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.
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"Wario Land 3 on GBC is the best of the portable Wario series. Explore a musical world with powers gained from chests. Non-linear structure, humorous tone and abundant secrets. A GBC masterpiece."
"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."
"Skyward Sword tells the genesis of the Zelda legend, before canonical Hyrule. Watercolor art direction, Motion Plus controls essential for angled sword swings, impeccable level design between puzzles and dungeons. Soar your Loftwing between floating isles, descend to the Surface, comb Faron Woods. Moving story with Zelda as central character. Matured masterpiece of the Wii Zelda formula."
"Direct sequel adding the concept of parallel light/dark worlds, à la Zelda Twilight Princess. Aether and Dark Aether mirror each other, some areas blocked in one are reachable in the other. Beefier combat, demanding bosses, new gear like the Dark Visor. Harder than the first entry, sometimes punishing, but a rare-depth adventure. Wii Edition with polished motion controls."
"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."
"Mario Tennis from Camelot, with exemplary handling and surprising depth. Sixteen characters, positional play and spin shots executed with delightful precision and a doubles mode worth its weight in gold. Tennis that can be festive and demanding at once, if you don't mind sweat behind Mario's moustache."
