The Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is on track to sell so many units this holiday.  Variety even reports that over the Cyber Monday sales of the Nintendo Switch climbed 45%.  

The Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch

That means there will probably be a good number of new Nintendo Switch owners come Christmas.  

While some of the new owners probably have a good idea of what games to get, I wanted to put together a Top 5 list to help some people get started.  

Not A Gamer

I love me a good video game.  I’ve lost myself to a few of the games on the list, but honestly, I haven’t had too much time to play any games at all lately.  To that extent, I wouldn’t call myself a Hardcore Gamer – not anymore.  I would describe myself as more than Average Gamer maybe.  

So plus don’t run me under the bus if I missed something that you love.  These are just the games that I have played and enjoyed playing that make my list.  There have been so many games released that it’s hard to keep up with.  I haven’t played every game out there either.  

This is just a list to get you started.

#5: Mario Kart 8: Deluxe

#5: Mario Kart Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart has been a staple of every Nintendo console I’ve ever owned.  If you’ve never played it, you HAVE to pick this game up.  Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the pinnacle of the series, so there’s no better place to start.

The concept is simple: You are racing Go-karts in the mushroom kingdom.  Inside the race, you can pick up power-ups and weapons that can aid you in your race.  

Many a night were spent racing with friends through the mushroom kingdom.  Grab a few friends and start it up, or even play some friends over the internet (as long as you have Nintendo’s online service).  

If you’d rather death-match than race, you can do that too.  There’s plenty of modes to keep you entertained, and once you’ve played them all, then there are tons of unlockables to unlock with coins that you win when you race.

It’s really nice to have this one downloaded to your system so you can play it anywhere without the game card.  Just pop off the JoyCon and you and a friend can race wherever you are.

#4 Splatoon 2

#4 Splatoon 2

Splatoon almost seemed to come out of nowhere when Nintendo announced it on the Wii U.  

Splatoon is Nintendo’s version of a shooter, but with that special twist.  Instead of having a bloodbath against a bunch of random people on the internet, you team up to paint the arena as much as possible.  Sure there’s still shooting, but it’s cartoony and not as violent.

The main focus of the game is multiplayer.  The core game sets 2 teams of 4 against each other to paint the room as much as possible.  Bouts last a couple of minutes and then the system judges who as the most paint area covered in their assigned color.  It sounds crazy, and it is.  But there’s so much entertainment to be had from a game like this.

Splatoon 2 for the Switch takes what the first one did and improves on it in every way.  There are more modes like capture the flag, guard the base, and my favorite Salmon Run.  Salmon Run puts you and up to 3 others against wave after wave of enemies to see if you can survive.  I really love teaming up and crushing some Salmon Runs.  

Add in the all the customization, the weekly updated weapons, and a killer single player and you definitely get your money’s worth.  And if you’re looking for even more there was an expansion that expanded the single-player mode.

Warning – you can’t play multiple on one system.  You’ll need to link up with other Switches to play.

#3 Overcooked 2 

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Overcooked is one of the funniest and most frustrating games I have ever played.  My wife and I call it the relationship ender when we are at the end of a session of Overcooked.

The game is pretty simple- you are chefs in a kitchen.  Across the top of the screen will be a recipe.  You and the other chefs in the kitchen will work together to quickly make as many dishes as you can.  

What makes this so fun is that each level has some type of obstacle.  Sometimes you’re making pizza in a truck that gets split in half or the most frustrating, maybe there is a walkway to the stove but only one person can fit through it at a time. So everyone is going back and forth at the same time to get items or cook them.

the most fun is local multiplayer.  When the people are around you everyone starts shouting “Get a tomato!” or  “Chop some onions!” Things start to get intense.

I’ve probably had more fun with this game than any other on the list, but I’ve also been so frustrated that I’m no longer talking to a friend because of it.  Not really – but the frustration can get real here.

#2 Super Mario Odyssey

#2 Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey

Mario is Mario.  He is the icon of the video game world.  

His outing on the Switch is one of his best too.  After the Wii U version of Mario changed things up with a different point of view and multiplayer, Odyssey returns to Mario’s 3D roots like Mario 64, or Galaxy.  

This time, Mario is joined by Cappy – a living version of Mario’s hat.  With it you can take over the body of some of Mario’s enemies or other Mushroom Kingdom residents which adds a new element to a Mario game.

The rest is pretty standard Mario.  You’ll run, jump, and explore through many different worlds.  You’ll see fire, ice, forest, and all the rest as you track down Bowser.  

The game scales pretty well.  If you aren’t great at Mario, you can stick to the easy stuff and ramp up to the harder stuff as you want.  The game continues long after you beat Bowser as well as you try to collect all the Moons in the game.  

#1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

#1 Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild

It took me a little longer to get into this version of The Legend of Zelda, but by the time I sunk my 200th hour into the game, I knew how wrong I was.  

Breath of the Wild was one of the best games I have ever played.  Just about everything about this game was amazing from the art design, music, game play, and challenge.

What took me a while time to get into the game was the story.  There is a bit of a story at the very beginning, but it is mostly to get you into the controls of the game.  After you’ve learned that, you are given a simple task – save the world.  There’s no one way to play this game either.  

I would spend time just exploring the world instead of running off to the next temple or bad guy. If you want to though, you could run right to the end boss.  You’d most likely get beat down, but you could do that.  

This game is such an open world that you can pretty much do anything.  The world is giant to explore with many different terrains, challenges, and secrets.  If you like to explore and discover new things, you should really check out this game.  

More

Those are the 5 best games that I’ve played on the Nintendo Switch, but there are many more out there that would definitely try to check out.  These are games that I love on my Switch, but got cut from the Top 5 Games.

Pokemon Let’s Go – Pikachu or Eevee (read my impressions here)

Snipper Clips – more multiplayer mayhem

Octopath Traveler – for that Role Playing Game itch

And Games that I really want to check out:

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate

Diablo 3

And many more.

Wrap Up

So you should have plenty of games to get you started, but there are many games still out there.  I’m really excited about what’s to come next year, even if there is the rumor of a new Nintendo Switch coming next year.

What are some of your favorite games?  Would you change the top 5?  What games are you looking forward to?

Leave me a comment or let me know what you thought on Twitter or on the Facebook Page.

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