This year has been really crazy for Nintendo, there’s been highs and lows like any other year but then there’s extreme lows and extreme highs – the ones you don’t want and ones you do.
Nintendo has closed down services, opened new ones, hinted at a new console and shown off its first mobile game. Splatoon did well, as did the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. DLC. There’s been amiibo madness all over the world, America got screwed over – we got lucky. Nintendo’s E3 showing was very strong, but made up for it later.
Then the worst thing happened, Satoru Iwata passed away. It affected all of and will continue to affect all of us for some time. This entire article could be about that, but it’s not.
We hope you understand our Nintendo Moments of the Year.
Nintendo goes Mobile
The announcement that Nintendo would be entering the mobile games market I think might end up being the most important thing Nintendo has done since the launch of the DS. Clearly they aren’t abandoning their traditional console space (and they made a point of announcing a new machine at the same time, probably to allay fears that they would be leaving the console market completely), but expanding into mobile could end up incredibly lucrative for Nintendo.
A Nintendo DS is no longer the default option for parents looking for a game machine for their kids, nor is it the first thing a more casual game player picks up when they want to play something. These audiences are playing games on phones, and Nintendo has a unique opportunity to bring their talented designers and recognisable characters to these audiences, much like they did with the Wii. We won’t see any of the results of this announcement until well into next year, but it’s something that I’ll be keeping a keen eye on.
Passing of Satoru Iwata
This is not a good moment but one that has to be acknowledged. The Death of Satura Iwata was easily ‘the’ major moment in the video games industry this year. It is a sign of the times and how the world is changing.
The out pouring of this unexpected event was varied and broad, from all sides of the industry no matter what their allegiances where – it was universal praise and sympathy for one of the true greats of the industry.
This is an aging business, the people that used to be the young, brave and destructive upstarts are now becoming the elders and ones that are running out of time. For as young as Iwata is, his death will probably be considered the first of many of the true greats that will pass in coming years.
It is but a symptom of a matured and aging sector of society. It has happened to many other industries as they aged have faced the same issues, they lose those that defined them, they lose the vast libraries of knowledge and experiences. When Bob Dylan wrote ‘Roll on John’, it was in memory of those that have passed from the music industry. Iwata doesn’t have that level style of tribute, the works that he left and inspired serve as a great memorial for what has passed.
Nintendo finally gets DLC
This isn’t so much a moment, as it is a vibe, as we’ve had a full year of Super Smash Bros and Splatoon content coming out. And in the case, Splatoon had nothing but free stuff! Not to imply that it *should* be free, of course, but I am really overwhelmed by the amount we got, and the quality it was definitely something I would have paid for.
Then Smash just kept blowing me away with all the characters they kept on adding. And they’re not just fan service, brand name characters! Ryu adds a lot from his fighting game background, being a staple Street Fighter veteran. Cloud it the most fun I’ve had with a newcomer in Smash. And seriously, what the hell, Cloud Strife in Smash?!
And I nearly forgot, but the second DLC pack for Mario Kart 8 was also released this year, with some amazing reimagined retro tracks, as well as a bunch of amazing new tracks, both original and inspired by Animal Crossing, or F-Zero. And the amiibo racing suits! While I don’t really race as my Mii, the idea really helps get the point across to non-Nintendo fans what amiibo is all about, and not just Nintendo Skylanders.
Miiverse’s response to Iwata’s passing
Iwata’s passing was a heartbreaking moment that devastated the entire gaming industry. Such an important figure being gone, especially someone so lighthearted and beloved as Iwata, was an incredible emotional time. Something beautiful that occurred afterwards though, was the outpouring of love and support on Miiverse. Logging into Splatoon and seeing Inklings walking around giving thanks for his work, and the walls of stages covered in murals dedicated to him, is something that I won’t ever forget. It shows how much Nintendo and its staff mean to all of us.
Nintendo going third party and in a big way in Super Smash Bros.
When Nintendo first announced Solid Snake and Sonic for Super Smash Bros, I was conflicted. What were Nintendo doing? Were they diluting their brand by selling out spaces in their big games to other characters from other franchises, some of which didn’t even appear on Nintendo consoles previously or at least didn’t have the “brand image” associated with Nintendo. But the characters were fun and I learnt to put that small insecurity aside. Then came the announcement of the fourth Smash Bros. game, and understandably Sonic was making a return since he was so popular in the last game. But joining him this time was not only Pacman, but Megaman too! All of these great mascots from the games I grew up playing in a fighting game. It’s like a fanboys wildest dream seeing these guys clash and “who would win”. I was content.
And then Nintendo dropped an even bigger bomb. Not only were they doing downlodable content for the game – but they were adding even more third party characters into the game. Ryu, the face of the Street Fighter franchise, is now playable in Smash Bros. If that’s not enough, Nintendo went the extra mile and got Cloud Strife. Cloud Strife! From the Playstation exclusive Final Fantasy VII! A bizarre and ye amazing feat on Nintendo’s part. And then, to put icing on the cake, come February, I’ll be playing as Bayonetta in a Smash Bros. game.
They’re things that a year ago I’d never have thought would be able to happen in a Smash Bros. game – and they’re even more amazing because despite Nintendo’s struggles this generation with a myriad of issues there’s still these amazing mascots from these amazing franchises appearing in the latest Smash Bros. game. A truly exciting prospect.
Passing of Satoru Iwata
This year is a hard year for a memorable moment from Nintendo. As with last year I enjoyed watching the Nintendo Treehouse broadcasts over E3 and there were some decent games released. But It’s hard to see anything but the passing of President Satoru Iwata.
The memorials that flooded the internet from the gaming and development community where heartfelt and heart-wrenching at the same time. Many people paid their tributes and showed insight into the man himself.
It wasn’t until just recently at the 2015 Game Awards and what Reggie Fils-Aime, the president and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo had to say that really painted a full picture.
Just a short Excerpt:
“No matter what is going on in our lives or in the world, Mr. Iwata wanted Nintendo to be about putting smiles on peoples’ faces. Nintendo, at its heart, is about making us feel younger than we are today. Mr. Iwata, I hope you’re smiling right now.”
amiibogeddon
Nintendo has had a big year, but there’s been nothing bigger than the amiibo madness that shook the fandom throughout the year. From the Gold Mario launch, to the restocks, to the lining up at 8am before work to get 7 plastic toys – it’s been a blast.
It’s been some time that I think that the Nintendo fan base has had something ‘crazy’ to bring us all together, our hearts go out to our American cousins who never got that re-stock and who still struggle to get amiibo on a constant basis.
Now in most Australia stores, aside from a couple of figures there’s possibly TOO many amiibo – and the sales have slowed down, most things do. Cast your mind back to earlier this year. How much did we worry about not getting an amiibo, you had to preorder, you had to line up, there was fights. Good lord, people fighting over what are essentially toys.
Go on admit, they’re toys – I’m nearly 30 and I can admit it.
But how good was it coming back from the store with a bag full of amiibo and ripping them open and placing them on your shelf. Some of these characters will never get toys again and amiibo (or maybe just Smash Bros) has enabled this. I’ve been covering Nintendo a while, the last time I felt there was a ‘frenzy’ about something was when the Wii had shortages in 2007-2008.
I still don’t know why I bought Dark Pit though.
A note about the passing of Satoru Iwata, we didn’t call this section of the ‘awards’ favourite or ‘of the year’ because there’s nothing to celebrate about the death of Satoru Iwata aside from his life. He doesn’t need an award and although I’m proud of the Nintendo fanbase for coming together when it happened we don’t need to label it or put a title on it. Mr Iwata will live on through his legacy and that’s not something you can pin on a particular year. We all miss him.
The Smash Bros. competition. Ryu is the winner. “Well, that’s the end of that, then!”.
So. SO. WRONG.
This announcement came out of left field. Did anyone see it coming? Square Enix has been building their Nintendo relationship back up after years of bitterness, but this is just… I mean, you all know what I’m talking about, right? Cloud, in Smash. Did you see it coming? I didn’t!
This, for me, really just exemplifies the solidarity that is currently happening in the gaming industry. The giants are either shying away from games a la Konami, or banding together and starting to play nice to ensure their future. I know it’s only small, but the announcement of Cloud feels like a turning point in the industry’s relationships between the big companies. I hope the trend of collaboration continues, because who knows what cool stuff is on the horizon!
The outpouring of respect for Iwata.
Now the death of Iwata was an incredibly sad and depressing event for all Nintendo fans this year. Over the years Iwata had really built himself up as a very endearing and likeable person, something you don’t see enough of in this industry. His passing was a huge blow to pretty much everyone in the video game industry, fans and creators alike. Yet if any good could be said to come from it was the outpouring of support and respect that the the industry as a whole bought forward towards to man.
More often than not the gaming community is one that is broken down into factions, Nintendo Diehards vs Sony Fanboys, Smash Fans vs Street Fighter fantatics. But for this one moment, everyone stopped to pay respects to a man that had done soo much for the industry, more than many of us knew. There were various blogs and articles written about the great mans achievements, masterfuly made videos talking about him and his career (check out the Good Game video on his passing, one of the best things they have ever done).
All forms of social media after his passing were just full of thank yous and posts honouring the memory of one of the most important men video games, from Twitter to Facebook and even Miiverse, hundreds of thousands of posts were made dedicated to Iwata. So even know while his death still hurts, its nice to know that with this one moment, all gamers stood together and honoured the great mans legacy.
