Nintendo has some of the most iconic and popular franchises in the world. Games like Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon have gotten so much attention in the past years that some gamers just want something new from Nintendo, or rather something old. What do I mean by this? Nintendo has a lot franchises under it’s belt but some of those IPs have either been ignored or misused in recent years.

Like many hardcore Nintendo fans, I for one would love it if Nintendo revived certain ‘lost’ game series for the Nintendo Switch,  so here’s our list of the top five Nintendo franchises that need to be revived for the Nintendo Switch… after the break.

#5. Star Fox

You’re probably asking: “Photon why are you talking about Star Fox? Zero came out last year and Star Fox 2 is gonna be on the SNES mini. Why does Star Fox need a revival?” Well for one Star Fox 2 is exclusive to the SNES Mini and was made during the SNES days so I can’t really count it as being a new game capable of reviving the franchise. Secondly, a lot of people didn’t gravitate to Zero. The controls were awkward, it wasn’t as engaging as past games and it has a predictable narrative. I’m glad they gave Star Fox another chance and made a new game but at the same time I don’t want them to perceive Zero’s lack luster sales as a lack of interest from gamers. I want them to make a new Star Fox game for the Switch and take chances with it. Yes Star Fox 64 was the most successful and beloved game of the series but you can only milk a games legacy for so long before it gets sour.

Star Fox is lowest on this list because while a follow up to Zero would be much appreciated it would be best to wait a few years before Nintendo tries again. In the mean time, there are other Nintendo series which can use the attention. Speaking of which…

Earthbound

#4. Earthbound

This may be controversial to some of you but, to me, the beloved Earth Bound series needs to get some representation on the Switch. Itoi-san has said that he has no interest in making a Mother 4 and Mother 3 has yet to be released in most parts of the world, so how can they possibly revive the series? Well how about localizing and porting Mother 3 to the Switch? A lot of Nintendo fans have been patiently waiting to see an official western release of Mother 3 and I think the wait will finally be over. To this day I still don’t understand why Nintendo wouldn’t want to cash in on Mother 3’s high demand but like I said, the wait may finally be over.

#3. Kid Icarus

Interest in the Kid Icarus series was rejuvenated thanks to Super Smash Bros Brawl. Pit’s inclusion in the roster of fighters got people thinking that a new Kid Icarus game was on the way and in 2012 we received Kid Icarus: Uprising. Uprising greatly deviated from the series’ 2D platforming routes and instead used a third-person-shooter plays style. So why am I bringing all of this up? While I did like Kid Icarus: Uprising, I can’t really say it was something truly I enjoyed all that much. While Sakurai-san has said he’s not interested in making a sequel I’d like to see them make another Kid Icarus game but more influenced by the classic games. Having a 2D Kid Icarus game with Uprising’s visual style would be cool to see and it would also be perfect to have on the Switch. It would be the perfect mix of old and new Kid Icarus.

#2. Eternal Darkness

Some people will have no idea what I am talking about but to catch you all up let me explain. Eternal Darkness was an action/adventure/horror game on the Game Cube developed by Silicon Knights and Shigeru Miyamoto. The game was something unlike anything that Nintendo had ever developed before; it was realistic, story driven, violent, and ended with a cliff hanger hinting at a sequel which of course never happened. The game wasn’t successful, despite being critically acclaimed, and any plans of a sequel were scrapped. The only signs of this series making a return is through a spiritual successor being made by Eternal Darkeness’ writer and director, Denis Dyack.

There’s not much else to say about Eternal Darkness and a possible return without making this article eight times longer. In conclusion for Eternal Darkness, it was one of the most experimental titles that Nintendo had a developed and published and it would be interesting to see what they could do with this title using the Switches hardware. I want Nintendo to try new things and bringing back this obscure title either through a remake or a sequel would be awesome to see.

#1. F-Zero

A new F-Zero may very well be number 1 on some people’s most wanted Nintendo games lists. The thing that puts F-Zero at number 1 above everything else is because one, it’s been almost 15 years since the last F-Zero game was released. F-Zero GX was released in 2003 for the Game Cube and to this day is said to be the best game in the franchise. Two of the things that held GX back was the game’s lack luster sales and that the game was criticized for being too difficult.

Sure we have games like Fast Racing Neo and Mario Kart 8 that both make huge nods toward the mach speed racing game but in the end it’s still not the same as playing a full fledged F-Zero game. F-Zero is one of the only major Nintendo properties to not get any big releases as of late. Out of all the Nintendo games that could use revival, F-Zero is the series that needs it the most.

That’s our “Top Five Nintendo Franchises that Need to be Revived for the Switch”, do you agree with our list? Are there other Nintendo games that you would like to see get revived on the Switch? Let us know in the comments!