Nintendo Survival Tactics

Written by Kyle Williams on August 10, 2001

Nintendo Survival Tactics: Number one: Pokemon. Number two: PokemonЕ

This fall is lining up to be quite the contest among video game consoles, what with the new machines coming from Nintendo and Microsoft. Throw in the fact that the PS2 will be entering its second year of existence like a lion and we've got a catfight brewing. Every console is going to have its share of fan-boys (and on the other hand, detractors) that will start spouting off reasons that their console is better than the next (or why it sucks). Well, I'm here now to give you the top five reasons why the Gamecube is going to succeed in the next few years and why Nintendo is going to start the climb back to the top.

The price. The first thing that people notice when comparing any product is the price. Nintendo has the drop on both Microsoft and Sony in this category by beating their console price by one hundred dollars. Combine that with the fact that the games for all three systems will retail at approximately $50 and there is no monetary reason to by either the PS2 or Xbox over the GC. Sure, the other two systems throw in DVD functionality with their console, but there are a lot of people out there that already have a dedicated DVD player and don't need their game console to do it for them (or already have the PS2 to do it).

The franchises. Something that has really helped Nintendo to carry the N64 are fantastic sequels to old NES games. Mario 64 practically carried the launch on its own, while the Zelda titles breathed new life into the system and really made it so the system could compete. Added to the mix are the hordes of kids that want/buy everything with the Pokemon moniker and the games that are already in the works. The new system is already promising some top-notch titles featuring some of familiar faces. With Samus (from Metroid) making her first appearance in 3-D, Mario's brother Luigi getting his first starring role, a Pokemon music game, and a breathtaking Zelda title looming on the horizon you can guarantee that Nintendo will move a lot of software in addition to the consoles.

The hardware. Nintendo is making a no nonsense gaming console, period. They aren't making a DVD player. They aren't making a set top Internet browser. They aren't making a supercomputer that happens to play video games. Nintendo's cube is going to play games and play them well. The addition of a broadband adapter for the console is definitely a plus, as is the ability to tie the Game Boy Advance into it. Sure, they could have made the standard memory card larger, but hey, no one is perfect.

The competition. Nintendo's competition is actually helping them out this time around. Sega has bowed out of the hardware race, Sony's hardware is difficult to program for, and Microsoft has their reputation to overcome. While we will have to wait to see the final results of how things will turn out, I have a feeling that the Gamecube's architecture will invite more third party developers into the fray, Microsoft will have a rough time getting past the idea that their products are buggy upon initial release, and Sega's software on the system can do nothing but help.

Shigeru Miyamoto. This is the man with the power to make or break Nintendo's new system. Some would argue that he is the sole reason that the N64 wasn't a complete failure. Mr. Miyamoto is the genius behind most of the big N's successful software, including the Legend of Zelda series. His current Gamecube project, Pikmin, is looking to be another innovative title with a lot more depth than first glance alludes to. With his help and guidance, Nintendo's first party software will continue to flourish and innovate and, in the end, will prove to be a match for Sony and Microsoft.

And there you have it, one man's opinion as to why a console will succeed. Sure, not everything is going in Nintendo's way (Final Fantasy games are still on other systems), but with all things considered, the odds are in their favor. When the dust settles after this fracas, don't be surprised to see Nintendo still standing with nary a scratch on their Gamecube.