Summary
- Fire Emblem could easily make a successful roguelike due to its diverse characters and strategic gameplay.
- Kirby, known for versatility, could thrive in a roguelike setting by utilizing his Copy abilities.
- Super Smash Bros as a roguelike would give fans a chance to play with characters from various franchises in an action-packed setting.
Nintendo has a lot of franchises under its belt, and two of them have already become roguelikes. The first one was Pokemon via Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. There were many sequels after, but then the Zelda franchise got a chance via Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda.
Which Nintendo franchise should be next? It seems fitting to test out long-dead franchises with a roguelike revival, as that’s the hot genre right now, but the popular franchises could equally profit. Could Nintendo revolutionize the genre? Let’s dive deep and find out.
6 Fire Emblem
More Swords Than Lords
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
- Released
- April 20, 1990
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Number of Players
- 1
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- December 4, 2020
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
Fire Emblem would be an easy franchise to turn into a roguelike. The series began on the NES in 1990, and there are over a dozen main titles, not to mention spinoffs, each with at least twenty or more heroes to play as. Villains could be added to the rosters as well for a more balanced run.
While most main characters use swords, there are plenty of secondary characters that would fill up the roster with bows, lances, axes, and even magic books. It would be an easy home run for Nintendo, with Warriors: Abyss being its closest template to mirror. Maybe Koei Tecmo/Omega Force could even team up with Nintendo to make it like they did with Fire Emblem Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.
5 Kirby
Putting The Copy Abilities To Good Use
Kirby's Dream Land
- Released
- April 27, 1992
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E
- Developer(s)
- HAL Laboratory
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Adventure, Shooter
Kirby is one of the more versatile characters under Nintendo’s reign. Kirby has starred in racers, a pinball game, a golf game, and so on. There is almost no genre he hasn’t dipped his pink toe in except roguelikes, which would work well with Kirby’s Copy ability.
In Kirby’s Dream Land, the first game, Kirby couldn’t use his Copy abilities, though. Kirby’s Adventure, the sequel, is where the mechanic was introduced, and the rest is history. The roguelike could be similar to Rogue Legacy, where players could begin with a Copy ability, like Sword or Bomb, and then have Kirby choose another upon restarting.
4 NES Remix
The Return Of Captain N
NES Remix
- Released
- December 18, 2013
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U
NES Remix began as an experiment on the Wii U wherein players would go through classic NES games to play mini-games in short bursts. Some titles included Donkey Kong, Excitebike, The Legend of Zelda, and so on. The goal changed from challenge to challenge, and it was a great idea to get an official rom hack collection from Nintendo.
They made a sequel on the Wii U and a collection on the 3DS, and that has been it since 2014. Taking the NES Remix concept and applying it to a roguelike would be wild but brilliant. Every room could take players into a new game from the NES. Nintendo could also randomize characters and change gameplay between runs. Maybe the game could alternatively feature Captain N from the 80s cartoon Captain N: The Game Master as he relives his favorite NES games in an isekai scenario.
3 Pikmin
Can’t Cut These Plants Down
Pikmin
- Released
- October 26, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- GameCube, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy, Puzzle
The Pikmin series changes heroes between games, but they mostly feature explorers gathering materials via plantlike creatures called Pikmin. There have been many varieties of Pikmin over the years, like ones made of rock or others made to glow in the dark. The overall gameplay style can be likened to RTS games.
A Pikmin roguelike could feature dungeon exploration wherein players would gather Pikmin as they descend into the bowels of a new planet. They can take back materials that will upgrade the suit and gadgets players can use on the next run. In death, Pikmin will be lost, only to be gathered again on a new run. It’s almost the same gameplay style as the main games except with the focus being underground, and this is, of course, just one idea.
2 Super Smash Bros.
Could There Be A Better Move?
Super Smash Bros.
- Released
- April 26, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- HAL Laboratory
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64, Wii
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
Super Smash Bros. Would probably be the Nintendo series fans would want to see the most turned into a roguelike. It’s kind of a cheat because Nintendo could use characters from all of their major franchises. Players could unlock or buy characters similar to the Fire Emblem idea, wherein this roguelike would be heavy on the action.
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Nintendo could even ask their third-party allies to donate characters. Imagine playing as Sora from Kingdom Hearts or Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid in a roguelike setting. This could even just be the story mode attached to the next Super Smash Bros., which will probably happen sometime on the Switch 2.
1 Wario Land
Is It Time For Waluigi To Rise?
Wario Land 3
- Released
- May 1, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E // Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo R&D1
- Genre(s)
- Action, Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Color
Mario, as a character, wouldn’t work as a hero in a roguelike. Yes, players are used to seeing him dying a lot and then reviving with a 1-Up, but it just wouldn’t make sense to put him through the torturous cycle of a roguelike. Wario, on the other hand, would be perfect.
The Wario Land series mostly features the titular anti-hero raiding caves or other levels for treasure. Sounds like the perfect roguelike setting, which could follow the Spelunky style of mechanics. More villains could join Wario, too, to offer more gameplay styles between characters, including Waluigi, Bowser, Captain Syrup, and so on. A rogues gallery of Mario villains for a roguelike misadventure.
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