Throughout its history, Nintendo has developed some of the most memorable games ever. From Super Mario Bros to Legend of Zelda, Nintendo publishes gems that have inspired and entertained gamers for decades. However, not all Nintendo games have received sequels. There are a number of reasons for this: a game might be poorly received, the developers might go bust or close down, or the game might not be marked well and end up selling poorly.
Some Nintendo games, however, were well received, and they deserved sequels or even spinoffs. But given the amount of time that has passed without any of those games getting sequels—or even rumors of sequels—that will probably never happen. This is unfortunate, because those games deserved to become franchises, and should have been given the opportunity to do that. At this point, gamers can just hope that other stellar games receive sequels.
10 Little Samson
Little Samson is a 1992 platformer that came out on the NES. Its gameplay was similar to Mega Man, with the player defeating enemies and avoiding pits. However, it stands out in that the player can swap out characters at any point in the game. Little Samson received positive reviews, and by all rights, it should have gotten a sequel.
Perhaps because the game came out when most Nintendo gamers had moved on to the SNES, it didn’t sell well. The game also received little promotion, so it was hard for gamers to even know that it existed.
9 Dragon Fighter
Dragon Fighter is a side-scrolling action game that came out on the NES in 1990. The game is based on a legendary warrior who is brought back to life so he can slay an evil warlock called Zabbaong and avenge the people of the once-peaceful land of Baljing. The warrior can hurl projectiles at enemies and even change himself into a flying dragon.
Dragon Fighter was one of the niche games that came out on the NES without much media attention. Perhaps because of this, it never got the success it needed to warrant the developers making a sequel.
8 Magical Starsign
Magical Starsign is the sequel to the Japan-exclusive game, Magical Vacation. The game revolves around six aspiring magicians who have to band together to defeat the leader of a group of space pirates who want to destroy the solar system. Their journey takes them to outer space and to six different planets.
Developed for the Nintendo DS, Magical Starsign was a deep, interesting classic RPG. Reviewers adored it, and the few fans who played it enjoyed it. However, the game did not sell that well. In fact, Nintendo Australia refused to publish the game in the Oceanic region because it anticipated low sales.
7 Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64 is a 3D platform game released in 1999. Gamers play as the titular ape as he navigates an island in search of his kidnapped friends. The game sold over 2.3 million copies and garnered critical acclaim.
There have been many more Donkey Konggames after this one. However, none of them came in 3D. And after two decades have passed with Donkey Kong remaining in two dimensions, it feels like a sequel is no longer realistic. The developers might change their minds, of course, but it would be better if gamers don’t hold their breaths.
6 Conker’s Bad Fur Day
Conker’s Bad Fur Day is one of the rare Nintendo games that feature graphic violence, use of booze and tobacco, vulgar humor and profanity. It’s unlike any other game in the Conker series. The game has never received a sequel, or even a spiritual successor; the closest the developers have come is developing a remake, Conker: Live & Reloaded, in 2005.
The game itself is a platformer where the player takes Conker the Squirrel through three-dimensional levels. Conker’s main quest is to return home to his girlfriend after a night of heavy drinking with his pals.
5 Tomodachi Life
A life simulation developed for the Nintendo 3DS, Tomodachi Life is a unique and interesting game. In the game, the player gets their own island, and they can populate it with Miis they get from the game’s Mii Maker. The Miis can fall in love, eat, become rivals, start families and even trade with other islands.
The game was a hit, praised for its humor and likability. It inspired stages in Super Smash Bros Ultimateand Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Another game involving Miis, Miitopia, came out in 2016. However, Tomodachi Life has never received a direct sequel.
4 Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is a psychological horror video game developed for the GameCube. The player controls several characters as they fight a powerful entity whose goal is to enslave humanity. Its gameplay mechanics are similar to Resident Evil, but it stands out with unique features like the Sanity Effects, which show the character slowly losing their grip on reality.
The game was a critical darling, getting rave reviews and a plethora of awards. It sold just less than half a million copies worldwide. Any chances of the game receiving a sequel were shattered when the developers, Silicon Knights, filed for bankruptcy in 2013.
3 Super Princess Peach
Princess Peach doesn’t get much respect because in most games since she’s typically the damsel in distress; she always needs Mario to rescue her, and can’t seem to do anything for herself. This changes with Super Princess Peach. In this Nintendo DS-exclusive game, Princess Peach travels to Vibe Island so she can rescue Luigi and Mario, who have both been taken hostage by Bowser.
This is a refreshing reversal, and the game won over both critics and fans. It received positive reviews and became one of the bestselling Nintendo DS games. So, it’s unclear why Nintendo has never made a sequel to a game as popular as this.
2 Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is one of the greatest role-playing games of all time. Released on the NES, it follows Mario and his friends as they try to defeat Smithy, a villain who has stolen Star Road’s seven star pieces.
The game got spiritual successors, like Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario. Those games borrowed a few of their gameplay elements from Super Mario RPG. However, the original game has never received a direct sequel. Part of the reason might be that the developers, Square Enix, moved to Sony.
1 GoldenEye 007
As far as Nintendo games go, GoldenEye 007 is one of the most important. It was released on the Nintendo 64, and even though critics didn’t have much expectations for it, it blew everyone away. The game was stellar in everything from the story to the missions, the stealth elements and especially the multiplayer deathmatch mode. It sold over eight million copies, to make it one of the bestselling Nintendo 64 games. GoldenEye 007 is now considered one of the best video games of all time on any platform.
Despite this incredible level of success, the game has not received a sequel. In fact, other than a spiritual successor in 2000 and a reimagining in 2010, there has been no word about any sequel.
NEXT: Pokémon: The 15 Best Ground-Type Pokémon, Ranked
