Out of all of the first-party video game developers, it’s Nintendo who’s been in the industry the longest and it’s incredibly interesting to look at their trajectory through the various gaming generations. Nintendo has been able to cultivate some very popular franchises over the years and they have a tendency to hang onto properties or revive forgotten ones to great effect. Nintendo is also a company that’s made a serious contribution to both handheld gaming as well as console releases.
Nintendo’s work in both of these fields is substantial, but there are a number of franchises that remain restricted to their handheld work. The Switch has turned into a successful console that can also function like a handheld, which makes it the perfect platform to revive some previously handheld-only gems.
9 The Golden Sun Games Are JRPGs At Their Best & Most Addictive
The Golden Sun fantasy series by Camelot Software is just an excellent JRPG series that sticks to the fundamentals, but pushes the genre in fulfilling ways and gets the most out of the handheld hardware. The original Golden Sun started production as a Nintendo 64 title before it shifted over to the Game Boy Advance.
The series would go on to strive on the handheld and migrate over to the Nintendo DS, but in doing so it ultimately limited the franchise. The Switch would be perfect for a compilation release to properly introduce a modern audience to these exceptional games.
8 The Legendary Starfy Is A Nintendo Platformer With 20 Years Of Titles To Pull From
There are a number of stranger and more obscure Japanese titles that don’t receive localization, which can be the result of a number of factors. Starfy makes his first appearance on the Game Boy Advance in 2002 and the aquatic platforming series goes on to have games that span the GBA and Nintendo DS, only one of which receives localization.
Some of Nintendo’s other handheld-only platformers like Shantae, or even the RPG hybrid Mario & Luigi series, have made it to the Switch. It’s long overdue that The Legendary Starfy series receives the same attention.
7 Boktai Is A Revolutionary Series That Capitalizes On Portability
Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear fame is one of the few developers in the industry that can properly be called an auteur. All of his series typically break the gamers’ expectations of what can be done with a game. Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand is an action RPG series with three releases on the Game Boy Advance— the third installment a Japan exclusive— as well as a Nintendo DS follow-up, Lunar Knights.
Boktai makes use of a light sensor where the solar energy of the sun is an active component in the gameplay. The Switch can easily be moved into light-sensitive areas, just like Nintendo’s previous handhelds, so even that aspect of the series could conceivably live on.
6 Hotel Dusk Crafts An Addictive Noir Narrative That’s Become A Rarity
A solid mystery can be unlike anything else and Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a radically innovative Nintendo DS series that leans into the classical point-and-click adventure genre that makes explicit use of the DS' touch screen and setup. It's one of the few titles that uses the DS in a vertical position like a book and certain puzzles even involve the player closing the DS' cover.
There are two Kyle Hyde-starring mystery detective adventures on the DS, but what used to be a niche type of game is now able to connect with a larger crowd, especially on the Switch.
5 Elite Beat Agents Could Become The Switch’s Signature Rhythm Series
There are three titles in the eccentric, high energy Elite Beat Agents rhythm series, also known as Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan on Japan. Only the second entry was localized for the Nintendo DS, but it’s one of the more addictive rhythm games on the handheld that combines popular music with insane visuals and storytelling.
There’s a very superhero energy to it all. Rhythm Heaven and other formerly handheld-only rhythm titles have made their way to the Wii and Switch. Elite Beat Agents deserves the same treatment, either through a compilation of the previous games or via a new release that explores fresh music.
4 Dragon Quest Monsters Gives The Classic JRPG A Pokémon-Esque Makeover
Dragon Quest Monsters— or Dragon Warrior Monsters as it’s known for its first two North American releases— is a turn-based RPG series that’s set within the Dragon Quest universe. The main difference in this franchise is that monsters are caught and bred to do the fighting, which adds a delightful Pokémon-flavored aspect to it.
The Dragon Quest Monsters series begins on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color before migrating to other Nintendo handhelds. A remake of the first two games did come out on the PlayStation but only in Japan, and they’ve still never had re-releases on Nintendo consoles.
3 Nintendogs Is A Pet Sim That Would Thrive On The Switch
Sometimes the most simple ideas can hit in major ways and it’s why something like Nintendogs can be one of the best-selling releases for the Nintendo DS. The game is an adorable pet raising simulation that uses the stylus to get up close and personal with the virtual pet.
A 3DS sequel, Nintendogs + Cats, extends the brand in a satisfying way and adds an even more sophisticated system to it all. Audiences would love a new Nintendogs entry on the Switch, especially since the hardware can now do even more.
2 Zero Escape Is A Disturbing Visual Novel Series That’s A Dream For Horror Fans
Spike Chunsoft has slowly grown into one of the more ambitious and avant garde developers around. Their titles typically like to put people in peril in unexpected ways that mix horror with the visual novel and adventure genres. The Zero Escape series, which begins on the Nintendo DS, all feature a group of nine people who are kidnapped and forced to fight for their lives if they wish to escape.
It's a beautiful blend of puzzles and storytelling, and even though the final entry— Zero Time Dilemma— was also released on PlayStation 4, these games have never hit a Nintendo home console.
1 The Tomodachi Games Do As Much As They Can With Miis
Tomodachi Collection and Tomodachi Life make up the Tomodachi sim series for the DS and 3DS, respectively Nintendo deserves credit for all of their attempts to make customized Mii characters become prevalent in gaming. They remain present in Super Smash Bros. games, but the Tomodachi games are basically simplistic knock-offs of The Sims, but with a Nintendo touch.
The titles can feel a little more like tech demos than full games, but people do still seem to have fun with Miis. The Switch can really build off of the Tomodachi presence and redeem the idea.