Best Sci-Fi Games By Nintendo

Over the course of its 50-plus years making video games, Nintendo has explored a vast array of genres and game styles. From fantasy RPGs to sports titles, all the way to action games and farming sims, the company that started by making playing cards and toys has become a true icon of the industry, and another genre they have tapped into with great results has been science fiction. While not one of their main avenues of creative output, Nintendo's efforts to cultivate a strong collection of sci-fi titles has certainly paid off.

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Whether it's the ongoing adventures of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran in the Metroid franchise or the space combat of Star Fox, Nintendo is no stranger to crafting rich, complex sci-fi landscapes and doing so within the confines of multiple genres. They've built outstanding shooters, epic action games, and some huge, sprawling RPGs, with many of them taking place in truly unique and engaging worlds.

8 Custom Robo

Allows Players To Customize Robots And Battle With Them

• Platform: GameCube
• Release Date: May 10, 2004
• Developer: Noise

To date, Custom Robo has produced a total of five games, and the GameCube iteration is one of the two that have made it to the west. Known as Battle Revolution in Japan, it was simplified to Custom Robo for the Western release and is one of the GameCube's most overlooked gems.

As the title suggests, Custom Robo is focused on building, maintaining and battling robots, and this outstanding GameCube classic features both story and multiplayer modes. The story mode is delightful, set in a sleek futuristic world that tasks the player with defeating a powerful entity known as Rahu. In the multiplayer modes, players put their robots to the test against each other in the Holloseum, a VR-style world where epic battles unfold.

7 F-Zero GX

This Futuristic Racer Is F-Zero's Greatest Entry

F-Zero saw major releases on the SNES and the N64 in the 1990s, but it was the GameCube iteration of the series that still stands as the absolute peak of this high-octane, futuristic racing franchise. With F-Zero GX, Nintendo harnessed the raw power of the GameCube in order to create one of the most exciting and thrilling racing games ever made.

The world of F-Zero is perfectly represented in this GameCube classic, bringing all the sleek sci-fi designs of the original ships and tracks to life with absolutely beautiful art direction. Powered by an engine created by their former rival, Sega, F-Zero GX is still packed with blistering speed and a highly-stylized sci-fi world that is absolutely in need of a revival for the Nintendo Switch.

6 Astral Chain

A Spectacular Sci-Fi Team-Up With Nintendo And Platinum Games

After Nintendo formed a close bond with Platinum Games in the wake of publishing Bayonetta 2 and 3, the two worked together to create an entirely new IP that was to be exclusive to the Switch. The end result was Astral Chain, a phenomenal sci-fi action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world, where players control one of two playable twins, each of whom can tether with interdimensional creatures and monsters known as Legions.

Featuring the furious and challenging combat that Platinum is known for, Astral Chain is still one of the Switch's best exclusive titles. The cyberpunk, anime-influenced world is a delight to explore, and the visual style is simply fantastic. Though they have made some truly spectacular games over the years, Astral Chain has been one of Platinum's best efforts in their ongoing relationship with Nintendo.

5 Star Fox Adventures

A Rare-Developed Star Fox Game That Sees Fox McCloud Go On Foot For The First Time

The first two games in the Star Fox franchise put the focus squarely on ship combat, as these terrific rail shooters saw Nintendo utilize revolutionary technology to create an expansive sci-fi universe. But with Star Fox Adventures for the GameCube, Nintendo created a full-blown action-adventure game that felt like The Legend of Zelda meets Star Wars. Initially, it started development as an N64 game called "Dinosaur Planet," but Rare's impressive work caught the attention of Shigeru Miyamoto, who merged it with a struggling Star Fox game that was in progress at Nintendo.

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As the game is no longer confined to the cockpit of an Arwing, Star Fox Adventures combines on-foot segments with space combat sections. The planet of Cerinia is a lush, vibrant world that makes great use of the GameCube's impressive hardware and features some absolutely breathtaking visual design. The space combat scenes are as wonderful as ever, as these on-rail shooter sections feature amazing particle effects, and piloting an Arwing through space never gets old.

4 Metroid: Zero Mission

An Outstanding Remake And One Of The GBA's Best Sci-Fi Games

Seeking to preserve the roots of Metroid during a time when Fusion and Prime were changing the perceptions of the franchise, Nintendo developed a complete remake of the first game in the series for the Game Boy Advance. In Metroid: Zero Mission, the harrowing first steps of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran are retold in spectacular fashion.

Controlling Samus is an absolute dream in Zero Mission, as she moves effortlessly and efficiently. Becoming intimately familiar with Zebes is crucial, as this multi-level world of aliens, monsters, and traps makes use of every skill and weapon upgrade the player will acquire on the way to facing Mother Brain. Zero Mission is readily available on Nintendo Switch Online, and it is easily one of the best games that one can find on the service.

3 Xenoblade Chronicles X

A Stunning Wii U Title That Offers An Amazing Sci-Fi Story

Xenoblade Chronicles X started development as a way for the developers at Monolith Soft to improve on what they accomplished with the original game that launched on the Wii in 2011, as they sought to take full advantage of the Wii U and create an even larger world to tell stories on. Announced at E3 2013, Xenoblade Chronicles X went on to become one of the Wii U's most anticipated games, and the end result was more than worth the wait.

Set on a planet called Mira in the wake of humanity's escape from a war-torn planet Earth, X is an enormous, outrageously large JRPG with the same stupendous combat system the series is known for. The fusion of traditional turn-based combat with an MMO flair still feels fantastic, and the world of Mira is filled with things to do and all sorts of creatures to interact with. Though it's still sadly stuck on the Wii U, a remaster for the Switch is long overdue, as it's still a game worth experiencing.

2 Metroid Prime Remastered

A Beautiful Remaster Of An Iconic Sci-Fi Game

Samus Aran made quite an impact on the GameCube, as this absolutely amazing sci-fi first-person shooter took everything that made the Metroid series so great in 2D and transitioned it to 3D perfectly, resulting in one of the finest games ever made. With Metroid Prime, Samus' conflicts with the galaxy's most nefarious forces takes place from behind her tinted visor for the first time. It was remastered for the Nintendo Switch in 2023, and this surefire classic has proven itself to be just as fabulous today as it was back in 2004.

Set on the planet Tallon 4, Metroid Prime sees Samus go on an arduous journey and battle against the likes of Space Pirates and even the fearsome Meta Ridley. This rich, complex world is full of secrets, dangerous enemies and is one of the GameCube's greatest titles ever released. As far as Metroid games go, it also solidified a huge amount of lore and mythology, all of which has influenced the series moving forward.

1 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

The Ultimate Way To Play One Of The Wii's Best Sci-Fi JRPGs

After spending a year in Japan, Xenoblade Chronicles finally released in the west on the Wii in 2011 and resulted in one of the most ravenously popular fanbases in the industry. Xenoblade Chronicles is still a phenomenal JRPG that is set in a truly innovative world and features some top-tier combat. It was so beloved that, in 2020, Nintendo released an updated version for the Switch.

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Set on the backs of two warring titans known as the Bionis and the Mechonis, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition follows the thrilling tale of Shulk and crew as they attempt to rewrite their own fate and save their world in the process. Featuring improved faces, a re-recorded soundtrack, and a piece of brand-new post-game content called Future Connected, the Definitive Edition is easily the best possible way to play this masterpiece. The expansive world is a thrill to explore, and the combat is still some of the best that one can find on the Switch.

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