HAL Laboratory Games

The most original RPG ever made. EarthBound's modern American setting, satirical humor, emotionally devastating depth, and complete refusal to follow genre conventions created a cult classic unlike anything before or since.

HAL Laboratory's fighting game experiment brought Nintendo's greatest icons together and reinvented the genre with platform-based fighting. Super Smash Bros. proved that a crossover fighting game built on knock-out mechanics rather than health bars could be simultaneously accessible and deeply competitive.

Kirby's NES masterpiece introduced the Copy Ability system and delivered the most technically stunning game on the hardware. Released in 1993 as the NES was being retired, it was a spectacular farewell to the platform.

Eight games in one cartridge, each with a distinct mode — Spring Breeze, Gourmet Race, Great Cave Offensive, Revenge of Meta Knight, Milky Way Wishes, and more. Kirby Super Star's unprecedented content breadth, polished co-op, and satisfying copy ability system made it the most complete game on the SNES at launch.

One of the most beloved and unique games in the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon Snap places you in a research vehicle on Pokemon Island, tasking you with photographing 63 Pokemon in their natural habitats. The scoring system rewards creativity and discovery, making every run through each stage feel fresh.

Kirby's N64 adventure and the first Kirby game in 3D environments. The Crystal Shards introduced the ability to combine two copy abilities together — mixing Stone and Cutter creates a stone cutter blade, while Bomb plus Ice makes ice bombs — creating 35 unique power combinations that rewarded experimentation.

The GBA remake of Kirby's Adventure — updated graphics, new minigames, and four-player capability made this the definitive classic Kirby experience on portable hardware.

HAL Laboratory's superb Game Boy sequel introduces the beloved animal friends Rick, Kine, and Coo — a hamster, fish, and owl — who transform Kirby's copy abilities into entirely new forms depending on which companion he rides. The game's clever mechanic depth and consistently inventive level design make it one of the most feature-rich platformers on Nintendo's portable hardware, rewarding thorough players who seek out the Rainbow Drops needed to unlock the true final boss.

The debut of one of Nintendo's most beloved characters, Kirby's Dream Land introduced the pink puffball's signature inhale mechanic and charming aesthetic in a breezy platformer designed to be accessible to all ages. Short but delightful, it launched an enduring franchise.

The SNES follow-up with a hand-drawn crayon art style and five animal friends. Kirby's Dream Land 3's co-op mode and hidden objectives for each level — complete all to unlock the true final boss — made it a satisfying close to the Super Nintendo Kirby era.