Nintendo's Switch - part-tablet, part-console - is tipped to kick-start a new era of grab-and-go gaming. Whereas Sony and Microsoft battle to develop the most powerful hardware, Nintendo has opted for more eccentric choices. "Nintendo has always been willing to take risks," says Blake J Harris, the author of Console Wars. Those risks haven't always paid off; 2012's Wii U was the firm's worst-selling home console. But it meant that Nintendo pioneered designs - from motion controllers to VR - years before its competitors. We trace its gambles to present-day progeny.
Offspring**: Xbox (2001)**
Before The Legend of Zelda was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the luxury of saving in-game progress was reserved only for PC gamers. Zelda stored saves using battery-powered RAM within the cartridge, paving the way for removable memory cards. In 2001, the Xbox became the first console to store game-saves on a hard drive.
Offspring: Wii Remote (2006)
Produced under licence by Mattel, the Power Glove was supposed to allow NES players to use hand motions to control on-screen characters. Poor sensitivity and a lack of games led to it being discontinued after 12 months. But 15 years later, Nintendo perfected the idea with the Wii - and its influence can be seen in PlayStation Move and VR controllers.
Offspring: PlayStation controller (1994)
With four buttons on the right, a D-pad on the left and shoulder buttons (which later became triggers) on the rear, the SNES was the first console with a recognisably modern controller. The Nintendo 64 added an analogue stick and Rumble Pak vibration, setting a new design benchmark - aped today by Sony and Microsoft.
Offspring: Oculus Rift (2016)
Released at the height of its rivalry with Sega, the Virtual Boy used stereoscopic 3D graphics to create the illusion of depth. Unfortunately for Nintendo, the console - which had to be played while sitting at a table - could only display shades of red. It was scrapped just months after its release due to selling fewer than one million units.
Offspring: PlayStation Network (2006)
This Japanese-only add-on for the SNES allowed gamers to download games, read online magazines and listen to music on radio stations only accessible to those with a Satellaview. Before internet access became ubiquitous, the Satellaview was an early indicator of the connected entertainment hubs - from Twitter to Netflix - consoles are now.
Offspring: Wii U (2012)
The accessory turned a Game Boy Advance into a second screen and additional controller for a GameCube or Wii. Dozens of GameCube titles were released that supported second-screen gaming - and other consoles soon offered smartphone-connectivity with companion apps. But the Wii U, built upon this feature, sold less than a fifth of the units of its predecessor.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
