Read. Play. Love.
I am so sorry
Nintendo is Great is a Substack devoted to playing and exploring every game ever released for a Nintendo console/handheld in chronological order. Some posts are free, some are for paid subscribers only. Don’t forget to sign up below. Thanks for reading!
Nearly two weeks after I announced this Substack, you might be thinking, “Now Dylan, you do eventually plan to discuss Nintendo games on your Nintendo Substack, right?” *taps on phone screen obnoxiously* “Hello? H-Hello?”
I deserve that snark, yes I do.
But in all transparency, I’ve been stuck on the format.
Initially, I thought I would discuss one game per post. That said, I have no intention of posting more than twice a week at most. Given that frequency, it will take approximately until the end of time to complete this mission of playing every game ever released on a Nintendo console/handheld in chronological order. Several years before I’m out of the NES, at the very least. I’m not interested in that, and I doubt you are either.
So! Because of all that, my plan is to group batches of games together, probably around three per post. If a game comes along that is historically significant or just deserves a larger writeup, I’ll give the game its own post.
I hope that makes sense. I don’t want to skimp on any game, and if I knew we would all be on Substack in 2050, I’d probably take it slower. For now, though, I’ll do my best to convey each game’s essence within these parameters I’m setting for myself.
And who knows, I might say “Screw this,” and try a bunch of different formats along the way. We’ll just have to wait and see.
For those who might be wondering, I’m sticking to North American releases for this Substack. No Japan-only or Europe-only titles… for now. Who knows, the public clamor for international releases might be so strong, I’ll have no choice but to play all the mahjong and football simulation games.
For those who are interested in playing along with me, the first three games I’ll be discussing on Wednesday, September 18th are 10 Yard Fight, Baseball, and Clu Clu Land, all for the NES. Baseball and Clu Clu Land are available to play within the NES app on the Nintendo Switch Online service. 10 Yard Fight is available in its original arcade form on the Nintendo eShop for $7.99, but that’s a lotta money for what you’re getting. There are… other ways to play 10 Yard Fight. I trust you know how to find them.
I’ll be posting an NES games list soon - both for those who plan on playing along and as an overall reference guide for the Substack. The list will be incomplete initially, but I will fill it out over time. Same goes for other handhelds and consoles as I get there.
If anybody has any questions/thoughts about what I’m doing, feel free to leave them in the comments. Otherwise, we ride at dawn next Wednesday. See you there!
- DC
I think as was suggested on an earlier post, I’d be most curious to know about how your opinion has changed from the Questicle days.
One thing about this current crop is these are all 2-player games that are meant to be played that way. I’ve played them all occasionally over the years, 10 Yard Fight much more seldom than the others. But the last time I played any of them with another person was approximately 1991, and it would have been Baseball.
I’d imagine something along the lines of those old Leonard Maltin movie guides. A few lines about the game and a star rating.