When it comes to first-party libraries, there is no company as iconic asNintendo. FromMariotoThe Legend of Zelda, the beloved company has been cranking out instant classics for decades with properties that are well known around the globe. With the spotlight on the company, it’s unlikely a first-party game would fall under the radar.
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As time goes on and as the Nintendo library grows, it’s inevitable for some of their first-party games to be lost in the shuffle. This could just be because of time or because they don’t get as much love considering other great games of that time. But for some fans, being reminded of these forgotten games can spark feelings of nostalgia.
10Mario Pinball Land
Known in other parts of the world asSuper Mario Ball,Mario Pinball Landwas a bizarre spin-off pinball game for theGame Boy Advancewhere Mario is the ball. The game starts off with Mario and Princess Peach visiting a fair to try a new attraction known as the Air Cannon. When Peach is turned into a ball in order to experience the cannon, two Goombas direct the cannon to Bowser’s Castle as she is shot out.
The gameplay revolves around Mario turning into a ball and collecting stars in multiple pinball worlds. This unlocked bosses that Mario must beat to advance.
9Dr. Luigi
There have been a few puzzle spin-offs of theMarioseries. One of the more iconic spin-offs isDr. Mario, a series of falling tile puzzle games that first debuted back in 1990. Mario had always been the protagonist of these games up until 2013 when Luigi got his time to shine inDr. Luigi.
Released at the tail end of the “Year of Luigi,” the game had four distinct modes. Along with a classic mode, there was also “Operation L,” which involved L-shaped configurations. There was also “Virus Buster,” which involved a drag-and-drop mechanic using theWii U Gamepad.
81080° Avalanche
One of the best games on the Nintendo 64 was1080° Snowboarding, Nintendo’s take on the snowboarding video game genre. Because the game sold over two million copies, a sequel was in the works by a second-party developer.
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However, after that fell through, Nintendo Software Technology picked up the scraps. 1080° Avalanche on the Gamecube focused on the racing portion of snowboarding with Match Race, which included regular tracks as well as trails that involved out-racing an avalanche. There was a trick mode in the game, as well as a few other racing modes.
7Link’s Crossbow Training
There were all kinds of unique Wii accessories over the course of the console’s lifespan. TheWii Zapperwas an interesting peripheral that allowed players to put their Wii Remote inside a mechanism shaped like a gun. If players got this, they would’ve likely gottenLink’s Crossbow Trainingwith it.
Set in the world of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the game offers the player nine levels to test their shooting skills. This includes target practice, a wave combat mode, and “Ranger” levels that include Link moving around and fighting, rather than being stationary.
6Wario: Master of Disguise
It’s been well over a decade since players have seen a 2D platformer for theWarioseries.One of the lastentries came out in 2007 under the development of Suzak calledWario: Master of Disguise.
The plot revolves around Wario’s jealousy of a TV thief named Silver Zephyr. He decides to create a helmet that will allow him to enter the TV show and, upon successfully doing so, steals the thief’s disguise. This game took a more puzzle-oriented approach to the platformer with players being tasked to move with all other buttons as they complete actions on the touchpad.
5Pokemon Puzzle League
While thePokemonfranchise started with video games, they have since branched into various other forms of media including the popular anime that began in 1997. However, there have also been multiple video games madebased on the anime.
One of them was thePokemon Puzzle League, which is also based on a series of video games by Nintendo calledPuzzle League. The game revolves around maneuvring blocks and connecting those that have a matching color, which is similar to the 1995Puzzle LeaguegameTetris Attack.
4DK Jungle Climber
TheDonkey Kongfranchise is known for its great platformers. In 2005, Nintendo published a twist on the format calledDK: King of Swingfor Game Boy Advance. The cartoony game revolved around using the L and R triggers to climb up pegs.
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This game wasn’t well-received, but the game did get a Nintendo DS sequel calledDK Jungle Climber. The game not only improved its overall gameplay and added multiplayer modes, but it also was stylized to look more like the classicDonkey Kong Countrygames.
3Master Of Illusion
Who else would publish amagicianvideo game out of nowhere other than Nintendo?Master of Illusionis a game that puts players in the shoes of a training illusionist.
The game revolves around learning these tricks and earning points, though there was a cap on how many points per day an individual could earn. The Magic Training mode revolved around learning the tricks while Magic Show was the act of actually performing them for points. There was also a Solo Magic mode that had lots of mini-games. A deck of Nintendo-themed playing cards came with the game.
2Yoshi’s Safari
Yoshi’s Safariwas one of the best games on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that nobody played. Using the Super Scope, players take control of Mario in first-person as he rides Yoshi and shoots enemies using the device. The game has 12 levels set in the world of Jewelry Land, which Bowser and the Koopalings have taken over. Each level contains an array of enemies plus a boss fight with the Koopalings or Bowser.
The game was received well by critics but wasovershadowedby the release ofMortal Kombaton SNES.
1Gumshoe
Another game with a shooting accessory, a game called Gumshoe released in North America in 1986 and was played with only the NES Zapper. It was the first-ever game published by Nintendo to not release in Japan.
The game revolves around a detective named Mr. Stevenson who must pay ransom to a mafia boss named King Dom who has kidnapped Stevenson’s daughter. The gameplay revolves around walking right along a 2D platform shooting enemies and obstacles to reach the end of the level. Players also had to shoot Mr. Stevenson to make him jump.
