It’s no secret that Nintendo has had a profound impact on the history of the video game industry.
After an epic collapse of the video game industry in the early ‘80’s, which left retailers with absolutely no desire to have anything to do with any product that called itself a video game, Nintendo was able to single-handily resurrect home console gaming, through their sheer determination and moxie.
What was once an emerging art-form that was left for dead, was suddenly reforged into an activity synonymous with the name Nintendo itself; through the popularity and might of the Nintendo Entertainment System.
While those salad days didn’t last forever, as new challengers rose and eventually overtook Nintendo’s position of industry leader, the company has continued to pioneer; pushing forward our conceptions of gaming, the mechanics of games, and what products will be accepted by the consumer.
After resurrecting the home console, Nintendo was able to define gaming on the go, through the portable Game Boy line of systems. When Nintendo needed to rethink both portable and home gaming, they did so through the massively successful Nintendo DS and the Wii systems.
At this moment, we are on the cusp of Nintendo’s next console, a hybrid device between a home console and a portable unit called the Nintendo Switch. Much like the launches of the Wii and the Nintendo DS, Nintendo is once again attempting to redefine the concept of what it means to play video games.
There is a huge potential impact that the Nintendo Switch may have on the market place if they are successful in their endeavors to marry home and portable gaming.
However, as good as the Nintendo Switch may or may not be, no console is going to be worth a single dime without good games.
Fortunately, Nintendo has often been at the forefront of redefining the art of gaming itself; having published numerous games that have pioneered new mechanics and established new genre’s.
With the launch of the Nintendo Switch on the horizon (March 2017 as of this writing) I thought it would be fun to take a look back through the history of Nintendo and pinpoint the ten games that in my opinion, have been the Ten Most Important Games Nintendo Ever Published.
Throughout the month of December, we’ll be counting down the titles in Nintendo’s vast history that have pioneered standards for the entire industry and laid the foundations for Nintendo’s success.
These games were the games that were often instrumental in refining the very notion of what video games are and what they can be.
We already counted down #10, #9 and #8 on our list, so you should probably take a look at those post haste.
7. Super Metroid
Although Metroid for the NES had been considered to be one of the best titles released on Nintendo’s inaugural home console, and it’s sequel, Metroid II for the Game Boy was highly regarded as well; however, it wasn’t until the 1994 release of Super Metroid that Nintendo’s side-scrolling exploration series fully matured.
Super Metroid is considered by many to be the best game ever produced for the Super Nintendo.
Metroid protagonist, Samus faces off with one of the nightmarish bosses within the depths of Super Metroid.
Combining a perfect mixture of rich graphics and a haunting soundtrack, Super Metroid built upon and improved on the foundations laid down by the first two entries in every way conceivable; capitalizing on the added power of the Super NES to craft a deep, moody odyssey into the depths of the fortress planet Zebes.
It also perfected the art of motivating the player; dangling new power-ups and hidden passageways just within view, but just out of reach of the player, creating a delicious carrot that constantly hung in front of the player, urging them to push further into the depths of the game.
While Nintendo has not been as attentive in keeping the Metroid legacy burning as brightly as some fans would hope, it’s in that generation first impacted by the game in their youth that Super Metroid’s legacy truly shines.
That is because that generation grew up and the technology of making games became accessible enough to give rise to a burgeoning independent development scene. And as these new designers started building their own masterpieces, it was the memory of Super Metroid that they turned to for inspiration.
Super Metroid’s impact was felt from triple-A titles like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and its subsequent
Super Metroid oozes mood and atmosphere from the opening moment, all the way to the very end
sequels – to a number of titles on the flourishing indie-game scene. Titles such as Ori and the Blind Forest and Axiom Verge pay tribute to the atmospheric legacy pioneered by Nintendo’s 1994 treasure.
Super Metroid’s legacy stands as a stark reminder that well-crafted game design is an art that can resonate with the player and have an impact just as profound as a film or piece of music.
Today, Nintendo has been much less active in continuing the Metroid saga than they have been with other pillars of their library. Barely a whisper was made by the company to mark the series’ 30th anniversary earlier this year, (with the exception of a spin-off, Metroid: Federation Force for the Nintendo 3DS, which was met with a lukewarm reception at best) and sadly. there doesn’t appear to be sequel to Metroid in plain site for the Nintendo Switch.
While Nintendo is seemingly reluctant to carry on the Metroid legacy, the brilliance of Super Metroid shines on in the myriad of titles that it has influenced over the past 22 years.
I hope that you enjoy this look at the Most Important Games Nintendo’s Ever Published. Please keep an eye out at NerdBacon.com, or like our Facebook page as we continue the countdown!
We also want to know your thoughts on what games were most important to Nintendo. Have a disagreement with the list? Want to share a Nintendo memory? Just let us know in the comments section below.
Written by The Watchman
He’s also an actor, a reporter, a pro wrestling connoisseur, and some say he’s a cat whisperer.
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