Greatest Nintendo Games Ever
a Yourlist ranking · the crowd decides the order
From Hyrule to the Mushroom Kingdom, these are the Nintendo titles fans argue about at every family gathering. Cast your vote for the one that truly deserves the crown.
What counts: ‘Greatest’ blends critical acclaim, cultural impact, and lasting influence on the medium. Sales and scores are approximate, rounded figures pulled from public reporting and aggregated critic scores — treat them as ballpark, not gospel.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The game that proved 3D adventure could feel as intimate as a fairy tale, Ocarina of Time turned Z-targeting and time travel into industry-defining mechanics. Its Water Temple broke a generation of players, but its emotional gut-punch — growing up as a silent hero across two time
Release Year: 1998Platform: N64Critic Score: 9.7/10Copies Sold: 14 M
added by IJRin 9 rankingsThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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Mario's leap into 3D wasn't just a graphical upgrade — it invented the analog-stick platformer grammar every game since has borrowed from. The open, star-collecting structure of Peach's Castle rewired what 'exploration' meant in gaming, and the triple jump remains a masterclass i
Release Year: 1996Platform: N64Critic Score: 9.4/10Copies Sold: 11.9 M
added by IJRin 10 rankingsSuper Mario 64
0Super Mario Bros.
The game that arguably saved the home console industry after the 1983 crash, Super Mario Bros. taught the world how a platformer should feel — tight jumps, hidden warp zones, and a princess to rescue. World 1-1 is still cited as the greatest tutorial level ever designed, taught e
Release Year: 1985Platform: NESCritic Score: 9.5/10Copies Sold: 40 M
added by IJRin 5 rankings
0The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo tore up its own rulebook, dropping players into an unbroken Hyrule where you could climb any surface and cook mushrooms into soup before ever touching a dungeon. Breath of the Wild reignited the entire open-world genre by proving physics-driven freedom trumps hand-holdin
Release Year: 2017Platform: SwitchCritic Score: 9.7/10Copies Sold: 31 M
added by IJRin 9 rankingsThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
0Cappy the sentient hat let Mario possess dinosaurs, Bullet Bills, and even Bowser himself, turning every Kingdom into a playground of absurd possibility. The wedding-crashing finale and hidden Mario Bros. arcade throwback show Nintendo at its most joyfully inventive in decades.
Release Year: 2017Platform: SwitchCritic Score: 9.7/10Copies Sold: 27 M
added by IJRin 8 rankingsSuper Mario Odyssey
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Born from a rushed six-month development cycle, Melee accidentally became the most competitively enduring fighting game ever made thanks to glitches like wavedashing and L-canceling that top players turned into an art form. Two decades later it still headlines tournaments, a feat
Release Year: 2001Platform: GameCubeCritic Score: 9.2/10Copies Sold: 7 M
added by IJRin 4 rankingsSuper Smash Bros. Melee
0The best-selling Nintendo game of all time, Deluxe took the anti-gravity tracks and battle modes of the Wii U original and made them portable, endlessly replayable party fuel. Rainbow Road's final lap has ended more friendships than any other level in gaming history.
Release Year: 2017Platform: SwitchCritic Score: 9.2/10Copies Sold: 59 M
added by IJRin 7 rankingsMario Kart 8 Deluxe
0Retro Studios pulled off the impossible: translating Samus Aran's isolating 2D exploration into a first-person perspective without losing an ounce of atmosphere. The visor-scanning tech and Chozo lore turned Tallon IV into one of gaming's most haunting, immersive worlds.
Release Year: 2002Platform: GameCubeCritic Score: 9.7/10Copies Sold: 2.8 M
added by IJRMetroid Prime
0The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The blueprint for top-down Zelda, A Link to the Past introduced the Light and Dark World duality that later games would echo for decades. Its dungeon design is still studied by developers as the gold standard for teaching mechanics through environmental puzzles.
Release Year: 1991Platform: SNESCritic Score: 9.5/10Copies Sold: 4.6 M
added by IJRin 4 rankingsThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
0Super Mario World
Yoshi's debut alongside Mario's cape feather made World feel like a toybox of new powers layered onto perfect platforming fundamentals. Its secret exits and Star Road turned a simple side-scroller into one of the earliest games built around genuine exploration and replay value.
Release Year: 1990Platform: SNESCritic Score: 9.5/10Copies Sold: 20 M
added by IJRin 8 rankings
0A trading-and-battling loop built around Game Boy link cables turned catching creatures into a schoolyard obsession that spawned the highest-grossing media franchise in history. Choosing Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur is still one of gaming's most universally shared childhood
Release Year: 1996Platform: Game BoyCritic Score: 9/10Copies Sold: 31 M
added by IJRPokémon Red and Blue
0Often cited as the genre-namer for 'Metroidvania,' Super Metroid's Zebes is a masterclass in nonlinear design that trusts players to get lost and figure it out. The reveal that Samus is a woman, delivered wordlessly at the ending, remains one of gaming's quietest and most powerfu
Release Year: 1994Platform: SNESCritic Score: 9.3/10Copies Sold: 1.4 M
added by IJRin 7 rankingsSuper Metroid
0Launching at the exact moment the world went into pandemic lockdown, New Horizons became a communal island refuge where Tom Nook's mortgage jokes felt oddly comforting. It broke Switch sales records and turned turnip trading into a genuine cultural moment on social media.
Release Year: 2020Platform: SwitchCritic Score: 9/10Copies Sold: 45 M
added by IJRin 2 rankingsAnimal Crossing: New Horizons
0Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Rare's pre-rendered sprite work made Crocodile Isle look impossibly lush for 1995, but it's the punishing, inventive level design — swinging on Kong barrels through pirate ships — that earns this its cult reputation as the best DKC entry. Dixie Kong's helicopter spin remains a fa
Release Year: 1995Platform: SNESCritic Score: 9/10Copies Sold: 5 M
added by IJRin 3 rankingsDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
0Every fighter ever released joined the roster in a genuinely 'everyone is here' crossover event, from Mario to Solid Snake to Sora. Ultimate became the best-selling fighting game in history by turning Smash into the definitive celebration of gaming's entire history.
Release Year: 2018Platform: SwitchCritic Score: 9.3/10Copies Sold: 34 M
added by IJRin 5 rankingsSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate
0The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo doubled down on Breath of the Wild's freedom by adding Ultrahand building mechanics that let players glue together flying machines and battle mechs. The Sky Islands and reworked Hyrule proved a sequel could out-innovate its own genre-redefining predecessor.
Release Year: 2023Platform: SwitchCritic Score: 9.6/10Copies Sold: 21 M
added by IJRin 6 rankingsThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
0Fire Emblem: Awakening
Facing cancellation of the entire series in the West, Awakening's permadeath tactics and surprisingly deep character-pairing romance system saved Fire Emblem and set up its modern popularity. Its Casual Mode option opened tactical RPGs to a whole new audience without alienating v
Release Year: 2012Platform: 3DSCritic Score: 9.2/10Copies Sold: 2.9 M
added by IJR
0Eight distinct sub-games packed into one cartridge, Kirby Super Star let the pink puffball copy enemy abilities with unmatched depth, from Wheel Kirby to Fighter Kirby combos. Its Helper system, letting a friend control a captured ability, made it one of the earliest great local
Release Year: 1996Platform: SNESCritic Score: 9/10Copies Sold: 1.3 M
added by IJRKirby Super Star
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