The Nintendo Switch since its launch has offered players a variety of games to play with friends and family. Nintendo has created long-standing franchises with fantastic gameplay, and these characters even branched off to many co-op games.
Today I will go over the best two-player games on the Nintendo Switch. From Mario to Pokemon, and even to the lesser known such as WarioWare, and Yoshi. Here are the 10 games that are a must-play.
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Luigi’s Mansion 3
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee
- Pokemon Scarlet/Violet
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- Super Mario Superstars
- WarioWare Get it Together!
- Yoshi’s Crafted World
Within this list are games you may have tried to play, have heard of online, or even seen discounted on the e-shop. When it comes to multiplayer/co-op experiences Nintendo always provides a good experience.
If you are interested to try out more new experiences on the Nintendo Switch, check out our list of the best city-building games on the Nintendo Switch.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a puzzle game that started as a mini-game in Super Mario 3D Word back in the Wii U. It amazed players so much, that Nintendo decided to make it a full-fledged game.
It was later brought on to the Nintendo Switch with two different co-op modes for players that wanted either a more relaxed laid-back experience or a hands-on one.
- Partner Adventure: A second player assumes the role of another Toad and plays alongside Captain Toad. The second player has all the same abilities as Captain Toad, and each player can also rotate the camera.
- Assist Mode: A second player joins the adventure as a floating cursor. While one player controls Captain Toad, the other can assist with things like shooting enemies or gathering coins.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is Kirby’s first adventure in a 3D environment. Explore different stages and words from a variety of themes, and new copy abilities to try out.
Pass a second controller to a friend to play as the spear-wielding Bandana Waddle Dee, and help each other explore and battle through this colorful world.
While Kirby can float and inhale enemies, Bandana Waddle Dee can spin and stab with his sturdy spear. Choose from two difficulty modes for either an easier adventure when playing with someone new to games like these or a more challenging experience to try and test the limits of the game.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi’s Mansion 3 takes place in the Last Resort hotel, but unfortunately for Luigi, King Boo is at it again. When Mario and his friends go missing, it’s up to Luigi to pick up the Poltergust G-00 to overcome both puzzles and floor ghosts.
A second player can join the game as you go through the floors taking the part of Gooigi. As Gooigi, you can slip through tight spaces, walk on spikes, and help Luigi overcome obstacles.
Even if the game is centered around Luigi, the two-player experience is fun and emphasizes the best aspects of the game.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe made its way into the Nintendo Switch, after making a big splash on the Wii U. Once it was remade for the Switch the game introduced a brand new battle mode, all the DLC previously released, and even more characters.
Being one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch so far, it has captivated a lot of players. Offering one of the best experiences you can have with friends or family.
The newer mechanics implemented in the game, offer both automatic acceleration and automatic turning to help newer players understand the game better.
Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee
Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee is a faithful recreation of the first generation of Pokemon given life with Pokemon Go catching mechanics. You can find the original 150 Pokemon mush like before, and this time a second player can join in along with you.
They will always be the opposite gender of your character, and they may not be able to interact with NPCs or pick up items, but Pokemon will follow them.
When battling the second player will always join the fight, and if both players throw their Poke Ball at the same time, you will get a catch bonus, and a special animation will play.
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet are the latest Pokemon games released introducing Generation 9. They introduced many new features, as well as many returning ones.
Despite some bugs that were released with the game, the Pokemon company has done an amazing job fixing up the game. One of the new features added is the ability for players to join other players’ worlds and play together.
You can travel together, complete story beats together, and everything else the game has to offer can be done together. There are no limitations to what you can do with a friend in the game. A first, and welcomed addition to the Pokemon formula.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Super Mario 3D World is the linear course clear Mario game there is. It offers a vast, and interesting amount of stages players can clear. They can clear everything or go only after the bare minimum.
Super Mario 3D World deals with ideas that escalate in challenge the deeper you go into the game. It allows for a fun multiplayer experience, with incentives to both, work together with others and compete against them at the same time.
Even the extra mode added for the Nintendo Switch release, Bowser’s Fury accommodates a co-op experience, giving players the option to try and have fun in many different ways, and environments.
Mario Party Superstars
After the unfortunate train wreck that were the 3DS game releases, and the last two numbered titles, Mario Party began its baby steps back to a more traditional structure.
Mario Party Superstars is the second Mario Party released on the Nintendo Switch, and it takes stages from the original three Mario Parties on the Nintendo 64 and remakes them to many older fans’ delight.
Mario Party Superstars is an enjoyable journey that will charm anyone that gives it a chance. It is made to be played with friends or family. The boards, the games, and the whole game experience, in general, are a must-play.
WarioWare Get it Together!
WarioWare: Get It Together! is the triumphant return of the WarioWare series on the Nintendo Switch.
The main gameplay involves the player playing various microgames in succession and using the various characters from the series, you have access to their unique traits and abilities, allowing the players to approach and complete microgames in different ways.
In Story Mode, up to two players will work together to complete a series of microgames under a time limit to progress the story and unlock more stages and microgames.
After completing Story Mode, you will unlock the Variety Pack, which includes nine minigames that can be played with between one and four players.
Yoshi’s Crafted World
Yoshi’s Crafted World is the sequel to the beloved Yoshi’s Wooly World. The game inherits the adorable aesthetic and goes from wool to crafting materials.
A world fully made from the sky to the world you run on. Everything is made from all different kinds of materials. Cardboard, colored string, and paper. Everything feels like it’s made using household items.
From the beginning of the game, you are free to play the whole story with another player along. Friends or family can tag along with you, while you play through this whole experience as you try to get back the gems for the Sundream Stone.
Final Thoughts
The Nintendo Switch is home to many exclusive games, and a lot of them are quality games that offer a fun experience to play both with your friends and family.
This list covers a lot of games players can only find on the Nintendo Switch, that have Nintendo’s seal of approval to their quality.
If you want to know more about a single-player Nintendo adventure game, check out our guide on the best side quests in the game, in The Legend Of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Now that you know the best two-player game on the Nintendo Switch, let us all know in the comments down below which games do enjoy playing with friends, and did you already have your eyes on a game on the list?
With thousands of hours played on Nintendo systems since the original Gameboy, Nikiforos is happy to share his endless passion for Nintendo franchises and everything he can get his hands on.
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