The Best Games Available on Nintendo Switch 2
Over a year with the Switch 2 and about 10 solid 7s! (Vlad Edition)
The Nintendo Switch 2 celebrated its first anniversary three weeks ago since it landed on our living room sideboards. It’s been a really interesting year for the little console and, especially, for the red team in Kyoto. Up until this month, the Switch 2 has received over 100 new games, of which at least 20 are exclusives!
Now that we’ve put the Switch 2 in the spotlight, and because we have one of Nintendo’s biggest fans in the editorial office, we decided to ask Vlad Costea, for it is he we speak of, what he considers to be the 10 best titles released in the console’s first year, from the perspective of a dedicated Switch 2 user. We didn’t constrain him to choose only exclusives, though he would have had plenty to pick from, but instead gave him the freedom to rummage through the entire library available on the eShop.
It’s worth noting that this top 10 isn’t a descending ranking meant to reveal the “best of the best” game at the end. The titles are mentioned in a random order, and the emphasis is on why they deserve to be recommended. Who knows, maybe you’ll find inspiration for your next adventure right in the list below.
P.S. I’m spilling the beans and telling you that Vlad is preparing a truly excellent, quite extensive article about his experience with the Switch 2. An anniversary piece with which we can clink a glass of digital champagne and look forward to many more years of great releases from Nintendo. Ideally at somewhat friendlier prices too.
1. Hades 2
Although it was a Switch 2 exclusive only for the first 6 months after launch, Hades 2 remains one of the masterpieces of the current generation and proof that money and fame haven’t changed the guys at Supergiant Games one bit. Played on a train, bus, or plane on the Switch 2 screen, the second part of the Hades series is a feast.
2. Cyberpunk 2077
Night City has never been so easy to explore via a portable console. And this is thanks to the mouse function in the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons. Once you detach the controllers from the side of the console, you unlock years of training in FPS and RPGs, helping V wreak havoc in ways Steam Deck owners can only dream of. And yes, the game is finally stable and well-optimised to avoid the problems from launch week.
3. Resident Evil: Requiem
The graphical differences between the Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 during Requiem’s runtime are so hard to spot that I suspect Capcom’s engineers of witchcraft on our senses. The game is a gem, both narratively and visually. It almost reminds me of Resident Evil 2 on the Nintendo 64. I’m convinced that all future ports will be judged by direct comparison to Requiem.
4. Final Fantasy VII Remake + Rebirth
The Final Fantasy series launched on Nintendo, grew in popularity on Nintendo platforms, and in 1997 betrayed the red team to amaze the world with FF VII on PlayStation. In the years that have passed, relations between Nintendo and Square Enix have improved, technology has advanced, and today we get to experience all the splendour of the Final Fantasy VII remake effort directly on the Switch 2 screen. The last part of the trilogy, due next year, will be available from day one on the valiant portable system… so you no longer have very good reasons to dust off your PS5.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild + Tears of the Kingdom
At launch, these open-world adventure masterpieces already demonstrated the technical limits of the first Switch. Today, we have them available at better resolutions, with a frame rate so high that the forces of evil no longer stand a chance of triumphing. If you haven’t had the chance to venture with Link through the kingdom of Hyrule, now is the time to enjoy an optimal experience on the Switch 2. If you have played Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom before, you will still discover additional features and content that will keep you glued to the console screen even when you get a low battery alert.
6. Mario Kart World
From the very first moments, this launch title for the Switch 2 console was surrounded by controversy. It’s too expensive, the graphics are too simplistic compared to other games, it has too few participants compared to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the open world is too devoid of events… But once you overcome the barriers of prejudice and stop listening to others’ opinions, you’ll discover one of the most entertaining racing games. After all, what’s more important: having a lot of content to outclass a title that’s been expanded for over a decade, or discovering a new and fun experience?
7. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Here’s another eloquent example of situations where unrealistic expectations block your ability to enjoy something new. Metroid Prime 4 isn’t a perfect game, and perhaps other entries in the series are more successful. But it offers new content in a formula that combines FPS and exploration elements, managing to satisfy all the cravings a fan of the series might have. And again: once you free yourself from prejudice, you’ll find a game much better than the YouTubers who monetise negative feelings promised you.
8. Pragmata
A pleasant surprise in the landscape of action games with science fiction elements, Pragmata proposes a new formula that combines the brutality of a third-person shooter with the empathy you feel for Diana: a blonde little girl with an angelic face, but who turns out to be more dangerous than you would have thought. It’s not The Last of Us narratively, but it offers more spectacular action and puzzles that will get your brain cells moving.
9. Kirby Air Riders
A masterclass in the philosophy of easy-to-approach, but hard-to-master games, Kirby Air Riders manages to trick you pretty quickly. You’ll think you know what you’re doing, then in some random race, you discover you’re getting crushed by the AI and you need to learn how to use a certain technique or take advantage of certain benefits on the circuit. If you’ve ever played Super Smash Bros, you already know the feeling… and that’s because Air Riders also has Masahiro Sakurai behind it! I recommend this game precisely because it offers a racing experience like you’ve never encountered before.
10. Donkey Kong Bananza
Probably the loudest game on this list, Bananza brilliantly reintroduces DK to the 3D platformer landscape. The experience of destroying the entire surrounding environment to discover hidden secrets or to facilitate your progression is truly unique, and the level design proves its originality and imagination. It’s the kind of game only Nintendo could have released… and the fact that the team behind Super Mario Odyssey is behind this bombastic production proves that Nintendo still takes risks with less popular characters and can surprise us anytime with experiences we’ll never find on PlayStation or Xbox.
