The Nintendo Switch had the weight of Nintendo on its shoulders, as it needed to succeed after the previous console, the Wii U, commercially flopped. With a new entry in both the Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda franchises releasing in the first several months of the Switch's life, it was set up to succeed.
After 3 years fans have seen a large number of great titles release exclusively on the console/portable gaming hybrid. Let's now look at the 10 best Nintendo exclusives of the last decade according to Metacritic.
10 Luigi's Mansion 3 (86)
Luigi has lived his entire existence in Mario's shadow, so it's great to see his franchise find success with all three of its releases. The newest entry, Luigi's Mansion 3, released in the latter part of 2019 in October and did its best to meet fan expectations.
The game introduced plenty of fun and interesting haunted floors to explore that offered plenty of refreshing challenges. On top of this, it unveiled the creation known as Gooigi, a possessed pile of goo that takes the form of Luigi and helps him solve puzzles.
9 Cadence Of Hyrule (86)
If you would have asked Nintendo insiders 2-plus years ago that the company would let an independent developer use their IP they'd likely laugh it off. In 2019 everyone saw Nintendo do exactly that as Nintendo let the developers of Crypt of the Necrodancer use the Legend of Zelda property when creating their own game called Cadence of Hyrule.
It was great to see a risk like this pay off for Nintendo since it likely opened the door to this type of partnership happening again in the future.
8 Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (86)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was one of the numerous games that were thankfully ported from the Wii U onto the Nintendo Switch. It was received incredibly well critically upon its release on the Wii U, but the install base of the console caused it to quickly become overlooked and underappreciated.
Thankfully Nintendo ported it to their successful hybrid, and outside of complaints regarding the price, fans new and old fell in love with arguably the best Donkey Kong Country game ever made in Tropical Freeze.
7 Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake (87)
Link's Awakening on the Nintendo Switch may look like a simple remake of a beloved classic on the surface, but even if that was the case, is that a bad thing? On top of featuring both a new art style and camera angle, the remake did other things to bring the classic into the modern gaming age.
Allowing players to equip two items at once makes the game less tedious and puts the focus on puzzle-solving and exploration. It may have a steep price, but it's a quality experience worth every penny.
6 Astral Chain (87)
Platinum Games is a very interesting studio that has worked hand-in-hand with Nintendo for numerous years. Every game they release feels uniquely like their brand of fast-paced action and are either very-well or poorly received.
Astral Chain was an interesting title with a lot of promise that managed to meet and exceed expectations in 2019. It's considered by many to be the developer's best game to date thanks in large part to its enemy variety, customization options, and world-building.
5 Fire Emblem: Three Houses (89)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was the franchise's first entry on a Nintendo home console in years, and despite it being overshadowed, it delivered on every front. Fans of the series, both new and old, fell in love with the game and its characters.
Recently the game managed to take home both the Best Strategy Game and Fan's Choice awards from The Game Awards 2019. If you love Japanese role-playing games and are willing to try strategy-style gameplay, this is the best time to dive into the Fire Emblem franchise.
4 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (92)
Previously it was mentioned in this article how Nintendo had several fantastic exclusives release on the Wii U only to be abandoned and forgotten. Thankfully they were smart enough to realize how good Mario Kart 8 was and ported it to the Switch and had it release the Summer following the hardware's release.
The port was titled Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and was a major seller on the platform. It currently sits as the best-selling game on the platform and is one of the best-selling racing titles ever.
3 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (93)
Objectively speaking Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the largest crossover game that the industry will likely ever see. Not only does it cram characters from dozens of franchises into a single fighting game, but it also houses the grandest collection of classic video game music ever.
The craftsmanship and dedication to detail Masahiro Sakurai and his team put into this game was incredible. Its quality is a big part of why it became the best-selling fighting game ever. Yes, it is, in fact, a fighting game.
2 Super Mario Odyssey (97)
In many ways, Super Mario Odyssey is the sequel to Super Mario 64 players have wanted for decades. Players explore numerous levels with varying biomes in their search of moons. The game nails 3D platforming and brings the energy and excitement of the 1996 classic into the modern age.
With the game receiving little to no DLC fans are holding out hope for a quickly turned-around sequel. With a franchise as long-running as Super Mario, it's quite impressive when a new entry becomes one of the best in the franchise.
1 Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (97)
The Legend of Zelda is one of the most beloved franchises in video games, so when a new entry comes along and moves the series forward in a major way it's a pretty big deal. Breath of the Wild managed to take Link and place him in a vast open-world that sets the stage for grand and unique adventures.
The systems in the game are solid and work in ways you would just assume they would. It may not feature any traditional dungeons, but it managed to let players' imaginations flow freely in the land of Hyrule.