Following Nintendo’s well-received E3 demo ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one writer looks at how E3 2016 could mark the start of a resurgence for the big N.
In the last four or so generations of video gaming that I’ve had the good fortune of playing through in mytwenty-five yearson this green Earth, the one console that forever has a special place in my heart is the Nintendo 64. To me, it was everything a gamer could’ve wanted: cutting edge graphics, some of gaming’s greatest first-party titles, and an almost unrivaled level of quality third-party support. But somewhere along the way, I think the Big N took a wrong turn.
Nintendo consoles have never been about cutting-edge technology, but it always made up for those shortcomings with some great games. However, the recent years have not only seen Nintendo consoles fall even further behind in the hardware race, there has been slow haemorraging of third-party support, leaving the big N with gimmicky, under-powered consoles with fewer great games to play on them. Sure there’s still the 3DS to fall back on, but even that is no more than a short-term solution to what’s been a long-term issue.
There is still the occasional great third-party game every now and again, but the days where we were blessed with a broader range of Nintendo-exclusives likePerfect DarkandConker’s Bad Fur Dayhave been replaced by a seemingly endless onslaught ofMariogames (and its countless spin-offs). I’m probably exaggerating a bit there, but you have to admit it’s hard to name a memorable Nintendo franchise beyondMario,Zelda,andPokemonthese days. Regardless of how you look at Nintendo’s recent history, however, I believe that there are inklings of life yet in the big N, and it all stems from its recentZelda-centric E3 showcase.
Nintendo took a huge gamble by bringing just theZeldademo to this year’s E3 event, but it paid off very handsomely asBreath of the Wildturned out to be one of E3’s finest showings. But looking between the lines, that spectacularBreath of the Wildshowcase didn’t just offer up a glimpse into the future of theZeldaseries, it gave some perspective into how Nintendo are putting the pieces in place for a long-awaited renaissance.
Nintendo appears to have realized that in order to push itself back to the forefront of video gaming, it had to go against its own conventions. The groundwork was laid when the NX was announced, and rumors started coming out that it wasmore powerful than the PlayStation 4. Of course, there’s no point in a powerful console if there are no games to play on it, and that’s whereBreath of the Wildcomes in.
For all the critical acclaim that’s rightfully heaped upon eachZeldatitle that comes out, I couldn’t help but feel that the franchise has been slowly turning into gaming’s own version of the iPhone. The iPhone has lost ground to its Android rivals in recent years due to Apple’s insistence on polishing existing iPhone features rather than taking big technological leaps, and this same thing could also be said of theZeldaseries.
Don’t get me wrong, almost everyZeldagame is among my all-time favorites and as good as each and every title has been, I can’t help but get that “same-ish” feeling every time I play a newZelda(andMario) title these days – and that’s definitely a result of Nintendo’s stubborn adherence to the decades old formula. While I wouldn’t fault Nintendo for going back to the same formula after thepositive reception ofSkyward Sword, the fact that the company opted to change things up forBreath of the Wildindicates that Nintendo appears to have finally gotten some perspective on the present-day gaming landscape, and that it can’t keep doing the same trick forever.
When it was announced thatBreath of the Wildwill be the first open-worldZeldagame, there was a risk that fans may not take to such a drastic departure from the series' usual formula. Thankfully, Nintendo didn’t let that deter it. When I (and many others) finally laid eyes on thatBreath of the WildE3 demo, not only did I get that awed feeling everyone gets at when they see a newZeldagame for the first time, but that aforementioned “same-ish” feeling was replaced by something different: optimism.
One can’t help but feel Nintendo being galvanized from seeing its gamble onBreath of the Wildbeing rewarded, and this could potentially have a carry-on effect on how the company approaches all its future first-party titles. It’s too early to say of course, but with legendary game creator Shigeru Miyamoto commenting thatnext year’s E3 could see a new kind ofMariogame, and what looks to be someinteresting gameplay changes to the upcomingPokemon SunandMoon,it definitely seems like change is happening.
The positive reception to Nintendo’s E3 showcase has also put more significance on an interesting comment from Nintendo of America chief Reggie Fils-Aime, who claimed that the NX is about"content" and not “teraflops”. If this proves to be more than a soundbite, then Fil-Aimes' statement indicates that the big N is intent on reopening its doors to all that important third-party support that has been sorely lacking since the Wii days. WithCapcom, Electronic Arts, and the big daddy of video game publishers,Take-Two, keeping a keen eye on the NX, it looks like my colleague’s prediction thatNX could have a stellar launch line-upmay indeed come true.
Whether all these big steps and risks will ultimately pay off remains to be seen, but there’s seems to be an air of optimism surrounding Nintendo’s future that wasn’t there a few weeks ago. There’s still a long way to go for Nintendo yet, but one thing is for sure, I’m definitely getting my hands on the NX, and it won’t be just to playBreath Of The Wild.
