Nintendo’s Best-Reviewed Video Game Franchise Barely Came In #1

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Over several decades, Nintendo’s video game series have consistently impressed critics since their introduction during the NES period. The reason behind this is that Nintendo generally sets a high bar for its flagship franchises. Intriguingly, Metacritic analyzed 44 of Nintendo’s franchises using review scores alone, and found that two series had remarkably similar average ratings, with the runner-up almost surpassing the leader in the competition.

It’s not surprising to learn that among Nintendo’s franchises, The Legend of Zelda stands out with a high Metacritic score of 89.6. This series, featuring Link and Princess Zelda, tops the list, but it’s worth mentioning that these characters are also found in Nintendo’s second best-reviewed franchise: Super Smash Bros. With an overall Metacritic average of 89, this fighting game series comes close to the top spot.

Comparing the Metacritic Scores for Zelda and Super Smash Bros.

To calculate the total score distribution for the list, Metacritic computed an average of ratings for every 2D and 3D main game in the Zelda series. This includes games like “Ocarina of Time,” “Echoes of Wisdom,” and “Skyward Sword,” but excludes titles such as “Link’s Crossbow Training” and the CD-i games produced by Philips in the ’90s. The high Metacritic scores for the Switch editions of “Breath of the Wild” (97) and “Tears of the Kingdom” (96) significantly contributed to Zelda’s victory over Super Smash Bros., but titles like the original version of “Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (78), its 2004 re-release on Game Boy Advance (72), and 2015’s “The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes” (73) pulled down Zelda’s overall score.

As a die-hard fan, I’ve seen the evolution of the Super Smash Bros. series, which kicked off on the iconic Nintendo 64 in 1999, a full 13 years after the debut of The Legend of Zelda. While that initial N64 entry held promise, it didn’t quite scale the critical heights of its later versions; the average Metacritic score for Super Smash Bros. hovered around 79. However, things took a dramatic turn in 2001 with the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee on GameCube, which earned a stellar 92 and remains a favorite among the fighting game community. The rest of the series has generally maintained this high standard, with one notable exception – Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, which scored an average of 85. Despite being a remarkable achievement on Nintendo’s handheld, there were some sacrifices necessary to make it work on the 3DS platform.

Where Nintendo’s Other Franchises Rank

In the Metacritic rankings, Zelda and Smash Bros. hold the top two positions, but Mario’s mustache-wearing character fell just short of claiming silver with a strong 88.5 overall score across his 2D and 3D platforms. Xenoblade Chronicles and Mario Kart completed the top five, earning scores of 87 and 86.7 respectively. Notably, some of Nintendo’s other major franchises didn’t make their debut until later in the list, with Metroid at number 9 and the main Pokemon games placing 11th. Surprisingly, the spin-offs from the Pokemon series ranked lower.

To make it simpler and more conversational: Metacritic’s rules state that a game series needs to have at least four titles to be eligible for their list. Unfortunately, this means critically acclaimed but underappreciated games like “Eternal Darkness” don’t qualify. Newer franchises like Splatoon also miss out because they don’t meet the criteria yet. However, Metacritic does group together related games in one category. For instance, although Pokemon Stadium only has two main entries (excluding Japan), due to games like “Pokemon Colosseum,” “Battle Revolution,” and “XD: Gale of Darkness” being included, the series still finds a place on their list.

Can a Nintendo Series Ever Dethrone Zelda?

As things stand now, it’s challenging to envision another Nintendo series eclipsing the critical success that Zelda has achieved so far. Iconic games such as “A Link to the Past”, “Ocarina of Time”, and “Breath of the Wild” have left an indelible mark on the gaming world, touching countless players globally. Unfortunately, at this time, no new Zelda game for the Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially announced. While it’s possible that work on a new Zelda installment began after (or even before) the release of “Tears of the Kingdom”, we may have to be patient before we hear about it.

Although the future of Zelda and Super Smash Bros. remains uncertain, both series are known for requiring significant resources to create. Previously, director Masahiro Sakurai even hinted at potential retirement. However, he’s now confirmed to be leading development on Kirby Air Riders, a new game set for release on the Nintendo Switch 2. We’ll have to stay tuned to discover what lies ahead for these franchises, but it’s likely that future titles will continue to receive critical acclaim much like their predecessors.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’d personally put Nintendo’s Mario franchise at the pinnacle, but Zelda and Smash Bros. are neck-and-neck, closing the gap remarkably! It really goes to show how diverse and captivating each of these franchises is.

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2025-08-24 22:41