A 2023 Title Has Been Named the 'Best Nintendo Game of All Time' In a Major Ranking

The experts behind two respected video game websites joined forces to rank the best Nintendo titles ever. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom claimed No. 1 on the list, beating out decades of iconic games from the beloved company. After reading why, tell us if you think they made the right choice in the comments and take part in our poll below.

Why 'Tears of the Kingdom' Has Been Ranked as the Greatest Nintendo Game Ever

In November 2025, IGN published a ranking of the 100 best Nintendo games of all time. While IGN's staff is known for its expertise in video games, they didn't decide on the list alone. Instead, the article revealed that they teamed up with the staff at Nintendo Life to decide which titles deserved to be included. While working together, the team chose The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomas the best Nintendo game of all time.

The outlets praised the game for its expansive world, Link's new abilities, wider array of enemy types, and its immense possibilities. They also singled it out for featuring an ending that felt worthy of the grandiose nature of the adventure it takes players on. While they argue that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a more important game, they call Tears of the Kingdom the best title Nintendo has ever created while also stating it epitomizes what the company does.

"No game better showcases the most important elements of Nintendo’s core design philosophy, that’s allowed them to push this medium forward over more than 40 years of game development: innovation, creativity, a focus on fun for everyone, and a fearlessness to try weird things."

IGN and Nintendo Life’s Top 25 Best Nintendo Games of All Time:

• 25. Super Mario 64
• 24. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
• 23. Super Mario Galaxy
• 22. Donkey Kong Bananza
• 21. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
• 20. Resident Evil 4 (2005 GameCube version)
• 19. Final Fantasy VI
• 18. Fire Emblem: Awakening
• 17. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
• 16. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
• 15. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver
• 14. Super Mario Galaxy 2
• 13. Metroid Prime (including Remastered)
• 12. Super Mario Bros. 3
• 11. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• 10. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
• 9. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• 8. Super Metroid
• 7. Chrono Trigger
• 6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• 5. Tetris (Nintendo version)
• 4. Super Mario Odyssey
• 3. Super Mario World
• 2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• 1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Which Iconic Nintendo Game Is Your All-Time Favorite?

Since Nintendo has been producing beloved video games for decades, the competition to be considered the best title ever released by the company is fierce. Please tell us which game you think deserves that accolade and why in the comment section and the poll below.