10 Crucial Video Games That Saved Dying Franchises

Released in 2006 for Nintendo DS, New Super Mario Bros. was the first 2D, side-scrolling platformer in the series since Super Mario Land 2, in 1992. In fact, for over a decade, Mario existed exclusively in 3D, and during that time, none of his games were as particularly profitable, or commercially viable as their 2D counterparts. They certainly weren't failures, and many of them are still regarded positively today, but they didn't quite have the same mainstream appeal as Super Mario Land, or Super Mario World.

Super Mario 64 for instance, sold a respectable 11 million copies worldwide, but Super Mario Sunshine for the Nintendo GameCube sold less than half that amount.

By Comparison, New Super Mario Bros. sold over 30 million copies, making it the second highest selling Mario game of all time after the original Super Mario Bros. on NES. Likewise, New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold over 25 million copies worldwide, rivalling its handheld counterpart, and outperforming Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 combined.

For the longest time, Nintendo concentrated their efforts on converting their most lucrative franchise into 3D. This was done for the sake of innovation, and it certainly made a lot of sense at the time. After numerous commercial failures, they eventually resorted back to their original formula, and the results were two of the most successful games in the company’s history.

Now, in fairness, Mario would have likely survived regardless, but to what extent? The series wasn't nearly as profitable as it once was, and Nintendo has an awful tendency of eventually shelving franchises that don't meet their expectations.