Something to consider, if you look back at Nintendo’s history, is that the gimmicks didn’t start until the Wii.

Ninja Gaiden got shortchanged here. The controls always seemed tight to me and while it can be frustratingly difficult (respawning eagles...), the challenge is real. It’s still satisfying today when you finally learn the levels and enemy patterns well enough to beat them.

Looks like Avril Lavigne

Appreciate the article, but I had to laugh at the “difference between black-and-white and color Gameboy” analogy. The upgrades in visual fidelity nowadays seem like an exercise in diminishing returns.

I’m convinced that no one ever rented a ROTK game from video stores in the 90's. Ever.

Still love the Dreamcast controller. I even liked the fat Saturn controller, though I think I may have been the only one who did. It was ideal for bigger hands.