The Best Games Developed By Hal Laboratory

Many of Nintendo’s best and most iconic games have been developed by an independent company, Hal Laboratory. Hal Laboratory has exclusively developed for Nintendo for decades, making it a second-party developer. HAL Laboratory games tend to have a lighthearted, colorful vibe and focus on making games accessible for all levels of gamers.

Without Hal Laboratory, series like Kirby’s Dream Land, Earthbound, and Super Smash Bros would be unrecognizable to us. Hal Laboratory’s contributions to Nintendo have resulted in generating some of the most valuable series in video gaming today. What makes Hal Labs such a wonderful developer is how they are unafraid to mix and match aspects of different genres to revitalize their series.

10

Kirby’s Dream Land 3

Due to being a late SNES title, not many people played Kirby’s Dream Land 3, but it is arguably the best-looking Kirby game. The aesthetic for Kirby’s Dream Land 3 resembles a highly detailed crayon-like style that captures the playfulness of Kirby’s world. Narratively, it is among the most ambitious games in the Kirby series, featuring slightly darker themes for a Kirby game as well as two different endings.

Despite the fact that Kirby has a faster run speed than most other games, Kirby’s Dream Land 3’s pacing is on the slow side due to the floaty jumping mechanics. Kirby’s Dream Land is more about the ambiance than the action. On the surface, it seems like Kirby’s Dream Land 3 has a limited number of powers, but your animal helper can also steal powers, which multiplies the techniques you have available.

9

Picross 3D

The hallmark of an accessible and fun puzzle game is one that challenges you for a few minutes before you get your “eureka!” moment. Picross 3D is a brilliantly designed brain-teaser. The most difficult puzzles may take you up to 15 minutes, but instead of bombarding you with another challenging puzzle of the same type, Picross 3D gives you a different type of problem at a lower difficulty to prevent fatigue.

The 3D perspective doesn’t change much about Picross 3D, but it is enjoyable to rotate the puzzle to find new angles for solving it. Compared to Picross DS, Picross 3D’s big visible blocks make the puzzles easier to see, navigate, and interact with.

8

Kirby: Planet Robobot

Built off the design that made Kirby: Triple Deluxe a success, Kirby: Planet Robobot further fleshes out the ability to switch planes to solve puzzles. Around the Third World, when Kirby meets Susie, the plot, complexity, and mechanics of Kirby: Planet Robobot start to become more distinct from previous Kirby titles.

Compared to previous gimmicks of the Kirby series, the Robobot Armor is more fleshed out due to the robot’s ability to absorb powers, giving Kirby a wide range of moves to work with. The Robobot can also perform actions like moving heavy objects and creating platforms to help access secret areas. Kirby Planet Robobot also looks fantastic; the mech that Kirby operates is well-animated and features big, vibrant colors that convey a sense of power and control.

7

Kirby Super Star Ultra

Variety becomes the star of the show in Kirby Super Star Ultra. There are 11 different games included in Kirby Super Star Ultra, which place Kirby in scenarios like a boss battle gauntlet or Metroidvania. Some modes, like Help a Hero, take Kirby out of the equation, allowing you to play as one of the helpers, adding a twist to how you can approach the game.

Compared to the Kirby Dream Land trilogy, Kirby Super Star Ultra is faster-paced and offers more moves. Many of the stages from the original SNES version have tougher versions in the remake, addressing one of the criticisms that Kirby games are too easy.

6

Pokemon Snap

Sin and Punishment and Star Fox are usually the first rail shooters gamers think of when they think of Nintendo, but Pokemon Snap adds a unique twist to the genre. Playing as a photographer who explores vast terrains to find good pictures of Pokemon, the camera serves as your gun.

Like many rail shooters, Pokemon Snap has a satisfying pick-up-and-play vibe. It’s relaxing to turn on Pokemon Snap, finish a level with a few pretty pictures of Snorlax, and then go on with the rest of your day. Pokemon Snap adds depth to its mechanics by providing tools that manipulate Pokemon to act in certain ways, allowing you to capture more dynamic and higher-quality photos.

5

Super Smash Bros.

Compared to the other entries in the Super Smash Bros. series, the original Super Smash Bros. seems unrefined and lacking in content. However, its basic gameplay, combined with satisfying hit detection and sound effects, makes it more pleasurable to play than most of the entries that followed.

Due to how short the lives are and how easy it is to combo in Super Smash Bros., the game rewards offensive skill in a way that most other platform fighters do not. The matches never overstay their welcome, even in a four-way match, thanks to how streamlined it is to put together an impressive offense.

4

Kirby And The Forgotten Land

Even though Mario, Sonic, Rayman, and Donkey Kong have all made transitions into 3D, most of their games felt like new series rather than extensions of their 2D counterparts. Kirby’s transition into 3D, thanks to Kirby and the Forgotten Land, is seamless; it feels exactly like playing Kirby’s Dream Land, only now with a new axis to explore.

Like many Kirby games, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is easy once you figure out certain tactics that can be used in every level. However, the wide array of power-ups allows you to experience the game with a slightly different twist. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is perfect for long-term Kirby fans and easily one of the best entries in the series.

3

Earthbound

Normally, JRPGs take place in worlds that revolve around epic plots in medieval settings with grandiose stakes. Earthbound took a different approach. Instead, Earthbound scaled down from an epic setting to a more slice-of-life background, as you play as a group of suburbanites in Middle America.

Though the battles in EarthBound have almost no animation, the open world is vibrant and filled with well-colored sprites that perfectly depict a Western city. The humor in EarthBound is witty and keeps the game grounded, as it avoids melodrama by not taking itself too seriously. Earthbound’s playful dialogue and art style have influenced a genre of lighthearted RPGs, such as Undertale and Lisa: The Faithful.

2

Mother 3

Mother 3 is a sequel to one of the best SNES games of all time, Earthbound, also known as Mother 2 in Japan. Mother 3 improves on Earthbound’s combat system by allowing you to sync button presses to the beat of the battle music for extra damage. The extra engagement with the background music keeps you immersed in the fight and allows you to realize how important the musical choices are for different levels and fights in Mother 3.

Instead of the suburban setting of Eagle Land, you’re taken to a less contemporary setting in Nowhere Land. The writing by the brilliant essayist and co-novelist Shigesato Itoi makes the citizens of Nowhere Land feel distinct from one another while still united in a way that creates a strong sense of community. The connections you make with both the main characters and the background characters lead to more heartwarming moments than in any RPG to date.

1

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Often considered the greatest Super Smash Bros. game of all time, Super Smash Bros. Melee is the fastest and most fluid entry in the series. The speed and agility at your command have helped it become one of the most celebrated e-sports within the fighting game community.

Even at a casual level, Super Smash Bros. Melee is still enjoyable. Due to the difficulty of recovering from the stage compared to later entries, there is more tension when you’re hit off a platform. Super Smash Bros. Melee also features stellar graphics for an early GameCube game and remains relatively easy on the eyes.