For all their faults, Nintendo have been strong with backwards compatibility for 30+ years, the only exceptions being the SNES (NES backwards compatibility existed initially but was dropped), N64 (fucking complex custom architecture and final cart based console) and Virtual Boy (lol)

This is 7 years now since the launch of the switch. That's longer than the period between the NES western launch to the SNES 1985-1991, longer than SNES to the N64 (1991-1996), longer than the N64 to the GameCube (1996 - 2001), longer than GameCube to the Wii (2001 - 2006), Wii to Wii U ( 2006 to 2012) and Wii U to Switch (2012 - 2017)

The ONLY exception being the OG Gameboy to GBC, 9 years.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For their handhelds they have an excellent history of backwards compatibility - but for consoles it’s only the Wii generation where we saw it. People are nervous because Nintendo didn’t make the Switch backwards compatible and because it’s technically complex to make something backwards compatible with the nVidia hardware in the Switch.

I really hope, and strongly think Nintendo SHOULD, make the Switch 2 backwards compatible but I won’t be surprised if it’s not.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Only the Wii generation? You mean, for the past 22 years (as it includes the GameCube).

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I mean that since 1983 (I’ll be generous and exclude the Color TV-Game era) through seven console generations only the Wii and WiiU were backwards compatible with the previous console which covers 11 years. That’s 28.5% of consoles and 27.5% of years. Not great odds.