Nintendo is starting to dumb down its games again and I don’t know why – Reader’s Feature

A reader is concerned that Nintendo is purposefully simplifying all its Switch 2 games, and going against the formula that made the original console so successful.

I’ve just beaten Metroid Prime 4 and… I didn’t hate it. I didn’t particularly like it either, but it’s not awful. There’s some good stuff in there, especially the graphics and music, and I actually think some of the linear stuff works better than the traditional Metroidvania levels, because at least that’s achieving the goal it set out to.

There’s lots of individual problems with Metroid Prime 4 but the main one is that it’s been simplified and dumbed down from the previous games. Even though they recently remastered the first one and it seemed to be very popular. There’s less equipment and weapons, there’s very little in the way of puzzles, exploration is mostly linear, and the combat isn’t very hard. But why?

Who does Nintendo think is buying Metroid Prime 4, especially on the Switch 2, other than hardcore fans? Surely, they should be trying to appeal directly to them, with a purposefully difficult and complex game, since they know there’s very little chance anyone else is paying attention this early in the console’s life. Metroid Dread wasn’t super hard but I wouldn’t say it was easy or dumbed down and it was the most successful entry ever.

Unfortunately, this is all part of a pattern. Mario Kart isn’t exactly a complicated game and yet still Nintendo felt the need to simplify it, automating dragging items behind you and even simplifying the boost start trick. It’s a good game, that I enjoy, but no one would deny that it doesn’t make proper use of the open world.

I don’t that was a mistake, though, I think Nintendo did it that way on purpose. They didn’t want anything complicated, just simple little mini-missions and a co-op mode that is just you and other people driving around at random. Most fans think it’s boring, but I think Nintendo think it’s accessible and non-threatening.

Donkey Kong Bananza is a great game but it’s very easy for no good reason. With some of the bosses you’ve beaten them before you even really understand what they’re doing, and it doesn’t even really get hard at the end. It’s a game aimed at kids, you might argue, but there are many Nintendo games that are very hard, especially in the endgame, but Donkey Kong is just a breeze the whole way through.

Hyrule Warriors is not just a button-basher it’s a single-button basher, you barely have to press anything else. And Kirby Air Ride was shallow and simplistic 20 years ago and I see nothing to make me think it’s got any better in the meantime. I haven’t played the latest versions of those two games but I’ve played their predecessors and they’re amongst the least interesting things Nintendo has ever put its name to.

Or what about Drag x Drive? Why was it so short on content and features? Time and money was probably a factor but I think Nintendo just wanted to make it ‘accessible’ – that dreaded word.

There’s a balance to be had here and Nintendo is nowhere close to it. And yet the Switch 2 is selling so well I worry they’re going to think they got it all right.

The frustrating thing is they’ve done this before and it almost seems to be working on a cycle. The GameCube was a fairly hardcore console and it was a failure, so they rethought things and tried to make the Wii as casual friendly as possible. They had great success, but the traditional games were all mostly the worst entries in their franchise, from Metroid: Other M to Zelda: Skyward Sword. Super Mario Galaxy stands out all the more because it’s so different to all the others.

So now we’re coming off the back of the Switch 1 which, in terms of its games, was pretty hardcore (Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is an amazingly complicated game if you think about). It was also hugely successful and yet for some reason Nintendo seems to have decided that things are getting too inaccessible and so everything’s being dumbed down.

I could sort of understand this (even though the Switch 1 clearly proved it was unnecessary) if they started to do it towards the middle of the console’s life, when all the more casual gamers come on board, but right at the beginning, when it’s just the super fans, makes no sense.

The only thing I can think is they think there’s not enough room for growth, just doing the Switch 1 again with better graphics, so they’re trying to get some of that blue sky Wii market – despite the fact that mobile phones have basically killed it dead.

That’s the only thing I can think of and I’m not convinced at all. Why are they not following the same patterns they did with Switch 1? Why are they trying to dumb down their most serious, mature franchise? Why is Kirby Air Riders a thing that exists? I have no answers for any of this, but the whole situation makes me worry for whatever sequel we see next.

By reader Onibee

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: After Hollow Knight: Silksong I am done with difficult video games – Reader’s Feature

MORE: The first year of the Wii U was better than the Switch 2 – Reader’s Feature

MORE: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment is like a victory lap for modern Zelda – Reader’s Feature