From their arcade gaming origins to their present Switch console, Nintendo has always been known for palatable, family-friendly games. Oftentimes, this means software that isn't just relatively simple to conquer, but also quick. For younger audiences, whose focused attention can be tough to maintain, a gaming experience that can be knocked out in one or two short sittings can be crucial.
These types of bite-sized games were particularly abundant in the '80s and '90s, when hardware was more primitive and limited in space. You also had games that stressed difficulty over content - counting on the player dying over and over again to provide much of the length. This is a trait that's far less common now, though there are still plenty of games on Nintendo consoles that can be burned through pretty swiftly.
With this list, we'll take a look at 10 of the shortest Nintendo gaming experiences. We'll be focusing mainly on games with single-player content can be completed quickly. The aid of howlongtobeat contributed to the information in this article.
10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time (SNES)
One of the best games for the SNES also happens to be one of the quickest, assuming you're a moderately skilled Ninja Turtle. Basically, Turtles in Time is meant to be that sort of "go-to" game to kick it with a friend, and are looking for a quick, fun gaming diversion. In fairness, the game does trick you into thinking it's over far sooner than it is, making it feel lengthier.
But even when you're thrown that curveball of being sent back in time to complete the remaining stages, your time-traversing escapade will only take you about 40 minutes. And unlike some Turtles games, this isn't particularly tricky, either.
9 The Karate Kid (NES)
Like many titles of the NES era, The Karate Kid relies on its grueling brawler gameplay for its longevity. Some shaky mechanics and aggressive foes that annoyingly knock you back ensure that you'll probably be starting over frequently. Still, even if you manage to use your fists and legs well during this short romp, this game can be knocked out in just over a half-hour.
You're tossed merely a handful of sidescrolling levels along with a few pretty bizarre bonus stages, all of which can be tackled pretty quickly if your button-mashing skills are on point with karate kid Daniel LaRusso.
8 My Mom Hid My Game (Switch)
Ironically, the trend of smaller, humbler games has somewhat come full-circle with the rise of the indie scene, which tends to consist of smaller studios with limited time and resources. Thus, you tend to get some slim, quirky software such as My Mom Hid My Game, a weird, cheeky puzzler on the Switch eShop.
Basically, the premise of this one is in the title - video games are apparently bad, and bad enough that your mother feels the need to cruelly hide them from you. Your mission? Work your way through a number of minimally designed rooms featuring puzzles an obstacles by interacting with the random home objects shown. If you're sharp with the puzzle-solving, you could work your way through your 30-day stint in roughly 30 minutes.
7 WarioWare: Snapped! (DS)
The insane, rapid-fire WarioWare series has always been known for its tiny microgames, which can whiz by so quickly you don't even know what hit you half the time. Still, this little camera-based project for DSiWare is pretty slim even by the standards of this party game franchise.
Instead of tossing dozens of minigames and various game modes at you, Snapped! contains merely 20 microgames housed within four different stages. These can all be plowed through in a matter of minutes - about 23 of them to be exact (according to howlongtobeat). It's no wonder this was never released as a full-fledged title!
6 Destruction Derby 64 (N64)
This chaotic vehicular-destruction racer was somewhat ahead of its time, as franchises like Burnout would take this unique formula and roll with it full-throttle in the future. While this underrated N64 racer is still fun, it's a bit dated now; not just because of its blocky graphics, but because of its lack of content.
Disregarding unlockables like the 12 additional cars you can earn, the bulk of the gameplay - namely the game's career mode - can be completed in just over 20 minutes in novice and amateur mode. Destruction Derby is certainly a fast-paced experience, in more ways than one!
5 Donkey Kong Jr. (NES)
Nintendo's feverishly addictive platformer from '82, Donkey Kong, was so fun and well-crafted that it single-handedly helped revolutionize an industry. To prove they still had some tricks up their sleeve, they managed to create a sequel that was both familiar and fresh. Turning things on their head, Mario was now the villain, while the son of the captured ape was our new protagonist.
Much like the main game of the original, however, the handful of stages that comprise Donkey Kong Jr. can be traversed in just minutes; specifically around 15 according to howlongtobeat. Still, given its addictive nature, repeating stages, tough gameplay, and emphasis on high scores, you'll likely spend much more time than that.
4 Wipeout 64 (N64)
Much like the prior racer on our list, Wipeout 64 is more about playing through multiple times and in different ways, particularly with friends. Still, this third installment in the futuristic racing Wipeout series is pretty short on content.
It's a bummer that the game's main single-player component (challenge mode) can be sped through in around 15 minutes total, given its quality, and that it's, in fact, the only Wipeout ever made for a Nintendo platform. It probably doesn't help that this racer only comes with 7 total tracks. You'd think if developer Psygnosis was going to create a semi-port of Wipeout 2097, they could have added more additional content.
3 Penguin Wars (GB)
This quirky game began as an arcade title in'85, and was turned to an even more crude Game Boy port five years later. That certainly goes a long way in explaining this game's razor-thin runtime of under 15 minutes.
Penguin Wars kicks things off by having you choose from a number of random animals - each with different strengths - which range from a bat to a rabbit. You then take part in the simple, but somehow enjoyable act of tossing as many balls as you can to your opponent's side of the table. You'll be playing through 8 games, along with some even shorter bonus rounds, all of which can take around 15 minutes combined, assuming you're dominant enough.
If you happen to be interested in this swift, but entertaining competitive romp, there is a remake recently released for Switch.
2 Game & Watch Gallery 2 (GBC)
This wacky Game Boy Color game is both a celebration and a compilation of a handful of classic Game & Watch software. These include a "Classic Mode" as well as a "Modern Mode," the latter of which is touched up and redone with Mario characters and slickened visuals.
Much of the charm in this one is trying to nab unlockables for the Gallery Corner, in addition to earning high scores and eventually a hard mode. Still, the games that have an end - in either mode - can be knocked out in just 15 minutes. Yeah, gaming tended to be a far humbler endeavor back in the early '80s.
1 Deal Or No Deal (Wii)
As you'd imagine from a game whose whole premise revolves around picking from various numbered cases, this title is as basic as it is brief - and no, that wasn't meant to be an awful pun referencing "briefcases."
That's not to say this game show doesn't require any skill - or isn't entertaining in its own goofy way. After all, you'll want to ponder your choices, and it helps to have a decent grasp of probabilities when deciding whether or not to bow out or resume picking cases. Still, the actual gameplay of this simplified version of an already straight-forward game show is about as quick and minimalistic as it gets. Basically one run of Deal or No Deal can take you as few at 5 minutes to complete, and there's really not a ton of content elsewhere.