Honourable mentions
It’s been a crazy busy month what with Pokémon and tons of Switch 2 ports and indie releases, though that feels like every month at the moment, doesn’t it? Every eShop game we scored a 7/10 or above is eligible here.
Obviously, there’s a big one missing — Plants vs. Zombies Replanted. We’re working on our full review and it’ll be with you soon, but until then, make sure you check out Felix’s video on the Switch 2 release.
Alrighty then, here are all the games that didn’t quite make the cut for the top three; plenty of fantastic games, but the cream of the crop was very good this time around:
Publisher: Dotemu / Developer: Guard Crush Games
Release Date: 9th Oct 2025 (USA) / 9th Oct 2025 (UK/EU)
When Dotemu speaks, we listen. And we’ve been particularly excited about Absolum, a brand new IP from the French studio that made its name on Streets of Rage 4 and Windjammers 2. Developed alongside Guard Crush Games and Supamonks, this is a roguelike beat ’em up with tons of style and customisation.
Besides looking beautiful, Absolum is all about finding the build that fits your play and combo style. You can play as one of four characters either alone or in two-player co-op and go through run after run as you try to save the world.
It’s fiendishly good, and on Switch 1, we scored it a 9/10.
Note: Absolum did receive a physical launch just a few weeks after its release, but we’ve allowed it to remain part of the votes this month.
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Publisher: FLARB / Developer: Wiznwar
Release Date: 9th Oct 2025 (USA) / 9th Oct 2025 (UK/EU)
It may not be Metroid Prime Pinball, but hey, we don’t need Samus when Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action is loaded up. A bullet hell pinball follow up to Demon’s Tilt? Cyberpunk imagery, a huge table, 9 balls? You’ll never need another pinball table again.
You have a three-story pinball table to conquer, and it’ll take you a good while to get your head around everything you can do in-game. But that Genesis-style soundtrack and those neon visuals will be more than enough to tempt you back for one more go.
It’s another 9/10 for us on the Switch 1. Heck of a game, that.
Publisher: Devolver Digital / Developer: Kenny Sun
Release Date: 28th Oct 2025 (USA) / 28th Oct 2025 (UK/EU)
BALL x PIT is impossible to get away from right now. If you’re a fan of roguelikes, Breakout, or Vampire Survivors, then you’ve probably already poured hours into this thing. It’s the hot thing this October, and it’s no surprise it won our staff’s eShop Selects vote.
This mishmash of things, which includes base-building, multiple playable characters, tons of ball combinations (no giggling in the back, there), and waves and waves of enemies to stop you on each of your runs, is a cacophony of numbers, colours, and euphoria. Once you nail the formula with one character, you’ll want to do it with them all. Keep aiming, bouncing, and combining, and you’ll get there soon enough.
Rounding out our 9/10s this month, congrats to Ball x Pit for completely surprising us and taking away all of our free time! Oh! And a Switch 2 version dropped just last week, so go try it for yourself.
< Nintendo eShop Selects – September 2025
Do you agree with our ranking? Tell us about your favourite eShop releases of last month by voting in our poll and sharing your thoughts in the comments.
What’s you favourite October 2025 eShop game from our picks? (69 votes)
Absolum (Switch)35%BALL x PIT – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)41%Lumo 2 (Switch eShop)Â 0%Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection (Switch 2)3%Night Striker Gear (Switch eShop)1%Shujinkou (Switch eShop)4%Silver Bullet (Switch eShop)Â 0%Simon the Sorcerer Origins (Switch eShop)Â 0%Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action (Switch eShop)6%Yooka-Replaylee (Switch 2)10%
How we decide our eShop Selects top three: As we reach the end of every month, the Nintendo Life staff vote on their favourite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To qualify for this list, these games must have been released as a digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop title in that particular month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games based on their review scores.
Staff are then asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to sit right at the very top of that list; first choice gets three points, second choice gets two points, and third choice gets one point. These votes are then tallied to create a top-three list, with the overall winner taking that month’s top prize.
Up Next: September 2025
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Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate.