The Wii's Shop Channel features many NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx 16, NEOGEO, and N64 games that are available to be bought and downloaded. Many are classics, while others just have not aged too well. With all the games that are available, it can be hard to distinguish between what you are looking for at what just is not worth your time. I cannot point out every single good game and bad one. But I will point out three of the very best.

#3: Paper Mario

Paper Mario is a classic RPG that was originally released in 2001 on the N64. It may have a somewhat dated look in terms of the technical proficiency of the graphics, but the visuals themselves remain as absolutely beautiful as ever. Not to mention unique.

The reason for this is that the characters and environments are portrayed in 3D, yet they themselves are 2D. Like paper cut-outs on a rich, detailed page of a book. As Mario, you explore a diverse overworld whilst getting people to join your party and fighting off monsters. And while Paper Mario adopts many aspects of RPG conventions, the mechanic that really stands out is the timed button presses in battle that increase the damage you do to your opponent, as well as decrease the amount of damage he does to you.

Overall, Paper Mario is an amazing and memorable accomplishment, both as a Mario game and as an RPG.

#2: Super Metroid

Of all the games in the renowned franchise, perhaps it is Super Metroid that is the most spoken of. It was the last Metroid game to be released for a total of eight years. Eight years gamers waited, until Metroid Prime came along on the Gamecube; arguably the best Metroid ever, and that should say something because without Super Metroid, there would be no argument. Without Super Metroid, Prime would be without a doubt the best game in the series.

Super Metroid is a side-scrolling shooter that relies heavily on exploration and discovery, as well as the adrenaline-pumping action that each boss battle presents. As in any other Metroid, bounty hunter Samus crashlands on an alien planet. Now, she struggles to reach the last surviving Metroid.

Samus is equipped with many abilities. She can morph into a small ball for rolling through tight tunnels, she can fire a cannon beam attached to her arm, and perform a double flip-jump whilst flying through the air.

Many of the things the game is so well known for, such as it's exploration and atmosphere, have to be seen to be believed. All you need to know is that Super Metroid is a classic game that is definitely worth the $8 and download.

#1: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time has been called the greatest game yet, repeatedly over the years. And it probably is, in a way. No game has aged as well as this one.

It may look like your typical action adventure at first. You begin playing as Link, a child living in Kokiri Forest, where there is no pain or suffering. Or at least, it used to be that way. The guardian of the forest, the Great Deku Tree, is under a curse cast by the infamous villain Ganondorf. Link is chosen to journey inside the tree and kill the curse within. Link destroys the monster and breaks the curse, but it is too late, and the Tree dies. With his dying words, the tree tells Link to find Zelda. Only once you find Zelda can you save Hyrule from falling under Ganondorf's evil reign.

And so it begins. Ocarina of Time was the first Zelda game to be played from a third-person perspective. The land of Hyrule is a vast place filled with many characters, places and things to do. Combat is very friendly and simple to execute, but what the game truly strives at is the storyline, exploration, and the atmosphere. It's what Nintendo does best. For example, the musical score is perhaps the most widely recognized in gaming history.

There have been many Zelda games since then, none of which have recaptured what Ocarina of Time accomplished. It recommended that if you check this game out, especially if you never got a chance to play it on the N64.