Headquartered out of Kyoto, Japan, Nintendo remains a household gaming name worldwide. They are, after all, the creators behind The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Mario and of course, Pokémon.
As one of the oldest gaming and entertainment companies, Nintendo’s history is quite illustrious. It is full of consistent highs and occasional lows.
It was initially opened in the 1800s as a small-time playing card and toy company. They would then venture into the video game industry and help save it from a crisis in the early 1980s.
Nintendo’s Evolution
Today, it remains one of the most important gaming companies in the world. Let’s look at its evolution over the years, from its Colour TV-Game to its present Switch model.
- Colour TV-Game
- Released in 1977, this was their first ever console and it included many Pong-inspired minigames. It was released exclusively in Japan.
- Family computer or Famcom
- The Famcom was released in 1983 and was an 8-bit machine with an output of 256×240. It would later be redesigned and sold in North America as what you may remember it as, Nintendo Entertainment System.
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- Released in 1985, it was sold for $299. The NES was responsible for pulling America’s video game industry out of a two-year-old crash. It sold in excess of 61.9 million units.
- Nintendo 64
- Launched in 1996, it faced competition from Sony’s PlayStation 1. Ultimately, it did not perform as well as its predecessor. Although held back by its cartridge format, it still sold 33 million units. Notable games include Super Smash Bros, GoldenEye: 007 and Super Mario 64.
- GameCube
- Nintendo’s revamped console was released in 2001 and faced Nintendo’s stiffest competition yet. It was bested by both the first Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation 2. However, it is remembered for some iconic games including The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker, Metroid and Eternal Darkness.
- Wii
- The company’s most successful console ever was launched in 2006. It was released with Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers that could detect movement. This assisted with physical games like tennis It is famous and loved for games like Wii sports, Mario Kart Wii and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- Wii U
- Released in 2012, a combination of bad naming and poor advertising stemmed its release. It saw a poor release and sold only 13.3 million units, Nintendo’s lowest so far.
- Switch
- Following the disastrous Wii U, the Switch was a homerun. It was released in 2017 and combined the best of Wii U’s tech with Nintendo’s strong line-up of exclusive games. These include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. The Switch was a massive hit and has outsold the Wii U just 4 years into its lifespan.
Nintendo has been making games for as long as it’s been possible and has sold over 800 million consoles so far. There is no doubt of their popularity and their place in the world of gaming.
And even as it releases new iterations of its famous games including new Pokémon and Mario games, its retro games still rule the day. Fuelled by nostalgia as well as amazing gameplay that stands up to the ages, retro gaming has seen a recent rise. This is evident by the Switch Online retro game line-up.
Rise of retro gaming
This interest in retro gaming is continuing to increase. It is no surprise that this influence has crept into the world of other industries such as online slot games.
For some, it may be difficult to understand how retro gaming can inspire slot machines and online gambling sites. But the integration is very smooth.
Players are not playing slot machines while playing Mario at the same time! Instead, they enjoy slots with retro backdrops and retro imagery. These retro themes may also be added to the design and overall theme.
For example, some slot games include jewel puzzle games. This is a retro game genre that began in the early eighties and remains immensely popular even today. Offering pixel-based art and bright colours, every second in the game takes players back to the days of 8-bit games.
So, even though the gameplay and design are modern, the ambience is definitely retro. Such games show us how online slot games of today are borrowing retro inspiration. They also showcase how it can be a great experience when well done.
Even though they strive for a retro vibe, the gameplay and layout ratio are modern. Long ago, classic games were known to offer lower pay-outs. Today, players can enjoy the retro experience along with high playout rates.
Nintendo’s latest release
Nintendo’s latest and upcoming release is the Switch OLED model. The device is set to be released in October of 202Nintendo’s latest and upcoming release is the Switch OLED model. The device is set to be released in October of 2021. The device offers enhanced audio and a larger OLED screen that offers more vibrant colours.
Many players were disappointed since they were expecting the much-rumoured Switch Pro which would apparently offer 4K gameplay. While that was not the case, the Switch OLED does stick to Nintendo’s philosophy.
They are known to release multiple varieties of their best consoles, especially their bestselling models. With newer games releasing and Nintendo continuing to increase its retro game offerings, the future looks positive for Nintendo fans.