The Rise of the King: How Nintendo Dominated the Gaming Industry, and Why They Own Your Nostalgia

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Nintendo Logo in red text on a white background

Official Nintendo Logo // courtesy of nintendo

              In a we recent poll we conducted with gamers among peers and fellow students, one of the questions was “What is the first video game company you can think of?”. The most common answer to this was Nintendo, by an absolute landslide of 14 answers. The second place was Sony with 3. This is probably not a surprise to anyone reading this, but why is that? How exactly did Nintendo become so synonymous with videogames as a whole?

              In order to understand Nintendo’s current place in gaming culture, we need to look back at their beginnings. The company known as Nintendo had existed as a playing card and toy manufacturer long before videogames ever entered the picture. Their first forays into the gaming market were fairly humble, mainly producing light gun accessories for Magnavox hardware in the 70’s. It wasn’t until the 80’s when Nintendo jumped into full on game development, and this was certainly a difficult time to attempt entering into the industry. While the 1983 launch of the Famicom console went rather smoothly in Japan, things would not be so simple for in the west.

A Famicom System on top of two stacked NES systems

The Japanese Famicom sitting on top of two of its western countepart, the nes // courtesy of wikipedia

By this time the western videogame industry was in shambles following the great videogame crash of 83, and most consumer had brushed of videogames as a short-lived fad. However, these troubling circumstances would prove to be blessing to Nintendo in the long run. Not only would Nintendo’s console (rebranded to the NES for the west) thrive in the western market, it single handedly revived videogames as a whole. Without notable competition, Nintendo dominated the whole industry, and became the premiere game console. While other competitors did crop up to oppose them, most namely SEGA, none of them could dethrone Nintendo’s position on top. The big N would remain king through the 80’s and early 90’s, until the rise of the PlayStation in 95 would mark a shift to a more even playing field. However, this meant Nintendo still spent over a decade as the definitive face of videogames and defined the medium for an entire generation. That leaves a cultural footprint that is hard to wipe away.

              However, Nintendo’s success doesn’t just come down to their hardware or their revival of a falling industry. The most important factor is Nintendo’s games. The entire reason for the crash of 83 in the first place was that the industry had become flooded with games of incredibly poor quality. Nintendo, on the other hand, made a name for themselves by producing consistently high-quality titles, establishing themselves as a more trustworthy brand. Not only did they make their own games to a certain standard of quality, but they also made a point of only allowing games on their consoles if they met that standard as well. This improved the quality of games across the board, not just Nintendo games.

              The most important thing about Nintendo’s game, however, is how iconic they were. So many of Nintendo’s titles produced long lasting franchises that still stand the most beloved and influential series in the medium. From Mario, to Zelda, to Pokémon; so many Nintendo games have achieved such fame that even most non-gamers will recognize their names. When you also factor in that these games are primarily aimed at younger and more impressionable audiences, Nintendo’s hold over the minds of the public is not surprising.

              It really shouldn’t be any wonder why Nintendo are the most recognizable company in videogames. They revitalized the western gaming market during its darkest hour and normalized quality standards in the industry. Their games and characters capture the hearts of an entire generation, becoming the most beloved and nostalgic icons in the medium. They ruled the industry so thoroughly during its early days that their name is now synonymous with video games as a whole. Nintendo showed up at the right time, with the right strategy, and great games; and that’s how they became the king.

An assortment of logo's for various Nintendo franchises, including Mario, Zelda, Pokemon and many more.

An assortment of Nintendo game series, both iconic and obscure alike // courtesy of nintendofandj on deviantart

Gareth Myers - A hardcore casual fighting game scrub, childhood Nintendo baby, and practically the text book definition of a basement dwelling nerd. I have spent many an hour studying the history and art of videogames, when I probably should have spent that time learning even the most basic combos to avoid online bodying. I wish to one day use my writing talents to make my own sci-fi fantasy novels to bring my own characters and stories to life, but until then rambling about games for the internet will be fine enough practice.

Kid Icarus: The Best Nintendo Series You Never Played

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2D side scrolling gameplay of Kid Icarus for the NES

Gameplay of Kid Icarus on the NES // Courtesy of Wikipedia

While Nintendo has created countless franchises that have become defining icons of the videogame space, there also many that have not gained the level of love and attention that they probably deserve. Kid Icarus is one such series.

The Original Kid Icarus was released in December 1986 for the Famicom Disk system in Japan, though the western release was an altered version for cartridges. It had initially been the passion project of a single man, Toru Osawa. Kid Icarus was Osawa’s very first game after joining Nintendo’s RaD1 department. When they had told him he could make any game he wanted, Osawa chose to make an action game based a Greek Mythology, which he was always a big fan of. What he was not told, however, was that he would be the only person working on the game for several months.

By the time other RaD1 employees joined the project after finishing Metroid, Osawa only had a few months left before the deadline, and he was nowhere near finished. With the extra talent on board, development sped up incredibly, but in the insane rush to meet the deadline, other creative voice notably changed the games tone. Osawa’s serious Greek myth became notably sillier and more cartoonish, with credit cards and Eggplant Wizards among other things. However, after months of struggle, the game was finished on time, and a new Nintendo franchise was born.

Pit and Palutena in the Subspace Emissary campaign mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Pit and palutena as depited in super smash bros. brawl, the first appearance of their modern redesigns // courtesy of tenor user juks_fanterisen

The game sold moderately well and received a Gameboy sequel in 1991, but not much after that. For the next two decades the series was dormant outside of the odd cameo or reference in games like Kirby Super Star, WarioWare, or Super Smash Bros. Melee. The next major development for Kid Icarus was the inclusion of series hero Pit as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which was many fans initial introduction to the franchise. This also marked Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai’s first major involvement with Kid Icarus, though it certainly wasn’t the last.

When tasked with creating a new game for the upcoming 3DS, Sakurai came up with the idea for a shooter that would alternate between aerial and land-based battles. When considering Nintendo franchises to go with concept, Kid Icarus and its angelic hero fit the bill. Thus, was born 2012’s Kid Icarus Uprising, one of the great gems of the 3DS lineup.

This game breathed new life into the series. The 2D sidescrolling gameplay was completely reworked into a third person shooter. The story and characters were also vastly fleshed out, feeling like a full season of anime in a way that never interrupts with the pace of the gameplay. The seamless blend of gameplay and story with a loveable cast of humorous characters gave the series something it hadn’t had in decades, a genuine, passionate fanbase.

Despite Uprising’s success, not much has come from the series sense. Sakurai has increased the amount of Kid Icarus representation in later Super Smash Bros. games, adding new fighters, stages, and easter eggs, but that’s it. No sign of any new games. Not even any hints of a modern Uprising rerelease, a common fan request likely hindered by the games over reliance on 3DS specific gimmicks. Sakurai has expressed no interest in making a sequel, and with no news in a decade, it seems like the games newfound popularity still could not save it from the pit of forgotten Nintendo IP’s. However, in a time where we have recently gotten Metroid 5 and Pikmin 4, hope for a new Kid Icarus may not be completely dead. A new game is the last thing most would predict at after so long, but if there’s one consistent thing about Nintendo, it’s how unpredictable they are.

3d Third person shooter gameplay of Kid Icarus Uprising. Pit aims a cannon at an enemy.

Kid icarus uprising’s land gameplay, shifting into a third person shooter // courtesy of game informer

Gareth Myers - A hardcore casual fighting game scrub, childhood Nintendo baby, and practically the text book definition of a basement dwelling nerd. I have spent many an hour studying the history and art of videogames, when I probably should have spent that time learning even the most basic combos to avoid online bodying. I wish to one day use my writing talents to make my own sci-fi fantasy novels to bring my own characters and stories to life, but until then rambling about games for the internet will be fine enough practice.

Were The 2000's Really a 'Dark Age" for Fighting Games?

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The period from 2000 to 2008 often holds a bad reputation amongst the Fighting Game Community (FGC), often being referred to as “the Dark Age of Fighting Games”. But was it really that dark? How accurate is this moniker? Let’s take a good, hard look at the state of the genre and its community at that time to see how dark things truly were.

If we look at the fighting games that were released during this period, the sheer number certainly decreases around 2000, but the actual quality and reputation of many of these titles already put the “Dark Age” moniker into question. Right off bat, the first two years include such landmark titles as Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and Capcom Vs. SNK 2, both beloved classics that are still praised to this day. Of course, these are the last big fighters Capcom would release until 2008’s Street Fighter 4, which left a massive vacuum to fill. Let’s look at the other notable series and developers to see how they fared in an industry that had lost its king.

Opening cinematic of tekken 5/ Courtesy of the fighters generation.com

SoulCalibur 2 released in 2002 to immediate acclaim, propelling that series to the highest heights it has ever seen, and being a must have title of that era. Its follow up didn’t sell nearly as much, mainly because of its PS2 exclusivity, but SoulCalibur 2 remained a very influential game in the space at that time. Bandai Namco’s other fighting franchise Tekken almost had the opposite arc during these years. Tekken 4 is generally considered one of the weaker entries in the franchise, but Tekken 5 did incredibly well, being the second most successful entry at the time. Overall, Bandai Namco’s fighters had their highs and lows during this period, but the highs were nothing to scoff at.

When it comes to Mortal Kombat the 2000’s were a very odd period. The games released back then hold a reputation not unlike the Star Wars prequel trilogy, being widely mocked laughing stocks for the longest time, until a recent emergence of nostalgic fans sparked a re-evaluation of sorts. Many now fondly remember many of the traits introduce in this era, from certain kharacters to the approach to single player kontent and game modes. The first game in this era, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance was the only one to reach notably high sales.

King of FIghters 2002 Gameplay/ courtesy of kyoflameashyden on Deviantart.com

Plenty of developers and series were filling the space as well at this time. Capcom’s old rival SNK was also hit hard by the decline of arcades, but still continued pumping out fighters. With the likes of the NESTS saga of King of Fighters, the fan favourite KOF 2002, and more Samurai Shodown titles, they kept their presence alive and their fans entertained. They weren’t gaining much attention outside of their pre-existing following though. Arc System Works’ Guilty Gear series was slowly but surely building a loyal community that would eventually become a juggernaut many years later. Tecmo’s Dead or Alive series was releasing its most beloved titles and doing quite well, despite (or perhaps because) of the reputation it garnered from its heavy sexualization. As we can see plenty of games were coming out, though most weren’t making much of a splash outside of their own small circles.

Guilty Gear xx accent core plus r character select screen/ courtesy of Steam

Gameplay screenshot of Dead or alive 4/ Courtesy of Neoseeker.com

Upon analysis, it seems that the problem wasn’t a lack of games, or even a lack of good games, but rather an absence of truly huge breakout titles. No one had managed to fill the same role Street Fighter once had, as the singular must-play game everything revolved around. There was no core blockbuster game that the entire community collectively bolstered as one. The FGC was less one big entity supporting the whole genre and more a collective of smaller communities built around specific games. Without its king or the bonding glue of arcade culture, the community was fractured, and no one else could put it back together. Everyone sticking to their own self-contained little bubbles caused the genre and its community to mostly go under the radar. Fighting games were not at all ‘dead’ during the so called ‘Dark Age’ but they were largely unseen with a few exceptions. It was less a ‘Dark Age’ and more of a ‘Dormant Age’ before the rise of online play and the return of Street Fighter would initiate another boom around 2009.

Street Fighter 4 banner/ Courtesy of interace in game.com

Gareth Myers - A hardcore casual fighting game scrub, childhood Nintendo baby, and practically the text book definition of a basement dwelling nerd. I have spent many an hour studying the history and art of videogames, when I probably should have spent that time learning even the most basic combos to avoid online bodying. I wish to one day use my writing talents to make my own sci-fi fantasy novels to bring my own characters and stories to life, but until then rambling about games for the internet will be fine enough practice.