I'm really fond of achievements in video games. Back when I played Call of Duty 2 on Xbox 360, earning my very first achievement made me think "Wow, this is pretty cool!" Over the past two decades, these rewards have increasingly appealed to me because they serve as a digital record showcasing my progress and successes across various systems. This makes it even more disappointing for me that Nintendo continues to refuse incorporating such a feature into their platform.
When Polygon recently inquired with Nintendo Vice President for Player and Product Experience Bill Trinen about whether the Switch 2 would feature an achievement system similar to the one found in Xbox 360, he gave a straightforward response. “Nope.” It's hardly shocking that Nintendo has opted out of including achievements since they have steered clear of such features for two decades, even though almost all other gaming platforms have adopted them over time. However, what bothers me is how casually Trinen responded; it feels as if Nintendo believes itself above these systems or deems them unnecessary. This attitude seems rather nonsensical.
Well-executed achievements can provide an additional dimension of replay value to a game. For those who truly enjoy a title, striving for all the accomplishments can offer both enjoyment and difficulty. This pursuit may compel you to utilize weapons you typically avoid or explore gameplay elements you usually overlook. Tackling tough achievements often necessitates collaboration or strategic thinking. Consequently, this adds excitement when revisiting a beloved game, allowing you to immerse yourself further into your favorite experience.
One thing I adore about achievements is how they function like virtual memorabilia collections. At present, I can check my Xbox achievements to recall what I was gaming in back in 2018. Which titles did I complete? In which ones did I invest countless hours gathering every single item? And which were those where I only dabbled briefly? All these details and more are available through my achievements, acting as a continuously updated record of activities that I can revisit long after their completion. This feature extends to platforms such as Steam, PlayStation, and even my Android phone for games integrated with Google Play’s achievement tracker. On the contrary, without an achievement system on Nintendo consoles, I must depend solely on the sparse usage statistics provided by each individual console just to get a sense of what I've been up to during gameplay sessions.
Developers have been crafting and integrating achievements and trophies for approximately two decades now, which means requesting this wouldn’t impose significant additional tasks upon them. I believe Nintendo could put an enjoyable twist on gathering these accomplishments. Furthermore, considering the teams behind popular franchises such as Super Mario, Pikmin, and The Legend of Zelda, it seems likely they could come up with quite innovative challenges for players to undertake.
Sure, if collecting achievements or trophies in games isn't your thing, that's perfectly okay. I think every platform ought to allow individuals to disable those features if they choose to. However, it seems odd for Nintendo to completely overlook achievements altogether. These could be incorporated with minimal effort and disruption.
Unfortunately, the Switch 2 won't include achievements. Maybe Nintendo will eventually add this standard industry feature in the console following the Switch 2. Here’s hoping! That would really be something special.
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