We thought it would be a nice idea to devote our first editorial to getting to know the head of the NintendoReporters, Patrick Dankers. Who next to being a dedicated gamer also has been a Nintendo fan since day 1! See hist path to the Nintendo Switch.
I can still recall my first introduction to video games as if it was yesterday. Something that is likely to be common to many readers; Super Mario on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Since then, I have been under a spell by everything the world of Nintendo has to offer and I’m proud to call my self a die-hard Nintendo fan.
Short bit of History
Nintendo (Japanes: 任天堂, ニンテンドー “Nintendō”) is a Japanse company founded in Kioto, Japan on September 23th of 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi.
Nintendo started out as manufacturer for handmaid hanafuda cards, which where used for the similiarly named Japanse card game. In the second half of the twentieth century, the company began to experiment with other products, including toys.
Through toys, Nintendo eventually ended up with video games: in the seventies of the 20th century, the company began to develop and produce their first gaming devices. In 1980, Nintendo released its first portable console: the Nintendo Game & Watch. This device was also the first portable video game with an LCD and microprocessor.
The Birth of a Nintendo fan
In 1985, Nintendo released her first home gaming console the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). To say that I was a fan since 1985 goes a bit far, I was born in August of that year.
No, it was in 1988/89 that I had my first real experience with gaming and how could that not be of the NES.
I’ll never forget when I played Super Mario Bros for the first time on the NES. I think this game was solely responsible for the love for games and Nintendo that I have now.
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1985 Nintendo Entertainment System [NES]
The NES made me ‘addicted’ to gaming and Nintendo. That’s one thing that’s certain. Besides the Super Mario Bros titles, I certainly want to mention Final Fantasy, Kirby’s Adventure, Kid Icarus, Metroid, Megaman (Series), Castlevania, Legend of Zelda all these titles have paved tge way for what we know as the gaming world.
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1988 Nintendo Game Boy [GB]
Take multiple games with you if you have to go somewhere? I think my parents were happy that the GB could keep me quiet in the car or if I had to go somewhere. Games get all my attention.
And how much I have played on the original Gameboy! In regard to titles Tetris, Pokémon (series), Link’s Awakening, Super Mario Land (mainly Six Golden Coins), Wario Land, Kirby’s Dream Country, Megaman.
If they brought me the Gameboy was sure to follow along!
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1991 Super Nintendo Entertainment System [SNES]
How long have we got? For me, maybe the Nintendo console that has bound me to Nintendo forever and forever. The SNES had so many good titles and enjoyed so much third party support at the time.
Where do I even start when it comes to titles? Let’s jus start; Donkey Kong Country (series), Megaman X (series) Super Mario World, Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario All-Stars Super Metroid, Super Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda – A Link to the Past, Super Castlevania, Contra III, Street Fighter (series), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kirby Super Star, Super Punch-Out, Mortal Kombat (series), Ghouls’ Ghosts, Sunset Riders, Final Fight (series), Killer Instinct and I still forget a lot I’m sure.
With an older cousin of me, I played so much Super Mario Kart and the Street Fighter series. If the time was registered as it does on current consoles / handhelds, we’d been in the 1000+ hours on those games, I’m sure of it.
The Super Nintendo will have a very special place in my heart forever.
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1995 Nintendo Virtual Boy [NVB]
Nintendo’s first console I really did not like, though I thought the concept was interesting, but it just could not capture me. Unfortunately for Nintendo I was not the only one and the Virtual Boy has not been a success.
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1996 Nintendo Game Boy Pocket [GBP]
The baby version of the Game Boy. No, it really was a good deal because the original Gameboy could look like a concrete brick in comparison to how handhelds are now. The GBP was especially useful because it needed less batteries than it’s big brother. However, titles were not really exclusive for the GBP.
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1996 Nintendo 64 [N64]
3D. I will never forget the day I saw the N64 for the first time during an event in the RAI in Amsterdam. I was blown away when I could play games like Super Mario 64 and Waverace 64 for the first time.The N64 had a very good game library with titles still used to day as comparison material or standard bearers. That includes a lot of titles form Rare(ware); Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Conker”s Bad Fur Day, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Diddy Kong Racing, Donkey Kong 64, Killer Instinct Gold, Jet Force Gemini.
Add titltes of the likes like; Mario Kart64, MarioTennis, Yoshi’s Story, Mario Party (series), Paper Mario, Starfox 64 (ook wel Lylat Wars), Super Smash Bros. and let’s not forget gaming masterclasses like The Legend of Zelda – Majora’s Mask en The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time.
I think you can deduce from the titles that I’ve loved this period quite a lot.
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1998 Nintendo Game Boy Light [GBL]
The GBL is a follow-up to the GBP but actually only launched in Japan. The backlight on the back was a new, so the GB titles could be displayed more clearly. I have played it at an import shop, but I knew already about the arrival of the GBC and the GB and GBP where enough when it came to normal GB support for me.
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1998 Nintendo Game Boy Color [GBC]
FINALLY color on the handheld.
The most popular titles may be the DX titles, Super Mario Bros Deluxe, Pokémon Yellow and the Zelda games; Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons and Link’s Awakening DX.
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2001 Nintendo Game Boy Advance [GBA]
More colors, rumble, system clock, gyroscope. SNES like graphics? Im in!
Noteworthy titles; Megaman Zero, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario vs Donkey Kong, Chu Chu Rocket, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, Astroboy, Pokémon (series), Legend of Zelda – The Minish Cap, Legend of Zelda – A Link to the Past , Metroid – Zero Mission, Castlevania (series). -
2002 Nintendo GameCube [GCN]
Whenever I think of the Gamecube, I have to think about the boot sound right away. Yes, right?! But also to the Wavebird controller. For the first time ever wireless controllers on a console. And yes, I still have these controllers because they are useful on Wii, Wii U and apparently also on the Nintendo Switch.
Despite the competition that Nintendo has had this generation in the field by0 Microsoft and Sony, it’s impressive to see what has been achieved for the console.
In regard tot titles; F-Zero GX, Star Fox Assault, Mario Party (series), Metal Gear Solid – The Twin Snakes, Pikmin (series), Kirby’s Air Ride, Soul Calibur II, Sonic Adventure (series), The Legend of Zelda – Four Swords Adventures, Metroid Prime (series), Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Luigi’s Mansion, Mario Kart Double Dash!!, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Smash Bros. Melee, The Legend of Zelda – Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda – Twilight Princess. And I’m also bound to have forgotten a few here.
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2003 Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP [GBASP]
The foldable Special Project version of the Gameboy Advance. Because of the size and protection I aquired it at that time. No unique new titles because, of course, it remained a Game Boy Advance.
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2003 Nintendo DS [NDS]
In all honesty, the DS family never really caught me whether it was due to system limitations. Maybe, but I’ve actually skipped them all.
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2006 Nintendo Wii
Motion Controls are the first to come up with me, but also that almost everyone had a Nintendo Wii. By not directly going head to head with Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo achieved a huge success with the Nintendo Wii. They once again had a product that was further in terms of possibilities than those of the competitors.
As for titles; Punch-Out!!, De Blob, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Metroid Prime 3 – Corruption, Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’s Treasure, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Mario Kart Wii, Sonic Colors, Donkey Kong Country Returns, The Legend of Zelda – Skyward Sword, Xenoblade Chronicles, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy (series) and then I have forgotten a bunch of titles on puprose.
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2011 Nintendo 3DS [3DS]
3D without glasses on your console. I had to try that. But I soon realised that this was not really something for me. As someone who weares glassed, 3D is already a bit trickier, but I could not really see it on the 3DS, so that was a bummer.
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2012 Nintendo Wii U
Perhaps one of the most underrated consoles ever. Unfortunately, the Wii was in a difficult situation; it had to do battle with the latest from both Sony and Microsoft consoles. This is one of the main two problems; Not the best marketing from Nintendo’s side but also the lack of good third party support.
But if you look further than this, it’s a very nice console with titles like HD remakes of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, Bayonetta (series), Pikmin 3, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Maker, Axiom Verge, Super Smash Bros Wii U, Super Mario 3D World, Splatoon en Donkey Kong Country – Tropical Freeze just to name a few.
The gamepad was perhaps an example of Nintendo being ahead of it’s time just like it was back in the day with the Virtual Boy.
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2016 Nintendo Classic Mini: NES / 2017 Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES
I’ll take these two together, because in both cases I have the same opinion about it; SUPER that they come back in such a way that people younger than me get to experience these pieces of gaming history. BUT with the view on the game library, they do not contain everything that has made the consoles so great in the past and that is a shame to say the least. I understand it, it has to do with licenses but not all the titles that are missing should share that problem.
That and the reason that I can already play many of the titles though a Virtual Console makes it, for me, that I can skip both of these.
In the future, if there is a Nintendo Classic N64 or Nintendo Classic GCN, I will have my pre-order out as one of the first. This because both consoles were super like its predecessors but also because not all of these system’s games are available on a virtual console (or will probably be all coming). However, I hope to have a good selection of games.
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2017 Nintendo Switch
Hybrid console …. WOW! Always play your game whether you’re home or on the go. The dream of every gamer and also sure of yours truly. I have already played games on the Nintendo Switch on so many unusual places (from on the plane to at the beach to at work and home and ???
I’ve still not been everywhere with the Nintendo Switch but the fact that it CAN go with me with my games is wonderful!
When I look at the success Nintendo seems to have with the Switch it makes me really happy. As stated by a number of parties; The gaming community as a whole is stronger if Nintendo does well. And I hope they can keep doing that for years to come, because this fan since day 1 is still not done with Nintendo!
As you can see, I have a very rich gaming history behind me. Incidentally, I also made trips to other Sony Playstation (1 and 2) consoles, SEGA Dreamcast and PC. But nowhere did it feel like it does with Nintendo!
Thank you Nintendo!
