Exclusive to Nintendo Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Let's consider these Nintendo games in order of release, starting with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games.

"Super Mario Bros." (NES) launched in 1985. Most old-school gamers will be very familiar with this 2D side scrolling platformer, the first title in the now ubiquitous "Super Mario" series. It is a successor to the 1983 arcade game "Mario Bros.", itself a spin-off from the 1981 arcade game "Donkey Kong". "Super Mario Bros." remains popular to this day in speedrunning circles, where highly skilled players take advantage of various glitches and robotic execution to complete the game in under five minutes, close to the theoretical limit. It is well worth watching one of the various videos online explaining the mechanics and skill that go into these speedruns.

Next up is "The Legend of Zelda" (NES), which launched in 1986 in Japan and 1987 in North America. This was a pioneering game in action-adventure genre, set in the fantasy Kingdom of Hyrule. Players control Link, an elf-like boy, on a quest to collect the eight pieces of the Triforce and rescue Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon. The game begins with a visit to an old man in a cave who gives you a sword with the iconic warning "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." From there, players wander through a maze of cliffs, trees, waterfalls and dungeons, collecting equipment, items and abilities along the way. Though I enjoy the game, I've always found it to be difficult and somewhat impenetrable, with very little in-game guidance, requiring a lot of patience, and trial and error. However, it is regarded as one of the best and most influential early video games. The "Legend of Zelda" series it spawned is renowned for its diversity in story-telling, setting, art-style and game mechanics, with each incarnation a unique and fresh experience.

Last up is "Metroid" (NES), launched in 1986. It is a scrolling shooter game set on the planet Zebes, with an industrial underground setting. It follows Power-Suit wearing bounty hunter Samus Aran as they set out to stop attempts to create biological weapons from the titular creatures called Metroids. The name "Metroid" is a portmanteau of "metro" (referring to underground trains) and "android" (a humanoid robot), reflecting this setting. In some of the multiple game endings, it is revealed that Samus is actually a woman, despite game manuals using masculine pronouns to refer to her. This development was inspired by the horror film "Alien" (1979), which features a strong female lead, and sets Metroid apart as one of the first games to represent women, albeit in a rather small way. While not as iconic as the "Super Mario" and "Legend of Zelda" series, Metroid has developed into a long-standing series across all of the Nintendo consoles.

Now we turn to the fourth generation Nintendo video game consoles - the handheld Gameboy (GB) and home console Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

We begin with "Kirby's Dream Land" (GB), a whimsical side-scrolling action-platformer released in 1992. Players control the titular Kirby, a cute pink spherical character with the ability to inhale enemies and objects, then either swallow or spit them out as a projectile attack. The game was designed as an easier entry-point for new players, compared to other Nintendo platformers, though it does allow optional challenges for experienced players. It has spawned a large "Kirby" series with dozens of titles to date. However, Kirby is perhaps better known as a primary character in the "Super Smash Bros." fighting game series, where his multiple jump ability makes him a popular beginner-friendly fighter (as a low skilled player, he is certainly my favourite character to play).

On to "Star Fox" (SNES), released in 1993. It is one of the first 3D Nintendo games, and the first to use polygonal graphics. It follows lead character Fox McCloud and his Star Fox team, as they pilot their Arwing spacecraft to defend their home planet of Corneria from invading forces. The game was a pioneer in 3D rail shooters, where players view the aircraft from behind and navigate it left/right/up/down as it progresses forwards through the level at fixed speed. It led to the "Star Fox" series, which is not as prolific as the ones we've previously explored, with just a handful of titles released over the decades since the original game. Like "Kirby", its recognition is largely due to Fox being featured as a main character in the "Super Smash Bros." series.

Finally, a pair of games that needs little introduction, "Pokemon Red Version" and "Pokemon Blue Version" (GB), released in 1998 in North America. They are the localised versions of the original 1996 Japanese releases "Pocket Monsters Red" and "Pocket Monsters Green". These are the original classics in the "catch 'em all" series, selling millions of copies and sparking a worldwide sensation. A critical look back on these games reveals many flaws, glitches and limitations, but they nailed the sense of adventure, world-building, memorable little 'mons, and compelling mechanics that have made the franchise such a smash hit.

Now we turn to the Nintendo 64 (N64), where two titles launched.

"Super Smash Bros." (N64) launched in 1999. It is a platform fighting game, but with a unique twist. Rather than depleting a health bar, players are trying to knock each other off the stage. Various attacks deal damage, and the more damage a character has sustained, the further they fly when hit. The game features characters from all across the Nintendo franchises. We've already met Mario, Link, Samus, Kirby and Fox, joined by Captain Falcon (F-Zero), Ness (EarthBound), Pikachu and Jigglypuff (Pokemon), and Luigi, Yoshi and Donkey Kong (various Mario universe games). The "Super Smash Bros." series has since produced a title on each main home Nintendo console, and remains a popular multiplayer game. Modern titles feature a huge character roster and various game modes and setting options, making it a highly replayable game.

"Animal Crossing" (N64) launched in 2001 in Japan. It was also later localised and released around the world on the Nintendo GameCube. Set in a village populated by anthropomorphic animals, players are free to choose their own adventures and tasks as they work to pay off their mortgage and develop the town. Villagers come and go, and interact with the player to give the village a social feel. The game uses an internal clock to run events on cycles that match up to real-world times, even featuring holidays such as Halloween and Toy Day (Christmas). The game is the first in the "Animal Crossing" series which continues the social, casual and laid-back feel that makes the games popular amongst casual gamers. In particular, "Animal Crossing: New Horizons", released in 2020 on the Nintendo Switch, became a smash hit, as the ability to visit and interact with players in other villages via online play helped soften the isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On to the Nintendo GameCube (GCN), home to two of our titles.

"Luigi's Mansion" (GCN) released in 2001 as a launch title for the console. It is the first flagship game to feature Luigi as the main character (though he did star earlier in minor SNES title "Mario Is Missing!" (1993) and a McDonald's promotional LCD game watch (1990)). Luigi finds himself searching for his missing brother Mario in a mysterious haunted mansion. Using a vacuum cleaner called the Poltergust 3000, he sucks up ghosts and spirits on his quest to save Mario. There are a few sequels and re-releases in the series, however it has not had as much success and cultural impact as some of the other series featured here. Still, it remains a big hit for Luigi's small but outspoken fan base.

"Pikmin" (GCN) launched in 2001. It centres on Captain Olimar who crash lands his spaceship on a mysterious planet inhabited by colourful plant-animal hybrids called Pikmin. These natives come in blue, red and yellow varieties, each with special abilities. They happily co-operate with Olimar to help him retrieve his spaceship parts and depart the planet before his life-support systems fail. Gameplay is real-time strategy puzzle, with players having 30 in-game days consisting of about 13 minutes real-time to achieve their escape. Further iterations in the "Pikmin" series introduce various new colours of Pikmin with new abilities. It's a delightful series with approachable gameplay for casual gamers.

At last we reach the Nintendo Wii, home of our final two titles.

"Wii Sports" (Wii) released in 2006 as a launch title for the Nintendo Wii. In fact, it was bundled in with the console (except in Japan and Korea), thus it technically became the best selling game of all time, until it was dethroned by "Minecraft" around 2016. It features five sports - tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing - designed to showcase the function and motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk accessory. This motion control was revolutionary at the time, and opened up gaming to a more casual audience. With solid multiplayer and single-player game modes, there is hardly a gamer from that era who doesn't have memories of this classic title.

At long last, we have "Xenoblade Chronicles" (Wii), released in 2010. It is a role-playing game (RPG) with a real-time action-based battle system. It features an open world encouraging player exploration, set on the bodies of two colossal titans called Bionis and Mechonis. There has been much praise for the artistically brilliant visuals of the game despite the poor graphical fidelity capabilities of the Nintendo Wii console. The music and story have also been highly praised. It has spawned a trilogy of games, with two sequels on the Nintendo Switch rounding out the narrative.