With the Nintendo Switch 2 expected to launch in 2025, and with Black Friday shoppers planning their next big purchase, now seems like a good time to look back at the top 10 Nintendo Switch games based on their Metacritic scores.
Despite topping the Switch retail charts with sales of more than 60 million units, it may shock to you to find out that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isn’t even close to making it into the top 10 Nintendo Switch games. In fact, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe only just makes it into the top 20, despite its massive 92% rating. (It’s 19th, for the record.)
Indeed, when it comes to the top 10 Nintendo Switch games, the competition is fierce! The top two games both have scores of 97%, which is higher than anything in the list of the ten best PS5 games.
Can anything topple The Legend of Zelda? How many times will Mario appear in the top 10? And why is a visual novel so high on the list? Read on to find out.
10. Divinity Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition
While Baldur’s Gate 3 is unlikely to ever appear on the Nintendo Switch, Divinity Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition (which is also developed by Larian Studios) is a pretty decent substitute, scoring an impressive 93% on Metacritic.
It’s not as complex as Baldur’s Gate 3 and doesn’t provide as much freedom, but Divinity Original Sin 2 is a deep and rewarding role-playing game nonetheless. Indeed, while the medieval fantasy world of Rivellon is a dangerous place, there are more ways to navigate the land and overcome danger than through turn-based combat alone.
(Image: LARIAN)
9. Hades
Hades is an enormously addictive roguelike game where the aim is to escape the Underworld by defeating monsters, earning gold and collecting power-ups. Unlike other games in the genre, however, the writing, setting and characters make Hades feel like a much tighter, more hand-crafted experience, even though no two runs are the same.
Also, thanks to an addictive gameplay loop in which you unlock permanent upgrades and potentially grow stronger with every run, Hades arguably feels more suited to the handheld play of the Nintendo Switch than any other platform.
(Image: SUPERMASSIVE)
8. Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 is a stylish role-playing game set in modern day Tokyo. Similar to other games in the series, players will attend school, work part time jobs and hang out with friends during the day, before going on surreal dungeon-crawling adventures at night.
Persona 5 Royal takes the beloved RPG and adds 40 items of DLC, including additional characters and story content. If you’re ever stuck for something to play and want to get value for money, then this 100 hour role-playing game should be near the top of your list.
(Image: ATLUS)
7. Metroid Prime Remastered
Much like Mario’s first foray into the third dimension with Super Mario 64, Nintendo effortlessly took an established 2D franchise in Metroid and made it work in 3D. In fact, Metroid Prime doesn’t just work as a first-person action game, it absolutely excels, retaining everything that makes the series so special, just with a new gameplay style.
The fact that Metroid Prime Remastered makes visual and quality of life improvements to what was already a near-perfect game tells you why it features so high on the list of best Nintendo Switch releases.
(Image: Nintendo)
6. Tetris Effect Connected
Another top ten list, another appearance for Tetris Effect Connected, which makes the classic block-based puzzle game feel like an almost spiritual experience.
The perfect marriage between visuals, sound and action, Tetris Effect Connected adds new multiplayer content to the superb solo action.
(Image: nintendo)