15. Tetris 99
It came as a surprise to lots of people when all of a sudden Tetris 99 dropped on the Nintendo eShop after the February 13th Nintendo Direct. The game functions as a hyped-up version of the original versions, all while competing with another 98 people online and around the world. While technically free to download, Tetris 99 is only available to Nintendo Switch Online members.
14. ARMS
ARMS might not be the game the world was waiting for, but it is an incredibly fun experience nevertheless, especially if you’re sharing your playthrough with someone else. If you’re not aware of what ARMS is about, we could basically call it the little sister of the boxing minigame of Wii Sports… in steroids.
13. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
The home console versions of the Super Mario Bros. revivals are mainly focused on making them multiplayer; fortunately, the Wii U issue wasn’t the exception and it delivered an amazingly fun experience while keeping the essence of what the 2006 New Super Mario Bros. brought to the table. The 2019 Nintendo Switch port didn’t bring a lot of new stuff, but it’s definitely the best version of the game.
12. Luigi’s Mansion 3 Multiplayer Pack DLC
Luigi’s Mansion is one of those IPs that didn’t get the recognition it deserved until recent years; filled with some of the best visuals and graphics on any Nintendo system ever with unique and fun gameplay, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is one of the Nintendo Switch’s brightest jewels but, if this game is soooo good, why is it in the 12th position? Well, it’s mainly because its multiplayer functionality was introduced as purchasable DLC instead of being included directly into the game; while it isn’t necessarily a terrible thing, it keeps it from being on the top spots.
11. Super Mario Maker 2
I personally couldn’t believe when a co-op functionality for Super Mario Maker was announced; the idea of being able to create your own Super Mario levels following the styles of several entries in the series is plain amazing, but the thought of being able to create all of that alongside another person is incredibly fun. Not only you can create Super Mario levels, but you can also use multiplayer to beat the levels with up to another 3 persons!
10. Nintendo Switch Online: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Switch’s online service has been heavily criticized ever since its launch; while it has good pricing in its most basic plan, its lack of constant additions to the NES and SNES app libraries has left players with a sour perception of the service. One common thing that has been praised by some and painfully ignored by others is the ability to play the legacy content online with your friends. While it isn’t incredibly revolutionary, it’s an absolute delight to be able to play some of Nintendo’s classic titles as a competition with friends.
9. Pac-Man 99
If Tetris 99 came as a surprise to everybody, Pac-Mac 99 doubled the reaction; extremely similar in concept, Pac-Man 99 was released in April 2021 as a free download to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. I must be honest and say that this isn’t exactly my type of game, but gosh was it extremely entertaining to compete with another 98 people and so satisfying to win a top 25 place.
8. Mario Tennis Aces
I don’t what’s the thing that sports games are so fun to play in motion controls with other people; perhaps is the ability to mirror the action your character is doing on-screen aimed to the idea that you’re doing exercise with someone else and there’s no need to go outside to run in the park where you’ll see that old lady that could either be your sugar mommy or a kidnapper in disguise. Anyways… While there are several entries in the Mario Tennis franchise, the best one to play in co-op mode is the Nintendo Switch’s Mario Tennis Aces.
7. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
It was very hard for me to choose between the original 2013 WiiU release and the 2021 Nintendo Switch port of the Super Mario 3D World game, but meaning that the latter added improved graphics alongside a better overall experience (and let’s not forget the amazing experiment that Bowser’s Fury was) we can definitely choose the Switch port as the best version of the game. Being able to complete the full game with a friend, your romantic partner or a family member is an amazing feature, albeit a fury-inducing one if your game mate keeps throwing you out of the screen. Oh yeah, that function also works surprisingly smoothly online.
6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing’s gameplay nature leaves a lot of possibilities to co-op play; it can either be by minigames or competitions, trading, catching bugs and fishing in the sea, shaking trees to collect prizes, diving deep into the ocean, or simply just by checking how anyone else has their own island designed. Animal Crossing is by far one of Nintendo’s finest IPs when talking about multiplayer is about, and fortunately, they reached its peak with the New Horizons entry.
5. Mario Party Superstars
Absolutely no one is overreacting when they say that Mario Party could easily damage any kind of relationship. Its family-friendly overall look perfectly hides the evilness behind it, and while some of the most praised entries of the franchise are the Nintendo 64 ones, the latest revision in the Mario Party universe deserves the spot it has on this list since it includes some of the most iconic and beloved boards and minigames by all-time fans. Also, the addition of the only button option made it already better than its predecessor.
4. Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Kirby’s worst sin is that some of his games might be considered way too easy to beat; that doesn’t stop them from being an incredibly wholesome and fun adventure to go through. Kirby’s Epic Yarn holds a very special spot in my heart since it’s the very first videogame that let me and my younger sister play together from start to end; while it wasn’t a technological achievement, it was amazing to get the chance of simultaneously moving forward in the story as Kirby and his new friend.
3. Splatoon 2
It came as a shock when in the 2014 E3 a new IP developed by Nintendo for their WiiU console was announced; a completely fresh idea and a different take on what a shooter could be in the videogame industry. Sadly, we all know what happened to the WiiU afterward and how it would affect Splatoon in its sales. Happily, we all learned in 2017 that a new Splatoon entry would get into our hands' thanks to the newly released Nintendo Switch and it became a huge success in all possible senses. While I’m not totally into the franchise, I cannot deny how fun an experience is to share Splatoon with my friends and I can’t wait for Splatoon 3 to be released to play online with my high school friend who introduced me to the splatmania.
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart is one of the best-selling franchises in the entertainment industry, but that wouldn’t mean anything if it wasn’t a good game. Mario Kart has brought over the last couple of decades different experiences on different Nintendo platforms except for the controversial mobile version Mario Kart Tour. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing in 50cc or 200cc, if you’re with the right company, you’ll have a blast; and while some previous entries to the Nintendo Switch port might be preferred by fans, the best one out yet by the amount of kart, character and course selection by a mile is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Let’s see what the future awaits for the Mario Kart universe,
1. Super Smash Bros. Melee
Whether you consider it a party or a fighting game, that doesn’t stop the Super Smash Bros. franchise from being beloved by millions in the game industry around the world; and while the Nintendo Switch’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the entry with the most fighters and courses available to choose from, the fan-favorite that keeps constantly being brought up to tournaments and social media by its controls and honestly a little bit of nostalgia, of course, is Super Smash Bros. Melee. Melee was the second entry of the IP and was a gamechanger at the time since it included very advanced graphics for its time and was an enormous jump from the Nintendo 64 version.
