Nintendo Switch Online is the premium subscription service available for Switch and Switch 2 users to try. Unlike PlayStation’s PS Plus and Xbox’s Game Pass, which provide access to a library of current-gen and previous-gen games, NSO gives players access to a range of classic games from previous Nintendo platforms.
If you combine Nintendo Switch Online with the Expansion Pack, then players can get access to a library of games from almost all classic Nintendo consoles, including NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, SEGA Genesis, and Nintendo GameCube games.
In 2025, NSO members had access to some top-tier classic games through Nintendo Switch Online, including hits from popular franchises like Zelda, Mario, and more. Check out Insider Gaming’s top 10 picks of Nintendo Switch Online games that you need to try out in 2025:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
If you are a Nintendo Switch Online user in 2025 and haven’t played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, then you are missing out. What’s more, it is the highest-rated game of all time on Metacritic. Do you need any more convincing after that? It was the first 3D Legend of Zelda game, making Hyrule more alive than ever before thanks to environmental storytelling, a good mix of exploration, puzzles, and combat, and memorable characters.
Super Metroid
Super Metroid is a 1994 SNES game that was the third installment in the series. It saw Samus Aran face off against Space Pirates in her quest to recover the last Metroid. Super Metroid is a fantastic 2D side-scrolling action adventure, where you explore large areas while being able to run, jump, crouch, and fire in different directions. The game also features other types of power-ups that can enhance Samus’ arsenal or grant special abilities.
The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion members received the original GameCube version of The Legend of Windwaker for the Switch 2 in 2025. Wind Waker was released in 2002 and brought a significant change to the series, with the developers exploring a brand-new art style. Additionally, the game also had Link visiting clusters of islands across the Great Sea, where he used a sailboat called King of Red Lions to navigate through
Super Mario World
Super Mario World is another classic hit that Nintendo Switch Online players shouldn’t miss out on in 2025. The title was released in 1991 for the SNES and quickly became a fan favorite. Though most of it was similar to the series, the game came with a new gameplay feature that would become iconic to the series. The feature in question is Yoshi, the rideable dinosaur who could walk faster, eat enemies, and spit them like projectiles. Super Mario World is also the best-selling SNES game.
F-Zero GX
F-Zero is a classic racing game set in a futuristic world. The game is similar to previous titles in the F-Zero series; however, what makes it unique is the introduction of a story mode where players can complete 9 chapters as Captain Falcon. The game features a variety of tracks with tubes, jumps, and roller coaster-like paths. There are also a variety of machines in the game, each behaving differently.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is an installment that is separate from the continuity of other games. It is set in the fictional continent of Magvel, where two royal siblings fight to keep hostile sources from invading their kingdom. The title is a tactical RPG featuring turn-based combat, with players battling allied, player-controlled, and enemy units. Each unit has the ability to evolve through experience points; however, it also features a perma-death system, where if a unit dies, it can’t return for the rest of the campaign unless the player restarts the game.
GoldenEye 007
If you have ever been a fan of the James Bond series and wish to try a classic FPS title, then you can’t go wrong with GoldenEye 007. It is based on the 1995 film, in which you play the iconic MI6 agent James Bond, facing a criminal syndicate that plans to deploy a satellite weapon. The game was originally going to be a side-scroller for the SNES, but ended up becoming a first-person shooter inspired by games like Doom, released for the Nintendo 64, and became the third-best-selling game on the platform.
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Rayman 2: The Great Escape was a special installment in the series, as it marked the move from 2D to 3D. Just like others, it is a platformer released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, where players run through linear sequences, battle robotic pirates, collect lums, and solve puzzles. The primary weapon in the game is Rayman’s fists, and as you progress, the game gives you more abilities with charged attacks, ranged attacks, and more traversal methods being added to the player’s arsenal.
Golden Sun
Golden Sun is a fantasy RPG that was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001, and it eventually received two more installments over the years. The game has you playing four characters as you embark on a quest to protect the world from a destructive force called Alchemy. The title features several interesting characters to interact with, monsters to fight, and new abilities and equipment to acquire.
Mario Kart 64
Mario Kart 64 is a cart-racing game and the second installment in the series. It was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996 and eventually became the second-best-selling game on the platform. The gameplay is broadly similar to other games in the series, where you choose one of 8 Mario franchise characters to race across the game’s 20 courses inspired by areas in Super Mario games. Players also get special abilities and power-ups that are unique to the Super Mario series.
In other news, here are the best Nintendo Switch games to gift this Holiday season. Additionally, Doug Bowser, current COO and President of Nintendo of America, is retiring at the end of the year, with a successor already named.
Which of these Nintendo Switch Online 2025 games will you be trying out? Leave a comment down below or share your thoughts in Insider Gaming Discord.
