Just a few years ago I was largely against Nintendo going overboard with licensing its IPs, hesitant to see treasured franchises on cinema or TV screens, worried about the idea of spin-offs that failed to match the quality associated with their brands. Nintendo was cautious too, though has gradually loosened the strings a little - amiibo has been a major and clever way to monetise beloved characters with gaming extras / collectibles, and there have been more random products, concerts and occasional film cameos; not to mention the apparent 'Nintendo Land' theme park attraction planned for Osaka in 2020.
Yet still, with the position Nintendo currently occupies in popular and current culture, I think it can and should do more. If recent trends have shown anything, bombarding the public with high profile content works, and as long as most releases are good then the occasional flop is forgiven. For Nintendo the battlefield is no longer just in games, but in merchandise, movies and more besides.
These thoughts were triggered by two things recently. First of all I went to see Captain America: Civil War at the cinema / theatre (excuse my UK vernacular), and spent most of the day talking about not just that movie, but the whole darn Marvel film series. I'd seen all but one related film prior to seeing Civil War, and noticed how hooked myself and my family all are. The lore, the diverse range of characters - it's classic escapism, and Marvel has successfully turned it into a hugely successful run of movies. One or two of the flicks have been rather mediocre, but most are (in my opinion) ranging from good to brilliant, and that means I'm happy to go back for more.
Then, on the public holiday, I watched Wreck-It Ralph for the first time on TV. Now, I'm miles behind on that one, but it took me back to a different era of Nintendo. Released in 2012 but no doubt in the works through 2010-2011, it famously (for Nintendo addicts) has a little cameo for Bowser, while Mario is name-dropped. Nintendo made a song and dance about that at the time, but other IPs had greater roles, like Pac-Man and Sonic the Hedgehog. It also struck me how much the fictional arcades and settings in the movie owe to Nintendo's influence and nostalgia. Yet Bowser is only there briefly, and naturally Nintendo made the film-makers jump through hoops just for that. With a sequel on the way and the creative team vocal in their hopes to include Mario, there have no doubt been conversations about just that.
Yet aside from Pixels - I haven't seen it but have been told it's atrocious - featuring Donkey Kong, Nintendo is still clinging quite tightly to its franchises when it comes to film and TV. It should be noted that, for all I know, Nintendo is in the process of developing huge, exciting projects in film and TV that are yet to be revealed. If so, great - if not, I want to consider why it should be doing just that.
Of course, rumours are always around. Leaked (and private) Sony Pictures emails last year did include hints and suggestions that conversations have taken place about Nintendo-based movies. Notable sources once referenced the fact that talks were underway for a Legend of Zelda Netflix series, which Nintendo denied. In various rumours, cryptic comments and more besides there are noises about Nintendo taking its IPs into TV and film entertainment.
An instinctive reaction is to recoil in horror, but as Nintendo comes to the end of a challenging hardware generation and plans for the next in 2017, it faces a dilemma. It has enormous brands capable of dominating the general public's mindshare, but it's failing to do so. The poor Wii U sales, and lowering momentum of the 3DS, mean Nintendo isn't particularly 'hot' right now, despite the underlying brand power that's quietly simmering away, waiting to explode.
Of course, the masterplan is for NX to take off, mobile apps to reach a wider audience, and the two combined will take Nintendo towards 2018 on a wave of optimism and positive momentum. Yet while moves into mobile, the continuation of amiibo and gaming will remain at the core of the company's efforts, Nintendo could do so much more.
Various rivals are going into movies. Sony has tied its PS4-exclusive Ratchet & Clank to an accompanying movie. Warcraft and Angry Birds have flicks on the way, while Tomb Raider is apparently being rebooted once again. Add to that planned but stalled movies for the likes of Uncharted, and the games industry is making various moves into broader popular culture.
It's not as if Nintendo hasn't been here before. Being based in the UK I'm less familiar with the Nintendo pop-culture phenomenon in past decades (it wasn't as all-encompassing here), but I've seen enough about the NES, Game Boy and SNES eras in the US to know that the big N was everywhere. TV shows, merchandise, magazines and the infamous Super Mario Bros. movie, with excessive product placement also seen in releases such as The Wizard. It was a level of influence and omnipotence that made Nintendo the leading gaming brand of the time.
For this current period the challenge is grabbing the attention and loyalties of fans of all ages. In this era of gamers owning multiple systems total dominance isn't required, but being a key part of the gaming culture conversation is vital. That's ground that's been lost in this generation, arguably, due to lesser hardware and game sales. With greater merchandising, movies and TV, Nintendo could be in the conversation and have a constant presence through related marketing - kids and adult kids alike (like me) would be talking about Nintendo even more.
Is it feasible? Well, Nintendo doesn't have the inherent resources of Sony, for example, which can simply put multiple divisions in a room to make the Ratchet & Clank game / movie bonanza happen. For Nintendo it would need to team up with major corporations familiar with the movie space, for example. Rumours, leaks and general chatter have mentioned Sony Pictures, as highlighted above, though surely Disney (and its subsidiaries) would be on the cards for potential partnerships. Nintendo and the house that Mickey built have shown a solid relationship in terms of game exclusives, for example.
Nintendo has very recent form in producing alternative media with partners, too. We had the Pikmin 3 animated shorts on the Wii U and 3DS eShop stores, and more memorably the recent Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins animation that was a collaboration between Shigeru Miyamoto, Production IG and WIT Studios. I for one loved The Battle Begins, and spoke about how it showed the potential for Nintendo franchises in that kind of media.
In any case, my broad argument is simple. Even though it may seem far from ideal, perhaps distasteful, to contemplate spinning off TV shows and movies with that Nintendo magic, it could be a key move in establishing the company's place in 21st Century popular culture. The Wii / DS era solidified Nintendo as a brand with younger generations, but having spent a long weekend at the cinema and watching some light-hearted movies on TV, it came home to me how Nintendo's rivals are happily jumping into TV and film to further boost their brands. If Angry Birds, of all things, can do it, then Nintendo could certainly do so with multiple IPs.
Nintendo has significant brand power, even after a tough few years. It should do more to exploit this and become an essential part of popular culture in the here and now. When people go to see the movie or watch the TV show, they're more aware - by default - of what matters; that's the games and their systems.
Comments 90
Agreed.
Agreed
You know, with how recognizeable Nintendo's brand is, I'm really surprised they aren't as big as Disney. They have the characters and environments to fill a theme park, stories that could make good movies and shows, and brand power to get licensed items everywhere. Although, who knows if we would want a Disney-like Nintendo right now.
I've always felt Nintendo's lesser franchises could have animated movies much like what DC Comics has done with the New 52. 1 hour adventures for a character and heck you could even do the full cross over thing with franchises where it makes sense like Space adventures Metroid, F-Zero, and Star Fox.
Heh, If the angry Bird movie can manage not to suck that is. The future of Angry Birds and Rovio pretty much hangs in the balance!
Not too shamelessly I hope. More presence is one thing but despite having a greater prominence in the first Wreck-It-Ralph it's not like Sonic or Street Fighter exactly have a leg up from their appearance in it.
Depending on what Wreck-It-Ralph 2 is whatever characters appear in it might have more impact than in the first one in it since they no longer need to establish the main cast.
That would mean Nintendo characters talking in movies and everybody knows that's not allowed with certain characters.
As long as they put quality in everything, I'm in.
My partner and I went to see Keanu the other night. I spent most of the ride home trying to figure out if I could buy the cat/movie themed calender used in the film. I absolutely agree with you.
Great article, and I certainly agree with what you're saying! If Nintendo were to make more anime adaptations (like The Battle Begins) like Kimishima promised, I feel it could spark a lot more conversation in the gaming community as a whole. Personally, I'd over to see them become more involved with outside projects too, like Wreck-It Ralph 2 (especially as I loved the first one!). And maybe get more recognition for newer or lesser known IPs too, like Splatoon and Fire Emblem.
I disagree about Nintendo shamelessly exploiting their IP, but I can agree with Nintendo perhaps loosening it's control to allow local entities like NoA and NoE to have final say on partnerships and producing shows and movies released in their respective territories since what's culturally relevant in Japan isn't necessarily true in America or Europe.
@InternetBowser it isn't bad at all! I liked the movie. It's just critics and people who do not watch it like the writer of this article that criticize it creating a negative public perception of the movie. The exact same happened to batman v superman which was also a good movie!
An Animal Crossing film where Resetti's evil cousin Bob steals all the fruit and creatures, leaving the animals in financial ruin until Villager rises up and slaughters him. So Animal Crossing meets Happy Tree Friends.
Am I the only one here that liked the Mario Bros movie? Maube it's just nostalgia talking but still...
Nintendo can afford to relax its IPs some but let's not go overboard and end up with a Tingle game or something
oh no
ONLY if it does so with class and quality. It's already started lowering its standards with quite a lot of the stuff it's done in terms of shopping out its ip to third parties, imo, and that's not the right way to use its ips best. There's a right way and a wrong way to take advantage of your ips (and it's not a simple as just shoving them everywhere now); I just hope Nintendo figures out the right (best) way asap.
Only if there is they are good movies or tv shows. Exploting the Ips could, potentially, lead to a higher brand awareness and to adquiring a higher market share, but if the ip are exploiting in the wrong way (like DC comics have been for past decade) then they could actually destroy value.
So, its a delicate balance. Unless they are truly assured whoever will use them will do a good job, maybe it isn't worth the risk.
I want a Zelda anime,that shows the adventure of all the incarnation of Link.Kinda like Jojo's Bizzarre Adventure. Starting with the one from the Skyward Sword prequel manga in Hyrule Hystoria.It shoud be easy since Nintendo made an official timeline.
"Shamelessly exploit to the full"? Anyone else completely burned out on Batman and Spiderman movies?
Any fellow fanboys proud of the Mario Bros TV show or the Link cartoon of same era?
I support what I think you point is . . .which is for Big N to loosen up a little . . . but let's not overdue it.
Zelda and Metroid series/movies. Have Pixar make a Zelda CG movie, one that's really, REALLY good. And a real, actual Metroid movie. But it needs to be good. Don't cheap out, pitch something to Hollywood. Find a serious director and make it happen.
Funny I thought the very same thing after watching the Starfox Battle begins. Reminded me of the captain Nintendo days. I like gaming worlds to permeate more than just my mind but the world we live in. Nintendo have a brand strength and recognition second to none, its up there with the best of the blue chip companies, Apple, Disney, Nike. They should definitely capitalise but keep reigns on quality. We don't want them selling their souls like Marvel did just before they came crashing down in the mid 90's. Careful cultivation of key IP's and look where they are now. Excelsior!
This is a terrible idea.
@3MonthBeef F-Zero had an anime on TV 10 years ago. How could you forget that wonderful insanity?
The finale features the Falcon Punch!
At first, I thought this was about spinoffs, not movies; but I definitely agree; as long as they are quality productions then I'm game.
Recent Nintendo film/tv media:
Pikmin short films
Kirby TV series
F-Zero anime
The never ending Pokemon anime
Animal Crossing film
A Pokemon movie released every year
I don't think they should go overboard, but I do agree that they should loosen up a little.
@Dakt I think Nintendo from a legal standpoint is just worried about another Phillips CDi debacle. Nintendo partnered with Sony, then changed their mind and partnering with Phillips. Because of licensing issues Phillips was then able to create and release the infamous Zelda games. Nintendo is definitely opening up as they should, we've seen partnerships with Activision for Bowser and DK appearances, and even comical references to Nintendo delaying IPs like Mario being "fashionably late, per the norm" in Wreck-it Ralph. The media exposure Nintendo has had in recent years has been good, but I agree, Nintendo should be doing more.
@InternetBowser In my opinion Pixels wasn't all that great either. I'm glad I rented it as it isn't a movie that I care to ever see again. Wreck-it Ralph on the other hand was a great show I've watched with my family at least half a dozen times.
I kinda liked Pixels Earthbound is begging for a movie or animated TV series!!
Pixels is fine if you tend to enjoy the style of pandering humor in Adam Sandler movies and unbearable if you don't.
I'd love to see Nintendo go back to exploiting its I.P.s. I mean, yes, you get things like terrible Zelda cartoons or nonsensical Mario movies, but the characters are still relevant and out there in the public sphere. People want to celebrate Nintendo and its legacy, but the big N has gotten increasingly protectionist since the 90s.
I would like to compare this to the success of Yo-Kai Watch in America but I have no sources. How popular is it here? I know the guys at Level-5 spent a lot of time on merchandising, tv-shows, advertising, etc. and I want to know how that paid off. Will something like Yo-Kai help Nintendo?
Metroid anime plz. With Jennifer Hale as Samus. I know that it seems like Metroid is all I talk about here, but dang it it's my favorite Nintendo series!
I think Disney will be the perfect partner for Nintendo. They have a similar sensitivity regarding their productions
Nintendo just seems lost anymore.
I think they are opening up they are just being on the cautious side to avoid another CDi/Super Mario Bros Movie debacle
The problem is that movies aren't the same as games because they are their own thing and so are the games.
I get that movies do help but only if done right not something like Rachet and Clank.
@Randomname19 I like your thinking
@Wolfgabe And both of those happened decades ago! Can't get hung up on ancient traumas. :---D
We can argue that just because you can doesn't mean you should. The right people with the right ideas can make something great, But M. Night Shyamalan made The Last Airbender....nuff said
Great editorial. I couldn't agree more.
Was changing the sheets on my son's bed today and noticed his Skylanders Giants comforter and thought "Why isn't this Mario and Luigi?" My other son had a SSB themed bar mitzvah and it was rather difficult coming up with gifts and decorations. Had to make most of it myself. Star Wars, Mickey Mouse, Marvel, DC, Hello Kitty, My Little Pony, anything I could have wanted was available, but Nintendo is a no show.
And my kids and I are big Pikmin fans, but we've never seen those videos b/c I'm not paying for CGI shorts that are nothing more than commercials for a game.
Even when Nintendo does something, they can't do it right.
I believe Nintendo has changed it's tune recently. I remember when Wii came out in North America, they did everything to hide the Nintendo brand. They felt the Nintendo brand had become sour with gamers, hence the word Wii was marketed towards the casual folk. Yet, here in 2015-16, all gamers want is to buy Nintendo merchandize. The Nintendo brand is back in the psyche of our culture. People are proud to show they love Nintendo again and pulling for them to be back on top, or I'm totally misreading the situation.
Perhaps. But it would make it even more embarrassing being a Nintendo Fan than I already am (i'm almost 40). I think Nintendo has gotten too Disney-esque over the years. I have no issues liking what I like, and expressing it, but most people do not. I don't want Nintendo to die, but i'd rather see it die graciously than grasping at pathetic straws such as movie tie-ins. As much as I am a HUGE nintendo nerd most of my life, I have never seen a video game movie or watched a tv show based on them. It's a major turn off and is usually just mega schlock that does nothing but sully the brand.. See: Sonic.
To be honest, I think in the '90s Nintendo was shameless, with the Mario DiC cartoons having Koopa Kids who were nothing like the Koopalings and the crocodilian Bowser, the Super Mario Bros. movie which was even more bizarre (pseudo-steampunk with Koopa who isn't even a turtle, Yoshi that is the wrong species of dinosaur, Goomba that doesn't really look like a mushroom, and Daisy just because...), the many Mario games made by third parties like Mario is Missing, Mario's Time Machine, the Mario's Early Years series, Hotel Mario, the Zelda CD-i games...
I much more like a no-nonsense careful stance. For Mario I would start from the Amada anime series and "Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi's Adventure Land" (in which Mario, Luigi and Yoshi actually talk, showing that their muteness is only a modern thing), and I'd rather have very well done short productions like in the case of Star Fox.
Well, duh.
I have always felt that Nintendo could and should do more with their IP in terms of animation and advertising. Embarrassing as it is, I became a life long Kirby fan from watching Kirby: Right Back at Ya as a kid. I loved the CRAP out of that show! I bought Nightmare in Dreamland because I thought they were making a game based off the show. Little did I know that I was an entire series that had been going for 10 years at that point. I immediately dived into all the other games and have been a fan ever since. Here's the commercial that got me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6q4l1Cl1h8
It just surprised me that all the nintendo shows just sorta stopped. I really do believe a Splatoon anime/cartoon would do wonders to sell that game even more. If anything the star fox animation was great. I would definitely love to see more of that for some of their other franchises
I think with the Super Mario Bros Movie, nintendo gave up rather quickly. However, when I was a kid, the Super Mario Bros Super Show and Captain N was quite popular in schools. There was also a Donkey Kong, Legend Of Zelda and Kirby cartoon...comic book series even based on Gameboy, various toys (more than what is out today of nintendo) and lots of goodies. I know in Japan they always have McDonald's Happy Meals with nintendo-themed toys, but here in the US (and I'm sure others), they lack at them.
To be honest, nintendo gave a lot of attention to their IP's back in the NES and Super NES days...even some going into the N64 days, but they seemed to drop them later on for just Pokemon. I think they could make a good few movie franchises, and I agree, that even though they end up flopping, they can still create a cult following (there's actually one for the Super Mario Bros Movie, and I actually enjoyed it). Legend Of Zelda would be a great movie to make, as long as the right writers and directors take it...how about Spielberg or James Cameron directing it. Metered would make a great story, a Kirby Animated Film, Chibi Robo even, Animal Crossing could be turned into one and better yet, for a good horror-flick...Eternal Darkness. Star Fox could even make a good CGI Film. They could even do a new Super Mario live-action film...this time get it right, especially with the CGI of today...if not, an animated one like Ratchet And Clank.
This is a good way to get the newer generations into nintendo's love and can even get the older players back into nintendo again.
@RobNYC1977 Silent Hill was a pretty good one...not the sequel, but the first one had a good horror-halloween-story for the season. Other than that, yeah, the rest of them were pretty horrible, but some had entertainment value, just not the greatest films in the world.
@rjejr You're just like me. My girls love the Mario Bros characters, and finding the stuff to make a birthday theme was extremely difficult. Not one party store had anything in the area, I found myself ordering a few items from Amazon...some being expensive, but most of it I had to make myself. Not sure why they're hard to find, especially when people have nintendo-themed weddings and birthday parties...they should be like any other cartoon-themes...easy to find and get.
@JLPick
thanks! Will check that one out. I'm actually a huge horror fan, but not horror games. Maybe Splatterhouse for the TG16 and the original Friday the 13th on the NES (that game actually used to scare the crap out of me as a kid... even though it was hard as hell)
When it comes to merchandise and marketing, of course. But the more they use them, the more value they can lose. They are very popular and valuable, and they should be careful with how they use them and who they allow to use them.
And if Nintendo don't have any plans with an IP (F-Zero) then they should allow other 3rd party studios to try and make a worthy sequel.
Given the success of Pokemon in media outside of video games, and the success they had during the 80s with the old Mario cartoons, I am shocked Nintendo is so controlling when it comes to their characters.
Fire Emblem would be a perfect franchise to base a TV show on. Its fantasy, which has gotten a massive surge of popularity in recent years due to Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, the subject matter of the series goes against the cutesy themes Nintendo is known for, and would be perfect for a serious show, and the tons of characters would mean tons of story lines even if the anime is based on one game.
Take the first game that features Marth. That game alone could provide enough content for at least two or even three seasons.
A Fire Emblem anime needs to happen!
Please don't crucify me for saying this, but sometimes I feel like Nintendo is the Autistic cousin in the video game industry.
I'd totally buy a Nintendo toaster!
The amiibo craze should hint to Nintendo about how popular / marketable their franchises are
I'd kill for a Kid Icarus, Zelda, or Metroid anime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yDP7KI4aRk
A VR-Amusement ride of a new F-Zero in big entertainment spots would be SO nice.. then port that to the NX with online multiplayer.
@the-madprofessor I'd like a remake of Wall Street with Tom Nook stating "greed is good. Yes yes."
I'd just love to one day be buying a ticket for a live-action Metroid movie... it'd be so surreal!
100% agreed.
Especially since the modern Nintendo has neither the vision nor the manpower to continually service their longer-in-the-tooth franchises properly (like F-Zero or Star Fox), and they're so xenophobic that they refuse to look to outside (Japan, anyway) developers for help here. One of the best, and most obvious, ways they could be keeping their IP relevant - and making them profitable - would be to exploit them. Especially if that would yield some more product like the excellent Star Fox anime there (I would also totally love to see a Jim Henson Star Fox show using those amazing puppets!).
Movies, cartoons, comics/manga, anime, action figures, etc. Why isn't there a line of "F-Zero" RC cars from the "World of Nintendo" people at Jakks Pacific? Why don't they have a series of "Young Adult Novels" set in the Trace Memory world? A beach towel that says "StarTropics" on it (that's about all I got there, lol)?
They absolutely should be sitting on an IP Empire these days; for people who do, and don't, play video games. But besides sporadic victories like the Nintendo Cereal System, there are just so many missed opportunities from them over the past 4 decades. smh
Pixels wasn't that bad, good idea but badly executed
With the Wii focusing on the Mii and the Wii U's rough time in the market Nintendo should release some animated shows, a film and even tap into the older animation market with adaptations of the NES and SNES games (Metroid screams to mind).
Generated more interest from outside the fan base, it worked on my younger brother back in the day and hell those same shows worked on my daughter last year (yay youtube)
Shamelessly? No. Absolutely not. Yes, Nintendo needs to loosen up a little, BUT being bombarded with Nintendo IP crossovers everywhere will dilute their brand and make it feel less special.
I think they should go more for new franchises and concepts than overmilking the same old stuff like they do now....
@Captain_Toad Not really. It's virtually guaranteed to suck but if it can make a nice profit and convince a ton of kids to download the games then it's a success from Rovio's point of view.
@Spin The crazy thing is that (and this is from Wikipedia, mind you) that Mario was actually more recognisable to American children in the 1990s than Mickey Mouse.
Just goes to show how Nintendo has certainly retreated from the limelight quite a bit over the past 25 years (with the brief exception of the Wii).
Yep, I agree! But like you said, it doesn't come without the risks.
I think theyd better focus on producing high quality consoles and games -
I wouldn't say that they need to exploit it but I would welcome more experiments in some of my favorite series as long as it stays true to what the games are, and doesn't affect the core series' development times. There is only so much money to go around after all.
@RobNYC1977 I used to like the Nightmare On Elm Street game for the NES. The Silent Hill games (at least the first 2) were pretty decent games. Fatal Frame and Eternal Darkness were the only other 2 I really cared for. The Splatterhouse titles were good, but I thought they were more action then horror. Castlevania were pretty good games too.
Shamelessly? No. Absolutely not. Yes, Nintendo needs to loosen up a little, BUT being bombarded with Nintendo IP crossovers everywhere will dilute their brand and make it feel less special.
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I definitely think bigger participation in things like Wreck It Ralph is a good thing. As long as the respect and quality is there, why wouldn't Nintendo license? It's not like they're shy about figures and keychains and the like.
Mobile gaming is controversial around here, but that really needs a big push to keep brand recognition high. They cannot afford to bet the company's future on their own dedicated kit. Otherwise the next Wreck It Ralph may well have an audience of kids scratching their heads and asking "who's Mario?"
Personally, I'd rather the money went into making more games, that's all.
Nintendo in my opinion have some of the best and most recognizable IP's in the business. Heck there was a time where Mario was almost as recognized as Mickey Mouse.
So Ninty would be a fool not to market there Ip's in different environments, with there consoles sales slowing they need to get the money from else where.
Nintendo could branch into cartoon series, movies and other types of media.
Yes! This is vital to their thriving in the entertainment industry. Transmedia-- it's why Disney is and always will be iconic.
Pixels is an Adam Sandler movie. They are funny and stupid... On purpose people, reviewers and media will never understand this or appreciate a proper Happy Madison movie.
I feel this piece missed out on all the work already being done by Nintendo in terms of licensing their IP in non-game areas.
There are already more officially licensed merchandise and brand partnerships than in previous years. The Vans partnership is the most recent example.
Pixels was far from atrocious... I really don't know what people were expecting, but it was exactly what I expected and lots of retro fun... I would even say it is the second best video-game themed movie, behind Wreck-It-Ralph.
@Nico07 As the story goes, it's less that Nintendo changed their mind about the partnership with Sony and more that they never found common ground around licensing.
Don't forget Pokemon
@jsty3105 Right, and because of that Nintendo was in a position where they didn't have the control over their IP that they wanted. And so that situation likely made them hesitant of letting others have access to their IP and misuse it.
I'm totally fine with Nintendo's iron grip on it's IP.
Quality > Quantity any day.
I know we want movies based on Nintendo IP, but let's not forget, movies based on video games don't exactly have a good track record. Yes, the same used to be said for comic book movies, but video games are a different beast.
I think Nintendo should do movies and TV shows, but only with selected IPs. For example, that Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins animation was really high quality and could serve as episode one of a new animated TV series. It would surely be successful. I watched that animation with a friend who's totally not a Starfox or Nintendo fan, but watches animes. And he was totally surprised and astonished of the quality of that clip. Even he agreed Nintendo should do a series of it.
Metroid is an IP that would be a great fit for a movie. It could be a trilogy.
Legend of Zelda has potential for something but it's hard to nail down what exactly. The world of XCX on the other hand would be perfect for a few movies or a TV series, preferably live-action.
Yoshi could maybe be turned into an adorable animation TV series for little children.
Also, just because others are overdoing it, Nintendo shouldn't blindly follow them. I don't know Ratchet & Clank and Uncharted, but the Warcraft "movie" is clearly nothing more than a glorified ad for the Warcraft games. Meanwhile, I can't begin to think how afwul an Angry Birds movie will be. It's such a bad idea, surely some heads will have to roll for that.
Tomb Raider has more or less established itself as a movie property and that's fine. Meanwhile, the Assassin's Creed and Resident Evil movies clearly were unsuccessful and no one cared about them.
So unless they develop great scripts and ideas, they shouldn't push it too far. Nintendo, unlike Sony, only has limited resources and therefore would have to assign outsiders for the job.
Yep, Marvel has done some amazing work with their cinematic universe. I've seen them all except "The Incredible Hulk" and they've all been great save for the first "Thor" which is still decent, not to mention that "Agents of SHIELD" has done an excellent job complimenting it on the small screen once it got past the slow setup in the first half season. I'll be going to an evening premiere of "Captain America: Civil War" tomorrow.
@Danrenfroe2016 That's what I'm afraid of. A lot of people including myself just don't find "stupid" to be very funny. I'll still give "Pixels" a watch one of these days from Redbox, but I'd appreciate a silly video game themed comedy like this more if the characters didn't act like complete idiots while throwing out bathroom one-liners.
@JLPick Wait, how do you have girls but not a Frozen theme?
My niece had a 3rd birthday party last weekend, Anna and Elsa showed up and sang several songs. Easy to find them living in Manhattan, a million wannabe Broadway stars trying to make a living. Kids loved it.
It does seem weird there isn't more in the way of plates, wrapping paper, candles, balloons etc w/ Mario, Luigi, Peach and Daisy on them. Nintendo is a kids company that doesn't cater to kids. Or their trying-really-hard-to-throw-a-successful-party parents. My next's son bar mitzvah we're doing a Star Wars theme, it will be right after episode 8 so that won't be a problem.
@rjejr My kids have no care for anything that is Disney...same goes for me and my wife. To me, the movies were good in the 80's on down, but started to get repetitive and less-enjoyable later on (again, my opinion). They like the Shrek movies and enjoy Universal Studios, but were bored and ready to head home at Disney World. Other than that, never saw Frozen.
Yeah, you're right though about not being able to find any party-items of Mario or any nintendo character...it's easy to find some stuff of Pikachu, but it's very little...amazingly, Sonic is available everywhere with various items, but barely anything nintendo. I don't really get it since kids love nintendo and grown ups (like myself) enjoy the games and IP's too. Still have my Super Mario Bros 3 Happy Meal toys in the wrappers!!!!
@Danrenfroe2016 Pixels was the only Sandler film I have yet to see...was it like many of his others, or a bad one like Jack And Jill. Let alone I was one who enjoyed That's My Boy and Little Nicky.
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