In terms of consistently good game design,Nintendois one of the most respected developers out there, claiming some of the highest-rated video games ever created. However, even Nintendo is known to take a loss every now and then, with some truly bad games cropping up across its various consoles.
Still, sometimes reviewers just get it wrong. Whether due to personal bias or unfair comparison, some reviewers give bad scores to otherwise great games. Below, we’ll take a look at several Nintendo games that were reviewed poorly, either by fans, critics, or both, but are actually decent enough games.
Kirby Air Ride is a racing game that is made up of three main game modes: Air Ride, which plays similarly to a traditional racer like Mario Kart, Top Ride, which is essentially the same thing, but viewed from a top-down angle, and City Trial, which is the real meat of the game.
City Trial is divided into two phases. During the first phase, you and the other players scour through a large map, searching for machines, items, and power-ups to get as strong as possible for the second phase, which sees you competing in a variety of different mini-games.
Despite being criticized for its simplicity, Kirby Air Ride is one of the best racing games out there, and it’s largely thanks to the chaotic fun of City Trial.
Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link is a sequel to the original game, but gameplay-wise, it is very different. Rather than the top-down perspective of the first game, Zelda 2 is a side-scrolling adventure. It also introduced several new mechanics, some of which became staples of the series, while others were never seen again, such as an experience bar.
The game was criticized by both fans and reviewers for being nothing like the first game, which is fair, but at the time, Zelda 2 made up exactly half of the series, so it was entirely valid to try out something new. Taken on its own, the Adventure of Link is a perfectly fine game, with great music, puzzles, and action.
In a series with plenty of strange spin-off games, Mario Pinball Land is perhaps one of the strangest. After Princess Peach is turned into a sphere and kidnapped by Bowser, Mario must also turn himself into a sphere and progress through a world of pinball stages to collect stars and eventually rescue the princess.
Mario Pinball Land was (fairly) criticized for its extreme difficulty, but that’s only a matter of opinion. The game has an exceptional soundtrack and some of the best graphics of any game on the Game Boy Advance. Add to that the novelty of playing pinball as Mario, and the game isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be.
This may be extremely controversial to say, but we’re gonna say it. Paper Mario: Sticker Star isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s vastly overhated. This is a case where the reviews were actually fine, giving the game generally decent scores, but fans of the series have dubbed it the worst in the series, by a lot.
That said, there’s a lot to enjoy in this charming little game. In series fashion, you play as a papercraft cutout of Mario, engaging in RPG-style battles. New to Sticker Star are the titular Stickers, which are essentially items that you can use in combat.
While the characters and story may not be as good as the other games in the series, the beautiful presentation, fun dialogue, and engaging fights are worth recognizing.
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is a follow-up to Pokemon Colosseum on the GameCube, set in the same region of Orre. In fact, a lot of the game is similar to its predecessor, which is what caused it to receive generally mixed reviews upon release.
However, for Pokemon fans, the game is an essential experience. Just like with Colosseum, you can trade and battle Pokemon between XD and the handheld games, like FireRed and Emerald. Despite its reused assets and recycled material, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is a great adventure and a fun time, especially for fans of the older Pokemon generations.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is the third major release in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, and marked the transition into the 3D era. If you’re unfamiliar, the series' general premise is the same between each game: you are a human who gets turned into a Pokemon and sent into the world of Pokemon.
We’ll admit, the game definitely has some downsides, such as the incredibly small leader and partner selection pool, the removal of mechanics from previous games like hunger, and the slow text speed, but these in no way detract from the story, gameplay, and charm. Plus, it’s just more Mystery Dungeon, which we can never have enough of.
Yoshi’s Story is a side-scrolling platformer that had the impossible task of following Yoshi’s Island, which is often considered one of the greatest platformers of all time. Compared to Yoshi’s Island, Yoshi’s Story isn’t nearly as good, but that doesn’t make it a bad game by any stretch of the imagination.
The game was criticized for its simplicity and short length, but the wonderful graphical style and overflowing charm more than make up for these shortcomings. The game is presented in a storybook style, with enemies and environments made up of crafting materials like cardboard, yarn, and fabric. Don’t let the mixed reviews fool you; it’s a wonderful time overall.
