Nintendo has been around since 1983 with their NES. Since then, it has risen to the top and managed to go head to head against other consoles today. The characters, the games, and the continued respect between the company, its consumers, and the developers make Nintendo great. The latest system, the Nintendo Switch, is selling out and providing excellent and entertaining games. Games are abundant, but we narrowed it down to 10 Nintendo Switch games we love that you should have in your catalog!
Mario Kart has been around 1992 when it was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as the SNES. Since then, the game has been put on other Nintendo systems, now the Nintendo Switch has its version of the game, and despite coming out in 2017, it is still a top seller! Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features impressive tracks based on old Nintendo games we love and newer ones. You will find Xcite Bike, F-Zero, Zelda, Splatoon, and old tracks remade from other Mario Kart games. The character choices are plentiful, so if you are looking for characters you loved from the old Mario Kart or want to play with Splatoon characters, you will find it all in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game. You can play online or offline, and you have the option to use tilt controls or standard controls for racing. Battle Mode or regular racing is an option, and now, there are tournaments and other fun selections you can do in the online section of the game. You can have a friend play with you online or join a friend’s room that is already racing, and the ability to customize your kart is a great feature that enhances your gameplay and gaming experience.
Super Smash Bros. is another game that has been around for a while and was brought to the Switch and is updated with new characters. The original Super Smash Bros. was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. The Switch game upkeeps its namesake as it features an ultimate fight amongst your favorite Nintendo characters and allows you to play both online or solo. You can practice your moves and strategy before getting online and battling, or you can battle along with a map and unlock characters as you play. The animations, the stages, and the music all add to the fun of the game. You can see your favorite characters in a way that you never saw them before. For example, Isabelle from Animal crossing can pack a real punch with her special moves, something we never saw with a slower-paced game like Animal crossing. However, you can also play with characters you have seen in fighting action as well. The mix of Nintendo favorites makes the game fun and exciting to play. Nintendo adds new characters to play with that are added to your roster for fighting, and these minor additions add to the fun and life of the game.
I initially played Super Mario 3D World on the WiiU and loved it, so when we saw it would be released on the Switch, we knew we had to get it, but what makes it even better is that Bowser’s Fury was put into the game as well. The game initially features a co-op play, unique levels, and fun powerups, making the game fun, to begin with, but Bowser’s Fury added a new twist to the game. Bowser becomes giant, and you get to team up with Bowser Jr., which you would not usually have the ability to do. The added feature to the game adds to more gameplay and a more fun gaming experience. You can enjoy two Mario adventures in one game!
Splatoon was initially on the WiiU and made its way to the Nintendo Switch Console with Splatoon 2. The game was released in 2017 and is still famous and being played by many people each day. The game lets you play as an inkling, and you can customize the eye, skin, and hairstyle. There is a single-player mode with a story featuring characters from the first Splatoon, Marie, and Callie. You can complete the gameplay for the mode several times over with different hero weapons and then gain those weapons to use in the online modes for the game. The online portion of the game features several modes such as turf war, ranked, and league. If you choose to play ranked, you can play the available mode during that time slot. One time you may play clam blitz, splat zones, tower control, or rainmaker. If you unlock the ability to play league, you can gather a friend or four to make the team and go against other players in a game. The game choices rotate just as turf war and rank do. The league matches are the same choices as ranked, except they also rotate like the other maps. Another fun feature is Salmon Run. You and three other people are on a given map with a weapon that rotates with each wave. Together you and your teammates destroy bosses and take the eggs back to the designated basket. The game also has an expansion where you can play as an octoling instead of an inkling. If you get through the entire expansion, you unlock the ability to play as an octoling. You get a weapon and outfit to use in turf, ranked, and league. What is also fun about the game is being able to customize our ability chunks on your clothing. You can go into a battle fully equipped and ready to take on opposing team members. One of my favorite things about Splatoon 2 is the Splatfests. You pick your team, and when Splatfest arrives, you are playing for the side you picked. All the modes are now nighttime, the color of the ink matches the side you chose, and the music is different. You can choose to play in pro or regular matches, and you can play with friends. It is a fun game we return to often. With the announcement of Splatoon 3, we cannot wait to see what new elements with be featured and what the new story will be!
Mario has teamed up with Rabbids to battle the enemies in this game. You get to pick your character; you can power them up throughout the game. What is remarkable about this game is that you can play Rabbid characters dressed like your favorite Mario Characters. You build your team up and then travel through the map to fight enemies. When you battle, it feels a lot like the game Xcom. You take turns making your move to get closer to the enemy to attack, or you hide behind objects. You can bounce off other players’ heads, and you can only do so many movements per turn. The game has DLC and many maps to travel through so that you will be playing for a while. It is a great feature to build your team and choose what powerups or things you want to attach to the character. You can change their weapon out and essentially create a powerhouse team. I completed the game and DLC and still go back to the game to play it. If you are a fan of Xcom, you will enjoy this style of game. Luckily Nintendo recently announced that Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope would be released next year, and it looks fantastic! Before you pick that game up, you may want to play Kingdom Battle first and see for yourself why it is on the list!
I love Mario Party, there are so many versions of the game for various consoles, and each of them had great appeal for the time they were released. Currently, the Super Mario Party game on the Switch was a fun addition to play with friends and family, especially during a global pandemic. If you like mini-games, then you will love Super Mario Party. This one was fun because it included various maps that allowed you not only to compete against one another but you were able to team up and play against each other. Another added feature they recently put in the game was playing online against another person on individual mini-games. Recently Nintendo announced a new Mario Party game set to release in October. Mario Party Superstars will combine some of your favorite Mario Party maps from other consoles and some favorite mini-games as well.
Regardless of the version you get, both these games are fun and have long-term playability. This game allows you to run about collecting and fighting Pokemon, just as in previous Pokemon games. What is fun about this game is that you can also do raids online or by yourself to catch Pokemon. You can have them Gigantamax, and of course, you can up the stats and levels or moves of your Pokemon. You can adjust your party, fight against other people online, and have the story mode to get through on top of it. The map is sizeable, and there are additional DLC’s you can purchase for other stories, maps, and additional fun battles. The Crown Tundra brings forth a new story to go through, plus you can do legendary battles with other people online, similar to the raid battles, except you go through a series of battles until you get to the legendary Pokemon. The Isle of Armor allows you to learn to Gigantamax your Pokemon with max mushrooms, and you get a new pokemon Kubfu who turns into Urshifu. There are battles and a story as you travel along the isle of the armor completing the tasks, but you can also 100% your Pokedex for all the locations. The game is a great one to keep coming back to and does allow for some interaction with others as you can trade and send your league cards to others, battle, and do raids together.
I am a huge Animal Crossing fan and have been playing it since 2008. With every new installment of the game, there were new upgrades and additions to the game. New Leaf was one of my favorites, and I loved the characters, the amiibos, and the ability to decorate my home. However, New Horizons has stepped up the gameplay aspect of this game and has made it much more enjoyable. The ability to put things outside was a nice new feature. As you are the villager who runs around helping your animal villagers with their needs, designing the island, and paying off loans, you discover you can craft, swim and dive, fish, and much more. The ability to use emotions is quite fun, and the holiday items and events are interactive. One of the most significant additions to this game is the ability to shape and form your island. You can build more land, waterfalls, lake, or rivers. If you combine the ability to terraform with paving areas and use codes for paths and other designs, you can develop some creative ideas for your island. There is a lot to do and a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the upgrades that this game has compared to its previous game New Leaf. You can also use the amiibo cards from the previous games on the New Horizons game and invite campers you know and love to your island and possibly stay with you! If you are looking for a relaxing game that you can go at your own pace with, this is it! Animal Crossing New Leaf was undoubtedly a great game during the pandemic and helped people get through rough times and escape into a world that they could create!
Minecraft is just about anywhere you look these days. You can play it on anything, even the phone. The switch addition is an excellent place to play the game both on the television or handheld. The ability to travel with the game is a plus. My son loves the game, and the fact that you can use your imagination to build anything you can think of is pretty amazing. Many people have built elaborate designs with cities, stores, airplanes, and more. We love that imagination is one of the forefront aspects of this game, but of course, you can always fight monsters, and you can harvest for items you need to build or survive. The fact that there are different modes you can play in makes the game that much more appealing.
The game initially came out in 2017, and it has an expansion pass. Breath of the Wild was a winner in 2017 for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, and Best Action/Adventure Game. The game is based on exploration and adventure. You get to travel across fields and forests and eventually come across mountains. You discover what happened to Hyrule, and you also play in open-air, which is an excellent feature of the game. Zelda games have been a favorite for years, and the fact that they keep expanding on the story, what you can do, and discover is fantastic. The graphics are always better as each system is better than the last. Unlike previous Zelda games, Breath of The Wild is an experience and is a must-play for any fan of Zelda or action-adventure gameplay.
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