But how does it compare to past Nintendo consoles? Come with us now on a journey through time and space. Well, at least the weather.
Nintendo Home Consoles – Year 7 Key Releases
We’ve listed each console’s launch year in parentheses and given an exact seven-year window for each after that. We start with the console that put the company on the map.
NES (1985) – October 1991-92
Notable releases: Mega Man 4, Tecmo Super Bowl, Star Wars, Batman: The Return of the Joker, Tiny Toon Adventures, Dragon Warrior III & IV
The delayed US release date of the system makes the dates here a little fuzzy, but it’s safe to say that the Nintendo Entertainment System was very much alive and kicking in its seventh year on the market. The Super NES launched in August ’91, but its predecessor established Nintendo as a household name, and games continued to sell at an incredible rate.
And let’s not forget that poor PAL territories got Super Mario Bros. 3 only in August ’91.
Super NES (1991) – August 1997-98
Notable releases: Kirby’s Dreamland 3
The SNES had a shorter lifespan, with its 64-bit successor launching in its fifth year. As a result, Kirby’s Dream Land 3 took a back seat in Y7. Even Super Mario RPG, which is considered a latecomer and never even launched in Europe, was released in May 1996, technically still the console’s fourth year in stores.
Nintendo 64 (1996) – September 2002-03
Notable releases: Pro Skater 3 by Tony Hawk (August 2022)
Zilch. Zip. Hope to note. We cheated with Tony Hawk above because it launched in the month just before the system’s seventh year. Despite hosting some of the media’s best games, cartridges were still relatively expensive to produce and the industry turned to discs – and away from the N64.
The system was discontinued in Europe in May 2003 and in North America in November.
GameCube (2001) – November 2007-08
Notable releases: Nothing to see here…
We weren’t even cheating with the adorable GC — he really went the way of the dodo by his sixth birthday.
There’s no need to feel bad, as was every Wii that flew off the shelves during that period also GameCube fully compatible with previous versions. Or two GameCubes with a little duct tape, if we remember correctly. So there’s an argument to be made that the second year of the Wii was also the seventh year of the GameCube.
We’re not going to make that argument, we’re just making an idea. Gotta love the GameCube.
Wii (2006) – November 2012-13
Notable releases: Pro Evo 2013Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, LEGO The Lord of the Rings, Wii Mini
The Wii’s monster mainstream success and massive install base meant that games were still being launched for it in the late 2010s. Ubisoft released Just Dance 2020 on the system, remember.
Still, it didn’t quite have the legs of some of its handheld counterparts, and the Wii Y7 certainly couldn’t boast of any great success. Skyward Sword is the last major release from Nintendo in November 2011.
Wii U (2012) – November 2018-19
Notable releases: Oh Gromit…
Okay, this went without saying given the console’s weaker performance, but we didn’t want to sweep U under the rug, Virtual Boy style.
By November 2018, the Switch had settled into the Wii U’s resting place, plucking the flowers that grew there and relegating it to Deluxe Editions for its own catalog, otherwise busy adding a massive expansion, a summer house and a pool around the back. . His sacrifice was not in vain.
They’re home consoles, but as we mentioned earlier, Nintendo is taking a page from its handheld annals when it comes to the Switch. Let’s take a look at those portable Y7s…
Nintendo Handhelds – Year 7 Key Releases
Game Boy (1989) – July 1995-96
Notable releases: Street Fighter II, Killer Instinct, Kirby’s Block Ball, Tetris Blast
The above titles are significant, but hardly system sellers. However, with games like Wario Land II, James Bond 007, Harvest Moon GB and Game Boy Camera — not to mention a little series called ‘Pocket Monsters’ — all arriving in North America in 1998, you could argue that the Game Boy wasn’t didn’t even start properly until, what, ninth
Its successors also make things a bit muddled when it comes to discussing the longevity of Game Boy hardware…
Game Boy Color (1998) – November 2004-05
Notable releases: Nothing really
Is it a completely separate system or just a ‘Pro’ style upgrade? It had plenty of its own custom software, so we count it separate from its predecessor, but you could easily argue that this is an expansion of the OG Game Boy.
Regardless, the DS was launched in November 2004, meaning the trusty GBC was effectively superseded by the time it reached its seventh year.
Game Boy Advance (2001) – June 2007-08
Notable releases: Lots of licensed games (Shrek, sponge Bob, Bratz)
Final Fantasy VI Advance launched earlier in the year, but the GBA’s seventh year was dominated by high-profile licensed fare. Lots of movie tie-ins. The DS’s ‘third pillar’ was well established by 2007, with Nintendo entering the Touch Generations phase with the DS Lite.
The DS’s compatibility with GBA titles helped maintain interest in that system’s library, but Nintendo’s focus was elsewhere.
Nintendo DS (2004) – November 2010-11
Notable releases: Rune Factory 3, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem, Sonic Colors, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Ghost Trick, Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, Radiant Historia, Pokémon Black & White, Okamiden, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2, Kirby Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the last specter, and more (especially licensed games)
The DS has turned out some serious players in its seventh year, with a couple of mainline Pokémon and some very solid third-party titles.
It also still had Pokémon Black & White 2 in the tank next year. It’s easy to see why Nintendo wants to emulate this kind of system and software durability with the Switch.
Nintendo 3DS (2011) – March 2017-18
Notable releases: Mario Sports Superstars, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Ever Oasis, Hey! Pikmin, Miitopia, Monster Hunter Stories, Metroid: Samus Returns, Yo-Kai Watch 2, Layton’s Istery Journey, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions, Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario Party: The Top 100, Pokémon Ultra Sun & Moon, Kirby Battle Royale Detective Pikachu
Another great year with some big names and great games (and Hey! Pikmin — zing!) — several of these releases are among the best games on the system. The Switch may have stolen the limelight, and there’s an argument that a few of them would have been better served if ported to the Switch, but Nintendo was rightfully wary of throwing all its eggs in one basket before it became clear that the hybrid concept was a winner.
Still, it’s hard to argue with that line-up. And Captain Toad, WarioWare Gold and Luigi’s Mansion were set to follow later in 2018. So far, it’s Nintendo’s strongest Year Seven ever.
So there you have it, an extremely solid result from the DS family of systems — certainly the only systems that can match the quality of output that Nintendo is producing on the Switch in its seventh year. Let us know below what you think of the upcoming Switch lineup, whether you think there’s more to come, or whether you think it’s time to give the NX a bow next year.
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