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For most first-time Nintendo players, start with Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Its discrete levels teach movement gradually, and choosing Nabbit or Yoshi removes enemy damage while you learn. It also supports one to four players locally and online, making it the easiest entry for a solo player, child, family, or shared living-room session.
Choose The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild if exploration and experimentation sound more appealing than a clearly marked level sequence. Choose Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet for turn-based battles, party management, and collecting. Choose Metroid Prime Remastered for first-person exploration, scanning, and combat; if you want to try the series before buying, Nintendo lists a free demo for Metroid Dread.
Quick answer: which Nintendo game should you play first?
| Game | Best for | Control load | World structure | Pressure level | Beginner advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. Wonder | Learning movement and platforming | Direct character movement and jumping | Discrete levels | Low, especially with Nabbit or Yoshi | Those characters do not take damage from enemies; one to four players can play locally or online |
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Exploration and experimentation | Movement, camera control, combat, inventory and environmental interaction | Open exploration without a fixed level-by-level route | Medium; you learn systems while navigating | It rewards curiosity, but requires more reading, problem-solving and orientation than Mario |
| Pokémon Scarlet/Violet | A structured role-playing game | Menus, move selection and party management | Route-and-party progression with collecting | Low during battles because turns give you time to decide | The battle loop is easy to understand one choice at a time |
| Metroid Prime Remastered | First-person exploration | Camera, aiming, movement, scanning and combat | Interconnected areas that require navigation | Higher; orientation and real-time encounters matter | It combines investigation with action rather than relying only on reflexes |
| Metroid Dread | Trying Metroid with minimal commitment | Fast two-dimensional movement and combat | Interconnected areas | Higher than Mario or Pokémon | Nintendo lists a free demo, so you can test the feel before committing |
You do not need to play older games first. Each recommended entry is a reasonable starting point for its franchise; select according to the controls and pacing you actually enjoy.
Start with Mario: Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Why it is the safest default
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the clearest introduction to Nintendo-style movement. You run, jump and react to obstacles in individual levels, so the game teaches one small skill at a time instead of asking you to understand a large inventory or map immediately. Nintendo released it on October 20, 2023.
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The most important beginner setting is character choice. Nintendo says: “Nabbit and Yoshis 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 the main punishment for mistimed contact while leaving the player free to learn level layouts and jumping distances.
How to begin your first session
- Choose Nabbit or a Yoshi if failing against enemies would make the first session frustrating. Select a standard character when you want the conventional challenge.
- Play the earliest available levels in order. Treat each one as a short lesson in running, jumping and recognizing hazards rather than trying to collect everything immediately.
- Repeat a level when a movement feels unfamiliar. Short, discrete stages make practice inexpensive: you can retry a specific jump without retracing a large world.
- Add another player only when the learner is ready. Wonder supports one to four players on one system and one to four players online. A more experienced player can provide company, but a busy screen may be less useful if the beginner is still learning basic movement.
Who should choose Wonder?
- Players who have never used a platform game.
- Children or adults who prefer visible goals and short attempts.
- Families wanting a shared game without requiring everyone to understand a role-playing system.
- Anyone who wants the least stressful route into Nintendo’s major franchises.
Wonder is not the best first choice for someone who specifically wants aiming, exploration or menu-based battles. It is the best default because its control problem is narrow and immediately understandable.
Start with Zelda: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What makes it different from Mario
Breath of the Wild is an exploration gateway rather than a guided platforming course. Nintendo’s current Switch guide lists it among its must-play games, alongside Tears of the Kingdom. For a new player, Breath of the Wild is the cleaner starting point because it establishes the modern open-exploration format before a sequel adds further systems.
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You decide where to go, what to investigate and when to take a risk. The game therefore has a larger control and information load: movement and camera control happen in real time, combat requires hand-eye coordination, and menus, environmental clues and written prompts all matter. Nintendo’s parent guidance describes action-adventure games such as Zelda as requiring “problem-solving, hand-eye coordination, and reading skills.”
A low-friction way to learn
- Read the opening prompts instead of rushing through them. They establish the interaction and combat vocabulary that the rest of the game assumes.
- Follow the early objectives until the basic tools are introduced. After that, use the environment to practice climbing, movement and combat at your own pace.
- Mark points of interest on the map. A simple marker prevents the open world from becoming a memory test and gives you a personal route to follow.
- Experiment before searching for an optimal solution. Zelda is designed around trying an approach, observing the result and adapting; there is rarely one required route through an obstacle.
- Pause when the interface becomes the difficult part. Inventory management, map reading and equipment decisions are separate skills from swordplay, and learning them gradually is normal.
Who should start with Breath of the Wild?
Pick it when the idea of wandering, solving environmental problems and discovering your own route is more exciting than clearing numbered levels. Avoid making it your first Nintendo game if you want constant direction or find camera control stressful. The open structure is its attraction, but it is also the reason it asks more of a beginner than Wonder.
Start with Pokémon: Scarlet or Violet
The right kind of first RPG
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet are turn-based role-playing games built around selecting moves, managing a party and collecting creatures. Nintendo lists both with a November 18, 2022 release date. Because decisions occur through menus and turns, you have time to read an option and consider it; success does not depend on aiming or split-second camera movement.
The core loop is easy to state: explore, encounter Pokémon, choose which ones to keep in your party, select moves in battle and adjust your team as you learn what works. The longer-term challenge is organization rather than reflexes. You may be comfortable with battles while still learning which creatures to carry, which moves to keep and when to return to a previous area.
Beginner habits that prevent confusion
- Read every move description. The text explains what a choice does, so guessing is unnecessary during early battles.
- Keep a varied party while learning. You do not need a mathematically perfect team; carrying different kinds of Pokémon gives you more answers when an opponent resists one approach.
- Use ordinary battles as practice. They let you test moves and party order without treating every encounter as a high-stakes event.
- Save before a major decision or difficult encounter. This gives a new player a safe point from which to try a different strategy.
- Do not chase completion immediately. Collecting is part of the appeal, but learning the battle and party loops first keeps the opening hours manageable.
Scarlet or Violet?
For a beginner, the fundamental learning experience is the same: turn-based battles, party decisions and collecting. Choose the version that is available in your region, fits your preferred cover character or is the one your household already owns. You do not need an earlier Pokémon game to understand either one.
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Pokémon is a particularly good first Nintendo game for players who dislike repeated real-time failure. It is less suitable if you want constant physical action or find reading menus tiring.
Start with Metroid: Prime Remastered or Dread
Choose Prime Remastered for first-person investigation
Metroid Prime Remastered is Nintendo’s first-person option for a beginner who wants exploration, scanning, navigation and combat. You investigate connected spaces rather than simply moving from one independent level to the next. That means the game tests spatial memory and map reading as well as aiming.
Start by scanning objects and paying attention to environmental clues. When you reach a blocked route, the useful question is often not “How do I fight harder?” but “What information or ability is this room asking me to notice?” Marking where you could not proceed can prevent aimless backtracking later.
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Nintendo’s current guide lists Metroid Dread and identifies a free demo. That makes Dread the lowest-risk way to discover whether Metroid’s combination of navigation and real-time combat suits you. A demo is especially valuable here because the series’ pressure comes from the interaction of movement, enemies and orientation; a description cannot tell you whether that rhythm feels comfortable.
If the demo’s pace appeals to you but you prefer a first-person viewpoint and more scanning, move to Metroid Prime Remastered. If you want faster movement and a more immediate action test, continue with Dread.
Who should wait before choosing Metroid?
Metroid is a poor first pick for someone who wants a forgiving cooperative game or a clearly numbered sequence of short stages. Navigation mistakes and real-time encounters are part of the experience. It is a strong first choice for players who enjoy drawing conclusions from surroundings and do not mind revisiting connected areas.
Compare the four franchises by the decision that matters
Control load
Wonder concentrates on precision movement. Zelda adds camera control, combat and environmental interaction. Pokémon moves most of its difficulty into menus and party decisions. Metroid combines camera control, aiming, scanning and navigation. If you are buying for someone who has never used a game controller, that progression is more useful than a ranking based on popularity.
World structure
- Wonder: discrete levels with clear local goals.
- Breath of the Wild: open exploration with no fixed level-by-level route.
- Pokémon: route-and-party progression centered on encounters and team management.
- Metroid: interconnected first-person areas where remembering locations and routes matters.
Pressure and problem solving
Wonder offers the lowest pressure when you choose Nabbit or Yoshi. Pokémon gives you time to choose during battles, although party management becomes deeper over time. Zelda asks you to solve problems while controlling a character in real time. Metroid asks for both navigation and combat under pressure. Nintendo’s guidance specifically connects action-adventure play with problem-solving, hand-eye coordination and reading, which explains why Zelda and Metroid feel more demanding even when their individual controls are learnable.
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Social play and trial options
Wonder is the clear social choice: Nintendo documents one to four players on one system and one to four players online. The other recommendations are better treated as individual learning experiences. For low-commitment testing, Nintendo lists a free Metroid Dread demo. Nintendo Switch Online also provides access to classic NES, SNES and Game Boy libraries, giving subscribers a way to sample older Nintendo design without needing to understand a franchise’s history first. Online-service availability and terms can change, so check the current Nintendo listing for your region.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do you need to play older Nintendo games first?
No. The recommended games are modern entry points, not exams on Nintendo history. Wonder teaches its movement language inside its own levels. Breath of the Wild introduces its exploration systems directly. Scarlet and Violet explain the turn-based battle loop and party decisions as you play. Prime Remastered presents scanning and navigation for a new player, while the Dread demo lets you test its style independently.
Older games can be valuable later if you become interested in how a series evolved. They are optional context, not prerequisites for understanding these releases.
Choosing for a child or a mixed-skill household
Match the game to the learner’s frustration tolerance
- Low tolerance for failure: Wonder with Nabbit or Yoshi.
- Enjoys stories, reading and collecting: Pokémon Scarlet or Violet.
- Likes wandering and solving puzzles: Breath of the Wild.
- Enjoys action and investigation: Metroid Prime Remastered, after considering the Dread demo.
Check the rating and skills, not just the character
Nintendo’s parent guidance uses examples ranging from Everyone-rated family games to Everyone 10+ Zelda content with fantasy violence and mild suggestive themes. Ratings and descriptors belong to the individual title, so check the current regional rating before handing over the controller. Also consider the skills the game demands: reading and problem solving may be more important than age alone in Zelda and Pokémon, while camera control and hand-eye coordination matter more in Zelda and Metroid.
Buying and setup considerations
Nintendo confirms a physical edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, along with its publisher, developer, October 20, 2023 release date and player counts. Editions, regional availability, stock and compatibility information can change, so verify those details for the console and country where the game will be used.
Wonder supports TV, tabletop and handheld play, and its multiplayer modes create a practical reason to consider an additional controller if several people will play. A carrying case or screen protector may be useful for handheld use, but accessories are optional; the four games do not require a special controller to begin.
A simple first-game decision
- Choose Wonder if you want the most forgiving, immediately readable introduction or need local/online multiplayer.
- Choose Breath of the Wild if the main attraction is exploring a large world and solving problems without a prescribed route.
- Choose Pokémon Scarlet or Violet if you prefer turn-based decisions, collecting and gradually building a party.
- Choose Metroid Prime Remastered if you want first-person scanning and combat; try the listed Dread demo first if you are uncertain about the series’ pace.
For a completely undecided beginner, Super Mario Bros. Wonder remains the strongest first purchase. It teaches the smallest set of skills, lets a more experienced player join, and offers Nabbit or Yoshi as a built-in way to reduce punishment while the player learns.
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