While the prospect of more Splatoon, Zelda, and classic Game Boy titles is great, some fans are itching for old Nintendo franchises to return.
The most recent Nintendo Direct delivered some pleasant surprises, such as the shadow drop of Metroid Prime Remastered. Pikmin’s return this summer also makes fans eager to dive back into Nintendo’s strategy franchise.
Yet not everyone can be happy. Some (me) are asking, “Where’s F-Zero?” Many others are clamoring for the return of Tomodachi Life. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, too. Let’s rundown ten old Nintendo franchises we’re desperately hoping to come to Nintendo Switch.
Star Fox
Nintendo’s space combat franchise has been in a prolonged rut. Despite the success of Star Fox 64, no other game in the Star Fox series has seen the same universal acclaim. Sure, Star Fox Adventures on the Nintendo GameCube was a fun game. But that game had the Star Fox IP slapped on it at the end of development.
The last game in the series is 2016’s Star Fox Zero for the Wii U. Despite potential and being co-developed by Platinum Games, Star Fox Zero saw a mixed response. One possible reason is that Nintendo is unsure what to do with the franchise. Nintendo has repeatedly said they’re unsure what to do with the franchise. Sadly, for Star Fox fans, that’s apparent given the quality of games over the past decade-plus.
Here’s to hoping that Star Fox and company see a triumphant return.
Donkey Kong Country
Believe it or not, Donkey Kong Country has become an “old Nintendo franchise.”
It saw a revival on the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii, and Wii U. The Retro Studios developed Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze were met with universal praise. The Nintendo Switch port of Tropical Freeze remains one of the best platformers available on the console.
Naturally, you’d expect a proper follow-up, right? Well, about that. Retro’s been busy working on Metroid Prime 4 after a troubled development cycle. It’s possible that Nintendo doesn’t trust anyone else with the Donkey Kong Country series, which is a shame. The DK crew will return one day, and it will be a glorious day.
Tomodachi Life
If Nintendo released a new Tomodachi Life, I’d probably never see my wife again. While the game saw a spiritual successor release in Miitopia, it wasn’t quite the same.
The popular life simulator lets your Mii live out their fantasies. From shopping, hanging out with friends, performing on stage, and even falling in love.
Tomodachi Life has a hardcore following that spent the buildup to the most recent Nintendo Direct doing everything they can to conjure an announcement. While they would be disappointed, fans still hope for this old Nintendo franchise to return.
F-Zero
The F-Zero franchise appeared on every Nintendo system, from the Super Nintendo to the GameCube and Game Boy Advance. The high-speed racing series even saw an arcade release in 2003. Yet since 2004’s F-Zero Climax, we’ve only seen Captain Falcon in Super Smash Bros.
One possible reason the popular racing series has been stuck on the sidelines? A lack of new or innovative ideas. While an HD and online-supported F-Zero on Nintendo Switch sounds like a dream come true for many, that may not be enough for Nintendo to develop a new entry in the series.
Sure, we have F-Zero 99, but that’s not the same.
1080° Snowboarding
There’s been an unfortunate decline in the world of extreme sports games. In the past, though, that wasn’t the case. The 1080° Snowboarding saw two releases: one on Nintendo 64 and another on GameCube. Since then, however, it’s been nothing.
The recent remaster of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater proves that there’s still an audience for these games. Of course, with the constant stream of Mario Sports games on the Nintendo Switch, you’d figure Mario and company would want to hit the slopes.
Wave Race
Speaking of extreme sports, Wave Race is one of the more beloved old Nintendo franchises. It’s an absolute delight to play even today on Nintendo Switch Online. Like 1080°, Wave Race saw a release on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube. Additionally, the series saw a release on the Game Boy in 1992.
We’re not the only ones hoping for a return from wave Race, too. Shin’en Multimedia, known for their work on the Fast RMX games, expressed interest in seeing the series return.
Wario Land
The Wario Land franchise was running strong through the mid-90s and early 2000s. The series saw four mainline entries, plus a Wario World game for the GameCube in 2003, before spinning off into the WarioWare series.
The Nintendo Wii saw another entry in the Wario Land franchise: Wario Land: Shake It! Since that 2008 game, however, it’s been all WarioWare all the time.
Wario Land has been a perfect complement in the past to the Super Mario Bros. games. For some reason, the series seems to focus primarily on handheld releases on Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. With the debut of those platforms for Nintendo Switch Online, perhaps new interest can spur a new release.
Kid Icarus
Before its surprise release on the Nintendo 3DS, Kid Icarus was an older Nintendo franchise that seemed destined to stay on the NES. With 2012’s Kid Icarus: Uprising, the series leaned more into the third-person shooter/action genre.
Despite receiving praise from fans and critics, we haven’t seen a new Kid Icarus game since. One reason is that developer Project Sora was dissolved soon after release. The team, and director Masahiro Sakurai, would move on to the Super Smash Bros. series.
Mario & Luigi
Some old Nintendo franchises offer glimmers of hope to return in the future. One of them is Mario & Luigi. As a featured day one release of Game Boy Advance games for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo seems to see some value in the popular RPG series.
Debuting in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance, Mario & Luigi was an instant hit. After that, developer AlphaDream released a string of titles, each more enjoyable than the last, for the Nintendo DS and 3DS. Perhaps that’s one reason the series hasn’t seen the light of day outside of re-releases. Nintendo’s abandoned the traditional handheld market and is all-in on Nintendo Switch.
Still, we’re dreaming of its return. There’s room for more Nintendo-produced RPG franchises on the Switch.
Golden Sun
Speaking of Nintendo RPGs, the Golden Sun series saw success on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS from 2001 through 2010. Yet, for over a decade, the series has been dormant. According to a recent Nintendo Direct, we’ll be able to play the original Golden Sun soon. As for a new game in the series, though? Don’t get your hopes up.
One possible reason lies with the developer Camelot Software Planning. The studio has been shifted to work on games in the Mario Sports series for the past decade.
