THE RISE OF
NINTENDO
(AGAIN)
Love it or hate it, the industry as a whole is
healthier when Nintendo is performing well at
stores. And with its newest system, the Nintendo
Switch, off to a hot start, things are looking
promising for Mario and company.
The big N has always been known to be better
at portable gaming than home consoles. Now,
the company has found a perfect compromise, a
hybrid system that pleases both. It’s a slick device
after the failure of the Wii U, but it’s all about the
games. And they came out swinging.
Launching with The Legend of Zelda, Breath
of the Wild, was a great move. It was a title
many diehard fans were yearning for and it also
changed the franchise with an overwhelming and
Courtesy of
Nintendo
impressive open world, with tons to do. It will
make a lot of critics’ Game of the Year lists and
deservedly so.
Nintendo’s biggest franchise also made an
appearance with arguably its greatest game in
almost 10 years and maybe longer. When it comes
to 3D Mario games, Nintendo sure knows how to
do platforming. This game delivers. Like Zelda,
Super Mario Odyssey expands on the genre and
brings new life into it. It is the fastest selling Mario
game and my personal game of the year.
The takeaway -- two amazing titles, perfect 10s
by many critics’ reviews, in the same calendar year.
Plus, Nintendo has been friendly to games created
by smaller, independent companies.
Courtesy of Nintendo
QNS.COM
WINTER 2017 15