Top 5 Nintendo franchises that should be resurrected on 3DS

Fans clamoured for it and Nintendo listened - a sequel to Kid Icarus is now among us and it's good. Pocket Gamer Silver Award good, actually.

After recovering from the excitement of a classic franchise being reinvigorated in this fashion, we got thinking about all the other iconic Nintendo series we'd like new entries for on 3DS.

So, come on, Miyamoto-san, we want a new...

We haven't had a new portable F-Zero title since 2004, despite a dedicated following and the continued popularity of futuristic racers among core gamers (see WipEout 2048 and Ion Racer for proof).

The 3DS would make a brilliant home for a new entry in the F-Zero canon. The screen's sharpness, especially in comparison to the fuzzy polygons of the original DS, is perfect for displaying the hard lines of the Blue Falcon and the rest of the pulp sci-fi-inspired craft.

Imagine how much more heightened that sensation of speed would be with the 3D cranked way up. Trackside objects and corners of dazzlingly colourful raceways would benefit hugely from the effects of the autostereoscopic 3D tech.

Nintendo needs another community-driven game if it wants to keep people playing its titles together. With online multiplayer and time trial leaderboards, F-Zero could well be that title. And, well, I just hate hiatuses.

This just has to happen. We heard vague rumblings of a new Pikmin game for the DS ages ago, and in January a retailer accidentally listed a new title, before apologising and removing it.

There's no reason it wouldn't work on Nintendo's newest portable gizmo. There aren't exactly an abundance of strategy games on the platform, either, so it wouldn't face much competition for mindshare in this market.

Taking advantage of the console's touchscreen for unit control, a Circle Pad for smooth camera positioning, and the 3D display to bring the lush environments to life, Pikmin could jump-start interest in this particular genre on 3DS.

It's not like there's a new Nintendo Wars for us to sink our teeth into, is there? Hmmm... while we're at it, we want another one of those, too, please, Mr Iwata.

Each of the Yoshi platformers has played with the concept of 3D in some way. Whether it was via fluid animation mixing with system-pushing polygonal objects, or via 2.5D sprites traversing a gorgeous, vibrant world, these titles showcased what 2D jump-'em-ups still had to offer.

Again, the 3DS's glasses-free 3D would be a perfect technical fit for this game. Throw in a load of the more ingenious perspective tricks in Super Mario 3D Land and you've got yourself a winner.

A cute and playful 2D platformer that isn't massively taxing sounds like something we could do with right about now, especially considering Rayman Origins on Vita did such a fine job of proving the genre is still relevant.

It's time for Nintendo to step up and give it to us straight - whether we like the answer or not. Are we ever going to see another Mother game?

Because, if we are, we want it on the 3DS. The series has always featured delightful 16-bit graphics, sure, but the added grunt of Ninty's latest handheld could lead to some exciting and unique visual twists in this game... to match the inventive dialogue and narrative.

It also represents a chance for someone to inject life into the stagnant portable JRPG market. And who better to do so than Nintendo and HAL Laboratory, at the helm of a cult favourite.

But, if we didn't get an entirely new game, a repackaging of the trilogy translated into English would do just fine, instead.

Infinity Blade on iPhone improved upon the basic premise of recognising signals from an opponent and reacting to them. You know: the one that Punch-Out!! popularised. So, if this relatively straightforward idea still works in an iOS game, it'll work on 3DS, too.

For Nintendo to have a shot at taking the title back from the current champ Chair Entertainment, all it need look towards are the latest Kid Icarus and the Inazuma Eleven series.

Firstly, we need a contender we can wholeheartedly root for, so a full, anime-inspired story arc featuring Little Mac's rise to glory would be perfect.

Then, taking a leaf out of our fantasy football playbook, we'd want a title that went deeper, with RPG and management elements to improve your boxer and to then take on the world in multiplayer.