Summary
Some collaborations seem so perfect that when they’re announced, it makes people wonder what took so long. One such announcement came in 2020 when LEGO and Nintendo revealed that LEGO would be releasing various Nintendo-themed sets; it was a match made in gaming heaven.
In the years since, LEGO has released sets based on theMario,Zelda,andAnimal Crossingfranchises, but both companies are missing a trick. The LEGO Group doesn’t just put its name on plastic blocks; it has video games too. There’s alreadyLEGO FortniteandLEGO 2K Drive.Why not LEGO Mario or LEGO Kirby, too? With their kid-friendly focus and use of bright colors, a gaming collaboration between the two companies looks like a no-brainer. LEGO has already proven itself with some ofthe bestMarvel Avengersgames; Nintendo doesn’t have anything to lose.
7Donkey Kong
He might not be as popular as Mario, but there are a lot ofgreat Donkey Kong games. It’s easy to see how one of them could be a LEGO-themed game. TheDonkey Kongfranchise’s zany sense of humor and bright color palette would fit in with LEGO’s style perfectly.
Gameplay-wise, a LEGO Donkey Kong game could be a traditional platformer, either a 2D side-scroller or 3D. LEGO games usually feature character swapping, something that’s also a staple ofDonkey Konggames. LEGO’s destructible environments also seem like a great match for a big ape who is known for smashing things and making a mess. Rather than collecting LEGO studs, perhaps the player could collect little LEGO bananas.
6Pokemon
Gotta Build Em' All
ThePokemonfranchise has been around since 1996. Thereare a lot of Pokemon games, some of which are pretty weird. While the traditionalPokemonturn-based battling gameplay certainly wouldn’t translate well into LEGO, there are other options.
A LEGOPokemonpuzzle game could be a sound option. Traditionally, LEGO games are full of environmental puzzles that only certain characters' abilities can solve.Pokemongames are full of Pokemon with special abilities. A game where the player travels through a LEGO-themed Kanto, catching LEGO Pokemon, battling in real-time, and solving puzzles using Pokemon skills would be a lot of fun.
5Animal Crossing
Build Your Own Village
A LEGOAnimal Crossinggame could be really easy to make. Nintendo/LEGO could keep most of the gameplay the same, slap on a LEGO-themed coat of paint, and simply call it a day. It’s a series where players move to an island, build a home, and then customize it while collecting and crafting items. That’s a great match for a franchise centered around building things with bricks.
The LEGO branding could offer a ton of customization options, too, with themes centered around classic or popular LEGO sets. Alongside the usualAnimal Crossingcharacters, LEGO could include villagers from these sets or even other franchises they’ve worked with (although licensing would be a nightmare).Animal Crossing’s characters would also make excellent mini-figures. A LEGOAnimal Crossinggame would be anexcellent Nintendo Switch game for casual gamers.
4Pikmin
LEGO Returns To Real-Time Strategy
In 2009, LEGO and TT Games releasedLEGO Battlesfor the Nintendo DS. It’s the only real-time LEGO strategy game to have ever been made. Which is why LEGO and Pikmin would make such a good pairing.
Pikminis a real-time strategy/puzzle game where the player controls Pikmin and uses them to gather resources, defeat enemies, and solve environmental puzzles. Pikmin are also tiny, almost mini-figure size. In aPikminLEGO game, the player could guide these little creatures around full-scale LEGO sets, using their abilities to solve puzzles. There could even be levels where we commanded LEGO figures instead of Pikmin or used Pikmin to fight off LEGO figures.
3Kirby
Kirby In A Lego World
LEGO games tend to be aimed at children, and theKirbygames are some ofthe best platforming games for kids. Throw in the fact that lots of adult gamers grew up playingKirby,and all of a sudden, aKirbyLEGO game looks like an easy sell.
A LEGOKirbygame could have everyone’s favorite pink puff ball navigate worlds based around iconic LEGO sets, with the enemies being based on mini-figs. This setup would work well with Kirby’s usual inhalation and copy abilities. Breathe in a LEGO knight, get a sword ability, inhale a Lego Spaceman, gain a jetpack, etc.Kirbygames are usually set in colorful and whimsical worlds, so LEGO sets would fit right in. The only potential problem would be that LEGO has spent years encouraging kidsnotto swallow LEGO pieces, while aKirbygame would likely do the opposite. That sounds like a job for Nintendo’s lawyers, though.
2The Legend Of Zelda
An Emphasis On Building
Initially, aLegend of the Zeldaand LEGO video game collaboration sounds like it might be the hardest to pull off. Ignoring the environmental puzzles, there’s not much crossover between the usualZeldagameplay and that of the LEGO games. That’s whereTears of the Kingdom’sUltrahand and Fuse abilities come in. They’d be really easy to translate into a LEGO game.
Lego Fortniteis one ofthe best casual survival games, and a LEGOZeldagame would have a lot in common with it. Link could build vehicles, weapons, and tools out of Lego pieces, much like he does inTears of the Kingdom, with combat being slightly simplified. In recent years, theLegend of Zeldagames have become increasingly aimed at adults; a LEGO version would let children rejoin the party. IfLEGO Horizon Adventurescan work, so can LEGO Zelda.
1Mario
A Perfect Match
Considering all the excitement around LEGO’s Mario sets, a LEGO Mario game seems like a no-brainer at this point. We already have Mario sports games, racing games, RPGs, and puzzle games. Why not a LEGO one?
Mario and Luigi running around a LEGO mushroom kingdom is a premise that sells itself. Nintendo could even base the levels around the many LEGO Mario sets currently being sold. MostMariogames feature a unique gameplay mechanic, and in LEGOMario, it would obviously be building. Mario and Luigi could explore the map, looking for blocks to build an exit or solve an environmental puzzle. In what would be one ofthe best LEGO games for CO-Op,we could even swap between the Mario franchise’s countless characters. The appeal of both LEGO andMariois ageless, meaning a LEGO Mario game would sell to pretty much everyone.
