I've seen quite a few comments recently since potentially in 2010 we will see the release of Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, and Zelda Wii, that Nintendo's Big 3 core franchises will all release this year. But I'm wondering why people consider these 3 to be Nintendo's biggest. Mario and Zelda make quite a bit of sense, but I think Metroid's inclusion in the list is debatable. Nintendo has other franchises like Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and Kirby, which have been around for around about as long, and ususally generate similar or better sales. Something like Animal Crossing, is a newer franchise but has obviouslly been more of a retail success than Metroid. I guess franchises like Smash Bros, Mario Kart, and Pokemon aren't considered because of using characters from other franchises or being mainly a handheld franchise?
So my main question is do you agree with the 3 franchises typically considered to be the big 3? If so why?
If not which 3 franchises do you think are Nintendo's Big 3 "core" franchises?
