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Should We Be Excited About Nintendo's Future?

I will be the first to tell you how much of a Nintendo fan I am if the topic of video games ever comes up in a conversation, despite the past 7 years seeing the Nintendo brand has become more and more irrelevant in the console and social market.

And as a big Nintendo fan it has hurt very much for a long time.

You can pretty much point to a number of consoles on the Nintendo catalogue (aside from the Wii) where we have seen Nintendo slowly slip away from the powerhouse company they once were.

The N64 arguably was a very successful and relevant console despite being trumped by the PS1 which would sell an all time sales record of 102 million units. The N64 was the home of some all time classic games beloved by many such as Goldenye, Mario 64, Super Smash Bros and what stands as the highest reviewed and greatest game of all time The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time. I also feel that the N64 pioneered the ever popular First Person Shooter genre well into what it has become today with It's control scheme along with games like Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, which is something Nintendo does not really get credit for.

The Nintendo 64 despite being trounced by the Sony Playstation in sales was arguably very successful with leaving a legacy of being a very beloved console that offered some of the most critically acclaimed and revolutionary games of all time

In the Gamecube's case the move from the not so developer friendly cartridge to the another not so developer friendly mini disc was something that hampered and annoyed some third party developers from putting extremely popular franchises like Grand Theft Auto onto the system despite the Gamecube being a graphical powerhouse (I for one feel it was more capable than the XBox with games like Metroid Prime pulling off visuals that I just had not seen on any other console in the sixth generation) this was due to developers having to compress data to fit the mini discs unlike the simple job of just putting the game on a XBox or PS2 disc, this would hurt the Gamecube around mid 2003 to 2004 where some third party developers behind some of the very popular multiplat franchises aimed at the more mature audiences, abandoned development for the system, which left the Gamecube with the stigma of being 'kiddie' as it would rely mainly on it's 'kid friendly' franchises during that time.

The Gamecube was a console I absolutely LOVED back in the day and was a technical powerhouse offering the perfect mixture of revolutionary games and power, which to this day it doesn't quite get credit for

The Wii is not included in this conversation however, because it was a console that put Nintendo back on the map and being the talk of literally every audience imaginable, 5 year olds all the way to 70+ year olds and people who never picked up a video game controller knew what the Wii was and enjoyed what the Wii was, although the argument can be made that the Wii was a extremely popular fad that was a strike of luck by Nintendo at the time, as there wasn't much love for the system by the majority of hardcore gamers who owned the 360 and PS3. The Wii selling at 102 million all time sales looked like it was putting Nintendo back to relevancy going forward.

The Wii U was supposed to be the console that built upon the Wii's success, attracted the hardcore crowd that didn't welcome the Wii with open arms while keeping Nintendo's brand relevant with the transition to HD graphics and the 'promise' of big third party games.

But a botched launch which put emphasis on the Wii U Gamepad as a 'new controller' which fooled people into thinking it was a add-on for the previous Wii console which steam had died off pretty much by 2011 pretty much set the table for a miserable console run for the Wii U despite it being a superb console with top quality games and experiences you just won't find on a Sony or Microsoft platform (the Wii U is still very much a beloved console for me).

The Wii U is pretty much the console that buried Nintendo's relevancy in the console market nearly six feet under and I feel that it is a combination of things that the really exposed Nintendo really running out of fuel, not knowing what to really do to capitalise on the Wii's success and certain Nintendo staff veterans becoming very much out of touch with what the console market is all about and what fans really want from Nintendo.

The Wii U has been a console that I have absolutely adored in all the years of owning it, despite it being the shunned kid at school. It was a system with all the potential in the world but Nintendo just simply did not know what to do with it leading to games that would be right at home on the console never showing up much to the disappointment of Nintendo fans

And there was no better example of this at Nintendo's very disappointing E3 of 2015 (yes i'm going back there) which was pretty much the sum up of how much Nintendo had fallen with the Wii U as it was supposed to be an event where Nintendo would go 'all out' to try and give the Wii U brand some dignity and get console units in the homes by giving fans a last great blow out of games for the system; a new Metroid, a HD remake of Super Mario Sunshine, a proper Animal Crossing game that would take advantage of the unique Wii U gamepad for it's unique community world simulation gameplay or even a new F-Zero. 

But (Apart from a new Starfox game) Nintendo didn't deliver ANY of that, instead they would announce entries for Metroid and Animal Crossing which came in the form of very mediocre spin-offs Metroid Prime Federation Force for the 3DS and Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival for the Wii U which really left a sour taste in many fans mouths.

Games like Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival (left and Metroid Prime Federation Force (right) were most definite signs that Nintendo were at a indefinite crossroads of not being in touch with the current gaming climate and what their fans really wanted

And so the table was set for the rest of the Wii U's life from 2015 to the present year with just 14 Million Units sold.

Fast forward to the present day; and Nintendo's new console the Switch looks very promising, it's console/handheld hybrid idea is ingenious and it has got people reacting positively through it's sales with 1.5 units sold already in it's first week but most importantly it has got people talking about Nintendo again.

Also add in the fact that it has launched with what is perhaps the greatest game of this generation (or ever made) the super addictive Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild, it looks as if Nintendo may have turned a corner for the better.

Which prompts the question; Should We Be Excited About Nintendo's future?

When I play Zelda Breath Of The Wild, I can't help but feel that Nintendo are most definitely in the midst of a new golden era much like the days of the SNES, It's a game that feels like a complete move away from the Nintendo of the post N64 era, it's a game that has taken a chance on evolving a much loved franchise by changing the usual conventions of the series that were very much tired by Zelda Twilight Princess, which was trying very hard to be a modern day Ocarina Of Time.

And the 'taking chances' factor is something that has really gone over Nintendo's head in the past few generations and I don't mean the taking chances that ruin something in a negative way like a Metroid Prime Federation Force or a Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival, I'm talking about the chances that adds by subtracting a run of the mill formula but still let's you know that this is still the franchise you know and love.

Zelda Breath Of The Wild is a beautiful masterpiece that shows what Nintendo are all about when they put their mind to something and it could well be a game that has begun a new golden era for Nintendo

Zelda Breath Of The Wild is the symbol of this and it's the blueprint that Nintendo should follow going forward for the foreseeable future.

I for one have always thought that some of the 'old guard' at Nintendo like Shigueru Miyamoto should step down from production duties to let young talent who are in tune with what the gaming climate is all about in this generation, and handle the reigns going forward too, and they have done that, with the reports that the Switch was produced by a fresh younger pool of engineers and designers and it really does show looking at the sleek and more sophisticated design of the Switch compared to consoles of the past.

Sleek & Sophisticated: The Nintendo Switch's design looks very mature and grown up compared to it's older relative consoles

Another game that seems to be signalling a generation of evolution and promise for Nintendo is the upcoming Super Mario Odessey which pretty much seems to be the game that fans have been begging for, for what seems like an eternity since Super Mario 64. Don't get me wrong though, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 & the much playing it safe Super Mario 3D Land were all stellar titles in their own right, but myself along with many other fans feel that these games were not exactly the kind of adventure experience we wanted from a Mario game.

The Mario We Deserved But Not The Mario We Wanted: The Mario Series has had some great  all time critical acclaimed entries but these games have not really been THAT Mario 64 follow up we expected

Super Mario Odessey however, looks to be that grand sandbox adventure that fans have dreamed about

With E3 coming up and a rumoured big showing planned hot on the heels of a great recent Nintendo direct that got straight to the point of what titles the fans can expect to keep them busy on their Switches this summer, it is the perfect time for Nintendo to hit the park running with a stellar showing at the event and show people why they are the best at what they do in the gaming industry and that is delivering  top quality gaming experiences and moments like no other company.

There have been rumblings of a reveal for the long awaited follow up to Beyond Good & Evil, A new IP being developed by Retro Studios, the possibility of a Dark Souls collection of all games in the series landing on the Switch and the possibility of a open world Pokemon game follow up to Sun & Moon on the 3DS, which will just print money for Nintendo if revealed.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 could possibly be the game that shows Nintendo is serious about snapping up third party exclusives and building/mending serious relationships with third parties again

But what I feel Nintendo really need to do to really solidify their brand relevance again apart from third party support, is to show the long time and old school Nintendo fans that have lost faith in the company over the years, is to make the effort to show that their much lost and disrespected franchises are not long dead and will be back with a new lease of gameplay that much like the Zelda Breath Of The Wild blueprint, evolves the game for the better.

Franchises like Metroid, F-Zero, Earthbound, Starfox (a true evolution of the series), Wave Race, The 1080 Series, Excitebike are all much loved properties of Nintendo that have disappeared off the face of the earth in recent times, with Nintendo not seeming to care to try and continue these IP's with new fresh entries that would be right at home on the Switch with inspiration  taken from what Breath Of The Wild has done. 

For example, just imagine a Open World Earthbound game with 3D disney pixar-esque visuals similar to the Mario Kart 8 engine with clever witty writing, an engaging story and great battle mechanics, Imagine a new stunning F-Zero game which would build on what Fast RMX is doing for the futuristic racing genre with 30 player online races & local multiplayer all at a smooth 60 FPS or a brand new entry in the Metroid Prime Series which evolves the series by incorporating space battles inside Samus's fully interactive spaceship (something hinted at in Metroid Prime 3) and a online competitive multiplayer mode to rival the likes of Halo, Call Of Duty, Destiny etc would be an absolute dream right?  Well I believe Nintendo have the power to make this a reality and if they do this or even hint that this is coming, I really feel we would be on the way to a new Nintendo golden era not seen since the days of the SNES.

The Lost Franchises: Despite getting hints and nods to much loved and long lost franchises like Metroid, F-Zero, Excitebike and Earthbound to name some, Nintendo just have not put any love or care into to continuing and evolving them which could easily fill droughts and voids seen in previous console generations like the Wii U

Nintendo so far are doing everything right with the Switch, if they simply give the fans what they want in terms of top notch software then Nintendo are officially back in the game and knocking on Sony's door again.

Let's hope Nintendo have learned from the mistakes and sins of the past and become truly great again.

If Nintendo deliver at E3, it is most likely time to be very excited about Nintendo's future.


Feel free to leave comments and opinions on how you feel about all of this.


-Simeon Barrett