Which Nintendo system had the best library,iyo?(portables included)

[SuperEliteGamer]

Well? which Nintendo console takes the cake in terms of game library?
Again,portables included.

[BlastProcessing402]

I'm going to say NES, with a strong nod to the SNES and all the handhelds.

Why does NES get the duke? That's where all the franchises really started. Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc. Okay, Pogeymins didn't start there... hmm... I may have to rethink this... but I don't even play Pogeymins

[Tanooki]

Toss up really from the NES or SNES libraries. Things got a solid start with a heap of franchises on the NES, but much other than that were many failed or rough explorations into other things. The SNES took some off the bad away, refined the good further, gave us more standing franchises, and the hardware was on a level high enough it still is considered a good level of audio and visual quality the gba later had and many download games today still have.

[Nebagram]

Can't look past the SNES. If you include re-releases the GBA has a hell of a catalogue too, but for original games it's SNES hands down.

[PreZZ]

I would say SNES. So much memories... but maybe the DS has the best of them all. That's what the kids that grew up with it will tell to everybody in a decade, just like us with the nes and snes!

[bb_hood]

Nes. Classic... total classic. Its got all the original Mega Man games, Castlevania games, Ninja Gaiden games..

[JSoup]

If we're including portables, then I'm going with Gameboy. Large library of decent to amazing games at great prices.

[kupomogli]

Toss up between NES, SNES, and GBA. Ask again a year later and you might get a different answer. Very difficult choice as any of the three are better for different reasons. I wrote a paragraph for the NES and then thought about the decision before submitting, finally ended up deleting it and my answer is the GBA.

The NES, SNES, and GBA libraries all have different strengths and weaknesses, but at this time, the GBA has the better library for games released in my region, the US(though more than likely in Japan as well.) First off, the GBA has the NES Classics rereleases, and the best first party titles have either been ported or remade on the GBA. Then the Advance Wars and Fire Emblem games which made their debut in the west, Metroid Fusion which is almost as good as Super Metroid, Golden Sun, and Wario Land 4.

Most of the best RPGs that we've received in the west also were later ported to the GBA. Rarely we'd get a crappy port, such as Final Fantasy 4 Advance, but then others like Breath of Fire 1 and 2 are far better than the original releases because of changes made. Breath of Fire games get much more exp and gold, so they're no longer grindfests like they were on the SNES. Though the first Breath of Fire gets a bit boring even without the grinding. Other games Mega Man Zero, Castlevania Circle of the Moon, Dragon Ball Z Legacy of Goku, etc, are just a few exclusives to add to the library.

While the GBA easily has the least amount of quality exclusives in terms of the NES and SNES, the system does give more than the other two in terms of overall quality and variety.

[Rickstilwell1]

Toss up between NES, SNES, and GBA. Ask again a year later and you might get a different answer. Very difficult choice as any of the three are better for different reasons. I wrote a paragraph for the NES and then thought about the decision before submitting, finally ended up deleting it and my answer is the GBA.

The NES, SNES, and GBA libraries all have different strengths and weaknesses, but at this time, the GBA has the better library for games released in my region, the US(though more than likely in Japan as well.) First off, the GBA has the NES Classics rereleases, and the best first party titles have either been ported or remade on the GBA. Then the Advance Wars and Fire Emblem games which made their debut in the west, Metroid Fusion which is almost as good as Super Metroid, Golden Sun, and Wario Land 4.

Most of the best RPGs that we've received in the west also were later ported to the GBA. Rarely we'd get a crappy port, such as Final Fantasy 4 Advance, but then others like Breath of Fire 1 and 2 are far better than the original releases because of changes made. Breath of Fire games get much more exp and gold, so they're no longer grindfests like they were on the SNES. Though the first Breath of Fire gets a bit boring even without the grinding. Other games Mega Man Zero, Castlevania Circle of the Moon, Dragon Ball Z Legacy of Goku, etc, are just a few exclusives to add to the library.

While the GBA easily has the least amount of quality exclusives in terms of the NES and SNES, the system does give more than the other two in terms of overall quality and variety.

Hey it was the first system to ever have Sonic and Mario on the same platform as well (in the USA at least. In Japan it was Gamecube by 10 days). That was pretty awesome in of itself back when it happened.

[Zthun]

Giving another vote for the GBA. I really want to say SNES, but I've got to give this one to the GBA since many of the games I loved on the SNES were ported to this system.

[Rickstilwell1]

My response wasn't really a vote either. To be honest I've played the same games over and over on every system I've had so I have yet to really explore the full libraries of any of them.

[thegamezmaster]

Hard one to call as I have all of them. Love them all. I can't choose.

[camarotuner]

Apparently I'm going out on a limb by myself here but I'm going with the DS (pick whatever model you prefer). Why? Yes the classic series all began on earlier consoles but there are MUCH improved of the classic games available (Mario, DK, Zelda, Castlevania, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy) these all have awesome versions exclusive to the DS library plus with the newer systems you have the ability to download classics from the e-shop and still have the originals to most of those games as well. Plus a whole host of other really unique and interesting titles like professor layton, some nice shin megami games, and arguably the strongest RPG lineup ever from exclusives to remakes of chrono trigger and others.

So, yay DS! :)

[Flashback2012]

Giving another vote for the GBA. I really want to say SNES, but I've got to give this one to the GBA since many of the games I loved on the SNES were ported to this system.

For me, the vote goes to GBA as well. While the NES and SNES had excellent libraries, most of the best and brightest were either ported or redone/upgraded with GBA releases. Add to that the titles that originally appeared on the Genesis that were also ported/upgraded for the GBA and you have a hands down winner (in my opinion).

[nickerous]

I would say GBA as well. I continue to find games I want for that handheld. As for the DS having better versions of the franchise games....I would not put Zelda in that group. The stylus controls ruined the two DS Zelda games for me.

[SuperEliteGamer]

So many nostalgia f@gs and fanboys....
NES's library is ULTRA BLEEEH compared to the likes of SNES,or GBA(and most other Ninty systems that came out after it).

@kupomogli.
DBZ TLoG was a HORRIBLE game.
We only tolerated it cause we didn't have many other choices for DBZ games.
It was just very badly designed.

[GREEN00]

SNES I suppose, though my personal favorite is Gamecube.

[kupomogli]

@kupomogli.
DBZ TLoG was a HORRIBLE game.
We only tolerated it cause we didn't have many other choices for DBZ games.
It was just very badly designed.

I meant the series in general. I liked Legacy of Goku 2 and Buu's Fury.

[Niku-Sama]

I feel like SNES had the best games, I feel that Gameboy Advance came out late and could have been more effective if it had come out a bit earlier

[WCP]

SNES all day, every day, and twice on Sunday.

[Crystalian]

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?169191-So-is-general-consensus-that-the-SNES-is-better-than-the-NES

I agonized over how to answer this question a few months back, and was going to lean towards NES because of my bias towards the games that started their respective franchises vs sequels that were just "prettied up". However, the SNES stands on its own in quite a few categories as well. I don't think anyone will argue that Kung Fu is better than Killer Instinct, for example.

The handhelds have their own charm and, IMO, aren't on a level playing field until you get to the DS. Crystalis is nowhere near the game on GBA that it is on NES. I love Final Fantasy Legend 2 so much that it occupies the "default game" slot in my Game Boy Player for Gamecube. Rarely has a GB game deserved to be a console title more... That being said, games like Metroid II, Professor Layton, and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 1 and 2 just feel at home on handhelds.

Also, I'm one of those that think the ability to play a game from a previous console should count towards the quality of "YOUR" library. If that was the case, the Wii would win hands down because of the virtual console. Anything you can't get there is just an external hard drive away. So NO.

I stand by my opinion from the other thread that says they all give us something new and exciting every generation, and that's part of the wonder and magic of Nintendo.

[nickerous]

I don't think anyone will argue that Kung Fu is better than Killer Instinct, for example.

I would not argue with anyone over it, but I like Kung Fu better than killer instinct. :)

[Tanooki]

I'd argue Kung Fu is more fun than KI too. Also I'd argue to the death that the GBA and NOT the DS is the point where handhelds hit the level of being comparable to the console stuff to stand in line evenly with them. That little pocket wonder was like a bastard child of the SNES and the Saturn having a frisky night in the sheets. It did what the SNES could, but then had the higher thresholds that the Saturn had for more sprites, sprite rotation independent of backgrounds doing that, more colors to work with, a potential(usually untapped) for better 44khz audio, and it also like Saturn was capable of doing software rendered 3D and all the same drawbacks saturn had too (warbling textures on frontmost edge area polygons and distance pop up.)

I don't get your argument of Crystalis and GBA, that was a GBC game and inferior due to the halfass changes and rotten audio cuts.

I do understand the base argument over the NES, it's why I commented a little on it too. It was the ground breaker. It gave us a heap of first and third party franchises, average to fantastic arcade conversions, and it even really fleshed out well to an enjoyable point some genres while starting others from the ground up. It's a nice system with killer variety, but it was also of the arcade era more where a lot is just quick passable fun with a general large lack of depth in a lot of cases while the SNES did what the NES title to the death, better, even more new franchises and styles, and the a/v component still stands as on par with what to expect in GBA level handheld games and portable or download titles for various services from Android to PSN and so on.

[Rickstilwell1]

@kupomogli.
DBZ TLoG was a HORRIBLE game.
We only tolerated it cause we didn't have many other choices for DBZ games.
It was just very badly designed.

I strongly disagree with this. Sure I could beat it in one day the first time I played through it but it was still a fun and very playable portable game.

[Crystalian]

Tanooki, I meant Game Boy Color for Crystalis port, but I was thinking of GBA at the time. Should have proof-read, I guess. Sometimes the typing overtakes the thinking, LOL. I really didn't expect people to prefer Kung Fu, but it was just meant to be an example of SNES superiority in the fighting genre. Hows aboot Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo vs the Karate Kid then? I agree that the GBA hit a sweet spot for technology at the time, but so did every Nintendo console in its own time. Metroid: Zero Mission, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, Banjo Kazooie, etc. all have their charms, but nothing that pushes it over the edge in a competition with it's peers. It's definitely a notable entry in the lineage of some franchises though. Zelda: Minish Cap, Mother 3, Mario vs Donkey Kong, Mario RPG, etc. all contribute nicely to the enjoyment of some of Nintendo's biggest names, so you definitely have to give the GBA its due. Hope this smooths over any unintentional slights to Kung Fu, now pardon me while I whip some ULTRA booty with Jago!

[sloan]

NES was prolific. Games in every genre and then some.

[camarotuner]

NES was prolific. Games in every genre and then some.

I can't argue with this but at the same time how many of those games were terrible? I grew up with the NES (dad bought one in 86) and played it all through it's hey day. But man, for every classic we ended up with like 9 horrendous titles. Plus the difficulty level on some of them is just downright mean. Don't get me wrong I love the system, I have more games for it than anything else, but BEST games are we looking for quantity of quality games or games that stand the test of time or somewhere in the middle?

[Koa Zo]

Famicom, GBA, SFC
in that order

The breadth of originality and creativity presented in the Famicom library is 2nd to none.
Sure SFC provides more technicaly proficient games, but for me the Famicom library is leaps and bounds more interesting.

And the GBA is just awesome. Though the majority of games I own for it are rereleases. The Famicom Mini series, the Jaleco 6-in1 collection, the Hudson Soft collections, the Geomon collection, Steel Empire, Elevator Action Old & New, and plenty more. Then throw in original games like Screw Breaker (Drill Dozer), Shining Soul II, Crayon Shin Chan, Racing Gears Advance, Advance Guardian Heroes, and on and on

[Ack]

Chalk up another one for the SNES. I love, adore, and highly respect the NES library, and there are many favorite games of mine on the console, but I feel that in many cases the SNES library enhanced and improved upon the foundations of many major series, both first and third party, while adding new ones from respected companies that we grew to love and cherish. There are also particular genres that I feel the SNES did a better job with, such as fighters, beat 'em ups, RPGs, and even first person shooters, of which there are only a few examples on the SNES and even less on the NES.

That's not to say that there aren't places where I prefer the NES library. For instance, I prefer the Mega Man series over Mega Man X, and Kirby's Adventure is my favorite in the Kirby series, though Kirby Super Star and Dreamland 3 are wonderful games. But with many other franchises, such as Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Super Castlevania IV and Castlevania: Dracula X, Contra III, and so forth, I felt the SNES took something great and made it better. Even moreso when you factor in new series and properties like Super Mario Kart, Breath of Fire, Street Fighter(new for Nintendo consoles, and I mean in all its iterations, including Alpha 2), and so on. Plus in a few cases you can still play greats from yesteryear, like with Super Mario All Stars and Tetris & Dr. Mario.

As for handhelds, I'd likely also say the GBA, but I haven't spent the time with it to really declare one way or the other. It does have some excellent ports of some wonderful games though.

[gamebaka]

Famicom, GBA, SFC
in that order

The breadth of originality and creativity presented in the Famicom library is 2nd to none.
Sure SFC provides more technicaly proficient games, but for me the Famicom library is leaps and bounds more interesting.

And the GBA is just awesome. Though the majority of games I own for it are rereleases. The Famicom Mini series, the Jaleco 6-in1 collection, the Hudson Soft collections, the Geomon collection, Steel Empire, Elevator Action Old & New, and plenty more. Then throw in original games like Screw Breaker (Drill Dozer), Shining Soul II, Crayon Shin Chan, Racing Gears Advance, Advance Guardian Heroes, and on and on

Very well written. I've never seen so much creativity and originality again, the Famicom era was very special. Super Famicom has the bigger software library and technically superior games, great system. Although almost everything released built on the concepts earlier introduced during the Famicom days.

I've played GBA a lot when there was still software output. A portable (S)FC, that's what we've all been dreaming of in the 90s, finally reality. With hindsight I have to say though, and here our views might differ, that the portable games don't seem to be as memorable as many of the console titles. I seldom return to my GBA library and I'd rather play with (S)FC for a nice retro session. My GBA SP just collects dust. I wonder why...

My ranking:

1. Famicom
2. Super Famicom
3. Wii
4. DS
5. Gamecube
6. 3DS
7. Game Boy (Color)
8. Nintendo 64
9. Virtual Boy

I cannot comment on Wii U, still too early and not looking that promising. The old Game Boy titles haven't aged well in my opinion, but a few classics worth to remember. DS includes GBA, big library and tons of good games.

[Rickstilwell1]

The collection of Nintendo's arcade game history I would rank towards the bottom, even below Virtual Boy. Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Popeye, Mario Bros, and Donkey Kong 3 are the only ones I've really liked while everything else is pretty bad. The space shooters all seem generic and outclassed by Namco's Galaxian and Galaga games. Even the NES version of Punch Out!! I found more enjoyable than the arcade version. I'm sure the newer Mario Kart arcade games were good, but I don't have any hardware set up to try them or any of their few modern arcade games out.

With just about all the arcade games, I've preferred the easier control and gameplay of the NES versions. The arcade versions are just so unforgiving and don't have continue mode so you really have to be good at the games to even get very far. Out of all those I assume Mario Bros. is the one I might be able to do well at and have more fun than frustration.