Hello! Justin here and welcome to the Otaku Mind. We’re now one month away from the release of the Switch 2 and it’s been quite the bumpy road with the overpriced games controversy and in my opinion lack of day 1 games to buy. Aside from the Gamecube library this isn’t a must buy system as of yet. But we’re not here to talk about Switch 2.0 we’re here to talk about Switch 1.0. Released in 2017, the Switch burst onto the scene impressing everyone with its innovative mechanics. A system you could play at home or on the go was nothing new but the Switch did it in a way that no one could copy. On top of all of this we had a lot of good games. Out of the three companies, Nintendo’s exclusive library is arguably the best. While their games are geared mostly toward children, adults could pick them up as well and still get the same amount of joy if not more from them. In honor of Switch’s life, I’m going to count down what I consider their best games. Keep in mind, I’m looking at exclusive games only. Also, I’m not going to be counting remakes or remasters of past games as that would be unfair. They’re fun games but that would be a disservice to the system. With that said, I’m Justin and these are the top 11 Switch Games.
#11. ARMS
Released near the start of the Switch, ARMS was a new and unique fighting game that was meant to show off the Switch’s motion controls. While there were a few issues, ARMS was still a fun game to play, with good character designs and fighting mechanics that was different from other fighting games and showed off Nintendo’s innovative mind. It didn’t take off in the fighting circuit as much as they would have liked and they didn’t capitalize with a second game, but people still have fond memories of this game, and it helped get people interested in the Switch. Could we see make a comeback on the Switch 2? Maybe. I wouldn’t mind.
#10. Clubhouse Games 51
Not the most innovative game in the Switch library but definitely one of the most endearing. There’s not much to say here. It’s a collection of 51 classic tabletop, card, and toy games from around the world. It includes classics like dominos, blackjack, backgammon, billiards, air hockey, Connect 4, chess and checkers. To complex and competitive games like Chinese checkers, Gomoku, shogi, hanafuda, tabletop soccer and tennis, battle tanks and Ludo (basically Sorry). It’s a simple concept, but it’s a game that everyone can enjoy no matter their age. The games are fun to play and explain the rules for everyone. I’ve seen kids playing this with their parents and grandparents as a way to connect with each other. I even played a few of these games with my grandma before she passed away. Adults get to feel like a kid again and kids learn about fun games their parents used to play when they were kids. It won’t win GOTY, but it brought generations together and that’s a win in my book.
#9. Super Mario Maker 1&2
Ever wanted to create your own Mario Bros. stage? Well look no further. Super Mario Maker gives you the player the chance to create your own stage. This was such a fun and cool concept. The stages are all creative and range from being something simple and fun to hard and complex to parodies of other games. Just trying to name the best stages would take all day. There’s so many good stages to play and challenge. The second game improved on the first one by giving us a story mode and more devices to use for the stages. Super Mario Maker made you appreciate the time and creativity that goes into making the stages we see in the official game. I don’t know where they go from 2 but I hope they bring this series back in some form or another down the line.
#8. Astral Chain
Platinum Games’s cypberpunk action-adventure game was certainly unique. Instead of controlling one character you control two characters to fight against cyber monsters. While initially hard at first, once you got used to it the game was a lot of fun and gave us cool action scenes and fights. There are multiple creatures you can collect and use in the battle and plenty of side missions that don’t feel like a waste of time when you have to backtrack to other stages. Just like ARMS this was kind one time deal that the publisher never followed up on and with the state Platinum Games is in right now chances are we won’t be getting a second game, but we can still hope.
#7. Metroid Dread
Metroid’s relationship with Nintendo can best be described by this clip: https://youtu.be/906lPhQo9cA?si=Ufj4m-kI_LsozcqO. However, when Nintendo finally does notice Metroid, it rolls out the red carpet for them. Dread manages to capture the magic of the original game while still being it’s own thing. The sci-fi world and elements we see are great and the game’s level of intensity is awesome. You will die multiple times in this game. Letting you know that right now. The music is also great and sets the mood for the environment we’re entering. While the game may be one big giant maze it never feels impossible to navigate and challenges you to think and use your skills. Rumor has it the game was originally meant for the 3DS but they held off due to hardware issues. Even so, I think the Switch was the right system for it to appear on. If it was on the 3DS it would have been seen as just another side-scroller game and get loss in the shuffle. But since the Switch didn’t have that many side-scrollers that were as intricate as this game it managed to stand out from the other games. Is this the best entry into the Metroid series? Hard to say. For a lot of people this was their first Metroid game and made them want to check out past Metroid games to see how the series has evolved over the years. Hopefully, Nintendo took notice of the game’s success and players’ interests in the series.
#6. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Not the first time Kirby has appeared on the Switch but definitely his best. A full-3D game, the Forgotten Land takes everything we love from the past Kirby games and puts them all in this delightful and fun adventure. It’s not very challenging and obviously aimed toward the younger audience, but that still doesn’t take away from the charm of this series. We get new funny transformations, cool environments to explore, upgrade abilities, and have a few challenges for those die-hard gamers. While not to the degree of Metroid, Kirby is a series that Nintendo often forgets about, so to see him return to form in this odyssey-like game was great. Speaking of odyssey.
#5. Super Mario Odyssey
You really thought I was going to make a Nintendo list and not talk about their main plumber? Odessey sees Mario continue his 3D legacy. It’s amazing how far we’ve come in 3D Mario games. From 64 to Sunshine to Galaxy and now Odyssey (and I’ve been there for all of them). Rather than galaxy exploration we’re instead traveling the actual world of Mario in pursuit of Bowser. While we’ve gotten the chance to explore different areas and locations in previous games, this is the first game that really gives us an idea of what Mario’s world is like and even then, I feel like there’s a lot more to explore. Hell, some things feel like they’re from another game. And this game has hands down the best version of Bowser’s kingdom. Just like in the previous 3D outings the game is fun from beginning to end with cool new abilities, callbacks, and plenty of challenges for completionists out there. Also, it’s the game that gave us the return of Paulina and that catchy as hell song. What new adventures will Mario face in the next 3D outing on the Switch 2? We’ll have to wait and see and if it’s costing me $80 it better be the best damn adventure.
#4. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon had a number of games on the Switch, but if I had to pick the best it would be Legends. This new game gave us the innovation we’ve been wanting to see in Pokémon forever. While the game has battles, the main point of the game is exploring, capturing, observing and studying Pokémon. You would think it’d be boring, but nope, we have great areas to explore throughout the game with each one having different Pokémon to capture. We were so invested that we spent days to weeks exploring the first area alone trying to find, study, and capture every Pokémon in that area. Some people even wound up in areas they were under-leveled for and still tried to capture alphas. The Legends series was a great entry and spin-off into the Pokémon series. With Z-A on the horizon something tells me this spin-off series is here to stay and will encourage Gamefreak to add more innovation to the mainline games.
#3. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
If you’re looking to get into the Fire Emblem games then I highly recommend Three Houses. Nintendo’s RPG franchise finally got the attention and praised it deserved with this game. For longtime veterans the game will feel easy as it got rid of the weapon triangle, but still won’t take away from the great storytelling and characters we meet throughout the game. We get four stories and the option to play as a male and female which means you’ll more then likely play the game 8 times to see all the endings and unlock the romance routes for each character. Speaking of the characters, that’s the best part of this game. Each character is aligned with a different house with their leaders having diiferent political views and ideas from each other, and each character having a distinct personality that makes them stand on their own, have their own goals, and makes you want to get to know them better. I loved all of these characters (except Cyril. He’s annoying) and seeing their stories unfold for better or worse. While some stories and characters are better than others it doesn’t take away from the fact that each one had we invested to some degree and was a joy to play. This was my first Fire Emblem game. I was already interested in this series, but this game solidified it. Here’s hoping we see more games on the Switch 2.
#2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
It’s called ultimate because it’s the ultimate in the Smash Bros. series. All of the characters from previous Smash games are here including new and dlc characters both past and present. This game will go down as having one of if not the best fighting rosters in videogame history. We get an epic story mode that combines everything we love from all the franchises represented in this game, various challenges with each character, and collectables. I’ve heard this will be the last Smash Bros. game and I hope that’s not true. Smash is like a celebration of not only Nintendo’s history but videogame history. I always got excited whenever a new game was announced and who the newest character was going to show up. It’s a game I still enjoy playing to this day and invite anyone to play with me any time.
And number one . . .
#1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom
The Zelda games have always been considered the pinnacle of each Nintendo game system. Pushing the limits and showing just how great their hardware is. These games are no exception, they show just how great the Switch is and why it was a must buy for any gamer. I decided to put these two games together because you really should play these games back to back to fully appreciate and get the full experience. Both games are open world with Tears of the Kingdom giving us the biggest Zelda map to date. Breath of the Wild is like the prologue to an epic tale on the same level as Lord of Rings. Setting up the heroes, villains, the world, and story to give the viewer context into what’s going on and Tears of the Kingdom continues and finishes that epic tale by sending you on a journey that makes you feel like a hero with each successful event you complete. If Mario series is the face of Nintendo then the Zelda series is the workhorse of Nintendo. The series that Nintendo can always count on to deliver and make fans buy their system. I don’t know when I’ll get a Switch 2, but I know I’ll get it somewhere down the line and one of the main reasons will be because I want to play the next Zelda game. It’ll make the system worth it.
And that’s my list. What was your favorite Switch game? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.