The definition of a bad review has changed over time. Nowadays, any game rated below an “8 out of 10” is considered bad.
Of course, that’s not the case, as anyone who has played games in the “7 out of 10” range knows this. Still, that hasn’t stopped these Nintendo games from being seen as badly reviewed.
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Convince your friends that these unfortunate games are actually better than the reviews suggest.
Don’t let some arbitrary score steer you away, though. There are plenty of qualityNintendogames that didn’t receive critical acclaim.
Sometimes, this is due to mismanaged expectations, and other times, it’s because the games weren’t what we expected. Either way, these games are great, no matter what critics say.
10Luigi’s Mansion
A better game than we realized
Luigi’s Mansion
Luigi’s Mansionhad an impossible task that it was never going to live up to: helping to sell the brand-new Nintendo GameCube console while not being a typical Super Mario game.
Yes, Luigi’s Mansion is different, and no, it isn’t perfect, but it has aged well over time. Exploring the mansion and hunting ghosts is an absolute blast, proving that Nintendo can still deliver their trademark quality gameplay while experimenting with new ideas and genres.
The best part of Luigi’s Mansion is undoubtedly its presentation. Not only does the game do a brilliant job of showcasing the GameCube’s graphics, it also nails the atmosphere of a haunted mansion.
From the visual effects, set design, and small touches, the game simply oozes personality from the screen.
Luigi’s Mansion was knocked for itsshort run time, but especially with today’s bloated runtimes in games, it’s certainly not a bad thing. I, for one, welcome a short 8-10 hour experience.
9Kirby Air Ride
Where is Our Remaster, Nintendo?
Kirby Air Ride
No Nintendo game has ever been disrespected by critics like Kirby Air Ride. Yes, its main arcade racer gameplay is admittedly shallow, but to be totally honest, that’s not why you play Kirby Air Ride. You’re here for the City Trial mode.
In what can be best described as something similar to a Battle Royale experience, racers are tasked with leveling and powering up their characters and vehicles to compete in a randomized event.
Sometimes, it’s a race, and you’re traveling faster than the speed of light. Other times, it’s a test of skill.
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No matter what, Kirby Air Ride works because of how chaotic things get. It doesn’t matter how shallow the racing gameplay is when you’re traveling at high speeds.
Even the City Trial gameplay is brilliant. I’m someone who hates Battle Royales, yet I can’t get enough of the chaos that ensues here. It’s an absolute delight even to this day.
It’s an incredibly underrated game that Nintendo needs to find a way to bring back to modern consoles. Maybe it’s the perfect time for a remaster or online release for the Nintendo Switch 2.
8Mario Strikers: Battle League
Gooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal
Mario Strikers: Battle League
Nintendo’s sports games for the Switch have been plagued with a lack of content. It’s unfortunate, since these games have featured incredibly deep single-player experiences in the past, leading to hours upon hours of playtime.
Mario Strikers: Battle Leagueis still admittedly a little shallow, but it makes up for it with some of the best Mario sports gameplay available for the Nintendo Switch.
The chaotic soccer matches remain as enjoyable as ever; I was super glad Nintendo brought the franchise back to Switch.
The core gameplay loop does the heavy lifting here, whether you’re playing online or locally. Club Mode is the true star of the show, and it kept me engaged with the title far longer than I expected, letting me play in leagues with other people online.
Mario Strikers is the perfect sports game for Nintendo Switch. Its pick up and go gameplay is ideal for the Switch model of a hybrid handheld/home console.
The gameplay remains fun even today, especially if you play in short bursts, and it feels like an excellent evolution of Mario soccer gameplay, whereas Golf and Tennis felt like they added nothing new of value.
7Mario Superstar Baseball
Going, Going, Gone!
Mario Superstar Baseball
I have no idea why Nintendo refuses to bring back Mario Baseball. Give the people (me) what they (I) want!
As much as I enjoy playing Road to the Show in MLB, sometimes I just want an arcade-style baseball game. That’s exactly what Mario Superstar Baseball excels at.
There’s no need for fancy bells and whistles. No extended features or game modes, just a solid over-the-top baseball presentation that I have fallen in love with since day one. That’s why the game works so well: baseball is a perfect fit for the Mario sports ecosystem.
You can easily adapt a faithful baseball recreation while adding in extravagant players, power-ups, and abilities. There’s no need to sacrifice a baseball experience, it all just works so well together.
The game’s an absolute blast and is the perfect candidate for a new release on the Nintendo Switch 2.
6Nintendo Switch Sports
More Fun Than I Ever Expected
I don’t think anyone expected a newWii Sports-style game for Nintendo Switch, but I’m pretty happy we got one.
While the Wii Sports games will never match the hype and mainstream popularity of the original Wii Sports release for the Wii console, they’re still surprisingly fun to play today.
Nintendo Switch Sports is the perfect example of that, delivering more bowling, more tennis, and the welcome addition of games like volleyball and soccer.
The biggest detractor forSwitch Sportsis the lack of content outside the sports games, but I’d argue that we’re not here for a deep, engaging campaign or progression system.
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The appeal of Nintendo Switch Sports is playing old and new motion-controlled sports with friends, and that’s what you have here.
There’s no need for anything else. The Wii Sports game succeeded because they knew what they were and didn’t overstay their welcome.
Of course, the price tag for Nintendo Switch Sports suggests we get some more bang for the buck, but that doesn’t make it a bad game. It’s held up remarkably well till this day.
5Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
Decorate Your Heart Out
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
My hot take is that I’m not sure what people wanted from this game. It was presented as a way to design and decorate in Animal Crossing, and that’s exactly what it is.
Critics were not happy with the game’s lack of difficulty or traditional depth found in Animal Crossing. Again, though, I counter with the fact that this wasn’t the purpose ofHappy Home Designer.
It exists to give Animal Crossing fans a deeper, more robust environment in which to design homes and be more creative.
In this regard, it succeeds. Sometimes, all you want to do inAnimal Crossingis design and decorate. I’ve always felt that Animal Crossing works best not as an extended game we play on a daily basis, but one that we stick with for as long as it holds our attention.
Happy Home Designer gives us another avenue to interact with a franchise we know and love.
I’m a firm believer that setting expectations properly is important, and I wonder if that was the disconnect between critics and fans here.
4Paper Mario: Sticker Star
So Much Unnecessary Flak
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
I feel like the biggest crime againstPaper Mario: Sticker Staris that it’s a differentPaper Marioexperience than what we’re used to.
Yes, the sticker mechanic can be incredibly frustrating. At times, the best option is to just rage quit the game, take a deep breath, and come back in an hour or so.
That’s not exactly an ideal scenario. Furthermore, one of the common critiques of the game is that it feels less of an RPG experience than its predecessors.
Despite that, the DNA of the Paper Mario series is alive and well. Sticker Star proves that, no matter what, the writing in these Mario RPGs is second to none.
Plus, despite all the issues and frustrations, it works so well when the game comes together. Peak level design, characters, the whole nine yards: they’re all excellent when the game fires on all cylinders.
That’s the problem, though; the game doesn’t always fire on all cylinders. It’s still a good time, though, no matter what critics score says.
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3Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
An Underrated Strategy Gem
Code Name: STEAM
The biggest knock onCode Name: S.T.E.A.M. was its poor performance during the game’s launch. Load times were notoriously slow, and it turned people off.
Rightly slow; the whole point of playing games on a handheld device is to not wait around for it to boot up. You want to pick up and play.
Thankfully, after some post-launch updates, Code Name S.T.E.A.M.’s performance issues were eventually updated. While critics had already moved on, strategy fans discovered a hidden gem.
You can argue that everything that helped make Fire Emblem: Three Houses great is all here. Intelligent Systems took a huge risk with this new IP, and it’s one that pays off.
The game is far more accessible than its Fire Emblem counterparts while still delivering the great strategic gameplay we expect. Yes, the story is over the top, but it’s meant to be over the top.
If you find it in the bargain bin, pick it up and give it a chance. You might end up surprised!
2Tomodachi Life
Still waiting for a sequel
Tomodachi Life
While not a critical darling,Tomodachi Lifewas still a commercial success for Nintendo as the eleventh best-selling 3DS game of all time.
Despite that, we never saw a sequel for Nintendo Switch, confusing all the game’s fans, most notably my wife; she always wished and hoped for a Tomodachi Life sequel, maybe with the Switch 2, come Nintendo Direct season.
So what is it that made Tomodachi Life so great? It’s a life simulator with the perfect balance of realism and surrealism, creating some of the funniest moments you’ll ever experience in a video game.
There’s a quirky charm that exists, helping to pad out its admittedly short natural run time. It’s similar to Animal Crossing, but there’s more agency for its players to create the content and keep them coming back, versus interacting with their neighbors and doing chores.
1Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Extremely Underrated
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Let’s get one thing out of the way: yes, the gameplay in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity can run a little shallow compared to other superior entries in the series.
Also, the game was targeted more at children, and some of its features back this up. It feels a little more watered down, but that also translates to an accessible experience.
Is it annoying that you have to grind through 10+ hours of gameplay to get to the best parts? Absolutely, but there’s one thing to keep you going: the game’s story.
Gates to Infinity offers a nice plot twist not often seen in Pokemon games, rewarding the player’s time and experience.
While the gameplay pales compared to other entries in thePokemon Mystery Dungeon series, the reaction at the time was a little sharp, leading to the game being a little overheated.
It looks great on the Nintendo 3DS and offers enough quality-of-life features to make playing well worth it.
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