Nintendo has seen better days. Much better days. In terms of success (DS/Wii Domination seemed like a long time ago) and in terms of quality. None of the sequels in the WiiU could match previous installments, and there wasn’t a new franchise or a revamped franchise that got us excited. The games were underpowered on Nintendo consoles for the second consecutive generation, and for those of you that don’t believe this is a big deal, take note of this: all of Nintendo’s best games when released were on top of the gaming world in terms of power, graphics, and presentation.
We can even go in order. Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros. III, Super Mario World, Link to the Past, Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country 2, Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Perfect Dark, and Smash Brothers Melee are all games that when they came out were the biggest and the best in the business---and today are all considered masterpieces. The nostalgia clouds the fact that these games were huge back in the day. These games tested the limits of what video games can do. The Wii and WiiU, despite the good software, could never present that caliber impact. Even the Super Mario Galaxy games, arguably the best games Nintendo has released in the past decade, couldn’t hold a candle to the released-around-the-same-time Little Big Planet games in terms of graphical and presentational power.
In order for Nintendo to gain the trust of gamers, it needs to step up its game and deliver visual experiences that can at the very least rival those of your Halos, Battlefields, Elder Scrolls, and GTAs. Nintendo should take a look back at the very last time it had the biggest and best game in the planet. It has been a while, but this masterpiece was not only Nintendo at its peak, but one of the greatest games you’ll ever play:
Metroid Prime.
November 2002 was the last time Nintendo was on top. Metroid Prime at the time of release was the biggest video game in the stratosphere. And upon release it had already been creeping up on all-time best games lists everywhere. It was the prettiest-looking game, it was the most-detailed game, and was arguably the most expansive game in the sixth generation. Nothing on the PS2 could even come close to looking as good as Metroid Prime. Only PC’s Half-Life stood a chance at matching Metroid Prime technologically pound per pound.
The Gamecube was pushed to the limit with Metroid Prime, and it would take years before anything Nintendo-related would look as good as this first-person action/adventure/horror game. The cinematics were subtle but phenomenal, the art design drew you into the Metroid universe immediately, and the game overall played out like an interactive movie that demanded that you explore and seek out the story for yourself. Metroid Prime had layers of details, from all the scans you can make, to the little creatures that would scatter from dead bodies.
Metroid Prime was the last time Nintendo released a game in which the hardcore gamers were truly not prepared for. We honestly weren’t ready to take on the challenges, the intensity, and the hardcore behavior of Prime. It was rather shocking that this mature, mainstream-defiant title came from the House of Super Mario. It was the gift that kept on giving, it was a game that never allowed you to be comfortable or in full control of the game. This added to the subtle horror that would engulf the experience.
In order for Nintendo to gain the respect of third-party companies and the gamers, we need more Metroid Prime-like games. We need the next big step. We don’t want watered-down (Super Mario Bros. U), we don’t want remakes (Wind Waker HD), we want the next major step in Nintendo gaming. We want the next major evolution in the world of Nintendo. The next piece of hardware needs to match the strength of the competitors. We need to see that Nintendo isn’t just making games, they are making THE games you want to buy.
The WiiU never had THE game. None of the sequels truly lifted their franchise to the next level, not even the awkwardly-titled Smash Brothers for WiiU. And they never took any handheld or older franchises and gave it the next big boost, the next big sequel bump---Golden Sun, F-Zero, Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright, Kid Icarus, Wario Land, Super Mario RPG/Paper Mario, among others. This needs to stop. Nintendo being on top with the competitors usually leads to a better gaming universe. When Nintendo is firing on full-cylinders, everyone wins. The Gamecube was the last truly hardcore Nintendo console, and Metroid Prime was the title that rose above the rest.
Bottom Line: Metroid Prime was the last time I felt like Nintendo pushed the envelope on the gaming industry, before they decided to merely seek other ways to make games (Wii, DS, 3DS, Wii Fit). Nintendo if you want to win the fans and win a new crowd, you need to look back at Metroid Prime to see what an industry-bending game looks and feels like. I will never forget the first time I played Prime. I didn’t play a game on the WiiU that created that special memory. It is very simple Nintendo: don’t scale back, go the full 100%. Yes, we are willing to wait---we did wait eight years for that Metroid game in the first place. No more scaling back, you got away with it with the Wii but this won’t work anymore.
Metroid Prime is one of the 20 greatest games of all-time and the last time Nintendo peaked. Time to go back, take notes, and try to recreate this magic.
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