Nintendo for some reason appears to have this effect on the generation that grew up w/ Super Mario World, Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong.
I played these games at friends' houses back then and didn't see the appeal. Games like Need for Speed, Mortal Kombat or Goldeneye 007 felt more real, less 'kiddie' oriented. But these games aren't really spoken of much these days, while Nintendo originals definitely are.
Need For Speed is considered to be in decline. Mortal Kombat‘s making was a bit controversial with the whole “make employees watch graphic executions to nail the art”, now that in 2021 the focus is less on kids watching violence and more about not abusing employees. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/05/one_mortal_kombat_...
Mario more or less has inspired the same kind of nice fuzzy feeling and polish that is the series’ mainstay. Breath of the Wild reimagined Zelda into an explorable open world to rave reviews.
