The Best Games You Should Play on Nintendo Switch

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Ready to return to the blistering sands of Persia once again? Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown puts you in the shoes of a Persian Immortal named Sargon. Your task? Rescue the titular prince who got kidnapped.

If you love good Metroidvania-style action-adventure platformers, you’re in for a real treat here. And if you always enjoyed time-based shenanigans, you’ll be pleased to learn that they have returned as well. There are some powers which you can use in both fighting your enemies and carefully platforming your way out of different quandaries.

Image credit: Ubisoft Montpellier

And if you can’t reach a certain place/solve a particular puzzle, no worries. Over time you will get more abilities which will help you do that. There’s even a map to which you can pin your screenshots. This will help you remember what puzzles you have to return to. All in all, it’s a fantastic platformer and one of this year’s strongest contenders for the Game of the Year award. Try it now!

Astral Chain

Now, imagine a game where cyberpunk and manga come together. Where you play as a sci-fi police force protecting the world from otherworldly monsters in the Astral Plane. Where you summon various creatures to help you in battle. This is Astral Chain in a nutshell.

So, you’re a cop on the prowl for them Chimaeras and other nasties that inhabit the Astral Plane and threaten your world. That naturally entails investigating the world and grilling NPCs for cues. One way or another, you’re going to end up in the Astral Plane, anyway, where you’ll have to do battle with beasts from another dimension. And this is where the actual fun begins.

Image credit: PlatinumGames

See, you get to summon various Legion creatures which help you out during combat and possess a wide variety of skills. While they perform their actions automatically, you can easily control them using the right analog stick. You do that to get some sick combos and sync attacks. So, if you’re looking for something pretty unusual and making good use of Nintendo Switch’s control scheme, grab Astral Chain. There’s a good chance you’ll love it.

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Pokemon Arceus

If you ever wondered what the world of Pokémon looked like in the past, here’s your chance to find out. Arceus will take you straight to Hisui, a place teeming with wild pocket monsters.

One word of warning, though: they’re certainly not ready for you to catch them all. And they won’t go down without a fight. This time around wild Pokémon might actually attack and hurt you, eventually knocking you unconscious. Once that happens, you’ll be returned to the nearest base camp.

Image credit: GAME FREAK

In general, this is a major overhaul of the series formula, so if you’d like to try out something different in the world of Pokémon, Arceus is an amazing choice in this regard. Grab it now!

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Metroid Prime Remastered

This one shows how remasters should be done. It’s a fitting tribute to one of the best video games ever, especially on GameCube, a triumphant return of a true classic.

Metroid Prime once again puts you in the shoes of Samus Aran, a bounty hunter known for her Power Suit’s ability to turn into a rolling ball (well, among other things), who has to fight the Space Pirates and whatever they cooked up in their labs on Tallon IV.

Image credit: Retro Studios

While the game is reminiscent of a first-person shooter, there’s more emphasis on exploration rather than combat, which is why Nintendo was so insisted on calling this one a “first-person adventure” instead. One thing’s for sure, though: a modern control scheme and revamped visuals make Metroid Prime a fantastic title to play on your Switch. Definitely recommended if you love action-adventure games!

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Neon White

Looking for a fun genre-bending game? Neon White might just be what you need. It’s a blend of a first-person shooter, platformer, puzzler, and a card game even. One thing’s for sure: you’re in for a pretty wild ride!

You play as the titular Neon White. Who are Neons? They’re sinners taken from Hell to take part in a demon-hunting competition. The winners get a chance to stay in Heaven. The game is pretty much for speedrunners, as you need to complete missions as soon as possible.

Image credit: Ben Esposito

So, you gotta run around and jump a lot, as well as collect Soul Cards, including taking them from the demons you just killed. You can use these cards as weapons or discard them to activate a special ability. Your performance at a particular level grants you a medal. There’s also a world map where you can interact with NPCs, which includes relationships.

All in all, Neon White is a very unusual, but rewarding game that you should give a try if you’re into something out of the ordinary.

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Splatoon 3

Nintendo Switch is perfect for kid-friendly games. If you’re looking for a fun team-based shooter where violence is actually almost non-existent so that your progeny might enjoy it freely, grab Splatoon 3.

It’s a third-person shooter where your task is to paint the arena with your team’s color and maintain dominance over it. There are various weapons that you can use to achieve this. You can pick from two groups: Inklings or Octolings, humanoids that can transform into octopuses or squids that can swim in their team’s ink to traverse the maps faster.

Image credit: Nintendo EPD

The game also features a single-player campaign and several other multiplayer modes, including a new addition to the series: Tableturf Battle, a deckbuilding game within Splatoon 3.

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Metroid Dread

Another Metroid game on this list, Dread returns to the roots of the series with its 2.5D platformer/Metroidvania gameplay where you collect gadgets and revisit locations to progress further in the campaign.

Samus Aran is sent to the planet ZDR in order to investigate the disappearance of several EMMI robots. They were dispatched earlier to study the parasites known as the X, but the Galactic Federation lost contact with them. The bounty hunter is stripped of her powers shortly after her landing on ZDR and must regain them in order to escape. This won’t be easy, as the EMMI robots are on the prowl…

Image credit: Nintendo EPD, MercurySteam

Their presence adds stealth elements to the game, as you can’t defeat them unless you have the Omega Blaster, which you lose every time you use it (but each destroyed EMMI means you get an upgrade that will come in handy later on). Yeah, Metroid Dread is difficult, but if you’re looking for something challenging to play on your Switch, this one is a fantastic pick.

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Mario Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Mario and Rabbids? Now that sounds like an awesome crossover! The sequel to Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Sparks of Hope once again offers a fun gameplay experience, a mixture of action-adventure and turn-based strategy.

If you played Kingdom Battle, you will know what to expect from this title. Still, there are some changes to the gameplay that shake things up a little bit, such as random encounters and moving away from the grid-based system known from the first game.

Image credit: Ubisoft Paris

Story-wise, Sparks of Hope is about the appearance of Sparks, Rabbid-Luma hybrids with unlimited power, chased by a gargantuan manta ray imbued with a corruptive substance known as Darkmess. Mario and his Rabbid friends will have to take care of that and defeat a malevolent entity known as Cursa.

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Night in the Woods

Let not the art of the game fool you – Night in the Woods is anything but a cutesy adventure featuring anthropomorphic animals.

The main character of the game, Mae Borowski, has dropped out of college and returns to her hometown to reconnect with friends and family. What seemed like a good idea at first turns into a nightmare. With Mae’s friend different and town unlike she remembers it, she must deal with her deteriorating mental state and muster the courage to venture into the woods in search of a kidnapped teen.

Image credit: Infinite Fall

The game explores several difficult subjects, like mental disorders, loneliness, coming to grip with the past and embracing the future, and many more. The game received positive reviews from critics and placed high on top lists of 2017 indie games.

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Bayonetta 2

Whoever had played the previous installment of Bayonetta needs no convincing to pick up the second one. For the undecided, here’s a quick recap.

Bayonetta 2 is a prequel to the original Bayonetta, and features breakneck action, with the main character, the titular demon hunter Bayonetta, cutting and shooting through the hordes of demons and angels alike.

Image credit: PlatinumGames

The gameplay features remain mostly unchanged: Bayonetta can user both firearms and melee weapons, combining moves into combos and perform brutal finishers. A new feature of the game is the Umbran Climax, which boosts Bayonetta’s strength and range. Bayonetta 2 received positive reviews from the critics, who praised the game, despite little changes made in the gameplay mechanics.

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Gris

Gris, unlike many of the titles on this list, proves that video games can still be an aesthetic experience.

Featuring a remarkable combination of ethereal, stylized graphics, reminding of the watercolor painting, the game takes the player through an emotional rollercoaster, leading them through the tale of Gris, the main the protagonist of the game, who wakes up in a strange, colorless world.

Image credit: Nomada Studio

She embarks on a quest to return color to this mysterious land by collecting starlight, scattered across four different areas. Gris received high acclaim form critics who praised the game’s artistic design, the music accompanying the player throughout the gameplay and the somber yet poignant story.

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Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu/Eevee

Gotta catch ’em all! Pokemon Let’s Go throws the player into the shoes of young Pokemon trainer in the Kanto region, in a game filled with exploration and fighting.

Let’s Go features the RPG system of Pokemon battles, while also introducing several new features. The game utilizes the Joy-Con controller of the Switch in catching the Pokemon. If one of the Joy-Cons is used by another player, they can join in the game and help with fighting and catching Pokemon and fighting NPC Pokemon trainers.

Image credit: Game Freak

Depending on the version of the game, the player starts with either Pikachu or Eevee, who travel on the player character’s arm in the overworld and notify them about nearby items. The game received favorable reviews from critics who praised Let’s Gos nostalgic charm.

Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu/Eevee

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Hollow Knight

If you’re longing for the classic, Metroidvania-style adventure, Hollow Knight should be your first pick for the Switch.

In Team Cherry’s action-adventure game, the player controls the titular Hollow Knight, who travels the depths of the underground kingdom of Hallownest. As the player progresses through the game, they will face increasingly stronger enemies and bosses.

Image credit: Team Cherry

Luckily, the player can use the nail to strike enemies from close range and equip various spells to fend off the adversaries from afar. Along the way, the knight will meet different NPCs, who will explain elements of plot and lore, aid him on his quest or act as vendors, where the player can sell collected items. The reviews of Hollow Knight were highly positive, with some critics dubbing it “the new classic”.

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Octopath Traveler

Octopath Traveler is a perfect example of how combining the old with the new can result in something really unique and spectacular.

OT is filled with intricate gameplay mechanics, which the players might recognize from the RPGs of old. However, Octopath Traveler is not purely sentimental trip into the past.

Image credit: ACQUIRE Corp.

The game offers novelty, especially in the graphics department, to attract players not interested in reminiscing. In OT the player controls one of eight characters, each possessing different set of skills.

On top of that, the player can use elemental attacks and gather boost points, which can be used during the fight for upgrading the player’s attacks, etc. Each of the playable characters has their own story and begins the game in a different place. The stories of the protagonists intertwine with one another creating a unique tapestry. Octopath Traveler received positive reviews and was praised for its unique graphic style and engaging gameplay.

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Super Mario Maker 2

If you ever thought to yourself “Man, this lava level is hardcore, but I bet I could make it even more difficult!”, then Super Mario Maker 2 is the game for you!

In SMM 2 the player is given the full control of the environments and assets from the Super Mario games, which they can use to create their own levels. While designing the level, the player can place the classic objects such as warp pipes and question mark bricks, and imbue them with different properties, like spawning enemies.

Image credit: Nintendo EPD

The foes of the friendly plumber can also be tampered with and provided with upgrades, such as wings, powerup mushrooms, and many more.

The fun in Super Mario Maker 2 is only restricted by the player’s imagination. After completing the level, the player can upload it online and download levels made by other players. Super Mario Maker 2 received positive reviews, in which the critics praised the multitude of options offered by the level creator.

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Splatoon 2

The Splatoon series quickly became the flag title of Nintendo consoles. In Splatoon 2 the player has even more options of tackling enemies, in a single-player campaign or in multiplayer.

The player still chooses between to types of characters, Inklings, and Octolings, and faces off against the opponents in the battle royale arena.

Image credit: Nintendo EPD

Inklings and Octolings can transform from their humanoid forms, used for fighting, into their squid or octopus forms, in which they can travel between ink puddles of their color. Splatoon 2 added several new features, including new weapons: Dualies, dual-wielded pistols, which allow the player to dodge roll, Brellas, shotgun-like weapons with folding shields, and Inkjets, jetpacks which allow the player to hover in the air.

The game features a new mode called Salmon Run, in which the player cooperates with other to fend off waves of Salmonids. Splatoon 2 received positive reviews from the critics, who praised the gameplay improvements over the original as well as the expanded single-player campaign.

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Who would win in a match between Mario and Sonic? Now you have a chance to find out.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the players can control various characters from different Nintendo games. These heroes include the traditional ones, like Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and Samus Aran.

Image credit: Sora

But the player can also choose to play as less obvious characters, such as the Villager from Animal Crossing, Princesses Daisy and Zelda, and… Jigglypuff? With such wacky roster, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will not get boring easily.

The game features fan-favorite modes from the previous installments, Classic and Special Smash, as well as in new ones: Smashdown, Squad Strike and Tournament. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate received positive reviews and won several awards, including Gamescom’s Best Console Game for Nintendo Switch.

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Dragon Quest Builders 2

Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes the known formula of Dragon Quest games and adds several new intriguing features to draw in new players.

In DQB 2 the player controls an unnamed builder, kidnapped by the Children of Hargon, a group who vowed to stop the builders from creating anything.

Image credit: Omega Force

As the player character escapes the captivity and washes on the shore of the Isle of Wakening, they encounter a young man named Malroth. Together, the player and the teen will embark on a quest to discover Malroth’s mysterious past and stop the Children of Hargon.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 features an open-world environment where the player can find resources and materials to use in building. New features include traveling through the sky and underwater, as well as fast travel option using the world map. The game features an online multiplayer, where up to four players can cooperate. DQB2 received positive reviews from critics.

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild is the Legend of Zelda game the fans of the series had been waiting for.

BotW introduces several upgrades, including the completely remodeled physics of the game. Now objects in the world behave more realistically, allowing the player for different forms of interaction.

Image credit: Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3

The metal objects will attract lightning during storms, items and weapons will degrade over time, etc. The player once again controls the character of Link, who had lost all memory of his previous adventures. Traveling through Hyrule, he strives to regain his memories and find out what calamity befell the land in his absence.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild received universal acclaim from the reviewers, who praised the game’s open-world environment, variety of content and physics. BotW was nominated to many of the industry awards, ultimately winning 29 of them.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild

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Fortnite Deep Freeze Bundle

Fortnite has taken the e-sports arena and the hype doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon. In Epic Game’s online battle royale game, the player chooses one of several avatars and takes them into the arenas, fighting for survival against other players.

The game offers the players an option to team up into groups of up to four, taking on the opponents on the map.

The game works well on Nintendo’s console, operating in stable 30fps and 1600×900 resolution. Fortinte for Switch received positive reviews from critics for being well-balanced port, despite drops in framerate.

The Deep Freeze Bundle offers several add-ons, like frostbite outfit, freezing point back bling, chill-axe pickaxe, cold front glider, and thousand v-bucks to spend in the in-game store.

Fortnite Deep Freeze Bundle

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Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order brings all the fun of being the part of one of the largest comic book universes and mixes it with engaging gameplay mechanics from the people behind Ninja Gaiden series.

In The Black Order, the player can play as one of the 46 characters based on their appearances in Marvel Comics, Marvel Cinematic Universe, animations and more.

Image credit: Team NINJA

The player can choose from many members of the Avengers, X-Men, Inhumans and other characters. The gameplay combines the hack and slash mechanics with RPG elements, allowing the player to upgrade their characters as they level up during the course of the game.

The story is based on the Infinity Gauntlet comic book saga but expanded with elements presented in MCU. MUA 3: TBO received positive reviews from critics for the large roster of playable characters and enjoyable gameplay.

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario and his pals power slide on the Nintendo Switch console in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The game is a port from Wii U, which means a slight decrease in graphics in handheld mode. However, while docked, MK 8 on Switch still pulls 1080p in 60fps.

The game comes with all available DLCs making Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the ultimate experience Mario racing experience.

Image credit: Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 7

Along with new arenas, MK 8 features 6 additional characters, including Bowser Jr., Inklings and King Boo, as well as restored items of feather and the Boo, among others. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe received positive reviews and was considered the definitive version of the game.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

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Minecraft

Minecraft’s appearance on Nintendo Switch was all but inevitable. The sandbox/survival game has become a global phenomenon and is available almost on every console on the market.

What makes the Minecraft on Switch stand out from other ports? Pretty much nothing. But that’s good. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” seems to be the idea of porting Minecraft to Switch, as it runs smoothly in 60fps, without significant dips in quality.

Image credit: Mojang Studios

The game features achievements in survival mode, which help make it more coherent, giving player goals to accomplish. The game received high praise from critics, especially for how fresh it felt in comparison with other titles available for the console.

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