Nintendo may be the house that Mario built, but there is much more to the company than the little plumber in red coveralls. The original Nintendo Entertainment System was the console that really started it all. However, When the fourth-generation platforms showed what home systems could do, the sky was the limit. Nintendo held control of many of the gaming world's most beloved properties.

RELATED: The Best Nintendo DS Games Ever Made (According To Metacritic)

Metacritic is one of the top review sites in the world for gamers. However, they started their reviews with later gaming systems, with the Nintendo 64 the oldest to have a review section dedicated to it on the site. With countless games hitting shelves through the years, here is a look at the best Nintendo games, regardless of system, based on Metacritic reviews.

Updated on August 12, 2023, by David Heath: Through its ups and downs, Nintendo still being a big player in video games must be a comfort to older fans. They became a byword for video games in general in Japan and North America across the 1980s, then their rivalry with Sega made them bigger. Even when the rise of 3D gaming and the PlayStation came along, the company kept hold of its niche.

After all, it's hard to argue against the quality of their games. Whether they're made in-house, or provided by third parties, Nintendo's different consoles have produced some of the best games ever made. The review-aggregate site Metacritic has rated most of them too, rating the classics quite highly, but with a few surprises along the way. So, these are the best Nintendo games ever made according to Metacritic.

20 Fire Emblem: Awakening (92)

intelligent systems anniversary 3ds child pairing supports

For the longest time, Fire Emblem joined Earthbound in being better known for their characters being in Super Smash Bros than in their own games. In the West anyway, as the series has been beloved in Japan since the NES. But North America, Europe, and elsewhere began warming to the series from the GC onwards, right up to Fire Emblem: Awakening on the 3DS.

It's the highest-rated FE game on Metacritic and the best original Nintendo 3DS game (i.e. not a port of another game) of all time based on their scores. IGN called it "the most fluid and stunning strategy RPG experience available on a portable, and features the best storytelling and production value of any 3DS game to date". Awakening's popularity also led to its leads Lucina, Chrom, and Robin appearing in Super Smash Bros for Wii U/3DS onward.

19 Bayonetta 2 (92)

Bayonetta dual-wielding pistols against enemies in Bayonetta 2

Nintendo's systems generally have the perception of being a family-friendly option compared to Sony and Microsoft. Sega even cited this as their reason for not porting Yakuza/Like a Dragon to the Switch. Yet Nintendo has had mature games on its platform, with Bayonetta 2 being one of the most mature ones. The title character's lascivious moves made the shift from the PS3/360 to the Wii U when Nintendo opted to fund the series in return for exclusivity.

Despite the outcry from fans, Bayonetta 2 became one of the reasons to get a Wii U (outside Breath of the Wild, Super Mario 3D World, etc). Metacritic gave it 91, but then gave its Switch port a 92. Graphically they're both the same, and there's not much extra content. The Switch just offers better performance, both docked and undocked, so Bayonetta's quest to save her friend Jeanne can be played on the go at a better frame rate than the original game.

18 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (93)

Chinatown Wars

The Nintendo DS has some great games on it, with some must-play classics like the Ace Attorney trilogy, Sonic Rush, New Super Mario Bros, and more. Yet the highest-rated game on the handheld on Metacritic is a Grand Theft Auto game, and not one many people talk about either.

Related: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Deserves a Remaster

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars actually harkens back to the first two GTA games, using a top-down view. But its cel-shaded graphics and movable camera make it easier to play. As Huang Lee, players can make their name known in Liberty City by completing missions, and side activities, and causing all sorts of mayhem. The game was also ported to the PSP (90) and iOS (91), but the DS remains the prime port for its touchscreen features and functionality.

17 Super Smash Bros Brawl & Ultimate (93)

20 Best Nintendo Games Metacritic- Smash Bros Brawl & Ultimate

This might seem odd in retrospect. That for all of Smash Ultimate's upgrades, from its graphics to its roster to the improved online play and playable modes, it still could only match Smash Brawl on the Wii. But the two did receive similar amounts of hype. Brawl introduced super moves to the series via the Final Smash moves, and the hype behind its guest characters, Sonic the Hedgehog and Metal Gear's Solid Snake, was unreal.

By Ultimate, both Sonic and the Final Smashes were established parts of the game. So it took the 8-way player bouts, the new balance features separating "Fun" and "Glory" bouts from Super Smash Bros for Wii U/3DS, and even more guest characters to shake things up again. The game proved to be so exciting that it's hard to imagine any follow-ups matching its quality. Just as the name suggests, it's the Ultimate Smash Bros game.

16 Super Mario 64 (94)

Screenshot from Super Mario 64 showing Mario leaping away from a Chain Chomp.

Super Mario 64 was released as a launch title for the Nintendo 64, and it was the perfect introduction to 3D gaming for many people with its tight controls and excellent level design. The analog controls meant Mario could move more smoothly in all directions than his rivals on other consoles at the time, and the open-world structure was a new experience at the time.

It also had a movable camera to make those new jumps Mario could pull off and reach their mark. With just one release, Nintendo broke new ground that modern games today have benefited from. That doesn't mean Nintendo hasn't reached beyond their grasp though. Super Mario 64 was remade for the Nintendo DS in 2004 and received a Metascore of 85, which is still a good rating but the DS d-pad and touchscreen couldn't replace the analogue stick.

a link to the past zelda link raising sword

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was first released in November 1991 on the SNES and is the third entry in the Legend of Zelda series. The game took the franchise back to the top-down gameplay introduced in the original Legend of Zelda, following the jarring action sidescrolling shift seen in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

Related: A Link to the Past: Hardest Enemies in the Game, Ranked

A Link to the Past is arguably the best of the classic games, with its memorable story, excellent dungeon design, and enjoyable side activities that make it hard to not play the game with a smile. The game received its 95 Metascore over a decade after its release via its port to the GBA. Compared to the original, it had a more squashed view to fit the GBA screen, and Link's new vocals could grate. But it still retained everything players loved about the SNES release.

14 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (95)

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

The second edition of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series ended up scoring high on every console it was released for. But its highest-rated Nintendo release on Metacritic was the Game Boy Advance version. The game took what made the original beloved and added manuals and cash rewards to make it even greater.

At launch, it was one of the best Game Boy Advance games at launch, leading to its 95 score. But the skateboarding game required a learning curve, which might be why gamers weren't as generous, with user reviews giving it a 6.9 average score. While it still falls short of its Dreamcast (97) and PS1 (98) releases, the GBA port still made a strong showing here.

13 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (95)

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess

Released on the Nintendo Wii and GameCube, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess continued the mega-successful Zelda franchise that started on the NES. This game was the 13th installment in the Zelda series and saw Link fighting to prevent Hyrule from being engulfed in a corrupted parallel dimension. This game allows Link to transform into a wolf, and players use both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller to pull off special moves.

Reviews called the game addictive and very immersive. It was also a strong homage to Ocarina of Time, considered the best Zelda game of all time by many fans and critics. Surprisingly, Metacritic rates the GC version higher with a 96 score. Maybe the Wii's Motion Controls and the horizontally-swapped levels to accommodate right-handed players took away that extra point as the GC port sticks to the regular controller and original layout.

12 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (95)

The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask

Released on the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was the sixth installment of the Zelda franchise. It was also only the second to use 3D graphics instead of the original 2D graphics interface of the original game. It is up to Link to save the world of Termina from the giant falling moon threatening to destroy it.

Related: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom- Callbacks to Majora's Mask

The Nintendo 64 changed everything when it came to the Nintendo franchises, and Zelda received the most significant upgrades. While not up to the level of Ocarina, this version of the game was still an epic adventure and delivered to fans of Zelda everything they expected and wanted from the franchise. The later 3DS port, for all its updates, only earned 89 from Metacritic.

11 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (96)

The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker

Released in 2002 for the GameCube, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was the 10th installment of the Zelda series. The storyline is a little more personal than the regular world-saving quests, as Link sets off to a group of islands to save his sister from a sorcerer named Ganondorf.

The Wind Waker was originally a GameCube exclusive and received rave reviews from Metacritic. One critic called it the best game of 2002 regardless of platform, which was high praise indeed. The game also made good use of the link cable for the GameCube, creating a communal experience for the Nintendo title. It would later get an HD port for the Wii U that smoothed out its few flaws, earning a 90 score from Metacritic.

10 Resident Evil 4 (96)

Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil was always a popular PlayStation game franchise, but Capcom tried to branch it out to other systems (beyond ports) at the turn of the 2000s. Once Resident Evil 4 came out in 2004 for the Gamecube, it became one of the most critically-acclaimed Nintendo games of all time. The story sees RE2's Leon, now a U.S. Government special agent, sent into a village run by a mysterious cult to save the President's daughter.

RE4 took a more action-oriented direction, as the over-the-shoulder camera view and manual aiming gave Leon (and every subsequent action game afterward) new moves to use against smarter foes. The game was considered redemption for the RE franchise at the time, as its classic formula from RE1-3, Code Veronica, and 0 had grown stale over time. Compared to them, reviews said, RE4 was "tight" and "accessible" for all gamers.

9 GoldenEye 007 (96)

Goldeneye 007

The Nintendo 64's crown jewel was the James Bond game GoldenEye 007. It was a first-person shooter based on the movie of the same name, but unlike many movie adaptations, it ended up even better than the movie. It ended up becoming the console's third bestselling game of all time, selling over eight million copies. It seems almost unreal that a game based on a movie could have such a legacy.

Related: Ways GoldenEye 007 Still Holds Up Today

However, GoldenEye 007 predated Halo and Call of Duty as the definitive FPS on consoles. The multiplayer mode added even more value to the game, as players could roam through the levels as Bond, other characters from the GoldenEye movie, and classic Bond villains like Jaws and Oddjob (the cheapest character on the roster).

8 The House In Fata Morgana - Dreams Of The Revenants Edition (96)

The House In Fate Morgana Key art with woman lying in roses

The House in Fata Morgana was originally released exclusively in Japan on PC in December 2012. The game has since been released on a wide range of systems worldwide, including the Nintendo Switch in 2021, which was the only one to be rated by Metacritic as of this writing.

The House in Fata Morgana is a visual novel that sees players revisiting a mansion's history with a spirit that has amnesia. The game was praised by critics for its gripping story, charismatic characters, and wonderful art direction. It's particularly impressive as its more established rivals in the genre, like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa, hasn't broken into the 90-score range thus far.

7 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (96)

The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom TOTK Link flying on Zonai Wing above Geoglyph upscaled

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is actually a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, using the same world and many of the same locales but with a few changes here and there. When exploring the caverns under Hyrule Castle, Zelda, and Link accidentally awaken the sealed-away "Demon King" Ganondorf. Rescued by Rauru the Zonai, but separated from Zelda and with his Master Sword smashed, Link has to find Zelda and Save Hyrule again.

Link has all the same tools he had in Breath of the Wild, only they're now backed up by his new Abilities like Ultrahand and Fuze. With these skills, he can get around obstacles, escape gloom-filled caverns, or build new Zonai devices to travel around the land in. Still, the game fell short of its predecessor on Metacritic, perhaps due to the game's frame rate issues in more densely detailed areas like forests.

6 Metroid Prime (97)

Metroid Prime

The original Metroid for the NES was one of the most popular games on that system, but after sequels on the Game Boy and SNES, the series went quiet. In 2002, Nintendo brought it back with Metroid Prime for the GameCube. Taking place after the original game, series heroine Samus Aran must explore the world of Tallon IV to uncover the mystery behind the mysterious substance known as Phazon.

Related: Nintendo: Metroid Games With the Best Stories

Metroid already had fans that loved the non-linear, search-action gameplay, and this GameCube version didn't disappoint them. It combined the classic mix of exploration and shooting action with a new, first-person perspective and 3D environments to roam around in. It did well to earn itself 2 sequels, a Wii port via the Metroid Prime Trilogy (91), a remastered Switch port (94), and an upcoming 4th entry.

5 Super Mario Galaxy 1 And 2 (97)

Super Mario Galaxy

Both Super Mario Galaxy 1 and Super Mario Galaxy 2 received high praise when they came out on the Nintendo Wii. Much like the original Super Mario Bros, they see Mario (or Luigi) trying to save Princess Peach from Bowser. The difference is that this takes place in outer space, where gamers fight bosses and complete missions while dealing with gravity, collecting star bits, and other cosmic phenomena.

The fact that both the first and second Super Mario Galaxy games earned the same high score on Metacritic speaks wonders about their fantastic design and the series in general. It is challenging and immersive, and the levels and environments are gorgeous. As good as Super Mario Bros and its subsequent follow-ups were, these two games are the best Mario games ever made.

4 Perfect Dark (97)

Perfect Dark shooting at enemies

Released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64, Perfect Dark was Rare's follow-up to GoldenEye 007. Unable to make a direct sequel to that game, they created a new franchise with all their planned upgrades instead. The storyline saw secret agent Joanna Dark attempting to stop a conspiracy taking place during a war between two alien races in outer space.

It speaks wonders that this game, while not as iconic as GoldenEye 007, is ranked ahead of its predecessor on Metacritic. But with its more varied levels, smarter AI, and Counter-Operative Mode, where one player tries to stop the other from achieving their goals, Perfect Dark was a clear step up from its spiritual predecessor.

3 Super Mario Odyssey (97)

running in new Donk City Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey was released in October 2017 exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Mario has to save Princess Peach from Bowser again. Though this time, he can now possess enemies, NPCs, and other objects with the help of Cappy, a hat-shaped creature. To reach Bowser, the two have to collect Moons hidden across multiple worlds to power up Mario's airship.

Related: The Best First-Party Nintendo Switch Games, Ranked

The game goes back to Super Mario 64-style open worlds (quite literally, as one of the worlds is based on that game's take on the Mushroom Kingdom), with each one offering lots of ways to earn Moons. Whether it's from simple exploration, completing sidequests, or stacking up Goombas to impress a female Goomba, the sheer variety in gameplay and world design made it a rival to its Galaxy-based forebears.

2 The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (97)

Link looking off into the distance

Originally made for the Wii U (which would still get a port of the game), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch in March 2017. The game offers one of gaming's best open-world experiences, thanks to the enormous yet meticulously designed map that seems to have a quest, activity, or secret hiding around every corner.

Breath of the Wild stands out for how much freedom it gives players, as once they leave the tutorial area, they're free to head in absolutely any direction; even straight to Hyrule Castle to confront Calamity Ganon. Even so, it's worth exploring to make Link stronger, get new weapons and items (including the famous Master Sword), and uncover what happened to him and his allies after Ganon struck.

1 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (99)

Image from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, showing Link releasing the Master Sword.

The highest-rated Nintendo game of all time based on Metacritic scores is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It should come as no shock that a Zelda title took the top spot. With Zelda remaining the most popular series in Nintendo history, it was bound to have multiple entries on this list. This is the fifth game in the series and the first to make the jump to 3D graphics and gameplay.

This time, Link has to save Hyrule by stopping Ganondorf from obtaining the full power of the Triforce. Its ports also scored highly, with GC's Master Quest getting 91, and the 3DS release getting 94. But it's the Nintendo 64 original that got a 99 score for laying the template for all 3D action games to come with its smooth, analog controls, vast open world, and a multitude of sidequests and dungeons for players to test their mettle with.

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