Almost Every Super Smash Bros. Has Used These 2 Characters, But Nintendo Won’t Give Their 40-Year-Old Game a Sequel

Nintendo games and characters have a certain magic about them. Everyone knows Mario and Link, but even those who aren’t headliners spark recognition and nostalgia when they appear. For decades, the company has shown an uncanny ability to reinvent its icons, breathing new life into franchises most fans grew up with. New games are the best way to show this, and the Nintendo Switch era has given some of my favorite series incredible games. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is my go-to game on the Nintendo Switch, thanks to the iconic roster full of characters, including one that is well past needing a new game.

One Nintendo duo has not seen a new game since their debut in 1985, and it baffles me. The pair have appeared in other games, including every Super Smash Bros. game since Super Smash Bros. Melee. For whatever reason, Nintendo seems to hate Popo and Nana, as they only have the single Ice Climber game to their name. I think it’s time that changed.

Ice Climber, Nintendo’s Forgotten Classic

Ice Climber first appeared on the NES when Nintendo was still finding its footing. And that is where it stayed, as there has been no new game in the series since then. It was a straightforward but charming arcade-style platformer that tasked players to reach the top of Icicle Mountain by scaling the 32 mountaintops in this area. The core concept was simple, even by that era’s standards, but it provided joy and a delightful experience regardless.

Sadly, Ice Climber never reached the popularity of Super Mario Bros. and other NES titles, effectively relegating it to being forgotten. Still, it developed a cult following, especially because of its cooperative two-player mode and focus on verticality rather than the traditional side-scrolling platforming gameplay at that time. It remained in Nintendo’s forgotten catalog, even through rereleases and an arcade release of the VS. Ice Climber expansion.

Nintendo’s one acknowledgement of Ice Climber came in a surprise addition to Super Smash Bros. Melee. Popo and Nana were added to the roster and had the most unique gimmick. The pair fought as one, with the player controller Popo or Nana while the other is piloted by the CPU, typically mimicking the player’s inputs. But the Ice Climbers became notorious thanks to players figuring out desyncs, allowing for the CPU partner to perform different moves. This would ultimately lead to the discovery of Wobbling, an infinite combo by the Ice Climbers that would launch them into infamy. Their infamy lives on today through Super Smash Bros. Ultimate professional player Big D, who upset many top players with Ice Climbers.

Missed Opportunities for Ice Climber’s Comeback

Nintendo never capitalized on this sudden interest in the Ice Climbers. Despite the lasting success of Super Smash Bros. Melee, the series has not received a new game. Their presence in each Super Smash Bros. game kept them relevant, but that’s it. It isn’t a matter of age or being obscure, as Nintendo has revived other titles that fit this bill, like Kid Icarus. Other NES debut games have seen new game after new game, while Popo and Nana are locked to 8-bit graphics outside their guest appearance in Smash.

The Nintendo GameCube was the best opportunity to revive Ice Climber and give it a second chance. Super Mario Sunshine was an experimental twist on 3D Mario. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was a huge departure from the series visually, and Nintendo drastically shook things up with Mario Kart: Double Dash!! If there was a time to risk time and resources on a new Ice Climber, this was it. Yet Nintendo never seized this chance.

Opportunity after opportunity has passed Ice Climber by, and there is nothing fans can do but watch as Nintendo favors other series and franchises. Super Smash Bros. may keep Popo and Nana visible, but this amounts to nothing if Nintendo doesn’t give them a chance. One could only wonder how differently the pair would be viewed if Nintendo allowed them to star in a new adventure with new hardware.

Why the Switch 2 Is Perfect for Ice Climber’s Return

If there was ever a time to revive Ice Climber, it has to be the Nintendo Switch 2. Donkey Kong Bananza is the first 3D Donkey Kong game since Donkey Kong 64, and it proved to be massively successful. A new 3D Ice Climber that kept the same focus on verticality could be the experimental 3D platformer that changes the genre. And there is clearly an appetite for strong games like this, proven by Astro Bot’s 2024 Game of the Year status.

One of the core aspects of Ice Climber is cooperative play. Hazelight Studios has become the leader in this category with It Takes Two and Split Fiction, but Nintendo could challenge the studio with a new game in its forgotten series. Popo and Nana’s return could be the best co-op game Nintendo makes this generation, especially considering its lackluster implementation of this feature in Super Mario Odyssey and Donkey Kong Bananza. Allowing one player to control Popo and the other Nana while the two are tethered together could create unique gameplay opportunities.

Nintendo has proven its strangest or nearly forgotten franchises can thrive when given the attention they deserve. Fire Emblem was on the verge of disappearing until Fire Emblem Awakening and Kid Icarus saw a big jump in popularity after their release on the Nintendo 3DS, though Kid Icarus is still due for a new game. The Nintendo Switch 2 hardware could transform Ice Climber and make it mainstream. I imagine scaling a massive 3D Icicle Mountain, battling bizarre arctic creatures, braving avalanches, and working together to reach the peak. The concept could be fresh because Ice Climber hasn’t had a game in 40 years, which gives Nintendo so much room to innovate and experiment on the Nintendo Switch 2.

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