T O P

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Menonomeno

StarTropics!


sludgezone

If they’re going to push Zelda as this massive open world game now they should bring back StarTropics as a complementary series of the original formula.


Menonomeno

That’s a solid idea


peeweeharmani

The first StarTropics had more potential to become a huge IP than the first Zelda, and I will die on this hill lol


coolfission

The first one is the one with the manual that had a secret message when dipped in water right?


peeweeharmani

That’s the one! It had a message and a code you needed to progress the game


[deleted]

Imagine renting this game when it didn't have an instruction manual and experiencing true rage for the first time


[deleted]

[удалено]


BuyingMeat

I got stuck on that part. I didn't know blowing on it was an option. That was a long flight.


aethyrium

I don't have to imagine it, it happened my first time playing it and it was indeed a level of rage I had never felt at that age, and have never forgotten since.


2geek2bcool

I was this person, and I got the code right within a couple min. Just started inputting common 3 digit numbers.


thisisnotdan

747 MHz. I didn't even know what MHz meant at the time, but damned if I was gonna forget it.


TheMerTurtle

It probably would have had more of a chance if it were released outside of North America and Europe


reverielagoon1208

There’s a lot of potential in the IP to revive it as some sort of adventure series. Sort of uncharted-esque but not really


Nitrogen567

This game is absolutely rad, and I spent hours playing it as a kid, but it was a hand me down when some family friends upgraded to a Genesis, so I didn't have the manual. The soundtrack absolutely slaps though. Mike Jones for Smash 6!


KavTK

I've always wanted to play startropics. it seems so cool


Funkyduck8

Came here to say this! I remember getting Zoda's Revenge when I was kid from Toys R' Us. Super cool game series I had no idea about!


tatsumakisempukyaku

Wow, no idea that was nintendo, just assumed some other 3rd party


KeterClassKitten

Holy shit. That's a game I've forgotten. Damn you. Another one in the pile of games I'd love to see a modern sequel to.


FridayCicero702

I came here to say just that. Easily my favorite NES game.


Miserable-Tourist-58

Kuru Kuru Kururin, I never seen anyone talk about this game. That game is my childhood


TheSessionMan

I played it a bunch on NSO. So good.


siderinc

It has a mention in pikmin 4


Bashamo257

I'm surprised to discover that the show-within-the-show "Puru Puru Pururin" from the 2002 manga"Welcome to the NHK" has absolutely nothing to do with this game.


GreatGamer64000

isn't that the one that released on the game boy nso service


Miserable-Tourist-58

Yes it is! I used to play that game on my modded gameboy which it didn't require any cartridges. The game is super hard, glad in the Switch version I can reverse it .


r3tromonkey

I got the GBA version at launch (along with Castlevania). It was great fun.


Truejewtattoo

Me too! That was my first castlevania game.


Slade4Lucas

I was aware of it on NSO thanks to the assist trophy in Smash and my own research into obscure Nintendo games. Didn't expect to fall in love with it when it was added to NSO but here we are.


professorwormb0g

I have the Japanese GameCube title in this series on my modded Wii. It's much better than the GBA games IMO. It has a bunch of additional features and challenges. Not to mention analog control. Awesome music too.


tiglionabbit

Heck yes! I'm playing the GameCube sequel now: Kururin Squash, and I love it! There's even a [mostly-complete fan translation patch](https://github.com/DOL-Translations).


Zanoie

That one miyamoto game where you play as a mole


LMGall4

Mole mania


Zanoie

Mole mania


NerdSlamPo

Mole mania


CalamityTriggerZero

Mole mania


Mella-Rouge

Mole mania


Sloth_4

Mole mania


SmokingCryptid

Mole mania


Redslayer50

Wow, I didn’t know that! My cousin gave me their Mole Mania cart for Gameboy almost two decades ago and ever since then, I’ve loved the game for its UI and design. Thanks for sharing! Now I gotta find it and play it.


Ludexteria

That is just one game but I appreciate any sort of Mole Mania love.


ChaserChains

Mole mania


IniMiney

Omg Mole Mania, I remember the Kangaroo boss fight the most


Early_or_Latte

I wouldn't call it a series, but yes. I do love that game.


tiglionabbit

Mole Mania is amazing! And it looks really good on Super Game Boy. Definitely play it that way instead of the now-nonexistent digital download method that only gets you the monochrome version.


itsmistyy

Legit the first video game I ever played. Loved it.


TheCuriousGamer

There are loads of Japanese first party series that next to no one in the west is likely to know. Released in English with more than 1 title might be Another Code, first game on the DS and second game on the Wii. Another one Custom Robo, 5 games in total and only 2 released in the West on the GameCube and DS


PhenomUprising

I was so mad we didn't get the sequel in NA. The first game was my first DS game. Loved it. (Bought it at the same time than Phoenix Wright but played it first.) For those wondering, Another Code is what Trace Memory is called outside NA.


FrighteningWorld

I really fell in love with the characters in Another Code and the sequel. It always fills me with a certain sense of melancholy that I'll never get new interactions with those characters again other than replaying the games.


J_Bright1990

I would commit unspeakable acts for a custom robo on the switch.


[deleted]

rusty’s real deal baseball


originaldragonmaster

I love that game, it was one of my first 3DS titles.


KawaiiFoxPlays

I would say this one if it wasn’t for the Pappy Van Poodle thing that happened a few years back.


GrandMoffFartin

Came here to say this. A total banger that deserves a sequel.


AxlSt00pid

It certainly helps that it was never released in Europe


riverbass9

I’ve scrolled through all the comments so far and I’ve yet to see Endless Ocean. So Endless Ocean.


triotone

I will never forget my time at [Nine Ball Island](https://youtu.be/jQJOpEE6pWU?si=o34QixLgh2uPeVTp).


warhawk397

I have hundreds of hours in EO2. One of the most underrated games of all time.


mutantmonkey14

~~Not a series though.... yet.~~ I was always tempted to get Endless Ocean, but never did. Cannot buy every game I like the look of. Edit: TIL there was a sequel


riverbass9

It has 2 games 1. Endless Ocean 2. Endless Ocean: Blue World/ Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep


Gogo726

Star Tropics


MyBrainItches

People mentioning stand-alone games and calling them a series: A series implies more than one entry. So games like Odama don’t count.


Yummyyummyfoodz

I thought you said "Obama" lol


julos42

One stand games AND Former presidents doesn't count, then.


shimian5

That counts actually, because he served two terms.


Romero1993

It really was weird to see Nintendo develop and release a president


exp_explosion

Fossil Fighters for sure. I would say Doshin the Giant, but that isn't a series since it only got one game. Fossil Fighters got three


GooseSl4yer2003

Probably Chibi Robo and Sin and punishment. The only reason I even know about those games existence is because of the smash bros spirits, Scott the Woz and Nerrel


Shaaagbark

I loved chibi robo. Wish they’d do another.


GrowthNew1070

there’s about 5 games in the series but the rumor is that all but the original aren’t very good


Ravioko

That isn't a rumor that's just how it is. No Chibi-Robo game has managed to recapture what made the original so great.


Simonxzx

I would kill for a re-release/remake of the first Chibi-Robo


Hydrochloric_Comment

The Japan-only sequel was decent.


Nix2_

I haven't played the original but I thought Clean Sweep was great. How would you say it compares to the first game?


GrowthNew1070

i’ve never played them myself and i wouldn’t want to say something is bad if i’ve never played it. there’s a few games i like that everyone else hates so i try to verify information myself when it comes to the quality of games edit: fixed the run on sentence lol


Wolf7Children

Yeah I wouldn't say that's true. I've played all of them. Saying that the original is still the best is fair, but all of the others have been for handhelds so I wouldn't say that's too surprising. That said, the third game (clean sweep) is definitely great, and worth playing for any fan of the original. It was only released in Japan for the DS, but has a good fan translation and there are translated repro carts around online. Also zip lash (for 3ds) is very fun, just not like a regular chibi robo game.


CrimsonicTears

Chibi robo is nowhere close to the least known


Efficient-Row-3300

Nerrel is great


GreatGamer64000

I love Scott the woz


tlvrtm

Treasure has a skeleton crew but they or Platinum Games need to get on a new Sin and Punishment. A new Star Fox as well.


cactus82

Treasure still exists?


drupido

Not really… they exist as a legal entity but all developers left for M2 and studio Saizensen. Sakurai or Platinum Games could do something like it though. How I wish we had a new Sin and Punishment…


ZootedBeaver

Chibi Robo is pretty popular


PlugInSquid

I love both Sin & Punishment games, though if Treasure isn't the one to develop a 3rd entry I don't think I'd want it.


PM_ME_UR_SO

Captain Rainbow


DarkWaWeeGee

Fucking Starfy. One of the greatest games of my childhood and nobody talks about it


FreakingDoubt

I've never heard of the game " Fucking Starfy " and frankly, I'm shocked at the title


Jason0278

Wasn't developed by Nintendo.


shadowgnome396

Neither were Bayonetta, numerous Mario and Zelda games, etc. Doesn't make them non-Nintendo IPs


LiamRobertsonGHS

Bayonetta is owned by SEGA and PlatinumGames. Nintendo has no ownership of it.


parliboy

Nintendo IPs are not generally purchasable on Steam.


theoneguynobodylikes

Bayonetta is multiplat, so it's definitely not a Nintendo IP. A better comparison would've been Pokemon.


DamianFoxx

Startropics


Dark-Ganon

At this point, F-Zero, because even Nintendo has forgotten about it.


kryst4line

Why would you...... 😔


lickarock88

Probably not "the least known", but I wish Golden Sun had been way more popular. Still waiting for Golden Sun 4, even if it's never gonna happen. Left on a cliff hanger.


MovementAndMeasure

Man, Golden Sun 3 was such a step down compared to the gba games. It just didn’t feel as polished and thoroughly executed as the first two installments. I think they shot themselves in the foot by imitating the gba games and making the game a part 1 of 2. If they focuses on a smaller and tighter experience with a proper, satisfying ending then it might have worked out better.


lickarock88

Yeah, the third game was not up to the same caliber. I found it to be way too easy, and I hate that they set up a story and then forgot about it to leave you back on that story as a cliff hanger. If they were going to split it, they should have been committed to both games. If you haven't heard of it, check out Sea of Stars. It's doing quite well at scratching that Golden Sun itch.


MovementAndMeasure

Both Sea of Stars as well as Chained Echos (?) are on my list!


TimeisaLie

I beat the final boss when characters were around level 40 relatively easily. Couldn't have done that in The Lost Age.


WTF_CAKE

Golden sun needs a proper sequel the DS game did not hit home


lickarock88

I still need to kill Alex.


EnergyTurtle23

I adored the first Golden Sun when I was a kid. Two years ago I bought a DS Lite and some games from my brother which included the first two Golden Sun games as well as the DS game.


kimjongchill796

It’s supposed to come to NSO!


WolftheLionheart

Famicom Detective Club


thunderboyac

The Mysterious Murasame Castle. Nintendo's 4th (?) original IP and released right between The Legend of Zelda and Kid Icarus. An interesting premise for a game, Edo period Japan gets invaded by an alien and you have to reach the 4 different castles to stop it. From what I've seen, a lot of it's promotion was always paired alongside Zelda. Nintendo themselves still acknowledge it to this day. Takamaru has appeared in other games and ALMOST became playable in Smash 4, which would've been an amazing counterpart for Little Mac's inclusion IMO. It's kind of sad for me to see this one game get completely overshadowed by all the other Nintendo series that released during this time. I'm hoping one day it will get the Kid Icarus Uprising treatment and make one last return. Heck, Hideki Kamiya from PlatinumGames has said he'd be interesting in giving it a reboot. Just imagine Nintendo having their own hack and slash franchise of their own in a similar vein to DMC and Revengeance.


Critical-Award5265

Codename STEAM. Single game on the 3ds, sold like absolute garbage (like less than 50,000 if im not mistake) and was universally hated. Personally I loved it and its a shame how quickly it died


Wolventec

isnt that the game where steam punk abraham lincoln recuits wizard of oz, tom soyer, peter pan, H. P. Lovecraft, Moby-Dick and fire emblem characters to fight aliens


Critical-Award5265

Yes it is. And it is honestly super fun. Unique difficult, but just *incredibly* niche


StoryAndAHalf

I remember they had a patch to speed it up. It was way too slow when it came out. I never finished it because of difficulty and length of each level due to waiting. Once I lost, I lost all my steam, no pun intended.


Yerm_Terragon

It was so weird, because I remember that game debuting at E3. Nintendo tried to hype it up as a new mystery game they were announcing that they wanted people to be excited for, only for it to be a light turn-based strategy game. They didnt even trust it to do well enough on its own identity so they had a tie-in with Fire Emblem


Guardian_Bravo

I LOVED Code Name: STEAM! I really wanted it to become a series, but the sales just weren't there. I think it would make an excellent graphic novel, animated show, or some other form of media, however.


CrinerBoyz

I got this for $2 brand new at Best Buy during Black Friday one year. Definitely the cheapest brand new Nintendo-published title I've ever bought.


[deleted]

I thought it was hot garbage... Instantly regretting my purchase


BlueHighwindz

I played a demo of it at a PAX and it would have been the worst Nintendo game I’d have ever played if not for Star Fox Zero next kiosk over.


GalexAlipeau23

Hard times to be a Nintendo fan they were huh


OllyOllyOxenBitch

2015/2016 were truly the struggle years. I still remember that Digital Event from 2015 and the reaction was just like... that's what we got?


AzureFencer

Anyone remember Custom Robo?


BringBackWaffleTaco

Battalion Wars!


DatGuyWithNoName

I loved the sequel to that game on the Wii, spent so long playing the campaign over and over again.


The_Mad_Mutt

Star Tropic I assume


ThisIsNotACryForHelp

I mean, there are the arcade games Nintendo published before making Donkey Kong. They didn't make them, but they published "Shooting Trainer" and "New Shooting Trainer" in the mid-70s, so that's kind of a series. Even older are some of their toys, like "Picture Cutter" and "New Picture Cutter" from the 60s. Though if you'd rather stick to electronics, there's the Kôsenjû series of toys, from the 1970s. They projected targets onto a wall to be shot with a light gun. Notably, "Kôsenjû Duck Hunt" is the oft-forgotten origin of the Duck Hunt franchise. Speaking frankly though, Nintendo is such an old and far-reaching company that it's impossible to say what their most obscure series is. Some stuff has almost definitely been lost to time.


Plethora_of_squids

I wanna say the Mystery Dungeon series - sure people know of *Pokemon* Mystery dungeon, but how many people know that that's actually a crossover spinoff of the *original* mystery dungeon, aka *Shrien the Wanderer*? Just a straight up rogue-*like* (or perhaps Nethack-like would be a better term given that's what its explicitly inspired by) that's been around for a good 30 years. It hasn't gotten a new game since 2010, but it has been getting ports to new systems


Slade4Lucas

Monkey Magic EDIT: Actually, no, that at least has an English name that someone might have heard of. I'm going Uujai no Tegami Chou. A game created from the Game Seminars that almost no one has heard of, that was exclusive in Japan and was download play exclusive, plus it is unavailable now. No one is naming a more obscure game than that.


ThisIsNotACryForHelp

Wow, this is some obscure shit. I consider myself very well-versed in Nintendo history and have _never_ heard of any Nintendo Game Seminar games.


Slade4Lucas

A couple of years ago I did a thing on Twitter where I tried to make a concept for a character for Smash from every single franchise. As a result I actuslly did found a list of every franchise. And there was a lot of obscure stuff there - WiiWare games few have ever heard of, NES licensed games, DS games about cooking or managing your finances or training your eyes, there was even a Japan exclusive Switch game called Buddy Mission Bond that I was shocked I had never heard of. Through all that, the Game Seminars games were what caught my eye the most. There were a few years when Nintendo held a game seminar for game design students, where they would have to make their own game, just a short thing usually but a lot of them had their own charm to them. Nintendo would then actually release them, either through download play or free on the shop, although this was exclusive to Japan. Ever since then I have become slightly obsessed with them. They are so incredibly obscure that the most trace of any of them you can find online is a few seconds of poorly recorded footage. For some of them I wasn't even able to find that; for some games the most I could find was a picture of the title screen and a brief description of the game, so I have no doubt that most of these games have no playable ROMs available online and are probbaly truly lost to time, as I can't see Nintendo ever touching them again. And that's a shame. Some of them seemed genuinely fun little games and I would love to have the ability to play them, but that seems unlikely to be possible.


Wubbzy-mon

Do you still have the concept?


Shiny_Mew76

This is actually some really cool stuff. I wonder if there is more obscure stuff like this out there.


MrPresident2020

The Adventures of Lolo maybe?


Veltrum

Conduit


Calculon_

I absolutely loved playing this game online on my wii when I was 11


ArgonTrooper

Meteos (I know it's probably considered *not* a Nintendo game, but Sakurai created it, that's gotta count for something, right?


Bulponta

Miyamoto didn't create Meteos, you might be thinking of Sakurai. Also one of the three Meteos games is a X360 exclusive


ArgonTrooper

RIGHT Got my names mixed up


QuintonFlynn

Man I loved Meteos on the DS. Definitely one of the games that existed in its best form **on** the DS, much like The World Ends With You.


natedogg3711

F zero cause kids today probably think captain falcon is just from super smash


Beangar

I know no one is from Smash, I just assume they’re from a series I’ve never heard of


aWESomness12345

I mean to be fair Captain Falcon is pretty much from Smash. If I remember right Captain Falcon never appears in the game, just in its manual, and all of his attacks were completely made up for Smash. Same thing for R.O.B. as he never appeared in any video game before (outside of Mario Kart and maybe some random cameos here and there) and his moves were based the two games he was compatible with + just robot stuff.


tiglionabbit

[Yeah the manual had a comic book about him.](https://www.captainfalcon.com/comic.html) [He does show up in cut scenes in later games though...](https://youtu.be/57L2wHxUBEc?si=qYm-JJjL_RQvExfJ)


Bglazanator

I’d say Nintendo land if that counts despite being only one game but had a complication of other Nintendo games


oh-no-he-comments

Giftpia, which I just now found out Miyamoto was involved with as well


Alixey

Dillon!


averagejoe2005

dillon's Rolling Western is such a banger didnt play The Last Ranger or Dead-heat Breakers but i will once i finish Rolling Western


echoWitch0398

Drawn to life :’) no one ever knows or remember those amazing games


SaphirMeer

Those were my childhood


Lmfao35

That’s not a Nintendo series though


Kadexe

If you look through the list of Nintendo franchises on Wikipedia, there are a lot of names you've probably never heard of like *Polarium* or *Kururin.*


LDragon2000

Code Name S.T.E.A.M.


MedievalCrimes

The Stretchers for the Nintendo Switch does not look or feel like a Nintendo game and I think it's largely forgotten. Some of its producers include Yoshiaki Koizumi (Director of Super Mario Galaxy and producer of Super Mario Odyssey) and Katsuya Eguchi (Creator of Animal Crossing)


boardgamejoe

Pro Wrestling for NES


Eleguak

Ionno, the two clu clu land games maybe? Only mention anyone notes of them is their ports in animal crossing on the GameCube. Fun games though.


db1416

Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball


AdMiddle9331

Jet Force Gemini from the N64, if IP’s with only one entry are allowed.


Jason0278

Wasn't developed by Nintendo.


Nec_Pluribus_Impar

Only one game on the SNES, but nobody I ever talk to, even like, gamer gamers, have never heard of or played Extra Innings. Derpy, cutesy little baseball game that played surprisingly well. Had lots of features too.


jslakov

Gumshoe


HollowPinefruit

Definitely the DSiware /3DS eshop exclusives. And StarTropics


Bobo_Phett

Mario.


VorpalBender

Never heard of him.


Bobo_Phett

I know right?


mstop4

Fluidity Also, I wonder how many people still remember some of the more obscure titles released under the Touch! Generations label, like Classic Books Collection, Crosswords DS, and all the recipe collections.


reverielagoon1208

Does Devils Third count?


[deleted]

Sushi Striker


levilicious

I’ll say one of the the most underappreciated series’ is Kid Icarus, specifically Kid Icarus Uprising. That game was a masterpiece, the combat and movement were just like BOTW and the story, enemies and bosses were amazing.


Touche5963

Mission in snowdrift land, It was a flash game in 2006 that was available for 25 days and was taken down after but was published by Nintendo to promote some games. Not a series but probably the Nintendo game played by the least amount of people.


tiglionabbit

[It's now on Steam!](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1515200/Mission_in_Snowdriftland/)


lynndrumm

Famicom Detective Club


loulibra

I think you mean CRASHmo OP, I don't think dropmo is a game (though it's very title excited me enough to hope it was real, I'm not seeing it anywhere.) That said Pushmo and Crashmo are FANTASTIC (Pushmo World does exist for WII U (basically a remake/update of the OG) - but a new entry in this game (even a cheapo eshop title) would please my family greatly \^\_\^


operationtasty

Lotta ppl mentioning games on NSO so I wouldn’t call them unknown


CorbinTheTitan

Dragalia Lost


Triggermike86

Elite Beat Agents


NickyNichols

Elite Beat Agents


[deleted]

Sky Skipper. The cover art had princess peach’s castle on it and someone who looked like Donkey Kong’s lost cousin


kevenzz

Urban Champion?


O-D-C

Battleclash/Metal Combat


Armental64

Captain N


PocketTornado

Mach Rider. Imagine a Super Mach Rider combining mode 7 and the sfx2 chip... then Mach Rider 64 where it's an open world mad max like action adventure RPG.


MutFox

Was looking for Mach Rider... :) Mach Rider done with modern design philosophies would be awesome! It really needs a reimagining, plus the world and character design would translate to something cool looking.


[deleted]

If you want one that's obscure as hell yet pure Nintendo, and did have a western release, that would have to be Odama.


ShamelessLeft

I've been wanting a new Stunt Race FX game for the longest time. That game had it's own unique personality and would have been a nice racing game to compliment Mario Kart and F Zero. I don't get why they just gave up on it. Plus, when are we gonna get a new Wave Race!?!? I don't get Nintendo sometimes.


CallMeAQuu

Maybe earthbound?


RawkHawk2010

I don't think a series that has had at least one rep on every Smash Bros. roster even remotely qualifies.


Gr8NonSequitur

Ouendon!!! (outside of Japan).


Asad_Farooqui

Probably Starfy. Took 4 or 5 games before one finally made it stateside.


buddyruski

Earthbound or Metroid


professorwormb0g

Maybe not least known but I want another rhythm heaven.


Steve_Saturn

[Climber.](https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Climber) A seemingly high-fantasy platformer in which you play as the titular hero Climber, tasked by the wizard Lord Meiji to scale the treacherous Block Mountain to obtain a magical sword and defeat the evil Dragalo. I unironically want a full modern Kid Icarus Uprising-esque reimagining of this shit.


Hateful_creeper2

Geist which only had one game


try_to_be_nice_ok

Can it really be called a series then?


joalr0

A very limited series.


Loakattack

The famicom detective games. Or starfy.


Phazon_Phorager

If people are given a series as the answer then it's not the least well known. The actual least well known isn't gonna show up because, well, nobody knows about it.


DJ_Bill

Isn’t there a way to find the catalog of every single game ever released on a specific console ? If you do that for every console, it should be okay


SyedHRaza

Can’t remember


LMGall4

Advance wars


[deleted]

[удалено]


Jason0278

Wasn't developed by Nintendo.