Top Nintendo Switch Games 2023

The originally Wii U-exclusive Shin Megami Tensei/Fire Emblem mash-up RPG is a fun, light adventure you can now play on the Nintendo Switch

Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha is a fun collection of notable artifacts from the golden age of arcade shmups. Most of the games included are a blast, one of which is a gem that’s never been available on console before, and the whole package is a better value than buying each game piecemeal from the Nintendo Switch eShop. I would have appreciated more effort in the presentation, but mostly I'm just glad these gems have been dug up and are taking advantage of the Switch’s unique capabilities.

Overwatch on Switch is a less-than optimal way to play one of the most satisfying online games ever made, but it’s still one of the best around. Technical issues are plenty, and in most cases are noticeable, but never truly ruin the fun or makes it truly unplayable. If you already play Overwatch consistently on another console then there are very few reasons to own it on Switch – and in fact it may be extremely frustrating to go back and forth between them – but if it's your introduction the beautifully crafted world of Overwatch then it still promises a whole lot of fun.

A creepy and unsettling action-platformer, Blasphemous has an eery atmosphere, gorgeous pixel art, and intricate animations that never fail to impress. The combat can be satisfying, but relies too heavily on memorization, which makes backtracking through its non-linear world eventually turn stale. And while the visual variety at least keeps things looking fresh, superfluous and poorly implemented upgrade mechanics keep Blasphemous from having the amount of depth seen in many other games across the genre. It’s still an enjoyable Metroidvania, just not an all that memorable one.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe bundles New Super Mario Bros. U and the much, much harder New Super Luigi U into a single package on the Switch. The combo will satisfy any fan of old-school Mario platformers.

With or without the unnecessary toys, Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a commendable space adventure. Even with the repetitive grind and randomly scattershot space combat, this is a great-looking, gratifying game of strategic action and environmental exploration. Switch owners are undoubtedly the winners, but there’s something here to enjoy on any platform.

In spite of some imperfect emulation, Mega Man X Legacy Collection reminds players why they fell in love with the series.

The Nintendo Labo Robot Kit walks you through building a very clever cardboard robot suit for stomping around in the included Switch game. There isn't much meat to it, though.

The Nintendo Switch version of Namco Museum is a collection of 10 classic arcade games that includes a unique multiplayer Pac-Man experience.

Just Dance 2017 is a very predictable update to a long-running series of dancing games that shines in visual design and unique choreography but is very loose with its tracking of your body movements. It’s not going to teach you to be a professional dancer, and it honestly doesn’t really teach you how to be good at Just Dance itself. That said, it’s still a whole lot of fun to play, and the songs that aren’t locked behind a paywall are varied and, largely, recognisable