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Like many of the people on these forums, I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember, and my main video gaming loyalties rest mostly with Nintendo. But why? What makes the big N so darn good?
When I was a mere nipper, I enjoyed playing all the old classics on the Spectrum and Atari 2600, unaware that a company would soon introduce itself to me, and stay into my consciousness and my heart for a long time after, and that company was Nintendo.
One Christmas, my brother and I had decided to get a NES, we hadn’t really seen that much about it, and I can’t really remember why we wanted it. My bro had got Super Mario Bros 2 for his birthday about 3 weeks before we got the console, so we spent much time salivating over the packaging and the instruction book, but when Jesus’ birthday came along, we were hooked on Nintendo’s gaming goodness, and it was a magical Christmas, and many great games followed.
Then came the SNES, and all the absolute classics that came with it. Again, we got the SNES for Christmas, together with Street Fighter II and Super Mario World and were blown away by the games (I was nearly in danger of believing that Christmas was a time for Nintendo, and not a time for caring, sharing etc.)
Mario Kart, Super Tennis, Metroid, Final Fight, ISS, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, The Secret of Mana and a whole shed load more first and third party games I can’t remember right now.
I still often play Mario Kart on the SNES to this day!
To many people the N64 may have appeared a let-down, with some over priced games and lack of decent third party support, with no decent beat ‘em ups and realistic racing games. But in terms of gaming experiences, the N64 has yet to be equalled or superseded by ANY console. It really disappoints me when I see people saying, “the N64 was a flop” or “the N64 was a disappointment”, because basically, they’re wrong, very wrong.
The many hours I spent playing multi-player GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Mario Tennis/Kart/Golf/Party, Smash Bros etc with my family, and playing through Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 were some of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had on a console. Add to those other first and third party classics such as Blast Corps, Conker, Banjo, Pilotwings, Rouge Squadron, Shadowman, the Turok series, Lylat Wars, etc and you have a great machine with dozens and dozens of AAA titles.
And now we have the Gamecube; what more can I say?
Luigi’s Mansion maybe short, but it’s just such an amazingly innovative game. In a time of games often lacking imagination and originality, we have Nintendo coming out with this little gem. Then there’s Smash Bros Melee, Pikmin, Wave Race and great looking third party support from many other companies.
The upcoming Mario Sunshine and Zelda just ooze so much Nintendo quality, and they will be very special games indeed. I’m definitely going to enjoy them more than most other new games.
So since those good old days with the NES and the SNES right through to the N64, GameBoy Advance and the new Gamecube I have played many classic games courtesy of Nintendo, and they’ve entertained me through the dark and cold winter nights to the bright summer days.
So what does make Nintendo so good?
Their games always make me smile and grin (hence the title). Their games are always entertaining without being frustrating and are an absolute pleasure to play.
They make innovative games that aren’t weird or obscure, and most of all, they know what makes a good game, and they know what gamers like. The gameplay is ALWAYS spot on, and the level structures/track designs always perfect. They have such an amazing line up of characters/mascots, as Smash Bros Melee characters and trophies prove, there are literally hundreds of them.
They make family orientated games that appeal to everyone, after all, not all gamers are bloodthirsty hooligans who want violent games; some just want great playability and FUN...that’s what Nintendo provide.
So maybe they haven’t created any ultra realistic games such as Gran Turismo, but I think the majority of gamers would say that Mario Kart is ultimately more fun than GT.
But at the end of the day, it’s Shigeru Miyamoto that elevates Nintendo up to greatness; how does he manage it? Like Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith in The A-Team, he’s always “on the jazz”.
Mario Sunshine and Zelda prove that there’s still life in the old dog yet.
Nintendo remind me of another company, and I’d like to compare games to Japanese anime if I may; Nintendo are the company who never lets you down, ever reliable and always come up with the goods, but many (unknowing) people often call them “kiddie” or other such terms. However, I like to think of them not as kiddie, but as “family friendly”.
There is an anime production studio called Studio Ghibli, and like Nintendo, they are responsible for many classics, and have a great reputation. The anime films they produce are “family friendly”, and they have received great praise for this.
Ghibli are probably best described as “The Nintendo of Anime”, led and influenced by Hayao Miyazaki (himself once described as the Walt Disney of Japan and could be described as the Shigeru Miyamoto of anime). Ghibli, like Nintendo, pride themselves on making anime films for all the family, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Castle of Cagliostro, Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso are all fine examples of pure harmless fun for all the family.
So whilst many people believe that anime films are violent etc, they often have the wrong impression, and show that it doesn’t matter that those films contain little violence, as they are charming stories that appeal to everyone; like Nintendo, they appeal to all and offer family friendly experiences.
(If you want some good family friendly anime check out some Ghibli films).
There’s a good fan site for Ghibli at: http://www.nausicaa.net/
So why do so many people stay so loyal to Nintendo after all these years?
It’s because the big N has never let us down. They always deliver and always appeal to me.
I was slightly hesitant about getting Pikmin as I thought it looked slightly boring, but then I thought, “heck, it’s gotta be good as it’s made by Nintendo!” So the name and reputation of Nintendo means a lot and sells lots of games purely because of it.
I’m sure that others who are in my position of having grown up with Nintendo feel the same way I do about them, and respect them for what they have given us down the years.
Nintendo, we salute you :)
When I was a mere nipper, I enjoyed playing all the old classics on the Spectrum and Atari 2600, unaware that a company would soon introduce itself to me, and stay into my consciousness and my heart for a long time after, and that company was Nintendo.
One Christmas, my brother and I had decided to get a NES, we hadn’t really seen that much about it, and I can’t really remember why we wanted it. My bro had got Super Mario Bros 2 for his birthday about 3 weeks before we got the console, so we spent much time salivating over the packaging and the instruction book, but when Jesus’ birthday came along, we were hooked on Nintendo’s gaming goodness, and it was a magical Christmas, and many great games followed.
Then came the SNES, and all the absolute classics that came with it. Again, we got the SNES for Christmas, together with Street Fighter II and Super Mario World and were blown away by the games (I was nearly in danger of believing that Christmas was a time for Nintendo, and not a time for caring, sharing etc.)
Mario Kart, Super Tennis, Metroid, Final Fight, ISS, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, The Secret of Mana and a whole shed load more first and third party games I can’t remember right now.
I still often play Mario Kart on the SNES to this day!
To many people the N64 may have appeared a let-down, with some over priced games and lack of decent third party support, with no decent beat ‘em ups and realistic racing games. But in terms of gaming experiences, the N64 has yet to be equalled or superseded by ANY console. It really disappoints me when I see people saying, “the N64 was a flop” or “the N64 was a disappointment”, because basically, they’re wrong, very wrong.
The many hours I spent playing multi-player GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Mario Tennis/Kart/Golf/Party, Smash Bros etc with my family, and playing through Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 were some of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had on a console. Add to those other first and third party classics such as Blast Corps, Conker, Banjo, Pilotwings, Rouge Squadron, Shadowman, the Turok series, Lylat Wars, etc and you have a great machine with dozens and dozens of AAA titles.
And now we have the Gamecube; what more can I say?
Luigi’s Mansion maybe short, but it’s just such an amazingly innovative game. In a time of games often lacking imagination and originality, we have Nintendo coming out with this little gem. Then there’s Smash Bros Melee, Pikmin, Wave Race and great looking third party support from many other companies.
The upcoming Mario Sunshine and Zelda just ooze so much Nintendo quality, and they will be very special games indeed. I’m definitely going to enjoy them more than most other new games.
So since those good old days with the NES and the SNES right through to the N64, GameBoy Advance and the new Gamecube I have played many classic games courtesy of Nintendo, and they’ve entertained me through the dark and cold winter nights to the bright summer days.
So what does make Nintendo so good?
Their games always make me smile and grin (hence the title). Their games are always entertaining without being frustrating and are an absolute pleasure to play.
They make innovative games that aren’t weird or obscure, and most of all, they know what makes a good game, and they know what gamers like. The gameplay is ALWAYS spot on, and the level structures/track designs always perfect. They have such an amazing line up of characters/mascots, as Smash Bros Melee characters and trophies prove, there are literally hundreds of them.
They make family orientated games that appeal to everyone, after all, not all gamers are bloodthirsty hooligans who want violent games; some just want great playability and FUN...that’s what Nintendo provide.
So maybe they haven’t created any ultra realistic games such as Gran Turismo, but I think the majority of gamers would say that Mario Kart is ultimately more fun than GT.
But at the end of the day, it’s Shigeru Miyamoto that elevates Nintendo up to greatness; how does he manage it? Like Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith in The A-Team, he’s always “on the jazz”.
Mario Sunshine and Zelda prove that there’s still life in the old dog yet.
Nintendo remind me of another company, and I’d like to compare games to Japanese anime if I may; Nintendo are the company who never lets you down, ever reliable and always come up with the goods, but many (unknowing) people often call them “kiddie” or other such terms. However, I like to think of them not as kiddie, but as “family friendly”.
There is an anime production studio called Studio Ghibli, and like Nintendo, they are responsible for many classics, and have a great reputation. The anime films they produce are “family friendly”, and they have received great praise for this.
Ghibli are probably best described as “The Nintendo of Anime”, led and influenced by Hayao Miyazaki (himself once described as the Walt Disney of Japan and could be described as the Shigeru Miyamoto of anime). Ghibli, like Nintendo, pride themselves on making anime films for all the family, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Castle of Cagliostro, Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso are all fine examples of pure harmless fun for all the family.
So whilst many people believe that anime films are violent etc, they often have the wrong impression, and show that it doesn’t matter that those films contain little violence, as they are charming stories that appeal to everyone; like Nintendo, they appeal to all and offer family friendly experiences.
(If you want some good family friendly anime check out some Ghibli films).
There’s a good fan site for Ghibli at: http://www.nausicaa.net/
So why do so many people stay so loyal to Nintendo after all these years?
It’s because the big N has never let us down. They always deliver and always appeal to me.
I was slightly hesitant about getting Pikmin as I thought it looked slightly boring, but then I thought, “heck, it’s gotta be good as it’s made by Nintendo!” So the name and reputation of Nintendo means a lot and sells lots of games purely because of it.
I’m sure that others who are in my position of having grown up with Nintendo feel the same way I do about them, and respect them for what they have given us down the years.
Nintendo, we salute you :)
Very well written post, the days of the N64, I still play it when i have a 'break' from the Cube.
I even got my SNES out the other day for a go on Super Bomberman 2 and F-Zero!
I even got my SNES out the other day for a go on Super Bomberman 2 and F-Zero!
Good post - and I agree with just about everything you've said there.
But they do let us down and have done quite often in the last few years.
Think of all the delays we've had to face as Europeans compared to the rest of the world. And when you take note on the characters in Smash Bros. Melée, you realise that there were actually a lot of great Nintendo games that never left Japan!
But after the delays, when we get what we want, it's an incredible experience. I was reading about Satoru Iwata's plans the other day and I have to say that the future looks like it's gunna get even better for Nintendo!
I hate people who critisise Nintendo.
They should really sit-up and take note at what they've done over the years!
But they do let us down and have done quite often in the last few years.
Think of all the delays we've had to face as Europeans compared to the rest of the world. And when you take note on the characters in Smash Bros. Melée, you realise that there were actually a lot of great Nintendo games that never left Japan!
But after the delays, when we get what we want, it's an incredible experience. I was reading about Satoru Iwata's plans the other day and I have to say that the future looks like it's gunna get even better for Nintendo!
I hate people who critisise Nintendo.
They should really sit-up and take note at what they've done over the years!
Like many of the people on these forums, I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember, and my main video gaming loyalties rest mostly with Nintendo. But why? What makes the big N so darn good?
When I was a mere nipper, I enjoyed playing all the old classics on the Spectrum and Atari 2600, unaware that a company would soon introduce itself to me, and stay into my consciousness and my heart for a long time after, and that company was Nintendo.
One Christmas, my brother and I had decided to get a NES, we hadn’t really seen that much about it, and I can’t really remember why we wanted it. My bro had got Super Mario Bros 2 for his birthday about 3 weeks before we got the console, so we spent much time salivating over the packaging and the instruction book, but when Jesus’ birthday came along, we were hooked on Nintendo’s gaming goodness, and it was a magical Christmas, and many great games followed.
Then came the SNES, and all the absolute classics that came with it. Again, we got the SNES for Christmas, together with Street Fighter II and Super Mario World and were blown away by the games (I was nearly in danger of believing that Christmas was a time for Nintendo, and not a time for caring, sharing etc.)
Mario Kart, Super Tennis, Metroid, Final Fight, ISS, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, The Secret of Mana and a whole shed load more first and third party games I can’t remember right now.
I still often play Mario Kart on the SNES to this day!
To many people the N64 may have appeared a let-down, with some over priced games and lack of decent third party support, with no decent beat ‘em ups and realistic racing games. But in terms of gaming experiences, the N64 has yet to be equalled or superseded by ANY console. It really disappoints me when I see people saying, “the N64 was a flop” or “the N64 was a disappointment”, because basically, they’re wrong, very wrong.
The many hours I spent playing multi-player GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Mario Tennis/Kart/Golf/Party, Smash Bros etc with my family, and playing through Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 were some of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had on a console. Add to those other first and third party classics such as Blast Corps, Conker, Banjo, Pilotwings, Rouge Squadron, Shadowman, the Turok series, Lylat Wars, etc and you have a great machine with dozens and dozens of AAA titles.
And now we have the Gamecube; what more can I say?
Luigi’s Mansion maybe short, but it’s just such an amazingly innovative game. In a time of games often lacking imagination and originality, we have Nintendo coming out with this little gem. Then there’s Smash Bros Melee, Pikmin, Wave Race and great looking third party support from many other companies.
The upcoming Mario Sunshine and Zelda just ooze so much Nintendo quality, and they will be very special games indeed. I’m definitely going to enjoy them more than most other new games.
So since those good old days with the NES and the SNES right through to the N64, GameBoy Advance and the new Gamecube I have played many classic games courtesy of Nintendo, and they’ve entertained me through the dark and cold winter nights to the bright summer days.
So what does make Nintendo so good?
Their games always make me smile and grin (hence the title). Their games are always entertaining without being frustrating and are an absolute pleasure to play.
They make innovative games that aren’t weird or obscure, and most of all, they know what makes a good game, and they know what gamers like. The gameplay is ALWAYS spot on, and the level structures/track designs always perfect. They have such an amazing line up of characters/mascots, as Smash Bros Melee characters and trophies prove, there are literally hundreds of them.
They make family orientated games that appeal to everyone, after all, not all gamers are bloodthirsty hooligans who want violent games; some just want great playability and FUN...that’s what Nintendo provide.
So maybe they haven’t created any ultra realistic games such as Gran Turismo, but I think the majority of gamers would say that Mario Kart is ultimately more fun than GT.
But at the end of the day, it’s Shigeru Miyamoto that elevates Nintendo up to greatness; how does he manage it? Like Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith in The A-Team, he’s always “on the jazz”.
Mario Sunshine and Zelda prove that there’s still life in the old dog yet.
Nintendo remind me of another company, and I’d like to compare games to Japanese anime if I may; Nintendo are the company who never lets you down, ever reliable and always come up with the goods, but many (unknowing) people often call them “kiddie” or other such terms. However, I like to think of them not as kiddie, but as “family friendly”.
There is an anime production studio called Studio Ghibli, and like Nintendo, they are responsible for many classics, and have a great reputation. The anime films they produce are “family friendly”, and they have received great praise for this.
Ghibli are probably best described as “The Nintendo of Anime”, led and influenced by Hayao Miyazaki (himself once described as the Walt Disney of Japan and could be described as the Shigeru Miyamoto of anime). Ghibli, like Nintendo, pride themselves on making anime films for all the family, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Castle of Cagliostro, Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso are all fine examples of pure harmless fun for all the family.
So whilst many people believe that anime films are violent etc, they often have the wrong impression, and show that it doesn’t matter that those films contain little violence, as they are charming stories that appeal to everyone; like Nintendo, they appeal to all and offer family friendly experiences.
(If you want some good family friendly anime check out some Ghibli films).
There’s a good fan site for Ghibli at: http://www.nausicaa.net/
So why do so many people stay so loyal to Nintendo after all these years?
It’s because the big N has never let us down. They always deliver and always appeal to me.
I was slightly hesitant about getting Pikmin as I thought it looked slightly boring, but then I thought, “heck, it’s gotta be good as it’s made by Nintendo!” So the name and reputation of Nintendo means a lot and sells lots of games purely because of it.
I’m sure that others who are in my position of having grown up with Nintendo feel the same way I do about them, and respect them for what they have given us down the years.
Nintendo, we salute you :)
When I was a mere nipper, I enjoyed playing all the old classics on the Spectrum and Atari 2600, unaware that a company would soon introduce itself to me, and stay into my consciousness and my heart for a long time after, and that company was Nintendo.
One Christmas, my brother and I had decided to get a NES, we hadn’t really seen that much about it, and I can’t really remember why we wanted it. My bro had got Super Mario Bros 2 for his birthday about 3 weeks before we got the console, so we spent much time salivating over the packaging and the instruction book, but when Jesus’ birthday came along, we were hooked on Nintendo’s gaming goodness, and it was a magical Christmas, and many great games followed.
Then came the SNES, and all the absolute classics that came with it. Again, we got the SNES for Christmas, together with Street Fighter II and Super Mario World and were blown away by the games (I was nearly in danger of believing that Christmas was a time for Nintendo, and not a time for caring, sharing etc.)
Mario Kart, Super Tennis, Metroid, Final Fight, ISS, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, The Secret of Mana and a whole shed load more first and third party games I can’t remember right now.
I still often play Mario Kart on the SNES to this day!
To many people the N64 may have appeared a let-down, with some over priced games and lack of decent third party support, with no decent beat ‘em ups and realistic racing games. But in terms of gaming experiences, the N64 has yet to be equalled or superseded by ANY console. It really disappoints me when I see people saying, “the N64 was a flop” or “the N64 was a disappointment”, because basically, they’re wrong, very wrong.
The many hours I spent playing multi-player GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Mario Tennis/Kart/Golf/Party, Smash Bros etc with my family, and playing through Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 were some of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had on a console. Add to those other first and third party classics such as Blast Corps, Conker, Banjo, Pilotwings, Rouge Squadron, Shadowman, the Turok series, Lylat Wars, etc and you have a great machine with dozens and dozens of AAA titles.
And now we have the Gamecube; what more can I say?
Luigi’s Mansion maybe short, but it’s just such an amazingly innovative game. In a time of games often lacking imagination and originality, we have Nintendo coming out with this little gem. Then there’s Smash Bros Melee, Pikmin, Wave Race and great looking third party support from many other companies.
The upcoming Mario Sunshine and Zelda just ooze so much Nintendo quality, and they will be very special games indeed. I’m definitely going to enjoy them more than most other new games.
So since those good old days with the NES and the SNES right through to the N64, GameBoy Advance and the new Gamecube I have played many classic games courtesy of Nintendo, and they’ve entertained me through the dark and cold winter nights to the bright summer days.
So what does make Nintendo so good?
Their games always make me smile and grin (hence the title). Their games are always entertaining without being frustrating and are an absolute pleasure to play.
They make innovative games that aren’t weird or obscure, and most of all, they know what makes a good game, and they know what gamers like. The gameplay is ALWAYS spot on, and the level structures/track designs always perfect. They have such an amazing line up of characters/mascots, as Smash Bros Melee characters and trophies prove, there are literally hundreds of them.
They make family orientated games that appeal to everyone, after all, not all gamers are bloodthirsty hooligans who want violent games; some just want great playability and FUN...that’s what Nintendo provide.
So maybe they haven’t created any ultra realistic games such as Gran Turismo, but I think the majority of gamers would say that Mario Kart is ultimately more fun than GT.
But at the end of the day, it’s Shigeru Miyamoto that elevates Nintendo up to greatness; how does he manage it? Like Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith in The A-Team, he’s always “on the jazz”.
Mario Sunshine and Zelda prove that there’s still life in the old dog yet.
Nintendo remind me of another company, and I’d like to compare games to Japanese anime if I may; Nintendo are the company who never lets you down, ever reliable and always come up with the goods, but many (unknowing) people often call them “kiddie” or other such terms. However, I like to think of them not as kiddie, but as “family friendly”.
There is an anime production studio called Studio Ghibli, and like Nintendo, they are responsible for many classics, and have a great reputation. The anime films they produce are “family friendly”, and they have received great praise for this.
Ghibli are probably best described as “The Nintendo of Anime”, led and influenced by Hayao Miyazaki (himself once described as the Walt Disney of Japan and could be described as the Shigeru Miyamoto of anime). Ghibli, like Nintendo, pride themselves on making anime films for all the family, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, The Castle of Cagliostro, Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso are all fine examples of pure harmless fun for all the family.
So whilst many people believe that anime films are violent etc, they often have the wrong impression, and show that it doesn’t matter that those films contain little violence, as they are charming stories that appeal to everyone; like Nintendo, they appeal to all and offer family friendly experiences.
(If you want some good family friendly anime check out some Ghibli films).
There’s a good fan site for Ghibli at: http://www.nausicaa.net/
So why do so many people stay so loyal to Nintendo after all these years?
It’s because the big N has never let us down. They always deliver and always appeal to me.
I was slightly hesitant about getting Pikmin as I thought it looked slightly boring, but then I thought, “heck, it’s gotta be good as it’s made by Nintendo!” So the name and reputation of Nintendo means a lot and sells lots of games purely because of it.
I’m sure that others who are in my position of having grown up with Nintendo feel the same way I do about them, and respect them for what they have given us down the years.
Nintendo, we salute you :)