All my life, I’ve been a Nintendo fanboy. With the noted exception of the Virtual Boy and the Wii U, I haven’t skipped a generation. Despite its rather unconventional controller design, I really loved the GameCube too. The Nintendo Switch has now officially surpassed the GameCube in lifetime sales, and it’s on pace to surpass the PS4 (in Japan) too. Great Nintendo Switch games certainly have a lot to do with that.

The flexibility of the “portable home console” dynamic probably helps a lot too. I got the Switch for Father’s Day last year, but the only physical games I’ve accumulated thus far are Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Ultra Street Fighter II, and Mario Tennis Aces. I’ve picked up some cheap Switch accessories, but I need some more Nintendo Switch games to go with them!

With the holiday season upon us, I thought I’d gather up the five games at the top of my wish list. Let’s play.

       

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Shut up and take my money!

Ever since that epic reveal trailer (embedded below), I’ve been convinced that I absolutely have to have Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in my life. They’re going with the tagline “Everyone Is Here,” because every character that has ever appeared in the Smash Bros. series is in here. And they’re joined by newcomers Ken (Street Fighter), Incineroar (Pokemon), and Simon and Richter (Castlevania) too. I can’t wait!

Super Smash Bros. for Switch launches on December 7.


 

Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!

Contrary to popular belief, I’ve never been especially big on Pokemon. I enjoyed Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Snap on the Nintendo 64, sure, but I never played the original RPGs. The Pokemon Go mobile game had me for a while, but I’ve long since ducked out of that too.

So, why does Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! (and the Let’s Go, Pikachu! counterpart) make my list of Nintendo Switch games to get this holiday season? Well, for starters, it’s so darn adorable. It takes the classic RPG formula, updates it with new graphics, and makes it approachable for folks who aren’t usually into RPGs. And my daughter loves Pokemon, so there’s the bonding opportunity.

To be fair, I’ve been thinking about getting Pokken Tournament DX for the Switch for some time too. I’m more of a fighting game guy, you see. Even so, I can see how Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! can pull you in for hours, especially if you get the optional Poke Ball accessory. It comes out on November 16.


 

Kirby Star Allies

Speaking of games I think I can play with my four-year-old, there’s Kirby Star Allies. I downloaded the demo to my Switch not long after I got it. At the time, Addie couldn’t really understand how to use a controller at all.

We tried playing again yesterday, and now she has some grasp of how to use the joystick to move and press a button to jump. She still walks straight into enemies instead of avoiding or attacking them, so that’s something we can work on. What I really like about this, just like New Super Mario Bros. for Wii, is that it’s a co-operative platformer.

You work as a “team” of four (the CPU takes over any non-human players), meaning this is a great family game! And who doesn’t love Kirby, right?


 

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at a lot of fighting games. I got into Mortal Kombat for a time, as well as Killer Instinct, Marvel vs. Capcom, Virtua Fighter, King of Fighters and more. Street Fighter has always been my franchise of choice, which is why Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Edition is so tempting too.

But there’s something special about Dragon Ball FighterZ that’s oh so alluring. From what I can gather, you get some of the over-the-top anime fighter action in a package that’s similar to the frantic speed of Marvel vs. Capcom. I’m not sure if I’d be able to keep up (I probably couldn’t), but I’m certainly willing to try. Kamehameha!


 

Scribblenauts Mega Pack

Not to be confused with Scribblenauts Showdown, which is apparently quite terrible, Scribblenauts Mega Pack combines Scribblenauts Unlimited and Unmasked into one cartridge. These games were originally released on 3DS, Wii U and PC (plus mobile in the case of Unlimited). For my part, I didn’t get Scribblenauts on the 3DS, but I loved it on the DS.

I loved how open and creative it was, because you could literally write (almost) any word and have it manifest in the game world. It made from some truly unique puzzle solving possibilities with near infinite replay value. I’m just curious how well the gameplay works out if you’re not using the touchscreen.


 

What Nintendo Switch Games Do You Want?

On some level, you could argue that the Switch has become a console of ports. I’ve been thinking about getting Hyrule Warriors and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, for example, both of which are effectively repackaged Wii U games. It’s also home to lots of great indie titles like 20XX, which can get overshadowed by these bigger budget offerings.

To that end, are there any Nintendo Switch games at the top of your holiday wish list? Is it weird that I still haven’t played Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey?