Self Destruction or Construction

Self Destruction or Construction

source article: "Nintendo's Reliability vs Creativity," by Josh Bycer on Gamasutra, October 4^th, 2012

                Nintendo's games have not changed much in recent years and this is leaving fans with Mario Fatigue. The brand name of Nintendo is one that strikes an international level because of their extremely successful franchises. However, has Nintendo sucked the franchise well dry?  What could be more original than two plumbers who eat mushrooms and ride on dinosaur backs to save the princess from an over-grown turtle?

                Mario has been in all kinds of game genres; and even more titles, reaching over 200. It is because of this that Mario is such a well-known figure in gaming. From Role Play Games to Golfing Games, any member of the family can play a game featuring Mario. Recently, Nintendo has stopped experimenting with original game concepts and started to refine and rediscover their current game series. For some people this is a great thing. Utilizing the more modern technologies, games such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D come to life in your hands and enrich the gaming experience. However, remaking the same game over and over again becomes redundant and fails to provide an engaging experience.

                When you pick up a new Pokemon game you can expect a few things; you start with a choice of three cute Pokemon, you will have a rival who you fight to get to the Pokemon League, and you will be forced into a heated battle against some not so cleverly named  antagonist team. Although fun to new players, games like these are just boring to players of the original game. Why are these games so boring? Well the answer is simple, other than the addition of 100 new Pokemon, the story and gameplay does not change between the iterations. Nintendo is just recycling their games so new players can experience the magic of their games with the leading technology. Where does that leave the rest of their fans, behind and forgotten.

                So the final question arises; Is Nintendo doing the right thing?  It is absolutely essential to keep a game and its fan-base alive, but at the same time it is important to make sure you do not leave your fans behind because you refuse to make a new game. The key to solving this complex riddle lies in balance. Nintendo needs to find a way to make new audiences fall or even re-fall in love with their beloved characters while still adding depth and substance to their games. Because it's not just about making new games that were thought of while taking a shower. Unless Nintendo actually makes an effort at adding substance, their new games will fall into the infamous 20 worst Nintendo games. Don't be afraid to take a risk and try something new, but do not forget about the games that we fell in love with as a child.