Topic: What Should Nintendo Do with the Collectathon Genre?

Long ago back in the ancient times known as 5th gen when platformers ruled the Earth, we saw a lot of 3D platformers which involved exploring open worlds and collecting certain objects to progress in the game (such as Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro, etc.) which we now refer to as collectathon platformers. Fast forward to now and the majority of those games died as platformers lost popularity, and even Nintendo which favors platformers has shifted towards linear 3D games like 3D Land and 3D World, leaving the collectathon genre pretty much dead (aside from a handful of indie games). Do you think Nintendo should bring this genre back? And if so, how should they, should they continue an existing series, make a new IP, or something else?

Super Mario Sunshine and DK64 were the pinnacle of collectathons. Nintendo, please make an HD Sunshine remake like you did with Wind Waker! That game is so gorgeous even in SD...

They don't necessarily need to bring the N64 "collectathon" genre back as much as they need to modernize it and implement that formula in new, true 3D platformers (The fact that there isn't a traditional 3D platformer on any 8th gen home console is depressing)

How so?

Remember Honeyhive Galaxy in Mario Galaxy? Well, basically cut away the mandatory order and more of that.

i have never heared of that genre even though i played some of the games mentioned here. to me they are just platformers. or "jump'n'run"s

I've always considered 3D Mario platformers to be different from typical collectathon games, so I don't think they need to bring this genre back with that series. It might be too risky to make a new IP, so I wouldn't mind seeing Nintendo do something with an older series. I've seen people suggest making a Duck Hunt reboot in the vein of Banjo Kazooie, and I think Nintendo could make that work. Maybe incorporate part of Duck Hunt's moveset from Smash into actual gameplay mechanics. Being able to fly (for a short amount of time) to reach higher platforms, using exploding cans to destroy rocks (kinda like bombs in Zelda), something like that could lend itself well to exploration.

Give it to the Duck Hunt Duo. They could do a lot of stuff Banjo-Kazooie did and more. Like maybe using explosives and calling in the shooters?

You collect stars and stamps in 3D World.

You collect bugs and rupees in Zelda. You collect a ton of stuff in Xenoblade too. But neither of those are collectathons.

3D World is very much a 3D-2D Platformer, if that makes any sense. In other words, it's a 3D game that appeals to the core play aesthetics of a 2D Platformer. You are timed, the life system discourages exploration, and the levels are linear paths.

One of my most favourite genres by far.
And even though DK64 was infamous for it, for me, it was the definition of a Collect-A-Thon.
Giant worlds to explore, that are extremely complex in structure, create dwith pretty much every playable character and ability in mind. More stuff to find and collect than it would be healthy for a completionist. Fun and acessable, yet very challenging.

Id love it if this sub genre would return in all its glory. And to be perfectly honest, im glad Nintendo took Mario in the current 3D Land/World direction of more classic "Point A to B" levels. Its the most basic and classic for of platformer, and thats what Mario is best at.

Also, i wouldnt count Mario 64 and / or Sunshine as a Collect-A-Thon really. For starters, the games are very mission based. The Levels change slightly depending on your current objective. Meaining, certain parts are (un)accessable, you get thrown out of the level once you completed your mission and the only real other collectable (in Sunshine) other than your main goals (Stars / Shines) are the blue coins.

For me, a Collect-A-Thon is defined by Banjo & Kazooie or, like i said, DK64. You are free to explore their giant levels however you like. Its not so much about clearing a certain goal and more about going on a treasure hunt, finding all the goodies, be it the mandatory golden whatevers or optional things like honey combs.

Youre rarely if ever given a clear path to what you have to acomplish. You have no set goal other than your list of collectables to go by, not no clue where to start looking.
In Mario 64 for instance, your target for each mission is very clear, and the end result is, that even though its levels are big and open, the set goal creates a linear path of how to achieve it.
In Banjo & Kazooie on the other hand, there is no such thing. You dont know what youre looking for. You not only need to find the solution of how to solve a certain situation, you also have to find the situation first.
Adding to this are the many unlockable moves you have. Lets pretend its your first playthrough and you have no clue what moves you will get in the future.
Now, picture yourself in Clunkers windpipe (the narrow patchway with the many propeller blades) without the golden feather move.
You learned from treasure trove cove, that the red feathers are for flying, so your first instinct (i know mine was) is probably, that they are for another flight upgrade, thus, you try to solve this ridiculously hard scenario on your own.

In Mario 64, whenever you reach an inaccessable part of the stage, you basically know "well, thats for another Star then" and go on. Banjo & Kazooie made you experiment. Should i find the hidden move first, is this even the one i need for this, or should i just try my best and overcome this challenge anyways ?
That was the aspect that made me fall in love with this sub genre time and time again.

So yes, id really love if it would return, with all of its ridiculous numbers of collectables, goofy characters and gigantic, complex levels. Maybe someone, might just come out of the shadows and bring it back to live ? "Peekaboo...."

Lego City Undercover was pretty collectathon-y. There's collectible costumes/red bricks/super bricks/gold bricks/super Mario stars/etc all over the city! Exploration really rewards the player in that game.

I don't think Super Mario 64 is really a collectathon. For it to be a collectathon it has to be awful and slow getting the things.

Aside from being timed, it's not that much different from Super Mario 64. In there you just collect stars and that's it. It was mostly around setting stars to go forward with the game. In Banjo-Kazooie and DK64 you collect multiple things during one play though, so those feel more like collectathons to me.

I don't see how that's any different from 64. What are they "modernizing"?

Anyway, I'll share mine while I'm at it.

I can kind of understand why we haven't seen one lately. Nintendo probably trended away from them because a linear platformer allowed them to design levels that focused more on platforming skill. So Mario and Donkey Kong moved more towards 3D Land and Returns style. They could have the games exist as a separate style of those games, but I think they feel like it might overshadow the main games which they view as being more definitive. So I think their best options would be a new IP or a new spinoff, and since it's either to come up with a spinoff than a completely new IP, that seems like the best route.

In particular, I think Rosalina is a good candidate for this kind of spinoff. She already has an established game universe which fits the "spirit" of collectathon games, they can simply retool Galaxy to give her the starring role. Gameplay wise, I think they should take cues from older games like 64 and Sunshine and make the levels more explorable and less linear, more like Honeyhive or Beach Bowl Galaxy. Keep the episode format to provide a sense of direction in the levels (and also keep the short story arcs), but also add in Green Stars to encourage open exploration, as well as Prankster Comets and Purple Coins for more of a challenge. They could color code the stars based on how they're obtained to avoid confusion, maybe Gold for episodic stars, Green for hidden stars (like they always are), Red for Prankster Comets, and Purple for Purple Coins.

You collect Green Stars in 3D World, but the game is more about navigating through obstacles to get to the goal, for the most part you don't really explore the level to progress (except in areas where you need to collect key coins to open up a teleport box). I think 3D World is trying too hard to be a compromise and it doesn't really work well, the exploration is less meaningful with the timer and without exploration being part of the progression.

Leave it 6 feet under where it belongs.

I do hope Mario Sunshine gets an HD treatment ala Wind Waker, and fixes some of the small problems it had that weren't really "major" issues at all.

Camera? Sure. But you know that ferris wheel level in Pinna Park? That entire scafolding section of it can be completely avoided IF you're smart.

And the blue coins. I say keep them. They definitely encouraged exploration, especially in places like Noki Bay. Plus, they wouldn't be so hard to find with the inclusion of Miiverse, if you don't want to spend time looking up online guides.

Analog triggers can definitely be worked around. Allow use of the GameCube controller adapter. Hey, N64 VC on Wii required a separately sold Classic Controller, so Nintendo wouldn't have issues doing the same thing for this. Hell, they could Bundle them for awhile, discontinue, and just release it in digital form with a notice before purchase that it requires an adapter and controller---or even the Classic Controller that also has analog triggers.

You know, I love my Banjo Kazooies and the like but tbh the entire 3D platformer genre needs a revival. I honestly think Lost World is the last 3D platformer we got that really felt like a 3D platformer. Everything else lately has either been not well received or is actually a beat-em-up or a 2D platformer disguised as a 3D platformer. It's kinda weird in the era of open world that some genres like 3D platformer and FPS decided to be far less open.

You Gotta believe.

I'd say Knack and 3D World are good games. Sunset Overdrive if your stretching what a Platformer is.

As for the actual question of the OP?

Give them a big Fantasy style forest where the dog laughs at the evil hunter (exgratted as to be a boss) the duck jumps on his back and its adventure time in a huge forest.

Why do people keep wanting Duck Hunt to be a collectathon? Is it just because of the Banjo/Kazooie dynamic? Because first of all that feels like a ripoff, but more importantly it feels kind of forced. The original game had nothing to do with collectathon platforming and it doesn't really feel like a natural fit for the genre. I think if they were to modernize the IP it would be better as an open world shooter.