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Kai_Mao on 20 March 2017
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To be honest, I've not been that disappointed with Nintendo compared to some in forums, social media, or anywhere else online. Here's some of the highlights from the last few years for me:

- Two great Pokemon generations (to those that groan at this point, bite me). I felt re-energized in the franchise starting at Gen 6 even though my love for Pokemon hasn't really wavered.

- Falling in love with Fire Emblem with the help of Awakening. Sure I've known Fire Emblem since I was a middle schooler playing Melee and seeing an ad for the game on Nintendo Power. Plus, I've played a little of Blazing Blade, but I became head over heels with the franchise with Awakening. The characters, the ability to help them grow as individuals and as a group, the music, the settings, the themes, etc. Now I'm continuing to explore more of the franchise by playing more games like Path of Radiance, Blazing Blade, Shadow Dragon, Fates, and the upcoming Echoes.

- Kid Icarus Uprising drew me into the world of Kid Icarus, as I'm sure it did to millions of others. Now I hope for a sequel (please, Sakurai!)

- Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, etc. are fantastic games in general. And although I haven't played Yoshi's Woolly World yet, I've heard and seen great things from this game.

- Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was an interesting experiment blend of FE and SMT, even though it doesn't really portray much of both in a way as well.

- Hyrule Warriors is a love letter to fans that celebrates the franchise's history and characters. It's DLC is also pretty awesome, more than adding to the main experience.

- Smash 4 is the fighitng game of my dreams. I've said it before, prior to DLC, or even Smash 4's inception, I've longed for match-ups such as Ryu vs. Mario vs. Mega Man vs. Pac-Man vs. Link vs. Sonic and so forth. This roster alone is one the greatest video game cross-over rosters of all-time among the likes of MvC2, CvSNK2, etc. Tell me what other recent fighting game provides such a cast. And not to sell the always stellar gameplay short, which is a step up from Brawl. And 8-player Smash?!? That's insane for such a high-paced game.

- The 3DS is a console with great JRPGs such as Etrian Odyssey, Fire Emblem, Bravely, Pokemon, Shin Megami Tensei, Kingdom Hearts, Project X Zone, Dragon Quest, etc.

- Splatoon was an amazing online experience for me. I've strayed away from online multiplayer due to not feeling competent enough, bad past experiences with online (didn't know how to mute voice chat when playing Mass Effect 3 so I heard some players condemn me for inefficient play), and not having much interest with games like CoD, Battlefield, etc. Splatoon allowed me to find my role in a team-based shooter without too much consequence. I could experiment and feel like I can contribute in many ways. I cannot wait for Splatoon 2.

- And of course, while the Wii U stumbled on its last legs, it can rest now, knowing it went out on top with a swan song that is also shared as a launch of a new era with the Switch. Breath of the Wild is an incredible experience for me and I'm almost done with the main quest with so much left to do on the side. While some might scoff at the high praise it gets and use nostalgia as an excuse (which I might bring up as a topic later unless someone else does it :P), I, as a long-time Zelda fan, do not really feel too nostalgic from this game. This game is different, like most Zelda games despite a similar formula, but different enough where I can't just rely on old tricks and get away with it. I've died more often than I could ever count and I've continued learning how to survive in a vast world. It's an experience I think I will appreciate for a long-time.

So yea, some might not feel this way, but I've not been really disappointed by Nintendo these last several years. Are they perfect? No. No one is. Not even Sony. Nevertheless, the experiences I've gained by playing Nintendo all these years are still something that can't be topped, even as I enjoyed games from other consoles. That's why I am still proud to be a Nintendo fan. Sure, I won't agree with everything they do, but its hard to really be disappointed when I see great payoff from them.