Nintendo is Back in the Game

Nintendo is back on top. There is no denying it anymore; Nintendo is back to the forefront of the gaming world. They can no longer be dismissed by saying “That’s a kid’s console/no real gamer plays Nintendo games/Nintendo isn’t for hardcore gamers.” In all honesty, even though the PlayStation is capable of pushing games to a whopping 4K, Sony would be put at the back of the class if Nintendo continues with the momentum that they are currently going with. Have your doubts, need proof? While I can get straight to the point, it would be more difficult to disagree if the long route is taken.

Nintendo really began to make themselves a threat with the New Nintendo 2DS XL. Not discrediting the 3DS, in fact I own the original 3DS and the New 3DS, however the New Nintendo 2DS is the second best handheld on the market right now. Although I do miss the 3D, I am now awarded more hours of gameplay which comes in handy on long trips, better audio without my headphones and a larger screen because who doesn’t like more screen to enjoy their gaming. It is lighter than a PS Vita and has a more diverse library of games. One such game being a favourite of many fans of all ages and genre; Metroid Samus Returns. The more older gamers were ecstatic to own this game. It was quickly sold along with the New 2DS when it was released. This launch brought back many fans to the Nintendo family, and away from PlayStation and Microsoft.

Nintendo did not stop there though. Be it a hybrid console that can go handheld to table top to dock mode, the Nintendo Switch (NS for short), is the core reason why Nintendo is no longer at the back of the class. Although it had an extremely rocky start, it is now asserting itself as a forerunner within the gaming community. Due to extremely limited stock that caused scalpers to make a fortune off of true fans and an extremely limited library, many thought that the NS would be a bigger failure than the Nintendo Wii U. Thankfully that did not occur and as if it were a game of Duel Masters, Nintendo turned that battle around in its favour. Their exclusives like Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe did generate enough force to keep them in the race, but it’s their decision of allowing third party developers is what really made them a force to be reckoned with. One such developer being Electronic Arts (EA). No disrespect to the other developers, but having EA fully back on board was one of the best moves that Nintendo could have done, and having a core FIFA game on the NS was ingenious. To clear the air, I am no a fan of FIFA, however as a gamer, I do understand the importance of having FIFA on a console. Having FIFA 18 on the NS is a lot better and more practical than having it on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Even though I am not a fan, I must admit that playing FIFA against my friend in person (although I usually concede 5 goals in one half), is a lot more enjoyable than playing online. So whereas, you would normally have to go by that person house to play them, you can now meet at the park or even stay at school/work, load the game and instantly have an all out match against each other.

As Billy Mays would say, “But wait there’s more”. Marvel vs Capcom, one of the greatest fighting games ever created, a highly anticipated game, was out sold by a NS exclusive Pokken Tournament Deluxe and Visual Concepts very own NBA 2K18. It’s not that surprising that NBA 2K18 outsold Marvel vs Capcom Infinite as sports and first player shooting (FPS) games are the most sought after games recently. However, as the NS pushes far less graphics than a PS4 or and Xbox One, not many thought it would sell or even perform that well on the NS; they were proven wrong. The eye popping, jaw dropping moment is when Pokken Tournament Deluxe, a fellow fighting game that is a re-installment and is exclusive to one console, outsold Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, a fellow fighting game that is on its sixth (6) installment and is available for PC, PS and Xbox One. A game that is limited to one console, which had limited stocks, outsold a game that is available to many different platforms that are readily available. If that isn’t performance, then I don’t know what is.

Nintendo was always known as the grandfather of videogames, however many gamers dismissed them as a kid’s console and not for real gamers. Preferring to go after the other two giants PS or Microsoft for a more hardcore genre of gaming. As of late, it is proving to be a lot more difficult to cast Nintendo to the back of the classroom. Although they are still the grandfather of the gaming world, they are far from giving up on the race of becoming the best gaming industry in the world.

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