00:00Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're looking, in no particular order, at the best games either developed or published by Nintendo so far in the 2020s.
00:20But before we dive in, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:32Pokemon Legends Arceus
00:36While the core Pokemon series has definitely dipped in quality over the years, Arceus was a huge step in the right direction.
00:52Instead of taking players to a new region, we explored the long-lost past of the Sinnoh region of Diamond and Pearl.
00:58Not only was it fun to experience this setting in a new light, but tweaks to gameplay were fresh and exciting.
01:05Action injected into the turn-based battles added some fun danger, since your character was at risk of damage as well.
01:20The sandbox design with dedicated biomes also made exploration more varied than in previous games.
01:26It wasn't perfect, visuals and performance always take a backseat with the series,
01:30but it's no surprise Nintendo and Game Freak are continuing the style in a sequel.
01:45Kirby and the Forgotten Land
01:47Simply put, everything that makes Kirby great can be found in the Forgotten Land.
02:01The core copy ability never grows old, with chances for upgrades making your powers even better to play around with.
02:07The new Mouthful mode, which lets Kirby stretch his body over various objects to control them,
02:12makes for some really creative gameplay mechanics when it comes to traversal and puzzle solving.
02:17The developers also found new ways to explore the post-apocalyptic angle,
02:22primarily because Kirby's style is still so bright and vibrant.
02:26And as his first fully 3D adventure, I felt the utmost joy just living in these environments.
02:42It might not have quite the depth or polish of Nintendo's S-tier platformers, but it's still a damn fine game.
02:48Pikmin 4
03:08It had been a long time since we got a new mainline Pikmin game,
03:12and thankfully this one didn't let us down.
03:15It looks incredible with some of the most charming visuals on Switch.
03:19Level designs and how you interact with them are endlessly inventive.
03:23There are some really creative puzzles and strategic elements that can scratch that brain-teasing itch.
03:33However, it can be a bit too easy at times, and there are some limitations on the player that hinder enjoyment,
03:40like only being able to equip three types of Pikmin at a time.
03:43Still, overall, the game is a genuine joy and was a fantastic return for the franchise.
03:49Here's hoping it isn't another decade before we get Pikmin 5.
03:53Mario Kart World
04:05Mario Kart World
04:11Some of the more hardcore players have certainly turned on this game since it launched,
04:19particularly because of how Nintendo has altered things through patches,
04:23and then there's the $80 elephant in the room.
04:26But, as far as we're concerned, Mario Kart World is still ridiculously fun.
04:31It naturally looks and controls like a dream.
04:34New mechanics, rail grinding and wall riding, pair flawlessly with track design,
04:39making the difference between casual racers and ungodly pros that can barrel through courses like an unstoppable force.
04:46Then there are the new modes.
04:56Knockout Tour is some of the most intense Mario Kart I've ever experienced, which is saying something,
05:02and Free Roam provides a ton of challenges to seek out,
05:05making for a nice change of pace by testing your skills without the stress of other players.
05:10Xenoblade Chronicles 3
05:28It's remarkable to see how far Xenoblade Chronicles has come,
05:32with a fan campaign securing a North American release of the first game,
05:36and it now being one of Nintendo's biggest franchises.
05:40Set against the backdrop of Endless War,
05:42the third mainline entry follows a group of heroes,
05:44with members belonging to both warring nations,
05:47as they attempt to uncover the history of it all.
05:50It's these truly great characters that lift the story up,
05:53and it's a joy to spend hours revealing their layers.
05:56Without my heroics, our combat unit would be right up the-
05:59Lance!
06:00Creak!
06:01Come on.
06:03Stop being so cocky.
06:05It was just a joke, mate.
06:07There's also a ton of variety during combat,
06:10which received some noteworthy changes.
06:12You can swap between your seven party members on the fly,
06:15change their classes, combine abilities to form new ones.
06:18It makes every fight feel exciting.
06:21You might want to hang back!
06:23I'm not done!
06:26I can do it!
06:28Yes, yes!
06:29Hold on to this!
06:31Animal Crossing New Horizons
06:34Even if New Horizons hadn't been the perfect game at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,
06:47it would still deserve praise.
06:49Animal Crossing has always been the coziest IP under Nintendo,
06:53but letting us build a town from the ground up made it truly special.
06:57The customization angle made each and every island feel unique,
07:01and it flipped a satisfying switch in our brains when everything came together just how we wanted it.
07:07Even if events and holidays got off to a rocky start looking at you, bunny day,
07:17it is always delightful to be part of something so wholesome.
07:21That's not to mention the excellent Happy Home Paradise DLC,
07:24which further pulled at our desire to design adorable animal communities.
07:29Super Mario Bros. Wonder
07:42Any time we get a new Mario game is a time for celebration,
07:55and Wonder is no different.
07:57It brought 2D multiplayer back to the series in tremendous fashion.
08:01Each of the new power-ups made for great new ways to engage with its levels,
08:05and were instantly catapulted as some of the best Mario and co. have ever used.
08:10The levels themselves would already be fun,
08:13but the wonderflowers in each one all brought different effects.
08:16You never knew what would happen,
08:18and it made every single stage that much more exciting.
08:31These new additions blended so well with that signature magic
08:34that Nintendo is so good at creating,
08:37and it was a pleasure to experience.
08:47Metroid Dread
08:59Of all of Nintendo's franchises,
09:01Metroid might be the best at confronting us with the most stressful encounters,
09:05while still making us feel powerful enough to take on anything.
09:08It's a fine line to walk, and Dread does it extremely well.
09:12It follows Samus on a planet that's overrun with a parasite that can replicate anything it infects.
09:17Even more deadly than that are the EMI,
09:20government robots that have been reprogrammed to Hunter with extreme prejudice.
09:24There's something so satisfying about coming out on top in one of these situations,
09:34outrunning and hiding from an EMI until you can take it down,
09:37or conquering one of the game's tough-as-nails bosses.
09:41It doesn't hurt that the controls are as smooth as silk.
09:45Donkey Kong Bonanza
10:04Another franchise that hadn't seen a mainline release in quite some time,
10:07DK made a terrific comeback with Bonanza.
10:10With mechanics unique to him, blended with some 3D Mario DNA,
10:15in part thanks to the developers being the same team behind 2017's Odyssey,
10:19we were enraptured from start to finish.
10:22Being able to punch our way through entire environments,
10:35using chunks of terrain as weapons and transport,
10:38meant we could bend this world to our will.
10:41These mechanics, including DK's Bonanza forms,
10:44are so insanely fun to use that it makes you want to seek out every challenge the game offers.
10:49This game overflows with charm, from its gameplay, to its visuals,
10:54to the touching friendship between DK and Pauline.
10:58The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
11:05Coming as a surprise to no one, Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best games Nintendo has released in the 2020s,
11:17and just in general.
11:19Sure, the depths can grow tedious, and lore is a bit muddled,
11:23but everything else is pure gold.
11:25Quality of life changes make for a smoother experience over its predecessor,
11:29Link's abilities heighten player creativity, specifically in tandem with Zonai devices.
11:35The music, the puzzles, the dungeons, the relationship between Link and Zelda,
11:39Matt freaking Mercer as Ganondorf.
11:41It's all just so incredible.
11:43And like Breath of the Wild, it's honestly nice to simply exist in this world.
11:54Players not interested in the open-ended structure had Echoes of Wisdom to fall back on,
11:59which does deserve love,
12:01but Tears of the Kingdom is a special type of game that emphasizes player freedom and discovery.
12:06But what are some of your favorite Nintendo games to release since 2020?
12:20Share your thoughts in the comments, and we'll see you next time.
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