MY VIEWS: Nintendo's Uphill Struggles

MY VIEWS: Nintendo’s Uphill Struggles

Do you remember back in the 80’s when Nintendo was king?  When the Nintendo Entertainment System was THE video game console?  I started gaming on the NES, and my very first game was the original Super Mario Bros.  My collection steadily grew to include many classics, like Bubble Bobble, Blaster Master, the full array of Mega Man games, and all the Mario titles.

When the Super Nintendo launched in 1990, I was probably one of the first kids to score one thanks to my mom (who admittedly spoiled me a bit).  Super Mario World was the first game I got, but I quickly accumulated many more.  I was introduced to RPGs with Breath of Fire, and quickly collected the gamut, from all the smash hits from Squaresoft to the Lufia series.  I played my first Zelda game – Link to the Past – and got hooked on Super Mario Kart.  At this point, Nintendo was still truly on top of the gaming world.

In 1996, the N64 was introduced, Nintendo’s answer to Sony’s Playstation released in 1994.  Although home to incredible groundbreaking hits like Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye 007, and Super Smash Bros, many considered it a strange choice to continue producing games on cartridges when more powerful and larger capacity discs were coming to the forefront.  The peculiar controller design was awkward and a bit uncomfortable.  Along with the Final Fantasy series, Playstation was already off and running with a massive array of new franchises, and others that jumped ship from Nintendo (like Bomberman and Castlevania).

Nintendo finally switched to discs (albeit small ones) with the debut of the GameCube in 2001 (the year I graduated high school), but Playstation had already trumped them the previous year with the Playstation 2, which grew to become the best selling console (right behind its predecessor, the original Playstation).  In addition, Nintendo now shared the playing field with Microsoft (the Xbox) and Sega (the Dreamcast).  With competition getting fierce, Nintendo attempted to go the innovative route, producing unique offerings like Zelda – Four Swords and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, but they were often met with criticism and only moderate successes.  In the end, GameCube’s less than spectacular library of games was its ultimate downfall.

When the latest generation of consoles was released, Nintendo created waves with the Wii in 2006.  The console was innovative and cool, something that helped its initial sales.  But as it grew, one major setback became painfully clear – while its core games developed by Nintendo were incredible, its third party offerings were mostly pitiful jokes.  And these pitiful jokes would grow and grow and eventually become the majority of the Wii’s catalog.  With the PS3 and Xbox 360 pumping out hit after hit, it was hard for Nintendo to keep up with its mediocre offerings, even with its cool Virtual Console that allows you to buy and play classic Nintendo games.  It didn’t help that PS3 and Xbox also eventually introduced their own “move” technology (although only the Xbox’s Kinect was marginally successful).  Developers began to shy away from the limited power of the Wii, instead choosing to (smartly) realize their visions on the two more powerful consoles.

Now with the Wii U leading the way into yet another generation of consoles, I wonder what the future holds for the original gaming giant.  The launch was only moderately successful, and the flagship titles are a bit lackluster.  Most of my favorite games are now on the other systems, with only a handful on my old Wii.  As Nintendo looks ahead, I hope they are developing a plan to reclaim their status as a world class hardware and software developer.  I’ve always had a special place in my heart for these guys, and I wish them the best in their endeavors this year.  I’m excited to see what will happen!