Topic: Modern Nintendo Games That Will Never Get Ported

How many Nintendo games that are releasing in the current Switch era do you think we will never see on another Nintendo system? I was thinking about how there are a multitude of Nintendo published and/or developed games from older hardware that have never seen a re-release, either for licensing (Hamtaro GBA games), peripherals (Gyromite NES, Super Scope 6 SNES) or branding (Wii Play, Party etc.) and speculated on which from this current generation of hardware would be unlikely to be seen again.

Ring Fit Adventure comes to mind immediately because of peripherals, but I could also see the 1-2 Switch series and ARMS being relegated to permanent Switch Exclusive

The nice thing about backwards compatibility is that not every game need to be ported again to be on the new system.

@Nep-Nep-Freak I was thinking moreso in the future beyond Switch 2. Like how there are plenty of games from NES to Wii U that have never seen the light of day again. Even on other Systems there are a lot of Xbox and Playstation Games that we have never seen again. Switch 1 even left a lot of Wii U games behind after all due to lack of form factor. Can't guarantee that every Nintendo console from now on will be able to play every Switch game, although the digital era certainly helps.

You wouldn't have thought that the Virtual Boy could possibly come back, but here we are!

Honestly, the superscope stuff like Yoshi's Safari...if Nintendo could think of a way, I imagine they might.

I have a feeling Star Fox Zero will never be ported. I'm probably one of the few who actually enjoyed the game. I think the game would need to be reworked since there were elements of the game that relied on the Wii U game pad.

It's been a while since I've played it. IIRC you had the cockpit view on the game pad, and I think there was a robot feature with it. Emphasis on think because I can't remember.

Also Star Fox Guard for the same reason, heavy use of the Wii U game pad. Shame, since I wish both games gotten ports.

Edit: I just remembered Devil's Third. I don't think it's going to be ported due to how poorly the game sold and was received. I also feel like I'm the only one who actually played it. I have it digitally on my Wii U's hard drive.

To quote some guy: "never say never". Crazier things that people wanted but had no hope for have happened.

I don't think we'll get a new Sushi Striker. 🤣
But Famicom Detective Club and Endless Ocean were franchises that nobody expected and ended up returning, so I think we can expect anything.
I'd like a new Solar Striker, similar to the recent games in the Raiden series.

@Sunsy
Im curious did starfox have a button which swapped the display between screens or not since i think i remember hearing that which made it seem like the game could in theory work on one screen

it does feel like a lot of games on wii and wiiu could be done with traditional controllers with some creative use of things like buttons and control sticks (having gyro as an option can also help) and remember enjoying skyward sword on switch outside of really wishing there was the ability to swap the default function of the right stick to camera and have it use sword when the trigger is held rather than how it was in game which was the oposite (you held the button to have it move the camera which lead to a lot of moments of wanting to move the camera and swinging the sword by accident)

@Mgalens It's been a long time since I've played it, but I remember the bottom screen being the Arwing's cockpit. I don't think it swapped screens. Again, it's been a long time since I've played it. I played through it fall 2017.

Though I do feel it could work without the game pad, it would probably play like a traditional Star Fox game. This is only my guess.

I wouldn't say "Never" to anything. It is easy for me to see some sort of quietly released port of Star Fox Zero and Guard in 10 years, or 15+ years on NSO. Especially since Virtual Boy games are being re-released next month. Virtual Boy being re-released with a quasi recreation of the actual hardware is the least likely thing Nintendo could do, but it is literally happening soon.

My real answer is the 3DS camera based Chibi Robo game if anything tho. Because not only is it very specific to specific hardware gimmicks but its a download only game no one cares about from a series Nintendo has very clearly decided to perma-end. And even then, ask me again in 15+ years.

With the revelation of the Superscope being used in the Super Mario Bros Movie 2, I really feel this one could become a reality! Mouse controls, somehow? Not the same thing, I think, but a way to move the cursor and shoot?

@Sunsy
would be interesting if a potential port had options like being able to do the aiming with the stick+an option for aim assistance while still keeping the option to use Gyro since ive heared people mentioning how while the 2-screens aspect is something which could be reworked, the aiming aspect was core to the gameplay and does make me wonder about ways that aspect could be adapted (again keeping the gyro aiming as an option) while i imagine the cockpit aspect could work closer to how it was in 64 with being able to toggle.

Again only going on speculation but just thought it would be fun to think about aspects so is interesting to hear from your experiences since i missed out on that game sadly.

@Mana_Knight Back on the Wii U Virtual Console we had the NES Zapper trio: Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman via the Wii Remote's IR pointer. I was surprised they didn't try to make the Super Scope games.
I hope they're trying to implement gyro aiming to the Zapper trio for a re-release on NSO. If it works like in Metroid Prime Remastered (and I'm assuming Metroid Prime 4, haven't played it with motion controls), it would be a non-issue.

As for modern games that I doubt will be ported, my immediate guess would be Smash Bros. Ultimate. Not only would they have to clear the rights for the playable characters, but also for the guest series with other representation (be it music, Spirit or Mii costume) such as Tetris, Kunio-kun, Elder Scrolls, Doom, Fallout, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Goemon, Culdcept, Rayman, Shovel Knight, Shantae, Cuphead, Undertale, Hades, Sakuna and so many more series.
Not to mention cases where you have the playable character but not necessarily its music (see Hero and the Dragon Quest music ownership by SUGIYAMA KOBO)