Start with Super Mario Bros. Wonder if you want the clearest, lowest-pressure introduction to Nintendo games. Choose The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild if exploration and open-ended problem solving sound more appealing than short levels. Choose Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet for a turn-based role-playing game built around selecting moves and managing a party. Choose Metroid Prime Remastered for first-person exploration, scanning, navigation and combat; try the free Metroid Dread demo first if you want to test whether the series suits you.
You do not need to play older entries before any of these games. The right starting point depends on how much control precision, reading, navigation and real-time pressure you want to handle.
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Quick picks: the best first game in each Nintendo franchise
| Franchise and game | Best for | What you do most | Beginner consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario — Super Mario Bros. Wonder | Players who want immediate, readable platforming | Run, jump, collect items and clear discrete levels | Nabbit and Yoshi do not take damage from enemies; local and online play support one to four players |
| Zelda — The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Players who prefer exploration and self-directed goals | Explore, solve environmental problems and fight in real time | More navigation, reading and systems learning than a linear platformer |
| Pokémon — Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet | Players who like turn-based decisions and collecting | Select moves, manage a party and progress through role-playing systems | Released November 18, 2022; reading menus and planning a team are central |
| Metroid — Metroid Prime Remastered | Players who want first-person exploration | Scan clues, navigate connected areas and fight enemies | Camera control and route-finding add complexity; Metroid Dread has a free demo listed by Nintendo |
These are style-based recommendations rather than a universal ranking. Nintendo’s current beginner material lists Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Pokémon Scarlet, Pokémon Violet, Metroid Prime Remastered and Metroid Dread among relevant Nintendo Switch choices. The recommendations above favor the entry whose structure most clearly teaches the franchise’s defining ideas.
How to choose: four questions that predict whether a game will feel comfortable
How much control precision do you want?
Wonder asks you to control a character’s movement and jumps in real time, but its level-by-level format keeps the immediate objective visible. Breath of the Wild and Metroid Prime Remastered add camera control, aiming and movement through larger spaces. Pokémon is the least demanding option for reflexes because battles pause for your choice of move; the challenge comes from understanding options and planning a party.
#1 Best Overall
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Do you prefer clear levels or a world to investigate?
Mario presents discrete stages. You normally enter a level, learn its hazards and reach its goal before choosing another. Zelda gives you a broad world and expects you to decide where to travel and which problems to solve. Pokémon uses a route-and-party progression model, with exploration supporting encounters, team building and battles. Metroid’s areas are interconnected, so progress often depends on remembering a location and recognizing how a new discovery changes where you can go.
How much pressure is comfortable?
For the least intimidating first session, choose Wonder and select Nabbit or Yoshi. Nintendo’s official description says that these characters “won’t transform with power-ups, but they also don’t take damage from enemies, so they’re perfect for players who are just starting out.” That removes one common source of frustration while leaving the level structure intact.
Zelda and Metroid place you in real-time encounters while you are also learning a map. Pokémon removes reaction-time pressure from battles, but decisions can be more involved because you are selecting moves and maintaining a party. Your preferred kind of challenge matters more than a simple easy-versus-hard label.
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Are reading and problem solving enjoyable for you?
Nintendo’s parent guidance describes action-and-adventure games such as Zelda as requiring “problem-solving, hand-eye coordination, and reading skills.” Those skills also help in Metroid, where scanning and navigation are part of play, and in Pokémon, where menus, move descriptions and party management explain your choices. Mario has reading and discovery too, but its basic movement goal is visible immediately.
Why Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the safest default
What makes it beginner-friendly
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the strongest general recommendation because it teaches movement through short, self-contained platforming levels rather than asking you to understand a large map or a complicated party. You can concentrate on running, jumping, avoiding hazards and reaching the end of a stage. The game was released on October 20, 2023, according to Nintendo’s official product information.
The choice of character changes the pressure. Nabbit and Yoshi do not take damage from enemies, which lets a new player practice movement without losing progress whenever an enemy is touched. Nintendo also notes that they do not transform with power-ups, so the trade-off is a simpler defensive experience rather than access to every transformation. Mario and the other standard characters retain the conventional risk-and-reward platforming rules.
Who should start with Wonder?
- Someone who has little experience with game controllers and wants to learn one movement system at a time.
- A family that wants to play together instead of handing the controller back and forth.
- A player who prefers visible goals and discrete stages to an open map.
- Anyone who wants to try Nintendo without first learning a large inventory, party or quest system.
How multiplayer changes the first session
Nintendo lists support for one to four players locally and one to four players online. That makes Wonder a practical first Nintendo game for a household or a group of friends. A more experienced player can join while the beginner experiments with movement, although the screen still requires everyone to coordinate. For solo play, use the forgiving character option; for shared play, agree on who will lead through unfamiliar sections so the new player is not constantly left behind.
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- Begin in handheld, tabletop or TV mode according to which screen makes the controls easiest to see. Nintendo lists all three play modes for Switch games in its beginner material.
- Select Nabbit or Yoshi if avoiding enemy damage is more important than using every power-up transformation.
- Play several levels without trying to collect everything. Learn the jump arc and how the camera follows the group before pursuing optional discoveries.
- Add a second player only after the beginner is comfortable moving and stopping. In a group, let the new player choose the character and pace.
Where to start with Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Why it is the exploration gateway
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the right first Zelda for a player who wants to decide what to investigate instead of following a fixed level-by-level route. Nintendo’s current Switch guide lists it among the series’ must-play games. Its action-adventure structure combines travel, environmental problems, reading and real-time combat, so the game teaches you to observe a place and choose your own response.
Rank #2
- 6.2” LCD screen
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
- Nintendo Switch is the home of Mario & friends
This freedom is also the reason it is not the easiest universal recommendation. A beginner must interpret landmarks, decide where to go next and learn several systems while moving through the world. If you find open-ended games motivating, that learning is the appeal. If an unclear destination feels stressful, start with Wonder or Pokémon first.
What skills you will use
- Navigation: identifying routes and remembering places you may want to revisit.
- Problem solving: working out how the environment, objects and tools can help.
- Hand-eye coordination: moving, aiming and responding during real-time encounters.
- Reading: following instructions and understanding the information presented by the game.
These are the same skills Nintendo calls out for action-and-adventure games in its parent guidance. They are not prerequisites; they are the abilities the game gradually asks you to practice.
How a first-time player can reduce friction
- Expect to spend the opening session learning rather than trying to move quickly toward a final objective.
- When a path is unclear, treat nearby landmarks and environmental clues as information instead of assuming you have missed a required level.
- Use the map and notes to create your own short-term destination. A specific next stop is easier to manage than trying to understand the entire world.
- Approach combat as one part of exploration. If a fight is overwhelming, changing your route is consistent with the game’s open structure.
Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom?
Nintendo’s current guide lists both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. For a first Zelda, Breath of the Wild is the clearer starting recommendation because it establishes the modern open-exploration format before you add the later game’s additional systems. You do not need to complete an older Zelda title first.
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Why Pokémon works as a first Nintendo role-playing game
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet are structured around turn-based battles, selecting moves, managing a party and collecting creatures. Because you choose an action from a menu before the turn resolves, there is no requirement to perform precise jumps or aim a camera during a battle. That makes Pokémon a good first Nintendo game for players who prefer decisions over reflexes.
Nintendo’s beginner guide lists both versions with a release date of November 18, 2022. The two versions are separate editions of the same broad format; choose based on availability, the edition your friends or family use, or which cover and version-specific presentation you prefer. The core beginner skills remain the same.
What can feel difficult at first
Pokémon is gentle on reaction time but not completely effortless. You need to read move descriptions, compare options, decide which creatures belong in your active party and understand how a battle’s result changes your next choice. Menus and terminology can take longer to learn than Mario’s controls. A player who enjoys collecting, organizing and making plans will usually find that structure satisfying.
A practical first-session plan
- Read the opening explanations instead of rushing through them; they establish the battle and party vocabulary used later.
- Keep the party organized around creatures you enjoy while you learn. You do not need an optimized team to understand the basic loop.
- In each battle, read the available moves and select deliberately. Turn-based play gives you time to examine the choice.
- After a session, review which creatures and moves felt intuitive. Use that observation to decide what you want to train next.
Who should choose Pokémon first?
- Players who like collecting goals and gradual progression.
- People who prefer menu decisions to camera control and platforming precision.
- Newcomers who want to pause and think before committing to an action.
- Families comfortable with a game that involves more reading than a basic platformer.
Where to start with Metroid: Prime Remastered or Dread
Metroid Prime Remastered for first-person exploration
Metroid Prime Remastered is the cited first-person Metroid option for a newcomer. Its defining loop combines scanning, navigation and combat. You are not simply moving from one numbered stage to the next; you are examining an interconnected environment, gathering information and using it to understand where progress is possible.
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Rank #3
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- Travel the stars with enhanced resolution, improved UI, and additional content
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Metroid Dread as a low-risk trial
Nintendo’s current guide marks Metroid Dread as having a free demo. The demo is useful for answering a specific question: do you enjoy the series’ combination of exploration and real-time combat? A demo cannot establish every late-game system, but it can reveal whether movement, aiming and searching for routes feel satisfying to you.
How to approach your first Metroid session
- Spend time learning the movement and view controls before worrying about speed.
- Scan points of interest and read the information they provide; scanning is part of the intended investigation, not an optional distraction.
- When you reach a blocked route, remember its location rather than assuming you have failed. Metroid’s interconnected design makes revisiting meaningful.
- Separate navigation problems from combat problems. Practice each skill on its own so you know which part is causing difficulty.
Who should pick Metroid first?
Choose Metroid before the other franchises if first-person perspective, environmental clues and backtracking sound appealing. Choose Mario or Pokémon first if you want a more immediately legible path through the game. There is no requirement to play earlier 2D or 3D Metroid titles before Prime Remastered or Dread.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Side-by-side comparison by beginner concern
| Concern | Mario: Wonder | Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Pokémon Scarlet/Violet | Metroid Prime Remastered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary control demand | Movement and platforming precision | Movement, camera and real-time action | Menu selection and party management | First-person movement, camera and aiming |
| World structure | Discrete levels | Open exploration | Route-and-party progression | Interconnected first-person areas |
| Pressure relief | Nabbit or Yoshi take no enemy damage; optional multiplayer | Choose routes and problems at your own pace | Battles pause for your move selection | Free Dread demo offers a trial of the series |
| Most important non-control skill | Recognizing hazards and timing jumps | Reading, navigation and problem solving | Reading move information and planning a party | Scanning, remembering routes and interpreting clues |
| Social option documented by Nintendo | One to four players locally and online | Not stated in the cited beginner material | Not stated in the cited beginner material | Not stated in the cited beginner material |
Do you need to play older Nintendo games first?
No. Each recommended game is a practical entry point into its franchise. Older games can explain where a design idea came from, but they are not a prerequisite for understanding the basic controls or objectives in these Switch releases. Start with the game whose structure matches your preferred way of learning.
Nintendo’s current beginner guide also points to Nintendo Switch Online access to classic NES, SNES and Game Boy libraries. Those collections are optional historical context, not homework. If you enjoy a modern entry, you can later sample an older title to see how its controls, graphics and pacing evolved.
Parents and first-time players: ratings, reading and shared play
Check the rating in your region
Ratings and content descriptors vary by region and can change with a product edition. Nintendo’s parent guidance gives examples ranging from an Everyone-rated racing game to Zelda content rated Everyone 10+ with fantasy violence and mild suggestive themes. Check the rating displayed for the exact edition you intend to buy, especially when a child will be playing.
Match the game to the player’s skills
- Young or very new player: begin with Wonder, using Nabbit or Yoshi when avoiding enemy damage is helpful.
- Reader who likes stories and decisions: consider Pokémon, where menus and party choices are central.
- Confident explorer: try Breath of the Wild and allow time for self-directed discovery.
- Player interested in investigation: use the Dread demo or begin with Prime Remastered if first-person controls are comfortable.
Use multiplayer as support, not a test
Wonder is the only recommendation here with a documented one-to-four-player local and online mode. A second player can make a first session social and forgiving, but let the beginner set the pace. Taking over every difficult section may finish a level faster while preventing the new player from learning the controls.
Buying and access checklist
Before purchasing, confirm the platform, edition, region and whether you want a physical or digital copy. Nintendo’s official Wonder page confirms a physical edition, publisher and developer information, the October 20, 2023 release date, player counts and the beginner character options. Stock, prices, online-service terms and compatibility details can change, so verify those details for the exact listing at the time of purchase.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor a physical search, use the complete game name plus “Nintendo Switch,” such as “Super Mario Bros. Wonder Nintendo Switch,” “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch,” “Pokémon Violet Nintendo Switch” or “Metroid Prime Remastered Nintendo Switch.” Check that the result is the intended edition and region rather than assuming every listing has the same contents.
Accessories are optional. Wonder supports TV, tabletop and handheld play, and its one-to-four-player design can make additional controllers useful for a household. A carrying case, screen protector or extra controller may improve convenience, but none is required to learn the games.
Quick Recap
A decision in one minute
- Want the clearest controls and the least intimidating first step? Pick Super Mario Bros. Wonder; choose Nabbit or Yoshi if enemy damage is discouraging.
- Want to roam, read clues and solve problems without a fixed route? Pick The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
- Want turn-based battles, collecting and party management? Pick Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet, both released November 18, 2022.
- Want first-person scanning and interconnected exploration? Try the Metroid Dread demo first, then choose Metroid Prime Remastered if the format feels right.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
