The Nintendo Switch was the comeback Nintendo needed after the Wii U struggled to find an audience. It blended handheld convenience with traditional console play, carving out a niche not occupied by any other system. The Switch became an instant hit after its 2017 launch and paved the way for the Switch 2.
As fun as it was to play games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the go, it was the games, not the gimmick, that made the Switch such a success. The greatest Switch games helped define an entire era of Nintendo, and whether they’re played on the original Switch or Switch 2 hardware, they’re classics.
Splatoon 3 Is One of the Best Switch Multiplayer Games
The first two Splatoon games were pretty solid, but Splatoon 3 took things to another level, to the point that it’s one of the best multiplayer games Nintendo has ever made. Players have a chance to learn the basics in the game’s single-player campaign before they dive into the game’s competitive side.
One of Splatoon 3’s biggest strengths is how approachable it is, even for people who never played the first two games. Casual players can still have fun without mastering every system, and modes like Salmon Run are a cooperative alternative to traditional matches that’s perfect for newcomers.
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Ring Fit Adventure Made Exercising an Adventure
On paper, Ring Fit Adventure shouldn’t have worked. It shipped with a goofy ring accessory, and it didn’t have the same buzz as Wii Fit. In practice, however, Ring Fit Adventure pulled off a full 180 by making exercise into something that felt genuinely fun. Turning the workouts into an RPG adventure made exercise feel less like a chore.
It helps that the routines in Ring Fit Adventure are also legitimately effective, which helped back the game a hit when people were cooped up indoors during 2020. Ring Fit Adventure is an underrated Switch game that deserves a sequel, either on the Switch 2 or future Nintendo consoles.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Made Mario Feel Magic
While New Super Mario Bros. brought back 2D Mario, the formula quickly went stale. It started to feel like the same game getting released every few years. That’s why Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels special, with offbeat visuals, sharper humor, and Wonder Seeds that can flip a level on its head.
Each Wonder Seed also feels distinct. When the singing Piranha Plants on Parade show up, it’s instantly clear something memorable is happening. Super Mario Bros. Wonder stands out while still capturing the spirit of Mario, and while it’d be nice to have a new 3D Mario game, titles like this have kept the franchise alive.
Metroid Dread Brought the Franchise Back to 2D
Metroid is one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises, but it’s not its most consistent one. After titles like Other M sparked major backlash, Metroid Dread was a return to form, bringing the series back to a mainline Nintendo console while returning to a 2D format. The upcoming Metroid Ravenous seems directly inspired by Dread‘s success.
The original Metroid games helped define the Metroidvania genre, and Metroid Dread stands as one of the best Metroidvanias ever made. It brought back the suspense and thrills that the series is known for while proving that Metroid is still a force to be reckoned with, making it one of the best Switch titles and one of the greatest games in the series.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is the Ultimate Cozy Game
Animal Crossing: New Horizons couldn’t have come at a better time. It launched in March 2020, just as much of the world was shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic. For players stuck at home, it offered both an escape from the uncertainty and an easy way to spend time with friends online.
The community around New Horizons quickly became one of its biggest strengths, with players constantly finding new ways to decorate and redesign their islands. Even in 2026, it remains one of the defining cozy games. It’s the kind of laid-back experience that makes sinking hundreds of hours into it feel completely natural.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Is a Love Letter to the Franchise
Even though Mario Kart 8 Deluxe began as an expanded port of a Wii U game, it grew into something much bigger. It included all the original content, added new features, and kept on expanding for years, eventually becoming the best-selling game in the Nintendo Switch’s library
Between returning fan-favorite tracks, new courses, and a huge roster of racers, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe became one of the easiest Switch games to recommend. Its staying power set an extremely high bar for the series, leaving Mario Kart World with a lot to live up to. While Mario Kart World still has time to improve with updates, Mario Kart 8 has yet to be dethroned.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Lives Up to Its Name
The Super Smash Bros. franchise has always been built around spectacle, but nothing has matched Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It feels like the culmination of everything Masahiro Sakurai and his team had been building toward since the series began. Its reveal made that clear immediately with the announcement that “Everyone is here.”
Bringing back every previous fighter was impressive on its own, but it also made Ultimate feel like a celebration of the entire franchise. It’s hard to see how Nintendo will ever find a way to top Ultimate, but if it ends up being the final Smash Bros. game, it would be an incredible note to end on.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Changed Nintendo
The Nintendo Switch needed a strong opener, and having The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at launch was huge for Nintendo. It isn’t just that Zelda went open-world, but that exploration feels hands-off. Once Link steps out of the cave, full freedom is there to do whatever feels right.
It also changed how open-world games were seen. Before BOTW arrived, many games felt like they were just chasing a checklist. In Breath of the Wild, exploration is more natural and feels driven by curiosity. Nine years after its release, it’s still worth playing, especially on the Switch 2.
Super Mario Odyssey Is a Celebration of Mario
Super Mario Odyssey feels like a spiritual successor to Super Mario 64, and that’s high praise. Exploring each kingdom and stumbling onto hidden moons brings a lot of joy. It plays like a love letter to Mario, and it shows why the plumber is still Nintendo’s most iconic character.
References and callbacks to Mario’s history are everywhere in Super Mario Odyssey. That fan service builds to one of Nintendo’s best finales. It’s arguable that Super Mario Odyssey is the best 3D Mario game ever, and given the franchise’s track record, that’s a compliment of the highest order.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Is One of the Best Games of All Time
Making a sequel to one of the greatest games of all time is an impossible task, but Nintendo pulled it off. Tears of the Kingdom takes what Breath of the Wild did and improves on it. Hyrule and its lore are still the core, but the sky and the Depths open the world up even more. Even better, the game runs smoothly on Switch with surprisingly few issues.
New abilities, like the ability to build all kinds of contraptions, help the whole experience feel more complete. As good as Nintendo is, it’s hard to imagine the company ever topping Tears of the Kingdom, and it stands as the best game of the Nintendo Switch era.
