Nintendohas denied that they are making a successor to the Switch anytime soon. Fans have been getting worried that the console was on its last legs because the technical performance ofPokemon Violet/Scarletwas less than stellar. That worried some thatThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwould also suffer.
Related:Nintendo Games That Never Received A Single Sequel
Fortunately, it is a technical marvel on the Switch. So, maybeNintendois a long way away from a new console. Those two examples are giant exclusive franchises that have been with the company for a long time. These other exclusiveexamples failed to meet an audienceand don’t have as long of a legacy for one reason or another.
81-2-Switch
1-2-Switchwas set to betheWii Sportsof the Switch’s launch. It was a fun, quirky game that seemed inviting to the whole family. It certainly was easy to set up, but it was more like a gimmick than a game.
It would have been better if it was something built internally into the Switch’s background, and it was not worth the full price at retail. The lasting power of these mini-games was fleeting as well, which probably led to the middling reviews.
7Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival
Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festivalbombed and it bombed hard. It is far and above, or more like deep and below, the worst-reviewed game in the series. It might be one of the worst Wii U games ever made, according to Metacritic.
There were so many things going against it that still doesn’t make sense. Why would Nintendo take away the simulation aspects ofAnimal Crossingto make a carbon copy of a series they already have enough of viaMario Party?
6Code Name: S.T.E.A.M
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M, unlike a lot of games on here, is a good but flawed 3DS game at its core. It was developed by Intelligent Systems who are known widelyforFire Emblem. They know how to make good strategy RPGs, and that’s what this game is too.
Related:Unique Nintendo Video Games No One Has Copied Yet (But Should)
It was just as challenging, or maybe even more so with difficult spikes happening quite often. This might be why reviews were all over the place. Fighting aliens as a part of Lincoln’s secret organization sounds enticing on paper, but it lacked charm beyond that pitch.
5Devil’s Third
Devil’s Thirdwaspitched as the next great action game from the team that madeNinja Gaiden. It was certainly an action game but the word “great” never came to mind upon playing it. The story was all over the place as was the acting.
The action was bland and repetitive, but worst of all it was buggy. It, likeAnimal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, ranks as one of the worst-reviewed Wii U games on Metacritic. The only notable thing about this game was its quick scarcity at retail as not a lot of hard copies were printed.
4Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Metroidfans had been wishing for Nintendo to make a game to follow upMetroid: Other Msince 2010. Finally, in 2016 they got their wish, but it was a monkey’s paw situation.Metroid Prime: Federation Forcewas a new game in the series, but it didn’t star Samus, and it was multiplayer-focused on the 3DS.
For some fans, this felt like a betrayal after waiting for years for something more traditional. Players that did give it a fair shake were also left wanting. Thankfully, there is a happy ending to this story asMetroid: Samus Returnswould release a year later on 3DS.
3Pokemon Conquest
Pokemon Conquestis the best-reviewed game on this list by a country mile, standing at a cool 80 on Metacritic. This game is an example of something that was reviewed well, but it didn’t sell well compared to the proper games in the series.Pokemonspinoff games rarely sell anywhere near the mainline games.
Related:Every Nintendo Console Ranked By Their Launch Prices
The gap here was more daunting becausethis tactical RPGcrossed over with a series most Western fans probably weren’t familiar with,Nobunaga’s Ambition. It was a bizarre blend, but it turned out to be good in the end. Unfortunately, more people didn’t play it which could be why there has never been a sequel.
2Star Fox Zero
Star Fox Zerofalls into a similar category toMetroid Prime: Federation Force. All fans wanted was a new traditional game in the series. Technically, this game was that, but it threw a weird gimmick into the mix that turned a lot of people away.
Players were forced to use the motion controls on the Wii U’s tablet. This created one of those impossible setups. Behind the gimmicks, it reviewed okay, but it certainlywasn’t a success for theStar Foxseries.
1Wii Music
Wii Musicsurprisingly did not dip into the red with review scores. It is one of the most audacious things Nintendo has ever created and that’s including the Virtual Boy. To understand their mislead ego, one has to see them reveal the gameon stage at E3 2006.
It is presented as a fun way to play music but when it was demoed, it sounded like a bagpipe got thrown into a garbage disposal unit. It was a cacophony of noise and was nowhere near what it wanted tobeRock Band.
