Switch has proven to be another sales phenomenon for Nintendo, having inspired gamers of all backgrounds to buy into the high-end handheld dream. At first it was a little surprising to see people on public transport exploring Hyrule. Now it’s as unremarkable thumbing through Twitter on your smartphone. Switch is here to stay, and here’s some of the reasons why.
1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
48 tracks to master, 42 adorable Nintendo racers to choose from, charging through vertical climbs and hanging upside down while jostling amid a 12-vehicle frenzy. This is probably all the karting you’ll ever need, and you know Nintendo is fine with that. As the title suggests, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is already a repackaged product, embodying all that’s ever been great about the long-running series. But there’s more on top of the original Wii U version, in the form of five new (plus one secret) characters, hilarious new Renegade Roundup mode and elite 200cc time trials.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Link makes long overdue strides into this millennium, leaving behind too-familiar tropes, and giving all gamers something real to get to grips with. Weirdly, this is what kids in the early 1990s may have believed they were doing in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which felt huge, mysterious, and challenging – actually intimidating – in a way that only Capcom’s titles for Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance attempted since. We feel lost and small amid the plains of Hyrule on Switch. We’re instinctively drawn to explore, and the experience is spine-tingling.
3. Super Mario Odyssey
Reasons to own a Switch are stacking up, but at the top of the pile for so many is the latest Mario. While Super Mario 64 once stunned onlookers with the plumber popping in vivid 3D, Odyssey has fun flipping that whole thing on its head by embracing classic 2D ideas to enrich the adventure, as fresh as NES Super Mario Bros. 30+ years ago. We effortlessly accept that Mario has a hat that talks and more – Cappy makes immediate sense as a sidekick, we’re swift to master the art of possession, adopting myriad enemy powers.
4. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Everything went right, that many feared could go wrong, for this tactical turn-based joint effort between Ubisoft and Nintendo. Mainly, the strategic gameplay is so tight, it has been compared to the greatest of more serious alternatives out there such as XCOM This isn’t a game that anyone should expect to breeze through. Meanwhile, it turns out that the bizarre Rabbids humour is the perfect fit for the Mario universe, measuring up to Bowser’s cheeky Koopalings. This is childish, slapstick humour in which Rabbid impersonators of Nintendo favourites are laugh-out-loud hilarious – Rabbid Peach especially. Honestly, terrific.
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
While it is fun to try the motion controls added to Skyrim on Switch, we recommend settling down to savour arguably the greatest RPG in recent years via standard controller. Then you get into the real reason Skyrim is such a treasure on Switch – it is a visually sumptuous, high-brow adventure to tote around like some sublime interactive volume of Tolkien. This really is the complete experience celebrated since 2011, including all three major expansion packs. Visually, it improves on the original PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions, which is wonderful, but the story matters most.
6. ARMS
Here’s another, ahem, ‘whacky’ idea that seems too weird and crazy on the surface but is instantly fantastic fun. Basically, ARMS is a boxing game designed primarily for two players, and it goes all in with the Joy-Con control method, which means coming out of your shell. Assuming you’re fine pummelling thin air, ARMS provides training in various styles to suit those that love to land haymakers, while more imaginative pugilists launch missiles or search for specific openings. Mostly success is down to movement, dodging blows while dealing basic combos. ARMS is a workout, no doubt.
7. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Switch is reclaiming Nintendo nostalgia vibes in all kinds of ways, and in this case we have a Japanese-style RPG with the dewy-eyed 1990s trappings that genre aficionados adore. The plot is really just an excuse to confront our party of anime heroes with an endless supply of beasts, focusing on the battle system that brings these personalities to life. At first you feel in over your head, but as with Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy or most any Japanese RPG, once you’ve got the gist there’s a joy in pushing as far as it can go.
8. Splatoon 2
Another bizarre single-player campaign plus limitless squishy-squashy multiplayer madness make this a sequel not to be missed. The story is one cleverly orchestrated, puzzle-oriented affair comprising five unique worlds that recalls the best moments of Super Mario Sunshine. Even if you were to avoid multiplayer, the many challenges posed by the vibrant solo quest and mystery posed by disappearance of dear Callie should keep you going for a long while. However, Splatoon is all about that multiplayer, with ink as your weapon and magical slide. Only Nintendo could turn FPS into a peace-loving glug bath.
9. Stardew Valley
The rise of pixel art as a cool thing that stands apart from a retro thing puts Stardew Valley on the map for almost anyone. It’s a cute adventure centred around farming, and a farming community. It feels wholesome and uplifting, with daily chores neatly taken care of in bite-size chunks that are perfect for gaming on the move. However, while Stardew Valley does suit sporadic sessions, the holistic nature of every activity – one thing benefitting another thing, and on and on – makes it difficult to ignore. Please remember that there is life beyond Stardew Valley.
10. Golf Story
For players that need a context for everything, or a particular narrative to life in general, we present to you Golf Story. It’s a cute, Game Boy era kinda RPG that’s also a rock-solid sports sim, which does mean that you can’t have one without the other, but everybody we know that’s started the quest gets caught up in this simple dream of becoming a pro player. The golfing aspect is challenging, rewarding and never frustrating, dialogue is quippy and smart. Having the golfing mechanic worked into the discovery element is the true stroke of genius.