As 2020 comes to an end (finally!) And the new 2021 lurks on the horizon, it’s time to look back at the best Switch games released in the last 360 odd days.
In what turned out to be an extremely difficult year for many people, there were positives to be found – at least in the field of video games! A release schedule that at the beginning of the year was essentially Animal Crossing and a lot of blanks belied a series of high-quality games that were released in a matter of weeks after its surprise announcement.
But what were the absolute best games of 2020? Well, we asked exactly that question and tomorrow we will publish the 50 best choices according to Nintendo Life readers. Today, however, we at Team Nintendo Life will share our choices of the best Switch games of 2020. It wasn’t easy – the list we made was certainly not too short! – but after each nomination of our top 10 personals with assigned points, we’ve reduced the following ten Switch games that cumulatively represent our absolute favorites of 2020.
As for the Switch GOTY 2020 list voted by readers, there is still time to squeeze out the rankings before publication tomorrow, although remember that, as with our other lists ranked by readers, you will also be able to rank your favorites and influence that classification after it also airs – perhaps the perfect activity to sit on the couch on a Christmas day afternoon, full of turkey and regret.
What is below, however? This one is etched in the stone forever. Let’s take a look at the top 10 Switch games of 2020 …
Editor: SEGA / Developer: Two Point Studios
Just sneaking into the top ten thanks to the very enthusiastic vote of two team members, Two Point Hospital is one of this year’s Switch games that we have the most fun with. It’s a great size that doesn’t miss a thing in the transition to the Nintendo console and captures the crazy spirit of Bullfrog’s Hospital Theme. Other games made us reflect on the existential chasm in the style of Werner Herzog, or crying while we were on a deeply emotional journey – Two Point Hospital gave us a very welcome picture of pure fun and comedy.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Koei Tecmo
In a year when we look forward to escaping to a kingdom full of natural wonders and beauty and Besides that channel our helpless rage to give hordes of evildoers a beating with the Master Sword, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity managed to hit two birds with one stone. It might stumble in terms of performance, but it never got in the way of our fun with this prequel / side story Zelda title and its mix of Dynasty warriors hack-and-slash action with the characters and the kingdom of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A satisfying and irresistible appetizer while we wait for the full sequence of Breath of the Wild, which we hope to hear more about next year.
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Editor: Whippoorwill / Developer: Adam Robinson-Yu
A short walk offered a beautifully brief break from everything else in our sizeable reservations. Combining the charm of a Cross between animals with the exploratory spirit of a small Breath of the Wild (not to mention a lot of 32-bit nostalgia for your visual style), there was a lot to do after you climbed the mountain, but developer Adam Robinson-Yu produced a nice mini masterpiece that came just in time. One of the best indie games of the year, or any year, and totally deserving of the 10/10 that we rewarded.
Editor: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
“It is Tetris 99, but with Mario. “
We imagine the pitch to Super Mario Bros. 35 it was short, but the fact that everything fit together belies the complexity of the design and the thinking that is present in this online multiplayer version about the grandfather of platform games. For Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, Super Mario Bros. 35 is a timely and fitting tribute to the plumber’s legacy. The worst thing we can say is that we are disappointed that Nintendo plans to close the servers on March 31, 2021 (presumably to make way for ‘The Legend of Zelda 35’ or something). Then again, maybe his fleeting nature will make us taste him even more …
I’m just kidding. Leave it like that, Nintendo. You know it makes sense.
Editor: iam8bit / Developer: Moon Studios
Our hearts may belong to Nintendo, but we are avid video game fans, regardless of their home platforms and while we loved Ori and the Will of the Wisps on XBox One, the chances of following its predecessor, Switch, seemed extremely unlikely to us. 2D metroidvanias can cost ten cents on the Switch, but it does things on a technical level that seemingly puts it beyond the relatively modest specifications of the Switch.
And yet it came. Moon Studios went further to make it run at 60fps on the Nintendo console, and the fact that it doesn’t look like a truncated or compromised version is proof of the developer’s skill and desire to reach the largest audience possible with this beautiful game. Play it.