The Nintendo franchises we miss the most

There’s magic about watching the Pantheon of characters included in Super Smash Ultimate. This is a true tribute to the Nintendo franchises that came with our childhood. Then, we take the time to look at the selection and everything turns out a little sad, because these characters are just so many memories, they sleep in the treasury of forgotten franchises.

The worst part of all of this is that Nintendo has always been a very cyclical company that deserves to surprise us with original or unexpected headlines. March 3 is the fourth anniversary of the portable console. Considering the consoles have a lifespan of about 7 years, so we are in the second part of the “switch era”, which has received as many ports and remasters as the first party titles so far. Are original.

But let’s not lose hope! We do not know what Nintendo will have for us in the next few years (or even 2021), so let’s take a few minutes to highlight the franchises that are looking to dust off for a big comeback.

F-Zero

F-Zero is the first title that comes to mind when we talk about the Nintendo franchise we left out, whose fans are asking for a sequel (other than Mother / Earthbound) to have Captain Falcon appear in Super Smash more times than his own series.

Nintendo always wants something new. This is a good thing for all, but when franchises like F-Zero reach the peak of their game, they refuse to develop a sequel if it doesn’t fit the new gimmick. Miyamoto himself said in an interview that the only way to bring the F-Zero back was by releasing a special perimeter for the switch. (At 5:30).

This is a really strange answer, this series has always sought very precise controls, depending on its difficulty. In this regard, it’s hard to imagine releasing a game like today’s Nintendo GameCube version, as it is trying to attract as many viewers as possible. With the inclusion of the Blue Falcon and F-Zero circuits in the Mario Kart 8 there is no more chance of a comeback.

We not only lose the franchise, but the unique gameplay that is different from other futuristic arcade racing games (these are very rare these days).

Indies does what Nintendo does not: Super pilot on steam is currently the best alternative. This is practically a clone of the F-Zero X (Nintendo 64 version). It has a level editor and the ability to race against 48 AI. It’s hard to say whether its development will progress since the 2018 release of Early Access‌, but for $ 15, it offers enough content to enjoy.

Wario Land, War Wario Wear

Wario at the Mario Party, Wario at the Super Smash, Wario at the Mario Tennis, Wario at the Mario Kart OK, but where is the new platform starring Anti Hero?

The last was the Wario developer, before Good Feel, focused on the wool Kirby and Yoshi we saw on the Wii, Wii U, 3DS and Switch‌. The bad / good news is that they are ready to unveil something new for 2021, which will be a 2D-3D action game with a samurai theme (so Vario is not in sight for this studio). Here are the first storyboards.

Indies does what Nintendo does not: The gameplay of Wario Land is repeated in the standalone game Pizza Tower, the demo of which is available for download on itch.io.

This year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Warrio Land 4, so time flies! Of course, we saw Wario in the abundance of Wario Wear games at this point, but they weren’t either. Wario Wear Gold is very new on the 3DS (2018), but it’s only a compilation of microgames (amazing) from other games. On the home console, Game & Wario content on the Wii U (2013) is empty and distorted: this is actually a tech demo compilation to appreciate the greatness of the Wii U GamePad. Despite my complaint about the number of ports on the switch, I think the HD version of Wario Wear Gold is more than welcome.

Rhythm Heaven

In addition, one reason that explains the lack of new Warrior Wear is that it was developed by the same team responsible for Rhythm Heaven (an alternative between the two franchises, Nintendo SPD Group 1). Same storyline for Rhythm Game: An album on 3DS seemed to say goodbye to the series in 2015, no news after that.

They also surprise us with an unplanned release in 2021, whether it’s a brand new concept or a new take on Rhythm Heaven. Don’t forget that its director Masami Yon specializes in Rhythm Play (Digasso! Band Brothers, Jam with the Band, and… Brain Training?).

Indies does what Nintendo does not: We already mentioned this in our list of indie games coming out in 2021, but Rhythm Doctor might be right for you if you are looking for the same type of game.

Mario Sport

Four years after the switch was launched, we were treated to only one traditional Mario sports game: content-thin Mario Tennis Aces. Its developer, Camelot, is about to announce a project they have been working on for 3 years. We need Mario Golf. Lastly, the World Tour on 3DS is absolutely awesome. Its only flaw is stuck in the old portable console. We are confident that the new Mario Golf will be a success on the switch.

The Mario Sports Mix on the Wii and the unrecognized Mario Sports Superstar on the 3DS kept their enthusiasm going. Otherwise, “Mario & Sonics at the Olympics” will always be consistent and somewhat mediocre, including the Tokyo 2020 version of the famous Olympics that will never happen.

Nintendo has just acquired the next level of games, which will be responsible for the latest Luigi mansion, but also the Super Mario Strikers. Could this be their next project? Did you know that the next-level game was abandoned by a project called Super Mario Spikers, a combination of volleyball and wrestling.

Super Mario World

We missed the good 2D Mario. Yes, I know, we have the New Super Mario Brothers. Over the last 15 years on 5 different platforms, but they are similar to each other, it is difficult to justify the “new” in their title. Their form is very common from Ramon Legends or Ori.

Yoshi Island (Super Mario World 2) also kept its 26-year-old SNES look for its sequels on DS and 3DS. Just like the artist Tohad ined in DevientArt, grab the new Yoshi Island in stunning 2D.

Now is the time to stir things up a bit and add new modes, concepts, gameplay elements. Theoretically, we should have Super Mario Maker to give us endless 2D content, but we have to admit that online levels have nothing to do with classic games.

Mario Kart

Mario Kart 8, which ranks 11th on the list of best-selling games of all time, is also disappointing. If you play Mario Kart 8 from its Wii U version, you may also fear that the switch does not qualify for its own Mario Kart version. This could leave a ten-year hole without new content (early release in 2014). We loved the last game, but we saw it all. (Ignore for the mobile version full of microtransaction and sympathetic remote-controlled car: we are talking about the desire for a real suite in the living room console.)

Mario Kart Ultimate, including all the tracks in this series, is an impossible dream. Too much work? Probably, but knowing that 48 of the current 145 tracks can be imported directly from Mario Kart 8 and that such an album sells like hot cakes, it’s not as big a task as developing red Dead Redemption 2 (which is always the 13th bestseller, 2 positions under Mario Kart 8 ).

Hackers do what Nintendo does not have: Because the fans have already done it! CTGP Revolution 1.03, Mario Cart y Hawk, has 216 tracks, divided into 54 grand prizes.

Donkey Kong

There has also been a demand for Donkey Kong‌ since 2014, when Mario Kart was 8 years old on the Wii U, but especially the original release of the tropical freeze. The most mysterious part of all of this is that its developer Retro Studios has not given any signs of life since.

We know they will take the reins of Metroid Prime 4 development after Bandai Namco fails, but what are they doing at the moment? It is rumored that they have canceled an RPG with a voice as the lead mechanic (Wandersong style). For veterans like Retro Studios, 6 years is still a very useless time.

Can Nintendo expand its releases during these uncertain times and soon announce the retro studios project they have already completed? Anyone know?

Indies does what Nintendo does not: New Donkey Kong Country Yuka-Lali and Impossible Lear in recent years. Platonics Studio was created with former rare employees, which explains why it feels right at home.

And you, what Nintendo franchise would like to see reborn?