If you are talking to anyone who loves to bring up console war discussions, a common insult they throw out towards Nintendo is something like, “that is just for kids.” How much truth is in that comment, though? Should anyone over the age of ten feel discouraged for liking their Nintendo games? Of course not. Here is an explanation of how the Nintendo games are for kids argument is completely unfounded.
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Why Nintendo games are not just for kids
While PlayStation and Xbox are always fighting to be the sexiest home console on the market, Nintendo has been largely doing its own thing since the days of the Wii. Even before that, though, there has been this stigma around Nintendo’s games that they are only for kids, which is an odd way to try and belittle someone for buying a game console. We don’t believe that is the case.
While Nintendo does put a heavy emphasis on making family-friendly games, that doesn’t mean adults can’t find great joy in what is available. Every Mario and Zelda game is crafted with the sole intention of being a fun adventure. If you are looking for a challenge, try getting through some of the tougher content in these games, like Darker Side of the Moon in Super Mario Odyssey. The first time you play Breath of the Wild can be a very challenging survival experience until you get your bearings.
Of course, there are a lot of Nintendo games that do not have much challenge in them at all, making them cakewalks. Kirby is the most notorious for this, but just because a game’s difficulty doesn’t make you want to break your controller doesn’t mean that it is for kids. Tons of people enjoy the Pokémon games because they love catching their favorite creatures. Metroid fans love the dark atmosphere of Samus’ adventures. How many fights have been started from hitting your friend with a blue shell in Mario Kart or stealing a star in Mario Party?
The enjoyment of the game isn’t necessarily derived from how challenging a game is or how convoluted the story is. How fun it is to use certain mechanics is a great baseline to build a game off of, and sometimes, you get one of the best games ever made from it. Of course, there are times when Nintendo will dip its toes in more adult-themed content, like with Bayonetta, No More Heroes, and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, but there is no shame in enjoying one of their more colorful entries.
Nintendo games don’t always have the best story, and sometimes they can be a little too easy to the point that they do lose their entertainment value, but the same can be said for PlayStation and Xbox when they have their stumbles. Reliving some of the best gaming memories of your life with a new game in one of the numerous iconic franchises they have makes a Nintendo console like the Switch one of the best places to play video games. When Nintendo is on its game, it puts out some of the best video games for people of all ages, not just kids. Anyone who turns away because kids can play it too is just missing out on great games.
