There is no shortage of imaginative, entertaining, and otherwise memorable games from Nintendo over the years and decades. Yet, amidst this huge lineup of various gaming icons lies a number of largely unknown projects that were never completed. This is software that, for one reason or another, never saw the light of day, and had been doomed to remain in obscurity.
While some of these were sequels to existing properties that promised to further expand the brand, others were completely new IPs and concepts whose potential will never be realized.
Join us as we cover decades of Nintendo history and examine 10 of the most promising, interesting-looking Nintendo developed and published projects that were canceled.
10 Project Cairo (N64)
The failed N64 add-on by Nintendo, known as the 64DD, produced some casualties in its wake, as a number of games meant to help drive the new hardware were scrapped. One of the unfortunate victims was Craveyard Entertainment's Project Cairo, an RPG that was touted by the studio as being both inventive and Final Fantasy VII-level great artistically.
The game would have had a rich foundation of world-building to draw upon, as it was to be derived from various fantasy comic books from the 90s.
9 Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball (GameCube)
We haven't seen many sports efforts from the Big N of late - at least those that don't feature the company's prized plumber mascot. Yet, there was in fact a more traditional sports title apparently in development for the GameCube, set to release in 2005.
Thanks to its "speed play mode," the game looked to balance fast-paced gameplay with the detail and authenticity you'd expect to find in a baseball sim. This officially-licensed MLB software would feature a number of unique modes, including "Rookie of the Year" mode which allowed players to customize their own player, who they could recruit to a team of their choosing and have them rise through the ranks.
8 Shining Star (GBA)
Take a top-down shooter and mix it with the tactical elements of Advance Wars, and you'd probably have this interesting looking project. This war-themed strategy romp for GBA was seemingly set to tap into the elements that made that beloved while livening up the action.
Unfortunately, the developers behind the project, Eworks Studios, was unable to land a publisher, leaving this charming sprite-based military game "MIA."
7 Chronicles Of Eden Vol. 1 (GBA)
When it comes to memorable RPGs on the Game Boy Advance, people tend to think of hits like Pokémon as well as the majestic Golden Sun games. Yet, this title-that-never-was looked set to give those games a run for their money.
This story-driven RPG certainly seemed to have potential, on account of its balance of action and adventure, along with some truly appealing, colorful visuals. One can't help but think of the Square Enix classic known as Secret of Mana when drawing comparisons of this short-lived project by Lightspire Studios.
6 Giant Robot (Wii U)
What was to be one of the final games for Wii U became an unfortunate casualty resulting from the console's lack of success and stunted lifespan. This was to be a mecha-based romp with an appetite for destruction, as the player would bulldoze their way through environments as a large robot. Players likely would have had to use the Wii U's GamePad screen and gyro functionality in conjunction with traditional controls.
Beyond this, not much was known about this scrapped robot simulator - but given its involvement of game designing legend Shigeru Miyamoto, it likely held plenty of potential.
Some elements of this concept were incorporated into Wii U's Star Fox Zero.
5 Pokémon RPG (N64)
As it happens, the Pokémon spin-off efforts of Hey You, Pikachu! and Pokémon Snap were to be joined by a mainline RPG for N64, but it never saw the light of day. Though it was to be a standalone game, players would have apparently been able to swap out their monsters from the Game Boy games.
The fact that we finally have a full-fledged Pokémon RPG for the Switch tends to take some of the sting out of this cancellation. Still, one can't help but wonder what a fleshed-out RPG more in the vein of the classic Red & Blue might have been like...
4 Conker's Other Bad Day (GameCube)
The abrupt buyout of prominent Nintendo second-party Rare had led to game transitions as well as some outright cancelations. The fuzzy and occasionally foul red squirrel known as Conker was an unfortunate casualty in the wake of this change.
Following the success of Conker's Bad Fur Day, the studio apparently had a sequel in the works. Though little was known about it, it would have almost surely been a memorable platformer, building on the formula of its zany predecessor and following the aftermath of the first game - where Conker takes on his tenure as king.
At least one boss fight would have been quite amusing, as designer Chris Seavor had mentioned a "massive space poo" called "Cthulpoo" being the main baddie.
3 Raven Blade (GameCube)
Texas-based Retro Studios seemed set to take the reigns as a major second-party following the departure of the British developer Rare. GameCube owners were giddy with anticipation when they announced a slew of new projects for the console that seemed to confirm this. Along with a car combat and action game, the action-RPG romp known as Raven Blade looking particularly promising.
Unfortunately, the studio seemingly bit off a bit more than they could chew with the onslaught of development involved. This, coupled with concerns by Nintendo, had led them to shift resources to a single project that would become Metroid Prime.
The engine for their untitled action-adventure would be reworked into Prime, while their other projects, including this interesting fantasy game, would be scrapped.
2 Project H.A.M.M.E.R. (Wii)
Following the announcement of the interesting new 3D motion device for Nintendo's Wii console, the excitement and imaginations of fans were buzzing as they envisioned the seemingly endless potential of the Wiimote. One of the early announced Wii games to help ignite this excitement was a thrilling-looking beat 'em up called Project H.A.M.M.E.R.
The brief footage from E3 2006 showcases a brute protagonist flinging around a massive hammer and bashing monsters into oblivion a la God of War.
1 Metroid Dread (Nintendo DS)
Following the success of Metroid Prime and the resulting renaissance of the dormant Metroid series, Nintendo set to work in developing what looked to be one of the richest, most thrilling 2D romps for Samus yet.
This sequel to the 2002 DS game, Metroid Fusion, looked to further expand on the world-building of this imaginative sci-fi setting. Meanwhile, the gameplay would stress action and adventure while at least partially drawing from elements of the series' classic roots.