If you’re looking for an entertaining title to pop into your Switch, Switch Lite, or Switch OLED, check out The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, and dozens of other top releases for Nintendo’s hybrid console.
The Nintendo Switch is more than six years old, and shows no signs of slowing down. Part of the $299.99 console’s appeal is its unique home-and-away design that lets you play your favorite titles on a big-screen TV when docked or in handheld mode when you’re waiting in line at the post office. It’s especially convenient for commuters or people with busy lifestyles. Drop some extra cash, and you can pick up the premium, $349.99 Nintendo Switch OLED model the features a big, beautiful screen and superior kickstand. There’s also the cheaper, portable-only, $199.99 Nintendo Switch Lite if you don’t want to bother with a TV at all.
The other appeal is the excellent games. The Nintendo Switch saw one of the best first-year libraries in gaming history, and more must-have games are coming out every month. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure epic that will be spoken about for years to come, as will its sequel Tears of the Kingdom. Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 are more-than-worthy follow-ups to the excellent Wii U original. And Super Mario Odyssey is simply one of the best Mario games ever made.
Critics will likely retort, «You only mentioned first-party games!» Yes, because they’re absolutely darling titles. That said, the Switch has many solid, second- and third-party games, with surprisingly strong ports from both previous and current console generations, such as Diablo III, Doom, No Man’s Sky, Skyrim, and The Witcher 3.
The system is strong with retro and indie games, too. Hamster, a company that specializes in many arcade-to-console ports, has brought loads of SNK’s classic Neo Geo titles to the system, such as The King of Fighters ’98 and Metal Slug. Nintendo is eking out its own classic pre-NES arcade games, and, though a true Virtual Console is still curiously missing from the system, the Nintendo Switch Online service includes a library of dozens of NES and SNES classics. Meanwhile, indies are extremely well-represented, with games like Hollow Knight, Night in the Woods, Inside, Into the Breach, Slay the Spire, The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories, and Undertale available on the Switch. You’ll even find excellent expansions to games you may already own, like Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.
In short, even with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X on store shelves, the Nintendo Switch is the most compelling console. If you want to experience the Joy-Con life, these games are where you should start. For something more specific, here are the best Nintendo Switch games for kids. You should also check out the best Nintendo Switch Lite games.Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
Fire Emblem isn’t Nintendo’s only awesome strategy series. If you prefer soldiers and tanks over knights and horses, check out Advance Wars and its terrific turn-based tactics. This remake includes campaigns from the first two Game Boy Advance games, offering hours upon hours of brilliantly designed missions. You can also design your own maps and play against friends online. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
No game may end up defining 2020 more than Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Nintendo’s adorable life simulator has always had its fans. However, with the real world under lockdown, countless players have flocked to their own virtual islands to find community. Paying a mortgage to a raccoon is a small price to pay for the freedom to relax in your own social life again.ARMS
ARMS is Nintendo’s newest take on the fighting game genre. It combines cartoonish aesthetics, sci-fi weapons, and arm-stretching boxing into an accessible, offbeat fighter with a lot of variety. It’s a polished, fun, competitive game that bears more than a passing visual similarity to Splatoon. Though time will tell if ARMS gains any momentum within the esports scene, the game offers plenty of opportunity to swing fists at your friends.Bayonetta 2
Bayonetta 2 is another fantastic game that launched on the wrong system. Years later its initial release, Bayo 2 still stands as one of the best action games out there, and now that it’s been ported from the Wii U to the Switch it can get the attention and devotion it deserves. Tight controls, robust challenge, and plenty of style make this stand out as a pinnacle of action games.Bayonetta 3
Just when you thought Bayonetta couldn’t get any more bewitching, PlatinumGames delivers an absolute master class on video game action with Bayonetta 3. Besides Bayonetta’s familiar punches, kicks, and guns, you can further expand her combat options by summoning giant demons and directing their attacks. Meanwhile, the multiversal story is ridiculous, even by Bayonetta standards.Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon isn’t a hard-hitting, nonstop action game like the main Bayonetta trilogy. Instead, this is a relatively relaxed adventure game full of puzzles and gorgeous storybook visuals. Young witch Cereza teams up with a young demon, Cheshire, to tackle challenges neither could complete alone. Although the combat isn’t quite as complex as in the mainline Bayo games, there’s still plenty of flair to the faerie fights.Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
If Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s story of a demonic castle and a lone savior sounds incredibly familiar, it should: the game was spearheaded by Koji Igarashi, the big brain behind many revered Castlevania games. Bloodstained is an excellent Castlevania game in everything but name, hitting the same beats Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, and Order of Ecclesia did. If you’re thirsty for a new, enjoyable Castlevania-like game that calls back to before Lords of Shadow rebooted the series and Mirror of Fate completely failed to capture any of its luster, this is the game for you.Bravely Default II
Modern Final Fantasy games have become their own beasts, but games like Bravely Default II remind us why we fell in love with those classic Square Enix JRPGs. In battle, you can either perform multiple actions at once (Brave) or wait to save up for later turns (Default), which opens up many strategic possibilities. On Switch, the diorama world looks more beautiful and nostalgic than ever.Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer
Crypt of the NecroDancer was a surprise indie hit in 2015, catching gamers’ eyes and ears with its combination of roguelike randomized dungeon exploration with rhythm game beat-keeping. It hit the Nintendo Switch in 2018, and now it’s back in a new and much more Nintendo-specific form: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer, a title that injects rhythm game mechanics into The Legend of Zelda. This Switch game seamlessly combines Zelda and Crypt of the NecroDancer, creating a surprisingly accessible and thoroughly enjoyable experience played to the beat of Zelda’s classic and music.Cassette Beasts
Pokémon doesn’t have a monopoly on monster catching. Cassette Beasts is a stylish, indie RPG that puts its own spin on collecting creatures and pitting them against each other in combat. The open world has many quests, the fighting mechanics have the extra depth that experienced players crave, and the story veers off in cool, surreal directions. Most importantly, there are some great monster designs, like ghostly sheep and living bullets. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
Forget fancy new video games. Sometimes you just want to play chess, solitaire, or one of the other virtual vintage games that make up this classic compilation. Not only is this a convenient way to play some of history’s most enduring games with friends, but Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics does a great job educating you on that history, including the fascinating early Hanafuda history of Nintendo itself.Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The Switch has gotten a reputation as a machine for game ports, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The Wii U wasn’t the massive hit the Wii was, but it still had several excellent games that went underappreciated in their time. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of them, a sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns with even more challenge and variety. The Switch version of this game adds Funky Kong Mode, an easier setting and new playable character (Funky Kong himself) that makes the surprisingly brutal platforming feel a little less punishing.Game Builder Garage
If you thought Super Mario Maker was a great way to learn about game development, give Game Builder Garage a spin. This incredibly powerful 3D game creation tool lets you make anything from platformers to racing games to puzzle mysteries. Thorough, friendly tutorials explain the robust “Nodon” coding language, so even novices can create hitboxes and manipulate the Z-axis like pros.Hades
Hades takes the punishing and divisive roguelike genre and masterfully twists it into one of the year’s most addictive games. Fighting your way out of the Greek underworld with randomly changing skills and weapons feels incredible. The family drama at the game’s core gives you that extra narrative push to keep going. Plus, everyone is smoking hot.Indivisible
While many role-playing games draw their influences from Western folklore, even RPGs made in Japan, Indivisible carves out a unique identity with a fresh Southeast Asian flavor. The 2D animation is exquisite, as we would expect from the developer of Skullgirls. Gameplay is a mix of nonlinear spaces to explore and enemies to defeat in tactical battles. Of the two types of play, the exploration sections impress us more. In these bits you find your way forward by using an axe to fling yourself up walls or by shooting arrows to blind sentries. That’s just more satisfying than the frantic messes the fights, caught awkwardly between turn-based and real-time combat, can turn into. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland is a traditional, side-scrolling adventure compared to Kirby’s more radical outings. Still, it’s an excellent showcase of what makes even a normal Kirby game irresistible. This Deluxe version enhances the Wii co-op classic with a sweet, new art style; extra powers; and an original epilogue.Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby and the Forgotten Land finally gives the pink puffball the epic 3D adventure that Mario, Link, and Samus got years ago. Float through the skies in creative levels bursting with secrets. Upgrade familiar powers, such as hammers and swords, into formidable new forms. Or just sit back and marvel at how Nintendo made the post-apocalypse look so cute.Kirby Star Allies
Kirby games are always fun. Whether they’re the simple platformers like Kirby’s Adventure or weirdly gimmicky experiences like Kirby’s Dream Course, every first-party experience with Nintendo’s pink puff ball has been enjoyable. Kirby Star Allies is no different, with a lighthearted campaign filled with colorful friends and abilities, surprisingly challenging extra modes to unlock, and support for up to four players at once. Get on the Friend Train!The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Hyrule is in danger again, and Link must save it. That’s been the theme for nearly every Legend of Zelda game, and it’s still the case in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The series’ basic premise and Link/Zelda/Ganon dynamic are present, but nearly everything else is different.
