The Nintendo Company was founded in 1889 and produced a variety of items in its beginnings including instant food, playing cards and a taxi service. The company first began releasing its notable electronic games and consoles in the 1970s and a decade later, it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for the production and distribution of video games. After the establishment of the NES, Nintendo began to produce video games such as “Super Mario Bros,” “Donkey Kong” and “The Legend of Zelda.”
These video games were a global phenomenon at the time of production and are synonymous with 1980s culture. Despite being around for so long Nintendo’s game popularity did not fade with time. Instead, 3D graphics were incorporated into new releases of the popular electronic games, including “Super Mario 64.” Nintendo’s influence is prominent in different consumer markets around the world. In order to communicate releases effectively worldwide, Nintendo began to livestream and broadcast their announcements in 2011. These livestreams are known as Nintendo Directs, and occur two to four times a year. The latest Nintendo Direct was broadcast on two separate days, Sept. 8 and 9 of this year.
A Nintendo Direct encompasses new game releases, improved hardware and updates on new additions to the classic franchises. What stood out to most Nintendo fans in this most recent broadcast was the company’s reliance on nostalgia. Shuntaro Furukawa, the Nintendo president, explained this approach.
“We believe that being able to play these games provides a sense of nostalgia for consumers who played them in the past, while also giving new consumers an opportunity to become familiar with Nintendo’s game series and characters,” Furukawa expressed.
Consumers are split on their opinions regarding this release. The rerelease of older games allows Nintendo to incorporate new graphics and techniques into the game to improve the experience for players. Meanwhile, some fans are interested in seeing Nintendo produce new franchises with different concepts and storylines.
Each decade brings new technologies and tools to improve gameplay and graphics. Instead of rereleasing the same concepts, some fans wish for Nintendo to take risks with new characters and storylines.
After watching the broadcast, USD senior Rienzi Lin shared his thoughts on Nintendo favoring the rerelease of older games.
“Despite being in support of remakes, I do not think Nintendo should depend too much on remaking games because of nostalgia,” Lin shared. “Franchises like ‘Zelda,’ ‘Mario’ and ‘Pokemon’ are popular partly because people have grown up with them, but Nintendo also needs to give players new stories, characters and gameplay experiences.”
While some Nintendo supporters are curious to see the company create brand new games, other enthusiasts appreciate the company’s dedication to the original titles. Most individuals born and raised after the creation of NES were exposed to Nintendo franchises through popular culture or direct experience playing the games themselves.
USD junior Renato Finnegan discussed two releases that he was particularly excited about.
“I’m definitely excited for the rerelease of ‘The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time,’” Finnegan recounted. I remember playing that game when I was younger. I think it’s cool they’re releasing another Kirby. I remember my best friend growing up loved Kirby, so we’d play that. I think we’ll play that a lot when it comes out.”
Part of the reason why the NES titles became a phenomenon, and remain popular to this day, is the community they create between individuals. The immersive gameplay and memorable characters create enjoyable experiences when played with individuals remotely or in-person.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) published a study that shared findings on how playing video games can affect adolescents positively.
“Playing video games is one of the most common leisure activities, which has been associated with multiple negative and positive outcomes for mental health,” NIH reported. “Depending on their use, they can generate mental and social health benefits or lead to an addiction that disrupts daily life and affects the adolescent’s mental health.”
USD junior Renee Zhang recalled when s he first began playing video games.
“I started playing in middle school,” Zhang enthused. “I took breaks due to school, but continued throughout high school and college. Now I play multiplayer with friends from USD.”
Despite Nintendo taking a trip down memory lane with their rereleases, they have also teased that the next-generation ideas are in production. While the current batch of releases will allow players to revisit classics with improved gameplay, fans are interested in new premises and eagerly await the next Nintendo Direct.
Whether Nintendo supporters are excited to play the rereleases or hope to see novel concepts developed and produced in the future, fans can agree that when playing the titles created by The NES with friends or individually, consumers are able to create warm memories.
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