As fans brace themselves for the release of Switch 2, it’s good to see Nintendo prioritize family-friendly games over anything else. Though there are M-rated games like Elden Ring coming to their new console, the company itself is still making family-friendly titles anyone can enjoy.
We’re currently living in a period where games are aging with their audiences. Games like God of War and The Last of Us are clearly made with parents in mind. Even Sonic games reference continuity more than they should, throwing their hardcore fans a bone.
Because of all this, we’re glad Nintendo is still catering a lot of their games to younger kids. Mario is never going to reference events from Odyssey, Sunshine, or 64 in his next game, and that’s a good thing.
This complaint has been made in other media before, but nostalgia isn’t what it used to be anymore. What used to be fun fan service is now the basis for entire movies, television shows, and even some video games. Just look at Sony constantly releasing The Last of Us to show just how bad things have gotten.
Nintendo has seemingly ignored doing all of that and continues to do its own thing. Their new Donkey Kong game might have some ties to older games, but fans will still be able to pick it up without having to worry about continuity. Mario Kart World is the same, as fans can just use their favorites and proceed to explore the open world or race with their friends.
Aging with your audience isn’t inherently a bad thing, mind you. Even if the newer God of War games aren’t very original gameplay-wise, they have some pretty spectacular writing. Street Fighter 6 has also done a good job of showing how each character has changed over the years, even if they aren’t going through any kind of story. Even Sonic Frontiers acknowledging older games isn’t bad at all, and we’re sure many fans felt like playing those entries meant something.
click to enlargeBut as Sony continues to rely on cinematic games that play out like movies, Nintendo is still here, focusing on timeless gameplay and fun characters. Sure, we’d like it if Mario had more motivation than stopping Bowser, but we also don’t need him to be some hardened hero broken down by the world. We also don’t need to know why the Blue Coins in Sunshine ruined his life, though that’s more of a gaming problem, really.
Nintendo avoiding being referential and continuing to make games for all ages will only benefit them in the long run. They aren’t completely immune to nostalgia, but the fact each of their games can be starting points to various franchises will always be a good thing.