Top Nintendo Switch Games 2023

Still, even when Sonic Mania stumbles a bit, it’s only on little speedbumps in the road. For every issue I had, it didn’t take long before I was enjoying myself again, eagerly anticipating what sort of wacky wonders the game would throw at me next. It truly is the classic throwback longtime series fans have been clamoring for, but there’s plenty to love here even if you didn’t grow up with a Genesis. Sonic Mania is a stellar example of a retro revival done right.

Bayonetta Origins ditches ridiculous spectacle for a puzzle-filled, combat-packed storybook adventure starring the young witch.

When it comes right down to it, Two Point Campus is a deep and rewarding management game. And that's what matters most here. Growing my college, hiring and training faculty, adding new courses, spiffing up my dorms, and watching my grades and profits soar in the Sandbox mode is addicting enough that I could keep at it for dozens of hours more, even after having put in almost 40 hours for this review. The art style and quirky humor don't really do it for me most of the time, but they're usually not actively obnoxious, and eventually I sort of just tuned them out. At the end of the semester, I'd pass Two Point Campus with a solid B+.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the lastest RPG from Monolith Soft, combines overly complex combat with an inscrutable plot that is still, miraculously, fun and compelling to play.

Shin Megami Tensei V brings players an old-school challenge with some modern concessions.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity on the Nintendo Switch is a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which goes in a different, action-oriented direction inspired by the Dynasty Warriors series.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe makes an already excellent game even better and transplants it onto a console where far more people have a chance to see how good it really is. Its Side Stories and difficulty modes aren’t massive additions, but they gave me more of the already clever and fast-paced fun that made me fall in love with the original game seven years ago. And while not as flashy new missions, there are a downright impressive amount of smaller touches and quality-of-life adjustments throughout (including replacing the Wii U’s Gamepad screen with Switch-friendly controls) that make this the best the Pikmin series has ever felt. There’s plenty of reason to come back for returning players, and if you missed Pikmin 3 on the Wii U then you absolutely shouldn’t repeat that mistake here.

Super Mario Maker 2 on the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic sequel that gives you lots of tools to build your own Super Mario level, but it also makes me miss the Wii U’s Gamepad controller.

Nintendo's "Super Mario 3D World" wows with a brilliant multiplayer design and a fresh set of challenges, but some perspective issues almost spoil the fun.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the best thing to happen to Marvel games since 2006's Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It's a warm and witty, multi-layered approach to the brand that ties in hundreds of Marvel's most iconic characters, settings, and stories. While you can knock out the campaign story in around eight hours, the world is rich with content, and I've found myself up late every night for the past week playing for "just one more hour." It may not offer the challenge or player-driven context of this year's other open-world games, but those games would be hard-pressed to deliver as much fun and happiness as you'll find in Traveler's Tales latest. 'Nuff said.