2019 has been a fantastic year for Nintendo Switch owners so far, with a stellar lineup from the platform holder itself joined by a near-endless stream of brilliant third party games. Finding the time to play them all is by far the biggest problems facing anyone with a Switch or Switch Lite!
Nintendo’s console got off to a rocketing start in 2017 with the heavy hitters of launch game The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, and that continued into 2018 with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate while third parties and indie devs really took Switch to their hearts, too, releasing quality new games and ports aplenty.
2019 has gifted us several top-drawer Nintendo-made Switch titles in the form of Super Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, but every week has brought another essential game to the eShop from other studios, huge and tiny alike. With big games like the quirky Ring Fit Adventure, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Pokémon Sword and Shield still to come this year, 2020 is going to have its work cut out to beat 2019 in the software stakes.
The following list of the 50 best games from 2019 so far is ranked according to the user ratings associated with Switch games on Nintendo Life’s database. Therefore, this list can change according to your ratings. If you’ve previously rated your Switch games (the ones released in 2019, that is), just sit back and enjoy. If, however, you’ve yet to give your personal score for some (or all) of the games below, clicking on each game’s rating to cast your vote and affect the list.
Can’t see your favourite? Head to our library of Switch games for 2019 and input your own ratings. A game needs a minimum of just ten ratings to become eligible at the moment (we’ll bump this up as more ratings pour in), so it’s entirely possible to influence the ranking and get your favourite games onto the list.
So, without further prevarication, let’s take a look at the best Switch games from 2019!
Publisher: Devolver Digital / Developer: Doinksoft
With tight controls, retro-styled minimal art style and a superb sense of progression, Gato Roboto is the perfect Metroidvania to play whilst you’re waiting for an actual Metroid or appropriate Castlevania game. Only its difficulty leaves a bit to be desired at times – anybody with a lick of experience will likely breeze through it in no time, and we wish it lasted a little longer. Nevertheless, it’s chock full of meaningful upgrades, secrets and spectacular boss battles to keep you busy, if only for a few hours.
Publisher: Activision / Developer: Beenox
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a visually phenomenal upgrade on a PlayStation karting classic, and one that faithfully recreates both its positives (its unique drift boosting system) and its potential irritants (30fps, tricky AI). It does bring a whole new set of issues – mainly lengthy loading times and the fact that playing offline stops you making any progress towards unlocking anything – but while these prevent the game from becoming an absolute must-have, they don’t sour the experience enough to stop us wholeheartedly recommending it regardless.
Publisher: Bandai Namco / Developer: Bandai Namco
While Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition doesn’t make an major changes to the original game that launched over a decade ago, it does combine practically every piece of exclusive content into one wholesome package. With the benefit of some improved visuals in both cutscenes and gameplay, it’s very difficult to recommend this JRPG classic on any other system than Nintendo Switch thanks to how well it performs in both docked and handheld modes. If you’ve ever slept on this classic, there’s never been a better way to rectify that error.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is an impressive package, offering the best of modern-era 2D Mario, madcap multiplayer and glimpses of the outrageous invention that was to come in Super Mario Odyssey. The chance to replay a top-drawer Mario game on a handheld is tantalising, although gameplay aside, ageing visuals and the irritation of being kicked back to the world map after every death stand out as things that could have been improved. The bottom line, though, is that Switch has a very fine 2D Mario to its name.
Publisher: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed III on Switch is easily the weakest ‘Remastered’ version of the game that’s been released thus far. The expected graphical bells and whistles are mostly absent and this game feels more like a straight port of the 2012 original. Framerate issues plague many of the busier areas of the open world and make combat and traversal a chore for the most part, while audio problems are also a constant niggle. Granted, this is still the full-fat game and the fact that it’s available to play on-the-go and includes all the DLC (and a pretty nice HD version of Liberation) is impressive, but there’s no escaping the fact that it’s a lacklustre port of one of the weakest Assassin’s Creed titles.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Good-Feel
If you’re new to the series, Yoshi’s Crafted World has colour and charm to spare, even if its inventiveness is largely limited to its looks. For Yoshi fans, it does exactly what you expect it to, which is perhaps the worst thing we can say about it; it contains few genuine surprises. The game is delightfully presented, though, and makes for another very solid entry in Nintendo’s ever-growing pantheon of material-based platformers. If you’re looking to share a light-hearted platformer with the family, or simply relax in a big chair with a cup of something warm and a comfy pair of socks, be sure to have a spare pair ready – Yoshi’s Crafted World will charm the ones you’re wearing right off.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Koei Tecmo
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order isn’t a groundbreaking, narrative-heavy reinterpretation of the comic characters you know and love, but then again neither were the first two games. In that regard, it’s a very faithful sequel that mines the vast roster of characters from the comics while including plenty of nods to the current state of the more modern Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it doesn’t do anything particularly new or outstanding, it embraces the brainless fun of its brawler combat with gusto, and it’s at its absolute best when played with a team of player-controlled supers. Excelsior!
Publisher: Zenimax Media / Developer: id Software
A stuttery frame rate isn’t enough to derail one of the most memorable FPS campaigns of yesteryear. Doom 3 still has the power to unnerve and while elements of it may be showing their age now, the overall package – complete with the BFG Edition improvements and expansion packs – still guarantees value for money.
Publisher: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft
Trials Rising is the (mostly) full package you’d want on Switch. With its huge list of tracks to tackle and all the races and trick-based stunts you could ask for, RedLynx has served up the best instalment in the series since Trials Evolution. With a killer soundtrack, tons of customisation and an impressively deep tutorial mode, it’s only really let down by a tutorial-free Track Editor. The drop to 30fps might put off those also playing on other platforms and the drop in visual fidelity can be hard to miss at times, but despite its blemishes, Trials has proved it’s right at home on Nintendo Switch.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Arika
The complete oddball of the family, Tetris 99 offers a truly unique way to play the tried-and-tested classic, even if the overall package feels a little lightweight. Playing live against 98 others is chaotic, and the action feels fast, precise, and wonderfully addictive. It’s seriously difficult, too – we’d fancy our chances in Fortnite over this any day – and we’re impressed with the fact that it’s forced us to play the game with a completely different approach to our usual slow-and-steady ways. Signing up for Nintendo Switch Online just to play this game might be a bit of a stretch, but if you’re already a member, what are you waiting for? It’s free, and it might just become your next favourite time sink.