I've been thinking about this for the past few days.... And reading some blogs and listening to older gamers, I got me wondering. :o :o :o
Was the Nintendo 64 the beginning of the end of Nintendo? During that era, they lost A LOT of third party support. Due to the fact they stuck with cartridges, they pissed away MANY MANY game developers, such as Konami, Capcom, Square, etc. In many ways they haven't recovered SINCE! :o :\'(

Despite having great titles such as Super Mario 64, Mario Party 1-3 Starfox 64, Goldeneye, Smash Bros, Bomberman HERO, Fighter Destiny, Zelda Ocarnia of time, Donkey kong 64, WWF No mercy etc.
They simply lost the 5th generation to the PS1. and ever since then Sony have been consistently dominating the gaming industry. When the industy started chaning during the 6th gen, their Gamecube was DESTROYED by the PS2 in sales, and had a brief comeback during the Wii, but due to them catering solely to casuals that cost them BIG TIME! and now the Wii was a colossal failure despite good titles. Now the system is being discontinued. The NX is being released soon. This might be the beginning of the end for them in the gaming market. Many people trace it to different generations, but did it start with the Nintendo 64 due to their arrogance in sticking with cartridges and pissing away majority of the developers.

In my opinion, yes.  If I remember correctly, the N64 came out around the time the Play Station did.  Nintendo did not offer the latest technology like the Play Station did so people understandably opted for the Play Station instead.  I saw a documentary a while back that Nintendo had a deal with Sony to work on a CD console together, but Nintendo decided to go with another company instead.  Sony then went on to create the console on it's own, the Play Station.

Yes, but younger peoples' nostalgia has given them a much different perspective on the N64. To those under 30-35 or so, the N64 being a "decline" is tantamount to blasphemy.

Another example: in the eyes of many older fans, the Star Wars prequels and special editions forever tainted the franchise's reputation, causing it to become associated with Jar Jar Binks, cartoony CGI, Greedo shooting first, angsty Darth Vader, etc. However, to fans under the age of 30, the prequels only added to the awesome mythology and power of the saga.

I was at work, now I'm charging my iPhone at an Apple Store.

Commercially, yes, the N64 marked the beginning of Nintendo's decline. Sticking to cartridges was a terrible idea, for while it did spare the system from long loading times, it alienated third party developers who wanted to design larger games for the console. This is exactly how SquareEnix switched its development of the soon-to-be revolutionary Final Fantasy VII over to Sony, even though the previous 6 games in the franchise were for Nintendo consoles. Once you lose third party support to a rival, it's almost impossible to reclaim it unless said competitor screws up badly.

Quality-wise, the N64 was anything but a shark jump. In fact, it was Nintendo's peak in that respect. Even with few third party games, the first and second party exclusives were absolutely legendary, from Mario, to Kart, to Star Fox, to GoldenEye, to Banjo, to Zelda...the classics are too numerous to count (although I haven't played GoldenEye 007 - I've only watched it - I can't deny how popular it was and how much it bolstered the popularity of multiplayer party games).

The true beginning of Nintendo's quality downfall would probably be the original New Super Mario Bros. from 2006. While the game itself is a lot of fun and was an undeniable breath of fresh air at the time, its astronomical success, even compared to the DS port of Super Mario 64, as well as the highly acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy, basically led to Nintendo playing everything extremely conservatively from there on out. While the stark emphasis on nostalgia and the everyday individual worked wonders for Nintendo in the late 2000s, after a few years, there was hardly any more of a progression in their new releases, causing everything to become overly stale and familiar. Even during the GameCube era, Nintendo was unafraid to take bold chances, albeit with occasionally mixed results. The same applies to the first few years of the Wii era, before the New Super Mario Bros. zeitgeist took over completely.

At least Pokemon is still going strong, even though it's a second party franchise.

Yes, but younger peoples' nostalgia has given them a much different perspective on the N64. To those under 30-35 or so, the N64 being a "decline" is tantamount to blasphemy.

Another example: in the eyes of many older fans, the Star Wars prequels and special editions forever tainted the franchise's reputation, causing it to become associated with Jar Jar Binks, cartoony CGI, Greedo shooting first, angsty Darth Vader, etc. However, to fans under the age of 30, the prequels only added to the awesome mythology and power of the saga.

True. It usually depends on age.
Those who grew up with the NES and SNES mark the N64 era as when Nintendo started the decline and are where they are at today. But those around my age and a little older; who grew up with the system will MIGHTILY disagree!


Star Wars the same thing. Generation X thinks the prequels and SE are cancer! Older Gen Y can tolerate them and younger Gen Y seem to have no issues.

I say yes...in a way. Nintendo did begin to decline after the N64. I don't think EVERYONE feels this way though.

To me it hasn't, really. I still have the N64 just as we got it in 1996, still intact and in working condition. When I have the time I still play games on it with my sister when she visits. And the magic continues even today lol. Also, it didn't get better it just evolved into more eras of gaming that are less exciting to some. Maybe some feel it has and others don't. 

Despite the fact that I'm a big fan of the Nintendo 64, I could say that the N64 was foreshadowing Nintendo's legacy as the Nickelodeon of video game companies. I say that because both companies don't make good strategies when they try to have people consume their products. I could get that the NES and SNES was when Nintendo was king of video games back in the late 80s to early/mid 90s, but I suppose the N64 era was when Nintendo lost most of its land on third-party support and soon became stuck in the past. Despite the fact that Nintendo started using discs around the Gamecube's release, it wasn't trying that hard to retrieve their loyal fanbase back. Instead, they got a fanbase full of thirty-something year old manchildren who obsess over Amiibos or any game related to Nintendo's franchises in the 80s and 90s. It's pretty sad now that I think about it.

Nintendo also isn't as focused in virtual gaming as much as Sony, Microsoft, and some other companies are pressing as most believe that the future is less traditional 3D and more about VR (what the 9th generation will be like when it starts sometime in the late '10s). And all I see at Game Stop at the Nintendo section are legacy franchises like Kirby, Zelda and Pokemon. This isn't unlike Atari in the late '80s during the 7800 era with all of its reissues of "classic" 2600 games and after their failures of the Lynx and Jaguar, they went the way of what Sega did nearly a decade later.

Nintendo also isn't as focused in virtual gaming as much as Sony, Microsoft, and some other companies are pressing as most believe that the future is less traditional 3D and more about VR (what the 9th generation will be like when it starts sometime in the late '10s). And all I see at Game Stop at the Nintendo section are legacy franchises like Kirby, Zelda and Pokemon. This isn't unlike Atari in the late '80s during the 7800 era with all of its reissues of "classic" 2600 games and after their failures of the Lynx and Jaguar, they went the way of what Sega did nearly a decade later.

Yea, it's pretty funny! Nintendo ended Atari's run, Sony ended SEGA's run, and now Sony and Microsoft are both slowly ending Nintendo. :o :o :o

BTW, how was Nintendo's E3 this year?

Well, if we want to get really technical here Nintendo's decline began way back in 1991. In 1990, during the immediate aftermath of the U.S. release of Super Mario Bros. 3, the NES controlled upwards of 80% of the North American video game market. During this time, the word "Nintendo" was basically synonymous with video games in the United States. Things began to shift in 1991, when Sonic the Hedgehog drove the Sega Genesis' popularity to new heights, while the Super Nintendo was not released until later that fall, giving the Genesis a full two year head-start in sales.

1992 was a positively brutal year for Nintendo in it's battle against the Genesis. Sonic 2 came out that November, along with the infamous "Blast Processing" marketing campaign, which succeed in making the Genesis seem "cooler" and "edgier" than the SNES, even though it was the weaker console of the two from a spec standpoint. 1993 was even worse. The long anticipated home console release of Mortal Kombat went decisively in Sega's favor that year due to Nintendo editing out much of the blood and violent fatalities from the original arcade version of the game. MK on the Genesis outsold the SNES version almost 2-to-1, and sales of the Genesis soared during this time. Nintendo did turn things around in 1994 and 1995, however. Sega's misguided releases of the failed Sega CD and Sega 32X, along with Nintendo getting a late-gen surge from titles like Donkey Kong Country and Yoshi's Island, was just enough to put the SNES over the top in the brutal console war with the Genesis.

Even though Nintendo did win the 4th Gen, it had taken a massive hit from it's lofty 1990 perch. By the time the Nintendo 64 launched in 1996, Nintendo's 80% market share was cut in half, down to around 40%. Things would only go further downhill from there, as the PlayStation 1 would go on to completely wipe out the N64 in terms of sales.

Yea, it's pretty funny! Nintendo ended Atari's run, Sony ended SEGA's run, and now Sony and Microsoft are both slowly ending Nintendo. :o :o :o


I guess that's the correct way of saying it for most people. Nintendo is pretty much the almost dead horse for this generation of video games. Sony and Microsoft just keep proving that Nintendo would have the same fate as Sega did when they released the Dreamcast.

Nintendo was just a bit too slow with its Project Reality/Ultra 64 development to allow more third party gamers to support it, not to mention that PlayStation's memory card features (silly nowadays but revolutionary then) allowed increased gameplay. Gamecube also suffered as a result, coming a year after PS2 (though there were some good late N64 titles) and many started to treat Nintendo around then as the "juvenile console" since the generation that grew up with the NES/SNES as kids by then were well into their late teens or 20s and preferred mature games. The only reason Nintendo is hanging on by a spike is for nostalgia along with many gamers from their heyday now having kids of their own and buying the system/games for them. Overall, in terms of relevance and dominance from a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rank Nintendo as like this:

NES era: 10 (Nintendo was practically a common noun in this era, and despite Genesis/Mega Drive at the end of this era, didn't have Sonic, literally just a couple months before the SNES and if anything, contributes to that era's drop). Many still consider it the most dominant console at any time in history, even compared to Atari in the second generation.
SNES era: 8 (the growth of the industry overall however kept its overall sales just as good as the NES era despite Sega and Sony at the end of this era)
N64 era: 6 (If Saturn didn't fail, Nintendo would likely had taken an even deeper decline, but the party games/convenience/3D platformers and a library that although smaller had a better share of good titles meant that Nintendo perhaps was just taking a breather for the next generation). Many consider this part of Nintendo's Silver Age though today.
Gamecube era: 4 (A big dropoff as I've stated, and for the first time in its history, Nintendo is the third-place console in the market behind Sony and Microsoft). Its sales life isn't unlike Wii U with a decent start thanks to veteran (I wouldn't call them legacy at that point just yet ) franchises, but soon encountered fatigue in terms of new projects. At least Nintendo knew how to market and actually had the best profit margins of any console.
Wii era: 7 (This will turn out to be Nintendo's Bronze Age thanks to its unique controls and the weaker PS3, along with the best combination of nostalgia and new games. The XBOX 360 was a close second though.)
Wii U era: 3 (Nintendo seemed to suffer Sega Saturn syndrome here; the regular Wii was still doing well when the U dropped, but poor marketing has cost almost all of its third-party support.)

Note that these don't include Nintendo's portable systems in terms of relevance, though arguably Game Boy kept Nintendo on top even well into the 16-bit era since Sega's Game Gear and Atari's Lynx didn't sell nearly as well, and it wasn't until the PSP that Nintendo had serious competition then. That said, Nintendo has never really had a bad portable system (Game Boy, GB Color, Advance, DS, 3DS) and continues to do so by moving into the smartphone market since non-smartphone systems are practically obsolete these days. In reality, Nintendo had a Platinum Age (early arcade games like Donkey Kong), a Golden Age (NES/SNES eras), a Silver Age (N64 era), a "dork age" (GameCube), a Bronze Age (Wii), and now is in either a dark or at best, a Copper Age.

NES era: 10 (Nintendo was practically a common noun in this era, and despite Genesis/Mega Drive at the end of this era, didn't have Sonic, literally just a couple months before the SNES and if anything, contributes to that era's drop). Many still consider it the most dominant console at any time in history, even compared to Atari in the second generation.
SNES era: 8 (the growth of the industry overall however kept its overall sales just as good as the NES era despite Sega and Sony at the end of this era)
N64 era: 6 (If Saturn didn't fail, Nintendo would likely had taken an even deeper decline, but the party games/convenience/3D platformers and a library that although smaller had a better share of good titles meant that Nintendo perhaps was just taking a breather for the next generation). Many consider this part of Nintendo's Silver Age though today.
Gamecube era: 4 (A big dropoff as I've stated, and for the first time in its history, Nintendo is the third-place console in the market behind Sony and Microsoft). Its sales life isn't unlike Wii U with a decent start thanks to veteran (I wouldn't call them legacy at that point just yet ) franchises, but soon encountered fatigue in terms of new projects. At least Nintendo knew how to market and actually had the best profit margins of any console.
Wii era: 7 (This will turn out to be Nintendo's Bronze Age thanks to its unique controls and the weaker PS3, along with the best combination of nostalgia and new games. The XBOX 360 was a close second though.)
Wii U era: 3 (Nintendo seemed to suffer Sega Saturn syndrome here; the regular Wii was still doing well when the U dropped, but poor marketing has cost almost all of its third-party support.)


If you really rank the Wii era as #7 and rank the N64 and Gamecube eras lower, then glad you're giving the Mario games from the Wii era some love (which I don't see a lot of ppl do since most core gamers hate the Wii and I can see why).

Sure the casual motion control games and the motion controls itself were a major turnoff, but Mario games like Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii were a major improvement from the Gamecube era, you were able to play Gamecube games on there, and use the Wii Virtual Console to download classic NES, SNES, and N64 games.

I'm going to post a list of the best selling 2D/3D Mario, Kart, or Smash Bros. games for each of the Nintendo systems, including the handheld ones as well. I'm not including spin-off games like Yoshi's Island, Donkey Kong Country, or Wario Ware, and I'm not including Mario Party or Sports games either. Tell me what each of y'all think of this.

NES  Super Mario Bros.          40.24 million
Wii    Mario Kart Wii                  36.38 million
DS    New Super Mario Bros.  30.79 million
Wii    NSMB Wii                        29.32 million
DS    Mario Kart DS                24.67 million
SNES Super Mario World          20.60 million
GB    Super Mario Land            18.06 million
NES  Super Mario Bros. 3        17.00 million
3DS  Mario Kart 7                    13.26 million
Wii    SSB Brawl                      12.77 million
Wii    Super Mario Galaxy        12.50 million
N64  Super Mario 64                11.89 million
GB    Super Mario Land 2        11.09 million
DS    Super Mario 64 DS          11.03 million
3DS  Super Mario 3D Land      10.73 million
SNES Super Mario All Stars      10.55 million
3DS  New Super Mario Bros 2  10.25 million
NES  Super Mario Bros. 2        10.00 million
N64  Mario Kart 64                      9.87 million
SNES Super Mario Kart                8.76 million
3DS  Super Smash Bros. 3DS    8.12 million
Wii    Super Mario Galaxy 2          7.67 million
WiiU  Mario Kart 8                        7.50 million
GCN  Super Smash Bros. Melee  7.09 million
GCN  Mario Kart Double Dash      7.00 million
GCN  Super Mario Sunshine        6.31 million
GBA  Mario Kart Super Circuit      5.91 million
N64  Super Smash Bros.            5.55 million
WiiU  New Super Mario Bros. U    5.19 million
WiiU  Nintendo Land                    5.07 million
WiiU  Super Mario 3D World        4.82 million
WiiU  Super Smash Bros. Wii U    4.80 million
GBA  Super Mario Advance 2      4.18 million
GBA  Super Mario Advance          3.94 million
GBA  Super Mario Advance 4      3.70 million
GBA  Super Mario Advance 3      2.20 million

Funny enough, today is the 20th anniversary of N64 (guessing that's why Eazy created this thread so recently).

Funny enough, today is the 20th anniversary of N64 (guessing that's why Eazy created this thread so recently).


He made this thread because he was worried that the N64 was when Nintendo started to decline.

The true beginning of Nintendo's quality downfall would probably be the original New Super Mario Bros. from 2006. While the game itself is a lot of fun and was an undeniable breath of fresh air at the time, its astronomical success, even compared to the DS port of Super Mario 64, as well as the highly acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy, basically led to Nintendo playing everything extremely conservatively from there on out. While the stark emphasis on nostalgia and the everyday individual worked wonders for Nintendo in the late 2000s, after a few years, there was hardly any more of a progression in their new releases, causing everything to become overly stale and familiar. Even during the GameCube era, Nintendo was unafraid to take bold chances, albeit with occasionally mixed results. The same applies to the first few years of the Wii era, before the New Super Mario Bros. zeitgeist took over completely.


I would mark Super Mario Sunshine as the beginning of Nintendo's quality of downfall, since that was a failure and it was a sign that Nintendo was running out of brand new ideas, but I can see why you mark New Super Mario Bros. for the DS as the start of the downfall. As much as I want to disagree with this (since I have a lot of nostalgia from that game single player and multiplayer), you make a very good point. I'll use visual images to explain.

Super Mario Bros. (1985)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/61/Super_Mario_Bros_1985.png http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/Super_Mario_Bros._NES_ScreenShot4.jpg https://dpadblogdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/02-mario-world-1.jpg?w=630 https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2fc9ne97aM0/hqdefault.jpg

Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)
http://www.playretrogames.com/gameimages/3172-super-mario-bros-2-n.jpg https://retrocious.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/bosses-combined.jpg

Super Mario Bros. 3
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/2951/2059141-bulletbill3image6.png http://www.allertonave.com/webhook-uploads/1421527424302_supermario3AVE%20(2).jpg https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SFTH14rNC_Y/hqdefault.jpg http://churchm.ag/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/smb3.jpg https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vDfXNCQd3Po/hqdefault.jpg

Super Mario World
https://gamerree.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/supermarioworld.jpeg https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eCPQmVDfXJw/hqdefault.jpg https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lHlKxOAkFr8/hqdefault.jpg


Notice how from the original Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario World, each game had something NEW and FRESH to the table. Like anyone had never experienced before at the time, and due to the amount of images I'm going to leave Super Mario 64 out, but y'all get the point right? The soundtrack, the types of exits, the enemies, the map designs, type of bosses/battles, etc. The graphics and type of levels were a huge difference from the original Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario Bros. 3.

I'm going to compare New Super Mario Bros. series later, and you'll see how barely anything has changed since then. If you compare New Super Mario Bros, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros 2, and New Super Mario Bros. U to each other, there's barely any difference. I think since the introduction of Super Mario Sunshine to New Super Mario Bros. The only Mario game that felt really fresh and original was Super Mario Galaxy. That game definitely felt like Mario was finally trying something different at the time, since it introduced Rosalina and anti-gravity, and you had to go through the observatory to get to all your levels/galaxies similar to how in Super Mario 64 you had to go around Peach's castle to get to all your levels.

At least Pokemon is still going strong, even though it's a second party franchise.


Pokemon basically had the same concept ever since the first generation. Quality wise, it pretty much sucks. Especially when it's proven that Game Freak is running out of ideas for making new Pokemon, since it doesn't have that much originality. I mean, you pretty much have Pokemon that are literally key chains, simple machines, and many other typical things. It's not like the first four generations where Pokemon at least got something cool for their fans. Nowadays, you can't believe that Pokemon is doing that well for Nintendo. Especially when Pokemon Sun and Moon would probably be mediocre for gaming sales worldwide.

Pokemon basically had the same concept ever since the first generation. Quality wise, it pretty much sucks. Especially when it's proven that Game Freak is running out of ideas for making new Pokemon, since it doesn't have that much originality. I mean, you pretty much have Pokemon that are literally key chains, simple machines, and many other typical things. It's not like the first four generations where Pokemon at least got something cool for their fans. Nowadays, you can't believe that Pokemon is doing that well for Nintendo. Especially when Pokemon Sun and Moon would probably be mediocre for gaming sales worldwide.


I strongly disagree, I think Game Freak has consistently struck a balance between maintaining the core themes of the franchise while improving upon and innovating them as time progresses. The original games from 1996 don't even hold up very well today because the fighting system is so unrefined, with psychic Pokémon being too strong and other types having hardly any worthwhile moves to boot. Every title in the franchise has built upon the original template in some way. Sure, the designs of some of the newer Pokémon are quite absurd, but there's a reason the series has continued to sell so phenomenally, even with the most recent generation of games.

In all honesty, I predict Sun and Moon will be the lowest selling games in the series by a fair margin, though they'll still be successful, but that's mostly because Pokémon GO! is just about to come out, and I think that game will draw several players away from their Nintendo handhelds to play the game on a mobile device.

I strongly disagree, I think Game Freak has consistently struck a balance between maintaining the core themes of the franchise while improving upon and innovating them as time progresses. The original games from 1996 don't even hold up very well today because the fighting system is so unrefined, with psychic Pokémon being too strong and other types having hardly any worthwhile moves to boot. Every title in the franchise has built upon the original template in some way. Sure, the designs of some of the newer Pokémon are quite absurd, but there's a reason the series has continued to sell so phenomenally, even with the most recent generation of games.


I could get for the fact that a new generation could like the newer Pokemon games. But it's just the same game over and over again. It's not like there's anything different, aside from getting newer stories and regions. My point is that Pokemon isn't as cool as it was back in the late 90s/2000s. I know I may sound like a gen-wunner, but the games aren't really that unique anymore. Especially with the anime. The characters are pretty much copycats from the previous seasons, as the Pokemon are just used for action relief. And this is coming from somebody who doesn't really think the first generation wasn't the greatest. That belongs to the fourth generation, since it did have a lot of cool Pokemon and who couldn't forget the Elite Four or Champion for Sinnoh?


In all honesty, I predict Sun and Moon will be the lowest selling games in the series by a fair margin, though they'll still be successful, but that's mostly because Pokémon GO! is just about to come out, and I think that game will draw several players away from their Nintendo handhelds to play the game on a mobile device.


Most of the people who would get Pokemon Go! are Nintendo fanboys, and those people are just buying the games because they're stuck in their childhood. I don't know about the kids today, since most of them would just go buy their games via tablets or smartphones. Considering they live in a decade where everything seems to have the ability to have a touchscreen, it would've been obscure for something like a 3DS or a Wii U (despite having a controller like a tablet) to them. Unless they were really into Nintendo, I could digress.

Aaaaaa! Super Mario Bros. 3! :D Throwback Thursday! * tossed hair, biiiig grin on my face!* I know this is off topic, but I just want to emphasize that SMB3 was the first game I played on our SNES system back in the day, on December 25th, 1994. That evening my mother shot a picture of me with the game controller in my hands. I still have that picture and am tempted to post it :-* :-*, as you all might have guessed by now I like to share EVERYTHING! That photo is definitely going on here because I said so, lol. Soon people, SOON I PROMISE <3 <3 <3


Back to the topic, I don't think Nintendo declined. I feel it just evolved into other less exciting gaming eras.

Aaaaaa! Super Mario Bros. 3! :D Throwback Thursday! * tossed hair, biiiig grin on my face!* I know this is off topic, but I just want to emphasize that SMB3 was the first game I played on our SNES system back in the day, on December 25th, 1994. That evening my mother shot a picture of me with the game controller in my hands. I still have that picture and am tempted to post it :-* :-*, as you all might have guessed by now I like to share EVERYTHING! That photo is definitely going on here because I said so, lol. Soon people, SOON I PROMISE <3 <3 <3


Back to the topic, I don't think Nintendo declined. I feel it just evolved into other less exciting gaming eras.


Pretty much today's gaming generation isn't that exciting. But Nintendo wasn't the same as it was back in the late 80s/early-mid 90s.

Aaaaaa! Super Mario Bros. 3! :D Throwback Thursday! * tossed hair, biiiig grin on my face!* I know this is off topic, but I just want to emphasize that SMB3 was the first game I played on our SNES system back in the day, on December 25th, 1994. That evening my mother shot a picture of me with the game controller in my hands. I still have that picture and am tempted to post it :-* :-*, as you all might have guessed by now I like to share EVERYTHING! That photo is definitely going on here because I said so, lol. Soon people, SOON I PROMISE <3 <3 <3


Back to the topic, I don't think Nintendo declined. I feel it just evolved into other less exciting gaming eras.


Been playing Super Mario Bros. 3 on my computer the past couple of days (WITHOUT any save states), and that World 7 Pipe Land still kicking my ass every time!

Aaaaaa! Super Mario Bros. 3! :D Throwback Thursday! * tossed hair, biiiig grin on my face!* I know this is off topic, but I just want to emphasize that SMB3 was the first game I played on our SNES system back in the day, on December 25th, 1994. That evening my mother shot a picture of me with the game controller in my hands. I still have that picture and am tempted to post it :-* :-*, as you all might have guessed by now I like to share EVERYTHING! That photo is definitely going on here because I said so, lol. Soon people, SOON I PROMISE <3 <3 <3


Also, was this on Super Mario All Stars or the original one for the NES, since you did say it was on your SNES system?

Funny enough, today is the 20th anniversary of N64 (guessing that's why Eazy created this thread so recently).

Like NY said I created the thread because I'm worried for Nintendo. and you can all me Eric...

I honestly have to say no because despite the cartridges being a bad move on their part, the games themselves were still fantastic. I really would say it was the GC that made Nintendo slowly decline.

First, even though by then they switched to discs, they were so small that people could not play music at least and they were too worried about being pirated of their games.

Second, most of the games themselves were generally mediocre from almost all of the major franchises (Ex. Pokemon Colo., Kirby Air Ride, and Star Fox Adventures); some others were even missing (DK, Yoshi, Earthbound and F Zero); there wasn't many mature games due to the company being family-friendly and it pretty much only introduced one new series which was Pikmin.

Third, the sales of the GC were truly lower than the PS2 and even the Xbox. Yeah, it sold millions, but it ranked 3rd overall in the competition and would probably be last place had Sega not discontinued the Dreamcast early (especially considering that other than SA and its sequel, the DC had many new series that were awesome in its own way such as Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Shenmue and Space Channel 5).

I honestly have to say no because despite the cartridges being a bad move on their part, the games themselves were still fantastic. I really would say it was the GC that made Nintendo slowly decline.


Finally, somebody said it. I would say that the N64 was still a success for the company and its fanbase, especially when it's my favorite Nintendo console in my personal opinion. Not only did it revolutionize 3D platform games, but it also started Nintendo on making M-rated games. Even though they barely made any for the Gamecube, the Wii still stood out for the N64's legacy to make more M-rated games.

First, even though by then they switched to discs, they were so small that people could not play music at least and they were too worried about being pirated of their games.

Even then, you can't play audio CDs on either the Wii nor the Wii U. For instance, when Nintendo released the 20th Anniversary Kirby Collection for the Wii, they had an exclusive audio CD that had a soundtrack of one song from each game. On the notice, it said it can't be played on the Wii. So, it wasn't anything special for Nintendo to not allow audio CDs to be played.


Second, most of the games themselves were generally mediocre from almost all of the major franchises (Ex. Pokemon Colo., Kirby Air Ride, and Star Fox Adventures); some others were even missing (DK, Yoshi, Earthbound and F Zero); there wasn't many mature games due to the company being family-friendly and it pretty much only introduced one new series which was Pikmin.

Which is why most people stick with either Microsoft or Sony, since most of their sane fans from the 80s and 90s weren't too keen on the Gamecube. Even then, the Gamecube would be like the forgettable console from the sixth generation. Even though there are some games like Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Mario Party 4-7 that were good.

Pretty much today's gaming generation isn't that exciting. But Nintendo wasn't the same as it was back in the late 80s/early-mid 90s.


Between 1985-1990 Nintendo games were pretty popular.

Between 1985-1990 Nintendo games were pretty popular.


Nintendo was getting more popular during the late 80s and early 90s.

The late 80s and late 2000s were Nintendo's most successful periods, with honorable mention going to the mid-90s. The late 80s had both the NES's virtual monopolization of the home gaming market, as well as the groundbreaking launch of the Game Boy. The late 2000s saw astronomical sales not just with the Wii, but also the DS, which outsold all other handhelds ever released, smoking even the much-acclaimed PSP. The mid-90s were hampered slightly by the Virtual Boy, but it was during that time that the Super Nintendo finally won the 16-bit wars and Super Mario 64 came out, finally setting the clear standard for 3D games that developers had struggled to capture for years prior.

The late 80s and late 2000s were Nintendo's most successful periods, with honorable mention going to the mid-90s. The late 80s had both the NES's virtual monopolization of the home gaming market, as well as the groundbreaking launch of the Game Boy. The late 2000s saw astronomical sales not just with the Wii, but also the DS, which outsold all other handhelds ever released, smoking even the much-acclaimed PSP. The mid-90s were hampered slightly by the Virtual Boy, but it was during that time that the Super Nintendo finally won the 16-bit wars and Super Mario 64 came out, finally setting the clear standard for 3D games that developers had struggled to capture for years prior.


Yeah, late 80's-early 90's with Super Mario Bros 1-3 to Super Mario World, and the late 2000's with the first couple of New Super Mario Bros. games and Super Mario Galaxy. Which is why the NES, SNES, DS, and Wii were high in sales.

To be fair, I really think the late 2000s was a great time for Nintendo. All of the games they got for the Wii was pretty awesome at the time. If only they did the same thing with the Wii U, but it would probably have a different name if it was more original.

There were signs of it with the N64, but it really began with the Gamecube. The Wii did very well of course and it was fun for a bit, but the reality is it was pretty gimmicky and the controls weren't precise enough. The Wii U is just a disaster.

Finally, somebody said it. I would say that the N64 was still a success for the company and its fanbase, especially when it's my favorite Nintendo console in my personal opinion. Not only did it revolutionize 3D platform games, but it also started Nintendo on making M-rated games. Even though they barely made any for the Gamecube, the Wii still stood out for the N64's legacy to make more M-rated games.

Even then, you can't play audio CDs on either the Wii nor the Wii U. For instance, when Nintendo released the 20th Anniversary Kirby Collection for the Wii, they had an exclusive audio CD that had a soundtrack of one song from each game. On the notice, it said it can't be played on the Wii. So, it wasn't anything special for Nintendo to not allow audio CDs to be played.

Which is why most people stick with either Microsoft or Sony, since most of their sane fans from the 80s and 90s weren't too keen on the Gamecube. Even then, the Gamecube would be like the forgettable console from the sixth generation. Even though there are some games like Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Mario Party 4-7 that were good.
Yeah, it was. In fact, I liked most of the games on there and they were generally better than most others on the GC.

I can understand why. It's because they want to be strictly gaming since the others are more about entertainment then just games.

I agree. Despite it having some good games, it could be the forgettable Nintendo console maybe in a few years as it had many mediocre games and the 3rd party versions of the games were different from the others.


The late 80s and late 2000s were Nintendo's most successful periods, with honorable mention going to the mid-90s. The late 80s had both the NES's virtual monopolization of the home gaming market, as well as the groundbreaking launch of the Game Boy. The late 2000s saw astronomical sales not just with the Wii, but also the DS, which outsold all other handhelds ever released, smoking even the much-acclaimed PSP. The mid-90s were hampered slightly by the Virtual Boy, but it was during that time that the Super Nintendo finally won the 16-bit wars and Super Mario 64 came out, finally setting the clear standard for 3D games that developers had struggled to capture for years prior.



Yeah, late 80's-early 90's with Super Mario Bros 1-3 to Super Mario World, and the late 2000's with the first couple of New Super Mario Bros. games and Super Mario Galaxy. Which is why the NES, SNES, DS, and Wii were high in sales.


I agree with both of you about the successful periods for Nintendo, but are we just going to sit here and not give the late 90s era an honorable mention? Yeah, the N64 had ranked 2nd in the competition and had lower sales than the NES and SNES; however, it still had fun games to play. Moreover, almost all of the major franchises had a title on the console and they were generally better than ones on the GC.

For example, SM64, Star Fox 64, LoZ: OoT, DK64, F-Zero X, Yoshi's Story, Kirby 64, and Pokemon Stadium (even though the latter two were released in 2000.)

I agree with both of you about the successful periods for Nintendo, but are we just going to sit here and not give the late 90s era an honorable mention? Yeah, the N64 had ranked 2nd in the competition and had lower sales than the NES and SNES; however, it still had fun games to play. Moreover, almost all of the major franchises had a title on the console and they were generally better than ones on the GC.

For example, SM64, Star Fox 64, LoZ: OoT, DK64, F-Zero X, Yoshi's Story, Kirby 64, and Pokemon Stadium (even though the latter two were released in 2000.)


I would call the early 90s Nintendo's 4th most successful period commercially. The Nintendo 64's sales were nowhere near as high as the PS1's, even though it still obliterated the Saturn. The one big thing the late 90s really had going for Nintendo on a sales level was Pokémon; otherwise, that period can only be considered successful in terms of game quality (in which case it takes the gold, imo), but it was only so-so at-best financially.

I would call the early 90s Nintendo's 4th most successful period commercially. The Nintendo 64's sales were nowhere near as high as the PS1's, even though it still obliterated the Saturn. The one big thing the late 90s really had going for Nintendo on a sales level was Pokémon; otherwise, that period can only be considered successful in terms of game quality (in which case it takes the gold, imo), but it was only so-so at-best financially.
Then what's the 3rd period commercially?

Oh yeah, Pokemon was definitely huge especially with first few games on the GB. It even had a pinball game which I owned for the GBC, but I unfortunately could not unlock every pokemon because it was difficult.

And I agree it was gold. Other than the SNES  (which had great games), I really enjoyed the N64 games even though it was only short time of a few years as I got it late. Other non-major franchise games I had fun with was the MP series, MK64, Goldeneye, Mystic Ninja, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Diddy Kong Racing, Ready to Rumble, Mario Tennis and SSB.

Then what's the 3rd period commercially?

The mid-90s, as I noted earlier. The late 80s and late 2000s are 1st and 2nd, respectively.

Oh yeah, Pokemon was definitely huge especially with first few games on the GB. It even had a pinball game which I owned for the GBC, but I unfortunately could not unlock every pokemon because it was difficult.

What's really funny about that game is that while I owned it, it was actually my dad who was truly obsessed with it! I may have been the certified Pokékid in my family, but my dad got quite skilled at the pinball game and would really play it a lot during his spare time. He even added his own lyrics to the red version table music, which was a remix of the Viridian/Saffron/Route Gate/Trade Room theme: "I like playing, to play Pokémon Pinball"

And I agree it was gold. Other than the SNES  (which had great games), I really enjoyed the N64 games even though it was only short time of a few years as I got it late. Other non-major franchise games I had fun with was the MP series, MK64, Goldeneye, Mystic Ninja, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Diddy Kong Racing, Ready to Rumble, Mario Tennis and SSB.


The Nintendo 64 was probably the greatest first and second party developer system of all time, even though the PlayStation 2 is the best third party developer console.

The mid-90s, as I noted earlier. The late 80s and late 2000s are 1st and 2nd, respectively.

What's really funny about that game is that while I owned it, it was actually my dad who was truly obsessed with it! I may have been the certified Pokékid in my family, but my dad got quite skilled at the pinball game and would really play it a lot during his spare time. He even added his own lyrics to the red version table music, which was a remix of the Viridian/Saffron/Route Gate/Trade Room theme: "I like playing, to play Pokémon Pinball"

The Nintendo 64 was probably the greatest first and second party developer system of all time, even though the PlayStation 2 is the best third party developer console.
Ah, I forgot you said that. I feel stupid for that question.

Was he able to unlock all the pokemon in that game?

Wow! I would say your last statement is spot on although I say Nintendo in general is amazing with first party games. Just thinking about it, how many consoles had great 2nd party games? It seems like there aren't a lot even including Sega.

SNES is the king and they've never topped it's greatness.

Was he able to unlock all the pokemon in that game?

No, but he was certainly a hell of a lot better than I was! He probably could have caught 'em all had he had more spare time to play it. Actually, I wish I had bought him Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire for Christmas in 2003 or something!

Wow! I would say your last statement is spot on although I say Nintendo in general is amazing with first party games. Just thinking about it, how many consoles had great 2nd party games? It seems like there aren't a lot even including Sega.

It's just too bad Nintendo sold Rare to Microsoft, easily one of their worst business decisions ever. I guess they at least still have Game Freak and HAL Laboratory under their belt.

SNES is the king and they've never topped it's greatness.

That's true in terms of legacy and quality. The SNES is Nintendo's best console. :) Competition ALWAYS brings out the best in you. ;)

Man due to Markese and Jaqculine's conversation, I might make a SNES vs Sega Genesis console war 25 years later thread soon. :o :o

Man due to Markese and Jaqculine's conversation, I might make a SNES vs Sega Genesis console war 25 years later thread soon. :o :o
Sorry, but you're kinda late on that. I actually made two threads about that two to three years ago. ;D

Here you go Eric. Let's finish the discussion in those threads. ;)

http://www.inthe00s.com/index.php?topic=49415.0#top

http://www.inthe00s.com/index.php?topic=50779.0#top

Bet you all thought I forgot! As promised, here is a photo of me and my sister on Christmas day in 1994. We were playing our Super Mario 3 on SNES. I'm the one with the longer hair on the right. Silly me...wearing bracelets on such an occasion  ::)  Only meeeee. Lol.

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p510/pink_diamonds7/Mobile%20Uploads/2016-07-06%2021.54.13.jpg

Bet you all thought I forgot! As promised, here is a photo of me and my sister on Christmas day in 1994. We were playing our Super Mario 3 on SNES. I'm the one with the longer hair on the right. Silly me...wearing bracelets on such an occasion  ::)  Only meeeee. Lol.

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p510/pink_diamonds7/Mobile%20Uploads/2016-07-06%2021.54.13.jpg
Awesome photo! Were you the first player?

Bet you all thought I forgot! As promised, here is a photo of me and my sister on Christmas day in 1994. We were playing our Super Mario 3 on SNES. I'm the one with the longer hair on the right. Silly me...wearing bracelets on such an occasion  ::)  Only meeeee. Lol.

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p510/pink_diamonds7/Mobile%20Uploads/2016-07-06%2021.54.13.jpg


Ha, I had a crappy old TV like that looked just like that growing up, too. The picture was terrible, especially when gaming because I could only play my SNES or Genesis through one of those godawful RF adapters. 8-P

Amazing how far technology has advanced in the last 20 years. :o

Awesome photo! Were you the first player?


Aw thank you! I am pretty sure I was the second player.  :)


Ha, I had a crappy old TV like that looked just like that growing up, too. The picture was terrible, especially when gaming because I could only play my SNES or Genesis through one of those godawful RF adapters. 8-P

Amazing how far technology has advanced in the last 20 years. :o



Oh God yes! That TV was actually very clear and bright. I remember the adapters, haha ;D

Ha, I had a crappy old TV like that looked just like that growing up, too. The picture was terrible, especially when gaming because I could only play my SNES or Genesis through one of those godawful RF adapters. 8-P

Amazing how far technology has advanced in the last 20 years. :o
Same here! I remember those like it was yesterday.


Aw thank you! I am pretty sure I was the second player.  :)
You're welcome! and won the game in the end?

Bet you all thought I forgot! As promised, here is a photo of me and my sister on Christmas day in 1994. We were playing our Super Mario 3 on SNES. I'm the one with the longer hair on the right. Silly me...wearing bracelets on such an occasion  ::)  Only meeeee. Lol.

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p510/pink_diamonds7/Mobile%20Uploads/2016-07-06%2021.54.13.jpg


1994? Were you already in your early teens by then?

and looking at the TV screen, it looks like y'all were on the map going to the next level, but if it's multiplayer on SMB3 then it would be a different story. Looking back at the Mario games it seems like SMB3 had the 2nd best multiplayer experience for a 2-D platform Mario game, with New Super Mario Bros. (DS) multiplayer being my favorite of all time, since I loved all of the different type of stages you'd play battle on with your friends and the mini-games too.

Edit: was this the All-Stars version of SMB3?

1994? Were you already in your early teens by then?

and looking at the TV screen, it looks like y'all were on the map going to the next level, but if it's multiplayer on SMB3 then it would be a different story. Looking back at the Mario games it seems like SMB3 had the 2nd best multiplayer experience for a 2-D platform Mario game, with New Super Mario Bros. (DS) multiplayer being my favorite of all time, since I loved all of the different type of stages you'd play battle on with your friends and the mini-games too.

Edit: was this the All-Stars version of SMB3?


Well, if she said that it was on the SNES, then of course it's the All-Stars version.

But honestly, when it comes to the SNES, this was one of the best games hands down. It was so addicting and timeless throughout its prime.

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But honestly, when it comes to the SNES, this was one of the best games hands down. It was so addicting and timeless throughout its prime.

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Those early 90s commercials were really cool. Although, early-mid 2000s commercials were way better in my opinion. Especially for Nintendo.

Same here! I remember those like it was yesterday.
You're welcome! and won the game in the end?


It took us a long time to finish Smb3. My sister won the game.


1994? Were you already in your early teens by then?

and looking at the TV screen, it looks like y'all were on the map going to the next level, but if it's multiplayer on SMB3 then it would be a different story. Looking back at the Mario games it seems like SMB3 had the 2nd best multiplayer experience for a 2-D platform Mario game, with New Super Mario Bros. (DS) multiplayer being my favorite of all time, since I loved all of the different type of stages you'd play battle on with your friends and the mini-games too.

Edit: was this the All-Stars version of SMB3?


Yep, I was 14 and my sister was 10. And yes this was the All Stars version, it was included with the gaming system along with Super Mario World (another favorite of mine).

Bet you all thought I forgot! As promised, here is a photo of me and my sister on Christmas day in 1994. We were playing our Super Mario 3 on SNES. I'm the one with the longer hair on the right. Silly me...wearing bracelets on such an occasion  ::)  Only meeeee. Lol.

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p510/pink_diamonds7/Mobile%20Uploads/2016-07-06%2021.54.13.jpg


Who won, You or her?

Who won, You or her?


My sister did. We were both really good at playing smb3, but a friend of my sister's had found all the secrets in the game before we did. Then we tried on our own, and I found the flute or whistle in the fortress, in World 1....and then I was the queen of the world, or so I thought lol! According to me I was the best player. I use to find it hilarious when Mario or Luigi lost lives, and I would laugh and everyone would ask me why I laughed or screamed. I could be heard miles away giggling sprawled on the floor, "Noooo why did I lose!". I'm laughing now just thinking about it, lol. 

My sister did. We were both really good at playing smb3, but a friend of my sister's had found all the secrets in the game before we did. Then we tried on our own, and I found the flute or whistle in the fortress, in World 1....and then I was the queen of the world, or so I thought lol! According to me I was the best player. I use to find it hilarious when Mario or Luigi lost lives, and I would laugh and everyone would ask me why I laughed or screamed. I could be heard miles away giggling sprawled on the floor, "Noooo why did I lose!". I'm laughing now just thinking about it, lol.


Do you remember that one SMB3 level in world 6 (Iceland) where the level kept repeating itself over and over again until you realized you need the Super Leaf in order to fly up in the air and find the secret exit? That one was pretty difficult. Also, on Super Mario All Stars did you ever play Lost Levels?  ;D

Do you remember that one SMB3 level in world 6 (Iceland) where the level kept repeating itself over and over again until you realized you need the Super Leaf in order to fly up in the air and find the secret exit? That one was pretty difficult. Also, on Super Mario All Stars did you ever play Lost Levels?  ;D


Oh God yes, Iceland was the hardest level I think. But soo fun. On the Lost Levels, I never made it past 6 lol. I don't know what it was no matter what I did, I WOULD ALWAYS END UP ON LEVEL 6 and that was it!

Oh God yes, Iceland was the hardest level I think. But soo fun. On the Lost Levels, I never made it past 6 lol. I don't know what it was no matter what I did, I WOULD ALWAYS END UP ON LEVEL 6 and that was it!


World 6 on Lost Levels was hard because the water level on 6-2 was the hardest and the cheep cheep level on 6-3 was brutal, but that stupid puzzle castle on 6-4 where you had to find the right path, man that was tough. Here's the thing, on the original Super Mario Bros and the Lost Levels, the All-Stars version had a sound that let you know whether you were finding the right path or not, but on the original NES/Famicom version of the games, there was NO sound for you to find the right path which made it even more difficult. As for Super Mario Bros. 3, I still think that World 7 Pipe Land was the most brutal/difficult one, too much to explain how long and hard world 7 was.

World 6 on Lost Levels was hard because the water level on 6-2 was the hardest and the cheep cheep level on 6-3 was brutal, but that stupid puzzle castle on 6-4 where you had to find the right path, man that was tough. Here's the thing, on the original Super Mario Bros and the Lost Levels, the All-Stars version had a sound that let you know whether you were finding the right path or not, but on the original NES/Famicom version of the games, there was NO sound for you to find the right path which made it even more difficult. As for Super Mario Bros. 3, I still think that World 7 Pipe Land was the most brutal/difficult one, too much to explain how long and hard world 7 was.


Ugh the castle on 6-4 Lost levels...Aaaaa!  ;D  It was awful but so much fun.