Q&A with Louis Hughes
Writer for GameReviewPad and Loyal Nintendo Fan
Louis Hughes has been a very solid content contributor to GameReviewPad since the beginning, especially his Nintendo content. He is “the Nintendo guy” for GameReviewPad. Louis knows his Nintendo history very well and stands by Nintendo consoles as his console of choice when given the option for anything.
2020 is a big year in gaming for many reasons, one that E3 is cancelled this year and the other is that Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 are set to be released in Holiday 2020. I wanted to ask Louis his view of where Nintendo is from a Nintendo fan standpoint and pick his brain on various topics surrounding Nintendo and the Nintendo Switch console itself.
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Andre Calvert: Louis, you’ve been contributing content to GameReviewPad for many years. One of the things extremely unique about you is that you take great pride in being a huge Nintendo fan. What was it that made you a huge Nintendo fan? As opposed to becoming a huge Sega, Sony, or even Microsoft fan.
Louis Hughes: For me, it came down to when I was born in 1983 that played a huge part. My dad bought the NES Power Set that came included with the console, two controllers, NES Zapper, and the Power Pad, along with the 3-in-1 game that included Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet. I wasn’t allowed to play it until I played the other consoles before it, which were the Atari 2600 and the Intellivision.
It was then that I was allowed to play the NES, but as a surprise, my mom took me to the rental store and I got to pick a game. That game was Duck Tales. The rest is history. I’ll go in more detail about why Duck Tales is my favorite game of all time. That game got me into gaming. In short, I feel that I am fortunate to see a gaming company grow as I grow.
Andre: Nintendo is now in the Switch era. From my standpoint, it seems like the Nintendo Switch is resonating with more gamers than the Nintendo Wii or Wii U. Do you feel the same way?
Louis: Yes, I do. While Nintendo did have a huge success with the Wii, the problem with the Wii was the marketing was geared to a new audience. While that did help them sell gangbusters, some felt Nintendo left their fans in the dust.
With the Switch’s introduction, Nintendo did right to market the console to everyone. Even with the new ads, they are smart to target everyone from adults to families. Not too long after Nintendo announced the console I got texts from friends and relatives about the console. I haven’t been bombarded with Nintendo questions since the Wii.
Andre: Splatoon seems to be the last big new successful IP for Nintendo, released in 2015. Do you feel Nintendo is starving for some new IPs?
Louis: Yes, but they also have a huge back catalog of IPs fans want to see return. ARMS is another new IP from Nintendo and sales for that game was well passing over a million sold.
Andre: Nintendo seems to have a stigma attached to them that they are a company just for kids. How do you feel about that? Is there anything Nintendo can do to shake that reputation?
Louis: I can compare this stigma to the Montreal Screwjob in WWE. After the incident, every time WWE went to Canada and Shawn Michaels was there the fans would chat, “You screwed, Bret!” Now, since Bret and Shawn buried that rivalry the fans stopped booing Shawn. Nintendo won’t get that same treatment.
While Nintendo is known for censoring games, (they still do for some of their games), that moment was revealed when fans noticed that Mortal Kombat on the SNES had the blood replaced with sweat and the fatalities altered. While the Genesis version was left intact, it wasn’t till later it was discovered that you needed to input a code to allow blood, but the damage was already done to Nintendo. Despite allowing mature content on their consoles and publishing mature games, the stigma will forever remain.
Andre: Here is a question that I’m curious to see your answer. It’s no secret that the Nintendo Switch’s greatest selling point is its mobility. It’s also widely known that the console is inferior in specs to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Hypothetically, if you could make the trade-off of ditching the Switch’s mobility for a console with better specs, but making it the more traditional gaming in front of TV console, would you do it?
Louis: No, because mobility is the console’s greatest feature. Thanks to the sales, we are seeing third parties come back to Nintendo with games I never thought I would see on a Nintendo console.
Most people I know who own a Switch play in handheld mode, as they take the console with them to work. What makes Nintendo stand out is with outdated specs. They can still make their games look amazing. Look at Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) or the sequel for proof.
Andre: If you were to sell someone a Nintendo Switch with one game to make them a loyal Nintendo fan, what game would it be and why?
Louis: This is a hard question because anybody who plays games know what games to expect from Nintendo, even non-gamers. They have a huge genre of games for anyone. If the person is looking for a long single player experience, I would recommend The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Dragon Quest XI. Families would go for New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It depends on the person I’m talking to.
Andre: What are some changes to the Nintendo Switch console or Nintendo policy in general that you would like to see happen?
Louis: One has recently happened in the system update, giving you the ability to move your game from system memory to external or vice versa. Sadly, your save files are still locked to the system memory, considering the Wii and Wii U gave you the option to have your save files on either.
The other one is fixing the Nintendo Online service. I have a lot of people on my friends list playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and I have no way of simply sending a message unless I use the Nintendo Online app, which I’m sure most people who own a Switch don’t know about. After Nintendo discontinued the Virtual Console on Wii many were hoping this was done so it could make its return on the Switch. Nintendo has added NES and SNES titles exclusively for Nintendo Online members, and the last update was early April as of this writing. There is more retro content on the Wii U with NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC, GBA, and DS titles for now.
Andre: Technically, once Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are released the Nintendo Switch will be one console generation behind, a pattern Nintendo seems to be caught in with their recent consoles. What do you think Nintendo should do in response to that to remain competitive?
Louis: This is a good question, since third-parties are able to compress their games to run on the Switch, but doing that for the upcoming next gen consoles might not be as easy. I see the rumored Switch Pro coming out. I feel the specs will be close to a launch Xbox One, but Nintendo likes to beat to their own drum. Though its reported Capcom helped with development on the Switch to add more system memory for better performance. Who knows? I’m sure I can see them going to third-parties for feedback to keep the relationship intact this time.
Andre: Louis, you are clearly a loyal Nintendo fan and that is respectable. Is there anything Nintendo can do to lose your loyalty? There has to be a line in the sand somewhere right?
Louis: It’s a double-edged sword. If Nintendo went the Sega route of stopping to make hardware and develop games for other consoles, I’m down with that. If they go the route of Konami and just use their IPs for wasted material, then not only would I be done with Nintendo, I would be done with gaming all together.
Andre: Let’s end this on a positive note. What do you think Nintendo is doing better than Sony and Microsoft in the world of gaming?
Louis: Local multiplayer. When you look at what Microsoft and Sony are doing it’s promoting online gaming. While Nintendo’s online service is behind theirs, they still believe couch co-op is the best way to game with multiple people. Even in their ads they show people playing locally. Because of this is why I nicknamed Nintendo the party console, since I lose count of how many times I go to a -friend’s house. We spend the most of our gaming on a Nintendo console.
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I want to thank Louis Hughes for taking the time to answer these questions for Nintendo pleb brains like myself and others.
