Despite being home to some of the best exclusive video games of all time—including Animal Crossing: New Horizons and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild—you’d be missing out on a lot great games if you only stuck to Nintendo exclusives. From epic world-scaling JRPGs to horror-infused shooter games, here are our picks for the best games that were ported to the Nintendo Switch. They play well, look beautiful, and are totally worth it.
15. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
It’s rare to run into a completely unique game, but there’s honestly no other game like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. It plays with perception and sensory hallucinations in ways we’ve never seen before—or since. Senua’s journey in attempting to bring her beloved back to life through a trip into her own psyche? Both fascinating and haunting. Getting to play this game on the Nintendo Switch is a treat you shouldn’t deny yourself.
14. Rocket League
Rocket League is an incredible online multiplayer game where you play a soccer-like game as cars. It can be played one-on-one, two-on-two, and three-on-three, so it’s a great game for playing with friends. One drawback is that a lot of the fun of Rocket League comes from playing online, so it’s not the best portable game—and you’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online membership. But it has crossplay and a huge playerbase, so match queues are quick and plentiful.
13. No Man’s Sky
Travel into the furthest reaches of the galaxy in one of the most impressive open-world titles of all time. While it had a rocky start at launch, the Nintendo Switch version of No Man’s Sky benefits from all the hours that Hello Games put in to fix and refine the overall experience. Playing it in handheld mode means that you never have to stop discovering new worlds. With true multiplayer, an improved story to play through, and base-building mechanics that are worth the investment of time, this is a must-have for fans of deep exploration in video games.
12. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Is there a platform that doesn’t have The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim yet? In the years since it first released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, Skyrim has been ported to just about any device that can play a video game—and the Nintendo Switch is certainly no exception. Because the hardware power of the Switch is comparable to previous-gen consoles, Skyrim runs perfectly without a hitch. And with this RPG featuring over 100 hours of content, it’s a tremendous value.
11. Doom
Doom is one of the most surprising gems from the early days of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. No one expected that this reboot of the beloved shooter franchise would be so good, but it is! And the game actually translates pretty well to the Nintendo Switch, despite the console being far less powerful than its competitors. It plays well in both handheld and docked modes. If you’ve still never experienced Doom yet, then the Nintendo Switch version is one of the best ways to dive in.
10. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
You’de be forgiven if you thought Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Truth is, Mario Kart 8 actually came out on the Nintendo Wii U. The Switch version is basically the same game plus some nifty extras. Whether you’re looking for a fun single player experience or a fun party game when gaming newbies are over, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an easy-to-play staple that deserves to be in your library.
9. Minecraft
Is there anything I can say about Minecraft that hasn’t been said before? It’s one of the most popular games ever made, and it’s available on the Nintendo Switch with a fantastic port that runs extremely well. The Nintendo Switch version comes with multiplayer for up to four players on the same console, up to eight players with local wireless play, and up to eight players with online multiplayer.
8. Alien: Isolation
The Alien franchise has always been at its best when it remembers to be scary, and no game in the series did that better than Alien: Isolation. As you’re sent out to explore areas that you know contain the Xenomorph, the sense of dread is overwhelming and real because you have so few options for survival if you’re caught. Alien: Isolation plays to the series’ strengths perfectly and delivers one of the best horror experiences ever.
7. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the complete version of Shovel Knight, including the base game and all downloadable content—three additional campaigns—which are like full games unto themselves. The depth offered by Shovel Knight is shocking, as you don’t expect to get so much content from a platformer with an 8-bit art style. But that’s the beauty of this game: it’s difficult, intense, fun, and best of all, cheap!
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Considering how graphically intensive The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was when it first launched, we’re surprised that CD Projekt Red actually managed to create a Nintendo Switch port that plays well. While there are noticeable graphical downgrades in certain places, none of it impacts the emotional story or the tight gameplay. Plus, the included Blood and Wine expansion adds up to almost 200 hours of gameplay. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains one of the best open-world RPGs ever created and it’s a worthwhile addition to the Nintendo Switch if you haven’t yet played it on the other consoles.
5. Okami HD
The original Okami was a testament to how great art and storytelling could lift an otherwise simple game to new heights. While the gameplay of Okami hasn’t aged particularly well since it was introduced on the PlayStation 2, the high-definition remaster that came out on later consoles is still one of the prettiest games we’ve ever played. The Nintendo Switch excels at rendering these colorful, stylized characters, giving everyone a level of polish that makes this port worthwhile even if you’ve already played the original. And if you’ve never played Okami? Then you owe it to yourself to pick it up for the Nintendo Switch. It’s one of the few games that’s truly enhanced by the console’s motion controls.
4. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is one of the most relaxing games of our time, with pockets of frantic and high-intensity scrambles—if you so choose to pursue them. It’s that ebb and flow that makes it such a fun game. In it, you play as a character who has inherited a decrepit farm and you’re tasked with restoring it over many seasons, all while developing relationships with the NPC characters of the local town. The simple art style makes it perfect for the Nintendo Switch, as it doesn’t require any intense 3D graphics that’ll push the console to its limits. You can really get sucked into Stardew Valley once you learn the fundamentals and get invested in your farm’s success, which makes it even more perfect for the Switch—because you can play it on the go.
3. Persona 5 Royal
The Nintendo Switch is the definitive version of one of the most stylish JRPGs ever created, complete with music that’ll instantly rocket to the top of your playlists and characters who feel fully fleshed out from the moment they’re introduced. Persona 5 Royal is simply an incredible JRPG adventure. The anime-style graphics transfer beautifully to the Switch, and nothing will get in the way of you enjoying the deep story and solid turn-based combat. Each playthrough can take you well over 100 hours, but you’ll keep coming back to unlock new social link routes and Personas.
2. Diablo III
Diablo III is the undisputed king of modern action RPGs (although Path of Exile has certainly been nipping at its heels). After an initial release on PC, Blizzard eventually brought the game to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and finally the Nintendo Switch. All in all, the Nintendo Switch port of Diablo III looks and feels great—perhaps way better than you probably expected. It comes with the original game plus all of the expansions, so it’s a great value to boot. The style of game is perfect for playing on the go since you can hop in, kill some enemies, and hop right back out as you need to. (Good luck with that, though, because the game is super addictive!)
1. Nier: Automata
It’s difficult to explain what makes Nier: Automata one of the best RPG experiences of all time without spoiling the surprises. The game plays with perspective and video game mechanics in a way that no other game really has, which brilliantly delivers Yoko Taro’s bizarre vision. Each playthrough adds something a little bit different, culminating in an ending that stays with you forever. That they managed to get this game running on the Nintendo Switch, complete with all the beautiful graphics and countless particle effects? That’s a miracle unto itself, helping to cement its status as the best Nintendo Switch port of all time. Seriously, if you’ve never played Nier: Automata before, for any or whatever reason, then this is the perfect way to find out what all the hype is about. Read next: The Best Gift Ideas for Nintendo Switch Players
