It’s been eight years since the Nintendo Switch launched, and I’ve talked about it a whole lot on this blog in that time. It’s pretty crazy to think that at the time of this writing, the Switch 2 is only one week away. Before we put the original Switch to rest, I thought it’d be cool to write a little bit about my favorite games on the system. This won’t be the most comprehensive list. I was thinking of the best way to do this, and decided to do the highest ranking Switch game on each of my game of the year lists. That means there’s going to be a bunch I miss, but I can’t make this post a million words long. So, let’s get started.

2017: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

This is probably the most obvious one on the list. Despite being available on the Wii U, Breath of the Wild was the reason to own a Switch at launch. It completely redefined what Zelda games were, going for an extremely open-ended stye of gameplay that let you explore and do things at your own pace. While I am a big fan of the older style of Zelda games and hope that we see new games like that, I was thrilled to see Nintendo try something truly new with one of their franchises. And hey, you can get an upgraded version on Switch 2!

2018: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. has always been an excellent pick up and play party game, but also one that you can learn and get legitimately good at. Ultimate continues to do everything the series was known for, while also just packing in an insane amount of content. Every single character from the series’ past is here, as well as many new ones. There’s also just a ton of stages and music tracks. Ultimate is the kind of game that’s always fun to go back to, in fact I played it less than a week ago. It really makes me wonder what they could possible do with a new one.

2019: Fire Emblem: Three Houses

I was pretty late to the Fire Emblem party. I’m pretty sure Three Houses was only the second one that I bought when it was brand new, third if you include Heroes. While I don’t have the experience to be able to say something like “this is one of the best Fire Emblem games”, I can absolutely say that it was my favorite game of 2019. An incredible story, really likable characters, and excellent turn based strategy, Three Houses is a game that I still think about pretty regularly.

2020: Animal Crossing: New Horizons

This is another really obvious one. I have played Animal Crossing: New Horizons every day since it came out. A lot of times, it’s just fifteen to twenty minutes of collecting my daily fossils and saying hi to my villagers, but I’m still doing it to this day. While there are certainly things from previous Animal Crossing games that I wish made it into this one, I’m still very happy with what we got. Being able to freely decorate your island was a huge step up and led to some really creative ideas. A new Animal Crossing is among the games I’m most desperate for on the Switch 2.

2021: Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread was the second Metroid game to be announced for the Switch, but it was first to come out. It was easy to think that we might never see a 2D Metroid game on a home console again, but here it was. It was a direct sequel to Metroid Fusion on the Game Boy Advance, which is also something I didn’t ever really expect to see. Exploring the massive map was always fun, as was avoiding the E.M.M.I.s, big scary robots that could take you out immediately. I’m very excited for Metroid Prime 4 later this year, but I hope Dread wasn’t the last we see of 2D Metroid.

2022: Xenoblade Chronicles 3

What can I say about Xenoblade Chronicles 3? This series is probably my favorite current JRPG series, and I think 3 is the best one. It has an amazing story that stands alone, while also being extremely rewarding to long time fans. It has a great battle system that combines elements from the previous games while also introducing a lot of new features. The entire Xenoblade series is available on the Switch, and all of them are worth checking out, but especially this third one.

2023: Pikmin 4

After an excruciatingly long wait, Pikmin 4 finally arrived, and it’s easily my favorite in the series. It has all the charm you’d expect from a Pikmin game, and adds new stuff like Oatchi the dog and puzzle based Dandori battles. This was a game that I absolutely obsessed over, not stopping until I had gotten everything. This is one I would absolutely go back to if they did a Switch 2 Edition, but even more, I hope it’s not as long of a wait for Pikmin 5.

2024: Emio- The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club

Emio was a game that seemed impossible. The Famicom Detective Club series hadn’t made it to the states until remakes on the Switch, which didn’t exactly set the world on fire. It’s also a series that had been dormant in Japan for basically forever. So I was really surprised when Emio was announced. And it turns out, Emio is the best one. It’s a visual novel, so it’s mostly about telling a story, and it’s a really good one. Some genuinely intense moments and a surprisingly gruesome epilogue for a first party Nintendo game highlight this really special game. Please check it out if you haven’t.

Actually, looking at my list, I guess I should have wrote about Crow Country here. But I didn’t play that one Switch. But hey, Crow Country is an amazing throwback to classic survival horror and played great on Steam Deck, so I’m sure it’s great on Switch too.

And there’s my list! The Nintendo Switch is a really special console, it might even be my all time favorite. The Switch 2 has some pretty big shoes to fill, but I think it’s up to the task. We will find out in the near future.

Oh, also, play Tokyo Mirage Sessions. That’s another really good one.