40. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 20th Sep 2019 (USA) / 20th Sep 2019 (UK/EU)

This beautiful Switch remake of the classic Game Boy entry rebuilds everything from the ground up. On top of the beautiful new art style, it added modern conveniences, a dungeon creator, amiibo support, and lots of little quality-of-life improvements whilst infusing every single square inch of Koholint – every secret passage, Piranha, Pokey and Pig Warrior – with a level of detail and depth that totally reinvigorated both its timeless story and classic Zelda gameplay for a whole new generation of gamers.

If there's anything holding The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening back, some minor frame rate issues might prove jarring for some players. Others may not even notice, but if you're sensitive to dropped frames it's possible you'll find yourself distracted from the otherwise absorbing gameplay. It's a little thing, but with the heritage of technical wizardry behind the Game Boy original, it is a noticeable chink in this game's otherwise glistening armour.

39. Astral Chain (Switch)

Astral Chain (Switch)
Astral Chain (Switch)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: PlatinumGames
Release Date: 30th Aug 2019 (USA) / 30th Aug 2019 (UK/EU)

With its amazing visuals, fantastic presentation, varied gameplay and deep, rewarding combat, Astral Chain is one of PlatinumGames' most accomplished titles. It mixes detective work with exhilarating battle sequences that are inventive, challenging and – perhaps most importantly – breathtakingly cool. The complexity of the game's myriad systems may prove intimidating for some players, but the inclusion of a co-op play and the ability to automate many of the mechanics via the 'Unchained' mode means that even complete newcomers can still enjoy the ride. Astral Chain isn't just one of the Switch's stand-out hits, it's one of Platinum's best video games.

38. A Short Hike (Switch eShop)

A Short Hike (Switch eShop)
A Short Hike (Switch eShop)
Publisher: Whippoorwill / Developer: Adam Robinson-Yu
Release Date: 18th Aug 2020 (USA) / 18th Aug 2020 (UK/EU)

A Short Hike is a fat-free experience from top to bottom – or should we say bottom to top? It's the kind of game that makes us just sigh with happiness when we recall our time with it, and even having played it through to its ostensible conclusion multiple times, we know for a fact there are still things to see and do on that mountain. What we have here is something of an apotheosis – a milestone in indie games akin to Cave Story, or Spelunky. The very best bits of multiple game genres, stripped of all padding and bloat, mixed perfectly into a delicious video game stew that only gets richer and richer the more you play. An exploration in every sense of the word, A Short Hike is cute without being twee, challenging without being obnoxious, and emotional without being cloying. A landmark game for all ages. Don't miss this one.

37. TRIANGLE STRATEGY (Switch)

TRIANGLE STRATEGY (Switch)
TRIANGLE STRATEGY (Switch)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: 4th Mar 2022 (USA) / 4th Mar 2022 (UK/EU)

Triangle Strategy is an absolute triumph for Artdink and Square Enix, a fantastic mix of satisfyingly strategic battles, an excellent choice-driven campaign narrative and top-notch world-building, all of which come together to form one of the finest tactical RPGs we've played in a very long time. There's an absolute ton of content here, with a huge story featuring multiple paths to take depending on the choices you make and several properly impactful endings to enjoy on return visits. Serenoa Wollfort's epic journey is a joy from start to finish, a grand and ambitious adventure that stands proud as one of the very finest examples of its genre on Switch.

36. Portal: Companion Collection (Switch eShop)

Portal: Companion Collection (Switch eShop)
Portal: Companion Collection (Switch eShop)
Publisher: Valve Corporation / Developer: Valve
Release Date: 28th Jun 2022 (USA) / 28th Jun 2022 (UK/EU)

It's hard to overstate our satisfaction with Portal: Companion Collection. Portal and Portal 2 felt incredibly fresh when they first released, and the years since have not diminished their immense impact. To now have two of the most unique and mind-bending puzzle games on a Nintendo console, and on-the-go if you choose, is a pure joy. If it weren't for the frequent load screens punctuating the experience, we'd have absolutely nothing to complain about here. The motion controls work like a dream, the games run at a near-rock-solid 60fps, you've got local co-op play available at the drop of a hat, and the writing remains as funny now as it did all those years ago. If you haven't played the Portal games before, this should be a no-brainer. If you have... well, just play them again.

35. Bayonetta 2 (Switch)

Bayonetta 2 (Switch)
Bayonetta 2 (Switch)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: PlatinumGames
Release Date: 16th Feb 2018 (USA) / 16th Feb 2018 (UK/EU)

Despite coming from the previous generation, Bayonetta 2 shines brightest on Nintendo Switch. It runs without a hitch at 60fps, looks incredible in both TV and tabletop modes, and offers an addictive free-flowing combat formula that sprinkles in platforming, light exploration and a ridiculous story to create something that you simply need to experience. If you’ve never played it before, you’re in for a treat. If you’ve already played it, it’s even more bewitching as a handheld gem.

34. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Switch eShop)

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Switch eShop)
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Switch eShop)
Publisher: Yacht Club Games / Developer: Yacht Club Games
Release Date: 3rd Mar 2017 (USA) / 3rd Mar 2017 (UK/EU)

Shovel Knight was excellent in vanilla form, but Treasure Trove includes absolutely everything that developer Yacht Club has created for the game since its Kickstarter success back in 2013. That includes the extra campaigns Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment and the more recent King of Cards, plus multiplayer brawler Showdown which further increases the attractiveness of an already incredibly compelling package. These games are fantastic odes to the glory days of 8-bit(+) platforming, and having the complete Shovel Knight experience in one spot makes this a must-have for Switch owners - especially those that have so far failed to dig into this game and its add-ons. Strike the earth!

33. Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch)

Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch)
Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 30th Oct 2020 (USA) / 30th Oct 2020 (UK/EU)

Visually, Pikmin 3 Deluxe doesn't push the boat out much further than the original Wii U version did. Where its changes lie are in its revamped control system and the addition of a new Side Stories mode. Neither are necessarily transformative enough to warrant double dipping if you're perfectly happy with your Wii U copy, but if you're one of the vast majority who don't have a Wii U copy, this Switch update is unquestionably the best way to play it.

32. Stardew Valley (Switch eShop)

Stardew Valley (Switch eShop)
Stardew Valley (Switch eShop)
Publisher: ConcernedApe / Developer: ConcernedApe
Release Date: 5th Oct 2017 (USA) / 5th Oct 2017 (UK/EU)

Stardew Valley offers its players a chance to live a second life – one where you can forget the troubles of the real world and get excited over finding a particularly rare carrot. It is a truly magical experience; games can often be enjoyable but they don’t all manage to be as captivating as this. This is the sort of game that ideally requires a significant amount of time to be invested; the enjoyment doesn’t necessarily come from the day-to-day actions you perform, but rather from the general growth of pride, satisfaction, and sense of security as the days go by. Fans of games such as Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing will be right at home here and, for those who aren’t, there is a decent chance this game might just surprise you.

31. Splatoon 3 (Switch)

Splatoon 3 (Switch)
Splatoon 3 (Switch)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 9th Sep 2022 (USA) / 9th Sep 2022 (UK/EU)

Splatoon 3 is more of the same, but refined to borderline mechanical perfection. It's the most fun we’ve had with an online shooter in years, and for series veterans it makes Splatoon 2 feel entirely redundant for all but its unique single-player content. It feels like the development team has solved every problem the Splatoon community was bleating on about, and then fixed some more that we didn’t even realise were problems until they were fixed. There's nothing revolutionary about it compared to its predecessors, and it's perhaps missing a Big New Idea™ that you might expect after five years, but Splatoon 3 is the pinnacle of the series, and the pinnacle of shooters on Switch.