Top Nintendo Switch Games 2023

Out on the court, Mario Tennis Aces is an extremely fun arcade tennis experience, colourful and dazzling to look at and smartly balanced in its back-and-forth play. With a little bit more care and depth given to the simple single-player mode and more variety added in the way of character and tournament customisation to give its multiplayer extra spice, Mario Tennis Aces could have been a true all-rounder. As it is, Mario Tennis Aces is still a lot of frantic tennis fun with friends.

The beautifully presented Puyo Puyo Tetris has a ton of content, a really fun multiplayer with a lot of variations, and is very easy to pick up and play with just about anyone despite the slight balance issues. The Nintendo Switch is a great platform for it too, with its portability and non-threatening Joy-Con controllers. This is the type of game that offers an adequate challenge for even the most hardcore puzzle players with its Challenge modes, but is inviting for even the smallest of children and gaming newbies.

I had a lot of fun playing Azure Striker Gunvolt, even if some questionable design decisions hamstrung it in some unfortunate ways. Inspired by Mega Man X -- especially in terms of its level design, visual aesthetic, and accompanying soundtrack -- Inti Creates still managed to craft something uniquely its own, especially when it comes to its novel combat. With just the right pace, an appropriate level of challenge, and some customization options that make it much more than just another old-school side-scroller, Azure Striker Gunvolt comes heavily recommended to those that want to relive a sliver of the platformer golden era.

In the end, No More Heroes is a grab bag of highs and lows, and the end result is going to be different based on your expectations. No More Heroes has one of the most unique, stylistic designs we’ve seen in years (maybe since Killer 7, in fact), as the presentation is made up of pixel art, a retro-themed audio production, and some of the best characters out there. It’s hilarious, completely matchless in its design, and hands-down one of the most passionate projects we’ve seen for Nintendo’s console. On the other hand, it’s obvious that open world designs aren’t Grasshopper’s strong suit, and while you wont be actually fighting or experiencing any “pure action” moments in the world, it’s a pain to trek through, and a painfully low-tech visual offering. Pop-in is everywhere, control is irritating at best, and the frame rate is all over the charts. It’s an absolute mess.

Enjoy fun, casual spins on popular sports, such as soccer and tennis, in this motion-controlled game collection for the Nintendo Switch.

Mario Party Superstars is a solid, if unambitious, compilation of the best the series has to offer.

Wargroove is a strategy game for the Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox One, that channels genre classics like Advance Wars and Fire emblem.

Super Mario Party delivers the couch multiplayer experience the series is famous for with an awesome new layer of strategy, 80 mostly-great minigames, and the quirky tech of the Switch controllers to keep things feeling fresh. The downside is that with the Switch’s controllers come some annoyances that make getting people settled onto your couch a bit more of a hassle than previous parties, and the best games are prone to annoying random upsets. But it’s far better paced than recent games and Super Mario Party reset my expectations of the series with its graphics and gameplay creativity.

Sonic Frontiers has tight controls and a surprisingly good story, but graphical and pacing issues can drag the experience down. In spite of some missteps, though, Sonic Frontiers suggests that the Blue Blur may still have a bright future.

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is an exceptional side-scrolling beat ‘em up that infuses modern elements into the classic structure to make it more than the sum of its parts. Short, sweet and with a fascinating tag team mechanic at its heart, this old-school treat is worth a bash.