You really have to admire their marketing and user base cultivation. Any company that gets thousands to millions of people unironically saying "it just works" or "their games are magic" deserves all the praise they can get.
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The Magic of Nintendo
- Thread starter AlanOC91
- Start date
You really have to admire their marketing and user base cultivation. Any company that gets thousands to millions of people unironically saying "it just works" or "their games are magic" deserves all the praise they can get.
I started on the NES, but things really got good with the SNES. I was very let down by the N64, but Mario Kart, Smash, and Goldeneye were huge summer hits among my friends and I.
The Gamecube was a nice comeback for them, but it still didn't deliver fully. The Wii and Wii U were both medicore for multiple reasons, but the Switch is finally pulling it all back together. I feel like this is Nintendos comeback (for me personally)
The Gamecube was a nice comeback for them, but it still didn't deliver fully. The Wii and Wii U were both medicore for multiple reasons, but the Switch is finally pulling it all back together. I feel like this is Nintendos comeback (for me personally)
A lot of it is due to overall consistent quality, and associating a visual style of games with their brand.
That's pretty much my exact history. Started with NES when I was probably 10ish, but really became a hardcore gamer with SNES. Started to lose interest with N64, liked GC more, mostly hated the Wii liked the Wii U a tad better (HD, traditional controls for the most part). Switch is getting more use than Wii or Wii U, but the jury is still out on it for me. I wasn't gaga over BOTW like most (prefer the OOT formula) and Mario Odyssey is the only game so far I'd consider among my all time favorites. There's not much of anything in 2018 I care about for it either. But it's only early in it's second year, so it has a lot of time to build a great library for sure.
Not really, there are certain types of games they make that people can love. Not really about a cult. I mean, put it this way. I love Disney. The wife and I are Disney people, and there is something about their movies we love and their characters. That's not to say we don't like non Disney things. That's not to say they have not had misfries (because they have). But in general, it brings us joy :)
Anyway, Nintendo makes me feel that way. Their games and consoles make me happy. Simple. Which is funny, because I didn't get that way until I was in my 20's. Because growing up, I was a Sega kid. I had a SNES and got an N64 towards the end of its life, but I was all about the Genesis + Sega CD, the Saturn, and the Dreamcast. It was the GameCube, after Dreamcast dying, that made me a big Nintendo fan. I still enjoy the other systems though. I have a PS3 and PS4 as well, and I think the PS3 is one of the greatest consoles ever released even (I like it a lot more than my PS4 contentwise).
Oh OP, you missed out on the era of Nintendo being on top. NES and SNES were amazing consoles, with SNES being my second favourite of all time (after PS2). My best friend and I were OBSESSED with Nintendo as kids. We would design our own Mario levels in notebooks, invent our own characters for Nintendo IPs, make raps about Nintendo, draw comics of Nintendo characters mutilating and killing Sonic (we even sent them to Nintendo Power). Nintendo will just always have a special place in my heart in a way no other company can, no matter how much they screw up with stupid things like Amiibo bullshit, terrible online, no save backup, lazy full price ports etc. I still own and love my Switch.
From N64 onwards, Nintendo has played second fiddle in terms of library, third party support and/or market share. I've owned every Nintendo console except the WiiU and thoroughly enjoyed them, but they were never my main gaming platform once Sony hit the scene and then PC gaming became so affordable.
From N64 onwards, Nintendo has played second fiddle in terms of library, third party support and/or market share. I've owned every Nintendo console except the WiiU and thoroughly enjoyed them, but they were never my main gaming platform once Sony hit the scene and then PC gaming became so affordable.
OP
OP
I just want to thank everyone for taking part in the discussion. It's very interesting to see all the different viewpoints and perspectives on it. I completely agree that people can have the same type of experience on different consoles (Halo on Xbox being a big one, my brother would be in that category) but for me it's always been Nintendo that brought everyone together in a way that the rest of them couldn't.
SNES was weird in Ireland. It wasn't super popular and I barely knew anyone who had one. Feels like everyone had a Sega Mega Drive though. It was super popular here in Ireland and over in the UK as far as I know.
I do have a SNES though! Bought one a couple of years ago :)
SNES was weird in Ireland. It wasn't super popular and I barely knew anyone who had one. Feels like everyone had a Sega Mega Drive though. It was super popular here in Ireland and over in the UK as far as I know.
I do have a SNES though! Bought one a couple of years ago :)
I will say, on the topic of Nintendo systems, I'll never understand the nostalgia for the Nintendo 64 that exists today. That transition to 3D was super rough, and a lot of those games haven't aged super well. In fact, I'd argue that the ones that aged the best were titles like Ogre Battle 64 and Mischief Makers, which didn't push the hardware like other titles on the platform did. I feel like Ocarina of Time and Star Fox finally getting remakes on the 3DS was a great boon to those titles. I wish Majora's Mask on the system controlled closer to the original, as the new Zora controls largely hurt what could've been a truly amazing remake. I hope Nintendo eventually goes back and remakes more of those 64 games on Switch so that they can actually be enjoyable in modernity without nostalgia glasses.
I know exactly what you mean. I especially felt it as a kid. Nintendo games had this sheen to them other games didn't. They still do, but it was especially apparent back then for some reason.
Oh good! SNES has so many fun games that hold up today.
Yeah Mega Drive was huge in the UK, so it makes sense Ireland would follow suit. Here in Australia, I think Sega did OK but Nintendo dominated until Sony came along.
I want F Zero. Doesn't matter if it's a remastered version of GX or a new one.
It's criminal how underused that franchise is.
With all that cash in Nintendos wallet i wonder what the problem is to actually invest in their first party output, especially since Nintendos traditional franchises are all high in value. It's all spinning around Pokemon it seems
It's off topic i know, but it has to be said. Whether magic or not.
It's criminal how underused that franchise is.
With all that cash in Nintendos wallet i wonder what the problem is to actually invest in their first party output, especially since Nintendos traditional franchises are all high in value. It's all spinning around Pokemon it seems
It's off topic i know, but it has to be said. Whether magic or not.
My fondest memories of gaming will always be of my time with the SNES and the N64 in the 90's and beginning of the 2000s. Magical would be an accurate word to describe the times spent with those games. Those were two incredible generations to me.
After 2001 my N64 broke (twice) and as a result I mainly stopped gaming to focus on other things, but bought an used GameCube in 2010, a Wii in 2011 and a Wii U in 2013, and had again truly magical years of gaming bliss until the Wii U fiasco finally hit me hard in 2016, and that was when they fell out of favor with me pretty badly — to the point that, even after two E3, I'm still not feeling the absolute need to buy their current console that I felt with all of their prior offers.
Maybe my tastes are shifting. Dunno, really. Still want to play Mario Odyssey, though. Overall, I still feel myself yearning for that one game that will keep myself enthralled for months like GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark did — the first two Xenoblade games were the closest I've ever got to feeling this again.
After 2001 my N64 broke (twice) and as a result I mainly stopped gaming to focus on other things, but bought an used GameCube in 2010, a Wii in 2011 and a Wii U in 2013, and had again truly magical years of gaming bliss until the Wii U fiasco finally hit me hard in 2016, and that was when they fell out of favor with me pretty badly — to the point that, even after two E3, I'm still not feeling the absolute need to buy their current console that I felt with all of their prior offers.
Maybe my tastes are shifting. Dunno, really. Still want to play Mario Odyssey, though. Overall, I still feel myself yearning for that one game that will keep myself enthralled for months like GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark did — the first two Xenoblade games were the closest I've ever got to feeling this again.
For me, because of my age, was spectrum (F1) and Comodore Amiga (Sensible soccer) that bring people together. Now, also because of my age, the time/responsibilities/etc, and for everyone commodity its easier to play online, I have friends to play/chat/help/learn every time, no need to local play, bring consoles to everyone house, etc. This is the future, and MS/Sony since have their online infrastructure decreased their couch play offer.
I hate to be a downer but I've never actually felt this so called Nintendo magic, I grew up with genesis and playstation and would just play Nintendo games at friends. I did buy a GameCube and wii but other than some 3rd party titles, smash and the prime games I've actually always preferred what developers have offered on other platforms. That's what kept me from buying a switch yet, definitely getting one later this year for smash ultimate tho'
This I can get. The Apple comparisons do work here.
I remember when Apple fans were saying smartphones will never need to go past 4 inches LOL.
Echoes some Nintendo fans saying that Zelda was fine as is. In comes BoTW that takes quite a few bullet points from Western open world games with it's own ambitious twist and it's met with amazing success and praise.
The point here being: it's ok to expect more as a consumer even if the product is solid. Gotta keep up with what's going around the industry. This can apply to any company outside of Nintendo or Apple.
Hell, I think even the Switch is a good example of this.
It's creepily cultish. I do not understand some people at all - and I say that as the sole owner of two Switches. I absolutely do not think the company is above criticism because of nostalgia.
I agree with OP.
That being said, I think in 10-20 years, people will be posting on era-like sites talking about how Minecraft was magical, not Nintendo.
That being said, I think in 10-20 years, people will be posting on era-like sites talking about how Minecraft was magical, not Nintendo.
Lol. I was kind of one of those, but not because of Apple fanboyism. I just prefer a smaller phone as it's less bulky in the pocket. I'm also a very light phone user and use my iPad for most everything and pretty much always have it with me unless just out running errands or whatever. So the bigger screen doesn't do much for me. I'd go back to a dumb phone if not wanting a music player built in and loving my Apple Watch. As is I'm riding out my 6S and the 4S was probably my favorite form factor.
Perfect analogy.
I love other game and companies as well. Just like I like movies from other production studios as well. And while the both can have their duds, more often then not their tentpoles hit the spot perfectly. from Mario 3 to Super Metroid to Ocarina of Time to Pikmin to Galaxy 1 & 2 to BotW, theres just something that is special about Nintendo. Call me a fanboy I guess.
The fact that people are offended and saying but any dev and anyone can do this is hilarious. Yeah those devs have their own magic. This one specifically is about Nintendo Magic though
That's what I found interesting to. So many people came in to spit their vitriol about Nintendo fans. Completely unnecessary. I don't usually see or hear people complaining when threads about other companies.
Fair enough, but I acknowledge the cultish behavior.
Even though I feel it exists across all brand loyalty ass whole, even though it may seem or feel like some fans are more vocal or volatile than others.
Nintendo is the last major video game editor that put gameplay above anything else in their games.
They also have a lot of creativity, the best recent examples are probably Splatoon for games, and the Switch for hardware.
As someone that like great gameplay and fun games, I don't know what I would do if Nintendo wasn't there.
Just thinking about that worries me about the future of the video game industry.
I wish that Nintendo will never ever lose that "magic".
They also have a lot of creativity, the best recent examples are probably Splatoon for games, and the Switch for hardware.
As someone that like great gameplay and fun games, I don't know what I would do if Nintendo wasn't there.
Just thinking about that worries me about the future of the video game industry.
I wish that Nintendo will never ever lose that "magic".
I think Nintendo is likely second only to Disney with millennials when it comes to brand permeation and overall knowledge. They've built their entire current business model on nostalgia, hell, the four biggest games on the Switch (Zelda, Mario, Pokemon, Smash) all but don't mean a thing without it.
I love the company but do think they should branch out and take some risks with some new, more mature franchises. Splatoon and ARMS were still relatively safe because both FEEL like Nintendo properties. I'd love to see them branch out and try something daring and surprising.
I love the company but do think they should branch out and take some risks with some new, more mature franchises. Splatoon and ARMS were still relatively safe because both FEEL like Nintendo properties. I'd love to see them branch out and try something daring and surprising.
I would as well, but I can see why they don't. There's a lot of risk and little reward there. They have their brand and market and making more games in that style are mostly sure hits. Arms may not have set the world on fire, but it still sold very well for a new IP and especially as a fighting game which is a declining genre with even big IP like Street Fighter not selling anywhere near like it did in past generations.
If they make something very different, i.e. something aimed more at the Sony/MS base it's hard to say how it would sell. At best it sells well to their base and they didn't lose anything vs. having spent those development resources on a "safe" game in their traditional style. At worst it bombs and they lose that potential revenue that could have came from a tradtional game.
In any case, it's unlikely to impact hardware sales much. Most people who aren't buying for Nintendo games aren't going to go buy one because they put out one different game that appeals to them. So I can see why they don't bother much beyond occasionally funding things like Bayonetta to throw some people some bones with some more "mature" games very different in style and tone than their usual fare. I'd love to see what some of their dev teams could do in other genres, artstyles and tones though.
It's simple, Many many people, myself included, feel Nintendo simply makes the best video games. There is nothing cultish about it...no other company comes close in gaming.
So magic that I can't back up my Switch save games. They need to be better and are not deserving of worship.
OP
OP
I'll be honest. I loved my childhood and always look back on it fondly :) Some really happy times and a lot of those times were created because of NIntendo and their games. I'll always love them because of the great moments I had in the past (and hopefully future!).
EDIT: And it's not just for Nintendo either! I have plenty of stories revolving around other games too but this is specifically about Nintendo for now :)
Isn't "magic" a right place right time kind of thing? Nintendo just happened to have a series of great games on popular platforms when we were kids old enough to be playing local multiplayer with friends.
I have great memories playing Super Mario Kart, Pokemon, Advance Wars, Golden Eye and Perfect Dark with friends, but I have equally great memories of Heroes III, Time Splitters 2, Tekken 3 and Halo CE. I like Nintendo, but "magic" isn't exclusive to them
I have great memories playing Super Mario Kart, Pokemon, Advance Wars, Golden Eye and Perfect Dark with friends, but I have equally great memories of Heroes III, Time Splitters 2, Tekken 3 and Halo CE. I like Nintendo, but "magic" isn't exclusive to them
Any game Nintendo makes is gonna feel Nintendoish. Doesnt matter what it is really
I think this speaks to Nintendo's ability to be consistent in their releases.
At some point along the way Halo stopped feeling like Halo for some reason and many fans distanced themselves from the franchise (myself included) but something like Mario Kart is still going strong over 25 years later.
One of these days i was doing my favorite games list, and i noticed that the majority of my prefered games trough years was the multiplayers ones too
So, yes. I think this magic you are talking about is "having good moments of fun with people, bringing friends and family together". And if you look in restrospect, this is Nintendo philosofy ever since.
Many of us are around 20-30 now, and many of our friends and family don't even touch games anymore, but this is where online multiplayer games are shining more and more, connecting people with the same tastes around the world
So, yes. I think this magic you are talking about is "having good moments of fun with people, bringing friends and family together". And if you look in restrospect, this is Nintendo philosofy ever since.
Many of us are around 20-30 now, and many of our friends and family don't even touch games anymore, but this is where online multiplayer games are shining more and more, connecting people with the same tastes around the world
Nintendo has always been special to me but I have never put them on a pedestal above everyone else in the industry. Sometimes they have had the best game(s) in a genre, sometimes they haven't. It is nice to see they still have the touch for quality, artistically appealing games decades later although modern development cycles mean we get less of them.
There is a certain subset of Nintendo fanboys that do have a cultist vibe. These are people that twist history to act like Nintendo invented everything or go out of their way to downplay the importance of other classic companies like Atari and Sega. You don't usually find the same revisionist attitudes from Sony and MS fanboys because those companies weren't major console first-parties in the early decades of video games.
I have owned every Nintendo system from the NES onwards within their generations but what really made me a Nintendo fan was earlier than that with the arcades, Game & Watch, and pre-NES home ports. Donkey Kong was a huge game of my youth and the VIC-20 port remains one of my most played games. I also spent countless hours with Mario's Cement Factory.
And one of the arcades I went to (that was owned by Nintendo) had all their latest releases. In 1984/1985, before the NES launched in North America, I was playing so many amazing arcade versions of Famicom games not knowing they would be future home games. These Nintendo games had so much personality in the character designs. And the higher end Nintendo hardware (Punch Out) felt like playing cartoons come to life.
There is a certain subset of Nintendo fanboys that do have a cultist vibe. These are people that twist history to act like Nintendo invented everything or go out of their way to downplay the importance of other classic companies like Atari and Sega. You don't usually find the same revisionist attitudes from Sony and MS fanboys because those companies weren't major console first-parties in the early decades of video games.
I have owned every Nintendo system from the NES onwards within their generations but what really made me a Nintendo fan was earlier than that with the arcades, Game & Watch, and pre-NES home ports. Donkey Kong was a huge game of my youth and the VIC-20 port remains one of my most played games. I also spent countless hours with Mario's Cement Factory.
And one of the arcades I went to (that was owned by Nintendo) had all their latest releases. In 1984/1985, before the NES launched in North America, I was playing so many amazing arcade versions of Famicom games not knowing they would be future home games. These Nintendo games had so much personality in the character designs. And the higher end Nintendo hardware (Punch Out) felt like playing cartoons come to life.
I've pretty much never played any PS/XB game in a setting with either family or a group of friends that aren't all guys (i.e. a party). There may be some rare moments of Singstar or Guitar Hero, and I think someone had a Kinect one time.
Can't count the times I've played Mario Kart, Mario Party, SNES, NES, Wii Sports, Wii Party, etc etc. in those kind of settings.
Nintendo is still the only company that nails 'fun' and makes games that everyone can enjoy.
Can't count the times I've played Mario Kart, Mario Party, SNES, NES, Wii Sports, Wii Party, etc etc. in those kind of settings.
Nintendo is still the only company that nails 'fun' and makes games that everyone can enjoy.
Nothing will top the Super Nintendo for me. Nintendo nailed everything that generation and the games still hold up incredibly well and overall they have made most of my favorite games ever. Other than that, the so called "Nintendo Magic" kind of goes up and down for me depending on what particular system we are talking about here. Because, just to give an example, there was certainly no magic in either the software or hardware with the Wii U and the N64 was just depressing for the vast majority of it's life cycle.
Nintendo did however nail every single major portable device they ever made. So even at their worst, there was something interesting to play but there are too many misses which always remind me that Nintendo is basically like any other company. Every once in a while they completely hit it out of the park but the waiting time between those moments can be so infuriating.
Nintendo did however nail every single major portable device they ever made. So even at their worst, there was something interesting to play but there are too many misses which always remind me that Nintendo is basically like any other company. Every once in a while they completely hit it out of the park but the waiting time between those moments can be so infuriating.
It doesn't seem to be the case with my relatives, unless you count Pokemon Go. Jackbox Party games have been so much better at getting people to play games together, for me
I'm sure there are different strokes, those Jackbox things aren't "true" videogames are they? Don't think they have swedish language either which makes it useless over here.
But if we're talking actual videogame stuff, there's not much that comes close to Nintendo in those types of settings.
I'm like many of us, i grew up with Nintendo gaming in my life. My Dad got a NES from Boots (of all places), and let me play Mario Brothers with him. He passed it onto me, along with a Gameboy i had the following year after buying it. The Gameboy had my most played game ever, in Tetris (and i still have that very cart at home today). But, i missed out on the SNES and opted for the Mega Drive II instead. Not saying it was a bad move, it wasn't. I discovered a love for Sonic the Hedgehog and Streets of Rage, 2 franchises that hold dear to many gamers hearts. I can thank my cousin for drawing me back to Nintendo, he had an N64 with GoldenEye, Banjo Kazooie and Super Mario 64. I played it whilst at my Nans, and that year i asked for one for Christmas. I played some fantastic games in the likes of the above, and games like Ocarina of Time (which cemented my love of Zelda gaming) and the best WWE game ever in No Mercy.
I remained Nintendo-only with consoles right through to when the Wii was announced. The GameCube and GBA combo was great, had so much fun with that machine it should have been illegal. Again, like the N64 before it, i played some fantastic games like Wind Waker, Sonic Adventure 2 and Metroid Prime. Smash Brothers Melee remains a great game which i played with friends when popping over for the night, same as Mario Kart Double Dash.
As i mentioned, i was Nintendo only until the Wii. At first i wasn't favourable of the Wii with the motion controls, so i opted for an Xbox 360 and went the Microsoft route. But i was drawn back with Nintendo when i got a DS, so i ended up getting a Wii. There, i could play Twilight Princess (the swansong for the GameCube, and launch of the Wii) on the same machine as the likes of Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart Wii and Metroid Prime 3. I was a 2 console owner, but still loving the quality of Nintendo. I got a WiiU from an Asda clearance sale, no regrets. And i remained a 2 console owner with the WiiU and 360, then the PS4/WiiU combination. In this time, the 3DS came along. It was this machine that i met up with some fellow owners who bought me to the monthly gaming events, which i still go to this day. Got Breath of the Wild on the WiiU as it's swansong game, but as i felt with being a 2 console owner, the WiiU got neglected and forgotten quite often. So did Breath of the Wild.
When part of this group, i got invited with about 20 others from the South Wales group (many Streetpass groups had the same invites) to play the Nintendo Switch at a special reveal event. It wasn't out for 2-3 more months, but i felt lucky to have played it. And with the recent purchase of the Switch, i remain a 2 console owner with the PS4 as well. The Switch is a perfect machine as i can finally play Breath of the Wild when out and about, and focus on PS4 gaming when i get the time at home. Perfect combination in gaming, which is fantastic.
Throughout the years, i may distance myself from Nintendo, but it draws me back with it's charm and magic every time.
I remained Nintendo-only with consoles right through to when the Wii was announced. The GameCube and GBA combo was great, had so much fun with that machine it should have been illegal. Again, like the N64 before it, i played some fantastic games like Wind Waker, Sonic Adventure 2 and Metroid Prime. Smash Brothers Melee remains a great game which i played with friends when popping over for the night, same as Mario Kart Double Dash.
As i mentioned, i was Nintendo only until the Wii. At first i wasn't favourable of the Wii with the motion controls, so i opted for an Xbox 360 and went the Microsoft route. But i was drawn back with Nintendo when i got a DS, so i ended up getting a Wii. There, i could play Twilight Princess (the swansong for the GameCube, and launch of the Wii) on the same machine as the likes of Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart Wii and Metroid Prime 3. I was a 2 console owner, but still loving the quality of Nintendo. I got a WiiU from an Asda clearance sale, no regrets. And i remained a 2 console owner with the WiiU and 360, then the PS4/WiiU combination. In this time, the 3DS came along. It was this machine that i met up with some fellow owners who bought me to the monthly gaming events, which i still go to this day. Got Breath of the Wild on the WiiU as it's swansong game, but as i felt with being a 2 console owner, the WiiU got neglected and forgotten quite often. So did Breath of the Wild.
When part of this group, i got invited with about 20 others from the South Wales group (many Streetpass groups had the same invites) to play the Nintendo Switch at a special reveal event. It wasn't out for 2-3 more months, but i felt lucky to have played it. And with the recent purchase of the Switch, i remain a 2 console owner with the PS4 as well. The Switch is a perfect machine as i can finally play Breath of the Wild when out and about, and focus on PS4 gaming when i get the time at home. Perfect combination in gaming, which is fantastic.
Throughout the years, i may distance myself from Nintendo, but it draws me back with it's charm and magic every time.
Nintendo games work out well when it's people that have played Nintendo games in their youth. I have never been able to interest anyone in even trying a Nintendo game if they haven't grown up with them
For me it's Zelda and Fire Emblem.
I really wish Nintendo would make more games in that vein. Not necessarily adult but aimed at a slightly older audience.
Oh duh, forgot Metroid. Samus Returns was cool.
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