Nintendo is having a tough go at it, and 2014 looks to be an uphill battle for the Big N. Nintendo has been avoiding Android, iOS and other mobile platforms like the plague, and with good reason. Nintendo is doing well as far as Nintendo DS variants go, while it’s console, the Wii U is tanking. This decision hasn’t put the iconic video game manufacturer in good graces financially, as more gamers turn to playing games on their mobile devices. That’s about to change according to a report from Japan’s Nikkei.
While Nintendo isn’t going full mobile gaming, it will be bringing “mini-games” and “demos” to mobile devices. Don’t expect to be playing a legit version of Mario on your iPhone just yet, though. Nintendo’s mini-games will more than likely be very limited versions of the actual Wii U or Nintendo DS releases, geared more twords providing the user with videos and other information about the titles via a smartphone app. There are no details on what exactly the mini-games will entail, but they could end up being games that have nothing to do with the upcoming title, but rather introduce users to characters and get a little feel for the gameplay.
While we would all surely love to see a Nintendo phone which is first and foremost a gaming device and a smartphone second, Nintendo has no plans for this, and more than likely won’t. At least for the time being.
As for classic Nintendo characters and franchises coming to iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices, I wouldn’t hold my breath. It would be a great move for Nintendo though, as the company has a back catalog of games which could be revamped and easily sold on mobile platforms. All one need to do is take a look at Square Enix, who has taken many titles out of their Final Fantasy catalog, revamped them and unleashed them on iOS and Android. Sega’s done a good job as well, releasing classics like Jet Set Radio and Sonic 2 on mobile devices.
There may be a day when Nintendo has to go the route of Sega and focus on software only, at which point they would surely release classic titles and new ones as well on mobile platforms. Until then, we’ll just have to run SNES and NES emulators on our Smartphones.
