Best Mech Games on Nintendo Switch
Image: Nintendo Life

What's the ultimate power fantasy for you? If it's getting inside a robot and delivering a metallic, explosive world of pain to your enemies, then you're probably a mecha fan.

From Gundam to Evangelion, mecha have been hugely popular in culture — particularly in anime — for years. And mech video games have followed suit, capturing every kid's desire of climbing inside a robot and piloting it to your heart's content.

With Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon launching on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, us Switch owners have been feeling a bit left out — so we've rummaged through our digital libraries, eShop wishlists, and shelves to make sure you're not missing out on the best mech games the genre has to offer on the little hybrid.

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As for what a "mech" game is, we're considering anything where you either command or pilot a mech — a humanoid-type robot — as a mech game. And in a few instances, riding inside that mech isn't the only thing you do.

With that out of the way — "get in the list, readers!"

Daemon X Machina (Switch)

At its core Daemon X Machina is a solid mech action game that controls well and gives the player a generous helping of customisation options. Its mission structure can get repetitive, and its plot is so difficult to grasp it may as well be soaked in grease, but as long as you’re willing to put up with these and get through its initially bewildering array of gauges and icons you should have a good time with it.

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Daemon X Machina
Daemon X Machina

Megaton Musashi (Switch)

Megaton Musashi has a lot going for it, but there’s certainly a lot of room for improvement. The relatively disposable narrative is merely a lightweight obstacle in the way of the real fun found here: battling enemies and then tinkering with your rogue, the latter of which is the game’s primary attraction. It is a disproportionately excellent attraction, which makes the rest of the game’s issues secondary. This is definitely a worthwhile, if flawed, import with style to spare. We'd welcome an official, localised release in the West despite the game's issues; after all, Switch needs all the ammo it can get as it moves into its fifth year.

Megaton Musashi
Megaton Musashi

War Tech Fighters (Switch eShop)

War Tech Fighters does exhibit a few rough spots here and there, but it is undeniable that it ticks all the right boxes for any self-respecting mecha fan. If you're after a fast and exciting robot-based space shooter and don't mind long loading times and the odd awkward menu system, then this is worth a look.

SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays (Switch)

SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays offers months of content in an accessible, user-friendly package that will reward players who like to tinker with squad micro-management but will also let newcomers to the series enjoy the pyrotechnics display from each engagement. The amount of fanservice (we're talking the good, wholesome variety here) is staggering and more than worth the admission price. To those who love strategy RPGs and have already exhausted all the usual suspects, we offer this advice: Cross Rays might just be the best game of this type on Switch that you've never heard of. It's a fitting 40th-anniversary celebration of the entire saga.

SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays (Multi-Language)
SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays (Multi-Language)

Override: Mech City Brawl - Super Charged Mega Edition (Switch eShop)

Ported to the Switch in 2019, Override: Mech City Brawl is a solid experience. Any graphical downgrade isn’t noticeable in handheld mode, and the action of the game distracts from anything that would stand out. Single-player and local multiplayer can provide hours of fun, but online multiplayer lets the game down massively. Even without cross-play, this is still a neat little title — and the Switch version comes with additional content such as new maps and mechs.

Panzer Paladin (Switch eShop)

Panzer Paladin is a retro throwback game that has heart, and even when there are a few minor niggles, that heart goes a long, long way. If you're into classic pixel art games and 2D mech titles, you should really give this a try; Panzer Paladin is an unpretentious, exuberant action game from start to finish, and a must for genre fans.

Hardcore Mecha (Switch)

Hardcore Mecha is a superb 2D side-scrolling adventure that marries some spectacularly OTT anime storytelling with explosively satisfying robot combat. There's a surprisingly meaty story here set across eighteen wonderfully varied levels with plenty of depth to RPG elements allowing you to customise your mech's attack and defence capabilities. An unlockable survival mode, online PvP, local multiplayer and mission rankings also add plenty of replayability to proceedings. If you're after a run and gun with some hardcore mech action, look no further.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Switch)

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a wonderful achievement for dynamic storytelling, as it puts forth a compelling and multifaceted narrative that’ll keep you guessing right up until the very end. This excellent story, combined with enjoyable RTS mecha combat portions, a striking art style, and some top-notch voice acting make for an experience that you won’t want to miss out on. It’s the kind of game that’ll have you wishing that you could play it again for the first time, just so all its best elements could be new again.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Into The Breach (Switch eShop)

Into The Breach is a brutal, uncompromising game of making hard decisions and living with your mistakes, but the short length of battles and endless variety of playthroughs make for an extremely addictive experience. The gameplay is some of the very best you’ll find in the strategy genre on Switch, and we can easily recommend this to anybody who’s looking for an in-depth game that’ll make you think. Into The Breach feels right at home on the Switch, and whether you play more at home or on the go, you’re more than likely to get plenty of value out of this release.

Into the Breach
Into the Breach

Chained Echoes (Switch eShop)

Chained Echoes is a wonderful mash-up of '90s JRPG tropes, masterfully woven together to produce an experience that feels simultaneously nostalgic and fresh — particularly with those customisable mechs that you can ride around the world and battle enemies with. A well-paced story, unconventional progression system, tactical combat system, and expansive world all come together to make for a game that is shockingly one of the very best RPGs on the Switch. Really, there’s no place where it feels like Chained Echoes drops the ball, which is all the more impressive when you consider that the vast majority of it was put together by one person. If you consider yourself a fan of JRPGs, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up as soon as possible.

Super Robot Wars T (Switch)

Super Robot Wars T will appeal to fans of every part of the package and at every level. Tactical RPG genre fans can have a great time and mecha fans are equally well-served. The game boasts a lengthy and engaging campaign with branching paths that make it worth playing through more than once, and the clear divide into distinct chapters makes it easy to tackle in manageable chunks without having to swear to devote all of your attention to it to the exclusion of all else. The fact that it has an English-language option out of the box is the icing on the cake; import this one as soon as possible if you like what you see here.

Assault Suits Valken Declassified (Switch eShop)

It might not be perfect, but if you have any affection for mecha and anime culture, classic action gaming, or shooters and run ‘n’ guns, Assault Suits Valken Declassified is very much worth strapping yourself into. The odd quirk aside, it's a very well-thought-through creation, defined by tight controls and movement, tidy level design, and a bounty of ideas. And then there's all those lovely archive materials. Tread carefully, though. This mecha is a beast.

Have we missed out on your favourite mech game? have you played any of these on our list and enjoyed them? Send us your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.