Nintendo's Design Approach: Start With the Core Play Mechanic
Game Maker's Toolkit · Explainer · 12 min · 2016 · YouTube title: Nintendo - Putting Play First
Why it's here
HN recommends it as a concise video essay on why Nintendo games feel good and how the company iterates.
What it covers
Game Maker's Toolkit examines Nintendo's design approach of starting from a core play mechanic, making it fun, and building around it. Examples include Mario's jump and Luigi's Mansion's vacuum.