A fantastic video game company overlooked because of the
waining intellect of the average American gamer, although it's still very popular in it's native Japan. Without them, the modern day video company would be in a dead end due to the arcade crash of the 1980's.
Console History:
Nintendo reinvigorated the market with the very successful Nintendo Entertainment System released in 1985; it's Japanese counterpart, the
Famicom, was also very successful. Nintendo continued this success with the release of the Super Famicom in Japan and the Super NES in America and Europe. Although it faced stiff competition from the rival
Sega's Genesis console, it was largely more successful with original games such as the Legend of Zelda:
a Link to the Past, Star Fox, Donkey Kong Country, and the ever famous Mario series. The Nintendo 64, originally called
project reality or
Ultra 64, was released in 1996, A year later than Sony's Playstation. The N64 sported alot of popular and high-grossing games, from original titles licensed by Nintendo like Super Mario 64 and
the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, to third party hits such as
Banjo-Kazooie and Goldeneye 64. Alot of games on the N64 were considered to be top notch and have gain recognition from critics and fans alike. The most noticeable games on the N64 were Super Mario 64 due to it's revolutionary breakthrough into a fully rendered 3D environment and the use of an innovative camera system, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time due to its remarkable targeting system and fantastic horseback riding system, and Goldeneye 64 due to its stupendous first person controls that lead the way for all first person shooters in the years to come. After the release of the Playstation 2 a year earlier and the downfall of Sega's Dreamcast in the new millenium, the Nintendo Gamecube was released; shortly after Microsoft's attempt at video game consoles, the XBox, came in to view. Although the PS2 and the XBox were more successful financial wise to Gamecube, Nintendo stil managed to survive with some hit titles such as Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4,
Viewtiful Joe, and the Mario series. The most anticipated game in the
Gamecube's lifetime is without a doubt
the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which is being praised for its vivid graphics that look as if they were on a next generation console and the ability to fight enemies on horseback. Twilight Princess is also being called Nintendo's Halo, which is a game that people went crazt over even though it looks like an average First Person Shooter, nowhere near Metroid Prime, and has the qualities to match. Nintendo is in
tip-top shape with the upcoming release of the Revolution, which has access to 20+ years of downloadable Nintendo games and a mysterious controller, recently called the big gun in a interview with Miyamoto (creator of the Mario, Zelda, and
F-Zero series), which is rumored to have everything from
gizmos that can change the controllers temperature, a
gyroscope, and a touch screen. Sony and Microsoft are also unleashing their next generation comsoles in the next couple of months, the Playstation 3 and the XBox 360. The most unpopular of the next gen consoles is the XBox 360 for its lack of innovation.
Handheld:
COmbining the success of the NES and the
Game & Watch handheld system, Nitendo product designer Gunpei Yokoi developed the Game Boy, which is one of the most successful handhelds ever. It has spawned countless incarnations including the Color and Advance versions. Along side its one-screened advanced counterpart, the Nintendo DS is currently dominating the Japanese market with it's library of original titles, unlike its rival the PSP which has mostly ported titles. The Nintendo DS is doing fairly in the North American market with its loyal fanbase and casual gamers, 12 Nintendo DS systems were recently brought along on a expedition to the summit of Mount Everest because of the systems communication features. All of the consoles were reported to be working fine even in record low temperatures, that leaves the question of how the PSP would fair in cold weather, it's console counterpart the PS2 isn't that sturdy of a console so that question is most likely leaning to NO.