The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildchanged the course of history for Nintendo and theZeldaseries forever. It was their biggest hit in years and even non-Zeldafans jumped on board. It was the must-own title for the new hotness that was the Switch in 2017. Because of its popularity, Nintendo turned another one of its giant franchises into anopen-world experience.
Related:The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Complete Guide & Walkthrough
Pokemon Legends ArceusandPokemon Violet/Scarletwere all set in open-world areas. So, whatNintendo franchise should get this open-world treatment nextbeyondThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? What would make sense for the next big Switch title or possibly for the next Nintendo console?
8Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing, up to this point, had taken place in small areas. Players were able to customize these areas to their liking with the latest beingAnimal Crossing: New Horizonson Switch. That took the world by storm in a scary time wherein everyone was locked up inside.
Now, imagine what Nintendo could do with an open-world version of this franchise. It doesn’t have to be a huge world, but giving players a lot more to see and cultivate on a journey with fewer restrictions could boost the series even further.
7Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Countryhas always been a level-based franchise even though it did get a little more open withDonkey Kong 64. With a name like “Country” in the title, it should feel like an entire country is in every game. How would a platforming game work in an open-world with Donkey Kong as the star? It wouldn’t, which iswhy Diddy Kongshould be the hero instead.
He could go on a journey to rescue him, possibly with Dixie Kong too, as he did inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest. Players could upgrade their gear on the adventure with new wacky guns, like his peanut shooter, or a jet pack.
6EarthBound
Fans have been waiting to playMother 3since it debuted exclusively in Japan on the Game Boy Advance in 2006. Willthis GBA RPGever get localized as a newEarthBoundgame in the West? Fans can easily play it today thanks to a great fan translation online, so they should aim higher in their desires.
Related:The Legend Of Zelda Games Most Fans Forgot Existed
What if Nintendo made a new game instead calledEarthBound Worldor something like that? Give players a new game in a giant open-world with a whole new wacky cast of characters. That would blow the collective minds of the Internet during the next Nintendo Direct.
5Golden Sun
Golden Sunisanother RPG franchise from Nintendo that has been laying dormant. The last game,Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, came out in 2010 for the DS. One of the coolest things about this series was that each sequel carried on the storyline but with new characters and sometimes the time advanced.
Nintendo could certainly do that again and advance ten or more years into the future to reflect the current state of the world. It would be interesting to see how players could manipulate the environment in an open-world experience since psychic powers are a huge part of this series.
4Kid Icarus
Kid Icarusstarted as a Metroidvania between the first two games. Then, whenKid Icarus: Uprisingwas released for the 3DS in 2012, things took an on-rails approach. Some segments had Pit flying through a set course of action in the air while other levels allowed players to fight on the ground.
Creating an open-world sequel would deviate from where the franchise originated further, but that’s not a bad thing.Immortals Fenyx Rising, from Ubisoft, would be a good template for Nintendo to follow.
3Mario RPG
TheMario & LuigiRPG series halted abruptly in 2019 after the launch ofMario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey. It was a 3DS remake of the third game and alongside the launch, the developer, AlphaDream, filed for bankruptcy. Their last two games were remakes and the actual last game in this series wasMario & Luigi: Paper Jamin 2015, which was also on the 3DS.
Related:The Legend Of Zelda: Things Fans Want To See In Future Games
Their closing may have ended the series completely for them, but that doesn’t mean Nintendo can’t continue and find a new developer. Nintendo could even create a fourth iteration of theMario RPGidea and set this new title in a huge open-world, which has not been done in any of these games before.
2Star Fox
Star Foxhas gone semi-open-world before but it was limited.Star Fox Adventureswas a GameCube game in 2002 and obviously, the industry has changed a lot. It’s easier now than ever before to create vast environments for open-world exploration. The fan base is split on whether or not that game holds up, but there are some undeniable good aspects of it.
The concept of taking the good and mashing it with something likeMass Effectsounds amazing. Land on a planet, explore, talk to NPCs, and then jump into a ship to fight some bad guys in space. It’s time this franchise got a dramatic overall.
1Wario Land
Wario has gotten the shaft lately. He used to be all over Nintendo in the 90s and early 2000s but then his solo career was forgotten.Wario Land: Shake Itwas the last entry in this platformer series and that was for the Wii in 2008. Making an open-world Mario game wouldn’t make that much sense.
Wario is the better fit because he is greedy which could play into treasure hunting in dungeons across a giant world perhaps in ruin. Wario is also a wilder character to experiment with mechanically. Plus, Wario has a motorcycle and that thing deserves to be on the open road.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas released on Jun 30, 2025 and is available on Switch.
