Even though Nintendo no longer stamps their games with their seal of quality, their reputation still holds up to this day. By prioritizing game play, they’ve been able to release top-notch titles year after year. Their development craftsmanship rarely wavered; however, as the industry evolved, I’ve noticed one major gap in their portfolio: rich, story-driven games.
As video games flourished throughout the decades, they grew beyond the stereotype of basic entertainment for children and teenagers. Developers began to spill tales that resonated with the human experience, weaving themes alongside graphics and gameplay elements. Now, we have video games that tell amazing stories that rival that of movies, television, and novels. Such touted titles include Silent Hill 2, Bioshock, Life is Strange, What Remains of Edith Finch, The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, Red Dead Redemption, God of War (2018), and Ghost of Tsushima. Platformers and shooters are fun and all, but the ability to tell a good–even great–story elevates a game to another level.
While I will never deny top notch quality of first-party Nintendo games, I’ve yet to see one that is truly narrative driven, or at least ones that come close are few and far between. Nintendo has stuck to gameplay first, for better or for worse. As we move into the next generation of the Switch 2, we hope to see more third-party support, which will lead to move of these narrative powerhouses from other developers. However, I still feel that Nintendo should take that next step into video game development.
Let’s take a look at Nintendo’s IP. The main ones that come to mind are Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Pikmin, Smash Bros., Animal Crossing, Kirby, Metroid, Star Fox, F-Zero, Splatoon, Famicom Detective Club, and Kid Icarus. Franchises that are published by Nintendo include Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles, Bayonetta, and Pokémon. From the games strictly developed by Nintendo, the one that has the most depth from a story-telling perspective is Famicom Detective Club, a visual novel style game that aims to solve mysteries. Unfortunately, these titles aren’t as popular nor common in the West, with Emio- The Smiling Man as the latest game in the series and received mixed/average reviews. If we expand the circle, we can feast a little on some of the Fire Emblem and Xenoblade Chronicles games by Intelligent Sytems and Monolith Soft, respectively. It’s important to note that Nintendo now fully owns Monolith Soft. Even with their ownership of Monolith Soft, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 released back in 2022, while a Definitive Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles X came out during Spring of 2025.
When we step back and look at this list, Nintendo has little to blow gamers out of the water with riveting stories. They have more than enough platformers, racers, brawlers, and adventure games, but even the best Zelda games, for example, have surface-level story telling.
It wouldn’t be a huge lift for Nintendo to develop a narrative-driven game. They can weave in a strong story in either a brand-new franchise, or more easily, an existing franchise. I will use Zelda again. This fantasy action-adventure game is primed for layered storytelling. Nintendo can easily expand from the steppingstones they already have, evolving it from your basic good versus evil plot to perhaps one that adds backstories and motives. Nintendo came close with The Wind Waker, shedding light on Ganondorf’s envy of Hyrule given his hardships living in the desert. Majora’s Mask also came close with micro stories of the various NPCs that you’d interact with.
Metroid also has a strong foundation for a riveting story. It’s a sci-fi adventure with so much potential. With a strong protagonist and antagonists of epic proportions, we could add more narrative that could spring it to the level of a Star Wars or a Star Trek. I would love to know Samus’ relationships, why she is the way she is, and what she goes through as a bounty hunter. If Metroid doesn’t cut it, a revival of Star Fox could make for a fabulous sci-fi drama.
If Nintendo were to develop a video game with a strong and moving story, it would sincerely fill out their portfolio and provide that title “for adults”. When people associate Nintendo with kiddie games, the response to that wouldn’t necessary be an X-rated game. We don’t need a gratuitous horror video game with lots of violence to make Nintendo a developer for both kids and adults. What I see as a video game for adults is one that has themes that are complex and can resonate with the roles, responsibilities, and experiences of a grown individual. I would love to see a Nintendo game that explores heart break that stemmed from betrayal, conflict between expectation from family and peers, pressures of being the perfect parent, or losing a loved one.
Do you think Nintendo will ever develop a video game with a story that will send chills up your spine or move your soul? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games
The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games – is the flagship show of the Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig and LeRon Dawkins are joined by friends, fellow creators, indie developers, and industry veterans to discuss the latest in the world of video games, including news, rumors, new releases, and what they’ve been playing. They also answer listener questions, debate important industry topics and Boss Rush Banter discussion points, and feature a rotating weekly segment. New episodes post every Monday.
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