Switch > SNES/VB > NES/GB > N64/GBC > GC/GBA > Wii/DS > WiiU/3DS. Closest matchup imo are 2nd and 3rd as VB is a non-contender and SNES is just barely better than NES and GB combined. The rest of it’s a pretty gradual slope. All very fun generations in their own way.
I think talking Nintendo software specifically would be an equally interesting conversation. Switch is #1 in large part because of versatility, library size, and 3rd party support. Looking exclusively at Nintendo titles would be a very different list, as wonderful as a few Ninty-published Switch games are.
My top 6 would be: 6. DKC2: Diddy Kong’s Quest 5. SMW2: Yoshi’s Island 4. Earthbound 3. Super Metroid 2. Zelda: Link to the Past 1. Super Mario World But it would be just as easy to swap 4 and 5, and the top three could easily be arranged any which way. All GOATs, IMO. Even though Switch is my favorite console of all time, due partly to accessibility of so many great games from other consoles and from the past and to the flexible form factor, I still consider SNES to be Ninty’s heyday as a software developer.
Over 1,000 platinum points saved up here with no mobile games, just logging in week after week to collect my points and find that there’s still nothing worth buying with shipping and still in stock, some of the sweepstakes being the only exception. Might have actually bit on this one if it were available in the US!
Cool idea. I started watching, but the music aspect was so bad I couldn’t get far. It seems like they put all the effort into the drawings and none into the music, which led to a bad overall presentation.
I'd be very surprised if you need save data from LGP AND LGE for Mew, or from Sword AND Shield for Jirachi, which is what the article states. It's got to be one or the other of each set of games, right? It certainly seems that way from a later sentence about Sw&Sh ("...even if you have save data for both Sword and Shield..."). Would you please change the wording in the article to make it Crystal clear?
I hope, and I think the next console will be some kind of Switch 2. They've shown with their biggest console successes that they have a preference for sequels (SNES, 3DS, Wii U...). They've done it well and they've done it not so well. My guess and hope is that they're going to attempt what they attempted with the Wii --> Wii U, but do it right this time.
But, as others are saying, this is Nintendo and part of the fun and the fury of being a Nintendo fan is you just never know if they're going to do a "YES!" or a "Wtf?"
Probably not. One of my favorite series. Like many others, I about had a heart attack when I first learned of the announcement (no pun intended) and was extremely let down to quickly learn it's cloud-based. Having KH 1+2 on Switch would be a dream. I'm less turned off by the internet piece than I am by the fact that it's but a lease. I'd only bite if it were like $15 or less, and that's probably not going to happen.
Here's hoping Squenix actually ports any version 1 and/or 2 to Switch at some point with all the uproar online. They could make a killing, but I'm not optimistic.
This ranking is heresy! Here’s the correct order: The lowest rank games were basically correct. These bottom three are not worth playing, imo, unless you love their series. 16. Dr. Mario 64 15. Yoshi’s Story 14. Kirby 64 The games in the next section are very much worth checking out, but not among the legendary, imo. 13. Winback (a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one) 12. Sin & Punishment (very fine, indeed) 11. Mario Golf (always a good time, and quite addictive) 10. F-Zero X (so fast and fun) 9. Mario Tennis (so much fun, plus Waluigi’s first appearance!) 8. Pokémon Snap (simple but brilliant) 7. Paper Mario (lovely and funny) 6. Star Fox 64 (so tight and replayable) The top five are what I would call legend-tier, particularly the top two. 5. Mario Kart 64 (perhaps the ultimate multiplayer game) 4. Majora’s Mask (brilliant, dark, and unique) 3. Banjo-Kazooie (too many collectibles and not quite as tight as Mario, but this game is still excellent, fun, and funny to boot) 2. Ocarina of Time (A truly awesome game. It doesn’t hold up quite as well as some would like to think without the goggles of nostalgia, but still absolutely definitive) 1. Mario 64 (genius and world-changing)
So many top comments here are about whether or not we should be impressed. When it comes to my excitement level, whether or not the port is impressive pales in comparison to whether the games are fun and whether I’ve played them in recent years or at all. In this case, the games are legendary and I was too young to enjoy them when they were first released on PS2 and haven’t since had a console they were available on. Pretty exciting in my book!
Liked this game a lot when it came out on Wii, 9/10 for me, but still probably my least favorite 3D Zelda. I’m happy for those enjoying it, but selfishly I hope it doesn’t sell well. Nintendo’s focus on remakes really is getting out of hand, IMO.
I personally don’t want the Steam Deck badly enough to even consider it. However, for most of us who already own a Switch and want to buy a new handheld, spending $50 more on a Steam Deck makes a lot more sense than OLED Switch, IMO.
I love these games. The GBA games were good times but the 2D never did it for me. 3 was the pinnacle, IMO, with 4 as a close second. Then probably 2 then Underground 1 then the original. I haven’t enjoyed any of the others too much that I’ve played. I greatly look forward to playing the 1+2 remake and would be thrilled to have a 3+4!
I still predict an announcement by end of summer and a release at holiday season. That said, I’m extremely unlikely to buy whatever they’re selling. I’m not one for the latest and greatest (my console before Switch was a gifted Wii), and I don’t get a lot of time to play video games. That means I’ll get to enjoy the Switch’s already-fantastic and growing library for a long time to come.
Quite sure at this point that it’s coming this year. And number me among those who think Super Switch is the best name. I’m sick of Pro because very few of us really care to think of ourselves as pro gamers. I’m even more sick of Plus because I don’t like how it sounds (plus what?) and mostly because of way too man recent Plus streaming services. Sadly, odds are that it will be one of those and not Super Switch.
Also like others, I almost certainly will not upgrade, as I’m satisfied with my current Switch, and my dearest hope (and it seems a good likelihood) is that OG Switch has at least 3 more years of new games ahead of it.
Not too bad of a list, IMO, though there were some glaring omissions as mentioned above (Contra most of all). I definitely would put original SMB at #2 due to sheer importance.
Here’s the main thing I take from this list though: It’s easy to forget just how fantastic the NES was. So many games that hold up 30+ years later. So much fun to be had! After the Switch and SNES, the NES is the best Nintendo console of all time, and that’s still saying a lot!
$349 for Super Switch and a decrease to $249 for original would be the consumer-friendly thing to do, so they’ll probably do $399 and $299... At the same time, the original is still selling like crazy so I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same thing.
My own list is actually the same as your mathy list, except that I think most people slightly under-rate LttP and original LoZ. I’d move them each up two places, shimmying the others down.
1. LttP
2. BotW
3. OoT
4. WW
5. MM
6. LA
7. LoZ
8. LBW
9. TP
10. MC
I agree with this article. I totally get having both red and pink. The new Mario red is actually my favorite red, but they should have stuck with the Odyssey red to avoid this pickle of a situation. And when I saw the Skyward Sword joy-cons I had a visceral reaction to the colors (though I love them otherwise). They should have done one blue or two different colors like blue and purple.
I hear those who are saying “Oh, waaa, too many colors,” but I think it does something to make the Switch and Nintendo feel like they don’t really know what they’re doing.
I know this game is super huge and I'm sure I'd enjoy it, but I don't like playing games on my phone. I've always enjoyed bluffing games. Really looking forward to giving it a try!
Yeah, considering so many of your readers are on mobile, it would have been much better to retype the statement or somehow make it more readable. Lots of news outlets make this a practice. I can’t imagine that it would take much more than an extra five minutes or so?
That said, the reaction by multiple commenters had a tone that was unnecessarily harsh IMO. Is it too much to hope for high-quality articles and constructive comments?
My top 10 are: 10. Zelda: Skyward Sword 9. Smash Bros. Brawl 8. Zelda: Twilight Princess 7. World of Goo 6. The Last Story (XC is probably better but I prefer this) 5. Wii Sports (Resort is better but original is more important) 4. Metroid Prime 3 (I don’t count Trilogy) 3. Mario Galaxy 2 2. Resident Evil 4 1. Mario Galaxy
21 years? Impossible! Why, 21 years ago I was only... oh my...
Seriously, this was the first game I spent my own money on. I played it at some friends’ houses and it was a dream come true. I went to the bank with my parents, exchanged a big ol’ jar of saved up change for bigger bills (back when they would do that for you), went to the local K-mart, and spent $50 long-saved; I never once regretted it. I put many, many hours into this game, almost all of them multiplayer against my brother and my friends. Some of my best gaming memories were with this one, surpassed by very few others, Melee being one of them. The original was so good that, when a sequel was announced, I thought about it every day despite not having my own GameCube. Ultimate is easily the best Smash game ever made, but as a father who works full time I may never make better gaming memories than playing the original for hours at a time in our damp basement against my neighbor friends. Fingers crossed that my own kids will play with me in a few years.
I'm a late adopter / budget gamer, so this definitely affects me. I'm still building a Wii library on the cheap and have been planning to buy a Wii U sometime next year. I've been putting off buying VC games until then because I don't want to pay to transfer my purchases. Looks like Nintendo is going to force my hand early and I'll be getting a Wii U sooner than I expected to. I'm not mad; as the author says, it was only a matter of time. I'm really glad to know well enough in advance!
Comments 132
Re: Feature: Which Is The Absolute Best Nintendo Console Generation?
Switch > SNES/VB > NES/GB > N64/GBC > GC/GBA > Wii/DS > WiiU/3DS.
Closest matchup imo are 2nd and 3rd as VB is a non-contender and SNES is just barely better than NES and GB combined. The rest of it’s a pretty gradual slope. All very fun generations in their own way.
I think talking Nintendo software specifically would be an equally interesting conversation. Switch is #1 in large part because of versatility, library size, and 3rd party support. Looking exclusively at Nintendo titles would be a very different list, as wonderful as a few Ninty-published Switch games are.
Re: 'Switch Pro' Trends On Social Media After Massive Nvidia Leak Reignites Speculation
Subtitle: Not again!
NintendoLife (and all gaming blogs) actually: We love to see it! Bring on the clicks!
Re: Square Enix Admits Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Undershot" Initial Sales Expectations
Hey SquEnix, you know what would have sold really well?
Re: Every Nintendo Switch Online SNES Game Ranked
My top 6 would be:
6. DKC2: Diddy Kong’s Quest
5. SMW2: Yoshi’s Island
4. Earthbound
3. Super Metroid
2. Zelda: Link to the Past
1. Super Mario World
But it would be just as easy to swap 4 and 5, and the top three could easily be arranged any which way. All GOATs, IMO. Even though Switch is my favorite console of all time, due partly to accessibility of so many great games from other consoles and from the past and to the flexible form factor, I still consider SNES to be Ninty’s heyday as a software developer.
Re: Nintendo's Giving Away A Set Of Awesome N64 Posters (Europe)
Over 1,000 platinum points saved up here with no mobile games, just logging in week after week to collect my points and find that there’s still nothing worth buying with shipping and still in stock, some of the sweepstakes being the only exception. Might have actually bit on this one if it were available in the US!
Re: Random: 927 Artists Join Forces To Draw Every Single Pokémon For An 'Updated PokéRap' Video
Cool idea. I started watching, but the music aspect was so bad I couldn’t get far. It seems like they put all the effort into the drawings and none into the music, which led to a bad overall presentation.
Re: Here's How To Get Mew And Jirachi In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl
I'd be very surprised if you need save data from LGP AND LGE for Mew, or from Sword AND Shield for Jirachi, which is what the article states. It's got to be one or the other of each set of games, right? It certainly seems that way from a later sentence about Sw&Sh ("...even if you have save data for both Sword and Shield..."). Would you please change the wording in the article to make it Crystal clear?
Re: Talking Point: Will Nintendo Abandon The Switch Concept For Its Next Console?
I hope, and I think the next console will be some kind of Switch 2. They've shown with their biggest console successes that they have a preference for sequels (SNES, 3DS, Wii U...). They've done it well and they've done it not so well. My guess and hope is that they're going to attempt what they attempted with the Wii --> Wii U, but do it right this time.
But, as others are saying, this is Nintendo and part of the fun and the fury of being a Nintendo fan is you just never know if they're going to do a "YES!" or a "Wtf?"
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting The "Cloud Versions" Of Kingdom Hearts On Switch?
Probably not. One of my favorite series. Like many others, I about had a heart attack when I first learned of the announcement (no pun intended) and was extremely let down to quickly learn it's cloud-based. Having KH 1+2 on Switch would be a dream. I'm less turned off by the internet piece than I am by the fact that it's but a lease. I'd only bite if it were like $15 or less, and that's probably not going to happen.
Here's hoping Squenix actually ports any version 1 and/or 2 to Switch at some point with all the uproar online. They could make a killing, but I'm not optimistic.
Re: Every Nintendo Switch Online N64 Game Ranked
This ranking is heresy! Here’s the correct order:
The lowest rank games were basically correct. These bottom three are not worth playing, imo, unless you love their series.
16. Dr. Mario 64
15. Yoshi’s Story
14. Kirby 64
The games in the next section are very much worth checking out, but not among the legendary, imo.
13. Winback (a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one)
12. Sin & Punishment (very fine, indeed)
11. Mario Golf (always a good time, and quite addictive)
10. F-Zero X (so fast and fun)
9. Mario Tennis (so much fun, plus Waluigi’s first appearance!)
8. Pokémon Snap (simple but brilliant)
7. Paper Mario (lovely and funny)
6. Star Fox 64 (so tight and replayable)
The top five are what I would call legend-tier, particularly the top two.
5. Mario Kart 64 (perhaps the ultimate multiplayer game)
4. Majora’s Mask (brilliant, dark, and unique)
3. Banjo-Kazooie (too many collectibles and not quite as tight as Mario, but this game is still excellent, fun, and funny to boot)
2. Ocarina of Time (A truly awesome game. It doesn’t hold up quite as well as some would like to think without the goggles of nostalgia, but still absolutely definitive)
1. Mario 64 (genius and world-changing)
Re: Grand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogy Reportedly Heading To Switch
So many top comments here are about whether or not we should be impressed. When it comes to my excitement level, whether or not the port is impressive pales in comparison to whether the games are fun and whether I’ve played them in recent years or at all.
In this case, the games are legendary and I was too young to enjoy them when they were first released on PS2 and haven’t since had a console they were available on. Pretty exciting in my book!
Re: Tetris Effect: Connected Is Dropping Onto Nintendo Switch Soon
Yeeeeess! One of my most-wanted ports for Switch! Wonderful news!!
Re: Best Metroid Games Of All Time
This is a correct list. Carry on, everyone.
Re: Just 10 Days Since Launch, Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Is Already Amazon's Third Best-Seller Of 2021
Liked this game a lot when it came out on Wii, 9/10 for me, but still probably my least favorite 3D Zelda. I’m happy for those enjoying it, but selfishly I hope it doesn’t sell well. Nintendo’s focus on remakes really is getting out of hand, IMO.
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting A Switch OLED Or Valve Steam Deck?
I personally don’t want the Steam Deck badly enough to even consider it. However, for most of us who already own a Switch and want to buy a new handheld, spending $50 more on a Steam Deck makes a lot more sense than OLED Switch, IMO.
Re: Best Tony Hawk Games Of All Time
I love these games. The GBA games were good times but the 2D never did it for me. 3 was the pinnacle, IMO, with 4 as a close second. Then probably 2 then Underground 1 then the original. I haven’t enjoyed any of the others too much that I’ve played. I greatly look forward to playing the 1+2 remake and would be thrilled to have a 3+4!
Re: Doug Bowser Responds To Reports About "Upgraded Switch Replacement" (Again)
I still predict an announcement by end of summer and a release at holiday season. That said, I’m extremely unlikely to buy whatever they’re selling. I’m not one for the latest and greatest (my console before Switch was a gifted Wii), and I don’t get a lot of time to play video games. That means I’ll get to enjoy the Switch’s already-fantastic and growing library for a long time to come.
Re: Switch Pro Rumours Intensify As New Retailer Listing Appears Online
Quite sure at this point that it’s coming this year.
And number me among those who think Super Switch is the best name. I’m sick of Pro because very few of us really care to think of ourselves as pro gamers. I’m even more sick of Plus because I don’t like how it sounds (plus what?) and mostly because of way too man recent Plus streaming services. Sadly, odds are that it will be one of those and not Super Switch.
Also like others, I almost certainly will not upgrade, as I’m satisfied with my current Switch, and my dearest hope (and it seems a good likelihood) is that OG Switch has at least 3 more years of new games ahead of it.
Re: Feature: Best NES Games
Not too bad of a list, IMO, though there were some glaring omissions as mentioned above (Contra most of all). I definitely would put original SMB at #2 due to sheer importance.
Here’s the main thing I take from this list though: It’s easy to forget just how fantastic the NES was. So many games that hold up 30+ years later. So much fun to be had! After the Switch and SNES, the NES is the best Nintendo console of all time, and that’s still saying a lot!
Re: New Switch Model Could Launch For $399, Analysts Suggest
$349 for Super Switch and a decrease to $249 for original would be the consumer-friendly thing to do, so they’ll probably do $399 and $299... At the same time, the original is still selling like crazy so I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same thing.
Re: Feature: We Worked Out The Best Zelda Game Once And For All, Using Maths
My own list is actually the same as your mathy list, except that I think most people slightly under-rate LttP and original LoZ. I’d move them each up two places, shimmying the others down.
1. LttP
2. BotW
3. OoT
4. WW
5. MM
6. LA
7. LoZ
8. LBW
9. TP
10. MC
Re: Random: Nintendo Has A Problem With Its Switch Joy-Con, And We're Not Talking About Drift
I agree with this article. I totally get having both red and pink. The new Mario red is actually my favorite red, but they should have stuck with the Odyssey red to avoid this pickle of a situation. And when I saw the Skyward Sword joy-cons I had a visceral reaction to the colors (though I love them otherwise). They should have done one blue or two different colors like blue and purple.
I hear those who are saying “Oh, waaa, too many colors,” but I think it does something to make the Switch and Nintendo feel like they don’t really know what they’re doing.
Re: Surprise! Among Us Is Getting Sus On Switch Later Today
I know this game is super huge and I'm sure I'd enjoy it, but I don't like playing games on my phone. I've always enjoyed bluffing games. Really looking forward to giving it a try!
Re: Physicality Games Cancels Its Exclusive Pre-Orders For Switch, Will Refund All Customers
@Damo Very helpful! Thank you!
Re: Physicality Games Cancels Its Exclusive Pre-Orders For Switch, Will Refund All Customers
Yeah, considering so many of your readers are on mobile, it would have been much better to retype the statement or somehow make it more readable. Lots of news outlets make this a practice. I can’t imagine that it would take much more than an extra five minutes or so?
That said, the reaction by multiple commenters had a tone that was unnecessarily harsh IMO. Is it too much to hope for high-quality articles and constructive comments?
Re: Feature: Best Nintendo Wii Games
My top 10 are:
10. Zelda: Skyward Sword
9. Smash Bros. Brawl
8. Zelda: Twilight Princess
7. World of Goo
6. The Last Story (XC is probably better but I prefer this)
5. Wii Sports (Resort is better but original is more important)
4. Metroid Prime 3 (I don’t count Trilogy)
3. Mario Galaxy 2
2. Resident Evil 4
1. Mario Galaxy
Re: Guide: Super Mario Bros. 35 - How To Win And Top Tips For Mario's Switch Battle Royale
35th comment
Re: Random: "Games I Want Ported To Nintendo Switch" Twitter Hashtag Goes Viral In Japan
@Ajent Surprise!
Re: Random: "Games I Want Ported To Nintendo Switch" Twitter Hashtag Goes Viral In Japan
3rd-party, my top requests would be:
– Portal 1 and 2
– Half Life trilogy
1st-party, I’d love to have all the Zeldas remastered
Re: Anniversary: Super Smash Bros. Turns 21 Today
21 years? Impossible! Why, 21 years ago I was only... oh my...
Seriously, this was the first game I spent my own money on. I played it at some friends’ houses and it was a dream come true. I went to the bank with my parents, exchanged a big ol’ jar of saved up change for bigger bills (back when they would do that for you), went to the local K-mart, and spent $50 long-saved; I never once regretted it. I put many, many hours into this game, almost all of them multiplayer against my brother and my friends. Some of my best gaming memories were with this one, surpassed by very few others, Melee being one of them. The original was so good that, when a sequel was announced, I thought about it every day despite not having my own GameCube. Ultimate is easily the best Smash game ever made, but as a father who works full time I may never make better gaming memories than playing the original for hours at a time in our damp basement against my neighbor friends. Fingers crossed that my own kids will play with me in a few years.
Re: Poll: Have Your Say on the Best Main Series 3D Mario and Zelda Games
I picked Zelda over Mario 3-2. Breath of the Wild had a big effect. Of course, if the 2D era was in play, Mario would take the cake!
Re: Nintendo Has Announced the End of the Wii Shop Channel
I'm a late adopter / budget gamer, so this definitely affects me. I'm still building a Wii library on the cheap and have been planning to buy a Wii U sometime next year. I've been putting off buying VC games until then because I don't want to pay to transfer my purchases. Looks like Nintendo is going to force my hand early and I'll be getting a Wii U sooner than I expected to. I'm not mad; as the author says, it was only a matter of time. I'm really glad to know well enough in advance!