Who doesn’t like to dream? Well, with Nintendo reportedly out there speaking to third-party developers for its upcoming games, we’ve dreamed up some of our favorite and most out-there suggestions for studios that could take over iconic franchises.
Before we get into this it’s important to mention, that none of these have been discussed at all, nor will they likely ever become reality. The reality is that Nintendo will hold its biggest names close to its chest and continue with trusted developers they’re already familiar with for the most part.
The good news is dreaming doesn’t need to be based in reality, so we’ve put together a list of developers we think could take these hit Nintendo franchises to the next level regardless of how realistic it is. You’re not going to see major players like Insomniac or Bethesda on this list as we’ve narrowed things down to just third-party devs who aren’t under contract with specific platforms. Outside of that, no restraints were holding back our list. Here is what we thought up.
Pokémon: Square Enix
Like any Pokémon enjoyer, seeing the concept art fans have put together for an HD-2D game had us dreaming that one day Square Enix will get their turn with the keys to Pokémon.
The Pokémon formula isn’t all that complex. You need a wild area to explore, an engaging story, and a ton of Pokémon to find and capture, but what would make that experience better than the stunning visual style gamers recognize from Octopath Traveller?
In fact, the storytelling in that game is leaps above what we’ve seen in recent Pokémon releases, so truly a step back into the 2D origins of the franchise would be a welcomed change, and I believe Square Enix could make it something special.
Kirby: Moon Studios
Kirby only recently entered the 3D realm, but we think it could be cool to go back to 2D with a talented dev team like Moon Studios behind the wheel.
Moon Studios prides itself on refined gameplay mechanics and what character gives you the freedom in this regard that Kirby does? A character that can consume and transform into literally anything, that’s a gameplay mechanic dream.
Visually we’d expect a game like this to be one of Kirby’s most stunning outings to date, but as a whole package, we think Moon Studios could be the perfect pairing for the pink puffball.
Zelda: FromSoftware
Okay, hear me out. Everyone loves Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but one of their best changes was the increase in difficulty. Let’s kick that to 100 and drop Link in the darkest story he’s faced yet.
I truly think that a FromSoftware-style game with Link and the other Zelda mainstays in a dark, gloomy, moody Hyrule could be something special. Of course, this wouldn’t be for all Zelda fans, but in terms of the hardcore, it would be the toughest challenge they’ve faced yet.
The Zelda formula has been played with plenty over the years whether it was Hyrule Warriors, or the shift from 2D to 3D, then linear to open-world, so why not try something as out there as becoming a Soulslike?
Metroid: ID Software
No game has captured the run-and-gun formula as smoothly as Doom, and that’s why I think ID Software would be the perfect developer to take the mantle on a new Metroid game.
We aren’t even the first people to have this idea, there have been mods for Doom games for years adding Samus into the unique world.
Picture Samus blasting through enemies at a pace we’ve never seen before. Honestly, it wouldn’t be too much of a change from the current Metroid Prime offerings, just less puzzling, and more blasting. We can only imagine how hard the soundtrack would go.
Star Fox: Motive Studio
What seems like an obvious choice, Motive Studio is the best pick to develop a new Star Fox game. The reason: Star Wars: Squadrons.
Few games have mastered Ariel combat on the level that Motive did with Star Wars: Squadrons, but imagine that with your favorite Star Fox characters and ships. Yes, it would include combat closer to the ground, but what we’d hope a dev like Motive would do is take the incredible flight controls from Squadrons and build it into the Star Fox style we all know and love.
With Squadrons’ biggest issue being its lack of story and content, a collaboration with a property loved by as many as Star Fox could be just what we need.
Mario: Ubisoft
Yes, it is the boring answer, but Ubisoft is one of the few devs we’d trust handing the Mario IP—and that’s because they’ve done it before.
While Mario + Rabbids is already a hit, given the success we’ve seen from Ubisoft with platformers, a Mario game in the vein of Ray Man Legends, or the recently released Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown could be a pleasant surprise.
Like all of the games on this list, no one can do it better for Mario than Nintendo, but with the relationship already established, letting Ubisoft have their shot at a platformer for the plumber is something we’d like to see.
