5 Nintendo Games From the 1990s That Still Hold Up Today

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If you want an idea of how good Nintendo fans had it in the ’90s, you should check out one of the five games below. Not only were they bangers at the time, but they still hold up today.

5) Star Fox 64

There’s a reason Nintendo fans are constantly asking the company to go back to Star Fox. Yes, everything since 1997 has been mediocre at best, but Star Fox 64 is one of the best rail shooters of all time. Not only is the arcadey gameplay a blast, but Star Fox is filled with beloved characters.

It also helped show players the future, as it was the first N64 game to use the Rumble Pak. Toss is solid multiplayer, a branching set of missions for added replay value, a few awesome boss fights, and you have one of Nintendo’s best games. There have been plenty of imitators trying to capture that magic over the years, but nothing has ever lived up to Star Fox 64.

4) Super Metroid

Super Metroid helped establish the modern Metroidvania genre. It’s a beautiful world filled with things to explore, building off the original in a few key ways. Over the decades, a few games have come along to further innovate on the formula, but Super Metroid is still one of the best.

Unlike Star Fox, future Super Metroid games have lived up to the franchise. The 2D games are still incredible, and Nintendo has to be commended for how amazing the switch to first-person was with Metroid Prime. Still, the series owes its success to Super Metroid, and fans owe it to themselves to go back and play this all-timer.

3) Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country was developed by Rare, making it the only non-Nintendo-developed game on this list. That said, Nintendo had a heavy hand in DKC‘s development, which shows in how good DKC is. The visuals are drop-dead gorgeous, looking better than just about anything else at the time. And the platforming gameplay is pitch-perfect, making it feel just as tight as the Super Mario‘s of the world.

It’s also worth noting that there were three DKC games in the ’90s. The first one is generally the most beloved of the trio, but many fans will tell you that DKC2 is the series at its best. The developers upped the challenge while letting you play as Dixie Kong to give you even more maneuverability. Kiddy Kong in DKC3 isn’t quite as fun, but he’s still a good time.

2) Super Mario World

If Donkey Kong Country‘s gameplay felt good, Super Mario World’s is an absolute dream. It’s hard to imagine a game feeling better than SMW, which is what makes it so easy to go back to. It is incredibly precise and has just enough power-ups to keep you on your toes. That includes the addition of Yoshi, adding a whole new element to the platforming adventure.

On top of all that, Super Mario World strikes a perfect balance between casual-friendly and tough-as-nails bonus levels. Most players can get through the campaign with a little work, but you’ll need to dedicate real time to learning all the tricks needed to solve its toughest tests. Once you do that, there’s a thriving world of fan levels to take the difficulty even further.

1) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

When trying to decide the best Zelda game of the ’90s, I think it’s almost impossible to decide between Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past. ALTTP is pure action-adventure perfection. There isn’t a second wasted, and everything works together to create one of the best games on the Super Nintendo. In some ways, that felt like the peak of the series. How could Nintendo make something better?

It turns out all the team needed to do was take the game to the third dimension and give players a huge world filled with dungeons to explore and people to meet. Hyrule felt like a real place. There were dozens of side quests to complete, adding extra flavor to the world. Importantly, Nintendo also mostly nailed the camera controls, something that easily could’ve stopped combat in its tracks. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough to keep players from becoming frustrated.

Yes, Breath of the Wild came along and became the best Zelda game ever, but Ocarina of Time is still easy to jump into. There’s something about that version of Hyrule that instantly makes you want to set off with Epona and explore every nook and cranny.

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