Feature: Nintendo Life's Alternative Awards 2025

Most Played Non-2025 Game

Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Look, the OG release of Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 1 came out in 2023, alright? It was a thing of beauty, too. Of course it was. However, it also had its fair share of issues on the performance side of things.

With the Switch 2 upgrade, it sort of feels a bit like getting to play it all over for the first time, as everything runs and looks as it should, thanks to the extra grunt under the console's hood.

A masterpiece which could be somewhat sullied at points by stutters and bugs now breezes along in a blur of beautiful [insert word beginning with B].

Runners up: Hollow Knight, Katamari Damacy, Balatro

Best 'Switch 2 Game That Really Could Do With Mouse Mode Support' 2025

Winner: Divinity Original Sin 2: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Now, now. We're not picking on Larian for the AI business. That's not how we roll up, all sneaky like that. No, this is earned entirely on its own merits.

Releasing a (free) Switch 2 upgrade really should (and this is coming from someone who hasn't a clue how anything real actually works, remember) have entailed adding mouse support. Come on. It's an open goal.

Luckily, and perhaps the reason why they didn't bother, let's face it, the console controls are well-designed and perfectly functional, so it's not the biggest deal. Would have been nice, though.

Runners Up: Two Point Museum, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

Most Relatable Switch Game Title

Winner: This is Fine: Maximum Cope

It's been quite a year, eh. Or decade, even? Quite the time in terms of laying the boot into the old universal cerebral cortex over the past few years, and so this award goes to the perfectly monikered This is Fine: Maximum Cope. It's even got a puzzled dog on the cover. Nothing has ever matched the current mood quite so well, has it?

Alright, this one isn't actually out yet, but wait! There has been a demo you see, and we (this guy) played it in 2025 and were impressed, and so this one gets in on a technicality, and it's coming in March. Oh, and it actually looks like they might have turned a meme into a good Metroidvania?

(Also, it's the best title for this particular bit, so just leave it out and go get me some more stuffing sandwiches.)

Runners Up: Full Metal Schoolgirl, Reanimal

Most 'Huh?' Nintendo Moment 2025

Winner: Game-Key Cards

Let's not turn full Debbie Downer and mull over it at length (god knows we've talked enough about it, already), but the old Game-Key card situation has been about as Nintendo as you're gonna get.

At least it's getting fixed now with the slightly bigger cards on the way for devs to work with. However, despite the fix, we're punching Nintendo when it's down here by also giving them the runners-up spot, too. HAHA! *much pointing*

Runner up: Welcome Tour not being a pack-in, not being able to team up with friends playing Drag x Drive, Switch 2 actually releasing

Game That Crashed Our Switch The Most 2025

Winner: SKYRIM!!!

WHAT??

Yes. You don't have your screen upside down. You aren't having a sausage and/or stuffing-related "episode". End-of-year shadow-drop Skyrim clinches this one. They've patched the latency since launch, at least.

Runner Up: Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

The 'It's About Bloody Time' Award 2025

Winner: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

It's been so long since Metroid Prime 3: Corruption released that, in the time between then and now, this writer has lost 98.7% of his hair.

It's been a lifetime (for my hair), in other words, but this year finally saw the release of this veeeeeery long-awaited follow-up. Oh, and it's a bit of a belter judging by that great big 9/10 we smacked on it back at launch.

Easily one of the best-looking things on Switch 2 thus far, this is a gripping return to the Prime series that got us excited to turn into a little ball and roll through lots of holes and vents all over again. Ahhhhh. That's the good stuff.

Runners up: Hollow Knight: Silksong

Biggest Surprise 2025

Winner: Absolum

Did anyone else see this coming? Absolum, in this writer's case, is one of those sorts of games that, on the face things, I've sort of had enough of. Beat 'em up? Played loads of 'em, mate. Roguelike? Are you joking? *points at landmass composed entirely of roguelikes*

And yet! Brilliance persists and counteracts any measure of festive miserliness, and in this case the brilliance is such that, as we said in our 9/10 review, it evolves the genres involved "into something fresh and exciting."

Speaking of fresh and exciting, is anyone going to eat that last Spicy Crab Christmas Tree? *belch*

Runner up: Virtual Boy announced for Nintendo Switch Online

Best 'Game That Didn't Materialise Yet' 2025

Winner: Borderlands 4

Ah. Claptrap. How we love to hate your metal guts. Absolutely terrible. The rest of the Borderlands series, however, is absolutely worth hanging about for, and in Borderlands 4, well, we reckon this is probably about as good, as cohesive, as the series has ever got, really.

You know the drill if you've ever played a Borderlands game before; pump a smorgasbord of fiendish mutant enemies full of all manner of zany bullets for access to millions - literally there might be millions - of different types of crazily inventive guns, launchers, grenades, and all that good looter-shooter stuff.

It looks better than ever, it plays a belter on other platforms, and we were really expecting to be blasting through it on Switch 2 by now. Maybe a stealth drop before the New Year? Come on, lads.

Runners up: Elden Ring, Stardew Valley - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, a new 3D Mario *DK side-eye*

Best Hamster 2025

Winner: Rick (Kirby Air Riders)

OH MY GOD. IT'S RIIIIIIIIIICK! RIIIIIIIIICK!

And that's it for this year! As always, let us know if you've got other nominations for any of the above categories down below!