Looking back at the Nintendo Switch Library (My Top 10)

With the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 direct in a few weeks, I thought now would be a good time to reminisce and go over my top 10 Switch games. Arguably, it was the best first party from Nintendo ever as the hybrid console had all the dev teams working in unity, delivering hit after hit. Even the third parties made some excellent additions to the library, there is something for everyone here, all different genres are covered here. It wasn’t easy whittling down the massive library to 10 games so I kept to one game per franchise as it makes for a more varied list. it's funny cause if you asked me on another day, the latter choices here might change.

10. Monster Hunter Rise

For a good few years, Nintendo platforms were the home for newer Monster Hunter games. That changed in 2018 with Monster Hunter World, the first solely home console entry in nearly a decade. Well, the Switch never got World. Most probably to it being so underpowered vs the PS4 and Xbox One, but Capcom made its own unique game in 2022, Monster Hunter Rise. It evolved the series with more QoL improvements like the wire bug, which has been a godsend for even a veteran player like me. Being able to choose to pull yourself back into the fight or away after being knocked down is a QoL change I welcome. A vast cast of new and returning monsters to hunt, expanded even further with the add-on, Sunbreak. It’s a game you’ll easily lose 100+ hours to.

9. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

I’ve had a real soft spot for Capcom's Ace Attorney series since they graced the DS back in the mid 00’s. I’m not one for reading actual books but I make exceptions for visual novels, as the videogame-nature makes it more palatable for me. While the newer entries haven’t lived up to the original trilogy's work, this duology that works as a prequel to the whole series is the best entry since 'trials and tribulations'. Lovable, well animated characters, excellent writing and some of the best humour you’ll find in the medium. With it being over 60 hours to see everything in both games, it's a great story to get lost in.

8. Xenoblade 3

I didn’t even have Xenoblade 3 on my radar when it was coming out, I played and never finished the original back on Wii. Part of my interest came down to the amount of input Monolith Soft had with most of the 1st party Nintendo output. So, when I did pick up Xenoblade 3, I was caught off guard by a very compelling story, that has a great hook and supported by a quirky, lovable cast of characters that keep you company for over the 60 hours, it takes to reach the end. The game's standout new mechanic, interlink, making the battles more involving, of having you constantly rotating party members for a seamless battle system with cool looking link-up attacks.

Even hours deep you’ll be amazed with the breath-taking biomes monolith has created here. A soundtrack that’s the cherry on top of a nigh-on-flawless RPG package. Playing the previous games in the series isn’t a necessity, as each game is a stand-alone story. I’d highly recommend new players to try Xenoblade 3.

7. Bayonetta 3

From the original reveal in late 2017 to its actual release in late 2022, the long wait made people believe it was vaporware. While the wait didn't accumulate to the best in the series, it’s still an incredibly solid action game.

A new playable character that feels both familiar and new to play, paired with some of the most stylish combat that trumps even its influences, screen-filling gaijin fights that push the Switch’s capabilities to its limits. If you can ignore a more than forgettable story, it’s a must play for action game fans. Let’s hope with recent big-name departures from Platinum that 3 isn’t the end of the series.

6. Metroid Dread

Upon first beating Dread, I didn’t exactly love it. My first exposure to Metroid was the Prime games, and when I went back and replayed all the older 2d games, none of them clicked in the same way. I felt like the odd one out when other people I knew, and the larger gaming audience agreed Dread was one of the series' best. So, I made it a target to play it again and go for the 100% completion. My initial first impressions were so wrong, Dread is the perfect package, fluid controls, clever level design, thrilling boss fights and something Metroid doesn’t always get right, a great story. Without a doubt, this is the best 2D entry in the series.

5. Super Mario Odyssey

New mainline Mario games are rare, usually one per console generation. It’s crazy to think it’s been nearly eight years since Odyssey. As a kid, I never thought Nintendo could match the scope and awe of Super Mario Galaxy. Nintendo themselves probably thought the same, unless they made another numbered Galaxy game, they went for something that feels like a refinement on the entire Super Mario formula. Taking inspiration from each of the games prior, huge open sandboxes that are like the open levels that were in Super Mario 64, matching the best thing about Super Mario Sunshine in the tightness in Mario's movement and with the all-new Cappy (hat) makes speedruns of levels an absolute joy to tinker with. There's constant wonder to be found in Super Mario Odyssey, with the endless number of power moons littered about the sandbox kingdoms and being wowed by the possessing power of Cappy on many of the inanimate and animate things around them. You'll find it hard not to be grinning the whole time while playing Super Mario Odyssey!

4. Astral Chain

The second Platinum Games entry on my list. I was caught off guard when Astral Chain was first shown off in a Nintendo direct, immediately ticking all my boxes for a Scott-ass action game (Flashy combos, huge setpieces and most importantly a buttrock soundtrack!). More to my surprise was the release date being so soon after the reveal. While the story can get very cliché, the combat is the shining star here. Tethered to your legion, you’re in constant control of two characters at any given time. The immersion this synergy brings elevates combat when you intertwine perfectly. Astral Chain is a game of two halves, of course, the patented combat know-how of Platinum and a surprisingly fleshed out world. Elevated in the crime scenes you investigate and the side characters you'll encounter, it's a nice switch up of gameplay that sells the bleak-dystopian concept they're going for. Much like Platinum Games' other IP, I hope there is a new entry on the Switch 2.

3. Luigis Mansion 3

Luigi's Mansion 1 was a firm GameCube classic for me, a unique new type of game from Nintendo that felt so new and exciting back in 2001. The long-awaited sequel in 2013 on the 3DS left me more let down than happy of its return, with the dumbed-down mission structure meant for handheld bitesize play and lack of monster variety. But the third entry is undoubtedly the best in the series, Pixar-like animation, inventive puzzles and countless themed floors that excite the player every time you venture higher in the hotel. Even years on, I still think back to how over the moon I was with Luigi's Mansion 3, feeling as fresh and charming as the first game did for me, if not more.

2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

My brothers and I have been lifelong fans of Smash Bros. Starting with Melee, it’s always a game we play when we come together. Smash Ultimate is a game that’s made me travel out of the country to try and get somewhat good at the competitive side of Smash. I've easily put in over 1000 hours into Ultimate and while I rarely ever pick it up all these years later, I know for a fact it's the perfect formula for the ever-long series. including a ginormous well-balanced cast of gaming's best mascots, a plethora of modes, 8-player matches and the biggest collection of music in any game ever! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a celebration in gaming period. I would be more than content with a port of Smash Ultimate on Switch 2, while Nintendo has a long hard think of how to shake up the Smash formula for the next entry.

While I struggled to whittle down my list to only ten, I could easily have made a top 25. So here are some honorable mentions that I can't help but give a little acknowledgment to.

Honorable mentions:

• Pikmin 4

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

• Super Mario Wonder

• Arms

• Fire Emblem Engage/ Three Houses

• Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze

• Metroid Prime Remastered

• Kirby and the Forgotten Lands

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I tend to never replay videogames, bar a certain few, I hate the feeling of déjà vu. So, when Tears of the Kingdom was said to be re-using the same Hyrule from Breath of the Wild, I was let down. As I knew my preconceptions on retrodden lands dampen my overall experience. After Breath of the Wild became my favourite game of all time, I had to have faith in Nintendo’s reasoning for re-using Hyrule to win me over again. All the wonder and moments of discovery that I felt in Breath of the Wild, happened again. I was in constant awe every time I was shot into the sky and could see for miles, things of interest. countless times I got sidetracked from what I was intending to do as I saw something cooler as I descended. The physics engine here is also a marvel, knowing Nintendo themselves took an extra year of polish even when the game was ready to ship to make sure it was perfect. it truly shows. Traversal and puzzle solving was taken up a notch, with the new Sheikah slate abilities. The game does sometimes buckle under the aging mobile tablet hardware underneath the hood. Even still, Nintendo used some voodoo magic to make a multi-layered adventure with no loading to run on a device that's nearly a decade old. It kinda puts other competitors to shame. I do hope that Tears of the Kingdom is a game that gets a 4k 60fps upgrade on the Switch 2. To me, Breath of the Wild walked, so Tears of the Kingdom could run. It is Nintendo's Magnus Opus.