Console launches generate excitement, bringing fresh game concepts to showcase new hardware alongside established franchises that help build the install base. All three of the Switch 2 Game of the Year finalists are Nintendo-published titles. Future years may include other development teams as third parties gain more time with development kits.
These awards reflect the consensus of the Siliconera staff. Multiplatform games are considered on the platform for which they received the most staff support. For more of the year’s award selections, explore the Game of the Year 2025 archive.
Kirby Air Riders
Despite its unlikelihood, a sequel to Kirby Air Ride arrived two decades later, and it proved to be worth the wait. Air Riders offers a faithful recreation of the original, now with significantly more content to discover and engage with. While Mario Kart World may have been the Switch 2’s launch day flagship, Air Riders is the racer players will keep playing throughout the system’s lifespan.
Donkey Kong Bananza
A Donkey Kong game of this scale and polish has arguably never been seen before. Without diminishing the work of Rare or Retro, the Super Mario Odyssey-style approach applied to Bananza creates a game players will keep returning to. The terrain technology effectively demonstrates what new hardware can achieve beyond simple resolution improvements, and the sheer joy of moving through the world is compelling enough to encourage seeking out more activities.
Winner: Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Given that recent Pokemon entries encountered technical limitations on the original Switch, the launch of Legends Z-A with a dedicated Switch 2 build was a significant event. It is an added benefit that this title follows up on the most mechanically innovative entry in the franchise’s history. Z-A introduces its own concepts, including a real-time combat system that, for the first time, justifies a moveset with multiple moves of the same type. It leaves one wondering what the next Legends installment will attempt.
