There have been many Nintendo consoles over the years, each with its own set of iconic games. Here are some of the best games for a few of Nintendo's most popular consoles, along with their features, pros, and cons:
- Nintendo Switch:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: This open-world adventure game allows you to explore a vast world, solve puzzles, and battle enemies. Pros: Beautiful graphics, engaging gameplay, lots of content to explore. Cons: Can be a bit difficult, some players might find the weapon durability system frustrating. Official Website: https://www.zelda.com/breath-of-the-wild/
- Super Mario Odyssey: This 3D platformer follows Mario on a quest to save Princess Peach from Bowser, with new mechanics such as using Mario's hat to possess enemies and objects. Pros: Fun and creative gameplay, colorful and detailed graphics, great soundtrack. Cons: Some may find the camera controls tricky, the story can be a bit simple. Official Website: https://supermario.nintendo.com/
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons: This life-simulation game lets you build your own island paradise, complete with animal villagers and various activities. Pros: Relaxing and addictive gameplay, cute and charming graphics, regular updates and events. Cons: Some players may find the game's slow pace and lack of clear goals frustrating. Official Website: https://www.animal-crossing.com/new-horizons/
- Nintendo 3DS:
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds: This action-adventure game takes place in the same world as the classic A Link to the Past, with a new twist allowing Link to merge into walls and navigate through them. Pros: Fun and challenging gameplay, great use of the 3DS's 3D capabilities, nostalgic callbacks to the original game. Cons: Some players may find the game too similar to its predecessor, the story can be a bit simplistic. Official Website: https://www.zelda.com/link-between-worlds/
- Pokémon X/Y: The first main-series Pokémon game on the 3DS, this game takes place in the French-inspired Kalos region and introduces new Pokémon and Mega Evolutions. Pros: Classic Pokémon gameplay with new features, great graphics and music, lots of content and replayability. Cons: Some players may find the game too easy, the story is not particularly compelling. Official Website: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-x-and-pokemon-y/
- Fire Emblem: Awakening: This tactical role-playing game has you leading a team of soldiers through battles, with a deep story and character customization options. Pros: Challenging and rewarding gameplay, great characters and story, beautiful anime-style graphics. Cons: Some players may find the difficulty too high, the game can be a bit overwhelming for new players. Official Website: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/fire-emblem-awakening-3ds/
- Nintendo Wii:
- Super Mario Galaxy: This 3D platformer has Mario traveling through space to collect power stars and save Princess Peach from Bowser. Pros: Creative and varied gameplay, beautiful and immersive graphics, great music. Cons: Some players may find the controls a bit finicky, the story can be a bit repetitive. Official Website: https://supermario.nintendo.com/games/super-mario-galaxy-wii/
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: This action-adventure game has Link venturing into the Twilight Realm to save Hyrule from a dark force, with new transformations and combat mechanics. Pros: Epic and immersive gameplay, great story and characters, beautiful graphics and music. Cons: Some players may find the pacing a bit slow, the Wii version's motion controls can be a bit imprecise. Official Website: https://www.zelda.com/twilight-princess/
- Wii Sports: This collection of sports mini-games (including tennis, bowling, and boxing) was a pack-in game with the Wii console and became a cultural phenomenon. Pros: Simple and intuitive gameplay, great for multiplayer with friends and family, accessible to players of all ages. Cons: Limited content and depth, some players may find the motion controls gimmicky. Official Website: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/wii-sports-wii/
- Nintendo GameCube:
- Super Smash Bros. Melee: This fighting game has characters from various Nintendo franchises battling it out in frenzied multiplayer matches. Pros: Fast-paced and addictive gameplay, great character roster and stages, tons of content to unlock. Cons: Some players may find the game too difficult or imbalanced, single-player mode can be a bit repetitive. Official Website: N/A (game released in 2001)
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: This action-adventure game has Link sailing across a vast ocean to rescue his sister and defeat the evil Ganon, with cel-shaded graphics giving it a unique art style. Pros: Beautiful and charming graphics, great music and characters, fun and varied gameplay. Cons: Some players may find the sailing and exploration a bit tedious, the game's difficulty can be inconsistent. Official Website: https://www.zelda.com/the-wind-waker/
- Metroid Prime: This first-person action-adventure game has a series protagonist Samus Aran exploring a mysterious planet and battling space pirates and other dangers. Pros: Immersive and atmospheric gameplay, great use of the GameCube's hardware, satisfying exploration and combat. Cons: Some players may find the controls a bit clunky, and the game's difficulty can be steep. Official Website: N/A (a game released in 2002)
If you are comparing this title with other classic games, see the main video-game guide. You can also browse the classic-games archive by platform.