This should be a fun post-mortem:
Big Winners:
- Splatoon: Splatoon
- Fire Emblem: WW popularity surge, DLC, and multiple versions.
- Tomodachi: Explosion in Europe.
- Smash Bros: DLC, handheld market.
- Pokemon: GO exposure, nostalgia for Gen 1, S&M doing everything right (?)
- Animal Crossing: Cards/DLC, unending legs worldwide, and a successful spin-off (what is this AC:AF you speak of?).
- El Capitan Todd: Spin-off out of nowhere that could easily spawn a healthy side franchise for Nintendo.
Slightly Big Winners out of Nowhere Because of Their Inclusion in Smash and Becoming Part of the Lexicon in a Comedic Sort of Way:
- Bayonetta's DLC
- Bayonetta Reprint.
- Kirby in Bayonetta's hair.
Neutral:
- Kid Icarus: Revived and cult-classic, timely success with launch.
- Xenoblade: Steady performance (though down to WiiU in Japan), found some form of successes in the West. Ports. Was already a small brand but didn't really decline or increase much at all.
- Mario et al: Kart did great, Party continued to "perform", but other spin-offs struggled. I'd call it a net zero.
- Kirby: Some entries did well, others not so much. Seems more like a continued flat-stable franchise for the most part. Triple Deluxe even got a spin-off from its side-mode.
- Yoshi: Hurt by poor 3DS entries, helped by a very strong WiiU entry.
- Pushmo: I don't think its really changed, it's more of a "steady brand".
- BOXBOY: A little hit, does well enough on the eShop to warrant sequels.
- Fatal Frame: ?????????? It exists?
Noticeably Weaker, Still Strong (Install base issues):
- Zelda: Its a huge brand but the WiiU and lack of strong hits has definitely dragged it down. ALBW did well though, as did Majora's Mask.
- Style Savvy/Rhythm Heaven: These were hurt by delays and a lack of exposure to the more casual market that would have enjoyed them more.
- Pikmin: Continues to... be.
Very Hurt, Recoverable:
- Mario RPG (Paper/ M&L): Definitely hurt by the end of the generation.
- Donkey Kong: WiiU hurt here badly, as did the delay and the "fucking Donkey Kong" narrative.
Big Losers:
- Nintendogs: ded
- Metroid: Coma. That said, I think a solid entry would revive it.
- Star Fox: ded
- Chibi-Robo: ded
- Wii_: ded
- Brain Age: ded
- The Wonderful 101: ded
- Code Name Steam: lolded
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions: I actually am not sure. It sold bad but its external media did well, so who knows. Its got a following but purely on game terms it did very badly.
Have Become Smash Characters from Dead or Failed/Hurt Brands:
- F-Zero/Captain Falcon
- Mother/Ness and Lucas
- Ryu
There, including some analysis of why I put what where and such.