All that’s before you factor in a back catalogue that stretches back some five years now and takes in all-timers such as The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and so much else besides. So if you’ve just picked up a Switch or perhaps are just looking to expand your library, these are the must-haves for Nintendo’s hybrid console.
Buy Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes in the UK from ShopTo, and in the US from GameStop
‘Either way, this is a game crafted by subtractive sculpture. And how weirdly refreshing that is, compared to our artform’s current, insatiable appetite for only adding more and more. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is either this series’ bare minimum, or its purest form. I think it’s both at once.’
Buy OlliOlli World from Nintendo eShop UK and Nintendo Store US
‘Like its predecessors, Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s an open-armed thing, and now more than ever before it’s a game that’s for absolutely everyone, the move to 3D platforming perhaps the most significant step forward in the series’ history. This is an absolute hug of a game, and quite likely Kirby’s best outing yet.’ ‘This is a modern Metroid, a 2D adventure delivered with triple-A panache, yet one that retains the grace and poise that’s always marked the highlights of this series, and marked it out from its many imitators. How blessed we are to have Samus properly back, and what a marvel it is to be reminded how special Metroid can be. The wait, I’m delighted to say, was somehow worth it.’ ‘It’s all enough to make me believe that this really might be the Monster Hunter for all, and as much as World pushed the series into the mainstream it’s Rise that could yet propel it to be a phenomenon - and at the very least it’ll earn the series some new fans along the way. If you’ve been put off by the challenge, the investment or even the action, Rise does its very best to smooth the path and open up Monster Hunter’s charms to all. If you’re already smitten with the series like I am? Well, Monster Hunter Rise might well be as good as video games can get.’
Buy Monster Hunter Rise in the UK from ShopTo, and in the US from GameStop
Buy Fire Emblem: Three Houses in the UK from Base, and in the US from GameStop
‘There’s an end-of-pier charm to it all, the showmanship of the arcade matched with Nintendo’s time-proven ability to take something - here the humble pilates ring - and imbue it with a sense of play and wonder. Ring Fit Adventure is that and then some, boasting all the inventiveness of last year’s curio Labo and matching it with a video game that compels you to come back for more. This might not have the show-stopping pull of a Mario or Zelda, but I can guarantee that it’s the purest Nintendo experience you’ll play this year.’
