But how does it compare to Nintendo consoles past? Come with us now on a journey though time and space. Well, time at least.
Nintendo Home Consoles – Year 7 Key Releases
We’ve listed each console’s launch year in brackets and given the precise seventh-year window for each one after that. We begin with the console that put the company on the map.
NES (1985) – October 1991-92
Significant releases: Mega Man 4, Tecmo Super Bowl, Star Wars, Batman: Return of the Joker, Tiny Toon Adventures, Dragon Warrior III & IV
The staggered US release date of the system makes the dates a little fuzzy here, but it’s safe to say that the Nintendo Entertainment System was very much alive and kicking in its seventh year on the market. The Super NES launched in August ’91, but its predecessor had established Nintendo as a household name and games were still selling at a prodigious rate.
And let’s not forget that poor PAL territories only got Super Mario Bros. 3 in August ’91.
Super NES (1991) – August 1997-98
Significant releases: Kirby’s Dream Land 3
The SNES had a shorter lifespan, with its 64-bit successor launching in its fifth year. Consequently, Kirby’s Dream Land 3 was left to bring up the rear in Y7. Even Super Mario RPG, which is considered a late arrival and never even launched in Europe, was released in May 1996, technically still the console’s fourth year in stores.
Nintendo 64 (1996) – September 2002-03
Significant releases: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (August 2022)
Zilch. Zip. Nada of note. We’ve cheated with Tony Hawk above as it launched in the month just prior to the system’s seventh year. Despite hosting some of the greatest games of the medium, cartridges were still comparatively expensive to produce and the industry had turned to discs — and away from the N64.
The system was discontinued in Europe in May ’03 and in November in North America.
GameCube (2001) – November 2007-08
Significant releases: Nothing to see here…
We haven’t even cheated with the lovely GC — it really had gone the way of the dodo by the time it had reached its sixth birthday.
No need to feel bad, though, as every Wii that flew off shelves during this period was also a fully backward-compatible GameCube. Or two GameCubes with a little duct tape, if we remember correctly. So, there’s an argument to be made that Wii’s Year Two was also GameCube’s Year Seven.
We’re not going to make that argument, we’re just putting the idea out there. Gotta love a GameCube.
Wii (2006) – November 2012-13
Significant releases: Pro Evo 2013, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, LEGO The Lord of the Rings, Wii Mini
Wii’s monster mainstream success and ginormous install base meant that games were still launching for it in the late 2010s. Ubisoft published Just Dance 2020 on the system, remember.
Still, it didn’t quite have the legs of some of its handheld counterparts and Wii Y7 certainly didn’t boast any huge hitters. Skyward Sword was Nintendo’s last significant release in November 2011.
Wii U (2012) – November 2018-19
Significant releases: Oh Gromit…
Okay, this one was a given considering how the console underperformed, but we weren’t going to brush U under the carpet, Virtual Boy-style.
By November 2018, Switch had installed itself on Wii U’s resting place, plucking the flowers that grew there and pressing them into Deluxe editions for its own catalogue, and otherwise busying itself adding a huge extension, a summer house, and a pool around the back. Its sacrifice was not in vain.
That’s the home consoles, but as we mentioned earlier, Nintendo is taking a page from its handheld chronicles when it comes to Switch. Let’s take a look at those portable Y7s…
Nintendo Handheld Consoles – Year 7 Key Releases
Game Boy (1989) – July 1995-96
Significant releases: Street Fighter II, Killer Instinct, Kirby’s Block Ball, Tetris Blast
The above titles are significant, but hardly system sellers. However, with games like Wario Land II, James Bond 007, Harvest Moon GB, and the Game Boy Camera — not to mention a little series called ‘Pocket Monsters’ — all arriving in North America in 1998, you could argue that Game Boy hadn’t even got going properly until its, what, ninth year? Blimey.
Its successors make things a little messy, too, when it comes to discussing the Game Boy hardware’s longevity…
Game Boy Color (1998) – November 2004-05
Significant releases: Nothing really
Is it an entirely separate system or just a ‘Pro’-style upgrade? It had plenty of its own bespoke software, so we’re counting it as separate from its predecessor, but you could easily argue that this was an extension of the OG Game Boy.
Regardless, the DS launched in November 2004, meaning the trusty GBC was well and truly superseded by the time it hit Year Seven.
Game Boy Advance (2001) – June 2007-08
Significant releases: Loads of licensed games (Shrek, SpongeBob, Bratz)
Final Fantasy VI Advance launched earlier in the year, but GBA’s seventh year was dominated by high-profile licensed fare. Lots of movie tie-ins. The DS’ ‘third pillar’ was well established by 2007, with Nintendo in its Touch Generations phase with DS Lite.
DS’ compatibility with GBA titles helped maintain interest in that system’s library, but Nintendo’s focus was elsewhere.
Nintendo DS (2004) – November 2010-11
Significant releases: Rune Factory 3, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem, Sonic Colors, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Ghost Trick, Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, Radiant Historia, Pokémon Black & White, Okamiden, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2, Kirby Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the Last Spectre, and more (especially licensed games)
The DS pulled out some heavy hitters in its seventh year, with a pair of mainline Pokémon and some very solid third-party titles, too.
It also still had Pokémon Black & White 2 in the tank the following year. It’s easy to see why Nintendo is looking to emulate this sort of system and software stamina with Switch.
Nintendo 3DS (2011) – March 2017-18
Significant releases: Mario Sports Superstars, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Ever Oasis, Hey! Pikmin, Miitopia, Monster Hunter Stories, Metroid: Samus Returns, Yo-Kai Watch 2, Layton’s Mystery Journey, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions, Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario Party: The Top 100, Pokémon Ultra Sun & Moon, Kirby Battle Royale, Detective Pikachu
Another bumper year with some big names and excellent games (and Hey! Pikmin — zing!) — several of these releases are amongst the very best games on the system. Switch may have stolen the spotlight, and there’s an argument that several of these might have been better served had they been ported to Switch, but Nintendo was justifiably cautious about throwing all its eggs in one basket before it became apparent that the hybrid concept was a winner.
It’s tough to argue with that lineup though. And Captain Toad, WarioWare Gold, and Luigi’s Mansion were to follow later in 2018. Until now, it’s Nintendo’s strongest Year Seven ever.
So there you have it, an extremely solid showing from the DS family of systems — certainly the only systems to rival the quality of output Nintendo is producing on Switch in its seventh year. Let us know below what you think of Switch’s upcoming lineup, whether you think there’s even more to come, or if you think it’s time for NX to take a bow next year.
But how does it compare to Nintendo consoles past? Come with us now on a journey though time and space. Well, time at least.
Nintendo Home Consoles – Year 7 Key Releases
We’ve listed each console’s launch year in brackets and given the precise seventh-year window for each one after that. We begin with the console that put the company on the map.
NES (1985) – October 1991-92
Significant releases: Mega Man 4, Tecmo Super Bowl, Star Wars, Batman: Return of the Joker, Tiny Toon Adventures, Dragon Warrior III & IV
The staggered US release date of the system makes the dates a little fuzzy here, but it’s safe to say that the Nintendo Entertainment System was very much alive and kicking in its seventh year on the market. The Super NES launched in August ’91, but its predecessor had established Nintendo as a household name and games were still selling at a prodigious rate.
And let’s not forget that poor PAL territories only got Super Mario Bros. 3 in August ’91.
Super NES (1991) – August 1997-98
Significant releases: Kirby’s Dream Land 3
The SNES had a shorter lifespan, with its 64-bit successor launching in its fifth year. Consequently, Kirby’s Dream Land 3 was left to bring up the rear in Y7. Even Super Mario RPG, which is considered a late arrival and never even launched in Europe, was released in May 1996, technically still the console’s fourth year in stores.
Nintendo 64 (1996) – September 2002-03
Significant releases: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (August 2022)
Zilch. Zip. Nada of note. We’ve cheated with Tony Hawk above as it launched in the month just prior to the system’s seventh year. Despite hosting some of the greatest games of the medium, cartridges were still comparatively expensive to produce and the industry had turned to discs — and away from the N64.
The system was discontinued in Europe in May ’03 and in November in North America.
GameCube (2001) – November 2007-08
Significant releases: Nothing to see here…
We haven’t even cheated with the lovely GC — it really had gone the way of the dodo by the time it had reached its sixth birthday.
No need to feel bad, though, as every Wii that flew off shelves during this period was also a fully backward-compatible GameCube. Or two GameCubes with a little duct tape, if we remember correctly. So, there’s an argument to be made that Wii’s Year Two was also GameCube’s Year Seven.
We’re not going to make that argument, we’re just putting the idea out there. Gotta love a GameCube.
Wii (2006) – November 2012-13
Significant releases: Pro Evo 2013, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, LEGO The Lord of the Rings, Wii Mini
Wii’s monster mainstream success and ginormous install base meant that games were still launching for it in the late 2010s. Ubisoft published Just Dance 2020 on the system, remember.
Still, it didn’t quite have the legs of some of its handheld counterparts and Wii Y7 certainly didn’t boast any huge hitters. Skyward Sword was Nintendo’s last significant release in November 2011.
Wii U (2012) – November 2018-19
Significant releases: Oh Gromit…
Okay, this one was a given considering how the console underperformed, but we weren’t going to brush U under the carpet, Virtual Boy-style.
By November 2018, Switch had installed itself on Wii U’s resting place, plucking the flowers that grew there and pressing them into Deluxe editions for its own catalogue, and otherwise busying itself adding a huge extension, a summer house, and a pool around the back. Its sacrifice was not in vain.
That’s the home consoles, but as we mentioned earlier, Nintendo is taking a page from its handheld chronicles when it comes to Switch. Let’s take a look at those portable Y7s…
Nintendo Handheld Consoles – Year 7 Key Releases
Game Boy (1989) – July 1995-96
Significant releases: Street Fighter II, Killer Instinct, Kirby’s Block Ball, Tetris Blast
The above titles are significant, but hardly system sellers. However, with games like Wario Land II, James Bond 007, Harvest Moon GB, and the Game Boy Camera — not to mention a little series called ‘Pocket Monsters’ — all arriving in North America in 1998, you could argue that Game Boy hadn’t even got going properly until its, what, ninth year? Blimey.
Its successors make things a little messy, too, when it comes to discussing the Game Boy hardware’s longevity…
Game Boy Color (1998) – November 2004-05
Significant releases: Nothing really
Is it an entirely separate system or just a ‘Pro’-style upgrade? It had plenty of its own bespoke software, so we’re counting it as separate from its predecessor, but you could easily argue that this was an extension of the OG Game Boy.
Regardless, the DS launched in November 2004, meaning the trusty GBC was well and truly superseded by the time it hit Year Seven.
Game Boy Advance (2001) – June 2007-08
Significant releases: Loads of licensed games (Shrek, SpongeBob, Bratz)
Final Fantasy VI Advance launched earlier in the year, but GBA’s seventh year was dominated by high-profile licensed fare. Lots of movie tie-ins. The DS’ ‘third pillar’ was well established by 2007, with Nintendo in its Touch Generations phase with DS Lite.
DS’ compatibility with GBA titles helped maintain interest in that system’s library, but Nintendo’s focus was elsewhere.
Nintendo DS (2004) – November 2010-11
Significant releases: Rune Factory 3, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem, Sonic Colors, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Ghost Trick, Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, Radiant Historia, Pokémon Black & White, Okamiden, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2, Kirby Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the Last Spectre, and more (especially licensed games)
The DS pulled out some heavy hitters in its seventh year, with a pair of mainline Pokémon and some very solid third-party titles, too.
It also still had Pokémon Black & White 2 in the tank the following year. It’s easy to see why Nintendo is looking to emulate this sort of system and software stamina with Switch.
Nintendo 3DS (2011) – March 2017-18
Significant releases: Mario Sports Superstars, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Ever Oasis, Hey! Pikmin, Miitopia, Monster Hunter Stories, Metroid: Samus Returns, Yo-Kai Watch 2, Layton’s Mystery Journey, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions, Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario Party: The Top 100, Pokémon Ultra Sun & Moon, Kirby Battle Royale, Detective Pikachu
Another bumper year with some big names and excellent games (and Hey! Pikmin — zing!) — several of these releases are amongst the very best games on the system. Switch may have stolen the spotlight, and there’s an argument that several of these might have been better served had they been ported to Switch, but Nintendo was justifiably cautious about throwing all its eggs in one basket before it became apparent that the hybrid concept was a winner.
It’s tough to argue with that lineup though. And Captain Toad, WarioWare Gold, and Luigi’s Mansion were to follow later in 2018. Until now, it’s Nintendo’s strongest Year Seven ever.
So there you have it, an extremely solid showing from the DS family of systems — certainly the only systems to rival the quality of output Nintendo is producing on Switch in its seventh year. Let us know below what you think of Switch’s upcoming lineup, whether you think there’s even more to come, or if you think it’s time for NX to take a bow next year.
