Topic: Nintendo Switch Forum Favorites

[M.K.Ultra]

As we approach the launch of Switch 2, what better time than to take stock of all the awesome games we played on Switch. While any general favorites list will likely include the usual suspects, in this topic we will highlight a specific genre, publisher, or some other characteristic to narrow our focus and in doing so reveal a broader set of great Switch games.

I am thinking about once a week (or two?) I will post a category for us to consider (though others can surely do this as well - especially if I slack off  ) and then everyone can chime in with their favorite(s) in that category. Just try and stick to games that are available on Switch.

[M.K.Ultra]

For our first round of Switch favorites, let's take a look at Role Playing Games (RPGs) that are available to play on Nintendo Switch.

What are your favorite RPGs on Switch?

[M.K.Ultra]

Honestly, I have not played that many RPGs, only branching out into that genre in the last few years, but the more I play them the more I seem to like them. On Switch I would probably call out Shin Megami Tensei V. This was my first SMT game but I found it to be a good entry point into the series. I really liked the mechanic of recruiting the baddies to my party as well as all the neat foes that Atlus pulled from myths and legends of different cultures. The game is long and I spent about 100 hours on it, but I don't recall any of that being grinding. I should mention that I only played the launch version of the game and don't know how it compares with the re-release that added content.

As an honorable mention I will throw out SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. I have been happy with all of the SteamWorld games and played everything except Tower Defense and the two newest entries. This game has all the charm and good writing you might expect from Image and Form. It is also much shorter than a typical RPG taking me only about 20 hours. The battle system was card based which was new to me, but I thought it worked really well. I also had fun searching for all the treasures. A couple of those are really tough to find.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm not a big RPG guy so I haven't played a ton of them, but I will say from a game design perspective Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are easily my favorite games in that series, only held back by their technical issues. Also I've recently been playing through Mario & Luigi: Brothership, which didn't seem to review particularly well but I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

[Ian Sane]

RPGs are probably the most represented genre in my Switch collection but I have a pretty long backlog so some key games like Persona 5 Royal are still sitting there unplayed.  I tend to grab a lot of them when they're on sale so they don't get played right away.  And because RPGs are long I tend to alternate between them and other genres so I'm not playing 100 hours games back to back.

I'd say the best one I've played thus far is Dragon Quest XI.  DQ games are usually very traditional in their mechanics but that's not necessarily a bad thing because sometimes you just want straightforward turn-based RPG gameplay that's done really well.  The rest of the game feels and looks modern though so it isn't strictly a throwback.  It's just a no-frills approach to the gameplay.  It does have sections that are in 2D with retro style graphics though.  These look really nice but they're not as fun because those areas have random battles while the 3D areas do not.

I guess part of why I recommend it is that it's both something an RPG aficionado would really like but it's also a great introduction to the genre.  It has all the traditional elements of an RPG with experience points, spells, weapons, armor, towns, dungeons, etc.  The game also has a very generous demo on the Switch that lasts a good 10 hours or so.  So if you're potentially interested in the genre it's perfect for a Switch owner to try.  Then you can branch out to weirder stuff like SMT's demon fusing or Xenoblade's semi-action combat.  We're in an era where Final Fantasy isn't even turn-based anymore so DQXI is like the best "normal" RPG there is and then everything else branches out of that and goes in different directions.

I'll give an honorable mention to Pokemon Scarlet which tends to have a bad rep because of its technical issues.  It is a very janky game and you'll see graphical glitches if you just play the game for 30 seconds and move the camera around.  But in terms of how it plays, it's the 3D Pokemon game I wanted on the Gamecube.  So in that sense maybe it's graphics fit very well.  I would prefer the game to be polished of course but the open world design makes it feel like the grand Pokemon adventure I thought the series would become once it went 3D but instead the main series stayed on handhelds for a long time.  Though my goal was strictly to explore the world and fill the Pokedex.  I don't do serious battles or anything like that and I tend to only play a new Pokemon every three generations or so.  I'm not a hardcore Pokenut so maybe your opinion would differ if you are.

[M.K.Ultra]

Also I've recently been playing through Mario & Luigi: Brothership, which didn't seem to review particularly well but I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

I was hoping someone would mention Brothership. I received this as a gift last year and have yet to play it. In fact, I have not played a Mario & Luigi game yet! I also have Dream Team in my backlog. The reviews did seem a little harsh.

[M.K.Ultra]

Another way I wanted to focus on specific games was by looking at some of the third part publishers. To get that started how about the following:

What are your favorite Ubisoft games on Switch?

[M.K.Ultra]

Perusing a list of the games published by Ubisoft on the eShop [Link] it appears like a substantial offering. Of course there are a lot of bundles, alternate editions, and DLC in the mix.

I think my favorite Ubisoft Switch game is Starlink: Battle for Atlas. I played through it at launch and just revisited it this year. Naturally I only used Fox as my pilot and pretended I was playing a Star Fox game . But still I think the gameplay, collectibles, and story really worked for me. I even liked the physical toys gimmick and bought some extra weapons for the ship. It was fun to be able to trade off those plastic pieces and see it change the weapons in the game.

A close second are the Mario + Rabbids games. It is tough to decide which one I like better and I think both are worth playing. The Donkey Kong DLC for the first game was also a lot of fun. It's interesting how these Ubisoft games give us the only new experience with Star Fox and Donkey Kong on Switch  .

[NWR_insanolord]

I didn't play a ton of Ubisoft games on Switch, but I absolutely loved the Mario + Rabbids games. It seemed like a crazy combo when the first one was announced, but it turned out great, and the sequel was just as great if not better. I also liked Starlink, and I wish it had been more successful and maybe that team could have made a Star Fox game for Nintendo.

In addition to those, a great one that it seems like a lot of people missed was Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. The team that made that clearly played a lot of Metroid Dread, and made a very challenging but very good game in a similar style.

[M.K.Ultra]

I didn't play a ton of Ubisoft games on Switch, but I absolutely loved the Mario + Rabbids games. It seemed like a crazy combo when the first one was announced, but it turned out great, and the sequel was just as great if not better.

Agreed. I bought the first game just because it had Mario in it and discovered I really like turn based strategy games. This led me to get Fire Emblem Three Houses and now I am a big fan of that genre. I was planning to pick the strategy genre at some point.

I also liked Starlink, and I wish it had been more successful and maybe that team could have made a Star Fox game for Nintendo.

It really should have. I heard the switch version had decent sales so there is still a small chance of something like that.

BTW, remember all those rumors about the Star Fox / F-Zero crossover game?  Was that just Starlink?

[Khushrenada]

This thread just reminds me of how I thought I'd have played more stuff on my Switch by now but have just let so much drop to the wayside and never get around to it. Keep going back to older systems. There was a brief period (2019 - 2021) where I was playing quite a bit of Switch stuff. I'd recently got a system near the end of 2018 and dove into Mario Odyssey, Arms, Clubhouse Games, XC:DE, and Metroid Dread as well as older and indie games I'd wanted to try and play like Obra Dinn, Grim Fandango, Untitled Goose Game and Yooka-Laylee. But then the pendulum swung back away from gaming and I've just put my time into other things as the time commitment to a game keeps me from starting anything. When I do game, it seems to be about going to older systems or replaying older games whether with Switch online or on the original systems. Now with the Switch 2 coming round the bend, I look at these unplayed games and ask where the time went and why haven't I played them by now?

To answer what has been asked so far:

Favorite RPGs - Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. Finally played though this game for the first time despite owning it on Wii and 3DS but never playing it on those systems. I'm sort of glad I waited. Tried the 3DS version for a little bit after completing the Switch version and I much prefer the Definitive Edition. Absolutely worth a play through. There was so much that impressed me about this game and I loved delving into so many of the sidequests and the whole chart of people and figuring out their relations and the worlds to explore. This game reignited the passion for gaming and helped keep me playing other stuff after it was over. It also seems to be the only RPG I've played on Switch. Haven't even played any on the Online apps. I did start the first Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster version last year but then I didn't get back to it as I returned right back into being a lapsed gamer.

Biggest RPG desires / games I do want to play: the other 2 Xenoblade games. I was kind of working towards this by trying to complete XCX and then going to XC2. Finally beat most of XCX last year although I still wanted to grind and push for 100% but may now just do it all over again with the upcoming XCX remaster. Also: Octopath Traveller and the Final Fantasy games particularly 4, 6, 7 and 9 but would like to play through the series with it mostly be available on Switch. There are other RPGs I own and would like to play but this is the stuff I'm mostly to get to if I want to play an RPG.

Ubisoft games: I don't think I've played any Ubisoft games although I do own both Mario + Rabbids games and have kept telling myself I should play that next when I finish playing (insert game title) and then, that's right, I never play it next. I don't think I own any other games by Ubisoft. I stopped buying Just Dance games with the Wii U. Never got Starlink though I keep debating it whenever it and all the DLC keep going on sale like they are right now but the trailers and gameplay footage I've seen just never enticed me despite seeing positive word of mouth about the game. Also still semi-interested in Immortals Fenyx Rising. It always seemed to get dismissed as a BotW rip-off but ripping off or copying a game like BotW shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing. I loved that game a lot so more of that should be a good thing and the Greek Mythology hook seemed like it could have good possibilities. But again, when watching trailers or clips of gameplay, the combat just doesn't seem compelling and the constant voice overs and dialogue and sound effects just seem like they would annoy me very quickly. Heck, I get tired of them just when watching clips of the game. BotW got it right. Sometimes silence is golden. I know Prince of Persia has been highly praised as one of the best games Ubisoft has put out in awhile and, again, a metroidvania is still something I welcome. Sticking to the theme of this paragraph, seeing the game in action just hasn't done anything to impress me or counter the indifference I feel towards it. When I think of the other stuff I still would like to play on Switch, that apathy to how I feel when checking out Ubisoft's games have made it easy for me to just not bothering purchasing them and adding more stuff to the ol' backlog.

[M.K.Ultra]

This thread just reminds me of how I thought I'd have played more stuff on my Switch by now but have just let so much drop to the wayside and never get around to it. Keep going back to older systems.

I hear you there. I am always impressed by how much progress someone like Luigi Dude makes each year by focusing on the current gen. But I personally a lot of games on earlier generations and still keep those earlier consoles in my rotation.

Ubisoft games: I don't think I've played any Ubisoft games although I do own both Mario + Rabbids games and have kept telling myself I should play that next when I finish playing (insert game title) and then, that's right, I never play it next. I don't think I own any other games by Ubisoft.

Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are Ubisoft games.

[M.K.Ultra]

While I intended to focus on my favorite switch games that I have played (on switch) in this topic, I want folks to feel welcome chiming in with anything related to these categories. In the spirit of that, I think I might mention some games in my backlog that I am looking forward to (I guess I already did that  ) and some games I just played on other systems.

In terms of Ubisoft games, my favorite on Switch is actually Rayman Legends. I love 2D platformers and the AAA ones seem fewer and farther between these days, with the indie studios taking over with these. And this one is very polished. The graphics, control, and music are really top tier in my opinion. Also, like all Ubisoft games, this periodically gets a deep discount. I did not mention it before because I still think of this as a Wii U game and have no plans to buy the Switch version. However for folks without a Wii U, that like 2d platformers, you should really check this one out (it has a free demo ).

Also, I am not sure when else this might come up, but I am looking forward to playing Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition. I picked up the Limited Run version and have it in my queue. Having not played it before I don't have nostalgia to go on, so it may not click, but based on what I have seen, this is my kind of game. Any fans of this game here?

[Khushrenada]

Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are Ubisoft games.

Yes, I realized this on Wednesday also. Was searching through the eShop wondering what I might want to pick up since I had some gold coins expiring this month. Looking around at board game type games led me to Monopoly and Ubisoft and then going through Ubisoft's list of games I was reminded that they did Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Wheel of Fortune is alright. If you're looking for a simulation of the show from about 8 years ago then it does the job ok. Jeopardy is poor. So bland. The board doesn't even look like a Jeopardy board. Sometimes in Double Jeopardy, the two Daily Doubles will both be in the same category. They'll also never be in the top row or bottom row. Just the middle three rows. I don't know how it selects categories but it's possible to play the same category or two again within a couple games. It's just such low effort. Wheel of Fortune has been the gateway game to actually have my parents play something on the Switch with me. Yet, even they keep asking if there's a new version as they can tell it could be better and are surprised that it isn't better. If I had a game company, I'd be targeting the rights to some game shows because I can easily see how to make a better product. Anyways, if you see Wheel of Fortune on sale and would like to pretend to be a contestant then go for it. Jeopardy I'd say skip unless you are ok with just answer multiple choice trivia questions and don't care too much about the presentation of those questions.

When looking for Ubisoft's so-so Monopoly for Switch, I discovered you can no longer purchase the game. (Unless you can track down a physical copy). It was delisted last year so that Ubisoft could now sell a more expensive Monopoly 2024. Just what all Switch players were hoping for.

[M.K.Ultra]

Okay, so other than genres and publishers I had some other ideas for creating sets. One of these is multiplayer. I figure we include online multiplayer and couch co-op in the same discussion, though you are welcome to flush them out when you bring up any games. So...

What are your favorite multiplayer Switch games?

[M.K.Ultra]

Well, to no one's surprise I will start with Splatoon. Switch is home to both Splatoon 2 and 3 and while I still wonder if it would have been better to just have one release on the system I can say I bought, played a lot of, and highly recommend both. For me Splatoon is all about the online multiplayer. I have been holding off on the single player campaign until right before I retire the game, thus I have not touched the single player for 3 yet. The ranked modes in particular are what I spend most of my time one, though I jump into the Splatfests and Big Run events whenever they are happening. Occasionally it feels like the matchmaking is putting me on a weak team for a streak but that eventually balances out. I never use voice chat and don't really miss it. I do recommend the hard wired internet connection via the OLED switch dock for this game as well.

I had a decent amount of fun with the following other first party online games: Arms, Mario Tennis Aces, and Mario Golf: Super Rush . I feel like the online multiplayer for those was really strong their first year and died off, but having not revisited them lately, I cannot say for sure. Anybody play online in these lately? They all have good single player modes too, so probably still worth getting.

An honorable mention to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The online multiplayer in this is still going strong and it is a great game for local multiplayer. Just such an obvious pick that I did not feel the need to hype it up.

I don't play that much local multiplayer but I will come back ad post about that later.

[M.K.Ultra]

After deliberating over couch co-op while looking over my digital library, I have come to the conclusion that my favorite local multiplayer experiences have occurred within Overcooked. There are two games in the series, and maybe a bundle  . While both are great, I liked the improved controls of the second game. That said, if you really burn through one game and want more, then playing them in order would be preferred. These games allow for 2-4 peeps and support single joy con play. These games work well with non-gamers too as the controls and gameplay are simple. At the same time there is plenty of challenge and it is really satisfying to get max out your efficiency. These can also become pseudo-competitive and even heated if you take them too serious or devolve into silliness and trolling if you don't take it serious enough. I managed to get about 10-15 hours out of each game. I have not attempted these solo so I am not even sure if you can, but I think there is online play as well. Remembering all the fun times with these games now has me excited for Stage Fright (on Switch 2  )

[M.K.Ultra]

We have now seen an example of each of my ideas for subsets of games. I just plan on rotating through those (genre, publisher, other). Again, folks are welcome to suggest a category for the next week, or take over for a week entirely. Anyhow, that brings us back to genre...

What are your favorite Metroidvania games on Switch?

[NWR_insanolord]

Metroid Dread is my favorite Metroid game and Metroidvania ever, so I have to start with that. Just an incredible game, and I really wish I could go back to the previous games in the series and play them with the movement and controls of Dread. Just feels so smooth and great to play, with some interesting new tweaks along the way.

I already mentioned Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown in the Ubisoft section,but I'll plug it here again. Very difficult, but took a lot of cues from Metroid Dread and it plays very well because of it. I also like both Axiom Verge games, while the first one has been around a while and even came out on Wii U, the Switch was the first time I played it, and it's one of relatively few games in this genre that cribs more from the "Metroid" than the "Vania." I'll also throw in a mention of Bloodstained, which is good but the Switch port probably isn't the best way ton play it.

[M.K.Ultra]

Metroid Dread is my favorite Metroid game and Metroidvania ever, so I have to start with that. Just an incredible game, and I really wish I could go back to the previous games in the series and play them with the movement and controls of Dread. Just feels so smooth and great to play, with some interesting new tweaks along the way.

I already mentioned Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown in the Ubisoft section,but I'll plug it here again. Very difficult, but took a lot of cues from Metroid Dread and it plays very well because of it. I also like both Axiom Verge games, while the first one has been around a while and even came out on Wii U, the Switch was the first time I played it, and it's one of relatively few games in this genre that cribs more from the "Metroid" than the "Vania." I'll also throw in a mention of Bloodstained, which is good but the Switch port probably isn't the best way ton play it.

I have played all of those except Prince of Persia. I agree all great games. Metroid Dread is definitely my favorite 2D Metroid, but I think I like the prime games a little more.

Bloodstained was pretty rough at launch on Switch but the patches did make it noticeably better. I have not played it on anything else so I am not sure how much better it can get. I have been meaning to get back to it with all the post-launch content but have not found the time.

[M.K.Ultra]

Looking over the Metroidvanias I have played on Switch the highest rating goes to Guacamelee! 2. I actually bought the One-Two Punch collection, but I had already played the first game on Wii U. Obviously I liked the first game enough. The art style and luchadore theme really worked for me, but in the second game it seemed like everything was better: pacing, controls, map, writing, and music. I spent about 10 hours on it and only got the map to 67% so I plan on going back to get 100% at some point.

I will throw an honorable mention to Shantae and the Seven Sirens. Apparently I did not rate this one as highly, but looking back from a distance I appreciate it more. My favorite Shantae game is still Pirate's Curse, but Seven Sirens is worth picking up.

[Khushrenada]

Going back to Multiplayer games, I gotta list the Mario Party games for that. If I have friends over, that's still the go-to series for multiplayer action. More than Mario Kart. Problem with Mario Kart is if some have played it more and know the courses better then its unfair competition. Mario Party keeps things more competitive.

Oddly, Wheel of Fortune was a big point of interest in others in my family trying out video games and willing to play one including my grandma.

Another multiplayer game that went over well with "casuals" was Clubhouse Games 51. Backgammon, Connect Four, Yacht Dice and Darts were kind of hits. In fact, my mother ended up buying the actual Yahtzee game after trying it for the first time on Switch. Actually, I'd kind of like to try playing some of the games on here with other NWR members. It was something I'd thought about making a thread for to see about getting some online multiplayer action on but never got around to doing.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Snipperclips Plus: Cut It Out, Together! and this has now reminded me that I'm still upset I've been unable to finish this game. Unfortunately, trying to get a second person to play it with me has been tough. I got my brother to do a bit and a cousin to join me also but they both wanted to quit after awhile and I just can't seem to get them to play more of it so I could finish it. Trying to figure out the right shapes and work together to solve the tasks was something I really enjoyed. At times, it could feel like you were doing some heavy thinking to figure things out so I think it broke the brains of my partners and started feeling more like work than fun. I even got some fun and laughs in a little bit of the multiplayer games that we dabbled in but, again, I seemed to like it more than them. When will I find my true Snipperclips soulmate?

BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! has some two-player sections to it. I'm not sure the second player really makes a big difference in the gameplay. I was able to get my brother to complete this game with me. It seemed a bit easier  (and perhaps more fun) than Snipperclips. Having played the other three games on 3DS, I can't say it felt that fresh to me. In fact, it seemed slightly regressive. There was a bit of imbalance with him having to learn the Boxboy controls for the first time while I knew what to do pretty well at that point so you'd get some fails from incorrect button pressing. Then I found out that there were a few balloon stages that also require a second player so there's still a little bit more I need to do with a second person to finish this game.

1-2-Switch was a big ol' miss for most people who I had try stuff in it. There's a couple games in there I still like which showed off what makes HD rumble so different like trying to determine how many "marbles" are in your controller or safe cracking by turning a combination. In the end, it just seems to generate an "That's kind of neat" reaction without any follow-up interest to play those games again.

Last year, I did start playing It Takes Two with a cousin of mine. We got to the third world but we haven't gone back to that game since late summer. It's a mixed bag. I do like things about it but sometimes fighting enemies and bosses can be a bit rough as they usually require a two step process to make the players work together. Also, some of the levels can be very long and can feel exhausted after finally getting through a couple. I'd still like to complete this someday but it's also a game I easily forget about so it hasn't been the most compelling. Not sure if I'd recommend it or not at this point.

Going through my list of games, there's a few others I've been interested to try but just haven't gotten around to. I'd forgotten about Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. I'd bought it because it was on sale really cheap and thought it might be interesting to bring out a family gathering some time but have yet to ever do so. Curious how it might do. Unravel Two I got with the idea that I might be able to play through that after doing something like It Takes Two yet ITT seems like it may go unfinished. The Stretchers I bought since it was made by Nintendo and am curious what it would be like but have also forgotten I have it to suggest to play. It's made me hesitant to buy something like Blanc because even though the art and idea of the game has looked appealing, without someone committed to playing it with me and being unable to finish these other multiplayer games, why buy something else that will go unplayed?

Even stuff like Smash Bros or Mario Golf doesn't really come up when thinking of games to play with other people because it kind of goes back to the Mario Kart skill issue. If people haven't played those games before then it's hard to have fun which is why Mario Party is what ends up getting selected over them since it's more forgiving to infrequent gamers.

[M.K.Ultra]

Multiplayer was last week  We're talking about Metrodvanias now!

Just kidding 

I actually thought about mentioning Mario Party during the multiplayer discussion. I have both Super Mario Party and Super Mario Party Jamboree and highly recommend both. Then I thought more about it and I primarily enjoyed both of those as single player games. I think Jamboree has the better online multiplayer options, Bowser Kaboom squad in particular was lots of fun, but I still preferred the off-line content.

[M.K.Ultra]

Back to spotlighting a specific publisher. This time...

What are your favorite Capcom games on Switch?

[M.K.Ultra]

Here is a list of Capcom games on the eShop for reference.

Boy, Capcom really went all in on these collections, as did I, according to my library. Even including re-releases, my favorite Capcom game on Switch is by far Mega Man 11. While the reception was bound to be mixed on this one it really worked for me. There are definitely some problems, the most salient for me being the lackluster soundtrack, but overall I thought the controls, gameplay, story, and art style all met my expectations. What exceeded them was the replay value. Thanks to an in-game achievement system I have played this game five times (normal, no items, superhero difficulty, speedrun, buster only) and still have most of the challenges to get the last three achievements.

[NWR_insanolord]

Going through that list makes me realize I’ve barely played anything of Capcom’s on Switch. I tried Monster Hunter because of how much people rave about it but I just couldn’t get into it, so probably the only thing I can point to liking is the ports of Resident Evil 4 and Revelations.

[M.K.Ultra]

I tried Monster Hunter because of how much people rave about it but I just couldn’t get into it

The popularity of Monster Hunter has made me want to try it each time a new entry comes out, but I think you really need to have some friends play this with you to enjoy it. I do have the Wii U game that I will get to eventually, but unless I meet someone that wants to play coop I probably won't be hunting monsters anytime soon.

[Evan_B]

As a bit Gen 4 Monster Hunter fan, I've struggled to get into the series post Generations Ultimate. Rise and the wirebug mechanics just feel a bit too cumbersome to me and it feels like the series has had a bit of a marked shift.

...So, I need to update this topic with my picks from all the prior categories.

Best Switch RPGs
Ever the contrarian, my list for the Switch is pretty heavily based on my tenure writing about RPGs for another site, and an admission that, despite my love of Xenoblade and Monolith's big-ass worlds, I have come to the conclusion that bigger isn't always better. I mean, sometimes it is, but not always. Rather, I've found I much prefer an RPG that has extremely unique mechanics over something that tries to evoke the standards of the genre. What do I mean? Well, here's what I mean:

• Crystal Project
• Potato Flowers in Full Bloom
• Black Book
• Harvestella
• Pokemon Legends Arceus

Favorite Ubisoft Game
I haven't been a staunch Ubisoft advocate, especially since Black Flag pretty much ruined my chances of enjoying Assassin's Creed as a series, but I do have more Ubisoft games on Switch than I initially anticipated. They've released what I would easily consider to be some of my favorite games on the console, and in genres that I think go largely unappreciated by Western developers. Admittedly, I own but have not played Starlink and Rayman Legends, but the latter wasn't really a Switch release and the former... is just waiting.

• Mario + Rabbids and Sparks of Hope
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Favorite Metroidvanias
Boy howdy, this genre has seen a revitalization, and we finally have a crop to pick from, rather than simply gnawing on whatever bones came our way. Luckily, there's some really incredible releases from throughout the Switch's lifetime. The Lost Crown deserves a slot here as well, but since I already mentioned it, I guess I'll let it slide.

• UNSIGHTED
• Metroid Dread
• Crypt Custodian
• Unworthy
• SteamWorld Dig 2

Favorite Multiplayer
What a genre. Though online hasn't always been a win on the system, there are some absolute bangers to be found here.

• Crawl
• ARMS
• Dokapon Kingdom Connect
• Mario Party Superstars
• Light Fingers

Favorite Capcom
If there's one publisher whose works are under-represented in my library (and kind of under-represented on Switch in general, to be honest), it's Capcom. While they've given some updated ports, a sparing Monster Hunter release, and that silly Ace Attorney series that I've never really liked, I really haven't found a new Capcom release to love and enjoy. Really, if it comes down to anything, I am grateful to have finally played Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen on the Switch. It is maybe one of my favorite games ever and I haven't even put crazy hours into it.

[M.K.Ultra]

Some hidden gems there for sure Evan B!

I see you chose Sparks of Hope specifically, did you play the first Mario + Rabbids?

I thought about Steamworld Dig 2 but wasn't sure it was a Metroidvania. Definitely a great game though.

Great to see some love for ARMS. I thought the matchmaking was pretty good for that game. Of course I hit a certain ceiling where I could not progress and then it lost some of the appeal. That still happens with Splatoon, but it doesn't seem to bother me there. 

[Evan_B]

I guess I should have bulleted both Kingdom Battle and Sparks of Hope. I really enjoyed both, but I won’t deny that the art direction of the first game is superior.

Also, if you want some more details on any of those picks, let me know. They are receive my highest recommendation.

[M.K.Ultra]

Personally, I love collecting stuff in games. Collecting items appears in a lot of genres and can significantly extend the play time of a game. But the collectibles need to be implemented in the game well for this aspect to truly shine.

What are your favorite Switch games that have collectibles?

[M.K.Ultra]

Of all the games on Switch I would have to say that Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze have the best use of collectibles. Both games have the KONG letters and puzzle pieces. I think they are hidden just the right amount where you can always find most of them but some give you a few challenge with secret areas and others with platforming. If you are really stumped, you can use Squawks to get the approximate location of these secrets. Puzzle piece progress is saved automatically and KONG letter progress is saved at checkpoints so you don't have to get them all in one run. Most of all, the collectibles have a valuable reward; Getting all the KONG letters in level of a world opens the bonus K levels, leading to the final bonus area. The puzzle pieces just open items in the gallery so that is not quite as interesting, but still something. I should mention I have not actually played either of these on Switch, but even as re-releases they still come to the top of my list for collectibles.

[Khushrenada]

Multiplayer was last week  We're talking about Metrodvanias now!

Then you're really not going to like that I'm talking about Metroidvanias now.... 

Catching up on this thread again and shocked that Hollow Knight wasn't mentioned once. I was hesitant about it as I'd seen it getting such good reviews and wondered if I'd really feel the same way but, yes, I did. I totally got into that game and exploring every nook and cranny. Absolutely one of the best games I played on Switch and made it hard to play other stuff after. I returned to it a few times but its now been a couple years yet thinking and typing about it now has me pondering, maybe I should play it again.... But I've got XCX to replay again right now. (And put XCX on the list of best Switch RPGs!)

Definitely enjoyed Metroid Dread. Maybe not to the extent of calling it the best Metroid as some have done but a great return to the 2D style. Please, sir, may I have some more? It felt tough at first but by the time I was doing my fourth play through, and in hard mode to unlock the last of the art gallery, the challenge was pretty much gone. I'd learned the controls, systems and locations well enough to blast through quickly. It was the right level of difficulty for me.

I know the Ori series got a lot of praise from XBox users. Bought both games and started the first one. The prologue was so long and boring. I got to the end of it one night and then never ended up going back to the game when the action would have picked up. And now I've forgotten all the controls the prologue would have been showing me. Still, I should try giving those game a better chance than I have so far.

Everybody 1-2-Switch! was just too difficult for me. I couldn't figure out where I was supposed to go with it or how defeat the main villain Horace. I'd play various challenges along the way but it just didn't seem to advance the story or cause much progress. I finally just had to give up on it.

I feel like a spot should be left open here for Metroid Prime 4. The promise of that game since the beginning of the Switch is something I've been waiting to see fulfilled and we're so close to it. Looking forward to being back in that gaming space. Hope it can meet the expectations.

While I do enjoy the Metroidvania genre, I'm surprised I haven't gotten more into it. I know there's stuff like Axiom Verge, Shantae and Steamworld to name a few of the series that get lumped into and these games I've meant to play but have just dragged my feet on doing. I did play the second Shantae game on Switch (Risky's Revenge) but it's a short game and it's more like a quick taste than anything that's really satisfying like Hollow Knight or an actual Metroid game. Been meaning to get onto the third game but haven't done so. I got SteamWorld Dig on my 3DS which I know haven't touched in a year after it stayed in gaming rotation for so long. But no one else really seems to be mentioning these games so maybe I'm not missing anything big. *shrugs*

[NWR_insanolord]

I didn't care for Hollow Knight. It got such great reviews and people raved about it but I bounced off it. The lack of a proper map really hurt it for me and I just couldn't get into it.

[M.K.Ultra]

I know the Ori series got a lot of praise from XBox users. Bought both games and started the first one. The prologue was so long and boring.

I think you meant to say "cinematic". For what it's worth the second game really improves on this and gets you into the action much quicker. I also don't think there is enough of a story to really need to play the first game to enjoy the second.

[Luigi Dude]

I didn't care for Hollow Knight. It got such great reviews and people raved about it but I bounced off it. The lack of a proper map really hurt it for me and I just couldn't get into it.

Hollow Knight is one of my favorite Metroidvania titles this gen, but yeah, the map system they had in place was incredibly stupid and one of the reason I feel it's a 9/10 game instead of this amazing 10/10 masterpiece a lot of the other fans think it is.

I mean seriously, for a game that's suppose to encourage exploration, the map system does the exact opposite.  Same thing with the corpse run mechanic as well, which is not even remotely necessary for a game like this.  I mean seriously, what is it with some of these 2D games that think having to run back to the place you died to get your currency back is a good idea.  Yeah the Souls games do it, but those are slower paced 3D games that the only thing that can kill you is other enemies, and it's not that hard to sneak past said enemies since there in a 3D space.

Meanwhile 2D action games like Hollow Knight are filled with platforming sections that have spikes that can kill you very fast, as well as area's where the enemies are not easy to avoid since you're in 2D.  This makes all these 2D games that implement this mechanic way more frustrating than they should be.  Which is really annoying when the enemies encounters and boss fights in the game are top tier and a great challenge, the rest of the game didn't need all the extra BS that doesn't add a damn thing to it, and just makes all the moments between said great boss fights more annoying then they should be.

I know the Ori series got a lot of praise from XBox users. Bought both games and started the first one. The prologue was so long and boring.

I think you meant to say "cinematic". For what it's worth the second game really improves on this and gets you into the action much quicker. I also don't think there is enough of a story to really need to play the first game to enjoy the second.

Yeah the first Ori is extremely overrated.  It does pick up by the second half of the game, but it's nowhere near as good as critics made it out to be.  If you took away the story cinematic, I doubt the game would have averaged anywhere over 80% on Metacritic.  One of the most pretentious games I've ever played.  It's an average platformer that's constantly screaming "videogames are art people", and many critics just slopped it up.

Now the sequel on the other hand, this one was actually worthy of the praise.  Seriously, the jump between Blind Forest and Will of the Wisp is pretty massive.  Yeah it's still filled with pretentious cutscenes, but at least the gameplay delivers this time so I don't mind.  Literally ever problem I had with the first game was address in the second.  The second game actually feels like a Metroidvania and gives you reasons to explore, versus the first game that might as well have been a linear platformer.  The only real problem I have is the combat is still a little shallow and it could have used more boss fights to help with the pacing, but that's still lightyears better then whatever joke of a combat system the first game had.

[M.K.Ultra]

I mean seriously, for a game that's suppose to encourage exploration, the map system does the exact opposite.  Same thing with the corpse run mechanic as well, which is not even remotely necessary for a game like this.  I mean seriously, what is it with some of these 2D games that think having to run back to the place you died to get your currency back is a good idea.  Yeah the Souls games do it, but those are slower paced 3D games that the only thing that can kill you is other enemies, and it's not that hard to sneak past said enemies since there in a 3D space.

What did you this mechanic in Shovel Knight? I know sometimes the loot would appear right above the spikes and the only way to reach it was to just die again.

[Luigi Dude]

What did you this mechanic in Shovel Knight? I know sometimes the loot would appear right above the spikes and the only way to reach it was to just die again.

Not a fan of it there either for the same reason.  2D games are much easier to die when you have instant death spikes and pits, this makes you way more likely to die again before you can get your loot back.

I'm still a big fan of both games, but it's a mechanic I think both would be better off without.  It just adds more tedium to games that didn't need it since both already have decent challenges in the first place from their action and platforming.

[M.K.Ultra]

Here is a third party that we have not talked about yet:

What are your favorite Sega published Switch games?

Also, if anyone has a suggestion for a genre to look at, please let me know.

[Luigi Dude]

You know I'd like to get involved more in this topic, but the problem is I still have a massive backlog.  I recently counted and I own close to 600 games on my Switch, and have over 300 more on my eShop wishlist.  I don't even think I've played half of  the games I own, and I still over hundreds left to buy.

It's harder to pick my favorite Switch games when there's still so much left for me to play.  Like for the Ubisoft category I just finally played the first Mario X Rabbids at the end of last year and loved it, but that's the only Ubisoft game I've played on the Switch so that's win by default.  I have the sequel Spark of Hope, Prince of Persia: Lost Crown and Immortals Fenyx Rising in my backlog, so one of those my take the spot after I play them.

Don't be surprised if I bump this topic 10 years from now after I've finally played all my Switch games.

[NWR_insanolord]

Also, if anyone has a suggestion for a genre to look at, please let me know.

I think platformers would be a good one. It's a genre that's very well-represented on Switch, from Nintendo as well as third parties and especially indies.

[M.K.Ultra]

You know I'd like to get involved more in this topic, but the problem is I still have a massive backlog.  I recently counted and I own close to 600 games on my Switch, and have over 300 more on my eShop wishlist.  I don't even think I've played half of  the games I own, and I still over hundreds left to buy.

It's harder to pick my favorite Switch games when there's still so much left for me to play.  Like for the Ubisoft category I just finally played the first Mario X Rabbids at the end of last year and loved it, but that's the only Ubisoft game I've played on the Switch so that's win by default.  I have the sequel Spark of Hope, Prince of Persia: Lost Crown and Immortals Fenyx Rising in my backlog, so one of those my take the spot after I play them.

Don't be surprised if I bump this topic 10 years from now after I've finally played all my Switch games.

I am in a similar situation. I have 162 Switch games and 45 of those are unplayed. I think sharing like you just did is fine, as is bumping the thread around the time of Switch 3.

[M.K.Ultra]

For Sega published games, I already spoke about Shin Megami Tensei 5, so my next favorite is probably Sonic Forces. I hear that a lot of folks don't care for this one, but it really clicked with me and is one of the few Sonic games I 100% completed. It reminded me of Lost World which I also liked. It was weird to not be playing as Sonic but I grew to like my custom furry. I should also mention I don't have Sonic Frontiers so I can't really compare to that.

[M.K.Ultra]

Alright, not a lot of love for Sega games, but how about...

What are your favorite platformers on Switch?

Thanks to insanolord for the suggestion!

[NWR_insanolord]

It was my suggestion, so obviously I have something to say. Platformers are probably my favorite kind of game, and Switch has one of the best libraries of them, especially considering the classics available through various means.

As far as original titles go, you've got two really good 3D Mario games between Super Mario Odyssey and Bowser's Fury. They do different things, and I prefer the more traditional platforming of Bowser's Fury, but they're both excellent. Keeping with Mario, Super Mario Bros. Wonder brought a lot of new ideas to the 2D side of things.

There are also a lot of good examples in the indie space, but none stand taller for me than Celeste. Featuring a tough but fair difficulty and plenty of variety in mechanics, it's not only one of the best platformers on Switch, it's become one of my favorite games ever, and one I've already replayed at least half a dozen times.

[M.K.Ultra]

I have to agree with you on all of those. I especially enjoyed Odyssey and Celeste. I have already mentioned the DK Country games re-released on Switch as favorites earlier so it's time to dig a little deeper.
I know this did not garner the best reception, but Runner 3 is one of my favorites on Switch. I found the difficulty and controls to be perfect for me, though I get that it might be frustrating to some. The music and art style were also a joy. Highly recommend this one, especially if you liked the earlier runner games. Hey, maybe Rerunner will get a Switch 2 release?

[lolmonade]

Alright, not a lot of love for Sega games, but how about...

What are your favorite platformers on Switch?

Thanks to insanolord for the suggestion!

I played Hollow Knight on Switch, so there's that.  Won't elaborate since it's widely lauded and known.

Nine Sols is the metroidvania/Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice cross-over I didn't know I needed.  Rivals Hollow Knight in quality IMO. 

Sonic Mania is a special game to me, and I'm glad they at least did one go-around of classic sonic gameplay.  Beautiful reimagining of some classic levels too.

Pepper Grinder is a pretty fun if short time, but I didn't feel like I needed more once the credits hit.

I know The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa got some buzz, but the same independent dev's Fading Afternoon felt like a big jump in their beat-em-up system with its refinements coupled with what is a life management sim of a character slowly losing time from terminal illness.  It's a high pressure experience that felt like his most complete work.

Disney's Illusion Island is one of the most approachable 2D platformers in the metroidvania style and a lot of fun to play with family & friends.  Lots of features to make the game easier for individual players too.

Okinawa Rush is a bit unweildy but the arcade 2D brawler is such a cool experience, and the kung fu movie sensibility is a lot of fun.