The best Nintendo Switch Games
Nintendo Switch has been out for a while now, and while we had a bit of a lead-up thanks to Nintendo to sink our claws into Zelda and the machine itself, much of the launch line-up remained a mystery to us until launch day. That was okay though – everybody was distracted by Zelda. We can hardly blame them for that.
As the launch fever has died down we’ve stayed on top of it all, following the Switch as its games line-up swells with a variety of releases. Some might like to say that the Switch has no games, but that’s really not true – there’s now a good set of titles available, some exclusive and some not, and many great games that are digital eShop-only releases. We’ve been testing things as they arrive, and here, we report in on the best games for the Switch. According to us, anyway.
In the coming pages you’ll find our list of the top games available for Switch – and while we start with the obvious one, you might find you learn a thing or two later on, as we’ve included some lesser-known eShop titles as well as the heavy hitters. The games are listed, roughly, in our order of preference.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Well, duh. I mean, I don’t think you need me to really write too much more about this one – I covered it in detail in our ridiculously long review, but the upshot of it is this: not only is this the best Switch launch game, but it’s actually a competitor for the best Zelda game ever made and also a strong competitor for one of the best video games ever made period.
Yeah. It’s that good.
The thing about Breath of the Wild is that it’s brave; it takes a Zelda formula that’s worked fine for Nintendo (even if it’s struggled to dazzle in recent years) and completely tosses it away for something different.
That different concoction takes influences not just from the original Legend of Zelda but also clearly has been developed with one eye closely trained on some of the best the industry has to offer. There’s the exploration antics of The Elder Scrolls and Assassin’s Creed clearly visible in its massive world, the sort of tight gameplay loop of Portal found in a great many shrines, the challenge and fear of survival games in its difficulty and weapon degredation.
Anyway, the point is, it’s excellent. It’s a special game that’ll be remembered and talked about for years to come. Read our full review for more.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The original Wii U version of Mario Kart 8 was a special game to begin with. I wouldn’t quite go so far as to call it the best entry in Nintendo’s massive racing king, but it was definitely up there. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe lives up to its title, however: this is a deluxe take on that game, superior in all the ways that matter, ultimately turning this into arguably the best Mario Kart ever.
What you get here is the complete package from Wii U plus all the DLC plus some additional bits on top. This means a shed load of characters including guest characters such as Splatoon’s Inklings, Isabelle from Animal Crossing and Zelda’s Link (can we just make the next Mario Kart game feature all Nintendo heroes by default?) and a shed load of tracks. That’s 42 characters, 48 tracks, a bunch of vehicles. That’s a good package.
The big new addition that ties it all in a neat bow is the addition of Battle Mode, a classic Mario Kart multiplayer staple that was conspicuous by its absence in the last game. Also new is the ability to carry two items at once, two new items, a new smart steering feature that’s great for kids and improved visuals – the game only ran at 720p on Wii U but now runs at 1080p and 60fps when docked. It maintains a silky smooth 60fps at 720p in handheld mode.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe showed up in the Switch reveal video, and it makes sense that it did: this is a classic game that’s easy to understand, but it’s also one that shows off the Switch’s unique functionality well. It’s perfect for snapping off the joy-cons and playing two player on the go, for instance, and the short, snappy nature of races makes it perfect for handheld adventures. It’s a brilliant, great value package.
Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together
While Zelda is the perfect game to sit down and play on your own in massive nine-hour binges, Snipperclips offers the inverse experience: something small and bite-sized that’s ideal for multiplayer either on the TV or on the built-in Switch screen.
When I first played this at Nintendo’s pre-launch hands-on event for the Switch the game was set up that way – console out with the kickstand deployed, Joy-Cons detached and ready to go. This makes sense: Snipperclips is the perfect little example of how those controllers can be split by the machine and used by two players in simple games that are ideal for train journeys.
In many ways Snipperclips is a lot like some of the best 3DS download titles – a puzzler with a unique sense of style and a finite but good value set of puzzles to play through. It’s all about physics, and while things start out relatively simple it escalates in a brilliant fashion towards complex and rewarding puzzles – but without becoming frustrating.
Perhaps the best thing I can say about Snipperclips is that it feels such a natural fit for the Switch despite essentially being an indie game. This is an indie that caught Nintendo’s attention, prompting Nintendo to pick up the game – and the resulting product feels like it could’ve come out of Nintendo SPD in Japan. That’s a big complement.
Puyo Puyo Tetris
So what, I hear you ask. Puyo Puyo and Tetris are old news. You can’t do much new with these beloved but old gaming concepts. And, yeah – I admit, you’re sort of right. Except… you’re not. SEGA proves you wrong by finding the one truly new thing to do with the two franchises – mash them up together.
Puyo Puyo Tetris actually came out a while ago, but due to complicated licensing issues with Tetris in particular was restricted as a Japan-only release. Not so any more – it’s available on Switch and it’s still just as amazing as it was on its original release. The lower price is a sweetener to an already great deal. This game, bluntly, is amazing.
The big deal is that the rules of Puyo Puyo (or Doctor Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, as it was to me growing up) and Tetris end up mashed up together, and there’s a plethora of game modes that play on this. One player can play with Puyos and the other with Tetrominos, or you can just play pure Tetris or Puyo. At its best, you’re playing with both at once, never quite sure which is coming next – a Puyo or a Tetris piece.
It’s amazing. It’s also perfect for two-player with disconnected joy-cons if you’re on a flight or something. This one is a must-have.
Graceful Explosion Machine
If you like a bit of arcade action, Graceful Explosion Machine is probably the best option for that on the Switch – which is saying something considering there are some true arcade classics that have been rereleased on the machine’s eShop. Graceful Explosion Machine is basically an arcade shooter, but its systems are built around a deceptively deep weapon-switching mechanic that adds a great sense of challenge and achievement.
While it’s a bit of a cliche to deploy, it is indeed a game that’s easy to pick up but incredibly difficult to master, with colourful visuals that initially wow and slightly distract turning into perfectly designed and pitched warnings of where you might want to move or where to attack next.
There’s a main story mode, but really Graceful Explosion Machine comes into its own when you’re going mad in search of a high score – the perfect kind of setup for on-the-go gaming. Oh – there’s amazing use of HD Rumble, too.
1-2-Switch
The thing about 1-2-Switch is that, well… it isn’t exactly brilliant. It’s a game that undoubtedly should’ve been a pack-in, but if you get the opportunity to pick this one up at a reduced price even much later on in the Switch’s life span, it’s probably worth your attention. That’s why it places here on this list.
Like Snipperclips, 1-2-Switch is another perfect example of part of the Switch’s X-Factor – the fact this machine can do both such a sprawling Zelda and these simple Wii-like mini-games on the same devices comfortably is a great advantage.
The games vary in quality but they’re broadly speaking good, clean fun. I had guests over and after a fair amount of alcohol deployed 1-2-Switch – the resulting laughs were pretty much exactly what Nintendo likely envisaged. The game is fun, but that fun is almost entirely dependent on the company you keep while playing it.
1-2-Switch isn’t going to sell anybody on the machine, but it does make a compelling argument for the other, non-hardcore side of the Switch. If this game had launched at the height of the Wii it probably would’ve been enormous, and in that regard it’s another strong string to Nintendo’s bow and a good (if expensive) way to demo the machine to friends.
Fast RMX
Whenever he’s asked about F-Zero, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto always seems a bit confused. I read an interview with him once where he expressed confusion that people would want a new F-Zero without the series finding a significant new gimmick to change things up – he’s not so much about the samey sequels. So there’s no F-Zero on Switch, or at least not yet. Enter Fast RMX.
Fast RMX is exactly what you’d expect, basically: it’s an F-Zero or Wipeout style racer to its very core. If you owned a Wii U you might be familiar with FAST Racing NEO on that machine; RMX is actually a remastered, Remixed version of that game – thus the RMX.
It’s a more aracade-like feel and isn’t anywhere near as punishing as the harder elements of the excellent F-Zero GX, but as an approximation of that style of game it’s a decent, worthy contender from an indie studio.
It’s pretty too, and mostly runs as smoothly as you’d want for a racer with this speed – 60fps is occasionally rocky, but not by much. There’s split screen plus online multiplayer – for its tiny eShop price this one is easy to recommend.
Super Bomberman R
Coming off the back of Fast RMX’s tiny retail price Super Bomberman R is… difficult. Bomberman is 33 years old (as the box proudly proclaims), but he really hasn’t changed much. Simplicity can be a good thing, but one does have to wonder if Bomberman is in dire need of a Pac Man Championship Edition style kick up the backside to really rejuvenate the franchise – especially if they want full retail price for these games.
Super Bomberman R is a difficult package to recommend in terms of value, but the actual game itself is a pretty compelling Switch experience when divorced from its price. In many ways Bomberman is the perfect 4-player local multiplayer game, and this is a deliberately stripped-back experience that harks back to the classic entries of the series, with superfluous and more ridiculous power-ups removed from the game.
While there is online, Bomberman is really all about that local play, sat around a TV or huddled around the Switch itself somewhere. The controls are simple enough that the small Joy-Cons aren’t an issue as they might end up being in some games (I look forward to seeing how Street Fighter 2 holds up on those things) – making it another perfect game to break out to show off the Switch.
But, man – that price. There’s a single-player mode complete with cutscenes and the like, but none of this makes the sting any lighter considering we’re all attracted to Bomberman for much simpler, basic pleasures – the sorts of experiences that feel like they’d be better off as a cheap download. Even after an admirable couple of patches and some free DLC, it’s still a stinger. Still, Super Bomberman R is pretty tempting, but be aware of what you’re getting for your full-whack price tag.
Snake Pass
In Snake Pass British studio Sumo Digital has seemingly channelled another British studio for their first Switch title: the N64 heyday Rare. While Snake Pass is mechanically different to those classic Adventure Platform titles for the N64, something about this kid-friendly adventure game seems to carry the spirit of those classic games – it just feels like it’s cut from that same cloth. That’s not just down to the soundtrack from ex-Rare composer David Wise, either.
I’ve found Snake Pass to be a bit of a divisive game, but I fall into the camp that thoroughly enjoyed it. It uses non-traditional controls and a focus on the physics of how snakes actually move to make a game that just asks you to be curious and just explore. The idea of just making you deal with the inherent physics around being a snake sounds a bit strange, but it really works.
The controls confuse at first but quickly right themselves, and its platform-puzzle action is exciting and unique. It’ll take you a decent amount of time to make your way through its fifteen stages – an ideal downloadable gem.
LEGO City: Undercover
Of all the games exclusive to the Wii U, I always felt like LEGO City: Undercover was one of those that suffered the most. It was a pretty good exclusive game, but the combination of not being groundbreaking and not being a Nintendo IP meant that even on a machine so starved for original exclusive content it didn’t get as much attention as it deserved.
Now the game gets a second lease of life, and while it’s now also on PS4, Xbox One and PC, Switch still really feels like it’s where LEGO City: Undercover is most at home.
The game is basically the LEGO gameplay that’ll be familiar from the other hundreds of games from that brand, but the twist is that it’s set in a living, breathing open world city. It’a also a crime game, albeit one where you play as a cop – so this is basically as close as you’re going to get to a kid-friendly GTA game. At that, it works.
LEGO City: Undercover hasn’t aged too well since its original release on Wii U, and that combines with some lengthy load times to put it on the lower end of this list. It’s still a pretty fun game though, and well worth a look if you’re after an open world Switch adventure.
Honorable Mentions
Above we’ve featured our absolute top picks, but the Switch library doesn’t end there. Scattered about on the eShop in particular are a slew of other games that are worth a look, many of them ports that you may have played elsewhere. Here’s a quick run-down of the best ones:
I Am Setsuna
This little gem was released on PS4 and PC last year, but it’s now cropped up here on Switch – which seems an appropriate place for it given its inspirations. Setsuna is basically a modern attempt to recapture the magic of SNES-era Japanese RPGs such as Chrono Trigger, and while it can be a little one note it’s a pretty excellent first attempt from new Square Enix studio Tokyo RPG factory.
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight is already an indie darling, and it’s already one that’s closely associated with Nintendo – the titular character even has an amiibo! Switch has two Shovel Knight experiences available – the complete package or the new Specter of Torment standalone add-on. Both are excellent call-backs to the 16-bit glory days… which is becoming a bit of a theme on the Switch already.
Voez
Voez has been out on mobile phones for a while, but there’s a fair chance you’ve never heard of it. It’s the first handheld-only Switch game – it requires the touch screen, so can’t be used at all in docked mode. This is basically a cute rhythm action game with some story stuff layered on top. The artwork is some standard anime stuff, and rhythm games are tactile and fun to play on the Switch screen. If you’re commuting with the machine, this is a decently-priced eShop pick.
Human Resource Machine
A puzzle-simulation mash up, Human Resource Machine is basically a wonderful little game that gives you access to basic programming skills in the guise of a puzzle game. It requires some good lateral thinking and though it can be obtuse and frustrating on occasion when you nail something it feels absolutely amazing. It was a hit on PC, and it deserves success here too.
Othello
It’s Othello.
Comments
Post a Comment