As we are about to close the book on another Nintendo generation, I figured we could look back on how the different first-party franchises did on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. I’ll go over the major franchises and give my opinion on their performance. I won’t cover every game, but I’ll talk about the ones I feel are the most important. You can discuss what you think of the generation overall below, but please give reasons too so we can have decent discussions.
Edit: Keep in mind I intentionally left out certain games because I mainly wanted to focus on old IPs and how they did. This isn't a "Nintendo Gen 8 Hall of Fame" thread, I mention bad games too. Feel free to talk about other games though.
Super Mario:
When it comes to 3D Mario, we have Super Mario 3D Land and World. 3D Land was the first time we got an original 3D Mario game on a handheld, and it was universally acclaimed at the time of its release. To this day, I think it is still the best example of what stereoscopic 3D can do for gaming. For Wii U, Nintendo decided to build upon the concept of 3D Land, which led to Super Mario 3D World. This game didn’t have as smooth of a run as 3D Land. Despite also being received very well, many fans would have liked something brand new and original. To be frank, I’m tired of the whole “real 3D Mario” talk, so I won’t even go there. However, I do think it’s an incredibly well-made game, and it’s pretty important for the franchise in the sense that it is the first 3D Mario game to support 4 players.
Mario Kart:
Luigi’s Mansion:
Yoshi:
Wario:
Donkey Kong:
Returns was also ported to 3DS, which has become my favorite way to play it. It’s nice to have a modern Donkey Kong game on the go and one for the home console in the same generation, although it is fair to question whether both were necessary.
The Legend of Zelda:
Another game I think is worth talking about is Hyrule Warriors, the odd-yet-fitting collaboration with Koei Tecmo. It’s the ultimate fan service game for Zelda nerds. Some of the most obscure characters are playable. It’s like Smash Bros., except just for Zelda. I found it to be pretty fun, and it’s still receiving content to this day.
Lastly, I can’t forget the 3DS. This is where Zelda truly shined. Not only did we get two remakes, Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora’s Mask 3D, but we also got A Link Between Worlds (my favorite 3DS game) and Tri Force Heroes. I have to be honest here – I think this might be a little too much Zelda. It’s almost as if they took all their Metroid resources and put them into this franchise. Nevertheless, great games all around.
Metroid:
Kid Icarus:
Fire Emblem:
Kirby:
Star Fox:
Pokémon:
Oh, and Wii U received my favorite Pokémon spin-off since the N64. Pokkén Tournament is a Tekken “crossover” by Bandai Namco, but it barely plays anything like Tekken. I appreciate how unique it is, and I see a lot of potential in a sequel. I hope it happens.
Animal Crossing:
Pikmin:
Xenoblade Chronicles:
Super Smash Bros.:
Missing in action: Every generation ends up ignoring certain franchises, and this one is no exception. There was no Punch-Out game on Wii U and 3DS despite there being one on Wii. However, if we give Metroid a pass, I think the biggest no-show here is F-Zero. It’s been quite a long time since we’ve had a new entry. But hey, at least we got those cool Mario Kart 8 tracks, right?
Anyway, I’m done. I hope people actually read this, haha. Feel free to talk about how you think the different franchises did, and whether you think Nintendo did a good job in terms of variety, but please try to give reasons too. Personally, I think it’s been a pretty strong generation for Nintendo first-party, but let me know what you think.
Edit: Keep in mind I intentionally left out certain games because I mainly wanted to focus on old IPs and how they did. This isn't a "Nintendo Gen 8 Hall of Fame" thread, I mention bad games too. Feel free to talk about other games though.
Super Mario:
As always, Mario played a big role in Nintendo’s plans. As far as the main series goes, we saw three 2D games and two 3D games. New Super Mario Bros. 2 and U were released extremely close to each other, which I feel was a big mistake. The games themselves are actually pretty great, but I think people were already tired of the “New” style of Mario after the Wii version. Super Mario Maker released last year and has been received much better. We finally have an official and seamless way to create our own Mario levels. I feel it’s an important game for a couple of reasons. One, it showcases the value of the GamePad fairly well, and two, it will likely be a part of Nintendo’s future going forward.
When it comes to 3D Mario, we have Super Mario 3D Land and World. 3D Land was the first time we got an original 3D Mario game on a handheld, and it was universally acclaimed at the time of its release. To this day, I think it is still the best example of what stereoscopic 3D can do for gaming. For Wii U, Nintendo decided to build upon the concept of 3D Land, which led to Super Mario 3D World. This game didn’t have as smooth of a run as 3D Land. Despite also being received very well, many fans would have liked something brand new and original. To be frank, I’m tired of the whole “real 3D Mario” talk, so I won’t even go there. However, I do think it’s an incredibly well-made game, and it’s pretty important for the franchise in the sense that it is the first 3D Mario game to support 4 players.
Mario Kart:
Mario Kart had a good run this generation. 7 came out around the same time as 3D Land and really kickstarted 3DS sales. It introduced gliders and underwater sections. These were neat little additions that evolved the game without changing the formula too much. Then Mario Kart 8 came out, and I remember being surprised by the high production values compared to Mario Kart Wii. Everything from the visuals to the music just seemed leagues above the previous entires. I guess the massive success of Mario Kart Wii is part of the reason for it. Anyway, fantastic game. In my opinion the best in the series.
Luigi’s Mansion:
I feel like Luigi deserves some credit here. Luigi’s Mansion on the GameCube was seen as an “underdog game” for quite a long time. It took over a decade for Nintendo to bring it back, and it has now outsold its predecessor by a pretty big margin. When the sequel got announced, I personally felt that the first game finally got the respect it deserved. People started talking about it again, and if you forget the initial shock that Mario wasn’t there for the GameCube launch, there’s actually a lot to like about the game. I’m pretty happy Luigi’s Mansion 2 happened, and I’d love to see more revivals like it in the future.
Yoshi:
Wii U got Yoshi’s Woolly World and 3DS got Yoshi’s New Island. The latter is… not that great. However, Woolly World? I really like it. To me, it’s the best Yoshi game since the original Yoshi’s Island. I know that doesn’t really say much, but I did enjoy the game quite a bit. Also, those amiibo plushies are cute. Admit it.
Wario:
I don’t have much to say about Wario. There was no Wario Land game and no WarioWare game. Well, sort of. We got Game & Wario, which was basically a tech demo for the GamePad. It’s pretty mediocre, to be honest, which is a shame.
Donkey Kong:
Retro ended up making a sequel to the beloved Donkey Kong Country Returns, and we all know how that announcement was received. However, I think it has found quite a big following – especially here on GAF. Tropical Freeze also marked the return of composer David Wise, which resulted in a fantastic soundtrack. Donkey Kong might not have been what most people wanted from Retro, but I think Tropical Freeze will be looked back on as a truly great game.
Returns was also ported to 3DS, which has become my favorite way to play it. It’s nice to have a modern Donkey Kong game on the go and one for the home console in the same generation, although it is fair to question whether both were necessary.
The Legend of Zelda:
The Wii U still hasn’t received an original Zelda game. However, it did get two great remasters. Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD are great additions to the Wii U library, and I’m honestly surprised they didn’t decide to do more of these. Especially since they very clearly turned down the budget of Wii U releases later on.
Another game I think is worth talking about is Hyrule Warriors, the odd-yet-fitting collaboration with Koei Tecmo. It’s the ultimate fan service game for Zelda nerds. Some of the most obscure characters are playable. It’s like Smash Bros., except just for Zelda. I found it to be pretty fun, and it’s still receiving content to this day.
Lastly, I can’t forget the 3DS. This is where Zelda truly shined. Not only did we get two remakes, Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora’s Mask 3D, but we also got A Link Between Worlds (my favorite 3DS game) and Tri Force Heroes. I have to be honest here – I think this might be a little too much Zelda. It’s almost as if they took all their Metroid resources and put them into this franchise. Nevertheless, great games all around.
Metroid:
I feel bad about writing this one, but it has to be done. I’m tempted to say Metroid was missing in action for this entire generation, but that’s not really true. Federation Force is coming, and honestly, it might be a good game. Next Level Games know what they’re doing. However, it’s clear that wasn’t what fans wanted when they screamed “METROID” for most of the generation. Metroid has seen better times, that’s for sure.
Kid Icarus:
One of the first games Nintendo announced for the Wii U/3DS generation, and boy what a way to start. This was the first Kid Icarus game in almost two decades. Directed by Masahiro Sakurai himself, one could almost call this an entirely new IP. Everything was new – not just the gameplay, but the characters were also redesigned (although mostly based on the Brawl models). The game is remarkable, and it has one of the best soundtracks of the generation if you ask me. However, it was undoubtedly held back by the controls. It feels like it should have been a home console game, but overall I think it’s one of the highlights of the generation.
Fire Emblem:
This generation was super important for Fire Emblem. Awakening basically saved the series, and it is now more successful than ever – both critically and commercially. The franchise has had an unusual history. For the longest time it was a Japan-only series, but it has now become a million-seller worldwide and a big part of Nintendo’s all-star lineup. The 3DS also got Fire Emblem Fates, which has also been received very well in the Americas and Japan. Europe is still waiting for it!
Kirby:
Nintendo continues to show Kirby a lot of love. Both Wii U and 3DS received a Kirby game, with a second 3DS one coming in a few months. Rainbow Curse is a sequel to the popular Canvas Curse on DS, while Triple Deluxe is a more traditional game in the series. Personally, I’m a big fan of Triple Deluxe. I think it might actually be my favorite Kirby game ever. I was just a joy to play, and I really enjoyed the music too. I’m optimistic about Planet Robobot too.
Star Fox:
After completely skipping the Wii, we finally got a new Star Fox game. At the time of writing this, I have not yet played Star Fox Zero, but I am at least happy to see Fox back on the big screen. I’m happy the Platinum team-up happened, at long last. The 3DS also received a great remake of Star Fox 64, which was a welcome addition to the library early on.
Pokémon:
You can’t have a Nintendo handheld without Pokémon. X and Y started the 6th generation, and a year later we got remakes of the 3rd; Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. I can talk about Pokémon for ages, so I’ll try to make it short. What I will say is that I really enjoyed both of these releases – especially X and Y. It added quite a few QoL improvements that an old school fan like me really appreciated. Having Pokémon games aren’t exactly an accomplishment for the generation as they are always a given, but it’s clear the franchise is still going strong and that’s what matters. I’m looking forward to Sun and Moon.
Oh, and Wii U received my favorite Pokémon spin-off since the N64. Pokkén Tournament is a Tekken “crossover” by Bandai Namco, but it barely plays anything like Tekken. I appreciate how unique it is, and I see a lot of potential in a sequel. I hope it happens.
Animal Crossing:
Currently one of Nintendo’s most important franchises, Animal Crossing had a great run on 3DS. New Leaf is an excellent title and is considered a big improvement over the previous couple of games. The game is significant as it introduced Isabelle; a new character that would end up becoming the face of the franchise. This is pretty unusual for any franchise, so it’s kind of neat to see. Happy Home Designer came out in 2015 and was a spin-off that focused on the home designing aspect of the series. Aand... That's all I have to say about Animal Crossing!
Pikmin:
After years and years of waiting, Pikmin 3 was finally released on Wii U. Pikmin 3 is a true gem in the Wii U library. It was the game that sold me on the GamePad. Being able to control three different characters and tell one of them to go somewhere while you control another was a game changer for the series. It almost feels like the GamePad was made for this game. Combine this with the excellent pointer controls of the New Play Control ports and you have a real winner in your hands. If Pikmin 4 goes back to completely traditional controls, it would be a huge step back for the series.
Xenoblade Chronicles:
It actually felt like Nintendo tried to make Xenoblade a thing this generation. Shulk became playable in Smash and the first game got ported to the 3DS. Both great moves in my eyes. However, the real star of the show is of course Xenoblade Chronicles X. Despite a somewhat controversial soundtrack, I really enjoyed this game. I thought I was sick of open world games, but I thought this one was very well done. I can’t wait to see what’s next for the series.
Super Smash Bros.:
Sakurai blessed us with not just one, but two Smash Bros. games. For the first time in the history of the franchise, we got a handheld version too. The game is a technical marvel on the 3DS and it plays as well as you can expect a handheld version to play. The Wii U version didn’t arrive until a couple of months later, but the 50-fact video made it clear it would be the definitive version. Still my most played Wii U game to date, and definitely my favorite in the series.
Missing in action: Every generation ends up ignoring certain franchises, and this one is no exception. There was no Punch-Out game on Wii U and 3DS despite there being one on Wii. However, if we give Metroid a pass, I think the biggest no-show here is F-Zero. It’s been quite a long time since we’ve had a new entry. But hey, at least we got those cool Mario Kart 8 tracks, right?
Anyway, I’m done. I hope people actually read this, haha. Feel free to talk about how you think the different franchises did, and whether you think Nintendo did a good job in terms of variety, but please try to give reasons too. Personally, I think it’s been a pretty strong generation for Nintendo first-party, but let me know what you think.
