The worst Nintendo-related thing in the last decade was easily the release, messaging, and reception of the Wii U video game console. Thankfully the Nintendo Switch corrected things for the company and brought them back into the gaming communities favour. People loved the Switch and the console/portable hybrid has managed to sell extremely well; thanks, in large part, to a great library of well-reviewed games.
However, as much as we would love to do nothing but praise this company, we do have to point out that that game library also happens to have a fair amount of poorly done games in it as well. Today, we're going to go over the worst Nintendo exclusives of the last decade.
10 1-2-Switch (58)
Launch games for new hardware will rarely become the most beloved games for said console. Developers are often pigeon-held to use the hardware's new heavily-marketed features and innovations which are likely forgotten about months into its life cycle.
The Nintendo Switch managed to pull in both fans and their wallets with the universally beloved game Breath of the Wild, but we do have to remember that it also had released 1-2-Switch at launch. The game was meant to showcase the power and versatility of the joy-con controllers but never rose to anything more than a handful of internet memes and lackluster quick party games.
9 Radiation Island (54)
Survival horror is a genre that's been gaining popularity in recent years and Radiation Island is an indie title that looked to take advantage of the growing interest in that type of game.
Unfortunately, the game has plenty of performance issues that need to be patched and fixed but it seems the port was all but abandoned after its release. Fans are always worried when mobile games begin to get ported to other platforms and Radiation Island is an example of a title that was ported simply to try and earn a few extra dollars. Overall, it was a truly underwhelming experience for players.
8 Jumping Joe & Friends (54)
Jumping Joe & Friends falls right in line with Radiation Island. They are little more than ports of mobile games that do little to nothing to make them meaningful experiences amongst the stunning library of games that the Nintendo Switch has to offer.
In typical mobile free-to-play fashion, it's very shallow and lacks any real hook that will keep you playing for more than a couple of minutes. You might take breaks from some games to savor the experience, for this title it's almost mandatory to do so if you plan to continue playing it without driving yourself insane from its endless repetition.
7 Castle Of Heart (53)
Castle of Heart failed, not because it lacked potential, but because it felt rushed and unfinished upon release. This is a game that's weighed down by its large price point. A price point which reasonably sets consumer expectations at a level that the game simply could not live up to.
The level design hinders the game and drastically deteriorates the user experience as it is truly nonsensical and frustrating. It's the type of game you close out of and dread ever returning to. It showcases the bottom end of what indie titles can accomplish on the platform.
6 Little Friends: Dogs & Cats (53)
Little Friends: Dogs & Cats is what happens when someone tries to capture the nostalgic magic of Nintendogs, but fails to do so in any meaningful way. The game leaves out the magic of its inspiration while also focusing on some of the worst/ more boring and tedious parts of owning a pet in real-life.
The game has you feeding and taking care of the animals but does nothing to offset this with fun or enjoyable moments of interacting with your adorable partners in fun or inventive ways. We were not fans of this title.
5 Flip Wars (53)
Flip Wars falls in line with the type of shovelware fans became used to seeing on the Wii and 3DS; which fans had hoped would be far and few between on the Nintendo Switch.
The game features very bland and uninspired gameplay that offers no variation or evolution throughout. It quickly becomes repetitive and the lack of any creativity reveals itself. It's sold at a very low price, but even then it's hard to justify wasting your time or attention on a game that doesn't respect itself nor its players at all.
4 Monopoly For Nintendo Switch (53)
For better or worse Monopoly For Nintendo Switch is exactly what you'd expect it to be and it truly does not go above and beyond those expectations. The game offers the traditional board game experience with no new bells or whistles at all.
It allows you to change the rule set for a given game and lets players choose between numerous game boards, but beyond that, it's a mirror of the classic tabletop version of the classic game. Sadly, the game wastes your time with poor loading times and AI that takes its time during turns.
3 ACORN Tactics (51)
Tactics games are a niche genre that has an audience of players who expect a certain amount of depth and nuance. ACORN Tactics doesn't deliver on either of those and is more often a frustrating slog that fails to challenge players whether it be creatively or intellectually.
The game is slow and takes its time which is only drawn out even more as players realize how little fun they're having while playing it. All of these gameplay issues are only made worse by the fact that the graphics are pretty lackluster in their own right.
2 Morphies Law (48)
When an indie game randomly launches in a digital shop and is critically panned, it's not too surprising. When an indie game is shown off multiple times in Nintendo Directs and built up to be a new hit multiplayer title for the platform and flops, that's disheartening.
Morphies Law always looked unique but it seemed to fail when it came to communicating why people should give it a try. It's one of those games where its concept is much more exciting than the final product it inspired.
1 Hollow (36)
The best thing about Hollow is that when you search for it on the Nintendo eShop you'll also return a search result for Hollow Knight, which is truly one of the best games on the platform. That being said, if you want to try Hollow you're better off playing almost anything else the Nintendo Switch has to offer.
Fans have been dreaming of a day when a new Dead Space game is announced, and Hollow is the nightmare result of developers trying to capture the magic of that series and failing to do so on every front.
