Nintendo has once again refreshed a handful of trademarks tied to some of its more recognizable, but less frequently revisited, games. While trademark renewals can sometimes precede something new, they can also simply be part of the company’s routine business, so it may be best not to read too much into these latest discoveries just yet.
The latest batch includes four names that longtime Nintendo fans may remember from the company’s 3DS-era lineup: Metroid Prime: Federation Force, Metroid Prime: Blast Ball, Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, and Ever Oasis.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Blast Ball are particularly interesting names to see together. Federation Force brought the Metroid Prime series in a different direction with a cooperative first-person shooter built around the Galactic Federation, while Blast Ball was a competitive futuristic sports game that was initially introduced alongside Federation Force.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, meanwhile, remains one of Nintendo’s more unusual collaborations, combining elements of Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei and Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series. The game originally launched on Wii U before eventually making its way to Nintendo Switch as Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore.
Ever Oasis is another name that could catch the attention of Nintendo fans who have been waiting for some of the company’s older properties to resurface. Developed by Grezzo, the 3DS action RPG mixed dungeon exploration and combat with building up and managing an oasis.
Naturally, seeing Nintendo renew trademarks for these four games is likely to get people wondering whether any of them could be headed back to modern platforms. A trademark renewal alone, however, doesn’t establish that Nintendo is preparing a remaster, remake, sequel, port, or any other new release.
For now, that’s really all there is to this particular discovery. Nintendo is keeping the trademarks for Metroid Prime: Federation Force, Metroid Prime: Blast Ball, Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, and Ever Oasis active, while what, if anything, comes next remains unknown. Given Nintendo’s history of revisiting older games and franchises, it’s easy to see why fans may start speculating, but for the moment these renewals should be treated as just that.