The best Nintendo Switch Online games: 10 retro classics to play first on Switch 2, ranked!

Nintendo Switch 2 is here, and with it comes some fresh titles added to the criminally undervalued Nintendo Switch Online service that's home to plenty of retro bangers of yesteryear.

If you ever want or need a gaming education, Switch Online is the best place to go, thanks to having games from every significant era of Nintendo’s console output, going as far back as the NES. Each gets a spit-and-polish quality of life touch up, with modern TV-friendly CRT shaders, save state support and rewind functionality.

Now, thanks to the Expansion Pack premium tier, you can even play Nintendo 64 and, if you're lucky enough to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 console, GameCube games, too.

Considering the service is only £34.99 a year for the Online Expansion Pack, which also includes multiple DLCs for popular games and standalone titles such as Tetris 99 and F-Zero 99, it’s a bit of a steal for a service that delivers plenty of titles from Nintendo’s storied history.

In truth, the majority of games on the service are at least worth checking out, whether it's for a hit of nostalgia or to explore choice cuts from gaming's history. But to save you some time, we’ve compiled the ten best games on the service now that the GameCube line-up has been added for Nintendo Switch 2 users.

10. EarthBound

• Original console: SNES
• Release date: 1994
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online

EarthBound, otherwise known as Mother 2 in Japan, was the second game in the kooky RPG series that was first established in 1989. It sees a young boy use his psychic abilities to navigate spooky mysteries on a hilariously ground breaking role playing game.

Sadly this series has become something of a forgotten Nintendo franchise, not having a new entry since 2006, but it still holds up today as one of Nintendo’s best party-based classic-style RPGs.

If you’ve ever played Smash Bros. you will already recognise some of the characters, such as Ness, as they are playable in the hit Nintendo mash-up fighting game.

9. Sonic The Hedgehog 2

• Original console: Sega Mega Drive
• Release year: 1992
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

Sonic was the face of SEGA when they were the main competitor to Nintendo’s console domination during the late 80s and 90s, with the blue blur going head-to-head with Mario for the title of most famous gaming mascot.

Sonic may have lost that race, but the iconic character is still hugely popular today, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Sega Genesis remains one of the hedgehog's most famous outings.

It was here that he earned his legendary status, and this was also when Tails the Fox was introduced, allowing for two players to play simultaneously. If you, or any youngsters you know, are big fans of the films and have not played many of the games, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is without a doubt the best place to start.

8. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga

• Original console: Game Boy Advance
• Release year: 2003
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online

Since the first Mario game, there have been a few RPGs featuring the moustachioed plumber, with Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga being among the best of those titles. It means that if you played the recent remakes of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door or Super Mario RPG, this is the next logical stop if you hunger for more RPG fun.

This entry also marks the first Game Boy Advance handheld game on our list, which was a relatively recent addition to the service and helps draw the lineage through to the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2’s portability. This light-hearted RPG is great to play on the go.

7. WarioWare, Inc: Mega MicroGames$!

• Original console: Game Boy Advance
• Release year: 2003
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online

Looking back at WarioWare, it’s a bit like the TikTok but for games. It offers hundreds of wild mini-games that are super-flash-fast, provide instant gratification with a healthy challenge, and are as moreish as doomscrolling on a lazy Sunday morning.

It's not a bad showing for the second Game Boy Advance game we’ve included on this list, and it will offer plenty of fun and laughs through the frankly bizarre games included.

6. Castlevania: Bloodlines

• Original console: Sega Mega Drive
• Release year: 1994
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

Castlevania has bounced across platforms numerous times, with the genre-defining franchise (partly responsible for the term Metroidvania) now an icon of 90s gaming, despite its best days being in the rearview mirror.

The series boasts an outstanding legacy though, with many seasoned gamers running out of superlatives when talking about the side-scrolling, backtracking vampire-hunting games.

Bloodlines is one of the best the series has to offer, but was a Sega exclusive at the time of its initial launch, so it is nice to see the game on this Nintendo platform now, saving it from becoming one of the many titles that are a pain to play now and borderline lost to time.

5. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

• Original console: Game Boy Advance
• Release year: 2004
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online

A Zelda game made by a Capcom offshoot? Heresy! But Minish Cap is easily the most underrated Zelda game that's ever been released.

Offering a Wind Waker inspired art-style spin on the classic Link to the Past top-down dungeon crawling formula, it's a true hidden gem, and a shoo-in for the best 2D Zelda ever made. Chunky action, a killer hook in the ability to shrink down to an ant-like size, and a relatively short playthrough time make it a perfectly snackable handheld adventure.

4. Metroid: Zero Mission

• Original console: Game Boy Advance
• Release year: 2004
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online

If one half of the origin of the term Metroidvania is on the list, it’s only fair that the other half appears here too, and we’ve opted for the Game Boy Advance game Metroid: Zero Mission. A remake of the very first Metroid game, if you’ve played a Metroid before, you’ll know to expect a challenge alongside a lot of exploration.

What makes this game truly stand out on this list, though, is its brevity. All-killer, no-filler, it's a great introduction to Samus's 2D adventures, with lush pixel art conjuring a truly alien world to explore.

With plenty of RPGs and other games here soaking up your time, Zero Mission is a much more modest five or so hours, so you can easily rattle through it in an afternoon.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

• Original console: GameCube
• Release year: 2002
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Switch 2 exclusive

A list like this, featuring some of the very best games Nintendo has ever released, would be lacking if there were only one mention of Zelda and everyone’s favourite green-tunic hero, Link. And with the launch of Gamecube games on Nintendo's online service with the Switch 2

What helps The Wind Waker stand out, especially when compared to other games on this list, is just how great it still looks today, considering it's now over 20 years old. It's cel-shaded art style was divisive at the time, but is now seen as a classic, daring re-imagining of the franchise's fantasy tropes. That it's high-seas quest was so charming and expertly crafted was a whole bushel of cherries on top.

It may not be the Wii U version re-release fans have been pining for, but this is currently the best way to play one of Link’s best and most unique adventures to date.

2. Super Mario World

• Original console: SNES
• Release year: 1990
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online

Super Mario World is a platforming masterpiece and a defining title for the SNES. It expands on the already stellar Mario formula whilst introducing Yoshi, Mario's lovable dinosaur companion.

The game's world design is intricate and varied, with secret exits, hidden areas, and a colourful cast of enemies that keep players engaged. Super Mario World set a high standard for platformers and cemented Mario's place as an enduring icon in gaming history. It's arguably still his best side-scrolling outing, 25-odd-years after it's first release. A perennial classic that you can come back to again and again.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

• Original console: Nintendo 64
• Release year: 1998
• Subscription tier: Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a landmark game, not just a great one, rightfully considered a masterpiece and a must-play on Nintendo Switch Online. The game's narrative follows Link's compelling hero's journey from lonely fairy boy to world saviour, filled with memorable characters and a time-travel mechanic that adds a surprising amount of emotional depth. Its groundbreaking transition to a 3D world created an immersive Hyrule, with meticulously designed locations and a sense of unprecedented scale.

The Ocarina of Time’s influence is profound, setting standards for action-adventure games with its innovative mechanics, compelling storytelling, and immersive world design.

Even decades later, its magic endures, making it an essential experience for understanding gaming's evolution and enjoying a truly exceptional adventure on Nintendo Switch Online, especially for newcomers to the series who jumped in with Breath of the Wild.

Want to check out the rest of what's on offer from Nintendo Switch Online? Find the full feature set and games list here.