Title↕ | Year↕ | Platform↕ | Developer↕ | Genre↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | 2017 | Nintendo Switch / Wii U | Nintendo EPD | Action-Adventure / Open World | Reinvented open-world design; 97 on Metacritic; defined the Switch launch |
Super Mario Bros. | 1985 | NES | Nintendo R&D4 | Platformer | Saved the video game industry after the 1983 crash; best-selling NES game |
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | 1998 | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo EAD | Action-Adventure | Pioneered Z-targeting and 3D adventure design; held highest Metacritic score for years |
Super Mario World | 1990 | SNES | Nintendo EAD | Platformer | Introduced Yoshi; defined 2D platforming excellence; SNES launch title |
Super Metroid | 1994 | SNES | Nintendo R&D1 / Intelligent Systems | Action / Metroidvania | Defined the Metroidvania genre; atmospheric sci-fi exploration at its peak |
Super Mario Galaxy | 2007 | Wii | Nintendo EAD Tokyo | 3D Platformer | Gravity-bending level design; orchestral soundtrack; 97 on Metacritic |
Super Mario 64 | 1996 | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo EAD | 3D Platformer | Defined 3D platforming; revolutionary analog stick controls; N64 launch game |
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | 2023 | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo EPD | Action-Adventure / Open World | Ultrahand building system; sold 19.5M copies in its first year |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | 2018 | Nintendo Switch | Bandai Namco / Sora Ltd. | Fighting | Everyone Is Here — 89 fighters from across gaming history; best-selling fighting game ever |
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 2017 | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo EPD | Racing | Best-selling Switch game ever (62M+ copies); perfected the kart racing formula |
Pokemon Red & Blue | 1996 | Game Boy | Game Freak | RPG | Launched the Pokemon phenomenon; Gotta Catch 'Em All; 31M copies sold |
Metroid Prime | 2002 | GameCube | Retro Studios | FPS / Adventure | Flawlessly translated Metroid to 3D first-person; 97 on Metacritic |
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | 1991 | SNES | Nintendo EAD | Action-Adventure | Established the Zelda formula (dual worlds, Master Sword); many consider it the greatest 2D Zelda |
Animal Crossing: New Horizons | 2020 | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo EPD | Life Simulation | Cultural phenomenon during COVID-19 lockdowns; 44M+ copies sold |
Fire Emblem: Three Houses | 2019 | Nintendo Switch | Intelligent Systems / Koei Tecmo | Tactical RPG | Brought Fire Emblem to mainstream success; branching story paths and deep strategy |
Splatoon 2 | 2017 | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo EPD | Third-Person Shooter | Nintendo's fresh take on shooters; vibrant ink-based combat; massive esports scene in Japan |
Super Mario Bros. 3 | 1988 | NES | Nintendo EAD | Platformer | Introduced the world map and flying power-ups; considered the greatest NES game by many |
Xenoblade Chronicles | 2010 | Wii | Monolith Soft | Action RPG | Massive open world JRPG; Operation Rainfall campaign brought it West |
Donkey Kong Country | 1994 | SNES | Rare | Platformer | Pre-rendered 3D graphics on SNES; David Wise's legendary soundtrack |
Kirby Super Star | 1996 | SNES | HAL Laboratory | Platformer | Eight games in one cartridge; co-op play; the definitive Kirby experience |
Pikmin 2 | 2004 | GameCube | Nintendo EAD | Real-Time Strategy | Expanded on the Pikmin formula with caves and treasure hunting; no time limit |
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | 2002 | GameCube | Nintendo EAD | Action-Adventure | Cel-shaded art style initially controversial, now beloved; sailing the Great Sea |
Metroid Dread | 2021 | Nintendo Switch | MercurySteam / Nintendo EPD | Action / Metroidvania | First new 2D Metroid in 19 years; intense EMMI chase sequences; 2.9M+ copies sold |
Pokemon Gold & Silver | 1999 | Game Boy Color | Game Freak | RPG | Added 100 new Pokemon, day/night cycle, breeding; included the entire Kanto region post-game |
EarthBound | 1994 | SNES | Ape Inc. / HAL Laboratory | RPG | Quirky modern-day RPG; cult classic; massive influence on indie games like Undertale |
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Frequently asked questions
How is the Best Nintendo Games list ranked?
The Best Nintendo Games of All Time list is currently sorted by the source data's default ordering. Community voting is not enabled on this dataset.
How many entries are in this Best Nintendo Games dataset?
This dataset contains 25 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the Best Nintendo Games data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 25-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
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