For a long time, Nintendo was the absolute king of console gaming. Even though it had competition from Sega, it was not until Sony entered the ring with the PlayStation that Nintendo really had someone give them a run for their money.
The ten games and franchises below mostly left their exclusive Nintendo stomping grounds either to move to Sony or go multiplatform. Several of them also were exclusive even after this time, only going to other consoles years later or for some other reason. Even though Nintendo lost these as exclusives, the company still has its household names like Mario and Zelda.
10 Final Fantasy
The first six mainline entries in this storied JRPG franchise came out exclusively on the NES and SNES. Only three of these came out in the west during their original runs. The series famously jumped to the PlayStation for Final Fantasy 7 because of the CD format's increased space allowing for a more ambitious project. Afterward, the classic titles made their way to the PlayStation and eventually other platforms. Fortunately for Nintendo fans, many of the games post-Final Fantasy 6 are available are on Nintendo Switch
9 Resident Evil 4 / Resident Evil Remake / Resident Evil 0
Capcom and Nintendo struck a deal to bring several games exclusively to the GameCube. Three of these were Resident Evil titles. Resident Evil 4 came out in 2005, and the PS2 version came out only about nine months later. Resident Evil Remake and 0 did not come to non-Nintendo consoles until the HD re-release in 2015. While waiting this long was hard, the GameCube's power helped the remake become one of the best-looking games of the generation.
8 Metal Gear
In Japan, the first Metal Gear came out on the MSX2 computer. A year later in 1988, a port for the NES was brought to the west. This was the only place to play it in North America for two years until it came to several home computers.
Unfortunately, this version differs greatly from Hideo Kojima's original game in Japan. Only in 2006 with Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence could gamers in the West experience the debut title the way it was meant to be played.
7 Dragon Quest
In the west, this series was originally known as Dragon Warrior. It was not until Dragon Quest 7 that the series embraced the different name and moved from SNES to the PlayStation. Dragon Quest 7 came out in 2000 in Japan and 2001 in the U.S., coming out extremely late in the console's life. It is also one of the longest games for the console, easily coming in at 100 hours.
6 Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles/Darkside Chronicles
Because of how different the Nintendo Wii was, mostly due to the innovative controller, developers took the opportunity to make numerous spin-offs taking advantage of the console's unique features. Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles are light gun game spin-offs going through several older scenarios and new stories. Released in 2007 and 2009, both games came to PS3 in 2012. While you can play with a regular Sixaxis or DualShock 3, you can also use a PlayStation Move controller for a more arcade-like experience.
5 Super Castlevania 4
Though Castlevania was not exactly synonymous with Nintendo - several older titles also came out on Sega consoles - many of the best titles in the franchise came out on the NES and SNES. This changed with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
This 2D title came out on the original PlayStation and is often considered the best in the franchise. In 2019 Konami released the Castlevania: Anniversary Collection, which brought many once exclusive games to the PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
4 Secret Of Mana
The Mana series differentiated itself from other RPGs by mostly taking place in real-time. Like many Square properties, it made the jump to PlayStation. Secret of Mana eventually received the remake treatment in 2018, which saw release on PlayStation and Windows. Curiously, Collection of Mana, a compilation featuring the first three games in the franchise, is only available on Nintendo Switch. It would be nice to have these classics on a PlayStation system.
3 Wonderful 101
Like many Wii U exclusives, PlatinumGames' Wonderful 101 did not get the attention or sales that it deserved because of the console's extremely low install base. Fortunately, the developer self-published a re-release for modern consoles, which also came out on PS4 and Xbox One. Even though the console takes advantage of the Wii U's gamepad, it plays well with a more traditional controller. Hideki Kamiya, director of Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, and Resident Evil 2, also directed The Wonderful 101.
2 Contra 3: The Alien Wars
The first two mainline Contra games came out in arcades in addition to home releases. Contra 3: The Alien Wars was exclusive to the SNES and other Nintendo platforms for many years until the Contra: Anniversary Collection came out in 2019. This collection includes Contra 3: The Alien Wars and came out on PS4 and Xbox One. It is not too surprising to see this, because other Contra games came out on Sega consoles and PlayStation.
1 Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is often seen as one of the greatest RPGs of all time, on par with the best Final Fantasy games. For a few years it was only available on SNES, but it came out on the original PlayStation in 2001, packaged with Final Fantasy IV as Final Fantasy Chronicles. This version has some nasty technical issues, however. The best way to play it is on the Nintendo DS, though the Windows version is decent these days after it received a slew of updates.