25-05-2014, 08:41 PM
Mario Kart 8 Proves Nintendo Is The Game Maker For Grown-Ups
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I think Mario Kart 8 is just about the most mature game I’ve played this year. I know readers won’t like this article. They’ll disagree. For some reason it seems to have become cool to hate Nintendo. I’m alone in my adoration and it is mostly because I write from a father’s perspective. I’m sure my premise will seem absurd to most readers. How could I call the game maker that makes ‘kiddie’ games mature? I’ll explain.
A blister has almost formed on my thumb from pressing down the accelerator button. My kids and I have been giggling and playing together nonstop. Mario Kart 8 is intergenerational bliss. Parents and kids should all play this game together.
Ordinarily, I’d cite some research. I’ve written many posts (like this one) explaining the benefits that come from parents and kids playing video games together. But I’m not writing that this time. This is not about research.
I also don’t want this to be a review of the game; reviewer is really not within my skill set. Besides, Erik Kain has already written the only review you need to read about this highly anticipated game. His review, and the others around the internet, are overwhelmingly positive. Despite the fact that the current trend in game journalism seems to be negative on Nintendo, few writers can deny that this eighth iteration of the classic go-kart racer has beautiful artwork and top-notch controls. Even the negative reviews seem to be complaining about what’s been removed since the last version. Paradoxically, they’re reviewing what’s not there. It is almost as if we all realize just how good Nintendo is at making video games. So much so that we take the achievements for granted.
The biggest achievement here is that Mario Kart 8 is just as much fun for me to play as it is for my six year old, my eight year old, and everyone else who has visited my house since we downloaded our review copy (including my adolescent teenaged nephew). Consider that for a moment. This game is challenging enough for me that I want to play, but still simple enough for my six year old that he remains stimulated.
We snuggle up next to each other on the couch, controllers in hand, playing together. We discuss our favorite race tracks, the best vehicle modifications, and how this version compares to Mario Kart 7. There’s something really special about the experience. I feel like a father when I play.
As a parent, I’m always trying to introduce my kids to things that I enjoyed in my youth. I play them music. I show them movies. I take them to the parks I loved. I introduce them to the comfort foods that come accompanied with fond memories. Most of the time it doesn’t work. Times change. Things age. What appeals to one generation is hardly of interest to the next. But Mario is different.
Mario is like Star Wars. From the moment I showed the first movie to my kids, they were hooked and I was flooded with memories. Few movies span generations like this. It is like LEGO. There’s a timelessness in the fun-factor of the brick. Most toys wane with age. Mario, Luigi, and the gang succeed. And with Mario Kart 8, Nintendo masterfully builds a game that blends grown up nostalgia refreshed in a way that keeps it from feeling dated.
They’ve managed to do this again and again in recent years. New Super Mario Brothers. Super Mario 3D World. Yoshi’s New Island. Kirby Triple Deluxe. Each new title, one after the next, stands out in the family category in ways nobody else seems capable of matching. This is a mark of maturity.
Sure, these aren’t the games we put the “M” rating on. But we live in a society that believes an adolescent attitude of violence, destruction, and combat is “mature.” After all, the U.S. is founded on revolution. And we remain like perpetual teenagers, celebrating rebelliousness and the most simplistic iterations of the Oedipal struggle. Our most lauded individuals are the “innovators” and “disruptors.” Cue the classic Apple Computer commercial in your head; the dreamers, the misfits, the crazy ones, etc.
That’s teenaged stuff, a narrative of perpetual obsolescence—-too much plastic packaging and not enough recycling–that’s wasteful and unsustainable. The rebels of today become the fathers of tomorrow, waiting to be disrupted by the next generation. It is counterproductive. As a father, I don’t value new, shiny, provocative, and edgy in the same way I value sustainability, stability, mindfulness, and education. I’m looking for fun. I’m looking for thoughtful. I’m looking for opportunities to bond with my kids. I’m looking for something that transcends generational idiosyncrasies. Making games that can accomplish this impresses me.
This is the maturity that makes me think Nintendo is leading the pack in a game industry that’s just now crossing over into adulthood. Just as many of the game producers and executives of the past generation have grown up to start working on social impact and educational games (have you seen the trailer for Never Alone that Alan Gershenfeld, former Activision executive is involved in?), I think Nintendo continues to demonstrate unmatched maturity in their focused attention on family games–not games for kids, but games that the whole family can enjoy together.
I encourage every parent to play Mario Kart 8 with their kids. At the very least, I think you’re guaranteed a couple of nights where you’re all staring at one screen together instead of individual private screens alone.
Afterward, take a walk, nature is the most mature game maker of all.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/...-for-grown-ups/
Comment Now Follow Comments
I think Mario Kart 8 is just about the most mature game I’ve played this year. I know readers won’t like this article. They’ll disagree. For some reason it seems to have become cool to hate Nintendo. I’m alone in my adoration and it is mostly because I write from a father’s perspective. I’m sure my premise will seem absurd to most readers. How could I call the game maker that makes ‘kiddie’ games mature? I’ll explain.
A blister has almost formed on my thumb from pressing down the accelerator button. My kids and I have been giggling and playing together nonstop. Mario Kart 8 is intergenerational bliss. Parents and kids should all play this game together.
Ordinarily, I’d cite some research. I’ve written many posts (like this one) explaining the benefits that come from parents and kids playing video games together. But I’m not writing that this time. This is not about research.
I also don’t want this to be a review of the game; reviewer is really not within my skill set. Besides, Erik Kain has already written the only review you need to read about this highly anticipated game. His review, and the others around the internet, are overwhelmingly positive. Despite the fact that the current trend in game journalism seems to be negative on Nintendo, few writers can deny that this eighth iteration of the classic go-kart racer has beautiful artwork and top-notch controls. Even the negative reviews seem to be complaining about what’s been removed since the last version. Paradoxically, they’re reviewing what’s not there. It is almost as if we all realize just how good Nintendo is at making video games. So much so that we take the achievements for granted.
The biggest achievement here is that Mario Kart 8 is just as much fun for me to play as it is for my six year old, my eight year old, and everyone else who has visited my house since we downloaded our review copy (including my adolescent teenaged nephew). Consider that for a moment. This game is challenging enough for me that I want to play, but still simple enough for my six year old that he remains stimulated.
We snuggle up next to each other on the couch, controllers in hand, playing together. We discuss our favorite race tracks, the best vehicle modifications, and how this version compares to Mario Kart 7. There’s something really special about the experience. I feel like a father when I play.
As a parent, I’m always trying to introduce my kids to things that I enjoyed in my youth. I play them music. I show them movies. I take them to the parks I loved. I introduce them to the comfort foods that come accompanied with fond memories. Most of the time it doesn’t work. Times change. Things age. What appeals to one generation is hardly of interest to the next. But Mario is different.
Mario is like Star Wars. From the moment I showed the first movie to my kids, they were hooked and I was flooded with memories. Few movies span generations like this. It is like LEGO. There’s a timelessness in the fun-factor of the brick. Most toys wane with age. Mario, Luigi, and the gang succeed. And with Mario Kart 8, Nintendo masterfully builds a game that blends grown up nostalgia refreshed in a way that keeps it from feeling dated.
They’ve managed to do this again and again in recent years. New Super Mario Brothers. Super Mario 3D World. Yoshi’s New Island. Kirby Triple Deluxe. Each new title, one after the next, stands out in the family category in ways nobody else seems capable of matching. This is a mark of maturity.
Sure, these aren’t the games we put the “M” rating on. But we live in a society that believes an adolescent attitude of violence, destruction, and combat is “mature.” After all, the U.S. is founded on revolution. And we remain like perpetual teenagers, celebrating rebelliousness and the most simplistic iterations of the Oedipal struggle. Our most lauded individuals are the “innovators” and “disruptors.” Cue the classic Apple Computer commercial in your head; the dreamers, the misfits, the crazy ones, etc.
That’s teenaged stuff, a narrative of perpetual obsolescence—-too much plastic packaging and not enough recycling–that’s wasteful and unsustainable. The rebels of today become the fathers of tomorrow, waiting to be disrupted by the next generation. It is counterproductive. As a father, I don’t value new, shiny, provocative, and edgy in the same way I value sustainability, stability, mindfulness, and education. I’m looking for fun. I’m looking for thoughtful. I’m looking for opportunities to bond with my kids. I’m looking for something that transcends generational idiosyncrasies. Making games that can accomplish this impresses me.
This is the maturity that makes me think Nintendo is leading the pack in a game industry that’s just now crossing over into adulthood. Just as many of the game producers and executives of the past generation have grown up to start working on social impact and educational games (have you seen the trailer for Never Alone that Alan Gershenfeld, former Activision executive is involved in?), I think Nintendo continues to demonstrate unmatched maturity in their focused attention on family games–not games for kids, but games that the whole family can enjoy together.
I encourage every parent to play Mario Kart 8 with their kids. At the very least, I think you’re guaranteed a couple of nights where you’re all staring at one screen together instead of individual private screens alone.
Afterward, take a walk, nature is the most mature game maker of all.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/...-for-grown-ups/
