Top Nintendo Switch Games 2023

Okami HD is one of the most fulfilling games I've ever played, and its quirky mechanics fit amazingly on the Switch despite some issues.

It’s difficult to find freshness or brilliance in a 2D landscape. Mario’s world is now three decades old. That would seem to suggest new territory is scarce, and in some ways the formulaic New Mario series had come to reinforce that fear. But New Super Mario Bros. U demonstrates there’s not just life left in this type of game, but that it can be modern and nostalgic at the same time. Nintendo’s approach here strikes a great balance in all areas, ranging from its difficulty to design to enemies and bosses. And for everything the basic Story Mode does right – and that’s a considerable amount – the Challenge Mode will be remembered as a key moment in the life of the New Mario series, where Nintendo realized it didn’t have to sacrifice the core gamer’s experience at the expense of a more casual audience. This is how Mario can and will appeal to everyone.

Return to Dreamland Deluxe is a Nintendo Switch remake of a beloved Wii game that shows how well Kirby games hold up even after more than a decade.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is full of charm and nostalgia alike, with cutesy versions of my favorite Final Fantasy characters and excellent remixes of the iconic songs that accompanied them. The light RPG mechanics, coupled with traditional rhythm mechanics, is easy enough to get into and deep enough to entertain fans of both. It's a little bit of a letdown that there isn't any storyline for your party of heroes to follow or another hook to keep me playing beyond beating my own scores in Endless mode, but its impressive tracklist makes Theatrhythm Final Bar Line an enjoyable way to listen to and play along with the most memorable songs from the Final Fantasy series. 

Sonic Origins compiles the best 2D Sonic games of the 16-bit era. Although this collection is sound, it does have some issues that prevent it from being as good as it could be.

Developer Roll7 has returned to its skateboarding roots with OlliOlli World, which launches on February 8th on the Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox.

Metroid Dread is the first new mainline Metroid game since 2002, and the Nintendo Switch title is an uneasy blend of moody exploration and straight-up action.

Tails of Iron is a beautiful and charming side-scroller with brutal combat and a grim story. Fight as the rat king Redgi and reclaim your kingdom.

The interactive drama anthology Life is Strange is back with Life is Strange: True Colors, which introduces a new lead character named Alex Chen and launches on September 10th on the PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Death’s Door is a must for those looking to scratch the itch of a classic Zelda dungeon-delving game, with the added bonus of impeccable combat against waves of foes in a creepy world. Secrets are plentiful enough to offset the low variety of rewards, and the cohesion of puzzle-solving and combat encounters worked terrifically to challenge me in all the right ways. While I wish the adventure didn’t end so soon, as a reaper of souls I should know: nothing lasts forever.