Throughout the year, we've seen thousands of games launch on Nintendo Switch, from the lowliest of scammy cash grabs and shovelware to some of the highest-quality video games ever conceived. Despite approaching its eighth year on shop shelves, and with some Switch ports delivering a less-than-smooth experience, many developers continue to work wonders with Nintendo's little machine.
Today, we're celebrating the Switch games of 2023 that bathed our eyeballs in liquid loveliness, the best-looking Switch games in a year that saw the release of software that pushed the system to — and beyond — its absolute limit.
Some of the games below may be available elsewhere at super-duper resolutions, but in our opinion they look just as splendid on Nintendo's humble hardware, with no compromises necessary for them to shine just as brightly on Switch, even at a 'measly' 720p.
So, let's take a look — in no particular order — at our 13 picks for the best-looking Switch games of 2023, a feel free to let us know your favourite visual treats of the year in the comments!
Dordogne (Switch eShop)
Performance might not be perfect with this port, but the watercolour world of Dordogne was one of the most arresting treats on Switch this year. The painterly style looks sensational on the TV, but also sings on the handheld screen — particularly if you've got a Switch OLED.
A Space for the Unbound (Switch eShop)
A Space for the Unbound's beautiful pixel art will make '90s Indonesia feel like home to everyone who plays this game. Gorgeous cutscenes, environments, and colour palettes lend themselves beautifully to the nostalgic magical realism the game is going for. And despite releasing in January, the game's look has stuck with us all year long.
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Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)
It was one of the biggest releases of the year, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder's irrepressible verve and energy helped blast it to the podiums on our personal 2D Mario lists. Much has been made of the animation, and rightly so — we very much enjoyed the 'New' series, but we can't help but think their characters and worlds will feel frustratingly drab and static when we revisit them. A wonder, indeed.
Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)
The facelift Metroid Prime received in this Remaster just reinforces how impressive Retro Studios' work was back in 2002. That it doesn't look out of place in Nintendo's 2023 lineup might be taken as an indictment of the company's technical approach with its systems, but really it's the timelessness of original art design that makes this two-decade-old marvel feel as fresh as the day it launched.
The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo (Switch eShop)
This surreal point-and-click was short, and not entirely sweet from a technical perspective, but Nacho Rodríguez's spectacular animation in The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo made a huge impression from the moment we laid eyes on it. The gameplay experience itself can be obtuse and rough around the edges, but as Roland said of the captivating loading animation in our review, "although [loading screens] can sometimes be intrusive, we almost wanted more." A spectacularly attractive adventure.
Pikmin 4 (Switch)
It was a long time coming, but Pikmin 4 was well worth the wait. Despite being a little light on the challenge side, this quickly shot up the list of the best games in the series and it is undoubtedly the best looking. The way that light catches the water, the long views across the larger-than-life dioramas and let's not forget the Pikmin themselves. Everything in this warm hug of a game is just as gorgeous as we had hoped.
![Pikmin 4 [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/24172/100x100.png)
Sea of Stars (Switch eShop)
Sabotage blinds you with the beauty of its pixel art to such an extent that it makes you suspicious. This game can't possibly play as good as it looks... can it? Yes, it can. Sea of Stars employs beautifully detailed pixel art to evoke classic 16-bit RPGs in a fashion that's every bit the equal of Square's patented HD-2D approach (which gets its own shoutout further down this list). It's sublime to behold. Most of us on staff have this game, and while not all of us have gotten around to completing it, nobody regrets a second of their time with it.
Super Mario RPG (Switch)
Comprehensively upgrading every last aspect of the original, and clarifying things to the point of revelation, Super Mario RPG is a masterclass in sensitively revisiting a treasure and polishing it to a gleam. It would have been so easy to get it 'wrong', and with such a passionate fanbase, we would have heard no end of complaints if developer ArtePiazza had erred in its interpretation of those 16-bit sprites in the slightest. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Just lovely.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
We could discuss the technical merits of Tears of the Kingdom all day, but let's not forget just how good Link's latest looks while doing it. The watercolour-y cel-shaded look of Breath of the Wild wasn't messed with too much for the sequel, but with the addition of the gorgeous Sky Islands and darker-than-dark Depths, the game is a visual marvel as well as a technical one.
Afterimage (Switch eShop)
The art in this Metroidvania which launched back in April was one of the game's highlights. The Switch version struggled to showcase it at its absolute best, especially in docked mode, but there's no denying that Afterimage was one of 2023's most attractive offerings, regardless.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Switch)
Blending 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds doesn't always work. but Square Enix and Gemdrops gave us a brand new twist on this blend with Star Ocean The Second Story R. Remaking a beloved classic is never easy, but this 2.5D style manages to mix the old and the new perfectly. And like with HD-2D, the real beauty and magic is all in the lighting. Whether you've played the PS1 original (or PSP remake) or not, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is magical to look at.
Chants of Sennaar (Switch eShop)
While some of its language-translating puzzles could have done with a little more signposting, there's no denying that Chants of Sennaar is a stunner to look at. Each floor of the central Babel-inspired structure has its own bright palette and the changing camera angle in each room keeps things feeling fresh and interesting as you search for clues. It's a head-scratcher at times, but at least it's pretty on the eyes.
Octopath Traveler II (Switch)
HD-2D isn't a new concept at this stage, but somehow, it keeps looking better and better with each game that uses it. And Octopath Traveler II is the peak of this visual style. The Audacious boss sprites and stunning 3D environments full of detail are just the tip of the iceberg, as where this sequel really improves on its predecessor is in the lighting, highlighting each pixel it shines upon like a glistening pile of leaves. We could easily play a new HD-2D game every single year.
Think we've overlooked something jaw-dropping? Share the love down below and let us all bask in the beauty this holiday season.
Comments 32
These games are all on my list! TotK and SMBW were stunning, can't wait to get Sea of Stars!
I love the Zoolander reference.
Bayonetta Origins deserves a spot on this, gorgeous looking game
Am I the only one that feels nauseous looking at the star ocean game? I really don't think the HD-2D and realistic backgrounds blended well at all. But then some of the aberration in Octopath Travellers (note not played II) HD-2D made me nauseous too. Perhaps the style in general isn't for me.
Metroid is definitely best looking game on this list for sure for me.
@larryisaman +1 for Bayonetta Origins.
Banjo Kazooie looks better.
In the eye of the beholder.
I'd like to throw in DREDGE if I may. Nice looking game with a very cool art style
@XenoShaun Yeah, I’ve never been a fan of the blending of 2D pixel art and the realistic backgrounds.
@XenoShaun
SO2R has some spectacular spots.
Try the demo.
@XenoShaun @larryisaman I third Bayonetta Origins - such a gorgeous game. I would put it near the top of the list of these games. I feel like the whole world forgot about it after three days which is a real pity... one of the most underrated games of the year.
I'm at that stage of over consumption where I don't even know if I've bought Afterimage or not. I might have.
@tatanga I have tried the demo, and am sure there are some brilliant looking parts. But it made me feel unwell after about 20 minutes. Maybe it's something to do with how the colours blend or something but it really messes with my motion sickness. Use to have no problems like this in my youth, ah well.
I was pretty happy with Fire Emblem Engage. Gorgeous cutscenes, pretty high-quality visuals in battles, a vibrant color palette... even if you don't like the character designs, it is still a very pretty game.
I also feel like XC3: Future Redeemed deserves recognition, even if it's not a retail release. It looks as good or better than the base release, which was arguably the most technically accomplished title on the system.
@gcunit I share your confusion! I’ve bought games, not even played them and then are pleasantly surprised when I see it in my library 😂
Never likes 2d3d graphics… star oceans included.
Metroid is incredible. I hope the remake prime 2.
@MattAllsopp Sire! I bring news from the depths of my email account - I do indeed have Afterimage! Rejoice in its beauty (still inside the shrink wrap)!
@gcunit Ha ha, what joyous news!!!! 😂👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Look, Zelda is great and stuff, but really, it still looks like 2017...
Star Ocean The Second Story R is a really beautiful game, but I was thoroughly disappointed how people hyped up the fact that the game took place on multiple planets, but they ended up looking exactly the same.
They Always Run looks beautiful, I'll throw that one in the mix
Afterimage is definitely a great looking game and it played fine when I put in over 75 hours.
Souldiers looks great even if it struggles on Switch.
Ori game should be in there too.
Agreed that Bayonetta Origins certainly deserves a place on that list.
Tears of the Kingdom on the otherhand ... does have really beautiful and even dreamy locations, now... It also has some really poor settings ... I'm doing the Gerudo main quest for example, the desert has absolutely nothing beautiful about it.
I wouldn't highlight it as one of the most good-looking Switch games. Not that it's not a great game, let's be honest.
@TenEighty It's indeed a beautiful looking game to this day.
Zelda is probably the one game on Switch this year that had me taking screencaps just for the beauty of it.
Pikmin 4, Mario Wonder, and Metroid Prime are definite lookers, too. Maybe the Super Mario RPG looks better in motion, because my thoughts on seeing the reveal trailer was that it looked like a low-budget, low-effort remake. (Especially when compared to Paper Mario TTYD.)
@XenoShaun You aren't the only one. I don't care for it either. The 3d environments look drab at times and because it's 3d and so up close, the pixels look like a pixel mess super zoomed in.
Beautiful looking games indeed. Zelda is from another planet.
I want to highlight THE THREE RPGs of the year: Sea of Stars, Octopath Traveler 2 and Star Ocean 2nd. All three look incredible, and are also amazing games. We fans of JRPGs are having a blast lately!
is impressive 20 years later, Metroid Prime still look so good
What about Anonymous;Code, Archetype Arcadia, Atelier Ryza 3, Crymachina, Loop8, Master Detective Archives or One?
@Zaruboggan Agreed. I was baffled by the amount of praise for Super Mario RPG's graphical style. It almost felt like people made it out to be that making a faithful remake takes more effort than attempting to retool things, which can't be true.
If we could get Metroid Prime 2 with remastered graphics (and small QOL improvements like one got), that would be amazing. Easily the best Metroid game IMO and the dark atmosphere of Planet Aether would look so cool. Might as well do MP3 as well, best boss fights in the trilogy.
I just finished playing Little Goody Two Shoes which would have to be up there this year for me as far as art styles go.
Cmonn why no Pokémon Violet dlc? Those graphics beat the series x by far
Great list and in this case they are 100% all games I want to eventually play if I haven't already done so or currently doing it!
By the way, some great suggestions in the comments - the best one definitely being Bayonetta Origins based on what I've seen of it -, too!
FE Engage, Bayo Origins and Future Redeemed should be on this list, instead of some of those niche titles.
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