The Legend of Zelda It debuted in Japan in 1986, and a year later in North America on the NES in 1987. From the beginning, the series was unlike anything else at the time, offering a vast world filled with secrets and non-linear gameplay. zelda It improved from there, reaching its peak in 2017. breath of the wildAnd over time, it has the potential to reach new heights. Although there are few matches zeldaDue to its influence or popularity, few video game franchises are arguably as good as Nintendo's legendary properties. Heck…that might be better.
Basically, games where Zelda meets God of War.
A quirky Zelda-style action-adventure game mixed with the brutality of God of War? Oh yes, there is…
Let's look at a rare case that could challenge you. The Legend of Zelda In terms of quality and, in some cases, in terms of quantity. Some come directly from Nintendo, while others come from third-party developers. Either way, they are one of the strongest series that are still thriving today.
Who is that character?
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
start
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
Easy (7.5 seconds) Medium (5.0 seconds) Hard (2.5 seconds) Eternal Death (2.5 seconds)
super mario
The only Nintendo franchise bigger than Zelda
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First game: Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1985)
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Latest Console Game: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch, 2023)
mario It has to be Nintendo's best franchise. This is what ultimately led the company to console superstardom. Super Mario Bros. On NES. that mario Games have evolved greatly over the years, but they have consistently produced 2D and 3D platformers that serve as blueprints for entire genres. The controls are always sublime, the worlds are imaginative, and gaining powers – from flying like a bee in a galaxy far, far away to throwing fireballs – is always a blast. that mario The game may not be as extensive. zelda It's a title with a massive open world environment to explore, but not every franchise needs to have a sandbox to succeed.
super mario odyssey The explorable areas were bigger and better, but not what Mario fans expect from an adventure. Beyond the core titles, mario It's also versatile enough to be enjoyed both hardcore and casually. various mario RPG games give players something to do in the turn-based realm. mario party The game is suitable for all ages, Luigi's Mansion It also creates an atmosphere of fear without being too scary. Mario is as iconic as Mickey Mouse to children and adults alike, and the same goes for Link. zelda franchise. Anyway, with Mario zelda This is the best Nintendo franchise that will never go away.
final fantasy
If JRPGs were your genre of choice, Square Enix's franchise would be better than almost any other.
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First game: Final Fantasy (NES, 1987)
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Latest Console Game: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PS5, 2024)
When Western fans think of Japanese RPGs, final fantasy While the franchise is probably the first thing that comes to mind, Japanese fans probably dragon quest. final fantasy It launched on the NES a year later. zeldaAnd it's still thriving today, on Nintendo hardware and elsewhere. that zelda The franchise has strayed from the RPG family, including some elements like health upgrades, but has never fully transitioned into the genre. final fantasyOn the other hand, I tried it successfully. zelda-Adventure-like things including: final fantasy adventureThis is technically mana game, but at the time was considered the Game Boy's equivalent of an RPG. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
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Comparisons aside, this is the best final fantasy The game is a turn-based game, zelda The series takes the form of an anthology. There are some recurring elements, including crystals, chocobos, and a character named Cid, but there are very few direct sequels. This gives Square Enix, originally Squaresoft, the opportunity to experiment more with the gameplay to ensure that no two games are the same. Materia system final fantasy 7 It is completely different from the Draw/Junction system. final fantasy 8for example. Fans certainly have their favorite games and combat systems, but there hasn't been a truly bad mainline game, and even the spinoff games have been pretty consistent. zelda Franchises are very rare.
fire emblem
Nintendo's RPG series filled with epic war stories
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First game: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (NES, 1990)
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Latest Console Game: Fire Emblem Engage (Switch, 2023)
Nintendo doesn't have a turn-based or action RPG like this: final fantasy Correct but they have fire emblem. Aside from several Musou spin-off games that focused on hack-and-slash combat, those games were all turn-based tactical RPGs. Starting with the NES in 1990, players took control of armies, moving them around grid-based maps and suffering the consequences of their choices. It was frustrating because that was all it took for a character to die, but with more emphasis on strategy, the game felt more realistic. After all, planning the wrong move during a real war won't get you into trouble again.
fire emblem In fact, it's one of the few Nintendo franchises that took a long time to make its way to North America, skipping the NES and SNES era entirely. The first game to be released outside of Japan fire emblem For the 2003 GBA, it became the seventh main title in the franchise. Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade In Japan. Port history aside, developer Intelligent Systems decided to make the franchise more open to RPG fans with difficulty options along with non-permanent paths over time. In North America, fire emblem awakening The 3DS is what changed the franchise forever and is now considered a higher-end example. while fire emblem With not much changing between sequels and mostly sticking to the anthology format, fans appreciate how it continues to evolve the tactical gameplay.
Xenoblade Chronicles
A bigger and more interesting world than Zelda
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First game: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii, 2010)
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Latest Console Game: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch, 2022)
Although not primarily made by Nintendo, Xenoblade Chronicles The franchise has been associated with the company ever since it debuted on the Wii in 2010. This anthology RPG series features MMO-style combat consistently between the four games, although the exact combat system changes between releases. Overall, they rely on cooldown abilities that can have different effects on enemies when chained together with allies. A well-timed attack can knock down enemies, allowing you to deliver more lethal attacks. The combat system may take some time to get used to, but the real appeal of this game is the open world area.
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Could this dormant franchise return 10 years after the release of Ninja Gaiden?
It is that wide and deep. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild This, like other open world games in the series, Xenoblade ChroniclesIt's not even scale. For example, in the first game, the entire world unfolds behind two giants that players can explore throughout the campaign, everything is presented in real time and there is very little load on the areas. in Xenoblade ChroniclesPlayers get machines called Skells that they can drive and fly around, giving more verticality to their exploration efforts. Even though the franchise is still relatively new in that it only has four games, not counting the remasters. Xenoblade Chronicles It's worth standing tall next to zelda Just the consistency ratio alone.
It's probably the most ambitious story in gaming history.
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First game: Metal Gear (MSX2, 1987)
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Latest Console Game: Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, 2025)
metal gear It's something completely different from the rest of the pack. marioBecause it's all about stealth-based gameplay. good night final fantasy, metal gear It began as a Japanese computer game in 1987 and was released on the NES that same year. What makes Metal Gear unique as a series is that the gameplay has become more open and the choices have evolved. In most games, players will engage in scenarios and must complete missions within a single interconnected map, picking up tools and weapons as they move, which opens up new gameplay options. For example, in Metal Gear Solid, players start with a smoke pack that, when equipped, reduces the health of the hero Solid Snake. Why include it in the game's inventory?
The player can use cigarette smoke to detect a hidden red laser to set off an alarm, which will be used later. It's this creativity and outside-the-box thinking in terms of design that has made series creator Hideo Kojima a god-like figure among video game fans. Just like dungeons zelda Game, Mission Zone metal gear The game is like a puzzle dungeon, there is no right way to get through the scenario. Beyond the gameplay, fans love how outrageous the stories can be, turning the mundane into the supernatural. This may be for the best, but in some ways it also makes sense. During the golden age metal gear Thanks to Kojima's departure from Konami, the franchise is still elite in the eyes of many between the mainline games and spin-offs.
4 Zelda games better than Ocarina of Time (select regions)
Is there a better Zelda experience than Ocarina of Time, released nearly 30 years ago? These games beg to differ.
