In both movies and video games, spin-off titles can often be more engrossing and of higher quality than the mainline series from which the piece of media originates. In this article, I’ve written about some Nintendo spin-off video games that I think are particularly interesting and worth playing.
Pokemon Legends – Arceus
There was hype surrounding Pokemon Legends: Arceus upon its release a few years ago. It looked like an ambitious open-world Pokemon game with new capture mechanics and a complete revamp for the series. Upon playing it, it generally met those expectations and provided a fresh, fun, and accessible experience. The capturing mechanics were unlike anything that came before in the mainline Pokemon games. It rekindled that wonder that we originally experienced upon the release of Pokemon Red and Blue in 1998. However, Pokemon Legends: Arceus wasn’t a refined experience, and everyone is hoping that Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the sequel to Arceus, will be a more polished experience and fulfill the dream of a smooth-flowing, ‘free’ Pokemon ‘next-gen’ game.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus was developed by Game Freak, the acclaimed developer behind the mainline Pokemon games. The first few entries on the Game Boy Color of the role-playing Pokemon games were groundbreaking and ambitious titles for the humble Game Boy. Then, Game Freak began to reproduce titles every year or two, and the process was monotonous with little innovation and ironically little evolution. With Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Game Freak has boldly tried something new, and it has been a success. Let’s hope the ambition continues in the next mainline or spin-off games.
Hyrule Warriors – Age of Calamity
While the original concept of Hyrule Warriors, a mash-up of Dynasty Warriors and Zelda, was a dream for long-time Zelda fans, it is with the sequel, Age of Calamity, that the gameplay and story mature into a polished, high-quality experience. For Zelda fans, Age of Calamity is worth playing just for the story (which technically still isn’t canon), but the hack-and-slash gameplay, which includes multiple special moves, is really fun and addictive. This is partly due to how satisfying battling the boss creatures are, such as the elemental Moblins. On top of this, the game is great fun in multiplayer, and with two players, you’ll really feel like a team when you try to take down challenging creatures such as Lynels (with models borrowed from Breath of the Wild).
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was developed by Omega Force. This Japanese developer created the Samurai and Dynasty Warriors games, as well as licensed games such as One Piece: Pirate Warriors. Other crossover titles that Omega Force has been involved with include Fire Emblem Warriors and Persona 5: Strikers.
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land
In terms of gameplay, the third Super Mario Land is a bit of a departure from the first two games, with new moves and different ways of progressing through obstacles and the environment. This can initially put off some players as they might be expecting a traditional Mario experience. However, it’s in the new wacky and odd style of the game that makes the experience of playing Wario Land such a fun time. Wario, the garlic-loving, German-Italian with a huge nose and a passion for motorbikes, made his debut as the nemesis of Mario in the preceding game, Super Mario Land 2: The Six Golden Coins. It’s in the third entry where Wario takes center stage as the playable character, and he excels in his new role. New enemies and ways of dispatching them mean that there is a slight learning curve in playing Wario Land, but it is well worth it in the end, especially as the style of the game is so unique.
Wario Land was developed by Nintendo Research and Development 1, one of Nintendo’s main development studios. The game has a large number of worlds, and even multiple endings based on the amount of coins you collect. The game is also the first to express the strange humor of the Wario games. The series, which began as a Mario Land spin-off, eventually spawned many spin-offs itself, such as the hilarious and weird micro-game collection, WarioWare (an addictive experience, and one you shouldn’t judge before you play).
Pokemon Pinball
I remember how the hype and buzz around Pokemon in the late ’90s was a phenomenon not limited to the original Game Boy RPG games. There was the anime, the trading card game, toys, and spin-off games. For me as an eight-year-old, it was all massively exciting, and I was as obsessed with this new multi-format craze from an exotic and strange land as everyone else. However, first of all, a Pokemon pinball game didn’t really appeal to me as much as the cartoon, cards, or of course, the seminal Game Boy role-playing games. My attitude was, “Pinball, isn’t that some mechanical ball game played in smoky pubs and snooker halls?” But then, once I tried the game, I was hooked on the addictive gameplay of aiming to smash the ball against the components (such as the 3 Pokemon arranged near the top of the table) to earn points and not let the paddles miss the ball so that it is lost and you have less of a chance to earn a high score. The game was colorful, had great sound, and most importantly, the gameplay was addictive. That was my impression of Pokemon Pinball as a kid.
Pokemon Pinball was developed by Japanese studio, Jupiter Corporation with help from HAL Laboratory. Jupiter Corporation is still an active studio that has always specialized in handheld games, particularly Pokemon spin-offs, and smaller titles that are based on things like Picross and Pinball. They also developed the excellent Pokemon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire for GBA.
Metroid Pinball
The last game on this list uses the Metroid IP in creative and addictive ways despite the game being a humble pinball experience. Music, sound effects, and visuals follow a Metroid Prime era style, and features include Samus appearing from her morph ball to shoot to death small aggressive insects that rush to attack her. The game feels responsive, which is necessary for a pinball game, and similarly to Pokemon Pinball, the production standards are high. Being a pinball game, various boosts and score multipliers come into effect when certain parts of the table are hit. The game is addictive, and you’ll constantly want to compete for that high score.
Metroid Prime Pinball was developed by Silverball Studios, previously known as Fuse Games, a UK-based development studio that specialized in developing pinball games. Another Nintendo-owned spin-off title that would have also qualified for this list (and is also a great game), Mario Pinball Land, was also developed by Silverball Studios.
Conclusion
These five spin-off games from Nintendo showcase the creativity and innovation that can come from exploring new directions within beloved franchises. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to these series, these games offer unique and engaging experiences that are well worth your time.
