Nintendo is still one of the biggest names in the gaming world, even despite their arguably limited back catalog compared to competitors like Sony and Microsoft, but their characters have a far bigger reach.
The result of having so many recognizable brands within your portfolio is the urge to make movie adaptations. With the likes of Detective Pikachu and soon-to-be The Super Mario Bros. Movie coming out, there’s a whole new world ahead of adaptations ahead for one of gaming’s first publishers.
We’ve got our picks for which characters should be up next to get their movie.
10. Luigi
We’re getting a Super Mario Bros. Movie, but we all know Luigi will be cast to the side, forced to play second fiddle yet again. It’s frankly not good enough. Time to greenlight a Luigi’s Mansion movie, make it R-rated, and let someone with an eye for horror direct it like Sam Raimi. Charlie Day will voice the character in the upcoming movie, but he’s good enough to carry a movie.
9. Solid Snake
He appears in Super Smash Bros., so he absolutely counts.
There’s been endless talk of a proper movie adaptation of the Metal Gear Solid games, and it’s amazing there hasn’t even been a terrible 2000s direct-to-DVD version released yet. A film adaptation makes the most sense probably for Metal Gear Solid 3, with it canonically the first entry in the franchise. We’re picturing an Oliver Stone-directed gritty war movie.
It should be noted that Sony Pictures reportedly has a movie in development, with Oscar Isaac set to play the lead (!!!) but it’s been some years since we’ve had an update.
8. Tom Nook
The capitalist landlord mastermind of the Animal Crossing games is crying out for a gritty Wolf of Wall Street-style film. Showcase his dirty business roots, his desire to get on top by any means necessary, and get Danny DeVito to voice him. An Animal Crossing film is already in the works, but Nook has many more crannies to be explored.
7. Wii Sport Trainer
A heart-warming Good Will Hunting-esque piece about her training Waluigi to discover himself through the world of exercise, it’d be a romantic comedy with heart. The Wii Fit Trainer’s dark past being stuck inside a small playmat will be crucial, as she helps to get other characters to discover there’s more to life.
6. Kirby
The strange pink blob with near-infinite power and an appetite for destruction has long puzzled audiences. Now is the time to lean into a recent trend of cosmic horror and turn him into a Lovecraftian story. Stuck with a desire to eat all the knowledge in the world, Kirby must learn the price of his hunger.
5. Mega Man
A straight up-and-down superhero story would be perfect for Mega Man, with us picturing him as a gritty retired vigilante who has never come to terms with his dark past. Focus heavily on his traumatic cyborg enhancements, and give a RoboCop R-rated edge. After all, video games are definitely not for kids.
4. Ace Attorney
More. Gritty. Legal. Dramas. Ace Attorney is a lovingly made series with knowingly over-the-top characters and feels like it’d be perfect for a movie, especially after the successes of the mostly unrelated-to-Pokémon movie that was Detective Pikachu. A Trial of the Chicago Seven-type movie is what we’re feeling for this.
3. Fox McCloud
Look, we’ve got a movie with an anthropomorphic raccoon who shoots guns in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, why not Star Fox himself? Something learned from video game adaptations so far is the more action-oriented tend to work out better, and science fiction as well is such a rich playground for animated cinema.
2. Link and the Legend of Zelda
Possibly Nintendo’s best property and most consistently good gaming series, The Legend of Zelda has played host to so many memorable adventures which feel perfect for a movie. A Majora’s Mask movie could really hit the spot and considering how popular Link’s adventures are, it’s astonishing it hasn’t happened yet.
1. Samus
Considering Brie Larson has already expressed her desire to play the character, it feels like insanity it hasn’t happened yet. A fun science fiction Starship Troopers-type film would work so well and allow Nintendo to give the character a lot more depth and interest.
