Those who still own a Nintendo 64 should treasure it like something out of a museum. In 2020, these gaming consoles are few and far between.
Unfortunately, I never actually owned a 64. Growing up, my parents bought us a Playstation for Christmas, and it didn’t really make sense to have more than one video game console.
Back then, gaming was considered a leisure activity. Video games were more often seen as a waste of time than as a way to potentially build a career. The perception was not dissimilar from how people today perceive time spent watching shows / Netflix.
Over the years, we’ve seen gaming change a lot. The gaming industry has measurably grown. Processing power and graphics have improved. Video gaming has dramatically increased in popularity. Platforms like Twitch have enabled people to bring their unique style and personality to live stream games to demonstrate skill. A not-insignificant number of these people now make a living playing video games.
Ten years ago, who ever thought you could make money playing games? If there were people out there making money from video games, I didn’t hear about it. Had I known, perhaps I would have figured how to make it work. Maybe my parents would have encouraged me to play MORE hours of Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 instead of less.
With gaming’s big changes, its great to see that some things have remained constant.
While in a self-quarantine during the recent coronavirus pandemic, I’ve been lucky to have a friend with a Nintendo 64. Yesterday, with a small group practicing social distancing, we took a nostalgic journey through the levels of the classic version of Mario Kart on 64.
After making it through Frappe Snowland, Moo Moo Farm, Sherbet Land, Bowser’s Castle, and more, something unimaginable happened — I got to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch for the FIRST TIME EVER.
The experience equated to the experiences of Christmas long, long ago…. trying a new game, on a new console, and playing it all morning in your PJs before family comes over to celebrate the holidays.
But wait – the Switch version of Mario Kart was released in 2017… Why did it take this long for me to try it?
Regardless of differing levels of video game dedication and passion from one person to the next, the fact that I was late to try the game made no difference in how much fun it was to play. For me, everything in the game was new.
Although they added a multitude of new levels, characters and more, I most admire Nintendo for maintaining a similar theme and style with their games as new console technology has been released. Nowhere is this more true than Mario Kart.
Which game systems have featured Mario Kart?
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo 64
iQue Player
Game Boy Advance
GameCube
Nintendo DS
Arcade
Wii
Nintendo 3DS
Wii U
Nintendo Switch
iOS
Android
As we like to call the Game Boy the “original mobile gaming device“, its great to see that Nintendo has also expanded into mobile games by developing Mario Kart Tour, a version of the game to be played on iOS and Android smartphones.
Whether on the original Nintendo 64, GameCube Double Dash, or any of the other platforms, Nintendo maintains its commitment to build a new and improved version of Mario Kart for virtually every system.
I have always felt deeply connected to Nintendo. Their games have that effect. No matter how old they get, they’re never obsolete. Nintendo games are built to last.
Espresso Insight 