The Switch 2 is quickly approaching its one-year anniversary. Nine months in, how is the game library on Nintendo’s new flagship console shaping up? Quite well. What it lacks in the big exclusives we saw during the first year of its predecessor, it’s making up for with great versions of some of the best big-budget games around, as well as perfectly timed sequels from storied indie franchises. If you’re thinking of buying a Switch 2 or already have one, here are the 12 best games to check out on Nintendo’s latest handheld hybrid.
One of the best RPGs ever got one of the best remakes ever and the whole thing is finally on Switch 2. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade preserves the irresistible mix of grim and goofy that seared the original into so many people’s brains while elevating its story and gameplay to new heights with beautiful cinematic setpieces and solid real-time hybrid action combat. Everything from the original’s incredible soundtrack to its story’s most unforgettable moments are reimagined and stretched out in service of a journey that feels both epic and compact. The Switch 2 port offers all of that with even fewer compromises than expected, making Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade the platform’s biggest and more rewarding big-budget RPG adventure yet. — Ethan Gach
A good match for: brooding eco-terrorists who love the city in Blade Runner and collecting crystals.
Not a good match for: players who hate when games pause the action for lots of cutscenes.
Kirby Air Riders is a tricked-out hotrod that’s as fun to tinker with as it is to drive. It’s overflowing with systems, mechanics, and stylish details, all packaged into fun and easy-to-manage bite-size morsels. What Smash Bros. is to fighting games, Air Riders is to racing games. It’s first and foremost a party game you’re meant to hang out and mess around in. Competition and heated rivalries are secondary to frenetic moment-to-moment action and a quintessentially satisfying game feel that makes every turn, boost, and attack so good, you forget that underneath all the ostentatious ornamentation there’s not a ton of depth. Who cares? Splashing in puddles can be just as fun as surfing over waves. — Ethan Gach
A good match for: people who wish go-karting felt more like smashing gumball machines.
Not a good match for: anyone who enjoys being anywhere near an actual race track.
Ubisoft’s Star Wars scoundrel sim Outlaws, like so many of the company’s big open-world games, feels a bit awkward and unrefined in spots. Enemy behavior can be too simplistic, and some of your tricks for manipulating them can make you feel more like a Jedi than a smuggler. But, in the immortal words of Han Solo, “she’s got it where it counts.” Outlaws puts you in the world of Star Wars like few games have, letting you soak up the atmosphere of backwater cantinas and more bustling city joints, claim victory at sabacc tables far and wide against some of the steeliest gamblers in the Outer Rim, and rise up the ranks of the criminal underworld as you assemble a crew for the one big job that’s gonna set you up for life. It’s also one of the most impressive games on Switch 2, where a masterful port keeps it looking great and running smooth with few visible compromises. — Carolyn Petit
A good match for: people who want to soak in the vibes of every bar and cantina from Tatooine to Toshara.Not a good match for: people seeking Hitman or Metal Gear-level stealth gameplay.
Hades 2 feels less like a sequel than a standalone expansion. It will never escape the shadow of the first game. But it is more Hades, a roguelike action-RPG that’s still setting the bar in each of those genres. It doesn’t feel as warm and personal and as accessible as the original, but it’s expertly balanced, beautifully presented, and still so hard to put down. — Ethan Gach
A good match for: fans of Greek mythology who think it needs more buildcrafting.
Not a good match for: folks who hate playing the same great levels over and over again.
After a year or two, every Pokémon game inevitably gets to a point where the community looks back fondly on it. So while there are plenty of folks still in the rage phase with this one, I’m just gonna forgo the waiting period and say that Pokémon Legends: Z-A is one of the best, boldest games in the long-running monster-taming series. The single-city setting allows you to hang out with one of the series’ best casts for far longer than any of previous games have, and its real-time battle system is full of new nuances and strategies you won’t find in your average turn-based Pokémon game. After two games, we know the Legends subseries has become Game Freak’s place to experiment, so it’s entirely possible the next one won’t look or play anything like Z-A, but it would be nice if these action systems made their way to more games. They’re too good to toss aside after just one entry. — Kenneth Shepard
A Good Match For: people who want a Pokémon experience that doesn’t feel like more of the same.Not A Good Match For: people who want windows to be lovingly rendered.
There are no half-measures in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Exploration is carefully crafted and uncompromisingly exacting. Boss fights will force you to learn and improve before unblocking your path. The music is excellent, the little sound effects amazing, and every part of Silksong‘s gothic underground labyrinth is full of rich veins of lore and character to mine. It’s a game that thrives in the tension between limitation and mastery and never fails to reward those who soldier on no matter how often their effort and ambition is momentarily shunted. — Ethan Gach
A good match for: Metroidvania nerds who love exploring dangerous tunnels.
Not a good match for: Anyone who hates dying in Soulslikes.
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red’s open-world RPG is one of the most impressive technical showcases for the Switch 2 thus far. Cyberpunk 2077 once broke PlayStation 4s and Xbox Ones across the globe, but it runs well on Nintendo’s system. Driving around Night City is still a dream, and the Switch 2’s optional mouse controls are pretty intuitive in the game’s shooting segments. There are certainly better ways to play Cyberpunk 2077, but seeing it running on a Switch 2 is a reminder that while the system might seem like a pretty lowkey upgrade from the original, playing console-quality games on the go is still a novel experience eight years later. — Kenneth Shepard
A good match for: story-driven RPG fans.
Not a good match for: people with a weak stomach for some tough subject matter.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom
It’s no surprise that the two best games on the original Switch are vastly improved in their Switch 2 incarnations. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom run at a smooth 60fps on the Switch 2, and if seeing these games running on a device that doesn’t feel like it’s struggling to keep them afloat isn’t enough, the Switch 2 editions come with new content thanks to the Zelda Notes app that adds new challenges and lore to two already dense games. If you played them before, they’re worth revisiting. If you never touched Link’s open-world adventures, they’re even more essential on the Switch 2. — Kenneth Shepard
A good match for: people who want peak.
Not a good match for: people who get overwhelmed with dense systems.
Mario Kart World
Nintendo’s biggest launch title for the Switch 2 is still arguably the best game the system has to offer. Mario Kart World is a sublime addition to the kart racer series’ long line of quality party game staples. Though it’s not without its frustrations, World presents the chaotic, rollicking fun of throwing a blue shell down a track or barreling through your enemies as a Bullet Bill at its best. The open world is kind of empty, but it’s a fun playground to practice all the cool stunts you can do now, like riding on the wall and grinding on rails. Mario Kart World is all about giving you the freedom to race how you want, and that means giving you more tools, more players on the track at once, and more bothersome items to chuck at your foes. This is only the beginning, and Nintendo will likely be updating the game for years to come. Mario Kart World will undoubtedly be a staple of the Switch 2’s lifetime. — Kenneth Shepard
A good match for: everyone, really.
Not a good match for: anyone looking for something chill.
Split Fiction
Hazelight’s co-op platformer Split Fiction doesn’t feel built for the Switch 2. Its split-screen format makes it a pain to play in tabletop mode, so it’s really best played on a TV like you would on PS5 or Xbox. But once you’ve got it running on a big screen, the game is still a hoot. Though its cheesy writing leaves much to be desired, as a cooperative platformer with a ton of mechanical and environmental variety, it’s easily the best in Hazelight’s long line of co-op games. That final level still whips ass, too. — Kenneth Shepard
A good match for: someone with a friend to play with.
Not a good match for: someone who doesn’t have a friend to play with.
Street Fighter 6
Fighting games were always going to be one of the biggest tests of the Switch 2’s technical capabilities, and Capcom thankfully managed to bring one of the best genre entries in recent years to the system without much compromise in Street Fighter 6. Some of its Switch 2 features, like amiibo support and motion controls with the Joy-Cons, feel like cute nods to the system’s original features rather than something that fundamentally changes the game, so you’ll most likely go right back to standard play before long. Once you do, though, you’ll find a really great version of an already stellar game running at a smooth 60fps. Sure, it’s probably not going to be the version people are playing at EVO, but it’s more than good enough to break out at the function and play with friends. — Kenneth Shepard
A good match for: the fighting game sickos.
Not a good match for: people who don’t like to memorize combos.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong and Pauline’s latest adventure is one of the Switch 2’s most impressive technical achievements. Its breakable environments are so malleable that they’re a bit of a distraction, but its tight platforming, creative problem-solving, and booming personality make it one of the most joyful games on the Switch 2 right now. Is it the cultural moment the system needed to bring people in out of the gate? Maybe not. But it’s still an absolute delight on its own terms. — Kenneth Shepard
A good match for: people who wanted King Kong to have a happier ending.
Not a good match for: people who can’t move on without finding every collectable in a level.
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