At the moment, the possibility of Nintendo releasing games for iOS and Android is a pipedream. The publisher’s 3DS rebounded from a poor launch, and the Wii U is set to invade homes this fall. On the flip side, the company’s stock, which used to be in the low 70s, now sits at $14 per share.What does it mean? That eventually, shareholders will get even antsier and demand the company to evolve, so there’s an outside chance we may see Mario and the gang doing their thing on iPhone, iPad, and Android-powered devices. With this in mind, here are the Nintendo franchises we’d most like to see make the jump to mobile.
This one makes the most sense by far, as the WarioWare series features short mini-games that work via touch and tilt, two features easily handled by today’s smartphones and tablets. Besides, the whacky premise and easily digestible content (clearly designed for people with the shortest of attention spans) would make a great fit on these devices, offering quick sessions of gameplay. More importantly, Nintendo could charge $0.99 up front, then release new level packs via in-app purchase. Naturally, a hungry fan base would gobble them up.
Advance Wars
Plenty of turn-based strategy games exist on the App Store and Android Marketplace, and we think Advance Wars would easily trump them all. The original Game Boy Advance release was so huge, its tutorial sucked us in for hours. Beyond that, we just had a wonderful time pitting both armies against each other, carefully maneuvering units across the grid and watching the brief cut scenes of soldiers on foot or in different vehicles annihilating the opposition. It’s been too long since we’ve had a sequel, and while a 3DS entry seems imminent, the iOS hit Great Little War Game proved there’s a big demand for this type of experience; the same goes for another Nintendo favorite, Fire Emblem
F-Zero
Hardcore Nintendo fans are hungry for another F-Zero title, which at the moment remains in limbo. We’ve seen a handful of futuristic racers on the App Store, but none of them hold a proverbial candle to Captain Falcon and Co.’s high-speed romps. We’d have a blast guiding those hover vehicles around motion-sickness inducing loops and barreling through straightaways while enjoying the pretty scenery, rocking out to the classic tunes that we still can’t remove from our heads. A daydream, yes, but one worth indulging.
Star Fox
This week, Fishlabs announced the release date (August 30) for the next piece of downloadable content for its engrossing space exploration game, Galaxy on Fire 2, which made us both excited for the DLC and another Star Fox 3D shooter. We’d like to think Nintendo would have no trouble bringing Fox McCloud and his comrades (even Slippy) to smart phones, complete with high-definition graphics, tons of explosions, and spot-on controls using the built-in gyroscope, similar to what the developers did with Star Fox 64 3D on 3DS. Come on, Nintendo. Us mobile fans also enjoy a good barrel roll from time to time.
The Legend of Zelda
There’s a great chance you’ve never heard of the upcoming title, Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, but you should definitely put it on your radar, as it bears a striking resemblance to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, minus the cell-shaded graphics and talking boat. We’ve yet to get our hands on the game, but it proves (along with other mobile RPGs), that Zelda would work just fine on iOS and Android, whether in 2D or 3D. Nintendo could even leverage each device’s strengths (touch, tilt, retina displays) to build a wholly original quest, one filled with dungeons, cool items, and of course, Link.
Mario…in all his forms
It should go without saying that yes, we’d love to bring Mario with us on the go in various forms, whether it’s a 3D adventure similar to Super Mario Galaxy, or a more methodical type of game like Mario Party. Virtual joysticks and buttons should do wonders when it comes to stomping goombas, gathering gold coins, and driving our friends crazy in a varied assortment of mini-games. We’ve seen what he’s capable of on 3DS (a Mario Kart iOS/Android racer sounds delightful), and now’s the time to flex his plumbing muscle on different platforms.
What nintendo games would you like on your ios device? let us know.
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