What is it that makes Nintendo the most popular gaming company around? Yes, I know I host a podcast about The Big N, so I may seem biased, but this is the truth. The Big N has dominated the gaming world many times over, including right now with the Switch 2, and even when they were “down and out,” they found ways to bounce back by continuing to follow their personal mantras and goals. While the company may not have started out as a gaming company, when they made that transition, legendary President Hiroshi Yamauchi ensured that quality was at the forefront of what they made, especially during the NES era.
If you don’t believe me, you can listen to Bruce Lowry, who was a key part of the NES launch and helped make SEGA of America later on. In an interview with Time Extension, he pointed to a story where Yamauchi’s tendencies were on display:
Now, obviously, Nintendo didn’t strictly follow those rules over time, and even Lowry noted that quality occasionally “slipped through the cracks.” However, the “Seal of Approval” that early NES and SNES games had showed gamers, and the parents who bought the game, that this...
