superchunk said: Its about recognition to "Nintendo" and the console space, not sales.

Don't you think more people recognize Nintendo for Pokemon and Animal Crossing than Metroid?

Soleron said: NOT Zelda any more. It's just not selling enough. Mario, Pokemon and Wii Sports should be the 3

if you would have looked back then you would know that every 2nd Zelda on a console which required also an additional expansion sold worse.

axumblade said: Metrium said: Because they are the 3 most popular ''original'' games from Nintendo. By ''original'' I mean they started almost when everything started, with the NES. They are the 3 longest running franchise, that are all 3 totaly different style of gameplay and universe. Meanwhile DK's universe can be related to Mario's, but Zelda/Metroid/Mario has nothing in comon except with few small clever easter eggs a la Link's Awakening. Technically, Kirby has sold about 2 times as many as the Metroid franchise, the games come out more frequently, and the series originates on the same system that the other 3 titles mentioned came from... @ISAWYOSHI, the problem with counting Pokemon is that the big 3 are signified by their mascotlike characters. We have Pikachu, but really there are too many Pokemon for us to just sit down and say "Well, Pikachu IS Pokemon's Mascot."

True, the mascot part is indeed something to count in. But while Pokemon has no official mascot (at least I don't think so), pikachu is still a gigantic symbol for Pokemon, and also for nintendo. I have a few friends that knew about Samus before I showed them Metroid, and they knew her as "that guy from smash bros" which I think is kind of a problem. Cause when she's supposed to be a great mascot, people still don't know her gender.

IsawYoshi said: superchunk said: Its about recognition to "Nintendo" and the console space, not sales. Don't you think more people recognize Nintendo for Pokemon and Animal Crossing than Metroid?

AC definitely no. Pokemon probably, however, that's a portable franchise.

superchunk said: IsawYoshi said: superchunk said: Its about recognition to "Nintendo" and the console space, not sales. Don't you think more people recognize Nintendo for Pokemon and Animal Crossing than Metroid? AC definitely no. Pokemon probably, however, that's a portable franchise.

I don't really think that people think of pokemon just as handhelds too much, from my impressions people seem to connect pokemon with nintendo, often in the way they do with mario. And while Metroid might be well known inside the nintendo core, so is animal crossing, but that game is also known outside of it (albeit limited compared to mario, pokemon and zelda). Starfox have also become well-known (more than metroid) because of the memes.

axumblade said: Metrium said: Because they are the 3 most popular ''original'' games from Nintendo. By ''original'' I mean they started almost when everything started, with the NES. They are the 3 longest running franchise, that are all 3 totaly different style of gameplay and universe. Meanwhile DK's universe can be related to Mario's, but Zelda/Metroid/Mario has nothing in comon except with few small clever easter eggs a la Link's Awakening. Technically, Kirby has sold about 2 times as many as the Metroid franchise, the games come out more frequently, and the series originates on the same system that the other 3 titles mentioned came from... @ISAWYOSHI, the problem with counting Pokemon is that the big 3 are signified by their mascotlike characters. We have Pikachu, but really there are too many Pokemon for us to just sit down and say "Well, Pikachu IS Pokemon's Mascot."

True, but Kirby's Adventure came out at the very end of the NES's lifespan, I think the SNES was already out at the time. Unless I'm wrong, Kirby is not as old as Metroid (it's close tho). Also Kirby games never had the budget of Metroid games, partly explaining why kirby games are more frequent. But w/o a doubt, if we had to make a top4, Kirby would be the fourth in my list, the problem with Pokémon is that Nintendo don't have 100% control over the IP and it did'nt originate from the NES like the other4.

Metroid is definitely not one of the Big Three.

I also think it's just plain main to consider Mario Kart as a totally separate franchise in this case. If we do that then we need to count all of the largely popular Mario spin-offs. (Which would pretty much take up all of the Big Three.)

I think a bit of it comes from the fact that SMB, Zelda, and Metroid were released in such quick succession from 1986 to 1987. Not only are the three so closely together, but they essentially compromise the entire spectrum of Nintendo gameplay. Mario is the carefree, linear, cartoonish, appeal to everyone end of the spectrum, while Metroid is dark and nonlinear with a focus on exploration and figuring things out yourself that doesn't appeal to as many. Zelda's probably the middle of those two extremes.

Saleswise, sure, it's nowhere near as impressive. But in terms of gameplay inventiveness, it's one of the three defining parts of Nintendo's history.

You guys are missing the point still.

Its about icons, not distinct games.

Its about Mario, Link, and Samus. THEY are Nintendo's big three icons.

Every other Mario X game is lumped into just Mario.

Sure Pokemon outsells them all, but what is the icon? A red ball? Maybe Pikachu, but since Pokemon has always been a "kids" game, one that most typically stop playing in their teens... it dies off where as Mario, Link, and Samus are played continuously and these characters are brought up in many other games like Smash.

Mario, Link, and Samus will always be Nintendo's Big Three and indirectly the primary game series they are known from SMB, LoZ, and Metroid.

I think the reason people add Metroid to Nintendo`s top franchises might be due to the fact that it`s a pretty unique franchise within Nintendo. Probably the most mature one. Also, it`s fanbase it`s pretty vocal about it.
During the days of NES and SNES it really was one of it`s best franchises; Metroid Prime 1 is seen as the best GC game and one of the best in that generation, too.