When gaming was still in its early days, companies had a hard time selling people on the concept of it. However, Nintendo had the idea to sell games based on franchises, characters, and mascots to give their brand familiarity. Needless to say, the strategy worked and the gaming industry has forever followed that model to this day.

Nintendo love to build a particular franchise, then create new games in the series that add to the established formula or make a spin-off from it. Either way, they have a lot of recognizable characters at their disposal that they can use when creating new games.

Because of this, some franchises are going to get more attention than others. Over time, Nintendo has created a lot of fresh IPs, but not all of them get nearly as much love as the rest of the bunch. Some of them have even disappeared off the face of the Earth, never to be seen again (of course I'm speaking metaphorically).

Then there are other franchises that get all the support and love of the company. Every time a new console comes out, you bet that these franchises will make an appearance as soon as possible. But when does it all stop? When do we say enough is enough? There are other great Nintendo franchises!

Instead, the Big N has decided to focus on these 15 franchises that need to DIE.

15 Mario Party

The Mario Party series started out as one of Nintendo's best franchises to date. The non-stop action of hopping on several boards, playing through solid minigames, and screwing your friends over are feelings that can't be beaten. It seemed that it would be something that would be timeless and last forever.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Mario Party started to go downhill. By the time the car was brought into Mario Party 9, many people stepped away from it. Then, despite the negative reception, Nintendo kept the car and brought an unbalanced Bowser Mode into Mario Party 10. At this point, we would rather see the franchise go into a long hiatus before it gets another release. Just at least wait until you can make it good, Nintendo. Or just let it die.

14 Fire Emblem

Just last year, Fire Emblem Fates came out on the 3DS, and now we just got Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Then there's Fire Emblem Warriors and an unannounced Fire Emblem title coming to the Nintendo Switch coming in the future. We get it, Nintendo. Fire Emblem is one of your top-selling franchises, but that doesn't mean you have to beat it like a cow who constantly gets milked.

Besides, if Fire Emblem were to die, then that would give Nintendo the opportunity to release a new Advance Wars or Golden Sun, you know, the games fans have been asking them to make for years. Fire Emblem isn't bad on its own, but the oversaturation of it all will make people stop caring about it. It's time to let it go out for a while.

13 Pokémon

Pokémon is starting to become Call of Duty. Every year, there's another release in the main series that is just a slight upgrade from what we've received in the past. With the release of UltraSun and UltraMoon on the horizon with no word on a proper Switch game, it seems that Game Freak is just cranking these things out now.

In short, Pokémon needs a break. After being around for so long, Game Freak needs to put their attention into other games. They've already proven that they can create unique titles like Harmoknight and Pocket Card Jockey. If Nintendo allows them to just take a breather from their biggest franchise, they might be able to come up with something unique and fresh. Then when the time is right, unveil a brand new Pokémon game.

12 The Legend Of Zelda

You might be wondering what I mean by placing The Legend of Zelda on this list. After all, Breath of the Wild is one of the greatest games of all time, so why would the series need to die? Well, it's because of how excellent Breath of the Wild is that Nintendo needs to give that franchise a rest.

Topping that game is going to be a hard task and, if they decide to rush it, then nobody is going to win. The game will be unfinished, or extremely gimmicky like Triforce Heroes. Nintendo could take the opportunity to cash in on the hype surrounding the series at this point, but it would be better for them to instead give the franchise a rest while the rejuvenate so they can create something even more excellent.

11 Mario Vs. Donkey Kong

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a cute idea, but it's one that shouldn't have gone on as long as it has. There were two releases on the Game Boy Advance, two on the DS, and three on the 3DS. It's crazy to think that such a simple series would get enough support to continue on for three generations and get subsequent releases on the virtual console.

That's not to say that Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is bad. It's just that the concept itself feels very thin, like a well-developed flash game. It's fun for a time but quickly loses its novelty. This franchise needs to die altogether so that Nintendo can put their effort into creating other games. Furthermore, don't we have enough Mario games on the market?

10 Paper Mario

Yet again, another Mario series. It's clear that Nintendo doesn't know how to properly manage all of the subseries of the Italian plumber. Because of this, it would probably be better for them to just cut a lot of them off (at least for the time being). Another series that could use this treatment is Paper Mario.

Just like Mario Party, Paper Mario started out really well and peaked with Thousand Year Door. After that, the series went downhill. The writing, combat, and creativity were all thrown out the window. Despite being an artsy creation, the Paper Mario series feels like a paint by number experience. Knowing the history of the series, it deserves better than this, so Nintendo should just let it die before releasing another game.

9 Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games

There are times when you wonder how a game is going to keep itself afloat for so long. I wonder the very same thing about Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. While this idea was fairly unique and clever when it first came out (and with the Winter Games release) it's becoming an unoriginal experience.

Sure, the games would only come out once every two years, but how many more times can we see Sonic and Mario competing at the same minigames until it starts to get old? Sure, they can add a few new characters each time (they can throw in Mega Man for all I care), but unless there's a new idea for gameplay, then the series needs to bow out.

8 Star Fox

After the release of Star Fox Command on the DS, fans wondered when they would see Fox McCloud team up with his old buddies once again. Eventually, we got Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard on the Wii U. Unfortunately, these games were less than exciting (the former in particular).

Star Fox Zero was essentially a remake of Star Fox 64 (something we already got on the 3DS). This tells us that Nintendo doesn't really have any direction for the series and they aren't sure what to do with it. Because that's the case, Nintendo needs to put Star Fox on the backburner until they can figure out a new idea for the series. Honestly, how many times do we need to play Star Fox 64?

7 Animal Crossing Spin-Offs

The Animal Crossing series is one of the most timeless franchises I've ever played. The nature of those games means that any release (as long as it holds improvements over the last one) will be well-loved and well-received. You can play those games almost indefinitely and it's something we need to see more of.

However, Nintendo decided that they were going to create spin-offs for the franchise, like Happy Home Designer and Amiibo Festival. After those two releases, I think I speak for everyone when I say that Nintendo should only focus on the main series. With the release of the Switch, they need something that will get people excited, not something that will make them turn away in disgust.

6 EarthBound

Here's a bit of an interesting choice. Never in a million years would I tell Nintendo to let EarthBound die. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted it to happen. Let me explain.

There are three games total in the series (one that never even came to the west). Yet, there are still people wondering if Nintendo will ever continue the franchise, especially considering how the characters continuously end up in Super Smash Bros. However, everytime we think Mother 3 will come to the eShop, it never does. At this point, Nintendo should stop remaining silent about EarthBound. If they're not going to do anything with it, then they need to let it die. Stop blowing smoke up our butts. They need to be upfront so that we never get our hopes up. That's why EarthBound needs to die- so that we won't expect it anymore.

5 Nintendogs

This one was a little iffy to put on the list because the last entry in the series came out when the 3DS launched. I don't personally believe that any more will be coming anytime soon (unless Nintendo creates another dedicated handheld console). Whatever the case may be, Nintendogs is a series that should stay in the pound.

While it's fine for what it is, pet simulator games are a thing of the past. People want more dedicated gaming experiences and a game where you take care of an animal is so run of the mill that it won't sell. Nintendogs also did not help the 3DS's launch at all if that tells you anything. It'll be cute to keep letting the dogs be assist trophies in Smash Bros., but other than that, the series should end where it is.

4 Yoshi's Island

I love Yoshi's Island. However, the more I think about it, the more I feel it's time for the series to go on a long vacation. With the release of the Switch, Nintendo is pushing huge, bombastic games that you can take wherever you want. Simply put, sidescrolling platformers aren't going to cut it anymore. They might get away with one or two, but, at the end of the day, it won't push consoles.

Yoshi's Island is a series that could afford to die. We just had Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World and Yoshi's New Island. Both of those games were stylistic sidescrollers. Now, Nintendo needs to come up with something different if they're going to bring back the green dinosaur on his own adventure. And please, no baby Mario.

3 The Main Kirby Series

Kirby is my favorite Nintendo franchise. Because of this, it comes with a heavy heart that I say that the main sidescrolling series should fade away for the time being. Nintendo brought it back with Kirby's Return To DreamLand, then continued it with Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot. They were all based on the same engine and functioned very similarly.

It's time for them to do something new with the pink puffball. They could create Kirby Air Ride 2 or make that full 3D Kirby game that many of the fans want. They've said that a multiplayer action game is already in the works for the 3DS, so that's encouraging, to say the least. Kirby could turn heads if Nintendo plays their cards right and doesn't create another game based on the Return To DreamLand engine.

2 Donkey Kong Country Returns

After Retro Studios picked up where Rare left off, I was extremely satisfied with how the Donkey Kong Country Returns series turned out. It blended a perfect mix of gorgeous visuals, tight gameplay, and difficult platforming. Now that the series has had its run, it's time to move to other things.

Many people were disappointed when Retro first announced that they were working on Tropical Freeze for the Wii U instead of a new project. Due to this, it's time that they put the first member of the DK crew to rest for now. If so, that could give them the opportunity to work on something that could blow crowds away (Metroid perhaps) and get the presses rolling. We love Donkey Kong, but we want something new.

1 The Wii Series

When I talk about the Wii series, I'm referring to games like Wii Sports, Wii Party, Wii Music, and so on. Those games were great when they first came out for the Wii, but most people are finished on the idea of motion controls (especially with games that are specifically designed for it). Nintendo should take this time to let the Wii series become a legacy franchise rather than trying to continue it past its lifecycle.

Furthermore, some of the Wii series games made it onto the Wii U and they weren't particularly good. Nintendo already has something different with the Switch and they need to use the games to help keep it that way. If they come out with more "Wii" or "Switch" games, then people aren't going to see them any differently. They are standing on the edge with greatness in their reach. All they have to do is stretch out and grab it.