Nintendo changed the video game industry forever with the launch of the NES in the mid-80s, and it has been releasing innovative new gaming consoles ever since. As someone that owns and has played every Nintendo home console extensively, I decided to rank them all, but with a twist.
For this list, I decided to judge the consoles based on today’s standards as opposed to how they were at the time of their release. And my primary metric was the games library. Which Nintendo console gets you the most bang for your buck when it comes to the available games? Which Nintendo console has been rendered obsolete by newer consoles? Basically, if you are someone curious about taking the plunge on a Nintendo console, this is how I would prioritize them.
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8
Wii U
- Release Year: 2012
- Highest-Rated Game: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild (96)
- Units Sold: 13.56 million
Few consoles have been rendered as obsolete as the Wii U. Almost all the Wii U’s best exclusive games have been ported to other platforms, oftentimes with new features and enhancements, and some of the big ones that remain are HD remasters of games that were released for older consoles.
At one point in time, the Wii U’s Virtual Console service may have given it an extra edge, but that has been shut down, along with the console’s other online features. The only backward compatibility that remains is with the original Wii, and to its credit, the Wii U is perhaps the most convenient way to play the OG Wii on an HDTV. The Wii U GamePad is one of the least compelling gimmicks Nintendo has come up with, though I will say that it is fun to use in games like Nintendo Land and ZombiU. Unfortunately, with such a small library of true exclusives, there is little reason to own a Wii U in 2026.
7
NES
- Release Year: 1983 (1985 in North America)
- Highest-Rated Game: N/A
- Units Sold: 61.91 million
The OG NES is home to some of the most important video games of all time, including the original Super Mario Bros. trilogy, the first two Legend of Zelda games, the first entries in the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises, and the list goes on. As Nintendo’s first home console, the NES is obviously the most outdated, but it has a massive library, even if the vast majority of its notable titles are playable on other platforms.
6
Nintendo 64
- Release Year: 1996
- Highest-Rated Game: The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (99)
- Units Sold: 32.93 million
Home to the highest-rated game ever in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Nintendo 64’s highs were incredibly high, but the problem was that they were few and far between. Almost all the major Nintendo 64 games are readily available to play on modern platforms, with only a few holdouts still trapped on the console. N64’s 4-player multiplayer focus makes it a little easier to go back to than some other Nintendo consoles, with games like Mario Kart 64, GoldenEye 007, Super Smash Bros., and WWF No Mercy still a blast to play to this day.
5
SNES
- Release Year: 1990 (1991 in North America)
- Highest-Rated Game: N/A
- Units Sold: 49.10 million
The placement of the SNES is likely going to upset some Nintendo fans, but it ranks so low because, like the NES and N64, the majority of its best games are readily available to play on other consoles. The SNES is home to some of the best games ever, like Chrono Trigger, Super Mario World, the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, A Link to the Past, and many more, but the simple fact is that all these games and much more came to later platforms.
The SNES wasn’t backward compatible with the NES, but the Super Game Boy accessory made it possible to play Game Boy games on the system. Even though it requires an extra accessory, the Super Nintendo technically having access to almost the entire Game Boy library gives it a boost.
4
GameCube
- Release Year: 2001
- Highest-Rated Game: Metroid Prime (97)
- Units Sold: 21.74 million
Nintendo has just recently started bringing GameCube games to its newer consoles, so there is still a sizable library of exclusives that make a GC purchase worthwhile. Those willing to purchase the Game Boy Player can also play nearly every Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance game on the GameCube, dramatically growing its potential library in the process. Similar to the N64, the GameCube features four controller ports, making it a great pick for timeless multiplayer fun in games like Mario Kart: Double Dash and Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
3
Wii
- Release Year: 2006
- Highest-Rated Game: Super Mario Galaxy (97)
- Units Sold: 101.63 million
There may be some that balk at the idea that the Wii is “better” than the GameCube, but the Wii is backward compatible with the GC library. Effectively, a Wii is a GameCube with even more games. Even though a lot of the Wii’s best titles have been brought forward through enhanced ports, there is still something uniquely fun about the Wii and its take on motion controls. The Wii library may be full of mediocre shovelware, but it also has masterpieces like the Super Mario Galaxy duology to its name.
The Wii used to have access to many high-profile games from older consoles as well through its Virtual Console service, but that has since been shut down.
2
Switch
- Release Year: 2017
- Highest-Rated Game: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild (97)
- Units Sold: 155.37 million (So Far)
After the Wii U’s commercial failure, all eyes were on Nintendo to see what the Big N would possibly do next. Few expected Nintendo to make such a massive comeback with the OG Switch, a home console/handheld hybrid that is well on its way to becoming the best-selling video game console of all time. In the years since the Switch’s launch in 2017, the console has built a remarkable library of games, including some phenomenal, must-play exclusives.
But what solidifies the Switch as one of the best Nintendo consoles is its access to older games on top of its exclusives. The Nintendo Classics lineup that comes as a part of Nintendo Switch Online and its various tiers gives players access to the best of the best NES, SNES, and N64 games (among other consoles). Nintendo Classics, combined with remasters and ports that have made their way to the Switch, have made it the ultimate machine to play through beloved franchises like Super Mario and Zelda.
The Switch 2’s release has arguably made the OG Switch obsolete, but it still has access to many of the best games that were released for the other Nintendo consoles, plus its online functionality is still active, and that gives it a significant edge.
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1
Switch 2
- Release Year: 2025
- Highest-Rated Game: The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (95)
- Units Sold: 17.37 million (So Far)
Backward compatibility secures the Nintendo Switch 2 the top spot. Even though it’s a brand-new console that’s not even a year old yet at the time of this writing, the Switch 2 can play almost every Switch 1 game in existence. A lot of the time, the games are even enhanced on the Switch 2, with better performance compared to when they’re played on the OG Switch.
The Switch 2 also has some exclusive Nintendo Classics games, with Nintendo Switch Online GameCube titles only available to those that have the newer console.
It’s possible to play almost every Switch 1 game on the Switch 2, plus there are exclusive games that can only be played on Nintendo’s latest home console/handheld hybrid. The Switch 2 is still young and so its library of exclusives isn’t all that extensive yet, but it has already delivered bangers like Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World, and Pokemon Pokopia, with years of support planned. We are at the very beginning of the Switch 2’s life, but since it gives players the chance to play the bulk of the Switch 1’s library + has brand-new games available and on the way, it’s the best machine to play Nintendo games by far.
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