10. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Mario & Sonic team up once again run, jump, swim and ride their way to the top of the podium. Featuring a veritable smorgasbord of minigames, the 6th entry in the series now includes a Tokyo 64 mode (1964 being the last time Tokyo hosted the Olympics), in which characters and maps are transported back to their 8/16 bit roots. It’s a nice, retro-themed addition that helps make this a must buy ahead of the Summer games next year!
9. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
If you’ve played any of the earlier entries in this series, The Black Order will feel very familiar, except this time all the action is team-based as you form a squad of four heroes to play in either solo or multiplayer combat. Now, there isn’t much in the way of a grand, arching narrative like we’ve seen through the MCU, rather a loose plot that allows for some awesome, mindless battles. But where it lacks in plot, it more than makes up for it with its character roster.
8. Crash Team Racing Nitro Fuelled
This remaster of the cult classic kart racer has managed to retain all of the charm and fun of the original CTR, making it a great game for local co-op or tearing up the leaderboards online. But this isn’t just cheap nostalgia bait, and developers Beenox has added more than a graphical update. Brand new unlockable kart parts, character skins and customisation items mean there’s even more incentive to be the fastest on the track.
7. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
This remake of the underrated Wii U title sees the titular ape at his side-scrolling best, with gorgeous animation coupled with satisfying if at times a little punishing gameplay. However, if you’re a fan of a more casual experience or just a bit crap, the brand new Funky mode lets you play as Donkey’s totally rad uncle Funky Kong, an experience which offers you more lives and greater resistance to damage. Proof that a surfboard can cure all of life’s ailments.
6. Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions
Based on the classic manga series, Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions looks to blend football with roleplaying and quintessential anime madness. It combines a solid sporting experience with enough charm and heart to really set itself apart from it’s more simulation-based counterparts. With local multiplayer for up to 4 players supported too, you can all share the over the top frivolity! Whether you’re a fan of the source material, or just discovering it for the first time, you’re sure to have a blast lacing up your vibrant, anime boots.
5. Overcooked 2
The original Overcooked was one of the first games to truly show off the multiplayer capabilities of the Switch, as you team up with friends to play as chefs scrambling to get orders out of the kitchen. Overcooked 2 is equally as entertaining, and fixes some of the kinks of its predecessor. Sure it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but when it comes from such a widely celebrated series, it really doesn’t need to. The ideal MO of a good sequel is ‘more but better’, and Overcooked 2 fulfils this with aplomb.
4. Diablo III: Eternal Collection
The standard when it comes to horror-themed dungeon crawlers, Diablo III should absolutely be on your radar. Although the package offers very little brand new aside from a Ganondorf armour set, it is objectively the most polished version of the game to date, making it well worth a pick up for old and new fans alike. A full local co-op mode accompanies the single-player experience, looking good in 720p and playing oh so buttery smooth.
3. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
For those joystick junkies who were let down by the slightly lukewarm Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers, this is the perfect remedy. Comprising of 12 classic releases from the flawed masterpiece that was the first Street Fighter to 1999’s Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, this is an absolutely essential purchase and is sure to even bring a smile to M. Bison’s face.
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The king of the kart racers, nothing comes close to Mario Kart on the Switch. With the near-perfect balance between pick-up-and-playability and challenge, MK8D truly does cater for everyone. Whether entertaining your grandparents or duking it out with the best online, you’ll find a satisfying experience no matter what you’re looking for.
1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Nintendo has been perfecting their Smash Bros series for the past 2 decades, an effort that culminates with the near-obnoxiously good Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The fighting/party game boasts one of the best rosters of characters found in any game ever, ranging from Pikachu to Solid Snake to Sonic and even the Wii Fit Trainer (because why not?), and each character feels unique, with a deep move set and individual play style.
