When it comes to storied companies in the video game industry, it's hard to beat the legend of Nintendo. They have produced some of the biggest worldwide franchises in history, many of which have never seen the light of day on another console.
But over the years, a few of those franchises seem to have slipped through the proverbial cracks. A lot of them were absolute classics that fell to the side as gaming history moved forward. Fans would certainly welcome new releases for some of those franchises while others are probably best left to Saturday night retro gaming parties with friends.
9 DOESN'T NEED A NEW RELEASE: Pushmo
Nintendo has a long history of making great puzzle games. Obviously, titles like Tetris and Dr. Mario immediately jump to mind in such conversations. That being said, there have been more than a few other games for Nintendo in that category.
Released in 2011, Pushmo was about shifting objects around to free kids in a park. It was popular enough that it spawned three sequels by 2015, though it hasn't been heard from since. Unless something big changes, the essential premise has played itself out by this point.
8 NEEDS A NEW RELEASE: Rayman
It's had to call Rayman a forgotten franchise since it's one that fans are always excited to see new releases from. That being said, it's been awhile since a new game was added to the popular series and it would be welcome.
Rayman isn't a Nintendo exclusive but it has had a presence of some kind on their systems since the year 2000. The most recent game was released for the Switch in 2019, but it was an updated port of a 2013 game. It's long past time that a new game made it's way to Nintendo.
7 DOESN'T NEED A NEW RELEASE: Tomodachi
For all intents and purposes, the Tomodachi games are essentially The Sims except using Miis. Just to keep things clear, Miis are the customizable avatars that Nintendo uses and first started popping up on the Wii— which is why they're called Miis.
The last game was released for the 3DS in 2013. There is definitely still somewhat of a fanbase calling for a new game on the Switch but most players have moved on to other games by this point.
6 NEEDS A NEW RELEASE: Castlevania
One of the most venerable franchises in the history of gaming is Castlevania which focuses on different members of the Belmont family hunting vampires. Some gamers earliest memories are playing Castlevania and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest on the NES.
But at this point, the gaming franchise has been exceedingly quiet. The last release on Nintendo systems was 2013's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate for the 3DS. The HD remaster of that game then bypassed Nintendo all together. Given the popularity of the animated Netflix series, it might be time for a return.
5 DOESN'T NEED A NEW RELEASE: Viewtiful Joe
Sometimes a franchise only seems to be relevant in a certain era of gaming. That definitely seems to be the case with Viewtiful Joe, a series of side-scrolling beat 'em ups that had three releases on the GameCube between 2003 and 2005 and was initially exclusive to the platform.
There was only one more game in the franchise released for the DS in 2005. There have been no other games since then, though the main character has appeared in a few fighting games. At this point, next to no one is demanding another entry.
4 NEEDS A NEW RELEASE: Kid Icarus
Outside of hardcore Nintendo fans, it's a safe bet that most modern gamers are not particularly familiar with the Kid Icarus games. The original focused on Pit, an angel who lived in Angel Land and fought to protect the goddess of light from the goddess of darkness.
The original game was released for the NES in 1986 with follow ups on Game Boy in 1991 and 3DS in 2012. There have been a few updated versions of the 1986 game, but that's about it. There's definitely an opportunity to create a new entry in the franchise, especially since the original is considered a cult classic.
3 DOESN'T NEED A NEW RELEASE: Golden Sun
The RPG genre has a lot of titles to choose from across all platforms, some of which stand out more than others. Golden Sun definitely had its fans but it wasn't a game that ever really stood out from the pack.
It stuck to Nintendo's handheld systems with three games on Game Boy Advance and the DS between 2001 and 2010. At this point, it's hard to imagine what this franchise could bring to the table that fans aren't already getting from other games.
2 NEEDS A NEW RELEASE: F-Zero
While the RPG genre might feel overloaded with options, racing games used to feel the same way. These days, there are a lot fewer franchises coming out on a regular basis but there are definitely some reliable core titles.
The Nintendo franchise F-Zero used to be one of them but it hasn't been seen since 2004, and that was after nine games in 14 years. There's definitely room in the industry for a series respected as having some of the most difficult racing games of all time.
1 DOESN'T NEED A NEW RELEASE: Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! started its life as a popular arcade game, making it's way to the NES as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! in 1987. It is generally considered to be one of the top games ever made, and spawned a couple of sequels, spinoffs and ports.
Outside of retro gaming nights, there hasn't been much talk of this franchise since the most recent game was released for the Wii in 2009. Fans might see a new game down the road at some point but it's hard to say if anyone will be receptive to it.