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Discussion Nintendo's Lost Franchises Thread- 2023 Revision

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    TheRealWario

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    Seeing as Nintendo is beginning to run low on franchises to port to the Switch, they've got to scrape the bottom of the barrel for leftovers. Unfortunately, none of these franchises deserve to be at the bottom of the metaphorical barrel, but they unfortunately aren't pulling the same numbers as MK8 Deluxe or TOTK. I thought it might be nice to pour one out for the Rhythm Heavens, Nintendogs, Nintendolands, Excitebikes, and Punch-Outs and speculate as to whether these franchises might wind up with a new entry soon. Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox fans are welcome to join us as well, as for some reason Nintendo keeps forgetting them in the corner behind the barrel. To get started, I wanna ask, what was your personal favorite one-off Nintendo published game?
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    • It isn't a one-off technically but given the enormous gap in time between sequels and us being over a decade out from the last one, does Kid Icarus Uprising warrant being here?

    Otherwise yeah, Rhythm Heaven, Excitebike, Punch-Out and DKC/Star Fox (more confident these two aren't fully dead) all need a comeback pronto.
     
    AstroOhHey said:
    It isn't a one-off technically but given the enormous gap in time between sequels and us being over a decade out from the last one, does Kid Icarus Uprising warrant being here?

    Otherwise yeah, Rhythm Heaven, Excitebike, Punch-Out and DKC/Star Fox (more confident these two aren't fully dead) all need a comeback pronto.
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    Absolutely, that game deserves way more than 3ds exclusivity and a divisive control scheme. Where's our switch port, Sakurai?
     
    • Kid Icarus
    • Punch-Out
    • Wario Land
    • Donkey Kong
    • Star Fox
    And calling those last two “dormant” feels like a stretch. Hopefully we see all 5 in the near future.

    I’m sure there are others (and if F-Zero GX HD isn’t a thing, then you could arguably add F-Zero to the list too) but those stand out to me as the major ones.
     
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    As far as true Nintendo one-offs go, my favorite is probably Mole Mania. Solid puzzle game that I'm kinda surprised never got more attention.

    I'm not gonna pretend they're losing out by not making a new one, but I think it could make some sense as an eshop-only game sorta along the lines of Boxboy. Just a series of puzzles that gradually introduce new mechanics and build in complexity.
     
    I want a Mario (or a new IP) subseries with the gameplay of Doki Doki Panic / Super Mario 2 USA, which I guess would essentially be like reviving Doki Doki Panic. I played that for the first time recently and was shocked at how good it was, especially ambitious for its mixture of exploration and adventure into a platformer.
     
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    • Ice Climber
    • StarTropics
    • The Mysterious Murasame Castle
    • Steel Diver
    • Metal Slader Glory
    • Starfy
    • Mach Rider
    • Pilotwings
    • Sin & Punishment
    • Doshin the Giant

    ...to name a few...
     
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    Pouring one out for Custom Robo whose only game released in Europe was Custom Robo Arena on DS in 2007 which was also the last game in the series
     
    I think that everything from CiNG and skip would fare a lot better on Switch. The Another Code re-release was unexpected, and hopefully, it sells well enough to warrant a Hotel Dusk collection... and maybe something else.

    Then we have The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls and Card Hero. Both were developed by Sakamoto and Intelligent Systems, and out of principle I feel Nintendo one day has to release them. Frog is a little gem, and I really recommend everyone to try the fan translation. Or even better, to wait for the colourization hack, whereas both Card Hero games are still left untranslated. After Famicom Detective Club remakes, I'm hopeful for both of them.

    Btw, I think Punch-Out!! might still have a future. It had a lot of cameos in the Mario Movie. I remember reading somewhere (perhaps on the purple forum) that Nintendo is no longer comfortable with having so many ethnic stereotypes, and it makes sense. They could retool the series in a meta way, with the main character (not Little Mac) fighting every Nintendo heavy-hitter, from K. Rool to Kraid, until, of course, the last opponent is Little Mac. DK already featured in Punch-Out!! Wii, and Mario cameod in the original NES release, so why not? I think it could work.
     
    Not a one off, but Kid Icarus Uprising was way too good to be a continuation to two janky platformers.
    I've also enjoyed my time with StarTropics last year. Admittedly a bastard of a game that just loves to ruin your fun, but I love that kinda stuff. Not sure if it needs to be brought back, though. It's basically a puzzle-action dungeon crawler and after Startropics 2 we've got that in every Zelda game. Although now that Zelda has gone in a different direction, maybe there is a market for puzzle-action-adventure.
     
    The way the series was treated through its regional and store exclusive release strategy for its sequels, and having its genre upended for its make-or-break 'comeback', Chibi-Robo on the GC might as well be a one-off title. I know it's dead Jim, but it's still one of my favourite Nintendo titles.

    Given its success I'm surprised they never did anything else with Tomodachi Life. I suppose some of it was kind of repurposed for Miitomo but they're still very different titles.
     
    A new Eternal's Darkness
    A new Wave Race
    A new Excite Truck

    And instead of Punch-Out I would like a new Teleroboxer.
     
    I really hope the Another Code revival paves the way for Hotel Dusk. A new Rhythm Beaven would be swell too.
     
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    The two franchises I want the most to come back are Chibi-Robo! and Rhythm Paradise/ Heaven. They really need to remaster the GC Chibi-Robo! and give the franchise another chance.
    DenkeyKong said:
    I don't know if it's really a franchise because it only has 1 game, but I'd love to see a modern Kuru Kuru Kururin
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    There are also two Japan-exclusive sequels, so yeah, it absolutely is a franchise.
     
    This thread has been open for several hours and no mention of Golden Sun yet? Fami, you're slipping.

    Stuff like Another Code coming back does give me hope for GS's future, but can't see Nintendo in a rush currently when they have a glut of Mario RPGs to bring back.

    Vookatos said:
    Not a one off, but Kid Icarus Uprising was way too good to be a continuation to two janky platformers.
    I've also enjoyed my time with StarTropics last year. Admittedly a bastard of a game that just loves to ruin your fun, but I love that kinda stuff. Not sure if it needs to be brought back, though. It's basically a puzzle-action dungeon crawler and after Startropics 2 we've got that in every Zelda game. Although now that Zelda has gone in a different direction, maybe there is a market for puzzle-action-adventure.
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    I can't see any hope for StarTropics outside of maybe Next Level Games or Retro deciding to give it a go. But I actually think a semi open world experience with you on an island, moving from dungeon to dungeon could work; harkening back to the more traditional 3D Zelda's given the similarities between their original games.

    Also, I concur with KI Uprising
     
    While Hal Laboratory technically is independant they're so integrated with Nintendo that if they would ever bring back some of their old stuff it would be on a Nintendo machine so I do consider it a lost Nintendo franchise =)

    Which is why I want Adventures of lolo to return, with gameplay in the style of Captain Toad. It would be an absolute perfect fit for the franchise.


    Outside of that I'll echo other franchises that's been mentioned.. Punch Out, Star Tropics and Kid Icarus - I would love to play uprising without gutting my hands.
     
    scamander said:
    The two franchises I want the most to come back are Chibi-Robo! and Rhythm Paradise/ Heaven. They really need to remaster the GC Chibi-Robo! and give the franchise another chance.

    There are also two Japan-exclusive sequels, so yeah, it absolutely is a franchise.
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    I don't think Rhythm Paradise and Tomodachi are "lost", they just didn't appear on Switch... yet. Rhythm Paradise feels like a perfect "late-gen" game.
     
    I would have wrote trace memory and hotel dusk but with trace memory making a comeback hopefully it won't be lost again.

    But for this thread, i'll say soma bringer and also pandora's tower and the last story.
     
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    Golden Sun has more chances to reappear than ever so that's not exactly a lost franchise by now.

    Eternal Darkness is something I would love to see back though, one of Gamecube's hidden gems that wasn't actually rushed.
     
    doodlewhizz said:
    The way the series was treated through its regional and store exclusive release strategy for its sequels, and having its genre upended for its make-or-break 'comeback', Chibi-Robo on the GC might as well be a one-off title. I know it's dead Jim, but it's still one of my favourite Nintendo titles.

    Given its success I'm surprised they never did anything else with Tomodachi Life. I suppose some of it was kind of repurposed for Miitomo but they're still very different titles.
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    Unless it really is dead Jim, I think an HD port of the original game on the Switch/Switch 2 would do more for the IP and franchise than a new entry could do, ESPECIALLY with what they pulled for Zip Lash

    Edit: Maybe an English translation port of the Japan-only Happy Richie Ōsōji! would be nice to get for an eventual DS NSO
     
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    Gingerbread Man said:
    I don't think Rhythm Paradise and Tomodachi are "lost", they just didn't appear on Switch... yet. Rhythm Paradise feels like a perfect "late-gen" game.
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    Tomodachi Life is like Donkey Kong, it hasn't gotten a new game sure, but how well it's done in the past guarantees it will appear again at some point. I imagine the only hold up is just finding the time and resources to do it.
     
    Eternal Darkness seems like the game that really needs to come back. Silicon Knights never have made a game with this quality before and since (not even legaacy of kane blood omen is as good).

    It is not a pretty game for its time, especially next to Resident Evil Remake and Zero which came out at the same time it looked horrendous. But still it brought so many new aspects to the table. The combat system has never been replicated and yet allowed so many interesting strategic options. The magick system had its balance and encouraged experimentation as well and finally the sanity system.

    It probably would have been better to invest money into ED rather than the fatal frame series.

    Its a shame that it will not happen.
     
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    Galgavias said:
    This thread has been open for several hours and no mention of Golden Sun yet? Fami, you're slipping.

    Stuff like Another Code coming back does give me hope for GS's future, but can't see Nintendo in a rush currently when they have a glut of Mario RPGs to bring back.


    I can't see any hope for StarTropics outside of maybe Next Level Games or Retro deciding to give it a go. But I actually think a semi open world experience with you on an island, moving from dungeon to dungeon could work; harkening back to the more traditional 3D Zelda's given the similarities between their original games.

    Also, I concur with KI Uprising
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    Form what I’ve heard golden sun isn’t nearly as bad as the others as there is interest in Nintendo to bring it back, which is more than what a lot can say.

    And to consider donkey kong anywhere remotely in the series of this vicinity is a bit, weird, considering it’s getting a theme park next year.
     
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    Please Nintendo revive through remakes or new games:

    • Golden Sun
    • Rhythm Heaven
    • Wario Land
    • Punch Out
    • Last Story
    • Pandora’s Tower
    • Eternal Darkness
    • Sin & Punishment
    • Endless Ocean
    • Doshin the Giant
    • Earthbound
     
    Golden Sun TLA my fave game all time but honestly I don't think there is an angle for Golden Sun to thrive in the current day. I would love to be wrong but yeah. In battle class changes due to magic casting + top tier dungeon design feel like hard features to sell a new fantasy RPG on. But yeah Air's Rock forever.
     
    The fact we never got a FULL sequel to Mario RPG is criminal. Yes we have Mario and Luigi/ Paper Mario, but I want a full sequel with the same world and characters of RPG. Thankfully we do have a remake, so it could be worse, but still
     
    I know its weird to mention F-Zero since we just got 99, but that game is so much fun its convinced me that a fully new F-Zero game could be incredible. I didn't really pay F-Zero too much mind before this but now I would be completely down for a full brand new installment.

    Aside from that there's a couple things I'd like to see like Wario Land, Wave Race, Captain Toad, and Kid Icarus. Donkey Kong is absolutely the biggest wish of mine, and I know a new game will happen eventually but I really hope it's within the first year of Switch 2's launch because I'm going crazy waiting for this IP to come back.
     
    Gartooth said:
    I know its weird to mention F-Zero since we just got 99, but that game is so much fun its convinced me that a fully new F-Zero game could be incredible. I didn't really pay F-Zero too much mind before this but now I would be completely down for a full brand new installment.

    Aside from that there's a couple things I'd like to see like Wario Land, Wave Race, Captain Toad, and Kid Icarus. Donkey Kong is absolutely the biggest wish of mine, and I know a new game will happen eventually but I really hope it's within the first year of Switch 2's launch because I'm going crazy waiting for this IP to come back.
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    99 is nee f zero, other than track design and kart desing and music from the snes it’s from the ground up, just in the same visual style.

    99 did more for f zero than any new traditional game could.
     
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    really enjoy the Mario Artist series for the 64DD, particularly the polygon studio. making your own character models and running around picking up new parts to make more models is fun and i'd love to see more weird experiments like that. even just being able to mess around with making basic 3d models on the switch would be cool.
     
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    If it counts, Fossil Fighters? We're nearing 10 years since the last game released (in JP at least, nearing 9 since it released in the west) and I have been craving a new one so badly I keep replaying the first two games. ...Just as long as any new game wouldn't be like Frontier.
     
    It always feels weird to me to count Rhythm Heaven as "dead" when the last game came out just a less than a year before the Switch launched in the west and was advertised alongside BotW at E3.
    It has been the longest gap between games the series has ever had, but it doesn't feel like it's gonna stay abandoned if that makes sense? Just feels weird seeing it alongside Punch-Out and Nintendogs I guess. Maybe I'm just in denial that it's been over 8 years since Megamix came out in Japan.
     
    1. tomodachi friend collection
    2. golden sun
    3. sin n punishment
    4. fossil fighters
    5. donkey kong
    6. mother
    7. kid icarus
    8. star fox
    9. chibi robo
    10. custom robo
    11. panel de pon
    12. endkess ocean
    13. wario (platform)
    14. punch out
    15. pushmo
    16. 1080 snowboarding
    17. zelda 4 sword
    18. nintendogs
    19. pilot wings
    20. wave race
    21. rhythm paradise
     
    JazzyFuture said:
    It always feels weird to me to count Rhythm Heaven as "dead" when the last game came out just a less than a year before the Switch launched in the west and was advertised alongside BotW at E3.
    It has been the longest gap between games the series has ever had, but it doesn't feel like it's gonna stay abandoned if that makes sense? Just feels weird seeing it alongside Punch-Out and Nintendogs I guess. Maybe I'm just in denial that it's been over 8 years since Megamix came out in Japan.
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    Hopefully we hear from it again soon. After all, its been 7 years (excluding 3d world port) since a new 3d Mario, and we're virtually guaranteed another one of those. Granted, Rhythm Heaven is not a massive seller, but could easily be a late-generation title.
     
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    My personal definition of a dead franchise is one that's missing for two console generations, while a dormant franchise is a franchise that's been missing for one. For example, I would consider Rhythm Heaven dormant if we don't get a new one before the Switch NG drops, but the Excite series is dead because we haven't seen that shit since Wii (as it should, because those games suck).

    In that respect, I personally think that a new Punch-Out!! or Wave Race would be pretty sweet. I think the latter especially would make for a nice technical showcase for the next console. And as for my favourite Nintendo published one-off... well, I'm holding onto hope that ARMS makes a return, so I'm going to go with either Sushi Striker or Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
     
    As someone who loved the original Excitebike as a kid I gotta say it's fine if they just lay that one to rest. It was given plenty of chances, it had 64, Truck, Bots, and World Rally, and none of them were really compelling enough to have staying power. I'd gladly take more plain ports of them all but I would never demand Nintendo to pour resources into trying to revive it as a franchise again. The things that made the original stand out, custom tracks, precise jumping and tilting to land smoothly, those are just normal mechanics that show up in plenty of racing games now.

    I hope Switch Sports didn't fall off so fast that they consider it a failure. I love the graphic design, the music, the atmosphere of the little utopian walkable community, and you know what? Fight me, I am so ready to let go of Miis completely, they were always pretty cringe and ugly and didn't fit in stylistically with anything else, I fully welcome our Sportsmate overlords. And if it were up to me they would basically do what they did with Pilotwings Resort and do an aircraft-based sequel, keep the online multiplayer focus, and take that F-Zero 99 Grand Prix multi-race format and basically make their own Fall Guys-like random mission gauntlet battle royal.

    If ARMS never comes back it'll feel like the greatest injustice, I always love pointing out that it technically had a more successful launch than Street Fighter V.
     
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