I know. You saw the title of this article and couldn't believe I was writing yet another essay about Nintendo. You get it. I love Nintendo so much. Nintendo is all I can ever think about. I play Nintendo in my sleep and every time I run out of ideas for Odyssey articles, I write about Nintendo.
I don't need to tell you, again about why I feel such a deep, personal connection to the 127-year-old company. I've already told you plenty of times. But I can tell you why millions of other people for over one hundred years have felt that same sentiment.
Nintendo has always strived to make their products safe, exciting and fun for everyone. They're marketed towards children looking for adventure. Parents looking to get involved in their kids' hobbies. Teenagers looking to destress. Twenty-something-year-olds looking for nostalgia. Adults looking for a touch of juvenility. There's no elitism. No competition. No ideal customer. Anyone who wants to play video games can play Nintendo.
Nintendo is different than every other major gaming company on the market. Nintendo has never been for the hard-core gamers. It has never pandered to first-person-shooter-desperate dudebros. It has never sacrificed its morals and its mission statement for a few extra bucks (or millions). Nintendo has always been about providing one thing to its customers -- fun. And with every passing year, Nintendo continues to prove that it is dedicated to delivering the most enjoyable gaming experience to its equally-loyal fanbase.
Last week, Nintendo finally unveiled a preview video for its highly-hyped 2017 console and finally gave us a name by which to call it -- Nintendo Switch.
Whereas other companies might have used a gritty, action movie-style commercial to reveal their newest console, Nintendo stuck with their tried and true images of energetic, happy, young people exploring the world with their friends, enjoying the hobbies they love and bonding with other people over video games. It reminds me and so many others of the feelings Nintendo games has given since the beginning. They give you feelings of: community, teamwork, friendship, adventure and fun for the sake of having fun.
The Switch's revolutionary mobile and multiplayer possibilities prove that Nintendo has not given up on its commitment to building a loving and supporting community of gamers . It's something that we so desperately need in this current climate of hostility and exclusion in the gaming world.
When I think about my future with the Nintendo Switch, I don't immediately envision all of the new games and software (besides "Breath of the Wild." I have been dreaming about since before I was born). When I think about my future with the Nintendo Switch, I think about showing it to my girlfriend, with whom I'll hopefully be living with by the time the Switch is out. I think about bringing it with me when I hang out with my friends so we can all play together. I think about playing video games with friends who live across the country. I think about the relationships and memories I can build through the console. But I don't really the functions of the console itself. Then again, the console is about relationships and memories.
Needless to say, I'm beyond excited for the Switch. I know Nintendo will continue to provide the nostalgia and comfort we all need in video games. I know I will not be disappointed. And I hope you're just as hyped as I am.
