Here are some of the biggest fan projects that Nintendo has shut down

With a huge stable of iconic, beloved characters, Nintendo has some of the most passionate fans around. The latest game in the "The Legend of Zelda" series generated astronomical levels of social media buzz, dwarfing the new "Call of Duty" and "God of War" games that were showcased at the same event earlier this year.

It makes sense, then, that some of those fans would be inspired to make games of their own using some of their favorite Nintendo characters. If Nintendo isn't going to make a proper new "Metroid" game, why not do it myself?

Unfortunately for those people, copyright laws exist, and Nintendo infamously isn't shy about using them, as a couple of fan games found out recently. Here are some of the biggest fan projects that were shut down due to the threat of legal action from Nintendo: