Define "Nintendo Magic"

[Veknoid_Outcast]

S.T.A.G.E. said:

Veknoid_Outcast said:

I don't know about "magic" but I think Nintendo's singularity has everything to do with the way its studios design software. Because Nintendo and its affiliates focus on stability, performance, and the fundamentals of game design, their games are usually 1) fun to play, 2) fun to play for a long time, and 3) free of bugs and other technical problems. 

Other studios, of course, achieve the same level of excellence in game design, but none have done it consistently for 30 years. 

Go back to when you were a child. What was it about Nintendo that captured your attention?

Well, when I was eight I basically flipped a coin and asked my parents for SNES over Genesis, so I was very much platform agnostic at that point. My favorite games on SNES were Super Mario World, F-Zero, and Super Street Fighter II: SMW because of the interesting levels and secrets; F-Zero because of the music and sense of speed; and Super Street Fighter II because of the special moves and, despite losing every time, playing against my older brother. 

When I was 13 I received an N64 for Christmas. Super Mario 64 mesmerized me with its 3D graphics and huge open-ended levels; Shadows of the Empire captivated me with its Star Wars license and atmosphere; and Turok captured my attention for its guns, its dinosaurs, and, let's face it, its violence.

Only later in life, with hundreds of games under my belt and with a more nuanced understanding of game design, did I begin to fully understand everything Nintendo did and does right. Looking back, that decision to pick SNES in 1991 was probably the smartest gaming decision I've ever made.