Between the eclectic selection of NES and SNES games served as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription for everyone, Fire emblemthe long-awaited release (if limited in time) in English thirty years after its debut in Japanese and the upcoming remake of the Disc System adventure game Famicom Detective Club, it seems clear that Nintendo is not only capable, but also more than willing to make the effort to dive into its extensive catalog in search of old titles.
Whether it’s bringing these lost stones to a fresh international audience for the first time, or unearthing retro curiosities that deserve a head-to-toe recovery after decades of lingering on plastic plates and silicon chips, it seems like the age, genre or kind of game or the current obscurity apparently does not represent a barrier to its potential for re-release.
And this captivating behavior made us think: Nintendo having such an active interest in its history, what else could be on the horizon for Switch owners – and if we were given the keys to Nintendo safes, what would we do you choose to bring it back? Knowing the legendary Japanese company, the only honest answer is “Expect the unexpected“, But that doesn’t stop us from speculating …
We’ll start with something simple. Imagine a Nintendo sports package, bringing together all the oldest and simplest titles in the genre (Golf, Ice hockey, tennis, baseball, football, and so on) and then giving them an elegant facelift, from the familiar faces of Mario and his friends to the cutting-edge minimalism of generations of bits evenings – or even both, overturned at will.
With their simple settings, allowing entire matches to start and end quickly in pieces easily digested by unplanned time rules, almost universally understood (we must recognize that baseball is completely lost on us, but even we can let go through an 8-bit match) and multiplayer embedded in the very nature of the games, they would do like perfect lifting and playing game package; the digital equivalent of a quick kickabout with a friend in the park or a regular throw in the garden. I could see it becoming something like that Clubhouse Games or Ring Fit Adventure, the kind of title that no one would ever dream of asking for when there are more Zeldas waiting to be done, but the moment you have it at home, you wonder how you ever managed without an eternal collection of easy sports games that don’t expect you to buy an annual update at full prices or require a serious investment in time .
Another obvious choice is The Famicom Wars: We may be a few years too late to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of this once popular franchise, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter much, because any moment is the perfect time for a Famicom Wars /Super Famicom Wars double package. Never available outside of Japan in any official form, a launch of Early War history could serve a dual function as a playable piece of history, as well as an English language first in one.
If Famicom Detective Club proves to be a success that could easily pave the way for the launch of its cousin Famicom Disc System, Shin Onigashima. Launched on 8-bit Nintendo hardware in 1987 and ported to Super Famicom eleven years later, this extremely Japanese adventure game would leave a strong impression in any region due to its unusual subject matter and beautiful works of art. As it stands, an international release of any of the older versions in any language would be welcome, but a complete remake so stylized that it seems to be illustrated with fingerprints on wood would certainly be nothing short of incredible.
One of the most obscure hypothetical candidates for a switch change would be a review of Mario Artist concept, the series of creative, experienced utilities originally created for Nintendo’s N64 add-on, 64DD. With barriers to sharing creations, with the exception of missing ones, Nintendo could build a thriving online community of artists in the making of pixels and polygons, reintroducing creativity accessible to a new generation of gamers.
Another possibility that, in its original form, requires a specialized attachment would be e-Reader series, the combination of GBA card reader / card pack first launched in Japan in 2001. At the time, they were expensive to collect and some needed to seriously go over several books to get anything worth working on, which should make them the perfect subject for a more convenient modern package. NES games released in the format are already covered elsewhere on the Switch, but that still leaves a lot of content hidden in those point codes waiting to be rediscovered: special Mario levels for use with Super Mario Advance 4 would be a perfect entertainment capsule, just like the courses designed to be used with the Japanese version of F-Zero: Legend GP, and certainly the switch screen would make a useful replacement for Mario Party-ethe physical play area, keeping everything in one portable package, well provided. It would certainly be a strange and unexpected collection, but that would only mean that it would fit even with Nintendo’s existing Switch release.
Oh, and we couldn’t mention GBA without giving Mama 3 a nod, could we? Either he would sell more children than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or to sink without a trace within a week, it would be good to draw at least one line under the visible absence of the often requested RPG. On a slightly more likely note (sorry, mom’s fans), Kuru Kuru Kururin remained dormant for far away too long, the unique action of the game, which requires only a completely bizarre gyrocontrol /Nintendo Lab collaboration that will either dazzle users due to its raw innovation, or turn into a furious frenzy that fills the forum.
Whatever happens, there is no doubt that there are plenty of options that Nintendo can explore and it is clear that it is happy to consider all the possibilities; its rich history is something it wants to bring to light, rather than remain closed forever. Some of these suggestions may be more likely to come true than others, but again, this is the same company that decided to blur the lines between home and portable games when everyone else was content to release another one. black plastic board, the same company that offered the world satellite-based SNES games, a cube with a handle on the back and 3D without glasses in a handheld – what is a less likely idea that has become a reality for Nintendo?
What do you think about our suggestions? What titles would you like to see revived or relaunched? Tell us with a comment below.