Nintendo has been one of the biggest names in gaming for decades, but for the last eight years, the Switch has held an especially strong grip on players, young and old. The standard console, Switch Lite and Switch OLED have blended incredible games you won't find anywhere else with a delightfully portable console format. Altogether, this generation of Nintendo systems sold upward of 143 million units globally, according to company financial data.
After what was considered a failed launch of the Wii U in 2012, the Switch's success is a result of Nintendo's willingness to experiment with and create new experiences from a number of its pedigreed gaming series, including Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon. Its innovative design allows standard console play to coexist with the motion controls baked into its compact Joy-Con design.
With the reveal of the Switch 2 console, the slate of Switch games has become more important than ever before. Backward compatibility will mean you're able to bring your favorite Nintendo games with you onto a new, stronger iteration of the fan-favorite hybrid console. Some of the best Switch games will even be getting free Switch 2 updates or paid Switch 2 edition upgrades.
If you're looking for the right game for you ahead of a new console release, CNET curated this list of the best Nintendo Switch games you can buy right now.
Best Nintendo Switch Games - August 2025
Nintendo Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Even if you've never owned a Nintendo console, you've still probably played Mario Kart at some point in your life. It's practically the go-to party game, as pretty much anyone can pick up a controller and jump in. Mario Kart 8 actually originates from the Wii U era, but the game was ported to the Switch in April 2017, with "Deluxe" attached to the title and several content expansions released. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of my favorite entries in the Mario Kart series purely for its selection of 48 different tracks you can play, which is doubled to 96 tracks with added DLC. These extrea tracks come from all over the place, including remastered retro tracks from older Mario Kart titles and some tracks from Mario Kart Tour on mobile. I also particularly like the accessibility options that Mario Kart 8 has, especially a smart-steering feature that you can toggle on or off that functions as an assisted steering option keeping your kart from tipping over the edge of the track. This makes it so that pretty much anybody can have a good time racing, ensuring I can finally play Mario Kart with my parents and not have to worry about them constantly falling off the track while we have a good old-fashioned family race. Release date: April 28, 2017 Genre: High-octane party game Developer: Nintendo - Sarah Drolet $50 at Amazon $48 at Walmart
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate It's hard to believe the original Super Smash Bros. that came out in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 only featured 12 playable characters. That might be a solid roster for another fighting game, but it's almost laughable compared to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which launched in December 2018 with a roster of 76 fighters (expanded to 86 with post-launch DLC). Other games have more fighters than Ultimate (looking at you, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero), but none of them pull from such a diverse range of heavy-hitting gaming franchises. Smash has become ubiquitous with pulling in gaming legends, and it's really no surprise why that is: this is a game where you can choose to play as Mario, Sonic, Cloud Strife, Pac Man or Sora. I can annoyingly pester opponents from across the map with Solid Snake's missile launcher in one match and then do the same thing with Richter Belmont's axes and holy water during the next one. Ultimate isn't a phoned-in IP parade, either. It's a game that proves that Smash Bros. is still the premier platform fighter, with fast-paced movement, frame-perfect parries and killer combos defining high-level gameplay. You don't have to be super skilled to have fun, either -- it's a fantastic party game to boot up with friends. Just turn on item drops or open the World of Light story mode and everyone will have a good time. Release date: Dec. 7, 2018 Genre: Crossover platform fighter Developer: Nintendo, Masahiro Sakurai, Sora, Bandai Namco Studios - Tyler Graham $52 at Amazon $50 at Walmart $60 at Best Buy
Nintendo Splatoon 3 Released in September of 2022, Splatoon 3 is the latest entry in Nintendo's family-friendly third-person shooter franchise. You're a kid, you're a squid and it's up to you to ink the majority of the multiplayer battle arena to win the match. Splatoon's third entry includes more customization than ever before, featuring new Inkling and Octoling cosmetics that change in-game abilities and even more weapons. It's a strange sort of power fantasy to ride around blasting globs of ink out of the turrets of the Crab Tank or to jet into the opposing team on the toothy Reefslider, but it's a blast nonetheless. If you don't have an internet connection (or a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online), there's still a single-player campaign for you to play. It's one that will still let you mess around with all of the chaotic weapons from multiplayer game modes as you embark on a covert mission to prevent the final mammals on Earth from destroying all aquatic life. There aren't many shooters on the Switch, but Splatoon 3 is an exception that combines zany, chaotic movement and inventive weaponry with some seriously satisfying gunplay. Release date: Sept. 9, 2022 Genre: Family-friendly third-person shooter Developer: Nintendo - Tyler Graham $52 at Walmart $60 at Best Buy
Concerned Ape Stardew Valley If you like farming simulators or are simply just looking for a new cozy game filled with pleasant tasks, you have to give Stardew Valley, first released in February of 2016, a try. It's kind of like playing a Harvest Moon or Story of Seasons game but with much more to do and an adorable retro art style. The farmland you start with is inherited from your character's grandfather, which sounds awfully nice of him if it weren't for the trees, boulders and weeds everywhere. It's up to you to clear everything out and build up your own farming empire. This game will have you running around all over the place, making it something of a cozy time management puzzle -- there's always something to do. Between tending to your crops and animals, trips to the store and the mines, fishing, foraging and visiting NPCs, you'll have a pretty packed schedule. The good news is that you can go at your own pace working through the four seasons per in-game year. There technically isn't an end to Stardew Valley, but there are certain crops that you'll want to make sure get grown in certain seasons. There are also some robust crafting features to create tools and machines to automate farm chores (I don't like watering crops, so I'll craft an army of sprinklers) and process crops into more profitable goods. (I fill my sheds with kegs and preserve jars to process fruits into wines and jellies.) In short, Stardew Valley is a great game to build your own little farming world, as busy as you want to make it. Release date: Feb. 26, 2016 Genre: Harvest Moon-like farming sim Developer: ConcernedApe - Sarah Drolet $35 at Amazon
Nintendo Animal Crossing: New Horizons The Animal Crossing franchise was a childhood staple, and I have fond memories of rushing off the school bus to grab my Nintendo DS and see what my Animal Crossing Wild World villagers were up to. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo's most recent Animal Crossing game, brings that childhood nostalgia back full force and is easily the best in the series. New Horizons couldn't have launched at a better time. The game came out in March 2020, during a time when Covid was at its peak. Like many others, I was stuck inside nearly around the clock, and New Horizons provided a cozy way to escape from the global chaos of pandemic lockdowns. You start your game on a deserted island with nothing but a tent, the clothes on your back and a few friendly neighbors (along with a Nook-sized debt to pay off). As you play, you'll invite more NPCs to live on the island, gather materials to construct new buildings and decorate things however you want. Much like older Animal Crossing titles, you'll still be fishing, catching bugs and digging up fossils. New Horizons spices things up by giving you more freedom than ever before to perfect your little island world. This is the only Animal Crossing game that lets you place furniture and objects outside and even (eventually) shape your island's rivers and cliffs to be the way you want. It's been a few years since its peak, New Horizons is still one of the best cozy games on the Switch with an active community (and subreddit) that would still be delighted to visit your digital paradise. Release date: March 20, 2020 Genre: Village building cozy game Developer: Nintendo - Sarah Drolet $50 at Amazon $49 at Walmart $60 at Best Buy
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