Forget comic book movies – video game adaptations are becoming the next big thing in Hollywood. With The Super Mario Bros. Movie earning over a billion dollars and another sequel already planned, Nintendo could be building a massive cinematic universe. Upcoming films based on The Legend of Zelda and a potential Super Mario Galaxy Movie suggest this trend will continue.
Nintendo has plenty of popular game series they can use for movies, which is great news. Now, the big question is: which franchises should they adapt to the big screen first, and how can Nintendo make those movies stand out?
Metroid Has the Potential to be an All-time Classic
A Metroid movie seems like a natural fit for the big screen. Nintendo’s sci-fi adventure is already visually impressive, but also full of intriguing secrets. The story follows Samus Aran, a solitary bounty hunter who travels the galaxy, eliminating the dangerous Metroid parasites. She constantly improves her signature orange suit with new technology to complete her missions. The grand scale and action-packed nature of the game make it perfect for a blockbuster series, and the fact that Samus often works alone could create a compelling, focused story.
The story of Metroid has never been clearly laid out, relying instead on subtle clues and background information. Samus Aran is a mysterious character, rarely sharing her thoughts or past. This actually gives the director and actress a great chance to reimagine her and create a truly memorable cinematic hero.
Star Fox Could Help Revive a Neglected Art Form
Star Fox is a thrilling space adventure with a complex story and exciting aerial combat. It would seem like a perfect fit for a movie, particularly after the success of Top Gun: Maverick, which showed audiences love seeing planes battling in the sky. However, the characters in Star Fox are animals with human characteristics from another world, and changing them to humans could ruin what makes the story special.
While an animated movie would likely be good, Nintendo has been suggesting something even more interesting: a movie using puppets. They’ve successfully used Star Fox puppets in commercials since the early 90s, proving the characters translate well to this format. A live-action adventure film featuring hand-operated puppets is exactly what audiences are hoping for.
Pokémon Should Model Itself After Dungeons & Dragons
The world of Pokémon has been adapted for film many times, including numerous animated movies and the enjoyable 2019 live-action film, Detective Pikachu. However, a truly great live-action Pokémon movie that captures the series’ blend of exciting adventures and lighthearted enjoyment is still missing. Fortunately, the recent film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves provides a good example of how to achieve that balance.
The Dungeons & Dragons movie, directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, successfully captured the balance between casual exploration and thrilling action that makes the game so popular. It also maintained a fun, relatable feel, preventing it from becoming overly dramatic. This same approach would work wonderfully for a Pokémon movie, and would allow for imaginative and unique interpretations of the many Pokémon creatures.
Pikmin Could be the Next Stop-Motion Charmer
While a live-action movie based on the adventures of Captain Olimar and his crew might seem unusual, it could allow Nintendo to try out new and creative filmmaking styles.
A Pikmin movie created with stop-motion animation would be stunning, perfectly showcasing the game’s unique characters and cozy atmosphere. The studio LAIKA – known for films like Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo and the Two Strings – excels at this style, so imagine how incredible a large group of a hundred Pikmin would look brought to life with their signature artistry.
Kid Icarus Would Make for a High-Flying Animated Treat
While not as popular today, Kid Icarus was a favorite for many early Nintendo fans. The game is a lighthearted take on Greek mythology, where you play as Pit, a young angel, who must defeat the villainous Medusa using arrows, wings, and a lot of courage.
I truly believe Kid Icarus could be amazing if they followed the formula of The Super Mario Bros. Movie – think stunning visuals, really energetic action, and a clever, playful tone. My biggest worry, though, is finding an actor who can perfectly capture the sheer exasperating energy of the Eggplant Wizard! He’s such a uniquely frustrating villain, it’d be a tough role to pull off.
Fire Emblem Could be the Next Great YA Romantic Drama
Honestly, I didn’t really know about the Fire Emblem series until Nintendo started including its characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee. That’s when things really started to take off here in the States. It went from being a game only hardcore RPG fans knew about to something much bigger. And the latest one, Three Houses? Huge success! I think the key to its popularity is surprisingly simple: it combines strategic RPG gameplay with a really engaging high school drama storyline. It’s a fantastic mix!
The world of Fire Emblem would be perfect for a dramatic young adult series. It’s an epic fantasy filled with war, romance, betrayal, and characters coming of age. Players familiar with the game know how emotionally impactful it can be, especially with its permanent character deaths. Adapting Fire Emblem into a series like The Hunger Games or Twilight feels like a natural fit.
Animal Crossing Could be an All-Time Cozy Classic
Those who experienced the start of the pandemic likely remember New Horizons fondly. This incredibly popular game launched just as lockdowns began, offering a relaxing and simple way to design and build virtual towns. It let people stuck at home express their creativity and connect with friends online.
It seems unlikely that a game with no real plot and endless community interaction could make a good movie, right? But consider Nancy Meyers. She’s known for creating incredibly cozy and visually appealing films, often featuring beautiful homes. It’s easy to imagine her transforming a simple story about island living into a feel-good movie full of positive energy and stunning kitchens. And it even suggests the exciting possibility of Meryl Streep playing a character similar to Isabelle.
Ice Climbers opens up limitless creative opportunities
While the original Ice Climber game, released on the NES in 1985, didn’t have a deep story, its simplicity is actually a strength. Super Smash Bros. later revealed the characters as brother and sister, Popo and Nana, but beyond that, there’s very little established background. This lack of detail is precisely what makes exploring the Ice Climbers world so interesting and full of potential.
The movie blends a fun, adventurous story of two siblings climbing a mountain with a more intense, survival-focused plot reminiscent of films like Cliffhanger. It also has the potential to be a deeply emotional and character-driven story, prioritizing atmosphere and quiet, meaningful moments over a complex storyline.
Xenoblade Chronicles is a Prestige Blockbuster Epic in the Making
Xenoblade Chronicles is a complex and compelling game from Nintendo, blending themes of war, religion, technology, and magic into a grand story of robots and creatures. It’s one of Nintendo’s most ambitious and demanding titles, and with the right development, it could become a hugely successful franchise, much like Dune, earning both popular and critical praise.
The main hurdle is getting people to recognize the series. While Nintendo fans love it, introducing it to a broader audience will require effort. The key is to cast well-known actors and find a talented director – someone who grasps the unique mix of thoughtful ideas and futuristic technology, and can make the story emotionally engaging.
F-Zero Deserves to be a Wildly Fun Live-Action Cartoon
Nintendo isn’t alone in adapting its games for the big screen. Several other upcoming movies, like Mortal Kombat II and Street Fighter, are aiming for over-the-top, action-packed fun, leaning into the campy and often silly nature of the original games. This creates a good opportunity for Nintendo to try a similar approach with its own film adaptations.
The world of F-Zero is all about larger-than-life characters, dramatic outfits, and incredibly fast-paced action. Trying to make a serious, realistic movie about Captain Falcon and the others would completely miss the point. Instead, why not embrace the over-the-top nature of the game and create a wildly silly, live-action cartoon?
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2026-04-01 23:39