The Nintendo Switch 2 didn't have too many outright exclusives in its first year, but those it did release really packed a punch.17:00, 05 Jun 2026To celebrate the first anniversary of Nintendo Switch 2, we rank the top 10 games exclusive to the platform so far.Today marks 12 months to the day since the Nintendo Switch 2 was first released into the world, aiming to build upon the success of the original Nintendo Switch with a fresh hardware update for its hybrid console concept.The first year has been a… mixed bag, being totally honest, but commercially at least the Nintendo Switch 2 continues to prove itself as a monster success despite current economic headwinds. That said, any video game console is only as good as the games you can play on it, and it’s these that we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight.‌From inventive evolutions of pre-established franchises to AAA behemoths that have been perfectly positioned to take advantage of the new hardware, there’s not been too many Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives released in the console’s first 12 months, but those that are have been a genuine delight. Here’s our pick of the 10 best Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives released since launch…Donkey Kong BananzaIt might not be the next 3D Super Mario platformer most fans were hoping for, but Donkey Kong Bananza is still an incredibly inventive genre instalment - one that sets the Mushroom Kingdom’s most famous ape in a better 3D direction than Donkey Kong 64 ever did. Destruction is his primary form of expression, and Banaza constantly finds a multitude of ways to make it incredibly fun. Teaming up with a younger Pauline to try and get back to the surface, punching down through the many layers in search of what lies at the planet’s core.Smashing and crashing around is an incredibly liberating gameplay experience, with every uniquely themed sandbox levels home to countless hidden banana collectibles that makes your hunt all the more worthwhile. Topping it all off is Donkey Kong’s ability to take on a handful of transformations, ranging from Ostrich to Zebra, all of which allow you to traverse each layer more creatively than the last. Donkey Kong Bananza is easily one of the Nintendo Switch 2’s most important exclusives, and is a must-buy for anyone who owns the console.Mario Kart WorldThe first truly original Mark Kat Instalment since 2014’s Mario Kart 8 for the Nintendo Wii U, Mario Kart World served as an ideal launch title perfectly positioned to have the Nintendo Switch 2 arrive on scene with a bang.Fan-favourite items and returning racers were all present and accounted for, of course, but totally new was the ability to ace through and explorable a fully populated map absolutely stacked with fun and neat driving challenges. Throw in the new ability to now race on the walls, and Mario Kart World certainly made a statement right out of the gate.‌Although we would have expected a suite of new challenges, racers, and circuits to have launched in the months since, the truth is that Mario Kart World released as an already complete package. The star of the overall package, however, is unequivocally Knockout Tour mode, wherein 24 racers battle it out on the track to race through the next checkpoint for fear of not being able to race on. It’s a genuinely thrilling new spin on the otherwise familiar-but-fun Mario Kart formula, ideal for testing out your mettle either against friends in local mode or when rising up through the racing ranks online.Pokemon PokopiaArguably the best Pokemon game to release in the post Nintendo Switch era, Pokemon Pokopia is nigh-on single-handedly responsible for proving that there’s life in the world’s most popular JPG series yet. Except this isn’t a JRPG. Whereas recent mainline entries have suffered from technical difficulties, barren open-worlds, and an overly formulaic structure, Pokopia takes the world of Pokemon and mixes it with an Animal Crossing-like social sim format to present long-time fans with something truly new and, perhaps more importantly, creative.Pokemon Pokopia perfectly blends the appeal of all featured creatures with a new way to, in a sense, ‘catch them all’, one that suddenly means welcoming them to an isle by creating specific habitats, and then using each’s unique moveset to further expand the community. Combine this appeal with Pokopia’s willingness to explore a more mature side to this universe, one where Pokemon must fend for themselves and all humans are mysteriously gone, and you have what may be the very best Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive yet.‌Fast FusionIt wouldn’t have been the launch of a new Nintendo console without the launch of a new ‘Fast’ game from Shin'en Multimedia coming alongside it. In the case of Switch 2 this came in the form of Fast Fusion, which offered a faster, futuristic, and dare I say slightly more mature take on competitive racing than Mario Kart World for those who craved.This is an indie-developed series that always manages to look good and perform well on Nintendo hardware, and Fusion absolutely achieved this with flawless 4K 60fps support at launch.The twist this time around is in the titular fusion mechanic, where after earning enough experience players are able to fuse any two hovercraft vehicles together in order to create a new vehicle that exudes the best traits of both. This, combined with the need to boost and jump across various windy tracks at a blistering pace, gives Fast Fusion a unique edge over almost every other racing game on Nintendo Switch 2 - still to this day. Fast Fusion successfully carries on the legacy of Wipeout, F-Zero, and more, even when other developers won’t.‌Hyrule Warriors: Age of ImprisonmentIf you were ever curious what happened to Princess Zelda after she was whisked away during the early hours of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is the musou spin-off that gave us the answer. Turners out it involved a lot of hacking and slashing against waves of lionels, moblins, and more recognisable enemies, all of which plays out pretty flawlessly thanks to the extra oomph in power the Nintendo Switch 2 now allows for.Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment might technically be a prequel to one of the most revered open-world games of all time, then, but don’t go in expecting too many narrative revelations. Instead, this third and latest instalment serves as a fun and near technically flawless action game that places you in the shoes of iconic characters who made a name for themselves during the events of the imprisoning war.‌King Rauru, Queen Sonia, and Mineru all aid Zelda in her quest, in a Switch 2 exclusive that takes Tears of the Kingdom’s most notable iconography and melds it into a more action-forward format.Yoshi and the Mysterious BookFollowing a string of fun enough but ultimately so-so instalments, Mario’s beloved green dino companion came back in a big way earlier this year with an inventive page-turner that directly harkens back to the beloved Yoshi’s Island. Rather than look after a baby Mario or Luigi, however, this time you’ll make your way through an entire novel’s worth of stages where you get to discover different creatures, name them whatever you look, and then use each’s bespoke skills to your advantage in some progressively strange and curious ways.After the titular mysterious book falls from the sky and is in need of help, it’s your job as one of many-coloured Yoshis to dip into his pages and engage on a journey of discovery… literally. From critters that blow bubbles to aid Yoshi with flight to those that spew flames, finding out how each works within the realm of a 2D platformer is wildly inventive and smart in a way that only stokes player curiosity. If you’ve been seeking a new Yoshi game that captures the spirit of the original Yoshi’s Island with its own spin, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book does a fine job.‌Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel ParkAs if featuring the debut of Rosalina herself in a 2D Super Mario game wasn’t enough, Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park offered a multitude of reasons to return to the jazzed-up platformer exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. Bellabel Park is mostly multiplayer themed, true, but the several co-operative and versus mini-games it adds is always a fun challenge to pull off with friends. Prepare for chaos to quickly ensue.The real star of Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s Meetup in Bellabel Park expansion, however, is the suite of new boss levels that sees the evil Koopalings roll in to cause havoc. Each one takes up residence in a new wonder-filled course that introduces a new unique gimmick for Mario and friends to battle with, all of which end in what is easily the best boss battles to feature in the game.‌These, combined with the new Flower Power skill, take an already great 2D platformer and amps the fun up to 11. It’s not an essential purchase, but one that Nintendo Switch 2 owners will inevitably enjoy.Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed WorldYou can never have too much of a good thing, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s Star-Crossed World Nintendo Switch 2 Edition update proves it. While not a standalone game in its own right, Star-Crossed World not only introduced an improved frame rate and graphics to one of the most criminally overlooked platformers of the Switch era, it also adds a whole new world that brings about a boat load of new starry themed stages as well as a handful of new mouthful modes and transformations for Kirby to try out.Star-Crossed World’s levels pop up alongside those featured in the main story and end up being equally as wholesome and sweet. After a giant meteor crashes into the world and causes a new island to rise from the ocean, Kirby must set about rescuing all of the lost Starries in time before the meteor is resurrected. Nintendo’s Switch 2 updates have been largely hit and miss, but Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s Star-Crossed World update is easily an exception. Here’s hoping it leads the way for a full-blown Kirby sequel.‌Kirby Air RidersWhile I doubt many people were screaming out for a dedicated sequel to 2003 GameCube classic Kirby’s Air Ride, Nintendo did a pretty good job following it up last year with the aptly named Kirby’s Air Riders for Nintendo Switch 2. It features the same sense of high-speed chaos and unpredictable track layouts from before, only now there's simply a lot more characters to race as and unique ways to do it. Machine vehicles themselves still enjoy a natural forward momentum to let you focus on drift manoeuvring, but all 21 characters now come with their own special move you must constantly stay aware of.The unbridled madness of City Trial mode returns, tasking players to gain as many insane power-ups within the time limit and then duke it out in a suite of different multiplayer modes.‌Top Ride mode is one of Kirby Air Riders most unique additions, however, sitting alongside the standard Air Ride mode to let you boost and drift from a top-down perspective not too dissimilar to the classic micro machines games. Kirby Air Riders is a bit of an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ style racer, but it’s fun with friends and stands as one of the most unique colourful karting offerings out there.Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome TourPerhaps quite a controversial pick for this list, but there’s plenty to love about Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour - if only for the novelty alone. Part tutorial and part minigame collection, this is a shrunken-down interactive exhibit of sorts that lets you explore the Nintendo Switch 2 from a unique, up-close perspective.It’s essentially a digital museum piece that shows off all the console’s bespoke features, from improvements in the Joy-Con HD rumble, how the Nintendo Switch 2 camera works, and advancements in motion controls.Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour absolutely isn't for everyone, and there’s a strong argument to suggest that it should have been included with every console purchase out of the box. However, as someone partial to cool tech demos and a constant fascination with the way Nintendo designs its hardware, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour more than does the job and is a fascinating deep-dive into the console, made all the better for being interactive.