The Nintendo Switch allows you to play a game at home on the TV and then take your system and take the game with you without any problems. It is a great selling point for the platform in general and has allowed many developers and publishers to be very successful in bringing older and newer games to the system over time. In many cases, games that would never be on a laptop were faithfully brought in as with The Witcher 3 in 2019. 2020 saw a lot of great conversions for the Switch, but here are the top 10 Switch ports of 2020, in particular order.
Devil May Cry 3 – Special Edition (Capcom)
Capcom’s Devil May Cry and Resident Evil releases on the Nintendo Switch are almost all more expensive than other platforms and not so technically good, although the games are from older consoles. Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition is the exception here because not only is it a great version of Devil May Cry 3 on a technical level, but the Switch port has some unique features. Style and weapon switching allows you to change Dante’s style of play on the spot, rather than between levels, which is an extremely good feature. I do not believe that Capcom has not implemented this on other platforms. The Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition also features a local cooperative mode. My only complaint about Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on the Switch is that you can’t buy it physically. Even without the exclusive content, Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition would have been an excellent size. With new features, however, Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on Switch is an essential purchase.
Ori and the Will of the Wisp (iam8bit / Moon Studios)
The original Ori and the Blind Forest was a big surprise for most people on Nintendo Switch. When the sequel was announced for the Xbox and PC platforms and finally released earlier this year, I was very disappointed with the poor performance on Xbox One X. Excluding the performance, Ori and the Will of the Wisps was a massively improved sequel that was better at almost all the senses. Since that unstable console release, the game has improved a lot in that respect, but the announcement and release of the Nintendo Switch version was a shock to me. I couldn’t imagine how it would work on the Switch given the performance on a much more powerful console, but Moon Studios delivered it. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an absolute joy to play on the Switch and is definitely a miracle of a door given its appearance and functioning in any system.
Streets of Rage 4 (Dotemu / Seaven Studio)
Some may argue that it is not fair to call Streets of Rage 4 a port, as it was announced for Switch and released on Switch at the same time as other platforms. The reality is that the Switch and PS4 versions of Streets of Rage 4 were made by Seaven Studio and this is not a game that was built for Switch and then scaled to be a port in the end. An excellent port too. Streets of Rage 4 is already one of the best beat-em-ups of recent years and easily one of my favorite games of 2020. Although it is available on almost all platforms, it is amazing to have a perfect conversion ready for me to choose and play at any time on the Switch. The only disadvantage of this port, in my experience, is that online is slow compared to other systems, regardless of the type of connection.
Exe during night delivery: afternoon [cl-r] (Aksys / Arc System Works games)
Fighting games are usually a mix of games on the Nintendo Switch. While Mortal Kombat 11 and Samurai Shodown offer useful experiences for those looking to play on the move, few fighting games have achieved a seamless transition to the Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, Exe during night delivery: Afternoon [cl-r] from Arc System Works and French Bread is almost a perfect port for Switch. It looks great and works great both on the base and in the hand and really only suffers from delayed updates compared to the PS4. It’s a great way to experience Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] if you are interested in offline content. Exe during night delivery: afternoon [cl-r] is one of the best fighting games you can play on the Switch and an excellent port.
No More Heroes (XSEED Games / Engine Software)
No More Heroes is an interesting game and an interesting port. If you’ve never played before, No More Heroes is a fun action game with some filler content and good music that is complemented with great characters and great boss fights. Although it has some filler content, it remains a game worth trying out. No More Heroes on Switch is by far the best way to play the original game. It works well and looks great. In many ways, Engine Software has done more to make No More Heroes look and function well today than other major publishers do for their own major releases. The low asking price also helps to make this launch of No More Heroes more welcoming for newcomers not only to No More Heroes games, but also to Suda51 games in general. I’m glad XSEED Games has this port rated for Switch because everyone should be playing No More Heroes and the sequel before No More Heroes 3 arrives next year.
Origin Ys (Dotemu / Falcom)
Falcom licenses its games a little to different platforms and regions. Ys Origin debuted on PC before being released on PS4 and PS Vita by Dotemu. I was happy to have Ys Origin on a laptop, but the conversion was not perfect. Dotemu then brought it to the Xbox One, but a Switch port was still missing in action. Fortunately, this was resolved this year when Ys Origin finally came to Switch. Ys Origin is one of the best action games you can play on the Switch and the best entry point for Ys old style games, with the best entry for modern ones being Ys VIII. Ys Origin on Switch is exactly what I wanted with a much better performance both on the base and in the hand. I’ve played Ys Origin on everything before, but it never hurts to have a game you love on the Switch. If you’ve never played before, this is easily the right version.
Hades (supergiant games)
Hades is a game that you will probably see on many year-end lists. It’s a roguelike superlative action RPG from Supergiant Games that debuted on PC in early access before finally reaching the Switch this year. What makes Hades so great on the Switch is that it looks and works for the most part and cross-saves with the PC version. This allows players who own the game on both systems to play on the PC when they are at home and to select and play on the Switch on the go without any problems. Over the months since launch, Hades on Switch has also gone through several fixes and is basically a game that I can recommend to anyone on the Switch right now. It’s not just a great roguelike, it’s a great roguelike that has the superlative polish you would expect from Supergiant Games with a soundtrack that is easily among the best of this generation.
Cold Steel III trails (NIS America / Engine Software)
After Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA was announced, it was only the beginning of modern Falcom games coming to an end. While Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II were initially for PS3 and PS Vita, Trails of Cold Steel III debuted as a PS4-only game in Japan. It’s a good entry point for Falcom’s long Trails series and a great game by itself. NIS America and Engine Software brought it to Switch earlier this year with all the content included and it’s an excellent port to play on the go. When played docked, it looks almost the same, with no real visual improvements. If you want to play Trails of Cold Steel III on TV, it’s best to play it on PS4 anyway if you have that option. On the switch, Trails of Cold Steel III offers a great portable version with the ability to touch the TV without any friction. I can’t wait to play Trails of Cold Steel IV on the Switch when it arrives in 2021.
Eternal Doom (Bethesda / Panic Button)
Like Ori and Will of the Wisps, I just couldn’t imagine a situation where Doom Eternal would look and run well on the Nintendo Switch given how demanding it is on other platforms. I played Doom a lot (2016) on the Switch and used my time diving into arcade mode frequently. It didn’t look as good as the other consoles, but it worked. Doom Eternal was a big step forward on all platforms when it arrived earlier this year and I couldn’t resist taking a look at the Switch conversion. This may be the best Panic Button job so far because Doom Eternal works even better than Doom (2016) for me on the Switch. It had a great visual impact compared to other systems, but it is a major conversion that just needs a few more control adjustments to look perfect. I’m not sure how I would fare on the Switch when the DLC arrives next year, but it’s worth trying the base game anywhere, if you want to play it on the Switch. If you are considering this to play on TV, literally all other platforms are a better option.
Burnout Paradise Remastered (EA)
Burnout Paradise Remastered came to Nintendo Switch earlier this year and was delivered in every way. The open-world pilot plays and looks great on both the base and the hand, with the developer struggling to add touch screen support to the interface. Burnout Paradise Remastered on Nintendo Switch is complete content with the other versions and is the only platform that offers portable gaming. The only downside is the asking price, which is higher than other platforms, but by itself, Burnout Paradise Remastered is essential for racing fans on Switch and one of the best ports of the year.
With the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S just out, the Nintendo Switch is still at its peak with a plethora of games and original ports. 2021 will be interesting for sure, but what was your favorite Nintendo Switch port of the year?