10 game ideas from Nintendo we need more of
We all love Zeldas and Metroids so much that we refine their concepts into Metroidvanias1. But at this point, Hollow Knight can give you more pleasure than the next 2D Metroid.
And let's not forget Pokémon, which has so many clones it makes you wonder why so few of them are getting sued.
DISCLAIMER! This article will not tell you how to avoid Nintendo lawyers. Any implementation of these ideas is at your own risk. Just think of Palworld.
DISCLAIMER 2! I'm not saying these games are original or that no one did this before I wrote this article. But damn, the gaming world would benefit from having more games like this, don't you think?
Nintendo is full of ideas that hardly anyone is using2.
Here's a list of Nintendo games with mechanics that beg to inspire you on your next game!
Bowser's Fury
It's a small-open-world platformer where, from time to time, a kaiju invades and does what a kaiju does. In this case, it's Bowser.
Of course, the main game mechanic is just Mario jumping around. But why stop here? Add crafting, building, town management, etc. Leave the Kaiju, though! Bowser's Fury is probably the best Gojira game so far 😉
Pikmin
It's a real-time strategy game where you control the guy with the whistle running around and giving orders.
Not the most neglected Nintendo mechanic (e.g., Anomaly games when played on the pad had a person you control to give orders), but so much potential here.
An RTS game to be played on the pad (also not the most original idea - just check Halo Wars), but so much to be done here.
It doesn't have to be a whistler - make the hero the Piper from Hamelin commanding rats and children - but it can be, as whistles and army management go a long way back.
Splatoon
I believe that Splatoon started with the idea of salvaging the main mechanics from Super Mario Sunshine (a small conspiracy theory of mine).
But this time they decided to turn it into a game about dogs that mark their territory with urine... I mean, squid-punks who mark their terrain with sprays (almost the same thing, right?).
Turf wars with paint, hiding in paint (that can be used for some Metal Gear Solid action).
Super Mario Galaxy
Imagine seeing yourself running around a planet. The cartoony approach of visualizing outer space is ingenious in itself. Shame it would go to waste. Imagine No Man's Sky, but smaller planets, and more cartoony.
Seeing a planet's rotation while you're running around it is something you can't just forget about. And this imaginative approach we should see more of.
Bayonetta
Well, you can play the first Bayonetta on many platforms, but right now it’s a Nintendo franchise, hence its presence here.
But do you remember when, in the first game, you could jump on the walls and run on them? Almost like that gravity game on PlayStation. We need more games where you run on walls like it's Nolan's Inception.
a Breath of the Wild-like survival game
Although crafting and tool durability can be found in many games, I do miss the art style and playful atmosphere when cooking. And climbing. Don't forget the climbing!
a Smash-like fighting game without energy bars
You can find similar ideas in Hellish Quart, but I like to come back to Bushido Blade, where your technique matters, and your wounds stay. And a hit to the head can end the fight. So much to be built upon here.
But let’s not stay here, let’s make it more technical. What if you could make some techniques available only when you're already warmed up, or when you're enemy is too tired to counterattack?
It would be funny to have a fighter game, where the state of your character is represented by stance, like in Resident Evil games (and since I haven't played a RE game for a long time, I will just highlight what I think of the solution from RE2 and RE3, not remakes).
a Pokémon Arceus game about taming animals
With stealth, and a more realistic approach (not necessarily a more realistic art style). Arceus is still on my wishlist. Ever since Breath of the Wild, I thought that every Nintendo franchise should get the BOTW treatment. And this game might be the Pokémon equivalent. Did I mention climbing? 😉
An Animal Crossing rip-off where you have to pay your mortgage
I mean, we need more down-to-earth but still playful games that help us deal with our day-to-day problems. Might be a great way to teach younger generations on what trees money grows.
Final thoughts
Video game history is full of forgotten game mechanics, not only Nintendo. Most of them aren't patented by some greedy corporation (not thinking about Nintendo at this point).
If I were half the gamer I'm pretending to be, I'd probably make a list of the most forgotten game mechanics. But frankly, I discover them as I go. Maybe some day I'll manage to pull off a list of mechanics that beg to make a comeback. Right now, the best I can do is to look at what Yacht Club games are doing.
Post scriptum
Apologies for the filler issue ;-) Lots of things on my mind these days, unfortunately, little learning to share right now!
It's debatable whether Zelda is a Metroidvania. In my opinion, the only difference is that Zeldas have dungeons, while Metroids do not. So you might say that Zelda is a Metroidvania with a twist.
When I see what's going on around Palworld, I'm not surprised.