Support NeoGAF

[TheSpaceBetween]

Everything ages. It's not unheard of for ideas which include design philosophy to become antiquated or the foundation of philosophy to be improved upon drastically. Some things are able to better withstand weathering compared to other, and some things have a resurgence in newly found appreciation, but as culture and technology evolves and as design philosophies change, older titles begin to show their age although the video game industry has ingrained the idea of franchises and formulaic design into the public.

Nope. A book, a movie, and games as well, do not age. It is PEOPLE, gamers, that age. Super Mario Bros. is the same exact game it was when it was released in 1985. It is us, the gamers, that have aged. Our perspective has changed, we've experienced new things, technology has advanced. But it's the same game now as it was back when it was released.

 

[dreamlongdead]

I'm not surprised to see OoT at the top. That was my 1st place vote, and I really never experienced another Nintendo game that could compare. You really had to be there to understand how revolutionary it was.

It turns out that my votes for Smash Bros Melee and Pokemon Gold/Silver made a huge impact. I wouldn't have minded if R/B/Y really was the #1 Pokemon, since that is my second favorite gen. It's just nice to see that Gold/Silver and the other entries are all in their correct positions.

It's sad to see how poorly Nintendo is managing Metroid. Why would you let that happen when Super Metroid and Metroid Prime are such classics?

All of my other picks beside Kirby's Dreamland 2 had very high spots in the list.

 

[Sandfox]

Nope. A book, a movie, and games as well, do not age. It is PEOPLE, gamers, that age. Super Mario Bros. is the same exact game it was when it was released in 1985. It is us, the gamers, that have aged. Our perspective has changed, we've experienced new things, technology has advanced. But it's the same game now as it was back when it was released.

I think you can argue this both ways tbqh.

 

[ohlawd]

You feel Metroid Prime should have been higher? I can agree, but 5's good enough for me, and a spot higher than the last list to boot.

yeh I do. the first three I mentioned should be higher than they are. what else. holy shit Metroid Prime 2 is 47. another fuck up.

and if I really had to pick two mainline Pokemon games in a top 25, it'd be Black/White 2 and ORAS. Platinum for a third. what gets me even more triggered is seeing GSC over HGSS. I get RBY over FRLG cuz those remakes were shit tho.

 

[Benzychenz]

First game on the list I haven't played is Donkey Kong Country 2 at #25. Looks like I've covered Nintendo's best pretty well.

Ocarina of Time is just not good in the year 2016. The pacing is glacial, the story is hilariously childish and dull even for 90s nintendo standards, its "open world" is both empty AND tiny, the z-target combat was innovate at the time but its crazy antiqued by modern standards...thats on top of the game being ugly as sin and running at a piss poor framerate.

Its gon get by on lists like this for historical significance and nostalgia for the rest of our lives.

Oh please, I played it for the first time on Wii VC and then replayed it on 3DS. It's one of the best games ever made.

 

[Anth0ny]

Ocarina of Time is just not good in the year 2016. The pacing is glacial, the story is hilariously childish and dull even for 90s nintendo standards, its "open world" is both empty AND tiny, the z-target combat was innovate at the time but its crazy antiqued by modern standards...thats on top of the game being ugly as sin and running at a piss poor framerate.

Its gon get by on lists like this for historical significance and nostalgia for the rest of our lives.

 

[MoonFrog]

All of my other picks beside Kirby's Dreamland 2 had very high spots in the list.

I loved that game as a child. I also dropped it down a seatbelt hole so I never got to finish it or go back to play it as an adult (yet).

 

[dreamlongdead]

yeh I do. the first three I mentioned should be higher than they are. what else. holy shit Metroid Prime 2 is 47. another fuck up.

and if I really had to pick two mainline Pokemon games in a top 25, it'd be Black/White 2 and ORAS. Platinum for a third. what gets me even more triggered is seeing GSC over HGSS. I get RBY over FRLG cuz those remakes were shit tho.

Black/White 2 had less votes than I expected. I can actually see a case for those titles, but ORAS is practically bottom of the barrel. Only XY are worse.

 

[mrmickfran]

😂😂😂

 

[Sandfox]

yeh I do. the first three I mentioned should be higher than they are. what else. holy shit Metroid Prime 2 is 47. another fuck up.

and if I really had to pick two mainline Pokemon games in a top 25, it'd be Black/White 2 and ORAS. Platinum for a third. what gets me even more triggered is seeing GSC over HGSS. I get RBY over FRLG cuz those remakes were shit tho.

I would put RBY ahead for something like this, but those games had issues that make me prefer the remakes.

 

[jnWake]

I get someone could dislike OoT for the framerate, the overworld and maybe the combat, but the pacing? Game gets rolling really quick and there's not much downtime between dungeons/mini-dungeons and fun stuff. Also the story is very simple but it's well presented with the 7 year timeskip highlighting the changes in the world in cool ways.

 

[MoonFrog]

I would put RBY ahead for something like this, but those games had issues that make me prefer the remakes.

Putting, say, Ponyta (iirc) on the Orange Islands with Pokemon not from Gen 1 was unforgivable to me for a remake of the original games.

 

[Dion Blaster]

To me OoT has the best pacing of any 3D Zelda. The deku tree is a perfect example of that, much better designed than the other game's tutorials.

 

[Sandfox]

Putting, say, Ponyta (iirc) on the Orange Islands with Pokemon not from Gen 1 was unforgivable to me for a remake of the original games.

The first three islands only had gen 1 Pokemon and Ponyta before was only available in the Pokemon Mansion so it's not that much of a difference IMO.

 

[ohlawd]

I would put RBY ahead for something like this, but those games had issues that make me prefer the remakes.

and what's something like this? I get what JC's saying. some shit's just too old. new shit does what the old stuff better. there's no way I'd place OoT over any 3D Zelda past it except Twilight Princess (that game's just fucked) and I guess we can count the DS Zelda here too for the same reason why RBY/GSC has no place over RSE and any other gen past it.

 

[Sandfox]

and what's something like this? I get what JC's saying. some shit's just too old. new shit does what the old stuff better. there's no way I'd place OoT over any 3D Zelda past it except Twilight Princess (that game's just fucked) and I guess we can count the DS Zelda here too for the same reason why RBY/GSC has no place over RSE and any other gen past it.

For all time rankings lists I take when the game was released and what it did for it's time into consideration.

 

[Aters]

Metroid Fusion/Zero Mission >>>>> whatever Metroid is on DS/3DS
Advance Wars 1/2 >> Advance Wars: Unbalanced Edition and Darkness No Parents Edition
Wario Land 4, MicroGames, Twisted >>> Touched, Master of Disguise, whatever Wario got on 3DS
Link Between Worlds > Minish Cap >>> 3DS flabby Zelda games
Superstar Saga > or = Bowser's Inside Story >> Dream Team >> that Mario and Luigi game that came out this year everyone already forgot about
Various Super Mario Advance ports >>> NSMB 1/2 bland anoyminity
GBA F-Zero > N/A F-Zero
Mario vs Donkey Kong >>> that fake Lemmings game with the Mario paint over it
Fire Emblem > Waifu Emblem now in ugly 3D

I'll give you the superior Mario Kart, but dats it.

Agreed. GBA has far better first party content than DS/3DS. Nintendo even made some good RPGs for that systems, see Mother 3 and Golden Sun 1/2.

 

[WrenchNinja]

Metroid Fusion/Zero Mission >>>>> whatever Metroid is on DS/3DS
Advance Wars 1/2 >> Advance Wars: Unbalanced Edition and Darkness No Parents Edition
Wario Land 4, MicroGames, Twisted >>> Touched, Master of Disguise, whatever Wario got on 3DS
Link Between Worlds > Minish Cap >>> 3DS flabby Zelda games
Superstar Saga > or = Bowser's Inside Story >> Dream Team >> that Mario and Luigi game that came out this year everyone already forgot about
Various Super Mario Advance ports >>> NSMB 1/2 bland anoyminity
GBA F-Zero > N/A F-Zero
Mario vs Donkey Kong >>> that fake Lemmings game with the Mario paint over it
Fire Emblem > Waifu Emblem now in ugly 3D

I'll give you the superior Mario Kart, but dats it.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is the GBA's original 2D Mario and it's way better than the NSMBs but no one ever talks about it for whatever reason

I guess cause Nintendo batardised into those mini mario games

 

[Richardbro]

Great list, only complaints are that Kirby Superstar needs to be somewhere in the top 50 and Fire Emblem 7 GBA as well as a Link Between Worlds should be in the top 30.

Also PPTTYD needs to be way higher!

 

[Aters]

Speaking of OoT, I do think it's not as good as it is praised. In fact, the N64 Zelda games are the ones I enjoyed the least, and I tried most of them only recently. ALttP ages better because of the simple control, tight pacing, and dense world, while later 3D ones like WW look far more appealing. A real good game should be able to shine regardless of the time frame. In my opinion ALttP and Super Metroid stand the test of time. OoT and Golden Eye don't.

 

[DarkTom]

Great work and pretty good list. Wonderful 101 being that high is the big surprise.

I'm proud to have been quoted !

 

[Benzychenz]

Only game in my top 10 that didn't make the list is Rhythm Heaven Fever.

Really surprised at how poorly the series did here, they're some of Nintendo's best games ever. Best ranking one was somehow the DS game at #108.

 

[BGBW]

64 blah blah galaxy blah blah 3d world blah blah

The real casualty is 3D Land being all the way down there in the 90s.

As for OoT. When I played through it proper via the WW bonus disc (before then it was on a friend's system so my file kept getting erased lol) I went in with a jaded view due all the best game ever hype and didn't enjoy myself. For years I moaned it wasn't that great. Then the 3DS version came out and I decided to retry it with a clear head and I really enjoyed it. For me it isn't the best of the bunch, however it is the purest of the 3D Zeldas, (and honestly, 3D does add a lot to the series) and as a result I can see why it is liked by the majority because in a sense there's little to really dislike.

 

[purdobol]

Sin & Punishment 2 is CRIMINALLY low god damn

It's a rail shooter masterpiece

Yeah it is. Kind of regretting now not "voting strategically" and putting it in the first place in order to bump it. This game deserves to be in the top 50 for sure.

Pretty good list overall. Would thrown out only 3 titles from the top 50.
Goldeneye, Zelda 2 and Zelda SS (not because of motion controls btw).

As for Ocarina of Time and all usual nostalgia rants. I don't know. Played that game for the first time waay after initial release (2006 maybe 2007). Coming from PC not many console games impressed me. And OoT not only managed that but it also jumped at my personal GOAT spot.

 

[Oblivion]

I get someone could dislike OoT for the framerate, the overworld and maybe the combat, but the pacing? Game gets rolling really quick and there's not much downtime between dungeons/mini-dungeons and fun stuff. Also the story is very simple but it's well presented with the 7 year timeskip highlighting the changes in the world in cool ways.

To me OoT has the best pacing of any 3D Zelda. The deku tree is a perfect example of that, much better designed than the other game's tutorials.

Yeah, of all the things to complain about OoT, and JC decides to go with pacing? I figured that would be the one thing all Zelda fans would agree OoT has over the others in spades.

 

[Neff]

Ocarina of Time is just not good in the year 2016. The pacing is glacial, the story is hilariously childish and dull even for 90s nintendo standards, its "open world" is both empty AND tiny, the z-target combat was innovate at the time but its crazy antiqued by modern standards...thats on top of the game being ugly as sin and running at a piss poor framerate.

Its gon get by on lists like this for historical significance and nostalgia for the rest of our lives.

You're not completely wrong, in fact I remember being disappointed by the game even back in 1998, but at the end of the day the game is still rich with smart ideas, cool visuals/sound, and just plain good-ass design. It's ok for it to be recognised for being a landmark title, because it absolutely is one, and above all, it still holds up as a solid piece of entertainment in its own right, even if it's aged poorer and was constrained by the limitations of its hardware at the time more than some would care to admit.

Yeah, of all the things to complain about OoT, and JC decides to go with pacing? I figured that would be the one thing all Zelda fans would agree OoT has over the others in spades.

The 3D ones, maybe.

 

[vall03]

Looking at the top ten, I've played all of them but only completed seven titles. Guess I need to finish Super Metroid, Metroid Prime and Majora's Mask.

 

[Zalman]

I've played every game in the top 50 except Mother 3. Holding out for that official release.

 

[Oblivion]

The 3D ones, maybe.

Obviously.

 

[woopWOOP]

As a Nintendo fan who isn't really into Zelda or Metroid this list feels weird.

So there ARE more like me!
That said, I do like the 2D Metroids and from what I've played of LttP, that game was alright. Pretty solid list to me... aside from SMW ending up higher than SMB3.

As expected Goldeneye went all the way up there, but atleast Perfect Dark reached the top 50... and so did the original Paper Mario, yay! Splatoon at 21 was rather unexpected, but well deserved.

Thanks for arranging and tallying this whole thing, Sadist!

 

[JimiNutz]

Damn... So many Nintendo games that I've never played
We should do a similar vite for Sony and Microsoft games!

 

[OuterLimits]

The original Punch Out sitting way down at 96 is criminal I tell you.

 

[Magicpaint]

Pretty much everyone I know that played OoT outside of the 'nostalgia bubble' love it. A friend of mine recently went through it for the first time a couple of weeks and was completely blown away. And that was the n64 version, nearly 20 years later. The game has been further modernized with a fantastic remaster that was well received and continues to sell a ton (4m+). Majora's Mask is my sentimental favourite because of its unique take on the formula and atmosphere, but Ocarina of Time is sublime. No issues with it continually topping these lists.

 

[Wensih]

Nope. A book, a movie, and games as well, do not age. It is PEOPLE, gamers, that age. Super Mario Bros. is the same exact game it was when it was released in 1985. It is us, the gamers, that have aged. Our perspective has changed, we've experienced new things, technology has advanced. But it's the same game now as it was back when it was released.

This is part of what I said, of course people who expose themselves to more experiences, new and old, throughout their life will have a changed persepective, but some of those new experiences come from advancement and iteration on ideas, technology, and culture post-1985, post-1998. And from those new post-1985, post-1998, experiences their perspective on Super Mario Bros. and Ocarina of Time can change because those new experiences can reveal how antiquated those games are, how they have become classics that moved the field forward but have been iterated and improved upon so many times that they do feel outdated.

So yes perspectives change over-time (of course they do), but it's through a combination of advancement and refinement on previous ideas that make something feel antiquated.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Yoshi's Island so low!!!

Not low enough when Kong still remains behind it my friend.

Really? You're gonna hate on a level that has music like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTl0ky4DcHA

yes? Dire Dire Docks is a shit tier level and no amount of decent music can salvage it.
Boy I sure love swimming through a bland featureless tunnel multiple times to reach the bulk of the level...which still sucks.

Favorite Developer by far, but it's sad how the best of lists just end up being mostly three franchises--Mario, Zelda, Metroid for the top 10.

Metroid is one of the biggest anomalies in gaming I swear, mostly great games praised by critics and players alike, essentially the founder and main representative of a popular sub genre, always ranking highly in best game lists....

Only to never actually sell that well even on its 10/10 entries, it's like simultaneously one of Nintendo's best franchises while also being one they can't really bank on.

Still sad to not see any Kirby in the top 50. It's probably cause I'm a kirby fan, but Kirby games take up like 3-4 spots in my top 10 nintendo games of all time.

I think Kirby suffers from being consistently good yet rarely great, like a series that has a glass ceiling above it that it wont likely breach often since the games are designed to be breezy experiences.

Sin & Punishment 2 is CRIMINALLY low god damn

It's a rail shooter masterpiece

Unfortunately for S&P it's 2016 and I bet the kids don't even know what rail shooters are.

I'm always so puzzled when people bring up the other mediocre 3D zeldas to raise up Ocarina of Time. Like yea, the framerate is terrible, and its ugly as sin, and the combat is simplistic ticky-tacky nothingness, and the overworld is a flop but look over there! A distraction! Look at those other Zelda games that are even worse in certain aspects!

Not the strongest of arguments! I'll never be convinced its great outside its original impact, but I would prefer arguments of its worth that were praising the game on its own merits, not pointing out other games are even worse.

Hmm, well while there's certainly a lot of original impact influence for this one , as someone who put it at number 1 I can admit that but I'd still argue against some of that.
The overworld is often a point of contention and Hyrule Field itself is mostly just a big lump o' grass that isn't much to shout about these days yet considering the entire game's map here and I don't see any major problems. numerous other areas are densely packed instead of stretched thin like the field, big enough to explore with stuff to find, some have their own little gimmicks,different characters to meet. Hyrule's size also works out for a sense of familiarity when the time skip occurs.
When it comes down to it I've still got a pretty great adventure game here with plenty of good dungeons, memorable (and yes hilariously ugly) characters, cool gimmicks like the ocarina itself (I feel this one is actually kinda understated in the grand scheme of things) and STOP TRYING TO RUIN MY NOSTALGIA JC!
Plus I play the 3DS version for life now, my framerate is a cool....30 or so.

 

[Sami+]

Melee not even top 10, Kid Icarus not even top 20.

Come on GAF how could you gyp #1 and #2 like that... 🤔

 

[TheDinoman]

I love Kid Icarus Uprising as much as the next guy but I'm not really bothered by its position that much. It's a somewhat divisive game due to its control scheme so to see it atleast break Top 30 isn't that shabby. And as previously mentioned, not counting ports it's the highest ranked 3DS game and the fourth highest ranked handheld game period on the list right behind Link's Awakening and the Pokemon stuff. All of this is pretty great since the game is about four years old and the 3DS is at the end of its lifespan (Skyward Sword dropped like a rock from 2012's results, for example).

Though I'm somewhat surprised Melee wasn't in the Top 10, but it almost was with its #11 position so whatever.

 

[MiamiWesker]

Might as well add to the craziness.

Zelda WW ahead of TP is pure stupidity. TP is the ultimate Zelda game, the best dungeons, items, bosses, main quest, it's amazing. While WW does have a great open world, it lacks in most every thing else.

Mario 64 as the best Mario, wtf. The Galaxy games are without question better games and way more faithful to Mario. In no way is 64 even better than SMB3 and SMW.

No Pokemon game should be ahead of Zelda LA.

Metroid Prime 2 over MP3, what the hell. MP3 is a great return to form after the weirdness of MP2.

Original Zelda is a masterpiece and belongs in the top 20.

Xenoblade at 13, really, really. It's great but come on. feels like a fake MMO with all the bullshit fetch quests. Paper Mario, Mario RPG, Pokemon, Mario and luigi, all better RPGs.

Kid Icarus uprising over Zelda ALBW, what? Huh. I don't even.

Punch-Out As 96 is criminal.

And those are my hot takes.

 

[Yarbskoo]

Goldeneye's better in the only area that really matters: level design. The dam through Bunker 2 first half plus the Control through Aztec conclusion just blows Perfect Dark out of the water.

PD's guns are also hit and miss, with the alien weapons (and really the whole alien shooting stuff) being a horrible misstep, and its assault rifles in particular have absolutely horrible sound design for some reason. They have a strange rattling sound that makes them annoying to use. GE has the great KF7 and the absolutely ferocious AR33. And its other weapons are very well executed as well.

I can't really agree with any of this, except for Goldeneye having some good weapons and those first few levels being great.

 

[Bakkus]

Super Metroid is number 2 on the list and sold less than 1.5 million copies.

Wasn't it among the top 5 most bought games on Wii and Wii U Virtual Console?

 

[Lynx_7]

While Ocarina of Time is undoubtedly a great game and probably my 3rd or 4th overall favorite of the Zelda franchise, I can understand the perspective of those who say it's not that impressive from a modern perspective. My first experience with OOT was kind of a rollercoaster: I began liking it a lot, then Jabu Jabu happened

Spoiler

(to this day I still think it's by far the worst dungeon of the game, possible candidate for worst dungeon in the whole series, FUCK Jabu Jabu)

and I got crazy lost on the Forest Temple and goddamn the Water Temple was boring and those things started to pile up and I came out of the experience with a somewhat mixed opinion on the title. It wasn't until I replayed it a couple years later that the game really grew on me and I began fully appreciating it.

That said, I'm also a bit bored of seeing it at number 1 everywhere. Is it deserving? Yes, but it's such an obvious and generic choice. Like, every other site ever could've made that list. It's the same whenever I see Chrono Trigger topping a "best JRPG of all time" list. It's one of my top 5 games ever and even then I get tired of seeing it at first place for the 500th time, even though I think it fully deserves it. But I also like seeing some other equally deserving games getting the recognition once in a while. Seeing the same game hogging the spotlight over and over just feels a bit redundant.
Maybe the person who said we should do a Zelda/Mario/Metroid-less list was on the right track, it could be interesting. Though I'd also be interested to see whether Mario can beat Super Metroid without Zelda on the run.

Might as well add to the craziness.

Zelda WW ahead of TP is pure stupidity. TP is the ultimate Zelda game, the best dungeons, items, bosses, main quest, it's amazing. While WW does have a great open world, it lacks in most every thing else.

Mario 64 as the best Mario, wtf. The Galaxy games are without question better games and way more faithful to Mario. In no way is 64 even better than SMB3 and SMW.
[...]
Kid Icarus uprising over Zelda ALBW, what? Huh. I don't even.

PREACH IT, BROTHER!

 

[Barry Burton]

Might as well add to the craziness.

Zelda WW ahead of TP is pure stupidity. TP is the ultimate Zelda game, the best dungeons, items, bosses, main quest, it's amazing. While WW does have a great open world, it lacks in most every thing else.

Mario 64 as the best Mario, wtf. The Galaxy games are without question better games and way more faithful to Mario. In no way is 64 even better than SMB3 and SMW.

No Pokemon game should be ahead of Zelda LA.

Metroid Prime 2 over MP3, what the hell. MP3 is a great return to form after the weirdness of MP2.

Original Zelda is a masterpiece and belongs in the top 20.

Xenoblade at 13, really, really. It's great but come on. feels like a fake MMO with all the bullshit fetch quests. Paper Mario, Mario RPG, Pokemon, Mario and luigi, all better RPGs.

Kid Icarus uprising over Zelda ALBW, what? Huh. I don't even.

Punch-Out As 96 is criminal.

And those are my hot takes.

Great post. I agree with everything except Metroid Prime 2, which I liked almost as much as the first one (though I understand why it got the criticism that it got). I prefer it to Prime 3, but it's splitting hairs, they are both 9+ games in my book. Both Wind Waker and Kid Icarus are the definition of "style over substance".

Ocarina of Time is just not good in the year 2016. The pacing is glacial, the story is hilariously childish and dull even for 90s nintendo standards, its "open world" is both empty AND tiny, the z-target combat was innovate at the time but its crazy antiqued by modern standards...thats on top of the game being ugly as sin and running at a piss poor framerate.

Its gon get by on lists like this for historical significance and nostalgia for the rest of our lives.

 

[ghibli99]

Can't really disagree with the top 10. Maybe not the exact order, but whatever. Most of them are interchangeable IMO.

The number of ballots seems minuscule... I don't even remember if I saw this or voted tbh.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

So yes perspectives change over-time (of course they do), but it's through a combination of advancement and refinement on previous ideas that make something feel antiquated.

Absolutely. But again, I feel it's wrong to say games have aged. Do they feel antiquated for the reasons you illustrated? Absolutely. But WE are the ones that feel... It's something that comes from within us... Internal, not external. The same music will play when you start 1-1 and the same goomba with slowly creep towards you in the same exact manner today as it did 30 years ago.

 

[Magicpaint]

Great post. I agree with everything except Metroid Prime 2, which I liked almost as much as the first one (though I understand why it got the criticism that it got). I prefer it to Prime 3, but it's splitting hairs, they are both 9+ games in my book. Both Wind Waker and Kid Icarus are the definition of "style over substance".

Now see, I'm going to need a bit more explanation for this. WHAAA? Yes, the game exudes style, but the mechanics are actually superb, and how the game handles difficulty, weapons and the dodge function is exemplary.

I am actually super glad it topped ALBW. Now that is a game that was lacking the substance I expect from modern Zelda games. Very easy dungeons, combat, and tons of content recycling.

 

[Version 3.0]

Okay, rant time bitches.

/endrant

Nice rant. But ultimately unnecessary, you know. Ocarina of Time is as close to being officially, universally recognized as the Best Game Ever as it's possible to be. I say, let its critics rant. Their cries will never reach it on its throne.



I don't see anything wrong with the list, myself. Sure, my personal list would be different and shuffled around, but I'm not going to bicker about top 10 vs top 20. Nintendo, in my book, has contributed more of the "greatest games ever" than any other company, and not by a little. Which ones are the "most greatest" is splitting hairs. Not that splitting hairs can't be fun, too...

 

[GamerJM]

Some thoughts on the list:

-Kind of annoyed at Super Metroid for edging out SM64 for the number two spot. To me, N64's Mario and first Zelda will always represent the high point of Nintendo's history and I would've liked to see those two giants standing side by side

-Out of the top ten I think Metroid Prime is the least deserving. For the first four sections or so of the game, it's absolutely as good as people say. But the truly awful strafing battles with Space Pirates in the latter half of the game prevent it from being an all time great. Not only does that stuff not fit what Metroid is, it's bad gameplay period, and really drags the game down once it starts happening consistently.

-Great showing for Kid Icarus Uprising. After several attempts, I simply accepted the fact that the game literally causes physical pain when playing it, but, once you get past that tiny little problem, it becomes clear that it's one of the more remarkable Nintendo games in recent memory.

-Expect the Wii U games to show precipitous drops in the years ahead, especially Splatoon.

-Speaking of precipitous drops, NSMB Wii takes a well deserved dive into the abyss. Laughable that people would say it's better than something like SMB3

-Poor 3D World. Has it already been forgotten, or did it never even matter in the first place? Probably a little of both

Overall, it was a bad day for the 'this game hasn't aged well' crowd. But perhaps one day they'll accept the truth, that those old games at the top of the list are just flat out better than many of the ones that came after.

I'm firmly not apart of the "old games haven't aged well," crowd but I think that it's partially due to the fact that the newer games simply haven't received the same level of exposure. These old games have gotten like a billion rereleases and the NES and SNES sold really well in the first place. I also think Splatoon is going to be the one Nintendo game that endures from this generation assuming a sequel isn't perfect, it's the one game that did well and felt like something special and memorable. I think stuff like 3D World and maybe even Tropical Freeze are going to decrease in the following years though (and that goes doubly for games like Smash and Mario Kart obviously, too).

As for Ocarina of Time...can't agree with most of the criticism that game gets. I didn't really get into it until the 3DS remake but I think it's fantastic. The game is excellently paced, the dungeons are all really well designed and everything about it just feels really polished. The Z-targeting works fine and I never looked at Hyrule Field as an open world, I see it as more of a large fancy hub (and for me personally, the smaller the worlds the better, since large worlds are often difficult for me to navigate due to disability). I ultimately prefer Twilight Princess since it more or less just did what OoT did but better, but OoT still holds up really well in its own right IMO.

The Metroid games are the ones I don't get the love for personally. Super I understand more but I honestly just wish that game gave you more direction. Prime I couldn't get into at all because it felt like a clunky mess to me, but I haven't given it a shot in over a decade so idk. To each his own I guess . I think most of the rest of the placements are great even if they're not necessarily games I voted for (and obviously I think Melee should be number 1 but I get that it's not for everyone).

 

[Oblivion]

Nice rant. But ultimately unnecessary, you know. Ocarina of Time is as close to being officially, universally recognized as the Best Game Ever as it's possible to be. I say, let its critics rant. Their cries will never reach it on its throne.

Thanks for being the only person to actually read that post, and yes I agree wholeheartedly.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Not many surprises here. I think Ocarina is still a well deserving champion and also nice to see Link to the Past, Wind Waker and Bayonetta 2 each get a respectable position. Thank you for putting up the list. I enjoyed reading it through.

 

[Yoshi]

I know about 72% of all games that are on the list, I have extracted all the games I have never played, only seven of them managed to get into the top 100, of which only 2 are in the main list of the best 50 games:

29. [GBA] Mother 3 (55 points) (also the only systems-top-5-game I have never played; I know another game in the series which I don't like))
41. [GC] Animal Crossing (40 points, 1 HM) (I know other games in the series which I don't like)
82. Punch-Out!! (Wii) 13 points, 7 HM (I know other games in the series which I don't like)
85. Golden Sun (GBA) 12 points, 1 HM (already have it and plan to play it next, when I finished GS3)
89. Golden Sun 2 The Lost Age (GBA) 11 points, 1 HM (already have it and plan to play it, when I finished GS1&3)
99. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES) 8 points, 4 HM (I know other games in the series which I don't like)
100. Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (DS) 8 points, 3 HM

Also, I'm quite happy with the selection of games in the Top 50 (though of course, in such a list I won't agree with the order in all cases). Out of the 48 games I know, there is only one I consider utter shit (Earthbound, plus Golden Eye / Perfect Dark which is purely due to their genre, as opposed to Earthbound which is from a genre I like), two that I consider mediocre (Zelda 2, Xenoblade) and one that I think is so much weaker than the rest of its series that it's strange to see in the top 50 (Wind Waker).

Let's see how my list has fared:
1. Yoshi's Island (16)
2. Mario Galaxy 2 (10)
3. Super Mario Galaxy (4)
4. Zelda: Skyward Sword (50)
5. Banjo-Kazooie (30)
6. Zelda: Majora's Mask (8)
7. Pikmin 3 (32)
8. F-Zero GX (27)
9. Yoshi's Woolly World (125)
10. Metroid Prime (5)

Only one game outside the Top 50, so that's fine .

To close: The remaining games I have never played from the complete list. Anything where someone would scream "blasphemy you have not played this"?

102. Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (SNES) 8 points
103. Advance Wars II Black Hole Rising (GBA) 8 points
112. Hotel Dusk Room 215 (DS) 7 points, 2 HM
115. Fire Emlem Genealogy of the Holy War (SNES) 6 points, 3 HM
128. Tetris DS (DS) 5 points
131. 1080 Snowboarding (N64) 4 points, 3 HM
135. Super Punch-Out!! (SNES) 4 points, 2 HM
136. Pilotwings 64 (N64) 4 points, 2 HM
138. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Wii U) 4 points, 1 HM
139. Rhythm Tengoku (GBA) 4 points, 1 HM
146. Pandora's Tower (Wii) 4 points
149. Endless Ocean 2 Blue World (Wii) 4 points
150. MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade (Wii) 4 points
151. Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA) 4 points
161. Pushmo (3DS) 3 points, 2 HM
166. Rhythm Heaven Megamix (3DS) 3 points, 1 HM
168. Polarium Advance (GBA) 3 points, 1 HM
169. Mario Tennis (N64) 3 points
174. Fatal Frame IV (Wii) 3 points
176. Pokemon Trading Card Game (GBC) 3 points
177. Pokemon Trading Card Game GB2 (GBC) 3 points
179. Warioware Twisted! (GBA) 2 points, 3 HM
188. Warioware inc. Mega Party Games (GC) 2 points, 1 HM
190. Nintendo World Cup (NES) 2 points, 1 HM
196. Kid Icarus (NES) 2 points
198. Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories (Wii) 2 points
199. Art Style: ORBIENT (GBA) 2 points
201. Chibi-Robo! Clean Sweep (DS) 2 points
202. Famicom Detective Club II (SNES) 2 points
203. Star Tropics (NES) 2 points
204. Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards (N64) 2 points
205. Panel de Pon (SNES) 2 points
208. Codename: S.T.E.A.M. (3DS) 1 points, 2 HM
211. Kirby's Pinball Land (GB) 1 point, 1 HM
213. Popeye (NES) 1 point, 1 HM
214. Stretchmo (3DS) 1 point, 1 HM
215. Teleroboxer (Virtual Boy) 1 point, 1 HM
219. Mother (NES) 1 point, 1 HM
221. Mole Mania (GB) 1 point, 1 HM
230. Tetrisphere (N64) 1 point
232. Art Academy Lessons for Everyone (3DS) 1 point
233. Uniracers (SNES) 1 point
234. Super Tennis (SNES) 1 point
235. Takt of Magic (DS) 1 point
236. Another Code Two Memories (DS) 1 point
237. Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (DS) 1 point
238. Dr. Mario WiiWare (Wii) 1 point
239. Tennis (GB) 1 point
240. Drill Dozer (GBA) 1 point
241. Game & Watch Gallery 3 (GB) 1 point
243. Game & Watch Gallery 4 (GBA) 1 point
244. Fortune Street (Wii) 1 point
247. Kung Fu (NES) 1 point
250. Galactic Pinball (VB) 1 point
251. Battle Clash (SNES) 1 point
254. Sim City (SNES) 3 HM
257. Disaster Day of Crisis (Wii) 2 HM
258. Crashmo (3DS) 2 HM
260. Pilot Wings (SNES) 2 HM
261. Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball 2 HM
263. Stunt Race FX (SNES) 2 HM
269. Pushmo World (Wii U) 1 HM
270. Pokken Tournament (Wii U) 1 HM
272. Pokemon Pinball Ruby & Sapphire (GBA) 1 HM
274. Lego City Undercover (Wii U) 1 HM
275. BOXBOY! (3DS) 1 HM
277. Endless Ocean (Wii) 1 HM
278. Nintendo Badge Arcade (3DS) 1 HM
279. Orbital (GBA) 1 HM
280. Custom Robo Arena (DS) 1 HM
282. Crosswords (DS) 1 HM
283. Bit Generations (GBA) 1 HM
284. Pocket Card Jockey (3DS) 1 HM