Summary
Nintendohas had an incredibly volatile last decade. The last few years of the Wii U life cycle were unfortunately marred with disappointment. While the console had some unique and futuristic ideas, they didn’t all pan out. Most importantly, it suffered from alack of high-quality releases, be it third-party games or some of Nintendo’s mainstay franchises.
Fortunately, the latter half of the decade has been an uncontestable success with the release of the Nintendo Switch. It is not only a fun and versatile console, but it features a ton of incredible games. Most of Nintendo’s big franchises have had extremely successful releases on the Switch. While a decade is a very long time in terms of reviewing a franchise, it’s clear that some Nintendo franchises have had remarkable performances over the last decade, with the best of them enumerated below.
Nintendo 3DS
May 27, 2025
Nintendo Switch
The “Metroidvania” genre of games has been a successful mainstay of the Nintendo platform for decades, including classic games from both theMetroidandCastlevaniafranchises, as well as a plethora of games in the same vein experimenting with the formula. For Nintendo, however,Metroidalways stands out as one of the most beloved franchises they have. The past decade has been no different. The latest remaster is a great entry point into the series for newcomers too.
Metroid Dreadon the Nintendo Switch was an incredible game. It didn’t reinvent the wheel, but it essentially perfected the “Metroidvania” formula, with some incredible boss fights, apt music, and great stage designs. Its predecessor,Samus Returns,was of a similar quality. So, while recent releases have been of premium quality, because only fourMetroidgames have been released since 2014, and one of them wasn’t too well received, it narrowly misses out on the top spots.
August 01, 2025
Pokemonis one of the most iconic video game franchises out there, with consistent success for multiple decades. The anime, the card games, the main franchise games, and all the spin-offs have been a stalwart of the industry, and this decade was no different.Pokemon GOrevolutionized the scope of video games, particularly mobile games, and its real-life integration was dynamic and exciting.
MainlinePokemongames such asLegends ArceusandSword & Shieldwere both solid entries, with tons of new Pokemon, and altered the established formula just enough to avoid everything getting stale. On the other hand,Pokemon Scarlet & VioletandLet’s Go Pikachuhad some interesting concepts but didn’t quite deliver.Pokemon’simpact on the last decade of gaming cannot be overstated. However, some of its contemporaries have constantlychurned out high-quality releases, setting a high bar.
June 05, 2025
Super Smash BrosisNintendo’s premier fighting game franchise. It always features gigantic rosters packed full of characters from a variety of games, such asCastlevania,Metal Gear Solid,and a dozen others.Smash Brosalso has incredible stages, with tons of variety and unique features. Coupled with this is how easy the franchise is for casual players to get into, and how seamlessly the local multiplayer works.
Super Smash Broshas had two releases this decade, with the latter standing out as one of the most impactful fighting games of the decade entirely. Conclusively,Super Smash Broshas always been one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, regardless of the decade, and fans hope the trend continues.
June 19, 2025
The last ten years have been an incredible time to be aFire Emblemfan.The franchise has established itself as a successful blockbuster, thepinnacle of turn-based JRPGs, and, of course, as a Nintendo mainstay. The decade started strongly with the commercially successfulFire Emblem Fatestrilogy.Each game had a twist on theFatesstory, and whileConquestis known for its incredible and challenging turn-based gameplay, the games did fall short in terms of narrative building and plot progression.
Fire Emblemwent from strength to strength with the beautiful remake game,Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia,and of course,Fire Emblem: Three Houses, featuring Dimitri, Claude, and Edelgard was a massive success and is lauded as one of the best games on the Switch as well as one of the best turn-based games of the modern era. While fans weren’t thoroughly impressed with the simplifiedFire Emblem Engage,overallFire Emblemhas solidified its status recently, and its impact on Nintendo platforms in the last ten years is an overwhelming net positive.
July 26, 2025
The Italian plumber, and his colorful collection of allies and foes, stand as the most memorable and iconic video game character of all time. The nameMarioissynonymous with both Nintendo and video games, and it’s safe to say this has never been more true than in the last ten years.
TheSuper Marioumbrella has seen a ton of delightful releases recently, includingSuper Mario Odyssey,the quintessential 3D platforming game, as well asSuper Mario Maker 2andPaper Mario,both creative, fun, and breezy games. As always,Mariohas been spearheading Nintendo’s success. However, there is one franchise that slightly beats the mustached hero out.
Breath of the Wild
Tears of the Kingdom
May 28, 2025
ForThe Legend of Zelda,the last ten years have been a tale of unequivocal success.Breath of the Wildis widely considered one of the best RPG games of the last decade. A commercial and critical success, the game is basically the poster child of the Nintendo Switch even seven years on.BeyondBreath of the Wild,the Zelda franchise has seen some impressive releases recently.
Skyward SwordandMajora’s Maskwere both well-received remakes of incredible games. And, of course, the recent release,Tears of the Kingdom,has arguments for being the best game in the entire franchise. TheLegend of Zeldaseries has had an astronomical rise in recent times, and it would be exciting to see what comes next.
