Cliche? Maybe. Everyone has their 'top' lists now a days. But I wanted to make a list of the definitive *Nintendo Developed* games. These games are revolutionary, period. They are the pinnacles of perfection in game design, and are, most importantly fun. All these games you could easily pick up today and enjoy just as much as the day they were released. Countless numbers of games have been 'influenced' one way or another by these masterpieces. But many games come and go, and are fun for the ride, but these will go on forever.Nintendo's unique design philosophy and pacing in its games is truly one of a kind; often imitated rarely duplicated.
But make no mistake, some companies have their own style and philosophies all their own, which I love also - Capcom, Konami, Sega(Arcade), and Squaresoft in particular. But Nintendo games have set, and will always be held, to a higher standard. This is my definitive list of Nintendo developed console games.
[side note; The games had to be developed mainly inside Nintendo(EAD, R&D teams, etc) not just published or developed in conjunction with Nintendo. The games that were, which the majority were from Rareware, HAL, and Intelligent Systems are listed at the bottom. These games are also awesome, and needed mention.]
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong has long been considered to be the first 'platform' game created. In 1981 after the commercial failure of the arcade game Radar Scope in the US, Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi decided to convert the unsold Radar Scope games into something different. He approached a young industrial designer named Shigeru Miyamoto...
Mario Bros.
Released in 1983, Mario Bros was somewhat of an extension of the Donkey Kong series. Not only was it the first game to feature Mario's name in the title, it was also the debut of Mario's brother, Luigi. Unlike Donkey Kong, where Mario was a carpenter, in Mario Bros., Mario became a plumber, exterminating what would become Koopa Troopas in later years in Super Mario Bros. games.
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. is the best selling video game of all time (selling over 40 million copies to date). It was without doubt, responsible for the initial success of the Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as creating (although mistakenly labeled today) the hardcore gamer. Having single handedly brought video games industry back into the public after Atari had destroyed it in the 'great video game crash' of 1983, the release of Super Mario Bros. was arguably the most defining and important video game since Pong.
Excitebike
Released in 1984, and a year later in the United States, Excitebike was an extremely fun take on the boring racing games at the time. With an awesome create-a-track feature that allowed you to customize the jumps and obstacles, as well as the length of the track, ExciteBike was ahead of its time. It was also one the few releases in the NES's 'Programmable Series" of games. The definitive Motocross game, that has unfortunately not seen a worthy sequel. The LeftFeild produced 3d 'sequel' may have brought the Excite bike name, but did no justice to the 2d roots of the original.
Metroid
First released for the Famicom Disk System in 1986, and later for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. Metroid provided one of the first extremely nonlinear game experiences in a video game console. Game play is a mix of action adventure and platform shooter. Controlling Samus Aran, starting with only a weak blaster and jumping ability, progress is limited to certain areas of the game world, yet exploration and ingeniously mapped routes lead to power-ups that can be used to pass previously encountered obstacles, allowing further exploration. Metroid is also credited for the first video game to feature a female heroin.
Punch-Out!!
Originally released as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! and later re-released as Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream for the NES in 1987. It is a semi-port of both the Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!! arcade games that came out in 84 and 85 respectively.Genyo Takeda took what would be an incredibly boring video game sport, and turned it into almost an action game. With fast paced button mashing and the necessity to know your opponents moves as wells as weak points,made a high degree of strategy necessary to advance in the game. Punch-Outs!! humorous and fast paced action/boxing style of game play has been imitated many times(Face Breaker being the newest)but none have gotten near the champ Punch-Out!!
The Legend Of Zelda
First released in Japan as a launch title for the Famicom's Disk System peripheral, then a year and half later in the United States. When The Legend of Zelda was released, the unique multi faceted gameplay defied categorization. The game incorporated elements from action games, adventure games, role-playing games, and puzzle games. The genre 'Action RPG' was born.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Released in 1988 in Japan and originally planned for a 1989 release in North America, but due to a "chip shortage" according to Nintendo, the release date was held back by one year. Reality was, this allowed Nintendo of America to promote SMB3 through a major motion picture. SMB3 was introduced to the American public during the climax of the Nintendo-themed movie, The Wizard. With 18 million copies sold, SMB3 remains the best-selling single video game that was not originally bundled with a console. Super Mario Bros. 3 to this day is the rulebook on action platform games. Nearly every game created in its genre, one way or another, has been influenced by its design.
F-Zero
First released in Japan in 1990 and a year later in North America in 1991, F-zero was the second(the other being PilotWings) game to show off the Super Nintendo's much touted 'Mode-7' scaling. F-Zero is considered to be the game that set a standard for the racing genre on home consoles,with its tight controls and incredible sense of speed. Head of Sega's AM2 development team, Toshihiro Nagoshi was so impressed with the game at the time, he said in an interview; "[F-Zero]actually taught me what a game should be". F-Zero served as an influence for him to create Daytona USA and other racing games. Approximately ten years later Nagoshi would serve as one of the co-producers for F-Zero AX/GX, the absolute top notch SEGA-Nintendo produced Arcade/Home F-Zero title.
The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
Released in Japan in 1991, later released in North America and Europe in 1992. Legend Of Zelda LTTP has been touted the best game in the series by some, even the greatest game of all time by others. While The Legend Of Zelda for the NES defined the Action RPG, LTTP perfected it and to this day continues to hold its impressiveness with its unique puzzle solving game play and awe inspiring musical score.
Super Mario Kart
Released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, SMK sold 8 million copies. Using The Super Nintendo's Mode 7, the graphics were amazing for the time, and using the Mario universe brought it all together. Though not nearly a speed game as F-Zero, Super Mario Kart greatest claim to fame is its multi-player. Even though creating the 'Mascot Racer' genre was an accomplishment on its own that spawned an enormousness amount of me-too games, it was the battle-mode and time attack mode that vaulted Super Mario Kart to legendary status.
Star Fox
Released in 1993 for the SNES, and in Europe as Starwing due to copyrights. It was the first three-dimensional Nintendo game to include the Super FX chip, a coprocessor used to accelerate graphics. While 3-D polygons were still new and uncommon in video games, Star Fox become the first game to really utilize the technology in a major way on home consoles. An amazing game, with fast paced shoot'em up gameplay and one of the best soundtracks and SFX the SNES sound chip ever put out. This was the first showcase of Nintendo's ability to take standard 2d gameplay(from Gradius, Star Solider, R-Type etc) and translate it successfully into 3d.
Super Metroid
Released in 1994, Super Metroid took the orginal Metroid recipe and perfected it. As the heroin Samus Aran, once again on the Planet Zebes, Super Metroid took the exploration and discovery of the first game and amplified it to epic proportions. At a staggering 24-megabit cartridge size, it was the largest cartridge available at the time. With highly detailed sprites and animations, and a wonderful soundtrack and SFX, Super Metroid stands the test of time as not only one of the greatest Nintendo developed games, but greatest games ever.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Released in 1995, Yoshi's Island took the platforming genre to new heights. Sporting the FX2 chip, Yoshi's island used polygons in a different way, simply for 3d effects in a 2d world. The sparse use of it made it fit in, and not feel like a gimmicky add-on. The most amazing feature of the game was the amount of goals to accomplish per level, and the actual amount of levels in total. Yoshi's Island is just as great as Super Mario Bros. 3, and is arguably even better.
Earthbound
EarthBound, known in Japan as Mother. The series started in 1989 with the Japan only release of Mother for the Famicom, and was then followed up by a sequel, released in the U.S. as EarthBound for the Super NES in 1995, there was also Japan only release of Mother 3 for the Game Boy Advance in 2006.
The charm and attraction of the Earthbound/Mother games are its unique settings and pretty bizarre storyline. Seemingly a Japanese perspective on western culture with Charlie Brown esque looking characters. A far cry from dragons and wizards, Earthbound's unique humor and settings provided a refreshing journey for RPG players outside of castles and princesses.
Super Mario 64
Released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996. Super Mario 64 is universally credited as one of the most influential games ever created. Just as Super Mario Bros. had defined what a 2d platformer should be, Mario 64 did the same in 3d. Using a dynamic camera system, analog controls, and an open ended level selection system based around the castle as a hub, you see the influence of Mario 64 in just about every 3d game developed since its release. Revolutionary indeed.
Awesome Rom Hack
Wave Race 64
Released on September 27, 1996 in Japan and on November 5, 1996 in North America, Wave Race 64 had a notorious shift in development. While early footage of the game showed something of F-Zero on water, the final game came to bear the Kawasaki inclusion of Jet Skis. Coincidentally, at the time of Wave Race 64 release, there was plethora of arcade and home watercraft racing games being released; Sega's Model 2 Waver runner GP, SCEA PSone Jet Moto, and many others. But Waver Race 64 was the only game to manage to have the physics as well as the graphics down on the waves. There was no game like it, digging into the wakes, and hoping the waves and riding them; an unbeleivable feeling that has not been captured since.
The Legend OF Zelda: Ocarina OF Time
Released in Japan and America in November of 1998, and originally in development for the Nintendo 64DD peripheral, the game was instead released on a 32MB cartridge, at the time the largest capacity cartridge Nintendo had produced, going on to sell over 8 million copies. While most developers were still copying Mario 64, OOT was released and re-defined how a 3d game should be designed. Using a revolutionary 'Z targeting' lock on system, the game dissolved a lot of problems developers were having with camera systems at the time in developing 3d action games. Being able to stay focused on your target in a 3d space was something that was still being ironed out in the industry. Arguably Ocarina of Time was the foundation of all modern 3d games we know today. The game play, atmosphere, and controls were miles beyond anything else at the time. It was a tough enough task just take the 2d world of Hyrule and its puzzles successfully to 3d, but to do it not only to perfection, but in turn revolutionize the way 3d games in a whole are made, is an incredible accomplishment. Some say this was the last 'Great' Nintendo game. I wholeheartedly disagree on that. But I do believe this is their finest hour, as well as the greatest game ever created.
Super Mario Galaxy
Released in 2007, and having sold an approximate 7 million copies, SMG is the evolution of Mario 64. Due to the high nature of clone games in the industry, Mario 64 has long been passed in terms of camera control and graphics, but not necessarily imagination in level and game design. What arguably, Mario Sunshine had failed to do originally in its taking the 3d platform game to the next level with unique concepts and play mechanics, Super Mario Galaxy not only brought fan service in terms of suit changes, music, and enemies, but extremely impressive use of gravity physics, level design, and graphics took Mario back into the forefront of how 3d platform design could and should be done. And while not as critically acclaimed as Mario 64, game designers the world over can sigh a little relief, as now they have a new game to study and build upon, until the next Mario game re-defines the genre once again. IMO, the second greatest Nintendo game created.
Wii Sports
Yeah I went there. Selling upwards of 25 million copies worldwide(including copies shipped with the console in the US, as it is a stand alone game in Japan) Wii Sports came out of the gate as the showcase and defacto system seller for the Wii. While critical acclaim was solid in the beginning, a radical, almost spiteful change of heart by the video game "press" makes Wii Sports out to be nothing special. But you can not deny the popularity and fun factor. A game that is all about social interaction and partying. Indeed the game is pretty boring after awhile of playing by yourself,and due to the advertisements, you would think only old people and family of fives play it. But just like the N64 that got entrenched in college campuses across the states for its multi-player gaming, Wii Sports has taken it even farther, from the the most casual of social settings, to the drunkest frat parties, you can find Wii Sports on, and the random person picking up a Wiimote and enjoying it. Wii Sports is one of the most important successes in gaming since the original Super Mario Bros. While the GC, PS2, and Xbox took gaming back into the closest with a relentless assault of me-too games. Wii Sports blew the industry upside down and reintroduced video games to people that were, are, and even never were video game players before. The whole industry does not need to revolve around the social party game for sure, but this is the defining game in what one should be like.
If the list went to 22
Pikmin
Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
1st, 2nd, and 3rd party games
Retro Studios-
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime 3:Corruption
Hudson-
Mario Party
H2O-
Tetrisphere
Paradigm Studios-
Pilotwings 64
HAL-
Kirby's Adventure
Kirby's Dreamcourse
Intellignet Systems-
Panel De Pon AKA Tetris Attack
Fire Emblem
Advance/Famicom Wars
WarioWare
Wild Gunman
Rareware-
Slalom
RC Pro-Am
Golden Eye
Blast Corps
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Sora-
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Creatures-
Pokemon Red/Blue
Squaresoft-
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Sega-
F-Zero AX/GX
