Nintendo is known for creating creative and unique titles across its various consoles. Many of their games ooze heart and passion that is sorely lacking in many other games. Despite this, I can’t help but miss the games released during the 3DS and Wii U era. Don’t get me wrong, Nintendo still releases many great games, but they’re all starting to feel the same. Nintendo keeps returning to the same franchises and rarely explores different game ideas. There have been a few examples of this in the Switch era, usually in the form of smaller, cheaper releases, but it feels like we’ve seen less and less of these types of games. With the release of the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition in July, I think it’s time for Nintendo to diversify its lineup.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition has players complete specific challenges quickly. Players can try to compete against each other for the best time online or play together simultaneously with local multiplayer. While this isn’t the most exciting premise, it is a nice respite from Nintendo’s usual lineup. Creating these different games helps broaden the genres’ scope and provides players with a different gaming experience. In recent years, Nintendo’s game lineup has started to feel static, with the same franchises releasing games that don’t go outside the box. Despite the many faults of the Wii U and 3DS, some of the games released during this time were so much more interesting than the games Nintendo is releasing now.
Ultimate NES Remix
There are many fun and unique games on the 3DS and Wii U: Nintendo Land, Nintendo Badge Arcade, Tomodachi Life, the Pushmo series, etc. The game I’m discussing today, however, is Ultimate NES Remix.
The NES Remix games were initially released on the Wii U eShop before the series made its way to 3DS with Ultimate NES Remix. The game gives the player specific challenges in different retro NES games, and the player has to complete those challenges without losing all their lives. This puts a fun spin on several retro NES games and allows players to play them in entirely new ways.
I chose to talk about this game specifically because it is the most similar to NWC. Both games focus on giving the player particular challenges to complete, but both do it uniquely. I miss minor releases like Ultimate NES Remix in the Switch era because of the different ideas they brought to the game lineup. In my opinion, it made new game releases a lot more interesting. It was exciting to see what games were coming and what Nintendo and its subsidiaries had in store. While I do miss this era, there have still been quite a few titles on Switch that have gone outside the box.
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Kirby’s Dream Buffet
Through all of the remakes and disappointing sequels, a few games have strayed from the status quo. Game Builder Garage, Jump Rope Challenge, and Ring Fit Adventure all come to mind. The game I want to highlight, however, is Kirby’s Dream Buffet.
Despite being a spinoff Kirby game that didn’t gain much traction, this game is bursting with personality. Players race against computers and other players to try and collect the most strawberries. Players can play in the Grand Prix and not only race but play a variety of different mini-games as well. The Grand Prix ends with the players battling to knock each other out of the arena and collect as many strawberries as possible. The thought and care that went into designing the gameplay, the variety of stages, and the overall style make this one of the most unique Nintendo games on the Switch.
The whole theme of the game is food, and the game heavily leans into this. The starting hub is a table with various foods representing the different menus the player can see. When players are shown the upcoming courses in the Grand Prix, they are presented in the style of a restaurant menu. All the stages are themed around food: ice cream, cake, hamburgers, etc. While the gameplay is a n, seeing how the developers brought these ideas to life makes the game even more enjoyable. I wish that Nintendo’s other major IPs would release cheaper side games like this more often. It would give players a break from the mainline games and allow them to try something new.
Why Nintendo Should Release More Games Like NWC
I want to conclude by discussing why I think it’s vital for Nintendo to release more games like Nintendo World Championship. It’s pretty simple: it gives players more options. Nintendo has a wide variety of IPs that cover a broad spectrum of genres. WiThataid, these IPs often stick in the same box and rarely go outside of it. That’s why releasing more cheaper side titles would be a great way of diversifying their yearly lineup. Not only would the lower price incentivize players to buy the game, but it would also allow Nintendo and its developers to work with a lower budget and try things they may find too risky for a more expensive game. Whether it’s a cheaper side title or a spinoff of an existing IP, I hope we see more games like Nintendo World Championship in the future.
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