Despite its advancing years, Nintendo's hybrid handheld showed that it wasn't going quietly into that good night in 2024, at least where great games were concerned.
Nintendo's first-party output was mainly helmed by partner studios in 2024. with plenty of HD remakes and remasters in the mix. However, Switch did play host to a solo extravaganza from Princess Toadstool, an unexpected new chapter in the Famicom Detective Club series, a shiny new Mario & Luigi entry, yet another Mario Party, and a brand-new top-down Zelda. Not bad for a system in its eighth year with a much-talked-about successor eyeing its throne.
Throw in a trove of iconic indie and third-party gems and, even as studios making the games continue to struggle through uncertain times, anyone just playing the games had a pretty great year.
To celebrate the games, large and small, that moved us this year, we've compiled this list of the Top 50 best Switch games of 2024. So sit back, relax, and prepare to scroll through a bunch of the best, ranked for your pleasure.
Bakeru is a sweet, snappy, and satisfying linear 3D platformer that feels like a wonderful callback to a genre that doesn’t get a ton of representation these days.
It’s really easy (although the Western version ups the difficulty slightly) and has some performance problems, but the gameplay variety, snappy combat, oodles of collectibles, and gorgeous art style all come together to make for an adventure that you won’t want to miss out on.
With Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, there's a decade of gaming evolution here, including what is arguably the pinnacle of Capcom's fighting game craft. Perfectly preserved and presented, everything is beautifully formed and wonderful to play.
Assembled with real clarity, Capcom has thoroughly delivered the goods, from its ton of bonus features to its rollback netcode, with years' worth of combative nuance to explore, learn, and exact in the online arena. Oh, and don't just get it for Marvel vs. Capcom 2; everything is excellent here, but The Punisher, in particular, is awesome.
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is a cracking sequel that brings meaningful change to the series' core combat, adds rollback netcode and three strong new characters to an already enthralling roster, and all looks, sounds, and plays every bit as good as its dazzling predecessor.
Chronicle mode has been axed, and it's a shame it hasn't been replaced with something else, but this remains a top-notch effort, a deep and addictive anime fighter that should please long-time fans and interested newbies alike.
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley opens with a goodbye. As an outsider, Snufkin doesn’t hibernate with the Moomins and must wander lonelily through the ice. The prospect of a reunion in the spring sets up a bittersweet mood, sews a seed of hope that grows throughout the game, and kicks off a quest to restore everything to its rightful place. Accomplished gameplay design and magical sounds and visuals make the whole adventure a delight.
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure dares to be different, and it succeeds with aplomb. By interweaving a heartwarming and inclusive story with addictive gameplay, Furniture & Mattress teaches us that puzzle games can be more than just a vehicle for making the cogs in your brain turn.
If you’re looking for pure puzzling, then the game won’t be for you, but a simple story and simple gameplay loop are both elevated to new heights because of the thought and care that’s gone into them.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is the last of the Ace Attorney Switch remakes, but certainly not the least of them. Just make sure you're up-to-date on Ace Attorney 1-3 first, or you'll miss out on half the fun.
The first game doesn't quite feel up to par with the series' best, but Investigations 2 certainly does, and might even be one of our favourites. We'll hold it! (heh) in our hearts forever.
SaGa Emerald Beyond has a deep and satisfying combat system that gets its hooks into you from the jump. There's a lot of narrative content across its five adventures, as well as a diverse collection of characters, but very little that truly grips the attention.
Still, as ever with SaGa, fans are bound to love this one, and the combat is so rewarding that if you love tinkering, you might just fall for it too.
Pepper Grinder is a wonderfully inventive and fun platformer. Channelling the spirits of several retro dig-based games, it may have a runtime that feels a little too short, but this is ultimately a deeply enjoyable, challenging, and highly replayable game with lots of personality.
If any of that sounds interesting, we’d suggest you pick up Pepper Grinder at the next opportunity - and there's even a downloadable demo if you're on the fence.
We wish we liked Library of Ruina more than we do; its world and characters touch on clever themes and storytelling devices, but slapdash pacing coupled with sluggish, nerve-wracking menus makes playing on Switch an exercise in courting digital whiplash as you cycle between tight story beats and glacially-paced menus.
Unforgivable porting choices and grating performance issues make the most minuscule complaints much more severe thanks to the game’s long runtime and, in turn, kneecap a story that has so much going for it.
If this unending deluge of compounding problems somehow doesn’t bother you, Library of Ruina presents a spectacularly well-realised world and a memorable story whose characters will likely stick with you after the credits roll.
Freedom Planet 2 is an excellent achievement by GalaxyTrail, setting a high bar for quality that will be tough to beat if we’re ever lucky enough to get a 'Freedom Planet 3'. A compelling story, well-designed levels, tons of gameplay variety, and gorgeous visuals all come together to make this an absolute must-play for fans of high-speed platformers and a certain blue hedgehog. Freedom Planet 2 exudes quality and passion in just about every way imaginable.
FANTASIAN Neo Dimension is Hironobu Sakaguchi and Mistwalker at their boldest and bravest, culminating in a JRPG love letter that both delights and frustrates.
The stunning world and exploration are a true highlight, and the challenging and rewarding combat will enchant some, but it lacks some of the magic that the game is aiming for and the pacing is uneven. Normal difficulty makes things more accessible for the curious, but make no mistake, this is an RPG for those who want to lose themselves in the mechanics.
Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a game where charm meets challenge and a passion for Japanese culture is expressed with artistic flair. Its emphasis on platforming skill over exploration gives it a distinctive profile in the Metroidvania crowd and, while that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, for many, the appeal will blossom like the trees in Sakura City.
Monster Hunter Stories, like its sequel on Switch, has some issues on the hardware; in this case, the problems are more related to 3DS-era design hangovers and simplistic porting. Yet when you put these issues to the side, we still have a charming, enjoyable experience either for young gamers or young-at-heart RPG / Monster Hunter fans.
You can take or leave all that classic MH depth, and it won't take long to master the battle mechanics, but this is a game with enough silliness and earnest storytelling to deserve its second chance.
Little Kitty, Big City is an adorable adventure that will almost certainly turn you into a cat lover, if you're not one already. It oozes charm and the realistic cat animations are simply incredible, although for as fun as it is to wander about the city, the game leans heavily on fetch quests and gathering up collectibles, which can lead to repetition.
If you're someone who thrives on that kind of gameplay, however, then you'll have an absolute blast with this one.
Nintendo has been getting heat for the pricing of its recent Switch remasters, so to see Ubisoft's Beyond Good & Evil so lovingly restored for a reasonable price is a true joy.
The 20th Anniversary Edition boasts some lovely visual and auditory upgrades, an excellent gallery feature, and a whole bunch of meaningful extras that make this journey back into Hillys well worth taking.
Granted, the 30fps performance on Switch is a bit of a bummer compared to other platforms, and there's no denying that the experience has aged considerably in certain areas, but the gameplay is so varied, and the world so unique, that you'd be remiss not to at least give it a shot. Welcome back, 'Yade'.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the most unique-looking games you'll see on the Switch, and it's got the substance to back up the style. Channelling Nouvelle Vague cinematic inspiration into a surreal, disturbing adventure which sees the titular protagonist visit a padlock-and-puzzle-filled hotel, this game has a wicked sense of humour to go with its avant-garde stylings and brain-tickling conundrums.
Following on from developer Simogo's excellent Sayonara Wild Hearts, Lorelei's heavy emphasis on puzzles and its refusal to throw players a bone when they need help (it flags upfront that you'll need a pen and paper, and it isn't lying) may not be to everyone's tastes, but anyone up for a mental challenge in what's essentially an elaborate escape room will love it.
