Cuphead (Switch eShop)

The sheer surprise that this game ended up on Nintendo's console at all caught us off guard, but the fact that the Switch version proudly stands toe-to-toe with the Xbox One and PC versions is a triumph for StudioMDHR and a win for Switch owners everywhere. Even if you're not a run-and-gun fan, the incredible style of Cuphead will likely pull you though the challenges the game throws at you.

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Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Switch eShop)

Similar to the lovely Ori and the Blind Forest, its sequel was another unexpected Xbox exclusive we were lucky enough to see arrive on Switch. The port of Ori and the Will of the Wisps really is something to behold on Nintendo's console. Incredibly, it retains the visual splendour of its Xbox One counterpart, with an enchanting art style and wonderful animation work. Moon Studios' achievements in getting this fantastic game running on Switch — and at 60fps, too — make it one of the most miraculous Switch ports we've seen.

Forgotton Anne (Switch eShop)

Last time we mention Ghibli, honest. A fine puzzle-platformer, Forgotton Anne tells a beautiful, fanciful story with an incredible attention to detail across the board, and with art that really feels like an interactive, 'living' anime adventure. We called it "an evocative, artistic triumph" in our review, and Throughline Games' journey through The Forgotten Lanes is one that sticks in our minds to this day.

Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)

Unlike Super Mario Odyssey, Paper Mario: The Origami King is a visually-coherent game with a singular art direction that highlights just what you can do on the most modest hardware if you've got the chops. Yes, a little HDR or some raytracing might make things look even lovelier, but the papercraft aesthetic here is already to die for.

The brightest, most colourful game on the system is shot through with an astonishing attention to detail — the mixture of paper styles, the framework of pins underlying the crafty façade, the animation, the lighting, the water — that leaves you wondering exactly how this would look better running on a machine with double-digit teraflops. The Origami King is worth investigating even if you prefer traditional platforming in your Mario games — it's an utter treat for the eyeballs.

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (Switch)

As promised, we're not going to mention a certain famed Japanese animation studio again; we'll just leave this entry for Ni no Kuni II here and point towards its gorgeous, colourful anime art style, its whimsical, poignant narrative, and incredibly impressive overall presentation on Switch. As we said in our review, it's a "a sumptuously crafted adventure", and a real looker.

Eastward (Switch eShop)

The game might suffer from some light pacing issues in places, but Eastward boasts not only a heartwarming story and fantastic dungeon segments, but also incredible pixel art that manages to breathe life into a style that's been in danger of inducing yawns for a some time now. The attention to detail here is what really sets it apart from your Common or Garden Indie Pixel Game, and highlights just how much potential there still is to innovate through sheer excellence. Absolutely lovely.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)

We remember the first time we caught sight of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It looked fine, but there was a part of us that thought it resembled an up-rezzed version of 3DS entry New Leaf. As more information surfaced and we got a better look at the game, those thoughts began to vanish.

Years later, after playing the game for an unhealthy amount of time, we're still constantly ogling incredible vistas or admiring little details and animations and hitting the capture button to snap screenshots of something beautiful. Whether it's the early morning light of a sunrise illuminating the sky, the glistening of a fish's eye or the edible delights of a piece of fruit (does any developer do fruit better than Nintendo?!), New Horizons is an absolute joy.

Pikmin 4 (Switch)

Pikmin 4 is a sumptuous strategy adventure that serves up tons of fun for returning fans of the franchise whilst also adding lots to entice new players into giving it a try. It's also incredible to look at, and is easily one of the prettiest games you can play on Switch today. The water alone is worth the price of admission, but every single environment is bright, colourful, and incredibly detailed. And don't lie to us and that the fruit doesn't look amazing, because it just does. You can see the fuzz on the peach...

Mario Party Superstars (Switch)

What a way to look back at this franchise's history. Mario Party Superstars is the best-looking party game on Switch by a mile — updating some of our favourite boards and minigames with fantastic detail and stunning character models. The colours explode on your screen, and everything looks really shiny and polished. Even two years after its release, it's hard to argue that Mario Party Superstars is the most colourful game on the Switch, and it still looks stunning today.

Spiritfarer (Switch eShop)

Spiritfarer's beautiful visuals are evocative of the game's gorgeous, heartbreaking, and emotional story. Fantastical environments and lovely hand-drawn character models draw you into an enchanting world where you must grant the dying their very last wish before sending them to the afterlife. Even through tears, you'll be marvelling at the visuals — they might make you well up alone.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch)

What a delight Kirby's first true foray into 3D turned out to be — and we're not just talking about the game itself. Kirby and the Forgotten Land throughs wonderful visual variety at you, along with some adorable-looking enemies and delectable-looking food. You can see every single blade of grass and every fibre of fur and fluff as you explore the kaleidoscopic world of the Forgotten Land.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Switch)

With Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Ubisoft Milan has gone one giant leap ahead visually. Moving the action to space means an explosion of unusual biomes and colours. You'll visit watery lands where the sea cascades off the side of the planet, while tundra-covered plains await in another location. Kingdom Battle still looks phenomenal, but the variety in Sparks of Hope cannot be understated.

Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch)

Now this is how you do a remaster. Metroid Prime was already one of the best-looking games on the GameCube, and Retro Studios has somehow managed to make a 20-year-old game look as though it hasn't aged a day. New lighting technology, redone textures, and more visible details are immediately apparent, but as you get to explore Tallon IV, and when you see the rain falling around Samus, it really starts to sink in. It's an incredibly faithful remaster, but also an incredible one — Metroid Prime Remastered is easily one of the best-looking games on the Switch.

Sea of Stars (Switch eShop)

Sabotage's incredible follow-up to The Messenger is an absolute stunner and a masterclass in how to use pixel art. From its fluid character animations to the beautiful backgrounds, Sea of Stars looks like it was ripped right out of your Super Nintendo-fuelled childhood and is a dream to look at. The environments are bursting with colour, and playing it on an OLED only serves to enhance the magic. As cliche as it is to say, it looks just like you remember SNES games looking as a kid, and it fuels our nostalgic hearts. Sea of Stars is one of the best-looking pixel art games of the generation, and it runs beautifully on Switch, too.


Yeah, but come on, we all know gameplay>grafx! Where's the gameplay list? Well, that's pretty much every other list, so give us this one to drool over some lovely visuals, hmm? It's odd how the word 'visuals' has eclipsed the old-school term 'graphics' - you don't see the latter much any more, perhaps because it recalls embarrassing arguments and comments we've made in the dim and distant past that we'd rather forget?

Let us know your theories as to why 'visuals' usurped 'graphics', and tell us which Switch games you think are really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking with a comment in the usual place. This is a fluid list and we're more than happy to add worthy candidates if there's something we've overlooked.

This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the Best Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the Best Switch Racing Games, the Best Switch Action-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games, the Best Free Switch Games, the Best Remakes And Remasters, the Best Switch Music And Rhythm Games, Best Feel-Good Switch Games, Best Switch Open-World Games, Best Switch Soulslike Games, Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games, and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Twin-Stick Shooters, Visual Novels, Kart Racers, Fighting Games, Football Games, Funny Games, Golf Games, 'Walking Sims' And Narrative Games, Switch Games For Lovers And Lonely Hearts, Detective Games, Hidden Gems, 2D Platformers, 3D Platformers, Puzzle Platformers, Tabletop Mode Games, Run and Gun Games, LEGO Games, Sports Games, Survival Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Camera Games, Chill Games, Family Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Short Games, Card Games and Deck-Builders, and Life Sims And Farming Games.

Still hungry for more? Elsewhere we look at Wholesome Games, TATE Mode Games, Flight Sim and Space Combat, Point and Click Adventure Games, and the Best Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Archives Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch, plus the Best Switch Ports, Best Wii U-To-Switch Ports, Best Switch Collections And Compilations, Best Cheap Switch Games, Best Switch Demos, Games That Are Better On Switch OLED, Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50, and Switch games with the Best Soundtracks and the Best Graphics. Phew!

If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best GBC Games, Best GBA Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best NES Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, Best GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, and Best Wii U Games, as well as Every Available Nintendo Switch Online Retro Game, and ranked lists of Every Nintendo Switch Online NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game.