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NeoGAF Top 50 Nintendo Games of All Time (2016 Edition)

Vertti

Member
look how few DS games there are, too. I'm not surprised at all... I never understood the love that console always seems to get. 3DS' library shits on it with ease.

Well duh. Almost all the best DS games are 3rd party. 999, Castlevania, Ace Attorney, The World Ends Without You, Ghost Trick, Radiant Historia, Professor Layton, Dragon Quest and so on.

GBA and 3DS have much better 1st party library though.
 

Randomizer

Member
Easy bitching I could do aside (number one is barely a mediocre game), that's a solid list with a lot of classics.
Come on son! Ocarina of Time is literally one of the greatest games ever made. You have to view it from the time frame of its release, there was nothing like it at the time. It really pushed 3D gaming forward just like Super Mario 64 before it. In fact it would probably top out a GAF GOAT poll too.
 
Man DS is such a brilliant system with amazing games yet Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are the highest rated. Arguably the worst games in the entire franchise. I would imagine some people grew up with those and are biased but good lord those games are awful.

Thanks for compiling and nice to see I made a quote for Majoras Mask!

It's just Mindblowing to me that Conkeds Bad Fur Day is so unbelievably low. It's wildly hailed as one of the greatest games of all time in various publications and here it is with fucking basically two votes. Have people on GAF not played this game?
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Man DS is such a brilliant system with amazing games yet Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are the highest rated. Arguably the worst games in the entire franchise. I would imagine some people grew up with those and are biased but good lord those games are awful.
Diamond and Pearl almost killed my liking for the series.

Fix the title.
Number one in gaming related mistake that keep occurring lol
 

Randomizer

Member
Played like everything in the list but 20 of those games.

Also my top 10 was very close to the result. I have such mainstream tastes lol. But I do love lots of the more niche and lesser known titles too.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. Super Mario World
3. Super Mario 64
4. Metroid Prime
5. Super Metroid
6. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past
7. Super Mario Bros 3
8. Mother 3
9. Super Mario Galaxy
10. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
 

Sadist

Member
WTF Gaf?!!! I'm the only person who voted for this? You let me down!
Yup, some great games never get the points they deserve;

Just to name a few games; Metroid Fusion, Eternal Darkness, Advance Wars, Kirby's Power Paintbrush, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Luigi's Mansion, Tetris Attack, Warioware Inc. etc. all didn't get in.
 

Shepard

Member
A Zelda/Metroid/Mario top 10. Just wish Gold/Silver/Crystal was a bit higher, as well as Link's Awakening, but you cant go wrong with anything in that top 50.
 

Gartooth

Member
OoT at #1 wasn't surprising at all, but I was surprised to see my quote used for it! :D

I don't think I ranked it as my favorite Nintendo game ever, but I have a huge amount of respect for that game and it was one of the best experiences gaming provided back then.

There were a couple of fun things I noticed in the overall ranking. I was pleasantly surprised that Super Mario Galaxy got so close to the top. Also even though DKC2 is my favorite DKC game, I'm really happy that Tropical Freeze placed as well as it did.
 

ChrisD

Member
Someday a Best Of won't have OoT on top.



Someday

Super Metroid made it right below it's #1 though, so it's mostly fine. :p
 

Neifirst

Member
Glad to see Xenoblade get highest ranking among the RPGs and Thousand Year Door do so well (not bad for a 6.75 rated title from Game Informer!)
 

ngower

Member
Splatoon higher than Goldeneye.
tumblr_inline_obevo3yw2t1srwt8s_500.gif
 
Come on son! Ocarina of Time is literally one of the greatest games ever made. You have to view it from the time frame of its release, there was nothing like it at the time. It really pushed 3D gaming forward just like Super Mario 64 before it. In fact it would probably top out a GAF GOAT poll too.
Unlike Super Mario 64, it didn't play well at its time nor today. Most of its puzzles come down "hey look we're in 3D!" instead of being well designed.

I understand pushing paradigm, but I can't play influence or age. I can play it for its gameplay, where its best claim to fame for me was Z-targeting.
 
10) Top 5 titles regarding platforms

Top 5 NES :
Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda II Link's Adventure, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2

Top 5 Gameboy
Pokémon Gold & Silver, Pokémon Red & Blue (Green, Yellow), The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Tetris, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons

Top 5 SNES
Super Metroid, Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Earthbound

Top 5 N64
The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask, Goldeneye 007, Banjo-Kazooie

Top 5 GBA
Mother 3, Fire Emblem, Warioware Inc. Mega Microgames!, Pokémon Ruby, Saphire, Emerald, Metroid Fusion

Top 5 Gamecube
Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros. Melee, The Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker, Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door, The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess

Top 5 DS
Pokémon Heart Gold & Soul Silver, Pokémon Diamond, Pearl & Platinum, Mario Kart DS, Advance Wars Dual Strike, Elite Beat Agents

Top 5 Wii
Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Xenoblade Chronicles, The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword

Top 5 3DS
Kid Icarus Uprising, The Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds, Fire Emblem Awakening, Animal Crossing New Leaf, Fire Emblem Fates

Top 5 Wii U
Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, Pikmin 3

I was pretty happy with the overall list, but these (especially for OG Game Boy and the home consoles) are just perfect.

Unlike Super Mario 64, it didn't play well at its time nor today. Most of its puzzles come down "hey look we're in 3D!" instead of being well designed.

I understand pushing paradigm, but I can't play influence or age. I can play it for its gameplay, where its best claim to fame for me was Z-targeting.

You could say the same for the vast majority of concepts and missions in Super Mario 64.
 
It's just Mindblowing to me that Conkeds Bad Fur Day is so unbelievably low. It's wildly hailed as one of the greatest games of all time in various publications and here it is with fucking basically two votes. Have people on GAF not played this game?

I have! My favorite Rare game with GOAT multiplayer.

I'm happy we can agree that Mario 64 is the best Mario :)

insanely tired "WHAT IS REAL 3D MARIO???" argument incoming
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
More and more people appreciating Metroid Prime 2. Good to see. If/when we ever see a new Prime-styled game I really hope they build on what 2 did, because it really pushes the boundaries set by the first one.
 

papercamm

Member
I have no qualms with the top 10 presented here. Not how I'd necessarily rank them but the quality of those titles is undeniable.
 
I was pretty happy with the overall list, but these (especially for OG Game Boy and the home consoles) are just perfect.



You could say the same for the vast majority of concepts and missions in Super Mario 64.
Right, but no one is saying it's perfect. Its gameplay is mechanically tight and the depth there significantly helps it be playable today.

The whole concept of aging used in video games is a flawed idea when we overlook games not playing well in the first place.
 
wow Super Mario World destroyed Super Mario Bros. 3 in the runback, that's an 84 point gap (that being said both games dropped, so...)

this year's top 50 with movement from the 2012 list (bold denotes a movement of 10 or more spots):

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (-)
2. Super Metroid (-)
3. Super Mario 64 (+5)
4. Super Mario Galaxy (+5)
5. Metroid Prime (+1)
6. Super Mario World (-1)
7. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (-4)
8. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (+3)
9. Super Mario Bros. 3 (-5)
10. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (-3)
11. Super Smash Bros. Melee (+2)
12. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (-)
13. Xenoblade Chronicles (+32)
14. Earthbound (+1)
15. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U (new)
16. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (-6)
17. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (+17)
18. Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal (+4)
19. Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow (-5)
20. Mario Kart 8 (new)
21. Splatoon (new)
22. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (-4)
23. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (new)
24. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (+1)
25. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest (+10)
26. Goldeneye 007 (-7)
27. F-Zero GX (-10)
28. Kid Icarus Uprising (new)
29. Mother 3 (-9)
30. Banjo-Kazooie (+9)
31. The Legend of Zelda (-1)
32. Pikmin 3 (new)
33. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (new)
34. Bayonetta 2 (new)
35. Star Fox 64 (-12)
36. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (+1)
37. Mario Kart 64 (-9)
38. The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (+23)
39. Super Mario 3D World (new)
40. Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver (+10)
41. Animal Crossing (-1)
42. Donkey Kong Country (-21)
43. The Wonderful 101 (new)
44. Super Mario Bros. (-28)
45. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (-1)
46. Perfect Dark (-3)
47. Metroid Prime 2 (+5)
48. Super Mario Kart (-22)
49. Paper Mario (-20)
50. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (-26)

and as for the dropouts from the 2012 list:
Super Mario Bros. Wii: 27->123 (-96!!!)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl: 31->66 (-35)
Fire Emblem: 32->51 (-19)
Advance Wars: 33->74 (-41)
Pikmin 2: 36->63 (-27)
Wave Race 64: no points this year? was it banned or something cause that seems weird
Metroid Fusion: 41->67 (-26)
Tetris: 42->72 (-30)
Super Smash Bros.: 46->154 (-108...but I swear this game had more than 3 points this year)
Mario Kart DS: 47->64 (-17)
Super Mario 3D Land: 48->95 (-47)
Metroid: Zero Mission: 49->69 (-20)
 
Come on guys, OoT at Number 1? Are we still doing this?
According to the results the majority of people on GAF think it's the best Nintendo game, you can't argue with numbers. So yes we are doing this, just because a small amount of people have spoken up about not liking it doesn't revoke it's status.
 

Griss

Member
Amazed that 3D World is so low.

Really? At this stage it should be clear that it's a pretty divisive game. It had a lot of detractors prior to launch, and since then we've had anti-3D World threads on here all the time.

There are plenty of people out there who think that (as far as the exceptional Mario series goes) it's a pretty mediocre game.
I'm one of them.

this year's top 50 with movement from the 2012 list (bold denotes a movement of 10 or more spots):

I was about to do this, so thanks. LttP falling out of the top 5 warms my heart.

Good to see Xenoblade Chronicles growing in cult status. Made my top 10, personally. I think the sequel being so much worse than it in almost every way only makes the legend of the first one grow.
 
Right, but no one is saying it's perfect. Its gameplay is mechanically tight and the depth there significantly helps it be playable today.

The whole concept of aging used in video games is a flawed idea when we overlook games not playing well in the first place.

For Mario, the depth of the gameplay comes from mastering the controls.
For Zelda, the depth of the gameplay comes from mastering the world.

I think both games have lots of depth in the areas that count. But I think Mario 64's uneven content quality (
Rainbow Ride is the epitome of this
) and the shallow "revisit the same map multiple times" content design is more of a mark on its reputation than any of the flaws in Ocarina of Time are.
 

Molemitts

Member
I've come to terms with the fact I'll never agree with the consensus about OoT and Mario 64.

Maybe I should have voted.

I'm being a right millennial right now and also complaining about something I didn't vote on. I mean I don't care too much it's just a dumb list, but as historically relevant those games are they've been improved on so much.

And I do like Ocarina it's a good game, but Majora's Mask came out just a few years later and is far more impressive, imo. I never could get into Mario 64 though, I just never enjoyed it but appreciate it for what it was at the time.
 

AntMurda

Member
I'm feeling like you haven't played it. Mother 3 is one of the best games ever made and what's with the dig at Pokemon GAF?

I have played it. It's not a dig but I always felt there was a generational distinction between my era of Nintendo fans and Pokemon era fans.
 
look how few DS games there are, too. I'm not surprised at all... I never understood the love that console always seems to get. 3DS' library shits on it with ease.

DS 3rd party support mercilessly kills the 3DS library in public and gets away with it before court. If you bought DS for Nintendo, you did it wrong.
 
I have played it. It's not a dig but I always felt there was a generational distinction between my era of Nintendo fans and Pokemon era fans.
I don't know what that means, we all just like good games which should be demonstrated by the OP, it isn't sticking to one specific era.
 

Griss

Member
For Mario, the depth of the gameplay comes from mastering the controls.
For Zelda, the depth of the gameplay comes from mastering the world.

I think both games have lots of depth in the areas that count. But I think Mario 64's uneven content quality (
Rainbow Ride is the epitome of this
) and the shallow "revisit the same map multiple times" content design is more of a mark on its reputation than any of the flaws in Ocarina of Time are.

How can revisiting the same level multiple times in Mario 64 possibly be considered a flaw when the game is designed that way for specific reasons?
Those reasons being to promote exploration of the levels rather than a straight line approach, and to allow you to discover stars out of the correct order. As the first 3D game giving the player that kind of freedom was utterly essential.

Even returning to the game now it's enjoyable to be trying to get a star only to be distracted by another one you find along the way, or to stumble upon a star you weren't expecting to find.

The levels are more than big enough to avoid being repetitive.
 
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