Hey y’all, I thought I would take a short diversion from regular programming to talk about the Nintendo Switch for a little while.
The system’s successor, the aptly named “Switch 2,” makes its debut in, well, several hours at this point, meaning the old trusty Switch is going to be on its last legs in terms of product support going forward.
This gives us the perfect reason to celebrate the Switch by talking about what it did so darn well. For me, with all apologies to its unique trailblazing nature as a home/portable hybrid console, that’s primarily the looooooong list of great games it housed.
I wanted to hone in on some of the highlights of that killer library – the true cream of the crop – and so I started to think about things in terms of the Switch’s “Mt. Rushmore,” the games that were truly stellar and synonymous with the system.
That list quickly grew beyond four, so I decided, let’s go for an even 10 and call it a day.
The following are in my view the 10 most impactful, representative, elite games on the Nintendo Switch … with a few caveats beforehand.
First of all, I didn’t play everything, and it doesn’t make sense for me to list things I didn’t play. So while many people would list several RPGs or Pokemon games here, that’s just not something I can do.
Luckily, I can rationalize those particular omissions as being somewhat difficult lifts for the average consumer to partake in. The Xenoblade games are well thought of by those who have played, but I dunno man, a 300 hour RPG is a tall ask. The same thing is true of all of the Pokemon games – they collectively feel like a huge undertaking and something that is its own ecosystem or something.
“Just play these seven games in order and it will all start to make sense to you.”
It doesn’t make sense to me, and it may never, and that’s okay.
So there you go, no massive RPGs and no Pokemon.
Beyond that, I also tried to stay away from any remakes or ports (a couple of notable exceptions are listed, but it couldn’t be helped). So in general, I didn’t list things like Super Mario 3D World, Link’s Awakening, or Metroid Prime Remastered.
Great games, but not exactly representative of THIS console.
In a similar vein, I went with console exclusives (again, with a couple of notable exceptions) because this list is about the Nintendo Switch, not all the other places you can play some great games (my apologies to the likes of “Hades,” games that are somewhat synonymous with the system, yet no doubt clearly available to play elsewhere).
And finally, I say, I’m sorry dear friend, “Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,” but I had no space for you here. I think you’re great and people should play you (warts and all), but these other games are just a smidge more important/successful.
Thusly, we’re ready. Here are the Top 10 Switch games you should play immediately if you somehow still haven’t.
10. Splatoon 3 – There’s probably a really good case to be made for slotting Splatoon 2 here instead, and I’m certain others can make that case more eloquently than I. Both games are really fun, examples of multiplayer shooters done in more of a family-friendly way (the games are basically paintball on steroids). I think where I give this one the tiebreaker is that it’s more recent, meaning it’s much likelier to continue to be supported by Nintendo via servers and updates into the coming months/years.
9. Animal Crossing: New Horizons – As a time capsule game, ranking on importance with the audience, this game would place much higher on the list, as this game was THE Covid-19 game, the one that got people through the isolation of the pandemic with a little social virtual world. Culturally, it mattered a ton. On its own merits, it’s basically a really well done Animal Crossing game: cute, fun, light … but worryingly consuming at the same time. A masterclass of a timesuck.
8. Cruis’n Blast – “Cruis’n” as a brand is from a bygone era, evocative both of extremely mediocre racers on the N64 and a whole lot of arcade cabinets that did the “arcade racer” better than THAT, but still not exceptionally well. They were there to distract you for a few minutes. “Blast” came along and changed the game, porting a stellar arcade experience to the Switch. Boasting fun racing dynamics and wacky, over-the-top touches like dinosaurs and spaceships, the game probably doesn’t have any right to work as well as it does, and yet it’s a fabulous party game on the Switch, somehow never ported anywhere else and even more inexplicably, the only game on my countdown not published under the Nintendo umbrella. It’s friggin’ awesome though.
7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – With certain series like this one, it can be difficult to step back from them and put them into proper historical perspective. What, beyond a massive roster and embarrassment of riches in terms of customization options, does this game (the latest in the Smash Bros. lineup) do better beyond its predecessors? If we’re honest, maybe not a whole lot, which is why I don’t have this monstrosity higher up the list. Still, let’s also acknowledge … this playable roster absolutely rips. “Ultimate” is basically a must-buy if you’re going to have a Switch library of any kind.
6. Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Oh gosh, 2D Mario had gotten REALLY stale prior to the drop of this fabulous title in 2023. Literal decades of so-so Mario platforming had preceded this sucker, which is sort of unforgivable if you think about it. Yet “Wonder” brought back the weird, and in so doing, it breathed life back into the series as a whole. This game is relatively short, but it also never wears out its welcome as a result, and the whole ride will take you back to the 8-bit and 16-bit days of platforming should you let it. Pro tip: let it.
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Like Smash, you’re sort of obligated to list the latest iteration of Mario Kart as the best version of itself … until the next one comes along that is (in a few hours). Also like Smash Ultimate, MK8’s greatest asset is just its sheer size. Where with the former, you have every character you could (mostly) ever want, here you have every race track you could (mostly) ever want. Paired along with a rock-solid battle mode, local co-op play and online modes, Mario Kart 8 is easily one of the better party/multiplayer games on the system.
4. Super Mario Odyssey – Departing from the Galaxy/3D World model of more straightforward, linear levels, it harkens back to the Mario 64 or Sunshine days of Mario 3D platforming, utilizing a mix of goal-oriented objectives and basic exploration to breathe life into its various stages. The gimmick of Mario being able to take over the creatures and people he encounters to utilize special abilities is well executed, the intuitive game design here is some of the best in the business, and the whole enterprise just ends up feeling fresh and fun. I’m not sure I’ve ever played a better 3D platformer, and I perhaps never will.
3. Tears of the Kingdom – If we’d made this a Top 4, I would have probably bumped this guy down a couple of spots to give us more of a diverse representation, but as part of an even ten, I feel comfortable having extra Zelda in here (spoiler!). Bottom line with this game: it doesn’t break new ground in the same way its predecessor did, and it feels less like an awe-inspiring adventure as a result, but the inclusion of the new mechanics was a masterstroke, making this game very nearly as essential an experience. If you’re here, trying to play Switch games on general principle, then “Tears” should be high on your list.
2. Metroid Dread – Holy hell, man. For some, Super Metroid is an untouchable masterpiece, never to be equalled or surpassed again, and I would have counted myself in that number a few short years ago too. But “Dread” is positively magnificent, boasting much better visuals and controls (objectively) than its Super Nintendo cousin. It’s got a different kind of map, covering more ground, and it feels a little more linear (by design). Mileage varies on the style of boss fight here (I happen to love it), and some people don’t like the EMMI areas either, but I think if you go in being okay knowing that some style changes were inevitable, you’ll absolutely adore it.
1. Breath of the Wild – Like MK8, it’s not technically “only” a Switch game, having also been released on the WiiU, but it’s so dang synonymous with the Switch as a launch title for the system (selling a bazillion copies), it has to be included here. And once you make the decision to include it, it’s kind of an easy choice for No. 1 (though Dread, for me, is RIGHT THERE a half-step below). What else needs to be said about BOTW? I think it’s such an amazing achievement, bringing Zelda back to its exploration roots while eschewing decades of formula in favor of an open-world direction that became one of the best examples of that kind of game in the process. It fills you with awe and wonder. If you pick one game to play on the Switch, this is the one.
Think I’m nuts? Cool! Check out my writing on retro games here!