20 Overlooked Nintendo Switch Games

After 8 years, the Nintendo Switch is approaching its last days, and from its ashes volition emergence the Switch 2. But earlier you enactment distant your Switch successful the closet for 1 past time, you should marque definite you haven’t missed your accidental to play immoderate overlooked gems.

While everyone with a Switch has astir apt played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and, of course, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, determination are dozens of different Switch games that inactive radiance agleam connected Nintendo’s hybrid console that you whitethorn person heard of, but didn’t get astir to play.

We get it, clip is limited, budgets mightiness beryllium tight, and determination are excessively galore games. But spell backmost and cheque retired these Switch games earlier the Switch 2. You won’t regret it.

20. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

An root communicative for everyone’s favourite demon-slaying witch, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is simply a gorgeous puzzle platformer presented successful a beauteous storybook creation style. But fans of Bayonetta’s enactment combat volition inactive find classic, button-mashing combos present too. Ultimately, Bayonetta Origins is simply a worthy summation to the bid that whitethorn person been overlooked fixed its prequel quality and drastically antithetic creation style.

19. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

The Dynasty Warriors/musou-genre is simply a cleanable template for each mode of crossovers, including The Legend of Zelda. While The Age of Calamity mightiness not beryllium considered canon to the events of the beloved Breath of the Wild, there’s thing incredibly gratifying astir taking connected the relation of either Link oregon immoderate of the different Breath of the Wild Champions and defending Hyrule from thousands of invading enemies. If you’re a instrumentality of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom but haven’t ventured into Age of Calamity, it’s worthy a travel backmost successful time.

18. New Pokemon Snap

For years fans person dreamed of a long-awaited sequel to the Nintendo 64 rubric Pokemon Snap. And they got their privation successful 2021 with the New Pokemon Snap for the Nintendo Switch. It’s precise overmuch a concern wherever New Pokemon Snap gives you much of everything you loved successful the original, from much Pokemon to instrumentality snapshots of to plentifulness of secrets hidden passim the assorted biomes you’ll traverse. While the archetypal N64 Pokemon Snap crippled has its diehard fans who nary uncertainty eagerly played the sequel, caller fans merit to cheque retired 1 of the astir beloved and unsocial Pokemon spinoffs ever.

17. Kirby and the Forgotten Land

After 13 games, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the archetypal afloat 3D Kirby crippled successful the full series, and it takes afloat vantage of the further dimension. While Kirby is inactive capable to suck successful enemies and objects to summation their powers, the caller 3D environments are afloat explorable, letting Kirby roam escaped for the archetypal time. This makes caller abilities similar turning into a straight-up car particularly utile for exploration. While Kirby has ever been a reliable mainstay successful the Nintendo stable, it’d beryllium a shame to fto the Switch epoch walk without playing 1 of the champion Kirby games successful the series.

16. Paper Mario: The Origami King

There’s a crushed wherefore the Paper Mario sub-series is truthful beloved. Between the charming creation benignant and the puzzle RPG benignant gameplay that departs from the platformer enactment of the mainline Mario games, the Paper Mario bid is for anyone who has a brushed spot for unsocial aesthetics. And acknowledgment to a afloat explorable unfastened world, The Origami King mightiness beryllium 1 of the astir beauteous Paper Mario games successful the full series. While combat isn’t arsenic satisfying arsenic past games, The Origami King makes up for it with ocular splendor.

15. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

We’ll shriek it from the treetops until everyone yet listens – Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is 1 of the champion 2D platformers of each time, and much radical request to play it! It’s not for the faint of bosom though, arsenic Tropical Freeze’s fast-paced platforming challenges volition trial adjacent the astir hardened Super Mario players. You’ll frantically ascent up crumbling icebergs, bounce crossed jiggly cubes of jello, and bash truthful overmuch much connected DK’s quest to retake his location island. It’s uncommon – and highly amusive – to look this overmuch trouble successful a Nintendo game, and Tropical Freeze makes it worthy your effort by pairing its situation with gorgeous graphics, an astonishing soundtrack, and incredibly choky controls. All platformer fans beryllium it to themselves to effort retired this modern run-and-jump masterpiece.

14. Fire Emblem Engage

The astir palmy Fire Emblem crippled of the Nintendo epoch was Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but you shouldn't place the 2nd Switch game, Fire Emblem Engage. Narratively, Engage isn’t arsenic cohesive arsenic Three Houses, but it makes up for it by bringing backmost fan-favorite characters from past Fire Emblem games done “the multiverse.” What’s more, tactics RPG fans volition apt find Engage is really much of a throwback to old-school SRPGs, with smaller maps for tighter combat situations and a trouble that tin ramp up to punishing levels if you’re feeling similar you privation to truly trial your strategical acumen.

13. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore

A Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem crossover but acceptable successful the backdrop of Japan’s idol euphony culture? Sign maine up. While this mightiness not beryllium what anyone mightiness person expected erstwhile it was announced Atlus would make a Fire Emblem SMT crossover, the poppy, colorful mashup that we got deserves your clip acknowledgment to a breezy premix of Fire Emblem and SMT RPG combat and a bubblegum creation benignant that’s worthy the trip, contempt the localization toning down immoderate of the heavier themes astir fame and instrumentality culture.

12. Astral Chain

Astral Chain is 1 of those experiences that you request to play to genuinely recognize its greatness, though anyone who has played immoderate of Platinum's different enactment games volition astatine slightest person an thought of what to expect. The combat is fluid and flashy and has capable variance erstwhile swapping betwixt the summonable surviving weapons (called “Legion”) to support things absorbing from commencement to finish. Meanwhile, the bosses are challenging capable to trial your mastery implicit each of these unsocial Familiars. Outside of the high-octane combat, you’ll beryllium exploring the cyberfuturistic satellite and investigating incidents and solving cases. And past determination is simply a full Astral Plane to research that is filled with platforming, battles, and puzzle challenges to overcome, and which consciousness astir similar old-school dungeons from different Nintendo franchises. The lone happening keeping Astral Chain from being much wide recognized is its exclusivity to the Switch.

11. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

While Rabbid Peach mightiness person turned heads arsenic a comic meme, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is nary joke. This strategy RPG that combines the satellite of Mario and Ubisoft’s Rabbids is axenic amusive acknowledgment to the action-focused combat that lets you harvester antithetic characters and upgrades for immoderate monolithic combos. Whether you’re a Mario instrumentality who’s ne'er played a Rabbids game, oregon much rare, the Rabbids instrumentality who ne'er played a Mario game, these 2 improbable flavors crook retired to beryllium beauteous large together.

10. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

Unlike Paper Mario: The Origami King, The Thousand Year Door is simply a ground-up remake of the beloved GameCube release. But arsenic it’s 1 of the astir beloved Paper Mario games successful the full series, its redone visuals, music, and gameplay improvements mean it’s present 1 of the champion Paper Mario games of each time. Come for Mario’s swashbuckling treasure hunt to prevention Peach and the municipality of Rogueport, but enactment for each the charm and gameplay excellence the Paper Mario franchise is known for. If you’ve ne'er tried retired 1 of Mario’s paper-based spinoffs, this is wherever to statesman hands down.

9. F-Zero 99

F-Zero fans weren’t definite however to consciousness erstwhile the series’ long-awaited instrumentality aft 20 years of dormancy was a 99-player conflict royale, but F-Zero 99 amazed america each and – acknowledgment to a steadfast magnitude of post-launch contented updates – has turned into a top-tier entry. Racing against 98 players is exhilarating, and adjacent though immoderate of F-Zero’s trademark precision is gone, it’s replaced by the thrill of slamming into your opponents to devastate their wellness barroom portion taking cautious precautions to sphere your own. And strategically readying erstwhile to usage the faster – but constricted – Skyway tin pb to unthinkable comeback finishes that get your humor pumping. F-Zero 99 wasn’t the crippled anyone was asking for, but it was someway the 1 we needed to get the bid backmost connected track.

8. Pikmin 3 Deluxe

Pikmin 3 was specified a delight erstwhile it was released; it had been 9 years since Pikmin 2 and galore fans wondered erstwhile the franchise would marque a return. Thankfully it did and though it wasn’t the monolithic upgrade similar we yet got successful Pikmin 4, the crippled looked large and was a amusive summation to the franchise that expanded it successful important ways. Pikmin 3 introduced 2 caller Pikmin types (Rock and Winged), amended controls of your non-Pikmin protagonists (all of which were caller to the franchise), and a coagulated magnitude of other contented to descend our teeth into. This was each made adjacent amended with Pikmin 3 Deluxe connected Switch, which added adjacent much content, co-op for the communicative mode, and the Piklopedia, which was notably absent successful the archetypal release. Pikmin 3 successful wide is besides 1 of the funnier entries successful the franchise arsenic the 3 leaders you power each person chiseled personalities, and it was ever a dainty to spot however they would picture Citrus Lumps (Oranges) oregon Cupid’s Grenade (Cherries). Pikmin 3 Deluxe whitethorn not beryllium astatine the apical of astir Pikmin fans lists but it is inactive worthy exploring to cod effect and marque that saccharine sweet juice. No Pikmin postulation would beryllium implicit without it.

7. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

It makes consciousness that Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was 1 of the archetypal games Nintendo brought implicit to the Switch from the Wii U. This is simply a delightful, ingenious small puzzle platformer wherever Captain Toad indispensable scope the extremity of the level without being capable to jump. The reason? His backpack is excessively heavy. It’s not the astir analyzable platformer, but each level is simply a delightful encephalon teaser, and large to play successful abbreviated bursts and connected the go. A cleanable Switch game, basically. While the Wii U was afloat of overlooked gems successful its ain right, this is 1 of its biggest treasures that made its mode to the acold much fashionable Switch, and wherever it deserves its ain recognition.

6. Game Builder Garage

No 1 talks astir Game Builder Garage and it's specified a damn shame. If thing similar this had existed erstwhile I was a kid, I would person devoured it, throwing myself afloat into its interface and creating gobs and gobs of bespoke games to play and amusement off. Nintendo fundamentally built a simplified crippled motor to thatch people, well, however to physique games. It's close determination successful the name! But it's not a coding tutorial, nor is it a elemental level-editor similar Super Mario Maker. You advancement done Game Builder Garage by completing charming lessons connected gathering antithetic types of games and what those types of games involve, fundamentally gathering algorithms with the charm of a Nintendo-created interface. If you've ever installed a crippled motor connected your machine lone to propulsion your hands successful the aerial aft a fewer YouTube tutorials, bargain this game. Play it through. Build a fewer games successful it. Then determination onto thing bigger. You'll beryllium ready.

5. Xenoblade Chronicles Series

Across 4 games, Monolith Soft has created immoderate of the biggest, astir beauteous unfastened worlds ever realized connected the Nintendo Switch. Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2, and 3, arsenic good arsenic the spinoff Xenoblade Chronicles X, are what happens erstwhile you instrumentality old-school Japanese RPG sensibilities and wed them to modern-ish technology. The results are sweeping, operatic stories astir warring civilizations, past gods, chill robots, and cooler swords, with a breathtaking unfastened satellite to research fully. Combined, the Xenoblade games volition apt instrumentality hundreds of hours to finish… and it’ll beryllium worthy each minute.

4. Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe is the cleanable counterpart to The Forgotten Land, which we already celebrated connected this list. While The Forgotten Land is simply a 3D escapade chiefly focused connected azygous player, Return to Dreamland Deluxe is 1 of the pinkish puffball’s strongest 2D outings, with the champion multiplayer the bid has ever seen. Tearing done levels and enemies with 4 Kirbys connected surface is simply a blast, and Return to Dreamland’s immense magnitude of levels and collectibles to find volition support you and your friends entertained for a agelong time. It mightiness beryllium the champion mode to present caller gamers to platformers too, arsenic you lone neglect if subordinate 1 dies and players 2-4 tin seamlessly driblet successful and retired astatine immoderate time. The Deluxe Switch mentation besides adds an wholly caller epilogue and a wide enactment of returning subgames from crossed Kirby’s history, implicit with achievements to pursuit and costumes to unlock.

3. Ring Fit Adventure

Unlike immoderate of the different games connected this list, Ring Fit Adventure was a best-seller for Nintendo. The question though is however galore of you stuck with it done the precise extremity and not conscionable until you forgot astir your New Year’s resolution? Well you amended get backmost to it, due to the fact that portion it’s an ingenious mode to get active, the existent RPG-element of Ring Fit Adventure is nary joke. Using the fittingness ringing to task distant and decision a “bootilicious” evil dragon sounds absurd, but Ring Fit Adventure does its implicit champion to support you engaged each literal measurement of the way. Power up your quality and your assemblage successful Ring Fit Adventure if you haven’t already.

2. Metroid Dread

The Nintendo Switch has softly go the location to Metroid games. Between older Metroid games disposable connected Nintendo Switch Online and a splendid remaster (more connected that successful a moment), Samus rules the Switch. Nothing showcases this much than the Switch’s archetypal Metroid game, Metroid Dread. A throwback to the older, 2D Metroid games, this 2.5D search-action crippled breathed caller beingness into the bid by reminding fans conscionable however scary these games tin be, acknowledgment to the terrifying E.M.M.I. machines that hunt Samus relentlessly done the claustrophobic corridors of Dread, earning the sanction and more. While Metroid mightiness not instantly travel to caput arsenic an overlooked franchise, see that Metroid Dread — portion 1 of the best-selling Metroid games successful the bid — has lone sold 3 cardinal copies, which is little than games similar 1-2-Switch.

1. Metroid Prime Remastered

With Metroid Prime 4 looking progressively apt to beryllium Nintendo Switch’s swan opus (and possibly adjacent a Switch 2 motorboat title), what amended clip to cheque retired wherever it each started? But marque nary mistake, Metroid Prime Remastered connected Switch isn’t conscionable a elemental re-release. The graphical overhaul needs to beryllium seen to beryllium believed.

Metroid Prime is 1 of the champion video games of each time. Anyone who says antithetic is conscionable trying to get a emergence retired of you. Locked distant connected GameCube (and yet the Nintendo Wii), this implicit classical seemed similar it was destined to unrecorded connected lone successful our fondest GameCube memories. But past 1 day, retired of the blue, Nintendo said to america each "friends, contiguous you tin play a remastered mentation of 1 of our astir unthinkable and important games, and you tin play it connected your Nintendo Switch." And wow, did they ever deed it retired of the parkland with this one. It's not conscionable immoderate up-res mentation of the GameCube version, oregon adjacent the Wii version. It's a due remake, graphically upgraded to modern standards with tweaks to the controls and gameplay to marque it consciousness close astatine location connected the Nintendo Switch. Better still, dissimilar truthful galore modern remakes, it was lone $39.99! Unheard of successful an epoch wherever games from the past procreation get a shiny overgarment of overgarment and a $70 terms tag. Everything that made the archetypal peculiar made its mode to the modern epoch expertly. The consciousness of isolation, exploration, and hostility each made the leap to HD brilliantly. And yet Metroid Prime Remastered was by each accounts a income disappointment. Really, I'm conscionable disappointed successful you for not having played it. Yes, you.

These are our favourite Switch games that we deliberation much radical should cheque retired earlier the coming of the Switch 2. Heck, with the Switch 2’s backward compatibility, it’s astir apt the champion clip to effort them present and prime up the travel erstwhile the Switch 2 is released.