Nintendo are one of the oldest video game publishers around, and have one of the most, if not THE most iconic of all mascots out there. Despite some console sales doing poorly (awkward look over at Wii U), they mostly sell very well, with game attach rates very high too. I was born in 1990 and my first gaming experiences were on Nintendo and Sega platforms. I have played Nintendo games on the old GameBoy, SNES, through the N64, GamerBoy Color, Gamecube, Wii & Switch. So, choosing just 5 top Nintendo IP is going to be a huge challenge, but I’m going to do my best for you! As-per-usual, I will be ranking in ascending order from 5-1. 5 being the lowest 5, 1 being the highest. (Even though 5 isn’t that low because it is still a top 5).
5. It’s on like Donkey Kong!
Need I say anymore!? I mean, you don’t get phrases like that come about unless you are packing some serious heat in your coconut gun! Donkey Kong debuted at the same time as Mario in an arcade game, and has been a continued success ever since. Such is the success of Donkey Kong, that many spin-off games were made over the years, including Diddy Kong Racing and Donkey Kong Jr Math. Mainline games have also been huge hits on many different Nintendo systems.
Donkey Kong has been a firm fan-favorite for many years, and this is shown by his continued appearances in Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart, among others. Donkey Kong’s lack of mainline games in recent years may cause fans concern, but Donkey Kong is still one of the best-selling Nintendo IPs out there, so fans can be hopeful for a new instalment of Donkey Kong soon.
4. Animal Crossing
One of the first social sims to release. And release consistently it has. Since it’s inception it has released on every single new Nintendo system, to commercial and critical acclaim. Similar conceptually to the Simms but with a different execution. Animal Crossing hit very wide demographics, including women and children.
Animal Crossing’s accessibility has been a huge driver towards a larger video game market and of course, is one of Nintendo’s best-selling games each time it releases. Although Animal Crossing is not a game I personally I played for many hours and enjoyed, I appreciate it for what it is, what it has done for gaming and how important it has been to Nintendo… That is ultimately what this series is all about.
The top three placements almost hurt me here, but unfortunately my enjoyment of them is not the highest weighting factor in deciding the order of these. Honestly, If it were down to only my personal preferences, these next three would be reversed…
3. The Legend of Zelda – ‘I thought Zelda was the one you play as?’
The Legend of Zelda. You see now why I would want to have these ‘top 3’ flipped? Another long-standing IP (as is the case with oh so many Nintendo IP) debuting in the 80s. Ever since releasing, Zelda and The Hero of Time’ have withstood the test of time, releasing on every single Nintendo console to release, both handheld or otherwise. The Legend of Zelda is THE go-to RPG for Nintendo systems and it’s importance to them should not be underestimated!
The Legend of Zelda is one of the biggest video game IP out there as well as one of the most iconic. It has been hugely influential on more than one occasion with titles such as The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda Breath of The Wild. Many titles that released subsequently, drawing genuine inspiration from these games, as well as Ocarina of Time being ground-breaking technically, at the time of release. Zelda Breath of the Wild also boasts an attach rate of higher than 100%, which is absolutely crazy. For me personally, it will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will forever regret not placing it higher on this list.
2. Gotta’ Catch ‘em all! Pokémon!!
Pokémon, a true cultural phenomenon since it’s release in the mid-90s. Pokémon went on to beat media heavy-weights out there to the highest grossing media franchise of all time at $95 Billion. Surprisingly beating the likes of Hello Kitty and Mickey Mouse. It is for this very reason alone that I nearly put Pokémon on the number 1 spot… But for one drawback… Pokémon is not entirely owned by Nintendo, but is a joint venture. Together founding Pokémon Company Inc were, Game Freak (primary developers for the mainline Pokémon games), Nintendo & Creatures Inc. Pokémon has gone on to continually sell well, and succeeds in continuing to bring each new generation of children into the magical world of Pokémon.
The anime releasing with the mainline Pokémon games were a true success. Coupled with a highly successful trading card game. Every child in the mid/late 90s knew what it was, everyone played it, collected their favorite Pokémon/Pokémon cards. As I was a child at that time, I can tell you I genuinely felt like a real Pokémon trainer. Over the years I have regularly dipped into the Pokémon game market, and while I can say a lot of the magic for me now is in the nostalgia, I still can’t help but love them. However, I genuinely believe that Nintendo need to improve the new Pokémon games. *Disclaimer* I have not yet played Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Too much investment is going into battle effects but what I feel they should be investing in is RPG mechanics… Afterall, it is supposed to be an RPG. To read more about my thoughts on this, check out The Evolution of Pokémon.
1. Itsa ME! Mario!
I may catch some flack from some hardcore Mario fans out there for saying… If this were my personal top 5 only, Mario would not be in it at all. But how can I not include ‘Super’ Mario? Nintendo’s own mascot. On this alone it’s hard to argue against Mario having the top spot on this list. Like Donkey Kong arriving in the 80s, Mario is perhaps the most iconic video game character of all time! His presence in video games is unprecedented and the love the general public have for him is something not easily matched.
Mario games transcend genre and generations. Every single generation of person since Mario first entered the game industry, has love for Mario. And he is found on every single main Nintendo system. Mario games have brought in more than $750 million across his Party, Kart, Super, Sports and RPG games out there. Its because of this enduring success (commercial and critical), variation of games and accessibility the games have that he is number 1 on this list.
WOW! That really was tough! Some notable omissions for me personally were Smash Bros, Kirby and Metroid. Smash Bros I thought was a little unfair to include anyway, since it encompasses all of the top Nintendo IP out there. What do you guys think? Agree with me or not? Let me know in the comments or on Social Media! I wanna hear all about it.
Next chapter: Top Video Game IP – PlayStation
Previous chapter: Top Video Game IP – Xbox
