Best Nintendo Games Ever
Image: Nintendo Life

The Famicom launched in 1983. Time, huh? That's four whole decades of 8-bit Nintendo games, many of which defined entire genres and birthed enduring characters and series that would go forth and flourish in future console generations.

In honour of 40 years of quality from our video game purveyors of choice, we're publishing this list of the 100 Best Nintendo Games ever made. We're talking first-party published titles here, most of which Nintendo developed in-house, although you'll see some select second-party gems nestled in amongst all the gold from Kyoto's finest.

As with many of our ranked lists, this selection of the finest Nintendo games available to humanity is governed by each game's User Ratings on our database. Yes, this is a reader-ranked list, and a dynamic one that can change in real-time as individual game scores go up and down. As such, registered Nintendo Life users can click on the stars beside each game below and score them out of 10 and exert your influence on the ranking. If you've rated these games before, good on you! If not, it's never too late!

A couple of notes before we begin. We've excluded a handful of games to prevent repetition. The Wii U version of Breath of the Wild, for example, is incredible, but not enough to warrant having Breath of the Wild occupy two spots in the Top 10 (apologies for the spoiler there, but c'mon!). In cases where we've deemed the two entries to be too similar, we've kept the higher of the two (which, perhaps surprisingly, isn't always the HD or Deluxe Switch version). We've also removed all compilations in order to give more individual games a chance to shine. Complaints to the usual address.

Okay, that's enough prevarication. On with the countdown of the 100 Top Nintendo games of all time, starting with...

100. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (Switch)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD introduced a raft of technical improvements and quality-of-life updates that revitalised the Wii game.

The alternate button control scheme totally worked if you still couldn't get on with the motion controls, the graphics got a sensitively handled HD overhaul, and a once-bothersome sidekick was streamlined into something altogether more useful.

Yes, the locking off of instant travel behind the official amiibo was a misstep, but beyond that issue, this was a great remaster of Zelda game that splits opinion.

99. Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch)

Note. As of April 2021, this game is delisted from the Switch eShop and cannot be downloaded unless you bought it beforehand.

Bringing Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy to Switch, it’s a shame that the presentation here is practically barebones, with no bonus content beyond the soundtracks. However, there can be no denying the quality of the games on this time-limited release. Super Mario 3D All-Stars is The Beatles’ Greatest Hits of the video game world, and is an absolute treat whether you’re reliving it in HD or discovering it for the first time.

Unfortunately, if you didn't grab a copy of this triple pack of platforming goodness before it was delisted on 31st March 2021 and removed from the Switch eShop, you'll have to look for a physical copy still in the supply chain (which shouldn't be too difficult given the substantial quantities Nintendo manufactured) or rely on the secondhand market.

98. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (3DS)

Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire seem very similar to Pokémon X & Y, as you might expect, but the story and the environments you encounter feel — despite the fact that they are remakes — very fresh and unique. They’re not an extensive upgrade from their other 3DS counterparts, but any Poké-fan who’s played one of the series remakes in the past knows not to expect radical overhauls.

These titles should be considered as more-than-worthy accompaniments to X & Y, even though they arguably surpassed those games by pushing new ideas such as the Soar ability.

97. Golden Sun (GBA)

Golden Sun is a fine RPG, perfecting the classic formula whilst introducing unique mechanics of its own.

An intriguing setting, likeable characters, and gripping story are the bread-and-butter of any good RPG, and Camelot doesn't disappoint on those fronts.

The first few hours are a slog, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with a rich, deep RPG that desperately deserves a modern-day instalment.

96. F-Zero GX (GCN)

While debate forever rages as to whether the N64 entry or its Sega-developed GameCube sequel is better, we can all agree that both games are rather special in their own right.

F-Zero GX's story mode helps paint a picture of the 'F-universe' and those cutscenes featuring Captain Falcon and the gang sure add some pizzazz. The series also certainly never looked better than on GameCube.

The breakneck speed and brutal difficulty might put some people off, but racing doesn't get much purer than this, and seeing as this was the last full-blown retail entry from the franchise to come to a home console, this is still arguably the hottest take on F-Zero going. Track it down.

95. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (GBA)

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were Game Boy Advance remakes of the classic games that started it all, Pokémon Red & Blue. Yes, the Game Boy originals were known as Red and Green in Japan, because reasons.

Now available on Switch, did Pokémon really ever get better than this? That's up for debate, but vastly updated visuals, the ability to connect to various other Pokémon games to collect over 350 of the critters, and an enhanced user interface were just some of the upgrades offered in this 32-bit revamp.

For players intimately familiar with the Kanto games, this was the first opportunity (of many to come, of course) to indulge in some nostalgia and catch the original 151 all over again. Who could possibly resist? Watch out, Metapod. Or should we call you... Metapoo? Ah, the comedy! Happy days.

94. Pikmin 2 (GCN)

Removing the 30-day time limit that so irked players in the first game, Pikmin 2 expands on the original in every way, creating a larger adventure with more of everything you liked before, plus a host of extra modes (including a surprisingly addictive two-player component). 

Wingman Louie joined Captain Olimar this time around and the game also introduced White and Purple Pikmin, expanding the puzzling possibilities and the options available to you as the diminutive spacemen and their plant-based charges ran around gardens fighting beasties and collecting tasty-looking fruit, discarded objects, and ship pieces.

Some players might miss the tight focus of the original, but this is an excellent sequel and absolutely worth digging up.

93. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Switch)

With the titular princess taking a starring role in her namesake series for the first time, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom should be the new standard for top-down Zelda going forward.

Rather than abandoning the classic formula, Zelda has shown that the old and the new can come together and produce wonderful results that reward experimentation and reinforce the joy of play.

In our book, this is easily in contention with A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds as one of the best top-down adventures in the series, and we hope we don’t need to wait another 35 years for Zelda to take the lead again.

92. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

Following the online exploits of Mario Kart DS, it was almost a given that Mario Kart Wii would follow suit and include the ability to play against the world — thankfully, despite the console's rather anaemic online capabilities, the experience was nothing short of stunning.

From the outside, the Wii entry might have sacrificed some of the kart racing series' personality, but the online multiplayer with support for up to twelve players, optional motion controls (who could forget that plastic wheel accessory?), and additional vehicles and characters helped make it one of the most accessible entries in the series.

Successful, too. It sold a staggering 37.38 million copies.

91. Golden Sun: The Lost Age (GBA)

Even though Golden Sun: The Lost Age plays much like any standard RPG, there is something special about it. Even with its lack of structure towards the beginning of the campaign, its accessible, engaging nature keeps you wanting to play and experiment.

The Lost Age is very much a 'Part Two' — a continuation of the first adventure — but builds, modestly, on almost everything from the original Golden Sun: a longer campaign, extended Djinn mechanics, greater challenge, clever puzzles, and minor graphical improvements.

Newcomers would do well to start with the first entry, as the game does take for granted that you know the basics, and the plotline will make little to no sense – at least initially. However, for those who've played and enjoyed the first instalment, this concluding chapter is a real no-brainer.

90. Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

Beautifully crafted and filled to the brim with exciting gameplay features, Pikmin 3 is a worthy instalment in Nintendo's quirky strategy series.

The core gameplay mechanics remain true to the GameCube originals, but were further enhanced by the unique features of the Wii U GamePad, although you could still use your Wii Remote and Nunchuk (honestly, the 'Deluxe' Switch port offers further proof that the GamePad really was a peripheral option here).

A few minor issues here and there arguably prevented it from reaching the heights of its predecessors, but the Wii U's HD sheen made the fruit hauled by your little plant-based helpers look more delicious than ever.

89. Animal Crossing (GCN)

It's arguable that this series really came into its own in a portable context with the wonderful Animal Crossing: Wild World on Nintendo DS, but the N64 original nailed most of the systems first time out and this GameCube port of that Japan-only release introduced Animal Crossing's pleasant real-time village antics to the west. 

It's a series that you play a little bit every day and that's much more easily accomplished on a handheld system which you can whip out on the bus or take on your lunch break. It's hard to return to a village tied to a home console these days, but then again it's hard to return to any previous entry once you've become accustomed to the myriad quality-of-life improvements of the next.

 We'll always have the memories, though, and this first taste of village life was sweet.

88. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)

Showcasing the chonky new MotionPlus accessory (eventually built into the updated Wii Remote Plus), Wii Sports Resort offered the kind of motion-tracking fidelity many of us had imagined the Wii would offer out of the gate.

Highlights of this game — which introduced Wuhu Island and expanded on the original game with a bunch of new activities — included fencing and throwing a frisbee for an adorable pooch.

87. Super Smash Bros. (N64)

Bearing in mind how carefully Nintendo began managing its characters and their image after the misfire of the (first) Super Mario Bros. movie in the early '90s, it's remarkable that the original Super Smash Bros. and its inter-franchise scrapping got off the drawing board at HAL Laboratory. Fortunately, Masahiro Sakurai's crossover brawler was permitted to exist.

At the time, the idea of a 'platform' fighting game without health bars was pretty revolutionary. Instead, as you beat up your opponent, they'd become more vulnerable to knockback from your attacks, with the aim being to knock them out of the arena entirely. Catering for up to four players with a simple control scheme (especially compared to other fighting games) and the addition of weapons and power-ups to spice things up, this first Smash was a rock-solid foundation for a series that would become one of the world's biggest fighting franchises.

The number of combatants and complexity of the N64 original may pale in comparison with later rosters, which plucked from the annals of video gaming history, but we still look back fondly on the very first time we had the opportunity to open a can of whoop-ass on Pikachu.

86. Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World (Switch 2)

Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World (say that five times, etc.) gives you the base game at a delicious 60fps with a whole big bunch of new content thrown in for good measure.

If you've had your fill of Forgotten Land on Switch 1, there's nothing here to warrant replaying the entire game again, but the 12 remixed areas that make up the DLC are uniformly delightful, the new transformations are excellent, and there's even new challenges for hardcore Kirby fans to get stuck into.

One of the best games on Switch and one of our favourite 3D platformers in years, polished to a sparkly sheen and packing some meaningful new content? That's a very easy recommendation and a truly excellent addition to the Switch 2's early lineup.

85. Mario Kart DS (DS)

Whether you can forgive its snaking ways or not, this was still a cracking entry in a series which arguably doesn't have a dud.

If you're unfamiliar, 'snaking' — a technique which involves using power slide boosts — did admittedly dampen the online experience back in the day if you hadn't mastered it, but online (sadly) isn't an option now. So if you're unhappy with how your local competitors are snaking, you can simply lean over and communicate your dissatisfaction in a direct manner. In the ribs, perhaps.

It should also be remembered that Mario Kart DS was the first in the series to offer online play – and that was a real game-changer in 2005. Of course, it's been surpassed since by its sequels, but having a fully 3D Mario Kart in your hands was a special feeling back in the day, and MKDS holds a special place in many a kart-lover's heart, including ours.

84. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (GCN)

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a brilliant psychological horror game that blends Resident Evil-style survival horror with Lovecraftian Old World magick and an era-hopping historical narrative to create something quite unique and only available on GameCube.

It may take you a while to get into its spellcasting and unusual mix of styles (and that may be the reason second-hand copies cost mere pennies for so many years), but once it gets under your skin it's a hard game to shake.

The fourth wall-breaking sanity effects always steal the column inches, but the ambitious, dread-soaked story deserves just as much recognition, and whether you're a hardcore horror aficionado or a novice that needs a walkthrough with the lights on, we recommend playing this any which way you can.

83. Pokémon Crystal (GBC)

Pokémon Crystal is the perfect swan song to what many fans consider the best generation of Pokémon games and the series' final Game Boy Color entry.

It featured a plethora of welcome new features over the base games — including the ability to play as a female character for the first time — plus more things to do, tweaked graphics and UI, and a slight notch up in the challenge department.

Crystal took what Pokémon Gold and Silver did so marvellously and made Johto worth exploring once more – and Kanto for the umpteenth time, for that matter. It truly proves that nostalgia is far from the sole factor that makes this game so great to pick up again.

82. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)

This beautiful Switch remake of the classic Game Boy entry rebuilt everything from the ground up, and would be a good entry point for younger players into the Zelda series.

On top of the beautiful new art style, it added modern conveniences, a dungeon creator, amiibo support, and lots of little quality-of-life improvements whilst infusing every single square inch of Koholint – every secret passage, Piranha, Pokey, and Pig Warrior – with a level of detail and depth that totally reinvigorated both its timeless story and classic Zelda gameplay for a new generation.

If there's anything holding The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening back, frame drops may distract you from the otherwise absorbing gameplay, especially in docked mode. It's a little thing — and something smoothed out on Switch 2, thankfully — but with the heritage of technical wizardry behind the Game Boy original, imperfect performance is a dent in this game's otherwise glistening armour.

81. Pokémon Pokopia (Switch 2)

Pokémon Pokopia is the freshest Pokémon experience in a long time, bursting at the seams with charm and content that rewards both curiosity and creativity. It’s an easy game to get swallowed up in, even with a few gameplay and progression issues that need ironing out.

But as a first go at something different for the franchise, it’s a big win. We don’t know how Pokémon has stayed away from this kind of structure for so long, and we’d easily take a dozen more.