Originally released all the way back in 2017, the Nintendo Switch is now over six years old, and it's definitely starting to show its age. While the OLED model certainly provided a much-needed refresh, the Nintendo Switch is very clearly an outdated video game system, and one that's possibly on its way out as rumors of a successor continue to swirl. But that doesn't mean that the Switch is dead and buried just yet. It's quite the opposite, in fact.

2023 has managed to be one of the best years in the Nintendo Switch's long lifespan, delivering a near-perfect swan song for the beloved handheld hybrid. It feels as though Nintendo has pulled all of its resources together to give the Switch a triumphant send-off, with Zelda, Mario, Metroid, and Pikmin all delivering excellent installments this year, and that's not even mentioning the slew of great third-party games that also found their home on the Nintendo Switch this year.

best-villains-of-2023-game-rant-2
Related
The 10 Best Video Games Villains of 2023

Part of any great game is the villain players have to contend with, and with the high quality of games in 2023 came an equal amount of great villains.

Dave the Diver

Read Game ZXC's Dave the Diver Review

Though it only got ported to the Nintendo Switch at the end of October, Dave the Diver has quickly become one of the console's best games. With a core gameplay loop that sees players dive into an ever-changing ocean during the day, hunt fish and other sea creatures, and then return to land at night to run a sushi restaurant, Dave the Diver is perfectly suited to short hour-long play sessions, making it an ideal game for Nintendo's handheld hybrid.

Disney Illusion Island

Read Game ZXC's Disney Illusion Island Review

Currently a Nintendo Switch exclusive, Disney Illusion Island is one of the best family games of the entire year, acting as the perfect introduction to the Metroidvania genre for young audiences. Disney Illusion Island sees up to four players take control of Mickey Mouse and the rest of the cartoon gang as they run, swing, climb, and explore a variety of different levels, each one just as colorful and vibrant as the cartoons it's adapting. Genuinely fun for the whole family, Disney Illusion Island feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch.

disney illusion island
Disney Illusion Island

Disney Illusion Island is a Switch exclusive that follows Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and Minnie as they investigate the island of Monoth. The 2D platformer has multiple playable characters, 4-player co-op, and hand-drawn animation.

Platform(s)
Switch
Released
July 28, 2023
Developer(s)
Dlala Studios
Publisher(s)
Disney Interactive
Genre(s)
Platformer

Dredge

Another nautical-themed Switch game, Dredge is not only one of the best Switch games of the year, but one of the best Indie games of 2023 full-stop. Dredge sees players explore a vast ocean, catch some fish, and bring them back to the mainland to sell, using the proceeds for boat upgrades that in turn let players go further out to sea. But the further players venture from shore, the stranger Dredge's ocean gets. A strangely addictive blend of cozy fishing and Lovecraftian horror, Dredge is undoubtedly one of the Switch's best games this year.

Metroid Prime Remastered

After years of rumors and leaks, Metroid Prime Remastered was finally announced and released earlier this year on Nintendo Switch, and it somehow lived up to the hype. Far more than just a remaster, Metroid Prime makes some major graphical and technical improvements to the 2002 original, making it truly feel like a game that was always meant to be released in the 2020s. The only downside of Metroid Prime Remastered is that fans don't now have immediate access to its two sequels, though it would make sense that Nintendo has them in the works somewhere.

Octopath Traveler 2

Read Game ZXC's Octopath Traveler 2 Review

Released back in February, Octopath Traveler 2 has ended up being one of the most underrated Indie games of the year, but it's managed to remain quite popular on the Nintendo Switch. Just like its predecessor, Octopath Traveler 2 gives fans eight playable characters to choose from, each with their own unique skill set, motivations, and story, and the highlight of the entire experience is once again finding out how all these journeys interweave.

best-rpg-2023-remnant-2-star-ocean-baldurs-gate-3-game-rant
Related
The 10 Best RPGs of 2023

Perhaps no other gaming genre shone more brightly in 2023 than RPGs, with the year's Game of the Year winner in tow to prove it.

Pikmin 4

Read Game ZXC's Pikmin 4 Review

A game almost a decade in the making, Pikmin 4 is very much a real thing, and it's just waiting to be played on the Nintendo Switch. While its core gameplay loop remains essentially unchanged from previous Pikmin entries, Pikmin 4 is by far the most accessible entry in franchise history, both in terms of controls and difficulty. Pikmin 4 also makes some fun additions and improvements over prior entries, such as new Pikmin types, a new Night Expeditions mission type, and the ability to customize the player character for the first time in the series. Cozy, calm, and engaging, Pikmin 4 is an ideal Nintendo Switch game, showing that this franchise is far from dead.

Sea of Stars

Read Game ZXC's Sea of Stars Review

The winner of The Game Awards 2023's Best Indie Game category, Sea of Stars feels like it was tailor-made for the Nintendo Switch. Technically set in the same universe as 2018's The Messenger - another excellent Switch game - Sea of Stars is a throwback RPG, very much inspired by classic retro titles like Chrono Trigger. From great turn-based combat to a gorgeous pixel art style to great character writing, Sea of Stars is one of the best games of 2023.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

The first mainline 2D Mario game in just over a decade, Super Mario Bros. Wonder was just the triumphant return to form that fans have been desperate for. Though its gameplay will be familiar to anyone who's ever played a Mario game before, Super Mario Bros. Wonder's core Wonder Flower gimmick does a lot to make the game feel like a wholly new experience, and the addition of four-player co-op helps to make Wonder feel like this big next step for the franchise. There's no doubt that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is now considered one of the best games on Nintendo Switch, right alongside Super Mario Odyssey and Bowser's Fury.

Super Mario RPG

Nintendo doesn't often do full remakes, but when it does, it usually knocks them out of the park. A full remake of the SNES 1996 underrated classic, Super Mario RPG looks beautiful and plays wonderfully. While Super Mario RPG's turn-based gameplay won't be for everyone, the game's whimsically odd tone should be enough to draw in any Super Mario fans, and this remake does a great job of making it all feel suitably accessible and engaging.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

A game that needs absolutely no introduction, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been widely regarded as one of the best games of 2023, and that legacy already seems firmly cemented. Taking the groundwork of its already-phenomenal predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom improves and adds upon the original in almost every way, breaking new ground for the open-world genre once again, this time with its Zonai abilities. Because of the ability to freely ascend through platforms, the ability to fuse weapons, and the ability to build any contraption or vehicle players can think of, there's truly no other game out there like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.