It’s always a real treat to hear from Nintendo in this context, and at GDC 2024, developers of ToTK spoke about crafting an enriched Hyrule via emergent gameplay in an entirely physics-driven world, and advanced sound design. Technical Director Takuhiro Dohta, Lead Physics Programmer Takahiro Takayama, and Lead Sound Engineer Junya Osada share their design approaches and hurdles their teams overcame during development - absolute legends. In true Nintendo style, even the presentation itself is fun. Hugely insightful and wildly impressive. Watch it here.

The hint is in the name: this game (and Nintendo when they’re in this form) is indeed a wonder. Constantly surprising, funny, delightful, and endlessly creative. The best 2D Mario has been in a long time. Vibrant and refreshed, but still underpinned by decades of perfecting tight controls and a seemingly endless supply of not just ideas, but the talent to execute them. Love.

Bafflingly, just like with BOTW, I have no idea how Nintendo pulled this off. The mechanical additions are creative and wildly impressive. Somehow though, as a sequel, it never quite hit me as hard. I was constantly amazed, but sometimes struggled to find or maintain the fun.

One of if not the best 2D platformers ever (likely biased by my childhood). Amazing music, art, level design and controls. Masterpiece.

Perfectly distilled and refined Animal Crossing. Absolutely love the art style, world and music. Loved getting creative, making friends and making the island my own. Could have done with some UX love.

Some of the most fun platforming around at the time. Loved the art, characters, level design and perhaps more than anything - the music. My cousin deleted my savefile and I haven’t forgiven him decades later.

I played earlier Zelda games and enjoyed them, but didn’t truly appreciate them. My dad got me Wind Waker for my birthday and it was one of the first games that really changed the way I looked at the medium - thanks in no small part, strangely, to it’s cel-shaded visuals. I remember finding it confusing and challenging at first, but really falling in love with it.

A masterpiece and one of, if not the best Game Boy releases. Way back when Pokémon was still fresh and everything involved was delightful and fun. I chose Squirtle.

The iconic N64 classic. At the time it was almost too good to be true. Singleplayer was fun and engaging, but for a lot of people, it was all about the multiplayer (picking Oddjob was cheating btw).

Quite likely the best 3D platformer ever. The perfected, foundational movement is creatively explored and tested through several worlds brimming with ideas which constantly surprise and delight. Masterpiece.