Let’s all stop saying Nintendo games are just for kids

It’s no secret that people of all ages love Nintendo products: consoles, games, franchises, you name it. You’re probably just as likely to see a grown adult man wearing a Mario costume on Halloween as you are to be a three-year-old. The pure number of Switch consoles sold considering the launch suggests it can’t possibly be just kids playing these games, not to mention the mountain of content about games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild made by and for adults. And yet, when it comes time to criticize a Nintendo game like the recently released one Echoes of wisdomthat age-old argument often comes up: “The game is for children, after all.”

In my experience, this statement is usually used to shut down criticism that may be too specific or complaining, as I think Zelda’s smoothies in Echoes of wisdom evoke diet culture. The assumption that Nintendo games are for kids is itself flawed, and I don’t think it aligns with what game makers and consumers say they value. And why shouldn’t we worry about the smallest details in a game our children are playing? (It’s also a straw man argument, and perhaps a bit of a hasty generalization, if logical fallacies are your thing.)

This blanket generalization about Nintendo games harkens back to the lazy and untrue perception that many American viewers hold: anything animated is designed exclusively for children. But that view has certainly fallen out of favor in American discourse, alongside the rising popularity of anime in the US and animated series specifically for adults, such as BoJack Rider And Archer.

But gaming has not yet reached that correction. To this day, most gaming-related headlines in mainstream publications focus on the threats and/or benefits of gaming for developing minds. It has only been in the last decade that older media companies have entered the market whose readership is decidedly maturesuch as The New York Times and The Washington Post, have launched extensive gaming sections (though these sections didn’t always stick around). More than a handful of times when I’ve told a stranger about my job as a games journalist, they’ve responded by telling me whether they let their kids play video games or not. It’s important to note that none of this reflects reality – Circana reported that on Tuesday 71% of Americans play video gamesand most of them are 45 years or older.

When it comes to Nintendo, some of this perception is valid. Compared to the average Sony or Microsoft-published game, any Nintendo-published game is more likely to be suitable for children, and Nintendo’s marketing is filled with bright colors, chibi characters, and simple writing. Most first-party or Nintendo-exclusive games are rated E for everyone (Mario vs. Donkey Kong), E10+ for everyone aged 10 years and over (Echoes of wisdom), or T for teen (Xenoblade Chronicles 3). M-rated titles, such as Emio – The smiling man and the Bayonetta franchise are rare.

But the fact is, nothing in Nintendo’s marketing claims that its games are specifically aimed at children or even young adults. When I asked Nintendo who its games are actually intended for, this was the company’s response: “Our hope is that our games bring joy to as many people as possible, regardless of age, culture or gaming experience.”

Furthermore, the fact that Nintendo’s games are suitable for children does not mean that they are unsuitable for adults – nor does it mean that they are easy. The “this game is for kids” argument has also been used (by myself and others) to denigrate a player’s expertise. I have certainly touted my own successes Mario kart 8 or Tears of the Kingdomto follow up my gloating with something like, “Congratulations; I can cover a children’s game.” My apologies to my past self. It’s not that I think either game is necessarily difficult. It’s that a game perceived as easy doesn’t mean it’s for kids – and that difficulty is a completely subjective concept that occasionally crosses over into competence. (We see this in other parts of life too – the so-called ‘easy’ walking path in a park is often the only wheelchair-accessible path. Why not just call it ‘accessible’ and leave it to the walkers to decide if it’s easy for them or not?)

Regardless of how it’s used, this argument is a great way to delegitimize a certain sector of gaming – one that’s often dominated by players who aren’t grown men. Perhaps that’s partly because the Nintendo Switch has become so successful that it has gone mainstream – for example, it is referenced in the chorus of Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’. Its portable nature also makes it accessible to a wider audience, and it’s affordable compared to a gaming PC.

The Switch has easily surpassed both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series despite being significantly less powerful than both machines. Circana’s report also reflects this most adults who game are womenand has previously reported that most Switch owners are women. And when a new demographic takes ownership of what previously felt like an exclusive club, those who don’t want to share the space are left out. way that these newcomers commit themselves. Especially for women who play games, this often seems like labeling their favorite consoles and games as frivolous, casual and not serious – as if claiming that Nintendo and its games are only for kids.

Be that as it may Animal Crossing: New Horizons, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomor Mario & Luigi: BrotherhoodNintendo ultimately confirmed that its games really are for everyone, but perhaps even more importantly: they are for it everyone. And if Nintendo were just for kids, wouldn’t all of us who grew up with it have moved on by now?