10 Neglected Nintendo Franchises That Deserve New Games

There aren’t too many developers out there with lineups that are as expansive and full of classics as Nintendo — the storied company is obviously home to many of gaming’s most important titles; like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Animal Crossing. Beyond some of the biggest names that the company owns, there are also a host of smaller IPs developed or published by Nintendo in the past that haven’t received quite as much attention.

Sometimes, as a Nintendo fan, it can begin to feel like the company has a heavy case of favoritism when it comes to certain titles over others, leaving some beloved franchises like Star Fox and F-Zero by the wayside while focusing on other things. Overall, although fans have generally been pleased with the entries that some of Nintendo’s biggest franchises have received on the Switch, there are still those that hope and dream for the miracle that is a new entry in their particular beloved, but neglected franchise.

10 Metroid

Some may disagree with Metroid‘s inclusion in this list due to the upcoming release of Metroid Prime 4 (although that game has been marred by delays, and to date is essentially little more than hope on the horizon and a logo), but Metroid fans have good reason to be a little bit irked about Nintendo’s treatment of their favorite franchise.

Since the release of 2007’s Metroid Prime 3, fans have only had three titles to work with: the famously loathed Metroid: Other M, the baffling cooperative soccer-like spin-off Metroid Prime: Federation Force, and the well-received but smaller-scale Metroid: Samus Returns. Although hopes remain high for Prime 4, for some it feels like it can’t come soon enough.

9 Pikmin

While the strategy/action hybrid series Pikmin is perhaps less neglected than some of the other entries on this list considering the recent re-release of Pikmin 3 for the Switch, Pikmin fans can’t help but feel like their beloved series is somewhat lower on the pecking order of Nintendo franchises than it deserves to be.

Although the port of Pikmin 3 to the Nintendo Switch was welcomed by some, its high price tag and scarce gameplay improvements over the original drew criticism from longtime fans. At any rate, a port of a nearly seven-year-old game is hardly a replacement for a new title, leaving Pikmin fans wanting more.

8 Custom Robo

Custom Robo is an arena-based battle game where players would construct microscopic robots out of an assortment of available parts and have them do battle in holographic arenas. The flagship entry in the series, Custom Robo for the Nintendo Gamecube, featured hundreds of different parts, a wide variety of battle modes, and a single-player adventure to keep players occupied.

Although Custom Robo is still popular among a small fanbase of players who compete with one another in tournaments, the franchise is largely unknown among those who missed out on it during the days of the Gamecube. A rerelease of Custom Robo, or an altogether new game, with the Switch’s network capabilities would be fantastic, so what are you waiting for Nintendo?

7 Wario Land (Or Anything Wario, Really)

Wario has always had a little bit of trouble settling down into one series among Nintendo’s repertoire, but many consider his definitive iteration to be the Wario Land line of side-scrolling platformers, the arguable peak of which is Wario Land 4, which features arresting pixel art and animation on the Game Boy Advance.

While on that subject, it would also be nice to see another full-scale Warioware game. The wild series of mini (or micro?) game compilations has been dormant since the previous generation of Nintendo consoles: the Wii U and the 3DS. A Warioware game for the Switch could leverage portability, motion controls, and the Switch’s touchscreen to generate some great ideas for minigames.

6 Punch-Out!!

The smash-hit boxing game that was a staple title for the NES, Punch-Out!!, last saw the light of day with the well-received entry simply titled Punch-Out!! for the Wii in 2009. The series features a colorful cast of iconic characters and demands quick reflexes and reactions from the player.

Some have analogized Punch-Out!! with the concept and controls of the Switch arena fighter Arms, a game that also involves players dodging and countering punches from an opponent, which has raised hope for a series revival. For now, however, Punch-Out!! lives on only through protagonist Little Mac’s representation in Smash Bros.

5 Star Fox

The classic rail shooter Star Fox is an IP that’s critical to Nintendo’s identity as a brand: Fox himself has been a starring character in every Smash Bros. game, and the game that many consider to be the high point of the franchise, Star Fox 64, is regarded as among the best titles available for the Nintendo 64.

Considering Star Fox‘s important role in shaping Nintendo’s legacy, it’s a shame to see how far the series has fallen in recent years. The most recent entry in the series — Star Fox Zero for the Wii U — was essentially just a rehash of Star Fox 64, which failed to impress. Since then, there’s been no news of Nintendo even considering revisiting Fox and friends.

4 Advance Wars

The Advance Wars games are grid-based strategy and tactics games from the developers of the venerable Fire Emblem series with a focus on versus gameplay and improvisational tactics. The series inspired fond memories through its appealing aesthetics and deep strategic elements during the days of the Gameboy Advance and even received a sort of spiritual successor in the indie game Wargroove.

Considering the breakaway success of the post-AwakeningFire Emblem games, it would seem to make sense for Nintendo to revisit another beloved strategy series from the same developer. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of news when it comes to the future of Advance Wars.

3 F-Zero

Although F-Zero‘s protagonist, Captain Falcon, remains a fan favorite in titles like Super Smash Bros., fans of the high-speed low-gravity racing game that he hails from have been left waiting for years now for a new entry. Although Nintendo has made the original F-Zero available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online package, they haven’t announced any plans to bring other F-Zero titles to the Switch, let alone develop a new game.

Given the instant brand recognition Captain Falcon would bring to a new F-Zero game and the enduring success of Nintendo’s other racing franchise, Mario Kart, it feels like the time is right to bring the Captain out of retirement.

2 Mother (Earthbound)

The quirky RPG Mother 3 and its prequel Earthbound (Mother 2 in Japan) are among the most influential games ever developed. Their DNA has been diffused across the indie RPG scene to an enormous extent, and it’s easy to see traces of Mother in massively popular games like Undertale.

Despite years of clamoring from fans to “Localize Mother 3!” Nintendo seems content to let the franchise remain in the past. An official release of Mother 3 would do wonders to placate the growing impatience of series fans, but an entirely new game would surely be a huge announcement that would set the gaming world abuzz.

1 Chibi-Robo!

Chibi-Robo! is a series of 3D adventure games that feature a tiny robot (the titular Chibi-Robo himself) solving problems around a household by way of cleaning, acting as an emotional support figure (despite not being able to speak), and blasting malevolent spider robots with a death ray.

Although the debut Chibi-Robo! for the Gamecube is well remembered, subsequent entries in the franchise have failed to impress. The most recent was the half-hearted side-scroller for the 3Ds called Chibi-Robo! Zip-Lash in 2015, which did not meet successful critical or commercial outcomes. The franchise still has potential, though, so it would be great to see the little guy have another shot at the spotlight.

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