"Something that marks Nintendo’s games out for me is their commitment to fun. They treat the pursuit of fun as being a worthwhile endeavor in and of itself. In fact, they take it very seriously!"
- Developer of The Swords of Ditto Jonathan Biddle on how Nintendo influenced his design decisions.
In an interview with PC Gamer published earlier today, a few independent developers reflect on how Nintendo has influenced their own games throughout the development process.
Jonathan Biddle, whose next game is the co-op title The Swords of Ditto, admires the company's commitment to quality game design.
"While other developers might focus on storyline, or impressive cutting-edge technology, Nintendo instead double down on squeezing as much enjoyment out of their gameplay as is possible," he explains.
"If they focus on this type of quality game design, they can punch above their weight—something they have been doing consistently well at for decades."
This philosophy Nintendo has fostered is reflected in Biddle's own work. "I've always worked from the small details outwards, trying to make something that is enjoyable on the lowest level, and built the larger systems in support of that," he continues.
More so than anything, Biddle appreciates Nintendo's simplicity when it comes to creating a world that draws players in without being heavy.
"As much as I enjoy it in other games, I'm not one for putting complex meanings in my games," he admits. "I generally like to make something fun; a toy, something to be played with, something that hopefully makes people smile."
The full interview at PC Gamer profiles more indie devs who discuss the influence Nintendo has on their games, which you should check out here.