There was a time when Nintendo didn’t release video games on platforms that were not theirs. This hasn’t changed a lot in this day and age so we can only play Nintendo Games on Android by emulating them. Sure, the company is going to release a free to play videogame on Android soon, and I hope this trend continues. However, until the day Nintendo ports all of their first party games to the platform we prefer, emulation is the only way to gain access to full games.

I will be getting into why and how you can emulate Nintendo games on your Android smartphone. However, this website does not condone piracy so please refrain from obtaining the games by illegal means. I understand that not many old-school video games have survived, but you will need to be resourceful to get them.

This article will be listing some amazing Nintendo games which you can easily run on your Android smartphone or tablet. We have already written some articles about the best emulators for Nintendo so if you’re not sure, feel free to take a look at those.

Note: The 5 great Nintendo games on Android were tested on an LG G4 smartphone. However, the screenshots you see are not from my device because of copyright reasons. Nintendo is the cranky these days, and we would like to avoid a cease-and-desist from them.

I can also hint that you will be able to run these games very easily just by asking the question to Google. As resourceful as you are, it will be no problem for you. I have to warn you about installing third party apps on your smartphone, though, they can potentially harm your device. So be careful, double scan them by putting the files on PC and scanning and then scanning them with a reliable antivirus for Android.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past

More About The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda is a very famous and long-running game series. I absolutely love this remarkable series and was fortunate enough to play the original game back in 1995. The game was released in 1991 and gained a lot of popularity among the gaming community. Back then videogames were not as widely accepted as they are today, and it was really hard getting that game especially for a six-year-old boy with no money.

The game follows Link as he travels on a quest to save Hyrule and defeat the evil Ganon. The game uses a top-down view to show you your protagonist, and it works really well. The game was met with critical and commercial success, and there were many reasons for that. I personally consider it one of the greatest video games ever created, and after you have gone through it you’ll think the same.

Pros:

• An extremely rewarding story.
• The gameplay is simply out of the world.
• Music of the game is surprisingly great.

Cons:

• The game sometimes gets very hard, especially when you are playing on a touchscreen. This old-school unrelenting difficulty swing can put off new gamers.

Mega Man X

More About Mega Man X

Mega Man was an amazing game back in the days, and it still holds up really well to this day. The game was tough as nails and punished the players who slacked off during the game. Mega Max X was the first Mega Man game for the 16 Bit Console, which was all in rage. The game features a world which is occupied by humans and robots. The robots are capable of thinking and growing just like the humans.

You are an Android; that’s right this game that you can play on your Android features an Android protagonist. The Android is tasked with taking down rogue sentient robots called Mavericks making him a Maverick Hunter. The game is a classic 2D side-scroller with fast paced gameplay and a ton of enemies. The graphics are good, but it’s the engaging gameplay that makes the game a gem.

Pros:

• The game has very unique enemies.
• The animations are well managed.
• The story is engaging and well crafted.

Cons:

• The sound design, while great, can get a bit repetitive, fast.

Super Mario Bros. 3

More About Super Mario Bros. 3

If you need an introduction to who Mario is, well maybe it’s time to quit playing games altogether. Mario has introduced millions of games to the beautiful world of games and is continuing to do so till this day. While Super Mario Bros. 3 is not as fan loved as the previous games, it is still one of the most exciting platform games for Android.

The game follows Mario and his usually ignored brother Luigi on a quest to save a princess. This time around, it is not Princess Peach, its Toadstool. The game introduced several new platforming elements to the tried and tested formula and refined some other mechanics.

Personally, I feel that this game was made a bit more approachable for the players and it paid off big time. The difficulty was also similarly reduced to accommodate young players (Or I got older and more proficient). This adventure game for Android is one of the best ones ever released, and it will always remain my personal favorite Mario game.

Pros:

• Catchy music is memorable.
• The graphics are polished beyond expectation.
• The art style is unique and impressive.

Cons:

• While the suits are a good way to mix up the gameplay, the Tanooki suit is a bit wobbly.

Earthbound

More About Earthbound

Earthbound used to be called Mother 2 in Japan and many other regions. It is a traditional RPG game and follows Japanese style of storytelling. You will be playing as Ness and his party of four and travel around the world collecting melodies. There is also a big bed evading at the end of the story, but it’s the journey which counts.

The game didn’t gain as much success in the United States but as time went on it became a timeless classic. The game features traditional role-playing aspects as the player controls a party of characters. The game graphics are purely in 2-D, but it has a unique view of the world. He will be able to increase your characters attributes and gain more offensive or defensive properties.

The isometric perspective of the game gives you a good angle and allows you to enjoy the game world. I really loved that this game didn’t use random encounters, and you can find the battles when you want. This game can certainly be placed on the best RPG games on Android list if it were released officially.

Pros:

• The game features a good story.
• The RPG mechanics are very well crafted.
• The funny ATM cash withdrawal is great.

Cons:

• The only bad thing about this game is that the sequel was not released in the Western market.

Super Mario World

More About Super Mario World

This game also features Mario and Luigi, and it does so in very extravagant style. This time, the Mario brothers are tasked with saving dinosaur land from Bowser. The siblings have to travel around 7 worlds to restore them to their former glory.

The game features gameplay elements from the previously released Mario games and builds on them as well. This time around, however, you can get dinosaur of your own. Yoshi is the name of the Dino you use as a momentary upgrade and then discard unceremoniously.

This game claimed critical and commercial success and sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Many people consider this the best video game ever made, and the game has released four times. I really hope that Nintendo ports the game to the platform we all love and enjoy.

Pros:

• Very tight controls and exciting gameplay.
• Riding Yoshi around is extremely fun.
• The graphics are a marked improvement over the predecessor.

Cons:

• The multiplayer offering is actually just controller swapping nothing more.

Conclusion

I know there are a ton of Nintendo games that can be included on the list and we will continue to expand it as I test them personally. There is no point in just listing games that may have been amazing on the Nintendo entertainment systems but cannot properly run on Android.

Emulating Nintendo games on Android is fairly easy once you get the hang of it, and you can also legally download the ROMs from many trustworthy websites. However, just like always you should use common sense while downloading from third-party websites. Use well reputed and somewhat trustworthy links to download the games. If a site is making you jump through hoops just to get to the download screen, there is a chance it is a scam.

So what are some of your favorite Nintendo games you played? Better yet, tell me if the latest Nintendo console is worth the purchase or not in the comments below.

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