In a review, Nintenderos looked back at ten classic Nintendo platform games, listing five as titles that have stood the test of time and another five as having relatively poor replay value today. Super Mario World made it into the former group, while GoldenEye 007 landed in the latter.
The author considers other titles that still hold up well to include Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Mario Galaxy, and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. The article notes that these games' controls, level design, art, music, or exploration experiences still support an enjoyable playthrough today.
Among them, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker's cel-shaded graphics initially sparked debate, but the author believes its visuals remain appealing today; Super Metroid guides players through exploration via environmental cues.
Also included in the group with relatively poor replay value are Donkey Kong 64, Star Fox, Pokémon Red/Blue, and the original Metroid. The article argues that GoldenEye 007's aiming scheme, designed for single-stick controllers, combined with its frame rate performance, makes modern replay challenging; Donkey Kong 64 requires frequent character switching to collect items, which also disrupts the pacing.
As for the original Metroid, the author mentions its lack of a map and the time required to recover resources after death. This list measures the current playability of older titles, not denying their impact at the time of release.