1. Super Mario Bros 3

2. The Legend of Zelda (1986)

3. Super Metroid (1994)

4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

5. Super Castlevania

6. Pokemon: Silver/Gold

7. Advance Wars: Dual Strike

8. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (tecccchnically an n64 game though) (Majora's Mask would make this list if the DS version wasn't a butchered shadow of the original)

9. Metroid: Fusion

10. Like... ANY of the billion Final Fantasies available between NES and N3DS

edit: 11. Mario 64 baybbeeeeeeeee

And why specifically Super Castlevania, which is regarded as kind of a garbage castlevania (the player sprite is bigger so you get less of a heads up on whats ahead, and it's not part of the "metrovania" pantheon).

Why Fusion and Super Metroid?

Does the original LoZ hold up as well as say Link's Awakening?

Why are there only 3 companies represented on this list? Did Capcom run over your pet dog?

If you're only going to play one LoZ, play A Link to the Past. (I think "play the 3rd game" is pretty good advice for a lot of Nintendo series.) ALttP is when they figured out the formula; I played it after I played most of the others, and after playing it every other LoZ (at least the 2D ones) all kinda felt like a copy of ALttP, like they're each just remaking a different aspect of it (and adding in their own little gimmick).

The original LoZ holds up, but is a very different game than the later games. The world is empty for you, there are no towns, just wilderness; it's being a kid exploring the woods behind your house, pretending you're alone in the world. The loss of sword beams when you take damage made me feel that taking damage is getting hurt, rather than just some meter in the corner of the screen that I need to keep up; more so than any other game.

I would never hate on a game for this.

> super linear

point taken, but speedrunners would say otherwise.

> much of the exploration is of the "guess and check" variety.

I finished the game as a 10 year old so I think it wasn't too easy or too hard.

To each his own !

I think "achieved perfection" was the bar you set =) And Super Metroid set the bar quite high.

And to be totally fair, it's true SC is clunky and dated in several regards (it was a very early SNES title and it shows...) So maybe Jeremy dings it on those aspects more than others do. But I would argue it makes up for a lot of that in atmosphere, style and uniqueness.

Fusion is lit but you super metroid is like... The OG metroidvania.

They tweaked that fight where you chase the big monster around an endless forest hallway to be ABSURDLY easy.

On that note, same for the originally TERRIFYING jungle warrior fight.

Oh and the changed swimming mechanic was fucked, although I just read that they fixed it maybe?

Here's a video I think captured it well https://youtu.be/653wuaP0wzs

Could you make some recommendations? I'd be very interested in your list.

1. LoZ: Ocarina of Time 2. Super Mario 64 (ds version) 3. Donkey Kong Country Returns 4. LoZ: A Link To The Past 5. Shin Megami Tensei: IV (maybe not "must", but you should give it a shot) 6. Earthbound 7. Super Mario World

Pretty please, play the Wii version of this! You can use Dolphin if you want.

The 3DS port halved the framerate from 60 fps to 30 fps, and it makes a big difference! At 30 fps, the game is much too difficult—unless you play on the "adjusted" difficulty they added, and I'm pretty sure I know why they adjusted it.

Also, while I'm here I'm going to add on Kid Icarus: Uprising. I know the controls were divisive, but if you can adapt, it's a really unique and well-done action adventure. From the creator of Smash Brothers!

1/2. Metroid Fusion & Zero Mission

3/4. Advanced Wars 1 & 2

5/6. Golden Sun 1 & 2

7. Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced

8. Kirby and the Amazing Mirror

9. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

10. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga

There were also 3 great Castlevania's, 3 great Sonic Advanced, 2 or 3 Fire Emblems, I enjoyed the 3 Dragon Ball Z RPGs, I enjoyed the newer Pokemon Emerald and throwback FireRed (QoL improvements). Final Fantasy 6 is available.

Really, a flash cart was very much a worthwhile investment (and a larger capacity battery) for my gameboy micro. Would recommend EZ-Flash IV.