The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure game released in 2017 for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U consoles. The game is part of The Legend of Zelda series and takes place at the end of its timeline. The player takes control of an amnesiac Link, who awakens from a hundred-year slumber and attempts to reclaim his memories in order to prevent Calamity Ganon from destroying Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a watershed moment for both the franchise and Nintendo. It's the first time Nintendo has truly embraced the open-world genre, and by arriving late to the party, it embraces the strengths of top-tier games while forging its own distinct identity. This game was a series revolution, but The Legend of Zelda's essence remains — its soul remains, and the end result is captivating. After years of following the same old template, Nintendo bravely took the Zelda series in a new direction and delivered an absolute triumph that has us returning to its iteration of Hyrule on a regular basis.

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Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: Action, Adventure

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B01MS6MO77

Metroid Dread is an action-adventure game published by Nintendo that was released on October 8, 2021, for the Nintendo Switch. It was developed by MercurySteam and Nintendo EPD. Players take control of bounty hunter Samus Aran as she investigates the source of a mysterious transmission on the planet ZDR, set after the events of Metroid Fusion (2002). It retains the previous 2D Metroid games' side-scrolling gameplay while also incorporating stealth elements.

Metroid Dread marks a triumphant return for both Samus Aran and developer MercurySteam. This is a super-slick, hugely entertaining, and exquisitely designed entry in the Metroid franchise that plays better than anything else in the series so far. With a slew of fantastic new abilities, super tense and enjoyable stealth sections, plenty of great big boss fights, and a story that fans will undoubtedly enjoy, we can't see how this one could have been improved.

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Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: Action, Adventure

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B097B1149G

With Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, there's almost nothing to complain about. It's an already-excellent JRPG that's been improved in nearly every way imaginable, short of a total reimagining. Monolith Soft has included an entirely new epilogue story arc while improving and polishing nearly everything in the base game, from progression systems to visuals to UI design, on top of the fantastic story, enjoyable combat, and incredible world design.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is without a doubt one of the best RPGs on the Switch. It goes without saying that if you enjoyed the original or RPGs in general, you must have this game in your collection. Even if you aren't a fan, we strongly encourage you to think about it; this is the standard against which all RPGs should be judged.

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Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: RPG

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B086GFHCB2

There's a case to be made that Mario 64 never received a 'true' sequel until this game: Sunshine's FLUDD muddied the waters with its feature set; the Galaxy games cleverly eschewed large open worlds for impeccably crafted planetoids designed around specific gameplay elements, and 3D Land and 3D World were purposefully constrained with linear design to attract 2D Mario players into the third dimension.

Super Mario Odyssey was a welcome return to the sandbox style of Mario adventure that fans had hoped for since 1996, and it delivers everything you could want and more. Cappy's capture abilities keep things interesting in a game that combines a wide range of mechanics and art styles into an eerily coherent, compelling whole. It shouldn't work, but the mastery of its execution makes the realistic human-style inhabitants of New Donk City, the anthropomorphic cutlery of Luncheon Kingdom, and the big-eyed cute characters of Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom clan feel like they belong in the same game. Mario Odyssey is a truly remarkable entry in this most celebrated series, and it should be considered a must-have purchase whether you like Mario or not.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: 2

Genre: Adventure, Platformer

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B01MY7GHKJ

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a 2018 Japanese crossover fighting game for the Nintendo Switch developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo. It is the fifth game in the Super Smash Bros. series, following Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. The game follows the series' traditional gameplay style: players must control one of the various characters and use various attacks to weaken their opponents and knock them out of an arena.

It has a wide range of game modes, including a single-player campaign and multiplayer versus modes. Ultimate includes 89 playable fighters, including all previous Super Smash Bros. games as well as newcomers. The roster includes Nintendo mascots as well as characters from third-party franchises. Ultimate is a popular competitive fighting game and one of the best-selling fighting games of all time, with nearly 25 million copies sold by June 2021.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: 8

Genre: Action, Fighting

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B01N5OKGLH

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a 2022 platform video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The player takes control of Kirby in an adventure through the titular forgotten land known as the New World to rescue Waddle Dees, who has been kidnapped by the ferocious Beast Pack. Kirby can use a variety of copy abilities to help battle enemies and progress through each stage to save the Waddle Dees. The game was created to commemorate the Kirby franchise's 30th anniversary. The game was well-received by critics, with some calling it one of the best games in the series.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a bright and colorful adventure for the little pink pal. This first fully three-dimensional mainline entry in the franchise is brimming with fun and inventiveness, managing to transpose everything we know and love about previous Kirby games to this all-new arena while adding plenty of delightful new elements along the way. Mouthful Mode is just as cleverly entertaining as it appeared in the trailers, with each level jam-packed with secrets and dripping in wonderful detail, and there are enough side activities, collectibles, and co-op fun to keep you entertained and coming back for more for quite some time.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: Action, Platformer

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B09H221SH4

The cumbersomely named Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition, originally released for 3DS (and PS4) in Japan, is one of the best games Square has ever put its name to, plain and simple — and this Switch release was a fine port, too. It all comes together to make this an unforgettable modern classic, with a heartwarming, well-paced narrative supported by a cast of fantastic characters, a dense and interesting overworld packed with dozens of hours of content, and one of the best soundtracks we've heard in a JRPG.

The game was one of the first to be announced for the Switch, and it was originally intended to be a fully open-world, but that idea was scrapped when it clashed with the story the developers wanted to tell. Support for Microsoft Windows and features such as voiced English dialogue and 4K resolution were included to raise awareness of the Dragon Quest franchise in the west. Whether you're new to the series (or genre) or a seasoned veteran, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Dragon Quest XI as soon as you can. This is the definition of a gift that keeps on giving, and it deserves a place in your Switch library.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: RPG

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B07NQGDXRY

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury takes everything that made the cat-filled Wii U original special and adds various small gameplay tweaks to make it even more enjoyable. As the only four-player 3D Mario game, it combines the freedom of the third dimension with the spirit of his 2D games' tighter, more constrained (yet no less imaginative) courses to wonderful effect. Super Mario 3D World is a colorful and unintimidating introduction to a larger Super Mario world, as well as a joy for veterans of the Z-axis.

The original game is sublime in its own right, but the additional open-world-y Bowser's Fury mode included with the Switch version makes this an essential purchase even if you already own the game on Wii U. The only real knock on the awkwardly abbreviated SM3DW+BF is the patchy online multiplayer implementation, but this Switch release is otherwise up there with the best of the plumber's output. Dog lovers should probably stay away; everyone else, go for it.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: 4

Genre: Action, Platformer

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B08H9M7LDY

Supergiant Games developed and published Hades, a roguelike action dungeon crawler video game. It was released in September 2020 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Nintendo Switch, following an early access release in December 2018. It was later released in August 2021 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Hades is a sublime combination of satisfyingly gritty and adaptable combat, a vibrant art style, and a genuinely fun and engaging narrative. Supergiant Games has a great track record with games like Bastion and Transistor, but this feels like its finest hour, a rip-roaring rampage through the underworld that's arrived on Switch in a near-perfect port. Even if you haven't been swayed by the admittedly repetitive ebb and flow of roguelikes, you should give this one a shot; for fans of the genre or anyone even remotely interested, this is one heavenly vision of hell that highly recommend you sacrifice yourself to.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: Single Player

Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B08WWC6GBX

In April 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, an improved version for the Nintendo Switch, was released. It was also a commercial and critical success, with critics praising the expansion of the battle mode, and it became the best-selling Switch game. Both versions, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart 8, have sold over 53 million copies combined, making it one of the best-selling video games of all time.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a polished version of a Wii U title that was only a proper Battle Mode away from being top of the class. It's the definitive Mario Kart 8 experience, packed with content and a delectable feast of comedic, cartoonish karting action. It's a game that keeps you smiling while also inducing that trademark Mario Kart rage when shells hit and positions are lost. It's addictive and unifying, unfiltered fun that attracts anyone brave enough to get behind the wheel.

Detailed information:

Number of Players: 8

Genre: Racing

View Details: amazon.com/dp/B01N1037CV