Nintendo Power?

I've been a console gamer for as long as I can remember, so the news that analysts predict the Nintendo Revolution will cost $150-200 at launch is great news for me. Now I won't lie, I use my Xbox far more than my Gamecube - but not to play games (thanks XBMC!). What system do I use to play games most? By far and away my Nintendo DS, for both DS and GBA games [I'm currently hopelessly addicted to Mario Power Tennis on the GBA] and when a big new game comes out I bust out the Gamecube. With the DS, I tend to play quick games (less than an hour), things like a circuit of Mario Kart, a round of Mario Golf, or a few matches in Mario Tennis. Nintendo makes brilliant games - a fact that you can't deny. If you survey the people of my generation and ask them what the greatest video games of their time are, I guarantee that Mario, Zelda, and Metroid all make the list in some way, shape, or form.

I'm not a Nintendo fanboy. If I could be accused of anything, I was a HUGE Sega fanboy for most of my life. My first system (that I bought) was a Sega Master System. I got a Genesis on launch day. I had a Sega CD and a 32x. I still own a Saturn. I bought a Dreamcast the week it came out - and I loved the hell out of it. I STILL don't own a PS2, and only got a PSOne about a two years ago. Sony and Microsoft arguably have more successful consoles (financially), but the games that those companies make are not the reason why. Microsoft's got a genuine hit in the Halo series, and Sony's adventure games are coming along (Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper) but neither of those two have the 1st party allure that Nintendo has.

One thing that I've been surprised by recently is Nintendo's forays into the sports gaming genre. We know Nintendo can do action and adventure, but sports? Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Super Mario Strikers - all extremely excellent games. Personally, I'd rather stick with those games and not need to pay EA's yearly tax for roster updates. Is anybody else as sick as Madden as I am?

One reason I love Nintendo's games is the feeling I get when I first start them. The feeling of awe, of giddy anticipation, of just happiness all blending into one. I'm sure everybody's had that feeling one time or another - like laying in bed in the early hours on Christmas morning, like going to Disney World as a young kid, like watching the opening credits roll on a movie you've been dying to see (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc) - you just feel overwhelmed with excitement. I can remember many a game put out by Nintendo that's given me that same feeling, and these games truly are my favorites of all time. Games like the Legend of Zelda (both Ocarina of Time on N64 and The Wind Waker on Gamecube), Metroid Prime, Starfox 64, and possibly the greatest game of all time, Mario 64.

At this point I'll try to reiterate that this isn't meant to be a Nintendo slurpfest. I'm just pointing out the kind of personal enjoyment that I've had as a result of their products. Of course they haven't all been good games. I've played a Nintendo game or two that was a stinker, but for the most part they've been good to me. Even the lesser titles like Pikmin, Banjo and Kazooie (which I know technically is Rare), and Eternal Darkness have done me right. The only other Adventure game made by a 3rd party that I can remember liking nearly as much as a Nintendo was the extremely excellent Beyond Good and Evil by Ubisoft - a game that EVERYBODY should play. Truly brilliant storytelling, stunning visuals - just a great compelling game.

Now personally I'm not a huge fan of the constant Gameboy redesigns, though I will admit that every single time they do redesign the line the system gets better. The original GBA was pretty awful, but the SP design was an incredible step up. I love my DS, but my only gripe is that it's a bit on the large size. So what does Nintendo do? They listen to their fans, their paying customers. Enter this fall's DS Lite, a sleeker DS with an improved screen and stylus. I only wish they could improve the control scheme in Mario 64 DS.

One thing I'll give Microsoft and Nintendo credit for is that they understand the future of gaming - the internet. While there are some games that beg for multiplayer play (Mario Kart, sports games) I really don't want to see the game companies turn away from the single player experience. Sure, there are ways to integrate internet play into single player games (online unlockables, player rankings, etc) but I don't want to see companies overdo it. I do love how Nintendo is integrating WiFi into everything now - the DS and the Revolution both feature it. The WiFi play on the DS has blown me away so far, and I'm willing to bet the Revolution won't disappoint.

So Nintendo, I'm sold. For $200, I'm in. Just don't let the games go down the tube. I've already got a PSP - I can't afford to have another terrible waste of a couple hundred bucks.