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NINTENDO: RETRO
(1985)
Welcome to LEVEL 2. Today, we're focusing on some of Nintendo's greatest work and also what they have achieved today.
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Nintendo started as a Japanese playing cards manufacturer & provider. It was originally founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi in Kyoto, Japan. Although, the company only started developing games in 1977 when developer Shigeru Miyamoto stepped in to develop the most iconic titles in their company to date.
Their first successful product was the home video game console, NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1983. Over the years, it sold over 62 million units. It was a creation that became a game changer because it brought in new means of telling stories in different various genres; the one that particularly stood out was action & adventure. A lot of plots were based around the classic idea of a damsel in distress, being saved by a knight in shining armour. Here are some Nintendo Games, some of which, you'll be able to recognise:
Mario Bros./ Super Mario Bros. (1983) :
Can you imagine being a plumber and hero at the same time, whilst saving the world? These guys can.
Super Mario Bros. was introduced during the release of NES. The game follows a story of an Italian-American plumber called Mario, who, along with his brother Luigi, tries to save The Princess, who is abducted and kept in a castle by enemies called The Turtle Tribe, a.k.a. The Koopa Troopas.
There have been sequels of this game, although the story tends to remain the same: Save the princess and fight the bad guys. Still, it's one of the best and most known games that have ever been made!
Donkey Kong (1981) :
Just when you think you nearly reached the top, you end up back down 🙃
Donkey Kong became part of the Super Mario World, but it focuses more on one of Mario's enemies. This time, Donkey Kong has held Princess Peach captive and Mario needs to save the Princess by climbing ramps that have ladders connecting them. But, it's not as easy as it sounds: At the same time, you have to avoid these huge wooden/flaming oil barrels, springs and other objects that Donkey Kong throws from the top. The higher you get Mario up, the faster and the more barrels Donkey Kong throws at you!
The Legend of Zelda (1986) :
He is the Hero of Time, no matter where or when he's at, he will fight for Hyrule and Princess Zelda!
This game centers a story in the fantasy land of Hyrule. A boy named Link, tries to save a Princess, Zelda, who is held captive by the main antagonist: Ganon. To save her, he must collect different parts of a relic called The Triforce of Wisdom. This controls the physical laws of Hyrule. Ganon plans not only to capture the Princess, but to steal The Triforce of Wisdom and use it to conquer the world at large. This action-adventure game is played from a bird's eye view, controlling Link to explore the realm of 'Overworld' (a large map with multiple environments and enemies), fighting monsters with his shield, and a sword given by a mysterious old man at the start of the game.
Nintendo then moved on to make other platforms to further improve gameplay. Suddenly, the graphics & visuals felt more life-like, the characters movement looked so much smoother when being played, and kids would carry around a portable Nintendo that everyone would crowd around! And this only got better throughout the years.
Here are some examples, along with some classics to get you gaming if you ever get back into these consoles...
GAME BOY
(Early 1990s - 2000s)
POKEMON (1990s)
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or
Yoshi's Island (2002)
Nintendo DS, 1st Generation
(early 2000s-Present)
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Cooking Mama (2006)
Brain Training (2006)
or
Hope you enjoyed this part of the level!
Hungry for more? Up next, we'll be talking about what Nintendo's been up to today!
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