Nintendo normally knocks it out of the park with their first party titles. Kid Icarus revolutionized the gaming industry spawning numerous sequels and giving us arguably the greatest video game character of all time, Pit. Ice Climbers was a juggernaut upon release. The game was considered so perfect, Nintendo decided a sequel could never live up to the hype of the original, so they have essentially retired the series. When Ice Climbers made it into Smash Bros Melee, gamers around the world rejoiced. Sadly, or totally predictable, the Ice Climbing duo were too powerful. As a result, they were subsequently removed from the series when Smash Brothers Brawl released on Wii.
So, sure, Nintendo established itself as a major player in the video market off the backs of series like Duck Hunt and Wrecking Crew, but not all series were a hit. Metroid was a disaster and almost bankrupted the company. But Nintendo didn’t want to give up on one of the female pioneers of gaming. Still, they couldn’t justify her on home consoles. Thus, her sequel was given life on the lowly handheld, the Gameboy. Metroid was given a second shot on the Super Nintendo. Another flop, often sited as the worst release by Nintendo. Samus would be relegated to handheld consoles two more times. Not to mention, after the absolute butchering of Metroid as a FPS, Metroid Prime 4 was delayed and ultimately canceled for the best. Not a single soul complained. It just goes to show you, no matter how many times Nintendo releases an installment of a horrible franchise, true gamers don’t forget the past mistakes.
Now, let’s take a look at Nintendos 5 Worst Franchises.
#5 Animal Crossing- When I was preparing this blog, I really thought this be number 1. How could it not be? This game is one of the most overrated franchises in all of gaming, let alone Nintendo. What do you do in this game? Seriously. You play as a kid whose sole purpose in life is to befriend animals. Doesn’t that sound horrible? Like, oh no, Sally the spider lost one of her 8 shoes and needs you to find it. Other task consist of paying off your debt. I mean, at least kids get exposed to how evil money is and how people will use it to manipulate them. So good job Nintendo capturing some realism there.
#4 Super Smash Brothers- Nintendo has long been loathed for repacking and releasing the same games over and over with new paint and funny names. Is there a series that is a better example of that than Super Smash Brothers? I feel like I’ve been playing the same game over and over. The series definitely peaked on the Nintendo 64. Every game since has just felt like an ad campaign. We get it, Fire Emblem (which is probably #6 on this list) could not sell world wide, so they snuck in countless numbers of characters to try and brain wash us into wanting Fire Emblem. Well, it still hasn’t worked and probably never will. The next release of Smash Bros, slated for release on the Switch 2 next year, was announced to have a roster comprised entirely of Fire Emblem characters. Have you lost all hope in the world yet?
#3 Pokemon- Give me a break with this one. Do 30 year old men still think it’s cute to film themselves opening Pokemon TCG boxes, or playing Pokemon Go? No cares if you found Mew under the truck. No one cares if you completed the Pokedex. And trust me, no one cares if you had all the original holos from the card game, especially how many Charizards you owned. Grow up.
#2 The Legend of Zelda. What a waste of potential here. I’m serious. Sure, Zelda 1 was a total bust. The franchise redeemed itself with phenomenal poise with the sequel, Zelda 2. Zelda 2 saved Nintendo. It helped restore faith with the general public. Despite this, Nintendo reverted back to the original formula. This contradicted all the good grace Zelda 2 built up. Then, there was the unspeakable sin. The point of no return, Ocarina of Time. The jump to 3D just wasn’t kind to the Zelda series. The Z Lock On tried to fix things, but arguably made it worse. The time traveling mechanic really bogged down the story and made certain parts feel bloated. It was a total train wreck that the series still has not recovered from.
#1 Super Mario- I guess it was always going to be Super Mario. I mean talk about a cash cow. At least other series like Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed and Madden attempt to change their games up with each release. How many times do I need to run, jump and collect stars? Isn’t this getting old to anyone? And not to mention, they are just slapping Mario on anything and hoping it sells. Why do I need Mario playing Golf, Tennis, Carts and any of the other countless side series? I can do all that in real life, thank you. So, without a doubt, Mario is easily the worst video game mascot and franchise of all time.
So, that’s my list. I could keep going with other Nintendo failures like Donkey Kong, Kirby and Splatoon, but let’s not destroy them too hard. Let me know you’re worst 5 Nintendo Franchises in the comments!
All the roster spots are taken, but many were left out. Here’s some characters I wish had made the list.
Protagonist (Shin Megami Tensei V). Admittedly, I do think going 3rd party was the right choice. With Shin Megami Tensei V set to be one of the major holiday releases for the Switch, this felt like a perfect fit. One sign it wasn’t going to be Protagonist was that we already have Joker, a big Atlus character. Secondly, SMTV was already announced. Having Sora as the last character let Nintendo sneak in another major holiday release, Kingdom Hearts to the Switch.
Howard (Astral Chain)– If Nintendo was going to go with a character they published, my vote would have been the Astral Chain characters. Honestly, I have not played Astral Chain. It is on my list but Switch games rarely go on sale and I have so many Zelda games to play through as well. Either way, I would have loved for one of the Astral Chain characters to sneak in that way Nintendo could diversify their Nintendo published line up. A huge percentage of the roster stem from Mario, Zelda and Fire Emblem. The biggest con I think for pulling from Astral Chain is it would have been underwhelming to the gaming landscape.
Master Chief (Halo)– Master Chief isn’t my favorite third party character nor my first choice, however I think he would have broke the internet. Nintendo and Microsoft have a working relationship so I think this was doable. I thought for sure Banjo Kazooie making it in was a hint that Master Chief might be lurking in the future. Master Chief is arguably Microsoft’s greatest character and would have been a heck of an addition to the overall roster. I cannot really think of any cons. He is not just another sword character, he is a major member of the video game community, and Halo has a new game coming out next year. I think Nintendo and Microsoft really missed an opportunity here. Oh well.
Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil)– Leon Kennedy might just be my favorite video game character of all time, he’s definitely top 5. He probably would have played like Master Chief if either made the final roster. They probably would have relied on fire arms with close range melee weapons if needed along with grenades. Recovery would probably be the hardest thing to pull off. Of course the con would be that Leon hasn’t really be involved with the Resident Evil franchise lately as 7 and 8 have gone away from the traditional cast. Most of the Resident Evil games have already been ported over to the Switch. Still he is an awesome character and it is a shame he did not make the list.
Hat Kid (Hat Kid)– Anyone following my Youtube channel knows I love A Hat in Time. Of course this is a bias pick. She is my favorite Indie character and would easily be my choice. Imagine announcing Hat Kid as the final character and then showing off A Hat in Time 2 or a Mario Odyssey kingdom inspired off of A Hat in Time. I think it would have been awesome to have her. Of course she was never going to make the roster if bigger indie characters like Shovel Knight did not even make the official roster.
So, there’s my list. There’s plenty of other great character’s like Crash, Kratos and Rayman that missed the roster as well. So let me know how you rank the final cast. Who would you rather have? Thank you guys so much for reading. Have a great day!
This blog post is a companion piece to my video that just aired on my YouTube channel. I’ll list my 5 guesses from before the game comes out and give a slight comment about it. If you want to watch my original video, watch it here! If you want to watch the companion video, watch it here!
#5 Wonderful Red
Odds he makes it in: 4/10. Pros: I think the pros for him are Platinum Games and Nintendo’s good and healthy working relationship. I think it also helps that Wonderful 101 has been ported to the Switch. He has a very awesome design that lends itself to a fighting game.
Cons: The port happened forever ago. It is not a huge, groundbreaking reveal. Platinum games has already released a new game, Astral Chain. Meaning I think the protagonist in it is a stronger candidate. I give it a 4/10 because I feel the cons overweigh the pros, making his path tough.
#4 Pokemon (Dragonite)
Odds Dragonite Makes it in: 1/10 Pros: Vintage Pokemon is still relevant. Pokemon in general is still very relevant. The Dragon typing is heavily underrepresented. Awesome design.
Cons: There’s no telling which of the original 151 would make it in, if any. Gen 8 is relevant as well, meaning they could go with a new Pokémon. Pokemon is kind of in that second party area, meaning they may want to go with a more first party character to end it off with.
Odds a new Pokemon makes it in: 7/10.
Pokemon is still one of Nintendo’s biggest properties. However, I’m not sure it would be the most impactful pick.
#3 Funky Kong
Odds he makes it in: 2/10
Pros: Has a sleek, awesome design. DK Tropical Freeze has been ported over to Switch.
Cons: Some time has gone by since the port. He is such a side character when I feel the last roster spot will go to a main character. I feel like both of those reasons are pretty big hold backs.
#2 The Champions
Odds they make it in: 0/10
Pros: Best case scenarios , as spirits or trophies.
Cons: I feel like their time has passed.
#1 Hat Kid
Odds they make it in: 1/10
Pros: She pays homage to Mario and plenty of the other franchises in the game. Her move set writes itself. It would be massive for an indie games.
Cons: There’s such a low chance an indie character makes it in. Again, she would not be a ground breaking announcement. Sans got in as a mii fighter so I feel like that’s the ceiling for her.
So that was my list before the game released. I think all these guesses were okay picks back in 2018 leading up to the game’s launch. However, for most of them I feel like the window has closed. Which is why I’m going to do an updated list soon!
Thank you guys so much for reading! Have a great day!
With E3 right around the corner, and a I am sure a Nintendo Direct will sneak out before than, we should probably discuss this topic before anymore leaks happen.
I will be doing the top 5 character’s I want added to smash as well as a few honorable mentions.
#5 Wonder Red (From Wonderful 101)
I recently did a Try Out Thursday a few weeks back for the Wonderful 101. I love this idea and I feel like he is on of the easiest locks for the new roster. 1 big reason is because his move set is easy enough because he is from a fighting game. His final smash could even be his super punch
.
The second reason is due to some hype and rumors of the Wonderful 101 coming to switch. Why not use Smash 5 as a launch pad for advertising the series. There was hype for this game, but due to the Wii U having bad sells not many people got to play this game. Porting it over to the switch just seems like common sense, and featuring the main protagonist seems natural.
#4 A new Pokemon character. (From the Pokemon Series)
This is a fun one to discuss. We could talk forever about which of the over 800 Pokemon will grace the newest roster. I, for one, would love for it to be a sneak peek into Gen 8. Heck, make a stage based off a new city. Another school of thought I’ve seen is a Gen 7 pokemon. These would be okemons from Sun and Moon. So I am going to give you guys my pick for a Gen 7 Pokemon. I’ll go with Tapu Koko for now. There is honestly 5 or so I could put in this spot (maybe an idea for another post?) but for now I’ll put Tapu KoKo
He is undoubtly one of the coolest Pokemons from the Alolan region. I am actually not sure how confident I am in this pick solely due to the fact that Pikachu will, without a doubt, be on the official roster.
I have a strange feeling this spot could be a Generation 1 Pokemon. The Kanto hype is real with Gamefreak and I am little worried they are trying to play it safe. What Kanto Pokemon would I give it to? Dragonite, of course.
In my opinion Dragon type has been the defining type for Pokemon (maybe psychic too). Yet, a dragon pokemon has yet to appear on the roster. He seems like a safe bet if they go with with a Kanto pokemon. Another prediction could be that Mewtwo is back without having to jump through the DLC hoop.
#3 Funky Kong (Donkey Kong Series notably Tropical Freeze)
Here’s another one like Wonder Red. They just ported Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze to the switch. One of the big add on’s is the Funky Mode. He is a really awesome character who just brings good vibes the second he hits the screen. Other than that I don’t have a whole lot to say. DK is one of their best selling games, Funky is a great character, and free advertisement. All this seems like a no brainer. Isn’t that right Funky
#2 The Champions (From Zelda: Breath of the Wild)
The Champions are from the latest Zelda game. They are really cool characters that all have their own personalities and attitudes. They feel like a call back to the sages from Ocarina of Time. It is kinda hard to imagine all four of them getting in, but I would assume they are popular enough to justify it.
Mipha (The Zora aka the red fish lady) is the character I think who has the hardest chance of getting added as she is healer. However, contrary I could see Link being granted all the champions powers. Mipha’s grace could reduce some of the precentage, Revali Gale could be Link’s recovery. Durak’s Protection could allow Link to reflect projectiles. Urbosa’s Fury could be his final smash.
Theres a couple of cool ways I could see them handling the Champions. One way or another, this is the safest of safe bets. They will be in the game whether they are roster characters or assist trophies.
Honorable mentions Banjo Kazooie (From the Banjo Kazooie series) Geno (From Super Mario RPG) Knuckles (From the Sonic series)
I don’t have many memories with these characters. I’ve never owned any of their games really, but they are all either beloved or high level profile characters that would add charm and increase the wealth of characters on the roster. It seems like with each new Smash fan outcry increases for characters like Geno and Banjo.
#1 Hat Kid
Of course it is Hat Kid. I love her death and A Hat in Time has easily become a top 5 game in my eyes. Her umbrella would be her attack. She has a grapple for her recovery. She can equip badges in the game which gives her access to a scooter, a magnet like field to suck in items, and even the ability to kamehameha (for real). Characters always have alternative colors and costumes and Hat Kid lends herself perfectly to this as well. She has many hats which could serve as alternative costumes. She has the sprint cap which could make her run faster like the bunny hood. She has the brewer’s cap which could give her access to a projectile attack. She even has a time stop hat but that might be too powerful. All these hats could also simply be cosmetic in nature instead to simplify things. Either way, I see so much potential for the little Hat Kid that I hope she finds her way on the roster!
So that’s my top 5 characters I want added to smash. Who are yours? Let me know down in the comments.
N64 was the first console I ever played and for that reason some of my favorite games are on this system. Here is my list of my favorite N64 games:
#5- Mario Kart- Mario Kart 64 was the first game that brought my entire family together. From my grandma to my two uncles, to my mom and dad, to me and my brother. We would all gather around and have a tournament. It was amazing. Everyone had their favorite character. I was Yoshi, my mom was Luigi, my brother was Mario, My mawmaw was toad, my uncle was Wario. It was a great time in my life. It brought us a lot of joy.
#4- Super Mario 64- This game was incredible to me and means a whole lot to me. I tried to get 120 stars and years later im still at 118 and that bugs me to the moon and back. The last two stars I need are for collecting 100 coins on the clockwork level and the magic carpet level(The last two levels). I will get them one day! Anyway, this game captivated me. I spent hours finding all the secrets, discovering every inch of every map. It was a wonderful experience.
#3- Super Smash Brothers- This game was an incredible idea. Blending the world of Nintendo into one game. This is probably the first game I unlocked things in. I remember rushing through the main campaign to unlock Captain Falcon. Now a days, I am obsessed with unlocking everything a game has to offer and this is probably where my obsession started.
#2- Donkey Kong 64- This game has probably stole the most time of mine more than any other N64 game. I absolutely am in love with this game. From getting the DK crew, to spending HOURS collecting all the bananas, to my favorite part, the DK rap! The best part is this game recently was added to the Wii U virtual library. YES!
Before we get to number 1, here’s some honorable mentions everyone should check out: Mario Party 2, Paper Mario, Star Fox 64, Pokemon stadiums, Kirby and the crystal shards, and 007 golden eye.
#1- Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time- Probably no surprise here. But there is a reason for it being number 1 other than it being one of the best games Ive played, even to this day. This was the first game I really learned to play. Now, almost twenty years letter, it is still amazing! Ive beat, I collected everything, Ive done everything. The memories are still strong and if I played it today I could probably still do most of the stuff in the game. Its great, if I havent mentioned it already. It started my love for Zelda and I’ve played every one except Skyward Sword. This game is kind of a big deal. If you’ve never played it, do yourself a favorite, play it!
This is my very first post so this will be a run down of what content I will be putting out!
I am going to be blogging on mostly what anime I am watching, what comic books I am reading, what video games I am playing. Every now and again I will post about movies music or sports too!
Here is a list of what anime’s I am watching and how far I am into them: Naruto(415), One Piece(170), Attack on Titan(Episode 27),Parasyte-The Maxim(24) Assassination Classroom(17), Death Parade(12) Is it Wrong to Try and Pick up Girls In A Dungeon(10),
Ones i plan to start watching: Akame Ga Kill, Punch Line, Kill La Kill, Fairy Tale, Reborn, etc.
Games I currently Playing: Madden 15, Fallout New Vegas, Pokemon, Super Smash Bros, Majora Mask 3DS, Borderlands Pre-Sequel, Fable, Wind Waker(wiiU)
Comics in 2015 I am reading: Aquaman and the Others(1-7) Lobo(1-5), Secret Wars(0-1), Convergence(0-5) Suicide Squad(3,5). I am mostly a 60’s-80’s kinda guy.
Also, I will be doing weekly Top Fives!
If this sounds like stuff you want to talk about and hear my opinions on be sure to check out often!
Da_Hubbz 