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Gaming Forums => Nintendo Gaming => Topic started by: M.K.Ultra on March 02, 2022, 07:27:51 PM

Title: Switch Top Ten
Post by: M.K.Ultra on March 02, 2022, 07:27:51 PM
NWR staff posted their top ten Switch games:

What is your personal Top Ten Switch list?
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Khushrenada on March 02, 2022, 11:37:20 PM
Are we talking games specifically released for the Switch or any games, like ports of a 15 year old game from another system?
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Luigi Dude on March 03, 2022, 11:18:53 AM
Yeah if we can post any games, half my list would be the varies Mega Man Collections released for Switch.  The first Castlevania Collection has also gotten massive use as well.  Something like Breath of the Wild I bought for the Wii U so that'd be on my top 10 Wii U list right now, same with games like DK Tropical Freeze.  I plan on getting Mario 3D World for Bowsers Fury someday, but until then it's in my Wii U Top 10 as well.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Mop it up on March 03, 2022, 12:33:21 PM
My rule of thumb for these lists is typically that I'll go with anything I played for the first time on the system, regardless of where and when else it might have released. Otherwise a lot of my system top tens would be riddled with many of the same games such as DooM and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

There's still a lot left to play and my mood can change from day to day, so my lists are never anything close to concrete. Asked today, this is probably what I'd say for a top ten:

10. Risk of Rain 2
9. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
8. Dragon Quest Builders 2
7. Sega Genesis Classics
6. Splatoon 2
5. Pokémon Legends Arceus
4. Luigi's Mansion 3
3. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
2. Super Mario Maker 2
1. Super Mario Odyssey
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Khushrenada on March 14, 2022, 10:07:55 PM
I have been irked, my friends! (Say it ain’t so!) Yes, irked for a couple reasons having to do with this thread. I’ve been irked because I’ve wanted to post in it and contribute to it when it first appeared and it has now been a couple weeks and I still have yet to do so. Every time I then see this thread, I get irked! *a woman cries out and faints at hearing this desperate situation*

But “Ah!”, you might say. “Ah, I know an easy solution. Just quickly list your top ten games and your problem is solved.” Sounds easy except it leads to another problem: How to rank the games. I’ve looked over the list of Switch games I’ve played and tried to narrow it down to ten yet it’s been hard to get a ten I’m happy with and then I kept arguing within myself about the ranking I give them or if I should include the game and I just can’t seem to get started or make up my mind. It’s been so… irksome! (That’s terrible! That Switch is the devil! We should run that topic out of town!)

Whoa, my friends! Whoa! Hear me now. I’ve felt the same as you about this. I’ve thought about banning that Mr. Bungle, who’s clearly been sent by the Devil, for making this topic. I’ve thought about deleting all traces of Switch from the forums to completely purge the idea. Yet, to do so feels as though I’m letting myself be defeated. As though I was unable to rise to the challenge bestowed upon thee and instead turned yellow and ran. And that’s not me, by gum! You don’t go around posting loads of crap on a forum when it is easy. You also have to do it when it’s hard.

When desperate times call for desperate measures then you fight through that writer’s block and get something posted even if it means writing as though you imagine yourself talking to a gathering of citizens in a small town with you as some kind of preacher, politician or huckster. Yes sir, you dig down deep in your soul and find something that gives you inspiration to start typing and then you use it no matter how pointless and irrelevant it all may be because perseverance pays off! And that’s what the NWR Forums are all about! Not the perseverance part but the pointless and irrelevant part! Ya-hoo!!! *Everyone now bursts out into square dancing*
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Khushrenada on March 14, 2022, 10:08:31 PM
But wait! There’s more. Not only do you find a writing hook that you can use, you also change your original approach. Rather than look for the top ten, look for the bottom ten and work your way from there to see what rises to the top. Let’s see what the result gives me!

Thanks to my Backloggery page, I can see that I currently have logged ownership of 68 games for my Switch. (Without getting into the whole “Do you actually own a digital game?” argument, let’s just accept that number). Of those 68 games, I have finished or played a portion of 27 of those titles. If I can focus myself and get through seven more while wrapping up some of the unfinished games, I could possibly be at 50% completion this year for the Switch which is pretty unusual for me these days and a console. Last time I was close to that would have been GameCube days around 2005 - 2006 before I started buying all the games I wanted with the extra capital I then found myself making. Of course, this could still be a challenge as I will be getting more games added to my collection. I’ve got Kirby and the Forgotten World about to join for instance. Yet, a lot of this doesn’t matter too much. Just mentioning it in case it gives someone reading this some inspiration to post or possibly use for further discussion.

Of those 27 games, I then looked that list over and asked myself, “If there was one title I could never play again from these games, which would I be ok with not seeing again?”. Then I eliminated that title and asked the question again of the remaining titles. From this process, I was able to come up with a list. It still got a bit harder as it went on and produced some interesting results but let’s go through that list now.

Part of me feels like I need to elaborate and give more of an elaboration on how I arrived on this list and I frankly want to but let’s just get it posted for now and then I can come back and add commentary about it later.

27. A Case of Distrust
26. Murder By Numbers
25. Down in Bermuda
24. Yono and the Celestial Elephants
23. Gris
22. Return of the Obra Dinn
21. Technosphere
20. Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise
19. Untitled Goose Game
18. Part Time UFO
17. 1-2-Switch
16. Super Bomberman R
15. Yooka-Laylee
14. Grim Fandango
13. Jenny LeClue Detectivu
12. ARMS
11. Hollow Knight
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Khushrenada on March 14, 2022, 10:08:54 PM
10. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
9. Super Mario Odyssey
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
7. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
6. Super Mario Party
5. Snipperclips Plus
4. Metroid Dread
3. Lumines Remastered
2. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Khushrenada on March 14, 2022, 10:09:19 PM
This method produced some interesting results. (Particularly number 3!) It should be noted that games I’ve played but haven’t completed are 1-2-Switch, ARMS, Super Bomberman R, Hollow Knight, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Snipperclips Plus and Lumines Remastered. As such, some of these “unfinished games” benefitted from that status because when asking what games I would be ok with not playing again, I wasn’t ok with losing them with unresolved business and thus wanted to play again.

On the other hand, some games probably suffered a bit from that. Super Mario Odyssey’s placement at 9 was probably the hardest as I asked myself a few times would I really be ok with losing it forever but keeping the 8 games ahead of it? At this moment in time, I kind of am because I felt I had really exhausted or squeezed out how much there was to do in the game, particularly at the end when getting rank 50 with Luigi’s Balloon World. I’d seen so much of that game over and over by that point that I can still picture and recall so much about it which has resulted in my being uninterested in going back to replay it right now particularly compared to the other games listed ahead of it. On the flip side, it was the game I pretty much dove into when getting a Switch and spent more time playing than some of the other games ahead of it like Metroid Dread or MK8 Deluxe. I think it is absolutely worth playing for any Switch owner and when the game was fresh and I wasn’t grinding for coins to buy outfits or the Balloon World ranks then it would likely be top five. In the end, it still ended up in the top ten because I can still remember a lot of the good times and a lot of those highs are better than the highlights some of the games ranked below were able to trigger in my mind.

Ranking BotW at number one was something I was back and forth on since I really played it on Wii U and only have spent a few hours on the Switch copy I’ve got. Despite that, when comparing all these other games against it, I still had to give it the nod. I spent 400 hours on it on the Wii U and yet I’d be ready to dive back in and do it all over again on the Switch. It’s hard to deny a game which is able to cause one to sink so much time into it and still do it again. Moreover, BotW is really more associated as a Switch game then a Wii U game much like Twilight Princess is seen more as a Wii game then GameCube game. It's a weird game able to straddle two console libraries but sales and physical copies of the game alone tip it way more on the Switch scale than Wii U for which console it is more likely to be classified under.

Great Ace Attorney Chronicles at 10 was also a bit of a conflict since I might be about 60% through Case Three and still have seven cases to go making it hard to judge accurately its placement. Most everything else in the Top Ten I feel I’ve seen what they have to offer with SnipperClips Plus the only other game being sort of questionable as to whether I’d still be as positive on it if I could get through the rest of its content to know for sure. If that seems too early to accurately judge a game then allow me to push Ace Attorney Chronicles and the other games below it back one spot and insert a tie of Tetris 99/SNES Online at the 10th spot and give it to Nintendo’s online offerings. It’s hard to figure out where I’d put the SNES Online app in this when asking what to let go if I couldn’t play it again since SNES games aren’t really tied to the system and Tetris is an experience you can get in other forms although the Battle Royale experience is what has helped get me into it. Due to the time spent on these apps, maybe they deserve Top Ten representation. (Or at least a strong honourable mention like this)

Lumines Remastered. I feel I could make an argument that this game is the F-Zero GX of falling block puzzle games. I’ve had an occasional Tetris Effect thanks to Tetris 99 but I seem to have gotten way more of that from Lumines Remastered. I think about this game now and I’m already imagining falling squares and I’m trying to flip and organize them to match up and make other squares. According to my Switch profile, I’ve put 60 hours into it and I’m ready to put in more as I want to finish the Super Hard Missions and Puzzles to unlock the last two skins. Plus, there’s still other tasks I’m willing to keep shooting for just to get pointless avatars. It's more about the pursuit of overcoming the challenges and going for that high score. Sadly, it’s been around three weeks since I’ve last been able to play it and it is a game I find isn’t great for small doses (which is ironic considering it was made for the handheld PSP back in the day). As much as I like Tetris 99 and it has gotten me into playing more Tetris, I find myself giving the edge to Lumines as the better puzzle game and perhaps I’m just cresting on a high still with this game as I “get gud” and improve against its challenge but right now I stand by this ranking and say it should be in every gamer’s library.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Khushrenada on March 14, 2022, 10:09:53 PM
Finally, reviewing my Switch library and what I’ve played, I do find the Switch an odd system. I’ve clearly played more third party games than first party games which hasn’t been the case with a Nintendo system for a loooooong time. As well, most third party games are non-exclusives or ports of older games. While the latter may not be remarkable, when thinking about DS, Wii, 3DS, and Wii U, most of the third party games I played or owned were usually kind of exclusive to that system. Nintendo likewise has supplemented the Switch with a lot of ports and many Switch exclusives have felt like they were still stuck in the shadow of previous entries. Or at least, online discussions and word of mouth seems to have created what looks like a consensus opinion on them. Kirby Star Allies not as good as Planet Robobot (and other recent entries.) XC2 not as good as XC1 or XCX. Yoshi’s Crafted World not as good as Yoshi’s Woolly World. Mario Maker 2 not as good as Mario Maker 1. Pokemon Sword/Shield not as good as entries in the DS era or maybe 3DS.

In some cases, it’s taken some games to reach a better critical standing because of accumulating more value / content through additional DLC. Ultimate suffered somewhat from seemingly adding few new characters and sticking with previous stages. It created a weird kind of a port and kind of dichotomy that made it hard for me to get too excited about it. (And I still miss trophies!). Now with all the DLC characters and stages added, it has made it stand out as more unique but it took awhile to get there. New Horizons has also been compared unfavorably to its predecessor New Leaf for how long it took to get most of the content that game had added into this new one.  I feel Splatoon 2 also kind of suffered a bit from this. ARMS also tried going the route of dishing out more content over time in additional fighters. Mario Golf Super Rush has also been adding content. The problem is that it creates an initial impression of being unimpressive which makes it harder to overcome as time goes by.

And then the ports from Wii U which just haven’t interested me. It just helps make the Wii U look better when it comes to Nintendo exclusives. Although there’s also sort of the remastering/reusing past game content like Link’s Awakening and Mario Party Superstars. At this point, I feel if you are a Nintendo fan, the best titles Nintendo has put out exclusive for the Switch so far are: Super Mario Odyssey, Metroid Dread, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Ring Fit Adventure, and sort of Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Breath of the Wild. Maybe Super Mario Party should be included here.

It seems that aside from those titles, most everything else on the Switch by Nintendo has been if you’d liked the previous game or like a franchise then here is more of the same like Smash Ultimate, Splatoon 2, Yoshi’s Crafted World, Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, New Pokemon Snap, Kirby Star Allies, WarioWare: Get it together, Mario Tennis Aces, etc. Perhaps I’m just getting old and have played too much Nintendo but so many games released by Nintendo on the Switch have just given the impression of being an average entry or like a fresh coat of paint to try and enliven something that’s getting a bit stale. Even BotW2 gives me some doubts about what it may ultimately be like with it seemingly reusing much of the map and world of the first game. Other titles like 1-2-Switch, ARMS, Labo, Sushi Striker and Game Builder Garage haven’t really sparked interest like Splatoon or Super Mario Maker were able to when they debuted. Heck, I almost feel BOXBOY and Pushmo were bigger sensations than these attempts at new titles and experiences. Usually, when doing a top ten for a Nintendo console, it is a fight over which Nintendo games make the cut and where they should rank against each other. With the Switch, it seems like a fight to justify why a Nintendo game should even be included in the top ten for the system.

Once more, I’ll just provide the caveat that maybe I’ve played too many Nintendo developed games over the years so it is getting harder to surprise me or refine the experiences in a fresh way but, aside from 2017, my take is that Nintendo just hasn’t brought their A-game to Switch and its succeeded without them. It’s disappointing that the company I expected to give me the best experiences on the Switch hasn’t been able to do so creating a system whose identity is a Frankenstein of other console’s software libraries. I’m curious to see what happens with the next console since I don’t think porting Wii U games again will go over as well as it did with the Switch. What happens when there is less in the port pool to pull from?
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: BeautifulShy on August 13, 2022, 02:57:06 AM
I will bump this up and post my current top Ten from the games I have physical and digital versions.

Look forward to it some time this week.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Mop it up on August 13, 2022, 03:23:30 PM
Out of that original top ten, I haven't played four of them. Metroid Dread and Fire Emblem Three Houses I do have, so will get to them eventually. Hades is currently on Game Pass so I could check it out sometime. Steamworld Dig 2 is one of those games that often goes on sale for deep discounts, so I haven't felt compelled to scoop it up until I'm ready to play it; I may also try to procure one of the physical versions if I can.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: nickmitch on August 15, 2022, 08:42:16 PM
10. Dragon Quest Builders 2
9. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
8. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (+the DK DLC)
7. Splatoon 2
6. Hades
5. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
4. Metroid Dread
3. Super Mario Odyssey
2. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
1. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

This was tougher than I expected. I came up with a list of games I played the most (both time-wise and completion-wise), and then I tried to sort the list by quality. After 100%-ing Kirby, I knew it had to make the top 10, but it could be cracking the top 5 because of some recency bias. I think I owe Part Time UFO an honorable mention as well because I got pretty close to getting all the medals or w/e. I think Tetris Effect: Connected can also work its way onto this list over time. I've only played it a bit, but it's left quite the impression.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: BeautifulShy on August 17, 2022, 07:18:49 PM
I will bump this up and post my current top Ten from the games I have physical and digital versions.

Look forward to it some time this week.

I had to adult this week and I am recovering from something(No not Covid), but I will try to get my list out this weekend.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Stratos on August 18, 2022, 01:52:21 PM
Off the top of my head in no particular order:

Smash
Mario Kart
Breath of the Wild
Mario Odyssey
Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter GenU
Three Houses
Animal Crossing
Skyrim
Stardew Valley
Minecraft
Lets Go Pikachu

There are just my favorite and/or most played games on Switch so included the multiplatform ones as well.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Evan_B on September 05, 2022, 04:51:45 PM
As an occasional visitor and the definition of a contrarian, not only did I have to stop by to denounce NWR's list as absolute bullshit (3D World? A Wii U game? Really?), but I felt it was my civic duty to share my own top ten with you plebeians. No, no. Please. There is no need to thank me!

First of all, yeah, it's hard to be a Switch game in this day and age, especially since you're competing with ports from across gaming history. So I'll be sticking to games developed for the Switch and/or during its lifespan. I feel like that's as fair as you can get with nomenclature. Without further adieu:

10- Pokemon Legends: Arceus When I think of the Switch, I like to celebrate the times when its releases aren't simply competent, like Mario Party Superstars, Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf... jeez, there's a trend forming here... but I truly think its best games are new twists on prized genres and IPs. Pokemon Legends is this. If you were to view it from "the larger perspective," it might not seem all that expansive or ambitious, but it is a different and very satisfying standalone release from a franchise that seemed all too determined to never take meaningful steps forward.
9- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Wait until you read my retrospective on it! It's the best Switch-exclusive RPG by a fair margin, and that includes stacking it up against its predecessor.
8- Potato Flowers in Full Bloom It wouldn't be fair to honor the Switch without giving several nods to the indie scene. Potato Flowers in Full Bloom is the first dungeon-crawling RPG I have enjoyed playing on the Switch, as it features so many staggeringly great ideas that it's almost frustrating to see larger developers that never thought of them. Even if you aren't a fan of the genre, this is perhaps the best and most accessible title you could play simultaneously.
7- Anodyne 2: Return to Dust Some games attempt to embrace the aesthetics and novelty of older titles without attempting to progress beyond them, but Anodyne 2 is an exception. Amazing visuals, music, and a heartfelt story wrapped in gameplay that never overstays its welcome or over-complicates itself. A gem.
6- Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle Although it narrowly bests Into the Breach in terms of accessibility and addictive quality, this release deserves to be championed if only because it takes a miserable genre like the tactics RPG and makes it fun. But the blending of Rabbids, the madness of its unique gameplay elements, and smart design choices show that an impassioned dev team working with treasured IP can truly make something special. Might be overthrown by its sequel. Who knows?
5- Black Book/Griftlands It's impossible to understate how deck-building RPGs and roguelike design have impacted the current landscape of gaming, which is why the way these respective elements are used to enhance the two listed titles is worth mentioning. If you want a mature, compelling, and culturally rich role-playing game, definitely consider Black Book. If you're looking for a more straightforward rouglite experience, you'll find it in Griftlands. Both use the elements of their genres so well, it's tough to pick one over the other for this slot.
4- UNSIGHTED In the vein of celebrating indie developers, it would be cruel to overlook the incredible design and accessibility options offered in UNSIGHTED. Yes, it is a game about racing against the clock, but you can turn that element off if you are worried about missing content. Yes, it is a Zelda/Metroid-inspired action title, but the design aspects are so thoughtfully integrated that it stands toe to toe with those series. If platformers are more your bag, then perhaps Celeste would exist in this slot. But I like this game more, so screw you.
3- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate This is a celebration of video games on a scale never seen before, and honestly, it likely won't ever happen again. Yes, you have Fortnite with all of its stupid film and pop culture crossovers, but Sakurai and his team have taken time to carefully craft the different fighters in Ultimate, whether they are accurate representations of the games the come from or not. It also has one of the most insane soundtracks in all of video gaming. Respect.
2- Metroid Dread Remember how I said I appreciate when Switch games aren't just competent? Metroid Dread isn't. It's hard, it's brisk, it's forward-thinking. It is an incredible Metroid game that proves that this genre is often imitated for a good reason, but rarely matches the quality on display in the series itself for equally good reasons. Metroid Dread is not only one of the best Metroidvania games ever made, it's one of the best games on the Switch.
1- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild I do think that, even with a sequel on the way, Nintendo might not be able to recapture the unbridled sense of discovery and freedom that Breath of the Wild offers. Yes, it has weapon durability. Yes, it has an inventory where you can eat fifty apples after getting your ass handed to you. Yes, it has lots of empty space and limited enemy variety. And it's still a damn great game. It was a glimpse at the freedom we might expect from the Nintendo Switch upon its release, and in many ways, its go-anywhere attitude is evocative of the system itself. Part-revitalization of Zelda's identity, part-statement piece from Nintendo, it will age much like Ocarina of Time itself, but like that game, it will always be special.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 05, 2022, 06:41:39 PM
Quote
(3D World? A Wii U game? Really?)

It’s not just a Wii U game, it also includes a very substantial and very good new Mario game, which is what got it on the list.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Evan_B on September 05, 2022, 07:29:32 PM
Quote
(3D World? A Wii U game? Really?)

It’s not just a Wii U game, it also includes a very substantial and very good new Mario game, which is what got it on the list.
It also made running speed faster for 3D World, which is arguably a downgrade!

If we are considering anything with an addition to it a full-on Switch game, I think Pikmin 3 Deluxe and/or Tropical Freeze could easily take that spot. New Funky Mode is practically an entire new, funky mode.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: NWR_insanolord on September 05, 2022, 07:54:03 PM
Neither of those games added anywhere near as much content as Bowser's Fury, which is a borderline full new Mario game. I was in the staff meetings for this, Bowser's Fury is what made the top 10 list, with 3D World along for the ride.
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: Evan_B on September 05, 2022, 08:05:46 PM
Neither of those games added anywhere near as much content as Bowser's Fury, which is a borderline full new Mario game. I was in the staff meetings for this, Bowser's Fury is what made the top 10 list, with 3D World along for the ride.
Sounds like the staff didn't play New Funky Mode...
Title: Re: Switch Top Ten
Post by: nickmitch on September 06, 2022, 12:29:50 PM
3D World was close for me because of Bowser's Fury. But I wanted to stick to games that had an initial release on Switch. I loved Bowser's Fury and 100%ed it. So, it probably qualified on itsown.