It's not Nikon's fault (people who still say that just haven't kept up with how things are now). It was Adobe's decision not to try to duplicate manufacturer's camera settings (which is a decision that is very-much understandable, even if not satisfying for some folk).
Adobe provided camera emulation profiles which get you pretty close.
You need to learn to use Lightroom to make photos how you want them, or if not possible, then yeah: try another raw processor.
Dunno 'bout Aperture, but certainly the manufacturer's own software springs to mind, since it replicates the in-camera jpegs almost exactly.
~R.