Hits for every taste to get the most out of your Nintendo console
In 2022, the Nintendo Switch console turns 5 years old. Despite its solid age by the standards of the industry, it continues to hold leadership positions in various charts. Last Black Friday it accounted for 42 % of all console sales in the UK. No wonder, because over the past few years, the console has acquired a lot of amazing games. For those who bought it recently or are just thinking about purchasing it, we talk about 15 of the most interesting hits for Nintendo Switch - from cool exclusives to excellent multiplatform.
Super Mario Odyssey
For the launch of each of its consoles, Nintendo is preparing a fresh installment of the Super Mario series - a clear example of what the platform is capable of and how inexhaustible the imagination of the company's developers is. If your idea of Mario platformers is limited to retro games, it's time to see how the series has evolved these days without losing any of its fun. The perfect introduction game is Super Mario Odyssey (2017), a Nintendo Switch exclusive (averaging a Metacritic score of 97 out of 100 in the industry press).
In the game, Mario travels through 17 kingdoms. Each of them is a small open world full of mysteries, obstacles, and collectibles. The surroundings of such worlds are completely different: a hot desert, a tropical beach, a forest thicket, and a modern metropolis. You won't get bored anywhere. The main mechanic of Odyssey allows Mario to throw his hat on any creature (and sometimes on inanimate objects) to take control over them: here you can become a dinosaur, a fish, a goomba, a tank, a Christmas tree, and even the main villain Bowser! And these are just the very basics: until the very end, Nintendo diversifies the gameplay, throwing players new mechanics that are a pleasure to experiment with.
Super Mario Maker 2
Super Mario Maker is a custom-level builder that allows you to create a unique adventure in the style of Super Mario of any era: from the eight-bit Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario 3D World. Basically, it's an endless source of fun challenges created by players from all over the world.
Nintendo has prepared a small campaign of 100 stages that will teach newcomers to the basic game mechanics and show what opportunities construction mode opens up. If you wish, you can immediately go to the "Universe of levels", where users upload their own crafts. The mode is full of cool ideas, challenging challenges, and fun adventures. There are levels to suit every taste, from hard speed runs and pixel-accurate jumping exercises to calm walks and working calculators.
The game was so loved by the fans that Nintendo developed it over a year, gradually adding more and more game mechanics, which quickly found all sorts of uses in the "Universe of Levels". What is the patch that allows you to turn Mario into Link from The Legend of Zelda! It not only changes the appearance of the main character but also allows you to use completely new abilities: shoot from a bow, throw bombs and beat enemies with a sword. Since then, hundreds of interesting adventures have appeared in the game, unlike other levels in Mario Maker.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
One of the best adventure games of recent years, with a strong spirit of discovery. Inspired by TES 5: Skyrim, the developers made a full-fledged open world in Breath of the Wild. Controlling a sharp-eared hero named Link, the player embarks on an exciting journey throughout the kingdom of Hyrule, exploring its forests, deserts, and snow-capped mountains. Nobody leads here by the hand - you are free to go to absolutely anywhere in the world almost at the very beginning of the game (you just need to go through a little training). Each new turn is fraught with many interesting discoveries and curious tasks that can be solved in a variety of ways. The main thing is not to forget that while you are enthusiastically solving optional puzzles, Princess Zelda is languishing somewhere in Hyrule Castle, who has been waiting for her savior for a hundred years.
If you haven't played the previous installments of The Legend of Zelda, it doesn't hurt - Breath of the Wild is completely standalone (as are many of Link's other adventures). But the next game in the series, Tears of Kingdom, which is promised to be released in May 2023, will be its direct continuation (and, as expected, no less exciting). So now is the time to prepare for this event by getting to know Breath of the Wild.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Definitive Edition is a great remake of the 2010 RPG Xenoblade Chronicles, which received high praise in the press in its time. It captivates both with its original setting (the world that exists on the bodies of two petrified giants), and the combination of fantasy and science fiction - it will be about the confrontation between people and a race of intelligent machines called mechons.
As in Breath of the Wild, one of the main activities is to explore a huge open world, where every landmark seen on the horizon can eventually be reached. At the same time, a lot of attention - much more than in BotW - is paid to the plot (many cutscenes on the engine, frequent dialogues between the protagonist's companions), and the script is very good.
If you associate jRPGs with turn-based combat, then Xenoblade Chronicles will help dispel this stereotype - the battles here take place in real-time, and although you directly control only one fighter, you can give orders to allies to jointly break through the enemy’s armor with devastating combos. Opponents in different locations have a fixed level, which does not depend on the leveling of the character, so you can always return to simpler parts of the map to grind, and do not meddle in places with especially strong enemies ahead of time. In short, if you are looking for a role-playing game in which you can spend many dozens of hours enjoying freedom, and at the same time you will not be forced to entertain yourself, Xenoblade Chronicles is a good option.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
If you're into tactical RPGs, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is definitely worth checking out. This is one of the more interesting Nintendo Switch exclusives, especially for those who want something a little more story-driven than Mario and Zelda have to offer.
According to the plot, there are three rival states on a certain fantasy continent, and a truce has been established between them so far - largely thanks to the local church. The children of the leaders of these states study at the same academy. But the day is not far off when the war will start again - and whichever of the four possible sides you support, you will not be able to be for all the good against all the bad. If only because each side has its own truth, and on the other side of the barricades are former comrades from the academy.
Fights look something like in Xcom: you move a small squad of fighters around the arena, and they strike opponents with a certain degree of probability. Increasing the chances of success by sending, for example, a magician to burn armored knights (especially vulnerable to witchcraft) is part of the strategy. There is also a social element here, as in the games of the Persona series. Your warriors begin to trust each other more if they fight side by side (literally on neighboring cells), and the higher the trust, the better the combat bonuses. In addition, you can spend time with your party members outside of battles and make them communicate with each other - this way the pumping of relations goes faster.
Black Book
Due to its portability, the Nintendo Switch is ideal for games with leisurely gameplay and a lot of text, and therefore it is very convenient to play the multi-platform "Black Book" RPG from the Russian studio Morteshka on this console. The main character Vasilisa becomes a sorceress in order to recapture the soul of her deceased lover from Satan himself, even if for this you have to go down to hell.
In turn-based battles with various evil spirits, Vasilisa needs to fold cards into a plot in order to apply buffs and attack the enemy. In some ways, every battle is like a game in Hearthstone. Sometimes before you make a move, you have to count a lot in order to fully control the situation. Sometimes the enemy can be completely defeated by ingenuity, convincing him to retreat. To do this, you will have to carefully read the local bestiary, based on folk myths and legends.
But the main thing is that the developers managed to create a catchy story with sudden plot twists, funny dialogues, and a lot of references to the works of Pushkin, Gogol, and even to the Friends series. And here you can play the throwing fool.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Pikmin is an action-adventure strategy game that puts players in the role of the commander-in-chief of cute little creatures. Units are divided by color, and each has unique features: some can swim, others conduct electricity, others break walls, and so on. Local puzzles and battles with location bosses are based on these mechanics. This kind of gameplay is well-known to those who have played Overlord in their time, so Pikmin is definitely worth a look for fans of this game.
Bayonetta 3
If your heart desires something more dynamic, the best choice on Nintendo Switch is the exclusive action game Bayonetta 3, which focuses on spectacular and very fast fights. The controls are easy to get used to, and the results look spectacular even if you just press one button, but this does not mean that there is no depth in the battles - on the contrary, the abundance of options and difficult tests simply make your eyes run wide here.
Hideki Kamiya (who is also the author of the first Devil May Cry) was responsible for the very first part, and although now he only keeps an eye on the development progress, the third Bayonetta is a game quite in his style. “So absurd that it’s even cool” - this is how you can characterize what is happening on the screen. Subdue the demonic train and call it as an assistant to roll enemies around the arena and solve simple puzzles? Throw soap bubbles to the death of the enemy or sing a battle aria with a little rhythm game? All this is in Bayonetta 3 - it knows how to surprise no worse than its predecessors. True, for a comfortable game it is better to get a classic controller - playing on joycons is not very convenient, besides, with such dynamics, it is quite easy to accidentally break them.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
A fighting game and at the same time an incredibly fun game that is a pleasure to spend time in, even if you are new to the genre. In many ways, the interesting roster of characters is to be thanked. Everyone here will find a hero they've known since childhood, be it Pikachu, Mario, Sonic, Link, Solid Snake or Cloud from Final Fantasy VII.
The main task of each match is to push the opponent out of the arena several times. After each missed blow, the fighter fills up a scale, which makes him more vulnerable to techniques that repel the victim for a long distance. If you take too much damage, you will fly out of the arena so far that you will not return. The rules are extremely simple, and anyone can figure them out right away. At one console, you can gather a family of four to find out in battle who, for example, will go to wash the dishes.
At the same time, in Smash Bros. there is a huge space for improving your skills, which makes it one of the most interesting esports disciplines. Watching tournament matches where the pros throw spectacular combos can be just as fun as playing it yourself.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake
In 2019, a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, the 1993 Game Boy game, was released on the Nintendo Switch. The developers completely redid the graphics, transferring the game to a modern engine, and also changed the controls to suit the Switch, but the gameplay has not changed much.
Link's Awakening begins with a scene in which the protagonist is wrecked in the ocean, caught in a storm. When he comes to, he discovers that he is on an island whose locals strongly remind him of his native Hyrule. However, it soon becomes clear that something is not right. What exactly is the catch, the player has to find out.
In Link's Awakening, you need to explore the island, over and over again discovering new, previously unexplored territories. Here you will have to explore the dungeons, look for keys and carry out various tasks for the inhabitants of the local village. Mastering the game is quite simple, and you can complete it in 10-15 hours, however, some riddles will make you pretty much break your head, and some of the secret passages are hidden so well that you will have to go around the entire island more than once.
Darkest Dungeon
A bright and hardcore indie game that is well-known to all PC owners. But just like The Black Book, it's very easy to play on the Nintendo Switch thanks to its slow-paced gameplay and turn-based combat. As planned, you gather a group of four heroes and send them into ruins full of Lovecraftian horrors in order to understand what happened to the locals and stop the curse.
By and large, the whole game is the preparation of the heroes (and the user himself) to go to the final dungeon, from where not everyone will be lucky enough to return alive. On the way, a lot of trials await, incredibly strong bosses and deadly traps, and the death of each character is felt as a personal tragedy - those who died in battle are not returned at the checkpoint, they are not here. We'll have to hire completely new and inexperienced warriors.
Another reason to play Darkest Dungeon on the Switch is that it is very convenient to play in small sessions. You can log in for 10-15 minutes to run one dungeon, and then pause the game again if it's time to do other things.
Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 is the latest installment in a series of crazy racing games featuring characters from the Super Mario universe and several other Nintendo games. To win, it is important not only to skillfully handle the card but also to throw various traps at opponents in order to complicate their path. You can trail the whole game in the very tail, and then successfully apply a couple of abilities and stun the leader of the race, leaving him to breathe exhaust fumes at the very finish line.
As with Mario Party Superstars, local multiplayer supports up to four players so you can have fun with your friends or family. And for those who played Crash Team Racing in the 2000s, it will be especially interesting to see what game inspired the Naughty Dog studio.
Luigi's Mansion 3
In the spin-off Super Mario, the main role went to Luigi, the younger brother of an Italian plumber. According to the plot, the hero has to explore a mansion full of ghosts in order to save other heroes. And the special Poltergust G-OO vacuum cleaner will help him in the fight against ghosts.
Luigi's Mansion 3 is all about solving puzzles and finding secrets. Like the classic parts of Resident Evil, here you need to look for keys to unlock access to new floors. The mansion is distinguished by a wide variety of interiors - you will have to visit the rooms of a typical hotel, the sewer, the cinema, and even the museum with dinosaurs.
Despite the theme of the game, it can be safely advised even to the smallest users. Local ghosts are more often amusing than scary, and mastering the basic mechanics is very easy.
Mario Party Superstars
If you like to spend family evenings playing simple board games where you need to roll the dice to move colorful pieces around the field, then Mario Party Superstars will be to your liking.
The game requires you to navigate one of five boards of your choice while playing as a character from the Super Mario series. Each user can see where the star is hidden on the map, which must be intercepted before the rest. Whoever collects the most stars by the end of the game will be the winner. At the same time, the gameplay is diluted with hundreds of mini-games in which players participate after each new round of moves, and a variety of special events. Parties in the game support from one to four players, replacing any missing person with a bot. The whole family can be seated at one console, however, you will need two pairs of joycons.
Ring Fit Adventure
A mobile role-playing game for which Nintendo released a special device in the form of a plastic ring. Joycons detached from the console are attached to it and to the leg bandage to read the player's movements.
Ring Fit Adventure combines a fitness game and an RPG. Users have to literally run through a number of different locations, simultaneously destroy evil monsters by squeezing and stretching the hoop, and collect as many coins as possible, which are spent on purchasing improved equipment (everything is like in a real RPG). If such races seem too difficult for you, then you can start with small mini-games or just work out with a hoop, like with a real fitness equipment, and it will read the number of calories burned. The ring turned out to be quite strong, so you should not worry that you will break it.
Games for Nintendo Switch can be a great Christmas gift for your loved ones or for yourself. It doesn't matter what you are looking for - a game with a serious story or just interesting gameplay, a platformer or a jRPG, a game for a solo passage or for family get-togethers for the holidays. Everyone will be able to choose something to their liking.
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