2023 has been a fantastic year for Nintendo Switch console holders, as numerous title-nominated and title-winning Nintendo Switch games surfaced in The Game Awards 2023 and made their way to the versatile system, which is still managing strong after six years. Although many of the Nintendo Switch games are not exclusive to the consoles, it is still a joy to know that the Switch is still proving its value and worth.
As part of our year-end recap, we writers will be marking down more articles summarising the events that occurred in 2023 and what to expect in 2024. Therefore, today, we proudly present our listicle regarding the four best Nintendo Switch games released in 2023. Before we get into the listicle, it is best to reiterate there is no particular ranking for the games we listed below despite being placed in order.
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Top 4 Nintendo Switch Games Released in 2023
To help with our listicle regarding the four best Nintendo Switch games released in 2023, we have taken our designated writers’ opinions of the games they covered throughout the year and Metacritic’s evaluation and ratings.
1) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Starting our list of the four best Nintendo Switch games released in 2023 is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Unsurprisingly, this chart-topping and award-winning sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is our first recommendation, as it was many people’s pick for game of the year before the storm of Baldur’s Gate 3 washed away any contention in the latter part of the year.
To put it simply, Tears of the Kingdom is a masterpiece rendition of its predecessor as it builds up on what Breath of the Wild failed to accomplish. For example, Tears of the Kingdom provided us with a bigger and richer sandbox, a wider Hyrule to explore, more enemy variety, better dungeons and creative new systems like vehicle building and ridiculous weapon crafting.
Moreover, the plot and storyline in Tears of the Kingdom stood out from the typical Zelda Game. Although the general gist of it still you, the protagonist Link saving Princess Zelda from the evil Ganondorf, Tears of the Kingdom provided much more in the sense of shedding light on the history of Hyrule, the source of the Upheaval and the Zonai. With everything considered, Tears of the Kingdom is one of, if not the best, Nintendo Switch games released in 2023, despite the game only winning the best action/adventure game after being up for nomination in five categories.
2) Metroid Prime Remastered
Following up, Metroid Prime Remastered from Retro Studios is our second choice in the best Nintendo Switch games released in 2023. Since the early Metroid Prime series two decades ago, the game has forged itself into history as one of the pioneers of first-person shooter games, evidently shown by the original winning game of the year in 2002. With its remastered version, dubbed Metroid Prime Remastered, the game has cemented its legacy as the best first-person shooter game released in 2023.
For example, Metroid Prime Remastered stands out from others in its genre due to the game being entirely solo. It is a game about you, a lone hunter named Samus Aran, in a hostile world with no single conversation with others, no radio or AI assistant voices chattering in your ear. Thus, the story revolves around your narrative and experience with the environment on the planet Tallon IV.
Speaking of Tallon IV, it is, in our opinion, Metroid Prime Remastered’s best feature. For instance, every room has a purpose and a name, with details never being recycled and reused. For context, there are hundreds of rooms, including a fountain cascading down the side of the sunny sanctuary hall, a furnace chamber directing heat to other areas through convenient Morph Ball-sized vents, a deep underground laboratory housing experiments inside tubes that act as time bombs for jump scares and many more.
In conclusion, we could continue to ramble about how the game is superb with its improved controls, enhanced graphics and more, but let’s save it for another article as we move on to the next game on our best Nintendo Switch games released in 2023 listicle.
3) Dave The Diver
Securing the third in our list of best Nintendo Switch games released in 2023 is Dave the Diver. Released originally just for PC and Mac in June, the surprisingly well-received adventure game made its way to Nintendo Switch in October. The game has steadily gained overwhelmingly positive feedback due to its delightful narrative that combines underwater fishing with side quests, restaurant management, and an enticing, mysterious narrative that makes it hard for us not to put it on our list.
In general, Dave the Diver is a simple 2D-pixel adventure game concept where you split your time between spearfishing in a colourful patch of ocean and using the fish you catch in the sushi restaurant you manage. For example, you spend each morning till afternoon swimming with scuba gear in the picturesque ocean, keeping an eye on oxygen levels, harpooning and reeling in fish, and gathering resources for crafts and materials like seaweed from the reef. Once evening and night hit, you helped create a menu for the mysterious sushi chef Bancho as you feed a crowd of diners in a frenzied Diner Dash-style mini-game.
As your restaurant becomes more popular on social media, you can have your Bancho search for new recipes that require hidden ingredients, giving you new goals for the next day’s dive. Besides, you can divert from the usual routine and take a night fishing experience, allowing you to discover new species and add spookiness to once-calm waters. New equipment, such as sedatives and submersibles, are also available at night to allow you to catch fish in new ways. In addition, the game also provides a staff management system, a farm breeding system and many more. It is truly an adventure game worth having on your device as it is, hands down, the best positive surprise in 2023.
4) Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Closing out our list of the four best Nintendo Switch games released in 2023 is a recent one and everyone’s favourite mascot, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Despite its recent release in October, the game has skyrocketed among the gaming community and claimed the Best Family Game award at The Game Awards 2023.
Despite the reused concept of Mario moving from left to right, still getting big when eating a mushroom, and finishing most levels by sliding down a flagpole at the end of the stage, Super Mario Bros. Wonder brought a unique and weird plot to the game. Instead of Bowser and his forces kidnapping Princess Peach, Bowser managed to turn himself into a giant evil castle.
In addition to the plot changes, there are many new additions to the game, such as brand new enemies like birds that will dive-bomb you, Piranha Plants that can get up and run, and inflatable, living balloons. Moreover, Super Mario Bros. Wonder offered a familiar four-player local and brand-new online multiplayer with a well-integrated online component. In short, this newly-released Mario 2D platformer will surprise you with newly added twists and bring a smile to your face unconsciously.
Parting Notes
That wraps up our listicle of the four best Nintendo Switch games released in 2023. If we have missed out on other nominees, such as Sea Of Stars, Pikmin 4 or others, let us know on Facebook and Instagram social media pages. Tune in for more year-ending recap and listicles surrounding Gaming, AI, Tech and Crypto, which occurred in 2023.
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