Green, Solar & Wind Power

Power Force: The Power of Nostalgia

Green Generators Disclaimer: The proceeding article is editorial content. The views expressed are those of the author and do not neccessarily reflect the official position of the Advanced Media Network.

Video Games have always held a very prominent position in my life. I have very special memories of hanging out in arcades and getting new game systems. These memories are especially powerful when it comes to my personal experiences with Nintendo. In a time when the video game craze was winding down, Nintendo had something very special that reached the gamers of the world convincing them not to give up their hobby and saving a floundering industry. A smile always comes to my face when I think about time spent in years past playing Nintendo, and Im surely not the only one. In fact, the majority of people pine for the good old days when they were happy and carefree. They sate this desire through products of a retro persuasion and there is big money to be had in the nostalgia business. There is a market out there and Nintendo would be very wise to tap into it while it is booming.

The retro craze certainly has affected the video game industry, and Nintendo seems to be at the forefront. Everyone has seen the t-shirts printed with NES controllers or I Saved the Princess and an 8-bit Mario sprite. There are just a lot of people out there who have happy memories of these items and want to recapture that excitement. But they can do so much more than sell t-shirts and bumper stickers. Nintendo is sitting on a goldmine of pop-culture icons that they can leverage not just to sell gimmicky items, but to reel in the gamers and actually sell their primary product, video games. We have seen this in small doses, like the NES Classics series and the Super Mario Advance series, but its time to do something more, and from what we know about the Revolution, they will soon have the perfect platform with which to do it.

Everyone was wowed by the news at E3 that the Revolution was truly backward compatible in that it can download and play games from all previous Nintendo Systems. Thats a great start, but Nintendo needs to make sure to leverage this strength of the system. For one, they need to keep costs down. Nostalgia certainly can sell, but only for a reasonable price. The failure of the NES Classics series was largely due to the price point. Twenty bucks is just a bit too much for the average gamer to pay for Ice Climber. Five dollars might be a better price point for the older NES titles. Nintendo needs to be sure to sell these downloads at a low price, or better yet, offer the ability for gamers to earn free downloads through something like the My Nintendo program at Nintendo.com. Also, they must make sure the selection is there. I have heard some people say things like Revolution will play every NES game. Certainly, not EVERY game will be available for download, but there needs to be a good selection of both classic and more obscure, yet high quality, titles. It will certainly be an easy sell for Nintendo if they can offer an unprecedented selection of games at low prices.

One of the things that makes the ability to play older games so great is the sheer quality of Nintendos classic titles. Many older games dont hold up well to the rigors of time. If I go back and play my Atari now, most of the games I find are pretty lousy, though I appreciate and cherish the memories I have of them. A game like the original Super Mario Bros., on the other hand, still shines after all these years. When I play SMB I know Im not just getting a nostalgic kick but am also playing a great game. The Super Mario Advance series has done extremely well, even with younger gamers, most of whom have no idea they are playing a twenty year old game. That is true quality. Nintendo games can stand up to the test of time and are a joy to play no matter when you started gaming. Consumers will have no problem paying a nominal price to have a true classic pumped into their living room. It was the games like these that changed the world's vocabulary to say Im playing Nintendo, instead of just the generic video games.

The games are just the beginning though. The Revolution itself could be made to tap into that nostalgic feeling that many consumers have. There have been a few doctored images of Revolution consoles with an NES theme floating around, and I dont think it would be a bad idea for Nintendo to actually release something like that. There can always be other units for those of us who arent old school, but I think a retro Revolution would really sell. The NES-styled GBA SP did tremendously well. I also think it would be great to provide the controllers for people to actually play their old school games with. We dont yet know that the Revolution controller looks like, but no matter what it is, it cant be better suited to playing something like Punch-Out as the old rectangular NES controller. Sure, they are not the most comfortable or ergonomic things ever created, but there is something special about how those old games feel when you play them. I propose releasing wireless NES, and SNES style controllers for people to play these games the way they were meant to be played. Wrap it all up in a retro style package and then Nintendo will really be playing with power!

Now, I dont want to say that retro is the only appeal of the Revolution. People are always going to want new games as well. The power of the Revolution must be up to par with the competition and offer the slick graphics and immersive 3D environments that gamers expect. But that doesnt mean you cant have a retro connection there as well. Nintendo has the opportunity to resurrect some old and dear franchises from their early days with new and modern graphics and game play. We might see a new Kid Icarus or Star Tropics as new Revolution titles. The trick would be to make these games truly revolutionary and special like they originally were, not just sequels that use the name and little else. Nintendo could even include a code for a free download of the games original version with purchase so gamers could see how far things have come over the years. There is great potential for Nintendo to capitalize on their rich history and still push the gaming industry into the future.

Its fun for us old folks to reminisce about the early days of gaming. We remember our first Atari or Nintendo and sigh at the joy they brought to our lives. It is commonly said that you cant go home again, but that is surely untrue. Nintendo can take us back, to relive the excitement of yesterday while thrusting us into a bold new future. The Revolution is the answer to the old school versus the new school, the 2-D versus the 3-D. We can have it all with Revolution if Nintendo is willing to give. It looks like the Big N is going to live up to their end of the bargain, and I think consumers will respond in kind. The Revolution will win people over and let them experience that Nintendo Power once again.

Brian Langlois is an editorial columnist for AMN. Currently writing for both GCA and DSA, readers can catch his columns regularly at Advanced Analysis on both channels.

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