Summary
Nintendois one of the biggest names in the gaming industry, famous for its innovation across game consoles and individual titles. Nintendo games are a childhood staple for many people, but it’s not just the nostalgia that makes them great.
Nintendo’s best games often pushed the limits of what gaming could do at the time, particularly when it came to gameplay styles, exploration, and genre. Whether it’s The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, or Metroid, Nintendo games have left a mark on the medium as a whole. These are some of the best that the company has ever produced.
Many of these entries include titles that, while not developed by Nintendo themselves, are exclusive to the brand. They’re so ubiquitous with Nintendo’s history and style that it’d only be fair to give them the title of ‘Nintendo Game.’
Updated on June 06, 2025, by Casey Foot:We’ve updated this article with a few more titles from Nintendo’s ever-growing catalog. Some are newer, while others are older, showing Nintendo’s consistent and lasting impact on the gaming industry.
16Professor Layton And The Diabolical Box
The second game in the Professor Layton series, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box focuses on a mystery surrounding the Elysian Box - a box said to kill anyone who opens it. Hoping to discover more about the Elysian Box, Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke hop on the Molentary Express, which takes them to Dropstone and the eerie town of Folsense.
Along their journey to discover more about the Elysian Box and the town of Folsense, Professor Layton and Luke are challenged by 138 main puzzles. The puzzles are challenging but fair, and the mystery in the narrative keeps you guessing. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is a highlight of the series, but we’d definitely recommend seeking out the other entries, too.
Nintendo’s flagship multiplayer shooter, Splatoon 3, ditches bullets for ink and has you playing as either an Inkling or an Octoling. Splatoon 3’s bright and colorful urban aesthetic and enjoyable gameplay make it easy to sink hundreds of hours into its different game modes, like Turf War and Salmon Run.
Though Splatoon 3’s story mode is great, its multiplayer is where it really shines the most and improves on its predecessors. The Side Order expansion adds another single-player campaign, following Agent 8, and is an excellent addition to the base game.
When baby Luigi is snatched by the evil Magikoopa Kamek, the Yoshis help baby Mario find his brother, only to discover Baby Bowser was responsible all along. Using their usual ability to swallow enemies alongside new powers like the flutter jump, the Yoshis transport Mario across the island, protecting him from danger.
Yoshi’s Island is beloved by fans for its charming and colorful aesthetic, as well as its excellent platforming. Even thoughmany more Yoshi gameshave come out after this one, the original Yoshi’s Island remains a firm favorite.
Breath of the Wild marked a shift for The Legend of Zelda series, with it returning to the open-ended exploration present in the series’ very first title. In Breath of the Wild, Link awakens from a 100-year restorative slumber to a Hyrule on the brink of a second Calamity, with Princess Zelda’s seal on Calamity Ganon weakening.
After awakening, Link receives the paraglider and can head out to the rest of Hyrule, either straight to Ganon or to spend hours upon hours in the kingdom completing side quests while Zelda fights off the Calamity. Breath of the Wild isn’t just one of Nintendo’s best games; it’s one of the best ever, influencingmany other open-world titlesthat came after it.
When it comes to turn-based strategy games, Fire Emblem Awakening is up there with the best and showcases the high quality that the series has to offer. The game expertly blends a fantastic narrative, following Prince Chrom and his armies on the battlefield, with thought-provoking tactical gameplay.
The relationships between the characters in Awakening are one of its strong suits, with the relationship between Chrom and Robin being one of the most memorable and emotive. If you only ever play one Fire Emblem game, it should be this one.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the best that the Paper Mario series has to offer and absolutely oozes creativity through its vibrant art style and wonderful characters. The story is the perfect blend of bizarre and engaging, keeping you entertained the whole way through.
One of the best parts of the game is the partners that join Mario in battle, each with unique powers and memorable personalities. For a long time, The Thousand-Year Door was underrated, but the 2024 remake brought it back into the spotlight as one of Nintendo’s best RPGs.
10Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Pikmin 3, just like the rest of the Pikmin series, is a charming mixture of adorable and challenging, thanks to its titular Pikmin and real-time strategy mechanics. Pikmin 3 Deluxe greatly improves upon its predecessors when it comes to controls, adding quality-of-life improvements for a smoother experience.
While many people thought the original Pikmin 3 was too easy, the Deluxe version introduced Ultra-Spicy mode, allowing you to customize the gameplay to your preferred difficulty level. Deluxe also gives you the option to play the story mode with another person in local co-op, so you can share the joy of Pikmin with others.
9Pokemon Emerald
Pokemon Emerald sees you journey through the Hoenn region after moving to Littleroot Town. The Hoenn region is full of unique town designs, like Fortree City, that make it a joy to explore, and the upbeat music throughout only elevates your adventure.
Generation 3 introduced various new mechanics, such as Double Battles and Abilities, which became staples in the rest of the series. Emerald takes the best parts of Ruby and Sapphire and reinvents their stories by including both villainous teams and the iconic legendary Pokemon Rayquaza. It also has some of the best post-game activities in the series - the Battle Frontier had seven areas where you could take on battles of different styles, giving you even more hours of gameplay.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf took the Animal Crossing formula and gave it a shiny new polish, with more customization options and control over your town. After stepping off the train to your new home, you’re mistakenly thought to be the town mayor by Isabelle, who quickly brings you up to speed with your mayoral duties.
Seeing your town grow in real time is incredibly immersive, withdifferent villagers moving in and outand the main street developing the more you spend time there. There’s always something to keep you entertained, even if you’ve played the game every day for the last six months. Because of how personal the game is, everyone has their own unique experience with New Leaf, whether you spend your time completing the museum or befriending the villagers.
Kid Icarus: Uprising is brimming with charm, especially thanks to its humorous voice lines and Pit’s character in particular. It features two different types of gameplay: flying and shooting in the air, and attacking on the ground. It can be tricky to get to grips with at first, but there’s a lot of variety in what you can do, making it exciting to try different approaches.
It’s also possible to fuse weapons together, enabling you to customize your playstyle. Each level is intricately designed and fun to replay. It has an entertaining story, excellent music that soars as you fly through the level, and interesting characters inspired by Greek mythology.
