Nintendo is 125 years old, but still has some growing up to do

It might be hard to believe, but Nintendo just hit the big 125 today. Congratulations and best wishes are in order for the company that is synonymous with gaming for many even today. But it’s no secret that Nintendo have always done their own thing, often to the detriment of their platforms—or sometimes, their fans. So we’ve put together a list of the five things we think Nintendo needs to keep in mind in order to be celebrating their 250th in 125 years’ time.

Keep mobile in mind

Now, let me get this straight—the 3DS is a wonderful machine, and I’ll take it over a buttonless touch screen phone any day of the week. And I’m not advocating that the 3DS’s library should get ported to mobile platforms any time soon. But the mobile market is gigantic, especially in their home turf.

Given the smartphone penetration rate, people aren’t buying 3DSs instead of smartphones, they’re buying them in addition to them. So by supporting mobile platforms, they’re still selling content to their core fanbase.

(See: Someone’s bringing Pokemon to Dota 2 and he needs help)

Their Pokedex app was one tentative step in the right direction, but the best thing Nintendo has done in this direction was announce the Pokemon Trading Card Game for iOS earlier this year. That’s the kind of great experience that actually fits better on a large touch screen than on a bulkier, button-laden platform like the 3DS or (lord forbid) the Wii U.

Pay attention to the industry

Again, we’re not asking for a Mario FPS (though another Metroid Prime wouldn’t hurt). But while doing in their own unique direction has definitely helped them win some real coups, like motion control last generation, doing so while ignoring everyone else means that they risk getting left behind in other areas.

One of my first thoughts when I first saw Awesomenauts try to capitalize on the MOBA craze with a 2D sidescrolling take on it was this: why isn’t this a mode in Smash Bros? Swap the minions for Goombas, the turrets for Piranha Plants, and the cast for Nintendo’s various heroes and villains… and there, you’ve got a game most people already know how to play, but in a mode that’s proved time and again that it’s worth playing for months on end.

(See: Smash Bros for 3DS is killing it in Japan)

But even on a more fundamental topic Nintendo has been dropping the ball. If I bought Metal Gear Solid on my Playstation 3, I could also play it on my PSP—and what really made the purchase have value was that when I got a Vita, I could play it there too, and when I get a Playstation 4, I’ll be able to do so on that platform too.