Nintendo, the most influential and well-known producer of gaming platforms, is the frontrunner of portable game console platforms. Nintendo has sold more than 2.4 billion copies of game software worldwide, creating many famous characters in gaming history. Let's take a brief look at Nintendo's five game signs.
Donkey Kong
When it comes to debut qualifications, Donkey Kong ranks ahead of Mario. When Mario was still unknown, Donkey Kong had already become the face of Nintendo. If Mario achieved Nintendo's hegemony, then Donkey Kong saved Nintendo's crisis. It was precisely because this arcade game in 1981 opened up the American market that Nintendo had enough faith to gain a foothold in the field of gaming and develop rapidly.
It is said that the original plan was to bring the famous American animation "Popeye" into the game, but due to copyright issues, the characters in the anime could not be used, so the original characters Donkey Kong and Mario were born. In this way, Donkey Kong should have become Nintendo's number one sign, and Nintendo did plan to do so at the time, so much so that in the game "Donkey Kong Jr.", Nintendo did not hesitate to sacrifice Mario to play the bad guy who kidnapped Donkey Kong. Although it failed to do so, and it was inferior to Mario in popularity, Donkey Kong finally became one of Nintendo's leaders with its strong but cute contrasting and cute characteristics.
The Legend of Zelda
Zelda is a landmark work in the gaming industry, and it should be one of the originators of ARPG to be precise. Compared with Mario's popularity, Zelda received more professional praise, and most of the works were able to become one of the highest level representatives of the game works at the time. "The Triforce of the Gods" on the SFC platform was the first work in Japan to break the FAMI Pass score of 39 points, which was unique in the score of FAMI Pass magazine, which was known for its extreme harshness and rigor at the time. "Ocarina of Time" on the N64 platform is also the first perfect score for game media including well-known websites and magazines such as FAMITSU, IGN, GAMESPOT, and GAMEINFORMER, and it is also the most highly rated work in the world so far.
In addition, Ocarina of Time first introduced the 3D game Lock on system, which perfectly solved the perspective problem of previous 3D games. The Lock on system was often used in 3D games after this game, and it can be described as a revolution in the progress of 3D games. His subsequent series also continued this high rating. The Legend of Zelda can be described as a brand under Nintendo that attaches equal importance to art and business. Some of the important game designs of the Zelda series have had a profound impact on the traditional AVG, ACT and RPG games of later generations.
Kirby of the Stars
Kirby of the Stars was originally called Popopo at the beginning of its creation, and it was originally just a small character in an unfinished game, but because of its cute image, many people liked it, so it became the main character of "Twinkle Popo". The game is aimed at beginners, and the game is very easy. At the time, most action games were looking to make the game more difficult, and the unique feature of simplicity boosted its sales. Then the second game, Kirby of the Stars: The Story of the Spring of Dreams, came out one after another, and Popopo was renamed "Kirby", and the name of the game was changed to "Kirby of the Stars".
In terms of game content, Kirby has also added a transformation system to make the game more interesting. At the same time, in this game, Kirby was officially added with a pink and white color, which also laid the foundation for future Kirby games of the stars. Most of the games in the Kirby series are action games, but because Kirby's body is spherical, there are also some games that treat Kirby as a ball, such as "Kirby Pinball". Kirby has attracted a large number of fans with his round shape, and even ranked second on the Nintendo game character popularity list for a time.
Pokémon
Without Mario, Pokémon would have been the undisputed number one game for Nintendo, after all, the Pokémon series was able to save the fate of a console on its own, something that even Mario had failed to do, and it could be said that it was a miracle in the history of gaming. The Game Boy handheld, which began production in 1989, should have looked obsolete seven years later in 1996, but with this game it has returned to the top. The Pokémon series eventually became the second brand under Nintendo to exceed 100 million in cumulative sales. The Pokémon series can be found on each new generation of consoles, and this series has always defended the brand's undefeated position. As a result, the Pokémon series of games has won eight world records, including "the most successful RPG series of all time".
HOWEVER, COMPARED TO BRANDS SUCH AS MARIO AND ZELDA, WHICH HAVE GROWN WITH NINTENDO, POKÉMON SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN OUTSIDER, BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL POKÉMON GAME DEVELOPMENT COMPANY IN 1996 WAS MADE BY GAME FREAK RATHER THAN NINTENDO LIKE OTHER BRANDS. GAME FREAK IS CURRENTLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBSIDIARIES OF NINTENDO. Now that Nintendo has begun to enter the mobile game world, Pokémon will surely continue to play an important role.
Super Mario
Nintendo's golden signboard, as long as Nintendo is mentioned, everyone will first think of the name Mario. Mario made his debut in 1981's Donkey Kong, when he was still an obscure character. However, since the birth of the first FC platform in 1985 under the title of "Super Mario Bros.", Mario has officially become an inseparable and important part of Nintendo. Whenever Nintendo launches a new generation of game consoles, there will always be this bearded, suspender-wearing middle-aged plumber who looks like a red hat and is the first to charge.
From the orthodox works of the Mario series to the spin-offs of racing and sports, and then the works that run to other games to make cameo appearances, these Mario-related works have reached more than 100 units combined, and the cumulative sales have exceeded 500 million units. Mario has also won more than ten world records such as "the most prolific game character" and "the highest-grossing game series". Mario is the undisputed king of game characters. Unless one day Nintendo leaves the gaming world, this status of Mario may continue forever.