Name: Best Nintendo games of 2025
Uploaded: 2025-12-16T20:19:47.387Z
Duration: 8 min 49 s
Description: Nintendo published a whopping 16 games in 2025 – spread across new Switch 1 and 2 games and enhanced Switch 2 editions of older games – and along with the higher volume of third-party support brought on by a new console, it’s a crowded field to choose the best of the best from this year.

Nintendo published a whopping 16 games in 2025 – spread across new Switch 1 and 2 games and enhanced Switch 2 editions of older games – and along with the higher volume of third-party support brought on by a new console, it’s a crowded field to choose the best of the best from this year.

IGN has released its ranking of the best Nintendo games of 2025, following the launch of the Switch 2 and a year marked by numerous high-profile releases. Donkey Kong Bonanza, the first in-house Donkey Kong game in two decades, was named the best Nintendo game of the year, praised for its innovative platforming and player freedom.

Other notable titles included Mario Kart World, Kirby Air Riders, Hollow Knight Silksong, and Hades 2, each recognized for their gameplay, creativity, and polish. The year also saw the arrival of long-awaited sequels and cross-generation releases, reflecting a strong lineup for both the original Switch and Switch 2 consoles.

Best Nintendo games of 2025

With the Switch 2 having launched in June, 2025 marked the beginning of a whole new console generation for Nintendo. The more powerful hybrid console has seen an extremely busy first six months, filled with excellent first party games, surprising third party ports, and highly anticipated indies. And even deep into its ninth year, the original Switch provided its players with plenty to do too, with the long overdue arrivals of Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles X. And even a few cross-generation Nintendo games that made it to both Switches. Nintendo itself published a whopping 16 games in 2025, spread across new Switch 1 and 2 games and enhanced Switch 2 editions of old ones. And along with the higher volume of third party support brought on by a new console, it's a crowded field to choose the best of the best from this year. But ranking things is what we do at IGN, so here are the Nintendo Switch games we went bananas for in 2025, starting with the honorable mentions. Our staff voted for a wide variety of games, but not all of them can make our shortlist of the top 5 Nintendo Switch games of the year. They still deserve a nod though, and we start with Fantasy Life I, The Girl Who Steals Time, a Switch 2 launch game for the cozy gamers that combines chill action RPG systems with life sim mechanics. The Pokemon series wasted no time debuting on Switch 2 with Pokemon Legends EA, a cross-generation release in the more experimental Legends sub-series. It shook up the formula by introducing a more action-focused battle system in an adventure set entirely within Lumiose City. Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment was another strong entry in the Zelda spin-off series, with flashy action that remixed Tears of the Kingdom's abilities in clever ways. And while it arrived too late into the year to have been included in our ballot, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is finally here, 8 years after it was first teased at E3 2017. I reviewed it and it turned out great, with highs that rival the best moments in the whole series. Now, let's move on to our four runner-ups. Mario Kart World had a lot of expectations placed on it. Its predecessor, Mario Kart 8, established itself as the definitive kart racer over the course of the Wii U and Switch years, and it was tough to see how Nintendo would improve upon it in a sequel. On top of that, World was also the flagship launch game for Switch 2, meaning it had the responsibility of leaving a strong first impression of the generation to come. While it feels like Mario Kart World is still living in 8 Deluxe's shadow, at least for now, it's still a fantastic game in its own right. It's a gorgeous showcase for Nintendo's new console, with its vibrant, exaggerated art style, and its tight controls are the most polished of any entry in the series. Plus, its frankly enormous soundtrack is an absolute treat for long-time Mario fans, with catchy remixes of tunes drawn from across the entire franchise, from old Mario Kart games to platformers like Yoshi's Island. The implementation of its open world is uneven overall, but its miles and miles of interconnected roads allow for World's standout new mode, Knockout Tour. This tense cross-country race eliminates the bottom four drivers at designated cutoff points, leading to moments where you lean forward in your seat and press the A button even harder in an attempt to wheel your kart across the finish line. It's a brilliant evolution of Mario Kart that will no doubt be a staple on family game nights for years to come, and we can't end this without shouting out Kao, the new playable character who stole our hearts. Switch 2's first party lineup featured a couple of fascinating risks in its first six months. Instead of a 3D Mario, we got a 3D Donkey Kong, and instead of starting work on a new Smash Bros., Masahiro Sakurai instead directed Kirby Air Riders, a surprise sequel to a niche GameCube racer that no one saw coming. Air Riders turned out to be fantastic, Sakurai truly gave the Smash Ultimate treatment to Air Ride, and it's hard to imagine a better realization of this formula. It's overflowing with wildly different modes, meaningful unlockables and achievements to chase, and a borderline absurd amount of customization. There's an extreme level of polish and attention to detail throughout every pocket of Air Riders that makes the whole thing shine brightly. Its unique and admittedly somewhat limited one or two button control scheme isn't going to be for everyone, but if you meet Air Riders on its own terms and click with it, you'll find a cult classic in the making that's unlike many other AAA games out there. This year, both generations of Nintendo Switch got two long-awaited Metroidvania sequels that were, in hindsight, probably announced far too early, Metroid Prime 4 and our next runner-up, Hollow Knight Silksong. While Prime 4 has some visible scars from its troubled development, Silksong somehow managed to arrive sparkling like a masterpiece whose artists just didn't want to stop adding more to it. As IGN's reviewer Tom Marks put it, the whole world may have been waiting for Hollow Knight Silksong's cocoon to finally crack open, but it sure doesn't seem to have been burdened by that pressure. This excellent sequel to an all-time great has more than managed to live up to the high expectations I had set for it, standing as both a smart continuation of the original Hollow Knight and a fantastic game of its own. Silksong may not be developed by Nintendo, but it feels right at home on Switch too, because of both its obvious debt of inspiration to the Metroid franchise, and the fact that the first Hollow Knight really took off after it was ported to the original Switch in 2018. The first Hades was a runaway success, it even won IGN's Game of the Year award in 2020, so it's remarkable that Supergiant Games managed to outdo itself with a sequel. Hades 2 is an incredible refinement of the innovative, story-driven roguelite blueprint laid out by its predecessor. As IGN's reviewer Leanna Hafer said, there is no one out there doing what Supergiant does as well as it does, and this exceptional action roguelite is some of this team's best work on nearly every level, which is an astonishingly high bar to clear. The art is breathtaking, the characters are captivating, the combat is fast, fun, endlessly varied and tactical, and the music is spectacular. Just like the first, Hades 2 launched in 1.0 as a Nintendo console exclusive alongside its PC release, giving Switch 1 and 2 players one of the year's very best. Hades 2 is also one of only two games this year to score our highest rating on IGN, a 10 out of 10 masterpiece. The safe option would have been to release a new 3D Mario game in the Switch 2's launch window, but Nintendo made a bold move instead, choosing to bring one of its original mascots back in-house for the first time in 20 years. The result is Donkey Kong Bonanza, an ambitious, masterful 3D platformer that brilliantly redefines one of gaming's oldest characters while also paying loving tribute to every era of the great ape. DK and Pauline's journey to the Planet Core was the Switch 2's first essential adventure, and our staff's pick for the best Nintendo game of 2025. Few games feel as satisfying to play as Bonanza. DK's moveset is fast, expressive, and powerful, and the way the meticulously designed breakable world is structured around his destructive toolkit is incredibly impressive. Just ripping a chunk out of the ground leads to so many dynamic options. You can throw it, swing it, double jump, or even surf. Romping around each detailed sub-level and hunting for hundreds of well-hidden collectibles as the world crumbles before you is a blast. It's always exciting to see what new twists the next layer's terrain will bring, and Bonanza's focus on platforming by way of destruction is a completely fresh idea that pushes this genre in groundbreaking new directions. Bonanza also takes clear inspiration from Nintendo greats like Breath of the Wild in the way it approaches player freedom. Not only can you tear every level down to the studs, Bonanza is ready for almost any sequence break you throw at it. Could you skip a layer's challenge entirely by cleverly platforming around it? Pauline will comment on it when you're diving to the next area. Nintendo doesn't stop you from playing how you want, always allowing for a rewarding amount of flexibility, but it's bold enough to also let you know the development team thought of all these tricks first. Donkey Kong has gone through so many phases and stewards, from Shigeru Miyamoto's legendary arcade original, to Rare's classic Donkey Kong Country trilogy, to Retro's fantastic revivals. With Bonanza, Nintendo finally brought Donkey Kong home again and kicked off a brand new era that's hopefully just getting started. Donkey Kong is Nintendo's King of 2025. What was your favorite Nintendo game this year? Let us know in the comments. For more IGN awards, check out our pick for the best Xbox game of the year. And for a deeper dive on Nintendo's 2025, check out our pair of year in review episodes of the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast over on the IGN Games YouTube channel or your favorite podcast app. See you around, TK!

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