Best Nintendo Switch games 2021: play the best Switch games

Nintendo Switch has become one of the most talked about, and one of the most popular gaming platforms of today. Despite launching half-way through the current hardware generation, this semi-handheld device has proved that lower specs don't really matter when you sprinkle in that Big N magic. And with the recent release of the Nintendo Switch Lite, there's never been a better time to Switch it up!

Nintendo Switch is the fastest selling console of all time, and with good reason too. Since release it's played host to some incredible first-party exclusives including the wonderful RPG magic of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the platforming masterclass that is Super Mario Odyssey , both scoring perfect 10s across the board. And the list goes on: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2, Luigi's Mansion 3 and so many more.

And the must-have hits keep coming with the Switch-exclusive remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, the full-featured portable version of NBA 2K20, the brilliant action-adventure policing of Astral Chain and the return of everyone's cutesy villager simulator, Animal Crossing: New Horizons!

Throw in a superb port of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and the latest full fat Pokemon game - Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, and right now, during the winter holiday season, Nintendo Switch really is the best place to play.

• Here's when Nintendo Switch Pro is coming out
• Best PS5 games
• Best Xbox One games

With new games and bundles dropping all the time, there's bound to be a Switch-related bargain out there. So be sure to check out our best Nintendo Switch deals going if you're currently in the market for a new console, controller or accessory pack.

In fact, it's not just the Nintendo Switch console and Switch games that are currently being discounted, but many legacy systems and titles, too. As such, if you're a general fan of the Big N then it may be worth your while taking a look at the best Nintendo 3DS deals and best Nintendo 2DS XL deals available right now while the market is in the grip of the new year sales season.

With all that said, these are the best Switch games to play today.

The best Nintendo Switch games 2021: get the best Switch games for your collection now

The Paper Mario games might not have the mainstream devotion lavished on the mainline Mario platformers, but that doesn't make this long-running series any less essential. Serving as an easy to pick up take on the classic turn-based RPG, Paper Mario: The Origami King continues this tradition with a cute spin on the classic Japanese art of paper folding.

Taking a creative leaf out of Tearaway's book, The Origami King sees Paper Mario teaming up with new ally Olive, as they battle to stop the titular king causing havoc. There are plenty of new locations to explore, and lots of new abilities, including Paper Mario's handy 1,000 folded arms (for reaching across the screen to attack enemies and reach objects).

The Naruto Shippuden series from CyberConnect2 is 17 years old, and since its earliest origins on PS2, this arena battle series has grown into one of the most authentic anime adaptations ever made. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto sports the largest roster to date, along with lots of helpful new changes to combat including wall-running and team-based special moves.

This version sports the big Road to Boruto expansion, which ties into the animated film following the exploits of Naruto's son, Boruto. With a ton of unlockable content, this really is a huge package that's a must for Naruto fans. 

It wasn't that long ago that Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast made its way onto Nintendo Switch, and now we've been surprised with a port of its direct sequel, Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. Announced as part of Nintendo's recent Mini Direct, this action-adventure brings lightsaber combat and classic (if no longer strictly canon) Star Wars fun to Nintendo's current-gen hardware.

This version follows a similar format to previous games in the Jedi Knight and Dark Forces, although this time the combat is more focused around lightsaber battles. There's a lot of variety to the level design, and while the story is a little hokey, it's a fun experience. There's also support for online multiplayer (something that was cut out of the Outast Switch port), which makes for a fun online alternative.

We all know that a big part Switch's growing library is down to its vast selection of ports - including recent releases and far older titles - but when they're solid ports that retail all the fun of the original, only now with support for handheld play, it's hard to be anything other than excited. Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is the latest, offering up an open-world that's bigger and more outlandish than last year's Saints Row the Third: The Full Package port.

With a solid framerate and decent visuals that are only partly impacted by the usual downgrading present on a lot of these Switch ports, you can explore the city of Steelport, fight off an alien invasion and unleash a litany of superpowers. Yes, your dreams of a proper Superman game could be answered as you leap, speed and smash your way around the city - in solo or co-op - in true NSFW fashion.

Fans have been clamouring long and hard for a new Animal Crossing since the Nintendo Switch's launch in 2017. Most of the major Nintendo first-party franchises have arrived on Ninty's hybrid hardware and now its the time for AC with the arrival of New Horizons.

For the uninitiated in all things Tom Nook, Animal Crossing is a relaxed and family friendly management sim that sees you building a community from the ground up. You'll mine for resources, build houses, give gifts to your fellow villagers and build a happy and friendly place to live. New Horizons builds on this familiar formula, only this time you'll be sunning yourself in its new desert island setting. So tropical!

While we all love the thrills and spills of burning rubber on tarmac, there's a unique challenge to be found when you steer off the beaten track. Off-road racers of various types can found a welcome home on Switch - just look at the most recent WRC and Monster Energy Supercross entries for proof of that - and the latest addition from BigBen Interactive looks to add a new dimension to those muddy pursuits: mountain driving!

Overpass is all about putting various off-road trucks and buggies through their paces up some challenging uphill courses. This is very much a technical racing experience, where you'll have fight to keep your machine from slipping off the track and tumbling into scrap. Think of it as a cross between Motorstorm of old and the very niche Mudrunner games (where you navigate uneven terrain in off-road vehicles).

Nintendo Switch is gradually building up its library of credible and enjoyable shooters, and now it has another joining that fold. Warface has actually been around for the better part of seven years, offering up a full fat multiplayer FPS right there on your handheld console. Sure, it's not quite as polished as anything Activision chucks out every year, but those years of refinement and development have shaped Warface into an enjoyable if not hugely remarkable shooter.

It's very much an FPS of the previous generation - fast, loud and clunky. Switch players can jump into the game for free and enjoy a huge array of maps and modes, as well as some enjoyable co-op PvE missions. The F2P elements means most things you unlock through play are rentals that eventually expire, but you can eventually earn enough in game currency to buy them permanently (or simply cough up enough real life cash to speed up the process).

Surprise! Having made a point of stating that Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales would not be making the jump from PC and other consoles to Nintendo Switch, developer CD Projekt RED has only gone and done a 180 and brought the card-based RPG to Nintendo's semi-hybrid platform. Because if you've finished The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and you're lamenting the lack of a Gwent port, this is the authentic crossover you didn't realise you needed.

Combining the card-based battles of Gwent (with a more simplified approach) with the top-down questing of a regular RPG, Thronebreaker ends up offering the best of both worlds. Rather than following other stories that centre around Geralt, this new game tracks the adventures of Meve, a warrior queen who finds herself dealing with political intrigue and diplomatic conflicts as much as she does bandits and monsters. It's a delicately written and beautifully animated experience that manages to add to the already rich tapestry of the Continent.

While the Oddworld games have produced some interesting spin-offs and remakes over the years, no once quite expected the franchise to produce a first-person shooter on the original Xbox back in 2005. Thankfully, it wasn't another Call of Duty clone, but an action-adventure that took all the strangeness of the original games and channelled it into a bounty hunting simulator.

It was quite ahead of its time, with semi-open-world levels, multiple bounties to locate and collect and a levelling system that enabled you to upgrade skills to improve your crossbow, armour and more. It was given the HD treatment a few years back - including a port to the poor old PlayStation Vita - so an eventual move to Nintendo Switch was both inevitable and well-suited. If you've played any previous HD versions, this one is mostly identical, but if you've managed to miss this curio it's well worth a try.

Thankfully, Nintendo Switch does have a Monster Hunter game to its name - the improved port that is Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate - but with Monster Hunter World giving Switch the cold shoulder, portable players have been crying out for another full fat multiplayer beast slaying experience. Enter the free-to-play world of Dauntless.

Much like Warframe, Paladins and many other high quality F2P games on Switch at the moment, Dauntless offers the exact same experience found on PC and other consoles, just with a few sacrifices in visuals in order to get it running on Ninty's current-gen hardware. Enter a richly-designed online-only RPG where you can team up with other players to track, hunt and slay a huge menagerie of monsters. Kill the strongest foes by working together, then use their remains to craft more powerful weapons and armour. It's basically Monster Hunter, but it's cuter, and free to download and play!

Back in the early 2000s, tennis games were at their peak. Despite the struggles of the Dreamcast, SEGA and its Virtua Tennis series walked the line between realistic simulation and arcade antics to create some of the best virtual on-court action ever made. Unfortunately, the genre has been pretty barren in the years since (with the exception of the latter Top Spin games), but Australian sports developer Big Ant Studios is really hoping to reignite those glory days with its latest offering, AO Tennis 2.

The first AO Tennis launched in a sorry state, but consistent post-launch updates helped turn it into a decent if buggy simulator. AO Tennis 2 attempts to rectify this with a far more stable experience built around an academy (for improving your skills and enhancing your stats) and an overhauled career mode that attempts to weave a little narrative spice a la EA's recent efforts. It's clearly made on a much smaller budget and scale, but it's a considerable step forwards for the series.

Nintendo Switch is no stranger to turn-based battlers - in fact, it's become a haven for the genre - so it's no surprise to see the console and PC-ready version of Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times making its way to Ninty's current-gen hardware. Much like the first entry in the series, you control up to four party members (covering the usual tank, ranged, mage and melee types across 12 different classes) as you explore dungeons in three distinct fantasy regions.

There's more variety to enemy types than in the first game, which makes for a less predictable and repetitive experience. And while most missions boil down to exploring dungeons in search of loot to upgrade your party members, the decent mix of weapon types (there are 200 different variants to loot and locations means there's enough content here to keep you battling on.

As a concept, few come as strange and intriguing as Blacksad: Under The Skin. A video game adaptation of a Spanish-written comic aimed at the French market with an anthropomorphic 1950s USA setting. Despite that odd mixture of geographical DNA, Blacksad offers an engaging take on the pulpy noir detective thriller, only with a cat in a trenchcoat playing the role of the gruff PI.

With its beguiling visuals that really evoke that European comic panel feel and a suitably jazzy soundtrack, this narrative-driven adventure will appeal to anyone who's missing the output of Telltale games and its slow-burning interactive thrillers. Expect plenty of violence, intrigue and mystery as you crack the case as John Blacksad.

Nintendo's ongoing relationship with Microsoft continues to pay dividends, with one of the console's best new IP, Super Lucky's Tale, finally making the leap to a Ninty console with an extra New in the same for good measure. While there have been a few visual adjustments made to get it to run well on Switch, the final result is a faithful port of a colourful and engaging 3D platformer for all ages.

For those that enjoyed Spyro Reignited Trilogy, or those that are thirsting for a proper Banjo-Kazooie sequel, New Super Lucky's Tale serves up a plethora of intricately-designed levels with 3D and 2D-style levels and 1,000s of collectibles to track down and find. And now it's portable!

By the time Call of Juarez: Gunslinger moseyed onto the scene in 2013, the other shooter series with 'Call' in its name had mostly disappeared into obscurity, But by stripping away all the story content and dialling things back to the series' roots in the Wild West, developer Techland served up an arcade-focused effort that suddenly felt new and fresh.

Six years later shooters have mostly moved on from where things were in 2013, but Gunslingers simple approach still holds up on Nintendo Switch. You can personalise your skills and the weapons you carry into each gunfight, with more points and cash earned for fast and flashy kills. It's the perfect recreation of those pulpy spaghetti westerns where just about everyone was being gunned down in a showdown!

Few games leave as long a shadow over their genre as XCOM, but a handful of games have attempted to riff on a mostly perfected formula with some interesting new ideas and settings. Narcos: Rise of the Cartels aims to make a name for itself not only with its licence (tying it into the first season of the hit Netflix TV show), but also by adding in a few neat gameplay mechanics.

You can only move one unit per tern, so it's easy to get flanked or outmanouvered if you're not careful. Thankfully, you can use something called Countershots, which turn this top-down tactics game into a third-person shooter for a moment, enabling you to kill enemies sneaking up or retreating. With the option to play as both the Cartel or the DEA, there's plenty of replay value to be had as well.

Nintendo Switch boasts a vast library of CCGs (collectable card games) to choose from, but most are centred around online play and competitive ranking. The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game aims to offer something more around story-driven battles. Set during the events between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, you'll build multiple decks of cards focused around heroes such as Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli.

Much like other CCGs, you'll have themed units to send into battle, and special cards that imbue your cards with powerful new effects. Sauron, the Dark Lord himself, is constantly pulling the strings behind the enemies you'll face (ranging from the spiders of Mirkwood to the Orcs of Mordor) and he can power up your foes at any point if you take too long to end a battle. 

As the winter months roll in, it can mean only one thing - time for another Just Dance game. The series has been doing the floss, nay-nay and various odd popular dances for a decade now and Just Dance 2020 celebrates that with an eclectic song list and accompanying dance routines.

This year's iteration includes a fitness focused Sweat mode for those players inspired by Ring Fit Adventure who want to carry on gamifying their workouts. Now you can track calories burned as you dance. And there's a new Kids mode with eight routines specifically designed for helping inspire more activity in younger players.

While this isn't Nintendo Switch's first Pokémon game - that goes to last year's Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu/Let's Go Eevee - it is the first full fat sequel to appear on the system, and the first time the franchise and has really done so outside of an exclusively portable platform. As such, Sword/Shield (two versions of the same game with a handful of small differences) feels both grand and small scale, a mixture of new ideas and old that don't entirely gel.

Set in Galar - Pokémon's take on Great Britain - Sword/Shield offers the series' first attempt at an open-world of sorts, so developer Game Freak has had to introduce Wild Areas that are often too high to enter until you've adequately grown in experience. It's the most RPG the series has ever been, with the ability to over-level Pokémon and new items to help boost Exp. 

The smaller number of Pokémon does rankle, especially when compared to previous entries, but it's addressed somewhat by some really great new pocket monsters (especially the starter trio) and some new battle types (such as the co-op-style Dynamax events). It's not the series' high point, and it struggles to really live up to its grander scale, but Pokémon Sword/Shield is still a fun slice of semi-portable goodness.

• Read our Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure review

Nintendo loves finding new ways to use its latest hardware. While Labo's cardboard creations failed to capture the market in the way Ninty had hoped (despite being so innovative), Ring Fit Adventure looks to fall back on the popularity of Wii Fitness. With a plastic ring holder and a leg strap, your Joy-Cons now track leg and arm movement, requiring you to squat, sprint, twist and and press.

There are 60 real-world exercises to perform, which are utilised in 100 different levels spread across 20 different worlds. You'll level up your avatar as you play, with everything from exploration to combat affected by the intensity and accuracy of each exercise. It's easy to work up a sweat, and with a casual smattering of RPG mechanics there's just enough of a game there to make it a far more substantial experience than Wii Fitness and the like.

When the original Luigi's Mansion arrived as a GameCube launch title, no one quite expected this odd curio to become such a beloved series, and such a great set of games in its own right. Having graced 3DS with its first sequel, Luigi's Mansion 3 brings the puzzle solving and ghost-sucking action to Nintendo Switch as another must-own platform exclusive.

This time, you can team up with the slimer-esque clone of Luigi - Gooigi - either in solo play or in co-op. Now you can slip through tight spaces and reach hidden areas for even more puzzle-solving freedom. There's also support for some fun multiplayer mini games, with the brilliant 8-player ScareScraper!

It's been over six years since BioShock's last hurrah with BioShock: Infinite and its brilliant DLC, and in that time only the likes of Dishonored have managed to deliver an experience that married narrative nuance with first-person action. While it takes quite a few artistic cues from the late Irrational Games' brilliant series - especially with its intricately-designed art deco setting and story focusing on a rogue city run by scientists - but Close to the Sun actually has more in common with the likes of Amnesia or Outlast.

It's not strictly a horror game, but with a few chase sequences and a very effective sense of foreboding as you explore the giant ship known as The Helios it's certainly happy to flirt with some horror tropes. The vast majority of your time is exploring the abandoned vessel, uncovering clues as to what caused Tesla's grand utopia to fall into disrepair and how your own sister is involved. You'll spend most of your time solving puzzles to open doors and gain access to new areas of the ship, but with such a gorgeous level design, it's a fantastic place to explore.

However, the Nintendo Switch version has some serious issues with optimisation. It runs, but in order to get it working on a handheld platform, developer Storm in a Teacup has had to make some serious downgrades, ranging from frame rate issues that consistently dip to the removal of dynamic lighting effects and the application of considerable blurring. It's playable, and it's great to get a game that doffs its cap to elegantly to the likes of BioShock, but it's a difficult sell compared to more stable versions playable elsewhere.

When it launched on PC, PS4 & Xbox One in 2015, The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt cemented itself as one of the most ambitious and rewarding action-RPGs of all time. And who knew that a game that's become a graphical testing bench mark for PC would get a port onto a semi-hybrid Nintendo console four years later? As impossible as it might be, developer CD Projekt RED has done just that, and far fewer sacrifices than you might expect.

It's like playing The Witcher 3 on low settings on PC. Textures aren't quite as crisp and some finer details are lost, but you're still getting over 150 hours of content on a fully playable and fully enjoyable version of a modern classic. That's all the DLC and expansions, right there in the palm of your hands. It's truly one of the most remarkable ports on Nintendo Switch today.

With Pokémon Sword & Shield - the first 'new' entry in the series and the first full fat instalment to appear on Nintendo Switch - due to launch in less than a month, dropping a brand new RPG IP from Game Freak might be a little unwise, but the Japanese developer clearly has confidence its new game will stand apart from the world of pocket monsters. And with a bite-size approach to questing and battles, and a reduced campaign length compared to most other games in the genre, it's certainly offering something a little different.

There's no huge overworld to explore, and no smaller enemies to grind for XP, instead you're restricted to a single, medium-sized village. Combat is the centre-piece of LTH, with each one serving as a boss battle of sorts. Battles are turn-based and your moves are represented by different ideas. These ideas work a bit like cards in a CCG such as Hearthstone, and you'll need to learn how best to destroy your opponents ideas and eventually defeat each monster. It's also roughly around 15-20 hours in length, so it's a far more manageable time investment than most 50-hour RPGs.

When the original Yooka-Laylee arrived in 2017, it offered up a ode to the classic 3D platforming days of the PS1 and the N64. Its sequel of sorts, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is less of a love letter to the past, and more of a mission statement for the future. A face-paced side-scrolling platformer that's all about building up your skills and reflexes to take on the titular Impossible Lair (a super-hard level that requires the very best skills to make it to the end).

There's an top-down overworld to explore that fans of Skylanders and other Diablo-lite dungeon crawlers will appreciate, while those side-scrolling levels have a real Rayman Origins/Legends feel about them, with secrets and switches that change the form and flow of levels on the fly. Fun and challenging in equal measure, Yooka-Laylee finally prove they have a place in 2020 and beyond.

If you've been checking video game social media as of late, you'll have likely heard of Untitled Goose Game. As its name suggests, you take on the role of one very mischievous goose who has decided to ruin everyone's day in the local village. You can sneak around villagers and set up pranks, fling stones over someone's garden, steal their hates or just chase them back into their homes with a flap of your wings and a good honk.

Just like Abe's Odyssey and classic Grand Theft Auto before it, Untitled Goose Game also has a button dedicated to one glorious noise. In this case, it's your source for all that over-the-top honking you'll be doing as you chase ever poor villager you encounter back into their homes. Because if you're going to be a bird, as you might as well be a grumpy one with chaos on its mind!

Football fans on Nintendo Switch have been blessed with official footie sims with EA pumping out two full-ish editions since 2017 (although they were missing The Journey story modes in both instances), but fans were still getting all the new features and gameplay improvements found on the other hardware (albeit with inferior visuals). However, for reasons unknown (we can assume either sales weren't meeting expectations or the number of players actively playing online on Switch simply wasn't high enough), EA has decided this year's FIFA will be a Legacy Edition.

This basically means you're getting the version that previous gen players have been playing for years now - so effectively it's called FIFA 20: Legacy Edition, but it's effectively FIFA 19 with updated menus, kits and team rosters. It's more than the PS Vita ever got, but FIFA fans who have made Switch their console of choice will be frustrated to see the likes of VOLTA Football - the FIFA Street-style mode that's being marketed as the game's new centrepiece mode - won't be appearing on their version.

The Legend of Zelda series has cemented itself as one of gaming's most beloved franchises, and entries such as A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild have rightly established themselves as some of the series' biggest successes. Originally a port of ALttP on Game Boy released in 1993, Link's Awakening eventually earned its own cult following when it was released in DX form on Game Boy Color. It's that version that's been fully remade here as a Nintendo Switch exclusive, with Nintendo recreating the magic of the original while infusing it with a modern Ninty design ethos. 

So if you're a fan of the original top-down RPG you'll instantly recognise the same villagers of Koholite Island, encounter many of the same secrets and unlock plenty of items that imbue Link with extra powers that open up new and previously explored areas of the map. To add even more replay value, there are special Chamber Stones to collect, which enable you to build your very own dungeon layouts with different chamber combinations.

With FromSoftware seemingly committed to various incarnations of the Souls template (even the upcoming project with Game of Thrones author George RR Martin, Elden Ring, is alluding to something familiar), fans of its long dormant Armored Core series have been left hoping for a proper mech-happy follow-up. Nintendo Switch exclusive Daemon X Machina isn't a proper sequel, but with long-time series producer Kenichiro Tsukuda on board it's as close as we're going to get right now.

With a colourful, almost cel-shaded quality to its visuals, DXM is already easy on the eye. And with the ability to customise almost every facet of your mech from parts (which affect your stats) to liveries and designs (which affect your fashion sense), it never stops jumping off the screen. The action is fast and the weight and heft of your mech translates well, especially when you're fighting the many boss-sized enemies across its semi open-world setting.

September has arrived, and with it, the next raft of sports sims destined for console and PC. NBA 2K20 is the latest, and developer Visual Concepts is aiming to tackle some of the issues that series has endured in recent years. The Neighborhood has now been revamped to make jumping between training, customisation and matches far easier, while earning VC to upgrade your baller is much faster and fairer (although the grind is still there). The new story mode is easily the best the series has produced yet, with Idris Elba adding some much-needed gravitas and heart to the mix.

Another feature that really helps sell NBA 2K20 on Switch - more so than NBA 2K19 and 2K18 - is the decision to maintain full feature parity across all versions. Previously, Switch owners had to deal with playing without The Neighborhood social hub or the Story mode. Thankfully, both are included in all their glory for handheld users. Sure, you're getting all those microtransactions and the perpetual grind that comes with the VC system, but at least the 2K series hasn't gone the way of EA's disappointing decision to make FIFA 20 a 'Legacy Edition' on Switch (in other words, team and kit updates, and not much else).

PlatinumGames has an odd pedigree. It's produced some of the best games of the last 10 years in Vanquish, the Bayonetta games and Wonderful 101, but it's also produced some very forgettable licensed tie ins (Transformers: Devastation anyone?). Thankfully, the Japanese studio has rediscovered its form with Astral Chain, one of the best games to grace Nintendo Switch so far.

Astral Chain places you in the shoes of a souped-up (and, naturally, very good looking) cop who must stop the world being overrun by an invading alien force known as the Chimera. Combat uses the fast, frenetic real-time formula the studio does so well, and you'll extend your options by 'chaining' yourself to new Chimera and unleashing their powers in battle. You'll investigate crime scenes or clues (think Batman: Arkham's Detective Mode) and even customise your copper to make them look like a proper futuristic bobby! 

Hotline Miami is finally on Nintendo Switch in the form of the Hotline Miami Collection. The anthology includes both games, including the original and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, and both are perfectly at home on a hybrid console, thanks to its previous ports on consoles and portable devices.

From the tight and close-quarters maps of the original, to the greater traits and skills of the masks in Wrong Number, Hotline Miami is as exciting and addictive with its top-down, twin-stick violence as it was back in 2012 and 2015. There's no extra content (and no level editor, as expected), but both games are still a bloody riot to play whether in handheld or docked mode.

The Fire Emblem series has taken a few odd turns as of late (moving onto mobile and into the world of Dynasty Warriors-style mega battles), but whenever it returns to the classic narrative driven turn-based combat it always manages to feel fresh and exciting again. So it's no surprise to see Fire Emblem: Three Houses showcasing that classic formula alongside some interesting new additions on Switch.

As a professor at the prestigious Officer's Academy, it's your job to tutor the leaders of tomorrow, split across three very different houses. You'll roam the school gathering intel from students and fellow lecturers, before heading into battle yourself. Combat is still a turn-based and tactical affair, with the onus placed on how you use your troops in battle. With a huge roster of characters, all with their own unique personalities, the FE series is back and it means business.

DC Universe Online has been around for quite a long time now, with the original version launching way back in 2011 when the previous generation of consoles was still in rude health. Since then it's launched on multiple platforms and received a huge number of content updates and technical overhauls. So now the free-to-play MMO arrives in its most improved state for the first time on Switch.

You get to design and customise your own hero or villain, and you'll be mentored by familiar characters from across the DC Comics canon. You'll explore Gotham with a dedicated server full of other global players, and battle Braniac and more in the depths of Atlantis - and plenty more besides. The full campaign and plenty of ongoing activities are free, but additional episodes and extra cosmetic items require microtransactions. it's a robust port of a full-fat MMO, right there on Switch.

If you've always wanted to give the tactics genre a go, without feeling like you have to commit to the permadeath of XCOM, then the more accessible world of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden might be the answer to your tactical prayers.

Made by a developer that includes former Io Interactive talent (it of Hitman fame), Mutant is set in a post-apocalyptic Sweden where humankind has mutated to acquire new skills and powers. With a troupe of trained stalkers (including a mutant duck and warthog), you'll be able to use stealth to take out groups of enemies one at a time, as well as using special modifiers to mutate your squad with new abilities

While Wolfenstein: Youngblood isn't a full sequel to the brilliant The New Colossus - it's more of a smaller scale affair similar to Far Cry New Dawn - it does take the story and the series forward in some ways. For a start, it's the first entry in the series to embrace co-op, with the ability to play solo, locally or online as you explore Neu Paris during the 1980s. You can even use a special Buddy Pass to play the game with a friend who doesn't own the full game.

The same familiar gunplay from the previous games returns, so expect shotguns, SMGs and pistols with plenty of kickback, and enemies that soak up bullets while shedding blood in gushes. Playing in co-op enables you to share brief boosts with your partner, such as brief injection of health or armour, while the new One Life system will see you have three shared lives that deplete when one sister is left to bleed out. You can also replace these hearts, but only by opening rare chests that require both of you to operate.

There are few missions this time around, so Youngblood is noticeably shorter than The New Colossus, but it does offer a little more replay value with a more open-ended approach to level design. It's not on scale of Dishonored - Arcane Lyon, which developed Dishonored 2, co-developed the game with MachineGames - but stealth is now more of a viable option. The Switch version has undertaken a visual downgrade, and the amount of blurring really stands out when the action ramps up, but you're often too busy blowing Nazis to a bloody pulp to notice.

If the over-abundance of Marvel properties on-screen for Avengers: Endgame wasn't enough to sate your desire for superhero team ups, then the arcade brawling action of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is sure to satisfy your comic book gluttony. Despite more than a decade passing since the previous entry in the series - and development duties passing to Japanese studio Team Ninja - MUA3 follows the pick up and play nature of the series with very little deviation.

As such, this is a fun and enjoyable brawler that works best when you team up with some friends to battle waves of robots, goons and ninjas. The action can get a little repetitive, but TN has done its best to combat this with the use of team-up moves that can only be activated when two heroes are in close proximity. You can customise your squad with extra buffs, while choosing certain combos will give your team even more added qualities.

The original Dragon Quest Builders had quite the task on its hands, namely having to balance the RPG questing of the mainline DQ series with the resource management and creativity of a building game. The end result was pretty great, but the sequel improves on it in almost every single way. The main improvement being the inclusion of co-operative multiplayer with up three other players either locally or online.

This new iteration isn't just all about the higher player count, but a greater diversity of regions and areas to explore. Along with unique quests, these locales will also possess special crafting items, so exploring far and wide now feels more rewarding. You can also swim this time around, and fly, should you wish to travel a little faster.

Harvesting also has more of a focus this time around, with the need to look after crops and use the resulting yields to support the hamlets, towns and cities you'll build along the way. Whether you're a DQ nut or simply looking for a good alternative to Minecraft, Dragon Quest Builders 2 offers a fine balance of the two.

The Red Faction games have prided themselves on the power of their destruction tech, and no game summed up the sheer potential of the GeoMod Engine than 2009's Red Faction: Guerrilla. The Re-Mars-tered version - which features improved textures, post-processing and shaders - debuted last year, but it's now finally made the leap onto Nintendo Switch.

This version doesn't struggle, either. You can choose to run the game in Performance or Quality modes, placing emphasis on a more stable framerate or enhanced detail, with the former enabling for some truly awe-inspiring moments of destruction as you collapse entire structure's with nothing more than a sledgehammer and a bag of remote explosives. It's your usual third-person shooter in an open-world, but all those demolition opportunities really help more mundane mission designs.

Super Mario Maker was one of many memorable gems that were sunk with the forgettable Wii U, but Nintendo hasn't let this throwback to the days of Mario Paint disappear into obscurity. Now it's produced a full-on sequel for Nintendo Switch, and it's packed with even more level-building features.

Much like the first game, you can design your own 2D and 2.5D levels using themes, characters, obstacles and more from the entire Super Mario back catalogue. There's a 100 level-long campaign to get you started, as well as the option to create levels in co-op. You can also share your creations online, and test yourself on those made by other users.

You wait years for a kart racer to come along and challenge Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the crown, then two drop within a month of each other. First it was Sumo Digital's Team Sonic Racing, now it's the turn of Crash Team Racing - Nitro Fueled. Activision is on a 'let's remake lots of PS1 classics drive' at the moment, and this latest offering brings one of the console's best racers hurtling into a new generation.

With all your favourite tracks, characters and karts remade for modern consoles (including many from the oft-forgotten PS2-era sequel, Crash Nitro Kart) this is the biggest Crash Bandicoot racer yet. And with plans to support the game over the next few months with themed 'seasons' (including one based around fellow colourful mascot, Spyro the Dragon), Switch players will have plenty to keep them power-sliding in 2020 and beyond.

If you're a seasoned handheld gamer, you'll likely have come across the Japanese visual novel. And while there's been plenty of forgettable ones, we've also been treated to some of the best slow-burning stories to come from the East. World End Syndrome certainly ticks plenty of typical boxes (a high school student moving to a new school, strange goings on and romantic interests trying their luck along the way), but it balances those tropes by crafting a story that mixes folklore fantasy and murder mystery.

More importantly, it manages to do all this while exploring the affects of grief and how we process tragedy. The English translation can sometimes be a little clunky in places, but for the most for this lengthy narrative has a lot to offer in terms of navigating the pitfalls of modern teenage life and a fantastical mystery unfolding around you.

Fortnite continues to hold sway over the battle royale genre - yes, it's a genre now - including on the good ship Nintendo Switch. However, it's getting some stiff competition from Realm Royale, a BR game from the studio that brought you Paladins and SMITE. You'll still air drop into a large and colourful map and shoot other players in third-person until only one remains, but RR brings a few new features that really help set it apart.

Rather than hunting for new weapons in chests, you can recycle anything you find and don't want and use those resources to build anything from weapons to armour and potions at forges scattered around the map. You'll need to defend it while you're items are being made, making every attempt a mini battle in itself. And, should you get 'knocked', you'll turn into a fat little chicken, enabling you to escape. If you do, you'll turn back into gun-toting self in 10 seconds!

Cricket games have endured as much undulating levels of quality as those based on rugby, so it's fallen to smaller studios like Australia's Big Ant to step in and refine a homegrown formula. It's taken a few years, but the Cricket 19 is the result and it's easily the best cricket sim we've played since the glory days of the Brian Lara series.

The AI is much improved on the previous Ashes game, with bowlers reacting to your behaviour at the crease and fielders making far more realistic catches. The batting physics can sometimes be a little hard to predict, but overall striking the ball is satisfying, especially when you add a well-earned boundary to your total. The Career mode enables you to gradually improve your player with a perk system, while the Scenarios mode offers potentially endless challenges from across the community.

With Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled already on the horizon this summer, Nintendo Switch players find themselves with a glut of arcadey kart racers to enjoy. Joining the already stellar (but now a tad long in the tooth) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is Team Sonic Racing, the long-awaited follow up to Sumo Digital's Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed.

The transforming vehicle shtick has been dropped in favour of a tighter racing model and an emphasis on team play. Racers now compete in squads, and forming up with your allies will provide extra benefits such as extra boost and weapons to take down your competitors. You can play solo (and team up with the AI) or elect to go online and enjoy a full suite of competitive modes. There's also support for four-player splitscreen multiplayer.

While it seems half the games coming out on Switch at the moment are remasters or straight ports of 'old' games, this tactic does mean that occasionally a really good game that never quite reached that upper echelon gets another shot at stardom on a new platform. 

This time, it's the turn of Sniper Elite V2 Remastered, which has been given an overall aesthetic touch-up to bring it in line with the visual demands of modern hardware.

Some of those improvements have been lost on Switch - there is some instances of dynamic lighting, but a lot of it has been scaled back in favour of a solid framerate - but the inclusion of motion controls, which use the Joy-Cons to help you line up a trick headshot, are a really great addition. 

You can fight through the campaign to take down the Nazi V2 rocket program, work together with a friend (online or local) in co-op or work your way through a raft of multiplayer modes. All DLC is also included so it's a chunky little package.

At this stage, the Final Fantasy has produced so many incredible entries it's almost comical. Alongside the likes of FFVII, FFVIII and FFIX comes the brilliant Final Fantasy XII. Originally released on PS2 back in 2006, The Zodiac Age is a remastered version that includes all manner of extra improvements including enhanced performance and brand new tracks on an already stellar soundtrack.

Every texture and skin has been retouched for high definition, so you're getting the very best looking version of this PS2 classic. Mechanically, the tempo of battle has been tweaked to make it a little faster, there's a new high speed mode for those who want quick and timely battles and a very hand auto-save function. It's another vast and engrossing RPG experience, right there on your Switch.

Mortal Kombat 11 is here on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, but that's not only the platform getting a new round of ultraviolent battles. Now Nintendo Switch players can enjoy the full MK11 experience, optimised for Nintendo's hardware with 60fps performance the central goal.

With performance held together so well, there are some sacrifices to the visuals so you'll really notice the blurring and jagged edges applied to make the game run so well in handheld mode and docked mode. Still, this version boasts all the same modes and features, including the slick online netcode and support for character customisation.

While Nintendo Labo has struggled to catch the public's imagination like the Switch itself, it's nevertheless one of the most creative projects to ever come out of the Big N. If you need any more proof, then you need to try the Toy-Con 04: VR Kit. With your Joy-Cons and the screen of your console, you can experience of 60 mini-games in the Toy-Con Garage, or take the time to build your very own immersive virtual reality experiences.

A number of existing Nintendo Switch games will now support the use of VR on Switch, including none other than The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You'll still control Link with the Joy-Cons, but now you look around Hyrule with an interactive field of view that makes spotting sneaky enemies and potential missable treasures far easier.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is brilliant pairing of tight, focused gameplay mechanics with a philosophically deep story and fantastically realised haunting tone.

You play as Celtic warrior Senua, who must dive into the depths of Helheim (Viking hell) in order to fight for the soul of her dead lover. However, while there definitely is combat in the game, it is not a repetitive slasher, with bursts of action punctuating exploration and story.

The game has a real edge thanks to its psychological elements, with the player increasingly drawn into the workings of Senua's mind as she fights against her grief and mental barriers, and it hits hard in evoking psychosis.

A genuinely unique game, that now can be enjoyed on the go thanks to a rock solid port onto Nintendo Switch.

Dragon Ball games have always taken a leaf out of their source material's book and opted for non-stop, over-the-top action be default. Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission continues this trend, but now with a more tactical CCG (collectable card game) template.  There are 350 characters to choose from, drawing from Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and Dragon Ball GT.

Think of World Mission like a more nuanced fighting game where you'll need to draw cards in order to play certain characters and pull of key signature moves. Like most CCGs, this game is all about building multiple decks of cards to take into battle and learning how best to use them.

With Darksiders 3 having made a splash on other consoles, Nintendo Switch owners are finally getting in on the cartoonish post-apocalyptic action with a port of Darksiders: Warmastered Edition. You're getting the full version of the original game, complete with all the visual and performance updates made to the remaster that dropped a couple of years ago.

This version is a significant upgrade on the port that graced Wii U, which suffered from considerable issues. Add in the support for HD Rumble, and that ever attractive ability to play it on the move, and you've got an action-platformer with bags of combat and a silly story that's impossible to dislike.

While Mario has been taking 3D platforming to new heights with Super Mario Odyssey, his trusty dino pal Yoshi has quietly been keeping the 2.5D dream alive with a string of brilliant little adventures. Yoshi's Crafted World is the latest, and the first to appear on Nintendo Switch, with its diorama-like levels that open out and close to reveal new paths, secrets and more. It's like exploring a whole world made of Nintendo Labo!

You can move between platforms in both the background and the foreground, and fire eggs (and enemies) at obstructions to reveal secret pathways. It's very much in keeping with the homemade aesthetic of 2017's Yoshi's Woolly World and with support for both solo play and two-player co-op, you're left with a quaint little platformer that's bursting with charm.

Yarny, the colourful mascot from Coldwood Interactive who captured our hearts in the original Unravel in 2016, is back and he's brought some friends so now you can enjoy its mixture of platforming, puzzles and stealth by yourself or with a friend. You'll still use your own yarn to swing across gaps and pull switches, as well as being utilised for more team-based solutions.

With more and more Microsoft-backed games coming to Nintendo Switch, Unravel Two marks a significant change in the new content heading to Nintendo's hardware. Fully optimised for a handheld console, Unravel Two still looks and plays like a charm even when you're playing away from home in handheld or tabletop mode.

Nintendo Switch's success over the last two years has seen a huge uptake in the number of shooters on the platform, and now it's got another in the form of the brilliant RICO. You can play solo, in local splitscreen co-op or online as you enter an endless series of procedurally generated rooms. Your job is simple: kick down doors, initiate some bullet time and shoot everyone inside the room.

You can breach rooms together in co-op, or simply unleash bullet-driven justice on your own. As you level up you'll unlock new weapons, skill traits and even gain access to new weapon skins by completing daily challenges. Each run only lasts a certain amount of time, and if you die, that part of the operation is lost, so you'll need to be as tactical as you are gung-ho.

Following years of reliance on the same tried, tested and tired formula, developer TT Games is finally starting to add a few new ideas to the LEGO franchise - or at least bring back ones that offer a little more freedom to players. And while The LEGO Movie 2 - The Videogame is very much a film tie-in, it does take pains to present you with a lot more space to build, explore and play at your own pace. Levels are now sandbox in size, much like the main hubs of previous games, with missions and quests laid out similar to your classic RPG tropes.

As you're a Master Builder, you can now scan almost anything you see and save it as a blueprint, you'll then smash items like normal, only now you're not trying to fill a stud metre but collect coloured blocks to use as crafting resources. You can then travel to new worlds and build entire cities using all your eclectic designs. It's still the same combat model and silly LEGO aesthetic, but it's a step in the right direction for the series.

With Diablo III: Eternal Collection now out on Nintendo Switch, players have access to one of the best dungeon crawlers ever made. However, some Switch owners might be a tad young for this 'mature' game so something like Dragons: Dawn of New Riders is a perfect alternative. This top-down RPG is set in the How to Train Your Dragon universe and sees you heading out on an adventure with your very own flying companion.

Your new dragon can spit fire, ice and electricity, enabling you to combine them together for combos when in combat, and for solving myriad puzzles along the way. You can unlock and upgrade new weapons as you go, as well as looting chests in a series of open-ended dungeons. You can even fly your dragon between each island! If your kids were fans of Skylanders, then they'll love this little hidden gem.

It's been almost five years since Trials Fusion brought the world of motorbike planning kicking and screaming into a colourful - and extra challenging - futuristic setting, and now the latest entry in the series is ready to hark back to its roots. Trials Rising (which brings the series to Nintendo Switch for the very first time) maintains the same 2.5D platforming setup, where you'll need to be mindful of the physics of your bike as you attempt to clear courses without sending your rider flying.

There are hundreds of new courses to choose from in this latest iteration, and a brand new Tandem mode. This is a local co-op mode that requires one player to look after the balance and positioning of the bike, while the other deals with the power. Knowing when to hit the throttle and when to move from two wheels to one is tough enough on your own - now you've got to do it together!

Ever wondered what it's like for 99 people to compete in the same game of Tetris simultaneously? Well, wonder no more because developer ARIKA has teamed up with Nintendo to create a Switch-exclusive puzzle game that takes that timeless game and infuses it with the risk/reward of a Battle Royale title.

In order to become the last player standing, you'll need to complete your own game of Tetris while dealing with hard-to-slot Garbage Blocks sent by your opponents. You can also send the same back at them, and the more people you know out, the more badges you'll collect and the higher your score. If you survive, that is... 

Nintendo Switch has a lot of roguelike games to its name, but how many can say they were made by some of the talented people behind the first two BioShock games? Only City of Brass can make that claim, and you can practically smell the pedigree on every corner of its procedurally-generated streets.

You play a thief entering the titular city in search of treasure. You'll find plenty, but you'll also encounter traps and monsters aplenty. You'll need to use your whip, your sword and make the most of the various genii scattered throughout who will imbue you with special powers. For a price at least. However, should you die, you'll lose all your cash to tread carefully...

There's really nothing on Nintendo Switch quite like Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. But then again, when you consider it comes from the mind of legendary Japanese developer Suda51, that's hardly surprise. Featuring the return of foul-mouthed anti-hero Travis Touchdown, Travis Strikes Again is a hack 'n' slash action-adventure crammed to the rafters with peppy dialogue and over-the-top violence.

There's lots of genres that have been woven into the game, in true unusual Suda51 style, and you can even pass a Joy-Con to a friend and unleash hell together with some intense co-op brawling.

It's simply impossible to create a list of the best games on Nintendo Switch and not include one of its most impressive ports. Originally designed for PC and other consoles, Warframe is a free-to-play online shooter that mixes third-person gunfights and melee to create something that plays like a cross between Destiny and Gears of War.

There is a PvP area if you want to fight other players one-on-one, but the real meat here is the focus on co-operative PvE missions. From stealing data from a base controlled by androids to fighting off waves of ravenous foes, Warframe keeps the action coming. There's a Destiny-esque social space, sandbox areas to explore, lots of customisation options and so much more. And it runs like a dream on Switch. Impossibly so, even. A must play addition on the eShop.

It's been over a quarter of a century since the Onimusha series slashed its way onto PS2. Part Resident Evil, part Bushido Blade, it mixed melee sword combat and survival horror to create something entirely new and exciting that helped define Sony's second console while never reaching the same superstardom as Resi.

Thankfully, Capcom has given this classic a lick of HD paint by updating its visuals, adding in a new soundtrack and more. It might feel a little antequated to some thanks to those fixed camera angles, but beneath those retro stylings beats the heart of a game that still plays as fresh as it did all those years ago.

The latest Wii U game to be rescued from platform obscurity and given a new lease of life is New Super Mario Bros. U, combining the original game with the Year of Luigi-themed New Super Luigi U campaign and some extra content for good measure. This 2.5D scrolling platformer takes the classic setup of the original Mario games and adds in the creativity and ingenuity of modern Nintendo design. 

With a handful of extra character to play with, support for four-play multiplayer and 164 courses to traverse it's a meaty little package if you love a bit of platforming fun on Switch. 

Once upon a time, Nintendo hedged its bets on the future of fitness-based gaming in the form of Wii Fitness - the Wii Trainer even got a place in Super Smash Bros. - but while that future failed to materialise, that hasn't stopped the Big N from going at it again with Fitness Boxing.

Using the gyro controls in the Joy-Cons, Fitness Boxing takes the movement based scoring of Just Dance and turns it into a punch-based workout system. You can do boxing focused routines, or throw jabs to some toe-tapping tunes. You can play solo or co-cooperatively with another user via local multiplayer.

While it's taken a little why for The Banner Saga series to arrive on the Nintendo Switch, the entire trilogy can now be played anywhere, anytime. The port of The Banner Saga 3, which wraps up the Viking mythology-inspired story does its animated visuals true justice, while its turn-based role-playing combat works really well with a Joy-Con.

You can also buy the entire trilogy as one package on Nintendo Switch, if you've yet to play the first two - and equally incredible - entries in the series. If you want a snow-swept fantasy tale to sink your teeth into this Christmas, this is the game for you.

One of the more recent ports to Nintendo Switch, Everspace was originally a PC-only hit that combined the death cycle of a roguelike (where you play through a game, collecting gear, only to lose most it when you die) with the vast openness of a space-set dog-fighting game. It was an ambitious title on PC, but on Nintendo Switch it's even more ballsy.

Craft new weapons and upgrades, collect loot from fallen enemies and shipwrecks and battle all manner of dangers amid the stars. When you die (and you will, often), your experience will net you permanent perks that will make the next run that bit easier. A real hidden gem that's a must-play on Switch.

Nintendo Switch has proved itself as the new home for creative and exciting indie games, and that trend continues with the arrival of the hotly-anticipated GRIS. Following the story of a girl attempting to deal with a tide of emotional trauma, you'll use her dress to unleash different abilities that enable her to traverse a stark and captivating 2D world.

With little text or on-screen prompts, GRIS offers a minimalist approach to platforming and exploration in the vein of Journey and the like. If you love unusual indies, this should be on your Switch this Christmas.

Every so often, SEGA rolls out another collection of its classic Mega Drive/Genesis games, but this marks the first time so many of these brilliant 16-bit hits have been collated for Nintendo Switch. With over 50 games to choose from on one cartridge, including Golden Axe, Altered Beast and Streets of Rage.

Best of all, the collection comes with plenty of modern conveniences such as the ability to save at any time, a rewind feature for undoing any untimely mistakes and option to customise the controls on your Joy-Cons. If you love all things retro, this is the game for you.

Nintendo Switch has cemented itself as a unique yet robust platform, an it's just added another system-selling, must-have title to its gargantuan library: the fighting mayhem of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

With over 70 characters to choose from, new and classic stages from across Nintendo's many games and franchises and another tweaked systems to keep even the most dedicated of pros happy, this is a fighting game worthy of the acclaim it's already received.

You can even use your old GameCube controllers (with an adaptor, of course), which just shows how Nintendo has listened to the series' fans and made a brawler that's just as fun for beginners as it is for seasoned eSports masters.

Nintendo has had plenty of hits this year, including Mario Tennis Aces and Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu/Let's Go Eevee to name but a few, but there's a good chance you haven't heard of one of its other new first-party titles: Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido. Which is a shame because it's a hidden gem that deserves more love.

Mixing together intense on-screen puzzles where you match different types of sushi in order to build powerful combos, this RPG of sorts mashes genres together with wanton abandon and proved to be one of the year's most intriguing new IP. It's also available on 3DS, should you want to experience its fishy wares with a stylus instead.

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! marks the first entry in the series to appear on Nintendo Switch, and the first to appear on a console that isn't entirely handheld. So, for the first time, you can catch and battle Pokémon from the comfort of your TV as well as playing in every other mode Switch offers.

Mixing together elements from entries of old with plenty of fresh ideas, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! presents an entry that will appeal to almost every Pokémon fan out there while offering new players the perfect jumping on point.

One of the very best Switch games and a must-play for Pokémon fans.

Following the success of FIFA 18, EA Canada has brought its football sim back to Nintendo Switch with plenty of new modes and changes. While it lacks The Journey mode (the narrative-driven story mode that debuted elsewhere in FIFA 17), this handheld-friendly iteration does boast the new Champions League mode and all the licences that go with it.

Striking and ball physics have both been enhanced for this year's instalment, so the flow of play is now a lot faster and balls require a little more skill to trap and control. It does, however, make for a far more well-rounded experience both locally or online.

The latest addition to Nintendo's long-running multiplayer series has arrived on Nintendo Switch, bringing with it a huge number of fun and silly mini-games and all the Joy-Con waving action you could possibly want. You can split a Joy-Con with a friend or use Toad's Rec Room to connect and monitor multiple Switch's at once.

Whether playing through the classic Party mode (where you explore a virtual board game and complete challenges) or competing with a friend via the more open-ended (but just as fun) Party Rusher mode. If your Switch has become the social hub of your home, this is the next game for you.

What an inspired move this was! Diablo 3 is hardly a new game, with the original title launching in 2012, however here with its Reaper of Souls add-on, super-fun Necromancer class, and a series of enhancements that make it look and run superbly on Nintendo's hot as hell handheld, it is simply a fabulously entertaining experience.

The Diablo III: Eternal Collection is also co-op and multiplayer compatible, with online play with up to 4 friends possible, as well as offline via local co-op and single console co-op, too, with all Switch controllers supported.

Throw in a set of Nintendo Switch edition exclusive in-game Ganondorf  armour and this pleasingly daemonic action RPG package is well and truly complete.

Ubisoft is hoping to reginite the once mighty toys-to-life market with Starlink: Battle for Atlas, which combines a fully explorable galaxy, dogfighting combat and plenty of real-life toys to collect and customise.

The big selling point here is the way these toys can be personalised with new wings and weapons, which will appear on-screen once you strap them to the toy itself. You can combine these parts to enhance your ship's performance, and mix weapons to create unique effects, but you don't have to buy all the toys to get the most out of Starlink.

You can also play in a digital mode that offers access to every ship, pilot and weapon in the game.

Dark Souls remains one of the most lauded games of all-time, and with good reason too, offering one of the most challenging yet rewarding action-RPG experiences you'll ever play.

It might be a seven-year-old game, but it's been updated in all the right places with all the performance issues and technical niggles removed to create its best iteration yet.

You can use the motion controls of the Joy-Cons to make in-game gestures, and there's even a cool Solaire of Astora amiibo for some extra in-game goodies. If you want a proper challenge on your Nintendo Switch (or you just want an alternative to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or Octopath Traveler), then this is definitely the next game for you.

The latest licensed LEGO game returns to the world of DC Comics, only this time you won't be throwing batarangs as Batman or soaring the skies as Superman.

Now you'll be controlling a rogues gallery of..well, rogues! From Black Adam to Scarecrow, each mini-fig has their own unique abilities (such as Clayface's ability to mimic other characters and Reverse-Flash's Speed Force-based mega builds) and they add some much-needed extra spice to the usual mixture of platforming and basic puzzle solving.

You can also build your own super-villain, and customise everything from your costume right down to the colour and style of your super-powers. You can even acquire new abilities and turn your unique avatar into a nefarious powerhouse. It runs buttery smooth on Nintendo Switch and is jam-packed with content.

The Mario Tennis games of recent years haven’t been bad, but there’s just been some of that classic magic missing from proceedings. Thankfully, the latest entry - and the first to arrive on Switch - Mario Tennis Aces is able to recapture a fair bit of the fun and frolics that made those early entries so addictive.

For a start, a mini-game filled story mode returns, along with the introduction of motion controls (where you can use your Joy-Cons like a Wii Remote). You can pull off everything from slices to lobs, and powerful trick shots (as well as all the best defence moves). 

You can also take to the courts online to see who has the best slice in the world of Switch.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy contains not one, not two, but three brilliantly remastered foxy PlayStation games, allowing you to re-live all your childhood gaming memories in HD on the move.

We've been smashing crates, collecting Wumpa fruit and generally, having a great time with this game, which has thankfully taken the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach to re-mastering. There are more than 100 levels to explore, all with new lighting, animations, textures, models and recreated cinematics.

The game’s soundtrack is packed with all the didgeridoos, xylophones and thumpin’ bass lines you can handle, as well as newly recorded dialogue from some of the familiar voice actors who appear in the original Crash Bandicoot games.

Austin-based studio Panic Button has become the market leader in porting, bringing such titles as DOOM and Rocket League to Switch with only a handful of concessions to get them there. With online shooter Warframe also being ported to the console, it fell to none other than the brutal alt-history action of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus to keep that trend going. 

And what a port it is. It’s the full FPS experience on your Switch, with robust motion controls and a steady frame rate, even when played in handheld mode. It might look a little blurry in places, but its place among Switch’s must-have titles couldn’t be clearer.

Square Enix helped define the JRPG with the Final Fantasy series, especially with the first few entries, and while many have followed the franchise’s evolution, a fair few of us have hungered for those halcyon days.

Octopath Traveler, with its ‘HD-2D’ visual style (mixing 16-bit-style sprites with 3D rendered backgrounds), looks to capture the feeling with its eight separate characters offering eight totally different stories with multiple narrative paths thrown in for good measure. It promises to be one of the next big milestones in a genre crying out for a proper revival.

This year has seen some incredible new titles arrive on Nintendo Switch, but few have quite the chokehold on the zeitgeist as Epic Games’ world-conquering battle royale hit.

Yes, the floss-dancing, cover-building phenomenon has already proved a huge success on Switch with cross-play support and all the emotes, skins and Battle Bass content you could ask for. It’s also free-to-play, so any Switch owner can leap off the battle bus and float into the madness.

The only caveat is the Switch version doesn’t include the PvE mode Fortnite originally launched with on other consoles, but let’s be honest - everyone’s playing battle royale.

If it’s competitive multiplayer you’re after, look no further. This insane fighting game pits kaleidoscope-coloured, springy-armed combatants against each other in up to 4-player battles.

There are 15 fighters with dozens of interchangeable arms. Mix and match to suit your play-style and take three pairs into battle. Use standard controls, or for an immersive fighting experience, grip one Joy-Con in each hand with your thumbs on the triggers. Tilt together to move, tilt in to block, and get punching.

No console gaming experience is complete without a button-mashing romp through a destructible LEGO world, and LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 is the best on the market at the moment.

And don’t let the fact that it’s a sequel put you off. This game stands a full head and shoulders higher than its predecessor (which is also awesome). The story is new. The level design is clever. And it’s got buckets of that classic tongue-in-cheek LEGO humour. Bash your way through hours of gameplay solo or with a friend.

The grand old first person shooter arrives confidently on Nintendo Switch, with the hyper violence, lightning fast combat, and awesome heavy metal soundtrack from the well-received PC, PS4 and Xbox One title firmly in tact.

Resolution and texture fidelity is slightly down in comparison, however, it makes literally no difference to the gameplay and superb art style, which combine to produce an exhilarating, monster-filled adrenaline rush like nothing else on the system.

Plus, the fact that you can go portable with the Switch, slaying daemons while on the go, makes this edition of DOOM unique.

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After the underrated Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U, the series returns once more on Switch with a similar yet refined take on the long-running JRPG universe. This time out the player is put in the shoes of protagonist Rex, who along with his compatriots Tora and Mia, proceed on a mission to discover Elysium, a paradise for humanity.

Numerous obstacles and enemies lie in their way though, with players needing to master a auto-attack, special attack 'Arts' combat system that leans on well-timed attacks and combos to prosper. The series' excellent voice acting and story telling  make Xenoblade Chronicles 2 an epic adventure.

• The best Nintendo Switch accessories: T3's selection of the top Nintendo Switch peripherals

When NBA 2K18 arrived on Switch it proved (after some much-needed most-release TLC) that sports sims CAN work on Switch if optimised in the right way. One year on, Visual Concepts has brought the world of pro ballers back to Nintendo's hybrid hardware and it riffs and improves on its predecessor in almost all the right ways.

NBA2K19's MyCareer is the best narrative-driven experience it's been in years, the Neighborhood is even bigger and VC now flows at a slightly fairer rate. Of course, microtransactions still loom large, but this is still a fine port of a great modern sports sim.

Enter platform paradise. Rayman Legends offers some of the best platform gaming available today. True, the Switch edition doesn’t really offer anything new compared to the versions on other consoles, but it’s still a must-buy.

It gorgeous to look at. The controls are precise and responsive. And, at the end of each stage, there’s a rhythm level that kicks the experience up a notch with music that syncs up with your jumps. Platform on the go and slide your Joy-Cons out to share the experience with a friend in local multiplayer.

Give in to more third-person paintball chaos with the second iteration of Nintendo’s turf war shooter. Play as an Inkling, spraying flurries of coloured globs to take control of the battlefield and swim through ink as a squid to reload. Enter four-on-four competitive multiplayer matches with all new weapons, modes and kit and get splatting.

This is a family friendly shooter is still, refreshingly, completely blood-free. And this time, it’s got jetpacks. If you’re looking for a party game and you’re all Mario Kart-ed out, this is it.

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review

Skyrim may be now six years old, however the Switch edition looks like it could be the absolute best version to date, with all the game's myriad of DLC included (including a few Nintendo-themed extras), motion control added in for the console's Joy-Con controllers, and true portable adventuring added thanks to the Switch's ability to be taken anywhere. This classic western RPG has won more than 200 awards since its launch for a reason...

• Supercharge your Nintendo Switch with the T3 power user guide

This is what we said in our Super Mario Odyssey review:

"There's a moment in Super Mario Odyssey where the game distils everything it is, and everything it stands for, into a blow-out celebration. All at once the past, present and future of this grand old video game series smashes together in a freewheeling, spectacular and experimental set piece that shows that Nintendo, after years of having the handbrake on, is now absolutely flying creatively.  

The fact that Super Mario Odyssey manages to be so experimental while also drawing in the best parts of every Mario game to date, becoming a incredibly playable and joyous love letter to gaming's most celebrated series in the process, is without doubt like a legendary Homeric odyssey - truly epic."

Enough said.

• This Nintendo Switch dock has a built-in projector

There's so much to like about Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers it is hard to know where to begin.

From its engorged character roster (there are 19 combatants) to its excellent selection of game modes including a slick multiplayer suite, and onto its plethora of neat extras including new and improved graphics and sound options (you can switch between old and new), colour editor, replay system, beginner-friendly "Lite" control option and art-stuffed gallery mode, this classic versus fighter is better than ever on Nintendo Switch.

• 10 reasons why you should play Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers

This is what we said in our The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review:

"From the most objective perspective we could muster here at T3 Towers - and trust us, when you've played titles such as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past during your formative years, that is an incredibly hard thing to do - we feel it is quite evident that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is, by quite a distance, the best The Legend of Zelda game ever made. And, what's more, for those people for who Breath of the Wild will be their first foray into the wonderful world of Hyrule, Zelda and Link, it is going to absolutely blow their minds."

Simply put, a must buy.

• 5 ways the Nintendo Switch is going to succeed

If you're a fan of detective stories then L.A. Noire is definitely worth your time, as the game tasks you with solving a number of crimes in the Homicide, Vice and Arson divisions of the LAPD.

How you tackle each case though is completely up to you, with various options and outcomes possible. Interrogating witnesses or potential suspects plays a major part in the game, and determining who is telling the truth and who is lying critical to getting the job done properly.

Naturally, for a Rockstar game, there is also plenty of firefights. This enhanced Switch version of the game is not only full fat and truly portable, but comes stacked with all of the game's previously released DLC.

Need to warm up your dancing feet for an impending party or wedding? Well look no further than Just Dance 2018, which moonwalks onto Switch with official licenses (Disney anyone?), as well as all the hottest tracks and artists, including such notables as Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.

The game isn't just for seasoned dancers either, with a top Kids Mode delivering children-friendly choreographies and a dance playground.

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Mario Kart 8 began its life on Nintendo Wii U, however, the Deluxe edition on Switch is the ultimate version of the game, with all DLC included as well as enhanced multiplayer functionality.

Mario and his chums handle just as well as ever, while the presentation and polish applied to the mixture of classic and new racing circuits is first rate. With a massive selection of racing tiers too, from 50cc up to 200cc, with mirror modes thrown in as well to boot, the game is super approachable no matter your age or skill.

Don’t underestimate this Wii U classic. It’s had an upgrade for the Switch. Decidueye brings the total playable Pokemon to 21 and Litten and Popplio have been drafted in as support. The new ‘team battle’ mode lets you assemble a three-Pokemon team and the ‘group match’ feature helps you find opponents of a similar skill.

Master the single player Ferrum League, get stuck in to ranked online battles, or grab a sofa and share your Joy-Cons for a local match with your mates.

Ubisoft’s Rabbids come toe-to-toe with Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi in this turn-based title. Take a team of three through the Mushroom Kingdom and beat back the Rabbid invasion.

This game takes familiar faces, mixes in some Rabbid-flavoured chaos and wraps it all up in XCOM-style gameplay that’ll have even hardened gamers hooked.

Balance weapons, tactics, special abilities and status effects. Earn coins and skill orbs to upgrade your kit and build an unbeatable team. 

While it might be a port of a 2014 Wii U exclusive, that doesn't detract from the fact Bayonetta 2 is one of the best games of the previous generation, and retooled for Nintendo Switch it's now getting a second shot at glory.

The new version runs smoother than the Wii U original, rarely drops a frame in TV or handheld modes, and comes with all the Nintendo-themed costumes for ass-kicking witch heroine Bayonetta you could possibly hope for.

There really is nothing out there quite like Nintendo Labo. And as unusual as it might be, that’s exactly what makes it so special. It’s Nintendo to a tee, right down to the way it can bring the whole family together.

The Variety Kit includes five different creations which come with a set of flat pack-style cardboard sheets. By following the on-screen instructions on your Switch, you can build everything from a set of motorbike handlebars to a working piano.

The games themselves are fun for a while, but the real fun comes with the Toy Con Garage, a built in design suite that enables you to build your own creations with an easy-to-understand take on programming.

In this charming little indie, you play a character who has left the hustle and bustle of city life behind to take on the running of the titular family farm.

You can grow all manner of produce, sell it in the local village and get to know its inhabitants (including the ability to date said fellow villagers). One of the most sedate yet engaging titles you can play, whether on your TV or in handheld mode.

There’s also a new multiplayer mode that’s come to all versions of the game - including Nintendo Switch - adding in the ability to link up with friends and tend some farmland together.

Celeste has enjoyed success on multiple platforms - including PC and consoles - but sometimes a game just fits a certain piece of hardware so perfectly you simply couldn't imagine playing it anywhere else. That's what Celeste is to Nintendo Switch, a twitch-platformer full of challenging platforming sequences and intense puzzle solving/exploration.

As you ascend the titular mountain, you'll take heroine Madeline on a transformative pixel art journey that's not to missed.

A good 18 months into its life cycle and Nintendo Switch has another genre ticked off - the hero shooter. Overwatch continues to be one of the biggest shooters on the planet, and Paladins: Champions of the Realm has proven itself a worthy rival.

Pick a a Champion, customise their loadout and compete in a team to defend objectives in a full team shooter experience. You can play for free, invest in the Starter Pack or buy the Season Pass to earn exclusive rewards and skins while you play. A must-play FPS on Switch.

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