Nintendo is the most influential company in the history of video games. Thanks to the Japanese firm, the industry was able to save itself from the debacle caused by Atari in 1983. After several years of disastrous launches, the public lost interest in a booming sector. Fortunately for video game fans, though, Nintendo was there to rewrite history.
Thus, thanks to his good work, a series of perfect decisions and a strategy that he bet for fun and personal stamp, the Big N became the industry standard. And, from his new position, he began to develop experiences that revolutionized the sector as it was known.
Therefore, today we are going to review the 15 most influential games ever released by the company. It is true that, due to lack of space or a bit of misfortune, we will leave off the list names as interesting as Kid Icarus, Kirby o Fire Emblem (either in Japan or worldwide). However, as you will see below, the list will be full of historical titles that revolutionized the industry.
The 15 Nintendo games that changed the history of video games
Super Mario Bros. (1985)
The beginning of the myth. With this title for NES, Nintendo would kick off (although it had already starred in some other game before) to the career of the most iconic character in the history of video games. For this reason, in addition to all the options and innovations that it presented at the time, the first installment of Super Mario Bros. deserves a spot on this list.
The Legend of Zelda (1986)
If we talk about myths, we can not forget the first adventure in Hyrule. With The Legend of Zelda
Metroid (1986)
Although the franchise is not one of Nintendo’s most popular — in fact, until the arrival of Metroid Dread their titles barely exceeded a million copies sold—, it is unquestionable that it is one of the most relevant licenses in the medium. Such is its impact on it that, to date, it has achieved —along with Castlevania— give name to a whole genre: the well-known metroidvania.
Super Mario World (1990)
If they made history with their debut on the NES, what they achieved with their landing on the SNES is worthy to be written in gold letters. the quality of Super Mario World is such that, to this day, many still consider him as best platformer of all time. To find out if it’s true or not, you just need to get closer to its premise and discover one of the most influential Nintendo video games in history.
F-Zero (1990)
It is true that, unfortunately, F-Zero It has been a long time since he passed away. However, this does not mean that the speed franchise has not earned its place in the company’s history. Although it stopped starring in installments more than a decade ago, few gamers have forgotten what it felt like in the early 1990s at the controls of that experience. Without it, the current speed titles would not be understood as they are.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
History repeats itself: Mario makes history and, a year later, Link collects his baton and revolutionizes the industry. After the collapse of the second installment of The Legend of Zelda, an acceptable title that did not live up to its debut, the Big N had to show that it still had “what it takes”. And so, to everyone’s surprise, she dazzled the world with A Link to the Pasta landmark title in its own right.
Super Mario Kart (1992)
Although he did not have the speed of F-Zero nor the technical capabilities of later titles, this was the birth of one of the most successful franchises in history
Star Fox (1993)
Few revolutions are remembered like the one he starred in Star Fox. Nintendo’s space action title, which also lived better times long ago, is one of the banners of Super Nintendo for its ability to maximize the capabilities of the system. Guilty? A unique perspective and gameplay never before seen in any system in the industry.
Pokémon Red, Pokémon Green and Pokémon Blue (1996)
Beside Super Mario, Pokémon is Nintendo’s goose that lays the golden eggs. Such is its historical importance in the industry that, since its debut, the brand has become the most successful of all time. And its origin, as we all know by now, was in a portable console from a Japanese firm that, thanks to its collaboration, brought its first three games to more than 30 million homes.
Super Mario 64 (1996)
Super Mario 64 is to 3D platforms what Super Mario World is to 2D platform games. Or, in other words: Super Mario 64 It is one of the most important —and award-winning— videogames in history.. Due to its ability to break with the established and to present a unique gameplay, the title has earned its place among the essential proposals in the industry.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Although on th is occasion the interval was two years, The reality is that history repeated itself
Super Smash Bros. 64 (1999)
What started as “a joke” between Satoru Iwata and Masahiro Sakurai has ended up becoming a true mass phenomenon. The developers, with a very close relationship due to their previous work, decided to program a title in which the most iconic Nintendo characters would face each other. In the end, the idea was so good that the Big N gave it the go-ahead and, in the end, it originated all the passion that exists today for the series.
Animal Crossing (2001)
In the last throes of Nintendo 64, users in Japan received a title as calm as it was warm: Animal Crossing. In it, the players’ mission is live in a quiet village, interact with your neighbors and discover everything around you. Today, more than two decades later, Animal Crossing It is one of the most important franchises of both Nintendo and in the history of video games.
Wii Sports (2006)
To Caesar what is Caesar’s: there are few proposals as impressive and influential as Wii Sports. The tandem that formed this title together with the system caused that, in the end, they became a real bestseller. That, added to its attractive playability and accessibility for all types of players, caused Wii Sports rise up with its own niche in the history of the medium.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
The last great pitch of Nintendo -for now-. With Breath of the Wildthe most ambitious installment of The Legend of Zeldathe Big N showed that still knows how to build and tell stories. While waiting for its sequel, one of the most celebrated titles in history, players can enjoy a unique experience that has managed to fall in love with tens of millions of Wii U and Nintendo Switch players.
And you, do you agree with our selection? Would you have included any other title on the list? We read you in the comments.
All images have been taken from the official page of nintendo spain.
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