1. Super Mario Galaxy 2
2. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
3. Super Smash Bros Melee
4. Pokémon Red/Blue
5. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
6. F-Zero GX
7. Super Mario Galaxy
8. Super Mario 64
9. Mario Kart 64
10. Star Fox 64
Obviously, I'm showing my age by not putting any NES/SNES games, but even though I've played a lot of them, I haven't been able to connect to them as much as I have to these games.
1. MOTHER 3: In a world where JRPGs were mostly following a mold on thematics, MOTHER 1 and MOTHER 2 had arrived giving the genre a new flavor with a format similar to Dragon Quest, and yet managed to feel fresh with its sense of humor and expanding list of unique scenic details. MOTHER 3 masters the legacy of the series adding an original rhythm based method, and an incredible gut punching story that made the fans crash in tears. It really touches your soul in so many ways. It really ended the trilogy in a golden ribbon.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask: The Legend of Zelda has been declared to be the ultimatum in the action-adventure genre for decades engaging fans with the eternal fight between light and darkness. Majora's Mask was one of those rare episodes where it was a bit off the story line in a dream-like side quest arriving in a mysterious land named Termina. Even though it uses a lot of resources from Ocarina of Time, it offers a deeper meaning to NPCs that are losing all their faith around at the same time the moon is menacingly approaching the ground. Only you can return the hope in this cursed land to see that after all the hardships a brand new day.
3. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest: Nintendo has always been known for offering some of the most traditional platforming experiences for years with Super Mario. One day however, a british studio brought Mario's bulky rival Donkey Kong in the genre offering an outstanding graphic quality ahead of its time, as well as an absolutely atmospheric sound design. Its sequel manages to grab the best features of its predecessor and polishes them even more with a higher bar of challenge, more scenic levels, and a constant feeling of danger as the monkeys travel in the perilous den of their reptilian enemies.
4. F-ZERO GX
5. Pokémon Soul Silver Version
6. StarFox 64
7. Super Metroid
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee
9. Punch-Out!! (Wii)
10. Super Mario Bros. 3
I have to be honest about the fact that I've played very few of the so called classics but here it goes:
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 I just had so much fun playing this game, just pure joy. Music was awesome too. 2. Pokemon Red/Blue Oh man I played this game soooo much as a child, playing with friends was also a lot of fun. 3. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Such an epic adventure game. Never finished it though because it was too hard for me lol. 3DS version looks incredible as well, have to play it sometime.
4. Pokemon Silver/Gold
5. Super Mario 64
6. Super Smash Bros.
7. Link's Awakening
8. That Mario & Luigi GBA game
9. Wario Land
10. Mario Kart Wii
I am from the US. I have one imported game on the tally.
1. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)
2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past (SNES)
3. Earthbound (SNES)
4. Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (Japan Only) (NDS)
5. Luigi's Mansion (GCN)
6. Super Mario RPG (SNES)
7. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ (GBA)
8. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GBC)
9. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)
10. Mole Mania (GB)
It was very hard to number these and to make some cuts from the list! Always in my heart, Nintendo. <3
My list is going to get ripped but are the games I enjoyed the most:
1. RBI Baseball
2. Wrestlemania 2000
3. Mega Man 3
4. Super Mario 3
5. Super Mario Kart
6. Mike Tyson's Punchout!!
7. Star Tropics
8. Tetris
9. Super Mario Bros
10. Trog!
I read the OP, but upon second read I realize when I saw "third party" it said second party. I also read the OP on my phone on an elliptical at the gym.
I offer a complete and utter retraction. The imputation was totally without basis in fact, and was in no way fair comment, and was motivated purely by malice, and I deeply regret any distress that my comments may have caused you, or your family, and I hereby undertake not to repeat any such slander at any time in the future.
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
2. Zelda: Majora's Mask
3. Super Mario 64
4. Metroid Prime
5. Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
6. Yoshi's Island
7. Super Metroid
8. Donkey Kong Country Returns
9. Zelda: Ocarina of Time
10. Donkey Kong Country 2
1. Metroid Prime ; the best game ever made. Captured the Metroid spirit perfectly.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; The best Zelda ever, perfected the formula.
3. Super Metroid ; nearly everything in this game is perfect, from the atmosphere and music to the controls and graphics.
4. Super Mario World ; the perfect platformer.
5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past ; a masterpiece of its time, still holds up.
6. Super Mario Kart ; the best racing game ever made.
7. Goldeneye ; the first FPS that blew me away (had more fun with this than LAN party Quake 1)
8. F-Zero GX ; An amazing and blazingly fast racing game. Wipewhat?
9. Yoshi's Island ; Such a charming platformer, but the level design isn't as good as in SMW.
10. Xenoblade Chronicles ; A gorgeous and ground-breaking RPG.
i'm totally unqualified to vote since i'm mostly only familiar with nes, but oh well.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Pokémon Gold
Super Mario 64
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
Super Metroid
GoldenEye 007
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Punch-Out!!
Kirby's Adventure
Super Spike V'Ball
btw, shouldn't mega man 6 technically be included if we're going to include games like pinbot and goldeneye which were developed by rare? i wanted to vote for it, but only used the games in the 2nd post to be safe; didn't even see pokemon red/blue in the list, which i'd rather vote for rather than gold/silver. actually the list also includes super mario all-stars, which contradicts the first post that says compilation games are not allowed specifically using that exact game as an example (lol).
1. Zelda: A Link to the Past
2. Super Mario 64
3. Zelda: Ocarina of Time
4. Super Mario World
5. Super Metroid
6. Super Mario Kart
7. Super Mario All Stars; Feels like cheating, but it's on the list
8. Super Mario Galaxy 2
9. Yoshi's Island
10. Tetris
1. Super Mario World
2. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
3. Super Mario 64
4. TMNT IV: Turtles in Time (hope this counts, it basically defines my whole Nintendo experience)
5. Pokemon Silver
6. Mario Kart 64
7. Metroid Fusion
8. Super Mario Galaxy 2
9. Super Smash Bros. Melee
10. Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario World; What can I say? It's the peak of 2D Mario's perfection. The levels were plentiful with secret exits and multiple paths, the world was colorful and imaginative, the controls are PERFECT and unsurpassed to this day, all of the power-ups were useful, and the challenge was just right. It's really a shame that Nintendo has never revisited Dino Island as the setting for a new Mario game. So many great baddies and locales lost to time. SMB3 was more robust for its time, but Super Mario World is the most flawless Mario game I've ever played, and I say that only slightly influenced by nostalgia.
Super Mario Galaxy 2; This was the first Mario game since SMW that seemed to get everything right. It absolutely floored me with its overall presentation and level design, and the challenge was appropriate stepped up a notch from Galaxy 1. This is right up there with RDR as my favorite game this gen. The definition of "Nintendo Magic."
Yoshi's Island; I actually didn't play Yoshi's Island until about 2003, believe it or not. Despite being behind the curve, I absolutely loved every second of this game. What really makes it stand out in my memory is the variety and creativity on display throughout the game. Every level seems to introduce a new wrinkle to the gameplay, and the bosses are some of the best in a platformer. It doesn't hurt that it's also one of the best looking SNES games ever made too.
Mother 3; The only RPG that I've ever played from start to finish. Mother 3's world and characters are the stars of the show here, which is no surprise to fans of the series. It goes against RPG tropes and conventions in all the right ways while also streamlining and building upon traditional RPG mechanics to make for a very focused, grind-free experience. I just got the hardcover Handbook for this last month.
Super Mario 64; To be honest, I wasn't blown away with M64 like everyone else when it first came out. I didn't like the transition to 3D at the time, and I was upset that they had abandoned the 2D gameplay and art style. It wasn't until a friend broke out his N64 years later in high school that I came to appreciate how revolutionary this game was. The camera might feel cumbersome now, but for its time it trounced every other attempt at controlling a character from a 3rd-person perspective on the market. Just moving Mario around is still tons of fun, even by today's standards, and the open nature of the level design is something that I hope will return to the series one day.
Goldeneye; This has to make my list by virtue of the countless hours of multiplayer antics that it provided me and my friends. The four-player splitscreen, the cast of characters, and all of the options that allowed you to customize each session to your liking made Goldeneye an absolute classic. The singleplayer was also an enjoyable recreation of the movie, thanks in large part to the enemy reactions to being shot.
Mario Kart DS; The best Mario Kart, IMO. It strikes a better balance than any other entry in the series between expanding upon the formula whilst not adding too much extraneous shit to unbalance the experience. Balloon Battle is one of my all-time favorite multiplayer modes to play with friends, all of us blowing frantically into the DS microphone to inflate our balloons. XD
Metroid Fusion; Most of you will probably think I'm insane for picking this over Super Metroid, but I just really loved the slightly more guided experience and the constant dread induced by your pursuer
SA-X
. For once, the player got to experience the destructive force that is a fully-powered Samus from the perspective of the hunted.
Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker; I had to make sure to include a Zelda game on here, and Wind Waker was my favorite of the entries that I've played. I'm really enjoying Skyward Sword thus far, though, so who knows if Wind Waker will retain its spot.
Tetris DS; C'mon. How can I not give due credit to the original gold standard by which all puzzle games are judged? The DS version is my favorite for all of its extra modes and online play.
Phew, that was tiring. I'm sure I'll be looking back at this list tomorrow and wanting to make changes, but this is what I'll have to settle with.
1. Super Mario Bros. 3 - Still the best *fistbump glorious 8-bit Mario* While I'm sure many think nostalgia will play a large role (and I can't deny an entire childhood utterly convinced this game was the mecca of all things videogame and always a special occassion) I still absolutely love playing this game a couple times a year - and honestly didn't beat it until I was 19 XD
2. New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Completely reinvigorated that childhood sense of gathering around the tv to play Mario in a whole new sense really. I had so many hours of playing this with roommates and friends, it was pure badassery.
3. The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker - I'm a fuckin' sucker for it. It encapsulates what Zelda games always were in my imagination with the most utterly beautiful style that embellishes the majestic, timeless legends being passed down perfectly. I also loved the sailing, even with all the repetitive shit people hate about this game I crave it. I don't think I've ever beaten it in less than 20 hours, because I just get so caught up in it.
4. Pokemon Red - I've not touched my copy of Pokemon Red in about 8 years now, and doubt I ever will again (the battery was dead I think anyway?). But every single generation after it I have purchased one of the games and sunk just anywhere from 50-100 hours into it hoping to find myself as enveloped in it as I did with Red as a child. It hasn't happened yet, but I'll keep buying them, and I think it says a lot about how much I loved this game
5. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time - I know I'm going to get shit on for not including a 2d Zelda but man... Ocarina of Time is just magical to me. I love everything about it, from the tone and atmosphere to the puzzles and the fact I'm going to roll everywhere.
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - While I'd played the previous Smash games a bit, this was the first one I found myself engrossed in (probably due to a very large number of friends who played it too). I've never spent hundreds of hours playing a multiplayer game before really, just honing my skills or having fun watch matches or mess around with the level creator or laughing at how fucking stupid the online play is. Man I love this game.
7. Super Mario Galaxy - Total fucking magic. Also did a great job of getting people crowded around the tv, as we'd take turns playing Mario and passing the controller or just watching. Fantastic game!
8. Mother 3 - Man this is a beautifully crafted game with so much heart and humor to it that it makes me weep for the fact it's the last of it's kind as far as I've seen. Even the fan localization is just... incredible.
9. Super Mario 64 - Mario just can't get enough representation on this list. He's an incredible iconic figure and there's a reason for that.
10. DIZASUTAAA: DAY OF CRISISJust listen to that theme and get pumped! The music is awesome. The gameplay is hectic but addictive and off the wall. The story is such campy glorious awesomeness. The unlockables kick ass. YOU FIGHT A FUCKING BEAR. I have never been able to relate to people not loving this game I mean, just watch this awesome trailer (which oddly spoils everything in the game, including the post-credits setup* for the bonus mission where you
shoot down an asteroid before it hits earth
, yet neglects the best line of the game: "This is really turning out to be... one hell of a day.")
*Can anyone help me here if this is Liam o'Brien who speaks to the president? I know he did the voice directing for the game but any roles he played seem impossible to find.
1. Super Mario World
2. Super Mario 64
3. Zelda: Ocarina of Time
4. Wave Race 64
5. Super Mario Galaxy
6. Mario Kart 64
7. Tetris
8. Super Mario Bros
9. Golden Eye 007
10. Wii Sports
1. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island; The acme of the 2D era of gaming. SMW and SMB3 are really just as good, but I'll give YI the edge because of its sheer size and inimitable visual design.
2. Super Mario World; Best launch title for any console ever.
3. Super Mario Bros. 3; Do I even have to explain?
4. Super Metroid; Set a new standard for narrative-in-gameplay. Incredible soundtrack. Sprawling (for its time).
5. New Super Mario Bros. Wii; Best platformer since YI. Works as a SP game, also insanely fun MP.
6. Super Mario Bros.; Still the most important video game of all time. Totally changed the industry, set a whole new standard for quality, amazingly playable even today.
7. Super Mario Galaxy 2; Basically the same as its predecessor, just a little more tightly designed.
8. Super Mario Galaxy; The first 3D platformer to really get it right, I think.
9. Kirby's Adventure; One of the most aesthetically pleasing games I have ever played. A delight from start to finish
10. Mario Kart Wii; Shockingly good online experience. Totally unbalanced but just so, so fun!
Yeah, I like Mario. Lot of games I really love got left off this list because Mario is just so damn good.
I'm not going to even try and put more obscure titles up here. Nintendo's classic games are so good that I don't need to prove anything by putting something unique.
Best first party ever.
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. Ocarina of Time
3. Super Metroid
4. Link's Awakening
5. Super Mario World
6. Mario 64
7. Animal Crossing (Gamecube)
8. Mario Kart 64
9. Punchout!
10. Kirby's Dreamland
Honorable Mentions:
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA)
Goldeneye
Mario Kart (SNES)
Donkey Kong Country
Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow
Pokemon Gold/Silver
Perfect Dark
Baseball
Golf
Tetris (Gameboy - that music)
Tetris DS
Golden Sun
Vegas Stakes
Super Mario RPG
Dr. Mario
Excitebike
Duck Hunt
Rad Racer
Mario Land 2
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. Mario Kart: Double Dash
3. Super Mario Galaxy
4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
5. Metroid Prime
6. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
7. Super Smash Bros.
8. Advance Wars: Dual Strike
9. Tetris: DS
10. Punch-Out!
Nintendo has so many great games that I could never get a "right" order for me, so I went with quick gut reactions. Sure I missed some awesome games.
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
3. Super Mario World
4. Donkey Kong
5. Earthbound
6. Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
7. Super Mario Galaxy 2
8. Goldeneye 007
9. Advance Wars
10. Yoshi's Island
Honorable: Metroid, Pokémon GSC, Wind Waker, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie
1. Super Mario Galaxy (this was a pretty unique experience and the music is pretty cool. part 2 came close but the first one had a much bigger impact)
2. F-Zero X + Expansion Kit (this is the best F-Zero game. GX took the mechanics and made a better looking game but FZX was the one that controlled better. the Expansion Kit's track editor is factored into this since it increases the replay value tenfold)
3. Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (this game, now with the remastered graphics, is still one of the most accesible and memorable 3D Zelda experiences. no tutorials and crap slowing it down and with the appropiate length/content balance. i'd place MM over it if it gets remastered.)
4. Paper Mario: TTYD (this is the best mario RPG on consoles so far. the story was entertaining and the characters cool. better than the N64 game in every way)
5. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (say what you want but mp2 is the darkest feeling Metroid in 3D and catches the eerie and alien atmosphere the best. you actually feel threatened by the enemies. mp1 feels small and mp3 feels too linear. Wii version btw)
6. Mario Kart Wii (while i think all the mario kart games have weaknesses, MKW is one of the more well rounded ones. really good to play with 4 people locally. only area where it drops the ball badly is battle mode but none had managed to replicate what MK64 did with battle mode)
7. Star Fox 64 3D (this game is still a blast to replay. probably the one and only time nintendo gets a rail shooter done so well. it also introduced rumble features to console peasants)
8. Pokemon Black/White (i'm in the camp that feels each generation gets better than the last one. these games are the definitive experience right now)
9. Yoshi's Island (while i don't think this should be counted as a Mario game, it is the best 2D platformer to ever come from nintendo. none of the 2D mario games come close)
10. Super Smash Bros. Melee (this thing can be very addicting under the right circumstances. unlocking everything gives it a lot of replay value)
i could have included more but wanted to limit it to 1 game per series.
honorable mentions:
Zelda Majora's Mask
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Metroid Fusion
Super Metroid
Mario Party 2
Fortune Street
Wario Ware Twisted
Wario Land 2 and 3
Metroid Prime
F-Zero GX
Zelda Skyward Sword
Pokemon Platinum and HGSS
1. SMB3
2. Megaman 2
3. Megaman 3
4. TMNT 2 The Arcade Game
5. Bart VS The World
6. Adventure Island 2
7. Donkey Kong Classics
8. Metroid
9. Batman
10. The Legend of Zelda
1. SMB3
2. Megaman 2
3. Megaman 3
4. TMNT 2 The Arcade Game
5. Bart VS The World
6. Adventure Island 2
7. Donkey Kong Classics
8. Metroid
9. Batman
10. The Legend of Zelda
btw, shouldn't mega man 6 technically be included if we're going to include games like pinbot and goldeneye which were developed by rare? i wanted to vote for it, but only used the games in the 2nd post to be safe; didn't even see pokemon red/blue in the list, which i'd rather vote for rather than gold/silver. actually the list also includes super mario all-stars, which contradicts the first post that says compilation games are not allowed specifically using that exact game as an example (lol).
Oh, thanks for pointing that out. I thought I allready took that one out.
And Mega Man 6 might be published by Nintendo, they didn't own the Mega Man IP back then. In '96 Nintendo owned Rare and the James Bond License. It's a bit different. Pokémon Blue & Red are in the list
Super Mario Galaxy; My jaw dropped when I first played this absolutely brilliant take on the platforming genre. There is no argument: at time of its release, this immediately became the perfect (platform) game.
Banjo-Kazooie; A fantastic platform/adventure game with a brilliant sense of humour and varying degrees of challenge. With Kazooie's flying/speed abilities, the game added additional layers to the platforming genre. With each jiggy requiring a unique challenge, there is never a dull moment.
Super Mario Galaxy 2; Expanding upon everything Galaxy had to offer, this game delivered similar breathtaking experiences in an extremely refined package.
Diddy Kong Racing; Simply the best kart racer out there. Adventure mode neatly organises the gameplay and provides a fun story (something every other racer has failed to do), and the multiplayer mode is to die for. The only racer which will have me sit playing Time Trial for hours on end.
Rhythm Heaven; A brilliant rhythm game that came seemingly out of nowhere. It's full of so many fantastic mini-games, a huge cast of loveable characters, and some of the tightest rhythm gameplay you'll ever find.
Pokémon Gold/Silver; Pokémon just had to make the list, and this being a refinement of the original adventure cements it at the top of the Pokélist. The additional 100 Pokémon slotted nicely into the universe, and the addition of day/night cycles added tremendously to the game. Oh, and the bonus after the end of the game is almost too much to believe!
Super Mario Bros. 3; Nintendo took everything they'd learned from side-scrolling platformers from the NES and thought long and hard about how they could make them a real staple for years to come. The result was this game.
Kirby's Adventure; A charming platformer that really pushed the NES to its limits. Kirby's ability to take the power of any enemy was extremely innovative at the time, and (combined with its length) gives the game enough variation to make repeat plays extremely fun.
Mario Kart DS; Mario Kart had to make the top 10, and this has to be the ultimate entry in the series. These tracks drew similarities to the original narrow and short SNES offerings, and the controls were extremely refined. Online multiplayer, in addition to local multiplayer, pretty much destroyed any chance of any work getting done for several months.
Goldeneye 007; This is what everybody was playing until ~2000. Whenever there was a party, this was always, without question, the multiplayer game of choice.
(11. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker; Tried so hard to fit this gem into the top 10, but the others simply topped it)
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. Super Mario 64
3. Super Mario Bros.
4. Pokémon Red/Blue/Green
5. Wii Fit
6. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Comments:
#1. Still the best, have to win the Nintendo game of all time since it is the best game of all time!
#2. Yes, two N64 games at first places because they were great, technically great too, and the gameplay ideas and legacy they left behind is still out there today. The hype they generated back then is still unrivaled by any today's products. Those games represents the 2D>3D change. This is quite a thing that will never be seen again!
#3. Well, it's simple, without this game, Nintendo will not be the Nintendo we know! -neither the home console business model-.
#4. 1996 and since then, this is one of the most powerfull franchise ever. The only one who can compete with Mario, and drove handheld sales by itself.
#5. I wanted to put some bomb in my top So here it is to illustrate casual gaming success. And I prefered Wii Fit over Wii Sports and Brain training because of the 42M balance board userbase news last week.
#6. I put many "historically" important titles in my top, instead of voting for my favorites games. So to conclude, LA is my favorite game, give it 1 point
1)Goldeneye--what a gem, can't believe how much fun ive had playing this game
2)Super Mario 64--recently got 120 stars for the first time ever, have concluded this is the best mario game of a long list of goodens
3)Zelda ALTTP--best snes game by small margin
4)Super Metroid--2nd to only sotn for this type of game, but still one of the ten best games ever, just an amazing world
5)Super Mario World--after long debate decided this is the best 2d mario. graphics and controls are perfect, better than mario 3 even.
6)Zelda OOT
7)Perfect Dark--combat sim is unreal
8)F-Zero X----got into this a few days ago and omg it is so amazing i regret not giving it a fairshake before, BTW i dont see why everyone wants the 64dd expansion so much when the regular game has the x cup to build random tracks, i figure theyre as good or better than any garbage id build myself
9)Wave Race 64--tied with wipeout xl for my two favorite racers ever
10)Super Mario Bros 3
Honorable Mentions:
Super Mario 2, Zelda 1, Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!, Excitebike, F-Zero, Super Mario RPG, Yoshi's Island, DKC, WarioWare, F-Zero GX, Smash Bros Melee, Double Dash
1. Donkey Kong ('94, bitches)
2. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
3. Pikmin 2
4. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
5. Metroid Prime
6. Super Mario Galaxy 2
7. Pokémon Blue / Yellow Special Pikachu Edition
8. Super Mario Bros. 3
9. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
10. Super Mario Galaxy
11. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
12. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
13. Super Mario World
14. Super Mario Bros.
15. Chibi-Robo!
16. The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
17. Super Mario Sunshine
18. WarioWare: Twisted!
19. Wii Sports
20. Duck Hunt
21. Super Mario 64
22. Kirby's Adventure
23. Sin & Punishment
24. Kirby Super Star
25. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$
26. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
27. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
28. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
29. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
30. Mario Bros.
31. F-Zero GX
32. Pikmin
33. Mario Kart Wii
34. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
35. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
36. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
37. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
38. Star Fox 64
39. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
40. Excite Truck
41. F-Zero
42. Meteos
43. Mario Kart: Super Circuit
44. F-Zero X
45. Sin and Punishment: Star Successor
46. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
47. Pokémon Black
48. Super Metroid
49. Animal Crossing (Gamecube)
50. Nintendogs: Chihuahua & Friends
Oh, thanks for pointing that out. I thought I allready took that one out.
And Mega Man 6 might be published by Nintendo, they didn't own the Mega Man IP back then. In '96 Nintendo owned Rare and the James Bond License. It's a bit different. Pokémon Blue & Red are in the list
1. super mario galaxy 2
2. new super mario bros. wii
3. the legend of zelda: twilight princess
4. yoshi's island
5. the legend of zelda: link's awakening
6. pikmin 2
7. the legend of zelda: the minish cap
8. paper mario: the thousand-year door
9. sin & punishment: star successor
10. donkey kong country 2: diddy's kong quest ; BRAMBLE SCRAMBLE
1. Metroid Prime
2. Super Metroid
3. Metroid Prime 3
4. Metroid Prime 2
5. Metroid Fusion
6. Metroid
7. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
8. Super Mario Kart
9. Mario Kart 64
10. Eternal Darkness
1. Super Mario Galaxy 2; I won't include the first game on my list just to make some room. Everyone knows my enthusiasm for that title... this game merely made the level design even tighter and offered more challenges on the ladder half of the game, for superior quality overall.
2. Mother 3; One of the only jRPGs ever made with a good story. The sprite work and animation is astonishing for a GBA game. The battle system is slick and properly refined from its predecessor. Emotionally potent. Understands that less is more in telling a narrative; subtlety and nuance is key.
3. Earthbound; To me just the classiest jRPG ever. An amazing translation with a supremely simple yet extremely well told theme. Ness' mother proclamation about her hopes and desires for her son after the eighth sound stone are some of the most poignant and believable declarations of the purity of a mother's love that exists in gaming yet. The instant kill on easy enemies was a feature modern jRPGs STILL could stand to use all the time. On screen enemies. Amazing variety of battle tracks. One of the best game soundtracks of all time. Seriously. WHY haven't many more jRPGs adopted some of these features? All jRPGs should have like fifteen battle themes.
4. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island; An example of Nintendo at its most boundary defining finest. Toyed with the traditional style of the Mario game visually more boldly than any title until Super Mario Galaxy. Most Mario games today are bland, lifeless revisits of grass, desert, lava, snow. Has some of THE best and most refined platforming mechanics of any game ever. The level design is astounding to this day... seriously, just perfectly tuned platforming bliss.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening; This game is the one that solidified my obsession with Zelda once and for all. I had already loved the series, but after this I could never go back. Dungeon design that essentially remains unmatched to this day in the series (let alone other franchises). A perfectly balanced set of tools constantly reused. It's so good it's like one of only six or seven Gameboy games that didn't suck ass and manages to transcend of list of all-time greats altogether.
6. Super Metroid; I can beat this game with my hands tied behind my back, and I still cannot stop getting over how brilliant this game is. Designed with a sense of almost mechanical genius, there's a list of clearly intentional time saving shortcuts that make time running some of the most rewarding of any series on Earth. Everything about it is dripping with passionately designed segments of exploration/platforming/action, secrets behind every hole and slip.
7. Pikmin 2; Here's what I thought about Pikmin 1: 'meh.' It's not that the core design of the original was bad, but the maps were generally lacking the complexity to really hold my attention for long and considering the time limit married to the absurdly short game length, it was difficult to fall in love. Pikmin 2 is everything the first game wanted to be. Packed with content, immensely fun in multiplayer, an amazing sense of humour and soothing soundtrack on par with the best of the generation. The gameplay is improved with the additional of new Pikmin colors/abilities, and the level design is supplemented by random cave levels which are surprisingly functional and enjoyable.
8. Metroid Prime; This is what I thought about Metroid Prime when announced: 'What the fuck, FPS Metroid by some unknown dev? Fuck yourself.' This is what I thought about it after I played it: 'holy god everything I know about life has been wrong.' Nevermind the logistics of getting the classic Metroid exploration system working functionally in first person mode, the goddamn timeless innovations of the Metroid visor and the jump look (Samus looks down slightly when she jumps, making platforming effortless) make this almost a class study in how to take old school games and make them relevant to modern audiences. The soundtrack? God fuck. The graphics for the time? *mind mind* The level design? Retro proved me wrong.
9. Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door; Hey look a Mario RPG that doesn't suck, just like that N64 game! Casting aside the mold of the single most overrated game release in history (fuck you, SMRPG) and continuing in the footsteps of the already brilliant Paper Mario 64, the translation remains some of the best ever in a game. It's one of the few games that has ever been able to legitimately make me laugh out loud (Luigi and Waffle Kingdom wtf.) The paper mechanic allows for a variety of clever puzzles and environmental quirks (essentially no other RPG like it) and the battle system is quick, engaging and well balanced. A bit too easy, but that's ok - you can tackle the 100 floor thing for a challenge.
10. F-Zero GX; A little difficult to include this here since it was Amusement Vision, so if this doesn't count than my vote is for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. But in any event, this is my all-time favorite racing game. The ONLY thing it is missing is a track editor. It is just foaming at the mouth with stuff to do, and everything even down to simple character bio pages were done with a level of care simply unseen in most racers - especially futuristic ones. The greatest sense of speed of any racer, period. The greatest track design of any racer, period (setting records requires tuning turns so carefully that you're cutting literal hundreds of a millisecond off with even the most minor of tweaks).
i think part of my enjoyment of pikmin 2 was the surprise. ead was at its worst in the gamecube era, and pikmin 2 was the sequel to a short game with an interesting idea and then it did a ton of shit differently. it even had multiplayer because hey why not
1. Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64)
2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo)
3. Super Mario World (Super Nintendo)
4. Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
5. Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)
6. Zelda: A Link to the Past (Super Nintendo)
7. F-Zero GX (GameCube)
8. Super Metroid (Super Nintendo)
9. Pokémon Crystal (Gameboy Color)
10. Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64)
i think part of my enjoyment of pikmin 2 was the surprise. ead was at its worst in the gamecube era, and pikmin 2 was the sequel to a short game with an interesting idea and then it did a ton of shit differently. it even had multiplayer because hey why not
Man even though you say multiplayer was a 'hey why not', in reality it is a 'why did nobody think of this before!?'
True story, up until I sold my Wii, it was the only Gamecube game I still occasionally turned on to play multiplayer with others. I would go back for Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, but multiplayer... only Pikmin 2.
Pikmin 3 with online multiplayer for Wii U...for...the...win.
1) Super Mario Bros. 3
2) Super Metroid
3) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
4) Mother 3
5) Super Mario 64
6) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
7) F-Zero GX
8) Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
9) Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
10) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
1. Super Mario Bros. (NES)
2. Perfect Dark (N64)
3. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
5. Metroid Fusion (GBA)
6. Metroid Prime (GCN)
7. Mario Kart DS (DS)
8. Banjo Kazooie (N64)
9. Mario Kart 64 (N64)
10. Tetris DS (DS)
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. Super Mario 64
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
4. Metroid Prime
5. Super Mario Bros. 3
6. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
7. Super Mario World
8. Super Mario Kart
9. Donkey Kong Country
10. Animal Crossing
I can't imagine too many other people will be voting for Animal Crossing, but I just had to fit it in out of respect for how much it ruled my life in 2002-03.
This is so hard. I looked back at my list and am not happy with it at all. Can I post a second one and just delete the body of my earlier list? Or are you keeping a running tally?
1. Zelda: LTTP
2. Super Mario World
3. Mario RPG
4. Zelda: OoT
5. Mario 64
6. Pokemon Blue/Red
7. Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door
8. Mario Kart 64
9. Mario Bros 3
10. Golden Eye
Super Metroid, Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country really wanted to make the list. It's hard trying to weigh nostalgia against all of the things that make a great game. Had I based it on nostalgia, pokemon snap would have made the cut (IKR?). Either way, the first five are solid- perfect games with perfect nostalgia value.
This is so hard. I looked back at my list and am not happy with it at all. Can I post a second one and just delete the body of my earlier list? Or are you keeping a running tally?
01. Super Metroid -SNES
02. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - SNES
03. Super Mario Galaxy - Wii
04. F-Zero GX - Gamecube
05. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - N64
06. Super Mario Bros. 3 - NES
07. Goldeneye 007 - N64
08. Metroid Prime - Gamecube
09. Super Mario Bros. - NES
10. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! - NES
1. Yoshi's Island
2. Super Mario Bros.
3. Zelda: A Link to the Past
4. Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons
5. Super Mario World
6. Super Metroid
7. Super Mario Bros. 3
8. Mario RPG
9. Pokemon Red/Blue
10. Donkey Kong Country 3
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. Legend Of Zelda - Ocarina Of Time
3. Super Mario World
4. Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi's Island
5. Mother 3
6. Legend Of Zelda
7. Super Mario 64
8. Pokemon Red/Blue
9. Donkey Kong Country
10. Earthbound
1. Super Mario Bros. 3 - Still the best *fistbump glorious 8-bit Mario* While I'm sure many think nostalgia will play a large role (and I can't deny an entire childhood utterly convinced this game was the mecca of all things videogame and always a special occassion) I still absolutely love playing this game a couple times a year - and honestly didn't beat it until I was 19 XD
2. New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Completely reinvigorated that childhood sense of gathering around the tv to play Mario in a whole new sense really. I had so many hours of playing this with roommates and friends, it was pure badassery.
3. The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker - I'm a fuckin' sucker for it. It encapsulates what Zelda games always were in my imagination with the most utterly beautiful style that embellishes the majestic, timeless legends being passed down perfectly. I also loved the sailing, even with all the repetitive shit people hate about this game I crave it. I don't think I've ever beaten it in less than 20 hours, because I just get so caught up in it.
4. Pokemon Red - I've not touched my copy of Pokemon Red in about 8 years now, and doubt I ever will again (the battery was dead I think anyway?). But every single generation after it I have purchased one of the games and sunk just anywhere from 50-100 hours into it hoping to find myself as enveloped in it as I did with Red as a child. It hasn't happened yet, but I'll keep buying them, and I think it says a lot about how much I loved this game
5. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time - I know I'm going to get shit on for not including a 2d Zelda but man... Ocarina of Time is just magical to me. I love everything about it, from the tone and atmosphere to the puzzles and the fact I'm going to roll everywhere.
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - While I'd played the previous Smash games a bit, this was the first one I found myself engrossed in (probably due to a very large number of friends who played it too). I've never spent hundreds of hours playing a multiplayer game before really, just honing my skills or having fun watch matches or mess around with the level creator or laughing at how fucking stupid the online play is. Man I love this game.
7. Super Mario Galaxy - Total fucking magic. Also did a great job of getting people crowded around the tv, as we'd take turns playing Mario and passing the controller or just watching. Fantastic game!
8. Mother 3 - Man this is a beautifully crafted game with so much heart and humor to it that it makes me weep for the fact it's the last of it's kind as far as I've seen. Even the fan localization is just... incredible.
9. Super Mario 64 - Mario just can't get enough representation on this list. He's an incredible iconic figure and there's a reason for that.
10. DIZASUTAAA: DAY OF CRISISJust listen to that theme and get pumped! The music is awesome. The gameplay is hectic but addictive and off the wall. The story is such campy glorious awesomeness. The unlockables kick ass. YOU FIGHT A FUCKING BEAR. I have never been able to relate to people not loving this game I mean, just watch this awesome trailer (which oddly spoils everything in the game, including the post-credits setup* for the bonus mission where you
shoot down an asteroid before it hits earth
, yet neglects the best line of the game: "This is really turning out to be... one hell of a day.")
*Can anyone help me here if this is Liam o'Brien who speaks to the president? I know he did the voice directing for the game but any roles he played seem impossible to find.
