10 Best Games on Nintendo Switch Online (December 2025)

Nintendo Switch Online has allowed Nintendo to not only offer its games to a global co-op and competitive player base, but also include cult-classic games, revamped for the modern day. It’s the place to make new friends and play the platforming and fighting games you enjoy the most. But also experience shared passions for retro Nintendo games like Kirby and Star Fox. 

So far, there are 100+ games available. But which are the best games on Nintendo Switch Online worth checking out today?

What is Nintendo Switch Online?

Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription service by Nintendo. It costs $3.99 per month or $19.99 per year. For that, you gain access to hundreds of exclusive games on the Nintendo Switch, including classic games released as early as the ‘90s, as well as online multiplayer and cloud saves. You may also gain in-game benefits as a subscribed member and discounts on paid DLC packages.

Best Games on Nintendo Switch Online

So, what are the best games on Nintendo Switch Online? Let’s find out in the brief listicle below.

10. Super Mario 64

There are quite a lot of things to do in Super Mario 64. You can solve puzzles, search for hidden items and secrets, evade obstacles, and explore a huge, magical world. There are waves of enemies to fight, too, which Mario takes on with his stomping and punching skills.

Mario can perform other slick moves, too, like backward somersaults and even flying. These versatile move sets help you reach higher platforms and tread down into dark dungeons. They’re deeply exploratory tools, but also the perfect guns to bring to the fight against your nemesis, Bowser.

9. New Pokemon Snap

New Pokémon Snap feels like when times were simpler, when you explored vibrant and cheery islands, taking photos of wild Pokémon in their natural habitats. Fans had so much fun building their very own Pokémon Photodex. And with Nintendo Switch Online, you can edit the photos and share your collection with friends and family.

8. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!

WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania is famed for its tons of wacky games. I mean, 200 is a staggering number, and all different. This is the perfect party game with friends that will keep things spicy. Every game plays very fast, summing up your scores in time for the next one.

Further, some games will surprise you, like picking a disembodied nose. And it’s nice that every microgame has its own boss you need to beat to progress to the next stage.

7. The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Among the best games on Nintendo Switch Online, and The Legend of Zelda series, is Ocarina of Time. Although its visuals can hardly compare to Echoes of Wisdom, it does remain a cult-classic for introducing 3D visuals to the series.

In anticipation of the upcoming Zelda movie, you might want to tread back in time and see how far the series has come. But the gameplay in Ocarina of Time is also relatively good, offering a decent variety of weapons, puzzles, and bosses to beat.

6. Gunstar Heroes

Among the most popular games on the Nintendo Wii was Gunstar Heroes. It pitted you against the dictator, Colonel Red, trying to rescue your kidnapped twin brother. While the story is emotionally provoking enough, it’s the battles that steal the show, with the variety of enemies and bosses you go up against.

5. Metroid: Zero Mission

Also set in outer space is Metroid: Zero Mission. It harkens back to the original game, redesigning environments, but retelling the same story. You dip into nostalgia, at least for fans who’ve been with the series since the beginning. Plus, enjoy new features, including zip lining, Morph Ball launchers, enemies, bosses, and more.

4. Super Mario Bros. 3

Mario in Super Mario Bros. 3 is pretty powerful and versatile in his moves. He can turn into Raccoon Mario to fly, Frog Mario to swim, Fire Mario to unleash fireballs on enemies, and even turn invisible as Tanooki Mario. That’s why this entry has been praised among the best games on Nintendo Switch Online and the gaming world overall.

3. Tetris

Be sure to check out Tetris 99 as well, which adds nice dashes of color and vibrance to the Tetris game we all cherish. What makes this entry different from the rest is its online multiplayer mode, where 99 players battle against one another for the win.

Yup, a Tetris battle royale, testing your speed and skills against the best of the best. If you thought the pressure was on with the base game, think again, when the falling blocks fall faster and faster, and other players send Garbage Blocks your way.

2.  Golden Sun

Craving some adrenaline-packed action on Nintendo Switch Online? Your best bet is Golden Sun, which comes with The Lost Age package as well. Weyard is calling on you and your companions to save it from darkness. And you get to use all sorts of magical powers and elemental creatures, in addition to physical attacks, in your battles.

It’ll certainly be intense, casting spells and coordinating combos against deadly enemies. All along, you’re traversing a vast world full of dungeons and mysteries that will influence your perception of magic and the power of Alchemy. Perhaps it’s a power that should have remained sealed?

1. Super Mario World

Wrapping up, we dive into Super Mario World. It’s the greatest classic Super Mario that every fan must try out, introducing Dinosaur Land for the first time, along with its new characters and abilities. Yoshi, the friendly dinosaur, joins you, too, not just as part of the story but as a fighting buddy as well. 

Meanwhile, the game-changing Cape Feather ability that lets you fly is introduced in Super Mario World, ensuring that, as much as it was an ongoing series, it still felt like a new game worthy of a standalone entry. Not many annual iterations can claim to have achieved that over the years.