Welcome back to The Nintendo Report, where we’re taking a look at Nintendo’s intellectual properties and seeing how they’re doing. With the ABCs covered, it’s time to move onto the letter D! And I can already tell this is going to be a frustrating one. Nintendo has a lot of IP here that haven’t seen any new iterations in WAY too long, especially considering just how big these names are. Well, let’s rip off the ol’ Band-aid and see how Nintendo’s D games are doing in The Nintendo Report. 

Detective Club

Back in the old days, Nintendo had a number of properties that they never localized. That’s largely changed today, as Nintendo tends to think much more globally when they make games. But of all the properties that didn’t make it to the West, Famicom Detective Club probably makes the most sense. These are very heavily text-driven adventures that would have taken a ton of effort to make it anywhere outside of Japan. They were apparently decently well-liked in their home country though, and got remade for the Super Famicom and even saw some brand new chapters broadcast on the BS Satellaview! 

Health rating: Good

In a shocking turn of events, the Famicom Detective Club brand is doing surprisingly well in the modern day. Nintendo saw fit to remake both of the original games on the Switch, where they performed admirably considering how incredibly niche they are. The originals have been re-released a couple of times over the years too on the GBA and Wii Virtual console in Japan, but these Switch remakes got the royal treatment, which is great to see. For now at least, the Detective Club is doing alright. 

Devil World

Like Clu Clu Land, this is another Nintendo-style take on the Pac-Man formula, though this one's a lot more literal. You control this adorable little green demon thing and try to collect dots, all while the Devil himself, portrayed here as a blue chubby fella in a red Speedo, effectively controls the camera. To imagine playing Pac-Man where the camera is moving around all the time, and can trap you by forcing you closer to the edges. It's a pretty original concept. 

Health rating: Basically dead

Devil World is one of those gams that gets referenced a lot, but it rarely goes any further than that. It never came to North America in the old days, probably because it's chock full of religious themes, though it did finally get itself an official North American release just recently as part of Nintendo Switch Online. Still, even with a Smash Bros. assist trophy appearance from the Devil, and some stages dedicated to it in games like ArtStyle: PiCOTBiTS, Devil World doesn't seem like it's likely to see a revival anytime soon. 

Devil's Third

I’m not 100% sure Nintendo actually owns this IP. It was developed by Valhalla Studios and eventually got a Windows port, but Nintendo was the only company willing to publish the game in its original form, and I seem to recall something about them owning at least a portion of the brand. Which I can’t imagine they actually care much about these days since its Wii U release was a stinker that nobody liked. It’s a 3rd person online shooter that’s umm… well, let’s just say people stayed away from it for a reason. 

Health rating: Basically dead

Even though its free-to-play Windows port was reviewed better than its critically panned Wii U iteration, it didn’t last long, with its online functionality being shuttered in 2017. And it really does seem that outside of Valhalla Studios, nobody seems to mind. This game’s only notable feature in the US is being a relatively rare and hard to find Wii U game. In fact, the few copies that existed in retail were scooped up by collectors and scalpers, with very few people actually purchasing it to play it. Devil’s Third is as effectively dead as an IP can be. 

Dillon’s Rolling Western

Originating on the 3DS eShop, Dillon’s Rolling Western is basically Nintendo’s take on the tower defense genre. It stars a super cool armadillo named Dillon and has a neat Western motif. It was relatively successful, inspiring a couple of sequels, and Dillon himself even made it into Smash Bros. as an assist trophy. 

Health rating: Could be better

The Dillon games were developed by Vanpool, which was unfortunately dissolved in May 2023. The last release in the series was 2018’s Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers. So yeah, it’s been just a little too long for this franchise to be considered in any kind of good shape. That said, it’s still a really cool idea with some great character designs, which isn’t something Nintendo is likely to ignore. Things may seem grim now, but I’d be surprised if this series stayed buried in the desert forever. 

Disaster

You probably know Monolith Soft for their Xenoblade Chronicles series, but did you know they made a completely unhinged Wii game about natural disasters terrorizing a city? Well, they DID! And it’s AMAZING. Notice I didn’t say it was good, just amazing. There’s bear attack, flaming tornadoes, and an extremely melodramatic story to accompany the Wii’s motion controls. IT’s a mess, but in a good way.  

Health rating: Basically dead

This game was famously turned down for North America release by Reggie Fils-Aime, which I think was a mistake. Yes, it’s pretty stupid, but in a really fun way! It’s also a rather good-looking game by Wii standards. Regardless, Monolith Soft seems to have found their niche in making games that are very much not this. No matter how much I would have liked to see this game turn into a series though, I seem to be the only one. Neither Nintendo Nor Monolith seem to have any interest in bringing this one back from the dead. 

Donkey Kong

And here’s where we meet the aforementioned frustration. Donkey Kong is one of Nintendo’s premiere brands. It’s the game that Mario came from, and its original iteration is an all-time arcade classic. It is really hard to nail down exactly what the gameplay of Donkey Kong really is though, as each sequel in the original series tends to change quite a bit. The first two games were all about making it through obstacle courses to reach the top of the screen, while Donkey Kong 3 was basically a shooter where you have to spray insect repellent at Donkey Kong’s enormous butt. There was a Donkey Kong Hockey Game & Watch game, and a metric ton of more modern Mario vs. Donkey Kong games that evolved out of the original games’ gameplay style. It’s as diverse as it is historically significant. 

EverDrive-N8 Pro (Jumpman Red) [NES]

$211.99

This is the Jumpman Red version of the EverDrive-N8 Pro for the NES. It comes assembled in a red shell with Jumpman style label.… read more

Health rating: Okay

The first Mario vs. Donkey Kong just got a full-blown remake on Switch, which is pretty neat, but it doesn’t really change the fact that there hasn’t been a new Donkey Kong game since 2016’s Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge. And calling that a Donkey Kong game is pretty generous. Arguably, this series reached its peak in 1994 with Donkey Kong for Game Boy, and while the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games are nice, they’ve never successfully evolved the formula set in that game. There’s a ton of potential for this kind of game, and not even necessarily relating to Mario. After all, once Mario spun off to do Mario Bros. with his brother Luigi, Donkey Kong faced off against his own original protagonist named Stanley in DK3. Where’s that guy? Why aren’t we making new DK games where he’s pitted against Stanley doing all sorts of fun puzzles and whatnot? That this brand isn’t regularly churning out titles is a crime. 

Donkey Kong Country

But wait, there’s more! See, Donkey Kong really has two distinct flavors of existence. There’s the stuff that’s an evolution of the original arcade games, and then there’s the considerably more successful Donkey Kong Country series. These are Mario-style platformers where you control Kong himself (usually) to do battle with various nefarious forces who really want Donkey Kong’s bananas for some reason. It’s got its own brand of spinoffs from racing to rhythm games, and it is an extremely well loved franchise to this day. 

Health rating: Could be better

Seriously though, where the heck is the next Donkey Kong Country game? Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was released on Wii U OVER A DECADE AGO!  Sure, it got a re-release on Switch, but that hardly seems like proper treatment for one of Nintendo’s most important brands. Donkey Kong is a genuine icon in the world of video games, and it's been way too quiet for way too long. He had a role in the massively successful Super Mario Bros. movie, but in the world of video games themselves, he remains depressingly dormant. Donkey Kong Deserves better. 

Doshin the Giant

This Is another property I’m not 100% sure Nintendo owns, but I feel confident they at least have a stake in it. According to the game’s creator, it can be described as "Populous meets Mario" and if that sounds insane, that’s because it is. This game originally came out on the Japan exclusive 64DD add on for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, and even saw an expansion pack released for it just a few months later! It’s got quite a cult following these days too. Their numbers aren’t large, but they are passionate. 

Health rating: Basically dead

Doshin the Giant got ported to the GameCube and released in both Japan and Europe, but it never made its way to the US. Which is especially odd considering Cubivore made it out over here, and that game’s arguably even weirder than this one! But outside of a few obligatory Smash Bros. references, things have been extremely quiet on the Doshin the Giant front. As always, I never say never when it comes to Nintendo and reviving old brands, but I would be shocked if we ever saw a new Doshin project. 

Dragalia Lost

Dragalia Lost has the unique distinction of being the only Nintendo property to never appear on a Nintendo platform. This is a purely mobile venture, and from what I’m told, it’s a fairly decent one. It’s a touchscreen controlled action RPG that released on iOS and Android and apparently made Nintendo a whole bunch of money before being shut down in November 2022.

Health rating: Okay

Honestly, I have absolutely no idea how to rate this one. The mobile game being discontinued seems pretty bad, but it also made Nintendo a tidy profit, so maybe a sequel could be in the works? I really don’t know how the mobile market functions. I’d love to see this game make its way to a Nintendo platform someday though. It looks kinda neat. 

Drill Dozer

Any time Game Freak gets to make a game that isn’t Pokemon it’s usually a pretty good time, and Drill Dozer is no exception. Once again, I’m not 100% sure Nintendo owns this one, but given the main character’s appearance as an assist trophy in Smash Bros, I’m reasonably confident it’s theirs. This is a 2D platformer where you control a girl named Jill who, well, drills stuff. It’s bright, colorful, and a very good time. 

Health rating: Basically dead

And there’s another frustrating one. This is a cool game! But like just about everything Game Freak does that isn’t Pokemon, it’s a one and done property. Drill Dozer released on Game Boy Advance in 2006 in the US, and outside of being referenced in Smash Bros., that’s the entirety of its history. It did get re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console, which isn’t nothing, but this one smells pretty dead to me. 

Duck Hunt

Ahh, Duck Hunt. One of the most iconic video games ever released in the US. It’s the game that sold millions of kids on the Zapper peripheral, and frustrated millions more with the inability to shoot that darn dog. In case you’re unaware of its premise, you have to shoot ducks that fly around the screen. That’s it. Yet somehow it’s incredibly fun, challenging, and charming. Nintendo at its finest. 

Health rating: Basically dead

So why, in the name of sanity, has there never been a proper follow up? It’s been referenced in Wii Play, and even inspired a playable character in Smash Bros. but there’s still only one Duck Hunt game. Unless you count Nintendo’s pre-video game days, but that’s kind of a different ball of wax. This game’s a genuine icon in the retro gaming space, and it’s honestly baffling that there’s never been a followup of any kind. At least you could shoot the dog in the arcade version. 

Well, there you have it. Not a great letter this time around. Donkey Kong in particular has been neglected for way too long, but clearly he’s in good company. Who knows, though? Maybe Nintendo could dust a few of these off on their next generation console. We’ll see. 

Join us next time as we tackle the letter E which has a surprising number of entries, including the ultimate cult hit, some wacky rhythm games, and the spookiest title Nintendo’s ever been involved in.