Summary
- Capcom created stellar games on Nintendo consoles, making exclusivity choices a matter of preference.
- Capcom's games like Mega Man 3, Gargoyle's Quest 2, and Street Fighter 2 defined eras and genres on Nintendo.
- Classic Capcom titles like Resident Evil 2 on N64 and Monster Hunter Rise on Switch show the long-lasting impact on Nintendo.
Capcom was a big supporter of Nintendo when they launched their NES in 1985. Capcom made and published many exclusives, from Disney tie-ins to Mega Man, Bionic Commando, and beyond. Some Nintendo consoles had better Capcom support than others. It was a rocky time when the PS1 came around, for example, as many Capcom games became exclusive to that console.
8 Forgotten Multiplayer Games From Capcom
Outshined by bigger franchises and larger releases, many gamers may have forgotten about these smaller multiplayer titles from Capcom.
Exclusivity aside, Capcom has definitely made some stellar games on Nintendo consoles. In some cases, it’s a real knuckle biter, and everyone will have their favorites. But if players had to play one Capcom game on every console, it would be hard to argue against these choices.
Games developed and/or published by Capcom will be considered.
12 Mega Man 3 (NES)
Rush’s Debut
Mega Man 3
- Released
- September 28, 1990
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, PS1, Mobile
With six games in the Mega Man mainline franchise on the NES alone, it can be hard to pick a favorite, but Mega Man 3 feels like the right call. The boss designs were more intricate, along with the levels, which were still challenging but slightly less brutal than before.
It was also the first game to add Mega Man’s trusty robot canine Rush to the franchise, which aided in new gameplay too, like a spring, water car, air jet, and more.
11 Gargoyle's Quest 2 (Game Boy)
A Hidden
Gargoyle's Quest II
- Released
- July 17, 1992
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, 3DS, Nintendo Wii U
Gargoyle's Quest 2 was released on the NES in North America, but this Game Boy version is still trapped in Japan, translated thanks to dedicated fans. It’s a spinoff of Ghosts 'n Goblins starring a villain from the franchise, Firebrand, and it was a blend between RPGs and classic 2D platformers.
Players could explore a world map and towns from a top-down perspective and then fight enemies with magical fire breaths and other skills in 2D platforming segments.
10 Street Fighter 2 (SNES)
The Fighting Game Scene Is Born On Consoles
Street Fighter 2
- Released
- March 7, 1991
WHERE TO PLAY
Street Fighter 2 was a big hit in arcades, which helped popularize the genre for many to follow, and it was a huge deal on consoles too, across all of its iterations. SNES owners had at least one version in their homes as it was that popular, even to those without anyone to fight against.
It was the birth of a truly new genre, and everyone was there to experience the might of Ryu, the domineering presence of M. Bison, and the high-spinning kicks of Chun-Li.
9 Resident Evil 2 (N64)
The Biohazard Begins
Resident Evil 2
- Released
- January 21, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PS1
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Resident Evil began on the PS1, and Resident Evil 2 was Nintendo’s first gruesome taste of the franchise, which was a decent port of one of the most important entries.
This saw the debut of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield as playable characters, along with Raccoon City and its many buildings, which was a change from the original one location: Spencer Mansion. The zombies were more intense, there were branching paths, more weapons, harder puzzles, and so much more, all contained within one cartridge.
8 The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages/Seasons (Game Boy Color)
Capcom Gets The Reigns On Nintendo’s Golden Boy
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
- Released
- May 14, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons were Capcom’s first attempts at making not one but two Zelda games, each with their own unique campaigns. Oracle of Ages used time for many of its puzzles, while Oracle of Seasons used seasons.
There was a planned third game, but it was scrapped; the two versions could swap data to create unique experiences, giving players a reason to buy both.
7 The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Game Boy Advance)
Shrinking Below
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
- Released
- January 10, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap was another Capcom entry, and this one was a bit more ambitious for Link as it served as a prequel to the Master Sword and the reason why Link wears a green hat.
In his travels to save Hyrule, Link found a talking green hat, Ezlo, who was a cursed individual who gave Link to ability to shrink. Players could experience the world map like never before in two different versions, adding to the creativity of the dungeons as well.
6 Resident Evil 4 (GameCube)
A Major Win For The GameCube
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- January 11, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
Resident Evil 2 may have been an afterthought for the N64, but Resident Evil 4 was built from the ground up as a GameCube exclusive, seeing the return of Leon S. Kennedy after many years. There was a new threat that plagued a vague European nation, the environment was more interactive, and Leon could customize his guns and his overall loadout.
The game was later ported to the PS2, and other non-Nintendo consoles, and even got a remake, but there’s no denying the revolution that this game was for the GameCube and the series as a whole.
5 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS)
THE Light Novel To Play
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
- Released
- October 12, 2001
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Capcom Production Studio 4
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Visual Novel
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PC, Wii, iOS
Thanks to Steam, light novels, or visual novels, are very commonplace, but they didn’t used to be. One of the first big hits from Japan was Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on the DS, which was actually a compilation and remake of the first game, which was a GBA exclusive in Japan.
As the titular lawyer, Phoenix Wright, players had to look for clues outside of court to help build Wright’s cases, which sounds dull, but thanks to the music and beyond wacky characters, it quickly became a reason to own a DS.
4 Okami (Wii)
If Link Was A Wolf
Okami
- Released
- September 19, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
Okami was released on the PS2 a month before Link made his debut as a wolf in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Between the two wolf-centered adventure games, many found Okami to be the superior Zelda experience thanks to the deep knowledge of Japanese folklore and the watercolor style.
This Wii port added motion controls, which helped players paint constellations better to gain new powers and solve puzzles, plus they could use it during combat like to draw bombs.
3 Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS)
Jill Is Back
Resident Evil: Revelations
- Released
- January 26, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
Resident Evil: Revelations is still probably the best portable entry in the series, thanks to its decision to dial things back to a more horror-centric gameplay style. It saw the return of Jill Valentine, who began investigating a ship full of mutants, which later became a bigger global problem.
10 Canceled Capcom Games You Never Knew Existed
When a company has a legacy as big as Capcom's, some games are bound to slip through the cracks. We'll never get to play these canceled Capcom titles.
Jill wasn’t alone as she had a partner, plus Chris was playable too in different chapters, who also had a partner. It’s not the best use of 3D on the system, but it was still cool to tap on and off in certain scenes.