Nintendo sells millions of games every year that are far from new. Recycling is a common practice in the video game market and the Japanese firm has made it an art.
Pokémon Sparkling Diamond and Sparkling Pearl, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury have two things in common. They all sold at least three million copies between April and December 2021. And they are all games recycled by Nintendo to supply the catalog of the Switch, a console that has passed the milestone of 100 million units sold ( which makes it the third best sale in the history of the Japanese firm).
Thereby, Pokémon Sparkling Diamond and Sparkling Pearl is a remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, a generation that appeared in 2006 on the Nintendo DS. On his side, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the remastering of a Link adventure first released on the Wii. As for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, they are ports of titles originally offered on Wii U. In short, in these four cases, nothing is 100% new for Switch owners.
Nintendo has made recycling an art
At Nintendo, recycling is an art, a way to make strong brands shine with fans (who love to replay old experiences, out of nostalgia) or, sometimes, to give them a second chance. This is for example the case of Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World, which have not had the opportunity to express their commercial potential on the Wii U – console stuck at just under 14 million sales. The racing game is also the biggest card of the Switch, with 43.35 million units (almost one in two owners). He nestles in front Animal Crossing: New Horizons (37.62 million) and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (27.4 million) — two unreleased productions.
Should we accuse Nintendo of applying this recycling strategy a little too much? This would be to impugn the manufacturer’s intentions. Admittedly, he sometimes tends to pull on the rope. But we must not forget that it continues to innovate in parallel. Tea Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is an easy way out? Following The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a real revival of the saga, is in preparation. You don’t want to play again Pokémon Diamond and Pearl ? Legends: Pokemon Arceus just came out. Furthermore, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury incorporates an extension that brings fresh content to lovers of the mustachioed plumber. Recycling, when done well, can therefore be good.
As a bonus, Nintendo manages to shine the old and the new with relentless mastery. Launched at the same time as the Switch OLED, Metroid Dread — direct sequel to Metroid Fusion (2002) — sold 2.3 million units: a notable performance for a more demanding than average action game. It is already one of the biggest successes of the illustrious saga according to Oscar Lemaire, journalist specializing in video games and figures.
Thanks to significant novelties and safe bets, Nintendo is breaking records in terms of game sales (again according to Oscar Lemaire). And we understand better why the firm does not want to embark on the war of studio takeovers, as Sony and Microsoft are currently doing. ” Our company was built on products created through the dedication of our employees, and integrating several people who do not have Nintendo DNA into our group would not be beneficial for us. “says Shuntaro Furukawa, quoted by Bloomberg.
Finally, it should be remembered that Nintendo is not the only player in the video game market to rely on recycling to inflate its catalog. Sony has squarely made it a principle at the start of the PlayStation 5 life cycle with Death Stranding: Director’s Cut, Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, Demons Souls or Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection… Other publishers, like Capcom or Konami, never miss the opportunity to offer remakes or compilations of oldies, to the point of abusing them. In short, recycling is a common practice in the world of video games.