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Nintendo Should Reboot Its Forgotten Games For The Switch
The Nintendo Switch has been on fire since its release in 2017, and with titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Pokemon Sword & Shield, it's momentum has kept surging forward. Yet, two months into 2020 and the Switch's lineup is looking a lot more sparse than the last two years.
Nintendo has run through its biggest stable of games at this point; two Zelda games, two Pokemon, two Fire Emblem, multiple Mario, and multiple Kirby. Metroid Prime 4 is on the way, but if Nintendo really wants to keep things going they'll need to dig deep into their catalog and bring older series back to life.
There are a number of series that Nintendo has introduced over the years then, sadly, left by the wayside as they moved onto other things. With the PS5 and Xbox Series X coming by holiday 2020, Nintendo needs to double down on unique experiences like never before, and really give players a reason to come to the Switch.
Forgotten Nintendo Games The Switch Could Resurrect
In recent years Nintendo has stuck more closely to their main guns, deciding to instead take chances within those series, like with Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Maker. Because of this there simply hasn't been enough room to keep series like F-Zero or Golden Sun going. With the Switch's ongoing success, however, Nintendo has more room than ever to experiment, and a wider user base to attract.
Out of all the old Nintendo series, Advance Wars is probably the one that would be easiest to bring back. Developed by Intelligent Systems, of Fire Emblem fame, Advance Wars was a brilliant tactical strategy series that put the focus on building an army and controlling territory, rather than improving select units.
With the Switch's upgraded power and everything Intelligent Systems has learned from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, an Advance Wars reboot could really do something interesting. Fire Emblem has made such a name for itself that you can lean into marketing Advance Wars as 'from the makers of Fire Emblem,' giving it recognizability that a brand new IP wouldn't have.
Custom Robo, on the other hand, could give the Switch valuable multiplayer title where players can craft their own combat robots. The system has Splatoon 2 and Smash Bros., but another strong multiplayer title would go a long way. Similarly, Golden Sun or Kid Icarus could provide a new JRPG experience for those hungry after Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Octopath Traveler.
Nintendo Needs To Keep The Switch's Momentum Going
Nintendo can think about bringing back old series all they want, but at the end of the day, there's limited manpower that can be used elsewhere on big series. The solution to that, however, is to foster more third-party partnerships and start licensing things out.
Nintendo worked with Tecmo Koei on Hyrule and Fire Emblem Warriors, Square Enix on Octopath Traveler, and even Ubisoft on Mario+Rabbids. There are countless devs out there that'd love to take on the challenge of a Nintendo property, and the relationships Nintendo has grown can be put to great use. Shin'En Multimedia made the best F-Zero-like we've seen in years with Fast Racing Neo, exclusive to Wii U and Switch. Contract them to make a brand new F-Zero, finally bringing Captain Falcon back into the limelight, who's a fan favorite in Smash Bros.
Nintendo has worked extensively with Bandai Namco on Smash, and sections of their Tales team could work wonders with Golden Sun. Ubisoft showed that they can nail that quirky Nintendo tone and they have plenty of experience with mythological properties, making them a shoo-in for a new Kid Icarus.
Over the years Nintendo has been infamous for being stingy with their properties, and they did get burned more than once with things like Metroid Other M or the now infamous live-action Super Mario Bros. movie. The era of the Switch, however, has shown Nintendo with a willingness to open up like never before, and they're even moving ahead with other projects, like a Super Mario Brothers movie made by Illumination, or the theme park Nintendo World at Universal Japan. Nintendo has a boatload of old properties they simply aren't utilizing as they should, and who's going to say no to working on a Nintendo game?
