Nintendo’s mobile lineup has a lot of beloved games that players can enjoy on the go. Here are the Nintendo mobile games that stood out in 2019.
Nintendo will always hold a special place for gamers who grew up with its consoles and games. Nowadays, though, Nintendo games are more accessible than ever, due to the company capitalizing on mobile devices.
2019 has been a very big year for Nintendo’s mobile lineup. With current IPs like Fire Emblem Heroes and Draglia Lost having a continuous successful run, new mobile games have also made their debut this year, with Pokémon Masters and Mario Kart Tour.
Here’s a look back on Nintendo’s hottest mobile games and how they have progressed this year.
Fire Emblem Heroes
Intelligent Systems might have been behind on the infamous gacha games market, but the concept meshes well with being able to summon Fire Emblem characters from all 16 main titles. 2019 has been a consistent year for Fire Emblem Heroes with adding new game features such as removing the characters’ bane, a stat flaw they can have when summoned and finally adding highly anticipated beast units from Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Awakening, and Fates.
New game modes like Allegiance Battles and Hall of Forms also made their debut in 2019, giving players different ways to play FEH and earn more awards such as orbs and Dragonflowers. Recently, Book 3 has concluded with Book 4 available. It’s almost been three years since the game’s release, so it will be interesting to see how the next anniversary will play out.
Dragalia Lost
Cygames is the master at their craft for gacha games and for being an original title, Dragalia Lost has some unique perks that other Nintendo gachas don’t. You can summon for new characters and dragons with Wyrmites, Diamantium, or Summon Vouchers.
The game has been out for a year and there are many events that happened, such as collaborations with Fire Emblem, Mega Man and later, Monster Hunter. Dragalia Lost is easily one of the most generous gacha games and is still playable without needing to pay money.
Pokémon Masters
When the title involves Pokémon, it is guaranteed to do very well. That is the case for Pokémon Masters, but unfortunately, there is more bad than good. The game has a nice presentation and runs beautifully for a mobile game, but the gameplay is repetitive and confusing at first. Criticism for the game has also been somewhat mixed.
Developer DeNA has been aware of the heavy criticism the game has gotten. When it comes to bugs, they are quick to fix them and give out compensation gems to everyone and the rewards are incredibly generous. It will take time to revamp the game, but DeNA is working hard to make Pokémon Masters a worthwhile mobile game.
Mario Kart Tour
Mario Kart Tour has been a divisive game even before its official release on Android and iOS devices. Some people say that this is a decent mobile game, while others claim this is the worst Mario Kart game ever. Mario Kart Tour might not be as detailed and fun compared to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but it is passable for a mobile game you can play if you do not own a Switch.
Mario Kart Tour is Nintendo’s most successful launch mobile title to date. The game can be seen as a gacha since you can use Rubies to obtain karts, gliders, and characters in limited summoning pipes. With more future tracks and characters arriving, Mario Kart Tour gives players reasons to continue on logging in and take on updating courses.
Dr. Mario World
Nintendo’s version of Candy Crush takes on the form of Dr. Mario World released in the summer of 2019. Dr. Mario is tasked to take on viruses while saving the Mushroom Kingdom with Princess Peach and ironically, Bowser. The game’s presentation is captivating and the gameplay is addictive.
You can buy other characters such as Luigi and Yoshi if you have enough Diamonds. Free-to-play currency takes on the form of coins, and they can be used to buy characters as well. Overall, Dr. Mario World is basically a Candy Crush clone with a Mario theme.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
The last of the Nintendo mobile games that made an impact this year is Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. As the title states, you create your own campsite and interact with other characters while performing tasks and trading for different materials.
Unfortunately, the game has taken a huge decline due to controversial choices made in future updates. Fortune Cookies were added and they seemed nice at first, but the changes made to the game got worse. Bells were a form of currency, but instead of that, Leaf Tickets were required to buy something in-game. Updates were made to make the game salvageable, but unfortunately, there are more bad than good for the Animal Crossing mobile game.
