Although the Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for several months, the original console still boasts a wealth of excellent games in 2026. From timeless Mario adventures to cutesy shooters and deep role-playing quests, here are some of the must-play titles for any Switch owner.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons remains a beloved life sim, offering new characters, chill activities, and endless decorations for your virtual paradise. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is also essential, with its ingenious open-world design and charming ideas; its sequel Tears of the Kingdom is a brilliant follow-up.
For combat enthusiasts, Fire Emblem: Three Houses delivers an engrossing tactical role-playing experience with melodramatic school soap opera elements. Hades II brings new lead character Melinoë in a mythological action game where dying returns you to the beginning, but you always reanimate with lessons learned.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains the greatest cartoon racing game, now with 48 circuits and excellent multiplayer. Metroid Prime Remastered is a tense first-person sci-fi shooter inspired by Alien, offering a remastered version of the 2002 classic. Hollow Knight: Silksong is a challenging Metroidvania adventure starring insectoid princess Hornet.
Other highlights include Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a 3D platformer with weird abilities and co-op mode, and a beautiful whodunnit adventure set in a posh public school, where you play as scholarship student Verity Amersham framed for a crime.
