Biggest generational leap for Nintendo

[Slownenberg]

1) Snes to N64 obvious number 1, as everyone here is saying, due to transition from 2d to 3d. Not only the dimensionsal jump but also how perfectly they moved Mario to 3D for the launch of the system, and did the same later with Zelda, as those two games really showed the industry what games should be like in 3D. And even though it came out after Saturn and Playstation it was so much more powerful it felt like it was an entire generational leap over them as well. Also the introduction od rumble, and the analog stick, and of course 4 player built into the sytem was huge!

2) N64 to GC. This is where we went from basic 3D graphics to really good graphics that still stand up well today when given a resolution update. This gen was the last HUGE graphical leap, as all the later ones (for the industry in general, not just Nintendo) have been a bit more incremental. N64 to GC was probably akin to the leap from PS3 to PS5. Even though Dreamcast and PS2 coming out in previous years lessened the wow factor a bit, GC games blew away DC and looked significantly better than PS2 games. I still remember playing Rogue Squadron 2 on GC's launch day and just being blown away by how incredible it looked.

3) GC to Wii. Even though the specs leap was minor as it was when Nintendo started focusing entirely on HW/play-style innovation rather than the spec arms race, the leap to motion controls was mind blowing. Wii Sports came out as a tech demo and blew the world away. How many countless months did we all play Wii Sports just cuz it was so damn fun to use motion controls. Of course motion controls ended up being something that was very innovative only for certain styles of game while most games ended up just tacking on waggle controls. But still, where motion controls worked well it totally blew away previous gameplay experiences. Also add to that Nintendo getting online play and the virtual console which were huge new features.

4) WiiU to Switch. While the technical leap was again small and similar to the GameCube to Wii leap, it was because Nintendo moved from from console to handheld hybrid (and it is especially impressive that Switch is actually more powerful than the previous gen Nintendo system considering the move from console to handheld). The fact that you can play on a TV or in handheld anywhere has really just changed gaming forever. It's hard to imagine Nintendo ever not doing a hybrid system in the future. Plus they made the controllers in a way that you have both motion controls built in (though they are rarely used) and they work well as standard controls in handheld mode or slid together in TV/tabletop mode as a normal gamepad or turned sideways to play as a tiny NES/SNES style controller so that one controller turns into two for multiplayer gaming. Really its insane how versatile they built the whole system/controller hybrid concept. The Switch really feels like what Nintendo has been working towards during its entire history in video games. Plus the move from the oppressively priced pick and choose your classic games style virtual console to the cheap full library subscription-based NSO is fantastic as Nintendo is building out their permanent classic games platform so that is just a great addition to the gaming industry.

5) Nes to Snes. Games got much prettier and much bigger in this generation leap. Remember being very excited to play super Mario World and Final Fantasy 2 when I got the Super Nintendo. They were big upgrades from the Nes games. Later on add in the FX chip and the DKC style pre-rendered graphics and SNES games were a huge leap over NES games. The acrade style 4 button pattern plus shoulder buttons really opened up gameplay as well. This was a big generational leap but it gets fifth just due to some of those 3D leaps feeling bigger and some of the later innovational leaps totally shaking up the concept of how we play games.