Top 8 Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

You can’t talk about the best Nintendo exclusives of 2017 without mentioning The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Putting players in control of Link once again, players explore a huge, fully-realized version of Hyrule, except this time it’s close to falling to Ganon’s darkness. It’s a new take on the classic Legend of Zelda story formula, but it’s one that works perfectly for the stunning world that players find themselves in.

From the moment you start until the credits roll, Breath of the Wild is a breathtaking experience filled with wondrous secrets to find and tough challenges to face. The combat is slick, exploration is nothing short of a joy, and the sense of freedom makes it incredibly easy to burn entire evenings doing anything but the main quest. With over 100 Shrines to not only test your skills but your brains, too, there’s plenty of content to keep you going for near 100 hours. It’s only going to get better with the release of its expansions, too. If you’ve got a Switch or a Wii U and haven’t yet picked up Breath of the Wild, you should absolutely buy it right this second.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

During its initial reveal trailer, the Switch was shown to be a great, portable, multiplayer machine. Thanks to its Joy-Con, you’ve always got to miniature controllers at your disposal, and what better game to play with friends and family on tiny controllers than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? The answer, nothing.

While Mario Kart 8 did originally release on the Wii U, Deluxe is the definitive way to play the critically-acclaimed kart racer. 1080p visuals and buttery smooth framerates? Check. All DLC characters, vehicles, and tracks? Check. A battle mode that doesn’t suck? You get the picture, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has just about everything from the original, but bigger and better. Whether you’re playing on your TV or the Switch’s screen, the game’s colorful stages and dazzling effects truly pop.

Sure, some may find it disappointing that Deluxe didn’t add in any new characters or tracks to the already established rosters from the Wii U version, but there’s still ample content here to keep you playing your Switch for months on end.

Snipperclips

Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

Snipperclips is quite literally the perfect game for the Switch. Best experienced in co-op, you and your friend must cut each other to form new shapes and complete a variety of puzzles. Cue plenty of head scratching, laughs, and frustration as you “accidentally” cut your friend in half.

While its puzzles don’t always take that long to finish, the admission cost is well worth the experience to be had. It’s one of the more social, couch co-op experiences I’ve played this year, and a shining example of how it should be done. With a delightful 2D art style, and gameplay that is just pure fun, fans couldn’t ask for much more in a cheap and cheerful launch title for their Switch.

ARMS

Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

It’s pretty safe to say that when Nintendo hosted its Switch event back in January, ARMS wasn’t the kind of reveal fans had been hoping for. With a pretty heavy focus on motion controls, many groaned that Nintendo still hadn’t learned its lesson. Skip forward six months, however, and ARMS is sitting pretty with a fairly positive reception from both fans and critics alike.

For those unaware, ARMS is a fighter that puts players in control of a character and their extendable arms. These arms come in all shapes and sizes with a variety of abilities to boot. As such, ARMS not only becomes a game of how good you are at throwing punches and diving out of the way of incoming hits, but finding a perfect pair of arms to match your playstyle.

With a good variety of modes for casual and competitive players, and motion controls that feel great to use, ARMS is an excellent take on the fighting genre. While it may not have a ton of content to unlock right now, there’s plenty more coming via free updates in the future to keep you coming back.

Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia

Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

Nintendo has been on a bit of a roll when it comes to Fire Emblem. Not only has the company released a good few Fire Emblem games since the start of 2016, but they’ve all been pretty great, too. Shadows of Valentia doesn’t buck this trend, but it does offer a drastically different experience to that which fans of the series may have grown accustomed to.

Shadows of Valentia isn’t a new game, but instead a remake of 1992’s Fire Emblem Gaiden. It sticks with the original’s more stat-focused combat over the rock, paper, scissors-style combat of the rest of the series. While this is sure to be jarring to long-term fans of the series, Shadows of Valentia is still just as rewarding as other Fire Emblem titles.

The game also includes fully explorable 3D dungeons, another major change for the series. With alluring rewards and challenging enemies awaiting inside, these become a true test of your skill that you actually want to complete.

Shadows of Valentia might be different to other Fire Emblem titles, but it offers the same quality of strategy-focused fun that fans have come to know and love from the series.

Bye-Bye Boxboy!

Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

Bye-Bye Boxboy! is the third and final entry into the Boxboy puzzle series. The 2D puzzle-platforming gameplay, at its core, remains the same but this time around Qbby has a bunch of new powers at his disposal, as well as some friends he has to help out along the way. All of this makes for an adventure with Qbby that nails the balance of familiar and different, that makes the game a joy to play right up until its final level.

With tons of levels of challenging, puzzle fun, Bye-Bye Boxboy! is yet another great way to pass those train journeys, quick five minutes you need to fill, or long quiet evenings in on your 3DS.

Ever Oasis

Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

The 3DS has a pretty solid library of RPGs for players to pick and choose from, and it got another addition in the form of Ever Oasis in June. As a Seedling, players must build a large and prosperous oasis in the desert. You can work alongside other tribes to achieve your goals, craft materials for building or upgrading your equipment, and do battle against the Chaos that threatens the peace of the desert.

There’s an absolute ton of things you can do here, each with a surprising layer of depth that drags you in even further, though the story and world don’t feel as alluring. Whether you’re looking for town management, combat, puzzles, or crafting, Ever Oasis has it all. While it may have a slow start as it teaches you all of the basics, Ever Oasis becomes a compelling, time-consuming RPG that’s difficult to put down.

Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World

Best Nintendo Exclusives of 2017 So Far

If you’ve been looking for a platformer with an abundance of charm, happiness, and fun gameplay, then Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World is a pretty great choice for you. You’ll guide Yoshi (& Poochy, if you choose) through a variety of different themed worlds, beating bosses and gathering collectibles along the way.

It all sounds like a standard platforming adventure, but it’s the charm of the game’s design and its presentation that brings the game to life. A cheery soundtrack accompanies the platforming antics throughout, and Poochy is a great addition to the game, albeit a little underutilized unless you go for the super easy ‘Mellow’ mode. While it may not look as great as it did back on the Wii U, Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World still offers intuitive and novel platforming fun on the go.