The Ultimate Ranking of Nintendo Switch’s Best Games from 2017 to 2025!

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Summary

  • The Nintendo Switch 2 launch marks the end of the original Switch era after 8 years of defining industry experiences.
  • Each year of Switch dominance (2017-2025) brought top-quality games across various genres.
  • Must-play Switch games include Legend of Zelda: BOTW, Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age.

On June 5, 2025, the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 marks the beginning of the end for Nintendo’s original hybrid console. Over an eight-year span, during which it served as the primary focus of Nintendo’s hardware, the Nintendo Switch provided a wealth of groundbreaking gaming experiences that significantly impacted the industry.

Throughout its period of market supremacy from 2017 to 2025, each year for the Nintendo Switch has offered exceptional video game software. This includes innovative new releases within popular genres, unique social media applications, and groundbreaking launch titles that define hardware capabilities.

9. 2017 – The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

The Launch Title That Continues To Dominate Nintendo Switch Discussion

Regardless of being one of the initial games launched for the Nintendo Switch and also released on the Wii U, the praise for Nintendo’s experimental open-world game set in a minimalist fantasy world as “one of the best games ever created” has remained steadfast over the past nine years since its debut.

Given the diverse software collection launched during Nintendo Switch’s first year, the exceptional caliber of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild stands out even more vividly. Alongside blockbuster releases like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, and Splatoon 2, there were also innovative titles such as ARMS, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and 1, 2 Switch. The enduring acclaim for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a clear demonstration of its superior quality.

8. 2018 – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

A Cultural Touchstone & Industry-Spanning Celebration Of Gaming

Despite the fact that the launch of a new “Super Smash Bros.” game is usually a significant event, the inclusion of every returning character along with some exciting new additions made the release of “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” particularly noteworthy. It could be forgiven if the vast roster in “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” masked any flaws in gameplay, but the classic platform fighting mechanics of the series have been highly praised for their level of refinement. As a result, “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” is often considered “arguably the best game in the franchise”.

2018 saw a wealth of critically acclaimed games launched, but the grand scale and intricately designed gameplay of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate stands out unrivaled, not just in the fighting game genre, but across the entire video game industry. While players enjoyed an abundance of first-party remakes and sequels like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and Bayonetta 2, enhanced by exceptional third-party titles such as Octopath Traveler and Undertale, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s extraordinary hype and smooth mechanics are so finely crafted that few games can match its excellence.

7. 2019 – Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age – Definitive Edition

The Prominent RPG Franchise Makes Significant Cultural Headway

2019 saw the launch of Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition, one of the most stunning games on the Nintendo Switch and a significant addition to their ever-growing collection.

Additionally, the character from Dragon Quest, the Luminary, managed to secure a spot among the diverse cast of fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which suggests not only the enduring popularity and success of the Dragon Quest series within the JRPG genre but also the ongoing recognition and admiration for Dragon Quest 11. Given the high-profile Nintendo releases of 2019, including Pokemon Sword and Shield, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Super Mario Maker 2, it’s impressive that Square Enix’s updated version of their 2017 blockbuster game caused such a stir in the Nintendo Switch gaming community.

6. 2020 – Animal Crossing: New Horizons

A Uniquely Positioned First-Party Cozy Experience

In 2020, Animal Crossing, a long-standing Nintendo franchise, truly established itself as one of the company’s most identifiable intellectual properties. With its release coinciding with many individuals seeking solace at home, Animal Crossing: New Horizons wasn’t just the defining game for the Nintendo Switch in 2020; it was arguably the defining video game of the year as a whole.

2020 was a particularly noteworthy year for the Nintendo Switch as it introduced fresh gaming experiences such as “Paper Mario and the Origami King” and “Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.” Additionally, popular third-party games like “Ori and the Will of the Wisps” were also released on the platform. However, what makes “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” stand out is that it closely correlates with the system’s success given its social-oriented gameplay.

5. 2021 – Metroid Dread

The Long-Awaited Return Of Nintendo’s Genre-Spawning Series

Although Samus and the Metroid series are prominent in Nintendo’s lineup, particularly within their Super Smash Bros fighting platform, Metroid is still considered a niche favorite. But with the launch of Metroid Dread on October 8, 2021, this latest addition to the groundbreaking Metroid franchise became not only its highest-selling game but also one of the standout titles in 2021’s gaming landscape.

Despite tough competition from hit Nintendo games such as Mario Golf: Super Rush, WarioWare: Get It Together!, and New Pokemon Snap, along with third-party heavyweights like Shin Megami Tensei 5 and Metroid Dread’s impact on the Metroidvania genre, it managed to establish its presence within the Nintendo Switch gaming landscape.

4. 2022 – Xenoblade Chronicles 3

A Genre-Defining Role-Playing Experience That Reinvigorated A Franchise

Even though it’s less known compared to other video games, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 stands out as not just a classic role-playing game for Nintendo systems, but also among the top RPGs of the past ten years. Despite Nintendo generally releasing smaller, high-quality titles, Monolith Soft’s 2022 addition to the cherished Xenoblade Chronicles series set a new record in launch size and offered the Nintendo Switch one of its most extensive open worlds on the system.

In 2022, Nintendo offered players many top-tier gaming experiences, including the launches of games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The intricate gameplay mechanics and vast open world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 helped propel the series to the highest ranks among Nintendo’s first-party franchises.

3. 2023 – Super Mario Bros. Wonder

A Transformative Twist On Mario’s Industry-Defining Platforming Roots

For about two decades, Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. subseries of 2D platformers had been maintaining a similar aesthetic and gameplay style. It was debatable that Mario, Nintendo’s iconic character, could benefit from a refreshing visual and mechanical update. Consequently, Super Mario Bros. Wonder offered a reimagined take on the classic 2D Mario formula, offering players a genuinely distinct gaming experience on the Nintendo Switch.

In 2023, remarkable games like “Pikmin 4”, “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”, and “Sea of Stars” made their mark. However, the undeniable charm and excellence of Mario’s first standalone 2D platformer in almost a quarter-century is not just significant because it’s being promoted across generations with the Nintendo Switch 2, but also because it stands as one of the most inventive experiences on Nintendo’s original hybrid console.

2. 2024 – Balatro

The Industry-Defining Indie Card Game That Continues To Influence

Although it started modestly with simple gaming mechanisms, Balatro created quite a stir when it was released on February 20, 2024. It was nominated for Game of the Year and won the award for Best Independent Game at the Game Awards that year. In 2024, Balatro’s innovative roguelike approach to poker games became a sensation in the video game industry.

In 2024, when Nintendo released popular games like “Mario and Luigi: Brothership”, “Mario Party: Jamboree”, and “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom”, the underdog game, Balatro, managed to generate significant buzz within the gaming industry. Its impact, much like a small but feisty pup, is expected to grow further as time progresses.

1. 2025 – Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

A Hardware-Defining Open-World RPG That Bookends The Nintendo Switch’s Software Lineup

2025’s Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, initially exclusive to the Wii U, has found a permanent home on the Nintendo Switch. This enhanced version not only optimizes the already exceptional Monolith Soft title for better performance and visual appeal but also includes additional content and ported over one of the Wii U’s top unique games to the Nintendo Switch. The original release of Xenoblade Chronicles X was a solid addition to the first-party games available on the Nintendo Switch when it launched, making it a must-play for fans of immersive action RPGs. While Nintendo is currently gearing up for the June 5 launch of its new Nintendo Switch 2 console, this definitive edition serves as a testament to their commitment to providing quality gaming experiences across their platforms.

While Nintendo is focusing on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, Xenoblade Chronicles X surpassed even Nintendo’s own initial offering for the year, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, to become a dominant topic in both discussions about Nintendo’s first-party games and general Nintendo Switch software as a whole.

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2025-04-06 17:37