Best Of
10 Best Games on Nintendo Switch Online (April 2025)
A Nintendo Switch Online subscription is your gateway to some of the best cult classics of all time. Games released as early as the ‘80s and ‘90s are now playable via the subscription with revamped controls and graphics. Naturally, retro enthusiasts will want to take a trip down memory lane and relive the old arcade days. But which are the best games on Nintendo Switch Online?
What is Nintendo Switch Online?
Nintendo Switch Online is a membership subscription plan you can sign up for to access hundreds of games. Most of the games are NES, Super NES, Game Boy, and more retro games. However, you may find more recent Nintendo titles you can access for a monthly or annual membership fee.
Best Games on Nintendo Switch Online
Though most of the titles on Nintendo Switch Online are the classics, you may also find modern ones. Find below the best games on Nintendo Switch Online worth checking out right now.
10. Super Mario 64
Princess Peach is once again kidnapped by Bowser and his minions. So, Mario has to set off again across the Mushroom Kingdom to save her. But this time, Super Mario 64 introduces 3D platforming, a major game changer at the time.
Suddenly, you were able to jump through pictures hanging on the walls. Given the wide range of abilities you can access, including swimming, stomping, and even flying, traversing the various stages felt so much better.
You crossed grassy plains, climbed snowy mountains, and jumped through lava lakes, all to search for Power Stars, dodge obstacles, find hidden items, and, of course, defeat Bowser, the King of the Koopas.
9. Pokemon Snap
Today, Pokemon is so much bigger and better, featuring intense boss battles and engaging exploration. At the core of the franchise, though, has always been collecting cute Pokemon creatures.
Pokemon Snap takes you back to the humble beginnings of the franchise. All you do is explore lush scenery, snapping Pokemon is their natural habitat. In the end, you’ll have a diverse Pokemon Photodex to show off to your friends.
8. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!
WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania won’t get you bored. Not with its over 200 wacky minigames. While each minigame is easy to grasp, their gameplay is fast-paced. You can be hitting a baseball or pick a disembodied nose, but all in a limited timeframe.
Thanks to the wide range of games you can play, you’re often engaged and returning for more. Plus, completing multiple minigames in one session, and defeating the boss at the end of each stage feels rewarding.
7. The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
When looking for the best games on Nintendo Switch Online, be sure to add The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to your list. It’s the first game to add 3D visuals to the franchise, which made all the difference when exploring the Kingdom of Hyrule.
Moreover, you could traverse across time, resulting in a wholesome adventure chasing down Ganondorf. The Legend of Zelda games have always been packed with lots of things to do, from solving brain teasers to battling ferocious bosses, and Ocarina of Time is no different.
6. Gunstar Heroes
You’ll be happy to know the fan-favorite side-scrolling shooter Gunstar Heroes is now remastered in 3D. It offers solo and two-player co-op using a local wireless connection. Meanwhile, the core gameplay remains the same.
You’ll unlock guns that you can switch between free and fixed shot modes on the fly. There’ll also be fierce boss battles at the end of each stage that are the true test of your skill and grit.
5. Metroid: Zero Mission
In your nostalgic journey to revisit the titles in Metroid, you may want to check out Zero Mission. This best game on Nintendo Switch Online retells the original Metroid adventure. You still follow bounty hunter Samus Aran’s journey as she infiltrates planet Zebes.
Among the enemies you’ll face are space pirates and the Mother Brain. Given this is a remaster, you can look forward to better-looking environments, redesigned with new features like zip lines, as well as new enemies and bosses.
4. Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, you can freely switch between Mario and Luigi. Each of the plumber brothers has unique skills and abilities. So, you can go through the entire game as one brother and another as the other and still enjoy a worthwhile experience.
3. Tetris
There are so many ways to play Tetris; I’m sure you have a favorite version. One cool version is competing against 99 other online players. The rules remain the same – arrange different block shapes falling from above the screen so they make up a full line. Do you have what it takes to become the number one player?
2. Golden Sun
Fans of RPGs with a dash of retro will want to check out Golden Sun, among the best games on Nintendo Switch Online. The world is falling into darkness, with evil searching for the lost art of Alchemy.
With the fate of humankind hanging in the balance, you and your party must work together to defeat all evil. You’ll use weapons and magic, combining them in unique ways, to fight elemental creatures and bosses, while unraveling a gripping story. All along, your mission is to restore peace to a crumbling world.
1. Super Mario World
Super Mario is the best platforming franchise of all time. But what is the best entry in the series? I argue Super Mario World, which is simply bigger and better in every way.
It adds an entirely new world called Dinosaur Land. Meanwhile, you can control either of the plumber brothers or Yoshi, the friendly dinosaur. They each have unique skills and abilities, as you take on Bowser and his minions.
The game also introduces the Cape Feather, which gives Mario the power to soar the skies. And that concludes our list of the best games on Nintendo Switch Online.
