Nintendo’s Best Video Game Sequels, Ranked

Nintendo is one of the biggest names in the video game industry, and it’s responsible for some of the most iconic IPs out there. Nintendo’s franchises run deep, and they’ve had a lot of time to iterate and improve over the years. Founding games like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. remain iconic pieces of video game history, but they’ve also opened the door for sequels and successors that are just as revolutionary.

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As Nintendo continues to develop its series, more and more incredible games will result. Here are ten of the best direct sequels Nintendo has on offer, which develop exciting new ideas and mechanics to fully unleash the potential of their respective series.

10

Luigi’s Mansion 3

A Multitude of Hotels, Mechanics, and Ghosts for a Scared Luigi to Face

Systems

Released

October 31, 2019

ESRB

E For Everyone due to Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence

The original Luigi’s Mansion proved to be a cult classic on the Nintendo GameCube, and while it took a while for Nintendo to pick the franchise back up, fans have since been treated to some worthy successors. Luigi’s Mansion 3 brings Mario’s cowardly brother to a luxury resort which, in true series fashion, proves to be a lair of villainous specters bent on tormenting the poor plumber.

Luigi’s Mansion 3‘s biggest selling point is its art design. Each hotel room Luigi visits is absolutely lavish with details, hiding secrets and surprises amongst even the most mundane decor. The game is an absolute feast for the eyes, and as Luigi discovers more elaborately themed floors, the game continues to deliver surprises.

9

Super Mario Galaxy 2

A New Frontier for Mario’s Galactic Adventure

Systems

Released

May 23, 2010

ESRB

E For Everyone due to Mild Cartoon Violence

Developer(s)

Nintendo EAD

The original Super Mario Galaxy was a smash hit on the Wii. The whimsical outer space themes, sweeping orchestral soundtrack, and unconventional planetary gravity made it a top-notch entry in an already stellar franchise. This success made it one of the only 3D Mario games to date with a direct sequel, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 delivers a lot of value for its unconventional position.

The most noteworthy change Super Mario Galaxy 2 makes to the formula is, of course, the addition of Yoshi. Mario’s stalwart saurian friend enhances the protagonist’s repertoire of moves in a big way and allows for much larger, freer levels, further enhanced by Galaxy 2‘s broad roster of powerups.

8

Wii Sports Resort

A Dream Vacation For a Mii on the Wii

Systems

Released

June 25, 2009

ESRB

E for Everyone

Developer(s)

Nintendo

As the pack-in title for the Nintendo Wii, Wii Sports was placed in the hands of millions of people worldwide, becoming a global sensation even among people who’d never touched a video game in their lives. The sequel, Wii Sports Resort, wasn’t quite as much of a phenomenon, but with the help of the newly-released Motion Plus accessory, it was able to iterate on its landmark predecessor in a lot of delightful ways.

Wii Sports Resort offers a plentiful bounty of sports for players to try, including fan-favorite Swordplay, which lets fans challenge each other to motion-control-assisted swordfights. One of the things players remember most fondly about Wii Sports Resort, however, is the setting of Wuhu Island, a fully fleshed-out island resort that fans could explore via airplane. These small immersive details resonated with a lot of fans, who still get excited when Wuhu Island surfaces in other games like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart.

7

Splatoon 3

Getting Messy with a Battle of Ink

Systems

Released

September 9, 2022

ESRB

E10+ for Everyone 10+: Cartoon Violence

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Nintendo has always had a knack for the unconventional, and the Splatoon franchise is a prime example. This series puts a strange, inky twist on the multiplayer shooter format by making players focus more on arena coverage than taking out opponents. The third entry in the series, Splatoon 3, added a lot of QoL updates and some major formatting changes. The introduction of a three-person announcer team means there are three Splatfest teams instead of two, causing a lot more chaos during these fan-favorite events.

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Splatoon 3 also iterates on the franchise’s increasingly bizarre lore, exploring the strange, post-mammalian world the games are set in and establishing more of its shocking past. The series’ single-player campaigns have evolved dramatically from the first game, and Splatoon 3‘s campaign is arguably worth the price of admission all on its own.

6

Super Mario Maker 2

Limitless Possibility with Expanded Mechanics from the Predacessor

Systems

Released

June 28, 2019

ESRB

E For Everyone due to Mild Cartoon Violence

Developer(s)

Nintendo

The original Super Mario Maker was a masterclass in the potential of the Wii U gamepad, giving players free rein to build whatever 2D Mario level they could imagine. The move to Nintendo Switch for Mario Maker 2 made creating levels a bit trickier, but this was balanced out with a barrage of new features that players could incorporate freely into their creations.

With more themes, enemies, and level elements than ever before, Super Mario Maker 2 creators are free to design some wildly creative levels. Just like in the first game, players have pushed the envelope of what a Mario level can be like never before and built some truly unforgettable experiences to share with their fellow fans.

5

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

A Treasure Hunting Adventure for a Flat Mario

Systems

Released

October 11, 2004

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Mild Cartoon Violence

Platform(s)

Nintendo GameCube

The original Paper Mario was a delightful adventure that brought the iconic plumber into a freshly reimagined papercraft world for a quirky, lighthearted turn-based adventure. Its sequel, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, expanded on this idea in a big way, with a staggering new cast of characters, a wide variety of new locales, and a new, globe-trotting adventure.

Mario’s quest to collect all the Crystal Stars takes him through a wide variety of adventures. He must steal an ancient pirate’s treasure, solve a series of mysterious crimes on a luxury train, and even win a combat tournament, all while struggling to save Princess Peach from the sinister X-nauts.

4

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Building A Bigger Hyrule for the Nintendo Switch’s Vast Open-World

Systems

Released

May 12, 2023

ESRB

Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes

Developer(s)

Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a major sea change for the franchise. As the first truly open-world Zelda game, it made some key changes to the formula that massively altered the experience of playing. Tears of the Kingdom built on this radically different formula while bringing back some of what made the original franchise so iconic.

One of the biggest changes in Tears of the Kingdom was a step back toward the traditional, immersive dungeons of the franchise’s past. These dungeons were still comparatively small, but they were considerably more complex than the previous game’s Divine Beasts. The map was also massively expanded with the addition of sky islands and the massive underground region, giving Link a lot more to explore.

3

Pikmin 4

Hitting the Small Time with Stunning Visuals and Fun Mechanics

Systems

Released

July 21, 2023

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

Nintendo

The Pikmin franchise has never quite achieved the same level of renown as Mario or The Legend of Zelda, but it’s always had more than its fair share of enthusiastic fans. The series has a truly unique gameplay loop, tasking players with harvesting a legion of tiny Pikmin creatures and using them to collect treasures, all while avoiding the comparatively massive creatures that prowl this tiny world.

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Pikmin 4 enhances this entrancing tactical gameplay in a number of ways, most prominently through the addition of the new dog-like creature Oatchi. Oatchi is a useful and stalwart companion who gives players a wide array of new options for traversing Pikmin 4‘s mysterious world and discovering new secrets and strange new creatures.

2

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

A Masterful Masquerade

Systems

Released

October 26, 2000

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes

Developer(s)

Nintendo EAD

It’s impossible to overstate the impact of Ocarina of Time. The title revolutionized 3D video gaming and to this day is still considered by many to be the greatest video game ever made. This makes it all the more surprising that its direct sequel, Majora’s Mask, delivered as well as it did. The game is often held up as equal to or possibly even better than its legendary predecessor.

Majora’s Mask‘s surprisingly dark themes and convoluted time-loop plotline make it a deeply engaging adventure, and the use of masks to grant Link new powers adds some sinister and fascinating themes, especially when he harvests the masks from deceased characters. This strange, melancholy, and unsettling Legend of Zelda game stands out well apart from the rest of this beloved franchise.

1

Super Mario Bros. 3

An Unquestionable All-Timer

Systems

Released

October 23, 1988

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

Nintendo R&D4

In modern times, the Mario franchise is a massive juggernaut, rich with spinoffs and sub-series, but it couldn’t have taken the gaming world by storm as much as it did without early entries like Super Mario Bros. 3. This sequel built on the legendary original game with a huge host of new power-ups and a large, immersive overworld map to freely navigate.

Many fans of the franchise will put Super Mario Bros. 3 at or near the top of their lists to this day. Its responsive controls and tricky levels have aged phenomenally, and it remains one of the greatest games of all time. The Mario franchise is truly timeless, and Super Mario Bros. 3 proves this extremely well.

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