How Spider-Man and Super Mario make the difference between Sony and Nintendo

High Day in Video Game Land: Both were released last Friday Spider-Man 2 like Super Mario Bros. He wonders, The two that steal the show this fall are from Sony and Nintendo, respectively. Great spectacle on the one hand, and family entertainment on the other: both perfectly highlight the specific approach of the gaming giants.

Marvel Spider-Man 2 was so Marvel 2 Spider-Man It can be named. In this spin-off sequel Miles Morales Starting in 2020, you’ll play not one, but two former Jannen Modaal who, thanks to the bite of a radioactive spider, swing through life like a web acrobat. Peter Parker and Miles Morales fight their demons as New York is once again shaken by megalomaniacal villains like the sand giant Sandman and the supernatural hunter Kraven. Then there is a strange being – Symbiote – Which greatly complicates matters for the super duo.

The result is an amazing action adventure where… Larger than lifeMoments of the scene follow each other in quick succession. Between web-swinging and skyscraper-hopping, you and the pair have to smash all sorts of straw men and other scum together, preferably as stylishly as possible. Here and there, scenes where Peter Parker’s life partner Mary Jane Watson tries to touch strings and sneak in musical numbers make room to provide some peace on this relentless rollercoaster. In essence it is Marvel Spider-Man 2 Playable version of the best blockbuster movies. This is no coincidence Sony’s way of doing things.

Pushing the limits

Developed exclusively for Sony, game creator Insomniac Studios continues to build on the momentum the Japanese giant has been building on for years. Other in-house studios such as Santa Monica Studios (God of War), Naughty dog (last of us) And so are Dutch from Guerrilla Games (Horizon: Forbidden West) Always create titles that excel in production value, voice work, animation, and storytelling.

“Sony is focused on technology and wants to push the boundaries of the medium from a hardware perspective,” says Ben Al Lousiri, editor-in-chief of the magazine. Flemish video game platform The invader. “PlayStation 5 games should be bigger, prettier, and faster. And this Spider-Man 2 is a prime example of this. The superhero game is at the top in terms of artistic quality and raises the bar a little higher.

innovation

on the contrary Super Mario Bros. miracle. Although Nintendo has already released a blockbuster movie this year – The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom Tears – It always sparks interest when the mustache mascot with the red hat comes out again. In this new 2D Mario adventure, the first full sequel to New Super Mario Bros. You Starting in 2012, you’ll have to walk from left to right as usual while jumping over all kinds of obstacles. Old school approach with a modern layer com. trippyIt appears to be a hand-drawn visual style, but it also challenges the imagination power ups In addition to the traditional mushroom, there is now also elephant fruit, created by Mario and his partners. Temporarily transforms into a destructive elephant.

“Nintendo is taking a different approach,” Al-Losiri continues. “Not from the power of hardware, but from innovation.” The hugely popular Switch console, which can be used on mobile and on TV, has been on shelves since 2017. Then it’s clearly lagging behind in terms of pure horsepower. “Nintendo doesn’t want to be the most advanced, but it wants to be the most unique. It is originally a board and game manufacturer and relies more on original ideas.

Just think of the Wii from 2006, the first gaming console to offer motion control on a large scale. “Nintendo is also constantly targeting a younger audience and releasing games suitable for all ages. This is also part of their philosophy: games should be for everyone, not just adults (young people) on a budget. That’s why they want to keep their console cheaper than competitors,” they added. Al-Luciri says.

a race?

Specifically, because the two companies appeal to a different target group, they do not view each other as direct competitors. “Anyone who has a PS5 can also own a Nintendo Switch and vice versa, because games found on PS5 are usually not found on Switch and vice versa. Precisely because of this technological difference. A gamer who focuses his attention on graphical prowess and smooth performance still looks better in the market.” Most retail PCs.But then you quickly pay four times as much.

Sony’s direct competitor in the console market is of course Microsoft, which mainly uses a buy-in strategy with its Xbox. The recently released monster hit Starfield It is made by Bethesda, a famous development company that used to create games for many platforms, but has been owned by Bill Gates’ company Monster since 2021. And also Activision Blizzard, which is famous for Call of duty-The chain operates under the Microsoft banner.

Meanwhile, the rumor mill is running at full speed: a more powerful Switch successor will likely see the light of day next year. But Al Lousiri is already convinced: “Nintendo will continue to follow the same strategy regardless. Because it works.”