What Franchises Should Nintendo Bring to the 3DS?

With so many sequels coming, what other popular favorites should make a comeback on Nintendo's handheld?

Nintendo is on a roll when it comes to releasing games for the Nintendo 3DS.  Later this month we’ll see Donkey Kong Country Returns in 3D with a few extras, including an easy mode that younger players can take advantage of.  Then in June we’ll get the long-awaited Animal Crossing: New Leaf, followed by Mario Golf later this Summer and follow-ups to Yoshi’s Island and The Legend of Zelda: A Link To the Past just in time for the holidays.

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The company is definitely bringing back some stellar franchises from the past to enthrall players who have either bought or are planning on buying the three-dimensional handheld, but there are a few series missing that we feel would be right at home on the system.  So we here at Prima Games have a few suggestions for what Nintendo could release for it, just to give it that extra zing going into the 2013-2014 gaming season.  We know a lot of fans that would love to play these…

Metroid Prime

The first-person take on Metroid has done phenomenal business for Nintendo on both the GameCube and the Wii, and Metroid Prime Trilogy is easily one of the most sought-after releases in the company’s history.  So why not give us something that we can really cherish: a portable adventure that really takes advantage of the atmospheric 3D effects?  The 3DS seems like it was built for Metroid Prime between the touch-screen functionality, the connectivity that lets you play with other players (either in co-op or competitive multiplayer) and the 3D effects that would really immerse you into Samus Aran’s world.  Retro Studios is clearly right at home on the system as evidenced by the magnificent work it’s doing on Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, so why not let the team produce a Metroid game we would be proud of?

F-Zero

It’s been ages since we’ve seen a new F-Zero game make the rounds.  In fact, the last time we saw it, it was back on the GameCube with F-Zero GX, a game that Sega’s AM2 Studios designed to sheer perfection between tricky track designs, fast-paced competition, a smooth frame rate and a soundtrack that pumped ferocious energy into each of your races.  We’d love to see a similar experience on the 3DS, especially with the tracks literally popping out at you in 3D.  Throw in various control types (gyroscopic, touch-screen, D-pad or analog), online connectivity through the Nintendo Network and the ability to race against friends locally, stat tracking, the ability to build your own levels and the familiar racing attitude of Captain Falcon, and you’ve got a game that could easily make the 3DS the stuff of legend.

StarFox

StarFox has gone through some speed bumps over the last few years, between the mixed reaction to StarFox Adventures on the GameCube and the somewhat lesser follow-up StarFox Assault.  But Nintendo at least gave us a retro treat back in 2011 with a remixed version of StarFox 64 on 3DS with its awesome mission structure and smooth controls.  As happy as we are with this blast from the past, we can’t help but think it’s time for Fox McCloud and his crew to venture into new territory with a game custom-built for the 3DS in terms of graphical power and controls.  It’d also be great to see a brand new take on multiplayer, where squads of four (Team StarFox against Team StarWolf) can go at it in a full-on skirmish.

Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario 3D Land is a stellar title for the 3DS, one that manages to bring Mario effectively into the third dimension with some outstanding level design and worthwhile visual flair.  But we can’t help but yearn for the return of another great franchise from the plumber’s recent history in Super Mario Galaxy.  Mario got a lot done in these two Wii games, and the way the universe literally popped out at you has us thinking, “Wow, these would look great in 3D.”  So why not give us a Mario Galaxy game completely devoted to the 3DS?  Give us another universe to explore while introducing play tactics that are exclusive to that platform, like touch-screen mini-games.

Sin and Punishment

This could be a long shot here, especially since we did just get a recent Wii sequel in the form of Star Successor.  We’re still gonna go out on this limb anyway and ask, “Hey, Nintendo, what if Treasure made a fantastic Sin and Punishment game that took advantage of the 3DS?” Sin and Punishment could easily find a home on the handheld with a combination of analog and touch-screen controls, beautiful 3D visuals and various modes.

Punch-Out!!

We know Nintendo still has love for the Punch-Out!! brand between the release of the new Wii game from a few years back and the return of the NES version in the Virtual Console program.  So why not give us a remixed version of the Wii game for portable play?  Punch-Out!! looks like a game that would clearly benefit from the use of 3D, and you’d be able to use the analog stick and buttons like the classic version, while activating super punches with the help of the touch screen.  Throw in a possible competitive multiplayer mode and you’d have a classic in the making.  Plus, we’d get to smack around Bald Bull again – that never gets old!

 

What Nintendo classics would you like to see return on the 3DS?


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Prima Games Staff
The staff at Prima Games.