Nintendo was one of the last companies trying to innovate with each console they released. Whilst Xbox & PlayStation simply went the “more power = better” route.
But it feels like Nintendo has caved in, and is just following suite. Are there any gimmicks left to sell consoles? Or is it just gonna be like smart phones, we just upgrade because that’s what we do.
I’m gonna miss the era of Nintendo giving us never before seen technology on the mainstream
Gameboy (Handheld) N64 (Analog Stick) DS (Touch Screen) Wii (Motion Control) Switch (Hybrid Console)
I think you’re blowing things out of proportion. None of the handhelds after the Gameboy were innovative. The GameCube didn’t bring anything new. The Wii U was just a beefed-up Wii.
So every other console has been the previous generation, but better.
Not to disagree but TBF, the GBC added color, the GBA was a big departure from classic GB, DS added the dual screen. Wii U added a controller screen. GameCube wasn’t really anything new besides power I guess.
No love for the GBA SP, for that compact form factor and rechargeable battery, that later became the DS?
I would say the GameCube was new and different for them because they transitioned from cartridge to disc, and of course, they had to use the mini disc to be extra different from the rest.
The Wavebird wasn’t the first wireless game controller but it was the first one I remember being popular. Though, it also came out a few years after the GameCube. Still love my GameCube and my Wavebird Wireless controller.
Those are all great improvements but I’d consider them more iterative than innovative.
I’d consider the Wii to be a truly innovative console, but everything else of theirs mostly iterates on their previous successes or market trends.
You don’t think the N64 wasn’t innovative with the analog stick ON THE CONTROLLER? I was a dumb kid who thought arcade joysticks couldn’t fit on a controller so that’s why we used DPADS 😭. Seeing a joystick the size the tip of my finger was crazy for the time.
GBA was awesome at the time. Up to that point, all other color portables were jokes that could kill a fresh set of 6 AA batteries in a single play session. Backlight tech was bad; Game Gear had a tiny fluorescent tube! IndiGlo watches were fancy… there was Game Boy Light but only in Japan. I can’t remember why these companies were so slow to go to LED especially since third-party LED “worm lights” were so popular on GBC then GBA. Probably patents?
Nintendo was right to invest in RISC tech like Super FX, leading to GBA’s 32-bit ARM CPU able to run for many many hours on 2 AAs. I felt that only adding L+R buttons to the Game Boy control scheme was a mistake especially when ports and sequels of 16-bit favorites started appearing, but obviously that didn’t hold the console back.
Sega were the innovators putting the mini-screen/portable in their controller but trying to keep the price down made it way too limited, and Nintendo almost took that to next level with the GBA to GameCube link.