Top 10 Times Sony Ripped off Nintendo
#10: “PlayStation Vita Pets” (2014)
Nintendo 3DS VS Playstation Vita REDUX
“Nintendogs” was more than just a pet simulator with a clever name. It became a cultural phenomenon with the four different DS versions totaling around 24 million units sold. It also got a sequel so cat lovers weren’t left out. Naturally, Sony wanted to get in on the love, though they were a bit late to the party. “PlayStation Vita Pets” was released in 2014 and despite its name, only lets players care for pups. Its graphics and controls are incredibly reminiscent of “Nintendogs,” although your dog is able to talk to you. There are also more activities with puzzles that lead to treasure. But even with its differences, we all knew what this was.
#9: 4 Player
How Nintendo Created the PlayStation - History of the Sony Playstation, Part 1
Let’s be honest: Sony’s first PlayStation dominated the Nintendo 64 through superior hardware and the use of discs over cartridges, which led to more third-party support. But Nintendo’s focus on 4-player multiplayer through games like “GoldenEye,” “Mario Kart,” and “Super Smash Bros.” is something Sony simply couldn’t touch. They did try, however, by releasing the Multitap, an adapter that allowed for 4 controllers instead of 2. Curiously, the PlayStation 2 also only came with only 2 controller ports, causing Sony to release another Multitap for that console. It turned out not to matter too much as the PlayStation outsold the N64 and the PlayStation 2 outsold...well, pretty much everything.
#8: Totaku Figurines
Nintendo’s Amiibo line wasn’t exactly an original idea, with “Skylanders” and “Disney Infinity” predating it. But to have high quality, affordable mini-figurines actually produced by Nintendo, some of which featured obscure characters, was undeniably cool. The fact that they offered in-game functions was just a bonus. In 2018, Sony figured they’d turn their own catalog of popular characters into figurines with the Totaku Collection, featuring heroes as mainstream as Kratos and as classic as PaRappa the Rapper. However, at ten bucks a pop these figures don’t offer any in-game functionality the way Amiibo do. We’ve yet to hear about a future line, meaning this series is probably over. Meanwhile, Nintendo still periodically releases Amiibo for fans to collect and enjoy.
#7: “Invizimals” (2010-15)
“Pokemon” is a pop culture behemoth and has therefore spawned a number of copycats. One of these copycats was published by Sony itself for its own series of portable consoles. “Invizimals” is a monster-collecting, turn-based strategy game that was released for the PSP in 2010. While it attempts to change up gameplay through the use of AR, it’s still pretty clear where the game drew inspiration from. This didn’t hurt it though. The game spawned several sequels across the PSP and Vita, as well as one on the PS3 that did away with the AR spin in favor of action-adventure gameplay. It also spawned its own toy line and animated series, though none of it came anywhere close to “Pokemon” status.
#6: Kart Racers
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“Mario Kart” defined a fun sub-genre of racing games while simultaneously becoming one of Nintendo’s most profitable franchises. And Sony has tried on several occasions to catch that same lightning. With their unofficial PlayStation mascot, Crash Bandicoot, Sony published “Crash Team Racing” in 1999. This was perhaps the most obvious clone as “Mario Kart 64” was easily one of the N64’s most popular releases. Then there was “ModNation Racers” in 2010, which focused on user-generated content but featured Sony IPs through DLC. Finally, there was “LittleBigPlanet Karting” in 2012, another stab at a kart racer featuring a lovable Sony character. While Nintendo doesn’t have a claim on the entire kart racing genre, it’s impossible for any to release and not be compared to “Mario Kart.”
#5: Handhelds
It wasn’t just the handheld IPs Sony attempted to copy, but rather the entire handheld experience. Nintendo controlled the handheld console space for decades beginning with the launch of the Game Boy in 1989. While others would attempt to release their own handhelds with condensed versions of their console games, they would all fail against Nintendo. Sony tried their hand at it with the release of the PSP in 2005, mere months after the launch of Nintendo’s DS. But the DS was an unstoppable force, vastly outselling the PSP. Round 2 with the 3DS and Vita would end in the same results. There’s no denying that Sony was trying to steal some of Nintendo’s handheld thunder. But there was no usurping this king.
#4: The PS1 Controller
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Sony seemingly admitted that Nintendo had basically perfected controller design when it released its first console. The original controller featured almost the same layout as that of the SNES, just with hand grips and two more shoulder buttons. But Sony also adapted to the modern day Nintendo. When the N64 showed how incredible analog sticks could be, Sony included two in the next model: the Dual Analog Controller. Funnily enough, the controller launched with a rumble feature the same month in Japan as the N64’s Rumble Pak. But the feature was taken out when it launched in Europe and America. The Rumble Pak’s immersion would make vibration in controllers the norm, leading Sony to follow suit again with the DualShock controller a year later.
#3: “PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale” (2012)
Nintendo 64 VS PlayStation One
“Super Smash Bros.,” with its insane amount of items, stages, and characters is unlike any fighting game ever. Or it was until Sony tried to copy it. “PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale” released on the PS3 and Vita in 2012. And its inspiration was immediately obvious. With characters like Kratos, Jak and Daxter, and Sackboy fighting in arenas based on locations in popular Sony games, it is “Super Smash Bros.” for PlayStation fans. It even included special finishers, an addition in the most recent game at the time, “Super Smash Bros. Brawl.” Although a fighter featuring Sony IPs, as well as a few from third party developers, is a good idea, they really should have gone with their own format.
#2: PlayStation Classic
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Nintendo found immense success when it released the NES & SNES Classic Editions, miniature versions of their first two consoles with their greatest hits downloaded onto them. Sony followed suit with the PlayStation Classic in 2018, which would have been a great idea if they had actually done it properly. The line-up left a lot to be desired with major PS1 releases like “Crash Bandicoot,” “Tomb Raider,” “Gran Turismo,” and “Spyro the Dragon” being absent. It also only came with the analog stickless first controller and was criticized heavily for its poor emulation as well as using PAL versions of some of the games, making them run slower. All this mediocrity for $100, though Sony would drop the price periodically due to poor performance.
#1: PlayStation Move
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By far the most egregious case of Sony ripping off Nintendo is the PlayStation Move. With the runaway success of the Wii, Nintendo brought motion to gaming and subsequently secured an entirely new audience of gamers. Sony and Microsoft needed to compete, with Microsoft opting for full body movement with the Kinect. But Sony looked at the Wiimote and basically thought they’d make the exact same product, just with different colored orbs on top. Even the Move’s North American bundle launched with “Sports Champions,” an obvious redux of “Wii Sports.” But with a release 4 years after the Wii, the PlayStation Move was too late to cash in on the craze. And it led Sony to repurpose the Move with PS VR.
