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Fun Club What do you think is the best-looking Nintendo game?

Red Monster

Red Monster

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On the latest episode of Last of the Nintendogs, a listener sent in this question and I thought it would make for a fun topic here. What do you think is the best-looking game Nintendo has ever put out? Not necessarily best graphics or whatever - just all-around best-looking, visually. The hosts of the podcast threw out Luigi's Mansion 3 as an answer, and I think that game might be a strong contender for the crown. But there are obviously others! Nintendo has released tons of visually stunning games in its history. I wanna know what Fami thinks!
 
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Wind Waker, Luigi's Mansion 3, Astral Chain, and Link's Awakening all come to mind. If BOTW got a 4K HDR type patch natively through Nintendo, that would easily be in the conversation too. Probably Metroid Prime HD once we see it! :)
 
After a strong start with Yoshi's Island's art style on the SNES, definitely NOT Yoshi's New Island lmao
 
Best looking game?

Tough question.

Probably….Minish Cap.

Wait. That’s just me that likes the GBA style for games.

Has to be a switch game since it’s visual fidelity will always beat older consoles
 
On Switch I think the technically best looking game is Luigi's Mansion 3. In terms of art direction I find the Link's Awakening remake absolutely beautiful. It's one of the best art directions in Zelda ever, a series famous for always having incredibly good art.
 
LukasManak22 said:
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? And that's made for Wii U hardware. Kinda shame that we will never see how Mario Kart for Switch would look like.
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MK for Switch got photorealistic graphics

mario-kart-live.jpg
 
Not trying to be cool or controversial here, but Super Mario World blew me away when I first saw it and I still love the colours and the style of it today. I think it epitomises Nintendo visuals
 
BOTW for me. Though Link's Awakening remake, LM3 and Wind Waker aren't so far behind, each of them for a different reason
 
neil said:
Not trying to be cool or controversial here, but Super Mario World blew me away when I first saw it and I still love the colours and the style of it today. I think it epitomises Nintendo visuals
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interesting, as someone who grew up after that era, SMW always stuck out to me as not holding up compared to the other 2d marios
 
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This is a HARD question!
I'll cheat a little, but the best looking (third party) game on a Nintendo system is Resident Evil: Revelations on 3DS with 3DS slider at max. No game impressed me that much.

But for Nintendo game, I'll go with Luigi's Mansion 3. It's one of the best looking games ever. Perfect art style and the tech behind it is great too. Movie like graphics quality on a tablet. Extremely impressive.
 
I am super weak for Astral Chains visuals.

And as for developed.. I'll always love Yoshis Island - still holds up great.
 
Both SSBU and Metroid Dread look really nice in motion to me, especially because of the animation work. I would not call either of them a graphical showcase, though.
 
Many to choose from! Rhythm Paradise (whole series imo), Wario Ware (also whole series lol), Animal Crossing New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Smash Ultimate, Kirby's Dream Land 3, I also love Earthbound's style...
I am sure there are many many more, but these are the ones that come to mind right now!
Honorable mention that isn't first party: Professor Layton!!
 
Luigi's Mansion 3 has the benefit of being fairly contained in what it needs to render at a time, though that's hardly a knock against it. Mario Kart 8 looks absolutely beautiful in motion. Heck, it feels like Mario games in general never age, they just become iconic. You can't tell me Super Mario Bros. on the NES is a bad looking game because everything down to the pixel is so ludicrously iconic that it couldn't possibly look like anything else.
 
Love the topic of this thread I think I might think through this more tomorrow and post another answer, very excited to read others' responses as well.
 
LukasManak22 said:
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? And that's made for Wii U hardware. Kinda shame that we will never see how Mario Kart for Switch would look like.
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Yeah. This game really is the best looking Nintendo game for me. It is almost 9 years old and still looks like it came out last year. Nintendo made a lot of technical advances over the years and like every new Nintendo EPD game is technically on another level but MK8 seem with its art style and clever use of lighting to perfectly blend in with modern games.

Together with Super Mario 3D World they are the most timeless looking 3D games Nintendo ever made. I mean their graphic style got directly adapted in Nintendo World and it looks awesome.
 
totofogo said:
interesting, as someone who grew up after that era, SMW always stuck out to me as ugly / not holding up compared to the other 2d marios
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Super Mario World is gorgeous. Always has been. It’s the best 2D Mario, visually (as long as we aren’t counting Super Mario World 2!)
 
The textures can be rough, but BotW's lighting engine is incredible.

Pikmin 3 is higher fidelity, but it's smaller scale and has less going on than BotW.

I'd actually put Metroid Prime 1 at #3. Razor sharp art style, fantastic attention to detail in the HUD, fantastic atmosphere.

And honorable mention to Origami King. Wonderful variety of biomes, great use of depth, very solid lighting and texture work.
 
From the games I've played, I think Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Astral Chain and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Each have their highest points. Super Mario Odyssey for being super fantastic looking, mainly some stages you wouldn't expect Mario in. Breath of the Wild with its amazing lighting and particles effects, also superb character modelling and assets. Astral Chain being just marvelous, can't even elaborate, everything is just so beautiful. And there comes MK8DX being a Wii U game and blowing everyone to this day.

From the games I have yet to play, I think it's hard to beat Luigi's Mansion 3. Just looks like an animated movie. Lighting, modeling, textures, animation, design. Just blows everyone.
 
DecoReturns said:
Best looking game?

Tough question.

Probably….Minish Cap.

Wait. That’s just me that likes the GBA style for games.

Has to be a switch game since it’s visual fidelity will always beat older consoles
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Nah I think it's a totally legit choice. Pixel art has a completely different appeal and can be downright gorgeous, often more so than 3D graphics, and Minish Cap is one of the best in that category
 
NateDrake said:
ARMS
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Very underrated looking game. Great art direction.

For me BotW. Absolutely love the design in such a huge World.

Mario Kart 8 is also insane looking for being almost a decade old.
 
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This thread needs more images.

I feel like by default, anything with sublime 2D visuals will win out. Famicom Detective Club is a style that just works for me on all levels.
0217_4.png

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GamerJM said:
Wtf....what is that? New DLC for MK8D or something? It looks far beyond what I expect is possible with the Switch.
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It’s Mario Kart Home Circuit. You drive real RC cars around your house using your joycons, and there’s a camera on the car which sends the feed to the Switch.
 
Fire Emblem Awakening has cutscene Chrom, it's barely fair.

ARMS and Splatoon 3 gave it their best shot though.
 
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I've gotten back into the Happy Home Paradise DLC and a lot of the NH furniture looks so fantastic.
 
LukasManak22 said:
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? And that's made for Wii U hardware. Kinda shame that we will never see how Mario Kart for Switch would look like.
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Good shout on Mario Kart 8, I have no idea how Nintendo pulled that game off when they did.

Origami King is WAY up there for me in hindsight, artistically it's a total stunner, and it runs wonderfully, but some of the photoreal inclusions like the water are amazing too.
 
Wind waker hd, and luigis mansion 3 will Always look great, thanks to strong art and good lighting. In fact, the same can be said for yoshi’s island, or yoshi’s woolly world
 
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