Honorable Mentions

Our workers voted for all kinds of video games, however not all of them could make our shortlist of the highest 5 Nintendo Swap video games of the yr. They nonetheless deserve a nod, although, and we begin with Fantasy Life i: The Lady Who Steals Time, a Swap 2 launch recreation for the comfortable players that mixes chill motion RPG methods with life sim mechanics. The Pokemon sequence wasted no time debuting on Swap 2 with Pokemon Legends: Z-A, a cross-generation launch within the extra experimental Legends subseries. It shook up the method by introducing a extra action-focused battle system in an journey set totally inside Lumiose Metropolis. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment was one other sturdy entry within the Zelda spinoff sequence, with flashy motion that remixed Tears of the Kingdom’s talents in intelligent methods. And whereas it arrived too late into the yr to have been included in our poll, Metroid Prime 4: Past is lastly right here, eight years after it was first teased at E3 2017. I reviewed it, and it turned out nice, with highs that rival the perfect moments in the entire sequence. Now, let’s transfer on to our 4 runner-ups…

Runner-Up – Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World had so much of expectations positioned on it. Its predecessor, Mario Kart 8, established itself because the definitive kart racer over the course of the Wii U and Swap years, and it was robust to see how Nintendo would enhance upon it in a sequel. On prime of that, World was additionally the flagship launch recreation for Swap 2, that means it had the duty of leaving a robust first impression of the technology to come back. Whereas it seems like Mario Kart World continues to be dwelling in 8 Deluxe’s shadow, no less than for now, it’s nonetheless a implausible recreation in its personal proper. It’s a stunning showcase for Nintendo’s new console with its vibrant, exaggerated artwork model, and its tight controls are probably the most polished of any entry within the sequence. Plus, its frankly huge soundtrack is an absolute deal with for longtime Mario followers, with catchy remixes of tunes drawn from throughout your complete franchise, from previous Mario Kart video games, to platformers like Yoshi’s Island.

The implementation of its open world is uneven total, however its miles and miles of interconnected roads enable for World’s standout new mode: Knockout Tour. This tense cross-country race eliminates the underside 4 drivers at designated cutoff factors, resulting in moments the place you lean ahead in your seat and press the A button even more durable in an try and will your kart throughout the end line. It’s a superb evolution of Mario Kart that may little doubt be a staple on household recreation nights for years to come back. And we are able to’t finish this with out shouting out Cow, the brand new playable character who stole our hearts.

Runner-Up – Kirby Air Riders

Swap 2’s first-party lineup featured a pair of fascinating dangers in its first six months: as a substitute of a 3D Mario, we obtained a 3D Donkey Kong. And as a substitute of beginning work on a brand new Smash Bros., Masahiro Sakurai as a substitute directed Kirby Air Riders; a shock sequel to a distinct segment GameCube racer that nobody noticed coming. Air Riders turned out to be implausible – Sakurai actually gave the Smash Final therapy to Air Journey – and it’s exhausting to think about a greater realization of this method. It’s overflowing with wildly totally different modes, significant unlockables and achievements to chase, and a borderline absurd quantity of customization. There’s an excessive stage of polish and a focus to element all through each pocket of Air Riders that makes the entire thing shine brightly. Its distinctive – and admittedly considerably restricted – one or two-button management scheme isn’t going to be for everybody. However in the event you meet Air Riders by itself phrases and click on with it, you’ll discover a cult traditional within the making that’s not like many different triple-A video games on the market.

Runner-Up – Hole Knight: Silksong

This yr, each generations of Nintendo Swap obtained two long-awaited metroidvania sequels that had been, in hindsight, in all probability introduced far too early: Metroid Prime 4, and our subsequent runner-up, Hole Knight: Silksong. Whereas Prime 4 has some seen scars from its troubled improvement, Silksong someway managed to reach glowing like a masterpiece whose artists simply didn’t need to cease including extra to it. As IGN’s reviewer Tom Marks put it, “The entire world might have been ready for Hole Knight: Silksong’s cocoon to lastly crack open, nevertheless it positive doesn’t appear to have been burdened by that stress. This wonderful sequel to an all-time nice has greater than managed to reside as much as the excessive expectations I had set for it, standing as each a wise continuation of the unique Hole Knight and a implausible recreation of its personal.” Silksong might not be developed by Nintendo, nevertheless it feels proper at residence on Swap 2, as a result of of each its apparent debt of inspiration to the Metroid franchise, and the truth that the primary Hole Knight actually took off after it was ported to the unique Swap in 2018.

Runner-Up – Hades 2

The first Hades was a runaway success – it even gained IGN’s Game of the Yr award in 2020 – so it’s outstanding that Supergiant Video games managed to outdo itself with a sequel. Hades 2 is an unimaginable refinement of the progressive story-driven roguelite blueprint laid out by its predecessor. As IGN’s reviewer Leana Hafer mentioned, “There is no such thing as a one on the market doing what Supergiant does in addition to it does, and this distinctive motion roguelite is a few of this crew’s greatest work on almost each stage (which is an astonishingly excessive bar to clear)… The artwork is breathtaking, the characters are charming, the fight is quick, enjoyable, endlessly various, and tactical, and the music is spectacular.” Identical to the primary, Hades 2 launched in 1.0 as a Nintendo console unique (alongside its PC launch), giving Swap 1 and a pair of gamers one of the yr’s best. Hades 2 can also be one of solely two video games this yr to attain our highest score on IGN: a ten out of 10 masterpiece. However the different recreation that scored a ten additionally occurs to be a Nintendo recreation…

Winner – Donkey Kong Bananza

The secure possibility would have been to launch a brand new 3D Mario recreation within the Swap 2’s launch window. However Nintendo made a daring transfer as a substitute, selecting to deliver one of its unique mascots again in-house for the primary time in 20 years. The result’s Donkey Kong Bananza: an bold, masterful 3D platformer that brilliantly redefines one of gaming’s oldest characters whereas concurrently paying loving tribute to each period of the good ape. DK and Pauline’s journey to the planet core was the Swap 2’s first important journey, and our workers’s decide for the perfect Nintendo recreation of 2025.

Few video games really feel as satisfying to play as Bananza. DK’s moveset is quick, expressive, and highly effective, and the way in which the meticulously designed breakable world is structured round his harmful toolkit is extremely spectacular. Simply ripping a bit out of the bottom results in so many dynamic choices: you’ll be able to throw it, swing it, double soar, and even surf. Romping round every detailed sublevel and attempting to find a whole bunch of well-hidden collectibles because the world crumbles earlier than you is a blast. It’s at all times thrilling to see what new twist the following layer’s terrain will deliver, and Bananza’s give attention to platforming by means of destruction is a very recent concept that pushes this style in groundbreaking new instructions.

Bananza additionally takes clear inspiration from Nintendo greats like Breath of the Wild in the way in which it approaches participant freedom. Not solely are you able to tear each stage all the way down to the studs, Bananza is prepared for nearly any sequence break you throw at it. Did you skip a layer’s problem totally by cleverly platforming round it? Pauline will touch upon it if you’re diving to the following space. Nintendo doesn’t cease you from taking part in the way you need, at all times permitting for a rewarding quantity of flexibility, nevertheless it’s daring sufficient to additionally let you understand the event crew thought of all these methods first.

Donkey Kong has gone by way of so many phases and stewards: from Shigeru Miyamoto’s legendary arcade unique, to Uncommon’s traditional Donkey Kong Nation trilogy, to Retro’s implausible revivals. However with Bananza, Nintendo lastly introduced Donkey Kong residence once more and kicked off a model new period that’s hopefully simply getting began. Donkey Kong is Nintendo’s king of 2025.

What was your favourite Nintendo recreation this yr? Tell us within the feedback! For extra IGN awards, take a look at our decide for the perfect Xbox recreation of the yr. And for a deeper dive on Nintendo’s 2025, take a look at our pair of year-in-review episodes of the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast over on the IGN Video games YouTube channel or your favourite podcast app.