A 2017 Title Has Been Named the Best Nintendo Game of All Time

After a team of experts put together a list of the best titles ever released by the company, they chose the best Nintendo game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Why 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' Was Named the Best Nintendo Game Ever Released

Even though Nintendo has competed with other companies like Sega, Microsoft, Sony, and more, there is a reason why it has arguably maintained the most dedicated fan following of all. It has done a truly incredible job producing a staggering number of fantastic games. In fact, the list of stellar Nintendo franchises includes all things Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokémon, and more. As a result, the task of picking a single standout from Nintendo's library is near impossible. Despite that, the team at Nintendo Life put together its list of the 100 best Nintendo games of all time in July 2025.

At the very top of that list, in the No. 1 spot, was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a game that was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The outlet praised how it brought the world of Zelda into the open-world genre for the first time, calling it "a revolution for the series," while staying true to the franchise's classic spirit. While the outlet commended the 2023 sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and the Switch 2 upgrade, it named the 2017 game as the peak of what Nintendo has accomplished.

Of course, that outlet made a subjective choice to have The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild top its list. For that reason, it is important to note that other gaming experts have unreservedly praised the game. For example, Polygon called it the 2017 Game of the Year, IGN named it a 10/10 "Masterpiece," and Gamespot labeled it an "Essential" 10/10 game.

Nintendo Life's Top 20: The Best Nintendo Games of All Time:

• 20. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
• 19. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB)
• 18. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)
• 17. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch)
• 16. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
• 15. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)
• 14. Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)
• 13. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
• 12. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
• 11. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
• 10. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
• 9. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)
• 8. Metroid Dread (Switch)
• 7. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN)
• 6. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver (DS)
• 5. Super Metroid (SNES)
• 4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
• 3. Super Mario World (SNES)
• 2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
• 1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)