However, the Switch’s online store isn’t the easiest to navigate, so this guide aims to help the uninitiated start their journey on the right foot. These are the games you should own – for now. We’ll be regularly revising our picks moving forward. Oh, and if you’ve just bought a Switch Lite, don’t worry: every game on the list is fully supported by the portable-only console.
Astral Chain
I was on the fence aboutAstral Chainfrom the day the first trailer came out until a good few hours into my playthrough. It all felt a little too generic, almost a paint-by-numbers rendition of an action game. I needn’t have been so worried, as it’s one of the more original titles to come from PlatinumGames, the developer behind the Bayonetta series, in recent years.
In a future where the world is under constant attack from creatures that exist on another plane of existence, you pay as an officer in a special force that deals with this threat. The game’s gimmick is that you can tame these creatures to become Legions that you use in combat. Encounters play out with you controlling both your character and the Legion simultaneously to deal with waves of mobs and larger, more challenging enemies. As well as for combat, you’ll use your Legion (s) to solve crimes and traverse environments.
Astral Chainsticks closely to a loop of detective work, platforming puzzles and combat – a little too closely, if I’m being critical – with the game split into cases that serve as chapters. The story starts off well enough but quickly devolves into a mashup of various anime tropes, including twists and arcs ripped straight from some very famous shows and films, but the minute-to-minute gameplay is enough to keep you engaged through the 20 – hour or so main campaign and into the fairly significant end-game content.
Does (Astral Chain) reach the heights ofNier: Automata? No, not at all, but its combat and environments can often surpass that game, which all-told is probably my favorite of this generation. Often available for under $ these days, it’s well worth your time.AS
(Buy Astral Chain from Amazon – $******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Celeste
Celesteis a lot of things. It’s a great platformer, but it’s also a puzzle game. It’s extremely punishing, but it’s also very accessible. It puts gameplay above everything, but it has a great story. It’s a beautiful, moving and memorable contradiction of a game, created by Matt Makes Games, the indie studio behind the excellentTowerfall. So,Celesteis worth picking up no matter what platform you own, but its room-based levels and clear 2D artwork make it a fantastic game to play on the Switch when on the go.ASBuy Celeste from Nintendo – $
Cuphead
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Studio MDHR’s Cuphead
has been a favorite of ours since its launch on Xbox One back in (********************************************************************************************************. It’s as beautiful as it is challenging – and it’s very beautiful. Half bullet-hell shooter, half platformer, half classic boss rush … wait that’s too many halves. Either way,Cupheadpulled in basically everyone with its charming, hand-drawn visuals that look like they’re straight out of the s. It then kept them around with tough-as-nails gameplay which somehow never feels unfair. It has some of the most memorable boss fights you’re ever likely to have – Cala Maria is our favorite – but what will stay with you the most is that feeling of finally beating the one you get stuck on, 300 deaths later. The Switch version simply takes everything that’s good aboutCupheadand puts it on a system you can take anywhere.ASBuy Cuphead from Nintendo – $ (****************
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Housesis one hell of a game. Developer Intelligent Systems made a lot of tweaks to its formula for the series’ first outing on the Nintendo Switch, and the result of those changes is a game that marries Fire Emblem’s dual personalities in a meaningful and satisfying way. You’ll spend half your time as a master tactician, commanding troops around varied and enjoyable battlefields. The other half? You’ll be teaching students and building relationships as a professor at the finest school in the land.ASBuy Fire Emblem: Three Houses from Amazon – $
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: BOTWsignals the biggest shift in the series since the Nintendo (s) Ocarina of Time,and it might well be one of the best games of the past decade. It pulls the long-running series into modern gaming, with a perfectly pitched difficulty curve and an incredible open world to play with. There’s crafting, weapons that degrade, almost too much to collect and do and a gentle story hidden away for players to discover for themselves. Even without the entertaining DLC add-ons, there’s simply so much to do here and challenges for every level of gamer.MS
Buy Breath of the Wild from Amazon – $
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
IfBreath of the Wildshows The Legend of Zelda at its most ambitious and expansive,Link’s Awakeningtakes things back to the where the series started, in all its top-down glory. It’s a completely faithful remake of the 1993 Game Boy classic, but the graphics and sound have been brought into the present, and a few quality-of-life tweaks have been made to smooth things out.
The visual style is charming and unique to the series; the combination of small, toy-like characters and tilt-shift perspective makes the game look unlike any other Zelda. Despite its age, the puzzles can be challenging without making you tear your hair out. It’s perhaps the best game you could pick to introduce a kid to the Zelda series, but it’s also a nostalgic trip worth taking for those who played the original in all its monochrome glory.NI
**************Buy Link’s Awakening from Amazon – $
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s vibrancy and attention to detail prove it’s a valid upgrade to the Wii U original. Characters are animated and endearing as they race around, and Nintendo’s made bigger, wider tracks to accommodate up to 17 racers. This edition of Mario Kart included gravity-defying hover tires and automatic gliders for when you soar off ramps, making races even more visually thrilling, but at its core, it’s Mario Kart – simple, pure gaming fun. It’s also a great showcase for the multitude of playing modes that the Switch is capable of: Two-player split screen anywhere is possible, as are online races or Switch-on-Switch chaos. For now, this is the definitive edition.MS
Buy Mario Kart 8 Deluxe from Amazon – $
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Sword and Shieldlaunched mired in controversy, as fans bemoaned the lack of monsters, the “recycled” character models and general performance issues. To a large portion of gamers, though, it appears that did not matter. It quickly became the fastest-selling game in the history of the Switch, and garnered largely positive reviews from media, including yours truly.
It’s true thatSword and Shieldhas issues, but the core loop of catching Pokémon, battling trainers and working your way towards becoming the best trainer in the land, is as compelling as ever. It might not represent the reset the series (in my opinion) needs, but the main campaign is still a damned good way to spend hours or so, and its endgame and online content offerings will only improve with time.AS******************Buy Pokémon Sword from Amazon – $
Buy Pokémon Shield from Amazon – $ 61********** Super Mario Odyssey
Buy Super Mario Odyssey on Amazon – $
Super Smash Bros. *** Ultimate
This is the ultimate distillation of Nintendo’s multiplayer fighting game. The series’ debut on Switch brings even more characters from beyond Nintendo’s stable. If you’re sick of Mario, Pikachu and Metroid’s Samus, perhapsFinal Fantasy VII‘s Cloud, Solid Snake or Bayonetta will be your new go-to character. There are over 62 characters to test out here.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimatefeatures a divisive new single-player mode where you augment characters with stickers, battling through special conditions to unlock more characters and, yes, more stickers. At its core, Smash Bros. games combine fast-paced, chaotic fights with an incredibly beginner-friendly learning curve. Yes, some items are confusing or over-powered, but your special moves are only a two-button combination away. Turning the tables is built into the DNA ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, ensuring thrilling battles (once you’ve sorted handicaps) for everyone involved.MS
Buy Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from Amazon – $Contributors: Jessica Conditt (JC), Nathan Ingraham (NI), Kris Naudus (KN), Mat Smith (MS), Aaron Souppouris (AS).Changes:July ******************************************************************************************************: ‘Fortnite’ replaced by ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ‘(July) : ‘Splatoon 2’ replaced by ‘Cuphead ‘September (******************************************************************************************************: ‘Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle’ replaced by ‘Fire Emblem: Three Houses’************************************************************************************: Rocket League ‘replaced by’ Pokémon ‘ (********************************** (December) : ‘Bayonetta 2’ replaced by ‘Astral Chain’ (************************************** (December) *****************************************************************************************************: ‘Stardew Valley’ replaced by ‘Link’s Awakening’
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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