Nintendo might be one of the biggest and most beloved companies in the world, but it is far from perfect. Founded in 1889 as Nintendo Playing Card Co. Ltd., the grandson of the original founder quickly realized the card business was limited and decided to venture into different industries. At this point, video games were not yet a thing, so Nintendo desperately tried to re-shape itself as a TV network, a food company, and even a grown up hotel chain. Eventually, the company settled on toys before transitioning into the console business.
This might sound like an exaggeration, but video games owe everything to Nintendo. If it was not for the success of the Nintendo Entertainment System, the 1983 market crash could have killed the industry before it really got going. Over the years, Nintendo has released dozens of brilliant games, with a handful recognized as the best of all time. In the last year, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey launched on the brand new Nintendo Switch console to near-universal praise. Checking the best-reviewed games of all-time on Metacritic, the legendary developer appears four times in the top 10.
We are not trying to take anything away from Nintendo, and hopefully, a day never comes to light when a new Link or Samus adventure is not on the horizon. Just think of this one as a gentle reminder that even the best make mistakes. Here are 25 ridiculous Nintendo mistakes they want you to forget.
25 Driving Is Hard (How Did They Miss THAT?)
Honestly, Mario needs to focus on a handful of professions. Seriously, is there anything the dude has not tried? When he is not spending all of his time protecting Peach from a lonely dinosaur, the former plumber earned his medical degree, set up a hotel chain, and took part in the Olympics. Arguably his most famous detour would be kart racing, with Mario Kart 8 being the most recent rendition of the series. The thing is that Mario and Peach might not be the greatest of drivers, as the cover shows them going the wrong way. Bowser and Luigi are driving in the opposite direction, eventually leading to a head-on collision. Although battle arenas are available in the game, their courses are different from the main tracks. Mario, you are going the wrong way!
24 Bulbasaur Is One Bad Mother…
Pokémon is the textbook example of wholesome fun for the family. Nintendo’s dedication to creating a family-friendly identity has helped set it apart from Sony and Microsoft. Few of the developer’s main franchises highlight this mentality like the dog-fighting simulator Pokémon, which allows players to catch and nickname cute little mascots. Anyone who has ever played an MMO knows that gamers can get creative with their names, with some contradicting Nintendo’s image. To combat this discrepancy, a name filter was implemented for Pokémon Black & White, to keep things on the level. A few of the restricted keywords ended up flagging some Pokémon, forcing players to nickname them prior to a trade. The entire Bulbasaur line was one of these casualties.
23 Vertical Split-screen - 18 Years In The Making
Horizontal split-screen is used to accommodate co-op for kart racers and quite a few other genres. Since the Mario Kart 64, friends would meet up to try and race circles around each other. Some games offer vertical split-screen, although most only include one or the other. Mario Kart 8 was the first to include vertical and horizontal, giving players the option to decide for themselves. The thing is this feature goes back to the N64 days, as a beta with vertical split-screen for Mario Kart 64 can be unlocked by hacking. Sure, most gamers might prefer horizontal, but having the option to decide for ourselves would have been appreciated. Nintendo is not exactly renowned for player choice, but this one might have gone over well.
22 Should Have Made That Left Turn At Hyrule Castle
We do not besiege developers for taking minor shortcuts, especially if it does not impact the overall experience. It is common for sequels to re-use assets from the previous games, not only as a time saver but a way to create a sense of cohesion within the franchise. This mistake was probably due to the former. Majora’s Mask is the sequel to Ocarina of Time and has a similar aesthetic. There are callbacks to the previous game littered throughout the Nintendo 64 title, with some being unintentional. At one point, Link visits Romani Ranch, although the entrance reads “Welcome to Kakriko Village.” Due to this being written in Japanese, English players probably did not notice this one.
21 Multiplayer Before It Was A Thing
Going back to Metroid, the NES box art was something else. How could anyone ignore the image of a space soldier shooting aliens in the face with a hand blaster? That formula continues to work well even today. The rear cover also details Samus’ mission, as she hunts the Zebes to stop them from abusing the Metroid for their own evil purposes. It is even a two-player alternating game, making Metroid perfect for a gaming party. Except, multiplayer was not introduced to the franchise until the second game. While “Two Player Alternating Game” is listed on Metroid’s cover, it is not actually possible. Well, Nintendo was thinking ahead.
20 Speaking Of Misleading Covers…
In the early 2000s, the internet was only starting to develop as a source of information. Therefore, marketing departments could get away with more and prioritized making a product look attractive on the shelf. Pokémon was already massive at the time, with Colosseum being the first 3D adventure with a story-line. Fans were excited, especially after seeing the cover. Five legendary Pokémon? Nintendo, just take all of the money. Sadly, things did not quite work out that way, as Groudon and Kyogre are not catchable in Pokémon Colosseum. Instead, players need to connect a GBA to trade them in from the handheld games. While this is not necessarily a huge thing, showcasing them on the cover was kind of misleading.
19 Mario And Sonic Argue Over Shoes
Few rivalries compare to Nintendo and Sega. In the late 80s and early 90s, the two juggernauts of the gaming industry butted heads to see which company would end up on top. After a strong start, Sega lost momentum before giving itself a knockout blow with the Dreamcast, while Nintendo went from strength to strength. Finally putting their difference aside, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games brought together the two iconic mascots. The third entry in the series has swimming competitions, with specially designed swimsuits for the female characters. This might seem like some misguided form of fanservice, but the truth is considerably more amusing. Sega did not want to show Sonic and company without shoes, so they agreed on a compromise. Anyway, it is not like Sonic can actually swim…
18 An “A” For Star Fox 64, But An “F” For Grammar
Yes, we are going to be that guy in the comment section who pinpoints spelling mistakes just for the sake of it. Star Fox 64 follows a ragtag group of anthropomorphic animals in their quest of delivering justice to the skies. Vehicle combat is the name of the game, and its brilliance should not be understated. The characters are lovable and the gameplay holds up well enough. Honestly, nitpicking is the only way to find flaws in this Nintendo 64 classic. So, the title screen says “Star Fox in Nintendo 64.” It should be “Star Fox on Nintendo 64,” since the game is supported by the console. This might seem harsh, but Nintendo fixed it for the 3DS version.
17 Link Learns A New Ability
The Legend of Zelda was already established as a good franchise prior to the release of A Link to the Past, but the third entry propelled the series to the next level. Considered one of the greatest games of all time, there are two massive (for the time) worlds to explore and a bunch of memorable characters ready to interact with Link. For those who prefer to be efficient, there is a glitch which circumvents nearly all of the NES game’s content. It is not easy to pull off, as players need to save and quit multiple times, before receiving a solid hit from the first guard in Hyrule Castle. Apparently, his blow forces Link’s spirit to separate from his body, as the adventurer learns how to walk through walls. Just stroll past Ganon to call it a day.
16 Nintendo Skipped Out On Sensitivity Training
Qix is an arcade game originally released in 1981 by Taito America Corporation. The gameplay is similar to Tetris, with players trying to manipulate shapes to capture an area. While it might not be as well-remembered as other groundbreaking arcade titles of that time, Qix was ported to multiple systems over the years. One version was handled by Nintendo and released on the Game Boy Color. As Mario needs to be present in everything, the gameplay is intercut with vignettes of the plumber dressed up as racial stereotypes. Probably the most fondly remembered image involves a guitar, a sombrero, and a vulture. Mario’s Mexican costume is present in Super Mario Odyssey, so the look proved popular enough.
15 It Is The Thought That Counts
More often than not, anyone contributing to the creation process of a media project commits hundreds of working hours. It is a long grueling experience, with the knowledge of having your name written within the credits as one of the primary rewards. Finally, people can bear witness to the fruit of the employee’s labor. So, it must suck when someone’s name is spelled incorrectly. The Japanese version of Mario Kart 64 lists Charles Martinet, a voice actor who often works with Nintendo, as “Charles Martinee.” Sure, it is a small mistake and he knows the truth, but who would not be frustrated?
14 Link, Ducks Do Not Work That Way!
A Link to the Past is divided into two realms known as the Light and Dark Worlds. The former refers to the entire planet where most of the Legend of Zelda series takes place. The Dark World is a twisted version of the Light World, containing harder enemies born from the evil desires lurking in people’s hearts. Link gains multiple tools during his adventure, with one being a duck for transportation. Play the flute and the animal magically appears to take the adventurer to another area. This only works in the Light World, something Nintendo seemed to forget during a cutscene late in the game. After fighting Ganon in the Dark World, Link summons his trusty duck to give chase, despite this not being possible in this area.
13 See You At The Finish Line
The Mario Kart series is generally faultless. Nearly every game is polished to perfection, with Nintendo taking extra care to ensure the hardware can properly handle the gameplay. This makes any mistake or glitch in the matrix particularly amusing, as they tend to be in short supply. Mario Kart 7 is home to one of these errors, as players can bypass a large portion of Wuhu Loop by taking a leap of faith. While driving on the road to the lighthouse, run off a cliff to respawn at the finish line. Nintendo released a patch to fix this glitch for the online multiplayer but left the single-player version untouched.
12 A Key For The Road
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is Nintendo at its best. There is nothing negative anyone can say about this legendary game. Well, to be fair, the water temple is not all that great. By the time the early 2000s rolled by, Ocarina of Time was already established as a classic, resulting in Nintendo re-releasing it on the GameCube. This reworked version included the Master Quest edition, which increased the difficulty of the dungeons. For some odd reason, Master Quest’s water temple has an extra key which serves no purpose. It could be argued that Nintendo added this as a response to the criticism leveled towards the dungeon, in order to make it easier, but the 3DS version does not have the same issue.
11 One Slips Through The Cracks
Despite not appearing to be in particularly great shape, at heart, Mario is a sportsman. While his poor directional sense means the Nintendo mascot is far from an ideal driver, he is pretty good with a golf club or tennis racket. After all, you do not get to participate in the Olympics without any talent. Mario Golf might not be as popular as some of the other spin-offs, but Nintendo has developed five iterations in the last 20 years. The original launched on the Nintendo 64 to an overwhelmingly positive reception. Sadly, there is an unforgivable mistake that ruins an otherwise great experience. On the selection screen for Tournament Mode, “Boo Classic” is written with only one “s.”
10 Is It Terry Or Beedle?
Besides Link and Zelda, The Legend of Zelda franchise has dozens of recurring characters. A notable example is Beedle, a traveling merchant who gets excited whenever Link shows up as he might actually make a sale. Including Breath of the Wild, Nintendo brought Beedle back for five games since his The Wind Waker debut. In Japan, his name translates to Terī, but he is officially known as Beedle in English.Apparently, the U.K. version of Phantom Hourglass did not get the memo, as the instructional manual lists the merchant as Terry. To be fair, this is an easy mistake to make, as Terry is his name in French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
9 More Than Meets The Eye
8 The Cutting Room Floor
Whether working on a movie, game, or a high-school history essay - a few things will need to be cut from the final version. Nintendo is obviously no exception, with each game going through countless of beta versions before reaching its ultimate form. As someone who only gets to experience the completed product, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where content was removed. Mario Kart 64 made it considerably easier as two floating boxes are visible in the Big Donut stage. Beyond the race track, players can catch a glimpse of these abandoned boxes suspended in the void, as they wait for a kart that is never going to pass.
7 The Legend Of Zelda Had A Few Kinks
Link has really come along way since the first The Legend of Zelda launched in 1986. While not recognized as one of the best in the franchise, the first Zelda was a solid and refined experience in its own right. It incorporated action and RPG elements successfully, with Link needing to explore nine underground dungeons to protect Hyrule from Ganon. If nothing else, The Legend of Zelda is worth revisiting just to see how it all began. Also, there are a few glitches which are a lot of fun to play around with. It probably has the most out of all the 2D Zelda games, which is not too surprising. One includes a Level 1 door which automatically unlocks when Link exits and re-enters the level, and another involves walking through walls. Honestly, the latter might be a series stable.
6 The Never Ending Underwater Level In Super Mario Bros
Many words can be used to describe Nintendo’s games, but fatalistic is rarely one of them. There is a strange world lurking beneath the Mushroom Kingdom, one that holds nothing but dread for those brave enough to enter. Accessible via a pipe in Super Mario Bros’ second level, Mario or Luigi travel to the Minus World. This might sound like a cool bonus level, but in reality, it is where all hope goes to die. There is no way out, so the two heroes are destined to go around in circles until they accept their fate. If this was not bad enough, Minus World is an underwater level. This glitch is so infamous that it is occasionally referenced in other Nintendo games like Super Paper Mario.
