Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects (October 2025)
By Greetings, greetings, greetings! Are you aware of what time of the month it is? Oh indeed, it’s eShop Selects. And we’ve got some excitement in store.
The spooky season has concluded, and many of us are now anticipating the ‘H’ season (or perhaps turkey is on the horizon for those based in the US). Thus, it’s time to stock up on the finest games available on the eShop for the frigid months ahead.
Just as a reminder, here are the guidelines: Our writers and contributors cast their votes for their top three eShop titles from last month (October 2025) based on our collection of reviews. The three titles that receive the highest ratings will take the podium. It’s that straightforward!
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Onward, then!
Noteworthy Mentions
This month has been remarkably hectic with Pokémon and a multitude of Switch 2 ports alongside indie launches, although that seems like every month currently, doesn’t it? Every eShop game that received a score of 7/10 or higher is eligible here.
Clearly, there’s a major title absent — Plants vs. Zombies Replanted. We’re finalizing our complete review, which will be available soon, but in the meantime, be sure to check out Felix’s video on the Switch 2 launch.
Alright then, here’s the list of games that didn’t quite make it into the top three; many extraordinary titles, but the best of the best was indeed very impressive this time:
- Lumo 2 (NS1) | Review: 8/10
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection (NS1, NS2) | Review: 7/10
- Night Striker Gear (NS1) | Review: 8/10
- Shujinkou (NS1) | Review: 7/10
- Silver Bullet (NS1) | Review: 7/10
- Simon the Sorcerer Origins (NS1) | Review: 7/10
- Yooka-Replaylee (NS2) | Review: 8/10
3rd Place – Absolum (Switch 1)
When Dotemu communicates, we heed. And we’ve been especially thrilled about Absolum, a fresh IP from the French studio that gained prominence with Streets of Rage 4 and Windjammers 2. Created in collaboration with Guard Crush Games and Supamonks, this is a roguelike beat ’em up rich in style and personalization.
Apart from being gorgeous, Absolum focuses on discovering the build that suits your gameplay and combo preferences. You can select one of four characters either solo or in two-player co-op and embark on run after run as you strive to save the world.
It’s superbly enjoyable, and on Switch 1, we awarded it a 9/10.
Note: Absolum did see a physical release just a few weeks following its launch, but we’ve permitted it to stay part of the votes this month.
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2nd Place – Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action (Switch 1)
It might not be Metroid Prime Pinball, but hey, we don’t require Samus when Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action is available. A bullet hell pinball follow-up to Demon’s Tilt? Cyberpunk aesthetics, an enormous table, 9 balls? You’ll never seek another pinball table again.
You’ve got a three-tiered pinball table to master, and it will take you a significant amount of time to grasp everything you can achieve in-game. Yet that Genesis-style soundtrack and those neon visuals will undeniably beckon you back for one more attempt.
It’s another 9/10 from us on Switch 1. What a remarkable game!
1st Place – Ball x Pit (Switch 1 & 2)
BALL x PIT is impossible to escape from right now. If you’re a supporter of roguelikes, Breakout, or Vampire Survivors, then chances are you’ve already invested hours into this title. It’s the trending game this October, and it’s no wonder it clinched our staff’s eShop Selects vote.
This blend of elements, which comprises base-building, various playable characters, numerous ball combinations (no chuckling in the back, please), and wave after wave of foes to impede you during each run, is a symphony of numbers, colors, and excitement. Once you master the formula with one character, you’ll yearn to replicate it with all of them. Keep aiming, bouncing, and combining, and you’ll succeed in no time.
Concluding our 9/10s this month, congratulations to Ball x Pit for completely surprising us and monopolizing all of our free time! Oh! And a Switch 2 version was released just last week, so go give it a try.
< Nintendo eShop Selects - September 2025
Do you agree with our standings? Share your opinions on your favorite eShop releases from last month by voting in our poll and leaving your comments.
How we determine our eShop Selects top three: At the conclusion of every month, the Nintendo Life team votes on their preferred titles from a selection of games chosen by the editorial team. To qualify for this selection, these titles must have been launched as digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop entries in that specific month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games according to their review ratings.
The staff are then invited to select three games that they believe deserve to be at the very apex of that list; the first choice earns three points, the second choice earns two points, while the third choice garners one point. These votes are compiled to form a top-three list, with the overall victor claiming that month’s top accolade.