Top 10 Things that Make Nintendo Better Than Microsoft and Sony
You know the drill. Three gaming giants, one crown. And while Microsoft and Sony are off in their own arms race chasing hyper-realistic graphics, cinematic cutscenes, and how-many-teraflops-do-you-have contests, Nintendo is out here doing its own thing again. Not just marching to the beat of its own drum, but remixing the whole soundtrack in 8-bit, slapping a smiley face on it, and somehow making it legendary.
This list is for those little quirks and big wins that make Nintendo stand out. Maybe it's the way their characters feel like old friends. Maybe it's how they swing for the fences with wild ideas that sound crazy on paper and then somehow change gaming forever. Maybe it's just the fact that no one else could sell you cardboard accessories and still make it feel magical.
So cast your vote for the reasons that you think put Nintendo on top.
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Nintendo Games
Nintendo games have something unique to them, while PlayStation and Xbox games just do not cut it. I can definitely see this with the recent releases of games on the Switch, such as Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey.
Yes, Splatoon 2 is not in 4K resolution, but what makes it much more unique compared to other third-person shooters is how fun and innovative it is. You will not see any other third-person shooter where you shoot ink and refill your weapon by submerging in it. This just shows how innovative Nintendo is compared to Microsoft and Sony.
Microsoft and Sony, with the majority of their games (excluding notable exceptions), are the exact opposite of mature, despite claims and common stigma.
If you can learn to appreciate them, games like Pokémon, Mario, and Zelda will provide you with infinitely deeper enjoyment and will stay with you for more than just a decade. You'll get more from a Nintendo game than you ever will from the majority of Microsoft and Sony console games.
The soundtracks for these games are masterpieces in their own right. There's that, too.
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Gameplay > Graphics
Nintendo actually cares about gameplay, iconic atmosphere, variety, and innovation. Microsoft and Sony only care about overhyping graphics and doing anything they can to get more and more money.
Examples: Nintendo introduced motion control with the Wii, has a large variety of games (from the social simulation of Animal Crossing to the action and puzzles of The Legend of Zelda), and probably has the most iconic characters in gaming (Mario, Kirby, Link, etc.).
That is true. Now, take FIFA 02 and also take The Wind Waker. Which one aged better if you are talking about graphics? Nintendo knows what they are doing.
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Sony and Microsoft Continue to Copy Nintendo
It's so true that the others copy! Nintendo has so many cool ideas for controllers, games, and so much more! Why would someone just go and take credit for someone else's amazing ideas? It's so horrible.
That's true. Back when the Nintendo Entertainment System was popular, there was an accessory called the Power Glove. It was very innovative, and it brought motion control gaming. Unfortunately, it was a flop.
Years later, Nintendo brought back motion control gaming with the Nintendo Wii. It was so innovative that Sony and Microsoft decided to steal Nintendo's ideas and create PlayStation Move and Xbox Kinect for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. What a bunch of copycats!
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Nintendo Has Ideas to Spare
Nintendo is always coming up with new and interesting ideas for their consoles and games. For example, when everyone thought that motion gaming was the only way to go, Nintendo released the Wii U gamepad. Whether it's successful or not, it is still a pretty good idea.
Xbox and PlayStation, on the other hand, are clearly running out of game and software ideas. Almost every new game released for the Xbox and PlayStation these days is the fourth or fifth sequel to FPS games from ten years ago, just with higher-resolution graphics, new guns, and more blood.
PlayStation has had the same controls and games since 1994. Xbox has used the same control layout since 2001. Plus, Xbox copies Sony, who also borrows from Nintendo, like with VR. If you remember the Virtual Boy from 1995, even though it didn't sell well, Nintendo was the first to take a step into virtual reality.
On a related note, Nintendo is almost 130 years old, and now we have the new Switch.
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Nintendo Has Shigeru Miyamoto
He is a literal god. His innovative, cool ideas have saved Nintendo, and his fun personality shines in all of his games. Microsoft and Sony have no one like him, or their games would be better.
He created The Legend of Zelda series, which is the best video game series of all time. Also, Link is the coolest character ever.
He created almost all of the Nintendo characters. We should really thank him!
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The Music
Yep, they have the best music, better than Touhou (even though I am a huge fan of Touhou and also think it has the second-best music). My favorite OSTs are from Pokémon, the Mario series, the Donkey Kong series, the Legend of Zelda (I listened to Zelda's music once before on YouTube, and it sounds beautiful), Fire Emblem, Yo-kai Watch (please don't hurt me, I just love Yo-kai Watch), and the Kirby series.
Nintendo has the best music in the business. In games like The Legend of Zelda, being stuck is a lot more tolerable with a beautiful symphony that matches the mood of the situation.
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Nintendo Has Great Exclusives
Earthbound, Mario, Sonic, Rayman, Pikmin, Zelda. There will be no stopping the list of exclusives in Nintendo.
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Nintendo Almost Never Jumps in on a Bandwagon
Jumped on a bandwagon: Miiverse to Facebook...kind of.
Pulled the bandwagon: Motion controls, return of old classics (Virtual Console), and maybe soon the idea of 3D graphics (3DS) and the hybrid console (Nintendo Switch).
Nintendo doesn't do things that other companies are doing just because their idea sold well. Nintendo innovates and tries to make their own successful ideas.
Nintendo tries to make each of their series original. Sony and Microsoft just do what they know people will eat up. Nintendo has made platformers, racing, RPGs, sports, shooters, and puzzle games, just to name a few.
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Nintendo Makes, Sony Takes
While Nintendo innovates, Sony takes their ideas, copying them and trying to make them better than Nintendo.
Nintendo creates the best experience, and they always have new ways to play.
Microsoft also always copies Nintendo, not just Sony.
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They Always Use Their Brains
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They Are More Creative
The people at Nintendo are innovators. They set into motion most of a console's characteristics today, and they break out of what is normal to instead create something original and creative, things that other companies can only try to mimic.
For example, the standard shoulder buttons on most modern controllers originated from the SNES controller, and the Wii's motion controls were so popular that Sony tried to copy them with the PS Move. Sometimes this creativity will succeed, and other times, a new idea will get shunned. But that doesn't change the fact that they aren't afraid to break the boundaries and make not just a standard console but an innovative one that will shape the future of gaming.
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Bayonetta 2
This game is fun. Sony and Microsoft didn't need PlatinumGames.
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Nintendo Makes Sure Their Consoles Work
I don't know about Sony, but Microsoft products have a tendency to not work right when purchased (including PC and Xbox). Nintendo products are built to last, and just about every Nintendo product works properly on the first day with rare exceptions (my DS doesn't have internet access, but it doesn't interfere with gameplay).
This guy on YouTube bought his first Xbox One. The A button didn't work (the controller cost billions to research). He got it replaced, and the new one turned on and turned off instantly.
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Toadette
Toadette is a character in the Mario series. She is a female Toad who first appeared in the Nintendo GameCube game Mario Kart: Double Dash!! in 2003. Since then, she has appeared in multiple Mario titles, often as a playable character.
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They're an Actual Video Game Company
This one is true. I hear people complain about how they hardly see third-party games on this. That's because they are a game company. Sega is a game company. That's why even Sonic Boom is popular, because Nintendo and Sega know what they're doing. PlayStation is cool, but it's not as fun as Nintendo. Games aren't really fun unless Nintendo has them too. The only game I like from PS4 is Arkham Knight. Not much of anything else. Sega may have crashed, but they still know what they are doing, just like Nintendo. The other ones just aren't fun at all half the time.
This doesn't really make a difference either, but if there were no longer any consoles being made by real game companies, I'd feel like I'm in 1983.
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Genuinely Interesting Storytelling
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Virtual Console
There is an entire library of video games available to you when you get your Wii (sadly not yet for the Wii U or 3DS). But even so, it annoys me that people don't realize the full potential of having a backlog of so many games on their Wii. From Mario Bros., Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy I, II, III, Mega Man, and so on.
Nintendo has a very good lineup of old retro classics.
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Nintendo Consoles Are Less Flawed and More Durable
Nintendo consoles, on average, last about 5-7 years of daily use before they break, which is usually long enough to last until the next console is released.
Xbox and PlayStation consoles, however, on average, only last about 4-5 years. On top of that, there are some major flaws in their designs. For example, if an Xbox 360 is picked up or moved while reading a disc, the console will grind the disc and make deep scratches on its surface, making the disc unreadable. Both the Xbox and PlayStation consoles have a ring of death of some sort.
I'm definitely with you on this. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally dropped my Switch, and it's still fully intact. It's awesome, really.
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Saved the Video Game Crash of 1983
If Nintendo hadn't saved the gaming industry, then Xbox and PlayStation wouldn't be here.
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Nintendo Helps Develop Games, While Microsoft and Sony Leave It to Their Game Developers
Nintendo has helped develop hundreds, possibly thousands, of games. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Sony haven't done anything significant since 2001 (Microsoft) and 1995 (Sony).
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Nintendo 64
Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time may not be the best games ever like everybody says, but they are amazing games that are as good as everybody says (just not the best). Yes, PlayStation has the best fifth-generation video game, Metal Gear Solid, but that and Final Fantasy VII are the only PlayStation 1 games that actually rival the Nintendo 64!
It had a lot of expensive add-ons, but what console doesn't? Plus, GoldenEye 007, Kirby Crystal Shards, Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64, Super Smash Bros 64, Pokémon Stadium (don't judge), Mario Kart 64, Mario Party, Resident Evil, Paper Mario, and my all-time favorite, Majora's Mask. These are my all-time favorites, and I'm biased towards some of them because I've owned them for almost 16 years and grew up with them.
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Fewer Hardware Issues
The nice thing about Nintendo is they don't have a ring of death. They would rather sell durable Switches than hear their customers complaining about a broken item.
When you play for a long time, the Xbox 360 will overheat and it will surely cause damage.
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It's Not Just About Games
Nintendo is not just about games. It's a whole gaming culture. People still talk about and play old games released 20 years ago. There is a range of Nintendo merchandise people collect.
How many Sony or Microsoft fans still talk about the first Gran Turismo or Halo? Nintendo has proved that the creative vision behind a game is more important than the number of pixels on the screen or the number of cores inside the box.
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The First-Party Games Are Cared About More Than The Third-Party Games
Yeah, Nintendo doesn't just sit around doing nothing. They give us the games!
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Bowser
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Way More Variety
They have so many genres of games, I love them all! As for Sony and Microsoft, they do have different genres of games, but pretty much all of them are overshadowed by FPS, racing, and sports games.
Definitely. Nintendo always comes up with new characters.
In the '90s, Fox, Kirby...
In the early 2000s, Paper Mario, Master Hand, and others...
In 2005-2010, Miis were added...
In 2011-present, Inklings... and more!
Nintendo doesn't just remake the same game and say, "Oh, here's a new game! It says 'sequel' on it!" They actually make new games and new content.
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Their Gimmicks Are Actually Pretty Cool
The Nintendo Wii actually has cool channels, and the N64 has all those paks like the Rumble Pak. All Sony and Microsoft do is copy Nintendo and copy each other, like Kinect and PlayStation Move. Let's be honest, Nintendo makes way cooler gaming experiences, while Sony and Microsoft just make those lame controllers.
Nintendo invented selfies with their Game Boy Camera. I only take selfies with Nintendo consoles that have cameras you can use to take pictures.
I mean, take the Mario Kart wheels. Pure genius. And the controllers? Awesome. Amiibos? Sounds great.