Welcome back to The Nintendo Report, where we’re looking back at all of Nintendo’s intellectual properties in alphabetical order to see how they’re doing. Now that we’ve gotten the Mario and other assorted M stuff behind us, it’s time to get back to the regular letters, which brings us to N and O. Even with two letters, this one’s going to be a little bit short, and it’s kind of a weird list, too. Which of these oddball game series still has some life left in them? Let’s find out in The Nintendo Report. 

NES Remix

This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say this is a strange list. It’s full of stuff that’s made of other stuff, or otherwise some sort of meta-Nintendo experience. If you haven’t had the pleasure, NES Remix is a game that’s all about learning how to properly play NES classics, then mashing them up with one another in fun and exciting ways. Collect coins in Super Mario Bros. as Kirby. Avoid Boos in Brinstar as Samus. That kind of nonsense. It was a great time, and just so happened to come when the Wii U was desperate for that very thing. 

Health rating: Hard to say

NES Remix saw a direct Sequel on Wii U, then a compilation physical release and a slimmed down “Ultimate” version on 3DS. It seemed logical that there would be some sort of 3rd party fueled follow up, or even Super NES Remix, but then nothing happened. The 3DS game, Ultimate NES Remix, came out in 2014, which means that it’s been dormant for over a decade. That would usually convince me to give it at least a “Not so good” rating, but there are a couple of factors preventing me from making that call. First, the game was based specifically around the Wii U’s NES emulator, which could have been a factor in the series not making a return appearance on the Switch just yet. Perhaps it needed to be rebuilt from scratch? The second is, it’s entirely possible it’s technically still alive in the form of the Nintendo World Championships game you’ll see later in this list. It’s my understanding it was made by the same team, and it’s got a LOT in common with NES Remix. So yes, it’s not looking super good, but there are some unknown factors that could point to this series being more alive than we think. 

Nester

In the realm of meta games, here we have Nester’s Funky Bowling, a game based on a comic strip character created for Nintendo Power. Nester graced the pages of NP for a number of years in the comic series Howard & Nester before being retired once it became clear nobody really liked him when Howard wasn’t around. But for some reason, he got his own bowling game on Virtual Boy, and it’s… fine? I guess?

Health rating: Very Dead

I think it’s safe to say that Nintendo anywhere outside of North America doesn't care a single lick for this character, and if I’m being honest, NOA probably doesn't give much of a hoot either. He’s never made any sort of appearance in Japan as far as I know, and his only claim to fame was being annoying in the 90s. Virtual Boy games in general tend not to reappear, but this one in particular seems far more doomed than most because it’s not like the world is clamoring for a bowling game based on this fella and his sister, I think? But more than that, Nester in general seems like a product of a bygone era that’s more or less just fine being left in the past. He made a nice appearance as an adult in the final issue of Nintendo Power, which was a plenty good send off for this character. I would be genuinely shocked to see Nester reappear in a new project anytime soon. 

Nintendo Land

For a lot of people, Nintendo Land always seemed like the Wii U’s Wii Sports that you had to pay for. It’s a super fun multiplayer game that works as an excellent tech demo of the system’s potential. However, it never caught on the way Wii Sports did, even as a pack-in for some systems. It’s a rather brilliant collection of minigames based around the concept of asymmetrical gameplay. It also takes place in a virtual Nintendo theme park, which is awesome. 

Health rating: Not so good

The thing with Nintendo Land is, it’s based very specifically around the Wii U hardware. There are games in here that you simply can’t replicate without the use of something like the Wii U Gamepad. Now, like NES Remix, it’s entirely possible it could make a reappearance thanks to certain functionalities built into the Switch 2, BUT I can’t shake the feeling that this game is just too firmly linked to the Wii U in people's minds, which means Nintendo would be unlikely to give the game another shot. It never saw any sort of DLC, and it’s one of the few Wii U games that never got ported to Switch. While I’d personally love to see it show up on Switch 2, or better yet, get a proper sequel, I suspect that won't be the case. I think Nintendo Land is toast. 

Nintendo World Championships

For any kid who grew up in the 90s, the Nintendo World Championships are the stuff of legend. Nintendo put together a big game tournament in 1990 with prizes and spectacle galore. The original cartridges from the tournament have gone on to become some of the most expensive pieces of video game memorabilia out there. It’s a brilliant concept that I’d love to see Nintendo play with a bit more often. 

Health rating: Difficult to say

Following the original competition, they pivoted to the Nintendo Campus Challenge for 1991 and 1992, then started doing competitions for individual games like Star Fox and Donkey Kong Country. NWC made its triumphant return in 2015 and 2017 in some really cool online tournaments that looked like a ton of fun to be involved in, before going on hiatus again until 2024’s Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, an actual retail video game for Switch instead of a tournament. This is where things get weird, because that game has more than a little in common with NES Remix, including, I believe, some of the development team. Are they technically part of the same series? Who knows? But more importantly, it's too early to tell what the future holds for this brand. Nintendo is still running weekly challenges in the game, and it hasn’t even been on the market for a year yet. Time’s going to have to tell on this one. 

Nintendogs

What if you took an adorable dog, and made it into a virtual pet on the Nintendo DS, where you could  use the stylus to virtually pet it? That's the question Nintendo answered with its immensely popular Nintendogs series. People all over the world were adopting virtual dogs and playing with them. And who could blame them? Dogs rule! 

Health rating: Not so good

Of all the Nintendo properties I can’t believe aren’t still a thing, Nintendogs is right at the top of my list. When Nintendo started making mobile phone games, I thought for sure Nintendogs would be there. When the Switch hit the height of its popularity, I was positive Nintendo would release a new version. But no. Nothing. They just stopped making them, and I have no idea why. There was a followup on 3DS called Nintendogs + Cats, which I’m sure didn't perform nearly as well as its older brother on DS did thanks to its much smaller install base, but it still sold pretty dang well! Logic would dictate that this game could make a return appearance any day now, but as I've been wrong plenty of ties in the past, I’m going to say Nintendo has moved on from this one. 

Odama

Quite possibly one of the most insane concepts for a video game I’ve ever seen, (and the only Nintendo property that starts with O as far as I can tell) Odama is bonkers. It’s a voice controlled feudal Japan military strategy game that you play by shouting into a microphone to direct your troops holding a giant bell that improves your army’s morale. Oh, and it’s also pinball. Liker, there’s a literal giant ball that rolls around the battlefield, crushing bodies in its wake, that you control with flippers just like a pinball game. It really does defy description. You’ve got to try it for yourself. From the mind of Yoot Saito, the man who brought you the horrifying man-fish virtual pet Seaman for Dreamcast and the baggage claim-themed 3DS puzzle game Aero Porter, Odama is the pinnacle of bizarre. 

Health rating: Basically dead

This game’s best hope of seeing any sort of revival is on the Switch 2 Classic GameCube Games service. The Switch 2’s got a microphone, after all! But even then, I think I’d still be surprised to see it dusted off. It’s just such a bonkers concept, and it’s in all honesty, not super fun to play. I’ve never been able to get the hang of it, and I don’t think I’m alone. Odama sold incredibly poorly, and doesn't even fetch a very high collector’s value today, so I can’t see Nintendo ever trying to create a new entry, which is probably just as well. I love weird Nintendo, but this one might have been a bridge too far.  

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And that about wraps things up for N and O. Not a lot of healthy stuff going on, but maybe there’s more under the surface for a few of them. Who knows? Odama is exactly the right kind of crazy for NSO, right? Join us next time for the letter P, which I might have to break into two posts because there’s a shocking number of P games! 

See you then!