When it comes to back catalogs, Nintendo is one of the oldest developers in the business. Before they had a gargantuan hold on the industry, they had to build up their character factory, starting with Donkey Kong, Mario, and a few other greats.
Eventually, they’d get to the point they are today, with hundreds of classics lying in wait for a revival. But a lot of games have been left on the wayside, either through distribution issues or low sales. It’s time for that to change.
Arms
Arms is a fun brawler that uses two Switch Joy-Con to simulate stretchy arms, allowing multiple players to duke it out in a Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots-like battle. The key reason it’s so underrated is its cast, which offers an array of designs and playstyles that are out of pocket, even for Nintendo.
Released in 2017, Arms was a casualty of the noisy Switch launch, passed over by Zelda: Breath of the Wild and other releases. Although it built up a solid fanbase and moved a decent number of units to boot, it is still mostly forgotten, especially as we enter the era of the Switch 2.
It’s mostly remembered now for the addition of Min Min, one of its more popular cast members, in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as the distribution of her amiibo figure. You can still play this on Switch and Switch 2, but it’s not often discussed.
Rhythm Heaven
Rhythm Heaven isn’t what comes to mind for many fans when they hear the phrase “Nintendo,” but it’s easily one of the most fun and engaging rhythm games from the past few decades. It’s also fast, and doesn’t linger too often, typically using completely different mechanics for individual rhythm-based microgames.
Although Nintendo trots out the Rhythm Heaven series every so often, it’s not talked about nearly as widely as I’d like, and all prior games are stuck on their original platforms (DS, 3DS, and Wii, respectively). We are getting Rhythm Heaven Groove in 2026, but it would be great to see all the games released on modern platforms as a celebration.
StarTropics
When I first played StarTropics back in 1990, I was enamored by it. The sense of exploration and shifting perspectives between a world map and top-down Zelda action were unique at the time, as was its irreverent theme and strange character designs.
In classic ’80s and ’90s adventure game fashion, StarTropics also had a legendarily odd real-world tie-in. It asked players to dip a real letter (that came with a physical copy) in water, which would reveal a radio frequency that would help them progress through the game. It’s like a precursor to the “back of the box codec frequency” puzzle in Metal Gear Solid.
If you’re interested in checking it out, StarTropics is currently available on the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service under the NES Classics app.
Pushmo
Pushmo and other digital-only games like it are a significant reason why I still keep my 3DS charged and ready to go. Released early in the system’s lifecycle in 2011, Pushmo, crafted by Intelligent Systems, is a simple puzzle platformer that tasks players with pushing and pulling objects to reach new heights and conquer victory flags at the end of each course.
It was semi-successful, sporting four games in total. Sadly, the entire Pushmo series is currently in limbo, since the 3DS and Wii U eShops are shut down.
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Although it was polarizing at launch due to its control scheme issues, Kid Icarus: Uprising is one of my favorite 3DS games to date. It’s basically a third-person shooter that’s set up like a shonen anime, complete with voice acting and tons of unique animations. It also has an interesting “make it as hard or as easy as you want” difficulty system, which made it extremely fun for both hardcore and casual fans alike to enjoy any given level.
What makes Kid Icarus: Uprising a hard sell for some people is the control scheme, which requires players to claw-grip a tiny 3DS. To make matters worse, the paid 3DS accessory, the Circle Pad Pro, only worked for left-handed players, adding even more confusion for casual fans. Still, I heartily enjoyed the game from start to finish, and go back to it for its charm alone.
Like many Nintendo games from that era, it’s currently stuck on 3DS, but at least this one has physical copies floating around the secondhand market.
Wario World
Wario doesn’t get enough love in general, and Wario World is one of his most unique games. While Mario often steals the spotlight, back in the GameCube era, when some fans turned on Super Mario Sunshine, Wario was all the rage. He was fresh off his newfound success with the WarioWare series on portable devices, and now he had a fully-fledged console platformer built around his favorite pastime: hoarding more gold.
Wario World was wacky, weird, and a blast to play. Although it’s not available on any modern platforms, you can still get a physical copy for the GameCube.
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
The entire Four Swords series deserves to be on this list, but given that Four Swords Adventures (like another game on this list) is stranded on the GameCube, it’s perfect for the top spot. For those of you who haven’t played the Four Swords series before, you’re essentially asked to control four different versions of Link to solve puzzles, take out enemies and bosses, and progress through traditional top-down Zelda levels.
Although it was tough to control with just one person, with a whole party of four that was locked in, it was one of the best party experiences of all time. There was a massive catch with multiplayer: everyone needed their own Game Boy Advance as the controller. If you could cross this hurdle, the experience was immaculate. Because of that requirement, though (and a lack of sales), Four Swords likely won’t be ported anytime soon. If you can, pay a visit to your closest retro enthusiast and give this adventure a shot.
Donkey Kong (1994)
When it comes to Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, if you know, you know. This is frequently cited as one of the best games in the platforming genre, though it isn’t nearly as well-known today. As a fully-fledged follow-up to the arcade classic, this entry puts you in the shoes of Mario once again as he attempts to save Pauline and take down Donkey Kong.
The catch is that Nintendo greatly expanded upon the board-by-board approach of the arcade editions and added nearly 100 more levels. As one of the best surprises Nintendo has ever concocted, you’ll re-beat the arcade levels, then Donkey Kong will turn the tables and introduce even trickier hazards across a series of incredibly well-designed stages.
If you’re interested in checking out this bonafide classic, it was added to the Game Boy module of Switch Online in early 2025.
Punch-Out!! (2009)
Punch-Out has been dormant since 2009, and it’s a crying shame. As one of the most recognizable NES games on the planet, Punch-Out managed to get an SNES edition (which is also fantastic), but the Wii version is all but forgotten, all these years later.
While it didn’t mess with the classic formula much, Punch-Out on the Wii looked great and offered a ton of arcade-style fun. This iteration is still resting on the Wii platform, and was never re-released. Why do I feel like this is the perfect time to pitch a potential Punch-Out collection? Nintendo, get on it.
Kirby Star Allies
It’s a bit of an oddball pick, but Kirby Star Allies is a great multiplayer Kirby game that only aged better with time, and with subsequent post-launch content updates. While it was mostly forgotten during the busy year of 2018 (and severely overshadowed by the excellent Kirby And The Forgotten Land), it holds up today and deserves to be in the conversation for best modern Kirby titles.
Many past Kirby games provided a multiplayer element of some kind (going all the way back to the retro days), but Star Allies went wild with it, enticing players to engage in multiplayer with a host of allies, including classic characters like King Dedede and Meta Knight.
Thankfully, Nintendo still offers Kirby Star Allies on Nintendo Switch, which is compatible with the Switch 2. It has a bit of life in it yet, I just hope it eventually gets the audience it deserves.
- Date Founded
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September 23, 1889
- CEO
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Satoru Iwata
- Subsidiaries
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Nintendo EPD, Nintendo SPD, Nintendo EAD
- Consoles
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Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch Lite
- Services
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Nintendo Switch Online