What Was Nintendo Power’s #1 Game of All Time? (They Never Ranked One)

Nintendo Power never published a single “Best Game of All Time” ranking. They ran recurring features like “Top 10 by System,” “Best of [Year],” and “Staff Favorites,” but no definitive #1.

Games Frequently Topping Their Lists

• Super Mario World (SNES) — Consistently #1 SNES, often #1 overall in reader polls.
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES) — Perfect action‑adventure design.
• Super Metroid (SNES) — Critical darling, speedrun classic.
• EarthBound (SNES) — Cult favorite, heavily covered.
• Star Fox (SNES) — Technical showcase, editorial favorite.
• Ocarina of Time (N64) — Later issues ranked it highest for N64.
• Resident Evil 4 (GCN) — Frequent “Best GameCube Game.”

Different eras, different #1s. The magazine celebrated variety—no one title ruled all.