The Nintendo Switch has delivered some of the best games in the company’s history. From some seriously groundbreaking Pokémon titles to one of the all-time best Zelda games, the Switch hosts some genuine generation-defining hits.
Most of Nintendo’s first-party games are family-friendly, including every entry in the venerable Mario franchise. However, because of their complex storylines and mature themes, other developers target an adult market.
That’s not to say that there’s nothing for mature Switch games to play; from worthwhile AA experiences to ports of awesome sixth and seventh console generation titles, there’s more than enough out there for Switch owners who needn’t worry about exposing younger audiences to mature themes.
Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
Nintendo has something of a strained relationship with the Mortal Kombat franchise; when the original was ported to the SNES in 1993, it was heavily censored. Fortunately, outlooks softened over the ensuing decades, and Mortal Kombat 11 arrived on the Nintendo Switch in 2019 without such concessions.
Needless to say, Mortal Kombat 11 is a must-play for fans of fighting games, and it makes for an excellent alternative to the very family-friendly Super Smash Bros. series.
BioShock: The Collection (2016)
BioShock is a retro-futuristic series that released its first entry in 2007. The first two games take place in the 1960s in the fictional underwater city of Rapture. The third entry goes back in time to 1912, occurring mainly in the fictional floating city of Columbia. The Collection includes upgraded versions of all three games, and the Switch version came out in 2020.
The Collection received mainly positive reviews, with critics declaring it an ideal welcome for new fans of the franchise, although they questioned its purpose and desirability for long-time players. In 2022, Netflix announced a movie adaptation of the series, just in time for the fifteenth anniversary of the first BioShock game.
Resident Evil: Revelations Collection (2017)
In the early 2010s, the Resident Evil series was in something of a sorry state; the survival horror genre was on the outs, and Capcom’s efforts to shift the series focus with Resident Evil 6 were not well received. Fortunately, the RE side game Resident Evil: Revelations would premiere on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013 and help to right the ship.
It was soon ported to seventh-generation consoles, and it eventually earned a Nintendo Switch edition in 2017, which came as a bundle with its episodic sequel. Both Revelations games are superb survival horror outings that shouldn’t be missed by fans of the series.
Bayonetta 2 (2018)
Though the inaugural outing became a cult hit, Bayonetta, at one time, seemed to be a series that no publisher wanted. Bayonetta 2’s release was uncertain until Nintendo—of all publishers—stepped in and offered to make it a Wii U exclusive. Four years later, it was ported to the much more successful Nintendo Switch console.
A hack and slash title that’s about as over-the-top as they come, Bayonetta is definitely an odd IP for Nintendo to tackle. Still, it’s an excellent experience that plenty of older Switch gamers will enjoy.
Dark Souls: Remastered (2018)
Originally released in 2011, Dark Souls is the spiritual successor to FromSoftware’s notoriously-challenging Demon’s Souls, and it caught the interest of fans in a way the previous title had not. Now a legendary RPG that spawned its own subgenre, Dark Souls is a title that every quote-unquote “hardcore” gamer ought to try at least once.
Unfortunately, though it’s branded as a remaster, the Switch iteration of Dark Souls is more or less a port of the original title. That concession aside, there’s nothing quite like playing a console title like Dark Souls on the go.
L.A. Noire (2017)
With specs comparable to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Switch continues to be a haven for ports of well-received seventh-generation games. Though it was somewhat divisive when it debuted in 2011, L.A. Noire was an interesting crime noir title that put an emphasis on detective work instead of combat and open world exploration.
Character models were made meticulously, and facial animations were crafted to slyly convey an interviewee’s true motives. To some, it was a bit of a bore, but, to others, L.A. Noire is a timeless gem, and older Switch owners may find something in the eleven-year-old title that they had not previously seen.
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
The fourth mainline entry in the popular survival horror franchise, Resident Evil 4 follows Leon S. Kennedy and his attempts to rescue the U.S. president’s daughter from a Spanish cult. The game came out in 2005 exclusively for the GameCube, but it later received numerous ports, eventually becoming a cross-platform hit.
Resident Evil 4 is often regarded as one of the best games on the GameCube and one of the best survival horror experiences of all time. It received universal acclaim, with much praise for its gameplay, graphics, and characters. A remake is slated to debut in the first half of 2023.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
Arguably the most successful book-to-videogame franchise around, The Witcher delivered its best game yet with 2015’s Wild Hunt. The story follows Geralt as he looks for his adoptive daughter, Ciri, who’s on the run from the titular Wild Hunt.
Critically acclaimed and commercially successful, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt won Game of the Year at the 2015 Game Awards. Today, many consider it one of the best RPGs in history and one of the best video games ever made. A fourth game in the series is currently in development, and considering the ending of the second season, parts of Wild Hunt will surely get adapted into season three of Netflix’s The Witcher.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2015)
The fifth mainline installment in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim, is set two centuries after the events of its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The game takes place in the titular Skyrim region of Tamriel and follows the Dragonborn and their quest to defeat the World-Eater, a dragon prophesized to destroy the world.
Released to critical acclaim, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim earned praise for its world design and story. It was also a commercial success, and it remains popular more than a decade after its release. Indeed, fans on Reddit keep finding hidden details in Skyrim, cementing the game’s reputation as an all-time classic.
Doom (2016)
The Doom series came back to life in 2016, twelve years after the release of its predecessor, Doom 3. The game follows the Doom Slayer, who battles demonic forces from hell released by Union Aerospace Corporation from their base on Mars.
Initially released for the PS4 and Xbox, Doom received a Nintendo Switch port in 2017. The game received mainly positive reviews, with critics and players considering it a successful relaunch of a series many thought dead. A sequel, titled Doom Eternal, came out four years later.
Diablo III (2012)
A hack-and-slash video game and the third installment in the Diablo franchise, Diablo III follows a similar story as its two predecessors. The game takes place 20 years after Diablo II and follows the player character and their quest to defeat the Lord of Terror, Diablo.
Diablo III received positive reviews, although its always-on DRM feature was widely criticized and was a massive commercial success. A sequel, aptly titled Diablo IV, is currently in development, although there’s no release date announced.
Borderlands Legendary Collection (2020)
Released in 2009, Borderlands is a looter shooter that follows Vault Hunters traveling to the planet of Pandora looking for the score of a lifetime. A sequel, Borderlands 2, came out in 2012 and was followed by Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, which takes place after Borderlands but before Borderlands 2.
The Legendary Collection includes all three games and came out in 2020 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. It’s the second compilation, following 2015’s The Handsome Collection, which was released for PS4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and macOS.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (2017)
Despite being the nineteenth entry in the venerable Zelda franchise, Breath of the Wild felt like a fresh new start. The game follows an amnesiac Link who, after waking from a hundred-year sleep, must battle Calamity Ganon to restore the kingdom of Hyrule to its former glory.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild received universal acclaim, with fans and critics considering it one of the best games of all time and a game changer for RPGs. A spin-off, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, came out in 2020, and a sequel will seemingly premiere in 2023.
Metroid Dread (2021)
Metroid is one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises. Its protagonist, bounty hunter Samus Aran, is an icon thanks to her design and role in video game history. Set after the events of Metroid Fusion, Metroid Dread follows Samus as she investigates a mysterious transition on the planet ZDR.
Released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch and debuting to positive reviews from critics and fans, Metroid Dread eventually won Best Action/Adventure Game at the 2021 Game Awards. A fourth game in the Metroid series, Metroid Prime 4, is currently in development.
Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection (2019)
Assassin’s Creed is one of the most famous and acclaimed franchises in video game history. The Rebel Collection, released in December 2019 for the Nintendo Switch, contains Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed Rogue and their respective DLCs.
The compilation received generally positive reviews, with fans and critics appreciating the adjustments and the game’s adaptability to the Switch. Above all, audiences praised the game’s timeless quality, explaining that neither the plot nor the combat felt dated, and the game remained as addictive as it was when it first launched.
