A resurfaced quote from the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is reminding fans why the Japanese gaming giant has always marched to the beat of its own drum. In contrast to publishers who pump out annual installments of their biggest franchises, Iwata made it clear that burying players under a mountain of Mario and Zelda sequels was never part of the plan.
“Not the Kind of Company I Want Nintendo to Be”
Speaking candidly about Nintendo’s approach to its beloved franchises, Iwata explained that the company deliberately resisted the temptation to simply mass-produce follow-ups to its most profitable series. Doing so, he insisted, was “not the kind of company I want Nintendo to be.”
Instead, the beloved executive emphasized that every sequel must justify its own existence. “The one thing we absolutely focus on with every one of those sequels is finding ways to innovate within that franchise,” Iwata explained, underlining that Nintendo only returns to a series when it has a genuinely new idea to explore.
Innovation Over Iteration
It’s a philosophy that has defined Nintendo for decades. While other major publishers turned flagship franchises into annualized machines, Nintendo has consistently spaced out its mainline releases, treating each new Mario or Zelda adventure as an event rather than a routine entry on a release calendar.
The Proof Is in the Games
The results speak for themselves. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild completely reimagined a formula that had remained largely unchanged for decades. Super Mario Odyssey reinvented the platformer with Capture mechanics. And when Nintendo wanted something fresh, it created entirely new franchises like Splatoon rather than forcing another sequel onto store shelves.
This restraint has arguably become one of Nintendo’s greatest strengths. Scarcity breeds anticipation — when a new mainline Zelda or Mario game arrives, it feels like a cultural moment, driving massive hardware sales and keeping the brand’s reputation for quality virtually untouchable.
A Legacy That Still Shapes Nintendo Today
Satoru Iwata led Nintendo from 2002 until his tragic passing in July 2015, guiding the company through the era of the Nintendo DS and Wii — two of the best-selling gaming devices of all time. A former programmer who contributed to classics like Kirby and EarthBound, Iwata was famously hands-on and deeply involved in game development, giving him a creator’s perspective on when a sequel was truly worth making.
Nearly a decade after his death, his influence remains visible. Even as Nintendo expands with blockbuster movies, theme parks, and the record-breaking Switch, the company still refuses to dilute its core franchises with rushed sequels — a testament to the standard Iwata set.
Build Your Nintendo Library
Want to experience the carefully crafted worlds Iwata helped protect? You can grab Nintendo eShop gift cards and game codes at TURGAME.com at competitive prices and jump into the exceptional titles that define Nintendo’s quality-first legacy.
Source: GamesRadar
Source: GamesRadar