Revolution of Nintendo

Emanuel Ribeiro-Reyes

  From being the king of originality to being the weird one out of the bunch, Nintendo has always been a unique gaming industry. Their consoles have had mix reviews, with some being successes and some failures. Nonetheless, they have been an industry that has outlasted every obstacle.

  Nintendo originally started out as a trading card company, selling handmade hanafuda cards (or flower cards) from 1889 to 1956. They also tried dabbling in transportation as a taxi company, “hospitality” as a love hotel chain, and food by making ramen.

  The first console was the Nintendo Entertainment Industry (NES), an 8-bit console released in 1983 that featured titles such as Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Super Smash Bros., and The Legend Of Zelda. The system paved the path for many of these games.

  The Nintendo 64 was a milestone, as it was their first 3-D capable system, creating the legendary title Super Mario 64. They also used cartridges instead of CD’s since the cartridges had faster loading times.

  The Nintendo DS became the go-to handheld, and brought sequels such as the Nintendo DSi and the 3DS. These devices replaced the Game Boy series, giving consumers a more powerful processor and better graphics.

  The Wii became their biggest success, selling 2.86 million units at launch, and have since then sold a staggering total of 101.63 million units. The tremendous amount of units sold greatly due to the unique style of the motion controllers.

  Their latest addition is the Nintendo Switch, a hybrid console/handheld that gives the consumers the ability to take their games from the TV on the go in an instant. The system is supporting a numerous amount of third-party titles (games that appear on multiple platforms) such as Skyrim and Binding of Isaac. This, along with the huge selection of launch game such as Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are giving the Nintendo Switch a huge opportunity to turn the tides in the console industry as they have been struggling to keep up with Sony and Microsoft.

  Many wonderful games have appeared during the holidays for the Switch too, such as Sonic Forces and Super Bomberman, which have caught the attention of many consumers looking for a good game to play on the Switch. These games appear to have great graphics and an interesting story/game mechanics.

   PVHS junior Jordan Lee was asked his personal favorite console, and he said, “I would have to say the best console Nintendo made is the Switch. The concept was really innovative, and it is impressive Nintendo was capable of creating a portable console that surpasses the Wii U’s level of quality.”

  PVHS sophomore Scott Smith said his favorite console is “The Wii because of the amount of games available on it such as Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy, and Sonic Adventure Battle 2.

   They have also made some devastating decisions, such as producing the Virtual Boy, a 3 dimensional headset that failed to attract customers due to its small library of games and weak display of 3-D images. The Wii U, which sold a dismal amount of units and was forgotten about quickly after the Switch came, was a disappointment as it’s tablet controller gimmick left the idea of a portable console in the trash and had a battery that could barely hold for more than 2 hours.

  Overall, Nintendo has made a huge impact on the gaming industry. Their decisions have helped other gaming brands stay on their toes. While they may have made risky decisions, they will continue to be a cherished company in many people’s hearts. Their future endeavors are to push the Switch into an era where Nintendo sits at the top again, and to extend its library to the maximum.