“Nintendo” Games

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet opened the series to a fully explorable open world. Three independent storylines run simultaneously without a prescribed order. GPA scores it high on Collection and Co-op.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet opened the series to a fully explorable open world for the first time. GPA scores it high on Collection and Co-op.

3. ゼルダ無双 封印戦記

Nintendo Switch2

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity covers the events 100 years before Breath of the Wild, placing the Divine Beast Champions in mass combat scenarios. The story fills in the gaps the memory system only hinted at. GPA scores it high on Action and Co-op — the musou entry built specifically for players who wanted the BotW prequel made playable.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak adds a second continent, a new rank tier, and the Silkbind and Switch Skill systems that deepen the 14-weapon framework. GPA scores it close to World on Co-op and Action, with Craft above average for the expanded gear system.

5. Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Nintendo Switch

Super Mario Bros. Wonder adds the Wonder Flower mechanic that transforms levels in unpredictable ways, shifting the platform design conventions mid-stage. The badge system adds optional modifiers. GPA scores it at the top for Beginner and high on Action — the 2D Mario entry with the widest design variation between stages in the series.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains the competitive standard for the racing party genre, with 96 courses and items balanced for both casual play and competitive time-trialing. The Booster Course Pass added 48 remastered tracks from prior entries. GPA scores it at the top for Co-op and high on Action — the party racer that runs on almost every shared screen.

7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate assembles every fighter from the series' history and adds 89 total, including third-party characters across a decade of licensing. The World of Light mode provides a solo campaign. GPA scores it at the top for Co-op and Action — the platform fighter whose roster scope has no equivalent in competitive gaming.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses runs through an academy semester before a time-skip that changes allegiances and the available maps. The Monastery management develops support relationships between units. GPA scores it high on Turn-Based and Emotional Story — the combination that drove the series to its widest audience.

9. Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Nintendo Switch

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 connects the worlds of the first two games through a story about soldiers fighting a war no one can explain. The real-time combat scales with party composition through the Ouroboros system. GPA scores it high on Turn-Based and Emotional Story, with Story Depth above average — a JRPG where the narrative's ambitions match its length.

10. Pikmin 4

Nintendo Switch

Pikmin 4 restructures the series with Oatchi as a permanent rideable companion who changes traversal options, alongside a night mode that shifts the loop toward tower defense survival. GPA scores it high on Strategy and Puzzle — the series entry most accessible to players new to the Pikmin format.

Metroid Dread returns the series to 2D after 19 years, sending Samus to planet ZDR to investigate a rogue EMMI robot. The stealth sequences against the indestructible EMMI units create a distinct tension layer on top of the Metroidvania exploration. GPA scores it high on Action and Difficulty — the combination that defines the series at its most mechanically demanding.

12. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Nintendo Switch

Kirby's first fully 3D platformer sends the pink protagonist through a post-civilization wilderness, absorbing enemy abilities to solve environmental puzzles. The Mouthful Mode transformation system adds a creative layer to the classic copy mechanic. GPA scores it high on the Beginner axis — accessible in a way that few 3D platformers achieve without sacrificing exploration depth.

Ring Fit Adventure turns exercise into a turn-based RPG, using the Ring-Con and leg strap to translate physical movement into in-game actions. The fitness mechanics scale through multiple difficulty settings. GPA scores it near the top for Co-op and in a category of its own for physical engagement — a combination that has no close equivalent in the database.

Bravely Default II revives the series' Brave and Default risk management system, letting players bank turns for burst actions or spend future turns for immediate advantage. GPA scores it high on Turn-Based and Strategy — the combination that describes a JRPG where the combat system is the primary design statement.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 follows Rex and the Blades — living weapons with distinct personalities — toward the mythical Elysium. The combat system builds through Blade combinations and chain attacks. GPA scores it high on Turn-Based and Emotional Story, with Story Depth above average — a positioning that reflects the series' commitment to extended narrative investment.

16. Yoshi's Story

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

Yoshi's Story is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 platformer sends Yoshi through a storybook world collecting fruit to restore the Happy Tree. GPA scores it at the top for Beginner — the design prioritizes discovery and comfort over challenge, making it one of the most accessible entries in the Nintendo 64 library.

17. Banjo-Kazooie

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

Banjo-Kazooie is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 3D platformer follows bear and bird through Gruntilda's mountain collecting puzzle pieces across nine worlds. GPA scores it high on Action and Collection — the combination that describes the collect-a-thon design that defined the late 1990s 3D platformer generation.

18. Super Mario 64

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

Super Mario 64 is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 launch title invented the 3D platformer vocabulary used by nearly every subsequent game in the genre. GPA scores it high on Action and Open World — the combination that describes a game whose structural influence exceeds its own content.

19. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch2

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is playable through Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics catalog. The N64 title established 3D action-adventure design conventions that remain standard. GPA scores it high on Puzzle and Emotional Story — the combination that captures a game remembered for its dungeon design and narrative weight as much as its historical importance.