You know you've got it made when your game is so successful that you get a spin-off — and plenty of the biggest games in the biz have done exactly that, from Musou crossovers and sports-playing alternate universes to rhythm and strategy games. And you know what? They're usually pretty dang good.
We've compiled a list of the best of the best — the 8/10s and higher in the spin-off space, which are good for newcomers to the series and old hands alike.
If you're wondering about our process of deciding what counts as a spin-off — like, why don't we have Mario Kart 8 on this list? Or Persona 5? — we're counting games that are the first, or second, spin-off of a popular series, and we're also only counting the best one if there are two (like River City Girls over River City Girls 2).
If you think we've missed a gem, or if you want to argue about whether or not games like Super Mario Maker count as a spin-off, head into the comments!
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (Switch eShop)
From the opening menu that uses not the rousing Zelda overworld music but the understated theme from Ocarina of Time's title screen, you know you’re about to go on a special journey. Cadence of Hyrule (we won’t bother with its ludicrously long official moniker) takes the music we all know and love and remixes it with the gameplay itself, sewing those tunes into the fabric of Hyrule in a way that feels totally natural, but also energetic and fresh.
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Persona 5 Strikers (Switch)
If you were expecting this Atlus/Koei Tecmo crossover to be a straight-up Musou style spin-off, a Dynasty Warriors-esque effort with a fancy Persona skin hastily slapped on top, you're in for a bit of surprise. What we've actually got here is a slick and exciting action RPG that manages to keep plenty of the Persona series' signature conversations, characters and camaraderie intact while fusing it successfully with hack-and-slash combat that's a little more strategic and varied than we expected it would be.
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales (Switch eShop)
Thronebreaker is less of a spin-off, and more of a cross-pollination of ideas between the main Witcher games, Gwent and other turn-based RPGs. Rather than following the exploits of pop culture man-of-the-moment Geralt of Rivia, the game instead centres itself around Meve, Queen of Lyria and Rivia, who faces an imminent invasion from the warmongering region of Nilfgaard. With The Witcher having created renewed interest in Andrzej Sapkowski’s vast fantasy world, this Switch port's timely arrival offers the perfect opportunity to see another female warrior monarch deal with the onslaught of war and political intrigue.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (Switch)
Monster Hunter is a series with a longstanding tradition of being impenetrable to casual first-time players, with systems layered upon systems and tricky combat. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin may be a sequel, but it's worth saying right away that you don't need to have played this spin-off's debut to jump into the new release — this is a welcome gateway for newcomers.
Wings of Ruin is full of charm and boasts depth that can immerse the committed or be dabbled with by those eager to simply experience the story. As a blend of Monster Hunter with a traditional RPG approach it's an accomplished effort, and offers the sort of meaty experience that'll keep most players busy for weeks.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Switch)
You know the Gerudo Valley theme from Ocarina of Time? It's a kickass tune – probably top five Zelda tracks – and one that's sure to get your blood pumping. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a Zelda-flavoured Warriors game, is all Gerudo Valley, a rousing number that'll fire you up for the journey ahead. Age of Calamity very successfully co-opts many elements of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and delivers a satisfying, combat-focused spin-off with a whole bunch of content.
![Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Expansion Pass DLC [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/18462/100x100.png)
NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition (Switch)
NieR:Automata is perhaps a story of the power of word of mouth. A sequel in an IP (that was itself a spin-off of Drakengard) with a devoted but modest following by Square Enix standards, it became a notable sales success over time as initial fans convinced neutrals that something special had arrived.
And they were right — NieR: Automata is a wonderful slice of sci-fi storytelling wrapped in an accomplished action adventure RPG. Like its predecessors, NieR:Automata continually upends your expectations as you play. For the most part a 3D action title, with a generous dose of RPG ideas, it nevertheless continually surprises you and introduces new twists. Sometimes that's in the storytelling, but also in gameplay; we won't spoil anything beyond the opening section, but you have elements of shoot 'em up, puzzle-solving, and more.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Switch)
When Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was revealed to the world through a leaked image of a selfie-taking 'Rabbid Peach', it's fair to say that not all reacted with joy. It seemed like a horrific bit of fan art, especially once follow-up artwork showed Mario and company targeting guns at foes; yet when the game was revealed plenty of eyebrows were raised and it became clear that Ubisoft had embarked upon an ambitious quest to combine Mario, Rabbids and turn-based tactical battles — and better yet, they succeeded.
![Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle [Code in Box]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/13380/100x100.jpg)
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (Switch)
Despite the game’s original working title of Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is far more a Shin Megami game than it is a Fire Emblem one. The inclusion of those Fire Emblem characters and the occasional burst of the familiar Fire Emblem theme is about as far as the game goes in terms of representing Nintendo and Intelligent Systems’ series, whereas there are far more links to Atlus’s games in here, not least of all the combat system.
However, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is still one of the most colourful, approachable and downright endearing RPGs you’ll find on the Switch. Its new story chapter, music tracks and character assists improve on the original to an extent, but not enough to greatly affect its overall quality. Thankfully, what was there was already fantastic, meaning those who missed out on it the first time around really have no reason not to get stuck in now.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Switch)
Though the Minecraft formula has been iterated on to hell and back, Square Enix managed to offer up an interesting take on the sandbox classic with Dragon Quest Builders. All the blocky aesthetics and open-ended crafting were present and accounted for, but these things were all couched within a wider narrative arc that included plenty of RPG trappings from Square’s storied franchise.
It takes a surprising amount of effort to beat Minecraft at its own game, but we’d argue that Dragon Quest Builders 2 in many ways surpasses its inspiration in fun factor and replayability. The melding of JRPG conventions with the open-ended and creatively focused sentiments of sandbox gameplay proves to go over much smoother than you’d expect, especially now that Square Enix seems to know what it’s doing with this sub-series.
Dragon Quest Treasures (Switch)
The Dragon Quest series is a staple in the JRPG community, continually churning out games of varying quality for more than 35 years. The latest entry (for now) in this seminal franchise is Dragon Quest Treasures, a spin-off from the mainline series, with many of the standard Dragon Quest tropes packaged into one of the most accessible JRPG experiences out there.
Dragon Quest Treasures plays like an introduction to JRPGs, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot of fun to be had in it. The characters are simple but charming and the monsters all have the classic Dragon Quest designs that returning fans will expect, while the focus on exploration over combat makes this entry perfect for those who want a more relaxed gameplay experience. If you've got a young person in your life that is curious about JRPGs, this is a great way to get them hooked on the genre.
Comments 27
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition >>> Age of Calamity >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Cadence of Hyrule
"The inclusion of those Fire Emblem characters and the occasional burst of the familiar Fire Emblem theme is about as far as the game goes in terms of representing Nintendo and Intelligent Systems’ series"
Weapon triangle that facilitates sessions even in the absence of appropriate elemental exploits: "Am I a joke to you?"
A rich list overall, though.Here's to seeing it updated with a new Project X Zone someday.🍻 Until then, the local crossover crown arguably belongs to Smash Bro- hol' up, is it me or it's nowhere in this article at all?😳
Looking forward to Metal Slug Tactics. And Hyrule or Skyrim Snowrunner. And Untitled Mighty Goose Game. And House of the Zombie Army Dead War Overkill. And Super Smash Wreckfest Rocket League Bros with visuals like the actual Mario Strikers artwork.
All right, all of those except for the first one aren't really happening.
Mario+Rabbids is definitely my stand-out on this list. Such a great game.
I never would have thought of gunvolt as a spinoff since it's a whole pretty hefty series of its own (there are at least 8 games).
captain toad I hope they make into a whole series someday (similar to Yoshi games), but I agree it's a fun spinoff for now. Mario + Rabbids is a more extreme spinoff and also fun.
All the dragon quest spinoffs seem bizarrely good.
monster hunter stories I personally like much more than the normal monster hunter games.
Ooh, and I wouldn't call mario maker 2 a spinoff. The story mode campaign is as long as a shorter mainline game and the player-built levels use the same characters and game-genre of normal Mario.
It will be interesting to see if the Bayonetta Origins storybook prequel gets counted as a spinoff since it is a different genre but still part of the same character story timeline.
Good list, I can't think of any games missing besides ones that are arguable if they count as spinoffs or seperate series.
Pokken DX is such an underrated and often overlooked gem. I love it.
Of the three Warriors games I've owned and dozen others I've demoed, the original Hyrule Warriors is the only one I can actually call fun. And the original Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is still my favorite Pokemon spin-off, with the remake bringing in an awesome new art style and soundtrack, so that definitely deserves a mention.
It's probably not worth bringing up, but I still feel like Breath of the Wild should be considered a spin-off, mainly because I'm vainly hoping we'll go back to the regular 3D Zelda formula some day.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
I gave it score 96/100 but for PS4 version.
@DjinnFighter
Oh dear... I might actually be someone sitting with the opposite order
Great list but I feel Smash Ultimate has to be included here.
Could've sworn I briefly saw an article on this yesterday, but it vanished for some reason.... /shrug
It's served as a reminder that I need to dig into the Dragon Quest Builders 2 demo at some point. That said, this is a pretty solid list.
@DjinnFighter Age of Calamity fulfilled the story mode Breath of the Wild never had. Plus the music was masterful. But gameplay-wise, that's a respectable order, but all three were equally fantastic in my opinion.
I dig these lists. And Captain Toad rules.
Tried Dragon Quest Builders 2 when it was available as a Free Trial on Nintendo Switch Online. I'll definitely try to get t down the line, as well as the first Builders.
Eventually I'll get Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, but will be the Wii U version before I play it on Switch.
Best spinoffs for Switch:
Best crossovers for Switch:
I'd say Persona 5 Strikers is just a direct sequel to Persons 5 story wise.
Cadence of Hyrule that game looks awesome I did not play that.
You've included Persona 5 Scramble(Strikers) and Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales on this list, but... You haven't included Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes there?! It is not only a good game, but a good spin-off game as well! It's even better than the 3rd mainline game of the series! Soundtrack is awesome, plot is interesting. There's 4 playable characters in the game. Co-op. And you don't need to have a pair of Joy-Cons to play the game in co-op! Despite dialogues in the game are not fully voiced, the ones that are voiced are good. Sad that there is no in-game music player, though... Oh! And Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive deserves a place on this list as well! It's also one of the best beat 'em ups available on Switch!
@Anachronism Disagree about the Warriors game (except for the original Hyrule Warriors being awesome), but couldn't agree more about Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (although I quite liked the other ones I've played, too)!
Still have to play the remake, but I'll definitely do so at some point since I've already got a copy and it's absolutely gorgeous!
Great list, I've either played and loved or eventually want to play almost all the games in it!
Luigi's Mansion 3 says hi
@msvt I have to agree, I wouldn't mind seeing a Pokken Tournament 2 come out. Speaking of spin-offs and Pokemon games, I'm still waiting for Detective Pikachu 2.
@Lony85
Pokemon Puzzle League 2 would be great too!
@Serpenterror «Best crossovers for Switch:
... BLAZBLUE CROSS TAG BATTLE»
...Seriously? BBTAG is one of the most disappointing fighting games and crossover fighting games of the recent years. Barebones single player content(Story Mode, VS Mode, Survival Mode). Story Mode is disappointing. Even for a crossover game. Dialogues in the Story Mode are poorly written, boring, unfunny, and stupid. From the 2nd chapter I've begun skipping almost all of the dialogues... Because of some glitch it's impossible to complete the game on all endings. I've got only 1st and 3rd endings. There are no new dialogue options that will lead me to 2nd and True Endings. I've replayed Story Mode for a few times! Not once and not twice! And yet, there are no dialogues that will lead me to the 2nd and True Endings... There is no Arcade Mode in the game! And no Time Attack Mode, Score Attack Mode, Abyss Mode... No rollback netcode(exclusive to PC and PS4) and crossplay support. Delay-based netcode in the game is below average. There is almost no difference between characters' playstyle(!). Requirements for Astral Finish execution are horrible and that's almost impossible to execute Astral Finish. More than half of the characters are locked behind DLC. That's impossible to change announcer's voice to the characters' voices. Announcer mispronounce characters' names. Dialogues in Episode 2.0 Story are not fully voiced(Yuzuriha is not fully-voiced in JP, for example). That's impossible to collect all lobby avatars without playing Online Mode. I think that I've said enough. There are a lot of good crossover fighting games - Tatsunoko vs. CAPCOM, Aquapazza, DENGEKI BUNKO FIGHTING CLIMAX, Marvel vs. CAPCOM 2, Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel, and others. And BBTAG is not among them.
The Persona games (now on Switch) are great spinoffs from Shin Megami Tensei. They really belong on this list.
@Vyacheslav333 If you look at my list it says best crossover game, not best BlazBlue game. You're expecting too many BlazBlue stuffs on what is essentially just a crossover game with the BlazBlue's brand slapped on it.
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