Most modern video games offer pretty good value for money, especially considering how expensive it can be to go out and see a movie these days. For $60 or so, players can usually expect at least 20 hours of entertainment in return, though some titles provide considerably more than others when it comes to length and overall replayability.
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Nintendo games aren't really renowned for these attributes, with quality and originality usually taking priority during the development phase. That's not to say that there aren't still some incredibly long first-party Nintendo titles on the Switch, however, as evidenced by some of the data on HowLongtoBeat.com.
This list also includes a handful of second-party titles that are based on franchises owned (or part-owned) by Nintendo.
Updated November 1, 2023, by Tom Bowen: While length isn't always the be-all and end-all of enjoyment, it is always nice to feel as though one's getting good value for money. This is especially true in the current climate; one in which the price of video games is on the rise and popular first-party Nintendo titles very rarely seem to go on sale. With this in mind, those looking for the longest first-party Switch games may want to do a bit of research before dropping their hard-earned cash on their next Switch game. *A video version of this article has also been added, highlighting the ten longest first-party Nintendo Switch games from this list.
16 Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Main Story Length: 25½ Hours
Though the main story of Pokemon Legends: Arceus is actually fairly short when compared to some of the other Pokemon games, those hoping to catch the title's titular character are going to have to sink considerably more time into their playthroughs. This is because to catch Arceus, players first need to get their hands on the other 240 or so Pokemon that are available in the game.
Beating the main story will take players somewhere in the region of 25 hours, while catching every Pokemon in the Hisui Pokedex and then encountering Arceus will likely end up taking around 40. As with other Pokemon games though, there are plenty of other things to see and do in Pokemon Legends: Arceus even after catching the god-like Pokemon, so players don't need to stop there if they don't want to.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Released
- January 28, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
15 Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Main Story Length: 26 Hours
Though some may bemoan the lack of innovation in mainline Pokemon games, it does make it fairly easy for players to reliably estimate how much gameplay they can expect from each new installment. Like previous Pokemon titles, a main story run of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl clocks in at around the 26-hour mark, but there's plenty of additional content for completionists to sink their teeth into.
Completing the Sinnoh Pokedex and rounding up all of the games' Mythical and Legendary Pokemon will take players another 15 hours or so. There's much, much more to do, however, with things like Super Contest Shows, the battle tower, and the gargantuan task of catching all of the National Dex Pokemon keeping most players busy for well over one hundred hours.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
- Released
- November 19, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- ILCA
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- Genre(s)
- RPG
14 Paper Mario: The Origami King
Main Story Length: 27 Hours
The Paper Mario series offers a wonderful alternative for those who prefer something a little different, not to mention anyone who's after a more meaty main story. At around 27 hours, the one found in the series' most recent installment is longer than the main stories of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Super Mario Odyssey combined; though it's worth noting that the latter does boast a lot more post-game content.
A completionist run of Super Mario Odyssey — which has players tracking down a staggering 880 moons — will take players around 62 hours, and that's not even taking Luigi's Balloon World into account. By comparison, Paper Mario: The Origami King comes in at a more than respectable 43 hours, with the museum, trophies, and collectibles being some of the title's more prominent post-game tasks.
Paper Mario: The Origami King
- Released
- July 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 27 Hours
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Adventure
13 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Main Story Length: 27 Hours
When Roy and Marth first appeared in 2001's Super Smash Bros. Melee, most Western players had no idea who they were. Fast forward a few decades, however, and Fire Emblem has become one of the most recognizable Nintendo series around, with six more of its characters having now made their way into Smash. Nintendo has also brought many Fire Emblem titles that were once Japanese exclusives to the West, including the series' very first installment, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.
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Originally released for the Famicom in early 1990, Nintendo released an enhanced Switch port of the game at the end of 2020 to celebrate the franchise's thirtieth anniversary. A main story run will take players around 27 hours, while completionists can expect to squeeze an additional 13 hours or so out of the title. This entails recruiting 51 of the 52 possible playable characters, as only 27 of them are actually needed to complete the game's lengthy campaign.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
- Released
- April 20, 1990
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, RPG
12 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Main Story Length: 31 Hours
Despite no content having been removed, there are some pretty notable differences between the average clear times for the Wii and Switch versions of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The more recent version offers around 30 hours of main story content, which is apparently eight hours fewer than its Wii counterpart. The gap grows larger still when looking at completionist runs, with the older version somehow taking 17 hours longer on average.
Some will point to the addition of a more traditional control scheme in the HD port, which certainly does make controlling Link and his sword strokes a whole lot more manageable. This shouldn't make too much difference when it comes to completing all of the game's side quests and activating every Goddess Cube though, suggesting that the tracked times for one of the two versions may not be entirely accurate.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- Released
- November 20, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
11 Pokemon Quest
Main Story Length: 31½ Hours
There have been plenty of Pokemon spin-off games over the years, but few have come out of the blocks quite as quickly as Pokemon Quest. Within just one week of the game's release, it had already been downloaded more than seven and a half million times, generating over $3 million in revenue in the process. More than half a decade on and the fanfare has largely died away, but there are still plenty of people playing the title on Switch and mobile devices.
Completing the main story of Pokemon Quest will take players around 32 hours, but thanks to downloadable content and the title's collectathon elements, those hoping to see and do everything will need to invest almost four times that amount. The average time for a completionist run is over 130 hours, making it one of the longest Pokemon spin-offs ever made.
Pokemon Quest
- Released
- May 30, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 31½ Hours
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
10 Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Main Story Length: 31½ Hours
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet take a somewhat unique approach when it comes to storytelling. Rather than providing players with a linear narrative like the ones found in previous Pokemon games, the Gen 9 titles instead boast four unique storylines and allow players to tackle the first three in whatever order they like.
This innovative storytelling technique leads to a much longer playtime than a lot of the previous series installments, though whether or not it makes up for the games' poor performance on Switch is a matter of debate. Fans of the series should still have fun with the Gen 9 titles though, as too should anyone who enjoys creature-collecting games.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- Released
- November 18, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- How Long To Beat
- 32 Hours
- Genre(s)
- RPG
9 Ring Fit Adventure
Main Story Length: 35½ Hours
Though it may have been designed primarily with fitness in mind, that's not to say that the developers of Ring Fit Adventure didn't at least consider the game's fun factor while making it. To this end, it actually features a fairly well-fleshed-out story, which gives players a reason to keep coming back to this physically demanding game.
Completing the main story in Ring Fit Adventure will take most players somewhere in the region of 35 hours. Depending on upper body strength, one's mileage may vary, more so for those who spend a lot of time squeezing berries to make smoothies. When mini-games and collectibles are taken into account as well, players can expect to get around 60 hours of enjoyment and exercise out of the title.
Ring Fit Adventure
- Released
- October 18, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo, Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 35½ Hours
- Genre(s)
- Sports
8 Fire Emblem Engage
Main Story Length: 40 Hours
Despite a main story run clocking in at somewhere around the 40-hour mark, Fire Emblem Engage is actually quite short for a Fire Emblem game. Of course, there's still plenty of side content on offer throughout the title, so completionists needn't worry about getting their money's worth.
The story centers around the Fell Dragon Sombron, who brought death and destruction to the continent of Elyos one thousand years before the start of the game. Having just woken up from a deep slumber, the Divine Dragon Alear - with the help of the player - is tasked with bringing an end to Sombron's foul ways once and for all.
Fire Emblem Engage
- Released
- January 20, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 40 Hours
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, JRPG
7 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Main Story Length: 49 Hours
True to both its genre and the series itself, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is an incredibly long game. It's also a surprisingly good one, to the point where many believe it to be the best installment in the series to date. Whether or not that's actually the case will vary from player to player, but one thing that can't be disputed is that the game offers excellent value for money.
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A main story run will take players around 50 hours, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. For those who take their time, a single route can eat up almost double that, and there are four routes to complete in total. Given how drastically they each differ during the second act they're all well worth checking out, assuming, that is, that players can afford to spend just shy of 200 hours on a single game.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Released
- July 26, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 50 Hours
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, RPG