After eight years, the Nintendo Switch is approaching its final days, and from its ashes will rise the Switch 2. But before you put away your Switch in the closet for one last time, you should make sure you havenât missed your chance to play some overlooked gems.
While everyone with a Switch has probably played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and, of course, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there are dozens of other Switch games that still shine bright on Nintendoâs hybrid console that you may have heard of, but didnât get around to play.
We get it, time is limited, budgets might be tight, and there are too many games. But go back and check out these Switch games before the Switch 2. You wonât regret it.
20. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
An origin story for everyoneâs favorite demon-slaying witch, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a gorgeous puzzle platformer presented in a beautiful storybook art style. But fans of Bayonettaâs action combat will still find classic, button-mashing combos here too. Ultimately, Bayonetta Origins is a worthy addition to the series that may have been overlooked given its prequel nature and drastically different art style.
19. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
The Dynasty Warriors/musou-genre is a perfect template for all manner of crossovers, including The Legend of Zelda. While The Age of Calamity might not be considered canon to the events of the beloved Breath of the Wild, thereâs something incredibly gratifying about taking on the role of either Link or any of the other Breath of the Wild Champions and defending Hyrule from thousands of invading enemies. If youâre a fan of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom but havenât ventured into Age of Calamity, itâs worth a trip back in time.
18. New Pokemon Snap
For years fans have dreamed of a long-awaited sequel to the Nintendo 64 title Pokemon Snap. And they got their wish in 2021 with the New Pokemon Snap for the Nintendo Switch. Itâs very much a situation where New Pokemon Snap gives you more of everything you loved in the original, from more Pokemon to take snapshots of to plenty of secrets hidden throughout the various biomes youâll traverse. While the original N64 Pokemon Snap game has its diehard fans who no doubt eagerly played the sequel, new fans deserve to check out one of the most beloved and unique Pokemon spinoffs ever.
17. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
After 13 games, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the first fully 3D Kirby game in the entire series, and it takes full advantage of the additional dimension. While Kirby is still able to suck in enemies and objects to gain their powers, the new 3D environments are fully explorable, letting Kirby roam free for the first time. This makes new abilities like turning into a straight-up car especially useful for exploration. While Kirby has always been a reliable mainstay in the Nintendo stable, itâd be a shame to let the Switch era pass without playing one of the best Kirby games in the series.
16. Paper Mario: The Origami King
Thereâs a reason why the Paper Mario sub-series is so beloved. Between the charming art style and the puzzle RPG style gameplay that departs from the platformer action of the mainline Mario games, the Paper Mario series is for anyone who has a soft spot for unique aesthetics. And thanks to a fully explorable open world, The Origami King might be one of the most beautiful Paper Mario games in the whole series. While combat isnât as satisfying as past games, The Origami King makes up for it with visual splendor.
15. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Weâll scream it from the treetops until everyone finally listens â Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the best 2D platformers of all time, and more people need to play it! Itâs not for the faint of heart though, as Tropical Freezeâs fast-paced platforming challenges will test even the most hardened Super Mario players. Youâll frantically climb up crumbling icebergs, bounce across jiggly cubes of jello, and do so much more on DKâs quest to retake his home island. Itâs rare â and extremely fun â to face this much difficulty in a Nintendo game, and Tropical Freeze makes it worth your effort by pairing its challenge with gorgeous graphics, an amazing soundtrack, and incredibly tight controls. All platformer fans owe it to themselves to try out this modern run-and-jump masterpiece.
14. Fire Emblem Engage
The most successful Fire Emblem game of the Nintendo era was Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but you shouldn't overlook the second Switch game, Fire Emblem Engage. Narratively, Engage isnât as cohesive as Three Houses, but it makes up for it by bringing back fan-favorite characters from past Fire Emblem games through âthe multiverse.â Whatâs more, tactics RPG fans will likely find Engage is actually more of a throwback to old-school SRPGs, with smaller maps for tighter combat situations and a difficulty that can ramp up to punishing levels if youâre feeling like you want to really test your strategic acumen.
13. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore
A Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem crossover but set in the backdrop of Japanâs idol music culture? Sign me up. While this might not be what anyone might have expected when it was announced Atlus would develop a Fire Emblem SMT crossover, the poppy, colorful mashup that we got deserves your time thanks to a breezy mix of Fire Emblem and SMT RPG combat and a bubblegum art style thatâs worth the trip, despite the localization toning down some of the heavier themes around fame and fan culture.
12. Astral Chain
Astral Chain is one of those experiences that you need to play to truly understand its greatness, though anyone who has played any of Platinum's other action games will at least have an idea of what to expect. The combat is fluid and flashy and has enough variance when swapping between the summonable living weapons (called âLegionâ) to keep things interesting from start to finish. Meanwhile, the bosses are challenging enough to test your mastery over each of these unique Familiars. Outside of the high-octane combat, youâll be exploring the cyberfuturistic world and investigating incidents and solving cases. And then there is a whole Astral Plane to explore that is filled with platforming, battles, and puzzle challenges to overcome, and which feel almost like old-school dungeons from other Nintendo franchises. The only thing keeping Astral Chain from being more widely recognized is its exclusivity to the Switch.
11. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
While Rabbid Peach might have turned heads as a funny meme, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is no joke. This strategy RPG that combines the world of Mario and Ubisoftâs Rabbids is pure fun thanks to the action-focused combat that lets you combine different characters and upgrades for some massive combos. Whether youâre a Mario fan whoâs never played a Rabbids game, or more rare, the Rabbids fan who never played a Mario game, these two unlikely flavors turn out to be pretty great together.
10. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Unlike Paper Mario: The Origami King, The Thousand Year Door is a ground-up remake of the beloved GameCube release. But as itâs one of the most beloved Paper Mario games in the whole series, its redone visuals, music, and gameplay improvements mean itâs now one of the best Paper Mario games of all time. Come for Marioâs swashbuckling treasure hunt to save Peach and the town of Rogueport, but stay for all the charm and gameplay excellence the Paper Mario franchise is known for. If youâve never tried out one of Marioâs paper-based spinoffs, this is where to begin hands down.
9. F-Zero 99
F-Zero fans werenât sure how to feel when the seriesâ long-awaited return after 20 years of dormancy was a 99-player battle royale, but F-Zero 99 surprised us all and â thanks to a healthy amount of post-launch content updates â has turned into a top-tier entry. Racing against 98 players is exhilarating, and even though some of F-Zeroâs trademark precision is gone, itâs replaced by the thrill of slamming into your opponents to devastate their health bar while taking careful precautions to preserve your own. And strategically planning when to use the faster â but limited â Skyway can lead to incredible comeback finishes that get your blood pumping. F-Zero 99 wasnât the game anyone was asking for, but it was somehow the one we needed to get the series back on track.
8. Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Pikmin 3 was such a delight when it was released; it had been nine years since Pikmin 2 and many fans wondered when the franchise would make a return. Thankfully it did and though it wasnât the massive upgrade like we eventually got in Pikmin 4, the game looked great and was a fun addition to the franchise that expanded it in important ways. Pikmin 3 introduced two new Pikmin types (Rock and Winged), better controls of your non-Pikmin protagonists (all of which were new to the franchise), and a solid amount of extra content to sink our teeth into. This was all made even better with Pikmin 3 Deluxe on Switch, which added even more content, co-op for the story mode, and the Piklopedia, which was notably absent in the original release. Pikmin 3 in general is also one of the funnier entries in the franchise as the three leaders you control all have distinct personalities, and it was always a treat to see how they would describe Citrus Lumps (Oranges) or Cupidâs Grenade (Cherries). Pikmin 3 Deluxe may not be at the top of most Pikmin fans lists but it is still worth exploring to collect fruit and make that sweet sweet juice. No Pikmin collection would be complete without it.
7. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
It makes sense that Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was one of the first games Nintendo brought over to the Switch from the Wii U. This is a delightful, ingenious little puzzle platformer where Captain Toad must reach the end of the level without being able to jump. The reason? His backpack is too heavy. Itâs not the most complex platformer, but every level is a delightful brain teaser, and great to play in short bursts and on the go. A perfect Switch game, basically. While the Wii U was full of overlooked gems in its own right, this is one of its biggest treasures that made its way to the far more popular Switch, and where it deserves its own recognition.
6. Game Builder Garage
No one talks about Game Builder Garage and it's such a damn shame. If something like this had existed when I was a kid, I would have devoured it, throwing myself fully into its interface and creating gobs and gobs of bespoke games to play and show off. Nintendo basically built a simplified game engine to teach people, well, how to build games. It's right there in the name! But it's not a coding tutorial, nor is it a simple level-editor like Super Mario Maker. You progress through Game Builder Garage by completing charming lessons on building different types of games and what those types of games involve, basically building algorithms with the charm of a Nintendo-created interface. If you've ever installed a game engine on your computer only to throw your hands in the air after a few YouTube tutorials, buy this game. Play it through. Build a few games in it. Then move onto something bigger. You'll be ready.
5. Xenoblade Chronicles Series
Across four games, Monolith Soft has created some of the biggest, most beautiful open worlds ever realized on the Nintendo Switch. Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2, and 3, as well as the spinoff Xenoblade Chronicles X, are what happens when you take old-school Japanese RPG sensibilities and marry them to modern-ish technology. The results are sweeping, operatic stories about warring civilizations, ancient gods, cool robots, and cooler swords, with a breathtaking open world to explore fully. Combined, the Xenoblade games will likely take hundreds of hours to finish⌠and itâll be worth every minute.
4. Kirbyâs Return to Dreamland Deluxe
Kirbyâs Return to Dreamland Deluxe is the perfect counterpart to The Forgotten Land, which we already celebrated on this list. While The Forgotten Land is a 3D adventure primarily focused on single player, Return to Dreamland Deluxe is one of the pink puffballâs strongest 2D outings, with the best multiplayer the series has ever seen. Tearing through levels and enemies with four Kirbys on screen is a blast, and Return to Dreamlandâs huge amount of levels and collectibles to find will keep you and your friends entertained for a long time. It might be the best way to introduce new gamers to platformers too, as you only fail if player 1 dies and players 2-4 can seamlessly drop in and out at any time. The Deluxe Switch version also adds an entirely new epilogue and a wide selection of returning subgames from across Kirbyâs history, complete with achievements to chase and costumes to unlock.
3. Ring Fit Adventure
Unlike some of the other games on this list, Ring Fit Adventure was a best-seller for Nintendo. The question though is how many of you stuck with it through the very end and not just until you forgot about your New Yearâs resolution? Well you better get back to it, because while itâs an ingenious way to get active, the actual RPG-element of Ring Fit Adventure is no joke. Using the fitness ring to venture forth and defeat a âbootiliciousâ evil dragon sounds absurd, but Ring Fit Adventure does its absolute best to keep you engaged every literal step of the way. Power up your character and your body in Ring Fit Adventure if you havenât already.
2. Metroid Dread
The Nintendo Switch has quietly become the home to Metroid games. Between older Metroid games available on Nintendo Switch Online and a splendid remaster (more on that in a moment), Samus rules the Switch. Nothing showcases this more than the Switchâs original Metroid game, Metroid Dread. A throwback to the older, 2D Metroid games, this 2.5D search-action game breathed new life into the series by reminding fans just how scary these games can be, thanks to the terrifying E.M.M.I. machines that hunt Samus relentlessly through the claustrophobic corridors of Dread, earning the name and more. While Metroid might not immediately come to mind as an overlooked franchise, consider that Metroid Dread â while one of the best-selling Metroid games in the series â has only sold 3 million copies, which is less than games like 1-2-Switch.
1. Metroid Prime Remastered
With Metroid Prime 4 looking increasingly likely to be Nintendo Switchâs swan song (and maybe even a Switch 2 launch title), what better time to check out where it all started? But make no mistake, Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch isnât just a simple re-release. The graphical overhaul needs to be seen to be believed.
Metroid Prime is one of the best video games of all time. Anyone who says different is just trying to get a rise out of you. Locked away on GameCube (and eventually the Nintendo Wii), this absolute classic seemed like it was destined to live on only in our fondest GameCube memories. But then one day, out of the blue, Nintendo said to us all "friends, today you can play a remastered version of one of our most incredible and important games, and you can play it on your Nintendo Switch." And wow, did they ever hit it out of the park with this one. It's not just some up-res version of the GameCube version, or even the Wii version. It's a proper remake, graphically upgraded to modern standards with tweaks to the controls and gameplay to make it feel right at home on the Nintendo Switch. Better still, unlike so many modern remakes, it was only $39.99! Unheard of in an era where games from the last generation get a shiny coat of paint and a $70 price tag. Everything that made the original special made its way to the modern era expertly. The sense of isolation, exploration, and tension all made the leap to HD brilliantly. And yet Metroid Prime Remastered was by all accounts a sales disappointment. Really, I'm just disappointed in you for not having played it. Yes, you.
These are our favorite Switch games that we think more people should check out before the coming of the Switch 2. Heck, with the Switch 2âs backward compatibility, itâs probably the best time to try them now and pick up the journey when the Switch 2 is released.
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