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Today, 3rd March 2022, marks exactly five years since Switch first launched. My, how time flies!
In that time we’ve seen a colossal number of amazing games come to the system, so today we’re republishing our reader-ranked list of the top 50 very best Switch games available. Yes, below you’ll find the very finest Switch games available to humanity — enjoy them!
Nintendo Switch has amassed a huge amount of great games since the console launched back in 2017. Of course, this abundance of riches leaves us in something of a pickle — too much software, not enough time to play it all. In fairness, it’s a lovely problem to have. Help! There are too many excellent games to choose from!
But what are the best games on Switch so far? Well, we asked Nintendo Life readers to rate their favourite Switch games since launch and the list below is the result according to the User Ratings associated with Switch games on Nintendo Life’s games database. As with our round-ups of the 50 Best Games from various consoles, years and series, the order here is fluid which means our Best Switch Games change over time reflecting new releases according to their rating. That way, you can be sure it’s up-to-date whenever you look.
If you’ve yet to score your favourites, you can cast your ‘vote’ by clicking on each game’s rating below. Can’t see your favourite? Head to our library of Switch games (click the Games tab at the top of the page) and get rating. A game needs a minimum of fifty ratings to become eligible, so it’s entirely possible to influence the best Switch games ranking below and get your favourites on the list. And if you’d like to see the best Switch games of individual years (so 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021), we’ve got you covered, too.
Without further ado, let’s dive into this selection of the very best Switch games you can play in 2022…
Publisher: StudioMDHR / Developer: StudioMDHR
Cuphead was an absolute masterpiece when it originally launched on Xbox One and nothing has been sacrificed in its move to the Switch. A run-and-gun boss battler dressed up like a 1930s Fleischer or Disney animated short, it’s the same visually jaw-dropping, aurally delightful, knuckle-whiteningly difficult game it was on Microsoft’s console and the Switch’s library is all the better for its presence. Its focus on intense boss battles won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into we can’t recommend it enough. Just look at it!
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks / Developer: Panic Button
DOOM is one of the best first-person shooters we’ve ever played – an incredible game, flaws and all – and it’s certainly one of the best in its class on Switch. There’s a certain magical quality about having a game this good on the go. Its brilliant campaign is reason enough to pick it up, but DOOM’s multiplayer was also surprisingly good, with small arenas that make matches feel reminiscent of the halcyon days of first-person shooters when Unreal Tournament reigned supreme. While it’s perhaps not as polished as it is on other formats, having DOOM in portable form is a revelation, and developer Panic Button deserves high praise for porting over id Software’s classic title so brilliantly.
Publisher: Bethesda / Developer: id Software
Quake returns in a feature-rich remaster that delicately updates the classic FPS, adding lots of optional bells and whistles, packing in a ton of content and delivering the definitive way to play this 25-year-old masterpiece in the process. There’s a wealth of online and co-op options here, a glorious new expansion to blast through from MachineGames, super slick performance in both docked and handheld modes and it’s all available at a cracking price point. This really is a stellar port of one gaming’s true greats and an absolutely essential addition to your Switch library.
Publisher: Capcom / Developer: Capcom
Digital Eclipse did a great job with all the details in Mega Man Legacy Collection, presenting the original games in their best possible light, while tossing in a handful of extra features and challenges on top to sweeten the deal. The rewind feature is a welcome inclusion that helps to mitigate the difficulty of some of the games, and the overall quality of the series difficult to dispute. We would highly recommend you pick this one up — all the included extra features coupled with the ability to play these games both at home and on the go make it a no-brainer.
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks / Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
The Switch isn’t short of games that have already taken a bow, or several, on other hardware, but Skyrim might be the one that most deserves another look from both hardy Elder Scrolls adventurers and absolute beginners alike. Despite its age showing, with countless little cracks in its already fractured façade, it still delivers a palpable sense of space that few games before or since have managed. May its dancing northern lights never dim.
Publisher: Capcom / Developer: Capcom
The original Ace Attorney is really getting on in years, which is remarkable when you consider just how well it holds up. Sure, it’s been ported plenty of times and the jump to Nintendo DS certainly helped shake off the retro cobwebs, but as a piece of interactive history, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is as utterly addictive and truly rewarding as it was back at the turn of the millennium. Whether you’re brand new to the world of virtual defence law or a veteran attorney, Phoenix Wright’s first adventures are still a fine set of cases to undertake.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening was a technical marvel when it first arrived on the scene back in 1993. Easily one of the great Game Boy releases, it was a first bash at a handheld Zelda that took the formula as perfected by A Link to the Past, jammed it all onto a tiny portable console and, somehow, managed to make it all work while adding a host of new features and concepts to the mix. This beautiful Switch remake rebuilds all of this from the ground up in fine style. It adds modern conveniences, a dungeon creator, amiibo support and lots of little quality of life improvements whilst infusing every single square inch of Koholint – every secret passage, Piranha, Pokey and Pig Warrior – with a level of detail and depth that totally reinvigorates both its timeless story and classic Zelda gameplay for a whole new generation of gamers.
Publisher: Devolver Digital / Developer: Acid Nerve
Death’s Door is a modern classic, utilizing old gameplay ideas in a new setting to make for a short and sweet experience you won’t want to miss. The snappy combat, rewarding exploration, and relaxing music will stick with you once you’ve finished, and while it may not have anything ‘new’ to offer, Death’s Door is so high quality that you’ll hardly have time to think about it’s lack of innovation. We’d give this one a very high recommendation, especially to any fans of Zelda or Soulslike games — Acid Nerve has crafted an experience that’s absolutely worth your time and money.
Publisher: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft
Despite its ‘Definitive Edition’ moniker, the vast majority of what you get in the Switch version of Rayman Legends has been seen in every other edition. The only truly new features here are a complete character roster for the first time and a tournament mode for its football mini-game. That’s not to say it’s a bad game, though; that couldn’t be further from the truth. Rayman Legends is one of the best plumber-free platformers ever made, and its budget price means if you haven’t played it before, the Switch version is the perfect opportunity to jump in.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: PlatinumGames
With its amazing visuals, fantastic presentation, varied gameplay and deep, rewarding combat, Astral Chain could well be PlatinumGames’ most accomplished game yet. It mixes detective work with exhilarating battle sequences that are inventive, challenging and – perhaps most importantly – breathtakingly cool. The complexity of the game’s myriad systems may prove intimidating for some players, but the inclusion of a co-op play and the ability to automate many of the mechanics via the ‘Unchained’ mode means that even complete newcomers can still enjoy the ride. Astral Chain isn’t just one of the Switch’s stand-out hits – it’s one of Platinum’s best video games.
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