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What are some of your favorite Nintendo Switch games?
Hey all,
I just recently got a Switch 2, and am looking for some games to play on it. I currently have Mario Kart World (and have been enjoying it), but nothing else.
I have not owned a Switch before, so if there are good switch games that work on the switch 2 I would appreciate those recommendations as well.
Looking primarily for single-player & local 2-player games. No real genres I dislike, except I don’t play a lot of horror games. I have played a bit of splatoon on a friends switch, and that wasn’t my cup of tea.
I do have a PC and have played a lot of games there (like Cyberpunk, Elden Ring, Tunic, Hollow Knight, etc), so mainly looking for games that are console-exclusive, or that might’ve slipped by my radar.
Obviously Zelda Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
BotW in particular is a clean break from the previous Zelda formula that started with A Link to the Past. However its open world doesn't have an ubisoftian "follow the marker" game design, it's way more player driven. The map is designed to have visual points of interest and you're the one placing the markers, not the game.
Tear of the Kingdom is a better game, but not necessarily a better experience. There's a joyful sense of sandbox to the game, but BotW is more concise in its game design.
Never have I heard my complicated feelings for both games be summarized this well. Bravo!
I would contest whether TotK is a better game. It's a different game and I'd encourage the Zelda-curious to try both. I'm in camp BotW, but it's like preferring pie versus cake.
Luigi's Mansion 3 was one of my favorites to play, and I think it really demonstrates the Switch's capabilities. I still need to get back the copy I lent a friend sometime, I gave it to him because I thought it was a great introduction to the system. It has a local multiplayer mode too, though I haven't played that one.
Another one I really enjoyed which you may have played on other platforms but still worth mentioning is Okami. Just a pure gaming experience, I was disappointed when it ended.
New Pokémon Snap is also super fun. You're taking photos on a rail, and every time you visit a course you have a chance to see something new. Also, it just has a lot of really pretty scenery and locations.
Also, if you want to try Pokémon: as a lifelong fan, I cannot recommend Sword/Shield without also getting the DLC. The base game is just too bare/empty, which would make it a ~$90 cost when not on sale. And first-party titles don't really go on sale often or get big discounts, so... Yeah. Scarlet/Violet are supposed to perform better on Switch 2, but if you're absolutely new to the franchise, the Diamond/Pearl remakes feel the most "complete" to me of the main series Switch games.
My top Pokémon recommendation would be Legends Arceus. Technically part of the main series, but it has some different mechanics so don't expect other games to be similar. You could also wait for Legends Z-A to be released, and see how that one's received.
I definitely want to try out Luigi’s Mansion 3. I did get to play the original, but missed out on the sequel. (I think they remade it in HD?)
Golf Story is worth checking out. It never released on the PC and it's got a great story. I really enjoyed it and I'm not really into golf.
Metroid Dread is an excellent... really struggling to find a term other than "Metroidvania", but... that's what it is.
Donkey Kong Bananza has been a lot of fun. Definitely leans toward older collect-a-thon platformers like DK64 or Banjo-Kazooie.
Metroid Dread is almost a parkour game, if it helps people who are picky about Metroidvanias. I wasn't personally crazy about Dread as an exploration game, it felt very straightforward and didn't have that natural unspoken flow towards certain destinations Super Metroid did. But Dread's movement is insanely fluid and gives its travel weight. The boss fights are wonderful, too, and I liked the narrative even though it was a bit expository.
Felt to me like a sequel to Metroid Fusion and not Super Metroid, if that makes sense. Not criticism, either - I love Fusion.
I loved it. It felt like a proper return to and evolution of Super Metroid, Fusion, and Zero Mission. I was hooked from beginning to end. It’s also the first Metroid that I ever succeeded in 100%ing.
Everyone has covered the well known Nintendo IPs, and a bunch of other highly popular stuff already... so I'll throw in some slightly lesser known Switch games, and PC ports that suit the form-factor well which I've enjoyed playing on my Switch.
Picross S, S+, S2, S3, etc through to S9
It's a Japanese puzzle game, similar in nature to Sudoku but far simpler. Here's a quick Wikihow on how to play. But the jist of it is that the numbers along each row and column tell you how many squares need to be filled in, and you can deduce which squares those are using pretty simple logic. The smaller puzzles are super easy, but they get more and more difficult as the size of the puzzles increase. Also, as you solve each puzzle it reveals a pixel art. I started playing these on the DS way back in the day, and have bought+100%ed every single one since then.
Slay the Spire
One of the best Roguelike Deckbuilders of all time. Ported from PC, and works great on Switch.
Monster Train 1 & 2
Similar to Slay the Spire. Also very very good. I actually prefer them to StS, TBH. I own them both on PC, iOS and Switch. ;)
Balatro
Very unique and super addicting Roguelike Poker-hand Deckbuilding Strategy game. Ported from PC, and works great on Switch.
Trials Rising
Dirtbike game where you need to land correctly to build up momentum, and control the throttle to get over obstacles. Have you ever seen those videos of dirt bikers climbing super steep cliffs, jumping massive gaps, and climbing onto then jumping between boulders or barrels (E.g. Video)? That's basically this game, but with more zany elements.
Rogue Legacy
Excellent port of a great Rogelike Metroidvania Platformer PC game.
LIMBO & INSIDE
Playdead's awesomely atmospheric, incredibly dark, exploration, platforming games. Ported from PC, and work great on Switch.
Into the Breach
Awesome turn-based puzzle/strategy game from the devs of FTL: Faster Than Light.
Enter the Gungeon
Roguelike Bullethell game. Ported from PC, and works great on Switch.
Celeste
Difficult but beautiful Platformer game. Ported from PC, and work great on Switch.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
The OG Metroidvania games where the genre gets the "vania" part from. Good ports from various other Nintendo systems. Work great on Switch.
Bastion
Action RPG. By far my favorite Supergiant Games game. I also own and have played it multiple times on PC... and even own the soundtrack because it's that damn good. ;)
Baba Is You
Really hard to explain this one... but it's a very difficult puzzle game that requires some crazy lateral, outside-the-box thinking.
Great list.
To add ports I enjoyed on Switch:
Octopath Traveller 1/2 / Bravely Default II - Old school JRPGs which are essentially the modern day descendants of Final Fantasy V. Tons of jobs and abilities which you can turn into busted combos. BD II also features a surprisingly good FF8-esque collectible card game.
Triangle Strategy - JSRPG in the vein on Final Fantasy Tactics. I actually like the system in this better as there's no job system, which really forces you to learn to use all the units. Also, you can't just cheese by using Cid.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - Mindbendingly complex sci-fi visual novel / tower defence game which will probably appeal to people who enjoyed Zero Escape or Steins;Gate. For some reason, Vanillaware refuses to release their games on PC, so getting the portable version on Switch is as good a choice as any.
Love this list, thanks!
I’ve been meaning to get Baba is You, I can see how it would be fun on the switch.
Celeste I played a bit on PC, I could see it working well on the switch as well.
I adore Bastion, though I don’t know if I ever finished it…I think I also own the soundtrack.
I will definitely look into the rest of your suggestions, thanks!
YVW. Hopefully you can find a few games you will enjoy on the list. :) At the very least I would definitely recommend giving Bastion another shot if you didn't actually complete it. Hades (another SuperGiant game) is also on Switch too BTW, and also well worth playing if you haven't already. I didn't find the story or music as compelling as Bastion's, but the gameplay is rock solid and super addictive.
I definitely liked Mario Bros Wonder, Mario Odyssey, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Pokemon Sword/Shield, the Pokemon Pearl "remake", and Animal Crossing on my OG switch. But almost every other Mario & Pokemon game I played was also pretty good.
I definitely disliked Pokemon Scarlet/Violet (hell, I didn't even make it to the first medal).
I'm completely uninterested in Zelda but people do love breath of the wild & tears of the kingdom, so whatever you like.
I also recently bought a Switch 2 and just finished playing through Sword/Shield, and started Scarlet/Violet last week. S/V are definitely different from Sw/Sh which feel much more like a "traditional" Pokemon game, but I will say that I'm enjoying S/V on the Switch 2. I heard that there were a lot of technical problems with S/V on the original Switch hardware, but at least it runs very smoothly on the Switch 2.
As for the gameplay, the open world is novel, and I'll stick with it at least long enough to complete my living dex, but I hope that it turns out to be more of an experiment than the series new direction.
I'd probably only end up with one Pokemon game, so I'm not sure how to decide between them - any thoughts?
I think the only Pokemon games I've played were Emerald and Black/White.
Personally I found Legends: Arceus to be the most fun pokemon game I've ever played, but it is very different from the mainline pokemon games. And the Diamond/Pearl remakes are really almost exact remakes of the DS version of Diamond/Pearl but with more HD, chibi-like graphics. Nothing new, but pretty reliable if you've only played older pokemon games.
If I had to pick just one, I'd pick Legends: Arceus, but if we're talking about more typical pokemon games, then Sword/Shield + DLCs would be my pick. I found it really fun as a storyline and it was linear enough that it did not further tire my brain after a difficult workday (compared to Scarlet/Violet). Pearl/Diamond is great, sure, but it doesn't really offer anything new. Might as well find someone's DS and play the old version.
But probably depends on your preferences. I'd look into their selling points and pick based on those.
For what it's worth, Pokémon Legends Arceus is what got me from playing the main games from Red/Blue through X/Y and resenting the lack of innovation to loving the series again. It's focused on a lot of what you do in its overworld - catching Pokémon by throwing balls directly at them, dodging Pokémon that attack you directly, exploring by riding the couple Pokémon you can travel around on, etc. Then it has normal Pokémon battle mechanics, which are a bit simplified when they didn't really need to be. But it leans on them as a way to preserve the strategy angle of the mainline games, while letting the cooler ideas pop as more diagetic things you're doing to wind up in core Pokémon gameplay.
I repeat this all the time on Tildes, but it's a top five game for me and I can't recommend it enough if you want some more Pokémon. If don't like the series, I don't think it's the radical departure a very crunchy online audience imagines would ""save"" the series (and which probably is never going to happen). But it does bring the game back to the more rural exploration feel from the beginning couple years of the franchise, and it's clearly made by people who grew up with certain games. I've never actually wanted to catch Pokémon before; I was sad when I was nearing the end of Arceus's Pokédex. It's the Pokémon game in my head when I was five. I adore it.
Scarlet/Violet are also good, though they're more linear than the open world would imply past first glance, and they aren't geared towards things that would make the open exploration fun like Arceus does in a segmented world. Even if you play on the Switch 2, a lot of technical shit going on may make you cock your head to the side, like a lack of building interiors and no real dungeons until the end. (There are caves, which are hilariously easy to bypass and don't have much in them.) But they're still fun, and have a banger ending dungeon.
Definitely Legends Arceus. Not only is it not a grind fest like the main / normal series, it's just a more beautiful game. I think it's time they stop making the main games, to be honest. And only make new games when they have something like Arceus to offer. (I've played since Red/Blue/Yellow, and still watch their anime, but I've lost patience with the main series)
If you think you'll only ever get one, might want to hold off on getting a Pokémon game a bit to see the reception of Legends Z-A after its release in October. With luck it will build off what made Legends Arceus so great and improve the experience even more.
Otherwise, I'll join the resounding recommendations for Legends Arceus. Even a non-Pokémon fan I know enjoyed it!
If you’re into 80s style NES games, then UFO 50 is an absolute MUST for the switch.
I put more than 50 hours into it and haven’t beaten half the games but the experience itself is so unique, especially for single player and 2 player gameplay.
Worth it just for Vainger, Party House, and Mini & Max alone. Elfazar’s Hat is great for two player coop as well.
It was an immediate purchase for me after all the hours I put in on PC. Unfortunately some of the games on the switch version have performance issues, but devs are aware and hopefully will be a patch out soon. Incredible game though!
Pikmin
Trailer
One of my friends adores Pikmin so I will probably get it. Big fan of the way you phrased your suggestion, I feel it sells it all that it needs to, hah.
I absolutely adore them. I figure, either folks have heard about Pikmin, or else they haven't and here's a few seconds of the little critters just humming and existing while being cute....if that doesn't convince someone northing I say will.
You're going to have a great time with the series! I bet your friend would love to play together with you. Or vicariously enjoy discovering them for the first time :)
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet - especially since you have a switch 2. Minus nostalgia, I think it's just the best pokemon game, and a great game overall.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses - the best selling SRPG of all time. It combines Fire Emblem's main gameplay loop with base and relationship management.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - it's the only real way to play the game now, since it does not emulate well. But it's well worth it - one of my favorite Zelda games. Moreso than BotW, tbh. But that's subjective.
Monster Hunter: Rise
Xenoblade Chronicles 1 DE, 2, 3 - great JRPGs. 2 and 3 came out for the switch, 1 had a remake.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - Bowser's Fury is the real gem here, but the OG 3D World is fun enough to justify the money.
Astral Chain - Platinum made 3D action game
The World Ends With You - originally released on the DS, due to its "unique" control scheme, IMO the Switch version is the best way to play it outside of the OG DS version.
Finally, I'll mention Splatoon 3 and Smash Ultimate, which are great games, but it's an awkward time to buy them. As multiplayer games, they're both in their twilight years. But if you find a copy on sale, Splatoon 3 has a great single player campaign.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the best 2D platformer Mario game since Super Mario World, in my opinion. Personally I'd put it as the #1 top Switch exclusive title.
Pretty much anything that's a first-party exclusive title is probably something decent/fun/worth playing. While my interest in their franchises broadly has been waning, I feel like Nintendo only puts out duds pretty rarely.
Lots of great recommendations already in the thread. My picks for exclusives:
The system sellers: Mario Odyssey / Zelda: Breath of the Wild / Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - All great fun, very easy to get into and all now upgraded to run well on Switch 2.
Super Mario 3D World / Bowser's Fury - Both A side and B side are excellent 3D platformers with a lot of variety. 3D World in particular is great for clearing in short bursts.
I also enjoyed Mario Wonder, but I don't think I'd rate it above this or Super Mario World. Wonder has a lot of cool creative levels, but it's very short and I felt like it lacked the depth of (either) World with its big sprawling map, secret exits and levels everywhere and general higher difficulty (although Wonder does have a couple of really punishing secret levels).
Zelda: Link's Awakening remake - I played this to death on the GB as a kid and it's easily my favourite 2D Zelda after Link to the Past (which still holds up today and is available on the switch online service). The remake ran a bit rough on the original Switch but should be great on Switch 2.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - Built on the above engine but plays very differently with a more puzzle-centric design. Very accessible with a lot of freedom in how to approach challenges.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons - The game that swept the world during the pandemic. Very relaxing with a great soundtrack that I still listen to at work. Play as much or as little as you like every day. No sweatiness, just the joy of slowly discovering and progressing. This is the only game I have over 500 hours in.
Xenoblade Chronicles 1-3 - Some of the best modern JRPGs I've played this decade. Big expansive maps to explore, tons of optional challenges / bosses and systems on top of systems to master. For better or worse, the stories are also JRPG to the core, so your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for that.
How would you rank the Xenoblade Chronicles games? Would it be weird to just get 3 if I haven’t played the others? Also - are there a lot of complicated systems/controls, or is combat pretty straightforward.
My personal ranking is 2 > 3 > 1, but each game has its share of quirks and my impression is that 2 in particular is a bit polarising.
The three games form a kind of loose trilogy (i.e. there are recurring characters / locations and some cool story / meta connections), but each game's story is self-contained and you can definitely start at 3 if you want. My friend has only ever played 3 and he had a blast.
The series is kind of known for having a lot of systems, but it's all introduced gradually over the course of hours and feels very manageable. The controls are simple and I found the moment-to-moment focus in combat to always be on your gut feel for what you want to do next rather than juggling health bars or cooldowns or buffs/debuffs or whatever. It's only for challenge bosses that you really need to dive deep into the systems (and if you don't want to do that, you can still usually just come back later when you're stronger and stomp them).
Hard agree with @Well_known_bear's rankings. I probably have somewhere around 800 hours in the XC games (not to mention hundreds of hours in the XenoSaga trilogy and Xenogears) and while I agree the stories are self contained I really felt like the interconnections between the games really added to the overall universe and understanding of what was happening.
Two things to add:
A few of our favorites (that I haven't seen listed yet):
Ooh, I’ve played Dave the Diver on PC (mostly…didn’t finish it, but just because I’m bad at finishing games if I don’t play them through in 2-3 weeks).
UCH is great (I’ve played it on a friends switch as a 4 player game).
I have played Trine (3, I think), I’ll to check out 4, I could definitely see it being fun on the switch.
One I have not seen mentioned yet, though most people will already know: Hades. Rogue-like, Greek mythology setting(surprise). I'm not sure if there's any part of the game that I don't like now that I think about it. Gameplay, story, music, atmosphere, pacing, replayability, characters, design, general art style, side games... it's really good.
Edit: Also, lesser well known: OPUS: Echo of Starsong. One of the most beautiful experiences I've ever had.
Preface: I don't have a switch 2 so I'm not sure if any of these have received updates for that console.
I'm very fond of Monster Hunter Stories and especially Monster Hunter Stories 2. You don't need to play the first for 2 to make sense. They're available on PC, but are an excellent handheld experience and I prefer the switch versions. Luigi's Mansion 3 is also lovely