The past of Nintendo is undoubtedly filled with ambiguity since the company wasn’t always the cheerful company it is today. Founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi in 1889, Nintendo was a small business playing card company. We may not immediately think of the company’s pitfalls because we love its characters and themes.
It’s not that we don’t like Nintendo, but the company is far from perfect. Including a failed partnership with Sony, an awful cartoon show, and a salacious set of playing cards, these are 10 things everyone chooses to ignore about Nintendo.
10 Nintendo Almost Made A Console With Sony
In 1991, Nintendo once backed out of a deal to make a video game console with Sony. It was going to be called the “SNES PlayStation,” and a prototype of the console was made. Instead of doing right by Sony and moving forward on the deal, Nintendo met with Phillips in secret. Phillips offered them a deal to use CD-i technology. It was a huge renege on the part of Nintendo.
The fact Nintendo backed out of the deal paved the way for Sony to make a new console. Their new console called the “Sony PlayStation” went on to be a bigger success than its closest competitor, the Nintendo 64. PlayStation is now the best-selling platform of all time.
9 Once Upon A Time, Nintendo Made Erotic Playing Cards
One of the shadiest things in Nintendo’s history that we can’t forget is that they were once a pin-up playing card company. These playing cards were of the erotic kind. Many people know that they were once a playing card company, but did you know that some of their cards contained photos of nude pin-up models? Of course, Nintendo is a different company now than it was in the 60s, but we can’t forget this piece of Nintendo history.
8 Nintendo Ran A Love Hotel
Back in the 1960s, Nintendo was a company that ran love hotels in Japan. As reported by techtimes.com, “Clients didn’t tend to get much in the way of rest, let alone sleep; rooms were available to rent by the hour, with patrons typically accompanied by guests of the financially compensated variety.”
PREVIOUSLY: Pokémon: 10 Unused Pokémon Designs That Look Better Than You’d Expect
Love hotels remain in Japan today and Nintendo’s hotel rooms were romantically themed. This is another chapter from Nintendo’s dark history that everyone, including Nintendo, wants to forget.
7 Nintendo Systems Have Lusterless Graphics
In a day and age where 8K resolution is approaching, Nintendo falls behind in the category of graphics. Games like Pokémon Sword and Shield are significant improvements over their predecessors, but graphically, they are lackluster. Even looking at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the console’s most impressive games visually, it pales in comparison to PlayStation and Xbox games. When will Nintendo compete with their competitors? Why can Nintendo get away with this while other consoles cannot?
6 They Charge More For An Inferior Console
The hardware of the Nintendo Switch is not on par with PlayStation and Xbox. The Nintendo Switch costs more than an Xbox One S, which can produce better quality graphics in the high-dynamic range.
PREVIOUSLY: The Outer Worlds: 10 Things To Do After You Beat The Game
Visually, games like Halo 5: Guardians, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Forza Horizon 4 are mind-blowing. Sure, the Nintendo Switch is portable and is feature-rich. Yet, we’re missing out on quality graphics. We seem to pay more for Nintendo’s consoles regardless.
5 Their Games Are Rarely Discounted
Nintendo releases games on cartridges instead of Blu-rays. It would end up saving them more money if they chose Blu-rays. However, cartridges are more durable, which makes them more suitable for young children. This doesn’t explain why digital games are more costly. Nintendo rarely discounts their games, and it’s the players who have to pay the price. It’s yet another reason to buy an Xbox or PlayStation.
4 Nintendo Was Associated With Gangsters
In Nintendo’s dark and disturbing past, they were associated with a Japanese crime syndicate called the “Yakuza.” When Nintendo created Hanafunda cards, the Yakuza were one of their biggest customers. In fact, the Yakuza used Nintendo’s cards more than any other type! Nintendo must have been aware that gangsters were using their playing cards. They didn’t do enough to prevent the sale, which is another questionable thing from Nintendo’s past.
3 They Once Had A Cartoon That Was Awful
Nintendo might be one of the most innovative platforms because of how they differentiate themselves, but it’s hard to ignore some of their past failures. The Virtual Boy was an example of a console that attempted VR way before its time. Another thing to remember from Nintendo’s sketchy past is its awful cartoon show.
Nintendo’s animated series titled “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!” is one of their worst forms of media ever created. Bowser is green, taking on his original appearance from Super Mario Bros. The show was available for streaming on Netflix but was later taken down.
2 They Charge People To Play Classic Games
Considering that people already shelled out the money for a Nintendo Switch, it would be a nice touch if Nintendo offered retro games free of charge. Instead, players are forced to pay the Nintendo Switch Online subscription fee, which will probably cost more in the coming years.
If Nintendo gave us a free of charge virtual console with retro games from platforms such as the Nintendo 64, they could fix the error in their ways. For now, we’ll be playing Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past with our miniature controllers that don’t fit the average person’s hands.
1 Missing So Much Potential For Remakes And Remasters
Sony PlayStation is pumping out remakes and remasters such as Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Shadow of the Colossus, Ratchet & Clank, The Last of Us Remastered, and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection. Nintendo falls behind in this category and its inexcusable.
There is so much untapped potential for remakes and remasters on the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo is squandering that potential by ignoring games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Mario Sunshine, Pokémon Snap, and Diddy Kong Racing. The list goes on. How long can we wait?
NEXT: 10 N64 Games We Hope Get A Remake Soon
