The Nintendo Switch has been around since 2017, and in those seven years, many incredible video games have been released. And now, with the Switch’s successor seemingly being released within the next year, it seems like the old Switch is coming to its end. So, why not look back at some of the best games for the console? This is a list of my 12 favorite games for the system. This list is completely biased and my own personal opinion. Let me know about your favorites in the replies section, and with that, let’s begin.
#12: Nintendo Switch Sports (2022) 4.4/6
While it was exciting to see a new Wii Sports game for the Switch, the game didn’t quite live up to the overwhelming success of the Wii titles. Nintendo Switch Sports is still fun, however, with many of the original game’s classic sports, along with some new ones. Returning from Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort are Tennis, Bowling, Golf, and Chambara (known as Swordplay in Wii Sports Resort). Each sport plays just like they used to, with some minor tweaks to improve the experience. There’s also some new sports, including Soccer, Badminton, and Volleyball. I don’t really care for these sports and rarely replay them. Soccer takes away the simplicity of the Wii Sports originals with confusing controls, Badminton is just like Tennis, and Volleyball also has strange controls, but can still be a bit fun. Online, the game plays mostly smoothly, and it can be fun to play. Overall, the game can be fun, but it just doesn’t feel the same as the Wii games, and doesn’t have enough new and enjoyable stuff to be memorable.
#11: Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020) 4.5/6
This is one of the few Switch games I’ve played that was both great and terrible at the same time. For the most part, this collection of three 3D Mario classics is great, and every game looks much better than their primitive versions. However, outside of small tweaks to some games, the collection is very mediocre. Every game is now in HD, but this does make for some odd problems. Super Mario 64 remains in a 4:3 aspect ratio, Super Mario Sunshine’s cutscenes look like a blurry mess (along with Galaxy’s) and the game’s wonky controls from the GameCube haven’t changed. Also, the only addition to the collection is a music list, which isn’t significant at all. The games still play pretty well, and are just as fun as they’ve always been, but the changes to improve on these all-star video games are minimal. Also, Nintendo, where is Super Mario Galaxy 2?
#10: Luigi’s Mansion 3 (2019) 4.8/6
Luigi’s third ghostly adventure might be one of the Switch’s most gorgeous and impressive games on the system, with incredible special effects and lots of interactive elements. In the third game in the series, Luigi and his friends get invited to a strange hotel, only to realize it’s just a trap set by someone working for King Boo. When Luigi escapes, it’s up to him to save his friends. The Last Resort is one of the most unique Mario series settings, with every floor being even stranger and more creative than the last. From a pirate-themed restaurant to a giant pyramid to a movie studio, every floor is fun and different, and you’ll need to explore them all to find the elevator buttons to reach the top floor of the building. What Luigi’s Mansion 3 excels at is level design and boss fights. Every level is decorated and designed perfectly, and pretty much everything is interactive. It’s an unusual pleasure to just suck up random stuff sitting on tables or the floor. The boss fights are also epic, and sometimes challenging too. I especially enjoyed the King MacFrights, Captain Fishook, and Hellen Gravely fights, as them and many others are very unique and engaging. Also, even though the game has many great levels, there’s also some that are very confusing and annoying, such as the Twisted Suites and the Basement. The ghost fights are still fun, but also very easy as they don’t pull you around like in the first game, and the Slam ability is almost overpowered. Luigi’s third ghostly adventure is a very enjoyable game, but there are some things that bring the experience down.
#9: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (2021) 5/6
This is the perfect 2-in-1 package if you ask me. One of my favorite Mario games packaged with a brand new game. The Super Mario 3D World side is largely the same as the Wii U game, with the only main differences being the cleaner interface and faster running speed. Otherwise, the game is no different than the Wii U original. While it would have been nice to see more interesting updates, it’s acceptable since the game comes packaged with a brand new 3D Mario. Bowser’s Fury has grown on me more and more over the years with its fun gameplay and unique challenges. Marking Mario’s first ‘open-world’ game, Bowser’s Fury takes place on a large lake known as Lake Lapcat, with multiple islands marking the levels. While the ‘levels’ are extremely small compared to 3D World, each one has multiple Cat Shines to find, which are the game’s main collectible. There’s also Fury Bowser, who spawns in periodically as you play, adding a neat gameplay twist, making the world more dangerous and chaotic. Bowser’s Fury feels more like a side-game than a mainline game, but it still is a fun game. Overall it’s a great duo, including an original Mario game and a brand new game all in one.
#8: Pikmin 4 (2023) 5.1/6
Even though it seemed like it would never happen, Nintendo finally gave us the fourth installment in this strange strategy series. In Pikmin 4, you’ll explore what seems like Earth, with many noticeable artificial items being found everywhere. The areas are large and expansive, with tons of different items to find and enemies to fight. Joining your squad of PIkmin this time are Ice Pikmin, who can freeze water and enemies. There’s also Glow Pikmin, who appear in the fun but forgettable night mode. Along with the many types of Pikmin is Oatchi, a large dog that can do many things to help the captain, including lots of strength, can carry all the Pikmin (even on water), and help fight larger enemies. Overall, Pikmin 4 is a very fun game with really creative areas to explore. Also, quick question, does anyone actually use dandori?
#7: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) 5.1/6
Mario Kart 8 was a gem that unfortunately never reached its true potential because it was stuck on the obsolete Wii U. However, the Switch gave the game a second life with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, including all the DLC tracks and characters for free, and a revamped battle mode. Even though the game is largely the same, it’s still an incredible video game with lots of incredible courses. And now with the many more courses and characters added through the Booster Course Pass DLC, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is undoubtedly the apex of Mario Kart. It’s going to be very hard to top Mario’s eighth racing game, since it has so many unique elements and tracks that make the experience so interesting and replayable.
#6: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) 5.3/6
With the success of the four previous games in Nintendo’s crossover fighting series, it was evident that the fifth game would be coming to the Switch. However, we didn’t just get a new Super Smash Bros. game: we got Masahiro Sakurai’s crown jewel. The game includes over 100 stages from across the series, nearly 1,000 music tracks, and every single character from the entire series. The game is outrageous, and it makes the experience so enjoyable. Every character is fun to fight with, and every stage is creative in design (for the most part). The game offers so much customization over how your match will play. There are so many different items, stage hazards, and more that make matches so fun. The game also includes an adventure mode called World of Light, and while it is neat, it’s not very memorable and gets uninteresting the longer you play. Overall, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is truly the best in the series and one of the best side-scrolling fighting games of all time, even without Waluigi.
#5: Super Mario Maker 2 (2019) 5.4/6
Super Mario Maker was one of the most unique games on the Wii U, giving us what we’ve always wanted and taking advantage of the Wii U GamePad better than any other game on the console. While its Switch sequel doesn’t have that simplicity of level creation because of the system’s design, it’s still just as fun as the first game. Super Mario Maker 2 adds a more in-depth and organized interface, even more items and enemies to use, different elements to make levels even more intuitive, and even the Super Mario 3D World game style. All of these blend together perfectly with the original things that made the first game so beloved. However, it’s not all perfect. Unlike the first game, the sequel doesn’t allow for nearly as much mixing-and-matching between game styles, especially with the 3D World theme. The game also lacks some of the odd and silly details that made the original game so special. On the playing side, it’s much better, letting players do a detailed search for what levels they wanted to play. There’s also the Endless Challenge, which is a long strand of levels that players can play until they lose all their lives, similar to the 10 and 100 Mario Challenges from the first game. Super Mario Maker 2 also has online, but the super laggy online connectivity makes for a messy experience. Overall, Super Mario Maker 2 doesn’t mean the quality of the first game, but all of its new elements make levels users can create even more creative.
#4: Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) 5.7/6
When it comes to 2D Mario nowadays, most people usually think of the New Super Mario Bros. games. While they can be fun, each game has gotten more and more unoriginal every generation. However, Nintendo delighted fans in 2023 with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which promised to be a unique and creative Mario experience. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a wonderfully silly, exciting, and unique experience that fixed almost everything that was wrong with the New games. From the claymated graphics, to the talking flowers, to the wonder flowers making levels completely crazy and weird, the game is a distinctively charming Mario game. Every level is well-designed and the worlds are expansive and filled with secrets. There are three new power-ups, being the Elephant Fruit, Drill Mushroom, and Bubble Flower. While the Elephant is the clear standout, the three are all fun to use and have multiple different ways to help Mario clear areas and defeat enemies. The bosses are not a wondrous highlight, as they are all Bowser Jr. and are very simple. Even the final boss is underwhelming. Otherwise, the game is spectacular; brimming with life unlike no other previous game in the series.
#3: Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) 5.7/6
Animal Crossing has always been one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises, including simple gameplay, friendly characters, and fun objectives. However, the Switch’s addition to the franchise changed everything – in the best way. Instead of running a village, New Horizons has you create the village from just a deserted island with only trees and wildlife inhabiting the land, along with some other facilities provided by Nook Inc. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the most charming games I’ve ever played, allowing you to slowly build your dream home, village, and make friends with the other animals. The game includes so many possibilities on what you can do, and there are so many different ways to play. This is the perfect game to pick up once a day, play for a little while, then set back down. It’s almost like a routine to do so. When you don’t play for a while, your animal friends will ask where you’ve been when you come back. It’s uniquely charming and fun to play. The game lets you do whatever you want, allowing you to create whatever wild world (pardon the pun) you want.
#2: Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022) 5.8/6
Kirby decided to finally go 3D in 2022 with the arrival of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and the film doesn’t miss its expectations. In Kirby’s first 3D adventure, the pink puffball must explore multiple areas of a forgotten world to save the captured Waddle Dees. There are six worlds in all (excluding the final level) and each takes Kirby on wild and unique adventures you wouldn’t expect to find in a Kirby game. From a deserted mall to an abandoned theme park to a snowed-over town, the game doesn’t disappoint with world building. Every level is huge, focusing more on exploration than just the platforming. In every level you’ll have to find several Waddle Dees — some you get from clearing the stage, others are found throughout the area, and others are unlocked by completing an unknown objective. This makes the game really fun to replay, as each level has so many secret areas, collectibles, and challenges. The game is connected together by a hub called Waddle Dee Town, including many different minigames, health revival, and more that will be built as you find more Waddle Dees. The bosses are huge, epic, and difficult, straying from the mostly simple experience, and it’s really cool. While there are very few new copy abilities, the game lets you evolve them as you play to make them stronger and more deadly. Overall, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is fantastic, filled with expansive levels, unique settings, creative challenges, and lots of charm (even in a post-apocalyptic world).
#1: Super Mario Odyssey (2017) 5.9/6
3D Mario returned to its sandbox roots from Super Mario 64 in 2017 with Super Mario Odyssey, and the game did not disappoint. Super Mario Odyssey takes players on a grand journey across the world, where you explore so many unique areas, such as a desert town, a large city, a beachside resort, and even the Moon. Every level is more expansive than the last, and they all feature so many secrets and objectives. Super Mario Odyssey is a mostly linear experience, going level by level and each level going objective by objective. However, you can complete as many or as little objectives as you can, and you can collect many Power Moons at any time. The Power Moons might be the best and worst thing about the game; some are very well-hidden and challenging, while others are repetitive and constant. The game includes 880 moons, which is beyond absurd. There are 1,000 purple coins, which allows you to buy kingdom-specific items from the Crazy Cap shops. Fortunately, all of these are only necessary to 100% the game. Otherwise, you can play at whatever pace you want, and any way makes the game an enjoyable adventure. Super Mario Odyssey is undoubtedly the most exciting, fun, and replayable Mario game, and my personal favorite on the Switch.
What’s your favorite Switch game, and what do you want to see on the Switch 2? Let me know in the comments.
Ryan’s Fortress Twitter: @RyansFortress