A recent IP Trademark renewal by Nintendo in Japan fuels fan speculation that Nintendo could be preparing to announce a new Golden Sun title in the future.
With the Switch continuing to sell incredibly well and perform beyond expectations, Nintendo has been capitalizing by releasing a steady stream of new experiences like Super Mario Odyssey as well as ports of games players may have missed from the Wii U era. Not only that, the company has used the opportunity to revive some dormant franchises as well, announcing that Metroid Prime 4 and Luigi’s Mansion 3 are in active development. According to a recent trademark renewal, another beloved franchise in Golden Sun could also be making an appearance at some point.
A recent IP trademark renewal in Japan was highlighted by the Japanese Trademark Bot Twitter account, indicating that the classic Nintendo RPG series Golden Sun could be making a comeback. It’s been eight years since the last game in the short-lived franchise has been seen with 2010’s Nintendo DS title, Golden Sun: Dark Disciple, but the fanbase remains passionate, a fact which Nintendo employees have previously mentioned. According to the details in the tweet, the renewal application was made on August 24 and it’s a category 9 which includes things like video games, downloadable electronic games, and other video game programs.
Nintendo has a clear track record when it comes to renewing IPs in order to keep them active. The most recent example comes from last year when the company renewed the Game Boy trademark, something that really hasn’t been in use for quite some time. Another recent Nintendo trademark renewal sparked rumors that a GameCube Classic Edition console could also be on the way. The interesting thing with this Golden Sun renewal, however, is the fact that the trademark wasn’t due to expire anytime soon. With the renewal coming much earlier than expected, fans are now speculating that a new game in the beloved but dormant franchise could be on the way.
No doubt, news of this filing will only add fuel to the Super Smash Bros Ultimate fire, as many in the community have been clamoring to see the series protagonist Isaac elevate beyond an assist trophy to become a full-fledged playable character on the roster. Nintendo continues to reveal new characters coming to the already ballooning roster as the Animal Crossing franchise got its turn int he spotlight by announcing Isabelle as the latest fighter. She’s likely not the last, however, as speculation has continued to center around even more newcomers like Skull Kid and Waluigi. Along with a potential new game, perhaps Golden Sun will also get some Smash Bros representation this time around as well.
