There’s a new Legend of Zelda game coming out shortly, but it’s not what you might think. Instead of Breath of the Wild 2, Nintendo surprised everyone with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Instead of the normal dungeon-crawling, cucco kicking adventures we know, this game will play like a Dynasty Warriors hack-n-slash. It got me thinking, what other Nintendo spin-off titles seemed to make no sense but succeeded?

I liked Hyrule Warriors quite a bit. Overall, I’m a fan of the Warriors-style games. That said, it’s interesting to see how Nintendo is slowly embracing a more liberal use of their IPs. One popular spin-off title on the Switch, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle seriously rules. However, many cringed when it was announced. It’s not about whether a game meets our expectations; it’s simply a matter of a game being good and fun to play. Another great example is Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. This game is adorable, it’s easy to pick up and play, and it’s a ton of fun. Plus, Toad gets its time in the spotlight, which is much deserved.

Some spin-offs, however, don’t go so smoothly. Remember on the Wii U, when we saw glimpses of an Animal Crossing game, and then we got Amiibo Festival? Yikes. Luckily, the Pokemon series hasn’t had as many flubs, despite countless spin-offs. In my opinion, we need to see the return of Pokemon Pinball. It was such a simple way to change up the catching Pokemon experience and pinball rules. It was a perfect match. What’s your favorite spin-off Nintendo title? Let us know in the comments or on social media!

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