The Nintendo Switch has received some amazing games since its introduction in 2017. In its nearly 8-year lifespan, titles such as Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and many more have made this one of the most successful consoles ever. But buying all those games doesn't come cheap when each one costs $60 brand new.
Thankfully, there's also a very large library of classic games on the Nintendo Switch that you can play at no additional cost if you already have a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. In fact, there are 200 games in the base NSO package, and over 300 if you have the Expansion Pack membership.
If you don't know what to play and you don't want to spend too much on a new game, here are some great games you can get for as low as $20. I wanted to avoid games that would be very obvious picks and too much repetition, so we are missing some obvious choices, but you've probably played those already.
10 classic NES games you probably haven't played (but should)
There's more to it than Mario and Zelda
20 Kirby's Adventure (NES)
The true beginning of Kirby
Kirby is one of Nintendo's most strongly-supported franchises, and it got its start on the Game Boy with Kirby's Dream Land, but it was the second game in the series that really made it the chracter we know today. This colorful game introduced Kirby's ability to inhale enemies and take their powers, adding a ton of variety to the moves you can perform and how you traverse each of the levels.
There's a decently large number of world to go through, and the game is well designed enough to be beatable by just about anyone, but the Extra Game mode adds quite a bit of challenge so there's still something to keep more experienced players coming back.
19 Blaster Master (NES)
A sneaky classic
Blaster Master is not the most well-known of games out there, but for a title on the NES, it's actually very solid. It combines 2D side-scrolling levels with more of a top-down view that's more used for on-foot gameplay. It's a nice mix of elements that keeps the game fresh, and overall, the controls are surprisingly solid across the board, so it's not as frustrating as some of the other NES titles you might remember.
The Blaster Master series didn't go on to back a major blockbuster hit, but since 2017, the franchise has been revived starting with Blaster Master Zero, which is a sort of remake of this game. So, if you want to know whether those games are worth it, you can check this one out without having to spend anything extra, and I highly recommend it.
18 Punch-Out!! (NES)
A fighting game that's not really one
I know my boss would not be happy if I wrote this list and didn't include Punch-Out!!, but to be fair, it definitely earns its spot here either way. The series may have only received three major entries in its lifetime, but it's a very interesting fighting game in that it's not really a fighting game like you'd expect.
Punch-Out!! is all about reading your opponent's movements and dodging or attacking at the right time, so it's not just about mashing buttons or performing crazy combos. It's almost more like a puzzle game, but it's a very fun and rewarding one that you can replay time and time again.
17 Tetris (NES/Game Boy)
We had to mention it
I know I didn't want to include a lot of obvious picks, but come on, you can never go wrong with Tetris. Nintendo has released both the Game Boy and NES versions of Tetris on the NSO library, and even Tetris DX on the Game Boy Color, so you have plenty of options that don't cost anything extra.
The Game Boy version of Tetris is the ultimate classic, and arguably Tetris in its purest form. It has the iconic theme, straightforward gameplay, and not much else. It's all about testing your skill. The NES and Game Boy Color versions do have the benefit of adding color, though, which is something you might appreciate in a Tetris game.
16 Wario Land 3 (Game Boy Color)
Mario's nemesis deserves more attention
Between 1992's Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and 2006's New Super Mario Bros., there actually wasn't a brand-new traditional 2D Mario game starring the famous red plumber. Instead, Nintendo handed the reigns over to his twisted nemesis Wario, who starred in his own 2D platformer series starting with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 in 1994.
Most of this series is not on the NSO service just yet, but Wario Land 3 is just as good of any entry point as any, and it's an absolutely terrific game. Rather than the more action-oriented platforming of the Mario games, Wario Land 3 is much more focused on puzzle-solving and understand how to traverse the world and get past certain obstacles, all while consistently unlocking new paths that not only open up new levels, but significantly change levels you've already been to. You rarely fully understand a level your first time through, but the constant rush of getting access to new parts of the world makes this such an enjoyable experience from start to finish. This entire series is worth your time, but this is a great place to start.
15 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (Game Boy Color)
A very unique Zelda experience
Before the Nintendo Switch, there was quite a big divide between the Zelda games on the home consoles and the ones on Nintendo's handhelds, and that started with Link's Awakening on the Game Boy. Only the third game in the series, Link's Awakening is a game that almost makes fun of itself at times, and it's designed to be a pretty surreal experience with how it seemingly crosses over with other Nintendo franchises and breaks the fourth wall, such as a pair of kids telling you how to save the game and then saying they don't even know what that means.
You get to meet a Kirby-like character (officially called Anti-Kirby), a "dog" that's oddly reminiscent of the Chain Chomp in Mario games, and for the more cultured ones out there, there's even prince Richard, a character from the Japanese-exclusive game The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls, from which Link's Awakening actually seems to take a bit of inspiration. All of this wackiness is explained by the game's setting, which may only fully hit as you near the end of the game, but it's definitely worth experiencing, even if you do end up needing a guide because the game can be a bit obtuse at times.
14 Super Metroid (SNES)
Still one of the greats
The Metroid series doesn't get the recognition it deserves from the broader gaming audience, but I'd bet a lot of people who grew up with the SNES know about how great Super Metroid is. As one of the defining games in the "Metroidvania" genre (sometimes also called "search action"), Super Metroid levels up everything from the previous two entries in the series (which are also on NSO, by the way). The visuals have been upgraded immensely, controls are more refined and there are a lot of new movement options that make exploration both satisfying and fun.
What's great about Metroid games and this one in particular is how they absolutely nail the sense of exploration and progression. Many paths you encounter as you progress are initially blocked off, but as you unlock ore and more upgrades, you can open up those paths and defeat more enemies, making every second of the game feel like you're working towards something and evolving as a result. Even with some fantastic games to come later in the series, Super Metroid is still regarded by many as the best one, and you owe it to yourself to play it.
13 The Donkey Kong Country trilogy (SNES)
Challenging, but incredible games
We're going for a triple-platter of excellence with this one listing because it's reasonable enough to say you could play any or all of the Donkey Kong Country games and have a great time. Developed by Rare, the Donkey Kong Country series gave the character Donkey Kong a completely new life coming from its arcade roots. This series of 2D platformers looks incredibly impressive for the Super Nintendo, but what makes it really special is the gameplay.
The Donkey Kong Country series is a very challenging set of games with fantastic level designs and well-crafted settings that all flow together perfectly. With mechanics like the animal buddies offering unique forms of traversal or defeating enemies, multiple playable characters in later games, and levels that are hard but generally not unfair, these three games are something everyone should play.
12 Panel de Pon/Tetris Attack (SNES)
For the puzzle fans
Nintendo's Puzzle League series is a bit of a mess outside of Japan, having started with the name Tetris Attack when it debuted on the SNES, despite playing nothing like a Tetris game. That game also featured the more popular character Yoshi in the North American release, but for the Nintendo Switch Online service, Nintendo probably didn't want to deal with the licensing issues that would come with the Tetris brand, so instead, the company released the Japanese version of the game, Panel de Pon.
Panel de Pon (or Tetris Attack) is a color-matching puzzle game that has you swap colored blocks into different positions in order to make the largest combo possible by eliminating as many blocks in one go as you can. There's a story mode where you can beat numerous levels by completing enough of the matchups, but there's also an endless amount where you have to survive a continuously rising pile of blocks.
11 Super Mario All-Stars (SNES)
I mean, I had to
Nintendo's favorite plumber had a great run on the original NES, but each of those games had different art styles and controls that could feel a it outdated by the time we get to the SNES. So, Nintendo did something amazing and remade the entire Super Mario Bros. trilogy — even adding the Japan-exclusive Super Mario Bros. 2 as The Lost Levels — in the style of Super Mario World, both visually and in terms of physics.
While they may not feel true to the originals (especially the original Super Mario Bros.), all the games here are in their ultimate form, all packaged together, and they're all a blast to play through. Plus, the addition of The Lost Levels makes this a great way to test the limits of your patience, too. At the time, this package was incredible value, and now, it's just a cool way to experience these classics, though you can play them all on their own in the NES app, too.
From here on out, because I wanted to cover all the different consoles on the NSO service, we're going to focus on the Expansion Pack. This does cost $50 a year instead of $20, so that's something to keep in mind.