Fun Club "Mario, Zelda, and _________"

[Raccoon]

That is a scary thought.

Splatoon is easily comparable to Mario in its creativity and execution of platforming ideas

Pikmin is Pikmin, it's incredible

Animal Crossing nyehhh even the games I like I might agree

 

[TGB86]

as I said in my post above I object to the idea that Metroid is exemplary in its reflection of Nintendo when presented in favor of series that have come directly from them

Metroid did come directly from them. And that poster wasn’t selecting Metroid because it embodies Nintendo’s design philosophy. He just pointed out Zelda, Mario, and Metroid all did so despite how disparate the three are at a surface level. It was a good observation, and didn’t warrant the snark you’ve provided in response.

 

[Serif]

as I said in my post above I object to the idea that Metroid is exemplary in its reflection of Nintendo when presented in favor of series that have come directly from them

Point of my post wasn't to list exemplary Nintendo game series. It was an argument in favor of presenting Zelda, Mario and Metroid as a contrasting triad (answering the OP question of 'what title comes to mind?') where all three series are very different yet share common ancestry and design principles. e.g. "A diverse array of games have come from Nintendo, from fantasy adventures like Zelda, to light-hearted romps like Mario, to isolated sci-fi labyrinths like Metroid." To me listing Splatoon or Pokemon as a third option doesn't drive home the contrast, even if it makes more sense from an overall sales or popularity perspective.

If you were to ask me to list a very Nintendoey Nintendo game I'd still list something like Splatoon or Mario Galaxy.

 

[Rooster]

It's Pokemon.

I think the more interesting question would be Mario, Zelda, Pokemon and ________

 

[Raccoon]

Point of my post wasn't to list exemplary Nintendo game series. It was an argument in favor of presenting Zelda, Mario and Metroid as a contrasting triad (answering the OP question of 'what title comes to mind?') where all three series are very different yet share common ancestry and design principles. e.g. "A diverse array of games have come from Nintendo, from fantasy adventures like Zelda, to light-hearted romps like Mario, to isolated sci-fi labyrinths like Metroid." To me listing Splatoon or Pokemon as a third option doesn't drive home the contrast, even if it makes more sense from an overall sales or popularity argument.

If you were to ask me to list a very Nintendoey Nintendo game I'd still list something like Splatoon or Mario Galaxy.

That's fair. I think I overthought the significance of that part of the statement. Reading it again, it's clear what you meant to convey. Metroid is very distinct from the other two but feels like Nintendo in a way that other successful published games, like Xenoblade Chronicles, don't necessarily. I'm sorry to have blown that part of your point so far out of proportion

 

[edamame]

I think traditionally Mario has been their big series aimed at kids/casual players, Metroid the one that appeals more to the "hardcore gamer," and Zelda is the bridge between the two audiences. To me that makes them the three pillars of Nintendo's franchises.

 

[Raccoon]

Metroid did come directly from them. And that poster wasn’t selecting Metroid because it embodies Nintendo’s design philosophy. He just pointed out Zelda, Mario, and Metroid all did so despite how disparate the three are at a surface level. It was a good observation, and didn’t warrant the snark you’ve provided in response.

Yes, I definitely see that now. I don't think I've been snide though, or at least I didn't mean to be. I just thoroughly disagreed with my own flawed interpretation of the point

 

[Hocot8]

See as someone who has been playing games for 20 years and have been on game message boards since 2005...it's Mario, Zelda, and Metroid lol. The Big 3. Like Metroid is what comes to mind.

 

[Mekanos]

I would argue the same about Zelda. Before BotW it was always talked about alongside Mario, despite its best selling entry being less than 9 million and Mario's being 40(while also having other 5 titles above 20M).

The distance between Zelda's best selling single platform release (OoT 7,6M) and Mario's best selling (SMB 40M) was way larger than it's distance to Metroid Prime's 2.8M.

Yet I don't recall people arguing that it should've been Mario and Pokémon or Mario and Wii series instead of Mario and Zelda.

It’s less about distance between popular series to me and about a threshold crossed. Zelda has permeated pop culture and public awareness in a way Metroid has never come close to, and it’s been a consistent fixture and high seller on nearly every Nintendo system, with only the Virtual Boy and the Wii U lacking a core entry that debuted on it. Pokemon has been similarly consistent since its debut and has never really left public awareness even if its had dips and valleys over the years.

Metroid is a series that sells to a relatively niche audience and critical acclaim and has gone dormant for extensive periods of time. It took 35 years for an entry to sell 3 million. It’s only included in any theoretical “big 3” because it’s an EAD series (despite it never being developed by internal Nintendo studios anymore) and its fanbase is older and more likely to post on enthusiast forums.

And in a post-BOTW world, Metroid being included makes even less sense. Unless we think Prime 4 will sell over 10 million.

 

[AngryAlchemist]

Splatoon is easily comparable to Mario in its creativity and execution of platforming ideas

Pikmin is Pikmin, it's incredible

Animal Crossing nyehhh even the games I like I might agree

I'm just being jokingly toxic because in my eyes Metroid is Nintendo's golden goose for quality, even if I've been admittedly a bit disappointed in the Mercury Steam entries.

as for your choices, Splatoon loses a lot of edge for me because it's really nowhere near as creative as it was in 2015, and as such I find points for its creativity a bit overblown nowadays. I also like the movement a lot but in a fair amount of singleplayer missions I felt like the multiplayer-oriented physics were holding back the platforming movement, which I wouldn't say puts it on Mario tier. Not to mention the Splatoon devs are pretty bad at implementing industry standards and Splatoon 3 is kind of going through a content drought in it's first 6 months. Splatoon 3 might be my favorite of the series you've mentioned depending on my mood though.

Pikmin is great but I don't think it reaches the highs of Splatoon or Metroid and you probably know my take on 2, still like the series a lot

Animal Crossing I only played Horizon and it kind of sucks after the first few days

I guess for me after Metroid, Zelda, and Mario, there's kind of a weird tier of franchises that, from a quality perspective, are fighting to dethrone the other: Pikmin, Splatoon, etc.

 

[SiG]

Corporate - Nintendo of America Press Center

press.nintendo.com

Nintendo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, has created franchises that have become household names worldwide, including Mario™, Donkey Kong™, The Legend of Zelda™...

Close the thread. We're done here.

I took that into account already.

But as I have said, different people will have different takes on which "third" of the "big three" Nintendo franchises there are.

 

[Raccoon]

I'm just being jokingly toxic because in my eyes Metroid is Nintendo's golden goose for quality, even if I've been admittedly a bit disappointed in the Mercury Steam entries.

as for your choices, Splatoon loses a lot of edge for me because it's really nowhere near as creative as it was in 2015, and as such I find points for its creativity a bit overblown nowadays. I also like the movement a lot but in a fair amount of singleplayer missions I felt like the multiplayer-oriented physics were holding back the platforming movement, which I wouldn't say puts it on Mario tier. Not to mention the Splatoon devs are pretty bad at implementing industry standards and Splatoon 3 is kind of going through a content drought in it's first 6 months. Splatoon 3 might be my favorite of the series you've mentioned depending on my mood though.

Pikmin is great but I don't think it reaches the highs of Splatoon or Metroid and you probably know my take on 2, still like the series a lot

Animal Crossing I only played Horizon and it kind of sucks after the first few days

I guess for me after Metroid, Zelda, and Mario, there's kind of a weird tier of franchises that, from a quality perspective, are fighting to dethrone the other: Pikmin, Splatoon, etc.

I definitely don't think Metroid is undeserving! Super Metroid is easily one of the best games I've ever played. I just, embarrassingly, can't read (sorry @Serif). I should probably only argue with posts when I'm on my computer, rather than absentmindedly checking my phone

or not argue with posts at all...

 

[MondoMega]

Not Metroid. 2000s internet successfully gaslit people into overinflating the importance of the series tenfold. Sucks having to be negative about a series I like but i'm just trying to be real about it; Metroid is nowhere near that level.

 

[SiG]

not made by Nintendo

What constitutes as "made by Nintendo"?

You seem to imply Nintendo has only one development studio, and that same studio is in charge of both Mario and Zelda. (And based on your previous post...Splatoon too?)

Not Metroid. 2000s internet successfully gaslit people into overinflating the importance of the series tenfold. Sucks having to be negative about a series I like but i'm just trying to be real about it; Metroid is nowhere near that level.

You can say what you like, but the third title has never really had a consistent answer. Or at least, I do see a trend among different demographics as to what they might fill the third spot with.

 

[AtomicZach]

I mean, the real answer is that the "Big Three" changes depending on the generation and even Zelda isn't immune to being exchanged. Only Mario has a permeant spot throughout all of Nintendo's console generations. And even then, I don't think Metroid has ever had a place as "the top 3" asides from the SNES and Gamecube Eras and even that is contestable. Modern day I would put Pokemon, Animal Crossing, and even Splatoon over Metroid in terms of high placement.

And real talk, Metroid fans are overrepresented and overly loud on gaming forums. And I say this as a huge Metroid fan. If I have to hear how every new franchise is a waste of time compared to Metroid I'll freaking scream.

 

[Aurc]

Mario, Zelda, Metroid.

My criteria: debuted on the Famicom / Nintendo Entertainment System, was (and still is) highly influential in the gaming sphere, and harbors some of the greatest games of all time under its umbrella.

With that established, hopefully folks don't ask about Pokémon, or Splatoon. That's an entirely different criteria, and an equally fair one that you're free to adhere to!

in terms of this conversation? it was made by a bunch of (admittedly very based) white dudes in America, not Nintendo

Retro Studios literally are Nintendo. Referring to them as "a bunch of white dudes" is pretty off the mark, imo. Hell, you had Miyamoto involved in Metroid Prime's production. These purity tests about what Nintendo is, and isn't seem unnecessary, especially considering the developer we're discussing is a first party studio.

 

[Raccoon]

What constitutes as "made by Nintendo"?

You seem to imply Nintendo has only one development studio, and that same studio is in charge of both Mario and Zelda. (And based on your previous post...Splatoon too?)

yeah, EPD is Nintendo. everything they publish goes through them. not sure how that worked with EAD and SPD; I think the latter handled collaborations while EAD was strictly in house? in the R&D1 and 2 era I get completely lost

 

[Deleted member 4028]

If you discount Pokemon (which is by far and away the actual answer if it does count), then it comes down to who you ask. Animal Crossing and Splatoon with the younger crowd, Donkey Kong and Metroid with the older crowd. I'll say Animal Crossing for the poll.

Tbh, I don't think it's necessarily age-based, for example the SNES was before my time but the Retro Studios games are the main reason why DK is my favorite Nintendo series (I like the SNES ones too, but DKCR/TF are both top 5 games for me). I feel like this relates to how Nintendo has some really long-running series with lots of games, so each of these series brings in a wide variety of age groups.

 

[Mekanos]

Not Metroid. 2000s internet successfully gaslit people into overinflating the importance of the series tenfold. Sucks having to be negative about a series I like but i'm just trying to be real about it; Metroid is nowhere near that level.

Same, I like Metroid but I often feel internet discussion about it is lopsided. I personally hope it doesn’t go dormant again because the games are good and it serves well as a contrast to Nintendo’s other flagship franchises (which tend to be more colorful, lighthearted, fantastical and easier), but often I feel like fans take it personally when Nintendo doesn’t prioritize it over other, bigger series.

 

[SiG]

I mean, the real answer is that the "Big Three" changes depending on the generation and even Zelda isn't immune to being exchanged. Only Mario has a permeant spot throughout all of Nintendo's console generations. And even then, I don't think Metroid has ever had a place as "the top 3" asides from the SNES and Gamecube Eras and even that is contestable. Modern day I would put Pokemon, Animal Crossing, and even Splatoon over Metroid in terms of high placement.

And real talk, Metroid fans are overrepresented and overly loud on gaming forums. And I say this as a huge Metroid fan. If I have to hear how every new franchise is a waste of time compared to Metroid I'll freaking scream.

You got to the core of what I was going for!

But more importantly, I think "the third game" usually point out the which Nintendo generation the person grew up with (apart from preferences) . It's not always a guaranteed indicator, mind you, but I always found it curious when that spot switches between Pokemon, Metroid, and Splatoon. (There are times I even see "Star Fox" in there.)

yeah, EPD is Nintendo. everything they publish goes through them. not sure how that worked with EAD and SPD; I think the latter handled collaborations while EAD was strictly in house? in the R&D1 and 2 era I get completely lost

That's like saying The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Ratchet and Clank aren't Sony games because they were developed by their 2nd party studios.

Heck, that's also like saying Kirby isn't a Nintendo franchise, despite a former president of HAL ending up becoming one of the notable presidents of Nintendo.

 

[Deleted member 4028]

But as I have said, different people will have different takes on which "third" of the "big three" Nintendo franchises there are.

It seems like Mario and Zelda are taken for granted, but by popularity/sales Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Mario Kart, and Smash I think could all be equal or even higher. I get why some might say Mario and Zelda but really, I feel like all of the "big 3" spots are subjective, if there even is a "big 3."

 

[Raccoon]

With that established, hopefully folks don't ask about Pokémon, or Splatoon. That's an entirely different criteria, and an equally fair one that you're free to adhere to!

Retro Studios literally are Nintendo. Referring to them as "a bunch of white dudes" is pretty off the mark, imo. Hell, you had Miyamoto involved in Metroid Prime's production. These purity tests about what Nintendo is, and isn't seem unnecessary, especially considering the developer we're discussing is a first party studio.

I mean, as far as I'm concerned Nintendo is a building in Kyoto and a handful of floors in Tokyo. As a conglomerate a lot is "internal"

I don't consider it a purity test though. Retro just proved three days ago that they're better at using the Switch than Nintendo themselves

That's like saying The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Ratchet and Clank aren't Sony games because they were developed by their 2nd party studios.

Heck, that's also like saying Kirby isn't a Nintendo franchise, despite a former president of HAL ending up becoming one of the notable presidents of Nintendo.

I would say both of these with my whole heart. Kirby came from HAL! I love HAL.

 

[Mekanos]

It seems like Mario and Zelda are taken for granted, but by popularity/sales Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Mario Kart, and Smash I think could all be equal or even higher. I get why some might say Mario and Zelda but really, I feel like all of the "big 3" spots are subjective, if there is even a "big 3."

Smash is definitely a good contender for a third pillar but I think it’s kinda odd since its identity is based on a crossover of other series. I think that’s why people tend to forget about it, myself included.

 

[SiG]

I mean, as far as I'm concerned Nintendo is a building in Kyoto and a handful of floors in Tokyo. As a conglomerate a lot is "internal"

I don't consider it a purity test though. Retro just proved three days ago that they're better at using the Switch than Nintendo themselves


I would say both of these with my whole heart. Kirby came from HAL! I love HAL.

And while at it, that's also excluding contributions made by Intelligent Systems. (Paper Mario, the Advance Wars and Fire Emblem franchises...) They might not be "Nintendo internal", but it would seem odd not to think their contributions aren't being treated as such.

 

[SiG]

Smash is definitely a good contender for a third pillar but I think it’s kinda odd since its identity is based on a crossover of other series. I think that’s why people tend to forget about it, myself included.

I often thought of Smash as being a "Masahiro Sakurai/SORA production".

 

[Deleted member 4028]

Smash is definitely a good contender for a third pillar but I think it’s kinda odd since its identity is based on a crossover of other series. I think that’s why people tend to forget about it, myself included.

That's fair, although I feel like the gameplay itself is so unique that it can be considered. The characters, stages, and enemies are all crossovers, but the gameplay is totally its own thing. Similar to how Mario Kart, even though it has characters from all Nintendo series, has gameplay that's totally its own unique thing.

 

[Raccoon]

And while at it, that's also excluding contributions made by Intelligent Systems. (Paper Mario, the Advance Wars and Fire Emblem franchises...) They might not be "Nintendo internal", but it would seem odd not to think their contributions aren't being treated as such.

yeah, Nintendo has always outsourced a lot. not to keep getting hung up on Metroid's "status," but iirc even Fusion was made by Intelligent Systems

 

[AngryAlchemist]

At least we can all agree it isn't CodeName: Steam

 

[Djehuty]

It’s
Mario
Zelda
&
Pikmin.

The Miyamoto trio of love

fox feels left out.

 

[Enton]

Voted Metroid for the 1986 NES Trio. But outside of enthusiasts' circles, this group already doesn't make sense with Zelda.
Should be Mario Kart / Pokémon / Animal Crossing

 

[Nathan Little]

If I were to be serious for a moment, Nintendo doesn't have a big 3. They have a large collection of popular franchises, each with a highly dedicated and devoted fanbase, and all this discussion does is cause an unnecessary rift amongst the Nintendo community.

The true answer is Stinky Horse.

 

[DecoReturns]

fox feels left out.

He died

 

[Djehuty]

Voted Metroid for the 1986 NES Trio. But outside of enthusiasts' circles, this group already doesn't make sense with Zelda.
Should be Mario Kart / Pokémon / Animal Crossing

Mario kart falls under Mario, even if it’s the more poplar version of it it’s about the brand not the sinseires. For many Mario is recognized for his karting experiences rather than platforming ones.

The above is my answer since it seems it’s what Nintendo themselves believe is their big 4

Alternatively I came across the wildcard option online, an article saying nintends is selling merchandise for their franchises such as Zelda, Mario, sonic the hedgehog and animal crossing.

 

[Jersh]

Not Metroid. 2000s internet successfully gaslit people into overinflating the importance of the series tenfold. Sucks having to be negative about a series I like but i'm just trying to be real about it; Metroid is nowhere near that level.

Nothing to do with 2000s internet for me. Here's how my dumb elementary age self thought about it:

See that top row? It starts with Mario, cause he's most important. Then we get Donkey Kong, but he's kinda just an extension of the Mario universe, so he's here by association and doesn't count. Then we get Link and Samus, and a bunch of characters not important enough for the top row. So naturally, it's Mario, Zelda, and Metroid as the three most important. This was legit how I understood them for quite a while lol, despite not even playing a Zelda until Twilight Princess or Metroid until Prime Trilogy launched for $10 on the Wii U.

(For that to make any sense, you also have to realize that despite being young enough to have early memories of playing Smash before the GameCube was a thing, I also didn't play a Pokemon game until HeartGold. I understood it was something my friends liked, but I didn't grasp how big it really was.)

I often thought of Smash as being a "Masahiro Sakurai/SORA production".

Back in my day, it was HAL! But, then, where does that put us with this:

Heck, that's also like saying Kirby isn't a Nintendo franchise, despite a former president of HAL ending up becoming one of the notable presidents of Nintendo.

yeah, Nintendo has always outsourced a lot. not to keep getting hung up on Metroid's "status," but iirc even Fusion was made by Intelligent Systems

Fusion was R&D1, same as Super (and quite a few significant names carried over.) A quick Google suggests that IS was only ever involved on a Wii game that never surfaced (I believe between Prime 3 and Other M).

To my knowledge, Mercury Steam was the first external developer tapped for classic 2D Metroid.

 

[Raccoon]

Fusion was R&D1, same as Super (and quite a few significant names carried over.) A quick Google suggests that IS was only ever involved on a Wii game that never surfaced (I believe between Prime 3 and Other M).

To my knowledge, Mercury Steam was the first external developer tapped for classic 2D Metroid.

huh, I wonder what I was thinking of. thanks

 

[KC Hazel]

Mario, Zelda and Smash are Nintendo's big 3 for me. They're also gaming's big 3 for me.

 

[Mekanos]

Anyway, this is how I would rank each Nintendo series that has had at least 2* games and had a game released in the last 20 years:

S: Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Smash
A: Wii, Splatoon, Kirby, Fire Emblem, Luigi
B: Donkey Kong, Metroid, Xenoblade, Pikmin, Brain Age, Wario
C: Nintendogs, Yoshi, Star Fox, Game And Watch, Punch-Out
D: F-Zero, Mother, Kid Icarus

Factoring in:

-Sales
-General popularity/awareness both inside and outside enthusiast circles
-Longevity and legacy
-Dormancy/current activity vs. when it started and when it was most thriving

I will not be taking any criticism at this time thank you

If series like Nintendogs and Star Fox got a new Switch game, they could definitely get bumped in, ditto DK. FE would be in B if it wasn't for Heroes, and I split Yoshi/Luigi from Mario since I feel at this point they are distinct enough (but not gonna bother breaking up the other various Mario subseries lol).

Honestly the fact that Nintendogs hasn't gotten a new game is so weird. It would be perfect for a mobile game.

*2 was arbitrarily included so I could list Nintendogs, otherwise I would have cut it off at 3.

EDIT: Forgot Wario. Waaaaaa!

 

[DecoReturns]

Anyway, this is how I would rank each Nintendo series that has had at least 2* games and had a game released in the last 20 years:

S: Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Smash
A: Wii, Splatoon, Kirby, Fire Emblem, Luigi
B: Donkey Kong, Metroid, Xenoblade, Pikmin, Brain Age
C: Nintendogs, Yoshi, Star Fox, Game And Watch, Punch-Out
D: F-Zero, Mother, Kid Icarus

Factoring in:

-Sales
-General popularity/awareness both inside and outside enthusiast circles
-Longevity and legacy
-Dormancy/current activity vs. when it started and when it was most thriving

I will not be taking any criticism at this time thank you

If series like Nintendogs and Star Fox got a new Switch game, they could definitely get bumped in, ditto DK. FE would be in B if it wasn't for Heroes, and I split Yoshi/Luigi from Mario since I feel at this point they are distinct enough (but not gonna bother breaking up the other various Mario subseries lol).

Honestly the fact that Nintendogs hasn't gotten a new game is so weird. It would be perfect for a mobile game.

*2 was arbitrarily included so I could list Nintendogs, otherwise I would have cut it off at 3.

Even without Heroes. I don’t think you can drop Fire Emblem to B.

There’s 4 fire emblem games on switch alone. Mainline and spin-offs (5 if TMS counts). 4 on 3DS. It’s been a very good decade for the series honestly. And rumors of another title (remake but mainline) coming.

Heroes is more like helping it get to S but probably not a series that can ever get that far. 4 million is the top sales for the series so far. But who knows, maybe they’ll pull off a SRPG one day that explodes in sales

 

[Mazzle]

Either Donkey Kong or Metroid due to age, being made by Nintendo 1st Party and their quality of titles and showing off best
Nintendos range of games, themes and their quality.
We have a fun platformer, we have a fantasy adventure and a dark space epos that are still here today.
For me it is also the NES and SNES trio

 

[chocolate_supra]

If the question is simply "What comes to mind," then the absolute first thing that comes to mind for me is Metroid. If we're talking about what deserves to be in that spot or what the "right answer" is, that's obviously different. But for me, I think Mario, Zelda, Metroid. DK should be in there somewhere but I think my brain associates him with Mario in the same way it does Yoshi, even though both have been their own separate series for a long time. And then if we get into Kirby or Pokemon then, as has been pointed out by others already, we get into rights issues of "are these actually quote-unquote Nintendo franchises?" and that gets messy because I'm a pedantic little bitch. Anyway. LOL

Sonic the Hedgehog

What? It was also part of the DIC cartoon block back then lol

Yesss I remember getting up early for those!
*yet another grey hair pops out of his beard*

here's an assertion: the gulf in relevance between Mario and Zelda is comparable to that between Zelda and Metroid

This sounds wild but.. I actually get it and would probably agree.

fox feels left out.

of the Switch lineup? Absolutely.

 

[samouraï]

the Metroid answers here strike me as pretty silly between the sales and the length of time the series has had between games at times

Unless you're a lowly bean counter at Nintendo then I'm not sure why sales should matter to you lol

 

[AngryAlchemist]

One of the most interesting things about Nintendo is how the popularity of their franchises almost always correlate to Japan.

Every franchise that's massive in other territories is also massive in Japan. Historically, the only series where this hasn't really been the case is 3D Mario and Zelda, but even that is kind of armchair revisionism in a sense, those games were still pretty popular in Japan, just they were heavily lopsided for Western audiences.

And with the Switch, now even 3D Mario and Zelda are "there" (of course it's worth mentioning Zelda was there pre-MM and 3D Mario got there with 3D Land).

Of course this is sort of a no-shit statement. Nintendo is a Japanese company and borders and cultural differences aside, we are all human. It makes sense we have similar interests. But I'm not sure if any other publisher has this strong a correlation or has even come close. Even a publisher like Bandai Namco had the Souls games heavily favoring the West until relatively recently.

What I'm saying is Metroid is fucked for eternity. Though I do wonder if Nintendo will ever have a series as popular and heavily lopsided towards the West as Zelda was for a good 2 decades (the DS entries were a bit of an outlier there though).

 

[Pokemaniac]

With the framing given, my mind immediately goes to Metroid, but you could probably get different responses by phrasing the prompt differently. Some assorted thoughts on some of the other choices:

Pokémon is objectively one of the biggest IPs Nintendo publishes, but exists as a semi-independant entity. Kirby and Fire Emblem are similarly separate, albeit to a lesser degree.

Donkey Kong and Mario have a complicated relationship and listing both feels kinda redundant, tbh.

Splatoon is big, but is also very different from Mario, Zelda, and Metroid, and is from a very different era.

 

[VolcanicDynamo]

I think if you asked me this, like, 15 years ago, I would have said "Mario, Zelda, and Metroid." In Nintendo fandom back in the day, they were held up as the "big three" Nintendo franchises. Three game series that started in the 80s and continued into the modern day, beloved among the Nintendo faithful. And even though I wasn't a big Zelda or Metroid fan until much later on (I was content in my Mario/Pokémon/Kirby niche), I believed it!

But in terms of the actual big three, it's Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon all the way. Even though Pokémon is a co-ownership deal, it's hard not to see it as the biggest franchise Nintendo has besides Mario and Zelda. And while both Splatoon and Animal Crossing would be worthy candidates on their own, perhaps due to Nintendo's own marketing, I can only think of them in a quartet with Mario and Zelda. Neither one can strictly eclipse the other for me.

 

[Yoshifan31]

Not Metroid. 2000s internet successfully gaslit people into overinflating the importance of the series tenfold. Sucks having to be negative about a series I like but i'm just trying to be real about it; Metroid is nowhere near that level.

Gaslit? Metroid is a seminal work for videogames in general, any game design 101 class ought to mention it. It may not have had as many chances to shine on different platforms as Mario and Zelda did but the few times it had an ambitious mainline entry (SNES and Gamecube), it reached the level of critical acclaim that no other single player Nintendo series can do besides Mario and Zelda. Once a work reaches the canon it stays there, you don’t see movie discussions being constantly derailed by how “Blade Runner and The Thing were actually flops, why are so many people still talking about them”. You may say that its relevance or sales is disproportionate to the attention it receives online but like, who cares? You have series like Yakuza, Persona, Nier, From Software games and Arcsys games that have memed their way into relevance. They used to be quite niche, they got to be cult classics with diehard fanbases, they got their time to shine and explode in sales due to good word of mouth and also due to offering certain aspects that people were missing in AAA gaming. Once Prime 4 actually drops, Metroid will solidify its place in Nintendo’s big three

I really don’t see any other series deserving to stand next to Mario and Zelda, we’re talking about the big, critically acclaimed, single player system sellers here. Stuff like Smash and Mario Kart, on top of being crossovers, may have the critical reception and sales but they are multiplayer games so they make more sense as part of a multiplayer big three. Now the elephant in the room would be Pokemon, it’s clearly the most popular Nintendo IP alongside Mario but it shouldn’t be mentioned next to Mario and Zelda for multiple reasons. The most notable one is how it’s not even fully owned by Nintendo. This, on top of them being basically forced to release games yearly, made that Pokemon is essentially the only Nintendo series to not have had a smooth transition to 3D. Third game of the big three simply can’t be anything besides Metroid

 

[Thunder84]

The whole “is it really Nintendo?” question is simply a matter of whether you consider Nintendo as a publisher or a developer, because those are two very different things, and there isn’t a correct answer between them.

Personally, when I think of Nintendo, my mind goes to the breadth of their library as a publisher, rather than what they directly develop (in which case I refer to them as Nintendo EPD). But I understand that not everyone will agree on that, which makes a question like this rather difficult.

 

[Mekanos]

Gaslit? Metroid is a seminal work for videogames in general, any game design 101 class ought to mention it. It may not have had as many chances to shine on different platforms as Mario and Zelda did but the few times it had an ambitious mainline entry (SNES and Gamecube), it reached the level of critical acclaim that no other single player Nintendo series can do besides Mario and Zelda. Once a work reaches the canon it stays there, you don’t see movie discussions being constantly derailed by how “Blade Runner and The Thing were actually flops, why are so many people still talking about them”. You may say that its relevance or sales is disproportionate to the attention it receives online but like, who cares? You have series like Yakuza, Persona, Nier, From Software games and Arcsys games that have memed their way into relevance. They used to be quite niche, they got to be cult classics with diehard fanbases, they got their time to shine and explode in sales due to good word of mouth and also due to offering certain aspects that people were missing in AAA gaming. Once Prime 4 actually drops, Metroid will solidify its place in Nintendo’s big three

I really don’t see any other series deserving to stand next to Mario and Zelda, we’re talking about the big, critically acclaimed, single player system sellers here. Stuff like Smash and Mario Kart, on top of being crossovers, may have the critical reception and sales but they are multiplayer games so they make more sense as part of a multiplayer big three. Now the elephant in the room would be Pokemon, it’s clearly the most popular Nintendo IP alongside Mario but it shouldn’t be mentioned next to Mario and Zelda for multiple reasons. The most notable one is how it’s not even fully owned by Nintendo. This, on top of them being basically forced to release games yearly, made that Pokemon is essentially the only Nintendo series to not have had a smooth transition to 3D. Third game of the big three simply can’t be anything besides Metroid

I could just as easily say, who cares about critical reception? There are over half a dozen Pokemon games that have sold individually more than the entire Metroid series combined. Its cultural footprint is monstrous and only really Mario compares on that front, not just in Nintendo but in gaming in general. Pikachu is one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world, that's a far bigger metric than something as arbitrary as Metacritic scores.

The comparison to movies doesn't make sense. Nobody would serious argue Blade Runner is as culturally relevant as contemporary movies from that era like Star Wars or Indiana Jones.

 

[Apopheniac]

My inclination is Pokémon, but I feel like Splatoon is more correct? Outside of the ownership question, "Mario, Zelda, blank" suggests to me it's a descending series, and going purely by sales, Pokémon would be above Zelda. Splatoon sounds better than Animal Crossing because it's only two syllables versus Animal Crossing's five and maintains the implied sales descent without the massive dropoff between Zelda and Metroid.

 

[Clov]

I could just as easily say, who cares about critical reception? There are over half a dozen Pokemon games that have sold individually more than the entire Metroid series combined. Its cultural footprint is monstrous and only really Mario compares on that front, not just in Nintendo but in gaming in general. Pikachu is one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world, that's a far bigger metric than something as arbitrary as Metacritic scores.

The comparison to movies doesn't make sense. Nobody would serious argue Blade Runner is as culturally relevant as contemporary movies from that era like Star Wars or Indiana Jones.

100% this! Metroid is small time and not anywhere CLOSE to Pokemon. Honestly it's simple insanity to think otherwise.

Mario, Pokemon, Zelda. Maybe even swap Zelda for Animal Crossing!

 

[Barely Able]

the Metroid answers here strike me as pretty silly between the sales and the length of time the series has had between games at times

Most of us are olds is why