In every one of those generations, Nintendo has been criticized for being conservative, overly traditional, too focused on its game-as-toy origins, too disinterested in games as rich experiences or as an artistic medium. In part, that's because Nintendo has managed to set the standard for game design for literal generations: time and again, it finds ways of expressing what gaming could and should be, and its expressions often wind up defining entire eras of game design. I've been finding myself playing Ocarina of Time, in the same compulsive manner that a salmon returns to its place of birth.
