Nintendo has truly grown to be a giant in the gaming scene, easily providing us classics and modern sensations alike. From humble card playing beginnings, it’s now one of the most well-known companies. From its roster of masterpieces, here’s the 10 best Nintendo games of all time.
Quick List: 10 Best Nintendo Games
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Super Smash Bros
- Super Mario Bros 3
- Metroid Prime
- Super Mario Odyssey
- GoldenEye 007
- Mario Kart 64
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Super Mario Galaxy
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
This 1998 masterpiece stands at the peak of Nintendo’s achievements. It earned high ratings from game critics, and for good reason. Its innovative targeting system, as well as its epic story set new standards for 3D games with narratives. Here, Link travels through time to save Hyrule, and players are immersed.
Super Smash Bros
All of Nintendo’s beloved characters brought together? Super Smash Bros did it in an entirely new way. This crossover fighter has unique ring-out mechanics and simple-to-learn but difficult-to-master gameplay. The series continues to foster friendships and communities, earning a spot in best Nintendo games.
Super Mario Bros 3
With power-ups like the Tanooki Suit and ingenious level design, this game showed how creative and varied a platformer could be. You can even say it refined 2D platforming to an art form. Each world introduced fresh mechanics, while the game’s difficulty curve kept players challenged but never frustrated.
Metroid Prime
Many thought that transforming a beloved 2D series into a first-person 3D adventure without losing its essence is impossible. Yet, Metroid Prime accomplished just that. The game’s stunning environments and clever scanning mechanics created an unmatched sense of alien exploration.
Super Mario Odyssey
Among more modern releases, Super Mario Odyssey proves that Nintendo hasn’t lost its touch. This masterpiece of the Switch combines classic Mario mechanics with fresh ideas like Cappy possession powers. It also has varied kingdoms which encourage creative exploration. It’s easily one of the best Nintendo games of recent years.
GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye 007 showed that first-person shooters could work brilliantly on consoles. Its split-screen multiplayer created countless gaming memories, while its single-player campaign demonstrated how to tell compelling stories in the genre.
Mario Kart 64
Striking the perfect balance between skill and chaos? Mario Kart does it well. Its tracks became legendary, especially the infamous Rainbow Road. Meanwhile, its battle mode created a multiplayer formula that remains engaging decades later.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
This game perfected the top-down adventure format. Its parallel world mechanic with the light and dark worlds doubled the game’s scope. For an already massive game, this meant bigger adventures! The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past still influences a lot of modern indie games today.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Another game from The Legend of Zelda franchise reinvented the open-world genre. It truly let players approach challenges in any order and solve problems creatively, exploring however they wanted. It also showed Nintendo’s innovation through its physics-based puzzles and emergent gameplay.
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy takes players in space adventures with its creative use of gravity. Each planet brought new ways to run, jump, and explore. The game also introduced the beloved character Rosalina and earned widespread critical acclaim.
Conclusion
Nintendo’s titles, from classics to newer games, almost never fail to deliver fresh experiences. While new titles continue to impress, the best Nintendo games turn out to be the classics that remain incredibly fun to play. These games show why Nintendo is a master of game design, paving new paths that inspire future games and stand the test of time.
