Why Do You Like Nintendo?

[Eric]

It seems like Nintendo fans are ostracized lately from the gaming community. As Microsoft and Sony keep beefing up their systems, Nintendo stays a leg behind. The Wii U is hardly the entertainment system like the Xbox One and PS4 and the 3DS still puts out N64 visuals while the Vita can match the PS3 at times.

So why Nintendo?

For me, they have the BEST first party titles. I may own an Xbox One and my brother owns a PS3 and I have previous generation consoles as well, but no other company gives me the joy that Nintendo gives me when I am playing a first party game.

Super Mario Galaxy is my favorite game of all time. Second? Ocarina of Time. I don't think this is a coincidence.

In an era where companies are trying to one-up each other, I believe Nintendo still knows what it means to make a video game.

 

[DLC]

The first party games is main reason for me.
Mario series, Zelda and DKC, good memories with the snes.

It`s also great that has sow many offline co-op games on the Wii U.

Also backwards compatible is a big plus, gets to play games that I have either missed or that I want to play again from previous generations.

 

[amigaengine]

In an era where companies are trying to one-up each other, I believe Nintendo still knows what it means to make a video game.

+1

I have never been disappointed with a Nintendo 1st party offering. Nintendo is a game company and it shows with each release.

 

[Adam]

Nostalgia partly. Such fond memories of playing their systems as a kid.

But primarily, even with their lack of hardware prowess, they still know how to make FUN games. Their software continues to be second to none. And despite peoples complaints about them milking their franchises, those franchises still continue to be fantastic.

 

[Andy]

To me, they have a childlike sillyness and playfulness that the two other "big guys" lack. The rest of the medium seems to be going strong towards heavy, gritty, dark, and violent. Nintendo is bright, playful, and fun. I think that's why I like them. They are a relief from the oppressive seriousness of so many modern games.

 

[jimmyD]

Mario reminds me of the Hedgehog....

 

[Jay Mammoth]

Games, they make my favorite games.

 

[Dehnus]

Because it is the closest I can get to that true gaming feel. I am a SEGA fanboy of old, and although different they are more similar than say Sony or Microsoft. Most of the games on those platforms, I feel, are catered to a very different crowd. It is more about competitive play and there is a certain element in it that favours graphics over game-play. Ofcourse there are titles that are very creative, but in general a title like Wonderful 101 would sell even less on a Playstation 4 or Xbox One than it would on a Wii U. Something like DKC: Tropical Freeze or Kid Icarus: Uprising really push the right buttons for me, where as Halo has stopped being fun after the first game.

I must admit Microsoft did have her own niché for a while, with Crimson Skies, Rallisport Challenge, Midtown Madness and so forth... but since about a third into the lifespan of the 360 they gave it away for the image of being a shooter box. I really miss for instance what RARE was able to do, I do not blame Microsoft for their demise but I do feel a bit like the studio simply doesn't have a chance. For that same reason I do like Kinect and Kinect sports, the Gunstringer was also very entertaining....yet.. those are the minority of games.

When I power on my Nintendo system, it is like powering on my Master system that I had since age 7. It is like powering on a PC Engine, Megadrive, SNES, NES, etc. It just is there for gaming and it does that very well. It still has that toy atmosphere that the others fight too hard to get rid off. And in that fight... they loose a lot of their initial charms just to cater to a crowd of people that try to hard to appear adult. Yet in that trying, that comparing of resolutions and maturity, they come off as childish. With Playstation and Xbox I miss that charm, that willingness to admit that you are a toy.

The whole atmosphere with the others feels a bit toxic to me, the push too hard.

You have the same on PC ever since steam arrived, proud GOG user myself, but the whole F2P generation seems self entitled, very loud and easy to offend. For instance World of Warcraft, I loved to Roleplay in it. Was a fan of Thalassian Elves ever since Warcraft 2 and the first time I played the Human campaign... but since the start of that game and the whining on the forums.. the game has changed so much into a 15 minute gratification/gambling addiction fostering grind fest. Everything is under 15 minutes, everything is done for you.. and PVP is filled with over entitled little pricks. Storywise it has been reduced to the story of Mary Sue leaders and the whole universe it once had, which was inspired on Warhammer Fantasy battle, is gone; Replaced by the story of Thrall and Friends.

So while you have a bunch of Racial Mary Sue leaders:

• Running around on the front lines.
• Bowing to the self entitled players (As every player is super special now that did everything alone)
• Risking their whole nations as they are just one arrow away from leaving them without a leader.
• Oversimplified into two factions to an extreme that everything have to be made twice to please two factional pride forum sides.
• With a very toxic forum indeed, any form of criticism is to be stifled
• And all fun was condensed into 15 minute grind runs, removing all forms of RPG and exploring of instances from the game.

Then suddenly it feels relaxing to pop in that Nintendo game, that has actually quite a bit more depth, where the gameplay isn't a mindless grind and one can explore. Where even Mario games bother with a story and the game just breathes quality rather than "overzealous bullying fanbase, making sure nobody criticizes things".

It is that feeling that I enjoy, and I must admit it pulls me in a lot more lately than any form of Thalassian Elf (High or Blood) lately. And I used to be addicted to that game and all the writing you could find in it. Different times, different audiences... luckily Nintendo will always cater to original audience as well .

PS: The 3DS puts out far more than N64 Graphics, just because they ported ZELDA: OOT to it doesn't mean the N64 could pull of Kid Icarus: Uprising or Donkey Kong: Returns.

 

[The Wolf King]

While I'm not a big Nintendo fan now days a nice bright game is always welcome and Mario Kart is always great fun.

 

[Z A C K]

Zelda

 

[TeKPhaN]

Because of the Nintendo of old.

 

[Dehnus]

While I'm not a big Nintendo fan now days a nice bright game is always welcome and Mario Kart is always great fun.

Philistine, how dare you not be a big Nintendo fan! Now we shall tie you to a stake and crush you under an original Xbox until you see the error of your ways. Only then may you ask the Immortal God Plumber, sitting on his Golden Throne... for mercy .

 

[The Wolf King]

Always found Mario's 3D games fun but very overrated.

Oh and Nintendo make another F-Zero already! Or at least a HD remake of the Gamecube game.

I'm surprised they haven't made a 3D adventure with Mario and Sonic yet seeing how close they are with SEGA in regards to that character.

 

[amigaengine]

Because it is the closest I can get to that true gaming feel. I am a SEGA fanboy of old, and although different they are more similar than say Sony or Microsoft. Most of the games on those platforms, I feel, are catered to a very different crowd. It is more about competitive play and there is a certain element in it that favours graphics over game-play. Ofcourse there are titles that are very creative, but in general a title like Wonderful 101 would sell even less on a Playstation 4 or Xbox One than it would on a Wii U. Something like DKC: Tropical Freeze or Kid Icarus: Uprising really push the right buttons for me, where as Halo has stopped being fun after the first game.

I must admit Microsoft did have her own niché for a while, with Crimson Skies, Rallisport Challenge, Midtown Madness and so forth... but since about a third into the lifespan of the 360 they gave it away for the image of being a shooter box. I really miss for instance what RARE was able to do, I do not blame Microsoft for their demise but I do feel a bit like the studio simply doesn't have a chance. For that same reason I do like Kinect and Kinect sports, the Gunstringer was also very entertaining....yet.. those are the minority of games.

When I power on my Nintendo system, it is like powering on my Master system that I had since age 7. It is like powering on a PC Engine, Megadrive, SNES, NES, etc. It just is there for gaming and it does that very well. It still has that toy atmosphere that the others fight too hard to get rid off. And in that fight... they loose a lot of their initial charms just to cater to a crowd of people that try to hard to appear adult. Yet in that trying, that comparing of resolutions and maturity, they come off as childish. With Playstation and Xbox I miss that charm, that willingness to admit that you are a toy.

The whole atmosphere with the others feels a bit toxic to me, the push too hard.

You have the same on PC ever since steam arrived, proud GOG user myself, but the whole F2P generation seems self entitled, very loud and easy to offend. For instance World of Warcraft, I loved to Roleplay in it. Was a fan of Thalassian Elves ever since Warcraft 2 and the first time I played the Human campaign... but since the start of that game and the whining on the forums.. the game has changed so much into a 15 minute gratification/gambling addiction fostering grind fest. Everything is under 15 minutes, everything is done for you.. and PVP is filled with over entitled little pricks. Storywise it has been reduced to the story of Mary Sue leaders and the whole universe it once had, which was inspired on Warhammer Fantasy battle, is gone; Replaced by the story of Thrall and Friends.

So while you have a bunch of Racial Mary Sue leaders:

• Running around on the front lines.
• Bowing to the self entitled players (As every player is super special now that did everything alone)
• Risking their whole nations as they are just one arrow away from leaving them without a leader.
• Oversimplified into two factions to an extreme that everything have to be made twice to please two factional pride forum sides.
• With a very toxic forum indeed, any form of criticism is to be stifled
• And all fun was condensed into 15 minute grind runs, removing all forms of RPG and exploring of instances from the game.

Then suddenly it feels relaxing to pop in that Nintendo game, that has actually quite a bit more depth, where the gameplay isn't a mindless grind and one can explore. Where even Mario games bother with a story and the game just breathes quality rather than "overzealous bullying fanbase, making sure nobody criticizes things".

It is that feeling that I enjoy, and I must admit it pulls me in a lot more lately than any form of Thalassian Elf (High or Blood) lately. And I used to be addicted to that game and all the writing you could find in it. Different times, different audiences... luckily Nintendo will always cater to original audience as well .

PS: The 3DS puts out far more than N64 Graphics, just because they ported ZELDA: OOT to it doesn't mean the N64 could pull of Kid Icarus: Uprising or Donkey Kong: Returns.

 

[Dehnus]

Funny at that may be , this actually demonstrates it quite well. The music in Sonic's stages, but also in Mario Games, really seem to make you feel like you are there. Either by a more light hearted fishtank feel or, in more serious games, far more mysterious and deep. The whole manner for instance how Megaman's water stages are drawn are luscious and inspired by the element, same goes for Fire, Earth, etc.

This is something I really miss in modern games from the other two console manufacturers. Which both seem to go for quick gratifications and more inspired by Hollywood. That also is a bit what I mean with World of Warcraft, Warcraft 2 had a fantastic soundtrack for both the Orc Campaign as the Human Campaign. The Orc campaign made you feel like you where the conqueror while keeping some light hearted jokes in there. While the human campaign just felt like an uprising after a very dire event.

Where Warcraft 3 and the First instalment of WOW still are similar in feeling, in TBC they already go for rehashes and just throwing more effects at it, on top of that having replaced most of the content with 15 minute gratifications, unfitting pop culture references and a universe that is just a storyline and nothing more.. and the immersion is mostly gone.

Now take this in comparison to Wonderful 101. Also a game that uses quite a few pop culture references. Yet they do them right, they do not just lift them from one in the other, but they become a tongue in cheek reference in a game that is one big homage to old school gaming, old anime, Hollywood classics, Kaiju films, Japanese action filmsand other Tokusatsu influences. Yet still it doesn't feel out of place. The music is spot on, and after I'm done with my workday I'll post a few examples of this in the Wonderful 101 thread.

But to give one here, The Neo Mu Ocean Metropolis. The entire outside looks like it is inspired by a city of water in the future. Not some kind of dark gloomy thing that constantly dictates gaming today, no .. like it would look in Megaman 2's Bubbleman stage. The music just fits right in, and the moment you go off to the deep... that is where the music really starts to shine in its own right. It really makes you feel like a gigantic whale could come swimming overhead at any given moment. It is tranquil and docile with muffled filters added to the instruments. You feel like you are down 1000 meters under the water surface. It isn't like Rapture from Bioshock, who also is a master piece yet also lacks this kind of music, the atmosphere is just..... barely not making it there, but with Neo Mu's under water stages.. it is.

It has that 70's and 80's feel to it where people still would buy a wonderful looking futuristic water city, without the dark narcissistic non-idealistic coldness that plagues so much of the modern media today. It just feel beautiful, like something we could achieve if we tried, to inspire a bit rather than to apply Reaganomics to our imagination. That latter is what I feel is so often the case, people feel like everything, including their fantasy, dreams and imagination, somehow have to be justified financially and realistically. Where an old Anime had the most ludicrous of ideas and ship sizes in space, where the explosions are lighten up the sky like stars, something Babylon five could only speak of.. was done in Anime and shown to you... it is now :"Yes, but our assinine cynical audience of today will not buy such things any more. They want love scenes between Zombies and Vampires that are realistically put in today's social upheaval, as both pronounce the be the first Necro Americans in space!".

Something as epic as, Legend of Galactic Heroes just feels impossible to market. And yet somehow Nintendo can provide me with such . I mean look at what they did to Dragon Age just to make it fit the major console audience? It is like Micheal bay meets a very cynical JRR Tolkien. A love child despised by all .

Edit:
Even though I'm 90's kid, one should be able to pick up by now that I have a weakness for old adventure movies (Like the Disney ones), Tokasatsu movies, Sci Fi and 70's 80's Scifi Anime. Also games like Megaman, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Sonic, etc .

 

[Squiggs]

I've always been a Nintendo kid. Their games always hit the mark with me. Many games on the GameCube contributed to the most fun moments in my room. There's always a must have game in a Nintendo console imo.

 

[Eric]

I think Nintendo has the most 'must own' titles for any of their systems. Microsoft and Sony may have more games, but I think Nintendo has the most 'you have to own this' type games.

 

[Dr D Wayne Love]

 

[TDbank24]

Because it's Nintendo. What real gamer could honestly say they don't love Nintendo? Maybe i'm biased because the first console i ever played was the NES when i was 5 years old. Then i went onto the SNES and N64 which were both amazing. So that's 3 awesome Nintendo consoles before Sony or Microsoft ever came into the fold. How could i not love them on that merit alone?

Then there is the games themselves. Forget about the high powered hardware. It's nice but it's not the end all be all when we're talking fun games. Nintendo proves that year in and year out every time they release one of their awesome first party games. I love looking at nice graphics as much as the next guy but when you're counting pixels on forums instead of enjoying games you've lost touch with what gaming is all about.

 

[Hammerclaw]

I like Nintendo because Nintendo was there for us, when everyone else had abandoned us.

 

[Dehnus]

I like Nintendo because Nintendo was there for us, when everyone else had abandoned us.

I would like to change that. Because during the "Video Game Crash" in Europe the Homecomputer gaming scene took off, so it wasn't as bad there as you think. BUT! I do agree with you in the present tense.

When everybody abandoned us, they are there for us . Mostly because if you look to how people behave on "gaming" media world wide, and the type of games releasing... all focused on balance over fun. It is good to have someone out there that remembers actual GAMING! Electronic gaming is a part of that, but it comes from board gaming. It is a TOY not a "condition" nor something you are "born with", outside of maybe a preference for it, as so many "gamers" tend to act like.

In a time when everybody feels that every form of change, from Kinect to a Tablet with your console, is taking away from "them" rather than adding experience, it is good to have a company that does still provide that "toy" like manner of thinking. A toy is not just for kids, no matter how many times these people say it. And Nintendo toys are for boys.... of all ages .

My goodness, how must these Sony fanboys have hated the Megadrive and Master System. 3D glasses, Gesture Gaming, Multiple Types of Controllers, backwards compatibility (The newest Sony Fanboy craze is saying BC doesn't matter and Nintendo is a fool for keeping it), Sonic and Knuckles Lock On with Sonic 3 to create one huge game, games build into the system (Like Alex Kidd in Miracle World). Or Nintendo... with actual succesful add ons in Japan. Like the Famicom Disk System....

How dare they not just give you 1 controller with "SHOOTY SHOOTY 17 PWNY GAME!" that you can play online while teabagging people. Now don't get me wrong, I love a fast shooter on PC (seriously, Call of Duty... is so slow, give me Quake 2 any day ), but if visiting a friend to play Mario Kart is considered a "bad thing! stay at home you no lifer!" (Actual comment on N4G, calling someone a NoLifer because he liked playing games with friends in RL rather than on line )... than I rather have "no Life" with my friends and Nintendo .

Sorry for my rant, I just am a bit easy to goat into ranting today .

 

[Viktor]

Nintendo for me growing up, including the NES and SNES. All my childhood feels from playing those two consoles with family.

 

[Smurfboy]

I love Nintendo. The original Nintendo console system (way back in 1980s) was my very first system (thanks to my Mom for buying this console when I was young). I remembered very clearly that when I first play Mario game, I laughed so hard and had a great time. Fast forward to today, seems like Nintendo is still going strong. I got Wii and am consider getting Wii U sometime in the future.

 

[Li Tan]

I like them when they just do something they feel good about without worrying what the fans will say. Like pushing ahead with cel-shaded Zelda, despite an internet outcry that made the Xbox One early response look like a warm welcome.
Or sticking with 2D on the GBA even when people were crazy for polygons (they knew battery life was more important than polygons.)

I don't like them when they get too conservative and get scared to throw major resources behind new IPs, which they have done too much lately.

 

[Dehnus]

I like them when they just do something they feel good about without worrying what the fans will say. Like pushing ahead with cel-shaded Zelda, despite an internet outcry that made the Xbox One early response look like a warm welcome.
Or sticking with 2D on the GBA even when people were crazy for polygons (they knew battery life was more important than polygons.)

I don't like them when they get too conservative and get scared to throw major resources behind new IPs, which they have done too much lately.

The latter is also my gripe a bit, they rebooted Kid Icarus with Uprising. A great title, people are begging for a Wii U sequel, and they just drop it. There are so many NES "heroes" that could stand with a nice reboot.

 

[KongRudi]

Philistine, how dare you not be a big Nintendo fan! Now we shall tie you to a stake and crush you under an original Xbox until you see the error of your ways. Only then may you ask the Immortal God Plumber, sitting on his Golden Throne... for mercy .

Mercy from evil Mario?

Good luck with that..

 

[Jay Mammoth]

The latter is also my gripe a bit, they rebooted Kid Icarus with Uprising. A great title, people are begging for a Wii U sequel, and they just drop it. There are so many NES "heroes" that could stand with a nice reboot.

Imagine a new Prowrestling game for the wii u.

 

[Dehnus]

Mercy from evil Mario?

Good luck with that..

I never said that the Immortal God Plumber sitting on the Golden Throne would be merciful, all you can hope for is forgiveness as he claims your soul with many of the thousands of infidels for nourishment. And as you suffer you will be penitant and beg for forgiveness while you can rest yourself and calm your mind with the thought that the little energy you give, will grant Nintendo a guiding light through the universe.... Sigh.. I should stop playing Warhammer 40k so much, still from us Eldar's perspective.. the Imperium is quite evil .

 

[Dehnus]

Imagine a new Prowrestling game for the wii u.

Would be a nice alternative if it was done tongue in cheek. I just can't stand all the MMA and Free Fight games out there. But RC Pro-AM also could be nice, with fully upgradable RC models.

Oh wait.. RARE . Well erm..... Maybe if we look at MS with very nice eyes they'll let us use it. After all, it isn't like they will ever use it. Not enough testosterone in that . I know that SEGA even "commissioned" a "copy" R.C. Grand Prix that wasn't that bad. So.. some spiritual successor with a different name maybe? And more than just cars? Boats? Helicopters . As long as it has the same four player feeling .

Hehe I can so remember that vibe of that splitter they sold, so you and four friends could play deep in to the night on that thing .

 

[Dno69]

I just randomly thought of a reason why I love Nintendo while playing Super Mario World 3D. I like them because they never waste space within the game world. By that I mean that there are secrets in almost every corner of a scene. They're just so good with that.