Nintendo has had a rocky history, to say the least. After starting out with a bang and saving the video game industry, they grew in their profits until some strange business decisions caused them to lose momentum. Nowadays, they're on the up and up with the Switch and its third-party support, but that's very well subject to change in the coming years.
Because of the mixed reception of the company on top of the abnormal decisions they've made with their products, Nintendo has been the subject of many jokes and criticisms over the years (particularly in the Wii U era). Whether it be in response to them using the same characters consistently or refusing to innovate on their properties (that point is arguable, but sometimes a valid criticism), we've all had something to say about them in the past.
Of course, the only probable way to deal with some of these issues in the 21st century is by using up a few minutes of our time to create one-liner jokes with poorly edited text that will vastly circulate the Internet on the basis of quick humor. Naturally, we're referring to the growing memes, and Nintendo has been subject to a fair share of them.
Get ready to laugh as we explore 20 Nintendo memes.
20 If This Wasn't You, You're Probably Lying
Kids who grew up in the 90s had a very similar childhood to one another. Many of them were into the same things and did the same leisure activities. At the time, Nintendo came out with the Game Boy and the Nintendo 64. Along with both of those came the juggernaut known as thePokémonfranchise.
Both the 64 andPokémonwere widely beloved by nearly all kids at the time. Schoolyard talk was largely delegated to trading cards and talking about which character was the best inSuper Smash Bros.It was a great time to be alive back then, as no loot boxes or stingy DLC movements were taking place.
19 The Logical Next Step
As the Switch has evolved since its release, there has been a slow trickle of new features integrated with the hardware. One of them is support for USB keyboards (for entering all of that bank card information on the eShop of course). The possibility of a keyboard on a home console isn't all that great, but one person managed to put two and two together.
Many years ago,Mario Teaches Typingcame out to help with typing skills and hand placement. After a long hiatus, it's logical to assume that with the keyboard support, we could be seeing a return on the Switch. After all, Nintendo has revitalized a lot of their old franchises; there's no telling as to what they could do withMario Teaches Typing.
18 We've All Been Here
Many of us relate to this on a spiritual level. In grade school,Pokémonwas THE thing to have. If you didn't play the games or have the cards, you weren't going to be anybody on the playground. However, as kids got older, the franchise meant less to them. By the time they went to high school, anyone who still played the games was criticized as childish.
There is a happy ending, though. Once the social barriers of high school are left behind as kids approached college life, the world ofPokémoncame back to them. Need any further proof? Just look at how massive the launch of Pokémon Sun and Moonwas. Very few people at the midnight release were kids.
17 It's So True That it Hurts
After the bitter taste of the Wii U, Nintendo was ready to try something new going forward. When they debuted the Switch, there was a lot of excitement over the concept of the system itself. However, without a clear picture of what it was going to launch with, there was still some skepticism that the company could pull it off.
Then, when they announced thatBreath of the Wildwould be a launch title, everyone lost their minds and flocked to retailers to be able to pre-order their shiny new Nintendo console. This reality is perfectly replicated by Spongebob selling the Switch to few people until he addedZeldainto the mix. Who's number 46,853?
16 You're In For A Shock
Due to the portability of the Switch, Nintendo thought it was important to use cartridges rather than discs for the system. However, because of how small the cartridges were, they had to come up with some way to persuade small children to not accidentally ingest them. As we all know, they covered the cartridges with a special coating that is bitter to the taste bud. We can confirm it's a horrible taste.
Imagine if someone were to wake up after ten years and, as an expression of their love of Nintendo, decided that they wanted to taste a new game. In this situation, we would all have the same reaction that Link is having.
15 Save Yourself The Headache
When Nintendo announced that they would be releasing a small version of the NES pre-loaded with 30 of its greatest games, everyone lost their minds. Unfortunately, the machine was so popular that it was incredibly hard to come by, and scalpers had a heyday with the device.
Yet, some of us didn't really care about the NES Classic. After all, a lot of people just simply have their cartridges, systems, and controllers of the days of old. We could fork over the $60 and numerous headaches to try and get one of these new devices, or we could just blow on our copies ofThe Legend of Zeldaand call it a day. It'll save you a lot of time, money, and resources.
14 It's Not As Weird As It Looks
When Nintendo creates a new IP, everybody pays attention. Despite the failure of the Wii U, they had a fantastic franchise on their hands withSplatoon.This uniquely-crafted shooter featured a central mechanic that made it here to stay. However, it goes without saying the game looks a little bizarre to the outside person.
Then, while you're swinging around your Nintendo/Fisher Price toy decked out in all of your aquatic gear, people are going to give you weird looks. What better way to portray this than Squidward dressed as an Inkling with the pitiful phrase "But it's fun!" Play whatever games you enjoy by all means, but just remember that not everyone will think you're perfectly normal.
13 A Classic Formula
Nintendo has been dominating the handheld market since the very beginning, but they've been no stranger to releasing updates versions of their handhelds. Early on, it was easy to see why people were moving on from the Game Boy Advance to the Game Boy Advance SP, but the trend still chugged on. With the DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL, it seemed there'd be no end to obsolete Nintendo handhelds.
It's worth mentioning that with the 3DS, a lot of people were tired of having their devices rendered non-ideal so quickly. The 3DS XL came out, then the New Nintendo 3DS, then the New Nintendo 2DS. Basically, if you're made of money, you're not going to care. The rest of us have a thing or two to say about the issue.
12 How Dare You?
One of the biggest criticisms Nintendo has received is that they keep releasing the same game over and over again. While that's true to an extent, there is no denying that they utilize a lot of the same franchises and characters for their games (and understandably so).
This little comic has been used in a variety of contexts, where a business meeting takes place and most everyone is an agreement that practices should stay the way they are. Then there's the one guy who makes a radical suggestion that is so against the common tradition that he's quite literally thrown out the window. At least Nintendo debuted a new IP withARMSthis year. Otherwise, this comic would feel a little more close to home.
11 With Two Broken Thumbs
After Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, the market for mobile devices changed drastically. Everyone was moving toward this new touchscreen display and interface. All phones these days are supported by massive panels that can only be operated by touching specific parts of the screen. Even the Switch has a capacitive touch screen for playing games and navigating the UI.
Many of us still remember the days when we were relegated to using devices that had buttons. While the comparison with a Game Boy isn't quite accurate considering that the Switch and 3DS both have buttons, it's a great picture in comparison to mobile technology. Not only did we like using the buttons, there's still a certain satisfaction about it to this day.
10 Poor Guy
In terms of graphics, Nintendo has been fairly behind the curve. It wasn't until several years after the Xbox 360 and PS3 came out that they released their first HD console. Just now, they're starting to experiment with the advanced detail, textures, and animation that comes along with having that sort of power.
Unfortunately, that means more work for the people involved, especially this poor animator.Super Mario Odyssey had to be one of the most high-quality games on the Switch for Nintendo to maintain any presence in the gaming market, and with it was a high-intensity animation job to craft the individual mustache hairs and pores on Mario's face. We salute you, animators.
9 Top Percentage
Pokémon GObecame a culture-wide phenomenon but, as is the case with anything else, some people played it vastly more than others. This led to people with mere Rattatas walking around and seeing all sorts of rare and powerful Pokémon guarding various gyms around the world. As a matter of fact, many of us were excited when we caught our first Rattatas.
Thankfully, those of you who only have Rattatas have a hero to look up to: Trainer Joey. Stating that his Rattata is in the top percentage of the species, he's always guaranteed to give you a run for your money. Yeah, he may be at level 9 (as are the rest of us), but everyone loves a good underdog.
8 Don't Fall
Rainbow Road is a staple of theMario Kartseries as one of the hardest tracks to race on effectively. Of the bunch, the one that seems to garner the most frustration is the one featured onMario Kart Wii.This version of Rainbow Road held almost no rails on top of sharp turns, pits that would cause you to fall to your death, and boost pads that would careen you off the track if you weren't careful.
The track became notorious for essentially bringing everyMario Kartplayer to tears. When this meme says that the track was designed bythe man himself, we definitely have to give the Lord of Hell credit where credit is due. Bottom line: the track is far from easy and will probably cause you a headache or two if you try it.
7 Final Destination: No Items
Many players takeSuper Smash Brosvery seriously. Ever sinceMeleepopularized the idea of having the franchise move into the competitive scene, more and more players are making the jump themselves. Often times, when people would play online inSuper Smash Bros for Wii U, there would be an option to play For Fun or For Glory. Guess which one gained the most attention.
This meme takes those lovers of For Glory and puts them in Mr. Krabs' shoes as he wants that "green stuff." This time around, the muscular men aren't giving him peas, but a heaping serving of For Fun mode inSuper Smash Bros.How dare they force anyone to play on a stage that isn't flat!
6 Talk AboutA Missed Opportunity
New Super Mario Broson the DS told Nintendo that they could recreate a series based on bringing back the classic 2D style of play. This led them to craftNew Super Mario Bros Wiiand allow for four people to all play at once. Those players had a choice of being Mario, Luigi, and two palette-swapped Toads.
Clearly, the latter two don't make a whole lot of sense. Instead of bringing some diversity, Nintendo opted for an excuse not to have to make another model. This means that players 3 and 4 would often get confused as to who was who because they were literally the same character in a different color. Next time, bring Waluigi and Wario into the mix.
5 Proof Of Concept
The Wii U was clearly a device that wasn't fully realized. Nintendo had a lot of ideas and concepts that they wanted to deliver on but didn't have the technology to make it happen. This is more evident through the Nintendo Switch. When it was revealed what this new console would be, many people stated how it was conceptually similar to the Wii U. It could be played without a TV, it had a traditional button setup, etc.
Where the big difference is here is that the Switch is truly portable while the Wii U Gamepad was tethered to the console. The Switch, in a very basic and nondescriptive form, is merely a Wii U without the Wii U. The whole console is a gamepad designed for adults and not small children.
4 How Tough Are You?
For Fun and For Glory were the two online modes of play presented inSuper Smash Bros Wii U.Players could either fight on dynamic stages with crazy items turned on or just fight on equal playing ground where there are no hazards or items to be found. Many people preferred the latter, as the competitive scene for the franchise has been growing sinceMelee.
This meme points out that many players don't see For Fun and For Glory as their namesakes, but rather Weenie Hut Jr. and the Salty Spitoon as seen inSpongebob Squarepants.Perhaps the best part of this whole meme is that the bottom picture is actually a mod that can be downloaded and used inSuper Smash Bros for Wii U.
3 It'll Be Here Eventually
If you don't know the story ofMother 3, then you probably live under a rock. It was the long-awaited third game in theEarthboundseries that was only released in Japan. Many fans waited for it to come to the West, but to no avail. As a matter of fact, many of them are still waiting for the Big N to port the game in English for them to play in their native language.
Nintendo has a lot of great announcements with their games and systems, but we agree with Patrick Stewart on this one. They need to stop what they're doing and just give usMother 3.It wouldn't be a difficult port to make and it would gain way more publicity than it would on any other occasion. The time is right, Nintendo. Make it happen.
2 ImagineA World...
Pokémon GOswept the nationwide practically overnight. It was extremely common to see groups of friends walking around pointing at the sky while screaming some random Japanese name that represented a character that they would then stuff into a virtual ball. That's a pretty basic way of describing the insanity of problems spawned as a result ofPokémon GO, but it's fundamentally what happened.
With how popular the game was and how willing people were to stand on crowded freeways for rare creatures, imagine what the world would be like ifMario Kart GOwere a thing. Drivers would swerve off the road to avoid bananas and ignore stop signs just to hit the next boost pad. The end result would be something like the picture above.
1 At Least You Didn't Need Glasses
On paper, the 3DS didn't seem like much. It was like a Nintendo DS that had the capability to play games in stereoscopic 3D. Now, the console itself had more power backing it up and was more than the gimmick that its name suggests. As a matter of fact, the whole "3D" aspect of the console wasn't anywhere near the reason that it became so successful.
Very few people actually enjoyed the 3D on the system. It was very specific, easily breakable, and didn't always work properly. Because of this, you'll hear almost no one state how "good" the 3D is on the 3DS. That said, the 3D was vastly improved on the New 3DS models, which give the system a lot more intrinsic appeal.
