Now that the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been announced by Nintendo after years of murmurs and rumors, fans of the developer are beginning to reflect on the incredible catalog of games that were released for the original system. The majority of the time, it can be easy to presume a Nintendo game will be hitting a home run in quality, and it’s fair to say they’ve proven that this is usually the case. Hype hasn’t always been as apparent for some games though, yet despite doubts, there were a fair few that ended up being some of the best on the entire console.

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The Switch has amassed a formidable collection of amazing games over its lengthy eight-year run, but nobody expected these games in particular to be this good, though they certainly came as pleasant surprises. These are the Switch titles that blew away all expectations; going above and beyond to provide a great experience for players to jump into.

7

Astral Chain

A Fast-Paced Action Thrillride That Showed Up Out Of Nowhere

Systems

When the reveal trailer for Astral Chain dropped in early 2019, it did a fairly poor job of standing out among the slew of action games that were being released at the time. Being able to control a mech-like entity, alongside the main character, looked very cool to pull off, but questions of how fun and fluid it would actually be in-action made people cautiously optimistic.

Thankfully, once people were able to get their hands on the game, it became clear Platinum Games had cooked up another incredible hack n’ slash experience that was pushing the boundaries of how movement could be used within action games. What really pushed Astral Chain past the fairly low expectations was the addition of the Legions, and how viable they are to use in combat, especially once players find the one suited most to their playstyle.

6

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

What Seemed Like A Goofy Collaboration Turned Out To Be A Surprisingly Addictive Strategy Game

Systems

Released

August 29, 2017

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Milan, Ubisoft Paris

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

A collaboration between Ubisoft’s Rabbids and Nintendo’s Mario franchise might just be the most bizarre idea in video game history, or at least one of them. When Yves Guillemot and Shigeru Miyamoto took to the E3 stage in 2017, each equipped with toy blasters, it was easier to feel confused rather than excited.

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This is why it came as such a shocking surprise when Kingdom Battle released to widespread acclaim, with reviews praising its tactical strategy gameplay, fun soundtrack, and quirky visuals. Each character having their own unique abilities, paired with the plethora of movement options, makes the gameplay a lot more engaging than would be expected from a game that was seemingly born out of randomness.

5

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Three Houses Set A New Bar For The Fire Emblem Franchise

Systems

Released

July 26, 2019

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

After Fire Emblem Awakening revived the series and ushered it into the mainstream, the next few games followed the same sort of formula of turn-based tactical gameplay, paired with interactions outside the combat to keep the story moving. As a result, many fans presumed Three Houses would follow the same kind of gameplay loop, but Intelligent Systems managed to expand the entire experience by adding an entire explorable area in the Monastery.

By having a fully realized environment where players can interact with their students, it allows the relationships to feel a lot more natural and satisfying, especially when combined with the intense perma-death combat sections. In previous Fire Emblem games, bonds between characters would only be improved through on-screen dialogue prompts, so the Monastery was an addition that ended up enhancing the experience more than anyone could have anticipated.

4

Triangle Strategy

Triangle Strategy Ended Up Being A Lot Deeper In Its Mechanics Than Many People Expected

Systems

Released

March 4, 2022

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Triangle Strategy was only shown off here and there during a few Nintendo Directs leading up to its release, and while the game seemed promising, little did people know it would end up being one of the best retro JRPGs in the last few years. While the trailers showed off a choice mechanic, what it didn’t reveal is how meaningful these decisions actually are in the story. Players can even talk with their comrades beforehand to build their individual relationships when making a tough call which could tip the balance of power in the world.

At the core of the game is the turn-based combat, which, while a little tricky to get used to, is an immensely satisfying system that merges Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics into one. Considering Octopath Traveler was seen as a promising game with its fair share of flaws, fans tried to keep their expectations in check for Triangle Strategy, so it came as a real treat for JRPG fans when the game ended up being as incredible as it is.

3

Splatoon 3

Nobody Knew They Needed Splatoon 3 Until It Released

Systems

Released

September 9, 2022

Developer(s)

Nintendo

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Nintendo has been pretty relentless with the Splatoon releases over the last few years. What seemed like it was going to be a one-off multiplayer ‘shooter’ turned out to be an entire trilogy, but due to the second game already feeling like such a perfect multiplayer experience, many fans were wondering whether this game was needed.

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However, thanks to new movement mechanics such as the Squid Surge and Squid Roll, along with a plethora of new quirky weapons to test out, the game has been recognized as a surprisingly impressive entry, and to many, the best in the series. The addition of fun new maps, along with plenty of reworks to make the classics just a little more enjoyable, makes the multiplayer a ton of fun to jump into, especially with the amount of support it’s gotten post-launch.

2

Super Mario Maker 2

Mario Maker 2 Managed To Grant Even More Player Creativity With New Stages And Mechanics

Systems

Released

June 28, 2019

Developer(s)

Nintendo

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Super Mario Maker was a real game changer, allowing fans of the Mario games to live out their dreams of creating their own levels featuring all kinds of weird and whacky items, enemies, and platforming sections from the series’ past. It would be hard to imagine how a sequel could build upon a game which was rock solid at its core, so Nintendo decided to get a little experimental to provide even more building options for the sequel.

The main way they achieved this is by including the Super Mario 3D World stage, which automatically unlocks plenty of new tools to use, such as the Warp or ‘!’ boxes, which can be interesting gimmicks to toss to spice up a level. The online functionality also turned out to be much faster and easier to use, with a massive community flocking around the game soon after it was released to share their original content.

1

The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Tears Of The Kingdom Turned Out To Be Much More Than A BOTW Clone

Systems

Released

May 12, 2023

Developer(s)

Nintendo

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

There’s no doubt that hype was at an all-time high when the Breath of the Wild sequel was announced, but some fans did have some doubts, primarily due to the setting and gameplay seemingly being the same as before. Despite that, more of the same wouldn’t really have been a bad thing anyways, but Tears of the Kingdom truly went above and beyond to stand on its own as something truly fresh and unique.

A lot of this is due to the Fuse mechanic, which allows players to merge items together to create platforms, weapons, shelters, or even vehicles with anything they find lying around Hyrule. This entirely changes how the game plays; expanding the freedom of the sandbox more than anyone could have imagined. Speaking of Hyrule, the addition of the Sky Islands also played a big part in helping to make the game feel different; giving players more ways to get around, alongside plenty of new lore to uncover at their own pace. A game which, somehow, managed to surpass the expectations of even the most excited fans.

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