Nintendo, along with being one of the big 3 in gaming, is home to some of the world's most beloved characters. Their IP is so valuable it's afforded them the ability to make their amusement park filled with all of the stuff their fans love about the worlds they create.
From Super Mario to The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has a legacy in gaming unrivaled by almost anyone else. Over the last 5 years though, how have they fared critically? Let's take a look at the best Nintendo games of the last 5 years, according to Metacritic.
10 Fire Emblem Fates (88)
Fire Emblem Fates was the last release for the franchise on the Nintendo 3DS, and despite it receiving a Metacritic score of 88, it was criticized for its Pokemon-like structure. For a series as long-running and complex as Fire Emblem, many critics noted that this was one of the best places to start for series newcomers. The game has lost favor in recent years due to the release of Fire Emblem: Three Houses on Nintendo Switch, which is considered by many to be the best game in the entirety of the Fire Emblem franchise, or at worst the second-best.
9 Super Mario Maker (88)
Most gamers who had the chance to begin their journey in gaming with Super Mario Bros. on the original Nintendo Entertainment System dreamed of one day making their own Super Mario game. Nintendo is a company known to be very protective of their IP, so when Super Mario Maker was announced fans lost their minds. The game allowed people to make their levels in various Super Mario styles, and despite it lacking solid curation tools, the game ended up settling at an aggregate score of 88 on Metacritic.
8 Fire Emblem: Three Houses (89)
Though Nintendo fans consider Fire Emblem to be a pillar franchise of the company, sales-wise it never really hit the highs of other series, until recently. Fire Emblem: Three Houses was the first in the series to launch on the Nintendo Switch — and it launched with a bang, securing a score of 89 on Metacritic.
It was praised for taking risks with the series' known formula and the depth of the characters was something that caught several reviewers by surprise. Some consider it to be the best title in the entire franchise, only second in some opinions to Fire Emblem: Awakening.
7 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (89)
It's no surprise that a remake of what many consider to be one of the best games of all-time lands on the list. The Nintendo 3DS, like many of Nintendo's gaming systems, took a risk and tried to innovate with the implementation of 3D focused gameplay. With its Metacritic score of 89, it's no surprise that it launched alongside the New Nintendo 3DS and was a system-seller for the handheld. The improved graphics and quality of life changes turned an already incredible experience into a more modern version of the same stellar adventure.
6 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (89)
Xenoblade Chronicles is a game that was originally released in 2012 and was an open-world role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. In a weird turn of events, 3 years after a sequel to the game was released on the Nintendo Switch, a remaster of the game was released on the Nintendo Switch. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition brought the beloved cult hit to modern audiences and the work put into the remaster resulted in the game landing at an aggregate score of 89 on Metacritic.
5 Animal Crossing: New Horizons (90)
With everything that happened in 2020, whether by good luck or fortune, Nintendo released the most comforting game for people dealing with quarantine. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the franchise's debut on the Nintendo Switch and allowed longtime fans and newcomers to experience the zen-like moments the game offered. Without any set goals or timelines, the openness of New Horizons warmed the hearts of fans and critics alike, and because of that, the score of 90 on Metacritic is what resulted in.
4 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (92)
When gamers think about racing games their minds likely go to franchises like Forza Horizon or Gran Turismo. Funny enough, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's sales success made it so Mario Kart is now the best-selling racing franchise and the title itself is the best-selling racing game of all-time.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a port of the Wii U release and managed to build an even larger audience on the Nintendo Switch thanks to a Metacritic score of 92 and the thirst for Mario Kart-fueled arguments with friends and family.
3 Bayonetta 2 - Switch Release (92)
Bayonetta 2 is the action-adventure hack and slash sequel developed by Platinum Games that featured Bayonetta a few months after the events of the first game. This was one of a dozen titles to release on the troubled Wii U Nintendo console, which thankfully saw a re-release port to the Nintendo Switch. Its original launch had it securing a score of 91 on Metacritic, but its port to the successful console/handheld hybrid in 2018 resulted in its score going up by a point and giving it a 92 instead.
2 Super Mario Odyssey (97)
Though Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 were beloved 3D Super Mario platformers, fans had been yearning for a true sequel to Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64. Those dreams were answered as Super Mario Odyssey launched in 2018 as the spiritual successor fans dreamed about. The game featured a neat possession mechanic and brought back the feeling of exploration and adventure Super Mario 64 was full of. Critics loved it and praised its world-class design, which led to its Metacritic score of 97.
1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (97)
Some gamers may argue The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is overrated, but critics don't feel that way and because of that the game sits at a score of 97 on Metacritic. It was home to the first true open-world game in the series and introduced plenty of new and/or remixed concepts to the genre that all worked seamlessly together. The narrative wasn't immersive, but that didn't matter as the physics and mechanics of the game worked so cohesively that the immersion of the world around the player was unrelentingly captivating.