Nintendo Switch Needs Star Wars Games - Nintendo's Special Relationship with Star Wars Video Games
320The Nintendo Switch needs Star Wars games. Nintendo and Star Wars have an excellent relationship. Nintendo Seitch and Star Wars demographics are the same right? Post-LucasArts, there is no better time for a Star Wars game on a Nintendo Switch console.
The Nintendo NES had two exclusive Star War games, based on the films. Not the best Star Wars games, the Super Star Wars games rounded off the Star Wars trilogy, exclusively on the Nintendo SNES.
LucasArts and the N64 saw the release of Star Wars Shadows of the Empire and Star Wars Rogue Squadron. Shadows of the Empire for the N64 was a media event for Nintendo and LucasArts. Shadows of the Empire went on to become the top-selling Nintendo game of 1997.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron was developed by Factor 5 and LucasArts. Rogue Squadron took its inspiration from Star Wars novels and comics to deliver a Star Wars shooter the likes of which had never been seen on console.
Rogue Squadron pushed the N64 hardware, doubling the N64 resolution. Nintendo were against this until they saw the game’s visuals. Rogue Squadron went on to incredible success. Nintendo signed an agreement with LucasArts for new Star Wars games with Rogue Squadron being the first. The second game in that agreement was Episode One Racer for N64 and others. Not an exclusive Star Wars game, but Pod Racing sold more units than F-Zero. Factor 5 finished up the three-game deal with Battle for Naboo.
Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2 was a launch title for the Nintendo GameCube console. Rogue Squadron 2 garnered reviews of over 90% and Rogue Leader became a must-purchase Nintendo GameCube game. Rogue Leader was the best-selling third-party GameCube game and the first third-party Nintendo game to debut at number one. Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike added multiplayer, local co-op and probably the best ship-to-ship space battles ever seen in a game.
Star Wars was starting to take off. Star Wars games Episode One Racer, Jedi Power Battles and Star Wars Demolition proved that the franchise had bigger potential, LucasArts expanded under Simon Jeffery. Star Wars Bounty Hunter Jedi Knight II did appear on the GameCube, but Nintendo couldn’t nail down any more exclusives.
Other platforms started to get their own Star Wars games: Battlefront and Knights of the Old Republic were taking Star Wars games into the stratosphere. For Nintendo it was the end of an era. The GameCube didn’t even host the more ubiquitous Star Wars games.
As Nintendo marketed the Wii console to the family, LucasArts were pushing Star Wars into a more adult tone. The Wii Force Unleashed helped to make it the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever. The Wii The Force Unleashed attracted high praise, but flaws in the Wii single player prevented it from becoming a must-have Wii game. The Force Unleashed II performed better on the Wii than on other platforms. Despite selling nearly 2 million units on the Wii alone, LucasArts considered TFU to be a failure.
The Wii got the exclusive Star Wars Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels, but it proved to be mediocre. Factor 5 announced a Rogue Squadron Trilogy but was cancelled at the last minute. The Wii didn’t suffer for Star Wars games, but there was no platform-defining killer app, unlike nearly every Nintendo console before it.
There was a time when Star Wars games were a seal of quality. Disney are showing that they have a strategy and Nintendo Switch is out. Nintendo have had a hard time. The Wii U suffered, despite having so much going for it. Nintendo's third or second party content isn't great. I’m talking about this special relationship. Nintendo and Star Wars. It’s been proven that exclusive Star Wars games are a great weapon in Nintendo's arsenal and the Switch could Make Star Wars Great Again.
What about new Star Wars games on new Nintendo platforms like the Nintendo Switch? Which games would you like to see, would you rather Nintendo concentrate on something else?
Sources:
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Nintendo,+LucasArts+Announce+Limited+Exclusive+Star+Wars+Deal+for...-a053162962
http://shmuplations.com/yokoi
http://nintendoenthusiast.com/article/analyzing-nintendos-studios-second-party/
http://www.geek.com/games/new-nintendo-service-embraces-indie-developers-1661053/
http://www.nintendojo.com/features/editorials/nintendos-third-party-strategy
https://www.engadget.com/2015/03/04/nintendo-indie-gaming/
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/games-discussion-1000000/nintendos-3rd-party-relations-in-nes-and-snes-era-29370709/
https://www.fastcompany.com/3025368/how-nintendos-crappy-developer-relationships-is-killing-its-consoles?show_rev_content
http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/03/nintendo-garage-developers/
http://www.glixel.com/news/the-volatile-history-of-star-wars-games-w456595
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