Whenever the Switch is turned on,with the crisp “click” sounds, and the corners of the mouth will rise unconsciously. This seems to have become a conditioned reflex for every Nintendo player. In the era of pursuing 4K image quality and ray chasing special effects, this company that insists on being a “toy” guards the essence of happiness in the purest way.
Do you remember the first time you spelled out a strange vehicle with the ultimate hand in _The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom_? Although there is a simpler way to clear customs, we are willing to spend half an hour to assemble a flying motorcycle. Nintendo knows best: happiness does not lie in completing tasks, but in trying itself. Just like building a castle with blocks when I was a child, the happiest thing is not the finished product, but the process of continuous collapse and reconstruction.
The most unforgettable thing in _Super Mario Bros: Wonder_ is the surprise of becoming the elephant Mario for the first time. At that moment, players all over the world exclaimed the same way. Nintendo is well aware of the art of surprises that are “unexpected and reasonable” — there are new tricks hidden in every level, but it never makes people feel awkward. This precise control of the rhythm makes every player like a child running in the amusement park, always looking forward to what they will meet at the next corner.
Have you carefully observed the weapon design of _Splatoon™ 3_? Drum brushes, brushes, washing machines — these seemingly unrelated items have become interesting weapons in Nintendo’s hands. They tell us with their imagination that games don’t have to stick to realistic logic, and happiness often comes from unconventional ideas.
What’s more rare is that Nintendo knows the art of “leaving blank”. Let’s gather! In the _Animal Crossing: New Horizons_, your island can be full of flowers and fruits, or you can let it grow weeds. Without task urging, without scoring pressure, every player can find his own rhythm. This kind of non-compulsion and non-comparative tolerance makes the game a true spiritual habitat.
The most touching thing is Nintendo’s insistence on “communal joy”. From the tennis ball that requires swinging arms in the Wii era to the _It Takes Two_ that requires two people to cooperate on Switch, Nintendo always believes that the warmest happiness is sharing. Looking at the happy smiles of the elders who don’t play games when they wave Joy-Con for the first time, you will suddenly understand that this is Nintendo’s unique magic.
There is a saying in Nintendo’s office: “What we want to do is a game that makes strangers laugh at each other.” This sentence may be the epitome of Nintendo’s philosophy — not pursuing the ultimate truth, not advocating complex operations, but only focusing on the happiness of the original heart. In this stressful era, what can make us smile is often the pure joy of the moment when we open the game.
Do you also have a moment of smiling because of Nintendo in your memory? Is it the excitement of catching rare Pokémon for the first time, or the warmth of watching the meteor shower with friends in the forest? Welcome to share your story in the comment section, so that happiness can continue to be passed on.
