Nintendo's 100 best games
Sunday, May 24, 2009
A lot of these games are not nintendo exclusive...apparently they just play better on Nintendo??
Anyway here are the top 100 voted most probably not by you ;)
100: Star Wars: Rogue Leader
Format: GameCube. Released: 2002
99: Luigi's Mansion
Format: GameCube. Released 2002
98: Bomberman Blast
Format: WiiWare. Released: 2008
97: Conker's Bad Fur Day
Format: N64, Released: 2001
96: Kirby: Power Paintbrush
Format: DS. Released: 2005
95: Killer Instinct
Format: SNES. Released: 1995
Metroid Zero Mission
94: Metroid Zero Mission
Format: GBA. Released: 2004
93: Jet Force Gemini
Format: N64. Released: 1999
92: F-Zero GX
Format: GameCube. Released: 2003
91. Beyond Good & Evil
Format: GameCube. Released: 2004
90: Super Monkey Ball
Format: GameCube, Released: 2003
89: Donkey Kong 94
Format: Game Boy. Released: 1994
88: Chibi-Robo
Format: GameCube. Released: 2006
87: 1080 Snowboarding
Format: N64. Released: 1998
86: Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time
Format: GameCube. Released: 2004
85: Duck Tales
Format: NES. Released: 1990
84: Blast Corps
Format: N64. Released: 1997
83: World Of Goo
Format: WiiWare. Released: 2008
82: Secret Of Mana
Format: SNES. Released: 1994
81: Interanational Superstar Soccer 64
Format: N64. Released: 1991
80. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Format: GameCube, Released: 2004
79. Diddy Kong Racing
Format: N64, Released: 1997
78. WarioWare, Inc
Format: GBA, Released: 2003
77. The Legend Of Zelda
Format: NES, Released: 1987
76. Super Ghouls 'N' Ghosts
Format: SNES, Released: 1992
75. Sonic Advance
Format: GBA, Released: 2001
Punch-Out!!
74. Punch-Out!!
Format: NES, Released: 1987
73. Super Mario Land
Format: Game Boy, Released: 1989
72. Advance Wars
Format: Game Boy, Released: 1989
71. Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow
Format: GBA, Released: 2003
70. WWF No Mercy
Format: N64, Released: 2000
Kirby's Adventure
69. Kirby's Adventure
Format: NES, Released: 1993
68. Super Star Wars
Format: SNES, Released: 1992
67. Kid Icarus
Format: NES, Released: 1986
66. F-Zero
Format: SNES, Released: 1990
Professor Layton And The Curious Village
65. Professor Layton & The Curious Village
64. Sin & Punishment
Format: N64, Released: 2000
63. Mario Kart: Double Dash
Format: GameCube, Released: 2003
62. Metroid Fusion
Format: GBA, Released: 2002
61. Pilotwings
Format: SNES, Released: 1990
60. Mega Man 2
Format: NES. Released: 1988
59. Super Castlevania IV
Format: SNES. Released: 1991
58. Super Smash Bros. Melee
Format: GameCube. Released: 2001
57. Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages/Seasons
Format: Game Boy Color. Released: 2001
56. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Format: GameCube. Released: 2004
55. GoldenEye 007
Format: N64. Released: 1997
"Only number 55?" I hear you ask. Well, go back and play it now and you'll find it's not quite as good as you remember it. Yes at the time it was ground breaking but go back now and you will be frustrated by the the one analog to move and aim.
54. Donkey Kong Country
Format: SNES. Released: 1994
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
53. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Format: GameCube. Released: 2003
52. Pokémon Red/Blue
Format: Game Boy. Released: 1996
The game that started the animal abuse. The one and only pokemon red and blue. Since then the game has been improved with Gold and Silver and then has gone downhill with new releases such as Ruby and the Diamond range, I still played them but seriously some of the new pokemon....
51. Super Probotector: Alien Rebels
Format: SNES. Released: 1992
50. Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time
Format: DS. Released: 2006
49. Wave Race 64
Format: N64. Released: 1997
48. Eternal Darkness
Format: GameCube. Released: 2007
Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap
47. Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Format: GBA. Released: 2004
46. Super Mario Sunshine
Format: GameCube. Released: 2002
45. Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Format: N64. Released: 2000
I liked this but I have to say the new Fairy was a pain in the ass. "What Navi didn't tell you about this monster?" NO! I played Orcarina 2 years early stfu and just tell me how to kill it!
44. Super Mario Land 2
Format: Game Boy. Released: 1992
43. Resident Evil
Format: GameCube. Released: 2002
Guitar Hero: World Tour
42. Guitar Hero: World Tour
Format: Wii. Released: 2008
I thought this would have been good on all platforms ?
41. Soul Calibur II
Format: GameCube. Released: 2003
I use to play this on xbox when I played on my friends gamecube it was like being a noob all over again. Not that people see you as a noob as this game can be played and won by solely button bashing.
40. Pilotwings 64
Format: N64. Released: 1997
OMG!!! I remeber playing this
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39. F-Zero X
Format: N64. Released: 1998
This was the first game I got I loved the music in this game
38. Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Format: DS. Released: 2007
37. Perfect Dark
Format: N64. Released: 2000
Probably my favourite shooter on N64 unless conker can be counted as shooter.
36. Banjo Kazooie
Format: N64. Released: 1998
Great game took me 3 years after getting the game to finish (I was scared of the haunted house ;) ) Sequel is good ...but the 360 release >_> *sigh* Mircosoft once again as f***** up~
Metroid Prime 3
35. Metroid Prime 3
Format: Wii. Released: 2007
34. Super Mario RPG
Format: SNES. Released: 1996
33. Okami
Format: Wii. Released: 2008
I love this game the artwork scenery it's beautifully constructed the fighting system is great lets you unleash your inner artist...well to a degree but hey!! It was fun to draw a bomb and then BAM!
32. Final Fantasy VI
Format: GBA. Released: 2007
31. Chrono Trigger
Format: DS. Released: 2000
New Super Mario Bros.
30. New Super Mario Bros.
Format: DS. Released: 2006
29. Pikmin 2
Format: GameCube. Released: 2004
28. Starwing
Format: SNES. Released: 1993
27. Super Mario Bros. 2
Format: NES. Released: 1988
26. Mario Kart DS
Format: DS. Released: 2005
25. Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Format: Game Boy Color. Released: 1998
Super Metroid
24. Super Metroid
Format: SNES. Released: 1994
23. Animal Crossing: Wild World
Format: DS. Released: 2005
22. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Format: SNES. Released: 1995
21. Wii Sports
Format: Wii. Released: 2006
Fun game with people, by yourself? I don't know maybe training yourself up abit..but hey that's what the outdoors are for.
20. Pokémon Diamond And Pearl
Format: DS. Released: 2007
Well it was going to happen just wasn't sure how far up or down the list...Ahh well I do have to say b eing able to catch more pokemon is good. But they should just make this one ultimate one that follows the series. Going through blue,silver,ruby and diamond.
19. Advance Wars: Dark Conflict
Format: DS. Released: 2008
I didn't play Dark Conflict but Advance wars on GBA was awesome
18. Metroid Prime
Format: GameCube. Released: 2002
17. Mario Kart 64
Format: N64. Released: 1996
Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
16. Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Format: Wii. Released: 2006
Apparently there was a glitch somewhere in the game, I really want to play this but sadly I own a 360 which has some good games but wii has some awesome ones as well..
15. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Format: Wii. Released: 2008
I was wondering where this would be, I was so hyped at first but after a few rounds it quickly bored me, I don't know why cause I found the game itself fun maybe cause I was expecting too much ?
14. Lylat Wars
Format: N64. Released: 1997
THIS IS THE MOST AWESOME FLYING GAME EVER MADE!! I loved playing this I would spend hours on end just playing through this trying to get through that level (My memory is abit vague here) in space it was like some pyramid ? And you find out Fox's dad died or something?
13. Super Mario Kart
Format: SNES. Released: 1992
Still one of the best racers...but I prefer 64's
13. Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Format: GameCube. Released: 2002
Super Mario Bros. 3
11. Super Mario Bros. 3
Format: NES. Released: 1988
TOP 10!!--------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Super Street Fighter II
Format: SNES. Released: 1994
Proof that the beat 'em up is one genre that hasn't necessarily benefited from advances in technology, Super Street Fighter II is still the best fighting game of all time some 15 years after its original release. Unbelievably this was the fourth Street Fighter II game but it improved upon previous versions with more characters and better visuals. Pitch perfect fighting action.
9. Resident Evil 4
Format: Wii. Released: 2007
Despite the brilliance of the Resident Evil remake, people were growing tired of the Resident Evil formula by 2005. So Capcom reinvented survival horror by bringing back Resident Evil 2's all-action hero Leon. This time he was fighting against waves of mutants and all the Resi trademarks (dull door opening cut scenes, odd camera angles) were stripped out in favour of fast-paced shooting action. The Wii version improved upon the original with Remote aiming.
8. Zelda: A Link To The Past
Format: SNES. Released: 1992
It's rare that a prequel should be better than the original but Link To The Past turned Link into Nintendo's second superstar. This is a great adventure and seeing as it introduced multi-level dungeons, heart containers, the hookshot, the master sword and parallel worlds, it's importance in the Zelda legacy can't be overlooked. Yet even if you ignore all that, Link's journey to rescue Princess Zelda from the dungeon of Hyrule Castle is still gripping now.
7. Super Mario World
Format: SNES. Released: 1992
This SNES launch game took the classic Super Mario Bros. template, added more colour, 3D(ish) backgrounds, new moves and introduced us to Yoshi, Mario's dinosaur buddy who could always be relied on for a lift. Perhaps most importantly it was the first Nintendo game to reward gamers for 100% completion. There are 72 levels in the game but many of them also featured hidden secret exits and finding all 96 will take you an age. Newcomers who found NSMB a bit too short should check this out immediately. After Super Mario World, Yoshi would go on to star in his own game with Baby Mario as his rider (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island) but we'd have to wait another four years for Mario to play the starring role again and, as we all know, it was well worth the wait.
6. Super Mario 64
Format: N64. Released: 1996
While Super Mario Bros. is platforming perfection and introduced us to the wonderful world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Super Mario 64 is credited with kickstarting 3D gaming. Housing the adventure in Peach's castle was a stroke of genius as you got to know the different levels in the game so well that they felt as familiar as your own home. It's so good it took more than ten years for Nintendo to top it...
5. Tetris
Format: Game Boy. Released: 1989
It hasn't got a plot, any main characters or particularly impressive graphics.
But Tetris has got everything if we're talking about simplistic, genius puzzling with a near-infinite appeal.
Tetris ranks alongside games like Space Invaders, Pac-Man and, of course, Super Mario Bros. as one of the most instantly recognisable, iconic titles ever released.
In particular, that theme music - if you can't hum it to yourself, you really need to boot it up again and have a listen. It even, randomly, inspired a release as a 'proper' track, taking the form of a terrible Europop cover version (masterminded by Andrew Lloyd Webber, believe it or not).
While there have been many different versions of what is basically the same game, it was the original Game Boy version that properly kickstarted the Tetris craze. The best recent version, Tetris Party, is available on WiiWare, and is well worth a look for both loyal fans and newcomers alike. The original winning formula of the Game Boy version has been expanded upon with the addition of both local and online multiplayer, and a whole bunch of different game modes that keep the experience varied. But whatever version you choose (the DS update is also worth a look), Tetris' timeless gameplay simply must be experienced. One of the ONM team's mums still religiously plays their copy on the original Game Boy. Another of the team's flatmates plays it against friends on Facebook pretty much every single night.
And though you may raise an eyebrow at how high Tetris has been placed, we don't think anyone can argue that it's anything other than a brilliantly intuitive, addictive and accessible game. Like the effect Super Mario Bros. had on the NES, Tetris was the game that made the Game Boy brand a true gaming giant. And it still shares that timeless pick-up-and-play feel that seems to be a common theme among all of our top five selections. And because of that, Tetris also subtly indicated the direction in which the videogames industry would eventually turn as one of the first titles to truly attract a huge mass market fanbase.
It just goes to show how varied the range of gaming experiences that Nintendo has brought to the world is that a puzzler like this can mix it with much more complex games in the top five. What it might lack in technical prowess, it more than makes up for with raw playability and a compulsive desire to keep beating that high score. In terms of handheld gaming, it really can't be bettered. On that note, we're off for another go.
4. Mario Kart Wii
Format: Wii. Released: 2008
This version of Mario Kart ranks so highly simply due to the sheer number of hours that the ONM team has plunged into it since its release in April last year, be it alone, with friends or running down strangers online. It's a completely different experience to a Zelda or Mario game of course, but it could be argued that it trumps both when it comes to pure multiplayer laughs and longevity. And there are millions of people online that would agree, too. While we got a taste of how Mario Kart shapes up online with the DS version, it wasn't until the Wii version arrived that its potential was fully realised. The Mario Kart Channel lets you take on the world's best - or simply take out your friends online.
Everyone loves Mario Kart. And we mean everyone. Like Super Mario Bros and Wii Sports, it seems to be one of those titles that balances pick-up-and-playability while offering more dedicated players a real challenge, should you accept it. We've been playing it practically non-stop since its first, near-legendary outing on the SNES right through the GBA, N64, GameCube, DS and now the Wii version. It never gets boring, and it takes immense skill to master Mario Kart. Just take a look at some of the times from the world's best on the Mario Kart Channel if you don't believe us.
Though it might seem easy to find your way around the 32 tracks on offer, the true masters of their trade know every corner, quirk and shortcut. Relentless practice and knowledge of the courses really makes a difference. And makes anyone with these hardcore ninja skills all the more satisfying to take down with a Blue Shell.
Speaking of the hardcore, the Retro tracks are a deliberate nod to its huge long-term following, forged from similarly brilliant SNES and N64 versions of the classic formula. But for us, the number of tracks, four-man multiplayer and, in particular, that online mode makes Mario Kart Wii the definitive version. And the definitive version of the most universally-loved multiplayer series in gaming history surely deserves a spot in the top four Nintendo games of all time, right?
3. Super Mario Galaxy
Format: Wii. Released: 2007
OK, so here's where it all gets a bit controversial. How can Super Mario Galaxy, a brilliantly constructed, hugely imaginative and fantastically executed game like this only come third? It's certainly not because it's no good. Quite the opposite.
Super Mario Galaxy
We were worried that in our original review we were swept away by that excitable little boy inside us jumping for joy at the mere arrival of a new Mario game. But we didn't get carried away at all. Playing it again now, away from those first flushes of New Mario Game Excitement, it's still utterly fantastic. It's almost embarrassing how superior it is to many other platformers on the Wii - there's more love, imagination and quality design in one galaxy of this game than there is in almost any other game we could mention.
If anything, when we played it through the first time, we didn't take enough time over it; we simply wanted to experience every brilliant moment and ingenious challenge as soon as we could. If you haven't done so already, it's worth starting a brand new game again, as there are just so many great moments in this game that, if you're anything like us, you'll have not fully appreciated them all in the mad rush to see and do everything. You can't really say that about many other games.
It goes without saying that if you own a Wii, you should own this game. In fact, we'd be pretty appalled if you didn't have Galaxy already and are nodding along to this entry in the top 100 in appreciation. We think it ranks above all but one of its predecessors because it's essentially as good as any modern Mario game is going to get. While it can't ever recapture the significance, influence and purity of the original back in the mid-'80s, it remains an absolutely masterful evolution of the series. We just wonder how on earth Nintendo plans to top it with the next Mario game. If they do, we may have to revise this list a little...
2. Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Format: N64. Released: 1998
When it comes to 'greatest ever' lists, Ocarina Of Time is something of a veteran - in fact, we defy anyone that has experienced this N64 masterpiece not to place this in at least the top three. It seems that whatever your taste in gaming, absolutely no-one has a bad word to say about this Zelda epic.
Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
But let's talk about its impact first. Like many of its contemporaries in the upper echelons of this list, Ocarina Of Time was a giant leap forward for gaming when it hit UK shores in December 1998. It was the first time that Nintendo was able to construct Hyrule's rich universe in full-on 3D and, arguably, the first time it truly came alive. While the previous four titles were all considered great successes (to varying degrees), for many gamers of the N64 era, Ocarina Of Time was a maiden voyage into Hyrule and it remains the most compelling Zelda adventure to this day.
The scale of the title is something that still impresses 10 years on. It was initially conceived as a flagship title for Nintendo's hard drive peripheral, dubbed 64DD, but was later crammed into a 256 megabit cartridge (the biggest ever released at that time). As a result, completing the main quest is a mammoth - but never gruelling - task. Take into consideration all the secondary tasks and collectibles and it's an absolute beast
of a game.
The plot is legendary, the game mechanics and controls superb. That Nintendo took on a project of this scale and executed it with so much class and intelligence is something to behold. And the visuals and audio boast the same Nintendo magic that makes the Mario series so iconic. It's all worryingly brilliant, so much so that Nintendo's Zelda lynchpin Eiji Aonuma stated last year that he will continue to work on the series until he manages to surpass the brilliance of Ocarina Of Time. He might be plugging away for some time.
1.Super Mario Bros.
Format: NES. Released: 1985
This is the game that transformed the games industry forever, inspired a generation of Nintendo fans and kickstarted the career of Mario, the mascot that has given the world (as you'll have just learnt) some of the very best games ever created.
Some of you may wonder why on earth we've placed Super Mario Bros, a game that's over 20 years old, top of a list that includes greats like Super Mario Galaxy and the legendary Ocarina Of Time.
Well, for one it remains utterly brilliant. The platforming is pitched perfectly, with an incredible feeling of being in control at all times. If you die, it's all your fault, and no-one else's. The beautifully crafted levels remain design classics to this day, introducing so many platforming conventions that are still used over 20 years later - bottomless pits, moving platforms, secrets tucked away to reward the more adventurous gamer, power ups - we could go on.
On a technical level, the sheer amount of stuff to discover in this game is absolutely mind-boggling given the limitations placed on Miyamoto and his team of videogaming visionaries. A quick look at some of the other games released around that time really hammers that point home. They look positively medieval when compared to Super Mario Bros' timeless look and playability.
More than anything though, it really sums up what Nintendo is all about. Anyone can pick up and play this game (and millions have), yet it offers a real challenge once you delve a little deeper. And it keeps you coming back for more.
The DNA of every single subsequent Mario game made since this NES release back in the mid-'80s starts right here. Would Nintendo be where it is today without this game and its many sequels? We very much doubt it.

Super Mario Bros.
If you've never played it, download it at once from the Virtual Console and marvel at just how well it has aged. Everything in it is iconic, from the colourful visuals to those insanely catchy tunes. It's like studying an important historical document, except it's actually fun. And this game, more than any other, laid the foundations for what we call videogaming today.
The Super Mario Bros. formula has been replicated many, many times, but it's never been bettered. Current Olympian buddy and former rival Sonic The Hedgehog has a lot to thank Mario for too, alongside the countless other platformers that have sprouted up looking to replicate the magic of Miyamoto's classic.
None of them have really succeeded. Mario remains the most bankable videogame star ever and is by far the most consistent in terms of producing game after game after game brimming with new ideas and good old-fashioned fun. Super Mario Bros. started all this, and that's why it's the greatest Nintendo game of all time