Best Nintendo Switch 2 Games So Far, Ranked for Handheld Play

Switch 2 has been out for over a year, and IGN just collected every first-party game it scored 8 or higher. The list runs from Donkey Kong Bananza to Metroid Prime 4, and no third-party ports muddy the picture — which makes it a perfect snapshot of what Nintendo thinks a hybrid console should be. For those of us who actually undock the thing, the real question isn’t which game is best on a TV. It’s which ones respect your commute, your battery meter, and your need to pause when the train doors open.

The 10/10 tier spans Donkey Kong Bananza and both Zelda Switch 2 Editions, and each earns that score in a different portable language: tight platforming levels versus long, layered open worlds. Below them, Splatoon Raiders and Kirby Air Riders are the sleepers most likely to live in your carry case. Here’s what handheld-first owners should prioritize.

Masterpiece Tier: Donkey Kong’s Bursts vs. Zelda’s Marathons

Donkey Kong Bananza earns its 10/10 with dense, momentum-driven stages that work in brief handheld sessions or long docked ones — a game whose sound was literally built around the Joy-Con shake. IGN’s review calls it a ‘brilliant successor’ to Mario Odyssey, and that comparison matters for portable play: Odyssey’s structure of bite-sized kingdoms with collectible-heavy checklists is the closest thing Nintendo has to a travel-friendly format. Bananza inherits that DNA, so you get a clear stopping point every time you clear a chunk of a level.

The two Zelda Switch 2 Editions are the opposite kind of 10/10 — marathons, not sprints. But the upgrades land better in handheld mode: faster loading times make repeated deaths and fast travel less punishing, and the Zelda Notes companion app means you can manage your adventure without leaving the game screen. If Bananza is the game you play between meetings, Zelda is the game you play across a long flight.

Splatoon Raiders and Pokopia: Two Ways to Pause Without Punishment

Splatoon Raiders is the best surprise of the 9/10 tier, a portable shooter masterpiece in our review, and IGN highlights its short level types, tough battles, and build-crafting that never demands grinding. That’s a handheld action RPG in the best sense: you can spend a commute testing a new ability loadout, then put it down mid-battle and pick up right where you left off. The pacing and difficulty curve IGN praises also means you’re always a few minutes of play away from a satisfying upgrade moment, which is exactly the reward cadence a portable session thrives on.

Pokemon Pokopia is the quieter 9/10, but it’s arguably the most handheld-native game of the whole list. A town-builder that rewards creative placement and collecting fits perfectly between stops, and its ‘healthy balance between freedom and suggestion’ — as IGN puts it — means you never feel lost when you only have fifteen minutes to play. It’s not flashy, but it’s the kind of game that will quietly eat hundreds of hours on a bus.

Kart, Kirby, and Metroid: The 8/10s You’ll Pack First

Mario Kart World is the obvious local-multiplayer choice, but the new parkour mechanics IGN praises make it more interesting in handheld mode than a traditional kart racer: short races still work when you’re waiting for a table. Kirby Air Riders is the wilder option — IGN describes a racing game with deep customization, a battle mode, and enough solo achievements to keep a single-player run compelling. That combination is a magnet for anyone who keeps a Switch 2 in a bag for impromptu multiplayer.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sits at the other end of the mood spectrum. IGN calls out tense exploration and flawless technical performance, and that’s exactly what you want when a game is living in your hands rather than on a TV. The Star Fox remake and the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch 2 Edition round out the tier; Star Fox’s short, secret-packed campaigns are built for one-more-run replayability, while Wonder’s new cooperative levels are best experienced with the console right in front of you. If you’re a handheld-first owner, skip the tier debates and pack something from each: Bananza for the couch, Pokopia for the commute, and Air Riders for the friend you’ll meet at the station.