Ultimate NES Remix

Most challenges are simply excerpts from vintage games, involving timed tasks such as speedrunning, clearing an area without dying, or defeating a certain number of enemies while utilizing a given power-up.

The remix categories are additionally based on the fundamental reshaping or combination of games, sometimes by blending in more modern graphical features of the Wii U, for a new experience that may even be technologically impossible on the vintage NES. For example: completing a darkened level which is lit only by a spotlight superimposed over the player's character; navigating upon disappearing platforms in Super Mario Bros.; or playing a Donkey Kong stage as Link instead of Mario, challenged by Link's inability to jump.

According to an IGN interview, the game started as a pet project by Nintendo EAD Tokyo's Koichi Hayashida, after having directed Super Mario 3D Land. With approval from group manager and producer Yoshiaki Koizumi, Hayashida developed the first 100 challenges of NES Remix by himself. Also co-directing Super Mario 3D World at the time, Hayashida was later assisted by three additional members of EAD Tokyo. Nintendo additionally hired Indieszero to help finish the game.

Hayashida stated that he designed NES Remix partly out of desire to play NES games at work; he did not get to play many of these games as a child, and he considered the game an opportunity to make up for lost time. Hayashida was also inspired to break the games up into minigames for similar reasons, because as an adult he did not have as much time as he did as a child, but he still wanted to play later "scenes" in the games.

IGN rated NES Remix at 8.0 out of 10.0. While they did find this first compilation enjoyable, they criticized the lack of multiplayer functionality and online leaderboards as a "startling oversight", and wished that a greater quantity and quality of titles had been included. They suggested that Nintendo could have more fundamentally altered certain vintage games, such as by improving upon the "frustrating" play control of the vintage Ice Climber, Tennis, or Clu Clu Land, or by making Pinball more "fun".

0. While noting this sequel's fulfillment of their original request for leaderboards and for a superior selection of games, IGN says about the remix portion of the collection that "better games don't necessarily make for better remixes". They specifically commend Nintendo's "great job of revealing the overlooked, clever design" of the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2, and summarily praise the overall collection by "officially demanding more".