6. Wii
I feel that the Wii, while undeniably successful, was more than a bit underwhelming with its software line-up. I think the biggest kick to the groin was the way we got not one, but two Mario Galaxy games - and I didn't actually care for them that much back when I tried them. Honestly there were some very good games on this system, but the control for most games didn't feel natural or enjoyable for me, and the offerings paled in comparison to Nintendo's line-ups on all of their other consoles.
5. N64
I didn't own an N64, and part of me regrets that, because the system did have some very good games. Smash Bros. was pretty much groundbreaking, and did a great job of giving all of Nintendo's major first and second-party IPs a connected identity. There were two very different but both fantastic Zelda games, a fun 3D Mario game, a 2.5D Mario game, and even the ultimate arena expansion for Pokémon. But the problem was, the N64 actually had a pretty small library of hit games. And for as groundbreaking and memorable as many of the system's games were, it seems to me that the console was a bit overhyped.
4. NES
I think for most of us, the NES was our first game system. I think it may have been mine, though it may have been an old PC. Either way, I played some of my earliest games on the NES. Despite the technology of the times, the NES managed to pump out a wide variety of genres - there were top-down games, side-scrolling games, platformers, puzzle games, sports games, arcade games, RPGs, shooters, beat 'em ups, fighting games, even racing games and games with first-person perspective. One game I owned actually let you play as a big-shot Wall Street exec and deal with stocks. And it is the very system where both Fire Emblem and Nintendo Wars originated. But we will remember the NES for the roots it gave to many of these genres. The precise control and fun gameplay of Super Mario and Kirby, the exploration of Zelda, the frantic shooting of Contra, or the heroic quests of Dragon Warrior. There's a reason why this console was around for so long.
3. Wii-U
Despite having not played the Wii-U thus far, and having little interest in buying one, I think everything's gonna be okay. It may be a bit too much like the Wii for my liking, but I can't help appreciating the changes that have been made to make the Wii a little more like a system for gamers - while still doing something different. Indeed, the Wii-U was made for...'You'. "We and You" Maybe Nintendo missed the point entirely and created a Frankenstein of a machine that confuses everyone, but one can't deny the fact that Nintendo has found a pretty fair middle-ground between different kinds of gamers with the Wii-U. There's also the sense that, after the whole console war kicked off between the PS4 and Xbox One, Nintendo is still the fairest company of them all, and the one that actually cares the most about games. The Wii-U might not be the best Nintendo console ever, but I think most of us can agree that it isn't the worst. And it may not have the renown of these other systems, but it represents a brand loyalty that runs deep despite the odds. Plus, I think there is potential with that tablet controller, somewhere.
2. SNES
The SNES improved quite a lot from the NES era, breathing new life into sequels with clearer images, more vibrant and colorful graphics, and impressive audio. The Super NES, quite simply, was a leap. That's not to say that the N64 wasn't, but the SNES was able to take Rorschach blots and R2-D2 noises and turn them into something much more defined and immersive. I did not own an SNES, but I did play one regularly as a kid, and I can see why the system is so beloved. That isn't to say that the SNES isn't overrated - in fact the SNES also seems to have a game library that seems like it could have been given more time to flourish. I think the problem is that there was an arms race developing to see who could make the first successful 3D home game console, and the 16-bit game became a lost art. ...But not entirely, if the still-thriving handheld industry, indie games and New Super Mario Bros. are any indication.
1. Gamecube
I know a lot of people aren't going to agree with this, and I admit that back in 2004 I probably wouldn't have, but man... The Gamecube was a decent console. I saw tons of originality on the Gamecube - Pikmin, Luigi's Mansion, Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime, Odama, Super Mario Sunshine, even Geist was pretty original. I never played Doshin the Giant, but it seemed like Black and White, and there aren't many games quite like that. StarFox Adventures and Windwaker did something different with their properties, and Smash Bros. and Paper Mario had great sequels. There was just something about the energy Nintendo had then, and all of the creativity that was flowing around then. Even though they weren't making a major graphical jump like they did with the SNES or N64, they still found new and interesting concepts to put into games. And that, to me, is a big part of making a good game. So for me personally, I'd say that the Gamecube was the best Nintendo console.
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