More Thoughts From Me #30: Nintendo Fan Projects Should Die

Nintendo has been taking a lot of heat lately. First, they took a fan remake of the second Metroid off-line. Then, they got rid of the Nintendo Power online archive, and just recently they ordered a Pokemon fan game to be taken down. Fans seem to be very upset with Nintendo. Most Nintendo fan sites are siding with the fans and saying that Nintendo should stop taking these projects down. I’m going to take a controversial stand and say that Nintendo should keep doing it! Let me tell you why.

You hear a lot of fans say that Nintendo doesn’t care about Metroid. So why shouldn’t some fan remake Metroid 2?! Its not like Nintendo is doing anything with it. You are so very wrong that it actually hurts.

On My Nintendo right now, Nintendo will let you use gold coins to “buy” Metroid 2 for 3DS. The game is also just available on the 3DS eshop if you want to buy it out right. Nintendo cares about all their games, especially ones that are available and could make them money. Why would they want a free fan remake around? People could just download that for free and never buy the original on the 3DS eshop. It makes no sense for Nintendo to put up with a fan project like this. You know what also makes no sense? That someone would waste 8 years of their life on a game like this and never ask Nintendo if it was alright to make the game!

Why don’t these fan projects consult with Nintendo? The answer is simple: they know that Nintendo will say no. But still, people should ask and if the answer is no, then they should spend their time creating something original. What’s wrong with creating something original? Many of these fan project people are talented. Think about what they could do if they put their time toward creating something unique. Of course, then they couldn’t “borrow” stuff from Nintendo, so it would make it much harder and they’d actually have to spend money. You may say to yourself: ok, I get what your saying with the Metroid game and the Pokemon game, but what was wrong with the Nintendo Power archive? Everything was wrong with it.

People have said that Nintendo is doing nothing with Nintendo Power, so why shouldn’t the issues be available online for free? This is another “you are so wrong about this that it hurts” moment. Nintendo is letting Prima Games use parts of Nintendo Power for the upcoming NES Classics book. Also, the Super Mario and Link to the Past comics from Nintendo Power have been reprinted in books of their own. So Nintendo is using past Nintendo Power books. Most people don’t even realize that. They don’t want to take the time to do the research. As always, people want to say that Nintendo is the bad guy. They are taking away our toys. No, Nintendo owns those toys. You have no right to use them for free.

Creating fan artwork, fan fiction, or short fan films (with original content) is one thing. I think fan projects like that are ok because fans are creating something that is uniquely their own! But when you take things that Nintendo has actually created and use them to create free games or in the case of Nintendo Power, just put the original project online for free, you are wrong and its stealing (fans are lucky there are not more lawsuits). Now I admit that I thought having the Nintendo Power magazines online for free was cool. But in the end, it was Nintendo’s right to take them down and since they are actually doing something with it, I think they did the right thing. Why would we care about these print Nintendo Power projects if we could just see the original issues online for free. Heck, even if Nintendo wasn’t doing anything with them, they still had every right to do it. Nintendo Power was their magazine. How would you like it someone took something you created and put it online for free (without your permission)? Though, as I mentioned earlier with the fan game, why didn’t someone ask Nintendo if it was alright to do this? What do fans have against asking for permission? All Nintendo could say is no but what if they said yes? It is super easy in this day and age to contract Nintendo! Start doing it folks.

Its great that there are talented people out there who want to create things. But you have to be careful with what you create. If you think you have something pretty cool, maybe you should check and see how Nintendo feels about it first. Sometimes, though, dreams like that need to stay dreams. Nintendo owns the property. Fans do not own the characters or the stories or any of it. We buy the games, but that doesn’t give us a right to create new games with the characters. You may think to yourself “Duh” but obviously there are many out there who disagree with me. Those people are wrong though. Fan projects, especially large ones, should not be around unless they have permission from Nintendo. Yeah, I know permission from Nintendo is a long shot, but you never know what they’ll say for sure until you ask! Its better to know what you’re getting into I think, then put together a game, put it online and then have Nintendo quickly take it down…

But I could be wrong about all this! What do you think of fan projects? Am I wrong? Should fans be able to create any sort of game they want if they have the ability? Or is Nintendo in the right here? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Next week: This is the year of the 3DS. There are a ton more 3DS games on the way! What games do we have to look forward to this year? I take a look at the 3DS lineup and give you my thoughts on the titles. Yes, even the Pokemon games.

More Thoughts From Me is an opinion column. The thoughts provided here are mine and mine alone. So don’t get angry at anyone else at this site for this installment of More Thoughts! Also: please remember: this is just my opinion. I don’t get paid by Nintendo (if only).