Hey! Welcome to another tech consumer advice article. Today, we’re exploring how Nintendo’s business strategy mirrors Disney’s—and how they manage to pull it off unnoticed. Understanding Nintendo’s history helps explain its success, its similarities to Disney, and the controversy over Switch 2 pricing.
Now, I’m not just some Nintendo critic. In my office I have a ton of special Nintendo artwork (best seen in the video) including:
– 3D artwork of Super Mario, Ninja Turtles in Time, Megaman X, and Street Fighter II—from Super Nintendo days.
– A working Nintendo 64 with GoldenEye.
– Mario Legacy artwork imported from the UK, hand-painted.
– And, of course, I own a Nintendo Switch.
So, now that I’ve established my love for Nintendo, let’s dive in.
Nintendo’s Success (My Experience)
I’ve been playing Nintendo since the original console. Nearing 40, I’ve witnessed its evolution—something relatable to multiple generations.
As a kid, my older cousin had a Nintendo, and when I visited, all I wanted was to play Mario and Duck Hunt. That compact system, with a motion-controlled gun and impressive graphics, felt like a portal to a new world—it was groundbreaking.
Then came Super Nintendo, my first console, gifted by my parents. It came with Super Mario World—nearly 100 levels, with 20-30 secret ones to uncover. Meanwhile, my friends had Sega Genesis and bragged about beating Sonic twice in a month while I was still working through Mario’s massive world.
Plus, Super Nintendo’s value was incredible—bundled original Mario games stretched far beyond what Sega offered.
Nintendo 64 changed the gaming industry forever—introducing four-player local multiplayer and the joystick controller, revolutionizing gameplay.
Looking at my list, I had iconic titles: GoldenEye, Mario Kart, and various Mario games, alongside new hits like Mario Party, Super Smash Bros., Perfect Dark, and Ocarina of Time. GoldenEye set the benchmark for 3D first person shooter games, while Ocarina of Time defined 3D RPGs.
Then came GameCube—I wasn’t a fan of the controller and skipped it for Xbox, which I loved. But then Nintendo won me back with Wii, thanks to its motion sensor technology. Wii Sports was a family favourite—we played it endlessly.
After Wii, though, I skipped Nintendo’s next system—their endless recycling of Mario and Zelda titles felt stale. But eventually, I got a Switch, mainly for my kids.
Nintendo has been with me since childhood, and it’s still here—that’s incredible. However, I noticed an issue that’s existed since N64: four-player mode causes major frame rate drops, even in non-intensive games. For example, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Switch is just a rebrand of its Wii U counterpart—no real optimization.
Some titles, like Super Mario 3D World, felt poorly optimized. Jumping was inconsistent, making platforming frustrating despite my skills. Many users online echoed this on Reddit, noting the Switch version wasn’t as smooth as the Wii U’s. Yet, tech journalists and gamers gave it glowing reviews despite its flaws. And buying games at full price felt like a trap—Nintendo rarely discounts its titles, much like Disney, because they know people will buy them anyway.
Even third-party games like Mario & Sonic Olympics 2020 suffered similar frame rate drops in multiplayer mode.
Nintendo’s strategy of repackaging old hits while maintaining premium pricing is eerily like Disney’s—and that’s what we’ll explore next.
Despite Team Sonic Racing being a simple game, its frame rate issues on Switch made it unplayable in four-player mode—so bad we returned it (we borrowed it and couldn’t stand it). Even my four-year-old son noticed the poor game quality. Yet, the same game footage on Xbox ran flawlessly.
So, how does Nintendo keep getting away with these problems while people still praise their games? Well, they’re just like Disney.
Nintendo & Disney: Masters of Nostalgia
Ever noticed how Disney constantly recycles content? Their track record of remakes in recent years is staggering. In 2019 alone, they released five remakes. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Alice in Wonderland raked in $1 billion.
Much like Nintendo, Disney thrives on nostalgia and multi-generational appeal.
– Everyone knows them—our parents grew up with Disney and Nintendo, and so did we.
– We pass them down to our kids, reinforcing their cultural dominance.
And the price? Both companies charge premium rates for everything they release. In 2019, my family visited Disneyland California. We used promotional park passes to get two parks at a discount. Yet, the park tickets + food (for that single day) cost more than a 3-night Airbnb stay plus three days of meals while touring California!
Even Disney merchandise was overpriced—$75 USD sweaters ($90 CAD) made from mediocre material, yet checkout lines were packed with eager buyers. In Canada, similar sweaters cost half the price.
Both companies play on childhood memories, making their brands irresistible. Their characters share equally love counterparts:
– Mario = Mickey Mouse
– Luigi = Goofy
– Yoshi = Pluto
– Peach = Minnie Mouse
And the cycle repeats—generation after generation. That’s why they dominate.
Nothing New
Now, let’s dive deeper into Nintendo’s pricing tactics. Nintendo has spent nearly 30 years rehashing Zelda, Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., and Mario Party, often sticking to the same familiar formulas.
While a small story variation in a new Zelda game could be refreshing, it won’t happen—because slapping “Zelda” on the box guarantees sales. I wish they would introduce someone other than Zelda and Link.
They also re-release the same games across different consoles:
– Super Mario 3D World (2013) was re-released in 2021 with Bowser’s Fury—some argue it adds value, but that’s not the point.
– Mario Kart 8 (2014, Wii U) got a Switch version (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) with tiny updates, yet remained full price, even with Switch 2 launching soon.
And it’s not just games—Nintendo even released a basic alarm clock (Alarmo) for $130 CAD ($100 USD), which people somehow adore.
During the Switch 2 announcement, nearly all launch titles were recycled IPs: Mario Kart, Kirby, Zelda (2 titles), Metroid, Mario Party (Jamboree), and Donkey Kong.
Where’s the innovation? Nintendo built its legacy on groundbreaking ideas—NES, SNES, N64, Wii—each shaped gaming in a unique way. Now, it’s all about easy money.
And despite the Switch 2 using familiar tactics, preorders are still selling out globally proving Nintendo doesn’t need risk to succeed.
Some argue Disney took a risk buying Lucasfilm for $4B. But Disney’s current value is $197B—meaning $4B was pocket change.
And instead of creating something new, Disney is milking Star Wars and Indiana Jones for all they’re worth:
– An unnecessary Indy sequel.
– Endless Star Wars spin-offs, sequels, and remakes. Star Wars has been so overused, it’s beyond frustrating—even worse than the prequels.
Both Nintendo and Disney have mastered nostalgia-driven business, cashing in on childhood memories while charging premium prices. They aren’t innovating—they’re recycling, because it works.
Disney’s $4B Lucasfilm acquisition was hardly a risk—it was a guaranteed win. No creativity, just recycling Star Wars and Indiana Jones for easy profit.
Switch 2
The Switch 2 should’ve been the Switch OLED upgrade, not a full-fledged sequel—the spec improvements are minimal and should’ve been released five years ago, minimum.
Graphics aren’t everything—my kids and I love Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, a SNES-style game, and it’s a blast. But Nintendo’s problem isn’t graphical intensity—it’s so much more including no effort for great optimisation.
Even Mario games, which aren’t graphically demanding, drop from 60FPS to 30FPS in local multiplayer with 3 or more players. Nintendo Direct even showcased Mario Kart World 4 player local multiplayer at 30FPS, signalling another disappointing multiplayer experience. Will the full version prove me wrong in a few weeks? Maybe—but based on history, I doubt it.
Many criticise Switch 2 game pricing but justify console costs. But here’s the thing:
– Nintendo exclusives require Nintendo hardware—it should be factored into the budget, just like a PS5 and Xbox. When building a gaming PC, you need to account for budget of the PC and games to purchase after. Yet, Nintendo somehow escapes this logic.
Most physical Switch cartridge games aren’t even full games—they’re essentially license keys. Plug in a cartridge and you need Nintendo’s servers to download the actual game. If Nintendo’s servers ever go down, your purchased game is gone. This means you don’t even own those games!
Adding to the frustration, Nintendo can remotely brick a system if they suspect tampering (see The Verge). If you lend it to a friend who unknowingly buys an unofficial game, then Nintendo can disable the console. Defenders argue Nintendo has never actually done this in the past, but why defend them? Why did they include it in the terms and conditions at all?
Even more bizarre, their controller has a dedicated “C button” that only works with their paid online service—without it, it’s useless.
Nintendo, much like Disney, thrives on nostalgia-driven branding, overpriced products, and restrictive policies. And yet, despite all of this, Switch 2 preorders are selling out globally.
Mario Kart is famous for tight races, insane weapons, and pure chaos, yet Mario Kart World for Switch 2 looks bare and empty. Even from previews, it seems stripped of the elements that make Mario Kart exhilarating.
The Switch 2 tutorial game (Welcome Tour) is $10 (USD). A tutorial game should’ve been bundled with Switch 2—just like Wii Sports was included in the North American Wii release, thanks to Reggie Fils-Aimé (former Nintendo President) persistence. Wii Sports helped players instantly grasp the Wii’s capabilities, while international buyers missed out on the full potential of motion controls.
With Switch 2, Nintendo charges $10 USD for what should’ve been a standard pack-in—just another example of their pricing tactics.
Misleading Tech Journalists & Influencers
Nintendo’s backwards compatibility has been overhyped by tech journalists, while they unfairly criticize competing consoles (see XDA article). Even comment sections in that article have called them out for misinformation, showing that many consumers see through the bias.
And then there are YouTube influencers who have lost the plot entirely. In this YouTube video the influencer talks about how Mario Kart World developers talked about the game’s 8-year development. He compares Mario characters eating a burger to legendary moments like (see the video at 8:30):
– Link (from Zelda) stepping onto the plateau and looking over Hyrule.
– Mario emerging into the castle gardens in Mario 64
It’s laughable—reducing gaming milestones to a character munching mid-race on a burger is a joke. Later, this same influencer states they aren’t justifying the $80 price tag, yet their entire video plays out like an ad for Mario Kart World.
Eight Years of Development—For Recycled Tracks? The influencer praises the game taking almost eight years to develop, despite the fact that tracks are repurposed from previous Mario Kart titles such as course “Sky-High Sundae” An ice cream-themed track that exists in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, making the supposed “new” content feel like a reskin.
Conclusion
Nintendo continues to recycle, overcharge, and rely on nostalgia—and yet, consumers still buy in. Nintendo’s latest moves feel like marketing spin rather than genuine innovation. Nothing stands out as truly groundbreaking, yet influencers and tech journalists hype even the smallest detail to sell the product.
For decades, Nintendo and Disney thrived on creativity and risk-taking—and customers felt the passion in their products. That loyalty wasn’t just to a brand, but to the feeling of innovation that made them special.
But here’s the reality—brand loyalty is a dangerous mindset.
– Brands aren’t people. It’s not a living thinking thing.
– You’re not loyal to Mario or Mickey—you’re loyal to executives pocketing millions while treating customers as nothing more than numbers.
I debated whether to buy Switch 2, since I don’t buy many games for my sons. After weighing its high prices vs. minimal upgrades, I’m opting out from buying the Switch 2—unless Nintendo dramatically reduces costs.
Instead, I’ll invest in the original Switch and buy used games. Buying used is something I haven’t done since my N64 days when I had a paper route to save up for games. Rather than handing money directly to Nintendo, I’ll get Super Smash Bros. used on eBay, supporting another gamer instead of the corporation.
I dusted off my Xbox Series X, and my boys love playing Shredder’s Revenge, Minecraft Dungeons—smoother, more polished experiences than what Nintendo offers.
If you’re undecided, hopefully, this article helped you decide.
If you’re a Nintendo or Disney loyalist, maybe you disagree entirely—and that’s fine! But don’t fall for nostalgia-fuelled pricing—these companies are worth billions ($197B for Disney, $107B for Nintendo), and at the end of the day, they are businesses and you’re a number to them.
