Nintendo, a name that needs no introduction to most worldwide, has been producing quality video gaming material for over 50 years. While many companies will come and go in the gaming market, or, in the case of some, surpass Nintendo in sales, no other has matched the innovative technologies and ideas of this gaming powerhouse.
From the late seventies to today, Nintendo has grown and developed into the entity it is now. Unlike many other console developers, who focus on increasing the power output of each new generation console,Nintendo has continued to providenew technologies that have helped evolve the gaming world for years to come. Here are just a few developments by Nintendo that have revolutionized the gaming world game.
6D-Pad
Believe it or not, there was a time of gaming when the D-Pad was not an option. So, while to modern gamers a D-Pad may seem par for the course, it was not always that way. Prior to 1982, existing fans of the nerdy world of computer games were condemned to the use of keyboards and joysticks only. Until, that is, the release of Nintendo’s Game and Watch models.
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G&W were single game handheld consoles that were released in the early 80s. With the release of G&W, the world of gaming was introduced to what is an extremely common and ubiquitous bit of kit for the vast majority of console controllers, the D-Pad.
5Virtual Boy
If the phrase ‘before its time’ applies anywhere, it may just be here. Withvirtual reality gamesonly just reaching the point of being extremely immersive due to realism, it may be a surprise to learn that Nintendo dabbled in this arena almost 30 years ago.
In 1995, Nintendo, ever trying to push the boundaries of gaming, released the highly ambitious system, Virtual Boy. Equipped with a headset and goggles to transport players into a virtual world of lines and flashes, the release was poorly received. Still, while it was not success at the time, the Virtual Boy was certainly a ground-breaking fore-runner to the gear seen now.
4Game Boy Accessories
The Nintendo Game Boy is by no means the first-everhandhold console; that honor goes to the 1979 Microvision. However, the variety of add-ons for the Game Boy to be released over the years have been both innovative and successful. And, it would be fair to say, many of them have been moderately revolutionary.
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Over the course the GB variations – the original, the Pocket, the Color, the Advance, and the SP – there have been serval creative gadgets of note. Lights, screen magnifiers, and printers were released through the 90s. But, it is the 1998 Pocket Camera that dropped on the Game Boy Color series that broke the mold and helped invent the selfie.
3GameCube & GBA Link
With each new console, fans hope for new innovations. In Nintendo’s seemingly reluctant transition from cartridges to CD games at the turn of the millennium, they chose to remain different from their competitors and use smaller-than-average CDs. While an excellent system, the 2001Nintendo GameCubedid not offer much in the way of innovative technology. But, there was one addition that did.
Nintendo released a cable that connected the GameCube with the handheld console they had also released in 2001, the Game Boy Advance. This allowed players to play a host of games through the GBA, with a notable stand out beingThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.
2Wii U Tablet
After the hugely successful exploits of the legendary Nintendo Wii, fans couldn’t wait for what the company had in store next. But, unfortunately, it largely went under the radar. In 2012 Nintendo released what was a poorly marketed and grossly underrated system,the Wii U.
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The biggest criticisms of the Wii U lie in its visibility. No one seemed to know about it or what it was capable of, and as such, sales and traction for game development never materialized. But, the world had a unique console that allowed players to play games from both the TV and touchscreen tablet that doubled as a control pad. Although the system never took off, the technology had a lot of potential.
1Nintendo Wii
While the turn of the millennium didn’t bring the technology-altering Y2K computer virus that many had predicted, an event of equal proportions took place just six years later. In the year 2006, the world changed, and that change was the result of Nintendo’s newest development: the Wii.
TheNintendo Wii and its devicesneed little description, but, it’s essential to note that the introduction of motion controlled gameplay was a real game changer. While other companies tried to emulate the technology of the Wii, they all failed. Broken TVs aside, the innovation behind the Wii Remote alone is truly inspiring. Though, the console did release other revolutionary bits of gear such as the Wii Fit Board.
Other notable innovations that deserve a mention include Nintendo’s quests to provide backward compatible accessories for some of their earlier consoles. These include the Super Game Boy and it successor Super Game Boy 2 to play GB and GB Color games on the Super Nintendo. The Rumble Pak and Amibos are both honorable mentions, with a final word reserved for everybody’s favorite home and handheld console, the Nintendo Switch.
