During these trying times, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the content everyone needed to forget about the stress of the real world and get lost in this island sanctuary. Being able to live in a friendly environment with a bunch of animals who see the player as their best pal is as wholesome as it gets.
Nintendo has a long history of creating games that make people feel good. Beyond the cute, calming nature of the Animal Crossing games, there have been many installments in the Nintendo library that both gave players fun gameplay and also warmed their hearts. Here are the 10 most wholesome video games in Nintendo history.
10 Wii Sports
Some may disagree, but what makes Wii Sports wholesome is the ability to play sports with friends and family in the comfort of the living room. This game introduced many of the concepts the Wii console used plenty of throughout its existence, which made things a little more silly rather than serious.
This helped the game do a good job of not being overly toxic as a sports game. While it is naturally competitive, the game's playful music and friendly aesthetic made it very welcoming for those who aren't as interested in the genre.
9 Ice Climbers
Along with feel-good content, Nintendo also has a long history of creating platformers. One of the games that may only be known to younger audiences because of its presence in the Super Smash Bros. series is Ice Climbers.
Two players play as Popo and Nana, two Eskimos whose goal it is to climb mountains and collect vegetables that have been stolen. This simple game can also be played with one player, but the fun of cooperative gameplay, which came far and few between back then, makes this a more pleasant experience.
8 Nintendo Land
Another game that was made to showcase a Nintendo console's features, Nintendo Land didn't ever reach the level of hype that Wii Sports did, mostly because the Wii U was such a failure. However, there are plenty of cute mini-games in the pack-in launch title, each of them themed after a specific series of games.
Try to chase down and capture Mario or navigate through Donkey Kong's Crash Course using tilt controls. This was a celebration of Nintendo that was as wholesome as it got.
7 Kirby And The Rainbow Curse
The Kirby series is known for bringing unique art styles and gameplay to the table that would pull anyone in. A great example of this is Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
A successor to the popular DS game Kirby: Canvas Curse, Kirby is stuck in ball form and must be guided by the player using the Wii U gamepad. What makes this game so pure, however, is the ability to have friends play as Waddle Dees who help carry and assist Kirby throughout each level.
6 Nintendogs
A unique series in the Nintendo DS era was a set of simulation games that had players take on the role of dog owners. In Nintendogs, players are able to adopt a puppy from a range of different dog breeds, dependant on which Nintendogs game is being played.
Players are able to walk their dog, spend time with their dog in the park, and focus on taking care of the dog's needs. Players can even register their dogs for various shows that put their talents to the test for big prizes.
5 Pokémon Snap
Isn't it tiring to keep on having Pokémon battles? Can't people sit back and just enjoy the sights of these Pokémon in nature? Well, in the Nintendo 64's Pokémon Snap, players are able to do just that. A first-person rail shooter, the game's "shooter" aspect involves shooting photographs of Pokémon.
Along the way, Professor Oak will give players tools so that way they can find even more Pokémon in levels they already explored. The game is incredibly laid back and some Pokémon interactions are adorable.
4 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
For once, Toad gets to be the hero in his own action puzzle game. As Captain Toad, who was first introduced to Nintendo fans in Super Mario Galaxy 2, players must navigate each level of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker by solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles. The goal is to reach the gold star at the end of each level.
This is a delightful game that can be played with up to two players, with the second player taking on the role of Toadette. This is based on the Captain Toad mini-games in Super Mario 3D World, which is a fan favorite.
3 Kirby's Epic Yarn
As mentioned earlier, Kirby games have always enjoyed showing off fun art styles. Kirby's Epic Yarn goes the distance in this, making all the characters made of yarn. It's hard to feel intimated by a game where it's impossible to die and the landscape is filled with arts & craft materials.
But don't think this game isn't fun to navigate and play, especially with a buddy. The ability to turn into different vehicles and decorate houses expands what a typical Kirby game is like. There's even a narrator guiding players through the plot, giving everything a storytime feeling.
2 Yoshi's Island
Yoshi's Island, despite its borderline creepy enemies, has always been a wholesome game in concept. As Yoshi, players must reunite Baby Mario with his brother Luigi and the stork that was set to bring them to their parents.
Yoshi and his pals serve as protectors of the small child, prioritizing his safety as they navigate each platforming level. In later games, the Yoshi series embraces the craft-material aesthetic as well, with Yoshi's Woolly World and Yoshi's Crafted World making the game exponentially cuter.
1 Pikmin
In Pikmin, Captain Olimar lands on an unknown planet and needs to figure out a way to get back home before his oxygen levels go completely down. To do this, he enlists the help of tiny plant creatures known as Pikmin.
The game revolves around directing Pikmin to overcome obstacles and figure out how to reach important spaceship parts that are needed to get Olimar's ride working again. There is nothing purer on this planet or any planet than cute creatures helping an alien get home.