises on show… even Nintendo themselves had been reduced to a footnote on the posters. Pokémon is not synonymous with Nintendo. When you mention it people instantly think of games or cards or cartoons… Nintendo rarely get mentioned. Indeed Pokémon is so huge that it continues to expand into new areas with new titles and new toys (the new Pokémon “Trading Figure Game” was one example that was on show at the event), it is like a company in itself. The franchise is almost separate from Nintendo to the extent where Nintendo have named their Pokémon department: “The Pokémon company”, as if it were in some way independent.
The same cannot be said about Mario of course. Mario and Nintendo are one in the same, you mention one and you’ll think of the other. Mario is the big, friendly, moustachioed face of one of the world’s leading game experts and will be for many years to come. Many gamers are tired at the way Nintendo almost overuse the plumber (already over 150 games feature the character) but it is important Nintendo do this. Mario IS Nintendo and his continual assault upon the retail world keep him (and therefore Nintendo as well) in the hearts and minds of the consumer. Indeed it is somewhat shocking that Mario will not be present at this year’s launch of the Wii.
Not that Mario's overuse matters. Nintendo fans know that the Miyamoto developed platformers are the only Mario titles worth our pennies, and there is a certain other franchise that is developed solely with the fans in mind.
Mario may have lured me to Nintendo, but it was Zelda that kept me here. Nintendo’s real gaming gem (you could say the same for Metroid) that lurks behind their Donkey Kongas and Mario Kart. Pokémon maybe its own company, Mario may be plugged into any game that would take him, but Zelda is never treated in such a way. Nintendo wouldn’t dare allow Link to appear in some cheap EA sports title… wouldn’t they?
Well no, they wouldn’t. But there is always a danger that Nintendo could start to do that. We’ll allow Link in Soul Calibur, we’ll admire his appearance in Soul Calibur…. But what of those dreadful Cdi games? What’s the point behind “Four Swords”?
And don’t even get me started on Tingle’s Freshly-Picked Rose-Colored Rupee Land (which is now, as it happens, about to receive its owns Wii-sequel).
Nintendo, my friends, if you want to experiment with new game ideas then by all means abuse Mario, Pokémon and Wario… it is what they are for. Just leave Zelda alone. These are our games, they are important to us and we would prefer it if they could stay that way. In many ways we are in love with the mystical adventure game that is The Legend of Zelda but we do not love the faceless w***e that is Mario. If you were to destroy Link’s reputation then you could be destroying your own with it.
After all, we all remember what happened to Kirby.
Dringo.
>
> Zelda being the Nintendo fan's franchise is like saying the sky
> is blue, it is obvious but if the term "we" offends
> you so much then I'll change it.
"Wii"
Zelda being the Nintendo fan's franchise is like saying the sky is blue, it is obvious but if the term "we" offends you so much then I'll change it.
See you again for your next GAD attempt :-)
> Ah so i trust you've spoken to every Nintendo fan and came to
> this conclusion? Or is it just yours and you're sticking it in
> the mouths of millions of people?
>
> I'm kind of leaning towards the latter.
I'm sorry I am clearly wrong. Zelda is a corporate monster and not the Nintendo fans game... there isn't a tonne of Zelda fan websites with Nintendo fans telling eachother what they hope to gain from each game in the franchise.
I'm not a Nintendo fan and therefore do not speak to other Nintendo fans and do not visit Zelda fan websites and haven't a clue what Nintendo gamers like.
Don't be such an idiot.
I'm kind of leaning towards the latter.
This whole article was spawned by a small article I read in Edge about Zelda being important to Nintendo fans as it is THEIR franchise. That and going to the Pokemon event.