If you are looking for the best Switch games going then we've got you covered. Whether you’ve had your Nintendo Switch since launch or you’re about to click in those iconic Joy-Cons for the first time, we’re here to help you find the best Nintendo Switch games on the market right now in 2019.
We simply love the fastest selling console of all time here at T3 and, as such, play all the very best Switch games available, from the Switch's strong opening year lineup, which included The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey , both scoring perfect 10s across the board, right up to today's latest offerings like the superb Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and rebooted retro classic Onimusha: Warlords.
And, now is a great time to build out a Nintendo Switch collection. That's because we're currently in the quietest period of the video game calendar for new releases and, as such, many game retailers are dropping prices on existing games to maintain sales. This means that many of the best Switch games going today are now available for discounted price points.
Everything from the cardboard capers of Nintendo Labo, through the action-RPG antics of Skyrim, and onto the sporty arcade fun of Mario Tennis Aces, are receiving discounts, so it's a great time to pick up and play quality Switch titles that you may have missed first time round. Building a collection for less has never been easier.
The Nintendo Switch console itself, as well as Nintendo Switch console and games bundles, are also seeing price drops, too, so be sure to check out the 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 2019: get the best Switch games for your collection now
Battle Royale meets Tetris? It's a weird idea, but in practice it makes for an intense and competitive experience.
Tetris 99
Tetris meets... Battle Royale?
Reasons to buy
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...
City of Brass
Arabian nightmares on Nintendo Switch
Reasons to buy
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...
Travis Strikes Again might be one of the weirdest games on Nintendo Switch, but it's also one of the most entertaining.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
Tarantino-style action on Nintendo Switch
Reasons to buy
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.
Warframe looks and plays impossibly well on Nintendo Switch, even when running in handheld/tabletop mode.
Warframe
Destiny-style action on Nintendo Switch
Reasons to buy
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.
Despite having a new (and slightly inferior) soundtrack, this HD update of a PS2 classic is well worth a second visit.
Onimusha: Warlords
A PS2 classic gets a new lease of life
Reasons to buy
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.
Combining two games in one package, Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe gives Switch owners another classic dose of Mario fun.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
An underrated Wii U gem gets a much-needed Switch update
Reasons to buy
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.
Switch's portability factor means you can have a quick fist-throwing workout sessions anywhere, anytime.
Fitness Boxing
Nintendo is back on the workout wagon
Reasons to buy
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.
By adjusting its turn-based strategy formula in just the right, The Banner Saga 3 becomes an even more intense experience.
The Banner Saga 3
Rounding off the fantasy trilogy in style
Reasons to buy
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.
By offering permanent perks for your ship, the death cycle of a roguelike game is far more appealing.
Everspace: Stellar Edition
An action-RPG... in space
Reasons to buy
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.
Look past its art house sensibilities and you'll find a minimalist platformer full of heart and creativity.
GRIS
An evocative and immersive indie experience
Reasons to buy
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.
There are over 50 full Mega Drive/Genesis games to choose from. Now that's some serious content.
SEGA Mega Drive Classics
A vault of 16-bit goodness
Reasons to buy
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.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features this biggest lineup yet featuring every fighter that's ever appeared in the series.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Nintendo Switch's next must-have game
Reasons to buy
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.
The game also available on 3DS, in its full form, if you have a 3DS rather than a Switch to hand.
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido
An underrated puzzle gem from Nintendo
Reasons to buy
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.
Mixing elements both old and new, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! serves up the best Poké in years.
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
Gotta catch 'em all
Reasons to buy
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.
Despite missing the final instalment of The Journey, FIFA 19 on Switch is still an impressive package.
FIFA 19
The best football sim on Switch just got that bit better
Reasons to buy
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.
You can split your Joy-Cons or connect multiple Switch's together for some ad-hoc fun.
Super Mario Party
The ultimate couchplay experience on Switch
Reasons to buy
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.
Diablo 3 on Switch is arguably the definitive version of the game.
Diablo 3: Eternal Edition for Nintendo Switch
The best Diablo ever returns with some fiendishly good enhancements
Reasons to buy
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.
Starlink's roster of playable ships were already fun, but add in an Arwing and now you've got a must-have Switch entry.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas
The best Star Fox game since Lylat Wars
Reasons to buy
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.
Experience the brutal crucible that is Lordran any time with the portability of Nintendo Switch.
Dark Souls Remastered
One of the best action RPGs on Nintendo Switch
Reasons to buy
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.
With everyone from Mark Hamill to Michael Ironside lending their voices, LEGO DC Super-Villains is the most authentic instalment yet.
LEGO DC Super-Villains
It's good to be bad
Reasons to buy
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.
Always thought tennis games were boring and dry? Mario Tennis Aces on Nintendo Switch will show you they can be fun, colourful and over-the-top!
Mario Tennis Aces
Court-based action returns to Nintendo
Reasons to buy
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.
Experience the remake of all three of Crash Bandicoot's original PS1 adventures on your Nintendo Switch, any time, anywhere.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Jump, thump and wump through more than 100 classic Crash levels
Reasons to buy
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.
Despite some blurriness here and there, Wolfenstein II is a remarkable feat running on Nintendo Switch's hardware.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
The next must-have shooter on Switch
Reasons to buy
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.
Octopath Traveler on Nintendo Switch is one of the console's best games, and harks back to the classic JRPGs of old.
Octopath Traveler
The next big RPG hit is here
Reasons to buy
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.
Looking to enjoy the madness of Battle Royale for free on Nintendo Switch? Fortnite has you covered.
Fortnite
The battle royale phenomenon goes mobile (again)
Reasons to buy
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.
ARMS remains one of Nintendo Switch's best games, and one of its most unique fighting experiences.
ARMS
Battle with stretchy, weaponised arms
Reasons to buy
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.
Want to play as some of Marvel's most well-known (and hugely obscure) heroes? Of course you do, so grab a copy of this blocky little gem.
LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2
A glorious frenzy of button mashing LEGO destruction
Reasons to buy
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.
DOOM remains an incredible port that retains its gory single-player and intense multiplayer modes on Nintendo Switch.
DOOM
Heavy metal-filled daemon slaying of the finest calibre
Reasons to buy
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.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 balances tactics and real-time combat into one engrossing experience you have to own on Nintendo Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
The famous JRPG franchise returns with a massive open world
Reasons to buy
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.
Despite lots of microtransactions, NBA 2K19 is the pinnacle of sports sims on Nintendo Switch.
NBA 2K19
The best basketball game just got better
Reasons to buy
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.
Experience Rayman at his absolute best with this 2D platformer that's practically bursting with content.
Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition
One of the best modern platformers
Reasons to buy
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.
Splatoon 2 is one of Nintendo Switch's crown jewels, with its over-the-top multiplayer matches and unique single-player DLC.
Splatoon 2
Ink-splattering chaos for the whole family
Reasons to buy
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.
Experience The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Nintendo Switch with motion-controls, all of its DLC and much more, right here on a handheld platform.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Become the legendary Dragonborn on your commute to work
Reasons to buy
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...
Super Mario Odyssey is Mario at his absolute best - big, bold and bursting with quintessential Nintendo magic.
Super Mario Odyssey
A truly epic adventure that will constantly surprise you
Reasons to buy
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.
Jump into some 2D Street Fighter action and test your skills locally or online. Will you be the final challenger on Nintendo Switch?
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
The definitive edition of this truly legendary versus fighter
Reasons to buy
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.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an incredible feat in game design, and it's exclusive to Nintendo Switch.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Objectively reviewed, the best Zelda game ever made
Reasons to buy
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.
With some much-needed tweaks to its interrogation system, this updated version of LA Noire is a must-have port on Nintendo Switch.
L.A. Noire
A thrilling detect-'em-up that smartly uses the Nintendo Switch
Reasons to buy
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.
Make the most of the motion-controls of Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con controllers with Just Dance 2018.
Just Dance 2018
The world's biggest dance game moonwalks onto Nintendo Switch
Reasons to buy
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.
Want a racing experience that leaves every other one for dust? You need Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The most polished and playable Mario Kart ever
Reasons to buy
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.
Battle some of the most iconic Pokemon of all time in this special fighting game mashup on Nintendo Switch.
Pokkén Tournament DX
Portable Pokemon battles
Reasons to buy
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.
A tactical RPG with Mario and those crazy Rabbids. It shouldn't work, but it absolutely does and makes for one of Nintendo Switch's best games.
Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Chaotic turn-based strategy
Reasons to buy
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.
Bayonetta 2
The ultimate action-adventure
Reasons to buy
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.
Nintendo Labo: Toy-Con 01 - Variety Kit
A curious cardboard creation
Reasons to buy
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.
Stardew Valley
Chill out on the farm
Reasons to buy
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
A twitch-platforming masterpiece
Reasons to buy
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.
Paladins: Champions of the Realm
Who needs Overwatch?
Reasons to buy
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.