Let's-a Play Lots of Nintendo!
An Introduction
Nintendo is great. They're great for their fantastic games, their innovative consoles and controller designs. Their successes often push the industry forward, and their failures drive them to be better. They're great because they care about providing their consumer with a fun and memorable experience.
Nintendo is not perfect, but their desire to continuously innovate and not follow Western gaming industry trends has allowed them to be a refreshing oasis of sanity for many gamers. Out of the current big three console makes - Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo - only Nintendo seems content to not nickel-and-dime their consumers with microtransactions, loot boxes, and DLC that should have been part of the main experience.1
My Favorites
Look at this murderer's row of greatness: the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Gamecube, Game Boy Advance, DS, 3DS, Wii U, Switch. Out of these four home consoles, four handhelds, and one hybrid, only two (Gamecube, Wii U) weren't huge sales successes.
The NES revitalized the games industry in the United States and expanded millions of minds about what home console gaming could be. Mario, Zelda, Mega Man, Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden, all the greatest hits for a mere $19.89, call and order now, they won’t last long at this price.
The SNES perfected what the NES began. Many genres, including 2D platforming, fighting, and JRPGs, reached their peak here. Street Fighter II Turbo, Final Fantasy III, Link to the Past, Super Metroid, stop me, oh ho ho, stop me. Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before!
The Game Boy used ancient technology to replicate console experiences onto a portable system. Let’s face it, most of the 118 million people who bought a Game Boy just played Tetris, Pokemon or Super Mario Land on this thing. And that’s ok! But the Game Boy has more to share, and we will get there.
The Gamecube found Nintendo at a height of experimentation, both with newer titles (Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin) and established franchises (Super Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker, Metroid Prime). Nintendo ostracizing their dwindling fan-base with eccentric (and now beloved) entries in their favorite franchises. Classic!
The Game Boy Advance was the sorta handheld sequel to the SNES that all Nintendo fans desired, complete with remastered titles (Super Mario Advance, FFIV-VI) and brand new ones that wouldn't have fit on the SNES (Castlevania series, Advance Wars, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga) .
Nintendo's more recent consoles and handhelds have asked us to embrace duality.
The DS revolutionized the handheld market with dual-screen action (complete with touchscreen) right before mobile gaming became huge. You could play Brain Age and Nintendogs and call it a very casual day, or you could delve deep into this thing’s insane JRPG library. Something for everyone here.
The 3DS introduced 3D play and a stronger processor into a DS shell. The headaches are real, but so too is the huge library of solid titles (Super Mario 3D Land, Bravely Default, Animal Crossing: New Leaf).
The Wii U is an awkward console tethered to an enormous tablet controller (you could play games on the tablet if your significant other wanted to watch "Mad Men" or something). When the console works as originally intended (Super Mario Maker, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Hyrule Warriors, Yoshi's Wooly World), it's a joy to play.
Finally, the Switch, the console that's now seven (!) years old, yet already feels like it's a welcome part of Nintendo's classic hardware pantheon. Its blend of home console and handheld action makes it the perfect Nintendo experience, and I have no idea how the company will improve on this simple, brilliant formula.
What? I’m missing some?
Oh wait, you’re right… more on those further down.
Our Mission
Nintendo is Great is a Substack dedicated to exploring every game ever released for a Nintendo console in chronological order, starting with the NES/Famicom and working our way up to the Nintendo Switch.
We’re not just playing the Nintendo developed/published games. We’re playing all the games, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
6 consoles. 5 handhelds. 1 hybrid. 1 Virtual Boy. Thousands of games. Tens of thousands of gaming hours. We’ll be here awhile!
While I’d like to say that I can plow through hundreds of NES games without my sanity being tested, the truth is, I might need an occasional break. If that’s the case, I’ll likely start on Game Boy or SNES, while still maintaining the Substack’s ethos of progressing through each library in chronological order.
Currently, the Nintendo is Great posts are the opinions of me, Dylan Cornelius. Eventually, my hope is that other authors will partner with me on this Substack and offer their own unique perspectives.
At some point, I’d also like to cover Nintendo's arcade output, Game and Watch handhelds, Color TV Game line of systems (pre-Famicom), and maybe some of their earlier toy creations. For now, we're starting with the NES/Famicom and going from there!
My Least Favorites
Yes, I did leave out the Virtual Boy, the N64, the Game Boy Color, and the Wii in My Favorites list above. I don't hate these consoles/handheld/whatever Virtual Boy is, but in my opinion, they're not Nintendo at their best.
The Virtual Boy was destined to fail. Look at how awkward it is. We liked a lot of weird crap in the 90s, but this thing was too much. Playing it proved problematic, as well. Red and black as far as the eye could see, then after 10-15 minutes, a dull continuous throbbing in your skull. Not even Wario Land could save this one.
The Nintendo 64's focus on expensive cartridges and a slow trickle of quality titles really hurt the system's longevity. Sure, the console had some killer games (Super Mario 64, Goldeneye 007, Harvest Moon 64), and a bunch of exclusive weird ones (Space Station Silicon Valley, anyone?), but it's the Nintendo system I return to the least.
The Game Boy Color should have come out in the mid-90s instead of late 1998. It was discontinued in early 2003 (though games support had all but dried up by 2002), only had a handful of decent titles (out of a library of over 1500 games!), and was quickly usurped by the far-superior Game Boy Advance in 2001.
The Wii was a breath of fresh air... for about two years. After that initial batch of brilliance (Twilight Princess, Wii Sports, Super Mario Galaxy), the pickings were slim for years. Shovelware reigned supreme, and Nintendo seemed content to coast on its success. Mario Kart Wii and New Super Mario Bros Wii are two of Nintendo's laziest titles ever – and, sadly, two of their most successful.
Wii Would Like to Play
We invite you to play along with us! Relive all your old favorites and talk with us in the comments about which games you love, which games you hate, and which games plunge you into deep nostalgic waters.
Thanks for reading and subscribing!
*images courtesy of Engadget, IGN, Best Buy, eBay, Amazon, Adafruit Blog, and Creative Bloq
Nintendo does offer DLC for most of its big games, but the DLC is not necessary to fully enjoy the game they’re attached to.
I've never subscribed to something faster. Looking forward to your articles on my favourite gaming company!
1. Didn’t you just publish a piece about how this “every game ever” approach to blogging ruined your life?
2. I will thank you not to besmirch the good name of the Virtual Boy
3. Space Station Silicon Valley is criminally underrated
4. Keep me in the ol’ Rolodex if you’re looking for partner authors