Plenty of video game developers come and go in the industry, but Nintendo has made sure that they’ve remained a pivotal player ever since they jumped into the medium. Nintendo takes a lot of big swings when it comes to video games and they’ve become known for their ambitious and unconventional gaming hardware, as well as the numerous successful franchises that they’ve helped grow.
Even individuals that know next to nothing about video games are still likely aware of Nintendo properties like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and even Metroid. Nintendo excels in this department, but they’re also responsible for just as many franchises that they’ve completely abandoned and allow to collect dust, some of which still hold plenty of potential.
9 Golden Sun’s Fantasy World Still Has Many Stories Left To Tell
Camelot is low-key one of Nintendo's best developers and they know how to create an addictive title that can sustain a full franchise. Camelot's Golden Sun is an RPG series set in a fantasy world that leans into the traditional gameplay and story elements of classic series like Final Fantasy.
Golden Sun and its sequel are huge Game Boy Advance titles and its follow-up on the Nintendo DS doesn't disappoint. However, Nintendo has dragged their feet regarding future entries even though there's still so much to say in this world.
8 Wario Land Should Have As Healthy Of A Life As Mario’s Solo Efforts
Wario begins as an unusual antagonist for Mario, but he’s gradually become his own individual that can headline his own series. The Wario Land games operate as entertaining counterpoints to the handheld Super Mario Land series. The games put Wario on the hunt for treasure and equip him with some wildly weird power-ups to assist him on his journey.
Wario Land successfully makes the shift from Nintendo handhelds to their home consoles, but it’s been ages since they’ve done anything with this goldmine of an adventure series.
7 F-Zero Has The Potential To Become A Crazier Mario Kart
F-Zero is an integral racing series from Nintendo that’s seen entries on the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, the GameCube, and several handheld platforms, all of which push the racing genre to dizzying new heights and speeds. F-Zero is more challenging and less cute than Mario Kart, which is perhaps why it’s gradually received less attention from Nintendo.
F-Zero still has a strong presence in the Super Smash Bros. crossover fighting series, but Captain Falcon deserves to once again dominate as an intergalactic racer, not just a niche fighting character with a strong kick.
6 Punch-Out!! Should Be A Regular Nintendo Staple
Punch-Out!! remains a notorious footnote in Nintendo’s history because the original Nintendo Entertainment System title is still one of the most demanding and frustrating video games of all time. Periodic updates to Punch-Out!! have happened over time, but things have been silent with the quirky boxing series ever since the Wii’s take on the franchise.
The Wii’s version Punch-Out!! successfully improves upon the formula and the Switch’s hardware could do an even better job at this. Nintendo’s world has grown so big and interesting that there’s just so much more to explore with the boxing series.
5 StarTropics Could Have Become Nintendo’s Biggest & Most Creative Franchise
Some of Nintendo’s very best franchises first appeared on the original Nintendo Entertainment System, but have gotten the opportunity to evolve along with the innovations of the gaming industry. StarTropics is an immersive adventure game with RPG elements that contains some of the most passion out of any NES title.
There's rampant creativity and innovation that's present in StarTropics, but unfortunately 1994's Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II, also for the Nintendo Entertainment System, marks the premature end of what is still one of Nintendo's most compelling worlds.
4 Kirby Air Ride Is A Complex Racing Series That Deserves More Opportunities
Masahiro Sakurai has become a wildly important name in the video game industry due to what he's done with the Super Smash Bros. series, but he's also responsible for several other impressive gaming accomplishments, many of which revolve around Kirby.
Kirby Air Ride is a GameCube racing game that reinterprets Kirby's universe to a fast-paced and unique experience. Kirby Air Ride seems to be treated like a misfire, but there's such life and effort put into the spin-off that can easily sustain a full franchise.
3 Advance Wars Is A Strategy Series That’s Stuck With Nintendo For Generations
Nintendo has had a very complex relationship with their "Wars" series, which started all the way back on the Famicom as Famicom Wars. Ever since there’s been a robust update to Nintendo’s acclaimed strategy series for their most recent platform, but sadly this tradition came to an end.
The GameCube's real-time tactics spin-off in the series, Battalion Wars, is the most recent Advance Wars entry and it's over 15 years old. Nintendo isn’t the first company that’s thought of when it comes to strategy titles, but Advance Wars deserves to continue.
2 Wave Race Has Become A Wet Relic Of Nintendo’s Past
Racing games have become a bit of a lost art and Nintendo has basically gone all in on Mario Kart, but it’s come at the cost of their other, more grounded, racing series. Wave Race made its debut on the Game Boy, but its role as a launch title for both the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube cemented Wave Race as an important part of Nintendo’s legacy.
However, fans of the aquatic racing series have been waiting for some time for any continuation to the franchise and jet ski racing fanatics have even less resources to enjoy.
1 Pokémon Trading Card Game Is A Handy Version Of The Popular Pokémon Offshoot
Pokémon is certainly not a franchise that Nintendo has forgotten about and it’s likely that it’s never going to vanish from the company’s radar. Pokémon’s core series has never been stronger and there are more spin-offs and alternative Pokémon resources than ever before.
However, two reinterpretations of the series, Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Pinball, have been dormant for years with no signs of return. This is surprising since Pokémon’s actual trading card game is still popular and a digital version would properly take advantage of this. Additionally, Nintendo’s hardware is even more capable to recreate a pinball experience.