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The Nintendo Switch takes a lot of heat. Some gamers see the console as the little brother of the Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5. Plus, they love to complain about how the console can’t run AAA shooters at the necessary frames per second, or that their video games are too easy.
To that, I say: Quit being a nerd! Nintendo has Mario, people. I’d rather play a sports game with Yoshi and Donkey Kong as playable characters than one with regular ol' humans any day of the week.
Nintendo is also the home of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a game that connected people during the pandemic more than Zoom ever did. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a 2023 Game of the Year, calls the Switch its home. So does Pokémon, Fire Emblem, Metroid, and a little fighting game you may heard of before called Super Smash Bros. If you’re looking for a good time, here’s our ranking of the best Nintendo Switch games of all time.
20. Untitled Goose Game
Sometimes, you want to ruin someone’s day. Which is okay! Just do it in a video game. Untitled Goose Game will scratch that nefarious itch of yours. In the story, you play as a nebby goose hellbent on messing with humans: stealing their stuff, honking as loudly as possible, causing general debauchery. The whole experience is weirdly relaxing, something for the Great British Baking Show viewer who secretly enjoys watching the contestants sob over a soggy bottom.
19. Into the Breach
Not to get all back-in-my-day, but there's something to be said about a game in the modern era that is fully unapologetic in its effort to kick your ass repeatedly—yet still keeps you coming back for more. Like a mix between Edge of Tomorrow and MechWarrior (okay, now I sound old), Into the Breach is a strategy puzzler that tests your ability to see two, three, ten moves ahead to fight back the alien horde. Good luck. You're gonna need it.
18. Tetris 99
To everyone's surprise, Tetris dove headfirst into the crowded, free-to-play battle royale field and emerged a champion. 99 pairs the classic block-turning puzzler with the added challenge of 98 other players simultaneously trying to take each other out. It’s a blast—and a perfect way to indulge in the battle royale trend without building staircases, scavenging for weapon parts, or shooting anyone at all.
17. Mario Golf: Super Rush
Mario games consistently figure out how to improve sports. Mario Superstars Baseball added baseballs that turned into bananas. Mario Tennis let the player warp across the court and slow down time. Super Rush, the latest entry in the Mario Golf series, allows players to race to the next swing. Forget playing for par! We’re competing against time now.
16. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
While it may be little more than a funkified port of the 2014 Wii U release, Tropical Freeze is still a must for any Switch owner. It features some of the more difficult platforming we’ve seen from the series, while offering fantastic co-op with five playable characters: DK, Diddy Kong, Trixie Kong, Cranky Kong, and of course, Funky Kong.
15. Super Mario Maker 2
Mario Maker 2 took the world by absolute storm. The game was good to begin with, including endless level-making options, a wealth of levels shared among players, multiplayer modes, and more, but it's even come a longer way since then. There's a new Legend of Zelda item that lets you throw in Links for starters, along with some new abilities, tools, and items.
14. Stardew Valley
Anyone who was enamored with the charming simplicity of Harvest Moon back in the day will find themselves right at home in Stardew Valley. Originally released for Windows in 2016, it's one of the few games out there that's playable on pretty much every platform in the universe (yes, even Linux), but its top-down, pixelated, SNES style feels like it just belongs on the Nintendo Switch. From chopping timber to winning festivals to exploring the caverns beneath the city, this surprisingly addictive little farm simulator offers more than you could imagine.
13. Luigi's Mansion 3
Ghouls, ghosts, and Gooigi. Luigi's Mansion 3 is everything that has made the series spectacular, only bigger and better and spookier than before. As you sneak through the mansion's hilarious haunts, you can wield new abilities like a plunger shot and a vacuum bounce. And of course, work through puzzles that center around the ever-charming Luigi made out of ectoplasmic goo, Gooigi. Each floor has different themes that are gorgeously executed, and with the addition of a few co-op and online multiplayer modes, it's a genuinely great, genuinely scary package.
12. Pikmin 4
Pikmin 4 is the culmination of everything fans love about the quirky franchise. Sure, it turned down the difficulty for a new generation, but the new entry absolutely dialed up the fun. There are new kinds of Pikmin, massive maps, and a cute little dog that you can ride. Plus, those looking for more of a challenge can try out more advanced, timed missions.
11. Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread is the most terrifying Metroid entry yet. Hell, it’s right in the title. In the 2D side-scrolling journey, menacing robots move at lightning speeds to chase Samus Aran through tight corridors. Timing is everything. Luckily, hitting those buttons at the exact right time—to counter an approaching robot murderer!—is one the greatest feelings that gaming has to offer.
10. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The geniuses at Nintendo reportedly pitched over a hundred wacky ideas for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The game feels like its developers included absolutely everything on the drawing board. Enemies dance, the maps move around rather chaotically, and Mario gains the absurd ability to morph into an elephant. For a Mario game that sought to reinvent the wheel, Super Mario Bros. Wonder realized that just making the wheel wobbly and crazy was a way better plan.
9. Hollow Knight
Indie games have found a nice little niche on the Nintendo Switch, with many developers flocking to produce titles for the wildly successful handheld. Originally released on Windows, macOS, and Linux, Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight attained a very loyal audience in 2017. A delightful little Metroidvania adventure, thematically quite influenced by the Dark Souls games, Hollow Knight really hit big when it arrived on the Switch in 2018. Its art style and pocket-sized scope fits perfectly on Nintendo’s console.
8. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon has come so far since the days of Pallet Town. Legends: Arceus, a spinoff title that sent players back into the past, finally let players run around a 3D space and throw Pokéballs to capture their Pokémon. Revolutionary tech! It only took them over 25 years. If they listen to their fans, the next Legends game should be ever better.
7. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
I'm not a big turn-based RPG fan, but Three Houses is different. Not only are the story and gameplay incredibly engaging, there are loads of paths to head down and charming characters to encounter. Endless opportunities to get sucked in, you might say. While most people's perception of Fire Emblem is that of being half of the Smash Bros. roster, and therefore may be a little sour to the series, one play-through will have them sucked in, too.
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
You must respect Mario Kart. The games have been killer apps on Nintendo consoles for decades, becoming something of a cultural touchstone for the medium of gaming overall. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, essentially an upgraded Wii U title, plays great on the Switch—especially since it gave us all the bonus characters, stages, and karts from the get-go. Best of all, online play works really well, proving that Nintendo can provide a reliable online service on par the with any of its competitors.
5. Super Mario Odyssey
Nintendo’s golden boy is at his best in Super Mario Odyssey, a wonderful little adventure for everyone's favorite plumber. Mario's hat takes on a life of its own as Cappy, opening up innovative ways to solve puzzles and platform jump while staying true to the gameplay of the beloved franchise. The various levels are a delight to explore, while costumes, collectibles, and bonus challenges keep us returning for another go. Odyssey leaves players with a smile on their face from start to finish. That alone gives us plenty of reason to be optimistic about Mario’s future, especially in his 35th year.
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
After winning over even the most cynical of gamers with Breath of the Wild and then delivering big time with Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo completed the trinity with the best Smash Bros. title yet. Ultimate did everything we needed it to do—and gave us way more content than anyone could have anticipated. The character roster is deep and complex, the improvements to the fighting engine are extremely precise, and there’s so much to learn and master.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild is something of a spiritual successor to 1998's Ocarina of Time, returning the Ganon canon to the forefront of the royal family's endless saga. From a gripping backstory that you'll piece together over time, to innovative and challenging gameplay (if it exists, you can climb it), the amount of detail poured into this game is astounding. You'll often catch yourself stopping to take in the views of this beautifully rendered, quasi-familiar world from your childhood—before some creature pelts you in the face with a rock. Now get out there and save Hyrule.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The Animal Crossing series rarely lets us down (and if it did, keep it to yourself; it’ll make Isabelle cry), so it’s really not a surprise that Animal Crossing: New Horizons went down as an all-timer in the Switch’s early lifespan. After limiting customization options to mostly your crib in past installments, New Horizons gives you an entire island to make your own. Want to build a pathway with 150 bidets flanking either side of it? Squish your villagers into a tiny little corner of your island so you have paradise to yourself? Go right ahead. Just check with Tom Nook first.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The only Zelda game better than Breath of the Wild is Tears of the Kingdom. It’s one of those rare sequels that is even more impressive than the original, like Terminator 2: Judgement Day. While fans obsessed over the title's skyward expansion, Nintendo worked on an entire underworld that's as big as the surface. For a Nintendo Switch game, it's amazing how well Tears of the Kingdom's mechanics run. Tears of the Kingdom is Legend of Zelda: Judgement Day—a game I put 200 hours into without blinking.
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