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[SporeCrawler]

I fell out love with Nintendo after the N64. The GameCube was alright. I got one at the end of the generation and the only Nintendo games I played were Metroid Prime, Twilight Princess and Wind Waker. I didn't really like them. I have a Wii as well. I have Skyward Sword. MAN, the story of the game was all heartwarming (for as long as I played) but the controls were so frustrating and the game design so... 'Zelda-ey' that I gave up fairly early. This has been running theme with me recently so I can't really blame Nintendo as far as this one game is concerned.

I should probably play more Mario games. Mario is what made me a Nintendo fan when I was younger. I completely missed the whole Zelda and Metroid thing so Mario it was. Interestingly, I have never in my whole life completed a Mario game EVER (outside perhaps Super Mario kart). The last mainline Mario game I played was Mario 64 at a friend's house. I played only for a few hours/several minutes but it was amazing. Still, these brief hook ups with the plumber were not really enough to secure a lasting love in my heart for Nintendo. So when the magical and mysterious new 'Xbox' started to loom over the horizon with promises of a new type of gaming, I was a goner. In all honesty the Xbox didn't really deliver but it had Kotor and Halo (and DOA3 and Rallisport) which were just enough to make me a make me a hardcore MS fan or the last 12 or so years.

I am trying to shake that affection off but it is so hard (kotor was such a beautiful and transformative game). I am trying the whole PC gaming thing and while it has been generally fun, it hasn't yet really delivered. I am hoping that with all the games coming out next year and later this that I will get a true bombastic experience that suits my personal taste. There will likely never be another kotor, though. Not unless Dragon Age: Inquisition becomes some kind of masterpiece. Yes, only Bioware can beat Bioware. Sorry all you other devs but these are the facts.

Try PC + WiiU

Its the way to go if you want a wide variety of games. PC has most of the multiplats WiiU has ita exclusives you wont get anywhere else.


You could also go the Nintendo + Playstation route.

 

[What The Forest Taught Me]

It would help if they advertised these games.

Bingo. Nintendo essentially sent W101, a brand new IP with no built-in fanbase or established word-of-mouth, out to die. Despite the US being Nintendo's largest market, they neglected to release even one US TV spot for the game. That is not the way to nurture a new IP.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

Heh, mine is growing. 3DS has had the best first party Nintendo games in years in the last two years or so, and SSB4 looks amazing. I feel sorry for you OP. Wipe that nostalgia out of your eyes.

 

[KingSnake]

Bingo. Nintendo essentially sent W101, a brand new IP with no built-in fanbase or established word-of-mouth, out to die. Despite the US being Nintendo's largest market, they neglected to release even one TV spot for the game. That is not the way to nurture a new IP.

What has advertising to do with a thread about Nintendo fans and Nintendo love fading away? A Nintendo fan should be aware of W101 existence.

 

[Conor 419]

What are you studying in university that you can't play any other game besides Nintendo and gta v?

Chemistry, i,e the subject which is top 5 in terms of heavy hours. I could play other games obviously, I just feel that there are rarely games worth my time that aren't developed by Nintendo, Kojima Productions or Rockstar North, obviously Halo used to be in there but we all saw how that played out.

 

[What The Forest Taught Me]

Nintendo games are amazing to me and I can't see that changing, but their hardware is another story. It feels increasingly subpar next to what the competition offers with each new generation. It's not really a matter of $600 hardware either. Just the little things like ethernet ports, mic support, a built in HD and extra unnecessary (and expensive) additions like 3D or the Gamepad.

I do like that "Nintendium" quality they got going, though. I've never had a single Nintendo machine fail on me and I've bought all their consoles since the N64. The only other hardware that can boast a record like that is my white dreamcast from launch.

I am quite impressed with my PS2's longevity as well. I bought it on launch day over 12 years ago, and it still works flawlessly. And the old SNES? It still operates like it did when I got it for Christmas in '95.

 

[LAA]

Most of the time it isn't the Nintendo games that worry me. Like wind waker HD now, awesome! Never played WW but its looking like a contender to Skyward Sword to me so far, giving me similar vibes at times.
I think with stuff like Mario Kart, Mario bros, it is kinda milking... But honestly I don't really mind cause I enjoy them just the same. SM3DW looks better though as there's quite a few new mechanics in it.

The problem with Nintendo is 3rd party and online mainly. I know they say its all about the games, but they should also bear in kind they're a platform holder, they should be making that platform get as many games as it can and its struggling now to get current gen games, next gen games I worry for Nintendo again. I'm more just annoyed Nintendo hasn't learned anything from the Wii. It seems the money it earned from it has blinded it from its flaws and I hope Wii U opens their eyes in that regard

 

[KnockOneOff]

It's because your old

 

[Zalman]

Couldn't disagree more, personally. I have just as many games for my Wii as any other previous Nintendo console, and I think Mario Galaxy 2 is one of the best games of all time. The 3DS is also shaping up to be my favorite Nintendo handheld if they can keep up the amount of crazy games coming out.

 

[meppi]

You're burning yourself out on them OP.

Mix it up with some PC/PS3/360.

Wanted to quote this again.
Variety is such a wonderful thing and makes you realise what's good about different genres and styles of games.
Nintendo games for the most part stick to a certain design philosophy so mixing it up with totally different styles of games is a very good idea.

This is why I loved the 32-bit era so much. On the one hand you had Nintendo doing their thing and creating masterpieces that took their time to come out, but you also had Sega which provided pure arcade bliss as well as some incredible and unique home experiences, and also Sony which mixed things up and attracted a lot of new types of games to their platform.

Today might not be the same anymore, but having a mix of several companies and consoles still provides you with a wide array of choices which cater to a lot of tastes.

My tactic is, if I get bored with "realistic" type of games and not feel like playing games at all, I go back to the arcade classics and find myself wondering why it took so long to go back to them in the first place.

 

[Kouriozan]

I have started gaming with Super Mario Bros.
20+ years later, I'm still in love with most of Nintendo's games, I don't really like western games so I'm salty about the region lock >.<
Non Nintendo games system seller for me would be Disgaea and Kingdom Hearts, i.e. cartoony games who aren't serious 100% of the time.
Without Nintendo my gaming time would be much, much lower.

 

[Gsnap]

Go play the entire Assassin's Creed series from the start. You'll be begging for Nintendo games after that.

But in all seriousness. Just take a break. Whenever you get tired of something, it's usually because you're just tired of it. Try new things and eventually you'll be in the mood. Then you can catch up on the games you missed or try the new games.

 

[Scanna]

never been happier to be a Nintendo fan. 3DS is killing it this year

 

[Gormless Noodle]

It's been the same exact process for me as well. NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, those were all my main console, Playstation was something on the side.

Brawl also felt the same as to me as it did to you it seems. It felt and still feels wrong when I play it and I just cannot get used to it at all. I first thought it was the controller I was using, but after trying everything from Classic to Wavebird, I have to say it's just the game itself.

Anyways, now I'm going PS4/Vita and 3DS for an occasional Nintendo game when I get the urge for it, but they're done as far as I'm concerned. They would have to make something of OoT calibre to win me back, which isn't within Nintendo's current abilities I believe quite frankly.

 

[IAmRandom31]

I am the same. I personally am tired of paying 250-300-350$ to buy a nintendo system essentially just for the same exact Nintendo lineup that released the last console cycle. I really wish they would stop making Zelda and Mario so good, so I wouldn't be tempted anymore lol.

The Nintendo game lineup has been the exact same since really the N64. You will have your Zelda and Mario and Metroid, Pokemon and Mario Kart, Smash Bro's and Mario Party, etc. Over and over and over again, just repeats itself.

What games are making me wait on selling my Wii U? Wind Waker and Mario 3D Land or whatever it is called. And then of course they will showcase the new Zelda for the Wii U and it will be awesome and I'll be trapped into keeping the system again. Bah! Damned Nintendo.

 

[Allan Holdsworth]

I haven't got tired of any Nintendo series I've liked in the past but three:

Pokemon: the games are way too similar, and they are almost yearly releases at this point. Also not a fan of most of the new designs as they're overdesigned as you say, but that's a secondary concern.

Mario Party: suffers from the same issue but mainly because it's not much fun playing solo.

Smash Bros: I played a ton of Melee but barely touched Brawl. It's not that I was dissapointed by it, I got a Wii in 2010 and never felt compelled to play it. Dunno if I'm getting the newer one, doubt it other than to add to my collection.

That's it unless I'm forgetting something.

EDIT: Metroid I don't like Prime or Other M, but I would buy a new sidescroller by SPD day 1.

 

[batbeg]

The list of super awesome games in the op you were disappointed in its seriously a bummer to me. It sucks you no longer enjoy those experiences but I'm glad I at least am going 20 years strong loving them with no sign of showing down (not counting the more general aging process that has been my decline of having).

 

[schwabdizzle]

I like Nintendo. I just think the Wii U is a tad overpriced.

 

[Colonel]

My Love for Nintendo Games will never fad.

 

[Davey Cakes]

I still enjoy Nintendo's games as much or more than anyone else's.

To be honest, other than certain examples, Nintendo games are the only ones that I'm still willing to pay full price for and buy (or at least order) on Day 1.

Recently it's been the multiplayer experiences that have made Nintendo amazing for me, though. So many quality experiences. Yeah, a lot of them use established properties (especially Mario) but it doesn't stop the games from bringing my friends to together better than any others. Wii was excellent in this regard and Wii U started strong with Nintendo Land/NSMB U and is only getting better as time goes on. 3DS has been fantastic too for both SP and MP.

If I've lost any interest in Nintendo it's because my gaming interest in general has waned over the years. But, I think it's a testament to Nintendo's lasting power when the odds are high that if I do choose to play a game, it's a Nintendo one.

I've been gaming since I was about 4-years-old and I'm 25 now. Nintendo has kept a strong presence in my life the entire time, and this will only continue into the future.

 

[dEvAnGeL]

OP, first things first, great post, amazing read, i was about to purchase a Wii U yesterday and after reading this it gave me a different perspective, you see, most of gamers have been involved with Nintendo at some point on their gaming life, so i guess it was nostalgia that was pushing me to get one, also the fact that im a big Zelda fan and WW HD looks phenomenal but at the end one game alone does not warrant the purchase of a console, i was exited about DK tropical freeze but the fact that got delayed also gave second thoughts about getting it, so all i got left to say is, thanks, you save me a bunch of money

 

[JordoftheDead]

I have felt like this for ages, but I dug out the 3DS and dusted off the WiiU and have been playing Mario, Wind Waker HD and Animal Crossing and the love comes flowing back.

 

[jwhit28]

I feel the opposite way. Like Nintendo is one of the few companies I can still rely on. This year it has pretty much been all Nintendo, Atlus, and Take2 for me.

 

[SporeCrawler]

Bingo. Nintendo essentially sent W101, a brand new IP with no built-in fanbase or established word-of-mouth, out to die. Despite the US being Nintendo's largest market, they neglected to release even one TV spot for the game. That is not the way to nurture a new IP.

They had tv ads.

 

[Heimbeck]

I only have a 3DS but Nintendo games are some of the most fun I've had with games.
I don't know what it is but there's something about their games that no-one else does that makes them special.

 

[SporeCrawler]

I am the same. I personally am tired of paying 250-300-350$ to buy a nintendo system essentially just for the same exact Nintendo lineup that released the last console cycle. I really wish they would stop making Zelda and Mario so good, so I wouldn't be tempted anymore lol.

The Nintendo game lineup has been the exact same since really the N64. You will have your Zelda and Mario and Metroid, Pokemon and Mario Kart, Smash Bro's and Mario Party, etc. Over and over and over again, just repeats itself.

What games are making me wait on selling my Wii U? Wind Waker and Mario 3D Land or whatever it is called. And then of course they will showcase the new Zelda for the Wii U and it will be awesome and I'll be trapped into keeping the system again. Bah! Damned Nintendo.

how about this. just pretend they dont exist.

that way you can leave people that enjoy zelda and mario and are okay paying 300 dollars for those games be and can save your 300 dollars as well.

 

[axisofweevils]

I've been playing Nintendo games for 27 years. There have been moments when i thought my love for Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kid Icarus was going to fade away, but all I need is to play the newest game and I'm amazed to feel my love for these beautiful games still intact. They *are* gaming for me, their disappearance would make videogames a completely meaningless hobby for me. COD, AssCreed, WoW, Sony, Microsoft, EA, all this shit could disappear the very next day and I could not care less as long as Nintendo is still in the game. I still love them, and probably always will

I agree with this.
This year brought us amazing gems like Luigi's Mansion, Fire Emblem, The Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3.... Nintendo are still making amazing, incredible games that you just wouldn't see anywhere else.

 

[Shauni]

I'm the polar opposite myself. My love of Nintendo games had faded in the last generation or two. I had a GC and Wii, but never utitlized either a huge amount. I didn't even play certain games because my interests have changed. But recently, after buying a 3DS, my tastes have changed back around and I've sort of become a Nintendo gamer all over again. They're philosophy towards games matches mine a lot more than I realized in the past, and I think I've started to slowly dislike where mainstream games are going.

OP, first things first, great post, amazing read, i was about to purchase a Wii U yesterday and after reading this it gave me a different perspective, you see, most of gamers have been involved with Nintendo at some point on their gaming life, so i guess it was nostalgia that was pushing me to get one, also the fact that im a big Zelda fan and WW HD looks phenomenal but at the end one game alone does not warrant the purchase of a console, i was exited about DK tropical freeze but the fact that got delayed also gave second thoughts about getting it, so all i got left to say is, thanks, you save me a bunch of money

So wait, a delay gave you second thoughts about buying a game? Wut?

 

[SporeCrawler]

I agree with this.
This year brought us amazing gems like Luigi's Mansion, Fire Emblem, The Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3.... Nintendo are still making amazing, incredible games that you just wouldn't see anywhere else.

i think this is the main advantage

the games you have mentioned are all in genres that dont get made anymore.

most big third parties only make certain genres (sports - which is pretty much exclusive to EA, open world, shooters, racing games, WRPGs) and not much else.

Nintendo fortunately still makes games in genres that are not very popular.

 

[What The Forest Taught Me]

They had tv ads.

I was referring to TV spots for the US.

 

[d[-_-]b]

So wait, a delay gave you second thoughts about buying a game? Wut?

I was pretty sure he was just pushing his agenda, under a pretense of the OP's post.

 

[Whompa]

I'm right there with you, OP. Nintendo just doesn't interest me in the slightest...

 

[Htown]

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

My love of Nintendo faded around the GameCube, but I was still there on day 1 to get 1 and had fun with it, for what it was.

Nintendo, and I will always maintain this, make good quality games they just refuse to innovative or expand their software in any real, meaningful way. Innovation is not slapping a screen on a controller and it's not turning button presses into swattiing movements.

It's just hard to get excited by another Mario or another Zelda or most other Nintendo franchises when I have played them to death and they are generally, nostalgia or not, nowhere near as good as the ones that I played when I was younger.... and maybe that's the point, Nintendo still make quality software aimed at the younger me and, if I was younger, I have no doubt I would still love them, the same way I still love the older Nintendo games.

Nintendo now just feels like a hollow shell of a great company, stuck in the past, refusing to adapt or even consider the competition is just more interesting.

 

[Owzers]

when i had an NES it was where the games lived, thus i associated it with my love of gaming growing up, especially thanks to games like Mario Bros and Mario 3, but also Contra,Double Dragon, Tecmo Bowl, a horribly fun Dick Tracy, a brutally frustrating TMNT.

Now Wii U is a barren wasteland where the games live elsewhere, where Super Mario Galaxy was one of my favorite games this generation and at the same time Wii was the worst console i've ever owned.

 

[Raide]

I don't have a love for the console manufacturer, I have a love for games I enjoy playing. Lately its has been Monster Hunter Tri U for the Wii-U but nothing else really interests me. Nintendo still make great games that sell well and fans love them but they really don't do anything for me anymore. Saying that, cannot wait to see what MK-U turns out like.

 

[kirby_fox]

Compared to past outings, I'm half and half on what titles I enjoy. I stopped playing a handful of their games in the last few years- no more Fire Emblem (the constant having to restart if someone dies angers me oh so much), no more Animal Crossing (I feel like it's the same game and same things over and over). I stopped getting Mario Kart as well (the Wii version and controlling is a huge no thank you). I was never a fan of Pikmin (though I did pick up Pikmin 3 as I feel the controls may work for me now compared to Gamecube) and I don't care for a lot of their smaller titles- Star Fox, F-Zero, Advance Wars, Punch Out, and Earthbound.

Black and White disappointed me to no end. I thought the original Galaxy lost the charm somewhere of open ended worlds as it felt much more linear than before- but Galaxy 2 I think was a little better on that. Metroid Prime 3 and Hunters paled in comparison to the first 2 games. And Twilight Princess is the worst Zelda-- a good game, but not so much a good Zelda game.

In more recent years I've added Steam and a ton of other games to my schedule of playing. Opening it up, I've tried titles I normally would not have. I did the same on my Wii- bought games I had never played in a series before. I would recommend doing so if all you ever play are Nintendo titles and give some game series a rest. There's enough choices in this industry to pick and choose.

 

[SniperHunter]

My.love faded in 1998 when i bought a Playstation. Looking back it was a great decision.

Now after 15 years, i want a Wii U to play some awesome games i have missed. X and Xenoblade look really interesting. Wind Waker HD also looks great

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Nintendo has been quite terrible the last couple of years so it's not surprising.

They've been fading since the 64 days.

My.love faded in 1998 when i bought a Playstation. Looking back it was a great decision.

Now after 15 years, i want a Wii U to play some awesome games i have missed. X and Xenoblade look really interesting

If you have a good PC you can buy a copy and run it in Dolphin.

 

[OneHitWonder]

If A Link Between Worlds is disappointing, can we start a movement to give the handheld Zeldas back to Capcom?

 

[shadowsdarknes]

They've been fading since the 64 days.

Pretty much, yeah.

They used to take risks. Their software is so predictable and safe now.

They are still afraid of the internet. Their biggest games would still control just fine on a traditional controller. If you look at the Brawl roster, the newest character is Captain Olimar from 12 years ago. There hasn't been any new meaning mascots, either.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

If you have a good PC you can buy a copy and run it in Dolphin.

Have fun trying to run X on Dolphin.

 

[SniperHunter]

They've been fading since the 64 days.



If you have a good PC you can buy a copy and run it in Dolphin.

I consider that piracy and i never liked emulators.

 

[Steve McQueen]

Opposite here, as I grow older, 43 now, my love for Ninty is getting stronger.

 

[Vinci]

If you felt Mario Galaxy was inferior to prior 3D Mario games, then yes, I think you're likely losing interest in the company and possibly that entire style of gaming in general.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

If you felt Mario Galaxy was inferior to prior 3D Mario games, then yes, I think you're likely losing interest in the company and possibly that entire style of gaming in general.

And/or you're also delusional

 

[HolyBaikal]

I feel like more of a Nintendo fan than every.

They're a company I can turn to, which makes the same sorts of games I've always loved.
Colourful, 2D platformers, 3D platformers, ect.

Nintendo are going after the kind of market that I am a part of. While Sony and Microsoft seem to be going after a market right now that I've never been a part of and won't ever be. And it has been driving me away.

They may continue problems like region locking. But they're otherwise the type of company I can trust to keep the kind of culture I love in video games. The kind of audience that Sony and Microsoft are going after is totally alien to me. And I couldn't be happier to be a Nintendo fan than right now.

 

[SporeCrawler]

Pretty much, yeah.

They used to take risks. Their software is so predictable and safe now.

They are still afraid of the internet. Their biggest games would still control just fine on a traditional controller. If you look at the Brawl roster, the newest character is Captain Olimar from 12 years ago. There hasn't been any new meaning mascots, either.

yeah no...

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Have fun trying to run X on Dolphin.

By that time I might have a WiiU.

I consider that piracy and i never liked emulators.

I respect that stance but I pay for all my games even if it's cheap via Steam sale or the occasional Wii game. Admittedly, it's been a while since I even cared to buy anything on Wii but importing Xenoblade was a no brainer at the time.

 

[Shion]

I've been feeling the same way since the GameCube days.

Btw, the "you grew up" argument holds no truth in my case, as I absolutely loved the masterpiece that Super Mario Galaxy was and I consider it as one of the best games ever created. In fact, it's the only EAD-developed game that actually managed to amaze me in the last 10 years or so.

I'm not implying that Nintendo makes bad games or anything, their output is arguably quite decent, just nothing special anymore. Nothing ground-breaking, nothing that wows you in the way that ambitious games like Zelda 1, Super Metroid, Ocarina of Time etc. did at the time of their release. I see no ambition in modern Nintendo games, no willing to push the boundaries like they used to back in the NES/SNES/N64 days (this really was Nintendo's golden era imo).

I still remember how mind-blowing my experience with the original Super Mario Bros. and Zelda 1 was on the NES. How floored I was when I first experienced titles such as A Link to the Past, F-Zero, Super Metroid, Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Metroid Prime and so on. Back then, Nintendo was pushing the boundaries and their games, literally, felt like experiencing the future. Today, most of the time, Nintendo's output feels like experiencing a tired, lazy, and generally inferior version of the past. Lots of quick and easy sequels that just try to justify their existence either by gimmicks or by offering some kind of twist in an, otherwise, un-evolved experience.

I used to like Nintendo for their ambition and creativity but, nowadays, I see neither in their productions. I honestly think that Nintendo was at their creative peak when they stayed out of gimmicks and tried to make an impact by pushing both game design and technology in their games.