Here are the top Switch games, ranging from Hades through Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
What do you think of this as a fun fact? The Switch outsold every other system in the United States in November 2020, the same month Sony and Microsoft introduced their much-anticipated next-gen consoles. Those who have lately joined the Nintendo bandwagon may be asking themselves a questioA Good Match Forn as ancient as time: “What should I play?” We, the authors and editors, may provide assistance. Nintendo’s adaptable hybrid has one of the most diverse game libraries available. To help you decide, we’ve compiled a list of the 18 greatest Nintendo Switch games.
Mario Golf: Super Rush
Even if you don’t find golf very enticing in the real world, the moment Mario gets onto the course, the situation changes dramatically. Mario Golf: Super Rush is an outstanding addition to the plumber’s sports-based adventures, blending the tight, golf-inspired gameplay of its predecessors with the excesses you’d expect from a Mario game. Mario Golf: Super Rush is a great addition to the plumber’s sports-based excursions. Golf courses that are out of this world, super shots, and even dashing from shot to shot in a desperate attempt to finish holes quicker than your opponents all combine to create an experience that would make Arnold Palmer turn over in his grave. When you line up the perfect shot and sink a hole-in-one, there are few gaming experiences that can compare, particularly when you get to watch Waluigi’s celebration afterward.
A Great Choice For Those who like their golf weird and their family games entertaining.
Not A Great Option For Players hoping for a bunch of courses.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
When you look at this game, it’s tempting to assume, “Oh, it’s just an XCOM strategic clone with a nicer skin.” That, however, would be incorrect! First and foremost, they gave Mario a frickin’ gun to play with. The game also uses the original genre as a jumping-off point, adding a variety of unique elements that distinguish it from other games in the same genre. Your turns may be extended in a variety of ways, including by sprinting, leaping on adversaries, and passing via pipes. Depending on how you play your cards, a single player may travel across the whole map in a single session, wreaking devastation in every direction. Aside from that, the game is a gigantic love letter to all things Mario, which explains why the Rabbids based on iconic Nintendo characters work so well: they’re parodying something that Ubisoft is intimately familiar with. If you play the game through to the conclusion, you could even find yourself dumping the original Mario characters in favor of the Rabbids! When combined with a large difficulty mode and several hidden secrets, Rabbids proves to be a surprisingly substantial game. Also available is DLC that includes more characters, such as Donkey Kong, more tough levels, and new gameplay dynamics, among other things. Has it been brought to your attention that the Luigi Death Stare is a real move?
A Great Choice For: Fans of tactical games such as Fire Emblem may find this game appealing.
Not A Great Option For Players on the lookout for an improved version of XCOM
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Do you look forward to Halloween every year? Do you like creepy or paranormal things? Is it possible, though, that you’re a bit of a wimp and don’t like the blood, gore, and dread that come with popular horror games? If that’s the case, you should check out Luigi’s Mansion 3, a charming third-person adventure that includes gratifying fighting and entertaining puzzles. The fight is noteworthy for the gratifying ghost smashing that can be accomplished with Luigi’s vacuum pack. In addition, Gooigi, Luigi’s doppelganger, appears in this game. This beautifully haunted hotel serves as the setting for an action-packed adventure with superb pacing.
A Great Choice For Fans of charming ghosts, amusing and eerie games, entertaining riddles, Luigi, and Halloween should check out this game.
Not A Great Option For People searching for a large, lengthy 80-hour game, those who are offended by any allusions to ghosts or death, those who despise Luigi or his slimy clone, and those eager for online PVP action are all good candidates.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a terrific platformer that, when it was launched on the Wii U in 2014, had one big flaw: it was very challenging, in keeping with the series’ heritage. You may have found it difficult to appreciate the wealth of vigor and inventiveness crammed into each of the game’s stages if you were continually dying in the game. Tropical Freeze’s Switch version solves this issue with a new “Funky Mode” that provides numerous methods to make things simpler while still maintaining the colorful fun that makes the game so extraordinarily alluring in the first place. There is a plethora of excellent platforming series available, but none quite compare to Donkey Kong Country. Tropical Freeze is an excellent addition to the series and a must-play for fans of the genre.
A Great Choice For Fans of the DKC series, those who like a decent challenge, and individuals who appreciate very fine music will find this game to be a fantastic match.
Not A Great Option For Those who despise challenging games. Tropical Freeze may be difficult to master even in its most basic mode. Expect to die a lot in this game.
Ring Fit Adventure
Ring Fit Adventure was a worldwide sensation during the early stages of the pandemic—and for good cause. As a bonus, not only did it provide an alternative to real-world fitness (especially at a time when gyms from coast to coast were closing their doors), but it was also a truly entertaining video game. You wear a Ring-Con attachment, which is a Switch accessory that allows you to execute the workouts seen on the screen. You will be able to advance along with the map, defeat foes, and gather money as a result of this. Put those aspects together with a tale that was more fascinating than it needed to be, in which you take down a muscle-bound dragon thing, and it’s easy to see why it was almost impossible to get a copy of the game for months at a time. Despite the fact that Ring Fit was sold out for most of the outbreak, the fitness game is now more accessible than ever. Even if your gym has reopened, it is definitely worth your time to go check it out.
A Great Choice For A good match for those who are time-constrained and searching for a fun and quick approach to get a good exercise done.
Not A Great Option For Bodybuilders are not a good match for this product (the Ring-Con is, like, less than a pound).
Grindstone
Grindstone had already found love and success on iOS, but last year saw the debut of a Switch version, which proved to be the ideal home for the game, owing in part to the touchscreen. Grindstone is a mobile puzzle game in which players must connect chains of similar-colored creatures (Creeps) across a 7×7 grid, which sounds a lot like any number of other basic mobile puzzle games. But there’s so much more to it than that. To complete the game’s sophisticated collection of obstacles, players must eliminate foes off the screen by following painstakingly planned paths, defeating boss characters, and compulsively returning to earlier stages to unlock every treasure, steal the crown from the royal Creep corpse, and gather resources. It has that special Puzzle Quest feel to it, and every component of it has been meticulously adjusted and gently balanced. Because it is such a challenging game, it is a relief to recall that the Switch has a touchscreen for the first time in quite some time.
A Great Choice For An Appropriate Match Anyone searching for a puzzle game that can be played in short spurts or over the course of a full day will find it here.
Not A Great Option For This is not a good match for those who like their puzzle games with a psychedelic edge; The Witness is not one of them.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
At first sight, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury may seem to be a game you’ve played a thousand times before, and you may even have played this 2.5D Mario platformer when it initially released on the WiiU. However, the biggest attraction is the local co-op, which enables up to four players to take on the roles of Mario, Luigi, Peach, or Toad, each of whom has a unique advantage (Peach can float, Toad is very quick, Luigi isn’t Mario, and so on). Then there’s Bowser’s Fury to consider. Bowser’s Fury, in contrast to Super Mario 3D World, is a completely new game. A tiny open-world nicely separated into areas (the ice area, the area of the invisible barriers, and so on) awaits you, and you’re entrusted with mastering platforming puzzles in order to gather golden whatsits known as Cat Shines (which are collected in the process). An enormous Bowser may be seen in the middle of this screen. If you collect enough Cat Shines, you’ll be able to supersize yourself, allowing you to face Bowser in progressively difficult boss battles. It’s not as lengthy as a “full” Mario game—such as Super Mario Odyssey—but it serves as an excellent presentation for what an open-world Mario game may look like if it were to be released.
A Great Choice For Fans of the Mario franchise. Anyone looking for an entertaining and acce
Not A Great Option For People who spent their whole lives playing Super Mario 3D World when it originally came out. Bowser’s Fury is a fantastic game, but it isn’t a full-sized game.
Hades
It’s one thing to play a roguelike, and another to play Hades. Despite having many of the hallmarks of a conventional roguelike—tight action, randomized combat, a never-ending cycle of failure, and incremental progress—the newest release from Supergiant Games stands out for being a narrative tour de force. You take on the role of Zagreus, the stubborn son of Hades, in this game set in the underworld of ancient Greece. Everything from all-powerful Olympians such as Zeus and Athena to human tales like Achilles and Eurydice appears in some form or another in this film. As though they were characters in an exceedingly dark rom-com, Supergiant has brilliantly updated these millennia-old characters to a contemporary setting. Hundreds of characters have been thoroughly fleshed out in this way. Every death moves the plot ahead, but not in a linear fashion. You gradually come to know members of the Greek mytheme a little better with each gory, cruel Sisyphean failure, which serves as the narrative’s narrator. In addition, everyone is scorching hot.
A Great Choice For People who like roguelike games. Fans of Supergiant’s earlier blockbusters (Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre) will like this new release.
Not A Great Option For People who like roguelikes, since Hades will destroy the reputation of the rest of the genre in your eyes.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It is a colossal artistic accomplishment, a video game so imaginative and full of surprises that it will be spoken about for years to come. It’s also unlike any other Zelda game that came before it. For many years, the Zelda series was characterized by the word “no.” You won’t be able to travel to this location until later, and you won’t be able to complete this problem until you have the correct object. Breath of the Wild is the finest Zelda game to date, and it does this by simply answering yes to the player’s requests. You have the ability to climb any tree, cliff, or dungeon wall that you come across. You’re given free rein to explore an open environment and are given four primary tasks to complete in whatever order you see appropriate. Alternatively, if it pleases you, you may just make a beeline for the last boss. You’ll almost certainly lose, but the game won’t discourage you from giving it your all.
A Great Choice For A good match for anybody who likes games that allow them to explore and create their own entertainment. Horse enthusiasts.Anyone who likes games that let you explore and make your own fun. Horse lovers.
Not A Great Option For Anyone who likes the rigid structure of previous recent Zelda games will enjoy this game.
Stardew Valley
When it comes to the Switch’s roster, Stardew Valley has stood out, particularly in light of Nintendo’s recent support of independent games. Stardew Valley, on the other hand, reaps the rewards in equal measure. The farm-based life simulator is platform-agnostic and accessible almost everywhere, but the Nintendo Switch is where it seems the most natural. Getting used to the default controls is a pleasure, and portability is a dream come true. If you’re looking for a calm game to play on the sofa or in bed, this is it. You can even take it with you to a local co-op game with a buddy if you want to. However, even after many years, Stardew Valley continues to be one of the greatest games to pick up for the Nintendo Switch due to its capacity to reinvent itself. An enormous amount of new gameplay is included in the 1.5 updates that were released for consoles in February. This includes the Fern Islands locales, new NPCs, and a beach farm map as well as extra challenges and a complete second beachfront farm. Stardew Valley already boasts rich gameplay, as proven by the enormous fan-maintained wiki, but the 1.5 improvements will keep even the most ardent of fans interested and involved.
A Great Choice For Players that like games such as Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, or Minecraft. Anyone seeking a game that is both peaceful and terrifyingly addictive.
Not A Great Option For Anyone seeking a simple and basic experience. However, although Stardew Valley is a peaceful and low-key experience, it is also highly complicated and doesn’t always explain itself very well.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo has refined the long-loved Super Smash Bros. model to make it more accessible to both the button-mashing seven-year-old and the single-minded competitive gaming enthusiast. It’s the same old platform fighter that we’ve been infatuated with since 1999, but this time around it has a massive roster of 76 combatants to contend with. It would take a year to master one, but it would be more enjoyable to try them all. Smash Ultimate is a Nintendo celebrity museum, a gaming fandom WrestleMania, and the culmination of years of work. All aspects of the game may be customized, including the rule sets, fighter balance, and level dangers. A game with all of that content and so many ways to alter it, Smash Ultimate is a crowd-pleaser that doesn’t care whether you’re at a middle school birthday party or a stadium full of shouting professionals.
A Great Choice For Anyone with even a tinge of competitiveness in their bones. Those who have ever admired Nintendo in any kind. Anyone who hosts parties or fans of any of the previous Smash games.
Not A Great Option For People who despise confrontation or who prefer to play games alone will find this to be a poor match.
Hollow Knight
Despite its small size, Hollow Knight packs an incredible number of mysteries, puzzles, and rewards within its enormous underground realm. You may play it as a cross between Castlevania and Metroid, with a large map and distant places that you can only enter after acquiring one of the several character improvements available. When it comes to the forlorn kingdom, challenging enemies, shortcut-strewn terrain, and the possibility of losing progress upon death, this game reminds me somewhat of Dark Souls. Furthermore, it shares platforming DNA with games such as Ori and the Blind Forest and Super Meat Boy, which both include wall slides and air dashes as part of their gameplay. After baking those ingredients, it then applies a coating of its own particular atmosphere, and those who want to face the underground bug kingdom of Hallownest will be rewarded with one of gaming’s most memorable cave exploration experiences. Hollow Knight is a fantastic game that is surprising, tough, rewarding, and surprisingly amusing. It is definitely worth your time and works especially well on the Nintendo Switch.
A Great Choice For Those who like a good challenge. Fans of the Metroidvania genre. Anyone searching for a rich, satisfying game that they can truly dig their teeth into should look no further.
Not A Great Option For Those who are easily irritated will find Hollow Knight to be a nasty and merciless game that throws players into the deep end early on in the game. The game has bosses and platforming difficulties that will likely have you pulling out your hair.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The blue shell, how I love thee. There may not be a more apt metaphor for the bleakness of existence than this. You’re cruising along, feeling on top of the world, and then all of a sudden, you’re completely screwed. Just when you think you’ve got things under control, life tosses a blue shell your way.
Of course, Mario Kart 8 isn’t actually all that philosophical in its approach. It’s the same Mario Kart concept, but it’s been fine-tuned and polished to an outrageous degree, making it one of the most entertaining party games available on the Switch or any other system. The best part is that the Deluxe edition on Switch includes all of the DLC areas and characters from the Wii U game, as well as a newly revamped fight mode that was previously included in that version. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the ultimate edition of a game that was already a classic
A Great Choice For People who like moving quickly will find this a good match. People like seeing Luigi in a threatening manner.
Not a Great Option For Do you know anybody who doesn’t enjoy Mario Kart? Is it true that such folks exist?
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
You may believe that Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn’t for everyone, but Nintendo’s cute life simulation game seems to be suitable for all age groups. It’s difficult to overlook the fact that this game was released in the middle of a worldwide outbreak of avian influenza. As residents throughout the globe increased their use of social distancing tactics, New Horizons offered a pastel-colored haven for gamers of all skill levels to collectively lose themselves in for a while. The rules of the game are straightforward: Fruits and vegetables are picked, bugs are caught, and valuable seashells are sought for in the hope of earning enough money to start a utopian island society. Due to the fact that everything happens in real-time, there is an incentive to play a little (or a lot) every day. Oh, and did we mention that all of the characters are animal-like creatures that communicate with one another?
A Great Choice For Anyone looking for a digital hangout will find this to be a good fit. People who like tranquility, placidity, or the cuteness of things. Influencers in the travel industry.
Not A Great Option For Anyone with a burning sense of impatience, troubles with commitment, or a desire for games to provide strict guidance would find this game unsuitable.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
As much a hard game of chess as it is a matching service for a camp of adolescent anime screw-ups, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a tactical role-playing game a la Dawson’s Creek. As closely as Three Houses adheres to Fire Emblem traditions (spear-sword-ax, anyone?) and follows the conventions of Japanese role-playing games, it also makes essential deviations from them in terms of story and gameplay mechanics. The game will have you wanting to play it again right away, not just to relive the perplexing tactical combat, but also to experience the story and characters from a different perspective. There are a variety of possible outcomes, each of which leads to an entirely different destination. Completionists, prepare to get your hearts broken.
A Great Choice For Anyone who likes romance as well as mind-bending logic problems will find this book appealing. ance and brain-tingling logic puzzles.
Not A Great Option For Anyone who despises anime, heartache, and the act of replaying a game three times should avoid this film (or more).
Undertale
Although Undertale seems to be a retro-style JRPG, it is surprisingly forward-thinking. As a person trapped in a monster-infested environment, you must choose whether you wish to win battles via indiscriminate brutality or through cunning context-based exchanges (talking, joking, petting, etc). Undertale keeps track of everything you do; it’s incredibly aware of what you’re doing and will frequently show that awareness in unexpected ways. Every life you take has repercussions in the end. Despite its bleak exterior, Undertale is a really warm, cozy, and amusing game. The writing in this game is top-tier, the music is second-to-none, and the storyline contains a treasure mine of mysteries that players haven’t completely explored, whether you massacre or befriend everyone (or choose a midway road).
A Great Choice For People who have ever felt even a single pang of loneliness, lovers of sophisticated video game tales, fans of games that disrupt expectations.
Not A Great Option For People who despise shoot-’em-ups and difficult boss fights (Undertale’s fighting system has parts of both), those who dislike reading dialogue, and those who despise low-resolution pixel imagery.
Baba Is You
Baba Is You is unlike any other game you’ve ever played. It’s possible you’ll never play another game just like it. It’s a straightforward block-pushing puzzle game, only the blocks you’re moving represent the game’s rules. Push the “Door,” “Is,” and “Open” blocks together, and all of the level’s doors will open. The problems get more challenging as you get used to the idea that everything, including yourself, may be redefined on the fly. The puzzle is a victorious masterpiece.
A Great Choice For People who “solve puzzles because they enjoy suffering, and they like being relieved from pain, and they like most of all that they discover within themselves the ability to release themselves from their own agony,” as Mike Selinker and Thomas Snyder put it.
Not A Great Option For People who rush to GameFAQs whenever Nathan Drake is required to align three spinning wheels or something.
Super Mario Odyssey
It’s all about freedom in Super Mario Odyssey, and it’s a fantastic game. The red-hatted plumber is no longer required to proceed in a straight path, as in prior Mario games. The timer is gone, and each level—from Fossil Falls’ magnificent forest to New Donk City’s bustling metropolis—is a toy box full of platforming puzzles, surprise mysteries, and all sorts of silly fun. Mario may also be dressed as a pirate, cowboy, clown, or mafia enforcer from the Roaring Twenties. There are plenty of Moons to gather and objects to jump on even after you’ve completed the game (or off of). It’s one of the most lovely and enjoyable games we’ve encountered in a long time.
A Great Choice For Fans of platforming, Mario 64, and Sunshine, as well as those who like headwear, will enjoy this game.
Not A Great Option For People who despise 3D platforming will find this game to be a poor match. Hat haters.
