The Nintendo Report: Golf equipment, Codenames, and Cubes

Welcome again to The Nintendo Report, the place we’re having a look at Nintendo’s mental properties and seeing how they’re doing. With every passing 12 months, it turns into an increasing number of baffling that extra of their properties haven’t been given an opportunity on the highlight on Swap, whereas others appear to return out of nowhere with sequels you’d by no means count on. Final time we lined the letter B which naturally leads us to C. How are their C-tier video games doing? Let’s discover out. 

Chibi Robo

Oh, my beloved Chibi-Robo. This poor franchise is so lovely and enjoyable, however it’s only a bit too bizarre to make it mainstream. The unique sport on GameCube appeared to carry out nicely sufficient because it noticed a variety of comply with ups, and the titular character even acquired himself his very personal amiibo. 

Well being score: Not so good

Chichi-Robo has by no means been a gross sales juggernaut. It presumably managed to keep up a level of profitability since they saved making them. Nonetheless, the final sport within the collection, Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash had a little bit of a cloud over it. The creator mentioned one thing to the impact of if that sport wasn’t successful, it could imply the top of the Chibi-Robo franchise. And wouldn’t you recognize, the sport form of flopped.

It’s an actual disgrace too as a result of it was fairly enjoyable, apart from some totally baffling design decisions. Having the following stage picked randomly, that means gamers would typically be pressured to play the identical phases time and again for no motive was actually a alternative. Regardless, the character has a cult following, so I would not rule something out eternally. Perhaps they’ll remake the unique one and provides the entire collection a contemporary begin sometime. 

Clubhouse Video games

It’s nearly arduous to imagine this sport works in addition to it does, however a set of public area/legally distinct board video games is definitely fairly the recipe for achievement. The unique Clubhouse Video games on DS was a kind of below the radar must-have video games. Not everybody knew it, however those who owned the sport hardly ever let it out of their sights.

Well being score: Fairly good

Clubhouse Video games acquired a reasonably strong sequel on Swap a number of years again. It’s lacking a LOT of video games and options the DS sport had that appear like no brainers, and it actually appeared prefer it was set as much as obtain DLC sooner or later, however it’s been fairly stagnant since its launch. Regardless, it’s nonetheless a extremely enjoyable sport in its personal proper, and it stands to motive it wasn’t all that costly to make. There’s all the time an opportunity it should go away as I’m fairly positive the Swap sport didn’t carry out almost in addition to its predecessor, however contemplating how little effort the idea finally requires by comparability, I think we haven’t seen the top of it. 

Code Title: S.T.E.A.M.

In Japan, this sport is named Code Title: S.T.E.A.M.: Lincoln vs. Aliens. So if that doesn’t inform you precisely how bonkers this sport is, I don’t know what’s going to. This got here to us from Clever Methods, most likely finest identified today for Fireplace Emblem and Advance Wars. This was yet one more technique sport, however with a way more action-oriented strategy. The purpose was to try to make one thing a bit extra approachable for informal gamers, and wrap it up in a cool Civil Struggle steam-punk aesthetic, Abraham Lincoln and all. 

Well being score: Very useless

Sadly, this sport simply didn’t work. It managed a small cult following, however nothing about its premise or visible fashion linked with audiences. Exterior of an compulsory Spirit battle in Smash Bros. Final, Code Title: S.T.E.A.M. hasn’t proven any indicators of life, and if I have been a betting man, I wouldn’t count on it to anytime quickly. 

Cruis’n

Initially an arcade-style racing staff up between Nintendo and Halfway, Cruis’n has been on fairly a wild experience, pun very a lot supposed. Its focus was all the time on enjoyable, and the unique three arcade releases mirrored that. They have been fairly darn widespread too, with the unique Cruis’n USA serving as a kind of preview for Nintendo’s then-upcoming Extremely 64 console. When it lastly did make it to the Nintendo 64, the sport carried out simply as nicely there, solidifying itself as a dependable model for Nintendo in each the house and arcade markets. 

Well being score: Nice

Issues went very poorly for Cruis’n after the third entry, Exotica. Halfway went via their very own set of troubles, and the Cruis’n model was solely hooked up to 2 mediocre video games for nearly 20 years. In 2017 although, the sport’s unique creator as soon as once more teamed up with Nintendo to create Cruis’n Blast, and launched it into arcades the place it managed to efficiently recapture the magic of the originals. It even acquired ported to Swap with a ton of recent content material added! Cruis’n appears to be in good palms. 

Cubivore

This sport is bonkers. It’s as soon as once more an Clever Methods joint, and it is someway much more off the wall than steampunk Abraham Lincon. In it, you management a dice who has to try to evolve by killing and consuming different cubes. This course of finally triggers mutations that assist your character transfer about and turn into a extra environment friendly predator. It’s an interesting and weird idea. 

Well being score: Very useless

Fascinating isn’t sufficient to equal gross sales although. Nintendo didn’t even wish to localize it in North America. The one motive it made its means right here in any respect was as a result of Atlus determined to take up the duty. It’s one of many extra uncommon GameCube video games on the market because of extremely low gross sales, and fetches frankly absurd costs within the aftermarket. Personally, I’ve all the time been a fan of this one, and I want I owned it, however not as a lot as I want it may get a second probability. It’s ugly as all heck, however there’s a sure appeal right here that might be executed so significantly better with in the present day’s know-how. That’s a particularly unlikely state of affairs although.  

Customized Robo

Whereas its identify could also be just like Chibi-Robo, the 2 sport collection couldn’t be extra totally different. Customized Robo is an arena-style fighter the place gamers select totally different robotic elements to make a, umm, customized robo, and battle it out. Like Chibi-Robo, Customized Robo acquired its begin on the GameCube (no less than in North America) and whereas it was by no means fairly the runaway success of Nintendo’s larger franchises, it has earned a notable diploma of fandom. 

Well being score: Not so nice. 

Customized Robo appeared to be doing fairly nicely for itself for some time there, particularly in Japan. Abroad, the collection began on the Nintendo 64, and noticed a variety of releases that have been by no means localized within the West. Nonetheless, the final title within the collection is similar in all territories, 2006’s Customized Robo Area for Nintendo DS. Not a peep has been heard from the collection since then, except the plain Spirit battles in Smash Bros. Collection developer Noise appears to have settled into cell sport growth today, however they’re nonetheless round no less than! So possibly we’ll see a grand return to Customized Robo one among today. 

And that about wraps up the letter C. Not a spectacular exhibiting this time round. Nintendo has some nice cult hits on this group, a few of which I truthfully assume may have executed rather well on Swap, specifically Customized Robo and Chibi-Robo. Fingers crossed they get the contemporary possibilities they deserve. Be a part of us subsequent time as we delve into the depths of D for a deep dive of detectives, disasters, and Donkeys (of the Kong selection).