8 Most Disappointing Nintendo Game Cancellations

There’s nothing more disappointing than when an anticipated game gets canceled.

To be fair, a game’s cancellation is usually an indication of its quality, or rather, lack thereof. That doesn’t mean it hurts any less, though.

When it comes to Nintendo games, as well as their cancellations, there’s something about them that stings even more. Few developers are on the level of Nintendo when it comes to crafting unforgettable video games. This is a company that has been able to deliver even when expectations are nonexistent.

Most of the time, it feels like they can make it work, so to know that these games will never see the light of day is incredibly disappointing.

8 Donkey Kong Racing

Slipped On A Banana Peel

Developer	Rare
Platform	Nintendo GameCube
Genre	Racing

I remember this game being on the back of the Nintendo GameCube box.

On paper, it was an obvious decision: follow the success of Diddy Kong Racing to deliver another Nintendo arcade racer in the vein of Mario Kart. We even saw a tech demo for the game in 2001, and it looked promising.

However, behind the scenes, as we all know now, Rare was in the process of wanting to be bought out. When Nintendo passed on acquiring the studio, Microsoft stepped up to the plate in 2002, and Rare was now a first-party Xbox developer.

As was expected, any game with a Nintendo IP was going to be canceled or changed, including Donkey Kong Racing. For now, Diddy Kong Racing remains the only viable alternative to Mario Kart in Nintendo’s history.

7 Icarus

Flew Too Close To The Sun

Developer	Factor 5
Platform	Nintendo Wii
Genre	Arcade Flight Action

Pit is more than just the dude who showed up in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He first appeared in 1986’s Kid Icarus for the NES, a series that was on ice for over two decades.

That doesn’t mean Nintendo wasn’t looking to find ways to bring it back. The most notable was the planned Nintendo Wii game from developer Factor 5. If they sound familiar, they should: they’re the ones behind the incredible Star Wars Rogue Squadron series.

There’s just one problem: that Factor 5 didn’t exist anymore. At the time, their most recent game was 2007’s Lair for the PlayStation 3. It was a notorious flop that, despite impressive visuals, bombed due to the reliance on the PS3 Sixaxis motion controls.

Ironically, Nintendo didn’t cancel Icarus due to quality standards, but because the game was deemed to be too mature. If you ask me, that’s a good thing; the Nintendo Wii could have used a more mature experience, as well as a Kid Icarus game that didn’t have the awkward control scheme featured in the Nintendo 3DS game.

6 Untitled Legend of Zelda Game

One Of Many Planned Zelda Titles From Retro

Developer	Retro Studios
Platform	Nintendo Wii
Genre	Action RPG

Retro Studios arguably did too good a job with Metroid Prime, because their success led to the cancellation of some of their other anticipated projects. So let’s take some time and give the recognition these games deserve.

First up is their untitled Legend of Zelda game, which was reportedly planned to have a dark theme set in the “bad ending” of the Zelda timeline. It would have also featured Sheik as the main protagonist, not Link.

Given the more mature direction of Twilight Princess, you’d assume that Nintendo would be okay with a darker spin-off, but then again, they canceled Icarus because it was “too mature.”

Sammy Hall, a former contract artist for Retro Studios, posted some concept art for the game a few years back and commented on the game’s premise.

Fun pre-pre-pre-production origin story of the Master Sword. Within the bad ending of ‘Ocarina of Time’ exploring the last male Sheik’s (after a genocidal ethnic-cleansing) journey transforming into the Master Sword. All while the Dark Gerudo are giving their 100 year birth to Ganon.

5 Raven Blade

Canceled For Metroid Prime

Developer	Retro Studios
Platform	Nintendo GameCube
Genre	Action RPG

Before the release of Metroid Prime, Retro Studios had a total of four games in development, two of which were canceled so they could focus on their more promising titles: Metroid Prime and Raven Blade.

It was supposed to be a high-profile original action RPG, a genre that wasn’t exactly popular on the Nintendo GameCube. While the GameCube would eventually feature some high-quality JRPGs with Tales of Symphonia and Baten Kaitos, the western RPG genre was still missing in action.

Sadly, Raven Blade would also be canceled, so Retro could solely focus on Metroid Prime. Michael Kelbaugh, former President of Retro Studios, added that the game wasn’t coming together as planned, to be fair.

I mean, it all worked out in the end, but man, can you imagine if someone else was capable of making a good Metroid Prime game so Retro could give this one another shot?

4 Heroes of Hyrule

You Got Zelda In My Tactics!

Developer	Retro Studios
Platform	Nintendo DS
Genre	Strategy

What if you combined the puzzle-solving and exploration of Legend of Zelda with the turn-based grid battles of Final Fantasy Tactics?

What you’d get would be Heroes of Hyrule, a planned concept from Retro Studios that seems like a match made in heaven, especially since it was planned for the Nintendo DS.

Yet here we are, over twenty years later, and the game is so obscure that news of it didn’t appear until 2022 from a video from Did You Know Gaming, which Nintendo hit with a copyright strike.

I don’t get it; this seems like a fantastic idea, and with the nature of the Nintendo Switch being a console/handheld hybrid, why isn’t this a thing being developed? It feels like no one but Retro is able to make a good Metroid Prime game, but why not let another studio try the concept?

3 Harmony

Did Donkey Kong Bananza Borrow Elements From This?

Developer	Retro Studios
Platform	Nintendo Wii U
Genre	Platformer

I literally sighed as I began to type about Harmony, not so much about the game itself, but just wondering “What if?” when it came to Retro Studios.

You see, Harmony wasn’t a planned concept from the 2000s; this was a planned Wii U game. Here’s the total number of games Retro released for the Wii U. Let’s throw in the Nintendo Switch as well for fun:

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Metroid Prime Remastered

Don’t get me wrong: Tropical Freeze is great, and I firmly believe Metroid Prime Remastered is a perfect game, but there wasn’t any room for something else in between these games?

Harmony was planned as a “singing RPG” where Fon, a Spirit Charmer, would use her voice as an essential gameplay mechanic. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo used this concept to help shape Donkey Kong Bananza’s gameplay.

2 Star Fox Armada

Still Waiting For A New Star Fox Game…

Developer	Retro Studios
Platform	Nintendo Wii U
Genre	Arcade Flight Action

That wasn’t the only potential Wii U game from Retro that was canceled.

Following their success with Metroid and Donkey Kong, Retro Studios wanted to take a shot at another iconic Nintendo franchise: Star Fox. Their idea was to essentially reboot the series, retconning anything that happened after Star Fox 64.

Gameplay wise, players would be able to explore the Lylat system, including various planets, sectors, and more, upgrade their vehicles, explore the entire Great Fox, and have a focus on online multiplayer. Yes, it somewhat sounds like No Man’s Sky, but in the Star Fox universe.

As a huge Star Fox fan who still plays Star Fox 64 regularly, this one hurts so much. I’m not sure how it would have ultimately worked out, but man, we really need a new Star Fox game.

1 Earthbound 64

Oh, What Could Have Been

Developer	HAL Laboratory, Inc
Platform	Nintendo 64
Genre	RPG

I will never understand why the only game in the Mother series to be released for Western audiences is Earthbound.

The characters are popular thanks to their inclusion in Super Smash Bros. The SNES JRPG is a beloved classic. The demand for Mother 3 remains at a fever pitch. Yet, for some reason, Nintendo refuses to cooperate.

In an alternative reality, though, that isn’t the case, and Earthbound 64 was released. Here was the original plan for the game: inspired by Super Mario 64, the game would take place in a 3D open world. It was even playable at Space World 1999. There was one problem, though: the Nintendo 64 hardware could not handle the game, and Nintendo was starting to focus more on the upcoming GameCube system.

While some planned Nintendo 64 games would make the jump to the GameCube, Earthbound 64 wasn’t one of them. It would eventually be released on the Game Boy Advance as Mother 3, but only in Japan.

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