Though many might assume thatNintendo gamesaren’t especially known for their storylines or their plot twists when compared to games from other publishers, several games made and published byNintendoprove this idea wrong. Many Nintendo games with good storylines and interesting plot twists have also now gained cult followings, and several are often considered to be some of the best videos ever created by fans and critics alike.
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From action-adventure games to strategy JRPG’s, here’s a list of engaging Nintendotitles featuring some of the best plot twists gaminghas to offer! (Be aware - there are spoilers ahead!)
9Fiore’s Arc (Xenoblade Chronicles)
One of the best plot twists the originalXenoblade Chronicleshas to offer surrounds the character Fiore, introduced to the player as a staple of the main cast alongside Shulk and Reyn. She settles in as a main cast member well, too – she has a budding relationship with Shulk that endears her to players, she meshes well with the other characters, and she’s playable for a period of the game.
This means that when she unexpectedly dies, players are left stunned. What makes it even more of a shock is that Fiore dies attempting to save Shulk, and her body is then stolen, leaving Shulk – and the player – to grieve.
However,Xenoblade Chroniclesdoesn’t forget about Fiore;throughout the story, tiny references are made to her that players may miss at first. For instance, players will see a blonde woman being placed into a Mechon, but the game immediately subverts the implication that this is Fiore’s body by referring to her only as ‘Lady Meyneth’. Eventually, however, the Mechon she inhabits is broken by Shulk during a fight, revealing Fiore inside.
8Samus Vs. Mother Brain (Super Metroid)
While playingSuper Metroid, there is a recurring Metroid larva that players will encounter throughout the game. Players first see it when it’s newly hatched at the start of the game before it’s kidnapped by Ridley; Samus then has to travel through space to find the larva.
Eventually, the player will encounter several Metroids towards the very end of the game. It seems as though there are several Metroids who have managed to reproduce, and they all lead to one immensely large Metroid who is far more powerful than the rest. The player is prompted to fight the Metroid, but the fight is cut short at the last minute when it’s revealed that the Metroid is actually the larva from the very beginning of the game, and that the larva had imprinted on Samus after she had watched it hatch.
If this isn’t a big enough plot twist,Super Metroidsaves one last twist for the final boss. When Samus fights against Mother Brain, it seems as though it’ll be an easy fight, only for Mother Brain to transform into amonstrous form that easily overpowers Samus. Just when it seems as though all is lost, the player watches as the Metroid larva gives up its life for Samus, healing her and giving her a way to finally defeat Mother Brain.
7Edelgard’s Secret Identity (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Fire Emblem: Three Housesis a game absolutelyfullof plot twists. Some are more obvious and more impactful than others, but each plot twist makes for a ton of intrigue and surprise. One of the best plot twists thatFire Emblem: Three Houseshas to offer surrounds the leader of the Black Eagles, Edelgard von Hresvelg. Through much of the pre-time skip gameplay, her backstory remains pretty mysterious; players may be able to figure out that something pretty strange is happening in her homeland of Adrestia, but there’s very little else to go off.
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That’s what makes it all the more surprising when we discover that Edelgard is the person behind the mysterious Flame Emperor, appearing throughout several pre-time skip battles to antagonize the main cast. When players realize that this means she’s been orchestrating many of the attacks with the Death Knight (whose secret identity is yet another plot twist!), it serves to make Edelgard a far more interesting character - especially if the player is on the Black Eagles route.
6Your Rival Is The Final Boss (Pokémon Red/Blue)
It’s likely mostPokémonplayers know the age-oldPokémonformula of meeting up with your rival and battling them throughout your unique journeys. However, not all Pokémon games can boast the same plot twist as Pokémon Red and Blue can.
While you play through Pokémon Red and Blue, you’ll come across your rival plenty. Still, that doesn’t stop the surprise once you discover that somebody has just achieved the role as the brand-new Champion of Kanto right before you arrive to fight for the role yourself. What feels even more shocking is when the brand-new Champion is revealed, and it turns out that your antagonistic rival was the one to beat you to the chase in the first place. Still, at least it makes victory - and your new role of Champion - that much sweeter!
5Fake Ending Credits (Kid Icarus: Uprising)
Kid Icarus: Uprisinghas one of the best plot twists in Nintendo history, effectively utilizing a fake ending credit scene after a huge battle to mislead the player into thinking that the game is over. After fighting Medusa just a few hours into the game, the protagonist, Pit, fights against the main antagonist of the game thus far, Medusa. Once the player has beaten Medusa, the game even goes so far as to showPit celebrating her defeat, exclaiming “we really did it!”.
Right as players think the game is over, though, a giant hand suddenly appears on-screen to tear away the ending credits. This hand belongs to the evenbiggerBig Bad, Hades, who laughs evilly before revealing that there’s still a ton left to play. It’s clever, and it’s amusing, and that’s what makes it such a good plot twist.
4It Was All A Dream (The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening)
At the beginning ofLink’s Awakening, it seems as though the game is a regularLegend of Zeldaadventure. The player controls Link as he runs around Koholint Island, battling monsters and making friends, and thoughthe island is idyllic and beautiful, nothing seems especially ‘off’.
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Only when the player is well into the game do they learn that the whole thing is actually a dream. This revelation adds an entirely new angle to the game; now, the player is expected to walk around and speak to the people they’ve grown to love all while knowing that they aren’t reallyrealand that eventually, Link will wake up, and the game will end. It adds a surprisingly bittersweet and painful twist to an otherwise sweet, lighthearted game, and it’s certain to make an impact on players.
3Claus' Story (Mother 3)
ThroughoutMother 3, players spendmuch of their time wonderingwhat might have happened to Lucas' twin brother, Claus. He’s set up as a courageous and strong character for the player to look up to, and the fact that his mysterious disappearance is due to his attempts at seeking revenge against the creature that killed his and Lucas' mother, Hinawa, makes the player understand and respect him.
WhenMother 3then reveals that Claus isn’t dead but rather completely brainwashed by the main antagonist, Porky Minch, it comes as a huge surprise to the player. It turns out that Claus has been fighting against Lucas and his friends for multiple chapters as the ‘Masked Man’, and when he attempts to fight the player once more, the ensuing battle is especially painful knowing that he can no longer remember who he’s fighting against.
An even bigger plot twist then arises when Hinawa appears as a ghost, reminding Claus of who he is. Claus regains his memories, but his ending is bittersweet; instead of battling further, he chooses to give up and sacrificing himself, telling Lucas that he’ll see him again before he dies and joins his mother in the afterlife.
2Emmeryn’s Sacrifice (Fire Emblem: Awakening)
Though players don’t see much of Emmeryn through the first few chapters and battles inFire Emblem: Awakening, she’s still an endearing and interesting character, treating the player kindly despite their mysterious backstory and strange behavior. That’s why it’s such a huge shock when Emmeryn is eventually kidnapped by Gangrel, who kidnaps her and threatens to kill her if Chrom doesn’t do as he wants.
The player is then given the choiceto either kill Emmeryn or hand over the Fire Emblem to save her, but it quickly turns out that regardless of the player’s choice, Emmeryn takes her fate into her own hands. She chooses to sacrifice herself for the sake of the Fire Emblem and her people and falls to her death. Though it’s a shocking end, it’s an amazing plot twist, and it solidifies Emmeryn as one of Fire Emblem’s most interesting characters.
1The Princess Is In Another Castle (Super Mario Bros.)
Though it may not be much of a plot twist today, this twist was a big one for originalSuper Mario Bros.arcade players. Typically, arcade games were relatively simple, and if players managed to beat the main boss, then the game was usually over.
Nintendo’s subversion of this expectation throughMario Bros.is what makes this such a good plot twist. Instead of defeating Bowser and saving the Princess, the player is greeted by Toad telling the player that ‘the princess is in another castle!’, leavingdozens more levels to completebefore finally beating the game.
