60: Pokemon X
Pokemons X and Y may not have brought about as much changes to the series as they could have, but there’s no doubt they are the best entries in the series in some time.
7.5/10
59: Super Castlevania IV
Probably the most acclaimed of the “classic style” Castlevania games. Super IV may not boast the depth and majesty of its Metroidvania successors, but it’s still one of the better action sidescrollers in the SNES library.
7.5/10
58: Super Mario 3D Land
While Super Mario 3D Land may not be able to hold a candle to Mario’s other 3D offerings, it’s still a well put-together platformer that provides a lot of fun, and some of the best uses of the 3DS’ visual effects.
7.5/10
57: Mega Man 5
The fifth entry in the classic Mega Man series may be the easiest of the bunch, but it ranks higher than its immediate predecessor and successor for introducing more creative ideas to the tried-and-true formula.
8.0/10
56: Mega Man
The originator that began one of gaming’s greatest series is arguably the hardest entry in the franchise, sadly not always for the right reasons. Still, it’s one of the NES’ most memorable games.
8.0/10
55: Castlevania: Dracula X
The lesser-known SNES Castlevania often gets flack for being a watered-down version of Rondo of Blood. But when the gameplay is this fun and the music is this kickass, I’m not about to complain too much.
8.0/10
54: Star Fox 64 3D
The most beloved entry in the Star Fox series was faithfully recreated on the 3DS, though Nintendo missed a huge opportunity to introduce online multiplayer to the 1997 classic with its new hardware.
8.0/10
53: Super Mario Bros. 2
The “black sheep” of the Super Mario family is still an NES classic.
8.0/10
52: New Super Mario Bros. U
New Super Mario Bros. U is the best entry in the “New Super Mario Bros.” sub-series. Though it suffered slightly by being released so soon after the unremarkable NSMB2, the Wii U iteration got the multiplayer sidescrolling right.
8.0/10
51: Kirby Triple Deluxe
Kirby once again proved he’s every bit as versatile as Mario with a stellar 3DS outing that showcased the handheld’s 3D effects better than any other title before it.
8.0/10
50: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
The Captain Toad stages in Super Mario 3D World were so much fun that Nintendo made the wise decision to turn them into their own game. If only there were more variety in the boss fights.
8.0/10
49: Mega Man 7
The rarest of the classic Mega Man series, Mega Man 7 may not be quite as difficult as most other entries in the series for the most part, but the secret items and light Metroidvania elements help it stand out. Shame that final boss is next to impossible!
8/10
48: Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows
Plague of Shadows may not be quite as fantastic as the original Shovel Knight, but it does a brilliant job at taking familiar foundations and turning them into something completely new with fresh gameplay.
8.0/10
47: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Though the original Uncharted was a trailblazer – and a great game in its own right – it’s not quite the game its sequels are due to the obnoxiously bullet-resistant enemies and relatively tame set pieces.
8.0/10
46: Papers, Please
Whoever thought the immigration process would make for such a compelling video game?
8.0/10
45: Mario Kart 64
Its visuals may have aged poorly, and the lack of music when playing with a full group of players is a definite bummer. But there’s no denying the quality of the tracks, or the sheer brilliance of its battle mode.
8.0/10
44: Super Mario Kart
The original Super Mario Kart is one of the most influential video games in history. Though its visuals can be straining on the eyes, it still provides a fun, steep challenge for fans of the series.
8.0/10
43: Rocket League
It’s soccer with cars in the future. And it’s really fun.
8.0/10
42: Ico
Its controls and camera can get a bit awkward, but Ico is undeniably a beautiful, beautiful game.
8.0/10
41: Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
It was with his second outing that Playstation’s original mascot truly found his footing. An improvement in virtually every way, Crash Bandicoot 2 deserves mention in any discussion of great video game sequels.
8.0
40: Kirby: Planet Robobot
Kirby: Planet Robobot took the foundations of Triple Deluxe, and added in new Robobot suits to give a whole new layer to Kirby’s classic gameplay. a Must have for any 3DS owner.
8.5/10
39: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Though Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo 3DS features many of the same elements as the Wii U version, it does feel more like the appetizer to the main course. Still, Smash Bros. on the go? Who am I to argue?
8.5/10
38: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Uncharted 3 boasts some of the best set pieces in the series. Though an utterly pointless middle act and the resurrection of bullet-sponge enemies in the final bits of the game prevent it from reaching the same heights as the second and fourth Nathan Drake adventures, Uncharted 3 is still terrific fun.
8.5/10
37: Yoshi’s Woolly World
Probably the most underrated game of 2015, Yoshi’s Woolly World is one of the best platformers in recent years. Aside from the lack of variety in boss fights (a concerning trend in recent Nintendo titles), Woolly World is the worthy sequel to Yoshi’s Island we waited twenty years for. Part Yoshi’s Island, Part Kirby’s Epic Yarn, all adorable.
8.5/10
36: Conker’s Bad Fur Day
One of the funniest video games ever made, Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a title that needs to be played to be believed. Bosomy sunflowers, opera-singing poo, drunken platforming, it’s just one oddity after another. With great local multiplayer to boot!
8.5/10
35: Splatoon
Splatoon is one of the best examples of Nintendo’s ability to think outside the box. It tackles a genre that Nintendo previously seemed allergic to (the shooter), takes that same genre, which had for so long seemed creatively dead, and gave it a new, innovative life. This “non-violent” shooter is one of the most “Nintendo” games Nintendo has ever made.
8.5/10
34: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Donkey Kong Country Returns was one of the Wii’s best games. Just the same, the 3DS version is one of the best games on the Nintendo 3DS. Though it somehow stumbles when transitioning the game’s emphasis on foregrounds and backgrounds into the handheld’s 3D effects, it makes up for it with a lack of the tacked-on motion controls of the original. This version even includes an easier mode, in case you found the original too grueling.
8.5/10
33: Animal Crossing: New Leaf
New Leaf brought just enough changes to the Animal Crossing formula to make it the best game in the series. Plus, now you get to be the mayor of your town! How cool is that?
8.5/10
32: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
The Wii U remake of Twilight Princess may not be as beautiful to behold as its Wind Waker brother (of course, Twilight Princess was never the game Wind Waker was), but it is the definitive version of the former GameCube/Wii classic. You’d be surprised just how big of a difference the Gamepad makes to the Zelda formula, and for the better.
8.5/10
31: Mega Man 8
One of the most underrated games ever, many gamers seem to think that just because the voice acting is atrocious, then the game that accompanies it must be as well. But 8 is arguably the most versatile and surprising entry in the classic Mega Man series.
8.5/10
Reblogged this on Miketendo64! The News, Reviews & Personal Views Website On All Things Nintendo and commented:
Wizard Dojo has amassed 150 video game reviews. Now the mad man behind the dojo seeks to rank every last one of them.
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Wow you have written so many reviews! Good work! I look forward to going through some of them in the future. Here’s to the next 150! Congrats!
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Thank you very much! I’ll try to keep up the pace to make sure you have something to read, should you want.
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Oh Superman 64… *shudders* My friend and I made our own mini game. We would see who could throw a boxy car and catch it before it hit the ground. It was at least more entertaining than those endless rings.
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I think anything that player could come up with would be better than Superman 64 itself.
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Amazing how many reviews you have on this site. Quite a few opinions I agree or disagree with too.
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Thank you very much!
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Congratulations on 150 Reviews! And kudos to you for ranking them all! I can say with certainty that your top 5 are excellent choices! Most of those are among my top 10 or even top 5. Other than that, your list is pretty good. I’m impressed you put a little blurb after each one. Now that’s dedication! Great work!
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Thanks! I was really happy I got around to doing this, because as I got closer to 150 game reviews, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to write all of this down. But I like to make sure I have some decent content on this site, so I thought this was too fun of an idea to pass up on.
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Congrats on the 150 reviews mate! It’s quite the feat! And I completely agree with Super Mario Galaxy 2 being placed as your contemporary number 1! That game is the embodiment of perfection. Interesting to see that you enjoyed Dark Souls III over bloodborne! I must say, now that I’ve been playing dark souls III, I am throughly enjoying, although it doesn’t have that nuance that Bloodborne did for me as it was my first Souls-esque experience, but nonetheless, Dark Souls III is excellent thus far. Anyway just wanted to let you know that all your hard work is appreciated!
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I actually flip-flopped quite a bit between Galaxy 2 and DKC2 for the top spot. Like I said, the top few are pretty interchangeable… Same goes for Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne. Honestly, depending on when you ask me, my answer could be different as to which one is better. Glad you’re enjoying Dark Souls 3!
Man, I even flip-flopped with putting Mario 64 and Tropical Freeze in the top 5. I’m still not sure whether I made the right choice, but I just went with the fact that 64 has held up so well for so long.
As always, thanks for the comment.
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Well for me personally, it would always be Galaxy 2 if I had to choose between the two. Dark Souls III definitely has a leveled sense of variance that Bloodborne just can’t match and while I prefer the gothic Victorian aesthetic of Bloodborne, the Kingdom of Lothric is admittedly more varied and diverse. I’m glad I decided to give it a go, otherwise I would’ve missed out on one of the best games this year! Oh geez I still have to play Mario 64. I still haven’t rectified that. And also Banjo Kazooie. I’ll be sure to catch up on my classics after I finish Dark Souls. Would you recommend the DS version of Mario 64 or should I just go with the virtual console version?
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Definitely play the Virtual Console version of Mario 64. The DS version may have multiple characters and more stars/missions, but they aren’t always well implemented, and the controls leave a lot to be desired. The original still holds up, however.
Dark Souls 3 is definitely my Game of the Year so far. There are still a few more months of 2016 to go, but I don’t see anything dethroning it with Yooka-Laylee and Breath of the Wild being delayed. 😛
Galaxy 2 and DKC2 are two of maybe four “2s” that I would give perfect 10s (I’ll leave you guessing on the others for now). Honestly, both are in my top 5. But I’m spoiling too much of my favorites list. So let’s leave things there…
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Congratulations! I myself just reached 50 reviews, so I can feel a true sense of accomplishment too.
I’m not surprised Wizard of Oz ended up at the bottom; it’s pretty atrocious from what I’ve seen of it. I’d say Metal Morph is easily the worst game I’ve reviewed so far; Deadly Towers was at least vaguely passable when it was released and Where’s Waldo is bad in the sense that it’s just completely boring. They’re abysmal, but not on the same level as Metal Morph. If you’re ever looking for another awful game to play through, you could give that one a try.
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Congratulations on your 50th review! Keep up the great work!
Wizard of Oz might be the worst game I’ve ever played…unless Tiger handhelds count (so many haunting memories).
I might check out some of those games sometime, though I’m not exactly jumping to do so. I’ve always wanted to try out Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties and Big Rigs as well. I don’t know why.
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Awesome work with the list and with all of the reviews you have been able to post here. Keep it up!
I am in full agreement with your choice for 1st place.
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Thank you very much! Here’s hoping it doesn’t take me too long to reach the 200 mark.
It’s always hard to argue placing anything above Galaxy 2, though I honestly flip-flopped with it and DKC2 for a long while before posting this.
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Congratulations on 150 reviews! I feel like I’m very late to your review party since I’ve only been a part of this site for a short time, but I’ll definitely do some backpedaling through your site to read some of these in the future. It’s so nice to see all your hard work organized right in front of you, I’m sure. Looking forward to more!
Is it awful that I’ve only played two games out of your top 5? Clearly I’ve been missing out!
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Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy all the reviews and such.
Don’t feel too bad about only playing a couple of the highest-ranked games here, that just means you’ll be able to experience the others for the first time. 🙂
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I’ve gotta be honest and say I liked Game & Wario, managed to have quite a lot of fun with that. Some edgy choices near the bottom with Bioshock Infinite and Limbo, some people would get angry. I wouldn’t, because I haven’t played them. And why did you play as much as 3 KlayFighters games — and the Superman game!?
But, I mean, Castlevania Judgement looks pretty good…
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Wonderful 101 and Lego City Undercover look great! And New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Mario Tennis Open are both good games. They both take the formula of the former games in their series and whilst simplifying it make the gameplay tighter than ever before – and not too simple to remove the enjoyment factor.
This is Reuben, by the way.
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I’m sorry, but Rayman Legends is way too low. The art and the sound are the best in any game for me, and it’s platforming and multiplayer genius. It’s only held back by the fact it doesn’t feel quite as complete a package as Origins. How could it just be a 7.5!?
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You argue well with the opinions I disagree with, admittedly, and there are some nice choices towards the end. Well done on the milestone!
Reuben
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Love your number 1. Can’t say I agree with your assessment of Limbo but to each their own.
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