Although the Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for several months, not everyone has made the leap to the new machine and there is still much to enjoy on the original console in 2026 (and beyond). From timeless Mario adventures to cutesy shooters to chasm-deep role-playing quests, here are 15 games no Switch owner should be without.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

A virtual paradise … Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Photograph: Nintendo

The cosy life sim returned with new characters, chill activities, and endless knick-knacks with which to decorate your own virtual paradise. Create a dream island and then invite friends over for tea.

Why we love it: “Animal Crossing is everything I have been craving: it is gentle, soothing, social and creative.” Read the full review.

Expelled!

Class action … Expelled! Photograph: Inkle

The head girl of a posh public school has been pushed out of a window and scholarship student Verity Amersham has been framed for the crime in this beautiful whodunnit adventure. Playing as the unfortunate lead suspect, you interrogate witnesses, look for clues and build a case, all while observing the rigid school timetable.

Why we love it: “Verity’s arc is supremely satisfying, as she goes from put-upon victim to master manipulator.” Read the full review.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Engrossing … Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Photograph: Nintendo

Lead your feisty war-students on to the battlefield in this engrossing, complex and endearingly melodramatic tactical role-playing adventure from Intelligent Systems.

Why we love it: “By turns grandiose and silly, but always engrossing, this bubbling school soap opera is a game to spend a summer with.” Read the full review.

Hades II

A witch in time … Hades II. Photograph: Supergiant Games

The sequel to 2020’s brilliant mythological action game brings us new lead character Melinoë, a witch who must defeat the god of time and his retinue of sexy, chaotic boss characters. As before, dying returns you to the beginning, but you always reanimate and begin again, lessons learned and experience gained.

Why we love it: “[Jen] Zee’s new character illustrations are, if anything, likely to inspire even more aggressively thirsty fanart and fanfic. And writer Greg Kasavin’s wonderful script is wittier, wiser and flirtier than ever.” Read the full review.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Tough love … Hollow Knight: Silksong. Photograph: ROG

One of the biggest hits of 2025, this platform adventure sequel drags insectoid princess Hornet into the haunted realm of Pharloom where relentless enemies and fiendishly tough puzzles await. Nightmarishly difficult and compelling, it’s up there with the greatest Metroidvania titles of all time.

Why we love it: “I’m captivated by Silksong. I’ve spent 15 hours on it in three days, and it has made my thumbs hurt.” Read more here.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Zingy appeal … Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Photograph: Nintendo

Nintendo’s beloved pink blob has a 3D adventure in the cutest ever post-apocalyptic world. Weird new abilities and a decent co-op mode add to the zingy appeal.

Why we love it: “Has surprisingly cinematic flair, and many of the levels are broken up by impressively slick cutscenes. A rip-roaring orchestral soundtrack also helps elevate this adorable hero’s outing.” Read the full review.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Utterly ingenious … The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Photograph: Nintendo

Link returns to a drastically reimagined Hyrule in order to save Zelda from naughty tyrant Ganon. An utterly ingenious take on the open-world adventure, crammed with charming ideas. Its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, is also a brilliant follow-up.

Why we love it: “A game that marries the best bits of the franchise’s long history with the best bits of the rest of the gaming world, and produces something even greater than the sum of its parts.” Read the full review.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Brilliant … Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Photograph: Nintendo

The greatest cartoon racing game in history, lusciously updated to include 48 circuits and a vast array of drivers. The brilliant multiplayer makes it a mandatory purchase for Switch owners.

Why we love it: “Mario Kart is a vehicle for fun with all your friends and family, no matter their individual skill, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best, most versatile version of that yet.” Read the full review.

Metroid Prime Remastered

Scary stuff … Metroid Prime Remastered. Photograph: Nintendo

Arguably one of the greatest first-person sci-fi shooters ever made, Metroid Prime was a huge hit on the GameCube in 2002 before receiving a wonderful remaster on the Switch. Series hero Samus Aran finds herself on the poisoned planet of Tallon IV, exploring its haunted biomes and fighting hideous space creatures. Inspired by Ridley Scott’s Alien, it is tense, complex and often scary – things we rarely expect from a Nintendo title.

Why we love it: “Sometimes, you play a game from a decades ago and think, this might actually hit better now. Metroid Prime Remastered is one of those games.” Read more here.

Truly explorable … Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Photograph: Nintendo

A complete reinvention of the classic Pokémon adventure, with a more challenging capture system and a truly explorable open-world environment. One for Pokémon veterans who are tired of the same old formula – newcomers should go for Pokémon Sword and Shield instead.

Why we love it: “This ambitious reboot sets Pokémon on an exciting new trajectory, finally recapturing a lost sense of adventure … That gleeful sense of excitement is back.” Read the full review.

Splatoon 3

Multiplayer mayhem … Splatoon 3. Photograph: Nintendo

Another round of paint-splattered multiplayer mayhem for people who like the idea of online shooters but can’t deal with the guns, gore and glorification of military hardware.

Why we love it: “Splatoon 3 doesn’t offer something different, it offers more: more fashions, more modes, more ways to spend time in its messy, chaotic universe, alone or together. It is delightful to be back.” Read the full review.

Stardew Valley

The cosiest of cosy games … Stardew Valley. Photograph: ConcernedApe

A beautiful homage to the Harvest Moon series, in which you farm, explore and socialise to your heart’s content. The cosiest of cosy games.

Why we love it: “Part farming sim, part role-playing adventure, Stardew Valley was the surprise indie hit of the year, offering charm, wit and a beautiful little world.”

Super Mario Odyssey

Utterly delightful … Super Mario Odyssey. Photograph: Nintendo

When predatory Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach yet again, Mario takes his sentient hat across the galaxy, from deserts to the big city, to track her down – with utterly delightful results.

Why we love it: “A truly joyful, fizzily creative game that revels in the pleasures of movement and surreal humour.” Read the full review.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Unconventional brawler … Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Photograph: Patrick Lum/Nintendo

Nintendo’s unconventional multiplayer brawler returns with a diverse cast of pugilists from Pac-Man to Solid Snake. A staple competitive game that has been at the centre of countless housemate rivalries.

Why we love it: “A palpable love of video games infuses everything, and references to their colourful history are omnipresent, from iconic and world-famous series to esoteric games that you thought nobody else even remembered.” Read the full review.

Tetris 99

Legendary … Tetris 99. Photograph: Nintendo

The legendary falling-block puzzler somehow returns as a battle royale multiplayer face-off – and once you get over how weird that is, you find you can’t stop playing.

Why we love it: “I’m pathetically unable to stop playing it – twice, while writing these words, I had to stop and play another round. Like all battle royale games, your every sweet taste of almost-success makes you hungry for more.” Read more here.