The evolution of Nintendo’s best ever game

YolkFolk

YolkFolk

Cappy
This is my personal timeline of how Nintendo’s best ever game has changed as the releases went by over the years.

(Formula is obviously their best game with the next entry being the game which surpassed it)

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario World
A Link to the past
Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Metroid Prime
Super Mario Galaxy
Breath of the Wild

Do you have a similar order or did your timeline stop dead years ago with what you feel is an unbeatable classic?
 
bellydrum

bellydrum

Moblin
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Honestly, 2017 to now has been incredible to me.

Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Link's Awakening
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Paper Mario: The Origami King
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Metroid Dread
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Kirby and the Forgotten Land

That run of games has got to be my favorite set of releases in their entire history.
 
DrDave

DrDave

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YolkFolk said:
This is my personal timeline of how Nintendo’s best ever game has changed as the releases went by over the years.

(Formula is obviously their best game with the next entry being the game which surpassed it)

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario World
A Link to the past
Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Metroid Prime
Super Mario Galaxy
Breath of the Wild

Do you have a similar order or did your timeline stop dead years ago with what you feel is an unbeatable classic?
Click to expand...
Mine is very similar. I’d add the original LoZ and Super Metroid in there, I think.
 
Josh5890

Josh5890

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YolkFolk said:
This is my personal timeline of how Nintendo’s best ever game has changed as the releases went by over the years.

(Formula is obviously their best game with the next entry being the game which surpassed it)

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario World
A Link to the past
Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Metroid Prime
Super Mario Galaxy
Breath of the Wild

Do you have a similar order or did your timeline stop dead years ago with what you feel is an unbeatable classic?
Click to expand...

Good list. You could probably make an argument that Galaxy 2 should get slotted in there as well.
 
byDoS

byDoS

Rattata
Super Mario Bros 3
A Link to the Past
Super Metroid
Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Metroid Prime
Super Mario Galaxy 1/2
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
Breath of the Wild
 
Sheldon

Sheldon

the murkiest scam
The list in the OP is very agreeable, but for a more personal timeline through the years 1992 to 2020:

The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kid Icarus: Uprising
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
 

Phantoon

lurking
I don't think this list has anything that replaces an earlier one (it'd be a short one if I did that) but:

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 3
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Super Metroid
Super Mario 64
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
F-Zero X
Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Pokémon Red
Metroid Prime / Fusion
Pokémon Silver
Pokémon Platinum
Super Mario 3D World
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
 
KC Hazel

KC Hazel

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YolkFolk said:
This is my personal timeline of how Nintendo’s best ever game has changed as the releases went by over the years.

(Formula is obviously their best game with the next entry being the game which surpassed it)

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario World
A Link to the past
Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Metroid Prime
Super Mario Galaxy
Breath of the Wild

Do you have a similar order or did your timeline stop dead years ago with what you feel is an unbeatable classic?
Click to expand...
Great list. We agree up until Metroid Prime. My list would be

Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario World
A Link to the past
Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
 
AquaWateria

AquaWateria

Set Your Heart Ablaze
Community Liaison
Some of these lists are missing Donkey Kong Country games or Tropical Freeze smh.

I consider them good examples of S class tier 2D platforming games. When Tropical Freeze came out it made me realize how lacking Nintendo is with 2D Mario.
 
byDoS

byDoS

Rattata
AquaWateria said:
Some of these lists are missing Donkey Kong Country games or Tropical Freeze smh.

I consider them good examples of S class tier 2D platforming games. When Tropical Freeze came out it made me realize how lacking Nintendo is with 2D Mario.
Click to expand...

I've got your back.

byDoS said:
Super Mario Bros 3
A Link to the Past
Super Metroid
Super Mario 64
Ocarina of Time
Metroid Prime
Super Mario Galaxy 1/2
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
Breath of the Wild
Click to expand...
 
balgajo

balgajo

Rattata
Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario World
Pokemon Yellow
Ocarina of Time

C'mon game industry, let's make something better than this sucker. It's collecting heavy dust on this position.
 
Last edited:
Mr_No_U

Mr_No_U

Garbage Galaxy Representative
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SMB
SMB3
A Link to the Past
Super Metroid
Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time/Breath of the Wild (tie)

BotW is the only modern game that has come close to challenging OoT in my eyes. I think if I were forced to pick one, I'd still pick OoT due to its sheer influence in the industry to this day.
 
GamerJM

GamerJM

Cappy
Donkey Kong
Mario Bros. Arcade
The Legend of Zelda (yes, I like MB Arcade more than SMB1 or any other Nintendo game from before Zelda 1 that I can think of)
Super Mario World
Pokemon Red/Green/Blue
Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal
Super Smash Bros. Melee

And then it stops.
 
AngryAlchemist

AngryAlchemist

#1 Fullmetal Alchemist Fan
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He
The thing is, it hasn't changed much for me because I'm first and foremost a Metroid fan when it comes to Nintendo. But there has been many times where Nintendo made one of their best games despite it not topping the prior game.

My list would be from the games I've beaten:
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Super Metroid

That's it if we aren't counting things like Metroid Prime
 
Kenka

Kenka

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bellydrum said:
Honestly, 2017 to now has been incredible to me.

Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Link's Awakening
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Paper Mario: The Origami King
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Metroid Dread
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Kirby and the Forgotten Land

That run of games has got to be my favorite set of releases in their entire history.
Click to expand...
This should be repeated more often. We have had our attention drawn to the several records the Switch has been breaking since launch but the software offering in that timeframe is just as outstanding.

And I agree that it is the best 4 year period ever in Nintendo's software history. And to think that the next years are just as promising...
 

Ystad

Rattata
I generally agree with these lists, but would add:
F-Zero (SNES)
GoldenEye 007
Advance Wars
Splatoon 2

I never owned GC, Wii nor WiiU. Maybe I could add something from that era if I did? I became a handheld gamer.
With Switch I returned to the big screen. And yes, the games list from 2017 is just incredible.
 

Slappywag

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I don't see any bad, or even questionable lists in here. Mine would be the same, but I would add Wave Race, GoldenEye, Eternal Darkness. I played the hell out of these games and loved every minute of it. More Eternal Darkness please.
 
9-Volt

9-Volt

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Mine has never changed, it's been A Link to the Past since the day I first started playing it decades ago.

Yoshi's Island, GoldenEye, Advance Wars, Golden Sun, Warioware and Fire Emblem Awakening came really close but failed to dethrone it for me.
 
Lord Azrael

Lord Azrael

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AquaWateria said:
Some of these lists are missing Donkey Kong Country games or Tropical Freeze smh.
Click to expand...
In my defense, Returns and Tropical Freeze are both in my top five. They just couldn't quite beat out my favorite games at the time

So my list from before? Yeah, just add in the two Retro DK games and you got my exact top five lol
Pokémon RBY
Pokémon GSC
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Click to expand...
 
Mekanos

Mekanos

Cultural Marxist
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My favorite Nintendo game is Pokemon Platinum, but if you asked me point blank what I thought Nintendo's perennial, evergreen masterpiece was, it would definitely be Super Mario Bros. 3. It's just an incredible game that has so much packed into it that I still find new things on replays even decades later, and had such a huge impact on Mario games that they've arguably never been able to escape its shadow.

If you're just asking what my all time favorite Nintendo games are, the top 5 would be:

1. Pokemon Platinum
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
3. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
4. Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
5. Super Mario Bros. 3

Honorary mention to Banjo-Kazooie which is no longer a Nintendo property.
 
Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon

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SMB 1
Legend of Zelda
SMB 3
Super Mario World
A Link To The Past
Link’s Awakening
Kirby’s Adventure
Super Metroid
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Ocarina of Time
Metroid Prime
Super Mario Galaxy
Kirby Super Star Ultra DS
Xenoblade Chronicles
Super Mario 3D World
DKC Tropical Freeze
Link’s Awakening (remake) (I’m cheating and you can’t stop me)
Bowser’s Fury

Out of these, I’d have to say that my all time favorites would be Link’s Awakening, Super Metroid, OoT, and Super Mario Galaxy. I’ve spent way more time playing indies and quirky 3rd party games since the DS which might explain why my list falls off hard in the 2000s.
 
ngpdrew

ngpdrew

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I have a few diverging points…

Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario World
Link’s Awakening
Super Metroid
Ocarina of Time
Majora’s Mask
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Don’t hate me.
 
purseowner

purseowner

Utawarerumember
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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Super Smash Bros Melee
Pikmin 2
Mario Kart 8
Super Mario Odyssey
 
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