Hello everyone and welcome to day 4 of the 31/31! Today’s blog talks about Nintendo, and what I would do if I was the Leader of Nintendo. Nintendo is a company that has a long history with gamers, whether it is from one of their early consoles like the NES or the SNES, or from playing one of their many critically acclaimed series such as Mario Bros., Metroid, Pokémon, or The Legend of Zelda. The company has gone through some tough times lately though, and so I will present the things that I would implement with the game franchises if I were in charge of Nintendo:
The Games:
Nintendo’s always been known for their games, and for good reason. With great series like the ones mentioned previously, the company has a track record for making some great series. It can even be argued that Nintendo has the best 1st party games out of all of the console makers. However, despite this strength, it sure seems like Nintendo isn’t putting these titles into full usage like they could be. This isn’t to say that I want yet another Mario platformer, far from it actually. Let’s take a look at some franchises that Nintendo has, and what direction they could be taken in:
-Mario: I’ll start with Nintendo’s most recognizable series, and it’s one that is one of, if not the most famous in video games. Mario is a series that has always produced quality games, some of which are very famous among the gaming community. These include: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and many, many more. However, in my opinion, the market has been oversaturated by Mario games. Nintendo should pull a Valve and halt production on Mario for a while, and allow it to gain some hype. Then, after 3 years or so, show up again and make Super Mario Galaxy HD for the WiiU and Super Mario Sunshine 3D for the 3DS.
-The Legend of Zelda: Like Mario, The Legend of Zelda is a much beloved franchise by Nintendo that has been around for a while. The games in the series are all brilliant, and include The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time:, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and many more. Honestly, The Legend of Zelda series is what Nintendo has been doing perfectly in my opinion. They strike the perfect balance of too much and too little, with a brilliantly designed and thought-out game arriving for each console, but not for every single year, which is where the series differs from Mario fortunately. The only thing I could add for the franchise is an HD Zelda game, but that’s most likely going to occur soon.
-Metroid: The Metroid series is yet another one of Nintendo’s marquee franchises, and is one of its most famous and beloved. However, the Metroid series has not seen its finest days these past few years, especially with the mixed reception that Metroid: Other M received. Nintendo should be aggressive with this franchise, especially to boost the WiiU. If Nintendo made a HD, 2D Metroid game, one that is in the similar vein to the classic ones for the NES or the SNES, then you have a great game on your hands. In addition to this, Nintendo should make either another Metroid Prime for the 3DS or a 3D game on the 3DS just to test the waters on that system. Better to try it and hope it ends up received like Fusion, then to leave the systems potential wasted for that type of game.
-Donkey Kong: Now, Donkey Kong is in a similar boat as Mario. There have been many quality games for the franchise, but the market is starting to get a bit oversaturated with Donkey Kong. DKC Returns was a great game, and I am really hyped up for DKC: Tropical Freeze, but there’s also a DKC Returns remake for the 3DS, and I think that 3 DKC games in a 2-3 year span is enough. Nintendo should hold off on Donkey Kong production after this batch of games, and focus on making one last game for the 3DS towards the end of its lifespan. I personally enjoyed DK: Jungle Climber, but I might be in the minority in that one. Nintendo would benefit from trying to go back to that type of gameplay, since going to the DKC formula might elicit more groans of, “oh joy, another Nintendo platformer with no originality.” The sad thing is, the crowd would be verified there. Sure that’s a way to live as a company, but it’s no way to thrive. The goal of this blog is for Nintendo to thrive.
-Yoshi: The Yoshi franchise has always been an interesting one to follow for many Nintendo fans. In a similar vein to Donkey Kong and Wario, Yoshi has both games where he is with the Italian Plumber and games where the adorable green dinosaur is on its own. Yoshi has been shown to produce some quality games of his own though, the most famous of which being Yoshi’s Island. Flash forward to the present, and Yoshi has two exciting games planned on the horizon, with Yarn Yoshi, and a Yoshi’s Island Sequel being in production. Nintendo should keep focusing on these, making sure they are as good as they can be on release, and then keep the Yoshi franchise quiet for 4-5 years. This is because one of Nintendo’s strength’s is in how many franchises it has. The sooner they realize that they have a deep roster of franchises, many of which haven’t seen a game in a while, the sooner they can get a nice balance of games, and return to a respected place among gaming enthusiasts.
-Earthbound/Mother: Of all the Nintendo franchises that I will cover today, this is one of the series that I am least familiar with. Yes, Earthbound is a great game, but the series has not seen anything new in a long, long time. Nintendo should bring back the series, with a new entry for either the WiiU or the 3DS. I think the Nintendo fanbase would be so, so excited to hear this.
-Fire Emblem: The Fire Emblem is one of Nintendo’s lesser franchises in many gamer’s eyes, however that by no means indicates that the games themselves are bad. This is especially true with the excellent Nintendo 3DS entry; Fire Emblem: Awakening. Nintendo should wait 3-4 years, and then release a Fire Emblem game for the WiiU. Stay the course on this franchise Nintendo. You are doing alright in this franchise.
-Pikmin: Pikmin is one of Nintendo’s less recognizable franchises, but it is one that has almost a cult classic-type feel surrounding all of them. It’s for good reason too, since each game is just a well-crafted game that provides a lot of entertainment. If I was Nintendo, I would press forward with this franchise, despite the fact that Pikmin 3 will be released soon. Nintendo should try and release a 3DS Pikmin game. Just think about all of the gameplay possibilities with Pikmin and a touch screen. I think this is a perfect idea.
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-Animal Crossing: Animal Crossing is another series that has had some good games, but is a bit under-the-radar. I would keep quiet with Animal Crossing if I were in charge of Nintendo. I wouldn’t even make a WiiU entry. Nintendo should just ride the great reception that New Leaf obtained and then make one for the next home console/handheld that is released.
-Golden Sun: Arguably Nintendo’s most unrecognizable franchise, which is sad because it’s a really fun series to play. Golden Sun has been exclusively on handhelds, with first entry in the series coming for the Game Boy Advance. Nintendo should change course with this franchise though, and bring an entry to the WiiU. This would give the franchise the fame it deserves, plus I feel that the graphics from the game would look absolutely gorgeous in HD.
-Pokémon: Pokémon is one of the most recognizable franchises, not only in Nintendo, but in all of gaming. Starting with Red and Blue for the Game Boy Color, the series has delivered hour upon hour of addicting-RPG style fun. Many gamers have spent countless hours trying to “catch them all.” Nintendo should make a 3DS game that incorporates all of the regions that have been in the game so far. Start with a gradual leveling system, or make the trainer re-start each region like in the Anime, and you have an amazing game. For example, you can have a level 99 Charizard, but once you enter Johto, you don’t get the Charizard back from Oak’s Lab until after you beat the Elite Four. In addition to this, Nintendo should make a Pokémon Coliseum game or Mystery Dungeon game for the WiiU. Both would be amazing even, just so long as we get another well done console game. That’s something we haven’t had since Coliseum XD for the Gamecube.
-F-Zero: F-Zero is one of Nintendo’s forgotten franchises, despite having one of the most recognizable mascots in Captain Falcon. The F-Zero franchise delivered 3 fun racing games for home consoles, ending with F-Zero GX for the GameCube. Nintendo should really bring back this franchise, and a WiiU edition would be great. The tablet controller works great as a race map, and could do other things like items or repairing.
-Kirby: The Kirby Franchise is one of Nintendo’s most unique franchises, with games that range from conventional platformer like Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, to a bit more unique like Kirby’s Canvas Curse. However, this series has been consistently solid, and has been really good as of late; with games like the aforementioned Return to Dreamland and of course, Kirby’s Epic Yarn. If I were Nintendo, I would hold off on the Kirby development until the end of the 3DS. They do not need to repeat the actions of the DS, and make multiple titles for it.
-Star Fox: The Star Fox franchise is one of the more popular Nintendo franchises, with recognizable characters like Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi. Not to mention the “do a barrel roll!” Memes that have popped up since the series inception. If I were in charge of Nintendo, I would make a WiiU Star Fox game. With solid graphics, and a tablet/touch-screen controller, there is so much potential for a great Star Fox game. Of all the games I have suggested so far, this is the one I want the absolute most.
-Other: Nintendo also has a few other franchises under its belt, including Super Smash Bros., 1080 Snowboarding, Sin and Punishment and more. Of those that I named, I think the latter two could make really good games. Especially a HD remake of Sin and Punishment. The original for the Nintendo 64 was great, and a remake would be awesome.
In conclusion, Nintendo could really make some great games for the WiiU. The franchises are all there, and the potential is all there as well. My hope is that when all is said and done, the WiiU has the same kind of library that the Gamecube had. The 3DS surprisingly, despite being in an arguably more stable position, was a lot tougher to think of ideas for. Who knows though, maybe a whole new franchise gets formed from Nintendo in this generation? With that, this blog reaches its end. Thanks for reading! Did you agree with any of the choices I made? What would you do for this company if given the chance? Please feel free to leave a comment below, and I’ll be sure to answer back as soon as possible.