WhileNintendoin the modern day puts out games that look great andabsolutely despise your wallet, their classic titles have always been there and can always be acquired on whatever budget you have.
Often, I’ll see people discussing these games as if they’re pieces of art in a museum, historical pieces that you appreciate for what they did, rather than fun video games that still hold up to this day.
10 Nintendo Games Better Than They Have Any Right To Be
We expected nothing from these Nintendo games and got greatness.
That’s why I want to discuss the eight best platformers that Nintendo released during the 80s-90s. I think all of these games could be released as modern-day indies and still be successful, which is impressive in itself.
I love these games, and still enjoy them as they are even 30+ years after release. If you haven’t given these games a proper chance and tried to just sit down and enjoy them, I’d recommend giving them a shot.
10Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA)
Life Could Be A Dream
Super Mario Bros. 2
If you’ve never heard anyone talk aboutSuper Mario Bros. 2outside the fact it’s a reskin of Doki Doki Panic, then you’re missing out, as it was a massive landmark game in Mario’s history, and it’s really fun.
This game established Shy Guys, the unique playable characteristics of Luigi, Peach, and Toad, and is a really great romp through a world that doesn’t make any sense in a really fun way.
I personally love playing Luigi and jumping across enemies on flying carpets to skip platforming, which is something the game frequently allows and encourages. I love any game that lets me go faster than normal.
The only part of this game I kinda dislike is grabbing stuff while crouching, as it feels like it breaks things up and slows things down a bit much, but aside from that, it’s a very solid, extremely wacky platformer.
9Super Mario Bros. 3
Nearly Modern
Super Mario Bros. 3
To be honest, if you showed someone who had somehow never heard of Mario this game, I doubt they’d think thatSuper Mario Bros. 3is anywhere near as old as it is, despite being an NES game.
It’s incredibly impressive how all 8 worlds of content feel fresh, and it doesn’t feel like the restraints they were working with affect anything at all.It’s just a fun platformerthat feels great to this day.
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The world map is still a fun idea, allowing you to a certain extent to complete levels in whatever order you like best, and grabbing items to put in your inventory for later is an awesome mechanic that makes every playthrough a bit different.
The level design is also built around the new Super Leaf, letting you fly over obstacles and nab secrets if you’re good enough at the game to keep your speed up and weave through obstacles, and I adore that.
8Kirby’s Adventure
Kirby’s Adventure
For the second game in the franchise,Kirby’s Adventureimmediately established everything Kirby is and pushed the NES to its absolute limit, still feeling like a fun, uncompromised Kirby game to this day.
All the copy abilities feel unique and interesting to use, the bosses challenge you just enough to keep things interesting, and running through levels with Burning feels like you’re tearing through everything at hyperspeed.
It has some performance issues and stutters, but it’s nothing that completely takes you out of the experience, and it’s one of those older games I can unequivocally call a good game without an asterisk.
If you’re a Kirby fan and skipped out on Adventure or just played the remake, I heavily recommend trying it out. It’s a great showcase of innovation and good game design prevailing above limitations.
7Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Mixing Things Up
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Somehow, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards attempted something so bold that it hasnever been properly replicated in the seriesto this day. you may combine any two copy abilities and get something completely unique, every time.
Even if a bunch of the 35 different abilities aren’t the best, it’s a concept that had me absolutely hooked, and I’m still impressed by it. Half the fun is just throwing your abilities at enemies to see what it creates.
The game itself is another standard Kirby game where you eat cake, make some friends, platform through a post-nuclear-war earth, and take on a bloody-eyed demonic angel with a crystal gun at the end.
The great level design, lovely characters, and incredible music persistent throughout the entire series is just as good as usual, and the bosses are some of my favorite in the series, even if Miracle Matter takes years to finish its attacks.
6Yoshi’s Story
A Closed Book
Yoshi’s Story
Pretty much the only two-dimensional N64 game I know of,Yoshi’s Storyis far better for sticking to CG models rendered as flat textures, looking quite impressive to this day even with the primitive 3D rendering techniques used.
The gameplay sticks to what Yoshi’s Island did previously, but now without the annoying child, so it’s been improved tenfold in the audio department when combined with the cheerful soundtrack that goes for a new style every few minutes.
The levels have a far more exploratory feel, making you jump and flutter around obstacles to try and nab as many melons as you may manage, and the level endings are incredibly satisfying when you see everything collected at once.
It’s got the classic N64 jank, sure, but playing it nowadays makes me appreciate the quirkiness of the old CG style, and I absolutely adore how every environment looks. I still love watching Cloud N. Candy die slowly.
5Kirby Super Star
Everything All At Once
Kirby Super Star
The Kirby devs couldn’t get enough of being on the top of their game for the hardware they were working with, so they madeKirby Super Starcontain a good handful of very different, high-quality Kirby games.
You get a remake of Kirby’s Dream Land, a brand new traditional Kirby game, a racing mode with banger music, a collect-a-thon with a million references, and an open-ended experimental Kirby game.
All of these are really great times and feel like a collection of similar ideas that make for one great, cohesive game, and it has a few mini-games on top to round out the experience that much more.
This was also the first game to introduce partners that help you along your journey, can take whatever power you give them, and make the game even more enjoyable in co-op. It’s simply a great time.
4Super Metroid
Genre-Defining
Super Metroid
This is the most ambitious Super Nintendo game I’ve ever seen hold up really well after so long, andSuper Metroiddeserves props for that. Plus, it practically became the biggest example ofhow to make a Metroidvania.
It’s a great game, with the map feeling open yet guiding you to the most important bits, never by trapping you or explicitly telling you where you have to go, but with an invisible hand that gently pushes you along.
The only thing that’s aged a little are the janky controls, but they get the absolute most out of every button on the controller, and after you get used to it your muscle memory will never forget how to wall jump.
Everything takes execution, making it all the more rewarding to sequence break with perfectly timed wall jumps, or learn how to bomb jump and do mach balls to beat the game faster every time you run through it.
3Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Drawn To Life
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
The SuperFX chip on the SNES was one hell of a drug, and Yoshi’s Island had way too much of it, which leads to an incredible art style supplemented by trippy effects you’d think were impossible this long ago.
Despite the entire game working with the same sprite limitations as everything else, it looks outstanding to this day, the hand-drawn colored pencil style standing out and being pulled off in crisp, lovely fashion.
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Yoshi games are also just excellent, testing your aim with projectiles, letting you run through levels at a quick pace, and forcing you to hear a screaming crying child the moment you get hit.
This game holds up in every aspect. The levels are all fun romps with unique, creative gimmicks, and it’s the standard for every Yoshi game to be made after this, even if it’s not really the Super Mario World 2 it says it is.
2Kirby’s Dream Land 3
Coloring In
Kirby’s Dream Land 3
Genuinely, Kirby’s Dream Land 3 has the best art style of any 16-bit game I’ve ever seen. It has this superbly charming, crayon-like style that looks completely hand-drawn, even if it’s just pixel art sprites at the end of the day.
The game itself still feels great, too. Each level has a secondary objective that encourages some exploration and thought behind everything you do, making it feel even more in-depth than most platformers today.
On top of that, the large number of abilities that all get a variation depending on the animal buddy you’re using means your moveset always has some variety on top of the movement changes these friends give you.
It’s just a solid title all around and an incredibly underrated Kirby game. I’ve never gotten over how lovely the art is, and whether you’re up for exploring or just want to run through the levels, it remains a great time.
1Super Mario World
Jump Up, Don’t Be Scared
Super Mario World
Somehow,Super Mario Worldis one of the most solid, consistent platformers of all time, and it’s only one game after the release of Mario 3, meaning Nintendo locked in within the span of a couple of years.
It’s perfectly placed, with Mario being able to run through each level and keep the momentum rolling no matter what, and the addition of capes and spin jumps further add to my enjoyment of going fast.
The level design knows the importance of flow. Now, it rarely ever stops you dead in your tracks, and making perfect runs of each level is an addiction to do. Everything just flows wonderfully and feels fantastic.
It’s no wonder there’s still amassive ROM hacking communityaround this game. It’s still great to this day, and it feels like the perfect mix of exploration and platforming done in a 2D space.
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