Sticking up for Nintendo

Reader jasoncart wrote in to give us a heads up on an editorial over on Ferrago. In it, the author defends Nintendo from its numerous detractors. From the article: "I love Nintendo and make no apology for it. I admit still that they annoy me like no other company in the gaming world. They can be at times simply utterly frustrating, I know that too well, but how shall I put it? Love is true but comes at a price. It's the one that is closest to you that can hurt you most."

Comments

Nintendo for kids? Rubbish.

[sc0ttyb]

"It's true that in principle they're often stuck in the past and as a result their releases are losing popularity with the modern wave of gamers but that doesn't in any way mean that their games are bad."

Stuck in the past, huh? I'm sorry, but I have enjoyed every single Mario/Zelda/Metroid game that's been released. Each of them have their charm.

The cool thing about Nintendo games using these classic franchises is that almost each iteration introduces a new gameplay mechanic that's not gimmicky, but is actually relevant to the gameplay. That's the thing: with classic franchises, they almost always try to spice it up.

Take the Metroid Prime series (there's 2, so why not call it a series?) for instance. It could have simply been your standard FPS in a power suit. But they actually took everything that made Metroid what it is and converted it to a 3D world full of life and detail. They are easily some the best first-person console games I've ever played. Normally I shy away from FPS on the consoles because of their unnatural feel with a controller. These games were easy to pick up and just start playing.

That's something else Nintendo games are known for. You can just pick up a controller and start playing the game. You don't have to read a 5-pound manual first for all the key-mappings and whatnot. The accessibility of Nintendo games is second to none.

Just because some of their games might have bright colors and happy music does not -- I repeat, NOT -- mean they're just for kids. Super Mario Sunshine had some pretty challenging (in a fun way) moments, as did Mario 64, Super Mario World, and even Mario 3 before that.

Wind Waker was another game that got chastised for its "kiddy" look. If graphics are all you base a game's worth on (DOOM 3, anyone?), then I feel sorry for you. Wind Waker was incredibly fun, despite its cel-shaded look. It was done for a reason, and it fits in perfectly with the theme of the game. Besides, the new Zelda game features a mature Link, which I know I've missed since Ocarina of Time. Hell, since Adventure of Link, for that matter.

The kiddy argument just doesn't fly. I think a lot of people say that because Nintendo is almost synonymous with "growing up". I played the NES growing up, and I still buy every console Nintendo makes. Why? They make great games, and they have yet to let me down in that department, even if they do frustrate the ever-loving piss out of me.