Despite being one of the most successful video game companies since the industry’s beginnings, Nintendo has seen its fair share of shortcomings. Several of the company’s consoles have been notorious failures, most notably the Virtual Boy and the Wii U. Certain Nintendo franchises have failed to catch mainstream attention too, such asArmsorGolden Sun.
RELATED:Every Console Generation, Ranked By Visual Improvement
However, sometimes, an initial failure is the first step to unrecognized success. Nintendo has had many games that failed to thrive when they were released over the course of the company’s history, but, in retrospect, have gained the respect of players. These games are all now considered to be cult classics, even if they faced pushback early on in their lifecycles.
10Kid Icarus
Kid Icarusdebuted on the Famicom and NES in 1986, the same year asThe Legend of ZeldaandMetroid. Unlike those games,Kid Icarusreceived mixed reviews. Many players criticized its difficulty, as well as its failure to compete with other platformers on the console. Fortunately, video game history has been kinder toKid Icarus.
Many publications label it one of the best games of all time. The franchise was even revived in 2012 withKid Icarus: Uprisingfor Nintendo 3DS, followingPit’s inclusion inSuper Smash Bros Brawl. This reboot was even helmed bySmash Broscreator Masahiro Sakurai, who turned the platformer into a third-person shooter.
9Earthbound
Nowadays, however,Earthboundis considered one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It’s been highly influential in the genre,inspiring many lookalikes trying to recapture the game’s magic. Despite the game receiving many Virtual Console ports, Nintendo has yet to answer fan requests for a western release ofEarthbound’s Japan-only sequel,Mother 3.
When it came to platformers on the Nintendo 64, few companies were as successful as Rare. The developer had an impressive resume, which included the smash-hitsDonkey Kong 64andBanjo-Kazooie.Conker’s Bad Fur Day, however, was their attempt to appeal to an older audience, which resulted in a rare commercial failure for the company.
RELATED:Most Criminally Underrated N64 Games Of All Time
Many audiences were put-off byConker’s Bad Fur Day, particularly for the contrast between its kid-friendly artwork and NSFW content. Despite this misfire, many gaming publications had positive things to say about the game’s design and humor. The title later received a remake withConker: Live & Reloadedfor the original Xbox.
7Cubivore: Survival Of The Fittest
The aptly-titledCubivore: Survival of the Fittestwasreleased for the Nintendo GameCubein 2002. The game finds players taking on the role of a cube, participating in RPG combat to become King of all Cubivores. Unfortunately, though, the game’s cute art style wasn’t enough to satisfy audiences.
Upon release, many gaming publications criticized the gameplay and controls, while praising the creativity of the premise. However, in recent years, many people have been able to recognize its positive qualities. Perhaps it’s a result of fans becoming nostalgic for the tropes of games in the Gamecube era.
6MadWorld
MadWorldwas released for the Nintendo Wii in 2009 and was developed by PlatinumGames, the creators ofViewtiful JoeandBayonetta. The game received positive reviews upon release, with critics praising itsSin City-esque graphic design. Unfortunately, many publications also noted that it failed to bring innovation to the hack-n-slash genre.
In addition, the game being released for the Wii likely was a shot in the foot. The audience of the Wii generally skewed towards children and families, meaning its sales were disappointing, especially in big markets like Japan. Unfortunately, it failed to appeal to a wide audience, butthose who have played it can still appreciate its brief fun.
5The Wonderful 101
Unfortunately,MadWorldwasn’t PlatinumGames’s only flop. The company also developed the Wii U title,The Wonderful 101, which certainly appealed to the console’s audience more thanMadWorlddid. The game featured players controlling an army of heroes, morphing together like a superhero school of fish.
RELATED:The Most Powerful PlatinumGames Heroes, Ranked
Upon release, reviewers had a lot of good things to say about the game. However, like many games on the Wii U, it failed to chart well at all. The game was recently ported to Nintendo Switch, but only aftera successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. However, their Kickstart goal was reached very quickly, meaning the game’s audience is still alive.
4Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
Nintendo had a lot of faith in the 3DS titleCode Name: S.T.E.A.M.before it was released. It was developed by Intelligent Systems, which was also responsible for breathing new life into theFire Emblemfranchise withFire Emblem Awakening. Plus, the game’s design and its use of American folklore figures were intriguing to fans.
Despite the hype preceding its release,Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.received mixed reviews from critics. Unfortunately, its art style and premise weren’t enough to satisfy critics who were put off by its length and complicated mechanics. However, patches that were released in the future made it easier for skeptical fans to approach it.
3Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
TheMario & Luigifranchise was successful atplacing Nintendo’s iconic brothers in a proper RPG format. Previous games in the series, such asSuperstar SagaandBowser’s Inside Story, are beloved by fans. It was exciting for fans, then, when Nintendo announced that the franchise would see a crossover with thePaper Marioseries.
Reviews were ultimately positive, though some were disappointed by the game’s lack of elements brought over from thePaper Marioseries. Unfortunately, the 3DS title is the last entry in theMario & Luigiseries, as its developer AlphaDream filed for bankruptcy in 2019. Still, the series has a soft spot in many older Nintendo fans.
2Miitopia
The RPGMiitopiawas released for the 3DS in Japan in 2016, with a worldwide release coming later in 2017. The game centers around the player-created Mii characters, with the gameplay being affected by the relationships between Miis. Many reviewers had a lot of positive things to say about the game’s creativity and its take on the RPG genre.
RELATED:Miitopia: The Biggest Fixes The Game Needs On The Switch
Other than that, the game received mixed reviews from critics. LikeTomodachi Life,Miitopiasuffers from a lack of player involvement in the game’s playthrough. The Nintendo Switch port, which was released in 2021, received a much more positive response from audiences, appealing to a much wider group of players.
1Sushi Striker: The Way Of Sushido
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushidowas released for 3DS and Switch back in 2018 and was made by developers who had worked on games likeTokyo Mirage Sessions #FEandElectroplankton.The game consists of puzzlesin which players battle opponents using sushi. Fortunately, critics responded well to the gameplay’s design.
Other critics had lots to criticize regardingSushi Striker’s length and controls. As a result, the game only sold 5,000 copies for the Switch in its first week, with the 3DS version not even reaching half that. Many fans of the game, however, have criticized Nintendo’s lack of promotion for what could potentially have been a great starting point for a new franchise.
