Are you optimistic about Nintendo's 2016?

Nintendo Life is.  Are you?  And why?

A tentative 4. I really like the look of the 3DS's line-up this year, and I'm hopeful that Nintendo's E3 will get folks really excited about Ninty again.

Its an odd question; I'm not sure or bothered how this year will go for Nintendo the company in terms of sales and finances. That said, just from the games I already know are coming and my natural faith, I'm optimistic this will be a good year for Nintendo the people who bring me good games.

It is time for Nintendo to kick through the cocoon and deliver a cracking 2016. O'course, it's a 4 that I've gone for, because there'll be some bizarre decisions and revelations along the way.

In the past few years Nintendo have seemed incapable of focusing attention in two places at once, it's either console or handheld, which has resulted in some games rushed to market or a lack of games all together. I don't think that 2016 is going to be any different to 2014/15 in that regard, I just hope that along the way in 2016 we get some nice gems such as Zelda, Star Fox, Pikmin 4, Retro's new project, etc.

Financially, amiibo is going to be very profitable again for Nintendo, although it might be on the decline a bit now that they're not at full production and cranking the out as much as they were when there was the mass hype in late 2014/early 2015.

Somehow, I think Nintendo will 'get by' in 2016, but I think 2017 is where the attention is truly going to be focused on with the release of "NX".

I guess I'm a fence sitter as I don't know what to think at the moment. I know it's going to be a big month in Feb for Pokemon and Nintendo but after that I'm not sure, there are a few good games on the 3ds coming out, but I don't really know what to think and probably won't for a few months

Just a 2. I felt that a lot of goodwill was squandered in 2015. That their big games for November were, from my perspective, Animal Crossing amiibo Festival, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash and Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash is just ripping the pish. Nintendo's two best games of 2015 were undoubtedly Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii...which of course both came out in 2014. Furthermore, I'd say that the New 3DS has been a waste.

Heading into 2016, there isn't much that I'm looking forward to. That said, Nintendo had a habit of giving us games that we didn't even know we wanted, so I'm a tiny bit optimistic that the odd thing comes along.

It's hard to say when we know so little about the NX, and that (along with Zelda) will likely define the year for Nintendo. Still, the promise of Zelda U and a new console looms large - there's just little to tide us over to that point for the rest of the year. I give it an arbitrary 3.

I've got article around this subject, I've been thinking about for a while but at the moment with out going into more detail I've gave Nintendo a 4 as the 3DS has a lot coming especially next month if you like JRPG's and there's so many anniversary's this year as well for some of there big series that we may see stuff for all of those.

But then I look at the Wii U and the gap between the last Nintendo published game and the next is 5 months and we know of about a handful coming and it just looks like were gearing up for the NX.

And who doesn't like a new console and that's what gets them a 4 the 3DS being decent and the NX being this mystery but if you take way that then maybe a 3 because the Wii U's line up is not the best.

I'm in two frames of mind, on the one hand the 3DS has a ton of cool games coming with the three Fire Emblem Fates games, Pokemon Z, and Bravely Second. On the other hand, none of that is going to exactly set the world on fire, it's great of rpg fans, but there's absolutely nothing for the mainstream next year besides maybe Zelda.

So basically, as a gamer I reckon 2016 is a solid 4, but as an observer of sales I reckon it'll be a 1. Still, a great deal will be made or broken with the NX, if the pigs start to fly to the moon and they finally nail advertising to the mainstream again it'll be a success, if not then, well, it'll be a 1. My choice of phrases says how much faith I have in them getting their act together next year I have though.


Still, flop or not, I'm looking forward to the year that looms, so either way I'll be happy.

Good responses thus far gents! Incidentally, I voted 3 - which, when the average is 2.5, is cautiously optimistic. NX launch, Zelda, SF0, not a heck of a lot else. And Nintendo haven't historically got console launches right a lot of the time. Still, Zelda should make it a good one if nothing else does.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Nintendo's two best games of 2015 were undoubtedly Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii...which of course both came out in 2014.

While I'd agree with this, I'd say that's down to the quality of the two games rather than the other offerings. If you don't like XCX, Splatoon, or SMM (and I don't like 2/3 of them), I'd say that's your/my issue rather than the line-up's. God knows there wasn't a good second layer below that if you didn't like them, though.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Furthermore, I'd say that the New 3DS has been a waste.

I still don't see the sense in that one.

I'm a fence voter until we actually see what NX is, everything will hinge on that, Nintendo need something big from NX to make people believe in them again and if it turns out to be subpar it's going to hit them hard. Amiibo will be an interesting talking point too, now they're easily available they need something more than "collect the whole set" to make them sell and at the same time they need to avoid focusing on them so much, it's hurting their output when they're releasing dross such as Amiibo festival and in some cases I feel they're fully replacing what should be a new game in their lineups with a bunch of them.

The point of New 3DS is that it looks sooooooooooooooooo pretty.

Faceplates

And SNES coloured buttons

Rakoon gets it.

DIGRESSION ALERT my kindle wanted to autocorrect Rakoon to Tampon.

I can get that people wouldn't be too happy with the n3DS is they weren't Monster Hunter fans. That analogue stick has been well worth the upgrade price for me, but it hasn't done a whole lot else.

I'm a 2, pretty uninterested in Nintendo for this year. I'm well up for Zelda, FE and MHX if it comes to the west, but I see this as a year of news about NX and as I'm not interested in consoles at launch, especially if they are some hybrid bollocks, it's not much for me.

We've talked about the N3DS before else where and I do like mine as a piece of hardware but have found it to be a little underwhelming on the games front.

I really did think when it was confirmed it could run unity that we would get more indies on it, for instance.

Drunkalilly wrote:

Rakoon gets it.

DIGRESSION ALERT my kindle wanted to autocorrect Rakoon to Tampon.

My secret is out

I’m going to shake things up and say this is Nintendo’s biggest year yet. Went for a full-blown 6.

OrangeRakoon wrote:

Drunkalilly wrote:

Rakoon gets it.

DIGRESSION ALERT my kindle wanted to autocorrect Rakoon to Tampon.

My secret is out

Orange Tampon?

gjones wrote:

I’m going to shake things up and say this is Nintendo’s biggest year yet. Went for a full-blown 6.

See it could be if the NX is a banger and has Zelda, 3D Mario, Metroid/Retro's game, Pikmin 4 as launch tiles but I doubt we will see all of those.

Never say never... Nintendo might just stack the deck at E3.

I reckon they could have the best or the worst E3, nothing in between.

I put a 3. There isn't a lot, but two Zeldas? This might be important. Otherwise, Everything Is Ruined Forever.
(I have a feeling I said that about the new one last year... )

I'm also at a 3. Mainly still worried about the whole hybrid thing because if Nintendo struggle to explain a simple concept like wii U then how will they fare at explaining a hybrid system?