Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2024

2024 was a good year for Nintendo and the Nintendo Switch, but somehow, it was over-shadowed by the upcoming release of the next console, which should be revealed any day now.

Nevertheless, there were plenty of great exclusives for Switch owners this year. As we highlight the best of 2024, we will recap the seven best Nintendo exclusives released this year.

8 Mario vs. Donkey Kong

An enjoyable remake

With Nintendo focusing on the future, they still had to release games this year. With that in mind, there will be a theme across several of these listed games: remakes.

That’s okay, though, as Mario vs. Donkey Kong, the remake of the 2024 GameBoy Advance game, is an enjoyable platforming adventure.

Its ability to focus on accessible difficulty while still offering a challenge in select modes for seasoned veterans means there’s something for every Switch owner to like here. It’s such a natural fit with its pick-up-and-play mentality, updated charming visuals, and excellent controls that it’s a wonder we didn’t see the game remade sooner.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong won’t win any awards, but it doesn’t need to. It offers the excellent platforming Nintendo is known for and delivers it in spades. If you’re looking for some quick fun, look no further.

7 Princess Peach: Showtime!

Lights, Camera, Action

If you’re looking for accessible platforming from a new game rather than a remake of a classic, look no further than Princess Peach: Showtime!

It’s about time Nintendo gave Peach another starring role that suits her well. Its stage play concept, adorable costumes, and catchy music are all a home run.

While gameplay can sometimes feel repetitive, and every stage isn’t a winner, the boss battles stand out, giving you enough reason to keep playing.

Again, it won’t win any awards, but Princess Peach: Showtime! is still plenty of fun and worth checking out.

6 Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition

Party like it’s 1985

Nintendo has recently been on a roll with its digital remixes of beloved games. Tetris 99 and F-Zero 99 are absolute blasts to play.

With Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, Nintendo focuses on speedrunning through some of the most challenging moments of past NES classics.

Think of it like WarioWare for old-school gaming. You’ll need to rush through over 150 trials in games like Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Donkey Kong, and more.

It’s another perfect addition to the bite-sized gameplay in Nintendo’s digital line-up and a chance for the company to show off the best moments from its older games.

5 Mario & Luigi: Brothership

A much-anticipated return

Six long years after the release of Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey, we finally have another Mario & Luigi game.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership has everything you expect from a Mario RPG title: a colorful and pleasant visual aesthetic, humor, and a great combat system.

Developed by Acquire, known for their work on Octopath Traveler II, Brothership proves that the Mario & Luigi series can live on without AlphaDream. It feels like a true, blue RPG experience, featuring characters we already know and love alongside newcomers.

There’s plenty of content to see and do as well beyond the main story. Make no mistake: this is a meaty experience, something Mario RPGs felt like they were getting away from recently. If Nintendo wants to expand on Mario RPG games, Brothership is a great starting point.

4 Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD

Dark Moon

2013’s Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon took the maligned but fan-favorite GameCube launch title and made it one of the best games on the Nintendo 3DS.

The 2024 re-release, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, gives the game the glow-up it deserves. Dark Moon was held back by the limitations of the 3DS hardware, but the HD remake for Nintendo Switch removes that obstacle.

Quality of life improvements, gorgeous visuals, and even some gameplay enhancements help give Luigi’s Mansion 2 the love it deserves.

While the foundation and DNA remain the same, a surprising amount of work went into the HD release, making it stand out and worth your time, no matter how much Dark Moon you played.

3 The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Super Zelda Maker

This generation’s Legend of Zelda games have accompanied two distinct art styles on Nintendo Switch, both beautiful in their own right. Echoes of Wisdom incorporates the cute visuals in the Link’s Awakening remake, adding to the feeling that Hyrule is a playground for exploration and experimentation.

It’s an excellent combination of visuals and gameplay, as Echoes of Wisdom‘s strength is how well it combines the gameplay of traditional 2D Zelda games with the creativity introduced in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Echoes of Wisdom feels like the Zelda franchise’s version of Super Mario Maker. It allows players to use impressive creativity to solve puzzles, deal with enemies, and explore the world of Hyrule.

It’s more than a simple spin-off, proving it deserves a seat at the big kid’s table alongside more traditional Zelda titles.

2 Super Mario Party Jamboree

It’s party time

Thank goodness Mario Party is back. There’s something satisfying about a nice, simple game night with a loved one—until you steal their star on the last turn, of course.

Super Mario Party Jamboree corrects the mistakes of Super Mario Party and, inspired by the success of Mario Party Superstars, blends old-school classic mini-games and boards with a wonderful selection of new challenges.

The real win here is that we can change the rules for each game to our heart’s desire. It allows for an impressive, albeit somewhat shallow, customization to play the game as we see fit—no more random mini-games. We can finally vote on them!

If Super Mario Party Jamboree indicates where the Mario Party franchise is headed, then I want to be along for the ride. Believe it or not, this would be my favorite Nintendo game of the year, but we need to talk about one more remaster of a beloved title.

1 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Finally

20 years after the original Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door graced the Nintendo GameCube, it’s finally back and better than ever.

Was it disappointing that we didn’t get a bevy of new content akin to Luigi’s Mansion 2 or the proper TLC of Metroid Prime: Remastered? Yes. Does that ultimately matter? No, because Thousand-Year Door is just that good of a game.

Quality of life updates making the game a more enjoyable and modern experience alone do enough to address the original game’s major critiques and flaws. It still has all the charm and beauty it did back in the day, and the combat holds up surprisingly well.

This is a game that everyone needs to own to complete their Nintendo Switch collection. Whether you played and fell in love with the original 20 years ago or, for some reason, missed out, please do yourself a favor and play this game.