Nintendo:Nintendo Monthly sandbox

{| cellpadding=2 cellspacing=2 align=center border=1 width=650px style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; padding: 6px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 10px; background-color: #f7f8ff; border:1px solid #8888aa;"

Top 100 games of all time
The following is a list of Bentendo's top 100 video games of their time.

73.Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime - I was so skeptical of whether I should buy this or not before I made the right decision and got the classic and quirky game. You can say this is a kiddy game, because it is. Thought guess what - I DON'T CARE!

72.Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life - This is the only Harvest Moon game that I've ever played, so I don't really know if there are any better ones. A Wonderful Life is nothing compared to Animal Crossing, though I still did have a blast raising meh farm and getting meh wife.

71.Mario Kart 64 - If this game included Kamek it would totally be number 10, though they got rid of him... Anyway, this is still a fun game, with or without Kamek.

70.Ninja Gaiden - This NES classic is IMO better than Zelda II. Why? It's fast paced, its fighting formula is fun, and if I was able to play right now I would, where as in Zelda II I just wouldn't.

69.The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - You're probably surprised that I'd add this game so low on this list. To me it just wasn't as pleasing or as fun as the other games in the series. I'm the kind of guy who hates having a time limit in games, and, well, the three day limit is why this is so low.

68.Madden NFL 07 - Yup, I didn't think that I would add a Madden game, though after I experienced Madden on the Wii I just couldn't help it! The controls are awesome, and while not as inviting as a game such as Wii Sports, it still will please the hardcore football (American football for the Europeans out there) fan, and in my case, the non football fans who just want some great games with sweat Wii remote controls.

67.Mario Kart: Double Dash!! - Mario Kart Double Dash!! is the perfect Gamecube racing game. As every other entry in the series, it is straight out crazy, with great new weapons, notably the Chain Chomp, and perfect control, this is a game that ranks among the best racers. The Mario Kart series is known by many to be one of the best racing games out there, and this surely proves why that is. One of the greatest courses in the game was no doubt the short yet sweet Baby Park, which if you have four players and plenty of weapons can be one heck of an awesome ride. Eventually you'll have Koopa Troopa shells every where, and if one of the players is Bowser or his younger, more annoying son, then expect to see some crazy big shells shooting out of no where!

66.Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - While some would argue that Aria of Sorrow is greater than Dawn of Sorrow, I'd have to disagree. However, that's not saying that Aria of Sorrow is a bad game. In fact, it's far from it! The great Metroid meets Castlevania setup is still intact, and that is a good thing.

65.Banjo-Kazooie - The best level in the game was obviously the beach area. While it may be early in the game, it's always the one that comes to mind when I think of Banjo Kazooie. I also enjoyed all of the different moves that Banjo and Kazooie could cooperatively perform together. The game was pure platforming bliss, despite being over rated.

64.Donkey Kong Country - I spent a whole lot of time with the Donkey Kong Country series. It had brilliant graphics at the time, and probably ranks as the first three D looking side scrolling game.

63.Pikmin - While no where near as good as it's near perfect sequel, the game does still deserve to be on this list. The game introduced a brand new and lovable cast of characters that I which would be used more often than only appearing in two games and a few minor cameo appearances. The aspect of the game is to guide a large army of small creatures known as Pikmin to all of Captain Olimar's recently lost ship pieces. On there way, they'll come across many enemies that will take plenty of skill to defeat.

62.Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - Dawn of Sorrow is my favorite Castlevania video game in the series. The brilliant touch screen spells and hand made graphics are of course brilliant, but nothing in the game can compare to the classic gameplay that makes the series so popular. Leveling up and obtaining new weapons such as the updated axes and guns are great, and as aforementioned the graphics never cease to amaze me.

62.Pokémon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Crystal - A great sequel to Blue/Red/Yellow that features even more Pokémon. While the game play may be almost identical to the original, it features plenty of ideal new twists such as the night and day mechanic and so fourth.

61.Metroid: Zero Mission - A brilliant Metroid game that is similar to Super Metroid in game play. This is one of my favorite remakes of a game (a remake of Metroid), and I'm sure that most would agree with me.

60.Paper Mario - Intelligent Systems did a great job at creating an original RPG that stays true to both RPG mechanics and Mario game play and feel. In the game, Mario will meet a whole cast of great characters that will join his team. While the game may not be as great as the sequel, it's still a mighty fine game that you should pick up next time you're at the store if you can find one.

59.Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Reinventing an old franchise is no easy task, but Ubisoft managed to do so with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, an old series released in the 80's. The game is amazing in so many ways: The cool actions such as running across a wall then jumping to an above ledge never ceases to amaze me, and the fluid animations that the titular prince does is amazing. It also has some of the best graphics that the Gamecube can handle.

58.The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - Two different games, though in reality they are almost the same, which is why I brought the two together on the same number. The game play is Zeldaesque, with plenty of dungeons and secrets galore. As each of the game's names implies, you are able to time travel to different times. In Oracle of Ages, you can travel through the many years, while in Oracle of Seasons you have the ability to travel to the different seasons.

57.Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - The reason why I didn't put this game up higher on the list is because it's just not very innovative compared to other Mario RPG's. Rather, it's just so similar to many of Square's (Mario RPG's developer) other hit franchise Final Fantasy, though that's not saying that's a bad thing, because it's quite good.

56.Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - Like many Zelda games, Echoes had a dark and light world, each one featuring unique enemies and environments. The combat system is spot on, and (happy days) the scan visor is better than ever. While some people don't appreciate the multiplayer mode, I found it to be quite fun, though that's just me.

55.Super Smash Bros. - I've spent countless hours on multiplayer mode with this game, which this game is all about. If the game had a better single player mode I'd probably give it a higher score, though that doesn't mean that this isn't a great game.

54.Advance Wars - While it may not be as great as the Fire Emblem series, Advance Wars is still a great game none-the-less. If you've never played a tactical RPG, then you should start with this one.

53.Nintendogs - I played this game for a few days, I really liked it, but not as much as tons of other non-gamers did. This is another sign of how Nintendo truly knows how to get to non-gamers: put a subject that they like: dogs!

52.Donkey Kong Jr. - This game is actually pretty fun. While it may not have had as big as an impact as Donkey Kong did, this game is still probably slightly better IMO. I don't know what it is but crossing vines is just so appealing in this game!

51.Mario Tennis - Mario Tennis is my favorite Mario sports game. I've played this game for hours with my cousins and my brother. When ever we played we always had the same team - My brother and cousin were on a team and chose Bowser and Mario while myself and my other cousin chose Yoshi and Koopa Paratroopa. The memories are so grand...

50.Timesplitters 2 -The multiplayer in this game is so incredibly fun that it's the sole reason why I added it to this list. While there are tons of great multiplayer first person shooters, this one is my favorite of all of them. Who can't love being a dinosaur with a machine gun and going through an abandoned hospital destroying your opponents?

49.Yoshi's Island DS - This side-scrolling platform game is in my opinion a classic. While it may not be as perfect as the original game in the series, it still holds the game play that made it so great. The new characters also add a new depth to the game play, such as Donkey Kong allowing Yoshi to swing on vines and smash through enemies with ease. While the game looks like it's geared toward children with it's cute art style (which I personally love), it's very challenging at times, and often times takes an expert platformer to complete.

48.Wii Sports - Who could guess that a game that was free would be in the top 50 games of all time. Nintendo did a great job at making a game that would interest both non and hardcore gamers. The five games included: Golf, Tennis, Bowling, Baseball, and Boxing all take advantage of the Wii remote in a unique way that should please everyone.

47.Super Paper Mario - The hilarious writing and awesome ability to change the view from 2-D to 3-D are some of the obvious highlights of the game. Top it off with 256 catch cards, tons of items, and a total of 13 Pixl partners make this one of the must haves on the Wii.

46.Elite Beat Agents - Crazy characters and great sound tracks, not to mention the amazing game play make this one of the best Nintendo DS games ever. Seriously, this game is so weird, but ultimately that's one of my favorite parts about it.

45.Earthbound - Earthbound doesn't exactly have a crazy game play mechanic, though some thing about it is very enjoyable. I love the characters, and the plot is pretty strange. The music is also great, among some of my favorite video game soundtracks.

44.F-Zero GX - Most games I'm able to get through a majority of the missions until it becomes unbearably hard. With F-Zero GX, the challenge starts at the second mission, which took me probably 20 times until I could beat it. This game is just so hard, but so fun at the same time. The multiplayer mode is the best, as I can beat my friends. The story mode may seem near impossible to beat, though I'll always enjoy the regular modes.

43.Final Fantasy Tactics Advance - Some people have played 300 hours with this game, just so they could uncover every single secret that can be found. While I only played for about 80 or so hours, I pretty much know that this game deserves this high a rank, as Square almost mastered the tactical RPG genre. If it weren't for those crappy laws this game would have ranked much higher.

42.Tetris Attack - Don't be fooled by the name, as this is not Tetris. It probably sports the name just to obtain more sales, it also features Yoshi as the main character... Go figure! Anyway, this brilliant multiplayer and single player puzzle game is totally unique and will keep you playing for months. Lets hope for a Virtual Console remake now!

41.Super Monkey Ball - An odd title, though it does explain totally what the game is about none-the-less. It's a super monkey (Aki) that travels via a giant ball. The aforementioned protagonist and is equally strange monkey friends are just the beginning, they roll around in their ball across mazes in the sky. And if you get to close to the edge, you'll fall right off, requiring you to start over. The best part of the game are the innovative mini-games that are included.

40.Beyond Good & Evil - An almost disturbing video game made by the creators of Rayman. It stars the female (human) protagonist Jade, as well as a host of other odd animals, all of which live peacefully with each other (they also all speak english). Some thing about the game were just plain weird, and you'd have to experience the master piece to know what I mean.

39.Pokémon Diamond and Pearl - This is the best Pokémon game as of yet. You may be asking yourselves why I didn't add this higher than Red and Blue, well the reason is because this is a list of best games of there time, and seeing how Red and Blue made a bigger impact, that game is higher. Anyway, the game's world is huge, and the very fact that you can collect every Pokémon (minus the previous starters and legendary ones) after you beat the Elite Four is simply amazing. BTW, the best starter is Turtwig.

38.New Super Mario Bros. - NSMB has tight controls, which is perfect for any platform game. It also has plenty of secrets, different obstacles, and a whole cast of whacky enemies that will keep you satisfied for a few months. The game also includes a neat and fun multiplayer mode which surprised me.

37.Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga - Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga probably has my favorite attack system compared to any other RPG. Rather than just being attacked and often times in a way counter attacking, you can completely dodge the attack and/or drastically counter attack your opponent with a wonderful jump or hammer smash to the ol' noggin. The leveling up aspect of the game isn't as laborious as many RPG's are, which is a good thing. It also has pretty funny writing thanks to the people over at the Localization tree house (which is actually a tree house BTW).

36.Super Metroid - Games like this one should make you go out and buy a SNES. The classic game play of the original Metroid stays intact, though also is more advanced thanks to the power of the aforementioned console. If you can't seem to snatch a SNES because of it's oldness (which is a word...), then try to pick up one of the two great GBA Metroid games next time you go to your local gaming store, as the game play is similar.

35.Super Mario Kart - The game that started the cart game craze. Almost every franchise, whether it be Sonic, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Rayman, Mickey Mouse, and even South Park copied off this great series, but none seemed to be able to master the formula quite like Nintendo could. The items are always fun to use, but never outrageous like some others tend to be. The speed of the carts aren't to fast, and never seem to be to slow. Everything just seems to be spot on with this game.

34.Kirby Canvas Curse - I enjoy Kirby games, I truly do. Though while I decided to make this list, I didn't really think that I would add any of the series' games. Though I forgot about Canvas Curse (Magic Paintbrush for Europeans), a magically great game that uses the DS' features to the max, well, at least the touch screen aspect. Kirby games are always usually easy, though Canvas Curse takes plenty of skill to complete the game and even more skill to collect all of the medals.

33.Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - The brilliant writing and game play that never got boring made this the best Mario RPG of all time. Other Mario RPG's writing were funny and partially charming, though The Thousand-Year Door is just hilarious, which is uncommon for most video games. The partners are among the best parts of the game, each one having a wildly different personality.

32.Super Mario Sunshine - For those who saw how truly great this game was, then I applaud you! Quite a lot of people didn't appreciate Mario's new GCN adventure, though I adored it! The levels were imaginative, and the puzzles were great. The highlights of the game were definitely the "Secret" stages where Shadow Mario took FLUDD away from Mario. If the whole game was similar to that, then Sunshine might have been higher up on the list!

31.Soul Calibur II - A great fighting game created by Namco. While the amount of characters are impressive in it self, the amount of moves that each one can perform are outstanding. Just watching the characters attack can be a joy, but actually controlling it is awesome.

30.WarioWare, Inc: Mega Microgame$ - I'm pretty sure that no one thought playing with 5 second mini-games would actually be fun. Though it some how managed to be one of my personal favorite games. Some of those mini games were the best five seconds of my life.... wait a minute....

29.Pikmin 2 - Nintendo nearly perfected their wonderful formula that they created with Pikmin. Rather than giving you a time limit, they give you an unlimited amount of days to scavenge for priceless (on their planet, at least) items. They've also added a great multiplayer mode in there as well, which is surprisingly fun.

28.Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! - A near perfect classic boxing game that features a truly unique fighting style as well as different techniques for defeating each boss. Not much else to say in this spot, so.... next!

27.The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - A great Zelda game that ranks among one of the best GBA games, definitely my second favorite GBA game (coming in right behind number 26 on this list). While not as perfect compared to A Link to the Past, Flagship, the game's developer, did a marvelous job at keeping the Zelda charm there. Only a few very minor gripes made it go all the way up to number 27, otherwise it would have been close in the top 15.

26.Golden Sun - Golden Sun, the greatest GBA RPG ever released! This is one of those games that just make you say "wow" when you're playing it. Not only are the graphics outstanding, but the game play is so engaging and fun. The Djinn are a blast to capture, and mixing them up with each character brings out seemingly hundreds of possibilities.

25.Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - As I've said many times, I love tactical RPG's, so don't be surprised to see this game at number 25! The game includes so many different playable characters, each one with unique abilities and personalities. Unlike most games that have tons and tons of playable characters (Final Fantasy Tactics Advance comes to mind), each different character has an exciting background and story that makes you want to learn more, while in some games you just have a few of those characters. The game just kept me coming back for more, and I can't wait for the up and coming sequel for the Wii!

24.Metroid - While it may not seem like much today, seeing a woman be a protagonist in a video game back in the 80's was quite rare. And the fact that the whole time they made you think the hero was either a male or robot even made it more shocking once she revealed who she was under her mask at the end of the game. Other than that, the game was also great too, with a fun walking/shooter unlike any other.

23.Goldeneye 007 - This game made a huge impact on the shooting genre, and is to this day one of the best. While the A.I. may not have been the best, the slick game play was.

22.Chrono Trigger - Also another great RPG made by none other than Square. The dramatic 9 different endings and the great story helped get it up this high on the list, though ultimately it was the great game mechanics that made it the true victor (well, it's not a "victor", seeing as it's number 22, but it's close up there!).

21.Animal Crossing - While the enormity of the actual area may not be very large, it will take possibly years to do every thing. There are so many items, animals, and secrets to uncover in the japanese life simulation that will take you ages to find. While it may look stale, the game is no doubt a great game, and one that took literally tons and tons hours of my time.

20.Star Fox 64 - A very fun on-rails flight shooter featuring Fox McCloud and the rest of the crew. Other than flying, you're able to also drive a tank, and (the worst) a submarine. While short, it's super fun, and the best in the wonderful series that has sadly been declining in enjoyment recently. On a side-note, Star Fox 64 is also the first ever game to use the rumble pack feature, which to this day is popular on most video games.

19.Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! - It takes a lot to have an educational video game not only be in the top 100 video games, but in the top 20! This game, or rather non-game is a perfect example of fun "edutainment".

18.The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - I'm pretty sure by now, every one just adores the cute little Link (awww).... oh, you don't (runs away). Anyway, the game play was as great as ever, and the new counter attack ability is a personal favorite of the new attacks that Link can perform. While there may not be as many bosses as in previous games, and no where near as many dungeons, this is still one of the biggest Zelda worlds in the entire series. I love the graphics, the game play, and the wonderful story. While it may be leaning on the easy side, it does give everyone a chance to see the totally awesome ending!

17.Super Mario Bros. 3 - Some say that Super Mario Bros. 3 is the best game in the Mario series. While I would differ, there is still no doubt in my mind that Super Mario Bros. 3 is a great game, and one that deserves a high spot on the top 100 games of all time. First off, it introduced the ability to fly with Mario, which to this day is still a favorite for many fans. It also featured a whole bunch of other suits such as the hammer bros. suit, frog suit, and others.

16.The Legend of Zelda - This game fused so many different genres (action, puzzle, RPG, adventure) into one spectacular video game created by non-other than Mr. Miyamoto. The dungeons are among most people's favorite parts, as it tested your puzzle and action skills and gave you an enjoyable experience.

15.Donkey Kong - Just know that without this game, there would probably be no Mario, which in reality could have resulted in the end of video games. The game started the platforming genre, and is to this day among the greatest arcade games of all time.

14.The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Ever since it was first announced in 2005, almost everyone in the gaming world couldn't wait for the anticipated release of Twilight Princess. After many (oh so many) delays, the game was final released on both the Wii and Gamecube. Obviously, the Wii version is the main reason why this game got such a high spot: It made the series so much more innovative by adding in fun and unique motion sensitive controls such as swing the remote to make Link swing his sword.

13.Mario Kart DS - Sure, Super Mario Kart was the one that started the whole series off, but Mario Kart DS was just the BEST Mario Kart game of all time. And another reason I've decided to make it number 12: it was the first game to use the Nintendo Wifi Connection service, and is still to this day one of the more popular of the list of games. Cudos to Nintendo for making a great series even better when each new installment is released!

12.Resident Evil 4 - This game is scary! No, I mean this game is very very scary! In reality, you being stuck in an abandoned and old house surrounded by 30 plus mad villagers may not exactly be what you've been looking forward to, but in the video game world it's purely a wonderful dream that you've been waiting a long time for!

11. Tetris - When a puzzle game that was created almost 20 years ago is still fun to this day, well that should tell you something: And that something is that this game has to be number 11 on the top 100 greatest games of all time. Just looking at the game may make you think 'Boring', though you truly have to play it to see just how wonderful this game is. It's so addictive, so exciting, and so fun.

10.Super Smash Bros. Melee - Most fighting games are the same IMO. But in no game do you get to see apes, dinosaurs, plumbers, and bounty hunters all duking it out on a giant Pokémon. The wide range of strange characters, from the aforementioned ones to others such as a giant turtle king that breaths fire and sports spikes on his shell to a pink puffball that possesses the ability to suck in his opponents and steal their abilities. Odd but totally awesome items include flowers that shoot out fire and walking bombs to freaky looking creatures and spheres that obtain many different species. Of course, any one that has ever played Nintendo games won't find this very strange, though every one else....

9.Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - I straight out love this game with a passion. It's so innovative compared to almost any other platform game out there. Any one who didn't love creating your own projectiles by engulfing your opponents, then throwing them at other enemies doesn't know what fun is! And the introduction to the flutter jump ability and not to mention the ground pound attack also proves just how great this game is! Yoshi, congrats for making a truly great game.

8.Pokémon Red and Blue - What some thought to be a passing fad quickly turned into a multi-million selling franchise that has generated more fans than almost any other series in the industry. I'm still a huge fan of the series, and even though I sadly don't have any friends that have the game to trade with me, it's still great fun. There are so many different Pokémon to catch, a total of 151. And for the starter Pokémon, Charmander was obviously the best!

7.Final Fantasy IV - Some would argue which Final Fantasy video game is the bestest of em' all. Final Fantasy IV has a great combat system, and more playable characters than any other game in the series. Also note that IV is the Japanese name.

6:The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - I'll have to agree with Wiiporter and say it's a great Zelda game. While not THE best, it's still one of them. The large and expansive landscape, as well as all the secrets are always a hallmark of the series, and this one is probably one of, if not the best source of the aforementioned things.

5:Super Mario World - Mario does it once again by creating yet another brilliant side scrolling video game. This one introduced a character that is still today loved by many fans: the lovable dinosaur Yoshi. This game probably featured more secrets than any other Mario game that comes to mind... Yah, it does. There were just so many exits, a total of 96 in all, and the reward you get once you do find them all is great. I won't spoil it though!

4:Metroid Prime - Whether or not you think this game deserves to be number four or not is not my problem. If you think that it doesn't, then you truly haven't played this game yet. This game probably had more doubts from critics then possibly any other game in the history of the industry, and the very fact that it obtained so many perfect scores from every one should be proof that it deserves this spot. The shooting, locking on, scanning... ohhh the scanning....

3:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - I'm sure that many people had doubts about this gem when it was first announced, though their fears (or for competitors, their hopes) were put to rest once the game was released, showcasing the true power that the Nintendo 64 can handle. No matter what Wiiporter may say (he-he), the 3-D Zelda games are better, and this truly shows us how that's true!

2:Super Mario 64 - In a time when most games were based solely around side scrolling action, Super Mario 64 popped out and surprised fans and critics alike with it's outstanding graphics that (at the time) would amaze any one. I remember watching the beginning scene where the Lakitu traveled around the castle then showed Mario pop out of the pipe, and first hearing his wonderful voice that brings Mickey Mouse to mind. Wa-HOO!

1: Super Mario Bros. - Without a doubt the biggest video game in the history of the industry. It was the first Mario game that I've ever played, and it still holds a special place in my heart. The memories of the game are so great - Finding all of the secrets, finding the warp zone, performing all of the amazing moves. As many people say: It was a great time to be a kid! - Bentendo.
 * }