Metroid

Is this what Chibi-Robo is called in Europe? Or is this an entirely different franchise? xD

To make a list...

5. Donkey Kong

This is a weird choice. It's more here because there's nothing else I like better. I loved Earthbound, but I think it's flawed and is the only game in the series I really liked. Haven't player Beginnings and I thought Mother 3 was disappointing. I like Kirby, but it doesn't excite me. I don't think Star Fox has ever had a great game, largely because the franchise is stuck copying a dated gaming mechanics instead of expanding its supremely interesting universe and basic premise into the epic it could potentially be. Kid Icarus only has one relevant, flawed game. Dillon has potential, but hasn't had the time to reach it.

That leaves Donkey Kong. I absolutely love the Country games. I absolutely love the Returns games. I think that Diddy Kong Racing is better than Mario Kart 64 and I think that a Diddy Kong Racing Returns is the only game with a shot at easily being better than the absolutely superb Mario Kart 8 and future Mario Karts. While my opinions of the franchise are pretty tame, I think that it has enough absolutely great games to land itself comfortably at number 5 on my list of favorite Nintendo franchises.

4. Metroid

Metroid has only a few good games, but two of those few easily make my top 10 list with one of those constantly switching as perhaps my second favorite game of all time. Metroid Prime is unquestionably my favorite first person game of all time, and Super Metroid is probably my second favorite game of all time, constantly switching spots with a game from my favorite franchise of all time. Super Metroid is such a perfectly crafted experience with such a thick and lonely atmosphere that I think it is unmatched by any game, period. The setting is great, Samus as a player controlled character is outstanding, the level design is revolutionary, and the art direction and soundtrack are rarely matched. This could be as high as my second favorite franchise, but it's way to inconsistent, and it's been over a decade since there was a truly outstanding one, Prime, and even that wasn't as good as the utter masterpiece that is Super.

3. Super Mario

I consider a lot of games Mario games. 2D platformers, 3D platformers, isometric platformers, Mario Kart, Mario Sports, Mario RPGs, and even Super Smash Bros. Mario never fails to offer tight, expertly crafted experiences in a variety that cannot be matched by any other IP in the industry. Not just excelling in quality, but the sheer quantity of flat out A+ Mario masterpieces is one that no franchise can ever hope to match as long as gaming exists.

2. Zelda

Zelda is a far less consistent franchise than my number 1, but it is home of Wind Waker, my very favorite game of all time. The Zelda franchise, when it nails it, nails it better than anything else in the industry. Wind Waker was a half finished game, and it still manages to be the greatest game of all time. Games like ALttP and ALBW are perfect games, without flaw. The sense of adventure and freedom of exploration in good Zelda games effortlessly make up for the lack of each in the bad or mediocre ones.

1. Pokemon

I always say this Zelda has my favorite game of all time while Pokemon has my favorite franchise of all time. It's their most intelligently designed franchise. The world of Pokemon is without a doubt the most interesting and deep with lore worlds of any game I've ever played. Pokemon builds its world better and more consistently than any other IP to date. Pokemon's quality, despite my criticisms, is more consistent than any game I've ever played. And most importantly, Pokemon has the biggest well of potential I've ever seen in a franchise. The idea behind the IP and the structure of the world will one day, with the rising of technology and budget I'm sure, make for the greatest game that will ever be made. That is why it's my favorite Nintendo IP.

Nintendo makes games most of the industry neglect to make so it can't be oversaturated. Yeah they make a lot of platformers, but they're the only big company that still makes them.

And the GC and Wii era saw a lot of Metroid games actually, one of their more active franchises back then. 7 games during 2 gens: 5 were good, two of them sucked.

I'll elaborate a bit on what I meant. 

I like the metroid IP the most out of nintendo's IPs but "oversaturation" has nothing to do with why I like it over the others. The sci-fi theme resonates with me. 

Their main IPs are oversaturated compared to their new IPs. Some people want to play the same IPs over and over again. That's good for them but it's not for me. I don't care for playing games just for nostalgia's sake. Some might take this as blasphemy but I don't like the mario, zelda, donkey kong, smash bros, pokemon, mario kart or any other main IP of nintendo. I just got burnt out on them. I'll leave it at that.

My top 3 franchises are all Nintendo IP's.

1)  Zelda

2) Super Smash bros

3) Mario Kart

No one's playing them for nostalgia's sake. They're playing them because they're the most well designed games being made today. It's your perogative to dislike those IP, but don't pretend the reason they're the biggest franchises in the world is just because people remember playing them when they were five.

in order 1. Fire Emblem 2. Metroid 3. Zelda.

Different franchise. It featured robots that you could completely customize from guns to shoes. it had four player multiplayer, but only 2 entries of the series released in the NA. The Mk iii model is in SSBB as an assist trophy.

That's a flat out lie and I'm not pretending anything. They are nintendo's biggest IPs because of nostalgia and people wanting to experience those IPs/games again.   All people become attached to characters or a IP itself for whatever reason but it plays a main factor in why they will keep buying any additions of that IP. That's the case with just about anything entertainment related. I'm not knocking the games themselves but nostalgia itself. I just don't care for it. Alot of nintendo's main games are good but it's the same IPs over and over again. 

Alot of the nintendo camp will buy any new zelda game without ever seeing any gameplay or trailers. That's not because of well designed games and I'm not saying that they aren't well designed.

I'm the same with other things. If they did a remake of the goonies or the poeple under the stairs, I would go watch it or if SE revived the chrono trigger series, I would play it without seeing any gameplay. I'll be playing the FFVII remake because of nostalgia. 

By no means, am I saying that the nintendo camp are the only ones doing that sort of thing but nintendo's gaming experience has been about mostly nostalgia for many years.