With more than 35 years as one of the most recognizable names in gaming, Nintendo has produced some of the industry’s most iconic franchises. From the success of early games likeSuper Mario Bros.andThe Legend of Zeldato modern hits likePokemonandSplatoon, Nintendo’s IPs have garnered legions of fans throughout the company’s history. However, for everyMarioandZelda, many other popular Nintendo franchises spend long stretches of time without a proper follow-up. Now, a recent shareholder meeting saw Nintendo questioned about a handful of its dormant franchises.
While Nintendo has seen sustained success from many of its top names, the company has been known to have popular series go quiet for many years. Following the controversialMetroid: Other M’s release in 2010,Metroiddid not see a main-series game untilMetroid: Samus Returnsin 2017.Star Foxhas also not seen a new game in five years with the last main-seriesStar Foxcoming with the SNES Classic release ofStar Fox 2. Now, one shareholder has asked Nintendo about several long-dormant series, withBaten KaitosandF-Zeronotable among the list.
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During a Nintendo shareholder meeting on Tuesday, one shareholder who goes by Momiji on Twitter asked Nintendo about the status of some of its classic franchises. Alongside the previously-mentionedBaten KaitosandF-Zero, Momiji also mentionedother series likeWario Landand multiple Japan-only titles likeTrade & Battle: Card HeroandChosoju Mecha MG. Nintendo’s Shinya Takahashi reportedly responded that Nintendo is “thinking about a wide range of interesting ideas” for its games, though Takahashi confirmed he couldn’t disclose any details.
A newBaten KaitosorF-Zerowould mark the first return to either of the two franchises in nearly two decades.F-Zero’s last new release came withF-Zero Climaxon the Game Boy Advance in 2004, though the originalF-Zerohas seen ports to Nintendo’s classic game programs like Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online.Baten Kaitoshas not seen a new entry since 2006’s prequelBaten Kaitos Origins, though rumors have persisted aboutMonolith Soft reviving the franchisefor several years.
While Nintendo could not give any confirmation or denial on the possibility of a newBaten KaitosorF-Zero, Nintendo has been keen to revisit some of its older series in recent months. June’sMario Strikers: Battle Leaguemarked the firstMariosoccer game from the developer in 15 years.Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Campalso sees Nintendo coming back to a classic strategy franchise which has been dormant since the DS. Nintendo’s recent return to older series likeAdvance WarsandLive A Livecould bode well for a potential newF-ZeroorBaten Kaitosto come in the future.
