The video game industry has experienced unbelievable growth and each new generation in the industry pushes the medium forward to greater technology and levels of immersion. There are some pivotal players that have emerged as the leading creative forces and game developers, but Nintendo has always been a part of the conversation and is responsible for some of the biggest franchises.
Nintendo’s first-party properties are usually the standout titles on their consoles; they’ve also led to the dominance of some exciting gaming mascots. Nintendo’s signature characters like Super Mario, Link, Kirby, and Samus are foundational figures in gaming, but there are also some individuals who wear thin on audiences and have already overstayed their welcome.
10 Pink Gold Peach Is A Lazy Spin On A Tired Idea
The continued success of Nintendo's offshoot Mario series has led to bloated character rosters that have incorporated more and more tertiary Nintendo characters into the mix. There have also been some original characters that have been created that riff on familiar ideas. Pink Gold Peach is supposed to be a variation on Metal Mario, but the latter holds an important part of Super Mario legacy through its role in Super Mario 64. Pink Gold Peach is just a lazy palette swap to a half-baked idea. The character first appears in Mario Kart 8, but she's also in a number of other games.
9 Kiddy Kong Is A Lazy Contribution That Lacks Substance
The Super Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Country trilogy are some of the most creative and satisfying platformers on the 16-bit Nintendo console. Each entry in the series shifts its perspective over to slightly different Kongs. The first two games nail this dynamic, but Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble is held back by its dead weight sidekick, Kiddy Kong. The fact that Kiddy Kong didn’t show up in Donkey Kong 64 and has more or less been scrubbed from the franchise speaks to the unpopular nature of this neglected Kong.
8 Adam Malkovich Is An Unnecessary Figure Who Detracts From Samus
Nintendo’s Metroid franchise is an iconic science fiction property that’s consistently improved over time through the unique genre risks that it’s willing to take. Nintendo has allowed Metroid to become action-adventure games, first-person shooters, and even a pinball property.
Part of Metroid's charm is that its intrepid heroine, Samus Aran, is a lone wolf who has saved the galaxy several times over. Metroid Fusion subtly introduces Adam Malkovoich of the Galactic Federation, yet Metroid: Other M enhances his role at the cost of Samus’ own agency. Metroid doesn’t need a character like this for Samus to report to and revere — it’s a step backwards.
7 Navi Sets An Annoying Precedent In The Legend Of Zelda Series
The Nintendo 64’s Ocarina of Time forever changed Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda adventure series. The game features a larger scope, more detailed weapons, and a litany of fresh features that have since become Zelda staples. However, Ocarina of Time also introduces Navi, Link’s fairy helper who tries to provide helpful advice on his quest. Navi has good intentions, but her tendency to interrupt when it’s not helpful becomes a growing problem and the character quickly wears out her utility. Even worse, Navi’s partner role gets carried over through the games, even if it’s not specifically with her.
6 The Broodals Feel Derivative Of Past Super Mario Baddies
There's no end in sight for the Super Mario series' platforming heights and the Nintendo Switch's Super Mario Odyssey is considered by many fans to be one of the best games in the prolific franchise. Most Super Mario titles feature Bowser as the ultimate villain and he's not wholly absent in Super Mario Odyssey. However, a conniving quartet of four rabbits, the Broodals, are Mario's main source of frustration in his Switch adventure. The Broodals are quite distinct and have creative designs, but they feel reductive of the Koopalings and all of the other lesser sub-bosses that have occupied Mario's adventures.
5 Slippy Toad Is More Of A Nuisance Than A Novelty
Star Fox absolutely broke barriers with its Super Nintendo debut and the core games in the series are still some of the most satisfying and replayable rail shooter adventures. Fox McCloud is typically front and center in the Star Fox series, but the supporting members of Team Star Fox are all important to Fox.
Star Fox figures like Falco and Peppy O’Hare can sometimes be grating, but they serve a purpose. Alternatively, Slippy Toad requires assistance more often than not and his whiny attitude towards aerial dogfights is more annoying than entertaining.
4 Louie Is Proof That Less Can Be More In The Pikmin Franchise
Pikmin is a real-time strategy series from Nintendo that truly represents the company’s cute and creative aesthetics. Pikmin started on the Gamecube and has slowly found a larger audience, with representation in Super Smash Bros. also helping its visibility. Pikmin’s intrepid Captain Olimar is an entertaining protagonist, but the subsequent games in the series bring forward a companion, Louie. Louie’s existence facilitates two-player co-operative play, but he’s otherwise a lazy addition. Audiences even thought that Louie might secretly be a traitor to Olimar due to his clunky nature.
3 Petey Piranha Is A One-Note Villain Who’s Been Turned Into An Inevitability
One of the first major antagonists that audiences face in the Gamecube’s Super Mario Sunshine is the giant and unruly Piranha Plant monstrosity, Petey Piranha. The awkward nature of this lumbering behemoth works well as a boss obstacle, especially with the physics that are present in Super Mario Sunshine. However, Nintendo has tried to reclaim this character as an ally to Mario and friends and he’s wound up on a lot of rosters where more deserving characters are overlooked. Petey Piranha has even snuck his way into the Super Smash Bros. series to an increasing degree.
2 Fi’s Help Never Feels Natural & She Wastes A Compelling Concept
There’s a very appealing idea behind Fi, Link’s helper in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, who’s a physical spirit that embodies the Master Sword. Skyward Sword could retroactively give Fi and Link’s other adventures extra weight through this revelation, but in the end Fi comes across as unfulfilled potential with a bland design and problematic habits. A major issue with Skyward Sword is that it presents Fi like she’s an exciting ally, but she becomes more annoying than Ocarina of Time’s Navi.
1 Baby Mario Has Pushed Nintendo Into Increasingly Juvenile Territory
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island and its shift towards a Yoshi protagonist that needs to keep Baby Mario safe was an exciting change of pace for the platforming series. Baby Mario’s shrill cry was intentionally designed to be as obnoxious as possible, but that hasn’t kept the character from receiving heavy representation across franchises. Less is more with Baby Mario and the character works when he’s not just treated like a gimmick. Unfortunately, Baby Mario has led to an abundance of Baby Nintendo characters, many of which don’t even come from an existing game, like Baby Rosalina or Baby Daisy.