What would be some Nintendo games that would benefit from a Super Mario RPG-style spin-off?
After all, there are so many series in the Mario-owned company’s library that haven’t had the turn-based treatment, and we’ve picked out eight that we think could bring something new to the table, so to speak.
Of course, you’d have to cater the experience to the series in question, so a Donkey Kong spin-off might not be as family-focused, while a Star Fox RPG would probably contain very little flying. Naturally, we’ve not included any series that have had their own Super Mario RPG-style games, so games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Yoshi’s Island are off the table.
Here are eight Nintendo games that we think would benefit from a Super Mario RPG-style spin-off:
Donkey Kong
The Kong family could make for a great series of characters in an RPG, especially if it was a little more family-friendly than most of Nintendo’s games. While Donkey Kong might not have been a father in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, he was definitely in a position to raise a family.
Imagine a Donkey Kong-led series of games that follows the eponymous gorilla and his family as they go on various adventures, visiting locations from around the globe in a very family holiday-style series of games. It could even be a series of games aimed at a younger audience, like the Banjo-Kazooie series, as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze proved that the series can handle some rather adult themes.
Star Fox
We’ve had a few Star Fox games that take inspiration from the classic rail-shooter games, with Star Fox Command being a full on turn-based RPG. However, we’ve not had a fully-fledged Star Fox adventure game, and that’s something that could really benefit the series.
Instead of focusing on the flying gameplay, why not have a Star Fox game that focuses on an interstellar adventure, with Fox, Falco, Peppy, Krystal, Slippy, and perhaps a couple of new faces finding themselves in a bit of trouble? It would give a new lease of life to the series and could even feature a smaller party of characters to focus on.
Fire Emblem
It feels like every Fire Emblem game is a Super Mario RPG-style spin-off, but that’s because many of the recent games have taken inspiration from the Mario game. However, we’ve not seen an RPG game from the series that focuses on a smaller party of characters, and that would be a different experience from the usual Fire Emblem games.
Imagine an RPG game that focuses on fewer characters, perhaps a smaller team of heroes, and maybe even a new cast of characters that aren’t from the usual Fire Emblem series of games. It could be a very compelling experience, especially if the turn-based combat is still there and perhaps even expanded upon.
Kid Icarus
We’ve already had a Kid Icarus game that borrows a lot from the Super Mario RPG games, but that game – Kid Icarus: Uprising – was more of an action-adventure game. What we haven’t had is a slower-paced, story-focused, turn-based RPG using characters from the original game.
Imagine a Kid Icarus game that explores a much larger world and offers a more involved story using characters from the first game, and perhaps even incorporating the enemies as potential party members. Kid Icarus was a rather light-hearted game, making it the perfect series to potentially offer a comical and fun turn-based RPG experience.
Kirby
We’ve also had a few Kirby games that take inspiration from the Super Mario RPG games, but what we’d love to see is an even more involved story and turn-based RPG gameplay. Kirby is a series that could benefit from this style of game, as each game tends to be rather light on story and could offer a unique spin on the typical Kirby gameplay.
Imagine a Kirby RPG that actually focused on the story, as well as the gameplay, instead of simply being an RPG tacked onto the end of a Kirby game. It could be a very well-crafted game that offers a lot of replayability due to the different party members and unique enemies as playable characters.
The Legend of Zelda
If you’re going to do a turn-based RPG inspired by the Super Mario RPG games, then The Legend of Zelda would be a poor choice. That’s because many Zelda games are already heavily inspired by Super Mario RPG. From The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds to Tri Force Heroes, many Zelda games have adopted the Mario formula, so an RPG that builds on that world-building is something we’ve not seen yet.
A slower-paced, story-focused, turn-based RPG using characters from The Legend of Zelda series would be a great way to bring a new lease of life to the series. Imagine a game that focuses on the smaller group of characters from a specific Zelda game, or perhaps even a new cast of characters that aren’t from the usual Zelda series of games.
Splatoon
Of course, we have to have a new Splatoon game on this list, and we’d be happy with a whole new game in the series. However, if we’re going to get a Splatoon 2 DLC game, then it’d be a lot of fun to see new inklings and octolings in an RPG that builds on the series’ world-building.
Imagine a game that focuses on a new conflict within the world of Splatoon, maybe even a new character that begins their journey to become a Hero of Ink. It could be a fun game that introduces new elements to the Splatoon world, while also featuring familiar locations and enemies.
There are many Nintendo games that would benefit from a Super Mario RPG-style spin-off, and we’d certainly love to see some of these series get some love in the genre.
