The 9 Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2020

Best Overall: Nintendo Animal Crossing: New Horizons

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a life simulator game where players can customize a character to work with Tom Nook in order to develop a deserted island into a vacation destination and village paradise. A lot of familiar Animal Crossing mechanics make a return, such as: upgrading your home, customizing outfits and character appearance, and gathering items to sell for bells (the in-game currency). New mechanics include the Nook Miles system where players can complete daily challenges or hit in-game milestones to earn miles that are used to purchase special items. 

The game progresses in real-time, meaning that players must be patient when upgrading island buildings and infrastructure. New Horizons also supports local and online multiplayer so players can send each other items or visit one another's islands. If players have ambiibo cards or figures from the Animal Crossing series, they can invite villagers to spend a few days at their island campsite or to move to the island. Players can progress at their own pace, meaning you can spend days catching fish and bugs to fill out the museum or invest time improving the island's appearance at your leisure. Both kids and adults will love the bright, colorful environments and laidback gameplay that provides a decent escape from everyday life.

Best Multiplayer: Nintendo Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch

4.6

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a Switch port of a Wii U game that was released in 2017 and has gone on to become one of the best selling games of all time as well as one of the best selling Switch games. It features 32 tracks spread across 8 cup tournaments with another 16 tracks and four cups available as DLC. It supports local multiplayer for up to four people and online multiplayer for up to 12 as well as voice chat with friends. Players can choose from a bevy of familiar Mario and Nintendo characters including the new Koopalings and Pink Gold Peach. You can also select a variety of vehicles including traditional karts and motorbikes. 

Familiar items make a comeback along with new ones like a Boomerang Flower to throw at other players, Piranha Plant that attacks other players, Super Horn that can be used to both attack others and defend from hazards and items, and the Crazy Eight that gives you eight items. Some tracks feature anti-gravity sections where players can drive on walls and ceilings in order to get ahead or avoid obstacles. With both local and on-line multiplayer, it's a great game for parties or playing with the kids.

Best Shooter Game: Nintendo Splatoon 2

4

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Splatoon 2 is a major upgrade from its predecessor, thanks to an improved single-player experience and multitude of online game modes for all skill levels. It’s the best shooter on the Nintendo Switch, offering a charm and E rating that normally doesn’t come with the genre. Playing it, our reviewer was struck not just by the depth and staying power of the multiplayer modes, but also by the remarkable amount of quality single-player content as well.

Nintendo managed to make a shooter game without the violence, and it’s one of the most fun ones to play. Splatoon 2 offers a split-screen local and online multiplayer option where players compete head-to-head in four vs. four battles. The objective based game focuses on players splatting ink in an entire area, covering as much territory as possible, all while avoiding being blasted by opponents. Splatoon 2 is set for future relevancy with another year or more of promised updates like new game modes and events, so there will always be something to play.

Best Puzzle Game: Sonic Team Puyo Puyo Tetris

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Puyo Puyo Tetris is a throwback to the pinnacle puzzle games in the golden years of gaming with the universally known Tetris and less known (but just as addicting and fun) Puyo Puyo. The best Nintendo Switch Puzzle game is just as intense and heart pounding as any other competitive game on the list, requiring quick-thinking players to make order from chaos and organize pieces together.

Puyo Puyo Tetris offers a ton of various arcade modes for one to four players, including versus, an online challenge mode and a fusion mode where both games can be played. In Puyo Puyo, players race to connect four or more ​slime-ball creatures (called Puyos) together to pop. Puyos drop from the sky, much like Tetris, and can be connected horizontally and vertically. The game encourages chain links to build combos and unleash devastating attacks against other players. This is the best game to get if you like heart-pounding brainteasers.​

Best for Kids: Nintendo Luigi's Mansion 3

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Luigi's Mansion 3 is a sequel to the GameCube and Nintendo 3DS titles and plops players in a familiar, slightly spooky setting. Players must explore a haunted hotel after being tricked into visiting for vacation, saving Luigi's friends from ghosts along the way. A lot of the same mechanics from previous titles are implemented along with a new ectoplasmic assistant named Gooigi, more moves for catching ghosts, and expanded multiplayer functions for co-op and competitive play. 

While adults may find the setting to be silly, kids will love the mild thrills of exploring a dark building and running into ghosts and other spirits. Each area of the hotel features a different theme like a shopping area where players can upgrade items and buy hints, a medieval castle, and a plant conservatory. With 15 different environments to explore, the game continuously feels fresh and exciting and prevents little ones from getting bored. Each room also provides plenty of different ways to use Luigi's items and gadgets, letting players take multiple approaches to obstacles.

Best Fighting Game: Capcom Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers

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The classic fighting game that put this genre on the map is back with Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers. The game is filled with all the classic characters you’d find in the original Street Fighter II, plus a load of new content and updates like a retro mode.

By now, most gamers are familiar with Street Fighter and its many iterations over the years. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers resurrects the 1990s hit game and allows players to choose between classic pixel-art graphics for a nostalgia trip or a refined modern updated look. Players can team up with friends in an exciting new co-op story mode and utilize synchronized attacks against CPU players. The game features its classic offline multiplayer versus mode, as well as online Ranked and Casual matches. There’s also a 250+ digital art book with over 1,500 illustrations showcasing the 30 years of Street Fighter’s history.

Best RPG: Nintendo Fire Emblem: Three Houses

4.5

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Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the 16th title in the series and the first released for home consoles since 2007. Players create their own main character, choosing a name and gender, and are sent to teach at the Garreg Mach Monastery. You then choose which of the three school houses to teach: Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer. The narrative is impacted by which house you choose as well as the outcome of story-based battles. The gameplay centers on social simulation to build relationships and alliances as well as turn-based tactical combat. 

During combat, players can hire additional troops to support different units with character buffs and special moves that can heal units or stun enemies. Depending on the difficulty chosen, players can either experience permanent death for characters who are killed in battle or have them resurrected after each fight. With the story dependent on player actions and choices, there are several different endings that can be reached, giving the game a high replay value to see which ending you can get with different choices.

Best Indie: 505 Games Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

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The development of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was helmed by former Castlevania producer, Koji Igarashi, and is considered to be a spiritual successor to Castlevania. The game progresses in a Metroidvania style, with new areas opening up as players gain different items and abilities as well as new secrets to find in previously-visited areas. Players take on the role of Miriam, a human infused with demonic power, as she takes on a quest to stop another demon-infused human from unleashing monsters to destroy England. 

Miriam has a variety of weapons at her disposal for ranged and melee attacks against enemies and special abilities that let her perform magical attacks. Equipment can be changed on-the-fly as players encounter new monsters and areas in order to progress through the game. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was nominated for Best Original Action Game at the NAVGTR Awards and Best Indie Game at the New York Game Awards.

Best FPS: MachineGames Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

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Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus takes place in an alternate version of the United States in 1961 where Nazi Germany won WWII and have occupied the US. Players take on the role of war veteran William "B.J." Blazkowicz as he leads the resistance and recruits characters to help. It's played in first-person, and players can dual wield a variety of weapons like rifles, pistols, and machine guns. The story is broken up into chapters, letting players progress through the game in chunks if they don't like marathon sessions. 

At the beginning of the game, players have to make a choice that affects the entire story from then on. The choice adds replay value for anyone who is curious about what a different selection would add or remove from the narrative. Wolfenstein II also has DLC available with The Freedom Chronicles story. In the DLC, players take on the role of various characters working to resist Nazi occupation in America. The entire game does a great job of blending iconic American imagery with the horrors of war and enemy occupation as well as building a sense of urgency for the resistance.