The lines between console generations have become more blurred than ever thanks to tons of cross-generation games, remakes, and remasters. However, a system’s launch lineup is still very important for giving early adopters a peak at what the power of that new system can do. Nintendo consoles more than any other have provided some of the best launch games to the point that most of the best NES games, best N64 games, and best Switch games are all launch titles. Typically, launch games are overshadowed by games that come later in the generation but which ones have stood the test of time best? These are the best launch games on all Nintendo platforms, ranked.
9. Nintendogs + Cats – 3DS
The Nintendo 3DS had one of the largest launch lineups of any Nintendo system, yet was easily the weakest of them all. Nintendo didn’t have its major franchises here to push its new 3D system and instead relied on games like Pilot Wings Resort, Steel Diver, and Nintendogs + Cats to hold things down until more impressive games were ready. Of that list, Nintendogs + Cats at least appeals to a select audience in a big way. This is yet another pet simulator game that took off on the original DS, only now with 3D and AR compatibility, but offered little new in terms of gameplay. While not bad, it was certainly a weak title to show off the 3DS and give people a reason to upgrade from the DS.
8. Luigi’s Mansion
The GameCube was the first Nintendo home console to not launch with a new Mario game. That would’ve caused a stir on its own, but the fact that we were getting a Luigi game at launch instead caused quite an uproar at the time. Once we got our hands on it, though, Luigi’s Mansion turned out to be a great game. It wasn’t a platformer, and a lot of people probably waited until Sunshine came out to get the system, but a worthy experiment for Nintendo. This was the beginning of Luigi’s rise to fame as a character in his own right, with two sequels that only improved on the ghost-catching gameplay. Taken for what it is, Luigi’s Mansion is a great, but brief, experiment that only Nintendo would take.
7. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
The WiiU launch was packed with ports that were mostly inferior to their Xbox 360 and PS3 counterparts. Nintendo tried to recapture the magic of Wii Sports with Nintendo Land which had a lot of promise but ultimately felt more like a series of demos than a full package. In a twist that would make Nintendo fans during the console wars raise their pitchforks, it was a Sonic game that made the console worth buying. Typically, Mario Kart games are considered the undisputed kings of the kart racing genre, but Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed made it a tight race for first, at least until Mario Kart 8 came out. It nails the tight controls a kart racer needs, balances power-ups well, and offers dynamic courses where players’ karts transformed between cars, boats, and planes. It had an uphill battle to find its audience since it featured Sonic characters rather than Mario ones, but those who got behind the wheel were not disappointed.
6. Super Mario Bros.
We’d been introduced to Mario before in the arcades, but Nintendo wisely chose to flesh out their new mascot with Super Mario Bros. on the NES. At this point, hundreds of discussions and dissections of this game have been made as setting the template for all 2D platformers that followed. It is hard to see in retrospect, but there was nothing else like this game at the time. The creativity in the worlds, the tight movement, the secrets, power-ups, and level design all feel so modern despite releasing decades ago. It also played no small part in reviving the entire video game industry after the crash in the ’80s. The importance of this game cannot be overstated, and it is still just as playable today as it was all those years ago, but it does show its age.
5. Super Mario World
The SNES launch lineup in America only had two standout titles, but there’s no denying that Super Mario World outclasses F-Zero. No offense to that game, which is an amazing racing game, but this 16-bit platformer is still considered one of the best platformers ever made. Not only is it visually beautiful, but it introduced tons of new classic power-ups, secret worlds, a classic soundtrack, and even Yoshi. Every 2D Mario since has been compared to World, and it isn’t likely that will ever change.
4. Wii Sports
The Wii was a big swing for Nintendo, pun intended. The Game Cube was a great system but didn’t sell as well as the competition. Rather than follow suit and enter into the more expensive HD era, Nintendo took a gamble on motion-controlled gaming with the Wii and needed a game to show that it wasn’t just a gimmick. Wii Sports was bundled in with every Wii, so it is cheating just a little bit to call it a launch game. However, this was a cultural phenomenon that saw kids, adults, and the elderly all getting into gaming for the first time. It single-handedly made the Wii one of the most difficult-to-buy systems for years, and most people used it as just a Wii Sports machine. If that isn’t the sign of a powerful launch title, we don’t know what is.
3. Tetris
It takes a game as perfect as Tetris to beat out a Mario game, yet no one can deny that this puzzle game was the perfect fit for the Game Boy. This simple idea broke down all barriers and appealed to gamers and non-gamers alike with its mesmerizing gameplay that has largely been left untouched over the decades. Tetris is one of the most important games ever created so there’s really no competition for a better launch game.
2. Super Mario 64
The jump to 3D was a tough one for all developers. Well, every developer except Nintentendo, apparently, who managed to once again set the bar for 3D platformers with its first attempt. The only slight issue is the camera control, but Super Mario 64 is otherwise such a tight and complete package that it still blows our minds. Mario’s movement feels natural and responsive as you explore the rich and cheery levels. To this day people claim it is the best 3D platformer and it is home to a strong speedrunning community who push it to its limits. It would take the competition almost the entire generation to figure out what Nintendo had with its first shot at 3D game design.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild had a ton of hype built up since it was originally just going to be a WiiU game before also getting announced for the Switch at launch. This had happened before with Twilight Princess, but the promise of this new open-world Zelda was something else. People were so excited about this game that people purchased copies of it even before they could get a Switch. Once we got our hands on it, it somehow exceeded all our expectations. Again, Nintendo proved here that it has some arcane ability to step into a new genre (at least for this franchise) and put a new spin on it that completely changes the way we look at it. In this case, Breath of the Wild’s open world broke the mold of what we expected by encouraging more natural exploration. We loved getting lost wandering around Hyrule, following our curiosity, and being rewarded for it. Yes, weapon durability was inconvenient, but the near-perfect scores are all you need to see to know this is the best launch title Nintendo has ever produced.
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