Tag: Best Games
Guide What To Spend Your Nintendo eShop Gift Card Credit On - Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50
Money is such a burden, isn't it
So. It's Christmas or your birthday or some other gift-giving holiday, and you've just been presented with a shiny piece of plastic with Mario and a number on it. Alternatively, an alphanumeric code has been printed or scrawled in a card. You ask your parents/significant other/gift-giving human what you're supposed...
Guide Best Nintendo Switch Games Of 2021
The finest Switch games of the year, as ranked by you
2021 has come and gone (almost) and despite a quiet start to the year, Switch owners have seen some real gems launch over the past 12 months. We've seen big releases (admittedly re-releases or remakes in several cases) of most of Nintendo's biggest franchises, with some big anniversaries popping...
Guide Every Nintendo Switch Online Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game Ranked
All the Sega Mega Drive games, ranked by you
Update: Now featuring the five latest additions to the Genesis / Mega Drive NSO library. Remember, the ranking below is dynamic and will change according to each game's User Rating in our database. If you haven't previously, feel free to rate the new games and let's see where they settle on the list...
Guide Best Spider-Man Games On Nintendo Consoles
Can Spider-Man come out to play?
You feel that? That's your spidey senses a-tinglin'. Why? Well, after months of speculation arachnid fans the world finally got to see Spider-Man: No Way Home when it released in cinemas back in December 2021. The internet had been hot with rumour and debate about plotlines, secret cameos, and red carpet premiere...
As ranked by you
It's been 15 years since Nintendo changed the game with Wii, the little motion-controlled console which broke away from the competition and started a revolution. Its brilliantly compact design (the size of three DVD boxes, remember?) and approachable and accessible controller helped it open up gaming to a whole new audience, young...
Guide Best Pokémon Games Of All Time
Where does Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl rank?
What are the best Pokémon games? Ranking such classics proved difficult given how many of them end up being among the best games of their particular console generation. So we decided to modify our existing ranked list and ask Nintendo Life readers to rate every game in the series — and...
As ranked by you lovely people
The Nintendo GameCube launched in Japan in September 2001 and a couple of months later on 18th November in North America. Unlucky Europeans wouldn't get their hands on it until the following year, but the wait was worth it for one of the best-looking video game consoles of all time. The NGC (sorry, GCN) is a beautiful,...
Guide Star Wars Games - Every Star Wars Game On Nintendo Systems Ranked
We sort the padawans from the poodoo
Update: Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic has been added to this list. Enjoy! The release of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker may have 'ended' Star Wars as we've known it for the past four-and-a-half decades, but all it really did was tie a bow on the cinematic tales of the Skywalker clan and the...
Guide Every Nintendo Switch Online N64 Game Ranked
All the N64 games, ranked by you
The library of N64 games available with the 'Expansion Pack' for the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service boasts some of the system's heaviest hitters and it's a good first pass at getting a varied catalogue of quality 64-bit games in the hands of Switch owners. But which of the N64 games coming the Nintendo...
Guide Best Ace Attorney Games Of All Time
Every Ace Attorney game, ranked by you
It's been TWENTY YEARS since Ace Attorney was unleashed upon the world (in Japan, at least — the English version wouldn't come out until 2005, so you're not quite as old as this news makes you feel). Ten-ish games later, the series has spawned an anime, a movie, a musical, and legions of Edgeworth-hungry...
Guide Best Metroid Games Of All Time
Now more Dreadful than ever
What's the best Metroid game of all time? The reveal and release of 'Metroid 5', better known as Metroid Dread, has had many of us going back to either revisit games in the franchise or catch up on ones we missed first time round. We compiled our personal ranking of the best Metroid games long ago with the sublime Metroid...
The top 50 N64 games ever, as ranked by you
In celebration of this mighty 64-bit console's 25th anniversary (in North America, following the Japanese anniversary back in June), we're republishing this reader-ranked list of the top 50 Nintendo 64 games ever. As with all our Top 50 library lists, this ranking is is based on User Ratings in the...
Guide Best Castlevania Games On Nintendo Consoles
Far from a miserable pile
In honour of the series' 35th anniversary — yes, it's 35 years since Castlevania first launched in Japan on the Famicom Disk System on 26th September 1986 — we're republishing our ranked list of every Castlevania game on Nintendo consoles. Enjoy! The Castlevania series has a rich history on Nintendo consoles ever...
Guide Best Super Nintendo (SNES) Games
As rated by you
On the 30th anniversary of the Super Nintendo's North American launch, what better time to revisit this list of the best SNES games ever? Originally published this to coincide with the Japanese version of this milestone, below you'll find a sparkling lineup of 16-bit classics — as ranked by you, dear readers. Remember, this list...
Guide Every Nintendo Switch Online SNES Game Ranked
All the SNES games, ranked by you
Update: Now includes Claymates, Jelly Boy and Bombuzal, which are the most recent arrivals on Nintendo Switch Online's SNES app. Remember, this list evolves as users rate the games within, so head to the game profiles and rate them out of 10 if you'd like to see the rankings below alter. All of the above additions...
Guide Best Final Fantasy Games Of All Time
Every mainline Final Fantasy on Nintendo systems, ranked by you
Remember, this list is dynamic and based on the User Ratings of each game in the Nintendo Life game database — as such, it is subject to fluctuation even now. If you haven't rated your favourite FFs previously, feel free to scroll through, assign a score, and assert your influence on...
Guide Best Zelda Games Of All Time
It's dangerous to go alone - take all these
What are the best Zelda games? Following decades of adventures across Nintendo consoles, ranking The Legend of Zelda series is one heck of an undertaking. Bar a couple of exceptions, each entry is pretty much a classic, and even the 'lesser' ones are really rather good. Many remain fixed as among the very...
Guide Best Donkey Kong Games Of All Time
Every DK game ranked for your pleasure
9th July 2021 marks 40 years exactly since the original Donkey Kong debuted in arcades and the world got its first look at the eponymous ape and his adversary, Jumpman (whatever happened to him?). With rumours of a new DK game and an animation project in the works, we're bracing ourselv
Guide Best Tony Hawk Games Of All Time
As ranked by you
The arrival of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Switch ends a decade-long drought on Nintendo consoles of ollies, nollies, kickflips, grinds from the master Mr Anthony Hawk. The games (and their iconic soundtracks) were a formative part of many gamers' lives in the late '90s/early 2000s and we're thrilled to have him back. Tony...
Poll What's The Best Tony Hawk Game?
The best of Birdman
It's been a while since Nintendo gamers have been able to take Tony Hawk and his skater pals for a spin, but the release of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (check out our review for the NL verdict — spoilers: it's good) has had us thinking back on all the ollies, nollies, kickflips, grinds and such that we've pulled as Birdman on...
Guide Best Sonic Games Of All Time
Every Sonic game on Nintendo consoles, ranked by you
It was 30 years ago that Sonic the Hedgehog — the blue dude with the most 'tude — first burst forth onto the Mega Drive in Japan and Sega finally presented a credible challenger for the platforming crown Nintendo's jumping plumber had been wearing since the mid 1980s. In the three decades...
As rated by you
The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES (ness? nezz? enn-eee-ess?), is the archetypal home video game console. Sure, earlier machines such as the mighty Atari 2600 pioneered the basic concept of an under-the-TV console with interchangeable software and controller accessories, but the utilitarian design and hardware innovations of...
Guide Best Game Boy Advance (GBA) Games
The Top 50 GBA games ever, as ranked by you
The Game Boy Advance celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Japanese debut on 21st March 2021. Nintendo's first true successor to the original Game Boy line (the Game Boys Pocket and Color notwithstanding), the GBA in all its forms — original horizontal console, clamshell SP model, and ludicrously small...
Guide Best Game Boy Color (GBC) Games
The top 50 GBC games, as ranked by you
It was 1996 in Japan and 1998 in North America (and a year later in Europe) when the ageing Game Boy got an unexpected shot in the arm thanks to a little game named Pokémon. Nintendo's granddaddy of handheld gaming suddenly had a new lease of life, but in the West the release of the game was followed just...
Guide Every Dragon Quest Game Ranked
All the mainline Dragon Quests ranked by you
On 27th May 2021, Yuji Horii's seminal RPG Dragon Quest turned 35. Initially released in the West with the name Dragon Warrior, the Chunsoft-developed first entry in this genre-defining series debuted on Famicom in Japan before migrating to the North American NES three years later, and over the past...
Poll What's The Best Game Boy Color Game?
A splash of colo(u)r
The granddaddy of modern handheld gaming, the Game Boy, got an unexpected shot in the arm in the mid-'90s when a little game named Pokémon released and gave the ageing hardware a new lease of life. The updated Game Boy Pocket hardware might have slimmed down the bulky original DMG-001, but it was the long-awaited arrival of the...
Poll What's The Best Dragon Quest Game?
I need a Hero
Originally released in the West under the localised Dragon Warrior title, it's been nearly thirty-five years since Dragon Quest, Yuji Horii's seminal RPG series, debuted in Japan. In that time, we've seen eleven mainline entries in a series which led the way in defining the JRPG genre itself. Japanese Nintendo gamers have enjoyed...
Guide Every Mega Man Game Ranked
All the Mega Men ranked by you (yes, ALL of them)
The little blue guy known as Mega Man (along with his various associates and related robots) has had a very long and storied career in video games. Since the NES days, he's starred in some absolute classics of the run-and-gun genre, although for every incredible game or spin-off experience Capcom has...
Black and white brilliance
Friday 21st April 1989 — the day that the Game Boy launched in Japan. Over thirty years ago the video gaming landscape would be forever changed as Nintendo opened up the new frontier of portable gaming to the masses. The company’s Game & Watch line let you take limited gaming experiences on-the-go, but the Game Boy...
Poll What's The Best Mega Man Game?
Rate every Mega Man game on Nintendo systems
Capcom's blue bomber and his various successors, companions and assorted compadres might have had a quiet few years a while back, but a string of more recent collections — not to mention the excellent Mega Man 11 — have helped put the little robot dude back on the gaming map in a way that fans could...
Guide Best Monster Hunter Games Of All Time
What's that coming over the hill?
What's the best Monster Hunter of all time? In a series where half of the titles have the word 'Ultimate' fixed on the end, it can be a difficult question to answer. We're not averse to difficult decisions, though, so we've taken it upon ourselves to rank every single Monster Hunter game (yes, in a departure from...
Guide Best Resident Evil Games Of All Time
You sort the S.T.A.R.S. from the lickers
Astonishingly, the Resident Evil franchise is now twenty-five years old. Ah, it seems like only yesterday we were soiling ourselves in the basement! Seem to remember playing some Resident Evil, too... Ahem. With the original Biohazard now old enough to rent a car, we thought it was the perfect time to...
Guide Every 2D Super Mario Game Ranked
As rated by you
With the imminent release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury on Switch, and the Super Mario 35th anniversary celebrations drawing to a close in a matter of weeks, we thought it was about time we tried putting all of Mario's original 2D platforming adventures into some kind of order. We've previously looked at each and every...
Guide Best Kirby Games Of All Time
Every Kirby game ever, as ranked by you
Kirby — one of the most famous faces (with little podgy arms and feet attached) in Nintendo's stable of stars — has been wowing players with his impressive abilities and sheer versatility for nearly thirty years now. Created by Smash Bros. boss Masahiro Sakurai, the pink one built up a very impressive...
As ranked by you
Despite our affection for the the console, there's no denying that Wii U had its share of issues. Chiefly, Nintendo failed to properly communicate the hardware's unique potential to the game-playing public — a mistake the company was careful avoid repeating with Switch. The name was a point of confusion, too, with some people...
Guide Best Nintendo Switch Games Of 2020
A great year for games, at least
2020 is now but a distant, if persistent, memory and we can now look back and survey the gaming battleground it left behind. Despite the year being a particularly ugly one for practically everyone, we were lucky enough to enjoy some incredible games that year, several of which helped restore spirits in our down time,...
Guide Every Nintendo Switch Online NES Game Ranked
All the NES games, ranked by you
The collection of NES games available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers continues to grow over time, albeit slowly, and there are now nearly 60 retro releases from the original Nintendo Entertainment System to enjoy via the subscription service. We asked Nintendo Life readers to rate the available NES games on...
Guide Best 3D Sonic Games Of All Time
Every 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game ranked by you
The release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars got us thinking about the plumber's platforming rival from the days of the console wars. Sonic the Hedgehog's jump into the third dimension may not have been as graceful as Mario's, but over the years he's amassed a large collection of 3D games, and despite a few...
Guide Every 3D Super Mario Game Ranked
As rated by you
The release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars had us debating at Nintendo Life Towers which of the Mario adventures in the third dimension is the absolute best. Team Nintendo Life has its own ideas about the best Super Mario games (including the 2D entries), but we recently asked for your opinions regarding the 3D entries specifically...
Guide Best Paper Mario Games Of All Time
All the Paper Mario games, ranked by you
The Paper Mario series began two decades ago when Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64 launched in Japan on 11th August 2000. Since then, we've seen five more mainline Paper Mario games of different flavours, plus a 3DS crossover with AlphaDream's Mario & Luigi series. Branching off from the role-playing path...
As voted by you
It may have had a slow start at launch back in 2011, but Nintendo 3DS steadily went from strength to strength and amassed a huge library of quality titles - enough to rival the company's finest. Sure, glasses-free stereoscopic 3D turned out to be a bit of a non-starter, but the best games made great use of the feature and the...
Guide Best Nintendo Switch Games Ever - The Best Switch Games 2022
The very best Switch games ever (so far)
Nintendo Switch has amassed a huge amount of great games since the console launched over three years ago. Of course, this abundance of riches leaves us in something of a pickle - too much software, not enough time to play it all. In fairness, it's a lovely problem to have. Help! There are too many excellent...
Every Virtual Boy game ranked
Nintendo is an odd company in many ways; deeply conservative in some respects, but also able to swing for the fences and invest money and resources in the pursuit of pure novelty. Time and again it puts out products that no other platform holder would have dreamed of, and more often than not those frivolities turn out...
Guide Best Professor Layton Games Of All Time
The mainline Layton games, ranked by you lovely lot
The release of Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy – Deluxe Edition on Nintendo Switch marked the belated debut of the Layton clan on Nintendo's current console. A clutch of excellent puzzle games came out for the Nintendo DS and 3DS handhelds, but it took a...
Guide Best Mario Kart Games Of All Time
Burn rubber
Back when Nintendo announced the very first Mario Kart game in the early '90s, there were some in the industry who proclaimed it as a sign that the veteran firm had finally lost its marbles. Sure, Mario had appeared in other games, but his forte was 2D platformers – he had no place on the racing track, and Super Mario Kart was...
Guide Best Super Smash Bros. Games Of All Time
What's the ultimate Super Smash Bros.?
When Super Smash Bros. Ultimate arrived on Switch and brought with it every single fighter from the series' history, it sent us back through the older games. With the original Super Smash Bros. now over 20 years old it's incredible to see
As voted for by you
This ranked reader-voted list of the 50 best Nintendo DS games is governed by Nintendo Life User Ratings and can change depending on those scores. Feel free to rate your favourites and, perhaps, rejig the ranking below. Enjoy! One of the joys of Nintendo's Switch is how it marries the company's home console heritage with its...
Guide Best Super Mario Games Of All Time
All the mainline Marios ranked
What's the best Mario game ever? Where do you even begin to rank them? Let's face it, any of the games in the top 10 could justifiably take the top spot. All of them could easily be somebody's 'best game of all time', and there'll always be someone who believes the series peaked with The Lost Levels. That's an opinion...
Guide Best Animal Crossing Games Of All Time
Is New Horizons the latest and greatest?
Since launching back in March, it seems like half the planet has been enjoying Animal Crossing: New Horizons at some time or other. Nintendo's serene life sim series has a habit of becoming a part of your daily routine like doing your teeth or walking the dog. Consequently, it etches itself into your brain;
Guide Best Nintendo Switch Games Of 2017
I just wanna go back, back to 2017
Remember 2017? While it might be something of a hazy memory now, that was the fateful year when Nintendo released the Switch to the world. The portable powerhouse would hit the ground running with the wonderful The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild upon its March 2017 launch. July 2017 saw the colourful...
