Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, Metroid: Nintendo is the home of the biggest franchises and a unique standard of play. RomWize re-ranks the publisher's best games by its re-evaluated scores, each with its current score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"The game that changed everything. Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom, from warp zones to Bowser's castles. Revolutionary level design, immediate and universal fun. The most important video game ever made."
"Direct sequel in a doubled world of light and darkness with deeper exploration mechanics. Tougher, denser and more oppressive in mood. Without quite matching the first one's clarity, it still hits an adventure peak and confirms Retro Studios as Nintendo royalty."
"Excellent 3D Mario platformer with co-op up to 4 players. Inspired and varied level design in each world, fun costumes. Perhaps the best multiplayer Mario before Odyssey. Slightly too accessible for experienced solo players but a genuine treat."
"Direct Mario 64 sequel, tropical playground to scrub with the FLUDD water pack. Wild idea, vertiginous gameplay and tough secret stages to crack. Not the purity of its forebear but a genuine invention. Nintendo's 3D platform peak on the console."
"A Link Between Worlds on 3DS is an absolute masterpiece. Link can merge with walls as a 2D painting in A Link to the Past's Hyrule. Revolutionary mechanics, total exploration freedom. A video game monument."
"Fire Emblem Fates Limited Edition on 3DS, bundle including Birthright, Conquest and the secret Revelation route. The complete version of the Fates saga with all narrative routes available. For fans who want everything."
"The culmination of the saga. The class and Interlink systems offer enormous tactical depth, and the story about mortality lands more truly than ever. The vast world demands its own pace, but the narrative ambition is remarkable."
"A masterful 2D return for Samus: dread-soaked exploration, ultra-fluid mobility and the E.M.M.I. introduce genuine stalking tension. Bosses demand reflexes and reading, and the slow mastery delivers a satisfaction rare in the genre."
"Pokémon X/Y on 3DS inaugurates the franchise's 3D polygon visuals and France-inspired Kalos. Mega-Evolutions, trainer customisation and Wonder Trade. A major visual turning point for the franchise."
"Monolith Soft JRPG of rare ambition, directed by Tetsuya Takahashi. Shulk wields the Monado sword against Mechon machines in a world built on the bodies of two giant gods. Massive open world in free exploration, real-time MMO-like combat without transition, fifty-hour epic narration. Imaginative fantasy art direction, memorable Yasunori Mitsuda soundtrack. Absolute Wii JRPG peak, essential."
"The level editor is still ridiculously deep, and stage sharing keeps the community buzzing. The solo story mode finally gives a reason to play without building. Tools feel intuitive, but the real magic comes from diving into other people's wild creations."
"A remaster that does justice to a classic. The verticality of its open world is still impressive for its era, and the visual overhaul rejuvenates it noticeably. The somewhat dated combat takes adjusting to, but the epic is well worth the trip."
"Sora Ltd. platform fighter with a Nintendo roster plus guests like Sonic and Snake. Stage-based combat, four-player local multi, scripted Subspace Emissary mode. One of the Smash series' peaks and an essential Wii multiplayer pick."
"The Game Boy Zelda, and one of the greatest games ever released. Link washed up on Koholint, eight dungeons, dreamlike writing that haunts. Level design mastered to perfection, OST burned into collective memory. Shorter than a console Zelda but absolutely elegant. Essential, full stop."
