History Gush / Nintendo

** Favorite video games of all time right here! These games are mere Gameboy Advanced games, yet they still have loveable characters and an excellent plot. There's TONS of extra stuff to do (especially in The Lost Age), and the summon secuences are just full of awesome. Heck, the plot is a mere "four elements" plot, but it's handled in a way that makes it refreshing. And there's a reason these games have their own page under CrowningMusicOfAwesome; the soundtrack is some of the best music I've hear for a video game period.

* [[{{Tangent128}} This Troper]] has played every Mario RPG except for the first one, and is eager to play it as soon as he can because the rest are ''so awesome'':

*** The music, the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome muuuusiiiic...]] *JOY*

** I actually like both [[TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]] and [[TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks.]] And since Phantom Hourglass was already gushed over twice, let's go to its sequel. PH was a great game, and ST took the mechanics and made them just a bit better IMO. It also helps that it has [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething the first iteration of Princess Zelda that actively helps you in your quest]], I liked the Spirit Train more than Linebeck's steamboat, the bosses are just as good here as they were in PH, and it also has one of my favorite characters in the series in the form of Byrne. And good goddesses, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome THAT MUSIC!]]

* ''Super Mario Galaxy'' reaches ridiculous levels of awesome. It is everything that was great about ''Super Mario 64'', only ''more so''. I want Red Stars of my very own, and the soundtrack is one long CrowningMusicOfAwesome.

** All of my YES. This is [[SincerityMode literally]] my favorite video game ever made. I wouldn't call it ''perfect'', but it is absolutely brimming with [[BestLevelEver great gameplay]], [[SceneryPorn great graphics]], [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome great music]]...and while the game can get [[NintendoHard pretty difficult]] at times, for the most part (notwithstanding a few levels, such as [[ThatOneLevel 6-K and 5-8]]), it's a pretty enjoyable challenge. Never let it be said that the Wii is not capable of epicness. And [[{{Squee}} we're getting]] [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze a sequel!]]

** Seconded, this game has one of the greatest casts of characters ever. Everyone from the somewhat dorky IdiotHero Pit to nonchalantly evil [[spoiler:BigBad]] Hades has more personality than most Nintendo characters. Their hilarious interactions in each chapter and the CrowningMusicofAwesome make the game even more fun to play.

* No ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''? Are you ''serious''? One of the best-written, best-created, best-everything Sim-type game on console ''and'' handheld to date. Each game in the series adds new features, and while City Folk wasn't my favourite, New Leaf has blown every game before it out of the water. Addicting, cute, and enjoyable for everyone--''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' will always be on my favourite games list. And you can't forget that [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome music]]!!

*** As someone who's played the absolute hell out of TTYD many times as a youth, and consider it one of my favorite games on the GameCube...for some reason, I just like [[VideoGame/PaperMario64 the first game]] better. Yes, the second game improved on what made the first game great, gave us unique scenarios, more developed characters, and a darker story, and was overall the better game, but you cannot deny the charm of the game that started this subseries. It had familiar settings, yet handled them in a way that felt somewhat fresh and had a lot to offer. It also helps that this game had probably [[VisualEffectsofAwesome the best presentation]] [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic out of the entire N64 library]], especially when you look at Cloudy Climb, Star Haven, and pretty much the ''entirety'' of Shiver Valley. And above all, it was fun. Every boss fight was unique and challenging in its own way, which would carry over into the sequel, and none of them felt like they were treading old ground. The ending is the most worth it: a long, challenging final dungeon that uses all your skills to get further, a tough, rewarding final boss, and an ending that's equal parts charming, hilarious, and beautiful. Seriously; that ending still of Mario and Peach watching the fireworks always brings a tear to my eye...

** ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars Black Hole Rising'' deserves just as much recognition. Between the excellent [[BestLevelEver single best final CO]], the hilarious dialouge, entertaining characters, and [[AwesomeMusic horribly addicting music]], the game never gets old. It's currently the first game I'd like to see an updated release of, just to include Days of Ruin's experience system, naval combat, and map system...but they're all just minor points. Even just a graphics update would make it amazing.

** ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' could be considered the series CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming

** Then this one will take over. All of them are the purest celebration of Nintendo's long and illustrious history and a love letter to the sheer joy one can find in silliness. ''Brawl'' especially with its "Subspace Emissary" story; I mean it in the best way possible when I say it's the best crossover CrackFic I've ever seen. Seriously! Anyone who wants to write crossover crack ''needs'' to at least watch the cutscenes. It's funny at times, to be sure, but it's also tense, heartwarming, and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome triumphant]]. Thank you, Nintendo, for reminding us that it's okay for games to be silly.

** [[Tropers/{{Blazichu}} I'm]] right there with you guys-- with the possible exception of ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction'', Wind Waker is the only game I've played more than a dozen times-- and it still hasn't gotten old. We've already covered gushing about the graphics and storyline, but I have to add that the soundtrack may be the series' best. From the title theme to the epilogue, every track was unique to the island/dungeon it was found in, and suited perfectly to that purpose; this means that, even if you don't know the name of what you're listening to, you're still perfectly capable of identifying the track. On top of that, it was also the debut of [[CaptainObvious WW]] [[SugarWiki/GushingAboutCharactersYouLike Link]], who stands apart from all of his counterparts: a BadassAdorable... who also happens to be a KnightTemplarBigBrother, [[TheUnchosenOne and initially had no intention to save the Great Sea]]. His semi-frequent ButtMonkey moments (on top of being [[CrowningMomentOfFunny hilarious]]) just make his [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome moments]] even better. The very best part: his method of dealing with [[spoiler: Ganondorf]]. Unprecedented in a Zelda game, and only attempted once since.

* This troper finished ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' this morning, and this game made him clamoring for MOAR! The romantic dynamic between Link and Zelda is so good that an almost-claustrophobic feeling creeps up when the game ends, when you know logically there can't be any more story and, thus, more of the [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming]] interactions that follow beyond well-placed implication.

** The entire series. I love it! I love [[DefeatMeansFriendship catching]] Pokémon. I love [[GottaCatchEmAll collecting]] Pokémon. I love [[BloodKnight battling]] Pokémon. I love [[LevelGrinding training]] Pokémon. I love [[ThePowerOfFriendship raising]] Pokémon. I love [[NextTierPowerUp evolving]] Pokémon. I love [[SocializationBonus trading]] Pokémon. [[SweetDreamsFuel I love Pokémon.]]

** This troper has, and is happy to GUSH about them (I'm surprised no one else has yet?). They're beautiful, beautiful games and wonderful to play. The environments are creative, detailed, and very immersive, (oddly, something that seems particular to American games). The gameplay is great and the controls are smooth, especially with Corruption on the Wii. Heck, Corruption, the last in the trilogy, did more than trump the other two. In the first moments of the game you as Samus pulls of many [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome bad ass]] stunts, such as that boss fight against Ridley while falling down that shaft. But one of my favorite things about the series is Dark Samus, who connects all the games together. Her whole story and true origin is never flatly stated in the games but left for you to piece together yourself.

** [[Tropers/{{Blazichu}} I'm]] right there with you guys-- with the possible exception of ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction'', Wind Waker is the only game I've played more than a dozen times-- and it still hasn't gotten old. We've already covered gushing about the graphics and storyline, but I have to add that the soundtrack may be the series' best. From the title theme to the epilogue, every track was unique to the island/dungeon it was found in, and suited perfectly to that purpose; this means that, even if you don't know the name of what you're listening to, you're still perfectly capable of identifying the track. On top of that, it was also the debut of [[CaptainObvious WW]] [[GushingAboutCharactersYouLike Link]], who stands apart from all of his counterparts: a BadassAdorable... who also happens to be a KnightTemplarBigBrother, [[TheUnchosenOne and initially had no intention to save the Great Sea]]. His semi-frequent ButtMonkey moments (on top of being [[CrowningMomentOfFunny hilarious]]) just make his [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome moments]] even better. The very best part: his method of dealing with [[spoiler: Ganondorf]]. Unprecedented in a Zelda game, and only attempted once since.

* SinAndPunishment will always be this Troper's favorite game. Despite the confusing plot and the fact that no one seems to have heard of it, it'll always be on her top ten list. The sequel managed to somehow make the game even better, with more characters, longer gameplay, and a slightly less confusing plot. Everything from the giant monsters to the fast and furious BulletHell gameplay style just makes this Troper squee forever.

** ''The Wind Waker'' has one of my favorite visual styles to date. In my opinion, it's an artful blend of cel-shading and realistic effects, such as distortion and light-mapping (the distortion is still impressive to this day). In fact, although the game doesn't have very many high-poly models, it is still forced to run at 30 frames per second because it's cel-shading system, along with a fully dynamic cloth simulation system, pushes the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube to its absolute limits. Along with ''NiNoKuni'', ''The Wind Waker'' is one of the only cel-shaded games to imitate the look of a proper multi-million dollar animation production (most other cel-shaded games try to imitate the simpler look of television animation, which isn't as impressive or detailed). In fact, Nintendo consulted a retired Toei Animation employee for inspiration with the graphics style, explaining why the game looks so different from other cel-shaded games. With the Dolphin emulator's high-definition rendering this game is even more amazing to look at, especially with anti-aliasing on.

*** Super Paper Mario was the first game and the only one of [[NightsIntoDreams two]] I've ever cried at. It deserves more praise than it gets.

* ''Super Smash Bros for Wii U'' is one of the best games, ''period''. It has the biggest soundtrack in Nintendo history, the best new stages coupled with some the best stages from the first three games. Also, the roster. This game has Nintendo characters from almost ''all'' (''Mario'',''Pokemon'',''Legend of Zelda'', ''Donkey Kong Country'', ''Animal Crossing'', ''Kirby'', and ''Metroid'', ''Star Fox'', ''F-Zero'', ''EarthBound'', ''Fire Emblem'', ''Kid Icarus'', ''VideoGame/WarioWare'', ''Pikmin'', ''Punch-Out!!'', ''Wii Fit'', ''Xenoblade'') franchises ''and'' also third party games! There are also: 8 PLAYER SMASH, custom moves, and Amiibos. Especially amiibos, never before have we been able to get figurines of characters like Fox McCloud, Pit, Little Mac, Lucina, Shulk, Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Ganondorf, Samus Aran, etc. * (Figurines of characters like Mario, Luigi, Link, Pikachu, Kirby, and Sonic are common.)

** This is probably really silly...but besides these, I also grew up playing Donkey Kong 64. And I absolutely love it!

* ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' is, without a doubt, awesome. But not just the game--full MadeOfWin points must also be given to the folks at Starmen.net, who turned out a majestically professional, funny, touching, fun-to-read fan translation that puts a lot of ''official'' game scripts to shame. But to the game itself. The ActionCommand[=/=]combo system is ''brilliant--''lots of people already press buttons to the tune of the game music, so making it an official part of the game was a fantastic idea. And what music it is! The soundtrack blew this troper out of the water, and it's remarkably high-quality for a GBA soundtrack. The graphics are slick, colorful, and pretty fantastically animated for their simplicity. It's also ''fantastically'' emotional, being laugh-out-loud funny, [[TearJerker tear-jerking]], shocking, and lots of other big words, even in the tiniest moments. The optional scene you see if you [[spoiler: return to Wess with Duster in your party]] moved her more than something that out-of-the-way ought. And it's a nicely paced RPG to boot, and manages to avert the "everyone's levels are diiiifferent!" problem that plagued ''Videogame/EarthBound'' and--well, pretty much every other RPG ever.

** ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi Mario & Luigi]]'' was portable, comedy gold! E.Gadd's guest starring, the pratfalls, appropriate music, and a plot that kept revisiting older places (going back into previous games!).

*** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' not only provides several Crowning Moments of Awesome for Bowser, [[VillainDecay a character seriously in need of such moments]], but is the funniest, most well-made game in the ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi Mario & Luigi]]'' series yet. Not to mention how '''''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df-mjdvdeuI&fmt=18 unbelievably ridiculously awesome]]''''' the final boss theme is!

*** I never would have thought I could see [[Franchise/MetalGear Solid Snake]], [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] and [[SuperMario Yoshi]] together without at least one of them looking out of place. [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl I was wrong.]]

* [[SuperMarioBros SUPAH MARIO BROTHAHS]]!!! It's THE game that started us down the path to awesomeness and a life-changing experience in and of itself!

* ''{{Pikmin}}'' and its sequel. Does this even need an explanation?

** This troper will go ahead and add ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Awakening]]'' to the list. I suppose I can't compare it to other ''Fire Emblem'' games, this being my first foray into the series, but I couldn't ''believe'' what an incredible game this was. I bought it along with Dark Moon as an afterthought and expected Dark Moon to be the game I played the most. Now two weeks later I've logged ''60 hours'' in Awakening compared to 2.5 in Dark Moon. In two weeks Awakening passed Ocarina of Time 3d for "most time played" on my 3DS, and I've had OoT for over a year. The game was just something unlike I'd ever seen since the first time I played ''Ace Attorney'', four years prior. The wonderful, poignant story... the beautifully fleshed-out characters... the immersive gameplay experience... I am not ashamed to say I cried at the end, something no video game had ever made me do before. Thank you, Nintendo.

*** I'm gonna commit the cardinal sin of Ocarina of Time here - I like the Water Temple. It gets a lot of hate for being too long, or too confusing, or just frustrating, but... it's really fun! More than any dungeon up to that point, you get to explore an interesting dungeon, with one of the best boss fights in the game (hell yeah, Dark Link!) AND the Longshot, which is one of my favourite items. It can seem daunting when you start out, but after picking up the map and compass, you can start to make sense of it and it becomes much easier and much more fun to navigate. Even if you DO find it difficult, there's always a great sense of achievement when you complete it. I'll even go so far as to say that in OoT, the Water Temple is probably one of my favourite dungeons, only losing out to Ganon's Tower. Yeah.

** This game is possibly THE game I would choose if I could only play one video game for the rest of my life. The story is deeper than [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime OoT]] and the [[GroundhogDayLoop time travel]] allows you to go through the entirety of the game over and over, trying new things each time. The sidequests serve as a great example on how to do them right while providing a challenge to find every single last [[HeartContainer piece of heart]].

** And screw everyone who says they release the same game over and over. The Gamecube was a generation of shaking up their major franchises. Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, LoZ: Wind Waker, Star Fox Adventures, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, and the near-perfect Metroid Prime. Regardless of how you feel about any of those games the sheer fact that Nintendo tried new things with so many franchises in such a short period deserves a little respect.

** This troper is also in agreement, and they consider this game to be the single greatest of all time. They are normally very stoic with media, with the occasional laugh out loud moments of media being the sole exception normally. But this game gives them a different story entirely. MOTHER 3 gives this troper wide ranges of emotion, and the characters interacting with each other gives them confidence to show their own personality more. In fact, this and Undertale have given them strength to voice their opinions and, more importantly, to come out as non-binary. The game fits their philosophy perfectly. They believe in giving everyone a chance, but they also believe those chances have limits. If someone (like Fassad or Porky) shows a clear lack of will to change, there WILL be consequences. This game is the greatest game of all time, and the emotion and strength it gives this troper is their reasoning as to why.

** This troper loves EarthBound because of the incredible humor, great plotline, relative lack of difficulty with some challenges for people that want them, and a lack of many of the major frustrations that plagued its predecessor. The simple graphics add to the cheery overworld flavor, while still swapping over to a darker undercurrent when needed (ESPECIALLY in the Cave of the Past). This game is truly one that I love with all my heart.

*** ''MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime'' had decent music, and over-the-top Bros Items.
*** ''MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' not only provides several Crowning Moments of Awesome for Bowser, [[VillainDecay a character seriously in need of such moments]], but is the funniest, most well-made game in the ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi Mario & Luigi]]'' series yet. Not to mention how '''''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df-mjdvdeuI&fmt=18 unbelievably ridiculously awesome]]''''' the final boss theme is!

* ''Super Smash Bros for Wii U'' is one of the best games, ''period''. It has the biggest soundtrack in Nintendo history, the best new stages coupled with some the best stages from the first three games. Also, the roster. This game has Nintendo characters from almost ''all'' (''Mario'',''Pokemon'',''Legend of Zelda'', ''Donkey Kong Country'', ''Animal Crossing'', ''Kirby'', and ''Metroid'', ''Star Fox'', ''F-Zero'', ''EarthBound'', ''Fire Emblem'', ''Kid Icarus'', ''WarioWare'', ''Pikmin'', ''Punch-Out!!'', ''Wii Fit'', ''Xenoblade'') franchises ''and'' also third party games! There are also: 8 PLAYER SMASH, custom moves, and Amiibos. Especially amiibos, never before have we been able to get figurines of characters like Fox McCloud, Pit, Little Mac, Lucina, Shulk, Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Ganondorf, Samus Aran, etc. * (Figurines of characters like Mario, Luigi, Link, Pikachu, Kirby, and Sonic are common.)

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast''. The mythic awesomeness of that incarnation of Hyrule really paved the way for the 3D wonders to come. From the very beginning, when Link is awakened by a psychic plea from the titular heroine, to the claiming of the [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Master Sword]], to the rescue of said heroine, to the final showdown with the [[LargeHam Pig of Evil]] himself, it's all fantastic. And then there's all the smaller moments: the ShipTease between Link and Zelda, the poignant moments at the end of certain sidequests (you remember how you got the flute, right?), the pwnage of Blind when you outwit him...this was epic storytelling back when consoles were still struggling with storytelling at all. And of course, the gameplay is still unique and well-done. Overhead 2-D gaming was pretty much all shooters and turn-based RPG adventures...and Zelda. The formula was attempted by a few gutsy developers, but on one ever really managed to capture the magic. And this troper doesn't have the nostalgia filter on -- I first played LTTP on VirtualConsole fifteen years after the game was first released. Even after the rightly-beloved Ocarina, there are fans who still believe that Link to the Past is still the best Zelda ever. I may not be one of them, but it's definitely one of the best ''games'' ever, period.

** It's almost been a whole year since launch, and people ''still'' haven't mentioned ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', much less ''Conquest?'' The games are bloody fantastic, and this is coming from a veteran of the series. Massively improved gameplay from an already solid formula, lovable characters, amazing music, and [[TearJerker Tear Jerkers]] ''everywhere!'' Heck, I'm even that minority of the BrokenBase the game created that even loves the story, especially Conquest. Easily this troper's 2016 Game of the Year, and it earned the amount of praise the official critics gave it, and when I actually ''agree'' with the profesisonal critics on something, [[SugarWiki/SoCoolItsAwesome that should speak volumes on how great this game is.]]

** Despite its flaws, Videogame/MetroidOtherM is this troper's favorite {{Metroid}} game to date. It has beautiful designs, intricate puzzles, intense boss battles, and well-designed characters. And not only does it manage to keep the feel of the original 2-D side scrollers, but it also provides some long-overdue characterization to our favorite badass BountyHunter. Sure some parts can be a real pain, like the {{Pixel Hunt}}s and the initial lack of a Varia suit, but I think that other parts, like the dodge mechanic and concentration, more than make up for them.

*** As a Mario fan and fan of playing video games in general, PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor is my favorite game of all time.

* The ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games are pure awesome from start to finish. The copy abilites, the stories, everything.Even the spinoffs have [[@/DrPepper42 this troper]] coming back for more time and time again. SugarBowl or no, you can't deny the fun Kirby provides. After you see Wham Bam Jewel for the first time, you'll never be saying it's kiddy again. Then we get the two best games I have yet played on the NintendoDS. Kirby Squeak Squad, with the best story ever, involving cake, theives, and treasure, and then Kirby Super Star Ultra, which is Kirby Super Star, but a whole lot more.

** It's almost been a whole year since launch, and people ''still'' haven't mentioned ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', much less ''Conquest?'' The games are bloody fantastic, and this is coming from a veteran of the series. Massively improved gameplay from an already solid formula, lovable characters, amazing music, and [[TearJerker Tear Jerkers]] ''everywhere!'' Heck, I'm even that minority of the BrokenBase the game created that even loves the story, especially Conquest. Easily this troper's 2016 Game of the Year, and it earned the amount of praise the official critics gave it, and when I actually ''agree'' with the profesisonal critics on something, [[SoCoolItsAwesome that should speak volumes on how great this game is.]]

** ''Majora's Mask'' actually re-opened my mind to the possible existence of {{God}}. No, really. In a godless universe, nothing so absolutely perfect could conceivably exist. The music (including the Ocarina stuff, ''especially'' the Song of Healing) is, in a word, beautiful. The characters are some of the most memorable in gaming. The gameplay, taken right from [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]], is perfect. Every dungeon is fun and engaging, yes, even [[ThatOneLevel the Great Bay Temple]]. When a Zelda game can make a staunch atheist reconsider and eventually believe [[HeelFaithTurn and be good]] again, you know the series is SoCoolItsAwesome, and the game itself is the best thing ever.

* ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing!'' Some may brush it off as just a MarioKart wannabe, but ''how wrong they are.'' Not only does it feature THREE vehicle choices (all of which are ''very'' different), its addition of a story mode, with a hub world and levels, was ''brilliant'' and still hasn't been properly repeated in a racing game. It's also ''brutally'' difficult, with intense challenges like the Silver Coin levels, maddening bosses, and [[NintendoHard beating all of T.T.'s best times.]] Even for a Nintendo 64 game, it looks good, with lots of bright colors and gorgeous environments. And the music is ''amazing,'' as Rareware music is known for being. Even its battle games took lots of different forms, with "deathmatch" style games, but also capture-the-flag challenges. Even its [[ClassicCheatCode cheat codes]] are amazing, and provide tons of different ways to mix up the game by changing up the weapons or the ways the characters behave. ''It's just good.''

** Ah, yes! I remember the serene joy of playing ''Pokémon Gold''...riding around on my bike, wasting money on Repels, catching Ho-Oh, beating the Elite Four...sadly, ''Pokemon Gold and Silver'' cartridges have an issue with the clock system that eventually [[LostForever wipes your game...]]

* LuigisMansionDarkMoon improves over the original by having not one, but FIVE mansions to explore! This troper had a ball exploring the usual haunted mansion, to a desert-filled tomb, and an icy mine!