When it comes to Nintendo, you can usually be sure that you're getting some quality games. However, we all have misses here and there, we all make a 1-2 Switch sometimes, and that's totally okay.
Today we're going to be taking a look at each of Nintendo's biggest misses of the decade, according to Metacritic. We'll be looking at any and all things published by Nintendo. Just because they didn't develop them doesn't mean they're blameless. Let's get into it.
10 2010: Aquaspace (45)
During the height of WiiWare, Nintendo published a few games here and there, such as Paon’s Aquaspace. Aquaspace is a fun adventure game tha- just kidding it's an aquarium simulator. And it's not even the best aquarium simulator on the Wii Shop. You literally just watch some fish swim around... why not just buy an actual fish tank? Or just anything but this game? Why did Nintendo publish this at all? Aquaspace didn't even manage to hit a 50 on Metacritic, but don't worry, 2011’s big hit fared even better than 2010.
9 2011: 3D Classics: Urban Champion (37)
We arrive at the lowest-ranked game on the list, which pulled in a 37. People didn't like Urban Champion when it originally released, so it's only fair that Nintendo release it again, but in 3D. As this didn't change the poor gameplay, critics were obviously not huge fans of the title. The 3D wasn't even that great on the game. Who was this for? The 3DS needed all the help it could get when it was first released, that much is obvious. What it didn't need was a title called 3D Classics: Urban Champion. Considering that this title could even pull in a 40, there's no reason to look back on this game.
8 2012: Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (54)
A spin-off of the Fatal Frame series, Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir was set in the player’s real world, and used the 3DS AR capabilities to deliver spooks to the players in a story mode and through minigames. The thing is, the spooks were there, people liked the gameplay. The AR functionalities were praised, so what went wrong?
There was nothing to do. Everything in the game was incredibly short. If a bit more content had been packed into Spirit Camera, it might have been remembered a bit more fondly than with the 54 that it currently has. A shame. Considering this used every unique mechanic of the 3DS, it's unlikely we'd ever see some sort of enhanced remake anytime soon. A shame.
7 2013: Pokémon Rumble U (49)
Does anyone actually enjoy the Pokémon Rumble games? Because certainly no critics ever have. The games are incredibly simple, and see toy-like Pokémon fighting waves upon waves of enemies, with not much to it than that. All of the games are pretty base level, and the series' move to mobile really just cements that fact. There's some pretty good reason this was the lowest-ranked Nintendo game of the year.
6 2014: Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder (49)
Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder is the fourth game in the series about the robot that Nintendo once tweeted a picture of on fire in order to signal a Nintendo Direct. From the Metacritic reviews, people were pretty polarized on this one. It seems to just be somewhat empty, like a worse Spirit Camera. It uses the 3DS camera and is filled with some pretty boring minigames. That's a glowing review right there.
5 2015: Devil’s Third (43)
Now what wasn't a polarizing game was Devil's Third. That one was just bad. While the multiplayer was praised here and there, the main consensus is that Devil's Third has problems gameplay-wise, story-wise, and performance-wise. You know, the three least important areas of any video game. Devil's Third was the Wii U exclusive that no one needed. It was basically unnecessary and didn't do anything for anybody. Sounds a bit like the console it was made for, huh?
4 2016: Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games (3DS) (60)
While the Wii U version of the game faired pretty well, the 3DS's Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympics game did not. While the game did manage to score a 60 (not bad for the worst game of the year), the consensus is that there are only a paltry 14 minigames, and not all of them are too fun or interesting.
The story isn't great, and not every character can perform in every event, which just doesn't really sit right. The game is a fun time if you really need to see Silver the Hedgehog going in on some gymnastics, but it's not a necessary buy for any fan.
3 2017: 1-2 Switch (58)
The game that really should have been a pack-in title is here with a score of 58. 1-2 Switch was the other launch game for the Nintendo Switch, and made use of the Joy-Con's various functions in order to create some interesting minigames for players to get in on. Unfortunately, this was a full-priced, $60 game. Nope. The Switch's Wii Sports should have been a pack-in, and it wasn't. If it had been, we might have seen this title in a very different light than how it's looked at nowadays.
2 2018: Pokémon Quest (62)
Boring mobile app featuring the original 151, but make it Minecraft. That's Pokémon Quest. The spin-off title is completely unimaginative, and features very little gameplay to get into. Essentially, your goal is to get other Pokémon to come join your camp that you can decorate however you'd like. This was a title designed to be playable on both the Switch and mobile devices, so you're really not working with anything too great here.
1 2019: Dr. Mario World (58)
The iOS and Android app, Dr. Mario World, takes the cake for the worst 2019 game from Nintendo. The app is freemium in the worst way possible, and does everything that it possibly can in order to take your money from you. The core Dr. Mario gameplay is there, sure, but this is just not the best place to enjoy it. There's some cool changes to the formula here and there, but not enough to spend your time and money on.