Nintendo is probably one of the game industry’s most iconic platformer developers in large part thanks toSuper Mario,the long line of platformers that gives Nintendo one of its treasured mascots and continues to sell millions of copies every time a new game releases. However,Super Marioisn’t the only platformer inNintendo’s hands. During the 2000s, Nintendo collaborated with ‘ghost developer’ Tose onThe Legendary Starfy,a series of aquatic platformers about a gentle-hearted starfish prince who went on all kinds of adventures. Although Nintendo and Tose released a fewStarfygames in the 2000s, there hasn’t been another since 2009.
It’s especially strange thatThe Legendary Starfysuddenly disappeared when one considers the franchise went dark after Nintendo and Tose released the fifthStarfygame, also calledThe Legendary Starfy, internationally for the first time rather than making it a Japan-exclusive. One would expect that the studios wanted to start spreading Starfy’s adventures to a global audience, but the opposite happened. With a decade gone by forTose and Nintendo to recalibrate, now seems like a great time to return toThe Legendary Starfywith a fresh perspective.
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Potential Ways to Revive The Legendary Starfy
One way that Nintendo and Tose could restoreStarfyto its former glory would be with remakes of the original games. The first fourStarfygames, simply titledDensetsu no Stafy 1through4,were mostly released for the Game Boy Advance, with the fourth game coming to DS. Game consoles have come a long waysince the Game Boy Advance. Tose and Nintendo could totally overhaulStarfy’s graphics in up-to-date remakes, and the best-selling Switch also seems like a great platform through which to finally release these games internationally.
The studios could also decide the best way to reviveThe Legendary Starfyis by starting over. A clean slate could doStarfygood; maybe Nintendo and Tose can work together on a brand-new game in the franchise. A soft reboot for the series might help it establish its brand for a new generation of fans. Tose could develop some new mechanics that build on the original ideas ofStarfy,adding more spin techniques and transformations for Starfy to use.The Switch’s Joy-Cons enable multiplayer, so maybe aStarfyreboot could more heavily encourage two-player multiplayer with Starfy’s sister Starly.The Legendary Starfystill has a lot of potential.
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Starfy Stands on His Own Two Feet
Some Nintendo fans might feel that they don’t needThe Legendary Starfysince the company already has a solid platformer thanks toSuper Mario’s enduring popularity. However,Starfyhas plenty of things that make it unique. Thanks to its transformation system, its power-ups are more a blend ofKirbyandMario.The Legendary Starfy’s level design is also completely different fromMariolevels, sometimes designed less linearly and encouraging extensive exploration. On top of that,Starfy’s cast of cute aquatic characters set it apart fromMarioin terms of both plot and aesthetics.
With that in mind, it’s surprising that so many years have gone by since Tose and Nintendo worked on anotherStarfygame. The two companies still have a strong working relationship, and Tose continues to quietly work on games in some of Nintendo’s most valuable franchises. Since the two are still close, there’s little standing in the way of aStarfyrevival. The game industry seems to be in a vibrant season of franchise revivals, with everything fromFabletoDead Spacecoming back. It’s about time thatThe Legendary Starfyjoined in.
