Sorry, There’s No Changing Our Minds on This One
With decades of life-changing games and beautifully written characters, Nintendo pretty much made our childhoods. But when you’ve been around that long, you’re bound to have a few duds spring into existence, and we’re here to go through some of the worst ones (don’t worry, we also cover some of the best characters).
1. Pink Gold Peach
As a player, you hope unlockable characters bring something new to the table. But that didn’t happen. Call her pink. Call her “rose gold” if you’re one of those people. However you classify her, nothing saves this princess from what she is—a nonsensical version of a classic favorite.
2. Navi
“Hey! Listen!” Unfortunately, we had no choice but to listen because Navi refused to be ignored. You wouldn’t think such a small entity would take up so much space, but this fairy was more annoying than our morning alarm (and even less useful).
3. Mr. Resetti
He yells, he talks down to you, he threatens to delete your entire town. He might be trapped in one but Mr. Resetti doesn’t have time for games and he’s right there to shout about your slip-ups. To his credit, we never reset or forgot to save again.
4. Duck Hunt Dog
Everyone loves an adorable dog—but not one only pops up from the grass to laugh at your failure. He ticked off so many players, in fact, that they were once able to blast away his smug face in the arcade version, though he only walked away with a cast.
5. Fi
Oh, you thought Navi was annoying? Enter Fi, the emotionless spirit hunkered down inside the Goddess Sword. Though some people found her interesting (or fell prey to her soothing voice), we couldn’t get past the constant interruptions and lack of overall character.
6. Baby Mario
You can tell a lot about a person’s Mario Kart character—like who to never invite back to your house. Baby Mario and his terrible shriek paved the way for even more infants on Rainbow Road. Soon after, we were up to our ears in baby characters, none of whom offered anything that redeemed them. As for where they even came from, well, it’s best not to try and make sense of it.
7. Tingle
If we learned anything from Pennywise it’s not to trust grown men with red balloons. Yet, here he comes, the creepy little “forest fairy” with his impish laugh and continuous cameos. When your own dad tells you to act your age, it’s probably time to stop floating around. (With a face like that, it’s no wonder he almost starred in his own horror game.)
Daniel Benavides from Austin, TX on Wikimedia
8. Hau
We’re all for the power of friendship—but we’re also sticklers for personal space, something Hau obviously didn’t agree with. He’s the happy-go-lucky kid we just couldn’t get away from, and after all those text boxes in our faces, we had enough pretty early on.
9. Kiddy Kong
Say what you want about Dixie Kong but she never held a candle to Kiddy Kong, the most annoying player to grace the gorillas. He’s essentially a giant baby in pajamas who throws tantrums and lumbers after his cousin. There’s a reason his name sparks so much outrage.
10. Waluigi
Love him or hate him, Waluigi doesn’t have our vote for an enjoyable villain. From the terrible voice to his spindly legs, this guy landed himself in the center of meme culture and quickly became a despised character. His loyal fanbase didn’t win him any brownie points either.
Stéphane Gallay from Laconnex, Switzerland on Wikimedia
Now that we’ve gotten those guys out of the way, it’s time to dive right into the best Nintendo ever brought us.
1. Mario
Honestly, how could it be anyone else? This instantly recognizable hero charmed his way into our hearts way back in the ‘80s, and has been the frontman for his franchise ever since. From facing countless foes to risking his neck for the princess, our childhoods wouldn’t have been the same without this little guy. Wahoo!
2. Luigi
Hey hey hey—we won’t tolerate any Luigi slander. What, you think he’s just living in his brother’s shadow? How dare you? This man is a hard-working ghost fighter who, frankly, is more fleshed out than his brother. He’s a sidekick, a nervous wreck, and a well-loved hero in his own right.
3. Link
Link is about the only guy who could give Mario a run for his money. He’s just as beloved, is just as popular, and remains popular after decades on the scene. He’s the stoic, courageous elf we traveled multiple worlds with, and the Hero of Hyrule more than earned the title.
4. Pikachu
With so many Pokémon to choose from, it’s hard to land on just one favorite, but we couldn’t make this list without talking about the series mascot. Pikachu has been a fan-favorite for years with his adorable face and surprising abilities—but the best thing about him is that he’s Ash’s first Pokémon, and that kind of nostalgia isn’t removed so easily.
Carolina Castilla Arias on Pexels
5. Donkey Kong
No one’s had a redemption arc quite like DK, the villainous monkey turned best pal and iconic hero. He’s one of Nintendo’s oldest characters and not only stars in his own games, but also features heavily across the board, making him one of the most popular too. Plus, those pearly whites and hilariously large tie? Incredible. (While we're at it, throw in Cranky Kong and Diddy too.)
6. Yoshi
We’ll admit it: Yoshi isn’t always helpful. But darn it all if we don’t love his adorable honker and red apple affinity. As far as legendary sidekicks go, no one tops this optimistic dinosaur or his weirdly good egg attacks.
7. Fox McCloud
If we’re talking about legendary characters, we have to talk about Mr. McCloud. The series already stood out as a one-of-a-kind adventure but the captain’s snarky attitude had players on his side right from the start. He’s the hero we need with the sass we deserve.
dalvenjah from USA on Wikimedia
8. Ganondorf/Ganon
It’s hard to imagine a horrifying villain on a list of loveable Nintendo characters, but Ganondorf is one of the most iconic villains around. He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and we weren’t exactly happy with the writing, but we still think he’s a strong contender for the coolest battles and most notable enemies.
Kyla Duhamel from Saskatoon, Canada on Wikimedia
9. Samus Aran
She’s awesome, she’s tough, she had one of the best reveals ever—and she’s one of the first female protagonists in a mainstream game. Samus broke a lot of barriers to become the iconic hero she is today (especially for the ‘80s) and we’re not sure how anyone could turn their back on her.
10. Kirby
We close this list with everyone’s favorite vacuum: Kirby, the pink squishy blob who’s more powerful than any of us thought he’d be. His unique ability to consume everything in his path and assume its form makes him stand out already, but throw in the fact that he’s an unassuming cutie pie and it’s hard not to love him.
