Nintendo Next Gen

By Ryan Sherer

Nintendo, the biggest video gaming giant! We can all identify with Nintendo because even the youngest of our hobby has grown up with a Nintendo console. I am one of the older enthusiasts having played since the original NES days when gaming was about fun and games were tailored to that experience. I'm not stating that video games aren't fun anymore but I think a lot of developers spend too much time on the PR and the graphics of games. Nintendo has had many consoles since those 8-bit days and we are currently enjoying the Wii. So has Nintendo kept the fun in their games and kept up with technology?

If you were playing games in the 8-bit days, do you remember the feeling the first time you picked up the NES controller and played Super Mario Bros for the first time? Do you remember the joy and pull that Super Mario Bros 3 had on you? We could play those games for hours and not get bored nor confused. Sure there was no 3D space and no collecting till your head popped but those games were FUN! Aside from the Mario's of the time we enjoyed other iconic games like Zelda, Metroid, Contra, Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy and various other games. We could get lost in those games for hours and sometimes leave our consoles on for long periods of time just to get to the next level.

Fast forward to the 16-bit era, Nintendo would push technology and introduce the Super Nintendo. One of the first games we were introduced to was Super Mario World. Super Mario World would take up more of gamers' time than ever before but for a good reason, the game sucked you in and made you want to finish it. Nintendo made a machine that not only had the technology but they were keeping the games fun and they were getting more depth to them. Personally when I got a hold of the controller and played Super Mario World there were a lot of sleepless nights to follow. Following Super Mario World we were introduced to games like Super Mertoid, Chrono Trigger, Zelda: A Link to the Past and many more awesome titles.

Nintendo would keep this pace up and innovate with the Nintendo 64, Gamecube and arrive currently at the Wii. So has Nintendo kept the fun and gave gamers that sense of joy? I think they have steered away from their roots to accommodate people that never played video games before. I think they have ignored the people that have played since the 8-bit era and tailored to the non-player. I will admit that none of the Mario games are terrible but the last one that really sucked me in to play through was Super Mario 64. I could not get into Mario Sunshine at all, no matter how many times I tried. How many gamers felt the same way and started to lose interest? The Nintendo 64 did not do that well for Nintendo and the Gamecube surely didn't bring it for them! The Wii is considered a success and Nintendo's legal way to print money but what do gamers think?

So have the gamers of old and new gamers to the video game world jumped ship for the Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360? I have and a lot of people I know have moved on and don't really play Nintendo platforms. If you do own a Wii, when was the last time you turned yours on to play? If it was recently, were you drawn in to play long hours? Nintendo next gen has been a real disappointment to myself and a lot of other gamers. We all want those games that we can get lost in for hours and have fun playing. Nintendo's 2009 E3 conference was what sparked the idea for this article. I want to get excited for Nintendo and I want to play games on Nintendo but Nintendo needs to bring something better than a vitality sensor and a 4 player 2D Mario. I know they can do it and I know people are hungry for it! Gamers want to see a new 2D Metroid on the Wii so badly but Nintendo answers with a Ninja Gaiden clone that mixes 3D first person in the mix. I'm not saying that it will be a bad game but it's going away from the Metroid roots. We are seeing games like Shadow Complex, how cool would it be to have a successor to Super Metroid that looked like that? I think something like that would be well received and do justice to the franchise as well as sucking gamers back in for those long hours and sleepless nights! I believe we need a Super Mario Bros 4, Nintendo needs to bring back their roots and pull gamers in!

Nintendo needs to get away from the cookie cutter approach and quit producing based on the engine they already have. Nintendo needs to go back to their roots and show a little love to the GAMERS that made them what they are today!

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John Michael

June 04, 2009

I'm a long time Nintendo fan, like yourself. I was wowed by all the games you mentioned. I stuck with the N64 even though great games were few and far apart. Gamecube was the very first console from last generation that I bought and I stuck by it even though it continued the N64 trend. I never once considered trading it in. And now here we are. Not only are the Wii's great games few and far apart, but they are fewer and further apart than ever before. There hasnt been a single game that screams to me "YOU MUST BUY A WII FOR THIS CRAZY AWESOME CRAP!!!" Yeah, I've had my time with it, but I havent played or seen anything that makes me want to own one. I know I'm missing out on a couple gems, but for every Wii gem, I could probably name you 3-5 on a competeing console (altough great games are subjective). I dunno. I'll probably pick one up when a new Zelda game comes out. I'm still a Zelda whore. I felt like the only person in the world who gleefully urinated my pants when I saw that first Wind Waker footage. oh, and one last thing, I gotta say, Shadow Complex might be the game that I'm most excited for after this E3!

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Patrick Archer

I am also a long time Nintendo Fan and I am really enjoying what the Wii has to offer. I have all three consoles and my console of choice changes on almost a monthly basis. Right now, it is definitely Wii with Punch Out!!! This is the perfect mix of casual/hardcore and adds a nostalgic flair. I had my brother, sister, and friend over on the weekend and we were passing around the controller trying to take down Great Tiger in title defense mode and we had a blast doing it. I do understand where many people with your viewpoint are coming from, but there are plenty of titles out there for the hardcore. However, you're seeing Nintendo promote games that aren't necessarily hardcore and I think that is where this misconception is coming from. We have New Super Mario Bros Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid: Project M, Golden Sun (granted that it is not for Wii), Final Fantasy, confirmation of a new Zelda and Pikmin 3 all on the horizon. We also have seen Metroid Prime 3, Super Mario Galaxy, and a Zelda title already released for the Wii (the three core franchises in my opinion). There are also games like Fire Emblem that aren't core franchises but hardcore games. I think the old school Nintendo fan are being serviced quite nicely, I just think those fans have had changes in taste over there years. People who loved Super Mario for the NES now get excited for games like Gears of War. Those types of games have never been Nintendo's forte, but because these people grew up on Nintendo they believe that is the direction they should be going because that is where the mainstream hardcore gamers wants. Unfortunately for some of us, the hardcore gamer is now the niche gamer in our industry.