I’ve been playing Smash all my life – Melee might’ve been the first game I truly fell in love with – and the series has always served as exposure to other franchises. For over four years I’ve been slowly, methodically playing the source games for the entire Smash Ultimate roster. Most of them I wanted to play anyway, and this was just a neat excuse to try them out. And I do mean slowly, I really spread them out to avoid burnout. I also never forced myself to finish a game if I wasn’t having fun; sometimes I just played the first section/level to get a feel for it, then dropped it. Overall it’s been a fun way to expose myself to new genres and gain appreciation for gaming history. I’d already played quite a bit of Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, Metal Gear, and Sonic, but the rest was all pretty new for me. I won’t mention the games I played before Ultimate’s release, which is when I started this challenge. If you don’t see a game on here, that’s why.
For each character I picked the game I thought was most relevant, most similar to their depiction in Smash, or provided their backstory. Sometimes I just chose a game I was most interested in, assuming it still fits. For simple characters or characters who appear in lots of games, I was pretty lenient on which one I chose. If you want, you can look at the checklist here: [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rOlk8dXwEL6wd2Lw4zouBiAce8UJabHOIgIP8bKL\_7c/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rOlk8dXwEL6wd2Lw4zouBiAce8UJabHOIgIP8bKL_7c/edit?usp=sharing)
It’s worth noting that this wouldn’t be feasible without emulation. A lot of these games aren’t available on modern platforms, and some aren’t even localized into English. I’m not a collector and I’m not willing to track down old consoles on ebay.
Games are roughly ordered within their tiers, based on how much I enjoyed them. I’ll try to be brief for each one.
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**’It’s old and I can’t help being a zoomer’ tier -** Games I played just long enough to understand them, then dipped. I would not have chosen to play them for fun.
* *Ice Climber* (Ice Climbers)
* *Kid Icarus* (Pit)
* *Game & Watch Gallery 4* (Mr. Game & Watch)
* *Duck Hunt* (Duck Hunt Dog)
* *Star Fox* (Fox)
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**’Not very good’ tier -** Reserved exclusively for *Pac-Man World 2*.
* ***Pac-Man World 2*** **(Pac-Man) -** This game is not very good.
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**’Just not for me’ tier -** Games I struggled to connect with or I’m not a fan of the genre. Maybe I’d like them if I played longer, but I don’t plan to pick them up again.
* ***Kingdom Hearts*** **(Sora) -** Exceeds my admittedly high tolerance for power-of-friendship anime schlock. Combat felt a little dull and I’m not crazy about Disney. Maybe I dropped it too early, but what little I know about the rest of the series doesn’t really excite me.
* ***Street Fighter V*** **(Ryu / Ken) -** Cool character designs, I can say that much. Traditional fighters are interesting to learn about, but they don’t really grab me as a player. I expect I’ll feel the same way about Tekken and KOF.
* ***Mega Man 11*** **(Mega Man) -** Some neat mechanics, but the punishing old-school level design isn’t my cup of tea. Happy that fans got a new one though.
* ***Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon*** **(Marth) -** Moving units with the touch screen is nice and I appreciate the strategy, but the generic fantasy plot bored me to tears. I might be spoiled by modern FE; this felt like going back in time and finding out my great-great-great-grandfather sold corn.
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**’It was alright’ tier -** Games that were pretty enjoyable. I’m glad I tried them and likely won’t play them again.
* ***Star Fox 64*** **(Falco / Wolf) -** Pretty much what I expected. I didn’t *love* it, but it’s fun and short. The branching paths are cool for its time.
* ***Dr. Mario*** **(Dr. Mario) -** A pleasant surprise. I expected to play for ten minutes and ended up enjoying it for much longer. Just a solid puzzle game.
* ***Kirby’s Dream Land 3*** **(King Dedede) -** It’s good, I think? I know I enjoyed it but honestly don’t remember anything about the experience.
* ***Kid Icarus: Uprising*** **(Palutena / Dark Pit) -** Great writing, good music, and really inventive mechanics. Would be much higher if the controls didn’t cause me physical pain.
* ***Metroid Prime 2: Echoes*** **(Dark Samus) -** Atmosphere, music, and visuals are impeccable. I feel mean putting it this low, but Prime 1’s difficulty was perfect for me and I didn’t care for the dark world being *so* oppressive. Still want to play Prime 3 though.
* ***Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance*** **(Ike) -** Decent story and characters, but battles are *really* slow. I kind of want to go back and finish it, in which case I could see it moving a lot higher.
* ***Splatoon 2*** **(Inkling) -** Novel mechanics and a fun aesthetic. I don’t really play multiplayer games, but the single-player levels are enjoyable. One of the most fun credits sequences I’ve sat through since *NieR: Automata*.
* ***Kirby Super Star*** **(Meta Knight) -** Short, sweet, and charming, like all Kirby games. Did a lot to redeem The Great Cave Offensive, though I still hate that stage.
* ***Final Fantasy VII*** **(Sephiroth) -** Extremely impressive for its time, but I don’t totally vibe with JRPGs from that era. Probably wouldn’t have finished it without the 3x fast-forward battle option in modern ports. Famously the music is some of Uematsu’s best work, and he has a *lot* of good work.
* ***Bayonetta 2*** **(Bayonetta) -** This game oozes personality and charisma (that Moon River remix goes unreasonably hard). If I were more into the DMC school of action games, it would easily be top-tier. I could see myself getting more out of a second playthrough.
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**’Hey, this is pretty good’ tier -** Games I liked quite a lot and would recommend to anyone with similar tastes.
* ***Super Mario Sunshine*** **(Bowser Jr.) -** The most unique 3D Mario. Movement is fluid and satisfying to master, and I enjoy the Margaritaville locale. Held back by some frustrating sections (you know the ones).
* ***Luigi’s Mansion 3*** **(Luigi) -** Great visuals, art direction, and environmental design. Feels a little too padded for time.
* ***F-Zero GX*** **(Captain Falcon) -** The controls and tracks are gratifying to learn, and the cutscenes are pure cheese in the best way. Would be higher if I were more into racing games, or if I were skilled enough to finish it.
* ***Final Fantasy VII*** ***Remake*** **(Cloud) -** After playing the original, I liked how Remake brings the characters to life and reimagines old scenarios. Decent combat and an amazing soundtrack are offset by egregious padding and an ending I don’t quite know how to feel about.
* ***EarthBound*** **(Ness) -** Full of heart behind the quirky humor. I can forgive aimless progression and outdated dungeon design when everything else is so remarkably endearing and well-written.
* ***Banjo-Kazooie*** **(Banjo & Kazooie) -** Having played Mario 64, I was surprised how much better the camera is. Fun characters and catchy music make for a very laid-back experience. And in a genre infamous for bloated collectathons, it shows respectable restraint in the number of collectibles.
* ***Super Metroid*** **(Ridley) -** Near-perfect synthesis of atmosphere, mechanics, progression, and visuals. An incredible achievement, but hard to revisit after being spoiled by the fluidity of Dread. Still, if you claim this is the greatest game ever made, I’m not gonna argue.
* ***Donkey Kong Country*** **(King K. Rool) -** Great level design and a memorable aesthetic that was probably really hard to pull off on the SNES. For a game about silly apes, the soundtrack by David Wise is gorgeously atmospheric.
* ***Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong-Quest*** **(Diddy Kong) -** Basically DKC1, but a slight step up in every category. Though I will say, a couple of the late-game levels are unreasonably hard.
* ***Metroid: Zero Mission*** **(Zero Suit Samus) -** Feels a little held back by the original’s level design, but still a fantastic remake. The post-game sequence without the power suit is a huge highlight.
* ***WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!*** **(Wario) -** Beat it in two hours and don’t feel like I wasted a single second. This game actually made me laugh out loud, and often. Definitely want to play more WarioWare in the future.
* ***Super Mario World*** **(Piranha Plant) -** Not much to say about this one, just a good-ass platformer. I prefer it to Mario 3, but I understand why someone wouldn’t.
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**’This is the shit’ tier -** Games I thoroughly loved and would rank among my favorites.
* ***Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island*** **(Yoshi) -** Besides Chrono Trigger, I don’t think any other SNES game is this beautiful. A creative central mechanic, great level design, and wonderful art direction. The “classics” don’t always speak to me, but this one did.
* ***Metroid Prime*** **(Samus) -** Super impressive for its time and a near-perfect translation of the series formula into 3D. Music, atmosphere, and exploration are exquisite. To me, what elevates it from good to great is the immersion factor; the diagetic HUD and scan visor really ground the player in Samus’ perspective. It doesn’t quite beat Dread for me, but it comes close.
* ***Pikmin*** **(Olimar) -** Technically an RTS, but it feels entirely distinct from the genre. The vibes are immaculate in a way I don’t really know how to articulate; it’s all goofy and cute and serene and a little brutal. What a charming little game this is. Olimar in Smash is kind of insufferable, but this redeems him in my eyes.
* ***Fire Emblem: Three Houses*** **(Byleth) -** Likeable characters and a story that, while not perfect, explores a conflict from multiple people’s perspectives, nobody having all the information. I don’t know how longtime fans feel about it, but the core gameplay was fun and accessible. Undeniably flawed, but for me it’s greater than the sum of its parts. I played two routes and still might go back for a third.
* ***Mother 3*** **(Lucas) -** Not everyone vibes with this game, but I sure as hell do. A beautiful story, gorgeous pixel art, interesting themes, memorable music, and near-perfect gameplay balance. I’d appreciate an official release, but the fan translation is so good I’m not sure they should bother.
* ***Persona 5*** **(Joker) -** It’s funny. If you asked me to list everything I don’t like about P5, I could probably go all day. The writing is a little shallow and it’s far, far too long. And yet, I can’t deny how completely engrossed I was that first time through. This game *enthralled* me. As a sensory experience, everything about how P5 looks and sounds just tickles my brain so well. This series occupies a wholly unique space in the modern RPG landscape, in terms of mechanics, setting, and visual identity. This game made me a Persona/SMT fan. I’d put it in my all-time top five, at least.
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Here’s what’s left on the list. Looking forward to some of them more than others. I might get around to them this year, or three years from now, or never. Who knows.
* *Super Mario 3D World* (Peach)
* *Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade* (Roy)
* *Fire Emblem Fates* (Corrin)
* *Animal Crossing: New Horizons* (Villager / Isabelle)
* *Wii Fit* (Wii Fit Trainer) (lmao)
* *Xenoblade Chronicles* (Shulk)
* *Xenoblade Chronicles 2* (Pyra / Mythra)
* *Super Castlevania IV* (Simon)
* *Castlevania: Symphony of the Night* (Richter)
* *Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age* (Hero)
* *King of Fighters XV* (Terry)
* *ARMS* (Min Min)
* *Minecraft* (Steve)
* *Tekken 7* (Kazuya)
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Did I learn anything by doing this? I think so. I definitely have a greater appreciation for a wider variety of genres and franchises. This got me to try certain games I never would have considered otherwise. And in turn, I gained a greater appreciation for the crossover aspect of Smash; every time I look at the character select screen, I have exponentially more memories attached to each icon. I can spot all the references in the movesets and stages. It’s just… cool, I guess.
I try to never look at this like a to-do list. I call it a “challenge” but really it’s just checking the list every few months, or whenever I remember it exists, and picking one or two games to try out. Some hook me and some don’t. And I play a lot of other stuff in-between. Turning my favorite hobby into a list of tasks to complete sounds like an easy way to ruin it for myself.
Thanks for reading. Hope you’re having a good day. Please don’t hate me for dismissing your favorite game.
by FronkZoppa
37 Comments
Really appreciate the 50 word synopsis. Please update if you tick some more off? Got me nostalgic and curious for some of the old Nintendo classics. Also really appreciated your mention of the DK Country score…
I always though the same way about traditional Figters, but then i actually tried Tekken 7 and i’ve barely touched smash ever since then lol. Still don’t really vibe with Street Fighter however, though i think i’ll give Street Fighter 6 a try.
I’d say Richter is better represented in Rondo of Blood/Dracula X but it’s very much classicvanias again. Symphony is a great game but Richter isn’t the character with the most focus. Short intro and bonus mode that’s more like an afterthought.
this was fun to read. i played quite a few, but not all of these games myself and it was useful for making decisions on what i might try out next e.g. i’m almost done with prime (granted, it’s been shelved since TOTK came out) and was going to hop onto dread next, but now I think i might try out super metroid first so that i don’t struggle with the updated mechanics. simultaneously, every game i’ve played in your “this is the shit” tier is among my personal favourite games, so that gives me a good enough reason to actually try pikmin FINALLY. i actually started reading this to see how you found mother 3 and you’re right- it is the shit so shout out to your good taste in games 😂
Man, I feel you on Kid Icarus Uprising. I’m still hoping it’ll get ported to the Switch so more people can enjoy it without hand cramps.
This is a very cool undertaking. I recently finished watching every movie on the AFI top 100 list, and I kinda love the idea of Smash serving as a similar sort of “hey, maybe use this to broaden your horizons and check out things you otherwise wouldn’t have”. Like you said, not a checklist per se that you’re going through out of obligation, but a general guide of “it’d be nice to be familiar with everything represented here.”
Also, just a suggestion, but if you want to have as many characters as possible represented by unique games, I think Star Fox Assault would be a decent choice so Wolf doesn’t share Starfox 64 with Falco (and maybe Wild World for Villager since that’s where their design is from, though honestly my opinion is you don’t really need to play more than one Animal Crossing game to ‘get’ the series).
Awesome! Can you comment on any of the Zelda games you tried? I played the nes/snes/og gameboy ones then didn’t have a Nintendo system again until switch so I missed a lot
While Castlevania: Symphony of the Night the best game of the castlevania serie, Richter isnt the main character of the game. You play the prologue level with him, he’s one of the bosses, and you can use him in the newgame+ (or with cheat codes). Symphony of the night is Alucard’s game.
You should play Castlevania Rondo of Blood instead (PC Engine, PSP, Wii), this is “THE” richter’s game.
Hey, I’ve been trying to do the same thing! I’ve only got a couple characters left, wonder when I’ll get to them
Based Mother 3 is the shit
Disregarded opinion after you didn’t like Pac Man World 2. Blade Mountain one of the best platforming levels ever, soundtrack is goated.
Awesome, there’s actually a podcast called Smashterpieces that’s built around this concept of playing a game per character (been ongoing for like five years now).
I’ve been trying to do a similar undertaking but with Smash stages. It’s actually a lot of fun and makes for an interesting way to revisit all these games from the past.
I know Wario is relegated to WarioWare, but I think Warioland 3 would be a better interpretation of where he came from (outside of the Mario game). There’s 2 as well, and 4. And 3D and 2D GC and Wii games, respectively. So there’s a lot to choose from, but if you want to actually control Wario, I’d go with non-Ware games, and 3 was just my favorite.
You know I am glad you’re doing this. You doing this add fuels to my Nintendo hate. I love them but HATE their stupid mistakes. The big one being why doesn’t the smash Roster have their games available on the Switch! If you are in smash there needs to be at least one game from that character’s franchise that needs to be playable on the Switch!
And I don’t mean a virtual console game, I mean a brand new one. Brand new ice climbers, Kid Icurus, F Zero, Star Fox, Metroid, a new Luigi game, a Wario and Waluigi platform game, the list does go on and on.
Never thought about that, maybe I should do the same. As soon as I finished stuff like MGS and Castlevania SOTN I was like, these characters just make more sense to me now. I can properly appreciate the OSTs, the stage, the character’s moves etc on Smash Bros. Nice writeup 👍
>WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! (Wario) – Beat it in two hours and don’t feel like I wasted a single second. This game actually made me laugh out loud, and often. Definitely want to play more WarioWare in the future.
You won’t be disappointed. I’ve played most WarioWare games and have thoroughly enjoyed every one I’ve played. Just a fantastic goofy franchise. Some have some pretty fun local multiplayer modes too
If you feel like the combat of Kingdom Hearts has any potential, I’d recommend trying out KH2. The combat there was both refined and expanded into something incredible imo, and blows the original game out of the water.
Not sure if you know, but Fire Emblem: 3 Houses actually has 4 different endings! The last one is a bit of a secret that you have to do really specific events to trigger, but it’s worth the replay!
Did you try Fire Emblem Awakening? I didn’t see it in a tier or at the end with the others you haven’t played.
This is very cool. Does make me feel old a bit though lol!
I can’t recommend DragonQuest XI enough if you’re in the mood for a JRPG as your next game to knock off the list.
This is a really cool idea, and I’m glad you’re taking the time to enjoy, or at least understand, where each character comes from. I even like that after not caring too much for FFVII, you gave FFVII Remake a chance and ended up liking it more!
With all of that said, how can you be a zoomer and not have played Minecraft before? I’d argue it’s the defining game for our generation’s culture. Even if you end up not liking it, it’s impressive that you’ve avoided it this long.
As a longtime Animal Crossing fan, I’d recommend New Leaf (3DS) over New Horizons (Switch), because Isabelle is a much better character there. Frankly, I think they didn’t really know what to do with her in New Horizons, so she’s mostly just…there. Also, New Leaf is the better Animal Crossing game in my opinion.
Pac-Man World 2 is one of my most favorite games of all time. This hurts.
EDIT: After reading the rest of this list I’m scratching my head going *what the fuck*. But I guess that’s the beauty of video games and different tastes.
These are not games of origin
Ok kingdom hearts combat is actually incredible but the game keeps making level gimmicks that ruin it. The last leg of the game makes it mostly worth it. It’s just insanely hype fighting demons with Donald and goofy.
Infinite respect for gassing up pikmin, earthbound and mother 3. I wish more people would give pikmin a try tha maybe we wouldn’t ha e to wait 10 years for a game. Very excited for pikmin 4.
Interesting read! My experience is the opposite since I’m old & grew up with all the games Smash is based on. I love most of the classics & even though I don’t particularly like the gameplay & mechanics of Smash, I love the endless fan service with all of the characters, stages & music that I grew up loving.
Great list! Plenty of excellent games here.
I never got how people didn’t get on with the controls of Kid Icarus Uprising. I thought they worked exceptionally well. I suppose I can see the console getting heavy if you’re using an XL console for extended sessions.
I really really thoroughly recommend you put everything else aside and play Xenoblade Chronicles DE next. Especially if you enjoyed Persona 5, Mother 3 and FE: 3H.
People get a lukewarm impression of Shulk from Smash as he looks like “another generic anime protagonist” but it really couldn’t be further from the truth. While it is also flawed, it is in my opinion the best game on this whole list, with the absolute best characters, narrative, world building and music of the lot.
Xenoblade 2 is also well worth playing, but is somewhat less polished and leans much more heavily into anime tropes than any of the other Xenoblade games, so if that’s not your cup of tea then it can be off-putting. It still has a fantastic story, astounding world design and incredible music though, like XC: DE.
You played Kirby’s Dream Land 3 as the one you thought was most appropriate? No offense, as I assume that you probably know nothing about the series, but that’s probably one of the worst games to start with.
Return to Dreamland, Planet Robobot, and Adventure are not only much more popular, but a lot more solid in terms of quality. Surprised you even managed to find Dream Land 3 first.
Cool idea!
Just started playing Animal Crossing with my son recently, and I would suggest to try that out. The progression in that game is dependent on time going in real life, so it’s a perfect game to play for a little bit and wait until the next day for things to change (new resources spawning, building getting completed, etc). I think it would be smart to just play on the side while going through the list.
Please update me when you play xenoblade2 it is my favorite game of all time
Surprised you went with SFV while these versions of Ryu and Ken are most influenced by their SF2 Turbo iterations lol
Well done looking through these games!
If you enjoy a customisable experience, like the Sims or typical “creative mode” games, I’d recommend going with your plan of trying Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
If you’re interested in a simulation type of experience, more akin to “survival mode” games, I would highly recommend trying another Animal Crossing game. The GameCube one or Wild World is probably easily accessible… I fell in love with the *feel* of Animal Crossing games, and those games gave me the love these kinds of video games. 🙂
Good luck looking through all the games!
(As other comments have said, playing the game on the side might be nice, and I also thoroughly enjoyed New Leaf. :D)
Some interesting game selections. I think kid Icarus and ice climbers are the only ones I haven’t played at some point. And some of the fire emblem characters.
I’m probably not the first person to say this, but METROID PRIME 2 IS SO LOW WTF?? ITS GENUINELY SUCH AN AMAZING GAME
If you want to be annoyingly accurate, play SMB2 for Peach, but 3D World is the better option, especially if you have the switch port
I LOVE this approach. Such a great challenge.
I have a Let’s Play channel on YouTube, and I use the Smash roster as a way of helping me decide which character to focus on, and therefore which games to play next.
I really appreciated your notes on each game. Keep up the good work!