Mario Kart 8 and Nintendo's All-Hands-On-Deck Approach

May 30th, 2014 can be known as Nintendo’s Last Stand.


May 30th, 2014 can also be known as The Day That Saved the WiiU.


Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain: Nintendo has everything banking on Mario Kart 8 owning and conquering the summer.


Nintendo’s lineup of this year is extremely thin, and with its deficit against the PS4 rapidly increasing and its lead over the XBox One rapidly decreasing, they need to place all their wild cards on the few bright spots remaining. Mario Kart 8 is that humongous bright spot that Nintendo has recently been throwing everything at to make sure it remains in the spotlight.

Mario Kart 8 has now a bundle in multiple regions around the world, as it’s now packaged with WiiUs and also a few extra goodies (with the Europeans getting the nicer package since Sony and Microsoft have pretty much dominated the area in the past several years). The $330 price tag is extremely good, considering that $70 less than a PS4 you get a system and a game that just might be the best in the franchise (More on that in a second).

Not only that, but now Nintendo is practically, literally giving you a free game by just purchasing this one! Register the game online and before you know it, you can have your hands on Wind Waker or Pikmin or Wonderful 101 (Well, if you are in Europe). So at $330, you can get a new system, two video games, and more goodies? This is definitely the all-hands-on-deck deal we have been anticipating from Nintendo as we are seeing the continually dismal sales of the WiiU. According to VGCharts, even the XBox 360 has been outselling it in recent times.



Let’s discuss the game itself: the biggest online game ever released by Nintendo, as you can compete in tournaments, customize races with friends and strangers, and even upload gameplay footage directly online. This is arguably the most hardcore-accessible Mario Kart since the original SNES version. The Koopalings are all in the game to increase the marketing of the other Mario games out and about that gamers aren’t noticing (Super Mario 3D World and New Super Mario Bros. U are far off the usual whopping Super Mario sales numbers). This is the largest lineup of racers ever assembled in a Mario Kart game.



Nintendo is banking everything on Mario Kart to save the WiiU, everything.



The 2-D and the 2.5-D Mario franchises couldn’t do the trick, but Mario Kart just might be that savior. The SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, and 3DS each have their Mario Kart installments that are among the best-selling games in their generation and in the history of the system itself. Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart DS are two of among the 20 best-selling video games in history. If there is something that sells, its plumbers in go-karts. Easy game to learn, easy game to master. Kids, parents, grandparents can play it.

But Mario Kart 8 needs to win. Smash Brothers U is too far away if this game doesn’t produce the noise.

Even the release date was meticulously planned to attempt to create the wave of success it desperately needs. It was originally slated for the spring but got moved after the disappointing 2013 holiday season. Summertime, right as schools and universities ends and free time actually exists. Although game companies prefer the September-December months to release the heavy-hitters, the summer has been kind to Nintendo. The infamous price cut of 2011 for the 3DS occurred in July, and hits like Mario Galaxy 2 and Mario Kart Wii came out in summer/close to summer.

Mario Kart 8 has the marketing, the online components that we had been begging for, the extremely diverse grouping of characters, the perfect release date, the inclusion to a bundle that doesn’t suck (Nintendo Land was a mistake and a half), and the focus and care that Nintendo should place on their hardcore fans. This is the 2014 version of Ocarina of Time, minus the epic commercial. The difference is Nintendo knew Ocarina of Time was potentially going to be the biggest and best game in history. With Mario Kart 8, it could be the biggest-seller of 2014 and finally thrust Nintendo into the as-of-now two-sided Eighth Generation console war.

And just that potential is why Nintendo is rolling out all its features, specials, and attention towards this one game. Can’t discredit them on lack of effort, that’s for sure. One thing is certain:



Mario Kart 8 is huge-success-or-bust.

The Hindering Success of the Nintendo 3DS

There was a recent interview of Koichi Hayashida on IGN talking about why the NES Remix games have not been released on the 3DS. In short words, he basically said that the 3DS doesn’t really have the technical capabilities to be able to run NES Remix. Of course reading the interview I found the answer interesting and would like to add one extra word:


Nonsense.


Total, unadulterated nonsense. The Nintendo 3DS will be running Super Smash Brothers (P.S., why is it lacking a true title?!?) on 60 FPS with no issue---and this fighter needs some major processing power to be able to replicate the Smash experience. You telling me that you can’t run a game that takes NES games (all of them 20+ years old by the way) and gives them little twists? Absolute lie. I don’t believe it in the slightest bit, sorry.

This is the truth: NES Remix would work perfectly fine on the 3DS, and to an extent should have been a strictly 3DS game with GBA or even SNES Remix occurring in the Nintendo WiiU. But the success of the 3DS is starting to directly affect the sales of the WiiU and Nintendo is beginning to see the problem.

Part of the WiiU’s failures (Trust me, there are dozens of reasons) includes the fact that it looks like the Nintendo DS on pure steroids. And while in hindsight it is a good idea since the original DS sold over 150 million copies worldwide during its epic run, it diminishes the value of the WiiU altogether. Why spend the $300 on a big DS when you can fork over half that cash and buy a system that is easy to move around with, and has a killer library of games?

Why get a WiiU that features Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Brothers WiiU, New Super Mario Bros. U, and the Virtual Console feature when you can get the cheaper 3DS with games like: Super Mario 3D Land, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Mario Kart 7, Super Smash Brothers 3DS, New Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2, Virtual Console, and a much bigger assortment of games?

Nintendo is making fantastic money, but it’s all coming from the 3DS. The 3DS nearly has 85% market share in the handheld field, and is steadily being able to hold off advances from the smartphones and Apple products to continue making good money---and this is without a major 3DS release currently making waves---until Smash Brothers and the inevitable Pokemon X/Y spin-off that is. The WiiU on the other hand is getting obliterated by the PS4 and has not taken off a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e., not even in the usually-reliably Japanese region.

Nintendo is not going the Sega path, since Sega failed in every field at the same time in the late 90s. Nintendo is still raking in cash, its still going to be fine in the long run even if the WiiU fails harder than the notorious Gamecube. But in order for the WiiU to have any sort of chance, it needs to distance itself from the 3DS as much as humanely possible. And NES Remix (And potentially SNES Remix, GBA Remix, N64 Remix) is part of that solution—becoming exclusive for the struggling machine.

This is why any idea that seems better-suited for the 3DS is winding up on the WiiU: GBA Virtual Console, DS Virtual Console, The Remix Games, and the long-overdue influx of indie games. Although it seems like giving more Nintendo gamers options to play these types of games, if the 3DS owners have their hands on any of these properties, they will be much less inclined to transition to the WiiU in the eighth generation of gaming.

Nintendo has totally dropped the ball in terms of upgrading the looks of their main franchises, still sticking with the 2-D, not-as-hardcore installments to their heavy-hitters like Mario and Donkey Kong—resulting in the WiiU versions feeling like mere Windows-like upgrades to the 3DS gems. Am I really going to fork over the $60 for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze when it looks like a game that can handle itself on the 3DS?


Side Note: One of the worst things Nintendo did in the past few years is manage to condense a first-party Nintendo Wii game to the 3DS and display how behind the Wii-series of systems is compared to the PS4 and XBox One.


So it may look strange, it may look downright bizarre that all these incredible ideas that seem perfect for the forever-improving 3DS wind up on the WiiU, but it’s mainly because the console is struggling to find its footing and momentum—and it is leading to the transferring of handheld ideas to the larger machine. The 3DS is a successful piece of hardware that is all but eliminating its own best friend, Nintendo’s own WiiU. Nintendo’s shift of focus is smart and understandable, for the console market is bigger and more successful than ever (Grand Theft Auto V anyone?) and it is time to take advantage of this.




That being said, in the field of transferring handheld ideas to consoles, why is Pokemon STILL not on the radar?

The Best $150 Million to Spend in Gaming

Nintendo, Microsoft, tired of looking up at Sony this generation?



Still trying to figure out a way to catch up?



Well, I have a deal for you.


There is a Japanese company in utter shambles and is most likely available at a cheap, cheap price. Back in 2013, this company was down to a mere $150 million dollars in the bank. It is currently so bad that they are developing multiple million-dollar buildings just to do research and figure out how to turn the company around---even though the actual answer is merely release good games and don’t depend so much on the downloadable content and barrage of quickly-released remakes and re-releases. And….well….not try to drive out creative people like the folks behind the closed Clover Studio and the creator of the classic Mega Man games.

Although this company is only worth $150 million, they could still deliver you tons more in sales if you provide enough support once you purchase them. After all, this company is the main owner of:


Street Fighter
Devil May Cry
Resident Evil
Viewtiful Joe
Dead Rising
Gargoyle’s Quest
Okami
Monster Hunter
Mega Man
Mega Man X
Ghost n’ Goblins
Bionic Commando
Breath of Fire
Captain Commando
Final Fight
Lost Planet
Phoenix Wright
Power Stone

In other words, they have created a lot of profitable and potentially-profitable franchises that would be very suitable to your liking. Can you imagine being the sole owner of Street Fighter and Resident Evil? Can you imagine having the only console with Mega Man, Marvel vs. Capcom, Breath of Fire, and Monster Hunter? Can you imagine potentially being able to revive Power Stone, Viewtiful Joe, and Final Fight?

The opportunity exists. It costs only $150 million. Every major console-making company has this money lying around, and can really create some powerful dividends when you place the right minds in it.



That’s right Nintendo and Microsoft, you should buy Capcom.

Is Capcom on sale? Not really. Does it matter? Of course not. Marvel wasn’t really on sale when Disney shockingly took over. Guys, 150 million. That’s it. There are movies and video games that have had higher budgets. Grand Theft Auto 5 has a budget of roughly around the same price, and has earned 1 billion faster than any form of entertainment in history. That’s just one game that produced such a quick profit. See all the games I pointed out?

Capcom is sitting on a gold mine of ideas and possibilities, but has been run by all the wrong people. Delivering the right staff and supporting it with the proper amount of money and effort and you will see magical profits soar. Do remember that Street Fighter is one of the top fighting game franchises in gaming history, Resident Evil is the top horror game franchise out there, and Mega Man has sold nearly 30 million copies since its original conception in the NES days.

Can you imagine Final Fight 7 for the WiiU and 3DS exclusively? Can you imagine

Nintendo (The company that is far more suitable in making this purchase), Microsoft, listen up. Capcom is a wreck that can still make you good money. Open up the checkbook and lay that money down. You’ll be happy you did.


P.S. This article was the extremely long-delayed part 2 of my series about Capcom.

The Two Final Shots at Saving the WiiU

Nintendo has two big shots left in 2014.

So they need to use them well, try to hit as many targets as possible.


The two bullets are Mario Kart 8 and Smash Brothers 4. These are the two games that can absolutely save the WiiU, but if utilized poorly will do absolutely nothing to help Nintendo----no matter what the quality of the actual game is. The two Mario games were poorly timed and lost their opportunity to make an impact. However, with 2014, the Mario Kart and Smash Brothers franchise can create ripples in the gaming community and finally turn things around in the eighth generation for Nintendo.

On this corner, we have the hardcore franchise Super Smash Brothers. Within this franchise we have the 1999 original surprise-surprise hit on the N64 that gave it a brief glimpse of life in an otherwise dismal performance when Sony started conquering the gaming world. When the Gamecube landed in 2011, one of the first games was Smash Brothers Melee.

Melee would not only become an instant hit, it would become the biggest success of the Nintendo Gamecube, with over 7 million sold. It remains an often-played game today, a tournament staple, and a hardcore fighter masterpiece that has and will remain one of the big boys of fighting along with Street Fighter 2, Soul Calibur, etc. In my opinion it is the greatest fighting game of all-time, bar none. It is also the greatest offline multi-player game of all-time, bar none. One can only imagine if this game were released years later on a Nintendo system with XBox Live-like connectivity. It could have been beautiful. Nonetheless, Melee’s impact on the gaming world remains noticeable today with its fighting mechanics and its rabid underground cult audience of hardcore fighters.

And then came Brawl in the middle of the Nintendo Wii dominance. Not only did this outsell the Gamecube version by a wide margin, but it became the best-selling fighting game of all-time. 12 million copies were sold, which is unheard of in the fighting game genre. Even Street Fighter II during its SNES dominance requires three of its spinoffs to match the 12 million sold by Smash Brothers Brawl. Even if it doesn’t have the deep appeal of Melee, it was still a respected game.

And then on the other corner, we have the ever-growing Mario Kart franchise. The original Super Mario Kart would change racing games forever, and its 8 million copies sold on the SNES was no joke. Then we have the N64 version, which is arguably one of the fan favorites, if not the favorite. Mario Kart 64’s battle mode remains the most fun you’ll ever have with friends, and it’s the first major video game to have a successful four-player mode. This was met with 9 million sold.

You know where the story goes. The GBA version hits 5 million, the Gamecube version nets 6 million, the DS version takes it to new financial heights with over 23 million. And then….Mario Kart Wii.


Mario Kart Wii has done so well people forget. It has outsold entire systems. The Gamecube, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Genesis and even the original XBox were outsold by this one video game. A staggering 34 million copies were sold, and that was without having to break any first day/week/month records. It slowly crept up the charts and continued to move hardware sales. This is the kind of game that the WiiU desperately needs; the kind of game that creates noise but generates even more sales.

Nintendo needs to market these games heavily, they need to notify the world of its existence and convince people to mark the release dates on the calendar. They can nab the casual crowd that likes the pick-up-and-play racing mechanisms of Mario Kart (97 million copies sold overall is enough evidence), and can retain the hardcore crowd if they can make the new Smash Brothers look anything like the hyper-crazy mania of Melee. We need more videos, we need commercials, we need to rev up the marketing campaign. Because you aren’t just advertising the game, you are trying to convince gamers to purchase an entire system.


But there is one more step: You need to bundle them.


We need a Mario Kart bundle with the WiiU, with a Smash Brothers bundle later in the year.


Sell them separately, and bundle them in the United States. And in Europe. And in Japan. The NES, SNES, and Nintendo Wii each had games bundled with them at launch---and each of these systems won their generation. Nintendo Land was clearly not a strong game to be considered an incentive to buy the system. The eighth installment of a well-beloved franchise? Definitely buyable. The fourth installment of currently the biggest fighting game franchise in the business? Of course its buyable.

Nintendo, you cannot drop this ball. There is too much at stake. Although Sony took the lead and Microsoft isn’t too far behind neither have a high-profile game to the caliber of Mario Kart and Smash Brothers. Neither have the game that can become a game-changer. Neither has the first-party credentials of Nintendo’s first-party arsenal.

Nintendo, you have two wild cards. Use them well.

Otherwise, you might have to look into the ninth generation a bit early.